On Thursday, February 3rd, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island joined The Clean Energy Academy and other community partners to announce a partnership that will offer workforce development opportunities in the Staten Island community.

The JCC and The Clean Energy Academy will offer a free 70-hour energy efficiency technical training, combined with professional development career advancement support services. The program, which will be delivered virtually, focuses on energy efficiency, outreach, education, and implementation assistance initiatives for small commercial properties.
 
Additional partners in the program include New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), ConEdison’s Small-Medium Business Program, Energy EDC, Soulful Synergy, GreenTech LEADers, and Life3.
 
The program is part of JCC Career Connections, which offers comprehensive assessments that guide individuals looking for career help to the appropriate trainings, workshops, job fairs, mentorships, and internships.

JCC CEO Orit Lender said, “We are so excited to add this training to our Career Connections programming. This is beneficial for people looking to begin their career in this field and will help make our community greener and more energy efficient. Thank you to our community partners for their crucial work in helping us get this program off the ground. We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to Staten Islanders looking for career training in this sector.”

Assembly Member Michael Cusick, the chair of the NYS Assembly Energy Committee, noted, “The Clean Energy Academy’s work in energy efficiency training is a valuable tool in our continued effort to clean up our energy grid in the state of New York, and to have it on Staten Island at the JCC is a great thing. This is a tremendous workforce development opportunity for our local community, and it will have a strong impact on how our local businesses contribute to our shared goal of reducing emissions in the state of New York.”

Director of Workforce Development and Training at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Adele Ferranti said: “NYSERDA is excited to partner with Energy EDC, the Staten Island Jewish Community Center, and the members of the Willdan Clean Energy Academy to expand the Academy’s Small Commercial Energy Efficiency Analyst Electrical and Thermal Systems training to Staten Island. The project builds on curriculum that was successfully piloted and leverages a winning workforce development model that will provide residents with hands-on technical training, industry-recognized certifications, and generous supportive services – all with a direct pathway to well-paying clean energy jobs, which is vital as New York transitions to a clean energy economy.”

“The transition to a clean energy future is producing good jobs for people who have the skills, knowledge and commitment,” said Shaun Hoyte, who oversees Con Edison’s energy efficiency programs for small- and medium-sized businesses. “This comprehensive training program that JCC of Staten Island, Soulful Synergy and other partners are offering can be a first step for those looking to get started in a career helping energy customers make upgrades that will save them money and reduce emissions.”
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This program is open to everyone aged 18+ with a high school diploma or equivalency, regardless of background. All applicants will undergo interviews, evaluations, and a screening/selection process. For more information, contact Kathi Indelicato at kindelicato@sijcc.com or 718.475.5236.

In memory of Nancy Cohen:
Please accept our sincerest condolences on your recent loss. We only just heard of Nancy's passing.
-The Brenner Family, Roz, Murray, Susan and Steven 

In memory of Monica Buchnik:
Our deepest condolences to you and your family on the loss of your beloved Mother.
-Belinda and Howard

Over the past few weeks, we have been shocked and saddened by the news of anti-Semitism in our community. We know that Jews are the most common victim of hate crimes, with anti-Semitic hate crimes accounting for more than half of all religious bias crimes.
 
Recently, just over the bridge in Brooklyn, a young College of Staten Island Hillel student was beaten up for wearing an Israel Defense Forces hoodie. Over the weekend, the news out of Colleysville, Texas horrified our nation. We are grateful that the hostages were released, but every incident like this continues to shake the Jewish community.
 
In response to these anti-Semitic acts, we are taking additional precautions to ensure the safety of our members, participants, and staff. We are following our security protocols, which include working with NYPD, UJA, and JCRC’s Community Security Initiative, which connects us to many law enforcement agencies. We are also grateful for COJO’s effort to mobilize NYPD to places of worship.

Earlier this week, I attended a gathering of elected officials, clergy, and community leaders to push back on the anti-Semitism and hatred we have seen locally and nationally. It was fitting that we came together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to talk about the importance of tolerance and understanding each other.
 
At the JCC, we are open and welcoming to people of all walks of life. At the core of our mission are the Jewish values of caring for our neighbors and Tikkun Olam—repairing the world. We believe in unity and inclusion, and we condemn hate and bigotry of any kind. It was heartening to see this message echoed by our community and elected leaders on Monday.
Sadly, this was not the first time we have joined together as a community to deliver this message, and it will likely it will not be the last. We are fortunate that the Staten Island community is not willing to be silent on this issue. Every time we see anti-Semitism and bigotry, we will be loud in voicing that it is not acceptable.
 
