UPCOMING EVENTS
As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - THIS WEEK: School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Learn more and register here. - THIS WEEK: Core 24 Spring Clinic Tuesday, March 30 & Wednesday, March 31 Join us for a Spring Break basketball clinic at the Bernikow JCC!
Two days: $45 member/$50 non-member Register here! - THIS WEEK: School's Out Soccer Clinic Thursday, April 1 & Friday, April 2 Join us during your school break for more soccer and fun! We offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game through a combination of skill work and ball mastery, coordination and movement activities and small sided games in a positive and fun environment with our professional staff.
Two days: $75 Register here. - Music for Healing Wednesday, April 7, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS Celebrating the Women in the JCC Movement Even as Women's History Month comes to a close, it is so important to recognize the contributions made by women in the JCC Movement, including those at our own JCC! Check out this guest post from CEO Orit Lender on the JCC Association blog, which highlights women's leadership at our JCC that makes a positive impact on our community and inspires the next generation of women. - Congratulations, Neshama! We would like to congratulate Neshama Marcus, our Chief Program Director of Community Based Programs, on receiving an award from the CSI School of Social Work for her contributions to the social work field! - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Until we receive more funding, our Grab & Go Meals program for seniors has concluded, for now. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines Need a COVID test? Find testing sites near you here. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines by watching our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, fill out this screener. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. New York City is providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations (Johnson & Johnson) to eligible NYC residents who are fully homebound, have not already been vaccinated, and do not already have access to a vaccination program. If you believe you are eligible, please fill out this form. The City will use this information to call back to further discuss your eligibility for the program. SUNRISE DAY CAMP Meet our 2021 SunriseWALKS Ambassador! We are thrilled to introduce our 2021 SunriseWALKS ambassador, Giselle! Giselle is 11 years old and has been attending Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island since she finished cancer treatment in 2017. Sunrise is special to Giselle's family too—her sister Jane is a camper and her brother Gabe is a counselor! Click here to watch a special message from our ambassador! At Sunrise Day Camp, our mission is to bring hope and happiness to amazing kids like Giselle. We hope you'll support Giselle and all of our campers by registering for SunriseWALKS here! UPCOMING EVENTS 12th Annual Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards Thursday, April 22, 7pm Join us virtually as we honor four extraordinary women and continue the legacy of Nancy Avis. Proceeds from the event will benefit the JCC's Families in Need COVID-19 Emergency Fund. This year, we are pleased to honor Ilene Pappert, Ruth Greenwald, Stephanie Feldman, and Natalie DeVito. Tickets are complimentary, but preregistration is required. Acknowledge our honorees with a journal ad or sponsor the event here. - Save the Date for Our Upcoming Events
You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. WELLNESS Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Gentle Strength Workout Try this gentle strength workout! Targeting all major muscle groups, these exercises can help reduce your fall risk. - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy Programs Sign up for basketball programs here! - Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! For free programs, click here. For paid programs, click here. Recorded versions of the lectures will be available approximately 24 hours following the event. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. - SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Tattooed Torah: Film Screening and Panel Discussion Sunday, April 18, 6pm-7:30pm We are proud to partner with the Boulder JCC to present a FREE program in honor of Yom HaShoah. Join us for a free screening of the award-winning animated short film, "The Tattooed Torah," followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and narrator Ed Asner. "The Tattooed Torah" is a profound story of love, bonds across generations, tradition, resilience, and above all – a story of hope. Check out the trailer here. Register for free here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Composers: A Lecture Series by Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano Wednesdays, April 21 - May 12, 7pm We are excited to present a new lecture series on Jewish Composers with Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano. When she's not busy performing on stages around the world, Deborah is a skilled music history lecturer. A reviewer praised her lectures, saying: "Ms. Rosengaus’ inner performer is present in her lectures, fostering a fun, lighthearted and sometimes irreverent classroom atmosphere, perfect for classical music lovers and amateurs alike." Tickets are $12 per lecture or $40 for the series and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Shtisel: Freudian Readings of the Hit Israeli Series with Dr. Julia Wagner Sundays, April 25 & May 2, 12-1pm EST/ 5-6pm BST This series is sponsored by Susan and Andrew Hirsch. Shtisel tells stories of love and loss in an Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. In this 2-part lecture series, Dr. Wagner will explore the first 2 seasons of Shtisel through a Freudian perspective, enriching our understanding of the emotional drama and its phenomenal audience appeal. No prior reading is necessary but familiarity with Shtisel (seasons 1 & 2) is recommended. Learn more and register here. Tickets are $12 per lecture or $20 for the series. Zoom information to follow registration. - Celebrating the Remarkable: Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer Sunday, April 25, 1pm We are pleased to partner with American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, to honor Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer as she receives her first honorary doctorate from an Israeli university. From orphan of the Holocaust, to sniper in the Israeli Haganah, to removing sexual stigmas, Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer has spent her life breaking the glass ceiling and paving the way for the next generation of strong women. Register for this free virtual event here. - SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. - The Meaning of the Seder Plate In this video, culinary historian and author Michael W. Twitty and the Jewish Museum's Curator of Judaica Abigail Rapoport reflect on the layers of meaning embodied in the Seder plate. Learn how the holiday “centers on a culture of redemption” and discover a unique Seder plate from Danzig, now the city of Gdansk in Poland. - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Music Making for Families featuring Music with Patrick Sunday, April 11, 11am Join Mr. Patrick, his guitar, and his silly puppet friends to a fun-filled, family-friendly music class! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - A Passover Message from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Check out this Passover message from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra! This fun video brings together all the sounds of the Passover season. KIDS AND FAMILIES PJ Library Passover Guide Check out PJ Library's online guide to all things Passover! You'll find games, music, and other activities to help little ones celebrate Passover this week. - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP In-Person Open House Sunday, April 11, 2-4pm, Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds Join us for our first In-Person Open House on April 11 to find out why JCC Day Camp is the right choice for your family this summer! Masks are required and social distancing will be observed. Already decided on our camp? Register here today! - Register for Specialty Summer Camps! At the JCC, we offer multiple camp experiences so children can have an amazing summer, no matter what they love to do! We offer specialty camps for:
- Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Our Camp Directors have been taking over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. Tomorrow, we'll be highlighting K'Ton Ton! If you missed our previous Instagram takeovers, you can check them out in our Instagram Story Highlights! SOCIAL SERVICES Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Public Benefits Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with public benefits legal services, including: food stamps, supplemental security income (SSI), social security disability insurance (SSD), public assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, homecare, and other public health insurance programs? We can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes We offer free, online ESL classes to help advance your language skills! Please call us at 718.508.3885. Get your high school equivalency diploma online for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 or email hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information. *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Israeli Dance & Music Convention Sunday, April 18 Join the Rady JCC in Winnipeg for a virtual dance & music convention! In honor of Yom Ha’Atzmaut and the incredible contributions that Israel has made to the world of cultural arts, this full-day virtual event will feature workshops with renowned choreographers and musicians from around the world. Learn more and register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Yom HaShoah: Honoring Jewish Resilience and Storytelling Wednesday, April 7, 8pm Four international artist-educators will participate in a roundtable conversation about storytelling and Jewish resilience. Weaving together inspiring multimedia from each panelist’s body of work, these artists will engage in powerful conversation about the importance of paying tribute and preserving and elevating cultural memory—from the past into the future. Watch here. Yom HaZikaron: The Power of Jewish Peoplehood Through Personal and Collective Mourning Tuesday, April 13, 8pm Listen to an intimate conversation about loss and the healing power of personal and collective mourning as shared by Israelis who know the heartache and anguish from their own experiences. Watch here. Yom HaAtzmaut: Moments of Pride Through Israeli Innovation Wednesday, April 14, 8pm On the eve of Israel’s 73rd independence celebration, the program will open with a virtual tour of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and an interview with Chemi Peres, the chairman of the Center’s board and the co-founder and managing general partner of Pitango venture capital fund, which invests widely in the technology field, from IT to medicine. The program will also spotlight the country’s undeniable culture of innovation and its ability to overcome obstacles, by visiting three Israeli enterprises and hearing from their founders about how each built the business and what North American Jews can learn from their experiences. Watch here.
0 Comments
In honor of Passover, all JCC programs will be closed beginning Sunday, March 28 through Monday, March 29. Chag Pesach Sameach!
We would like to wish everyone a safe and restful spring break. As you and your family enjoy your time off, please continue to do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19:
UPCOMING EVENTS As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. - Core 24 Spring Clinic Tuesday, March 30 & Wednesday, March 31 Join us for a Spring Break basketball clinic at the Bernikow JCC!
Two days: $45 member/$50 non-member Register here! - School's Out Soccer Clinic Thursday, April 1 & Friday, April 2 Join us during your school break for more soccer and fun! We offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game through a combination of skill work and ball mastery, coordination and movement activities and small sided games in a positive and fun environment with our professional staff.
Two days: $75 Register here. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS We Stand With the AAPI Community Recently, we’ve seen a frightening uptick in violent acts across the country. Many of these acts have been targeted against members of the Asian-American community. We are horrified and saddened by these hateful acts and stand strong with the AAPI community to condemn this bigotry and violence. We grieve the loss of life and pray for peace in our community and country. At our JCC, we truly believe that the answer to hate is love. Hate and violence of any kind have no place in our society, and every day, we push back against those who promote racism and bigotry. Through education and community building, we work to make sure everyone feels included in our programming. Everyone is welcome at the JCC, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. We will continue to work to ensure that all people are treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve. - Next Week’s Fitness Center & Indoor Pool Slots Now Open! Slots for March 29 - April 4 are now open! Sign up for a Fitness Center slot here. Sign up for an Indoor Pool slot here. - Register for Specialty Summer Camps! At the JCC, we offer multiple camp experiences so children can have an amazing summer, no matter what they love to do! We offer specialty camps for:
- Special Delivery! This week, our Day Hab participants delivered holiday baskets to our Board Members! - Staten Island Flashback Check out this SI Live feature, which takes a look at the Sea View area through the years. In these photos, you'll see the area where our Bernikow JCC building now stands, as well as a snapshot from JCC Day Camp in 1995! - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Until we receive more funding, our Grab & Go Meals program for seniors has concluded, for now. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. If you want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, watch our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. - In-Home Vaccinations for the Homebound New York City is providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations (Johnson & Johnson) to eligible NYC residents who are fully homebound, have not already been vaccinated, and do not already have access to a vaccination program. New Yorkers who believe they are eligible for an in-home vaccination can express interest using this form. The City will use this information to call back to further discuss eligibility for the program. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. SUNRISE DAY CAMP Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! Our virtual SunriseWALKS event is on June 27! We encourage you to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate from anywhere and in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you! Register for SunriseWALKS here to help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings. - ECE Supports SunriseWALKS Last week, students from our Early Childhood Education Center held a March Madness fundraiser for Sunrise Day Camp! The students were happy to be able to help kids with cancer and they had so much fun dunking for donations! Check out a video from one of our classes here! - Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and early May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! - Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! Here's Sandy Haft, Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, enjoying a Sunrise donut! SPECIAL EVENTS 12th Annual Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards Thursday, April 22, 7pm Join us virtually as we honor four extraordinary women and continue the legacy of Nancy Avis. Proceeds from the event will benefit the JCC's Families in Need COVID-19 Emergency Fund. This year, we are pleased to honor Ilene Pappert, Ruth Greenwald, Stephanie Feldman, and Natalie DeVito. Tickets are complimentary, but preregistration is required. Acknowledge our honorees with a journal ad or sponsor the event here. - Save the Date for Our Upcoming Events
