Last night, we celebrated someone who has touched the lives of so many here at the JCC and throughout the Pittsburgh community. More than 200 people joined together to pay tribute to Rabbi Ron Symons and to recognize his impact over the last nine years as the JCC’s Senior Director of Jewish Life and Founding […]
JCC State of Mind – May 31, 2024 Read More »
Originally shared on May 24, 2024 during Staff Day at Emma Kaufmann Camp Before we board our buses back to Pittsburgh, I wanted to take some time to reflect on our journey so far this year and where we are headed as we look toward the future. On August 31, 2023 just hours before assuming
Jason Kunzman Remarks at JCC Staff Day 2024 Read More »
Best-in-class community centers have an innate ability to go well beyond the confines of their physical buildings to meet community need. While our JCC serves as a central hub for many vital activities and programs across the age continuum, extending our reach beyond our walls can profoundly benefit our community in numerous ways. First and
JCC State of Mind – May 24, 2024 Read More »
This week’s JCC State of Mind is by Maria Carson, Director of Jewish Education and Arts, Teen Division During the past academic year, the JCC’s Second Floor Teen Center, which is generously funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, has hosted a campaign of Dungeons & Dragons (or D&D for short) for teens in grades
JCC State of Mind – May 17, 2024 Read More »
The Role of Powerlifting in Personal Training Eli Snyder, JCC Personal Trainer What’s an efficient way to get stronger, move more easily and feel better? Eli Snyder, JCC Personal Trainer, likes the three lifts that are the basis of the strength sport called Powerlifting: Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift. “I like them for myself because
JCC Personal Training Tips Read More »
This week’s JCC State of Mind is by Emma Litwak, South Hills Day Camp Director At our core, the JCC deeply values and promotes building Jewish identity and fostering meaningful connections to the land and people of Israel. This is built into the DNA of our camps, where opportunities abound for campers to explore and experience
JCC State of Mind – May 10, 2024 Read More »
Summer starts at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh! Don’t sweat your summer plans. We’ve got something for everyone at JCC Pittsburgh! JCC members get access to 3 locations across Pittsburgh, including a gorgeous Olympic size outdoor pool. Take a Spin class Friday and go for a swim Saturday! Make the most of your fitness this summer inside AND outside. When you join the JCC this
Join the JCC this summer and save $50 when you sign up! Read More »
2024 Inductees, Awardees and Honorees: Local 2024 Jewish High School Seniors honored with the Nathan H. Kaufman Award for their athlete and scholastic achievements. NAME SCHOOL SPORT(S) Isla Abrams North Allegheny Field Hockey, Lacrosse Noam Azagury Hillel Academy Basketball & Cross Country Dylan Berman Fox Chapel Cross Country & Fencing Isaac Bernstein Upper St Clair
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Western Pennsylvania 2024 Awards Read More »
Last summer, as I was preparing for my new role as CEO, I went on a listening tour across our leadership team and asked what could be done to make our team meetings more effective. The responses primarily fell into three buckets – cadence, content and culture. As I was preparing to present my findings
JCC State of Mind – May 3, 2024 Read More »
There are three things that I love most about Passover – the intentionality with which the food comes together, the unique ways each of us has in telling the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and how the story is integrated with family traditions and gathering with loved ones around the table. But now with
JCC State of Mind – April 26, 2024 Read More »
This week’s JCC State of Mind is by Rebecca Kahn, Director of Jewish Teen Leadership This past week, our community had the pleasure of hosting 19 teens from our Israeli Partnership2Gether region of Karmiel/Misgav for the Diller Teen Fellows annual Jewish Community Mifgash (JCM). The Diller Teen Fellows program is an immersive, year-long leadership experience
JCC State of Mind – April 19, 2024 Read More »
I used to joke that I chose our synagogue because I liked the cookbook. There was some truth to that although as far as recipes go, the very best one was not in the book. Every year, some of us volunteered to do a mass bake of Matzo Brittle to sell to members, using a
The Secret to a Sweet Passover: Matzo Brittle Read More »
Eclipses are a pretty special thing around the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh. In his weekly shabbat message, my predecessor and good friend Brian Schreiber wrote about the last eclipse visible here in Pittsburgh and a moving confluence of events inside of our early childhood development center where we helped Dr. Paul Caplan (z”l), who was
JCC State of Mind – April 12, 2024 Read More »
Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Welcomes New Senior Director of Jewish Life April 9, 2024 – The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh (JCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hindy Finman as the new Senior Director of Jewish Life. With a rich background through Jewish organizations, congregations and camps and a deep
Despite today’s forecast of blustery winds and the possibility of snow showers, the calendar tells us that spring has indeed sprung. A host of daffodils, flowering cherry trees and longer days are telltale signs of warmer days ahead. Spring is particularly meaningful to me, as it is a time of renewal and growth. Just as nature
JCC State of Mind – April 5, 2024 Read More »
Written by guest authors: Abbey Plumb, Squirrel Hill Children, Youth and Family Department Director Emma Litwak, South Hills Children, Youth and Family Department Director, Director of South Hills Day Camp Celebrating Jewish holidays is one of the many ways that our community comes together. While Purim is not one of the most holy days on the
JCC State of Mind – March 29, 2024 Read More »
Art connects us to with one another and allows people of all ages to learn and grow. That’s why when LA based artists Tara Dervin and Shlome J. Hayun offered to create a mural of a Hamsa symbol at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, our team knew that the Teen space was the perfect place
New Mural in Teen Center encourages connection through art Read More »
Written by guest authors: Rachael Speck, Division Director, Children and Family, Day Camping and Teen Engagement Aaron Cantor, Emma Kaufmann Camp Director Last week, our JCC Pittsburgh camp teams had the privilege and opportunity to attend the American Camp Association Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We heard from keynote speaker Danny Meyer, renowned restauranteur (perhaps best
JCC State of Mind – March 22, 2024 Read More »
Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 1: Fitness Centers Open 8 am-2 pm; Family Park Open 11 am-7 pm