In memory of Ilya Tinovsky.
​-Serge Tinovsky

In memory of Dr. Ronald Leventhal. May his memory be a blessing. Jim and I send our love to Susan, Bob, Karen and your families. 
-​Ronnie and Jim Campagna 

On Sunday, June 27th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island hosted its Virtual SunriseWALKS celebration, presented by Freedom Mortgage. SunriseWALKS raises money for Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings. As part of the event, participants were encouraged to watch the virtual celebration and then walk with friends and family in their own communities.
 
Sunrise Day Camp brings back the joys of childhood to children struggling with cancer, transforming months of loneliness and isolation into summers filled with friendship, laughter, and happiness. After a year of virtual experiences, in-person camp will resume this Thursday, July 1st, at Sunrise’s new home on the campus of Staten Island Academy.
 
“For children with cancer and their siblings, the isolation we’ve been facing during the pandemic is now new,” noted Orit Lender, JCC CEO. “That’s why we are incredibly excited to bring back Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp in person this year.”
 
SunriseWALKS followed several smaller in-person events, including a socially-distanced, tailgate-style Pep Rally in the JCC parking lot. Local families enjoyed an afternoon of music, food, and photo opportunities with the Humble Heroes of FDNY.
 
Lender added, “We are grateful to our community partners for all of their support. So far, we have raised over $275,000 for Sunrise this year, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of so many in our community. Thank you to all the donors and sponsors who made camp a reality for these children.”
 
David Roberts of Freedom Mortgage said, “We are so proud to be sponsoring SunriseWALKS again this year. Day camp is a paramount place for kids to develop all of different types of social skills, and the bonds and relationships that form over a summer with different friends are so important. Sunrise is a great place, and we love to help the kids!”
 
Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp and its year-round and in-hospital programs, Sunrise Sundays and Sunrise on Wheels, are provided completely free of charge to campers’ families. Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island proudly serves children with cancer and their siblings from Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and nearby New Jersey on a non-sectarian basis.
 
The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC, which operates Sunrise Day Camp, raises funds for the camp through donations and community events. The Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide.
 
To watch the Virtual SunriseWALKS celebration and learn more, click here.

On Thursday, June 17th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island installed two new board members at the organization’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. The newest members of the Board of Directors are Angie Master and Edward J. Sappin.
 
“For over 90 years, we’ve been providing services for the community, especially when they need us most. Through this past year, we’ve faced many challenges and were forced to be creative to overcome them. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our Board and staff,” noted CEO Orit Lender. “We are thrilled to welcome our two new Board Members, Angie and Ed. Both of them have been wonderful volunteers with us in the past, and we look forward to seeing them get even more involved in our organization. I also want to thank our entire Board for volunteering their time and talents—we appreciate everything you do to help the JCC continue to serve the Staten Island community.”
 
Angie Master
Angie Master is a real estate broker at Casandra Properties.  She handles all aspects of commercial real estate from retail, industrial, office, medical, and restaurant sales and leasing.  Born in South Korea, she was raised in Spokane, Washington.  She earned her B.A. in International Relations and M.A. in International Education Policy from Stanford University and her M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
 
Angie’s prior career included management consulting and marketing positions at Schering-Plough, Nabisco and Avon.  She has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at the Wagner College M.B.A. program teaching marketing courses. 
 
Previously Angie served on the Board of Trustees at Staten Island Academy where she chaired the Trustees Committee.  She cares about expanding educational opportunities for all children and has volunteered as a tutor at a KIPP Charter school in Newark and at Seamen’s Society on Staten Island.
 
Angie moved from the West Coast to Staten Island after meeting Daniel L. Master Jr. her spouse and the former Acting District Attorney of Staten Island.  They have two children Emma and Trip, who attended preschool at the Avis JCC and went on to attend Stanford.   In her free time, Angie enjoys tennis, yoga, and reading classics and non-fiction books.  She is a huge “foodie” and loves the gourmet and ethnic food choices available in Staten Island and NYC.  She also enjoys the ups, and suffers the frequent heartaches, of being a fan of the N. Y. Mets.
 
Edward J. Sappin
Ed Sappin is a native Staten Islander with strong ties to the Jewish community and a track record of philanthropy and fundraising.
 