Supporting the JCC Made Easy Thanks to our partnership with Investors Bank's Care2Share Affinity Program, you can support the JCC for free! If you bank with Investors Bank, simply visit any branch and link your personal checking and savings accounts to our organization. Investors will make quarterly contributions to the JCC based on a percentage of your average balances. Your involvement is absolutely FREE and it's a great way to help us continue providing the programs you love and the social services our community needs! Learn more about Care2Share here. - You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! WELLNESS Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Zumba for Passover Try out these two Passover-inspired dance workout routines! Warm up with Louis Armstrong's "Go Down, Moses" and then get your heart rate up with Six13's "Uptown Passover!" - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! For free programs, click here. For paid programs, click here. Recorded versions of the lectures will be available approximately 24 hours following the event. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. - SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Tattooed Torah: Film Screening and Panel Discussion Sunday, April 18, 6pm-7:30pm We are proud to partner with the Boulder JCC to present a FREE program in honor of Yom HaShoah. Join us for a free screening of the award-winning animated short film, "The Tattooed Torah," followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and narrator Ed Asner. "The Tattooed Torah" is a profound story of love, bonds across generations, tradition, resilience, and above all – a story of hope. Check out the trailer here. Register for free here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Composers: A Lecture Series by Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano Wednesdays, April 21 - May 12, 7pm We are excited to present a new lecture series on Jewish Composers with Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano. When she's not busy performing on stages around the world, Deborah is a skilled music history lecturer. A reviewer praised her lectures, saying: "Ms. Rosengaus’ inner performer is present in her lectures, fostering a fun, lighthearted and sometimes irreverent classroom atmosphere, perfect for classical music lovers and amateurs alike." Tickets are $12 per lecture or $40 for the series and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Shtisel: Freudian Readings of the Hit Israeli Series with Dr. Julia Wagner Sundays, April 25 & May 2, 12-1pm EST/ 5-6pm BST Shtisel tells stories of love and loss in an Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. In this 2-part lecture series, Dr. Wagner will explore the first 2 seasons of Shtisel through a Freudian perspective, enriching our understanding of the emotional drama and its phenomenal audience appeal. No prior reading is necessary but familiarity with Shtisel (seasons 1 & 2) is recommended. Learn more and register here. Tickets are $12 per lecture or $20 for the series. Zoom information to follow registration. Sponsored by Susan and Andrew Hirsch. - SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. - Passover Seder Guide Do you have everything you need for your Passover Seder? Check out this guide from Chabad Lubavitch of Staten Island! - Watch Now: SAJE Presents...The Meaning of Passover in the Time of COVID with Rabbi Pearl On Monday, we hosted Rabbi Pearl from Congregation B'nai Israel of Staten Island for a virtual lecture in celebration of Passover. If you missed it, you can watch it for free at any time here! - Seder Night in Canada Tune in tomorrow night for Seder Night in Canada, a special online Passover celebration featuring guest celebrities from around the world! The program will follow the format of the Haggadah through music and entertainment in a way that makes the Passover story accessible, understandable and, most of all, enjoyable to people of every background. Learn more about the guest line-up here and watch for free on YouTube here. - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Music for Healing Wednesday, April 7, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Making for Families featuring Music with Patrick Sunday, April 11, 11am Join Mr. Patrick, his guitar, and his silly puppet friends to a fun-filled, family-friendly music class! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - Songs from the Pesach Cantata Watch this video, recorded in 2018, of Raymond Goldstein's Pesach Cantata as performed by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. KIDS AND FAMILIES Watch Now: Our Exodus Last weekend, we hosted a virtual Passover celebration for families, featuring a re-telling of the Passover story by Glenn Wechsler and fun songs by Music With Patrick! You can watch the video for free at any time here! - Family Passover Activities Check out these fun Passover activities, perfect for families spending the holiday at home! - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP In-Person Open House Sunday, April 11, 2-4pm, Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds Join us for our first In-Person Open House on April 11 to find out why JCC Day Camp is the right choice for your family this summer! Masks are required and social distancing will be observed. Already decided on our camp? Register here today! - The Weekly Schmooze: IlluminArt Productions Performing Arts Camp Now in its second year, our performing arts specialty camp run by IlluminArt Productions is open for enrollment! Campers will dive into an imagination zone, where they’ll get hands-on experience in all aspects of theater including acting, improvisation, dance, and music. Our young thespians will also perform an original play to showcase everything they learned. Performing arts camp is a great way to make new friends, build self-confidence, and express yourself! Parents can choose one of two weeks for performing arts camp, which will take place the week of July 12 and the week of August 2. We're also offering a special promotion... get a reimbursement of $75 when you sign up a friend! Sign up here today! - Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Join us on Sundays as our Camp Directors take over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. This Sunday, we'll be highlighting K'Ton Ton! If you missed our previous Instagram takeovers, you can check them out in our Instagram Story Highlights! SOCIAL SERVICES NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. - Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Housing Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with housing legal services, including eviction prevention, maintaining safe and habitable living conditions, section 8, public housing, and DRIE issues? NYLAG can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. Annihilation or Selective Presentation? The Nazi 'Cultural Genocide' in Vienna during the Holocaust Monday, March 29, 1:15pm Vienna's five Jewish cemeteries are potent sites for construction and contestation of Austria's Jewish heritage. Historian and editor Dr. Corbett will discuss issues raised in his forthcoming book about their destruction during the Holocaust and the post-war politics surrounding this form of cultural erasure of the achievements of centuries of Jewish Viennese men and women. Moderated by Prof. Laura Morowitz, Art Historian. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Yom HaShoah: Honoring Jewish Resilience and Storytelling Wednesday, April 7, 8pm Four international artist-educators will participate in a roundtable conversation about storytelling and Jewish resilience. Weaving together inspiring multimedia from each panelist’s body of work, these artists will engage in powerful conversation about the importance of paying tribute and preserving and elevating cultural memory—from the past into the future. Watch here. Yom HaZikaron: The Power of Jewish Peoplehood Through Personal and Collective Mourning Tuesday, April 13, 8pm Listen to an intimate conversation about loss and the healing power of personal and collective mourning as shared by Israelis who know the heartache and anguish from their own experiences. Watch here. Yom HaAtzmaut: Moments of Pride Through Israeli Innovation Wednesday, April 14, 8pm On the eve of Israel’s 73rd independence celebration, the program will open with a virtual tour of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and an interview with Chemi Peres, the chairman of the Center’s board and the co-founder and managing general partner of Pitango venture capital fund, which invests widely in the technology field, from IT to medicine. The program will also spotlight the country’s undeniable culture of innovation and its ability to overcome obstacles, by visiting three Israeli enterprises and hearing from their founders about how each built the business and what North American Jews can learn from their experiences. Watch here. One Year of J at Home
A year ago today, we launched our J at Home newsletter to provide our members with information, activities, and some much-needed positivity during the pandemic. While we miss all of our in-person programming, we hope that these emails have helped you continue to feel connected to your JCC family even though we are apart. UPCOMING EVENTS As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! TODAY: The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis, 6:45pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 24, 3pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. - TODAY: The Poetic Language of Jazz, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. - TODAY: SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century, 7:30pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. This event is sponsored by Hillel at CSI. - SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. - Core 24 Spring Clinic Tuesday, March 30 & Wednesday, March 31 Join us for a Spring Break basketball clinic at the Bernikow JCC!
Two days: $45 member/$50 non-member Register here! - School's Out Soccer Clinic Thursday, April 1 & Friday, April 2 Join us during your school break for more soccer and fun! We offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game through a combination of skill work and ball mastery, coordination and movement activities and small sided games in a positive and fun environment with our professional staff.
Two days: $75 Register here. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS Vaccinating Our Community In times of crisis, our JCC is always ready to help the Staten Island community out in any way we can. Ever since the vaccine became available, we've been doing our part to connect eligible Staten Islanders with shots to help keep them safe and end this pandemic. Last week, we hosted another vaccine clinic and helped 400 people get vaccinated! We are grateful to our partners at the Borough President's Office and VitaCare, along with the Wagner College nursing students who volunteered their time at the clinic. Dr. Ginny Mantello, the Borough President's Director of Health and Wellness even pitched in to give vaccines! We were also proud to partner with Douglaston Development, NYC HPD, NYC EDC, and NYC Health + Hospitals to help residents at the Seaview C Senior Housing development get their vaccines on Friday! Recognizing that these seniors may have difficulty accessing other vaccination sites, a clinic was hosted at the housing unit to deliver single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to 80 seniors. - Feeding the Hungry This Holiday Season Last week, we partnered with COJO, Project Hospitality, and Met Council to give away 800 packages of Kosher food to those in need for Passover. We are grateful to our partners and to all who donated for helping these families access Kosher meals this holiday season. We also received a $375 donation of ShopRite gift cards for our Kosher Food Pantry from Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island. Silvia Gornstein and Maxine Cohen stopped by to present us with this generous donation! - Fitness Center Update New York City has announced that indoor fitness classes will be allowed to reopen at limited capacity with safety protocols in place. We are excited to welcome you back safely for your favorite classes soon and we are working on our reopening plans. In order to accommodate more of our members, we have also added additional fitness slots and are looking to extend our Fitness Center Hours as well. We are awaiting further guidance for our pool. Stay tuned for additional announcements! - Celebrating Women's History Month: Women Leaders of the JCC In honor of Women's History Month, we wanted to highlight just a few of the many dedicated women at the JCC, whose dedication makes an impact in the lives of the communities we serve. In her work as the director for our Beacon program at I.S. 49, Joii Bobian extends the JCC’s reach beyond our building’s walls to empower young Staten Islanders. Joii’s Beacon program serves students and families with a variety of essential services as well as enriching afterschool activities such as academic help, recreation, leadership development, and more. Joii’s passion for advocating on behalf of youth and their families began when she was just 17 years old, inspired by her own experiences as a troubled inner-city teen with limited resources and support. In giving back to young people growing up in circumstances similar to her own, she builds a legacy of love and community that will help others survive and thrive in spite of adversity, just as she has. - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need will take place today, March 23, and tomorrow, March 24, at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. Until we receive more funding, this will conclude Grab-and-Go Meals, for now. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. If you want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, watch our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. SUNRISE DAY CAMP SunriseWALKS Your Way: Endurance Challenge Since SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY this year, we encourage you to raise money for Sunrise Day Camp and celebrate in any way that is meaningful, safe, and fun for you. A great way to do this is by setting up an Endurance Challenge, like Allison! Allison is hoping to raise $5 for every mile she bikes on her Peloton. If she reaches her goal of 600 miles before our virtual event on June 27, she'll be able to donate $3000 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! You can support Allison's team here or create your own team here and set a goal under the "Million Step Challenge" tab. - Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and early May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! - Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! Here's Sandy Haft, Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, enjoying a Sunrise donut! SPECIAL EVENTS 12th Annual Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards Thursday, April 22, 7pm Join us virtually as we honor four extraordinary women and continue the legacy of Nancy Avis. Proceeds from the event will benefit the JCC's Families in Need COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Tickets are complimentary, but preregistration is required. Acknowledge our honorees with a journal ad or sponsor the event here. - Save the Date for Our Upcoming Events
