2014 Another Memorable Year at the J
Dear Friends,
I often think how fortunate we are that the good work we do at the J is visible any time we visit one of our three campuses. I see children learning to swim, participating in day camp and playing sports. I see our seniors socializing and participating in our Adult Day program. I watch our vans leave to deliver meals to the homebound.
On the courts and fields and in the gym, adults and kids are practicing sportsmanship, and taking care of their health. At Camp Sabra, hundreds of children are experiencing joyous Jewish living, creating a kind community and having the best summer of their lifetime.
I step into a Theatre Unlimited production and am amazed and touched by the work and success of cast and crew. And I am always impressed by the quality of speakers, films and theatre our Cultural Arts presents.
Late last year, we received an unexpected gift from a woman I never met. The J must have been special to her many years ago, before she moved away. We are so grateful that she remembered to leave the J in her estate plan. Her gift will allow us to do more great work for our members and participants. Her gift also reminds us that we may never know how deeply the work we do impacts our community. It makes me proud to work among so many caring and dedicated staff, lay leaders and volunteers. We improve lives on a daily basis. We sometimes make the impossible, possible. We deliver more than one million touches to 80,000 people each year. We are the J!
Monte Sandler
Lynn Wittels
Monte L. Sandler Board Chair
Lynn Wittels President & Chief Executive Officer
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Members
Cynthia L. Albin
Marc H. Alper
Robert E. Bertman
Bruce J. Berwald, M.D.
Laurie J. Berwald
Stuart L. Block
Laurie H. Chod
Robert Denlow
Michael Ferman
Howard T. Handelman
W. Ted Isaacs
David R. Kaiser
Debbie K. Lefton
Howard N. Lesser
April S. Levison
I. Richard Levy
Alice M. Ludmer
Neil A. Marglous
Steve D. Myers
Brenda U. Pereles
Judy K. Rosenthal
Jane T. Rubin
Lifetime Board Members
Harvey M. Brown*
Jonathan J. Deutsch*
Charles C. Eisenkramer*
Marlyn Essman*
Marilyn Fox*
Harris Frank*
Paul J. Gallant*
Harvey S. Gershenson*
Harvey Gerstein*
Howard Hearsh*
Frank A. Jacobs*
Helene Mirowitz
Marty Oberman*
Lenore R. Pepper*
Eileen Schechter
Judith R. Scissors
Lori D. Sheinbein
Sue Silverstein
Julie B. Stern
Scott M. Stern
Harvey N. Wallace
Cindy Wallach
Marc Wallis
Arthur E. Weiss
Sanford E. Pomerantz*
Jerome Raskas*
Todd Siwak*
Michael H. Staenberg*
Morris H. Sterneck*
*Past President
Monte L. Sandler Chair
Mark A. Cantor Vice Chair
Steven L. Goldenberg Vice Chair
Thom E. Kuhn Vice Chair
Stacy B. Siwak Vice Chair
Felicia M. Malter Treasurer
Eli M. Abeles Assistant Treasurer
Mark Gelman Secretary
Ted Flom Assistant Secretary
2014 Committee Chairs
Adult Programs & Services
Audit
Budget/Finance
Buildings and Grounds
Judi Scissors
Felicia Malter
Thom Kuhn & Marc Alper Bylaws Mark Kodner
Camp Sabra
Culture Club
Day Camps
Early Childhood
Parent Association (Fox)
Parent Association (SFC)
Financial Resource Development:
Development
Golf Tournament
Millstone Society
Tour de Fun
Helene Mirowitz Center of Jewish Community Life
Mom’s Action Committee
Human Resources
Investment
J Associates
Nishmah: The St. Louis Jewish Women’s Project
Women’s Shabbat Retreat
Nominations & Leadership Development
Diane Gallant
April Levinson
Sue Silverstein
Debbie & Aaron Wahl
Anna Zelinske
Marty Oberman
Julie & Monte Sandler and Jill & Scott Mannis
Marilyn Fox & Lenore Pepper
Aaron Corson & Josh Kalachek
Steve Goldenberg & Lori Sheinbein
Michelle Iken
Cynthia Albin
Harvey Wallace
Brenda Pereles
Missy Kornblatt-Hanin
Sue Lapp & Renee Wasserman
Jonathan Deutsch
