The Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture, housed at the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, will host a special program, Dance Like No One Is Watching: An Afternoon with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, on Sunday, August 14.
 
Alison Cook Beatty Dance is a non-profit, classically-based modern dance company, whose mission is “to create and share accessible, emotionally engaging dance for all.” The company’s performances are grounded in emotional honesty and vulnerability, and highlight the transformational power of art.
 
In addition to creating dances, Alison Cook Beatty Dance prides itself on community outreach. The company visits community centers, schools, and other venues to share its unique vision and artistic approach through special programs that combine performances and lectures.
 
This Sunday, the Bernikow JCC will host Alison Cook Beatty Dance for a program featuring performances of works such as “Central Park Field #4,” “Lifeline,” and more. Throughout the program, Artistic Director Alison Cook-Beatty will discuss the concepts and inspiration behind each piece. Following the performance, audience members will have the opportunity to learn more during a question-and-answer session with the full company.
 
Sunday’s performance is just one of the many world-class programs offered by the JCC’s Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. Since the Grushkin Center’s launch last fall, the JCC has hosted a wide array of performances, lectures, and seminars—both in-person and virtual—to bring enriching cultural experiences to the Staten Island community and beyond. Live performances like this one are a particular favorite of audiences.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We’ve been so happy to bring community members back into our building over the past year for live productions by talented artists and performers. Art connects us all, and it’s really special to be able to experience it together.”
 
Dance Like No One Is Watching will take place at 4pm in the Bernikow JCC’s Lewis Stolzenberg Social Hall, located at 1466 Manor Road. Tickets are available online here.

​Summer is always a magical time at the JCC, but this year, we are having even more fun. With over two thousand campers enrolled in all our programs, it is also a very busy time of year for us! 

This year, we were able to do something special to over a dozen Ukrainian refugee families. For those in need, we were able to offer full scholarships to our day camp—which has allowed children who have been through extreme trauma to embrace the joys of childhood again. We are grateful to the Butler Foundation, A Chance In Life Foundation, and UJA-Federation of New York for allowing us to expand our camp scholarship program and support Ukrainian families in our community.

You may have heard the story of Maria, one of our Ukrainian campers. On her first day of camp she was extremely shy and spoke no English. Thankfully, we had Russian-speaking staff who were able to translate for her. Within a week, Maria was named “Friend of the Week” by her fellow campers—which was truly remarkable, but not out of the ordinary for our camp. 

Photos courtesy of the Staten Island Advance​
Last year, we saw a similar story play out when we offered scholarships to two foster children from Colombia. They had a blast at camp—making friends even though they did not speak English and were not familiar with American customs. It turns out that summer camp fun is the universal language! This story also has a happy ending, as we recently learned that the children were adopted by their host parent.

​Last week, I visited one of our community-based camps at the Gerard Carter Center when we were visited by the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). Commissioner Howard and I were so excited to see the kids engaged in STEM activities, dance, and sports—and the commissioner even took part in a game and bowled a spare!

​Camp at the Carter Center is one of many summer programs we have throughout the community, including our Cornerstones, Beacons, and Summer Rising sites. In addition to these, we are also running basketball, soccer, and aquatics camps at the Bernikow Building.

Our newest mini-camp is called Summer Strings @ the J, an intensive program for intermediate and advanced young musicians. Our faculty member, Yvette Washington-Wheatley, has a special connection to us, as she was a scholarship recipient at the JCC’s own music school many years ago. We are very happy to welcome her back and to see how much the children are enjoying the program! 

As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute later this year, it is inspiring to see the tradition of excellence continuing on.
 
No matter which camp program, our children go home at the end of the day with smiles on their faces—and that’s what’s most important to us. It truly warms my heart and reminds me why we do what we do. We know these kids will always remember the wonderful summers they spent with us and the friends they made along the way. The JCC is proud to be a place where magic happens every day!

​-Orit Lender, CEO

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host an exhibition of paintings by Ann Marie McDonnell. The works will be on display in the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, located on the second floor of the Bernikow JCC at 1466 Manor Road, throughout August and September.

McDonnell is a sculptor, printmaker, and photographer. She has maintained her studio at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center where she has worked for over 25 years. Her artwork is often project-based as a response to an invitational exhibition, competition, or personal project.

The exhibition will include printmaking work such as solar prints and monotypes, along with pigment print photography. Among the works in the exhibition will be pieces from The Jazz Series as well as In the Garden. The still life photography combines her interest in abstract painting and photography. The colorful pigment prints are inspired by her garden and her interest in flowers.

