You’d expect a gathering of over 600 JCC professional and lay leaders to showcase lots of clever thinking. But what made last week’s JCCA Biennial Convention in New Orleans so great from a marketing point of view was the profusion of terrific ideas in action. Here are just a few. Let’s start with the Biennial app,Read More
A Million Signatures Demand a Moment of Silence for Munich 11
April 25, 2012 Leave a Comment
The Jewish Community Center Movement is deeply involved in an effort to create a worldwide viral response to a wrong that has not been addressed since 1972, when 11 Israeli athletes were captured and murdered at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. To the outrage of many at the time, the International OlympicRead More
Shock and Dismay at the Killings in Toulouse, France
March 20, 2012 Leave a Comment
Dear Friends, I believe that shock and dismay characterize the feelings of Jews and non Jews around the world as the news about the horrific murder in Toulouse were received. Toulouse is an active Jewish community of some 20,000 Jews out of 600,000 Jews believed to live in France. I spoke earlier today to EphraimRead More
On to Sao Paulo
January 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
We came to Sao Paulo for the Pan American Maccabi Games and visited the Hebraica, which is the largest JCC in the world. It’s nearly impossible to describe everything that is there; just know that over 25,000 Jews belong, and the building and facilities are another example of a strong commitment to maintaining Jewish life. TheRead More
Letter from Argentina & Brazil
December 27, 2011 Leave a Comment
The experience with the Buenos Aires Jewish community provided yet another perspective on South American Jewry, totally different from that in Caracas. In four days, we gained an understanding of the true meaning of community building,a sense of multi-generational connection to JCCs that was characterized not only by the amazing Hebraica, which felt very muchRead More
Another View of JCC Association Trip to Poland/Israel
December 16, 2011 Leave a Comment
Two weeks ago a group of 31 leaders from 16 JCCs embarked on a Jewish journey that began in Poland and ended in Jerusalem. The journey launched JCC Association’s new Boarding Pass travel initiative, which encourages JCCS to be the lead organization within their communities on all Israel experiences for JCC members. Our journey tookRead More
Follow JCC Execs to Israel
December 5, 2011 Leave a Comment
David Jacobs and Jill Ziplow from the Mandell JCC in West Hartford, Connecticut are on the JCC Association trip to Poland and Israel. They have been blogging steadily in a series of fascinating posts. The latest is from Tel Aviv. Read all of them below. http://postcardfromthemandelljcc.blogspot.com/2011/12/2-inspiring-stories.html http://postcardfromthemandelljcc.blogspot.com/2011/12/arriving.html http://postcardfromthemandelljcc.blogspot.com/2011/12/martyrs.html
JCC Execs Land in Poland
November 30, 2011 Leave a Comment
JCC Association COO Gary Lipman is traveling with a group of JCC executive directors to Poland and Israel, and is blogging from different stops along the way. November 27/28 It is a great privilege for me to accompany 32 colleagues from 17 JCCs throughout North America as well as my colleague and friend Leah Garber,Read More
JCCs and the Wellness Challenge
October 3, 2011 Leave a Comment
Our director of health and wellness, Steve Becker, responded to an article in eJewishphilanthropy that challenged the Jewish community to do more to address the health concerns of baby boomers. Michelle Wolf is rightly concerned that baby boomers are overwhelmed with health problems–for themselves, for their parents, and many, for their children. She asks whatRead More
At the JCCs of North America Biennial in May, we introduced the idea of “1000 Jewish conversations,” hoping to engage a continent-wide range of people in discussion about major issues that impact Jewish life, and how the work of JCCs can address those issues.