The Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture congratulates the on receiving six awards from the JCC Association. These awards recognize several different areas in JCCs, ranging from lay-staff partnerships to Jewish impact and programmatic excellence.
Award for Jewish Impact
The JCC received an award for Jewish Impact for its revamped “drop-in” classes, which meet every week day at the JCC. After a survey conducted last year, in partnership with Lehrhaus, the JCC heard from its members and program participants that they would prefer classes that were several sessions (with a cost), or ongoing (with no cost). In response, the JCC partnered with Lehrhaus on paid classes, including a new Talmud Circle cohort. For its ongoing classes, it developed a daily drop in class. Classes range from Torah study to Medieval Jewish Philosophy to Judaism Babayit, a class for parents of young kids where they make crafts inspired by the parshah, and then send them home with the materials to do that activity with kids that Shabbat. Teachers include various rabbis from around the community, representing 4 different Jewish denominations.
Awards for Programmatic Excellence
Youth Fitness Program
The APJCC received a Kol Ha Kavod Award in the category of Programmatic Excellence and User Engagement for our Youth Fitness Program Camp (YFPC). The new and improved YFPC includes specific rationale for creating healthy exercise habits as a teenager, with a focus on caring for one’s body. Participants age 10-13 successfully complete the YFP Camp with an understanding of appropriate gym etiquette & safety procedures, a set of exercises specifically designed for them, basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, & biomechanics behind their program, and awareness of the preventative health benefits of regular exercise. The APJCC is the only fitness facility in its immediate area that allows youth under age 13 to use the fitness center equipment. Jewish tradition has much to teach about caring for our bodies, both in physical and in spiritual ways. It teaches that to take care of one’s health is a mitzvah, with a focus on preventative health measures including exercise and good nutrition to prevent disease. Caring for their body can help these youth to develop stronger self-esteem, and benefit their whole being. The YFPC starts the participants on the path of those good habits, teaches them the reasons behind those habits, and positively reinforces their learning of this skill set through their engagement in multiple facets of the JCC's Wellness Center.
Wellness Fair
The first annual JCC Wellness Fair focused on all aspects of a person’s wellness: physical, mental, financial, creative, and educational. Throughout the day informational lectures and classes on these different areas of wellness were offered. Additionally, attendants were encouraged to participate in free group fitness classes and demos, partake in an interactive kids zone, and visit our informational hall, providing participants with opportunities to learn about services offered at the JCC and within the community. This program received a Kol HaKavod Award.
Teva To You
The JCC received an award for Programmatic Excellence for Teva-To-You, its nature-based programs. This includes two local CSA partnerships, a community garden that includes an aquaponic garden component, classes in healthy cooking and local food choices, outdoor experiential programs like hikes or family shabbaton camping trips, a middle school wilderness spirituality camp curriculum, and holiday-based outdoor adventure programs like Shavuot rock climbing. Through this program the JCC developed partnerships with the OFJCC, Wilderness Torah, Hazon, Treks and Tracks, and other local Jewish community organizations.
Award for Lay-Staff Partnerships
The APJCC received a Kol HaKavod Award from the JCCA in the Lay/Professional Partnerships for its lay/staff committees. The APJCC was looking for a way to increase lay involvement, so with this goal in mind, it set up lay/staff committees to provide advice, support and oversight for individual APJCC departments. This initiative was extremely successful. Due to increased lay involvement in the APJCC and enthusiasm created by the committees and their success, the APJCC for the first time in many years found itself turning away candidates for board membership for the September 2013 board elections, as there was a surplus of qualified applicants for the available positions. The committees also achieved a great deal in the way of tangible results in terms of generating ideas and funds. For example, as a result of the committees' work, it was able to build and open a new $100,000 youth lounge, expand its Cultural Arts programming, increase programming for older adults, create a Strategic Plan for its summer camp, increase its presence on social media, remodel our locker rooms, and much more.
Award for Strategic Planning
The APJCC received a Kol Hakavod Award in the category of Strategic Planning Excellence. Its strategic plan, completed in 2012, brought new energy and several new initiatives to the JCC, including a renewed focus on Jewish values throughout the agency. It also drove several significant building projects at the center, with around $400,000 in expenditures to build a new after school program, revamping part of its locker room, and creating new office space to expand our programming staff to include an older adult director and Russian language program coordinator. The change has been quite dramatic. However, the best part is that the plan does not sit on a shelf collecting dust. It is highlighted regularly in board meetings as we discuss accomplishments and challenges in meeting set goals. The strategic planning group continues to meet at regular intervals to reassess, track progress, and set new goals if the JCC achieves the initial goals that were identified.
