In memory of Arnie Beiles:
Our deepest sympathy and all our love to the entire family. Annie will be greatly missed and we treasured our friendship. He will be with us always.
​-Susan & Mark

Susan, may Arnie's memory always bring you peace and comfort.
-Denise and Michael Saul

Our deepest condolences to the entire Beiles family on the loss of your beloved husband, Arnold Beiles, father and grandfather. May you find solace in your beautiful memories. Keep them close on your hearts and he will live on in each of you.
-Daryl and Fred Googel 
​
In memory of Dr. Ron and Helene Leventhal:
Dear Bob, We send our condolences to you and your family on your dad’s passing and wish to pay tribute to him and your mom.
-Jane and Cliff Schorr

So sorry to hear of your father's death. He was a great guy.
​-Lois & Mike Schaffer 

In memory of Lee Ralph Grumbach:
What an exceptional person Lee was. Even though I did not know him personally his life story was one to be greatly admired.
-Harvey Goid

In memory of Lee Grumbach.
-Rosemary Trinkle Baran

In memory of Lee Grumbach.
​-Wayne and Deborah Hallard

With all our love for our sweet Uncle Lee. We still see him riding high in the saddle with a delighted smile in his face. 
​-Havi and Kate

Sage and Steve, We are very sorry for your Dad's passing. He seemed liked a person who really took advantage of life! Our deepest condolences.
-Sheri and Marc Urowsky

In memory of Shirley Horowitz:
Extending my heartfelt sympathy to Allen, Diane and Len on the loss of their mother, Shirley. My wonderful memories of growing up next door to the Horowitz Family will keep Shirley forever alive within me.
-Merle Lederhandler Toobin ​

So sorry for your loss. May her memory be a blessing. 
-Diana Leader ​

In memory of Arthur Weinberg:
In memory of our loving and kind cousin, Arthur Weinberg. May his memory always be a blessing.
Love to Robin and Chad during this difficult time.
​-Hilary BenAmi

On March 4th at 7pm, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will partner with Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) to present a virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall. Dr. Philip Otterbeck, Chair of Medicine and Endocrinology at RUMC, will talk about vaccine safety, side effects, and efficacy. He will also answer questions submitted from the public.
 
This town hall is part of a larger effort on the JCC’s part to help spread awareness about vaccine safety and get vulnerable members of the Staten Island community vaccinated. The event is free and open to all in the community.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said “At the JCC, we have been working hard to both educate and help secure vaccine appointments for Staten Islanders. We feel it is incredibly important to make sure our community is educated about the safety of the vaccine. Thank you to RUMC and our community partners for joining us in this initiative.”
 
Since December, COVID-19 vaccinations have been taking place across the borough for eligible individuals. Vaccines have been distributed at RUMC and during pop-up clinics at JCC facilities.
 
Dr. Otterbeck noted, “I hope the Town Hall will provide the members of our community the opportunity to ask questions they have on their minds related to COVID-19 based on the latest evidence in the medical and scientific literature.”
 
In addition to the JCC and RUMC, the event is presented by the COVID-19 Connect to Recovery initiative. Partner organizations include Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Congregation Temple Emanu-El, Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO-SI), The Jewish Board, Jewish Russian Learning Center of South Beach, Met Council, Project Hospitality, Staten Island COAD, and UJA-Federation of New York.
 
To register for the free event, visit sijcc.org/vaccine
To submit questions in advance, email jcc@sijcc.com

February marks many celebrations, including Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Purim, and Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month. Though the JCC’s history is rooted in Judaism, we serve and employ a diverse group of people, and we are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. We see our diversity as a strength that enhances our programs and community.

Several of our departments have been hosting activities and events to recognize Black History Month. We have a curriculum in our Early Childhood Education, Learning Bridges, and Cornerstone programs devoted to highlighting Black History Month, which includes an exploration of Black history, literature, art, music, and culture. For adults, our Beacon program at I.S. 49 will be hosting a virtual speed networking event later in the month for Black-owned businesses. For more information on this programming, click here

Our Cultural Arts Department has joined with the Tucson JCC to present Ritual Intersections in the Music Studio, which is a celebration of what unites the Jewish, Black, and Jewish-Black communities through music. Learn more here.

