Photo by Erin Nelson.
Brooke Bowles, the new executive director of the Levite Jewish Community Center, stands in one of the exercise studios during a J Move low-impact aerobics class on March 15.
Brooke Bowles says she has always had a tender heart. The 48-year-old Chattanooga native vividly remembers huge family reunions in South Georgia.
“I was always the one — the little-bitty girl that could barely see over the wheelchair — that [took] my great-grandmother around in her wheelchair,” Bowles said. “I have real fond memories of just taking care of folks. I had big ambitions of wanting to do that.
“In high school, I wanted to open homeless shelters,” she said. “I've just always had this … not really save the world, but just try to do something helpful, type of mentality.”
“Little Brooke,” as she refers to her younger self, went through phases of wanting to be an artist and wanting to be a mom. But her passion for helping others has remained constant.
Now, as executive director of the Levite Jewish Community Center, she has a new platform from which to do that.
“I really set out to try to level the playing field for folks,” she said. “It's kind of my background in disabilities and even here at the Jewish Community Center. … We really welcome marginalized communities. This is a place [where] you belong, where you're embraced.”
The resident of Birmingham’s Crestwood North neighborhood has also accomplished her dream of becoming a mom, with two daughters and three step-daughters.
“My husband and I have five girls between us,” she said. “They range in age from 19 to 30. I do have a little baby boy grandson, from my husband's oldest daughter. I have definitely gotten to be a mom.”
Earlier in her career, Bowles created Triumph Services, a nonprofit that provided independent living skills, employment, social skills training and counseling for individuals with developmental disabilities.
“Let's build something really great here,” she said. “I'm definitely drawn to potential, for sure.”
It’s actually a Jewish value for parents to teach their children how to swim. You don’t teach your children how to float; you teach your children how to swim, so that when they’re faced with difficult situations, they know how to handle it.
BROOKE BOWLES
Bowles said a Jewish Community Center is somewhat like a YMCA. She said it compares favorably with a family, and a community.
“Community is our middle name. Get it?” she quipped. “One of our biggest priorities right now is to try to take some of our programming outside of our campus, because not everyone can get here. Not everyone is able to access our facilities for whatever reason. Maybe they don't have transportation. Maybe there are financial barriers. I don't know.”
Turning non-swimmers into swimmers is another JCC priority. Bowles said “The J” is looking to expand its aquatics program.
“We have beautiful indoor/outdoor pools, great swim coaches, swim teams,” she said. “It's actually a Jewish value for parents to teach their children how to swim. You don't teach your children how to float; you teach your children how to swim, so that when they're faced with difficult situations, they know how to handle it.”
The executive director gets joy from teaching, as she did in a prior vocation.
“I took some time to teach when I was a nonprofit consultant,” she said. “I worked with women who had not been in the workplace for a lot of years. I would work with these women and teach them skills to get prepared to get back into the workplace.”
