What is it like to raise a child who has invisible needs (ADHD, Autism, emotional dysregulation, sensory needs etc.)? “Exhausting,” says the parent of 5-year-old Janey, who struggles with emotional regulation. “You yearn for the day when you can only be worried about them meeting normal goals – completing homework, making friends, or completing household […]
Helping All Children Feel Included at Camp Read More »
Summer camp can be a magical experience – carefree days spent outdoors, swimming, sports, singing, cheering and the list goes on. But for families who have children with hidden disabilities – sensory challenges, ADHD, autism, emotional dysregulation – summer camp can be the best experience or the worst. Leah’s 5-year-old son, Austin, was a camper
Creating an Inclusive Camp Read More »
Having a space to openly talk about all things baseball, his Jewish identity, and mental health is a top priority for New York Yankees Pitcher, Scott Effross. Effross and his wife Brittany have chosen Pittsburgh as their home in the off season because they fell in love with its charm after she attended Duquesne University.
An Evening with Yankees Pitcher Scott Effross Read More »
When we started the DEKA program at the ON YOUR MARK FITNESS at JCC South Hills, many of our members were curious or even hesitant to get involved. But as our community has continued to grow, our members, staff and even people from across the east coast have traveled to Pittsburgh to try out this
DEKA Strong at On Your Mark Fitness Read More »
When giving consideration to how we talk about anti-racism in early learning, there is an overwhelming agreed upon approach: Talk about it all year long. We have been on a journey in ECDC (Early Childhood Development Center) for a number of years, but most intentionally focusing on culturally competent teaching for the last two and
On Martin Luther King Day: Teach Your Children Read More »
I liked the sound of the class – “Active Recovery” – even though I didn’t think I had anything specific to recover from. Except… I’d done some intense workouts in the past couple of days. I have stiff joints when I get out of bed in the morning or get up from sitting a long
Try It Out: Active Recovery Read More »
Each month, the JCC is featuring one of our many Group Exercise classes. With classes for people of all ages and fitness levels, we know there’s something for everyone but still, taking that first step can be intimidating. We want to help get you started so we’ve enlisted staff and friends who want to try
The menorah is perhaps one of the most widely recognized symbols of Jewish culture and is the centerpiece of the Chanukah celebration. But how much do you really know about it? We’re sharing the fast facts you need to know about the Chanukkiah – from its history and meaning to the logistics of lighting yours – because
8 Nights of Light: A Chanukah Menorah Infographic Read More »
I’d been making latkes for many years before I finally realized something about this food tradition: Chanukah is the oil holiday – a celebration of miraculous oil that lasted 8 days. For me, good latkes are a small miracle too. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to making (what I think are) the
It's about the oil Read More »
Even before we start talking about Yom Kippur, I want to have a conversation with you about what I do on a daily basis. I am not sure how I did this, but I have become one of those people that works out almost every day of the week. I know, I know, you’re thinking
My/Our Body and My/Our Soul: Caring for Both Every Day and on Yom Kippur, Too Read More »
I contend that this recipe, shared many years ago at an NCJW meeting by Charlotte Sadofsky, is the best challah recipe, ever. It has all the eggs, oil, honey and sugar to make it the richest of all challahs. I add cinnamon for brightness and use lots of seeds – sesame and poppy – to
Bake the Best Challah! Read More »
Welcome to our vision of community. It will be a strong fabric made up of threads of love and support. What do we mean when we say “love your neighbor as yourself”? How can we possibly love someone as much as ourselves? Isn’t that self-defeating? Rabbi Louis Jacobs (Jewish Personal and Social Ethics) teaches us
Our Vision of Community Read More »
It has been five years and counting since we launched the Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement (CFLK) at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh. While our work was accelerated in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, we had started planning for the Center for Loving Kindness during
Five Years and Counting: So Much More Kindness To Do Read More »
As our neighbors celebrate Juneteenth, we stand in solidarity as we work to redefine “neighbor” from a geographic term to a moral concept. We invite you to virtually attend this event in Atlanta on June 17 and revisit our north star framing of how we work for civil rights for all. View the virtual event here.
Center for Loving Kindness – Standing in Solidarity on Juneteenth Read More »
While the punch line has changed over the years, the joke (and the underlying societal impression) is unfortunately still the same. While we were growing up, when we were asked what we would be getting Dad for Father’s Day, we always answered, “A tie.” Inevitably, that tie was either store bought with intentions of either
Father's Day Pledge Read More »
Manny Gold Humanitarian Award BILL PEDUTO Ziggy Kahn Award ANDY PAKLER Inductees ERIC ANISHTrack & Field JOSH HELMRICHNFL Executive MIKE LEVYTennis DR. ROBERT MARCUSSoccer Scholastic Athletic Awards JESSICA BALK, Fox ChapelField Hockey & Lacrosse BENJAMIN BEALE, Taylor Allderdice High SchoolSoccer ALYANA CHILDS, Upper St. Clair High SchoolTennis COLE FELDSTEIN, Central Catholic High SchoolFootball, Baseball &
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Western Pennsylvania 2022 Awards Read More »
Even though our democracy is only 246 years old, we can look back in Jewish values from 2,000 years ago to guide our understanding of what so many of us understand as the ‘sacred right’ (or is it ‘sacred rite’; or both) to vote. Hillel, an early architect of rabbinic thinking who lived
Recovery… to regain, rehab, repair, self-care: all fitness industry buzzwords. However, if you’ve taken Group Centergy at the JCC then you’ve heard the importance of Recovery countless times. The yoga, pilates-fusion based class ends with 5-10 minutes of guided meditation grounded in the philosophy that what you do after a workout, is as important as what you
Why We Focus on Recovery Read More »
Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 1: Fitness Centers Open 8 am-2 pm; Family Park Open 11 am-7 pm