McDonnell said, “I treat the flowers as abstract elements, but I also acknowledge the symbolism of flowers in art history as a symbol of the transience of life.”

Ann Marie’s work has been widely exhibited in NYC as she has been an active member of the Staten Island arts community. Anne Marie is known for her public art bronze sculpture in Clove Lakes Park, The Bird Named Goldilocks, which won the 1994 Public Art Fund.

Her work is currently on view at the Historic Richmond Town Museum in her solo exhibition, Art Inspired by the Collection, which will be on view until November of 2022. She is also a participating artist in the exhibition, Art on the Terrace, in October of 2022.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “It is wonderful to be able to feature different local artists like Ann Marie throughout the year. I encourage everyone in our community to come visit the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery over the next few months to see the latest exhibit.”
 
The exhibition is free and open to the public from August 1st through September 30th. For more information about the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery, please contact Ela Seeley at ESeeley@SIJCC.com.

We are excited to announce that we will be opening two new preschool classrooms for children with special needs this fall. The agency will now be able to serve 16 additional children at our South Shore/Avis location (1297 Arthur Kill Road).
 
The classrooms are part of our First Foot Forward Program, which is dedicated to assisting children 2.5 to 5 years old with developmental needs. The individualized curriculum allows children to reach their full potential in a warm, nurturing environment. New York City and State fund First Foot Forward programming.

First Foot Forward specializes in helping children with speech/language delays, socialization concerns, developmental delays, poor motor skills, sensory needs, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The JCC has been offering these services to Staten Island families for over 30 years.
 
“We are so proud to be able to open these new classrooms,” noted Orit Lender, JCC CEO. “We saw the need for additional services and expanded to be able to offer First Foot Forward to even more families on the South Shore. I can’t wait to meet all our new students and their families this September!”
 
To receive services, children need to be evaluated at an approved evaluation site. Program eligibility is recommended by the Department of Education’s Committee on Preschool Special Education and is based upon the individual needs of the child.

Children of all faiths and nationalities are welcome. All services (evaluations, transportation, tuition) are at no direct cost to parents.
 
In addition to First Foot Forward, the JCC partners with the NYC Department of Education to offer free 3-K and Pre-K For All. 3-K & Pre-K For All are offered at four JCC locations, with flexible scheduling and small class sizes. Extended day options for working families are available 7am-6pm.
 
To learn more, click here.

In honor of Henry James (Hank) Brandt.
-Marianne Lacey

In loving memory of Jean & Frank Cannavo.
​-Jeanne Cannavo

On Thursday, June 16th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island installed five new board members at the organization’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. The newest members of the Board of Directors are Jozette Carter-Williams, Traci Frey, Isaac Gorodetski, Boris Natenzon, and Jack Stern.
 
JCC Orit Lender said, “I want to welcome our five new Board members, who all have a history of working with our JCC. They have so much knowledge and enthusiasm, and I am so excited to see them use their talents to help our agency grow! We are fortunate to have a supportive Board and a dedicated staff, who ensured that we got through the past few difficult years together and emerged on the other side stronger than ever. It is thanks to all of them that we can continue to serve the changing needs of our community and make a positive impact on Staten Island.”
 
Learn more about our new board members below!
​
Jozette Carter-Williams
Born in Brooklyn, Jozette Carter-Williams attended the College of Staten Island before beginning her career in the banking industry. She began her career as a teller at Staten Island Savings Bank and worked in various positions there until 2010. She subsequently worked at Empire State Bank before joining Northfield Bank this year as a Bank Manager, AVP. Jozette also owns and operates JoJo Cee Photography and has done charity photography for the American Cancer Society and Blue Lives Matter. Jozette was married to Gerard L. Carter, the namesake of the JCC’s Gerard Carter Center. Police Officer Carter was killed in the line of duty in July 1998. Jozette has become very involved in the Police Officer Gerard Carter Athletic Org., which was founded to help the children of Stapleton, the same community that Officer Carter patrolled. She continues to help children in the community and bridge the gap between our communities and the police through charitable endeavors. Jozette married Grady Williams Jr. in 2017. She has three children, Louis, Selena, and Jason, as well as two “bonus” children, Grady IV and Jenese. She is currently enrolled in the Academy of Art University pursuing a degree in Photography and the Arts.
 