Supporting the JCC Made Easy Thanks to our partnership with Investors Bank's Care2Share Affinity Program, you can support the JCC for free! If you bank with Investors Bank, simply visit any branch and link your personal checking and savings accounts to our organization. Investors will make quarterly contributions to the JCC based on a percentage of your average balances. Your involvement is absolutely FREE and it's a great way to help us continue providing the programs you love and the social services our community needs! Learn more about Care2Share here. - You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! WELLNESS Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Exercises to Reduce Arm Soreness After the COVID Vaccine Arm soreness is a normal side effect that some people experience after receiving their COVID vaccine. Check out these gentle exercises that can help you reduce soreness after you get your shot! - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! For free programs, click here. For paid programs, click here. Recorded versions of the lectures will be available approximately 24 hours following the event. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. - SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Tattooed Torah: Film Screening and Panel Discussion Sunday, April 18, 6pm-7:30pm We are proud to partner with the Boulder JCC to present a FREE program in honor of Yom HaShoah. Join us for a free screening of the award-winning animated short film, "The Tattooed Torah," followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and narrator Ed Asner. "The Tattooed Torah" is a profound story of love, bonds across generations, tradition, resilience, and above all – a story of hope. Check out the trailer here. Register for free here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Composers: A Lecture Series by Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano Wednesdays, April 21 - May 12, 7pm We are excited to present a new lecture series on Jewish Composers with Deborah Rosengaus, Mezzo Soprano. When she's not busy performing on stages around the world, Deborah is a skilled music history lecturer. A reviewer praised her lectures, saying: "Ms. Rosengaus’ inner performer is present in her lectures, fostering a fun, lighthearted and sometimes irreverent classroom atmosphere, perfect for classical music lovers and amateurs alike." Tickets are $12 per lecture or $40 for the series and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Shtisel: Freudian Readings of the Hit Israeli Series with Dr. Julia Wagner Sundays, April 25 & May 2, 12-1pm EST/ 5-6pm BST Shtisel tells stories of love and loss in an Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. In this 2-part lecture series, Dr. Wagner will explore the first 2 seasons of Shtisel through a Freudian perspective, enriching our understanding of the emotional drama and its phenomenal audience appeal. No prior reading is necessary but familiarity with Shtisel (seasons 1 & 2) is recommended. Learn more and register here. Tickets are $12 per lecture or $20 for the series. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. - Passover Seder Guide Do you have everything you need for your Passover Seder? Check out this guide from Chabad Lubavitch of Staten Island! - A Timeless Script: Handwritten Passover Haggadot The National Library of Israel has the largest collection of Haggadot in the world. Take a look at some of the collection in this online exhibit from Google Arts & Culture. - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Music for Healing Wednesday, April 7, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Making for Families featuring Music with Patrick Sunday, April 11, 11am Join Mr. Patrick, his guitar, and his silly puppet friends to a fun-filled, family-friendly music class! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - Passover: Music for the Favorite Family Ritual Check out a collection of Passover music from the Milken Archive of Jewish Music here. The works span a wide range of genres, including chamber music, opera, choral music, and more. KIDS AND FAMILIES Got Matzah? As we get ready to celebrate Passover, check out the Matzah Song, which retells the Passover story using puppets and dancing matzahs! Then, listen to a read-aloud of Alan Silberberg's zany picture book Meet the Matzah! Alfie Koman, a shy matzah, must come out of hiding when Loaf, the school sourdough bully, turns the story of the Exodus upside down. - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP Register for Camp There are less than 100 days until the 2021 summer camp season starts! If you haven't signed up yet, now is the perfect time to secure your child's spot at camp by registering here! - Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Join us on Sundays as our Camp Directors take over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. This Sunday, we'll be highlighting K'Ton Ton! If you missed our previous Instagram takeovers, you can check them out in our Instagram Story Highlights! SOCIAL SERVICES NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. - Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Unemployment Benefits Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with unemployment benefits, including: navigating the application system, understanding eligibility, understanding State and Federal (Pandemic Unemployment) benefits, and responding to overpayment requests? NYLAG can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 24 and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. TODAY: Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla on the Covid Vaccine, 5pm Meet Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, the leader on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus who delivered the first vaccine for Covid-19 to be authorized for use in the U.S., Israel, and several other countries around the world. As a Greek Jewish immigrant to the U.S., Dr. Bourla will also share his incredible family story of surviving the Holocaust in Thessaloniki, Greece. Under his leadership, Pfizer’s development of the vaccine has been a game-changer in the global pharmaceutical evolution. Pfizer remains a leader in the fight against this dangerous virus -- including working to stay ahead of potential variants as they arise. Register here. Annihilation or Selective Presentation? The Nazi 'Cultural Genocide' in Vienna during the Holocaust Monday, March 29, 1:15pm Vienna's five Jewish cemeteries are potent sites for construction and contestation of Austria's Jewish heritage. Historian and editor Dr. Corbett will discuss issues raised in his forthcoming book about their destruction during the Holocaust and the post-war politics surrounding this form of cultural erasure of the achievements of centuries of Jewish Viennese men and women. Moderated by Prof. Laura Morowitz, Art Historian. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! The Jewish Perspective on Freedom for All with Adrienne Gold Davis Tuesday, March 23, 9pm How does Judaism define the notion of freedom? Is it freedom from or freedom to? The Passover story is a universal paradigm of 'purposeful freedom', teaches us how one can maximize their potential through free will and the choosing of greatness. As we navigate this auspicious time let's tap into the spiritual opportunities to 'set ourselves free' and to recognize the potential pitfalls and problems that can send us right back into slavery! Watch here. Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Jamie Geller Wednesday, March 24, 10am Kosher Network International CEO, Jamie Geller will take us through her 4-favourite dishes to make for Passover: Matzo Balls, Creamy Celery Soup, 4-Ingredient Horseradish-Crusted Rib Roast, and Sweet Potato Tian. Cook along with Jamie and you’ll be integrating these delicious dishes into your own Passover tradition in no time! Watch here. Yom HaShoah: Honoring Jewish Resilience and Storytelling Wednesday, April 7, 8pm Four international artist-educators will participate in a roundtable conversation about storytelling and Jewish resilience. Weaving together inspiring multimedia from each panelist’s body of work, these artists will engage in powerful conversation about the importance of paying tribute and preserving and elevating cultural memory—from the past into the future. Watch here. Yom HaZikaron: The Power of Jewish Peoplehood Through Personal and Collective Mourning Tuesday, April 13, 8pm Listen to an intimate conversation about loss and the healing power of personal and collective mourning as shared by Israelis who know the heartache and anguish from their own experiences. Watch here. Yom HaAtzmaut: Moments of Pride Through Israeli Innovation Wednesday, April 14, 8pm On the eve of Israel’s 73rd independence celebration, the program will open with a virtual tour of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and an interview with Chemi Peres, the chairman of the Center’s board and the co-founder and managing general partner of Pitango venture capital fund, which invests widely in the technology field, from IT to medicine. The program will also spotlight the country’s undeniable culture of innovation and its ability to overcome obstacles, by visiting three Israeli enterprises and hearing from their founders about how each built the business and what North American Jews can learn from their experiences. Watch here. As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events!
- Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: Tuesday, March 23, 6:45pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 24, 3pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. TODAY: March Virtual Book Club Meeting, 12:30pm Join us on Thursday for our virtual Book Club meeting! We will be discussing Deacon King Kong by James McBride, which was selected by the New York Times as one of the Top 10 Books of 2020. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 849 3574 8980 Passcode: books For Your Eyes Only Friday, March 19, 1pm Please join Dr. Edward Pulice, an ophthalmologist specializing in geriatric eyecare, in a discussion on keeping your eyesight as sharp as possible as we age. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 935 5098 7415 Password: CLLDSP Our Exodus Sunday, March 21, 2pm Join us for a FREE virtual program for families in honor of Passover! Passover is the quintessential storytelling holiday, when Jews recount the Exodus story of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. Join Glenn Wechsler as he retells the story of Passover and Music With Patrick as he leads you to sing and dance in celebration of freedom. We invite Cafe Europa participants to be our special guests! Register for free here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 816 2104 2711 Passcode: aJt5b SAJE Presents... Jewish Holiday Rabbi Series: The Meaning of Passover in the Time of COVID with Rabbi Pearl Monday, March 22, 12pm-1pm Join Rabbi Pearl from Congregation B'nai Israel of Staten Island for a FREE, virtual lunchtime lecture in celebration of Passover! Register here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 822 0754 6024 Passcode: 5V2Ms3 The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 23, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century Tuesday, March 23, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. This event is sponsored by Hillel at CSI. SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! May Their Memories Be a Blessing: A Virtual Memorial in Honor of Those We Have Lost On Monday, we hosted a virtual memorial service in honor of those we have lost this past year. May their memories be a blessing. Next Week’s Fitness Center & Indoor Pool Slots Now Open! Slots for March 22 - March 28 are now open! We have increased our number of Fitness slots to 35. Sign up for a Fitness Center slot here. Sign up for an Indoor Pool slot here. In light of a recent increase of reservation requests, we will be enforcing a strict 24-hour cancelation policy for all reservations made between the hours of 3pm-6pm Monday-Friday and 8am-11am Saturday & Sunday. Going forward, any cancelations made within the 24-hour window or one no-show, members will not be permitted to make reservations during our busy hours (stated above) for 2 weeks. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Celebrating Women's History Month: Women Leaders of the JCC In honor of Women's History Month, we wanted to highlight just a few of the many dedicated women at the JCC, whose dedication makes an impact in the lives of the communities we serve. Meet Bella Smorgonskaya, Director of Arts & Culture! Bella coordinates enriching programs that promote Jewish education, culture, and values. Born in Russia, Bella also spent several years living in Israel and loves to travel. She draws on these experiences to plan programs that expand participants’ horizons and highlight Jewish culture around the world. During the pandemic, her work has taken on additional significance as our virtual programs have become an important social lifeline for so many seniors who remain isolated at home. ECE Virtual Art Show We miss inviting everyone to the J to admire our preschool students' artwork, but this year, we're bringing our Annual Art Show to you virtually! Check out this video here! Flora Visits Berman Flora, one of our ECE mascots, has been visiting the students at our Berman location twice a week since January. She gives the children flowers for all of the wonderful things they do and they are always so excited to see her! Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need have resumed and will continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. Purchase Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Troop 5312/5227 is a local troop that supports and encourages students with disabilities in collaboration with the JCC and P37R. To support our scouts, you can purchase or donate cookies here! COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. If you want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, watch our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! Our virtual SunriseWALKS event is just about 100 days away! In the coming months, we will be working hard to raise funds and spread awareness for this incredible, free summer camp for kids with cancer and their siblings. We can't wait to celebrate with you virtually on June 27! Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! Here's Sandy Haft, Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, enjoying a Sunrise donut! Save the Date for Our Upcoming Events
Supporting the JCC Made Easy Thanks to our partnership with Investors Bank's Care2Share Affinity Program, you can support the JCC for free! If you bank with Investors Bank, simply visit any branch and link your personal checking and savings accounts to our organization. Investors will make quarterly contributions to the JCC based on a percentage of your average balances. Your involvement is absolutely FREE and it's a great way to help us continue providing the programs you love and the social services our community needs! Learn more about Care2Share here. You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT Standing Workout for Seniors This full-body, intermediate-level workout will help you build strength, flexibility, and balance! Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! Core 24 Spring Clinic Tuesday, March 30 & Wednesday, March 31 Join us for a Spring Break basketball clinic at the Bernikow JCC!
