January is National Hobby Month but we keep it going all summer long at James & Rachel Levinson Day Camp, where we cultivate children’s interests every day. Hobbies are good for us. Besides improving creativity and generating good moods, hobbies enhance the ability to focus and concentrate, training our brains to retain an interest and sparking enthusiasm. J&R […]
Explore your hobbies at J&R Day Camp Read More »
As our country celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I hope that you see it as a call to action based on long-standing Jewish values. Join me for a brief video-blog with music, quotes and intention.
Let Us Turn Our Thoughts to Martin Luther King Read More »
Among the many important events in the new year, January is National Slow Cooking Month. The ubiquitous slow cooker – the small appliance that makes it all happen – should not be taken for granted. How wonderful is it to be able to throw a bunch of ingredients into a Crock Pot just before leaving for
Celebrate the Slow Cooker Read More »
On January 29, we will mark the 18th “birthday” of the JCC in the South Hills. This milestone is traditionally referred to as a “chai” or life event, because the Hebrew letters that spell chai correspond to the number 18. It’s been a great 18 years of preschool, summer camps, fitness, recreation, swimming and most important,
It's a Chai Birthday Year at the South Hills JCC Read More »
January is National Mentoring Month, which focuses on how mentors help ensure positive outcomes for our young people. The JCC – a diverse, dynamic community providing services for individuals of all ages—is a place where meaningful mentorship is encouraged and supported, every day. Effective mentorship is based on relationships of trust and the modeling of
Mentoring Happens Every Day at the JCC Read More »
Typical New Year’s resolutions include exercise, lose weight, learn a new skill, spend less, volunteer more, and spend time with friends. At AgeWell at the JCC, we have one resolution: To help you with all of those things and more! We hear daily from seniors who have found a home at the JCC; seniors like
Our Resolution: Helping Older Adults to AgeWell Read More »
As the new year begins, many of us are thinking about what we did or did not achieve this past year and what goals we want to set for the future. I am a big proponent of making goals for the New Year, or anytime for that matter! It’s a great time to reflect on the past
New Year, New Goals! Read More »
Each year, as I re-encounter the story of Chanukah, I am inspired by the persistence of a small group of Maccabees who fought for their core values in the face of seemingly incredible odds. When confronted with oppression and limitations, they thought broader and wider than any narrow definitions that others might have used to define them.
The Maccabee Way of Thinking Read More »
As the Membership Director at the South Hills JCC, I often hear comments from our members about the facility, the equipment, the classes, the water temperature in the pool and the instructors. I recently received a compliment about one of our newer personal trainers. Mallery Fascetti has been a personal trainer at the JCC for
Personal Trainer Embodies Jewish Values Read More »
Oh no! Here they come! Are you bracing yourself for cookie trays, gratuitous boxes of chocolates and endless office parties? I just saw my first Whitman’s Sampler yesterday. And that’s just the beginning! But if you think I’m about to advise you to drink a gallon of water before every party, head for the raw
Holiday Eating Survival Guide Read More »
As the days get shorter during the end of 2016, Chanukah could not come any sooner. As I prepare for the Festival of Lights this year, I am particularly aware of the eternally contemporary message of the Macabees. Way back when, around 2100 years ago, when the Assyrian Greeks radically changed the structure of society by
Bring on The Light – Chanukah! Read More »
I am often asked whether heat or ice is better to use for pain or minor injuries. Like many answers in the physical therapy world, it depends. The first 48-72 hours after an injury is known as the acute phase. There will be localized pain, inflammation and possible redness at the injury site. During this
Ask the PT: Hot or Cold? Read More »
Day Without Art, begun on December 1, 1989, and recognized annually, makes us aware that we can all be affected in some way by AIDS. The straightforward, potent phrase compels us visualize the bleakness of life devoid of art, creative expression, or artists. To recognize the gravity of the day, museums exercised a form of
Did you maybe eat a little bit too much turkey or stuffing over Thanksgiving and the subsequent weekend? Maybe indulged in one too many pieces of pie? Feeling like you fell off the wagon a little bit? Don’t worry about it! No, really, don’t worry about it. So you could have been better during the
Banish those Post Holiday Regrets Read More »
“Physical Therapy is an active approach to your wellness via a combination of manual techniques, rehabilitation exercise and movement analysis. We’re not going to do all it for you; we’re going to teach and educate and show you how to continue to independently maintain well-being and functionality.” Scott Rosen, PT, DPT, Clinic Director and Physical Therapist for
What is Physical Therapy? Read More »
The Pittsburgh Clap, a rich tradition that ties decades of JCC basketball together, is alive as we begin yet another basketball season here at the JCC. On November 1, we hosted our annual “Basketbash” to kick off the hoops season. Each team was introduced as they entered the gym to the same clap that has
Timeless values and lessons through JCC Basketball Read More »
On Sunday, I blogged how I voted. This morning, as we wake up to a peaceful transfer of power and a celebration of our democracy, I want to share my hope. Every single one of us has to be a role model for the other. I am still committed to the confluence of Jewish and American
The Morning After: Be A Role Model Read More »
I live in Pennsylvania, where things matter this year in presidential politics, and I already voted through absentee ballot because my schedule won’t allow me to vote in person. Sitting on my family room couch as I looked at the ballot, I took into consideration my shared identity as an equally proud American and Jew, as
I voted as a proud American Jewish citizen. Will you? Read More »