Roswell & Wilma Messing Cultural Arts & Education Department Jane Rubin
Jewish Book Festival
Jewish Film Festival
New Jewish Theatre
Gail Feldstein & Judy Kramer
Jeffrey Korn & Louise Levine
Sheri Sherman
Used Book Sale Carole Levin
Services for People with Disabilities
Sports, Recreation & Aquatics
St. Louis Maccabi Delegation
Adult Sports
Basketball
Eileen Schechter
Marc Wallis
Bud Wittels
Scott Sandler
David Steinbach
Kids’ Triathlon John Lynch
Senior Olympics
Swim Team
Laurie Chod
Sue Silverstein
Youth Sports Stuart Imber
Scholarship Programs
The St. Louis J provides scholarship support for people in need to participate in every program of the J. Adult Services scholarships enable more than 2,000 older-citizens to participate in nutrition programs, social and recreational activities and daily care. More than one-fourth of our Early Childhood Center families receive scholarship assistance.
2014 Select Financial Information
2014 IN REVIEW
NISHMAH AND JEWISH COMMUNITY LIFE
NISHMAH
What’s NEW
It’s A Guy Thing
In its second year, the program expanded to include 8th grade and now boasts 22 teen boys participating.
Mother/Daughter Attendance
The fall kickoff of “Bee Yourself,” co-sponsored by PJ Library, attracted more than 50 moms and daughters.
What ELSE
Our semi-annual Women’s Shabbat Retreat sold out, and more than 120 women enjoyed the weekend in Grafton, IL.
JEWISH COMMUNITY LIFE
What’s NEW
The Wonder Years Parenting Conference
The community-wide toddler conference featured parenting experts and a vendor fair, and was planned in collaboration with many local organizations.
Events in the Community
We celebrated several Jewish holidays at local businesses, including Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Myseum and Washington University. We also held several Public Space Judaism events at locations such as Whole Foods to reach a wider audience and engage them in Jewish holiday activities.
Jewish Mystic Jam
The interactive smorgasboard of music, stories, kaballah and more presented eight sessions at the same time, all under one roof. More than 100 people enjoyed the evening.
Purim Night Live
The inaugural PNL was a hilarious evening of Jewish joke telling and comedy. Community members brought their funniest clean joke to compete for the cash prize, as judged by local Rabbis.
What’s IMPROVED Class Options
We implemented a “Create a Class” option for parents to share their ideas with us to help recruit additional participants.
Songleader Boot Camp
Attendance continue to grow as we partnered with the Jewish Federation to provide scholarship to 40 St. Louis participants.
2014 IN REVIEW
DAY CAMP, CAMP SABRA AND BBYO
J DAY CAMPS
What’s NEW
New Camp Director
Brad “Chots” Chotiner joined our family, bringing decades of summer camp experience as a camper, counselor and director.
New Camps
Camp Teva, focusing on outdoor skill-building; Racquetball Camp, where campers learned the rules and technique from a pro; and Kids’ Triathlon Camp, which prepared campers for the J’s annual Kids Triathlon.
Campers’ Choice
Offered to the oldest campers, afternoons were pick-your-own program, where campers chose their own focus. Options included sports, arts and crafts, and archery.
What’s IMPROVED STEM Camp
Computer Animation and Video Game Design were added to our stable of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Camps.
Teen Camp Trip
Campers took an expanded Teen Camp trip (four days, 3 nights) to the Windy City, Chicago.
What ELSE
J Day Camps received a perfect accreditation from the American Camp Association. Camps are required to go through an accreditation every three years.
CAMP SABRA
What’s NEW
Fox Family Theatre
From group improv to the all-camp play, all campers and staff are enjoying our brand new Theatre!
