Senior services are an important part of the work we do every day at the JCC, but we’re especially excited to put the spotlight on our seniors this month. This June marks a month dedicated to senior health and wellness as our agency hosts the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics and the Conference on Aging.

The Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics, which began on June 1, has taken on a virtual format this year due to restrictions on in-person events put in place by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA). The pandemic has reminded us how important self-care is, so the events we’ve chosen are all about taking care of our minds, bodies, and souls by having fun doing the activities we enjoy.

In addition to traditional athletic events like cycling and swimming, participants can also select activities that improve mental and spiritual well-being, such as word games, reading, meditating, and volunteering. We are co-sponsoring the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics with DFTA, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the YMCA, and the Staten Island Advance.

The free event will wrap up this Sunday and will be followed by a Virtual Closing Ceremony on Friday, June 18th from 3-4pm. You can join us on Zoom here.

Beginning Monday, we invite all to join our Conference on Aging, sponsored by Vitacare LTC: an Enexia Company. Like the Senior Olympics, this five-day virtual educational forum focuses on holistic well-being and offers something for everyone over 50.

Each day, participants can choose from a variety of free workshops and seminars on topics important to seniors. Highlights include exercise and meditation classes, an interactive healthy cooking demonstration with Chef Kim Leo, and a seminar on relationships with acclaimed author and television personality Dr. Pepper Schwartz. Several programs also focus specifically on the effects of the pandemic on seniors, including advice for handling stress and social isolation. You can see all of the events and register here.

Together, the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics and Conference on Aging reflect the JCC’s commitment to improving Staten Island seniors’ independence and quality of life. These wonderful events are all about empowering older adults to feel their best in every area of their lives.
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As we begin to see our city fully reopen, we look forward to welcoming seniors back into the building in the very near future. Stay tuned for a big announcement later this month!

-Orit Lender, CEO

The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host the first ever virtual Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics from June 1 to June 13.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, the JCC could not host the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics (BVSO) in person this year. However, the JCC remains committed to seniors’ wellness and pivoted to offer a new BVSO experience that seniors can participate in safely.

The theme of this year’s Senior Olympics is Mind, Body, and Soul, with a wide array of activities in three categories that contribute to overall well-being. Participants can select as many activities as they would like, from mind-stimulating word games and puzzles to sports and traditional Olympic events to meditation and volunteering.

“The virtual format of this year’s BVSO presented us with a great opportunity to think outside the box about what a Senior Olympics can look like. The pandemic has reminded us how important self-care is, so the events we’ve chosen are all about taking care of our minds, bodies, and souls by having fun doing the activities we enjoy,” said Lisa Lubarsky, who is coordinating the event for the JCC.

The BVSO is open to individuals 50 years of age and older. Participants can register for free and complete events at any time during the Olympics, logging their activity through the JCC website. While prizes will be awarded for best in each event during a closing ceremony on June 18, the focus of this year’s Senior Olympics is not on competition, but on physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The event is named for Bea Victor, a community leader who founded the Senior Olympics in 1987. Victor continued to direct the program for 20 years and was involved with the event until her passing last year.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We are so proud to carry on the tradition that Bea Victor started when she founded Staten Island’s Senior Olympics. While Bea is no longer with us, her legacy of advocating for seniors to stay active and independent lives on through the BVSO and countless other senior programs at the JCC.”

To learn more and register for the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics, click here.

Thirteen-year-old Tzipora Guttman is celebrating her upcoming Bat Mitzvah by raising money for the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island’s program to feed seniors in need. Mitzvah projects, like Tzipora’s, are an opportunity for teens to take on responsibility and do good for others before celebrating their coming-of-age in the Jewish tradition.

Tzipora, a camper at the JCC’s Day Camp, wanted to support those facing food insecurity during the pandemic: “Most of us take food for granted as we never need to worry about our next meal. Sadly, though, others aren’t so fortunate.”

