UPCOMING EVENTS
For details on any of the following events, or to purchase tickets, visit our website.
Registration for summer classes is now open! Register online here.
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notes from stuart
Dear members and friends, We are coming to the close of our fiscal year and preparing for our annual meeting. It has been quite a year! We have faced the funding and revenue challenges that all non-profits and businesses have faced in this recession and have had to make many difficult decisions. However, it delights me to see how the Sabes JCC has thrived even in these difficult times. When I say thrived, I do not mean that we've generated a huge surplus...I wish. I mean that we've thrived by serving the community, enriching lives and fulfilling our mission of bringing the community together in an inclusive Jewish environment. What an incredible year it has been.
We have provided well over $100,000 in scholarships and provided discounted memberships through our "whole health plan" to hundreds of individuals and families who are facing challenges. Our inclusion program has thrived in serving children and adults with special needs. We are now getting calls from local agencies and JCCs from other parts of the country to ask how we are doing it. Our VOICE program, which serves seniors from the former Soviet Union, has flourished, and they have produced a documentary film about their lives and experiences that will premiere at the Minnesota History Center on June 8. We have served well over 1,000 children through our ECC, camps, recreation and enrichment programs. We have brought together thousands of Jews from all walks of life and the general community through our extensive Jewish Arts and Humanities programs, including the very successful first ever Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival. We have taught young children to swim, helped people recover from heart attacks and injuries, inspired people to live healthier lives, served as the only social outlet for many isolated seniors, provided the only Jewish experience form many special needs children, created a strong Jewish connection for over 100 Jewish families with preschool age children, engaged close to 3,000 people in Jewish dialogue, thought and laughter through our Jewish Film Festival. The Sabes JCC has enriched lives, saved lives, created life balance and connected so many people over the past year.
As we head into our 2010/2011 year, we know we still have plenty of financial challenges in these tough times and we do need all of your support. However, we are optimistic and excited about continuing to thrive and serve our community. In the coming year look for an expanded focus on Health and Wellness, including a new focus on youth and family fitness and wellness. We have added resources to enhance our member experience, additional investments in early childhood staffing and training to further enhance the incredible experience.
I am so proud of our board and staff for all that we have been able to accomplish in this last, challenging year and very appreciative to all of you for your membership, participation and support.
Don't miss our annual meeting, featuring renowned author Daniel Gordis, on June 3 at 7 pm.
Be sure to check out our website, www.sabesjcc.org, for all that is happening at your JCC. With your continued involvement and support the JCC and our community will thrive!
B'Shalom
Stuart Wachs,
CEO |
sustaining membership report
By Tamar Fenton, Sustaining Membership Director
How do we sustain the services, programs, events, and the sense of community that embodies the Sabes Jewish Community Center? How do we insure that we can address the needs of all community members and provide numerous ways for people to experience Judaism in a warm, welcoming way that includes everyone? The answer is by sustaining our JCC though our Sustaining Membership Campaign. Contributing a tax deductible donation to the Sustaining Membership Campaign provides support that benefits all segments of the community, members, guests, and those who may one day want to join. We cannot take for granted that the JCC will always be here when we want it or when we need it. The JCC needs on-going support. Your Sustaining Membership gift supports the widest array of services that reach the most people!
The JCC must raise over $85,000 each year through the Sustaining Membership Campaign in order to continue to provide services at their current level. We do this the old-fashioned way, by giving community members the opportunity to support and be part of our JCC family of contributors. The JCC is near and dear to our hearts. It is our central gathering place. It makes Jewish experiences accessible to all and brings all types of people together in a way that no other organization can. The JCC provides life changing and life enhancing experiences for children, seniors, New Americans, people with special needs, people who feel connected to the community, and those who don't.
We have recently launched the "JCC Stories" Project. You may have seen the JCC video that preceded movies shown at the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival that highlighted JCC members talking about the ways in which the JCC has positively impacted their lives. The last installment of JCC Stories features the members of the JCC's Heartworks Program for Cardiac Care. This group of men has been meeting for over 13 years and not only work together to stay healthy and fit, but have formed an unshakable and supportive bond to each other and to the JCC through the years. Watch this video here.
This year we also coordinated a massive shoe drive for Soles4Souls, an organization distributing shoes to needy people in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. Through our outreach and working in conjunction with other Jewish community organizations, over 1,800 pairs of shoes were collected.
