A Special Saturday Night
A Special Saturday Night
They say, “Home is where the Heart is,” and at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Chicago, hearts are not only evident in their logo but found in much of the artwork and murals displayed around the building. For those families residing at the Ronald McDonald House, their hearts are fragile, hopeful, full of optimism […] Learn More ›
A Weekend Of Reflection
February is Jewish Disabilities and Inclusion Awareness Month. We have shared and posted widely about how we approach inclusion as a community center and across our Jewish community. As the month was winding down, a group of 11 JCC Chicago team members were heading to the JCC Association Professional Conference. The day before was the […] Learn More ›
“I Got You, Let’s Go and Have Fun!”
Inclusion is something I am very passionate about, and is part of who I am. It has become a part of the way I think, teach others and live. My journey began many years ago, before I knew what inclusion really was. I was lucky enough to have had a Jewish camp experience — my […] Learn More ›
Growing Up Looks Different For Everyone
I have been working in education for the past eighteen years. Over the years I have reassured countless parents about their child’s development, education, independence, and future. It is only recently that I have realized how much a certain level of academic achievements and developmental milestones are taken for granted as rites of passage in […] Learn More ›
What It Means to Create a Jewish Legacy
Helen Weinger turns 100 years old this Tuesday. In recognition of this incredible milestone birthday we remember Helen’s daughter, Susie Spector’s, beautiful words about the legacy of giving. L’Dor V’Dor, from one generation to the next. What It Means to Create a Jewish Legacy It seems now, more than ever, legacy giving is an essential […] Learn More ›
Moving a Mountain
The Jewish Community Center movement includes more than 350 JCCs, YM–YWHAs, and camp sites in the United States and Canada, as well as 180 local JCCs in the Former Soviet Union, 70 in Latin America, 50 in Europe, and close to 500 smaller centers in Israel. Having just returned from the JCC Association Executive Conference, where I spent six […] Learn More ›
How Might We 2019?
After a recent meeting convened by JUF and the Associated Talmud Torahs, I walked to my car with a pocketful of business cards for schools interested in learning more about JCC Chicago and our program offerings. Turns out, most in attendance didn’t know we provide on-site after-school care and enrichment classes. “How might we work […] Learn More ›
The Untold Story of the J
Our preschool might look like the school a few streets over. The yellow busses for Apachi are just like your neighbor’s. The treadmills are the same at your health club. JCC Chicago isn’t here to look different, it’s here to make a difference. We introduce life-long friends. They learn Ha’motzei together. They spend their first […] Learn More ›
Being ‘BallotReady’
I was born in July of 2001, which makes me just a few months shy of having been able to vote in the 2018 midterms. Two of my best friends, however, were both eighteen and ready to exercise their civic duty. I heard the two of them talk about doing their research together and about […] Learn More ›
The Connection and Community We Crave: Here’s My Story
I just returned home from our first trip to Israel. I’m 45 years old and converted to Judaism at the age of 24. I was raised with Christmas, but without religion. I was shomer Shabbos for 11 years and have been just Jewish for the past six. My husband is born and bred West Rogers […] Learn More ›
My Family’s Breast Cancer Journey
The CDC reports that 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women has a BRCA gene mutation, which is the most widely known genetic factor that can lead to breast cancer. This is my family’s breast cancer journey. In 2003, eleven years after we lost my father to Mesothelioma, an asbestos related lung cancer, my mother was […] Learn More ›
Meet Shayna Jensky, Manager, 20s & 30s, JCC Chicago
My name is Shayna Jensky and I am thrilled to be the new Manager of 20s & 30s for JCC Chicago. I’ve spent the past couple of years working with the 20s & 30s community at a Chicago-area synagogue, so I am sure I know many of you already. To those of you who I have not […] Learn More ›
First This: Thinking About First Moments in the New Year
First Female President/CEO of JCC Chicago. I’ve seen this headline quite a bit in recent weeks. And with the convergence of a new year and new position, I’ve been reflecting on what it means. Merriam-Webster defines “first” as “preceding all others in time.” JCC Association reports that of the 112 affiliated JCCs in North America, […] Learn More ›
Chai Five Blankets
You may have heard that nobody makes more out of summer than Camp Chi! Growing up as a camper, SIT, counselor and unit head at Camp Chi, it is no surprise that making the most out of my life has become my modus operandi. I fondly remember over my 13 years at camp (but who’s […] Learn More ›
My Sheva Journey
The practice of gematria, or the spiritual interpretation of numbers, is common in Jewish tradition and is one technique for understanding sacred texts in Judaism. Commonly, we think of the number 18 for its meaning of Chai or “life.” We often gift a new baby, Bar/Bat Mitzvah child or bride and groom $18, $36 or other denomination […] Learn More ›
A Celebration of All The Fun Little Things of Camp
I have a story I like to tell to our staff during our training week. I try to save it for the end of the week but sometimes I get too excited and tell it earlier. It happened back in the summer of 2002, during an Extended-Eve-O-Fun (where campers would stay late, eat dinner and […] Learn More ›