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What Does Israel Mean to Me?

Posted by Brian Schreiber on May 22, 2018

I vividly remember the endless bus trip from Jerusalem to Kibbutz Hazorea in 1985. I didn’t know a soul, spoke fewer than a dozen Hebrew words, and had never traveled overseas. But I had a longing to experience Israel, to learn the language and connect to people on their terms – not mine. The journey took me from the kibbutz to community service work in Ashkelon …

The Power of Summer Camp

Posted by Jason Kunzman on May 9, 2018

One of the steepest learning curves in my 16 months as the JCC’s Chief Program Officer has been in the area of summer camp. I grew up with only limited exposure to a day camp that was run out of my local high school in Rockland County, New York, and while I am a parent of two campers, I did not fully appreciate the impact …

Updating Our Mission Statement

Posted by Brian Schreiber on April 27, 2018

Over the past year, our lay and professional leadership went through the thoughtful and intentional process of updating our Mission Statement. Our goal was simple – to help our members, guests, professional staff, donors, partners and other stakeholders know more than what we do, but WHY we exist and who we aspire to be. Mission statements are more than just assemblies of words. Each word has weight and …

EKC’s Tush Push: For even more magical Shabbats

Posted by Rachael Speck on April 13, 2018

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 so special and pure about it, because it brings a …

Passover is All About Time Travel

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on March 27, 2018

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 it for years and we think that we should just maintain …

International Day of Youth Service: J-Serve

Posted by Maddie Herrup and Lili King on March 15, 2018

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 hometowns. J-Serve Pittsburgh this year occurred on Sunday, March 11, and had …

International Women’s Day – #PressForProgress

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on March 8, 2018

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 a mirror of conversations and attitudes that have been going …

JCC Camps: Preparing for Life’s Journeys

Posted by JCC Camps Team on February 21, 2018

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 hope that every journey will be filled with joy and happiness. We hope that …

Celebrating the Lunar New Year

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on February 16, 2018

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 and being interested in the Jewish community) and universal (having concern …

Giddy-up y’all: It’s Time for Big Night

Posted by Roberta Levine on February 2, 2018

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 JCC provide scholarships that help individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, religious affiliations …

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