While there are many non-profits that help fight food insecurity, Tzipora selected the JCC for her project because of their efforts to aid senior citizens, including Holocaust survivors. This cause is especially close to her heart, as her paternal grandparents were both Holocaust survivors. Taking inspiration from her grandparents’ lives, Tzipora said, “My grandparents experienced immense hunger and suffering during their time in Auschwitz. While Americans today do not face the horrors of the Holocaust firsthand, hunger is still a prevalent issue in our communities.”

You can watch a video of Tzipora’s grandfather speaking about his experience here.

In 2017, Feeding America released a study showing that 1 in 12 seniors face food insecurity. This number has surely grown, with seniors experiencing financial hardship, social isolation, and difficulty shopping for themselves due to the pandemic. Recognizing the problem here at home, the JCC stepped in to distribute thousands of free, healthy meals to seniors over the past year, through a contactless, grab-and-go pickup program. With a sustained need for these meals, the program has struggled to remain funded, relying on grants and the generosity of donors. Before her Bat Mitzvah on May 1, Tzipora aims to raise $1800 to help the JCC continue this important program.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, expressed her gratitude to Tzipora and to all who have donated to her fundraiser so far: “We are so proud of Tzipora for choosing to honor her Bat Mitzvah in this meaningful way, which will help make a difference in the lives of so many seniors. This is a wonderful reminder to us all that, in spite of these challenging times, the next generation is lighting the way to a brighter future.”

To support Tzipora’s project and help feed Staten Island seniors in need, you can donate here.

​The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island partnered with Borough President James Oddo’s office to vaccinate hundreds of seniors and Holocaust survivors against COVID-19 over the past two weeks.
 
Through this partnership, the JCC hosted a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Bernikow JCC March 2nd & 3rd with VitaCare Pharmacy. During the two-day clinic, VitaCare distributed over 650 vaccines to Staten Island seniors.
 
Additionally, the Borough President’s office helped the JCC get vaccination appointments for 80 Holocaust Survivors and frail seniors at other vaccination sites in the borough.
 
“We are beyond grateful to our friends at the Borough President’s office and VitaCare Pharmacy for all their work on this issue,” noted JCC CEO Orit Lender. “For our seniors and Holocaust survivors, who are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, this vaccine could mean the difference between life and death. We are so thankful to Borough President Oddo, Dr. Ginny Mantello, and Boris Natenzon of VitaCare Pharmacy for recognizing this and helping us meet the needs of our most fragile community members.”
 
"Over the last few days, over 650 people were vaccinated at the JCC. This would not have been possible without the cooperation of the city and state in terms of supply, and without the leadership and goodwill of our friends at the JCC and Boris Natenzon of VitaCare Pharmacy who, with his staff, administered the vaccines. Thank you to all of the good people who made this happen," said Borough President Oddo.
 
The clinic was part of a larger effort on the JCC’s part to help spread awareness about vaccine safety and get vulnerable members of the Staten Island community vaccinated.
 
“Helping our community members in times of crisis is what we do best. It is a privilege for us to play a part in bringing an end to the pandemic,” Lender added.
 
In addition to the clinic, the JCC hosted a COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall with Richmond University Medical Center Thursday night. At the virtual event, Dr. Philip Otterbeck answered questions from the audience about vaccine safety and efficacy.
 
To see the recording of the RUMC Town Hall event or to sign up for more information on upcoming vaccine clinics, click here.

The Richmond Rockets running club and the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island are partnering to present the We Heart Our Seniors Virtual Race. The race, which will take place from February 6 to February 20, will support senior citizens through the JCC’s Seniors in Need initiative, as well as high school seniors through the Richmond Rockets Scholarship Fund.
 
Participants are encouraged to run a 5K or 10K at their own pace, outdoors at a local park or indoors on a treadmill. Participants can record their running times and submit them to the race coordinators to compete for best pace awards.
 
