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 night away from home together. You raise your babies together. You light Shabbat candles together. You meet at the J for Canasta and pickleball. You preview the film guide and make a date to see a movie.
This is the untold story of the J.
The stories that happen in between the statistics about how many people we reach, how many preschoolers and campers are registered. The real story of the J is a story about Jewish life—how our community becomes connected, finds ways to engage and reengage, and finds fulfillment in Jewish experiences. You can find some of these stories in our 2018 Annual Report.
In 1979, our very own Elaine Frank, of blessed memory, presented a speech on volunteerism as part of a JCC Open University series entitled, “Quality of Life in Our Society.” She shared, “my values or conscience, call it whatever you will, dictated a need for helping others…a feeling that all of us on earth have an obligation to society and to our fellow men and women.”
As the year comes to an end, we invite you to think about your own untold story. Meeting and talking with members of our community, I am struck by how many of you have a J story—and how many can be traced to the Horwich JCC, just like mine.
We also invite you to support JCC Chicago. Today, your dollars support Jewish programs and experiences that strengthen the fabric of community and help ensure that Jewish choice and Jewish connection remains present and accessible for all.
#wearejccchicago and that is a truly wonderful thing.