​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

Two unique local Girl Scouts troops have begun their annual cookie sales. Troops 5227 and 5312, which meet at the JCC of Staten Island and P37R, are inclusive troops open to girls of all abilities.

Proceeds from the sales will help cut participation costs for the troops, which are comprised of girls with disabilities. The programs’ inclusivity enriches the experience for all troop members, regardless of ability.

“Girl Scouts allows our girls with special needs to have a chance to just be children and interact with their typically developing peers,” said troop leader Lisa Rosenfeld. “In turn, by being part of a collaborative troop, our typically developing girls grow up with girls who have special needs as their friends and peers. They don’t look at them any differently.”

These programs offer unique opportunities that children might not have elsewhere. Several members of the troop travel to Staten Island from the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn to participate. In addition, the troops allow children with disabilities to participate and make memories with their siblings. Rosenfeld said, “Without our Girl Scout troops, many of these sisters would not have the chance to participate in an extracurricular activity together.”

Selling cookies is one of the hallmarks of the Girl Scout experience. For all members of Troops 5227 and 5312, this is an opportunity not only to raise money for their troops but also to develop valuable communication, social, and life skills.

Many girls in these troops are non-verbal and rely on AAC devices to communicate. After hearing their devices repeatedly say the phrase, “Buy cookies please,” some have even said their first unprompted words while selling cookies and have gone on to help their troops sell thousands of boxes.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC of Staten Island—home to Troop 5227—said, “We are so proud of our Girl Scout troop for being a safe space for girls of all abilities to grow and have fun together. We hope you’ll support our hardworking Girl Scouts by buying a box of cookies!”

Cookies can be purchased from Troop 5227 here and from Troop 5312 here. Free shipping is available through January 23 when you buy a minimum of five packages. 

Several local children have been giving back to help kids facing illness in their own community by creating fundraisers that benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. Sunrise Day Camp, which is operated by the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, is a free summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
 
Read about the fundraisers below:

• 8-year-old Maddie created “Maddie’s Sweet Treats” and held bake sales throughout the summer in her Rossville community, which raised $381 for Sunrise. She and her family recently presented the donation to the JCC.
• Students and staff at P.S. 35 helped organize a fundraiser in honor of one of their students, who has cancer and attends Sunrise. His classmates rallied around him and raised $400 by selling packs of crayons.
• Sophia, a 4th grader, made and sold rainbow loom bracelets in honor of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, which raised $550 for Sunrise.
• The Saint Bart's Buffalos 10u football team in East Brunswick, NJ hosted a special fundraiser in honor of a Sunrise camper, whose brother plays for the team. The players wore gold laces throughout Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and donated $150 to Sunrise to give kids with cancer an amazing summer.

“We are so proud to see these kids giving back to children with cancer and their siblings,” noted JCC CEO Orit Lender. “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. It’s so heartwarming to see other kids resonating with the mission of Sunrise and helping us give summer back to our campers.”
 
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.
 
Sunrise Day Camp, which resumed in-person camping this summer, brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer. The Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide.
 
For more information on Sunrise Day Camp, click here.

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 will kick off its new programming season with a free Fall Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 19 from 12pm-3pm. Families are invited to stop by the JCC, located at 1466 Manor Road, for an afternoon of outdoor fall fun.
 
Children will enjoy inflatables, carnival games with prizes, and fall-themed arts and crafts. Families can also pose for festive photo-ops. There will be a live performance by the Honeychild Band at 2pm. Food will be available for purchase. In case of inclement weather, the festival will take place inside.
 
During the festival, families will also have interactive opportunities to learn more about the JCC’s programs. Staff members will hold a sports and fitness sampler to give guests a taste of the recreation activities available to JCC members and participants of all ages.
 
The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute of the JCC will also present free demonstrations to introduce preschool and elementary school-aged children and their parents to upcoming programs. These programs include two parent-child keyboarding classes—Music in Me (ages 3 to 4) and Harmony Road (ages 4 to 6)—as well as Drama Adventures (ages 3 to 5) and Music Adventures with Ms. Bo (ages 3 to 5). The music demonstrations will take place inside. As space is limited, participants should register for the demonstrations by emailing Ela Seeley, Director of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute, at ESeeley@sijcc.com.
 
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 in-person programs this fall.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Our Fall Harvest Festival is a chance for us to get back to doing one of the things we love most, which is creating fun activities for the whole family. We know that many families are ready to get back out there, so we invite them to enjoy a fun afternoon with us and get to know the wonderful programs we have in store for them this season.”
 
There is no registration required for the Fall Harvest Festival. To learn more, click here.