We continue to work with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee to educate our community on these issues. We are also beginning to work on a new initiative called PATH, in partnership with JCRC, to help combat anti-Semitism and hate crimes. We look forward to sharing more about this in the near future.
 
I am grateful to our local leaders for confronting the issue of anti-Semitism head on and encourage everyone to join us as we stand up against hate in our borough.

​-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. 

​In honor of Giselle Rodrigues.
-Edward Meckeneck

In memory of Philip Tralongo:
In Philip's memory. He was a great man. 
​-Mary Lombardi

In memory of Monica Buchnik:
To honor the memory of a wonderful woman whose kindness was limitless. You'll be in my heart forever.
-Frada Steinhaus

In loving memory of Monica Buchnik. 
-​Fran & Dovid Gidalowitz 

In memory of Ina Schechter:
David, we are deeply sorry for the loss of your sister, Ina. Please accept our sincere condolences.
-Hebrew Public 

In memory of Ina Schechter.
-Susan & Jack Bender

David, Stephanie & family, wishing you strength during this difficult time. You are in my prayers.
-Jackie Reiter 

In memory of Ina Schechter.
-Victor & Kim Avis

​In loving memory of Ina Schechter.
-Sylvia & Howard Cohen

In memory of Gary Brener:
Sandy & family, may the entire family be comforted amoung the mourners of Zion & Jerusalem.
-Jackie, Bari, Gabriel & Jared Reiter

In honor of Joseph Harris:
For being an amazing friend to our family and a wonderful human to the world, we thank you!
Happy 90th Birthday, Joe!
-Suzanne, Dave, and our entire family

Happy Birthday to one of the most honorable men we know and love!
-Victor and Kim Avis

Happy birthday to Joe Harris!
-Marlene & Irwin Bash

In memory of Nancy Cohen:
In memory of Nancy Cohen, a very special lady who was truly devoted to the JCC.
-Morris Liebman

Nancy was a very special person for not only her family but for the entire community. It was an honor to know her. We extend our heart felt sympathy to her family.
-Eileen & Randy Lee 

In memory of Edith Wechsler:
In memory of Edith Wechsler.
​-Susan & Jack Bender

In memory of Philip Tralongo:
My deepest condolences to Jeannie, Anthony, and Mary for the loss of your wonderful Dad. Love you all. 
-Lori Beauchamp

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.

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

In memory of Edith Wechsler. Glenn, our deepest condolences to you & your family during this difficult time
-Jackie, Bari, Gabriel & Jared Reiter 

​On Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host An Evening of Celebration + Inspiration to dedicate its new Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. This virtual event will celebrate the future of cultural arts at the JCC, while raising funds to enable the center to continue offering exceptional adult education programs.
 
During the program, the JCC will honor two community leaders for their contributions to Staten Island’s cultural landscape. The inaugural event’s honorees are Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at CSI, and Henry A. Salmon, President of Equity Valuation Associates Inc., Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants.
 
The JCC is pleased to feature special guest speaker Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief of The Forward. Rudoren spent more than two decades as a reporter and editor at The New York Times, where she also served as Jerusalem bureau chief. She will present a lecture, “Zero-Sum Empathy,” which discusses how polarization threatens both Jewish communities and our democracy.
 
Rudoren’s lecture offers attendees a taste of the program quality they can continue to expect from the Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture. Inspired by its namesake’s dedication and lifelong love of learning, the center will present lectures, performances, and seminars led by world-class speakers and entertainers across a variety of subject areas.
 
JCC board member and cultural arts committee member Jerome Grushkin is chairing this event in honor of his late wife. He said, “Esther dedicated her adult life to education and was an extraordinary teacher and scholar. The Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture is dedicated to Esther’s memory to continue and expand access to exceptional quality programming in adult Jewish learning, performing arts, and global connections as well as connect with our participants in all ways possible.”
 
Since its launch in September, the center has already begun producing engaging cultural programs for participants in Staten Island and beyond. Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We are proud to honor Dr. Grushkin’s legacy with this new center that will enrich so many people’s lives for generations to come. We hope you will join us virtually on November 18 as we look ahead to the exciting future of cultural arts at the JCC!”
 
Registration is required for this virtual event. To register or place a message in the digital event journal, please visit https://www.sijcc.org/grushkin.