From Our CEO: Commemorating the New Year

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!