The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island kicked off its new programming season with a free Fall Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 19 at the Bernikow JCC.
 
Children enjoyed inflatables, carnival games with prizes, and fall-themed arts and crafts. Live entertainment included a performance by the Honeychild Band and story time with author Denise Cesare. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis sponsored a covid vaccine clinic in partnership with Walgreens.
 
During the festival, families had interactive opportunities to learn more about the JCC’s programs. Kids also got the opportunity to participate in fitness and music demos.
 
Since the pandemic began, the JCC has continually provided active, engaging programs for participants of all ages. The festival signifies a return to the new normal, as the community organization plans to offer a full slate of both in-person and virtual programs this fall.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We were thrilled to see over a thousand people at our first event of the new season. This is just the start of a full year of fun programming for the whole family!”
 
For more information on future JCC programs, click here!

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island hosted its inaugural bocce tournament on Monday, September 13. After a full-day tournament with over 70 players, the winners were Sean Murray, Gerard Carbonella, Benjamin Carbonella, and Robert Snyder.
 
All proceeds from the tournament benefitted the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island and the JCC’s Kosher Food Pantry. The event honored Mannix Family ShopRites for their dedication to both causes.
 
The Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, run by the JCC, is a free summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp is 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 JCC’s Kosher Food Pantry serves thousands of Staten Islanders facing food insecurity. Through confidential, one-on-one appointments with caring staff, individuals and families in need from all walks of life can access a reliable source of healthy nutrition.
 
As we continue to navigate these challenging times, financial support for both causes has become more necessary than ever. With so many Staten Islanders facing hardships like illness and loss of income, the need for the food pantry has quintupled since the start of the pandemic.
 
Sunrise Day Camp, which resumed in-person camping this summer, brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer. The pandemic has shown us all a fraction of the loneliness and isolation these children experience due to their illness, reminding us how important Sunrise is to campers and their families.
 
The JCC relies on the generosity of supporters like Mannix Family ShopRites to sustain these vital services. Mannix Family ShopRites, owned and operated by Kevin and Timothy Mannix, include three store locations on Staten Island. The stores regularly donate food and funds to JCC causes, along with hosting fundraisers for the agency.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC said, “This was a terrific first Bocce event for the JCC. I’d like to thank our chairs, Solomon Chemo, Cory Schifter, and Bob Cutrona, for their hard work putting this event together. I also want to congratulate our honoree today, Mannix Family Shoprites. They have been a fantastic community partner to us and other community organizations, and we appreciate their continuous support for our programs.”
 
The event was co-chaired by Solomon Chemo, Cory Schifter, and Bob Cutrona.

Next week marks the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. During the weeks before Rosh Hashanah, we traditionally reflect on the year that has passed and share our hopes for the year that is to come.
 
Over the past year, we finally got to reunite with friends and family. We were grateful to see our programs reopen in person. While we still have safety restrictions in place, it has been wonderful to see so many people back in our facilities.
 
At the JCC, we spent the last year finding new ways to reach out to our community. We created new programs, like Learning Bridges and Summer Rising, to provide childcare and help children stay engaged in their schoolwork while learning remotely. We developed our Resource Navigation program, which helped meet the needs of those suffering from Covid. Through our vaccination clinics and referral process, we helped over 3,000 people in our community get vaccinated, including hundreds of seniors and Holocaust survivors. Other traditional programs were tweaked to fit new regulations, but grew nonetheless—like our camp program, which saw the largest enrollment we’ve ever had.
 
Through the past year, we were able to navigate the changing landscape with grace and perseverance. The core mission of our agency has kept us grounded and allowed us to keep moving forward, even when we were thrown curveball after curveball. Our JCC exemplified the Jewish value of caring for others, reaching out a helping hand to anyone in need. And as we move forward, we know we will face new challenges—but we will surely tackle them with creativity and passion.
 
Looking to the year ahead, we have plans to further expand our services and provide opportunities for community members to connect with each other. We will kick off our fall season with our Fall Harvest Festival on September 19th—a day of fun for the whole family. Click here to learn more about the free event.
 
We have activities and programs planned for people of all ages and abilities throughout the fall and winter. You can learn about all our fall programs in our brand-new Program Guide.
 
As we’ve learned over the past year and a half, spending time with friends and family is incredibly important. I hope you will take time during the holidays to enjoy your loved ones.
 
I want to wish L’Shana Tova U’Metukah to all who celebrate. May you all have a sweet and healthy new year!