Stroum Jewish Community Center

About

The Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC), located at 3801 E Mercer Way on Mercer Island, WA, is a vibrant and inclusive community hub offering a wide array of programs and facilities for all ages. It provides early childhood education, youth and teen activities, extensive fitness and aquatics options, arts and cultural events, senior programs, and various community-building initiatives, all rooted in Jewish values while welcoming people of all backgrounds.

The SJCC features multiple pools. The Main Pool is typically maintained at a comfortable 84-86°F (29-30°C), while the dedicated Warm Water Pool is kept at a therapeutic 90-92°F (32-33°C).

What are people saying (AI review summary)? Reviews for this organization are mixed, highlighting significant operational and facility challenges alongside some positive aspects. Criticisms include outdated and poorly maintained facilities, such as a deteriorating gym floor, high membership costs compared to competitors, and the absence of specific programs like the Maccabi Games. There are also severe concerns regarding accessibility for individuals with disabilities, with reports of inconsistent stair-free access and an often unattended or unhelpful front desk. A notable incident involved a youth baseball team being displaced mid-game due to double-booking, favoring adult leagues, and witnessing inappropriate adult behavior. On the positive side, the Seattle Jewish Film Festival is highly recommended, and the facility is praised for its workout amenities including a swimming pool, steam room, sauna, and group classes. Downstairs and gym staff are generally described as friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, and the organization offers various activities and events.

Location

Gallery

Amenities

• Accepts Credit Cards
• Accessible Entrance
• Accessible Restroom

Reviews

Listing Reviews

May 6th, 2024

Luam Fessehazion

Great place to workout in Mercer Island that has a swimming pool, stem room and sauna. There’s lots of group classes if you don’t feel like working out alone. They also have a lot of activities and events which is a really nice perk.

July 7th, 2025

Anthony Hoskins

While at a baseball tournament today our team was asked to leave the field we were mid game on so this organization's rec softball teams could take over the fields. Our 10U baseball team was in the middle of a game when we were informed that the field had been double-booked. Rather than allowing the kids to finish their game, the adult softball teams took over the field, and about 60 kids across the two fields were forced to leave so the adults could play. In my view, youth games should take precedence over adult leagues, but I understand others may feel differently. Additionally there was an inappropriate exchange between one of the adult players that occurred in front of our team — not something you’d want kids exposed to. Overall, I’m very disappointed with how this situation was handled.

March 31st, 2025

Seattle Daily (Oliver goes places!)

Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2025 was a great experience that I would definitely recommend to everyone.

March 20th, 2025

H H

The facilities are old and outdated. The gym floor is falling apart seems like they have a large asset and they don’t have the funds to take care of it. They need to improve fundraising efforts to have better facilities. It’s also insanely expensive to join relative to other community centers or YMCA is in the area. The JCC also lacks a maccabi games program, which is something that most other JCC’s have across the United States. Might be time to shut down as it doesn’t serve our community as it once did.

June 28th, 2024

Mike Haykin

I want to like the J but as a person that has a temporary disability, I was assured that I could enter the gym without stairs. Only intermittently true. The gym staff have tried to help and they are great but they apparently have no sway. I have 2 or 3 weeks left before I will be able to use the stairs. Unfortunately I would warn anyone with a more permanent or longer term need for an option other than stairs to go elsewhere. Sad. You can do better. The front desk is supposed to respond to the buzzer. The desk has been unattended 5 times in a month when I have arrived. When attended, some of the desk people are responsive. Other times, minutes of waiting, multiple buzzes and a very unwelcoming tone. Once in the downstairs, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. I would suggest you let the gym staff allow disabled folks to enter thru the gym OR just say the facility is not consistently accessible.