Building Community: JCC Town Square

The JCC is excited to announce Town Square, the  $1.5 million renovation of the Forbes-to-Darlington corridor, externally and everything in between, that will transform the center of the community into the 21st Century to encourage social interaction with a more contemporary aesthetic , improved ease of access and upgraded security. CLICK HERE FOR UPDATES ON BUILDING ACCESS The JCC’s Town Square is on the Main Floor of …

6 Things To Do This Summer at the JCC South Hills

Life & Legacy: Linda Simon’s Story

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh recently sat down with Linda Simon, a JCC board chair from 2004-2007 and hands-on volunteer who has held an almost uncountable number of leadership positions at the JCC. JCC: Linda, you have been an active part of our JCC for years, contributing and leading in so many ways. What got you started? LINDA: I grew up in Philadelphia and came …

Notes from Emma Kaufmann Camp

An Exciting Year Ahead September 9, 2018 by Rachael Speck Rosh Hashanah presents us with an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and think about what we want for the upcoming year. One of the prayers we say on Rosh Hashanah is that the entire world will come to a deep appreciation of God’s existence, awareness and supervision. By making this a prayer of Rosh Hashanah, the Rabbis are teaching …

Mid-Year Check-In

We are already halfway through 2018! How are those New Year’s Resolutions going? Have you completely forgotten them or just haven’t had the time to start yet? If you’ve stalled with your goals or haven’t reached them, no worries. We still have 6 months left in 2018 to conquer them! Below are some tips on how to refocus and accomplish more in 2018 than previously thought: …

Our Kids Deserve Our Respectful Debate

These are extraordinary times. As noted in the Jewish Chronicle’s June 21, 2018, opinion piece, “The purpose of a newspaper,” the more polarized opinions become, the more we need lively, respectful debate over issues that are important to us. I couldn’t agree more. Respectful debate between people seems harder and harder these days.  A 2016 NORC Center for Public Affairs Research study found that that 74 …

Debunking Common Myths About Dairy

We're at the tail end of National Dairy Month, so I thought I would round up (see what I did there?) some common myths about dairy foods. There are many more myths out there and if you want any more information about dairy, please visit the National Diary Council’s website Dairy produces mucus Myth: Studies have shown that consuming milk and other dairy foods does not …

I Need Shabbat This Week

I need Shabbat this week because all I have heard is people talking over and through each other. I need Shabbat this week because all I have seen are images of children separated from their parents. I need Shabbat this week because all the values about family and human dignity I thought were foundational to our American way of life are being challenged. I need Shabbat this week …

New Equipment: Connecting You to New Challenges!

Our new equipment is, of course, state-of-the-art, but these latest additions also bring a new dimension and many new possibilities to your workouts: Connection. Some of our new equipment is in line with the fitness trend for HIIT Classes/ Interval Training, with equipment that lets the user change the intensity of their workout quickly without having to make a lot of adjustments to the machine. First, let's …

What’s New at EKC?

“Hey, Rachael. What’s new at camp this year?” It’s a question I get every year. At the end of each summer, our team sits around the table and talks about what we want to change for next year.  By November, we have it all figured out, or so we think. Then there is that really awesome program opportunity that comes along in April or May …