Of all the things I love about camp, Shabbat is one of the things I love the most. There is nothing more picturesque than the amphitheater on a Friday night. The green of the forest, everyone dressed in white, the natural feel of the bima — it all goes so well together. There is something […]
EKC's Tush Push: For even more magical Shabbats Read More »
March Madness has come and gone, and as the city of Philadelphia prepares for a championship parade to celebrate the 2018 NCAA Champion Villanova Wildcats, much of the sports world will turn their attention to Major League Baseball or The Masters or whatever sports season is up next. For the coaches, staff and players at
Success is Not An Accident Read More »
Each and every year when we pull our wine stained haggadot off of the shelf and place them on our beautifully set Passover tables, we have two options. The first is the basic plan: Read through the haggadah, go through the rituals, eat the symbolic foods because this is the way that we have done
Passover is All About Time Travel Read More »
If you want to feel better without taking medicine, try exercise. Studies continue to support that exercise at any age provides multiple benefits — controlling/preventing osteoporosis, relieving stress, reducing heart disease, preventing diabetes and preventing falls. Don’t worry if you’ve never exercised, or if you have stopped for some reason. Being physically active can help
Want to feel better? Try exercise (we're here to help) Read More »
Final Training Report – August 20, 2018 It still hasn’t set in, I don’t think it ever will. It’s crazy, absolute bananas that I swam Lake Erie on August 4. It took me 10 hours 56 minutes and 45 seconds to do. Never did it occur to me that I would have a shot at
Training for the Big Swim Read More »
The International Day of Youth Service, J-Serve, is meant for Jewish (and non Jewish) teens from across each participating community to join together with other teens to volunteer at places within the community. The teens learn not only about ways to get involved, but also why it is a crucial aspect of life in their
International Day of Youth Service: J-Serve Read More »
Blog #23 Weight Change – October 21, 2018 If you’ve been at the JCC lately, you may have noticed a slew of people wearing “JCC PGH Made of Steel” shirts. The accompanying idea is that Change Happens Here, right at the JCC. From my own experience, I can personally attest to that. But for fitness
Jen's Fitness Journey: #GymMotivation Read More »
As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, and Women’s History Month during March, we understand the phrase #PRESSFORPROGRESS is needed more than ever. We live in a world in which women’s voices have been suppressed when it comes to reporting sexual harassment, domestic violence and sexual assault in all areas of society. Our contemporary conversations are
International Women’s Day – #PressForProgress Read More »
February is American Heart Month. What better time to teach our youngest here at the JCC about the heart: Its function, its importance, its location in the body, and how to keep it healthy! Some of our oldest students in our Early Childhood Development Center began learning about their hearts last week during Special Gym, thanks to a
Heart Health Starts Young! Read More »
Flu season is in full swing. It seems like you can’t go anywhere without hearing about someone who has the flu or at least someone sniffling or coughing. Other than standard precautions of hand hygiene and getting the flu vaccine what can you do to keep yourself from getting sick? Food of course! I’m sure
Minestrone Soup for the Soul Read More »
C O N N E C T I O N S • V A L U E S • G R O W T H • F U N This is our responsibility: To prepare the next generation for the journeys that lie ahead. We hope that every journey will be fair and just. We
JCC Camps: Preparing for Life’s Journeys Read More »
Each year, the typical adult can expect to contract 2 to 3 colds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skip the flu vaccine and you set yourself up for a bout of that as well. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Aside from good hand washing (with soap and water for
Combat Sickness During Flu Season Read More »
You might be wondering why the JCC opens its doors to the Lunar New Year celebration. Let me begin by sharing a metaphor I just learned on a podcast by my teacher Rabbi Larry Hoffman of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. While discussing the tension between being particular (having concern for
Celebrating the Lunar New Year Read More »
We don’t want to spill too many beans but if you’re wondering why we’re making hay about this ole Big Night, jest sit a spell and read on. Big Night…well, it’s about you and us. It’s our hoedown where we can hoot and holler a big “thank you” for all your support for the JCC. It’s your support that helps the
Giddy-up y'all: It's Time for Big Night Read More »
In Israel, another new year will soon be celebrated. Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year of the Trees,” is observed on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Sh’vat. Tu B’Shevat is not mentioned in the Torah. According to scholars, the holiday was originally an agricultural festival, corresponding to the beginning of spring in Israel.
Tu B'Shevat – How can we celebrate nature and Israel in the cold of winter? Read More »
A lot of us have fitness goals in the gym. One of the more common goals is to get stronger, which is great as there are numerous benefits to strength training. To get stronger, we need to figure what exercises to do, how much, how often, etc etc…and this is where things can get messy.
Why do fitness training 3D? Read More »
Live Awesome! Swinging, Climbing, Jumping, Running…. Individually, these are all fun pursuits. Put them all together in one sport and you’ll have real excitement! Obstacle course racing has taken the sports world by storm, and the industry leader is Spartan Race. With 100+ Kid Races, and Teen and Adult events of various distance levels ranging from
NEW: Spartan Comes to the South Hills Read More »
January 15 to 19 is Sugar Awareness Week. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the daily amount of added sugar to about 6 teaspoons (24 grams) for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men. Most of us consume much more: about 22 to 30 teaspoons per day… more than 90 pounds of sugar per year!
Sugar's Surprising Hideouts Read More »
Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 1: Fitness Centers Open 8 am-2 pm; Family Park Open 11 am-7 pm