Ed has been affiliated with the Jewish Community Center since he was a child going to Family Park and attending summer camp. In recent years, he has supported Sunrise Camp and attended numerous events at the J. He has longstanding relationships with many members of the JCC Board and has shared his expertise on an ad hoc basis over the years.
 
Ed’s charity and philanthropic efforts currently include serving on the Board of the New York Chapter of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Alumni Group and being a member of the Christer Herter Society, which is SAIS’s leadership and major donor organization. Previously, Ed was for many years a member of the Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows, has served as a judge for the Wharton School Business Plan Competition, and is the former co-President of the Johns Hopkins Shanghai Alumni Chapter.
 
In the professional world, Ed has a proven track record as a leader and investor, with strong results in fundraising, organizational development and business development. Ed invests in and builds innovative companies, focusing on technology, energy, and healthcare. Ed has a proven track record as a C-suite executive, investment professional, head of development, and in other leadership positions.
 
Ed is the founder and CEO of Sappin Global Strategies, an investment and advisory group. He is also a Partner at Nimali, a renewable energy investment group. Ed has served as the CFO of Northwest Innovation Works, a US-China energy venture, and in strategy, investment, and development roles for institutions including Intel, New Asia Partners, BP, Credit Agricole, and JP Morgan.
 
Ed holds a Master of Arts from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, where he was a Boren and Bradley Fellow. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Franklin, Wharton, and Fine Scholar.
 
Ed Sappin is a thought leader in business, technology, and foreign affairs. He has written for Forbes, VentureBeat, The Washington Post, and CNBC, and spoken at events for MIT, Berkeley/Stanford, and Dartmouth, amongst others. Ed believes strongly in community, and when he is not with his three children or training for his next race, as mentioned above he has been and continues to be active in numerous charities and organizations in New York City and beyond.

​On Monday, July 12th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host its 41st Annual Golf and Tennis Classic at the Richmond County Country Club.
 
The JCC’s Golf and Tennis Classic benefits the Isador Aberlin-Ed Rovner Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund provides scholarships for the JCC’s day care and summer camp programs to families experiencing financial hardship.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Our programs offer children nurturing environments in which to grow and play—something they need more than ever after this challenging time. Funds raised at our upcoming Golf and Tennis Classic will help us serve even more families in our community, including those hit hardest by the pandemic.”
 
Last year, the pandemic forced the JCC to postpone the Classic until the fall. With the situation returning to normal across the city, the organization is eager to host the event in July once again this year.
 
“With every in-person event we’re able to have, it’s a step in the right direction. We are looking forward to spending a nice day outdoors together while we raise money for this important cause,” said Lender.
 
The Golf and Tennis Classic, presented by longtime sponsor IDB Bank, will also include brunch and a raffle drawing for a $10,000 prize.
 
To purchase tickets, sponsorships, and journal ads, please visit https://www.sijcc.org/golf.

Senior services are an important part of the work we do every day at the JCC, but we’re especially excited to put the spotlight on our seniors this month. This June marks a month dedicated to senior health and wellness as our agency hosts the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics and the Conference on Aging.

The Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics, which began on June 1, has taken on a virtual format this year due to restrictions on in-person events put in place by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA). The pandemic has reminded us how important self-care is, so the events we’ve chosen are all about taking care of our minds, bodies, and souls by having fun doing the activities we enjoy.

In addition to traditional athletic events like cycling and swimming, participants can also select activities that improve mental and spiritual well-being, such as word games, reading, meditating, and volunteering. We are co-sponsoring the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics with DFTA, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the YMCA, and the Staten Island Advance.

The free event will wrap up this Sunday and will be followed by a Virtual Closing Ceremony on Friday, June 18th from 3-4pm. You can join us on Zoom here.

Beginning Monday, we invite all to join our Conference on Aging, sponsored by Vitacare LTC: an Enexia Company. Like the Senior Olympics, this five-day virtual educational forum focuses on holistic well-being and offers something for everyone over 50.

Each day, participants can choose from a variety of free workshops and seminars on topics important to seniors. Highlights include exercise and meditation classes, an interactive healthy cooking demonstration with Chef Kim Leo, and a seminar on relationships with acclaimed author and television personality Dr. Pepper Schwartz. Several programs also focus specifically on the effects of the pandemic on seniors, including advice for handling stress and social isolation. You can see all of the events and register here.

