In Memory of Egon Salmon:
In acknowledgement of a life well-lived. Thinking of you with love.
-Susan, Jake and Seth

Egon was a fine gentleman who did much to enhance the image of Staten Island and the Jewish community. He will sorely be missed.
-Murray & Marilyn Liebman

We were saddened to learn of Egon's passing. He was a special person. His presence in this world was a unique event for everyone and everything that his life touched. We were honored to call him friend.
Please accept our sincerest condolences.
-The Brenner Family 

As we say goodbye to summer, fall gives us an opportunity for a fresh start. Fall marks the beginning of the school year, and I loved seeing our newest Early Childhood students walk through our doors for their first day of school. To me, there’s nothing better than knowing that we get the opportunity to help young minds learn and grow as they begin their educational journey.
 
I am also extremely proud that we were able to expand our Early Childhood services for children with disabilities by adding two new classrooms to our First Foot Forward program this year. You can read more about the expansion here.
 
Fall also brings the Jewish New Year, which we are celebrating next week. 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. It gives us an opportunity to review, assess, and renew.
 
At the JCC, this has meant reflecting on what’s most important to our Board, staff, and members. As we looked through all of our programs and services, as well as the needs of our community, one word continued to jump out to us: family.
 
In this spirit, we are beginning this year with a focus on bringing families of all shapes and sizes together and providing them with the programming they want and need. Throughout all of our programs, we embrace and demonstrate Jewish values, which are truly universal values. This year, we have decided to pick different values to specifically focus on each season. Fittingly, this season’s Jewish value is reflection, return, and renewal.
 
As we focus on new beginnings, we will kick off our family programming with our Fall Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 9th. We are offering a festival full of fun that the whole family can enjoy. For those who attended our inaugural festival last year, I promise that this year’s will be even bigger and better! Click here to learn more about the free event.
 
The family fun doesn’t end there—we also have more activities and programs planned for people of all ages and abilities beginning this month. You can learn about all our fall programs in our Program Guide.
 
We have plans to add even more family programming as the year progresses. Stay tuned for some exciting new programs and classes!
 
I hope you all had a great start to the school year, and I want to wish L’Shana Tova U’Metukah to all who celebrate. May you all have a sweet and healthy new year!

​-Orit Lender, CEO

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island is proud to announce that it is partnering with Hebrew Public Charter School of Staten Island to provide after school programming for the school’s students.
 
Students at the new school will be able to enroll in the JCC’s Explorers program, which will take place on site at Hebrew Public Monday through Thursday. Explorers aims to enrich young children through creative projects, STEM activities, group sports, and social-emotional learning. The program will also include homework help. On Fridays, when the school closes early, students will come to the Bernikow JCC to use the indoor pool and other facilities.
 
“This program is the culmination of a partnership between the JCC and Hebrew Public, which has been ongoing since Hebrew Public decided to open a school on Staten Island,” noted JCC CEO Orit Lender. “Working with them has been a natural fit for us, since our missions aligned so closely. We are so excited to get to bring our Explorers After School Program to the new students of Hebrew Public. We look forward to collaborating with the school on many more projects in the future and wish them success in their first year of educating our children!”
 
Hebrew Public is leading a national movement of exceptional, diverse public charter schools that teach Modern Hebrew to children of all backgrounds and prepare them to be successful global citizens. The free public charter school, which is located in Midland Beach, is open to all age-and grade-eligible students in New York City, with preference given to Staten Island residents. It is first admitting students in kindergarten and first grade this year, with plans to expand to older grades in subsequent years.


"Even before we opened the school on Staten Island, we turned to the JCC for support and partnership. We were welcomed with open arms and felt a part of the community right away. Now that we opened the doors to our founding kindergarten and first grade families, we could not be more thrilled to have our partnership come to fruition with so many of our students joining the afterschool program at the JCC. We look forward to many years of working together,” said Valerie Khaytina, Chief External Officer of Hebrew Public.
 
Additionally, the JCC offers its Explorers After School program at the Bernikow JCC for students enrolled in other schools. To learn more, click here.