We just held the first-ever "Golden Day at the JCC" event on May 2. Community members had the opportunity to sell their gold for the market rate to Continental Diamond Jewelry Store. We would like to thank Jimmy Pesis, owner of Continental Diamond, for his incredibly generous contribution to the JCC based on each sale. Attendees also enjoyed shopping at an artisan marketplace with gorgeous one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing, accessories and more, with vendors contributing 20% of the profits from their sales that day to the JCC. The over 500 attendees were also treated to entertainment including: Talmud Torah's HaZamir Choir, The Twin Cities Jewish Chorale, rock group - Angelo Spumoni Express, The Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School Choir, Russian Jewish ballroom dancers from the Center for Youth Development, The JCC's Musical Minyan, and folk rock group - The Broken Hipsters, as well as a visit from Goldy Gopher and a beading workshop lead by Jodi Rosen. The event generated over $4,500 to support the JCC.
Please contribute to the JCC's Sustaining Membership Campaign today. You can do so by contacting the Sustaining Membership Director, Tamar Fenton at 952.381.3405 or e-mail.
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WWII, Holocaust, Stalin's repression, Famine, Immigration: Hear the Untold Stories of the VOICE members
By Lyudmyla Petrenko
The American VOICE of the Soviet Jews is a new feature-length film that collects and preserves memories of local Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, including their childhoods, their academic studies and their professional lives, their Holocaust experiences and their service in Stalin's army during the Second World War, the constraints of their post-war lives during the Cold War era, and finally, their emigration.
Interviewed in the film are Vladimir Posse, who marched in the 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow's Red Square; Georgiy* and Yelena Semashko and Evgeniya Merlis, who lived through the Ukrainian golodomor (famine); and Mera Sokolinskaya and Maria Reznik, who experienced Hitler's siege of Leningrad-along with the unbelievable starvation, cannibalism, and human degradation it caused.
This film is not just an oral history project; The American VOICE of the Soviet Jews is a leadership-building initiative for VOICE participants, who played prominent roles in the creation of this documentary work, as well as playing prominent roles in the extraordinary events of the 20th century.
See the trailer here.
Please join us for the film premiere on June 8 at the Minnesota History Center at 7 pm. The film will be preceded by a 6 pm gallery tour of "Minnesota's Greatest Generation: The Depression, The War, The Boom" and followed by a post-screening discussion with filmmakers and film participants. Free and open to the public.
This premiere is brought to you by the Sabes JCC, Jewish Community Action, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, the St. Paul JCC and the Minnesota History Center.
*deceased |
youth, family, and fitness
By Nick Altringer, Fitness Director
With youth obesity continuing to increase in this country it is important that we do our part to prevent this epidemic from spreading further. I once heard that a family that eats together stays together. Well I feel that same principal extends to health & wellness: a family that exercises together stays healthier together. By instilling healthy habits at a young age it is much easier for these habits to be carried through adulthood and passed on to their families of the future creating a healthier community.
Since coming to the Sabes JCC a little over two years ago I have felt there may be something more we can do for our families. We have a wonderful ECC program and a great Sasha's Play Space, both of which cater best to our kindergarten and pre-K families. Youth, after some training and a few age-based stipulations, are able to start using parts of our Fitness Center at the age of 8. We are proud to offer this, however full unsupervised use is not available until 13 years of age. As you can see, and some probably have experienced, to date we haven't had as many choices for our children in grades 1-5. The Health and Wellness team put our heads together and said "how can we fix this?"
It is our pleasure to announce starting in June of 2010 we will provide organized youth fitness programming led by a personal trainer. We will offer a monthly schedule with the theme of the day. Our initial offering will be Mondays 5-7 pm, Wednesdays 5-7 pm, and Sundays 11 am-1 pm. There will be no additional cost to our premium family and premium single parent memberships. A small fee will be charged to our other members. A reservation system similar to Sasha's Play Space will be used.
A sample Theme of the Day: Soccer
On that day the youth might participate in 15 minutes of drills, 15 minutes of relays, and 30 minutes of other games relating to soccer then repeat for the second hour.
We look forward to seeing you and your child (grades 1-5) participating in this new program. More information will be coming out in the next few weeks. If you have other questions please feel free to contact me at 952.381.3406 or e-mail. |
summer pool opening
The
outdoor pool opens this Saturday, May 29 at 11:30 am. Come and check out
our new Kibbitz Kafe for lunch or just a snack. The full menu will start
the first week of June.
Outdoor
Pool
Hours:
Monday-Thursday:
12:30 - 8 pm
Friday:
12:30 - 5:30 pm
Saturday
and Sunday: 11:30 am-7 pm
Sunday,
June 6 is our GRAND OPENING of the outdoor pool and Kibbitz Kafe. Look
for
special activities for the kids and an expanded menu for all to enjoy.
And, don't forget to save the date for the
Splash! Bring your family and friends, and join us for our annual
Summer Splash
pool party on Sunday, July 18! We will have free swimming for everyone
in the
community, a DJ for the kids with games and prizes, St. Louis Park Fire
Department demo, and other fun events to be announced. No RSVP required;
just
show up with yoru swimsuit and plan for some fun! |
spotlight on dr. daniel gordis
The Sabes Jewish Community Center will host author and scholar, Dr. Daniel Gordis as key note speaker for the 2010 Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 3 at 7 pm. Dr. Gordis will discuss the topic of his recently released book Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End.