New Cabins
Thanks to a generous matching grant by The Staenberg Family Foundation, several new cabins were constructed.
What’s IMPROVED
Land sports programming
We added bocce, field games and the log roll to expand the options.
BBYO
What’s NEW
8th grade membership
BBYO is now available to 8th graders for the full school year.
Stand Up Causes
Chapters chose a variety of organizations for which to “stand up” and raise money, advocate or provide community service.
Planning
Teens worked hard to plan the entire year of large council events at the beginning of the year to be able to promote effectively and successfully.
What’s IMPROVED
Youth Group Collaboration
St. Louis BBYO collaborated with 10 local youth organizations to host the Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 pre-screening. Nearly 300 teens attended.
Council Kickoff
We experienced record attendance at the annual St. Louis Council Kickoff at the Cardinals Game.
What ELSE
St. Louis hosted the Winter Regional Convention in December. More than 140 teens from Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Minneapolis attended.
A member of our own BBYO was elected to the International Board of the B’nai B’rith Girls.
2014 IN REVIEW
CULTURAL ARTS AND ADULT DAY CENTER AND EDUCATION
ADULT DAY CENTER AND ADULT EDUCATION
What’s NEW Therapeutic Recreation
The Adult Day Center introduced art therapy to supplement daily activities of the program.
Indoor Gardening
Our new indoor grow cart invites our participants to garden year round with our Certified Horticulturalist.
What’s IMPROVED Expanded Music Therapy
Thanks to a grant from the JCA Charitable Foundation, music therapy is now provided 2-4 times per week. Music therapy interventions are designed to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, enhance memory, improve communication and provide unique opportunities for interaction.
CULTURAL ARTS
What’s NEW
St. Louis Jewish Book Festival Director
Scott Berzon joined the J as Director of the Festival. More than 6,000 people attended the combined 28 author events.
Youth Theatre Director
Laura Enstall led more than 60 children in our Fall theatre productions of There’s a Monster in My Closet and Twelfth Night.
Best of 2014
The New Jewish Theatre was named on many best-of year-end lists, and received 11 St. Louis Circle Award nominations.
What’s IMPROVED
Web Presence
The JBF website is now more user friendly and features an expanded calendar for easy-to-find schedules.
Local Partnerships
The St. Louis Jewish Film Festival added partnerships with Webster University Film Series and the Jewish Community Relations Council.
What ELSE
Audience members hailed Theo Bikel as “the best Keynote speaker in the history of the Festival.”
Teen Theatre spent the fall semester working on characterization and acting skills during Twelfth Night, their third Shakespeare production in recent years.
Old Jews Telling Jokes ran for four weeks of sold-out performances.
2014 IN REVIEW
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, INCLUSION AND YOUTH
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
What’s NEW
Life Cubby
A new parent communication tool, the Life Cubby system centralizes all communications, including meals, naps, diapers, bottles, medications, photos, lessons plans, notes to parents, development screenings and parent/teacher conferences. This system improves communication and reduces the need for paper.
What’s IMPROVED
Feeling Buddies in the Classroom
This innovative program from Old Newsboys is a classroom structure through Conscious Discipline that helps children self-regulate and manage their emotions.
Intergenerational Programming
A group of Pre-K students visited the Adult Day Center weekly for interactive games or projects planned by our own Beryl Cohen. The children are building relationships with the seniors.
What ELSE
The Early Childhood program at the Marilyn Fox Building received reaccreditation from Missouri Voluntary Accreditation. Both locations successfully completed their annual licensing review.
INCLUSION
What’s NEW
Lyndsey Hartmann
In her brand new position as Inclusion Specialist, Lyndsey oversees the Sunday Friendship Group, Theatre Unlimited and Teen Skills Camp.
Able Bodies
This new class brings creative movement to our Wednesday dance class. Participants use different pieces of exercise equipment to engage their bodies and complete full-body workouts. The group enjoys selecting the music and interacting with their peers.