Two days: $45 member/$50 non-member Register here! School's Out Soccer Clinic Join us during your school break for more soccer and fun! We offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game through a combination of skill work and ball mastery, coordination and movement activities and small sided games in a positive and fun environment with our professional staff. Thursday April 1st & Friday April 2nd
Two days: $75 Register here. Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. Did you know? If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! For free programs, click here. For paid programs, click here. Recorded versions of the lectures will be available approximately 24 hours following the event. SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. "You'll Never Walk Alone" The Young People's Chorus of New York City recently performed Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic "You'll Never Walk Alone" to offer a message of hope during the pandemic. Watch the performance here. Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! Music for Healing Wednesday, April 7, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. 'Viola Mom' Brings Classical Music to TikTok Rebecca Young is the Associate Principal Viola with the New York Philharmonic. She’s also developed a following as 'Viola Mom' on TikTok, where her videos are making classical music more accessible to younger audiences. Check out this video about her and follow her if you’re on TikTok! Chair Workout for Kids This fun workout is a great way for kids to get moving, especially if they’ve been sitting during their remote schooling all day! School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. Register for Camp This Saturday will mark 100 days until we kick off our 2021 summer camp season and we are so excited! Last year, were able to give our campers the gift of a fun, safe summer camp experience despite the pandemic. We can't wait to welcome them back for another amazing summer this year! Register your child for camp today here! The Weekly Schmooze: Introducing Camp Nitzan In our latest Camp Directors Instagram Takeover, we introduced you to our newest camp division, Nitzan! "Nitzan" means "flower bud" in Hebrew and it’s the perfect place for children entering 1st grade to grow and flourish! Whether they attended Camp K’ Ton Ton last year or are new to the JCC Day Camp family, we know our Nitzan campers will love what we have in store for them this summer! Register your Nitzan camper here! Follow along as our Camp Directors take over our Instagram account on Sundays here! This Sunday, we'll be highlighting Shalom! NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Wills Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? While no one looks forward to end-of-life planning, it is important to create a Last Will and Testament. A Last Will and Testament allows you to specify how you would like your assets and belongings to be distributed after your death. For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 24 and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. The Stories We Carry featuring Josh Gad Monday, March 22, 6pm Josh Gad’s voice may sound familiar -- he’s best known for his role as Olaf from Frozen -- and now the actor is using his voice to share reflections as the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. Originally from Poland, Josh’s grandparents survived concentration camps and a death march and ultimately escaped to Germany -- where they met and where his mother was born. The family then came to the U.S. in 1949. Josh will also talk about his career on Broadway, and in television and film. Register here. Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla on the Covid Vaccine Tuesday, March 23, 5pm Meet Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, the leader on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus who delivered the first vaccine for Covid-19 to be authorized for use in the U.S., Israel, and several other countries around the world. As a Greek Jewish immigrant to the U.S., Dr. Bourla will also share his incredible family story of surviving the Holocaust in Thessaloniki, Greece. Under his leadership, Pfizer’s development of the vaccine has been a game-changer in the global pharmaceutical evolution. Pfizer remains a leader in the fight against this dangerous virus -- including working to stay ahead of potential variants as they arise. Register here. Annihilation or Selective Presentation? The Nazi 'Cultural Genocide' in Vienna during the Holocaust Monday, March 29, 1:15pm Vienna's five Jewish cemeteries are potent sites for construction and contestation of Austria's Jewish heritage. Historian and editor Dr. Corbett will discuss issues raised in his forthcoming book about their destruction during the Holocaust and the post-war politics surrounding this form of cultural erasure of the achievements of centuries of Jewish Viennese men and women. Moderated by Prof. Laura Morowitz, Art Historian. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Naomi Nachman Thursday, March 18, 7:30pm Naomi Nachman AKA The Aussie Gourmet will show us her famous recipes for southwest egg rolls, charoset salad and charoset-inspired capons. Watch, learn and share these wonderful flavours with your family. Watch here. The Jewish Perspective on Freedom for All with Adrienne Gold Davis Tuesday, March 23, 9pm How does Judaism define the notion of freedom? Is it freedom from or freedom to? The Passover story is a universal paradigm of 'purposeful freedom', teaches us how one can maximize their potential through free will and the choosing of greatness. As we navigate this auspicious time let's tap into the spiritual opportunities to 'set ourselves free' and to recognize the potential pitfalls and problems that can send us right back into slavery! Watch here. Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Jamie Geller Wednesday, March 24, 10am Kosher Network International CEO, Jamie Geller will take us through her 4-favourite dishes to make for Passover: Matzo Balls, Creamy Celery Soup, 4-Ingredient Horseradish-Crusted Rib Roast, and Sweet Potato Tian. Cook along with Jamie and you’ll be integrating these delicious dishes into your own Passover tradition in no time! Watch here. Yom HaShoah: Honoring Jewish Resilience and Storytelling Wednesday, April 7, 8pm Four international artist-educators will participate in a roundtable conversation about storytelling and Jewish resilience. Weaving together inspiring multimedia from each panelist’s body of work, these artists will engage in powerful conversation about the importance of paying tribute and preserving and elevating cultural memory—from the past into the future. Watch here. UPCOMING EVENTS
As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - TODAY: Beauty is Skin Deep, 12:30pm Join Nicole Glazier as she takes you through a series of techniques to ensure our best in skin health. An interactive demonstration of skin cleansing, moisturizing, and other techniques will be done with an opportunity for the class to participate at home. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 3261 9334 Password: CLLDSP TODAY: SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. This event is sponsored by Hillel at CSI. Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! TODAY: The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: 6:45pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 17, 4pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. The Golden Age of Movie Musicals Part III: Big Stars in Early Musicals Wednesday, March 17, 1pm Our series continues as Sam & Candy Caponegro discuss early Hollywood musicals! Beginning with, "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, movie musicals changed the entertainment industry forever. Clips from the period include performances by Mae West, Bing Crosby, and the extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. Music for Healing Wednesday, March 17, 2pm-2:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. Food Pantry Passover Distribution Wednesday, March 17 In partnership with Project Hospitality, COJO, and Met Council, the JCC's Kosher Food Pantry will distribute Kosher food for Passover on the dates below. All food distributions will take place on March 17 at the Bernikow JCC. JCC Distribution: 10am-2pm COJO Distribution: 4-8pm For questions, please contact Neshama Marcus at NMarcus@SIJCC.com or 718.475.5228. March Virtual Book Club Meeting Thursday, March 18, 12:30pm Join us on Thursday for our virtual Book Club meeting! We will be discussing Deacon King Kong by James McBride, which was selected by the New York Times as one of the Top 10 Books of 2020. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 849 3574 8980 Passcode: books For Your Eyes Only Friday, March 19, 1pm Please join Dr. Edward Pulice, an ophthalmologist specializing in geriatric eyecare, in a discussion on keeping your eyesight as sharp as possible as we age. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 935 5098 7415 Password: CLLDSP Our Exodus Sunday, March 21, 2pm Join us for a FREE virtual program for families in honor of Passover! Passover is the quintessential storytelling holiday, when Jews recount the Exodus story of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. Join Glenn Wechsler as he retells the story of Passover and Music With Patrick as he leads you to sing and dance in celebration of freedom. We invite Cafe Europa participants to be our special guests! Register for free here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 816 2104 2711 Passcode: aJt5b SAJE Presents... Jewish Holiday Rabbi Series: The Meaning of Passover in the Time of COVID with Rabbi Pearl Monday, March 22, 12pm-1pm Join Rabbi Pearl from Congregation B'nai Israel of Staten Island for a FREE, virtual lunchtime lecture in celebration of Passover! Register here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 822 0754 6024 Passcode: 5V2Ms3 The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 23, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! Remembering Joy Guttenplan We recently unveiled a statue in our ECE playground in memory of Joy Guttenplan, who passed away last year. Joy was a teacher in our Early Childhood Education Department for over 30 years. In her time with us, she touched and shaped thousands of lives. Her legacy continues on through her son, Lee Guttenplan, a longtime JCC employee who currently serves as our Chief Operating Officer. Congratulations, Gail Castellano! Former JCC Board President Gail Castellano was recently selected as one of the Top 31 Most Impactful Private Sector Business Leaders on Staten Island by the SIEDC. In addition to her work as the Senior Vice President and Regional Executive of Richmond County Savings Bank, Gail continues to devote her time to meaningful causes, including those here at the JCC. She currently serves on the JCC's Board of Directors and is the co-chair of the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp Advisory Committee. Congratulations, Gail, on this well-deserved honor! Celebrating Women's History Month Students in our Learning Bridges and Cornerstone after school programs have been working on special projects to celebrate Women's History Month! They recently made DNA strands out of candy in honor of Rosalind Franklin, an unsung pioneer of science who contributed to the discovery of DNA's structure. Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need have resumed and will continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. Supporting the JCC Made Easy Thanks to our partnership with Investors Bank's Care2Share Affinity Program, you can support the JCC for free! If you bank with Investors Bank, simply visit any branch and link your personal checking and savings accounts to our organization. Investors will make quarterly contributions to the JCC based on a percentage of your average balances. Your involvement is absolutely FREE and it's a great way to help us continue providing the programs you love and the social services our community needs! Learn more about Care2Share here. You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! Purchase Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Troop 5312/5227 is a local troop that supports and encourages students with disabilities in collaboration with the JCC and P37R. To support our scouts, you can purchase or donate cookies here! COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. If you want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, watch our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! Our virtual SunriseWALKS event will be held on Sunday, June 27! This year, SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY and we encourage you to use your creativity over the next few months to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you. Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT Essential Exercises for COVID Recovery Check out this article about the best exercises to do after you recover from a mild to moderate bout of COVID. These exercises can help fight muscle weakness, encourage better respiratory function, improve mobility, and ease the body back into a regular workout routine. Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! Core 24 Spring Clinic Tuesday, March 30 & Wednesday, March 31 Join us for a Spring Break basketball clinic at the Bernikow JCC!
Two days: $45 member/$50 non-member Register here! School's Out Soccer Clinic Join us during your school break for more soccer and fun! We offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game through a combination of skill work and ball mastery, coordination and movement activities and small sided games in a positive and fun environment with our professional staff. Thursday April 1st & Friday April 2nd
Two days: $75 Register here. Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. Did you know? If you missed any of the lectures or programs, you can also purchase access to a recording on demand by buying a ticket! For free programs, click here. For paid programs, click here. Recorded versions of the lectures will be available approximately 24 hours following the event. SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. A Year Later: Where We Started and Where We're Going Watch this panel discussion about the future of Broadway, recorded last week on the anniversary of Broadway’s shutdown due to the pandemic. Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. Yo-Yo Ma's Post-Vaccine Performance After receiving his second COVID vaccine shot at Berkshire Community College last week, Yo-Yo Ma surprised the other people receiving their vaccines with an impromptu cello performance! See the video here! National Panda Day Did you know that today is National Panda Day? Let’s celebrate by looking in on Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji at the National Zoo here! You can also read some stories about these pandas at the #PandaStory blog here. School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. Register for Camp Last year, were able to give our campers the gift of a fun, safe summer camp experience despite the pandemic. We can't wait to welcome them back for another amazing summer this year! Register your child for camp today here! Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Join us on Sundays as our Camp Directors take over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. This Sunday, we'll be highlighting Shalom! If you missed our previous Instagram takeovers, you can check them out in our Instagram Story Highlights! NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Financial Counseling Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with financial counseling services, including budgeting, expense and money management, access to banking and financial products, credit card analysis and negotiation, credit reports and credit scores, establishing and improving credit and disputing errors, mortgage and loan modification review, and financial document organization? We can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 24 and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. The Stories We Carry featuring Josh Gad Monday, March 22, 6pm Josh Gad’s voice may sound familiar -- he’s best known for his role as Olaf from Frozen -- and now the actor is using his voice to share reflections as the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. Originally from Poland, Josh’s grandparents survived concentration camps and a death march and ultimately escaped to Germany -- where they met and where his mother was born. The family then came to the U.S. in 1949. Josh will also talk about his career on Broadway, and in television and film. Register here. Annihilation or Selective Presentation? The Nazi 'Cultural Genocide' in Vienna during the Holocaust Monday, March 29, 1:15pm Vienna's five Jewish cemeteries are potent sites for construction and contestation of Austria's Jewish heritage. Historian and editor Dr. Corbett will discuss issues raised in his forthcoming book about their destruction during the Holocaust and the post-war politics surrounding this form of cultural erasure of the achievements of centuries of Jewish Viennese men and women. Moderated by Prof. Laura Morowitz, Art Historian. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Naomi Nachman Thursday, March 18, 7:30pm Naomi Nachman AKA The Aussie Gourmet will show us her famous recipes for southwest egg rolls, charoset salad and charoset-inspired capons. Watch, learn and share these wonderful flavours with your family. Watch here. The Jewish Perspective on Freedom for All with Adrienne Gold Davis Tuesday, March 23, 9pm How does Judaism define the notion of freedom? Is it freedom from or freedom to? The Passover story is a universal paradigm of 'purposeful freedom', teaches us how one can maximize their potential through free will and the choosing of greatness. As we navigate this auspicious time let's tap into the spiritual opportunities to 'set ourselves free' and to recognize the potential pitfalls and problems that can send us right back into slavery! Watch here. Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Jamie Geller Wednesday, March 24, 10am Kosher Network International CEO, Jamie Geller will take us through her 4-favourite dishes to make for Passover: Matzo Balls, Creamy Celery Soup, 4-Ingredient Horseradish-Crusted Rib Roast, and Sweet Potato Tian. Cook along with Jamie and you’ll be integrating these delicious dishes into your own Passover tradition in no time! Watch here. Yom HaShoah: Honoring Jewish Resilience and Storytelling Wednesday, April 7, 8pm Four international artist-educators will participate in a roundtable conversation about storytelling and Jewish resilience. Weaving together inspiring multimedia from each panelist’s body of work, these artists will engage in powerful conversation about the importance of paying tribute and preserving and elevating cultural memory—from the past into the future. Watch here. Join us for a Virtual Open House this weekend!