Traci Frey
Traci Frey previously served on the Board from 2007-2010 and was the Treasurer at the end of her service. She has been a member of both Congregation B’nai Israel and Temple Emanuel. In her professional life, she served as the Deputy Superintendent of District 31 on Staten Island from November 2019- June 2021. Prior to that, Mrs. Frey was the Principal of the Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning High School, a New York City Outward Bound School following the tenets of Expeditionary Learning, for 10 years. Prior to becoming Principal, Mrs. Frey was the Assistant Principal of the Science Department at Edward R. Murrow High School, where she began her education career as a physics teacher in 1996. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College, Masters in Secondary Science Education from the College of Staten Island, and Administration and Supervision Certificate from the College of St. Rose. She is the proud mother of Rebecca and Katie, and loving wife of her husband of blessed memory, David.
 
Isaac Gorodetski
An immigrant from Ukraine, Isaac spent most of his childhood in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood in Brooklyn—and has resided on Staten Island since his family moved across the bridge in 1999. As a Staten Island resident, he became a professional commuter at an early age, first traveling to CUNY Baruch College to attain a Bachelor’s degree in economics and then to earn a J.D. at New York Law School. Fresh out of law school, Isaac joined the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a prominent think tank that conducts research and advances innovative ideas across a wide array of public policy issues, for five years. In 2016, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo hired Isaac to create and direct a public policy department at Borough Hall. In that capacity, Isaac and his team worked to tackle some of the most pressing problems facing Staten Island—from the opioid epidemic to mental health to workforce development. At the conclusion of Borough President Oddo’s final term, Isaac joined the Richmond County Supreme Court as principal law clerk to the Hon. Paul Marrone, Jr. Isaac is especially enjoying his new role as a dad to a little baby girl. He resides with his wife and daughter in Annadale and is excited for opportunities to serve communities across Staten Island.
 
Boris Natenzon
Boris Natenzon is the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Enexia Specialty, one of New York’s largest full-service independent pharmacies. Born in Tashkent, formerly USSR, Boris moved to the United States with his family at three years old and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He is a husband and a father of 3. Boris opened his first pharmacy along with his wife, Mrs. Angela Natenzon, RPh. in 2002, shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Long Island University in 1999. Enexia Specialty Pharmacy has been a tremendous initial step in reaching the vulnerable and contributing to better wellness for the communities Boris works with. Vitacare, Enexia’s long-term care division, offers specific services to senior care and non-profit agencies throughout NYC. During some of the darkest times over the last few years, Boris spearheaded the fight with NYS and the Governors’ office to get COVID-19 vaccines directly to facility patients and healthcare workers. Boris personally vaccinated thousands of people in pop-up clinics, private homes, and Enexia Pharmacy locations. In addition to his work, Boris has been a strong supporter of the Staten Island and New Jersey Chabad communities. He also serves as a board member of the (SIHC) Staten Island Holocaust Center, is vice-chair at the Northwell foundation board, and was recently awarded by Project Hospitality the Les Trautman Award for Outstanding Commitment to the People of Staten Island.
 
Jack Stern
Jack Stern has been practicing law on Staten Island since 1977. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, he has worked for the Legal Aid Society of New York before entering private practice. His areas of expertise are real estate, elder law, and business practice. He was previously a partner in O’Neill, Stern & O’Neill and is presently a partner in Stern, Stern, and Fruchtman. Additionally, Jack is an instructor at the Staten Island Board of Realtors. In his free time, Jack serves on the Board of the St. George Theatre and Hillel at the College of Staten Island. He is a Past Chairman of Eger Lutheran Home and Services as well as a Past President of Congregation Aviv Hadash. Jack is a former director of New Springville Little League. He is a member of the Richmond County Bar Association. Jack and his wife Randi recently served as Journal Chairs for our Allan Weissglass Distinguished Leadership Award.

On Sunday, June 26, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host SunriseWALKS to benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
 
After hosting virtual “walks” the past two years due to the pandemic, the JCC is excited to bring the annual fundraiser back in-person. This year’s SunriseWALKS, presented by Home Team Mortgage, will take place at a new location—Staten Island University Hospital “Community Park,” home of the Staten Island FerryHawks.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We look forward to SunriseWALKS every year as an opportunity to raise awareness and funding for our amazing Sunrise Day Camp, and to celebrate our community’s generosity, which allows us to give so much back to children with cancer and their siblings. We’re so excited to be together again this year and we’re planning a really special day for families.”
 
The itinerary for the day is full of programming to be enjoyed by kids of all ages and their families, including carnival and camp-inspired games and activities such as a dunk tank, face-painting, and relay races, flag football and Krav Maga demonstrations, and running the stadium’s bases. Walkers will also enjoy music and special performances by magician Steve Rose, L.A. Dance, and more.
 
