Did you receive a few gifts or gift cards that you don’t plan on using? Instead of returning or exchanging… donate! This is a great way to make a donation to the Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island while also receiving a tax deduction for your gift! The donated items will be used at upcoming fundraisers to help raise money for all of our great programs. 
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For more information, contact Stefanie Racano at sracano@sijcc.com or 718.475.5213. We will be collecting donations now through January 31.

​Unsure of whether or not to brave barre, I took an Instagram poll to see what my friends thought. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with many friends and followers DM-ing me to tell me how much they loved barre. ​One friend who messaged me happens to work out at the JCC regularly and offered to take the class with me. We made plans to meet up that Tuesday after work.
 
Tuesday night rolled around, and despite the fact that I wanted to chicken out, knowing that my friend was coming forced me to take the class. Our instructor, Teri, asked everyone in the class if we had taken barre before, and it turned out we were all fist timers. Thankfully, Teri went slowly and gave modifications for anyone who needed them (aka me).

​Here are a few things I learned from class:

• It will give you flashbacks to your childhood ballet class

If you’re like me, you took ballet from early childhood through middle school. Even though I haven’t danced since I was 18, I still remembered a lot of the moves. Barre is technically ballet mixed with several other workouts (yoga, pilates, etc.), but it made me think back fondly on my pink leotard days every time we did a plie, releve, or arabesque.
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• Barre is best when you’re barefoot or wearing yoga socks

Many of the moves involve foot movement, so it’s best if your foot grips the floor well. This means no shoes or yoga socks with grips on the bottom. Many people in our class kept their shoes on, but I felt that going barefoot helped me get proper form and balance.

• The JCC’s barre class is fine for beginners (sort of)

Like I said, everyone in our class was new to barre, but I don’t think they were new to fitness. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone as their first ever fitness class, because it’s at more of an intermediate level, but it’s fine to take if you’re used to working out already. The moves were easy to learn, so you don’t have to have any familiarity with ballet to take the class.

• It works your whole body

The class began with legs. Then we worked our posteriors. We moved on to arms, followed by abs. A few minutes into the class, I was sweating and feeling the burn. I took heart knowing that every part of my body was going to look super toned after this—especially parts that I don’t normally focus on.

Overall, I had a great time in class. It was tons of fun, and I felt great afterwards, despite the burning sensation in my legs. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you’re interested in trying barre as a first timer, since it’s an uncompetitive and accommodating class. And if you see me in the back of the class, come say hi!

Pictured: Me right after barre class, in all my sweaty glory

Our iTeens group has been having lots of fun these past few weeks!

On November 23, they took on an escape room challenge at Staten Island’s Amazing Escape Room. They didn’t quite beat the game, but they still had a great time working together to solve puzzles!

The teens also recently celebrated Hanukkah together with a party. Highlights of the evening included a holiday grab bag gift exchange and a game of dreidel!

​After the holidays, the iTeens group will host a Gaga tournament on January 5. Please contact Sara Doyle at sdoyle@sijcc.com for more information.

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This year, we’re celebrating the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island’s 90th birthday. As the JCC turns 90, we reflect back on the milestones the organization has achieved over the years.

Traditionally, the holidays are a time to gather round the table with the ones you love. But for some of our neighbors, food insecurity makes this an even harder time of the year. That's where the JCC steps in, offering food and other social services to those in need through our Kosher Food Pantry.

The pantry provides food to over 450 households in our community annually, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or ethnic background. We distribute over 7,500 packages of food every year to those in need!

What makes our food pantry unique is that is it set up "supermarket-style" and by appointment only. Those who need food receive personal and confidential service. They are able to "shop" up and down the aisles for the food they desire. Volunteers and staff also provide healthy recipes and explain how to cook items.

For many, the Kosher Food Pantry is a supplement to low or fixed income, loss of income due to illness or job loss, or loss of second income for single parents. For others, it is considered emergency assistance, assisting households’ transition through crisis. Our Kosher Food Pantry helps provide nutritious food to babies, children, seniors, veterans, and struggling families. The people who utilize our food pantry may be your friends, neighbors, or relatives. We treat all we serve with kindness, respect, and dignity.

We understand the special dietary needs of our participants and provide the appropriate food supply to maintain a healthy lifestyle according to individual need. On each visit, we provide enough groceries for a minimum of 3 meals per day for at least 3 days for each person in the household.

​The food pantry is run by volunteers and staff, as well as participants from our Day Hab program who have developmental disabilities. These young adults are responsible for stocking and packaging items. We also have five other volunteers who are trained to assist pantry participants. Some of our volunteers have also been food pantry recipients themselves and want to give back to the place that helped them when they needed it most. 

