All Together Now for JCC Chicago and Camp Chi
All Together Now for JCC Chicago and Camp Chi
Camp Chi was recently chosen as the largest matching grant recipient by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s All Together Now campaign to protect and preserve Jewish overnight camps. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, creator of enriching programs such as PJ Library, Create a Jewish Legacy and JCamp 180, is a steadfast supporter of Jewish life and recognizes […] Learn More ›
The “Oddsitive” Challenge
The journey that this pandemic is taking us on is quite surreal. Parents are being asked to help their children learn at home and keep them entertained while still working, many have been struggling with the realities of unemployment; for those dating, it is possible that new relationships may fizzle. Stressful times often lead people […] Learn More ›
This Year, Earth Day Has New Meaning To Me
One of my new cherished “stay at home” rituals has become sitting in a cozy chair by my front window, watching the sun rise, often with amazing streaks of pink and purple colors flooding the sky. It’s my few precious minutes before anyone else in my house wakes up, and while I’m not a mindfulness […] Learn More ›
What day is it?
As the days and nights blend together and I switch from day sweatpants to nighttime sweats and back again, I am struck by the concept of time and how it impacts us all. Today is Wednesday and I woke up convinced it was Saturday. How is that possible? While I struggle to balance my workload, […] Learn More ›
Your Compass Has Been There: Thoughts about Leadership and Friendship
A friend texted me over the weekend, “I am sure you are ridiculously crazy but I just wanted to say I’m thinking about you. Pretty sure ‘Pandemic Management’ wasn’t in your JCC CEO job description initially.” Immersed with my “Quarenteam” (coined by our Chief Experience Officer’s clever son), it is clear that this is the only work […] Learn More ›
JUST.NOT.NORMAL.
This is such a surreal experience, isn’t it? As a member of JCC Chicago’s Early Childhood Social Services team, one of my primary roles is to support parents with brand new babies, toddlers and preschoolers through the various challenges that arise in family life. Last week in my JNew to Two (Or More) virtual moms’ […] Learn More ›
Creating Zen: Bringing Yoga to your Home
As we enter uncharted territories, many of you are wondering how will I keep my children occupied and avoid losing my mind? I’m sure the thought of your kids being at home for days on end, perhaps with you attempting to work, is a bit daunting. But take a deep breath and know you are […] Learn More ›
Staying Connected from a Distance
These days it is impossible to turn on the TV, radio, or go online without receiving dire news about the widening spread of COVID 19 (Coronavirus) and the resulting restrictions and precautions mandated for our safety. We now have a new phrase in our common language called “social distancing,” which refers to limiting our contact […] Learn More ›
Please Contact Your Senators
Please contact our Illinois Senators through their websites and let them know our nation’s nonprofits need emergency federal funding. We thank you so much. Senator Durbin Senator Duckworth Use the letter below to copy and paste: I urge you to include provisions to ensure the nation’s nonprofits, especially those that provide essential health and human […] Learn More ›
What Happens When Two Dads Go On A Playdate
Who knew that a playdate between two JCC Chicago preschool classmates would be the beginning of a burgeoning toy company? That’s what happened when Tyler and Reed and their fathers met at Flick Park in April of 2019. Their moms (both named Lauren and both nurses!) already had a lunch date planned and were anxious […] Learn More ›
Coronavirus Conversations
If there is one thing I have learned while raising children, it is that they are instinctively in-tune with me as their mother, and they pick up on all of my anxiety and fears even when I think they aren’t noticing. Children are smart, capable, and competent, and can almost smell any tension or nervousness […] Learn More ›
The Nora Project Comes to JCC Chicago
Imagine this scenario taking place in your child’s preschool classroom: One teacher, Shari, asked a child to join her in front of the class in her morning meeting. She brought Legos to build with this child, together. Another teacher, Annie, came over and asked if she could join in. Shari turned her back to her, […] Learn More ›
Why A Jewish Film Festival
Arts and Ideas is a relatively new department for JCC Chicago, an organization that has been an integral part of Chicago’s Jewish community for well over 100 years. As we continue to make significant impact with thriving Early Childhood programs, Apachi Day Camp, Camp Chi and JSC, and more, we sought opportunities to create those […] Learn More ›
Just Because: Not Just A Tale of Two Siblings
As February is Jewish Disability, Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM,) it is being highlighted at JCC Chicago ‘Z’ Frank Apachi Early Childhood in a special way. Educators, Robin Bright and Juliet Ziak, designed a Book of the Month Club for their four-year-old classes as part of JCC Chicago’s Small Grants Program. This specific award […] Learn More ›
Doing the Work
It’s been about a year and a half since my appointment as the first female President & CEO for JCC Chicago was announced. There was quite a bit of talk about being a “first” and some asked why the need to talk about it at all. Of course we talked about it—we’re still talking about […] Learn More ›
8 Tips to Move Gratitude from Attitude to Action
As Thanksgiving approaches, we turn our attention to the concept of gratitude, its importance as a Jewish value and ways to nurture it in our families on an ongoing basis. The Hebrew term for gratitude is hakarat hatov, which literally means, “recognizing the good.” This concept evokes the popular notion of an “attitude of gratitude,” […] Learn More ›