2023 Imagine That! Grant Recipient Is…
2023 Imagine That! Grant Recipient Is…
Five years ago, the JCC Chicago Women’s Board created the Imagine That! grant to help JCC day and overnight camps create new programmatic opportunities for summer camp. Every year, the Women’s Board awards the Imagine That! grant to an idea that is fun, inclusive, supports a Jewish lens, enhances campers’ lives, and can be shared […] Learn More ›
Jacob Duman Early Childhood Center Furthers Its Commitment to Inclusion
In Summer 2021, Jacob Duman Early Childhood Center at Lake County JCC had the great privilege to welcome the Axelrod family. Jordan and Ryder, twins, were toddlers at the time. We learned that both parents, Jenny and Corey, were hard of hearing and members of the Deaf community. Their primary language was American Sign Language […] Learn More ›
Change Starts Inside The Classroom
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr. As I reflect amid Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, his words put a lot into perspective for me as a JCC Chicago Early Childhood educator. At the J, we stand by the motto ‘Growing Good […] Learn More ›
Mental Illness: A Blessing
As a teenager in the 21st century, my identity is questioned every day. Since I was a little girl, I have been injured, leading to my visiting over 27 doctors who try to fix me. As an attempt to make me feel comfortable, oftentimes doctors ask me “what do you like to do?” Used to […] Learn More ›
A Year End Reflection
As a year comes to a close, reflection naturally comes into focus… Earlier this month, our family sat shiva for my husband’s mother. Shiva is derived from the word sheva, which means seven, signifying the seven days of mourning. The week is a time referred to as “sitting shiva” and its primary purpose is to provide […] Learn More ›
Job Shadowing at JCC Chicago
What do I want to be when I grow up? This is a question I was asked to think about at the beginning of the school year in my Consumer Education class. As a senior at Glenbrook North High School, being “grown up” doesn’t feel that far away anymore so when we learned about what […] Learn More ›
A New Accessible Community Park In W. Rogers Park
On Sunday, November 13, 2022, over 300 community members, donors, and dignitaries joined together to dedicate Gan Avigail, a new outdoor community park at the Rogers Park Campus made possible by the Rothner family and other generous supporters in our community. This new construction features two fully accessible playgrounds, playing fields, an outdoor pavilion, and […] Learn More ›
Chew on This: Strategies for Responding to your Child’s Biting
Getting a call from your child’s teacher, only to learn that they have bitten one of their peers or have been bitten by someone, can be alarming for parents. Not knowing how to react or what to do can often leave you feeling helpless. It is important to understand that biting is a normal developmental […] Learn More ›
Hitting The Reset Button This New Year
The beginning of the school year is typically a busy and chaotic time of year for both adults and their children. We often do not have a chance to catch our breath and give ourselves a chance to recharge and reset as we enter this time of the year. However, the Jewish calendar is planned […] Learn More ›
The Nora Project: Impacting the Next Generation of Apachi Campers
Promoting chesed, or kindness, is one of our core values at Apachi Day Camp. We’re seeing it first-hand through our new partnership with The Nora Project, a non-for-profit dedicated to promoting disability inclusion and empowering educators, students, and communities in concepts of empathy and inclusion. After a successful year in our Early Childhood centers, JCC […] Learn More ›
The Power of Choices
How do you not just survive but thrive when you live in a world that requires you to hide in plain sight? The highly courageous and determined Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.” And sometimes choices are foisted […] Learn More ›
What Makes A Book “Jewish”?
Is it the theme, the author, the characters and their values, or the opportunity to learn something new? If I can close the book (or in my case, turn off the Kindle) and feel connected and inspired, in any part of my life – relationships, work, community – then to me, it is “Jewish.” Recently, […] Learn More ›
A Safe Place for All
“Inclusion is in our DNA.” That’s what our banner at the Buffalo Grove Pinta Pride Parade last weekend read. Staff from across the agency walked alongside the Apachi Day Camp and Camp Chi bus proudly wearing this year’s Pride t-shirts and waving to a crowd that was thrilled to see the J en route. At […] Learn More ›
2022 Imagine That! Grant Recipient Is…
Four years ago, the JCC Chicago Women’s Board created the Imagine That! grant to help JCC day and overnight camps create new programmatic opportunities for summer camp. Every year, the Women’s Board awards the Imagine That! grant to an idea that is fun, inclusive, enhances campers’ lives, is through a Jewish lens and can be […] Learn More ›
Teens Inspiring the Community: Seed613 Cohort 6
Over the last six months through the Seed613 fellowship program, twelve female identifying teens who come from the northern suburbs, the city of Chicago and as far as Champaign, Illinois, have come together twice a month to do something magnificent. With dedication, excitement, and an openness to learn, the cohort developed valuable skills to create […] Learn More ›
We Are All Changemakers
JCC Chicago is focused on creating a community where everyone feels they belong. To foster this inclusive environment, we need to recognize our differences and similarities, which help us gain a deeper understanding of one another. April marks Celebrate Diversity Month and we wanted to share how the J is focusing on being a “changemaker” […] Learn More ›