Together, the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics and Conference on Aging reflect the JCC’s commitment to improving Staten Island seniors’ independence and quality of life. These wonderful events are all about empowering older adults to feel their best in every area of their lives.
​
As we begin to see our city fully reopen, we look forward to welcoming seniors back into the building in the very near future. Stay tuned for a big announcement later this month!

-Orit Lender, CEO

On Sunday, June 6th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island hosted its SunriseWALKS Pep Rally in the JCC parking lot. The event was a socially distanced, tailgate-style Pep Rally leading up to SunriseWALKS, which will take place virtually on Sunday, June 27th.
 
Local families enjoyed an afternoon of music, food, and photo opportunities with the Humble Heroes of FDNY.
 
“We were so happy to see many of our generous donors, supporters, and Sunrise families at the Pep Rally,” noted Orit Lender, JCC CEO. “This was our first major in-person event this year, and it was a wonderful day to benefit a truly special cause.”
 
SunriseWALKS raises money for Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Sunrise Day Camp brings back the joys of childhood to children struggling with cancer, transforming months of loneliness and isolation into summers filled with friendship, laughter, and happiness. After a year of virtual experiences, in-person camp will resume this summer at Sunrise’s new home on the campus of Staten Island Academy.
 
In addition to the Virtual Walk at the end of the month, there are several upcoming events to support the camp. On Wednesday June 9th at 7:30pm, friends of Sunrise will be raffling off baskets at Joyce’s Tavern. Those who wish to purchase raffles or attend can contact Andria at [email protected] or call/text 646.372.7574. Ticket holders need not be present to win.
 
On Thursday, June 10th, Applebee’s will host a fundraiser for the camp at all three of its Staten Island locations. Applebee’s will donate 20% of all purchases by anyone who dines out or orders a carry-out meal in-person and presents the following flyer: https://www.sijcc.org/sunrise.html   
 
Lender added, “We are grateful to our community partners for all of their support. So far, we have raised over $250,000 for Sunrise this year, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of so many in our community. We hope these last few weeks before the Virtual Walk helps us raise even more to give our Sunrise campers a summer to remember!”
 
Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp and its year-round and in-hospital programs, Sunrise Sundays and Sunrise on Wheels, are provided completely free of charge to campers’ families. Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island proudly serves children with cancer and their siblings from Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and nearby New Jersey on a non-sectarian basis.
 
The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC, which operates Sunrise Day Camp, raises funds for the camp through donations and community events. The Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide.
 
For more information on SunriseWALKS, visit sunrise-walks.org/statenisland

After a successful summer last year, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island is preparing for another safe, fun season for hundreds of children in its camp programs across the Island. 
 
Of over 700 campers and 250 staff members in JCC programs, none tested positive for COVID-19 at any point last summer. There were also no cases among over 250 staff members. The JCC credits its robust COVID-19 safety protocols, developed with input from a committee of medical professionals, with keeping everyone healthy while having fun.
 
This summer, the JCC will continue to implement these tested practices, which are in line with the most recent CDC and state guidance.
 
In addition to temperature checks and health screenings for both campers and staff at the start of each camp day, the JCC places campers into families/pods that are kept socially distant from other groups. Face coverings are optional for campers when outside. Staff members sanitize shared spaces regularly and have adapted activities to comply with government standards.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We’ve demonstrated that despite all the challenges, we can give children a memorable summer experience while also keeping everyone safe. These kids deserve to play outside and make special memories with their friends now more than ever. We can’t wait to welcome them back to camp in a few short weeks.”
 
Camp programs take place throughout the borough and include Traditional Day Camp, Marvin’s Camp for Children with Special Needs, Trident Aquatics Camp, Core 24 Basketball Camp, Soccer Camp, Gymnastics Camp, Performing Arts Camp, Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp, and camp programs at several Cornerstone and Beacon sites.
 
Families interested in JCC Day Camp can learn more and register here before camp begins on June 28. The JCC will also host a final Open House for prospective camp families at Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds on Sunday, June 13 from 2-4pm.