2017 Spring CenterPost

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315-445-2360 | www.jccsyr.org Open letter to the community from the JCC executive director February 23, 2017 By Marci Erlebacher It was almost 25 years ago that I attended one of my first national conventions for Jewish Community Centers. At the opening banquet, our Syracuse group was seated with a like size community from the deep South. This was done so we could talk about our communities and our JCCs and learn how others did business. It was at this banquet that I learned one of my most invaluable lessons. As the small talk of the evening evolved, I asked the leader of a southern community how many Jews lived in their community. Nine thousand they explained. “So, how many Jews belong to your JCC, I continued.” “Nine thousand!” they incredulously proclaimed as if there must be something wrong with me. At that time, we had about nine thousand Jews in Syracuse; but we only had about 330 “units of membership” at our JCC. And here was the invaluable lesson. In the South, where being Jewish was challenging, you belonged and supported your Jewish institutions as a matter of survival. If you wanted to be Jewish and raise Jewish children then, for the community’s survival, you belonged and supported the Jewish entities so your community could thrive. You supported community so your children could come home once they received their education to raise their families and on and on so your community would survive. On January 9th, 17 JCCs received bomb threats; but they were elsewhere in the country, mostly in the south; but, still, I shuddered. And then they came for us. On January 18th, we received our first bomb threat. We were one of 30. We evacuated successfully, but knew we should do better in case it happened again. On January 31st we received our second bomb threat. This time, we were one of 15, and we evacuated virtually flawlessly—with slight tweaks needed. My personal motto is to always strive to be better—even when you are pretty damn good. Law enforcement praised our preparedness; and, as a campus, our ability to work together and coordinate our evacuation was incredible considering the situation. Funny, but it is not the actual bomb threat that is traumatic; it is the days after—the debriefing with staff and law enforcement, making sure staff is ok. The hardest thing is reassuring the parents that all is ok— constantly thinking and at times saying, “Please stay with us. We are a safe facility. Keep your children here. We can—and will—protect them. We are a strong and vibrant facility stay with us. Please stay.” The hardest thing I have had to do as executive director is lead an evacuation and deal with the aftermath. A new normal and continued preparedness is now in the air of the JCC. When I dress for work in the morning I check the weather report, wear boots in case we receive a threat, and ask myself if I dressed warm enough to stand outside at my facility while my staff and our children are taken to safety. The letters of support we are receiving from literally all across the country are heartwarming and indicative of why we must continue in the face of these events. So, now I come back to my opening: our survival must be linked to strong community support. We no longer can boast of having 9,000 Jews in Syracuse. We may be around 7,000—but how many of you can say that you belong and/or support the JCC? We need you now more than ever. We need your support as a confirmation of why we must stand strong. We came into being around the time that the first battles of the Civil War were fought. We have existed and survived through several wars that were waged in different parts of the world and we survived and grew. We have bragging rights of being the second oldest JCC in North America. And we are now faced with rising anti-Semitism, with an evil element that goes after our very core—our love of education, our love of family, our love of community. Now, more than ever, we must stand together strong and proud of who and what we are. Please, stand with me. Let’s protect our right to exist as a Jewish community now and forever. Marci Erlebacher is the executive director of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, a position she has held for 15 years. She has been involved in the JCC for 31 years. 2 JCC of Syracuse | 2017 Spring CenterPost
315-445-2360 | www.jccsyr.org Annual Meeting • Continued from page 1 Two Hall of Fame Awards will be presented this year for advancing outstanding generosity throughout the community. Philip Holstein, who passed away last fall, was an incredibly selfless individual who always put everyone else first. A former Jewish Federation of Central New York President, he was a true philanthropist, community and business leader, and outdoorsman. Holstein had an incredible gift for being able to bring together diverse parts of the community and to approach sensitive issues with kindness and fairness. This year’s second Hall of Fame Award will be given to philanthropists Robert and Diane Miron. Both are longtime community supporters and Robert is a past JCC of Syracuse President. The Mirons are longtime supporters of the local Jewish community. This year’s Leslie Award, the second to be given since being introduced last year, will be presented to attorney Todd Pinsky, a partner with the local law firm Pinsky & Skandalis. Pinsky, a young up-andcoming professional, is a board member with the Jewish Federation of CNY and an active member of the Transportation Lawyers Association. He has generously given his time to benefit the JCC and other local community organizations. “The Leslie” recognizes outstanding commitment and service to the JCC and to the local community—the qualities which the award’s namesake, Leslie London Neulander, personified throughout her many selfless volunteer pursuits. “I am thrilled that we’ll be recognizing another outstanding lineup of honorees this year,” said Marci Erlebacher, JCC of Syracuse executive director. “All have exhibited such dedicated service to the JCC and to the local Jewish community through their selfless acts and generosity. This year’s gala is shaping up to be another heartfelt event.” The JCC’s 2017 Annual Meeting and Gala committee members are Lynne Pascale, chair, Marci Erlebacher, Steven Sisskind, Shira Boschan, Linda Drimer, Adam DuChene, Debbie Goldwein, Paula King, Jessica Malzman, Susan Sloane and Diane Wladis. For more information about the JCC of Syracuse’s upcoming gala, including event tickets and sponsorship opportunities, call 315-445-2360. Join the JCC today! We offer a variety of affordable fitness and non-fitness memberships for families, individuals and seniors. Members receive discounted rates on JCC of Syracuse programs and services. Check us out and see what being a part of our community is all about. You don’t have to be Jewish to become a member of the JCC. For information on JCC membership options, see page 12. To schedule a tour, contact Nick Finlayson, membership director at 315-445-2040, ext. 140, or nfinlayson@jccsyr.org. A place where everyone belongs. 5655 Thompson Rd. • DeWitt 315.445.2360 • www.jccsyr.org REGISTRATION INFO Registering for childrens classes To enroll in classes, use the Class Registration Form on page 15. Complete one form for each individual registration and return to: JCC of Syracuse 5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Fax: 315-449-4539 Full payment is due at time of enrollment. Register early as some programs have limited space and classes fill up fast. JCC members receive enrollment priority. Automatic registration Auto registration can be made for the same ongoing class next semester. Please indicate this on the registration form and your credit card will be billed at that time. Cancellations, refunds & changes We do not send registration confirmations. We will notify you only if a program is cancelled. The JCC reserves the right to cancel a program due to insufficient registration. In such cases, a full refund or credit will be issued. Transfers from one class to another can only be made with prior JCC approval. Billing Membership JCC membership is a one-year commitment. Annual membership is nonrefundable and payment is due in full upon joining. Or, for your convenience, you may choose an alternate payment option such as monthly automatic payments from your credit/debit card or bank account. Program enrollment Bills for the Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) and the After School Program will be issued on or about the first of every month. Payment may be made by mail, in person or via phone/fax by credit card. You may also choose monthly automatic payments from your credit/debit card or bank account. After School withdrawals, changes To ensure proper staffing ratios, changes or withdrawals must be made in writing to the After School Program by the 15th of the month (or next business day) prior to the month when the change will occur. If written notification is not received, you are responsible for the original billed amount. Increases in days and times are based on availability. ECDP withdrawals, changes Enrollment in ECDP is a commitment to our 10-month school year which consists of three sessions: September–November, December– February and March–June. Any program withdrawals or enrollment changes must be made 30 days before the start of a session. For further details, dates and deadlines, please contact the ECDP office at 315-445-2040, ext. 120. JCC of Syracuse | 2017 Spring CenterPost 3
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2017 Spring CenterPost

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