Our newest program is Summer Rising, which we will run for free at various schools in conjunction with DYDC and the DOE. This is an academic enrichment program that aims to help prepare students for school in the fall. Summer Rising will provide opportunities for young people to learn, to get outside, and engage with peers and caring adults in safe, supervised, and enriching robust programs, readying them for a return to school in September.

In our JCC Day Camp programs, we are partnering with Catapult Learning to provide a summer learning program to enrolled JCC campers. The Summer Learning Experience has been funded through the generosity of a grant from UJA-Federation, which allows us to provide this service to campers free of charge. 

In our Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, we also include STEM as part of our programming. Projects are tailored to children’s ages and abilities. This week, campers learned about engineering using pipe cleaners, sticks, and marshmallows! 

These programs are only able to run thanks to the generosity of our donors and funders. This Monday, we will host our 41st Annual Golf & Tennis Classic. Funds raised at this event will allow us to award camp scholarships to children in need, including kids with special needs. While the golf portion of the event is sold out, we still have a few tennis slots available. By playing or donating to the event, you are helping our children thrive in the face of adversity. You can learn more about the Outing here.
 
We are proud to be able to provide these services, and with your support, we can help even more kids make academic progress before school begins again.

​-Orit Lender, CEO

After a successful summer last year, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island is preparing for another safe, fun season for hundreds of children in its camp programs across the Island. 
 
Of over 700 campers and 250 staff members in JCC programs, none tested positive for COVID-19 at any point last summer. There were also no cases among over 250 staff members. The JCC credits its robust COVID-19 safety protocols, developed with input from a committee of medical professionals, with keeping everyone healthy while having fun.
 
This summer, the JCC will continue to implement these tested practices, which are in line with the most recent CDC and state guidance.
 
In addition to temperature checks and health screenings for both campers and staff at the start of each camp day, the JCC places campers into families/pods that are kept socially distant from other groups. Face coverings are optional for campers when outside. Staff members sanitize shared spaces regularly and have adapted activities to comply with government standards.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We’ve demonstrated that despite all the challenges, we can give children a memorable summer experience while also keeping everyone safe. These kids deserve to play outside and make special memories with their friends now more than ever. We can’t wait to welcome them back to camp in a few short weeks.”
 
Camp programs take place throughout the borough and include Traditional Day Camp, Marvin’s Camp for Children with Special Needs, Trident Aquatics Camp, Core 24 Basketball Camp, Soccer Camp, Gymnastics Camp, Performing Arts Camp, Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp, and camp programs at several Cornerstone and Beacon sites.
 
Families interested in JCC Day Camp can learn more and register here before camp begins on June 28. The JCC will also host a final Open House for prospective camp families at Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds on Sunday, June 13 from 2-4pm. 

​Since the start of the school year, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island has served hundreds of children and their families as a Learning Bridges provider for the NYC Department of Education (DOE) and NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD).
 
Learning Bridges is a free program designed to support children on their remote schooling days. On days when children are scheduled for remote schooling under the city’s blended learning model, students enrolled in Learning Bridges report to their designated site. The JCC operates five of these locations for Staten Island, including sites at their Bernikow and Avis buildings, as well as their three Cornerstone Community Centers.
 
Each day, JCC Learning Bridges staff members help students log into their remote learning sessions and guide them through the classwork assigned by their teachers, offering academic support to supplement missed classroom time. Students also enjoy recreational and creative activities, such as sports, time outside, and arts and crafts. The pandemic has changed what childhood looks like in many ways, but Learning Bridges gives students back opportunities to be around other children, express themselves, and engage in important social-emotional development.
 
When offered the opportunity to become a Learning Bridges provider in the fall, the JCC was eager to use its expertise in youth programming to offer a safe and enriching program for children that would also benefit their parents. For many working parents who cannot stay home on remote schooling days, Learning Bridges is an essential childcare service.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Very early on in the pandemic, we recognized that families were going to struggle long term. The ability to have their children come to the JCC, where we can provide a safe environment, was something we knew we had an expertise in doing and we wanted to help families navigate this really uncharted timeframe.”
 
As New York City begins its transition to post-pandemic life, the JCC remains committed to serving the changing needs of Staten Island children and their families. With schools likely to return to full-time in-person learning in the fall, the JCC will once again offer its afterschool program, Explorers. Explorers, which runs at the JCC’s Bernikow building, aims to expand children’s minds with academic support and STEAM activities, nourish their bodies with sports and recreation, and promote mindfulness with social-emotional learning activities.
 
The JCC will host open houses for Explorers on June 15 and June 23 from 4pm-8pm, by appointment only. Families interested in learning more about the program can sign up for an appointment here.