What’s IMPROVED
Teen Skills Camp Curriculum
Thanks to J Associates, Teen Skills Camp, a pre-vocational summer camp for teens with developmental disabilities, now focuses on James Stanfield First Job Survival Skills curriculum as well as other topics to help teens prepare for the workforce. They learn about positive attitudes at the workplace, how to appropriately interact with co-workers and dressing to be successful on the job, among other topics.
What ELSE
The J provides an accessible and inclusive environment for individuals of all ages with disabilities. All special needs programs are open to members and the general public. The J can make accommodations and provide additional support to individuals participating in J programs, sports or activities.
YOUTH
What’s NEW
The Department!
The newly-formed Youth Department operates The Club, Vacation Days, Winter & Spring Break camps, snow days, birthday parties and enrichment classes.
What’s IMPROVED
Winter Break Camp
Campers enjoyed amped-up programming such as superheroes, winter beach party and the Olympics-themed days.
The
Club
The after-school program now has more structure and improved program choices such as cooking, science, art, sports, dance and swimming.
Music
Classes
The Club in Chesterfield began offering private and group guitar lessons as well as private piano lessons during Club hours.
What ELSE
The Club Hot Chocolate Sale
We taught the value of Tikun Olam through a hot chocolate sale. Students raised $478 to support the St. Louis Crisis Nursery.
2014 IN REVIEW
FITNESS AND SPORTS, RECREATION & AQUATICS
FITNESS
What’s NEW
6 Week Youth Fitness program
Based on the successful adult version, a youth program was developed to teach kids under 18 the fundamentals for fitness success.
Equipment
We upgraded much of our cardio equipment with new Keiser Indoor Cycles, and low-profile Cybex Treadmills, Rowers and StairMasters.
Studios
At the Marilyn Fox location, the Specialty Fitness Studios were added or improved to offer boutique fitness experiences for members. The new Performance Training Studio is used for small group and personal training. Other studios include Yoga/Mind Body studio, the Reformer Pilates Studio and the upgraded Indoor Cycling Studio.
What’s IMPROVED
Weight Loss
J Members lost more than 1,000 pounds in the fourth annual Lighten Up Weight Loss Challenge.
Specialty Training
We increased the number of our popular 6 Week Body Transformation programs, and added a new ViPR signature training boot camp.
SPORTS, RECREATION & AQUATICS
What’s NEW Pickleball
Introduced at the St. Louis Senior Olympics, Pickleball proved to be so popular that it is now offered weekly at the J.
Fall Sprint Indoor Triathalon
Added by popular demand, participants swam, cycled and ran their way to success in October.
Volunteer Award
The Howard Hearsh wall plaque was installed to honor volunteer basketball coaches as selected by staff.
What’s IMPROVED Dance Classes
Tippi Toes Dance Company® Ballet, Tap & Jazz Combo Class is now offered year-round in Creve Coeur, and classes also started in Chesterfield.
Hoop Madness
Youth basketball participation increased to nearly 1,200 participants.
What ELSE
Nine athletes were inducted into the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Four High School seniors received the J’s Scholar Athlete Award.
St. Louis was named host city for the 2016 JCC Maccabi Games®.
2014 IN REVIEW DANCING IN THE LOU AND J CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
GOLF TOURNAMENT
The 30th Annual J Charity Golf Tournament was hosted on Monday, June 9 at Meadowbrook Country Club. The “Party at the Turn” allowed for a brief break in play to participate in the Callaway Putting Contest, enjoy a slider from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or sip on a Del-Margarita from The Delmar Gardens Family.
After a great day on the links, golfers joined 100 guests for cocktails and dinner to Celebrate the J. The J’s Director of Programming, Craig Neuman, fresh off the stage from his run in the New Jewish Theatre’s Old Jews Telling Jokes, served as emcee and auctioneer, entertaining guests with jokes from the show while auctioning off great items to raise funds to provide scholarships at the J.
The 2014 Tournament was chaired by Jill & Scott Mannis and Julie & Tim Stern.