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a senior fellow. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel, Dr. Gordis was the founding dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, the first rabbinical college on the West Coast of the United States. Dr. Gordis joined Shalem in 2007 to help found Israel's first liberal arts college, after spending nine years as vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of its Leadership Institute.
Since moving to Israel in 1998, Dr. Gordis has written and lectured throughout the world on Israeli society and the challenges facing the Jewish state. His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, the New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Moment, Tikkun, and Conservative Judaism. His latest book, Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End was published by Wiley in March 2009. For more information on this book and topic, see below.
He is presently at work on a volume about 19th and 20th century rabbinic response on conversion, which he is writing together with Rabbi David Ellenson of the Hebrew Union College, and another volume on Zionism and its contribution to international discourse on ethnicity and the nation-state.
Dr. Gordis releases regular 'dispatches' regarding his take on the issues facing Israel and Israeli society today. To read these, visit our homepage for a link. Dr. Gordis is the key note speaker for the 2010 Annual Meeting. At the meeting, the Sabes JCC will honor community member Doreen Frankel for her volunteer work with the President's Award and staff Inclusion Director Anita Lewis with the Susie Selcer Staff Leadership Award.
This lecture is co-sponsored by the Israel Program Center of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council. There is a suggested donation of $12. There will be a dessert reception and book signing following the event.
About the Book
In Saving Israel, Daniel Gordis offers a new defense of the Jewish state, asking first why Israel is necessary, and then discussing what Israel has to do in order to survive its enemies. Gordis begins with a novel discussion of Israel's purpose, reflecting on the overlooked ways in which Israel has changed the existential condition of Jews everywhere. In the process, he grapples with controversial questions about Israel, Israeli Arabs, Muslims, and the International community that many Israelis and American Jews are loath to confront. Gordis lays to rest an array of pernicious myths about Israel: Jews in the United States could thrive without Israel; Israeli Arabs just want equality, and Palestinians simply want their own state; Peace will come, if Israel is willing to make appropriate territorial compromises; Fighting and winning wars is antithetical to Judaism.
Gordis suggestions for what Israel must do to survive, and more importantly, for how it must think if it is to have a future, are sure to arouse debate and even controversy. For Gordis's book is a passionate reminder of Israel's purpose, a celebration of what Israel has already accomplished, a renewal of faith in the cause, and a bold guide for carrying on the struggle. Saving Israel is a full-throated call to arms. Never has the case for defending the existence of Israel been made with such confidence, passion, and clarity.
Visit our website for details or tickets.
 Find this event on Facebook. |
camp is coming!
By Danya Kornblum, Director of Youth and Camping
The countdown to camp has begun and we can't wait to see our campers in just a few short weeks! We have been busy planning for a great summer. This year, we've added a new program called Adventure Olami. Campers entering grades 4-6 spend three weeks enjoying all Camp Olami has to offer, plus experience the best in outdoor adventures filled with exploration and fun. Our new partnership with Wilderness Inquiry gives campers the opportunity to participate in an awesome 5 day canoe trip along the St. Croix River. It will be an adventure of a lifetime!
There are still some spots left in Olami, Summer Quest and Summer Theatre Institute programs. Don't miss out on what is sure to be a great camping experience! To register of for more information, visit our camp website or contact us at 952.381.3421 or e-mail. Make us the center of your summer! |
sabes foundation minneapolis jewish film festival wrap up
Walter Elias, Co-Chair, Sabes Foundation Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival
My sincere appreciation to the Twin Cities' Jewish community for supporting the 17th Annual Sabes Foundation Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival. Our festival continues to grow due to the hard work and dedication of Miryam Kabakov, our director, a wonderful film selection committee, other volunteers, generous sponsors and community partners, guest speakers, and Sabes JCC staff.
We had large enthusiastic audiences for most of our programs. We reached out into various communities as we have never done before. The appearance of the inspiring Dr. Rick Hodes (Bewoket), brilliant and articulate Gaylen Ross (Dealers among Dealers and Killing Kasztner), Ira Heilicher (Who Do You Love), Ellen Shulman (Off and Running), Daniel Wildeson (Stumbling Stone), Shelly Christensen (Mary & Max) and Michelle Jansen (The Jazz Baroness) immeasurably added to the experience of the festival.
Next year we are planning, with your help, for the festival to continue growing, keeping our high standards of programming, film discussions and treats.
Your feedback is needed! Please take this quick 3-minute survey, and help us understand the areas that we are doing well and those that need improvement. Many thanks again for all of your support. |
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