​This month, we are also celebrating Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month. The month is dedicated to highlighting and celebrating the work the Jewish community has done to help individuals with disabilities as well as broadening our collective commitment to making our world more accessible to all. In everything we do at our JCC, we aim to create an inclusive environment for people of all abilities. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve increased virtual offerings for people with disabilities, including music and cooking classes. We still offer in-person services to children and young adults with disabilities as well and hope to expand them as things begin to return to normal. 
​Most of all, we look forward to running Marvin’s Camp and our inclusion program again this summer!

One of our favorite annual events is “Love Around the World,” where our Early Childhood Education students celebrate diverse cultures from across the globe. This year, they celebrated different cultures by reading books, eating food, and making crafts, like these lanterns for Lunar New Year!

​It has been amazing to see, even during these difficult times, our staff putting together these creative, fun, and educational activities. I welcome all of you to join us as we celebrate what makes our community a rich melting pot.

-Orit Lender

​The new year brings new leadership for the JCC. After two and half years of exemplary service, Solomon Chemo stepped down as Board President at the end of 2020. We are grateful for his work leading the Board through these difficult times and are also excited to welcome back a familiar face to lead the JCC Board of Directors.
 
Our new Board President is Susan Sappin, who previously served as Board President from 2011-2014. Sue is the first person in our 91-year history to ever serve as President twice, and we are thrilled to have her return to the position.
 
A native of Brooklyn, Sue moved with her husband David to Staten Island almost 40 years ago. The Sappins soon joined Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island, where she eventually became President of the Congregation. Through her connections at Temple Israel, Sue was introduced to life at the JCC. Over time, Sue joined the Board of the JCC, where she has served as Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and President.
 
During her first term as President, Sue oversaw many positive changes to our JCC. She played a major role when we restructured our mortgage to reduce debt during the recession—a move that helped us keep our doors open and stabilized our agency financially. Her work led to an expansion of our Early Childhood and First Foot Forward programs, as well as the creation of the Center for Life Long Development (CLLD) for seniors. During her tenure, we installed solar panels in the Bernikow Building, which was instrumental in making our agency greener.
 
When tragedy struck during Hurricane Sandy, Sue’s leadership helped us create a continuum of recovery services for those in need. That version of Connect to Recovery served as the model we continue to use today to help those hurt by the pandemic.
 
Perhaps Sue’s greatest accomplishment is cultivating and expanding the JCC’s reach. Her kindness, passion, and giving spirit made her a natural fit to attract people to join the Board of Directors and get more involved with our JCC. During her first Presidency, she advocated for expanding the demographics of our Board to include people of different faiths. She is also directly responsible for convincing Gail Castellano, now a Past Board President, to join. In addition to getting local people involved with the JCC, Sue also fostered a global partnership with the Israeli city of Pisgat Ze’ev, which became our Sister City.
 
Additionally, Sue is active with UJA-Federation, our partner organization. For more than twenty years, Sue has chaired the UJA Community Breakfast, a cause dear to her. She has served as a liaison to UJA, strengthening their connection with our agency and Staten Island as a whole. 
 
Sue has received several awards for her work in the community, including the First Generation Award at our Nancy Avis L’Dor V’Dor Awards Lunch in 2014.
 
Sue is the mother of three adult children, Elizabeth, Jennifer, and Edward, and the grandmother of ten. She and her husband David were married for nearly 50 years before he passed away four years ago.
 
Upon being inducted as president, she told us, “I fell in love with the JCC and the important work we continue to do for the Staten Island community. Serving as president for the second time is just as exciting and inspiring, and I hope others will follow me to continue to build our legacy into the future.”
 
Based on her work the first time around, we knew she was the right person to lead us through these turbulent times. We are lucky and grateful to have Sue step up to the plate once again!

​-Orit Lender, CEO