Over the past week something pretty remarkable has unfolded across our JCC. Something that, taken together, tells a much bigger story about who we are.
On Saturday night, our Kaufmann Building was full of joy and excitement as participants in our Gesher special needs program, along with guests from Friendship Circle and The Branch, took to Levinson Hall with music, movement, and a dance party that reminded all of us what pure belonging looks like.
On Sunday, the JCC was buzzing with activity, filled with community programs and events from a 2026 Maccabi information session, HaZamir Pittsburgh teen choir, Little Champs basketball practice, rehearsal for our Middle School Musical and so much more.
On Monday evening, we gathered as a community for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation with journalist and analyst Haviv Rettig Gur, engaging deeply with Israel, peoplehood, and the questions that don’t lend themselves to easy answers.
And this Friday, February 6, the JCC closed our facilities for an entire day for Staff Care Day to honor and appreciate our part- and full-time staff because sustaining community begins with caring for the people who make it possible every single day.
On their own, each of these moments matters. Together, they form a kind of symphony of radical inclusion, intellectual rigor, celebration, rest, and gratitude playing in harmony under one roof. This is the JCC at its best. A place where serious ideas and serious joy coexist; where every individual is seen; and where community is built not just through programs, but through values – reflection, relationships, gratitude, intentionality, curiosity, dignity, and responsibility – put into practice day in and day out.
There are very few institutions where this range of experiences can happen side by side, woven together by a shared commitment to connection, care, and Jewish life in all its complexity and nuance. We are proud to be such an institution relentlessly focused on activating community to build a stronger and more inclusive future.
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom,
Jason
