In honor of David Sorkin:
In honor of your retirement from the JCC.  Thank you for your many years of contributions to the JCC and the Staten Island community.
-The Avis Family

In memory of Harold Schwartz:
My deepest condolences to you, Lenore.
-Evett Shulman

In memory of Lucille Chazanoff:
My deepest sympathy to Jay & family.
-Jackie Reiter 

We are proud to annouce that we will host Sunrise Circle of Friends, a virtual interactive show for kids, on Wednesday, July 29th from 5-6 pm. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
 
The event will feature performances and demonstrations by Brian Wild & His Interactive Animals, Steve the Magician, Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts, and Music with Patrick. The event is being produced in collaboration with JMT Media and is chaired by Ilana French.
 
As a special treat, the Staten Island Wine Fairies will deliver a wine basket for mom and dad to enjoy during the show for an additional fee. Basket deliveries are open to Staten Island residents only, and sign-ups for the wine deliveries close Wednesday, July 22.
 
“The JCC is thrilled to be able to provide virtual entertainment for families while also raising much needed funds for Sunrise Day Camp,” said Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC. “We are so grateful to our volunteers and performers who are donating their time and talents to put this special afternoon together.”
 
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 are offered completely free of charge to all children being treated for cancer and their siblings, on a non-sectarian basis. The camp, which is celebrating its fifth year of service to children with cancer and their siblings, has been running virtually this year due to the campers’ health concerns.
 
Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is the only day camp for children with cancer in New York City and serves families from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey. The JCC raises funds for the camp through donations and community events, including the annual SunriseWALKS.
 
A member of the Sunrise Association, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is one of several camps in a growing network dedicated to providing safe, fun summer camp experiences for children with cancer and their siblings.
 
The virtual event costs $10 per household, with the option to add on a $25 wine delivery. Tickets and wine deliveries can be reserved here. For more information, contact Evett Shulman at eshulman@sijcc.com or 718.475.5256.

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island is pleased to announce that, thanks to the generosity of the Emergency Children’s Help Organization (ECHO), campers at the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp Staten Island will receive a special weekly package as part of the “Camp in a Box” program.
 
The camp, which is celebrating its fifth year of service to children with cancer and their siblings, has been running virtually this year due to the campers’ health concerns. Each “Camp in a Box” package contains activities and crafts that correspond with the weekly camp theme, so that children can participate in activities from home. Boxes also contain as a special edition Sunrise Day Camp t-shirt.
 
“Our campers are so excited to open these boxes each week,” said Sandy Haft, Camp Director. “It’s like getting a holiday gift every week for two months! We are incredibly grateful to ECHO for supporting this program during these difficult times.”
 
"On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of ECHO, it is a privilege to partner with Sunrise Day Camp and the JCC in order to accommodate the children under these unprecedented circumstances," said Pasquale Loporcaro, ECHO’s Executive Director.
 
ECHO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to children experiencing challenging medical or life emergencies. ECHO’s goal is to help ease the burden financially, along with brightening children’s lives during times of crisis.
 
"The JCC and Sunrise Day Camp have always been wonderful partners with ECHO.  Their community work has always been an asset to those in need. We are honored to be part the ‘Camp in a Box’ program,” noted the organization’s Chairman and Founder, Sebastian Angelico. 
 
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 are offered completely free of charge to all children being treated for cancer and their siblings, on a non-sectarian basis. Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is the only day camp for children with cancer in New York City and serves families from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey. The JCC raises funds for the camp through donations and community events, including the annual SunriseWALKS.
 
A member of the Sunrise Association, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is one of several camps in a growing network dedicated to providing safe, fun summer camp experiences for children with cancer and their siblings.

This 4th of July feels a little different—like most holidays over the past couple months have felt. But it’s important to remember that, despite changed plans or cancelled parties, we can always hold on to our sense of community.

Here at the JCC, that’s what has kept us going over the past few months. While times have been tough, we’ve been able to survive because of our community. We have relied on the generosity of donors and funders to keep going. Because of this generosity, we’ve been able to continuously serve the people hit hardest by the crisis. Even though the doors to our buildings closed to the public, we never stopped working behind the scenes to help those who needed us most.

Community has always been a huge part of who we are as an agency. By working with other groups, we’ve been able to build stronger partnerships and strengthen our impact in our community. And while our staff members have certainly been tested by this pandemic, they have also grown too, rising to the challenge and showing what an extraordinary group of people they are. Having to adapt to remote work hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve seen so much creativity from our staff as they find innovative ways to connect with people virtually.

We hope to continue to take what we’ve learned and use it to continue to reach even more people after the crisis passes. It has been amazing to see the positive impact we have made in people’s lives, and I’m proud and excited to be taking the lead of an organization doing such important work during this critical time.

And now, as things start to reopen, we finally get to have some fun. After months of preparing, we are incredibly excited to open camp. While our camps may look a little bit different than in previous summers, we are proud to continue the nearly 90-year tradition of camping at the JCC. Even though we’ve had to make changes to ensure safety, including turning camp virtual for our Sunrise Day Campers, camp is always there to bring our children joy, friendship, and happiness.

As we look to the future, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can all do together and what the next chapter brings. Thank you all for your continued support of our work here at the JCC. We couldn’t do it without you.
​
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday,
Orit