In honor of my dear friend Arlene Rieger, who has just become a great-grandmother to twins!
​-Bonnie Bender

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island hosted Kids Front and Center, a virtual event, on Sunday, October 24 at 10am. The livestream supported JCC programs that help kids find new beginnings academically, socially, and emotionally during and after the pandemic.
 
At the event, the JCC recognized three outstanding community leaders, Lt. Rafet Awad, Rose Kerr, and Miriam Prat-Jerez, for their work benefiting children.
 
“I’d like to acknowledge and thank our honorees, Lt. Rafet Awad, Rose Kerr, and Miriam Prat-Jerez, for their tireless work serving children in our community. We are proud of your work and thank you for everything you’ve done to improve life for our children,” noted Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC.
 
Recognizing the toll the pandemic has put on children and families, the JCC has created programs to help children struggling with schoolwork and social interactions. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the JCC hosted five Learning Bridges sites to provide in-person support for families during remote school days. These programs mirrored a normal school day by offering academics, socialization, and recreation, allowing children to thrive as if they were in a normal school setting. The organization also provided in-person after school programs, camp, sports, and music classes throughout the past year.
 
Lender continued, “The funds raised this morning will support the JCC’s kids programs. Over the past year and a half, these programs have provided a lifeline to so many families on Staten Island. We’ve served thousands of children during the pandemic, providing in-person opportunities for education and recreation through a variety of programs, including Early Childhood Education, camp, Learning Bridges, sports, and music. With your help, we can continue to help kids find new beginnings through the next stage of the pandemic and beyond.”
 
Jozette Carter Williams, Bryn Biren, and Linda Brill were the event co-chairs. 
 
For more information or to view the live stream, click here!

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host Kids Front and Center, a virtual event, on Sunday, October 24 at 10am. The livestream will support JCC programs that help kids find new beginnings academically, socially, and emotionally during and after the pandemic.
 
At the event, the JCC will recognize three outstanding community leaders, Lt. Rafet Awad, Rose Kerr, and Miriam Prat-Jerez, for their work benefiting children.
 
“We are so proud to honor Lt. Awad, Rose, and Miriam for their transformative work with children. Their tireless efforts have improved the quality of life for so many kids and families in our community,” noted Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC.
 
Recognizing the toll the pandemic has put on children and families, the JCC has created programs to help children struggling with schoolwork and social interactions. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the JCC hosted five Learning Bridges sites to provide in-person support for families during remote school days. These programs mirrored a normal school day by offering academics, socialization, and recreation, allowing children to thrive as if they were in a normal school setting. The organization also provided in-person after school programs, camp, sports, and music classes throughout the past year.
 
Lender continued, “While many others were forced to close their doors, we were able to serve hundreds of children with in-person programs throughout the past year and a half. Our programs were a lifeline for families of essential workers struggling to find childcare options. Kids Front & Center will benefit our programs for kids and will make sure we can keep them running throughout the rest of the pandemic and beyond.”
 
Jozette Carter Williams, Bryn Biren, and Linda Brill, are the event co-chairs.  Virtual tickets are complimentary, but preregistration is required. Raffle tickets for the event are also available. For more information, visit sijcc.org/kidsfc.htm

I hope you were able to take some time during the fall holidays to relax with your family. As we’ve learned over the past year and a half, family is truly something to be cherished. At the JCC, we feel especially strongly about the importance of providing programs for the entire family to enjoy.

​A few weeks ago, we welcomed hundreds of families back to the JCC at our Fall Harvest Festival. It was wonderful to see familiar faces as well as many new ones. Our staff and I really enjoyed seeing kids play, sing, dance, and have fun outside with their families and friends. 

The festival kicked off a season of fall programming that is designed with children of all ages, interests, and abilities in mind. From sports to aquatics to School’s Out and Sunday Funday activities, we have something for everyone. We are also offering programs that the whole family can enjoy, like our parent/child music classes, self defense classes, and Pet ‘n Play event with Wild Side Zoo. For more information on all of our fall offerings, check out our Program Guide here.

​In a few weeks, we will host Kids Front & Center, a virtual event honoring the work done on behalf of children throughout the pandemic. At the event, we will honor three local leaders, Lt. Rafet Awad, Rose Kerr, and Miriam Prat-Jerez, for their transformative work with children. Their tireless efforts have improved the quality of life for so many kids and families in our community.
 
We will also recognize all the work our own JCC staff has done for kids throughout the pandemic. While many others were forced to close their doors, we were able to serve hundreds of children with in-person programs throughout the past year and a half. Our programs were a lifeline for families of essential workers struggling to find childcare options. Kids Front & Center will benefit our programs for kids and will make sure we can keep them running throughout the rest of the pandemic and beyond. You can learn more about the event here.
 
I hope to see you, either in-person or virtually, at one of our many fall kids events!

-Orit Lender, CEO

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!

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host its inaugural bocce tournament on Monday, September 13. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island and the JCC’s Kosher Food Pantry. The event will honor 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, “The Mannix family sets a great example of community leadership through their stores’ support for both of these wonderful causes. As we kick off a new tradition with our first-ever bocce tournament, we are proud to honor Mannix Family ShopRites in gratitude for all they do.”
 
The event is being co-chaired by Solomon Chemo, Cory Schifter, and Bob Cutrona.
 
The bocce tournament will take place on the lawn at the Bernikow JCC, located at 1466 Manor Road. Players are asked to check in at 11am, before the tournament begins at noon.
 
To purchase tickets, click here.