Sunday, March 14, 12-4pm Join us for a Virtual Open House to learn more about JCC membership and programs including Sports, Aquatics, Fitness, Music, and Early Childhood Education. You can reserve your appointment here. We will also have a Virtual Camp Open House from 2-4pm, where you can meet with Camp Directors as they prepare for another safe, fun summer for our campers! Click here to reserve your time slot. UPCOMING EVENTS As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - SAJE Presents... Jewish Music Month Online March is Jewish Music Month! Join us virtually for 2 wonderful programs sponsored by Hillel at CSI! TODAY: SAJE Presents... Musical Intersections in Muslim & Jewish Cultures, 7pm Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas will explore the role of music in fostering Judeo-Muslim approaches to ritual practice, philosophical & theological thought, & aesthetics in this special virtual performance! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century Tuesday, March 16, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Chiropractic Health Friday, March 12, 1pm Please join us for an informative lecture by Staten Island chiropractor Dr. Philip Bracco, as he discusses the importance of chiropractic and your health. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 5360 6880 Password: CLLDSP - SAJE Presents: Jewish Genealogy Workshop Monday, March 15, 12pm-1:30pm Join Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff for a virtual workshop on genealogy! Rabbi Kalmikoff will discuss the tools you can use to discover your family's history and learn more about who you are. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - May Their Memories Be a Blessing: A Virtual Memorial in Honor of Those We Have Lost Monday, March 15, 3pm Join us virtually as we honor and remember those we have lost this past year. We will be joined by Rabbi Stern and Rabbi Ivry. Shir Levav will perform. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 959 7640 0401 Passcode: JCCMEM Presented in partnership with Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, and Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island. - Beauty is Skin Deep Tuesday, March 16, 12:30pm Join Nicole Glazier as she takes you through a series of techniques to ensure our best in skin health. An interactive demonstration of skin cleansing, moisturizing, and other techniques will be done with an opportunity for the class to participate at home. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 3261 9334 Password: CLLDSP - The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 16, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: Tuesday, March 16, 6:45pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 17, 4pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Golden Age of Movie Musicals Part III: Big Stars in Early Musicals Wednesday, March 17, 1pm Our series continues as Sam & Candy Caponegro discuss early Hollywood musicals! Beginning with, "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, movie musicals changed the entertainment industry forever. Clips from the period include performances by Mae West, Bing Crosby, and the extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music for Healing Wednesday, March 17, 2pm-2:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Food Pantry Passover Distribution Wednesday, March 17 In partnership with Project Hospitality, COJO, and Met Council, the JCC's Kosher Food Pantry will distribute Kosher food for Passover on the dates below. All food distributions will take place on March 17 at the Bernikow JCC. JCC Distribution: 10am-2pm COJO Distribution: 4-8pm For questions, please contact Neshama Marcus at NMarcus@SIJCC.com or 718.475.5228. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS In Memoriam: Marina Alvarez We are heartbroken to share the news that Marina Alvarez, who worked for the JCC as a group leader at our Richmond Terrace Cornerstone for over 3 years, passed away last Friday. In addition to working at the JCC, she was a paraprofessional at P.S. 78. Marina believed in the true power of education and saw teaching as her calling. Beloved by staff, students, and community members, she was a source of support and strength for those facing challenges. In her time working at the JCC, she touched many hearts and minds and left a positive impact on our participants. Our condolences go out to her family and friends. She will be truly missed. - Next Week’s Fitness Center & Indoor Pool Slots Now Open! Slots for March 15 - March 21 are now open! Sign up for a Fitness Center slot here. Sign up for an Indoor Pool slot here. In light of a recent increase of reservation requests, we will be enforcing a strict 24-hour cancelation policy for all reservations made between the hours of 3pm-6pm Monday-Friday and 8am-11am Saturday & Sunday. Going forward, any cancelations made within the 24-hour window or one no-show, members will not be permitted to make reservations during our busy hours (stated above) for 2 weeks. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. - Social Work Month March is Social Work Month! We would like to extend our appreciation to all of the wonderful social workers on staff at the JCC. Their dedication and compassion has made a difference in the lives of so many people, especially during this past year. - What's Cooking, Day Hab? We love to see what our Day Hab participants are making in their virtual cooking class! Last week, they made pasta dishes that look delicious! - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need have resumed and will continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! - Purchase Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Troop 5312/5227 is a local troop that supports and encourages students with disabilities in collaboration with the JCC and P37R. To support our scouts, you can purchase or donate cookies here! - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. If you want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, watch our virtual Town Hall with RUMC's Dr. Otterbeck here. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. SUNRISE DAY CAMP Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! Our virtual SunriseWALKS event will be held on Sunday, June 27! This year, SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY and we encourage you to use your creativity over the next few months to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you. Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. - Sharing at Shabbat We recently received a sweet donation to Sunrise from two children in our JCC programs and wanted to share their story with you. Each week before Shabbat, the kids put a few coins in their tzedakah box for charity. This week, they cashed it in and were proud to donate $44.59 to Sunrise Day Camp! The children said that they love going to the JCC's Lillian Schwartz Day Camp and were grateful that camp brought them a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. So, they wanted to share the joy that camp brings them by donating to Sunrise so that kids with cancer and their siblings can have a great summer at camp this year too! We are so thankful for their kindness and generosity! - Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! - Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! WELLNESS For Your Eyes Only Friday, March 19, 1pm Please join Dr. Edward Pulice, an ophthalmologist specializing in geriatric eyecare, in a discussion on keeping your eyesight as sharp as possible as we age. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 935 5098 7415 Password: CLLDSP - Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Yoga for Mindfulness Try out this short video that blends yoga poses and meditation to relax and refocus as we approach the end of the week. - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Gymnastics Register for gymnastics here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you miss one of our amazing virtual seminars, you can still purchase a ticket to watch it on demand! Tickets for past and upcoming virtual programs are available here! - SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. - SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Derfner Judaica Museum: Impressions of Eastern Europe Tuesday, April 20, 1pm Enjoy a special look at prints from the Derfner Judaica Museum's permanent collection, including lithographs, etchings, engravings and woodcuts by Eastern European artists who participated in some of the most significant art movements of the 20th century. Register here. Donations are suggested. - SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. - Visit Famous Artists' Studios Check out the studios of famous artists like Frida Kahlo, Matisse, and more! You can explore them here using Google Street View. - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - Shostakovich Chamber Symphony Watch a performance of Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields here. KIDS AND FAMILIES Nature Observation Bingo With the weather warming up, it's the perfect time to go outside and play Nature Observation Bingo! Print your cards here and brainstorm some things you and your family might see, hear, smell, feel, or touch outside! - Our Exodus Sunday, March 21, 2pm Join us for a FREE virtual program for families in honor of Passover! Passover is the quintessential storytelling holiday, when Jews recount the Exodus story of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. Join Glenn Wechsler as he retells the story of Passover and Music With Patrick as he leads you to sing and dance in celebration of freedom. We invite Cafe Europa participants to be our special guests! Register for free here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 816 2104 2711 Passcode: aJt5b - School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day). Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. KIDS AND FAMILIES The Weekly Schmooze: A Summer of... Fun! At JCC Day Camp, we pride ourselves on helping kids create unforgettable summer memories full of friendship, discovery, and fun! This week, we’re highlighting fun. Led by enthusiastic staff members who love camp just as much as the kids do, JCC Day Camp is a high-spirited experience where kids can do the activities they love and try new things every day. In addition to sports, swimming, and games, campers love to do arts and crafts. Campers unleash their creativity with unique projects like making teddy bears, superhero shields, tie-dye shirts, and more. Our campers also enjoy spectacular shows and special activities all summer long. They’ll be dazzled by logic-defying illusions during magic shows, put their skills to the test during the Boot Camp Challenge obstacle course, and get up-close with animals from Wild Side Zoo. Sign your child up for a summer of fun by registering for camp today! - Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Join us on Sundays as our Camp Directors take over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. This Sunday, our Instagram will be taken over by Amanda, the director of our newest division--Nitzan! If you missed our previous Instagram takeovers, you can check them out in our Instagram Story Highlights! SOCIAL SERVICES NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. - Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Student Loans Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with federal student loans, including understanding COVID-19 deferments and options for payment plans? NYLAG can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 24 and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. Yonina: See and Hear Jerusalem Like Never Before Sunday, March 14, 11am UJA presents a special music event during Jewish Music Month! Join Yonina, the Israeli-American musical duo famous for their incredible harmonies, as they blend their voices in Jewish, Israeli, and international song with a musical tour of Jerusalem. This live acoustic performance featuring classic covers and original songs, will be complemented by a very special virtual musical journey to ancient Jerusalem filled with interesting facts, personal stories, and lots of anecdotes. Register here. Staten Island Day of Remembrance Sunday, March 14, 2pm Join the Staten Island Interreligious Leadership for a memorial service marking the citywide Day of Remembrance for those who have died from COVID. Remember the lives lost here on Staten Island as we share a moment of grief and memory by marking this anniversary of the first death in New York City. Gather at Silver Lake Park at 2pm by the Reservoir Bridge. Be sure to wear a mask and observe social distancing if attending in person. If you would like to attend virtually, you can view the livestream on Facebook here. A COVID-19 Day of Remembrance Sunday, March 14, 7:45pm March 14th marks one year anniversary of the loss of the first New York City resident due to COVID-19. As we reflect on one year of living through the pandemic and the nearly 30,000 NYC residents who have died from COVID-19, consider joining the COVID-19 Day of Remembrance online at 7:45pm Sunday, March 14th. You can join the event here. If you would like to share a photo of a loved one lost to COVID-19 to appear in the city-wide memorial, you may do so here. The Stories We Carry featuring Josh Gad Monday, March 22, 6pm Josh Gad’s voice may sound familiar -- he’s best known for his role as Olaf from Frozen -- and now the actor is using his voice to share reflections as the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. Originally from Poland, Josh’s grandparents survived concentration camps and a death march and ultimately escaped to Germany -- where they met and where his mother was born. The family then came to the U.S. in 1949. Josh will also talk about his career on Broadway, and in television and film. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Beyond Your Bubbie's Brunch with Jake Cohen Sunday, March 14, 10am It’s time to get your brunch on in a whole new way with always-hungry, nice Jewish boy, Jake Cohen. Jake’s famous on Instagram and TikTok (@jakecohen) for his scrumptious reworkings of classic Jewish food. On March 14th, he’ll join The Nosh to show us how he creates his brunch essentials. Sunday brunch may never be the same. Watch here. Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Naomi Nachman Thursday, March 18, 7:30pm Naomi Nachman AKA The Aussie Gourmet will show us her famous recipes for southwest egg rolls, charoset salad and charoset-inspired capons. Watch, learn and share these wonderful flavours with your family. Watch here. Join us for a Virtual Open House this weekend!
Sunday, March 14, 12-4pm Join us for a Virtual Open House to learn more about JCC membership and programs including Sports, Aquatics, Fitness, Music, and Early Childhood Education. You can reserve your appointment here. We will also have a Virtual Camp Open House from 2-4pm, where you can meet with Camp Directors as they prepare for another safe, fun summer for our campers! Click here to reserve your time slot. UPCOMING EVENTS As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: Tuesday, March 16, 6:45pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 17, 4pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Golden Age of Movie Musicals Part III: Big Stars in Early Musicals Wednesday, March 10, 1pm Our series continues as Sam & Candy Caponegro discuss early Hollywood musicals! Beginning with, "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, movie musicals changed the entertainment industry forever. Clips from the period include performances by Mae West, Bing Crosby, and the extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Miami Art Deco Virtual Walking Tour with Ronnit Vasserman Wednesday, March 10, 4:30pm Can you imagine Miami Beach without its Art Deco buildings? Thanks to the Miami Design Preservation League, Miami remains home to the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture. Join us for a virtual walking tour where we'll explore iconic buildings like the Colony Theater, The Fillmore, The Cadillac, and more... No flights necessary! Along the way, you'll learn about key features and architects in the Art Deco movement, the decline of Miami tourism, and the people responsible for saving these architectural gems from the wrecking ball. Presented in partnership with JCC Tenafly. Tickets are $16 for JCC members and $20 for non-members. Zoom information to follow registration. Purchase tickets here. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Music Month Online March is Jewish Music Month! Join us virtually for 2 wonderful programs sponsored by Hillel at CSI! SAJE Presents... Musical Intersections in Muslim & Jewish Cultures Thursday, March 11, 7pm Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas will explore the role of music in fostering Judeo-Muslim approaches to ritual practice, philosophical & theological thought, & aesthetics in this special virtual performance! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century Tuesday, March 16, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Chiropractic Health Friday, March 12, 1pm Please join us for an informative lecture by Staten Island chiropractor Dr. Philip Bracco, as he discusses the importance of chiropractic and your health. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 5360 6880 Password: CLLDSP - SAJE Presents: Jewish Genealogy Workshop Monday, March 15, 12pm-1:30pm Join Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff for a virtual workshop on genealogy! Rabbi Kalmikoff will discuss the tools you can use to discover your family's history and learn more about who you are. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - May Their Memories Be a Blessing: A Virtual Memorial in Honor of Those We Have Lost Monday, March 15, 3pm Join us virtually as we honor and remember those we have lost this past year. We will be joined by Rabbi Stern and Rabbi Ivry. Shir Levav will perform. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 959 7640 0401 Passcode: JCCMEM Presented in partnership with Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, and Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island. - The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 16, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS International Women's Day Yesterday was International Women's Day. This year, for the first time in our organization’s history, we have both a female CEO, Orit Lender, and Board President, Sue Sappin. We are incredibly proud of the work our female leaders throughout the agency do every day! We will continue to highlight and honor our women leaders throughout Women’s History Month for their dedicated work and commitment to our community! Students in our Learning Bridges and Cornerstone programs celebrated International Women's Day by working on special projects like these flowers highlighting the qualities of the amazing women in their lives. Students also took home these special photos of themselves as superheroes so that they always have a reminder of how super they really are! - In Memoriam: Arnie Beiles Last month, we lost Arnold Beiles, who served as President of the JCC from 1998 to 2000. Arnie will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time. You can read more about Arnie's life and legacy here. - Protecting Vulnerable Seniors Check out this great SILive Feature about our efforts to help Staten Island's vulnerable seniors, including Holocaust survivors, get vaccinated against COVID-19! As CEO of the JCC Orit Lender said, "Helping out community members in times of crisis is what we do best. It is a privilege for us to play a part in bringing an end to the pandemic." We are grateful to the Borough President's Office and VitaCare Pharmacy for helping us keep seniors safe! - COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall Last week, we hosted a virtual town hall about the COVID-19 vaccines with Richmond University Medical Center and many of our community partners. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Otterbeck for sharing his expertise with us. If you missed the event or want to share it with someone, you can view the video by clicking here. To make an appointment for a vaccine, call RUMC at (718) 818-3193 and leave a message. We will also keep you updated on future community vaccine clinics. - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Resume Today Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need resume today and will continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - Food Pantry Passover Distribution In partnership with Project Hospitality, COJO, and Met Council, the JCC's Kosher Food Pantry will distribute Kosher food for Passover on the dates below. All food distributions will take place on March 17 at the Bernikow JCC. JCC Distribution: 10am-2pm COJO Distribution: 4-8pm For questions, please contact Neshama Marcus at NMarcus@SIJCC.com or 718.475.5228. - Thank You, UFT! The UFT recently hosted a collection of baking supplies for our Kosher Food Pantry! We are grateful to everyone who donated and to Marie Rodriguez for organizing the collection. - You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! - Purchase Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Troop 5312/5227 is a local troop that supports and encourages students with disabilities in collaboration with the JCC and P37R. To support our scouts, you can purchase or donate cookies here! - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. SUNRISE DAY CAMP Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! Our virtual SunriseWALKS event will be held on Sunday, June 27! This year, SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY and we encourage you to use your creativity over the next few months to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you. Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. - Sweetest Smiles for Sunrise Last year, Stefanie from Sweetest Smiles Photography hosted a wonderful fundraiser for the JCC's COVID Relief Fund. This year, she's using her talents to support Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! A front-porch professional photography session is a great way to celebrate happy milestones, upcoming holidays, and sunnier spring days ahead! Appointments are available on weekday evenings in late April and May, with time slots based on zip code. To book an appointment, email stefanie@sweetestsmilesphoto.com. A minimum donation of $50 to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is required. Check out Sweetest Smiles on Instagram here! - Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! WELLNESS Tips for Losing the 'Quarantine 15' Check out this SI Live article on losing weight gained during the pandemic. It features advice from our own Lisa Lubarsky, who is a Nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Nutrition Specialist. One of Lisa's best tips for weight loss is to get outdoors. As she says, "Nature's gym is always open!" At the JCC, we offer outdoor exercise classes and hikes to help you get back in shape while enjoying nature and getting some much-needed fresh air. Stay tuned for upcoming dates! - Beauty is Skin Deep Tuesday, March 16, 12:30pm Join Nicole Glazier as she takes you through a series of techniques to ensure our best in skin health. An interactive demonstration of skin cleansing, moisturizing, and other techniques will be done with an opportunity for the class to participate at home. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 3261 9334 Password: CLLDSP - For Your Eyes Only Friday, March 19, 1pm Please join Dr. Edward Pulice, an ophthalmologist specializing in geriatric eyecare, in a discussion on keeping your eyesight as sharp as possible as we age. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 935 5098 7415 Password: CLLDSP - Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Low-Impact Strength Workouts Check out these low-impact strength workouts for a quick calorie burn! - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Winter Gymnastics Session Register for our winter gymnastics session here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you miss one of our amazing virtual seminars, you can still purchase a ticket to watch it on demand! Tickets for past and upcoming virtual programs are available here! - SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - A Gracie Mansion Conservancy Virtual Art Tour... "Catalyst: Art and Social Justice" Wednesday, April 14, 2:30pm Join us for a virtual tour of an art exhibition housed at Gracie Mansion! The tour will highlight works by New York artists & activists since 1960, celebrating the power of art to spark change & spur progress. *Limited tickets available* Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information will be sent to registered participants one week before the tour. - SAJE Presents... Rethinking Meir Kahane in the 21st Century: A Lecture by Shaul Magid, Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 14, 7pm In this lecture, Shaul Magid, Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, will explore Meir Kahane's program for American Jews and analyze his continued influence on American Jewry more than thirty years after his death. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Never Alone: A Conversation with Natan Sharansky & Gil Troy, Moderated by Amy Posner Wednesday, May 26, 7pm Join us for a conversation with Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky and historian Gil Troy about their new book, Never Alone. Never Alone is a classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at the College of Staten Island. Tickets are $25 and include the link to the virtual event, a copy of Never Alone with a signed bookplate, and delivery of the book. *Note: Book must be purchased from the JCC in order to receive Zoom link for event. Purchase tickets here. Donations are welcome. This event is co-sponsored by Hillel at CSI and presented in collaboration with... Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B'Nai Jeshurun, Jewish Russian Learning Center, Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island, Wagner College Holocaust Center, Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan. - PaleyIMPACT: Choosing to Challenge: How Women Are Leading the Way The Paley Center for Media recently hosted a virtual panel discussion in honor of International Women's Day. The event featured prominent women from government, sports, business, entertainment, journalism, and culture in conversation about the role media plays in providing a platform to raise awareness, inspire, lead, and set an example for all women. You can stream the discussion here. - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Music for Healing Wednesday, March 17, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - A Century of Music by British Women In honor of International Women's Day yesterday, violinist Madeleine Mitchell has put together a fantastic range of music celebrating some of the finest British female composers of the past 100 years with the London Chamber Ensemble which she founded and directs. You can watch the concert here. KIDS AND FAMILIES Malala's Magic Pencil Read-Aloud Check out this read-aloud of Malala's Magic Pencil, a picture book by Malala Yousafzai. Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating for girls around the world to have equal rights to education. - Our Exodus Sunday, March 21, 2pm Join us for a FREE virtual program for families in honor of Passover! Passover is the quintessential storytelling holiday, when Jews recount the Exodus story of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. Join Glenn Wechsler as he retells the story of Passover and Music With Patrick as he leads you to sing and dance in celebration of freedom. We invite Cafe Europa participants to be our special guests! Register for free here. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 816 2104 2711 Passcode: aJt5b - School's Out... Spring In-To Camp! March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2: 9am-4pm at the Bernikow JCC (Extended AM hours available from 8am-9am for $5 a day) Spend Spring Break at the JCC doing all your favorite activities! Kids will enjoy specialty art projects, dance parties, sports, wacky games and relay races, scavenger hunts, and special appearances by: March 30 - Bricks4Kidz March 31 - Wild Side Zoo: Brian Wild with his Animals April 1 - Music with Patrick April 2 - Magician Steve Rose Social distancing guidelines will be followed. All participants MUST wear a mask. Please bring your own lunch. We offer discounted rates for JCC Members and Learning Bridges families, as well as a discount when you sign up for 3 or 4 days. Contact Stephanie Feldman at SFeldman@SIJCC.com for more information. Event is subject to enrollment. Learn more and register here. - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP Register for Camp Secure your child's spot at camp and get ready for an unforgettable summer! Register for camp today here! SOCIAL SERVICES NYC Vaccine for All Corps Looking for a job? The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is hiring for positions at vaccination sites across the five boroughs! No healthcare experience needed. Learn more here. - Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Power of Attorney Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? If you would like to appoint someone to perform financial, property, and other transactions for you while you are alive, you need a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint a trusted person (your Agent), to manage your financial accounts as well as your property during your lifetime. Your Agent may pay your bills, take care of your public benefits, sell your property and manage your bank accounts, among other things. You can choose which powers to give your Agent. These powers can be as broad or limited as you are comfortable with. Your Agent will be able to act on your behalf without your knowledge, thus, it is important to choose someone whom you trust fully. Your Power of Attorney is only in effect during your life and it is illegal for your Agent to use your Power of Attorney after your death. For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Congressional Conversation with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis In lieu of an in-person Congressional Breakfast, JCRC-NY is hosting Congressional Conversations featuring Members of the NY Congressional Delegation in dialogue with JCRC-NY CEO Michael S. Miller. Click here to watch the Congressional Conversation with Representative Nicole Malliotakis. Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 10 and March 24, and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. Ceiling Breakers and History Makers: The Legacy of Jewish Women and Justice Wednesday, March 10, 7pm In celebration and honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, and inspired by the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, join authors Debbie Levy, Elaine Weiss, and Marlene Trestman for a virtual conversation about women who made their passion, profession, and purpose to seek justice and repair the world. Register here. Yonina: See and Hear Jerusalem Like Never Before Sunday, March 14, 11am UJA presents a special music event during Jewish Music Month! Join Yonina, the Israeli-American musical duo famous for their incredible harmonies, as they blend their voices in Jewish, Israeli, and international song with a musical tour of Jerusalem. This live acoustic performance featuring classic covers and original songs, will be complemented by a very special virtual musical journey to ancient Jerusalem filled with interesting facts, personal stories, and lots of anecdotes. Register here. The Stories We Carry featuring Josh Gad Monday, March 22, 6pm Josh Gad’s voice may sound familiar -- he’s best known for his role as Olaf from Frozen -- and now the actor is using his voice to share reflections as the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. Originally from Poland, Josh’s grandparents survived concentration camps and a death march and ultimately escaped to Germany -- where they met and where his mother was born. The family then came to the U.S. in 1949. Josh will also talk about his career on Broadway, and in television and film. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Beyond Your Bubbie's Brunch with Jake Cohen Sunday, March 14, 10am It’s time to get your brunch on in a whole new way with always-hungry, nice Jewish boy, Jake Cohen. Jake’s famous on Instagram and TikTok (@jakecohen) for his scrumptious reworkings of classic Jewish food. On March 14th, he’ll join The Nosh to show us how he creates his brunch essentials. Sunday brunch may never be the same. Watch here. Making Passover Traditions Even Tastier with Naomi Nachman Thursday, March 18, 7:30pm Naomi Nachman AKA The Aussie Gourmet will show us her famous recipes for southwest egg rolls, charoset salad and charoset-inspired capons. Watch, learn and share these wonderful flavours with your family. Watch here. UPCOMING EVENTS