Registration fees collected from the race will not only fund scholarships for track athletes but will also help vulnerable senior citizens. During the pandemic, the JCC has distributed thousands of free, healthy meals to seniors through a contactless, grab-and-go pickup program. These meals reach hundreds of individuals who may be facing social isolation, financial hardship, and difficulty shopping for themselves due to the pandemic.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said “Seniors in our community rely on these meals. It’s so important to us that we can continue to make sure they don’t need to worry about where their next meal will come from.”
 
A registration fee of $25 can provide three healthy pre-packaged meals for seniors. Registration options include individual sign-ups and sweetheart packages for couples.
 
Ms. Lender added, “Right now, we only have enough funding to run the program through the end of January. With the help of this event and our Seniors in Need campaign, we hope to be able to continue the grab-and-go program throughout the winter. We are grateful to partner with our friends at the Richmond Rockets on this fun and important virtual race.”
 
The event coincides with February’s designation as Heart Health Month. Lisa Lubarsky, president of the Richmond Rockets and staff member at the JCC, said, “This race is a wonderful way to promote heart health while also opening our hearts to those in need in our community, especially seniors who have been impacted by the pandemic. We miss the excitement of running races together in-person, but it feels great to know that so many people on Staten Island will be out there getting healthier and doing some good for others.”
 
To register for the race, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-richmond-rockets-jcc-presents-we-heart-our-seniors-virtual-race-tickets-135576257235.
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Learn more about our Seniors in Need campaign here.

At a time when it is so easy to feel isolated, our Virtual Senior Center is keeping members of our community connected! Through this program, seniors can engage in meaningful conversations with each other over video chat.
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When we reached out to check on members of our Virtual Senior Center, one participant explained that the program has been an important lifeline for her. Her son is currently hospitalized and, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she is unable to visit him or other family and friends. The support of her virtual community is helping her get through this situation. As another participant put it, the program is “truly a blessing” that bridges our social distance and helps us lift each other up in these difficult times.

In honor of Healthy Heart Month, the JCC’s NORC presented a wonderful event, “Healthy Heart for Love,” on February 28.

The evening included dinner and dancing, along with cardiac health screenings provided by Richmond University Medical Center. It was a great opportunity for members of Staten Island’s first Naturally Occurring Retirement Community to mingle with others, while also receiving information that will help keep their hearts healthy for many years to come!

Check out some photos from the event below! To learn more about the JCC’s NORC, GO KOSSAH (Keeping Our Seniors Safe and Healthy), click here.

An unfortunate reality of aging is the prevalence of memory loss. In the next ten years, it is projected that one in five Americans will either have Alzheimer’s Disease or will provide care to a family member with the disease.

At the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC, we provide services to those suffering from memory loss and their families. For those living with Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia, Rosemary’s Place and My Place provide safe spaces for them to socialize and participate in low-barrier activities that help slow the progression of the disease. For people with early to mid-stage dementia, the opportunity to be part of a community that understands and supports them while still living at home is invaluable.

In addition to caring for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia, we also recognize the enormous strain friends and family of the person with the disease experience. Caregivers often feel overwhelmed and usually prioritize their loved one’s needs over their own. That’s why we serve over 150 caregivers and their families through our Caregivers Support Center.

We provide all different types of support for our caregivers, who all have differing needs. For those who wish to express their feelings, we offer five support groups every week as well as individual counseling for those in need. We also offer a six-week evidence-based education program for caregivers to help them better maintain healthy relationships with their loved one. To relax, we host spa and wellness days for caregivers.

On a personal note, my family and I know the burden of being caregivers to a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease and can really appreciate the value of these services.

In order to continue to provide these valuable services, we need to continually raise funds for our Family Solutions to Memory Loss programs. To help fund our programs, we will be hosting our #RememberMe Brunch on Sunday, February 23rd. We invite you all to join us as we celebrate our honorees, Cherine Hanna, Adele McMahon, LCSW-R, Jackie Reiter, LMSW, and Rabbi Stephen Stern, PhD.

You can buy tickets and sponsorships for the event here.