This JCC State of Mind was written by Liza Baron, Chief People & Culture Officer
Our CEO often says, “If you’ve seen one JCC, you’ve seen one JCC.” And it’s true – every Jewish Community Center has its own distinct energy, local culture and unique way of serving its members and neighbors. But during a recent visit to the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, NJ to present on trauma-informed workplaces and supervision with my colleague Maggie Feinstein, we were reminded of something just as powerful: despite our local differences, our core heart and purpose are true reflections of one another.
When we sat in conversation with staff members at the Kaplen JCC about their workplace experiences, they reflected on ways in which their community of support provided healing. We talked about supervisors and colleagues leading with empathy, recognizing the invisible burdens people carry, and how critical it is to build workplace cultures that offer psychological safety. Their stories were like our stories. Just like us, they believe that you must bring your whole self to work. And the central thread of our conversation was even simpler: the profound power of healing in community. We aren’t meant to carry our heaviest moments, our stress or our grief alone. We repair, restore and grow together.
That lesson feels especially meaningful as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah.
The High Holidays call on us to look back on the past year, to acknowledge where we’ve been hurt or where we’ve fallen short, and to begin the work of teshuva – return and renewal. But Judaism doesn’t ask us to do this reflection in isolation. We gather, we hear the sound of the shofar together, and we pray in the plural: our God, our sins, our renewal. We heal as a collective.
Rabbi Donniel Hartman reminds us:
“The essence of the High Holiday season in our tradition is the belief that what was is not what needs to be… it’s about reviewing who you were and deciding who you want to be. And that that decision is not just technical, it’s actually implementable. It could be a system in which there are things that you think about, which could actually change who you are, and it could last throughout the year.”
Healing and growth aren’t abstract wishes – they are deliberate, daily practices. They require systems of support, intentional priorities, and the courage to decide that “what was is not what needs to be.”
As we enter this New Year, let us actively commit to building those supportive systems right here. Let us choose to be a community where empathy isn’t just an ideal, but an implementable daily habit. Reach out to a family member or colleague who is carrying a heavy load. Practice trauma-informed friendship and leadership by listening deeply and leading with kindness. Choose every day to be the place where people can rebuild, restore, and return to their better selves together.
Whether you are walking through the doors of our JCC or one a thousand miles away, the fundamental promise remains the same: this is a place where you belong, where your whole self is welcome, and where no one has to heal in solitude.
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom. May you have a sweet, healthy, and peaceful New Year. Shana tova u’metukah,
Liza