To supply our food pantry with enough food to feed the hungry and funds to address the growing need in our community, our program relies on support from Food Bank, UJA, Met-Council, RCSF, and ShopRite, as well as caring individuals and businesses. Without their support, we couldn't do the work to ensure that people in our community have access to fresh and healthy food.

This year, we were proud to receive the award for best food pantry on Staten Island from Food Bank NYC, the food pantry network and supplier to hundreds of pantries citywide!

With the support of the community, our volunteers, and the JCC’s incredible staff, we will continue to ensure that any hungry member of the Staten Island community is able to put food on their table this holiday season. If you or someone you know is facing food insecurity, please contact Devorah Weiss, LMSW, at dweiss@sijcc.com or 718.475.5245.

If you're interested in donating to help keep the food pantry stocked, click here.

On December 5, the JCC hosted Senior Law Day, an event designed to answer legal questions that many seniors will face. The information session covered a wide range of topics, including planning for future medical expenses, estate planning, tenant and landlord rights, elder abuse, and helping family members in crisis.

Mary, an attendee, reports being impressed by the presenters’ knowledge, “Over the years, I have attended quite a few programs on Staten Island promoting senior topics ranging from law to healthcare to housing. The depth and breadth of knowledge shared by the presenters yesterday was extraordinary. The speakers were thoughtful, inclusive, and helpful in their remarks.”

We are grateful to the New York State Office of Court Administration for organizing Senior Law Day and to all those who sponsored the event: The State of New York Unified Court System, the Community Agency for Senior Citizens, the NYC Department of Social Services, the NYC Department of Aging, Catholic Charities of Staten Island, the Richmond County Bar Association, the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association and the Staten Island Trial Lawyers Association.

Our staff wore plaid in honor of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Did you know…

• That we offer after-school programs for children and teens with disabilities?
• That our Day Hab participants take an active part in our social services activities?
• That many of our programs across our departments prioritize inclusion of members with disabilities?

Here at the JCC, we specialize in helping people with disabilities, recognizing their dignity and celebrating all they contribute to the fabric of our society!

Our newest art exhibit features the work of Michele Guttenberg. Guttenberg, who works with various media including watercolor and oil paint, began cultivating her talent as a young woman. She took up drawing as the mother of three young children, searching for something to sustain her beyond her household life. Initially amazed to find that she could draw, this first foray into art sparked a lifelong passion.

Guttenberg credits many others in her life with teaching and inspiring her to create art of her own. Her brother Steven pointed her in the direction of drawing when she was seeking purpose and gave her helpful tips to improve her craft. Her cousin Alice helped her learn watercolor. Guttenberg’s passion for art is shared with her husband Neil Besignano—she recalls that when they took up oil painting, they were each other’s teacher and muse. Another influence on her work was Jeanne Meisels, an instructor at the Art Lab in Snug Harbor. Today, Guttenberg gives back to her many teachers, and to all that art has given her, by teaching other students in her own classes at the Lab.

Michele Guttenberg’s work is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to learn something new or discover one’s passion. It also reminds us that we should share our talents with one another—we never know where inspiration will come from!
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Come see her work at our exhibit on display at the Murray Berman Art @ the J Gallery at the Bernikow building. An Artist’s Reception, free and open to the public, will be held there on Thursday, November 21st from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The exhibit will be open through December.

On Tuesday, November 19th, the JCC of Staten Island announced that it will operate the island’s first ever NORC—Naturally Occurring Retirement Community—in Stapleton. Stapleton was designated as a NORC based on the large population of seniors who live in the area.

This NORC has been named GO KOSSAH, which stands for Keeping Our Seniors Safe and Healthy—a priority for us here at the J! The social services offered in this community, such as health assessments and transportation to medical appointments, will help seniors live safely and independently in their homes. This newest endeavor will support the JCC’s other initiatives to enhance the well-being of our seniors.           
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This project, announced today in a press conference at the Carter Center in Stapleton, was made possible through funding from the Department for the Aging (DFTA), allocated by Councilwoman Debi Rose. The JCC is proud to play a continuing role in serving Staten Islanders at all stages of life. 

On Sunday, November 17th, we joined with several community and faith-based organizations to hold a memorial ceremony honoring the lives of those we lost in the shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway. We are especially grateful to Rabbi Chuck Diamond, the former rabbi from Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, who spoke about his former congregants who were killed just over a year ago.

We will never forget their memories and continue to honor them by fighting against Anti-Semitism and hate of any kind.