The walk will be emceed by Staten Island’s own Carmine Giovinazzo, best known for his role as Detective Danny Messer in the hit CBS series CSI: New York. The event will also include special messages from celebrities.
 
SunriseWALKS is the JCC’s largest fundraiser for the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp and its year-round programs are provided to families completely free of charge, on a non-sectarian basis.
 
A proud member of the Sunrise Association, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is the only summer day camp of its kind in New York City and serves children from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and nearby New Jersey.
 
Sandy Haft, Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, said, “Sunrise Day Camp is a special place, where we keep cancer outside the four walls of camp. Your support for SunriseWALKS means the world to us because it helps us bring some sunshine to children who need it most.”
 
Register for SunriseWALKS here to donate to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. Walkers can also register in-person on June 26 at the stadium, beginning at 10am.  

​Last week, we received word of the racially-motivated shooting in a Buffalo supermarket, and our hearts went out to the entire Buffalo community. Yesterday, we heard the horrific news about a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which took the lives of 19 elementary school children and two teachers. Yet again, our hearts are broken.
 
In the face of immense tragedy, it’s easy to feel helpless. But now is not the time to sit back in fear and sadness. Jewish teachings tell us that it is our responsibility to step in when a situation is unjust. Based on these values, we at the JCC are doing all we can to help prevent future tragedies from happening.
 
Last Thursday, I joined with community leaders to stand against hate in the wake of the shooting in Buffalo. At the JCC, we stand with our community in solidarity against racism and bigotry every time we see it—and our neighbors do the same for us when Anti-Semitic incidents occur. I am grateful that Staten Islanders are not willing to be silent on this issue. We will continue to join together as one community and speak out against hate of any kind.
 
We have also been working a new initiative called PATH, in partnership with JCRC, to help combat anti-Semitism and hate crimes. Through this initiative, which was funded by the Mayor’s office, we have been providing educational resources and strengthening relationships among diverse and interfaith communities on Staten Island. We know there is more work to be done in this area, and we are committed to engaging different communities in order to fight hate locally.
 
We also realize that gun violence is a major issue that needs to be tackled nationally and locally. As part of our youth programming, in partnership with UAU and Central Family Life Center, we have begun offering a program focused on gun violence prevention. The program, which is funded by the Governor’s office, supports positive youth development and provides opportunities to youth and young adults at risk of gun violence. In addition, violence prevention is included in many of our after school and weekend programs for tweens and teens.
 
These grassroots programs are part of a larger effort by our entire community to put an end to these tragic situations once and for all. By joining together, we can regain a sense of our shared humanity and begin to forge a new path forward.
 
Together, let us hold the victims of gun violence in our broken hearts and work to create a better world to honor them. May their memories be a blessing.

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host “To Life!” a concert celebrating intercultural connections, on Thursday, May 12th at 7pm. The concert, which is presented in collaboration with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will take place at the Bernikow JCC, 1466 Manor Road.
 
“To Life!” represents a celebration of life and friendship among three people brought together from different worlds by a passion for music. Zalmen Mlotek is an internationally recognized authority on Yiddish folk and theater music as well as a leading figure in the Jewish theater and concert worlds. He will be joined by Tony Perry and Elmore James, two prominent African American singers.
 
Orit Lender, JCC CEO, noted, “We are so proud to showcase diverse performances through our Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. We look forward to a wonderful evening celebrating the shared experiences of Jewish and African American communities.”
 
Tickets to the concert are $18 per person. For those who want to mingle with the stars afterwards, a VIP Dessert Reception costs $54, which includes a show ticket.
“As soon as we started rehearsing this show,” Tony Perry said, “We felt that love, that feeling of this being so much bigger than each of us can be separately. There’s so much power in us coming together!”
 
The group has performed across the globe to enthusiastic audiences. “To Life!” which celebrates life, love, and hope, was born out of the stress of the pandemic.
 
“Making music with Tony and Elmore has always been exciting for me,” Zalmen Mlotek said. “I can't believe, after all of our various concerts together, it has taken us this long to finally come together and put this particular program together—full of passion, gorgeous singing, and a genuine love for each other and the material.”
 
“We must never be afraid of going into each other’s ‘cultural neighborhoods’ and singing each other’s ‘songs!’” Elmore James said. “When we do, we sing with a common humanity. This is why I do these concerts. Through the power of music, we come together in the celebration of love, life and our hopes for a better world.”
 
Tickets can be purchased here.