As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - TONIGHT: Vaccine Town Hall, 7pm Join us for a virtual Town Hall on the COVID-19 vaccines, co-sponsored by Richmond University Medical Center. Dr. Philip Otterbeck of RUMC will answer questions about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Read more about the Town Hall in this feature from SI Live. Register for this FREE virtual event here. Email any questions for Dr. Otterbeck to jcc@sijcc.com. - Grounding: First Steps in Mindfulness Friday, March 5, 1pm In this workshop you will learn 2 fundamental skills of Somatic Psychotherapy to help you to calm, soothe and strengthen your nervous system to deal with the stresses of your life. Jacob Winkler, LCSW, CGP, CAMS-II is a psychotherapist in private practice in Highland Park, NJ. He leads workshops on Somatic Psychotherapy and runs groups that help people be more embodied in their lives. Registration is required. To register, email your full name to JSalerno@sijcc.com Join us here, on Zoom Meeting ID: 973 6365 5614 Passcode: CLLDSP - Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: Tuesday, March 9, 6pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 10, 4pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Golden Age of Movie Musicals Part III: Big Stars in Early Musicals Wednesday, March 10, 1pm Our series continues as Sam & Candy Caponegro discuss early Hollywood musicals! Beginning with, "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, movie musicals changed the entertainment industry forever. Clips from the period include performances by Mae West, Bing Crosby, and the extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Miami Art Deco Virtual Walking Tour with Ronnit Vasserman Wednesday, March 10, 4:30pm Can you imagine Miami Beach without its Art Deco buildings? Thanks to the Miami Design Preservation League, Miami remains home to the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture. Join us for a virtual walking tour where we'll explore iconic buildings like the Colony Theater, The Fillmore, The Cadillac, and more... No flights necessary! Along the way, you'll learn about key features and architects in the Art Deco movement, the decline of Miami tourism, and the people responsible for saving these architectural gems from the wrecking ball. Presented in partnership with JCC Tenafly. Tickets are $16 for JCC members and $20 for non-members. Zoom information to follow registration. Purchase tickets here. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Music Month Online March is Jewish Music Month! Join us virtually for 2 wonderful programs sponsored by Hillel at CSI! SAJE Presents... Musical Intersections in Muslim & Jewish Cultures Thursday, March 11, 7pm Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas will explore the role of music in fostering Judeo-Muslim approaches to ritual practice, philosophical & theological thought, & aesthetics in this special virtual performance! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century Tuesday, March 16, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS Vaccinating Seniors This week, we hosted a two-day vaccine clinic at the Bernikow Building and were able to vaccinate over 650 seniors! Thank you to the Borough President’s Office for helping us get these vaccines to keep seniors in our community safe during this difficult time. - Next Week’s Fitness Center & Indoor Pool Slots Now Open! Slots for March 8 - March 14 are now open! Sign up for a Fitness Center slot here. Sign up for an Indoor Pool slot here. - Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Resume March 9 Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need will resume March 9th and continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - Food Pantry Passover Distribution In partnership with Project Hospitality, COJO, and Met Council, the JCC's Kosher Food Pantry will distribute Kosher food for Passover on the dates below. All food distributions will take place at the Bernikow JCC. March 16: 10am-2pm March 17: 10am-2pm; 2-5pm; 6-8pm For questions, please contact Neshama Marcus at NMarcus@SIJCC.com or 718.475.5228. - Thank You, Richmond Rockets! We would like to thank the Richmond Rockets for hosting the We Love Our Seniors Virtual Race, which raised $900 for our program to feed seniors during the pandemic. Thank you to all who participated and donated to this important cause! - Recap: Biblical Bus Tour Our most recent Dr. Esther Grushkin Seminars for Adult Jewish Education (SAJE) program took participants on an incredible bus tour of Israel, without ever leaving home! Special thanks to our sponsor, Dr. Sheldon Blackman, and tour guide Dani Margolis of Dani Eco Tours. - Honoring Women of Leadership at the Annual Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards We are pleased to announce that our 12th Annual Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards will take place virtually on Thursday, April 22. The L'Dor V'Dor Awards honor extraordinary women who have made an impact on the Staten Island community. The event will benefit the JCC's Families in Need campaign to help Staten Islanders with pandemic recovery. Last year, we recognized Marcia Klein, Yolanda Rudich, Jennifer Straniere, Flair Shalem, and Dr. Gracelyn Santos. Stay tuned for an announcement on this year's honorees and more information about supporting Families in Need. - You're Invited to a Tupperware Party! We're hosting an online Tupperware party! A portion of proceeds from your purchases will support our Grab & Go meals program for seniors. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! - Purchase Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Troop 5312/5227 is a local troop that supports and encourages students with disabilities in collaboration with the JCC and P37R. To support our scouts, you can purchase or donate cookies here! - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. SUNRISE DAY CAMP Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! We are excited to announce that our virtual SunriseWALKS event will be held on Sunday, June 27! This year, SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY and we encourage you to use your creativity over the next few months to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you. Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. - Thank You, Stop and Shop! We are so grateful to Stop and Shop for making a generous $12,000 donation to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island in honor of their End Childhood Cancer campaign! Read more about Stop and Shop's campaign here. - Mark's Bake Shoppe: Sunrise Donuts Fundraiser Treat yourself! Stop by Mark's Bake Shoppe this month and enjoy a delicious Sunrise donut—100% of the proceeds from every Sunrise donut sold will benefit Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island! Mark's Bake Shoppe is located at 3479 Richmond Road in Staten Island. Be sure to snap a picture of your Sunrise donut and tag us @SunriseDayCampStatenIsland on Instagram! WELLNESS Chiropractic Health Friday, March 12, 1pm Please join us for an informative lecture by Staten Island chiropractor Dr. Philip Bracco, as he discusses the importance of chiropractic and your health. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 923 5360 6880 Password: CLLDSP - Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Chair Yoga for Joint Care Follow along with this chair yoga video for a gentle workout that will help you improve your posture, increase flexibility, and improve balance while avoiding injury. - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Winter Gymnastics Session Register for our winter gymnastics session here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you miss one of our amazing virtual seminars, you can still purchase a ticket to watch it on demand! Tickets for past and upcoming virtual programs are available here! - SAJE Presents: Jewish Genealogy Workshop Monday, March 15, 12pm-1:30pm Join Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff for a virtual workshop on genealogy! Rabbi Kalmikoff will discuss the tools you can use to discover your family's history and learn more about who you are. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents..."Toward a Feminist Interpretation of the Akedah": A Lecture by Dr. Wendy Zierler Monday, April 12, 7pm Where can one find the story of the biblical Sarah in the story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding of his son Isaac? Using the tools of feminist theory and midrash, Dr. Zierler of Hebrew Union College will examine the "presence of Sarah's absence" and offer a distinctive reframing of the well-known story of Genesis 22. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Which Artist Shares Your Birthday? Check out this tool from the Smithsonian to learn more about an artist who has the same birthday as you! - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 16, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music for Healing Wednesday, March 17, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - Musical March The Office of the Borough President of Staten Island is hosting a series of virtual concerts on Thursday evenings. Tune in tonight on Facebook here at 7pm for a special performance by Staten Island's own Mighty String Demons, a youth violin ensemble! KIDS AND FAMILIES At-Home STEAM Activities The Boston Children's Museum compiled STEAM activity demos and videos where engineers tell kids about their work! Check out the playlist here! - Our Exodus Sunday, March 21, 2pm Join us for a FREE virtual program for families in honor of Passover! Passover is the quintessential storytelling holiday, when Jews recount the Exodus story of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. Join Glenn Wechsler as he retells the story of Passover and Music With Patrick as he leads you to sing and dance in celebration of freedom. We invite Cafe Europa participants to be our special guests! Register for free here. Zoom information to follow registration. - ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP Virtual Open House Join us for a virtual Camp Open House on Sunday, March 14! Make an appointment to meet with one of our camp directors virtually here. - Camp Directors Instagram Takeover Join us on Sundays as our Camp Directors take over our JCC Day Camp Instagram account to tell you what they love most about their camp divisions! You can follow us on Instagram here. This Sunday, our Instagram will be taken over by Meaghan, Director of Chalutz! You can also check out our Marvin's Camp takeover from last weekend in our Instagram Story Highlights. - The Weekly Schmooze: A Summer of... Discovery At JCC Day Camp, we pride ourselves on helping kids create unforgettable summer memories full of friendship, discovery, and fun! This week, we’re highlighting discovery. We believe that a great summer camp experience should expand the mind and that’s why every day at camp is full of new discoveries! Campers will have the opportunity to learn about science and nature as they explore our 75-acre campgrounds in the heart of Staten Island’s Greenbelt. They’ll also encounter amazing animals from Wild Side Zoo and develop respect for all creatures. We also value STEAM activities that encourage creativity and critical thinking. Last summer, we also introduced a woodworking program that was a big hit with our campers, in addition to our already popular LEGO robotics activities! It was inspiring for us to watch them learn and create things with their hands, and we know that the experience was just as meaningful to the campers. Sign your child up for a summer of discovery by registering here today! SOCIAL SERVICES Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Rent & Mortgage Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? Need help with mortgage and rent arrears, including understanding moratoriums and options? NYLAG can help! For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Office of the New York City Comptroller Summer Internship Program The Office of the New York City Comptroller will accept undergraduate and graduate student applications for 2021 summer internships for its various bureaus through March 5. Interns participate in hands-on departmental projects as well as an enrichment program that includes networking opportunities, professional development programming, and community service activities. Learn more and apply here. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 10 and March 24, and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. TONIGHT: Discussion on Primo Levi, Holocaust Survivor, 7pm How can one find the words to describe the trauma and agony suffered at Auschwitz after one’s humanity has been taken away? Francesco Bonavita will explore Holocaust survivor Primo Levi’s life; how Italian Jews saw themselves vis-à-vis the rise of fascism; his experience at Auschwitz; and his commitment to keep alive the narrative of the Holocaust. Register here. Ceiling Breakers and History Makers: The Legacy of Jewish Women and Justice Wednesday, March 10, 7pm In celebration and honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, and inspired by the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, join authors Debbie Levy, Elaine Weiss, and Marlene Trestman for a virtual conversation about women who made their passion, profession, and purpose to seek justice and repair the world. Register here. Yonina: See and Hear Jerusalem Like Never Before Sunday, March 14, 11am UJA presents a special music event during Jewish Music Month! Join Yonina, the Israeli-American musical duo famous for their incredible harmonies, as they blend their voices in Jewish, Israeli, and international song with a musical tour of Jerusalem. This live acoustic performance featuring classic covers and original songs, will be complemented by a very special virtual musical journey to ancient Jerusalem filled with interesting facts, personal stories, and lots of anecdotes. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Beyond Your Bubbie's Brunch with Jake Cohen Sunday, March 14, 10am It’s time to get your brunch on in a whole new way with always-hungry, nice Jewish boy, Jake Cohen. Jake’s famous on Instagram and TikTok (@jakecohen) for his scrumptious reworkings of classic Jewish food. On March 14th, he’ll join The Nosh to show us how he creates his brunch essentials. Sunday brunch may never be the same. Watch here. UPCOMING EVENTS
As always, there's something for everyone at the J! Check out these great upcoming events! - TODAY: Healing and Hope: A Jewish Community Gathering Marking One Year of COVID, 5pm It’s been one year since COVID-19 changed the landscape of the world as we knew it. We are proud to partner with UJA as the Jewish community gathers at this meaningful moment in time, both to commemorate the collective loss we’ve experienced and to honor our resilience and strength. This 30-minute program will include messages of hope and healing from rabbinic leaders across our community; a memorial tribute led by Rabbi Menachem Creditor, UJA’s Pearl and Ira Meyer scholar-in-residence; and music by Neshama Carlebach, international singer and educator, accompanied by singers of all ages from our day schools and community centers. Register here. - Vaccine Town Hall Thursday, March 4, 7pm Join us for a virtual Town Hall on the COVID-19 vaccines, co-sponsored by Richmond University Medical Center. Dr. Philip Otterbeck of RUMC will answer questions about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Read more about the Town Hall in this feature from SI Live. Register for this FREE virtual event here. Email any questions for Dr. Otterbeck to jcc@sijcc.com. - Grounding: First Steps in Mindfulness Friday, March 5, 1pm In this workshop you will learn 2 fundamental skills of Somatic Psychotherapy to help you to calm, soothe and strengthen your nervous system to deal with the stresses of your life. Jacob Winkler, LCSW, CGP, CAMS-II is a psychotherapist in private practice in Highland Park, NJ. He leads workshops on Somatic Psychotherapy and runs groups that help people be more embodied in their lives. Registration is required. To register, email your full name to JSalerno@sijcc.com Join us here, on Zoom Meeting ID: 973 6365 5614 Passcode: CLLDSP - The Golden Age of Movie Musicals Part III: Big Stars in Early Musicals Wednesday, March 10, 1pm Our series continues as Sam & Candy Caponegro discuss early Hollywood musicals! Beginning with, "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, movie musicals changed the entertainment industry forever. Clips from the period include performances by Mae West, Bing Crosby, and the extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents... Miami Art Deco Virtual Walking Tour with Ronnit Vasserman Wednesday, March 10, 4:30pm Can you imagine Miami Beach without its Art Deco buildings? Thanks to the Miami Design Preservation League, Miami remains home to the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture. Join us for a virtual walking tour where we'll explore iconic buildings like the Colony Theater, The Fillmore, The Cadillac, and more... No flights necessary! Along the way, you'll learn about key features and architects in the Art Deco movement, the decline of Miami tourism, and the people responsible for saving these architectural gems from the wrecking ball. Presented in partnership with JCC Tenafly. Tickets are $16 for JCC members and $20 for non-members. Zoom information to follow registration. Purchase tickets here. - SAJE Presents... Jewish Music Month Online March is Jewish Music Month! Join us virtually for 2 wonderful programs sponsored by Hillel at CSI! SAJE Presents... Musical Intersections in Muslim & Jewish Cultures Thursday, March 11, 7pm Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas will explore the role of music in fostering Judeo-Muslim approaches to ritual practice, philosophical & theological thought, & aesthetics in this special virtual performance! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. SAJE Presents... Klezmer for the 21st Century Tuesday, March 16, 7pm March is Jewish Music Month! Celebrate with a live, interactive performance and Q&A by the San Francisco Yiddish Combo! The San Francisco Yiddish Combo performs a unique brand of Klezmer music, infused with the musicians' backgrounds in jazz, blues, folk, and hip-hop music. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Check out our Program Guide—your guide to everything going on, in-person and virtually, in our community! IN THE NEWS Grab & Go Meals for Seniors Resume March 9 Grab-and-Go meal service for Seniors in Need will resume March 9th and continue through March 24th. Distribution will take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am. Due to our limited funding, we can only provide 2 meals per person. Since we have fewer meals to give away, we ask that only those in need take part in this food distribution. Thank you for your cooperation. If you’d like to donate to our Seniors in Need campaign to fund this program, click here. - Join us for SunriseWALKS Your Way on June 27! We are excited to announce that our virtual SunriseWALKS event will be held on Sunday, June 27! This year, SunriseWALKS is YOUR WAY and we encourage you to use your creativity over the next few months to fundraise, spread awareness, and participate in any way that is fun, meaningful, and safe for you. Help us give summer back to children with cancer and their siblings by joining us for SunriseWALKS! Learn more and register here. - In Memoriam: Dr. Ronald Leventhal Earlier this year, we lost Dr. Ronald Leventhal, the 22nd President of the JCC. The JCC was special to Ron and his family. It was during Ron’s presidency in 1982 that we opened the South Shore/Avis Building. Ron and his wife Helene always worked together to benefit the JCC, and were among the first recipients of the Allan Weissglass Distinguished Leadership Award. You can read more about Ron's life and legacy here. The Leventhal family has requested that donations in Ron's memory go to the JCC's Families in Need program. If you wish to donate or send a tribute card, click here. - Celebrating Black History Month Last month, students in our programs celebrated Black History Month with special projects and activities. We wanted to share this amazing video with you from the students in all of our Cornerstone Community Center programs. Click on the picture to view the video! - Celebrating Purim We had so much fun celebrating Purim last week! Thank you to all who sent us photos of their costumes for our Virtual Purim Parade! Students in our Learning Bridges and Cornerstone afterschool programs made Purim masks to celebrate! We also delivered shalach manot to Holocaust survivors in our Cafe Europa program to help them celebrate at home. - Support Our Kosher Food Pantry While You Shop! We are pleased to partner with two local Stop & Shop stores to raise money for our Kosher Food Pantry! Throughout March, the food pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $9.99 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop store located at 1351 Forest Avenue, Staten Island NY. The food pantry will also receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 1441 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island NY. Thank you to Stop & Shop for helping us fight hunger on Staten Island! - COVID-19 Vaccines We know getting appointments for the vaccine has been very difficult for many. We have been getting hundreds of requests for help finding vaccine appointments. We will continue to work with our partners in government to help eligible people find appointments. Click here to sign up here to be notified of new pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics. We will let you know about clinics as we hear of them. You can also find vaccine locations near you here. Adult New Yorkers with certain pre-existing conditions are now eligible to receive the vaccine when available. Click here for a list of included conditions. Please be aware that you will need a doctor's note or medical information evidencing the comorbidity. To find out if you're eligible for the vaccine at this stage, you can also fill out this screener. - COVID Testing Sites Find out where you can get tested here. You can also view estimated wait times at various testing sites here. WELLNESS Virtual Tai Chi Classes Join us for virtual Tai Chi classes with Lisa! These classes include exercises to improve your balance, breathing, and flexibility to offer you fun and enjoyment while learning Tai Chi forms. We offer weekly sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. Zoom information for each session is as follows. Mondays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 1 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 926 0178 9469 Passcode: CLLDFIT Wednesdays, 11am: Evidence Based Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Join us on Zoom here Meeting ID: 965 8552 4160 Passcode: CLLDFIT - Virtual Chair Yoga Classes Fridays, 10am We are excited to bring you a new virtual chair yoga class, open to all JCC and CLLD members! Chair yoga is a gentle, relaxing practice that can help you improve your core strength and balance. Join us on Zoom here. Meeting ID: 951 7046 6404 Password: CLLDFIT - Barre Yoga Workout Improve core stability and balance while toning muscles with this barre yoga workout! - Ongoing Classes & At-Home Workouts Check out our virtual classes, open to all CLLD and JCC members! These low-impact classes will help you get moving and stay fit at home! Check out our website for a full schedule of all our virtual wellness programming! SPORTS Core 24 Basketball Academy March Programs Sign up for March basketball programs here! - Winter Gymnastics Session Register for our winter gymnastics session here! For more information, please contact Mary Fontana at 917.975.5347 or mfontana@sijcc.com. AQUATICS Lifeguard Re-Certification Courses Complete your re-certification for Lifeguard Training without needing to take the full content course again. Sign up here. ARTS AND CULTURE Did you know? If you miss one of our amazing virtual seminars, you can still purchase a ticket to watch it on demand! Tickets for past and upcoming virtual programs are available here! - SAJE Presents: Jewish Genealogy Workshop Monday, March 15, 12pm-1:30pm Join Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff for a virtual workshop on genealogy! Rabbi Kalmikoff will discuss the tools you can use to discover your family's history and learn more about who you are. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - SAJE Presents: How Krav Maga Helped to Change the Mentality of the Jewish People Wednesday, March 24, 7pm Join us for a fascinating lecture by Steve Lerner on the history and influence of Krav Maga, a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Women's History Month Online Exhibits On this page, you'll find links to online exhibits and archive collections in honor of Women's History Month! - Ongoing Cultural Arts Classes We miss all of our enriching Cultural Arts classes, but we are so excited to be able to offer some of them virtually! Check out our website for a full schedule of all of our virtual programming! MUSIC Discover the Magic of Music Not sure which instrument is right for your child? We're offering free, virtual presentations and performances on different instruments, featuring our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute faculty, to help you and your children discover the magic of music! The Magic of Violin with Larisa Vollis: Tuesday, March 9, 6pm The Magic of Flute with Nicole Auriti: Wednesday, March 10, 4pm The Magic of Piano with Aleksandra Sarest: Wednesday, March 24, 5pm Register for these FREE events here. Zoom information to follow registration. - The Poetic Language of Jazz Tuesday, March 16, 2:30pm Join us for a FREE virtual jazz jam session for teens! Learn practice techniques and performance tips while you jam with jazz musician Mark Sherman. Register here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music for Healing Wednesday, March 17, 1pm-1:45pm Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Join Joelle Cohen, MT-BC, for a creative, healing music experience on Zoom! Use any household instruments you may have (wooden spoons, plastic containers, rice in a water bottle, keys, etc) or just hands for clapping! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Zoom information to follow registration. - Music Institute Open for In-Person Lessons The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute offers both in-person and virtual lessons for students of all ages and a variety of instruments! As one of our youngest students shows us in this video, you can even learn all the piano notes in just two lessons with our instructors! Learn more and sign up for lessons here! - Scholarship Opportunities We have several scholarship opportunities available for deserving music students! Partial scholarships are open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. Our Harmony Club scholarship program is open to highly motivated students in grades 9-12. “Harmony Club” students will take free private lessons and ensemble classes. Students will also participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York. To apply for scholarship programs, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at eseeley@SIJCC.com. Learn more about the programs here. - The Art of Interpretation: Mozart Divertimento In this program from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, violinist James Thompson joins two chamber music veterans, violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Nicholas Canellakis, to discuss and perform Mozart's Divertimento in E-flat major. Mozart's six-movement string trio is universally considered to be miraculous: the finest work of its genre, a masterpiece of unparalleled ingenuity and beauty, and an eternal joy for listeners and performers alike. You can watch the program on demand for the next week here. KIDS AND FAMILIES Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday! To celebrate, check out these animated read-alouds of some of his most popular books:- ECE Registration Is Open! Pre-K For All and 3-K For All registration is open! Any New York City resident can apply. The application deadline is April 7. Our amazing Early Childhood Education staff is dedicated to giving your child the best start! We are licensed by the NYC Bureau of Daycare, follow all COVID protocols, and offer programs at 4 convenient locations across the island. Learn more about our programs and find out how to apply here. CAMP Virtual Open House Join us for a virtual Camp Open House on Sunday, March 14! Make an appointment to meet with one of our camp directors virtually here. SOCIAL SERVICES Navigating Legal and Financial Decisions with NYLAG: Living Wills Did you know the JCC can help you get assistance with legal and financial planning through our partnership with NYLAG? If you want to communicate your wishes concerning life-prolonging medical care, you should get a Living Will. A Living Will allows you to describe in writing your choices regarding medical treatment if you cannot communicate your wishes, are in a terminal, irreversible condition, and have no reasonable expectation of recovery. A Living Will does not name anyone to speak for you, it speaks for itself and can help guide the agent(s) you designate in your Health Care Proxy. For more information on this and other social services, contact Devorah Weiss at 718.475.5245 or DWeiss@sijcc.com. - Connect to Recovery Check out this great SILive feature on Connect to Recovery! Connect to Recovery is our one-stop shop for all of resources you need to help you through these difficult times. For more information about Connect to Recovery services, contact Carolyn at COVID19@sijcc.com or 718.475.5264. - Office of the New York City Comptroller Summer Internship Program The Office of the New York City Comptroller will accept undergraduate and graduate student applications for 2021 summer internships for its various bureaus through March 5. Interns participate in hands-on departmental projects as well as an enrichment program that includes networking opportunities, professional development programming, and community service activities. Learn more and apply here. - Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship The Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program is accepting applications for its 2021 class. This internship program will expose students to public policy, legislation, and advocacy to combat anti-Semitism, fight bigotry and stereotyping, and ensure proper legal and de-facto treatment of minority communities. Learn more and apply here. - Caregivers Weekly Zoom Chat Thursdays, now through June, 4:15pm - 5pm We are offering FREE Weekly Zoom Chats for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers! Chat with speech-language pathology graduate students and participate in fun memory-related activities! For more information and to register, contact Stefanie Schechter at 718.475.5244 or SSchechter@sijcc.com - COVID-19 Bereavement Support Group New group forming soon UJA-Federation of New York’s Partners in Caring presents a virtual Covid-19 bereavement support group for family caregivers. Please contact Karen Factor at KFactor@sijcc.com or 718.508.3884 to register. - Free ESL and HSE Classes If you need assistance with the English Language, you should take advantage of this FREE Program on Staten Island! We offer online morning and night classes, and our staff is always here to help get you where you need to be! Come and join us for a great opportunity to advance your language skills! If you have any questions, please call us at 718.508.3885 If you are looking to get your high school equivalency diploma, you can join our online program for free!* Call us at 718.508.3895 Or email us at hcirnigliaro@sijcc.com for more information *Students must be 18 years old or older, and no longer enrolled in High School COMMUNITY EVENTS If you're interested in listing your community event or advertising in J at Home, please contact Allison Cohen at ACohen@sijcc.com. - Be sure to check out these additional programs from our friends at other organizations around the country! Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp: A Program for Cancer Survivors Wednesdays, 2pm (March 10 and March 24, and April 7) The Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center at the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hill Long Island invites cancer survivors to a free virtual series! The series, which features oncology dieticians, focuses on healthy habits--including healthy eating, stretching, and meditation--that cancer survivors can easily incorporate into their lives at any point through their continuum of care. Register here. Still Traveling: Beguiling Buenos Aires Mondays in March Join the Osher Marin JCC for a series of armchair adventures to beautiful Buenos Aires! Register here. Discussion on Primo Levi, Holocaust Survivor Thursday, March 4, 7pm How can one find the words to describe the trauma and agony suffered at Auschwitz after one’s humanity has been taken away? Francesco Bonavita will explore Holocaust survivor Primo Levi’s life; how Italian Jews saw themselves vis-à-vis the rise of fascism; his experience at Auschwitz; and his commitment to keep alive the narrative of the Holocaust. Register here. Ceiling Breakers and History Makers: The Legacy of Jewish Women and Justice Wednesday, March 10, 7pm In celebration and honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, and inspired by the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, join authors Debbie Levy, Elaine Weiss, and Marlene Trestman for a virtual conversation about women who made their passion, profession, and purpose to seek justice and repair the world. Register here. Yonina: See and Hear Jerusalem Like Never Before Sunday, March 14, 11am UJA presents a special music event during Jewish Music Month! Join Yonina, the Israeli-American musical duo famous for their incredible harmonies, as they blend their voices in Jewish, Israeli, and international song with a musical tour of Jerusalem. This live acoustic performance featuring classic covers and original songs, will be complemented by a very special virtual musical journey to ancient Jerusalem filled with interesting facts, personal stories, and lots of anecdotes. Register here. Bringing Israel Home with Chef Michael Solomonov Wednesdays, through April 28, 8pm We are excited to partner with the JCC Association of North America to present a free digital culinary series with Chef Michael Solomonov. Each week, Chef Solomonov will chat with prominent Israelis and bring a taste of Israeli food culture into your homes! Participants can view recipes viewers in advance through Jewish Food Society, here. Watch Bringing Israel Home here. Follow the show on Instagram here. Virtual JCC with the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC During these challenging times, the entire JCC community across North America has come together to share unique, engaging content with members. You can make a free Virtual JCC account to access a variety of live, virtual events. We'll be sure to keep sharing our favorites with you! Check it out here! Beyond Your Bubbie's Brunch with Jake Cohen Sunday, March 14, 10am It’s time to get your brunch on in a whole new way with always-hungry, nice Jewish boy, Jake Cohen. Jake’s famous on Instagram and TikTok (@jakecohen) for his scrumptious reworkings of classic Jewish food. On March 14th, he’ll join The Nosh to show us how he creates his brunch essentials. Sunday brunch may never be the same. Watch here. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
November 2021
Categories |
LocationSBERNIKOW/MID-ISLAND
1466 Manor Road Staten Island, NY 10314 718.475.5200 ABERLIN/NORTH SHORE
485 Victory Blvd Staten Island, NY 10301 718.475.5290 |
AVIS/SOUTH SHORE
1297 Arthur Kill Road Staten Island, NY 10312 718.475.5270 BERMAN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
2221 Richmond Ave. Staten Island, NY 10314 718.475.5100 |
|