Jacob Joffe Fields

What was here before?

The Lenape originally used this area for hunting and fishing given its proximity to Jamaica Bay's rich ecosystem. The Dutch arrived in the 1630s, purportedly purchasing the land from its Indigenous inhabitants, who did not practice land ownership and likely thought they were just allowing the early settlers to use the land. Shortly after, the Lenape were eradicated from what became known as Nieuw Amersfoort to the Dutch and later Flatlands to the English.

The area remained rural farmland for centuries. By the mid-1800s, this parcel was part of an estate owned by James Ditmars, an heir of the prominent Kings County family with substantial landholdings in Flatlands since the colonial period. The property was undeveloped through the first half of the twentieth century.  

How did this site become a park?  
In 1961 Parks acquired most of this site and added a small triangular plot at Avenue K and East 58th Street in 1962. It was named after civic leader Jacob Joffe (1925-1962) that same year. 
The playground opened a year later with play equipment, a sand pit, a baseball field, a handball court, and a public restroom.  

In 2000 the ball fields were reconstructed, and in 2019 new play equipment, a spray shower, and seating areas were added and the sports courts were updated.  

Who is this park named for?  
This site honors veteran and local civil leader Jacob Joffe, who lived a block away from this park.

Born in Palestine, Jacob Joffe left his homeland to fight with the Jewish Brigade of the British Army during World War II (1939-1945).  After the War, he returned to his home to serve as an officer in the Israeli Army for the nation's independence.  In March 1950 during the war, Joffe met Natalie Aronow and shortly after, they married.  Three months later the couple immigrated to the United States, took up residence at 1142 57th Street in Brooklyn, and founded the civic association, Futurama.

Futurama held events ranging from social parties to Boy Scout meetings and hosted stamp, electronics, mah-jongg, and bowling clubs.  A weekly newsletter reported on community happenings such as weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, funerals, meetings, illnesses, and overgrown gardens.  In his spare time, Joffe also led a Boy Scout troop and formed a local Children’s Activities Committee.  Jacob Joffe died in 1962, at age 37 from a rare blood disorder.