Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County
Community Is Our Middle Name
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The JCC has experienced growth in membership and program interest and participation in the past 5 years, primarily in our adult, baby boomer and senior adult constituencies. We have expanded programs and services in the areas of health & wellness, intellectual stimulation and socialization programs, as well as reaching capacity in our preschool. Our facility and space limitations are impeding our further ability to grow. In an effort to address our program and services limitations, we are embarking on a capital expansion to facilitate expanded programs and services for our adult communities, including our over age 50 health & wellness program, Live Well@The JCC, our senior adult services, including moving senior programs from the 2nd floor of our facility to new, state of the art space on the 1st floor. We will also undertake an expansion of our early childhood education wing to enable an additional 40-60 children to participate in our best in call Bright Beginnings Preschool.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Bright Beginnings Preschool
Bright Beginnings Preschool provides a warm, nurturing, safe and stimulating atmosphere. We offer a child-centered environment where our students learn by doing. Hands-on experiences and play are highly valued as learning media. Every experience is geared to developing feelings of security and confidence in an age appropriate atmosphere where each child feels free to explore, observe, question, listen and learn.
Our program emphasizes social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth opportunities for each child at his or her own pace. The role of the teacher is vital to the success of the program. We carefully select a staff of warm, loving individuals who offer affection, understanding and guidance. Our state certified teachers are facilitators who stimulate imagination, creativity and curiosity while fostering a positive self-image.
We believe that a major part of our job is nurturing a strong identity in our children. We achieve this by teaching and celebrating life as well as holidays.
We encourage close contact between parents and teachers. To successfully educate a child, our preschool philosophy encompasses the entire family. Parental involvement is a critical component of the child's preschool experience. Bright Beginnings Preschool provides programming that touches the family in addition to the individual child.
Our Enrichment classes encourage brain building experiences. Each enrichment program helps to develop the child with new life skills that they will use throughout their growing years. The Enrichment program offers a range of experiences including STEM activities, Swim lessons, No-Bake Cooking and Arts & Crafts projects and reading exercises.
All enrichments run 10 months, from September through June.
First month’s enrichment fees are due at registration. Enrichment payments are due on or before the first day of each month.
Adults of all ages-Learning Throughout Life
Our Adult programming offers a wide array of enriching opportunities, including our premiere program Learning Throughout Life (LTL), providing a vast spectrum of offerings. Lectures focus on a variety of topics including history, religion, music and literature, provides many opportunities to expand one’s knowledge and pique one’s passion.
Our Nosh ‘N Knowledge series, Various Sounds of Music, Movie Mavens, Art Appreciation programs, Bridge classes, AARP Smart Driving, Current Event classes, and Jewish/secular holiday celebrations round out our offerings. LTL is a high caliber program offering a smorgasbord of alternatives, helping participants to maintain independence and control, as well as to pursue new or former interests. We meet the intellectual, social and emotional needs of our fast growing adult population. Many of our seniors credit the JCC and the Learning Throughout Life program with assisting them in remaining vital in their own homes and communities.
Expanded offerings of adult programs include various series programs in: Film, Healthy Living and dealing with aging parents, Job Hunting After 50, Men’s Group, Sundays @ the J speaker series, which has hosted such luminaries as award winning author and journalist Jonathan Alter, and scholar Dr. Gary Rendsburg, Ph.D., adult writing workshop, Readers On The Go, “OPQ - Opinions, Politics and Questions” Learning series, and our acclaimed Nosh ‘N’ Knowledge program. Nosh’N’ Knowledge, one of the many elements of our Learning Throughout Life program, is the perfect mind and body connection – with food for both components. Our attendees are intellectually challenged and socially interactive. The lectures on varied subjects (history, literature, music, etc.) are substantial and enriching. The lunch component offers an opportunity for individuals to keep in touch with old friends and form new attachments.
The JCC is a vital hub in keeping the senior adult population connected to our community. Our staff maintains contact with seniors who become isolated due to physical or emotional crises. Our goal is to provide support and to keep these individuals engaged with a caring community.
Many of our senior members enjoy the JCC as their home away from home, and we are happy to have them as part of our extended family.
Our department is the “living room of the JCC”. The senior community is comfortable, homey, dependable and friendly. We are indeed a community for all seasons – for seniors who are wonderfully alike and wonderfully diverse. It’s a terrific mix of people who form friendships, hang out together, enjoy the company of each other individually as well as in a group. Our Senior Adult Department is best defined by our members. Our seniors are warm, embracing, educated, cultural, well -traveled, well read and active.
Our JCC senior programming is well tailored to maintain a caring community while challenging the cutting-edge interests of our members. Our offerings meet the social and intellectual needs of our seniors. The remark heard most often is “Who needs a retirement community when we have the JCC?”
Baby Boomers & Beyond
Baby Boomers - a huge cohort of educated, discerning, active adults who demand more options, more intellectual stimulation, more activity than any previous generation, is starting to retire and look for ways to spend “the second half of their lives.” At the JCC of Middlesex County we continually seek to offer creative, high quality programs, classes and trips to expand social networks, promote healthier aging, grow the mind and cultivate new interests. These are tomorrow’s seniors. From a handful of baby boomers on our first trip 5 years ago trips now average 40-50 participants.
Community Engagement & Jewish Life
The JCC is the center of community outreach. We host important community events. Senior Lunch in the Sukkah is held in the beautifully decorated sukkah a special, temporary structure built for holiday. The Edison Hanukkah Celebration brings the community together to celebrate the festival of lights. Local Rabbis and dignitaries attend and community members are given the honor of lighting a candle. The Community Purim Carnival, co-sponsored with area synagogues, is a fun filled day for all. The Interfaith Yom Hashoah Commemoration, a collaboration the Metuchen-Edison Interfaith Clergy Assoc. brings clergy from various religious institutions, choirs, speakers, children, teens and adults together for readings and songs to remember all those who perished. Holocaust survivors and survivor families participate in a candle lighting ceremony. The JCC provides a welcoming environment, offering holiday events for interfaith families, and grandparents with grandchildren of interfaith families.
JCC Connects On The Road
The highly lauded JCC Connects on the Road is a community outreach program that brings programming throughout the year to residents of nursing homes and other assisted living facilities in Middlesex and Monmouth counties who are physically unable to come to the JCC and participate in the activities that we provide in our building. We are rolling out a new facet of this program this year. JCC Connects on the Road will now bring some of the best Adult, Holiday, Music and Cultural programs that have been presented in our JCC to isolated seniors in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. These events will be held in libraries, Jewish Centers, Community Meeting spaces in adult residential developments and Senior Centers throughout both counties and will be open to the entire community. It is our goal, with your support, to reach more than 500 retired adults, many on fixed incomes, at approximately 24 locations through these outreach programs.
Health & Wellness
Here at the JCC we are ready to assist you and your family in becoming healthier and happier than ever! From fitness programs to adult & youth sports programs to educational seminars, we are here to provide you with all the tools necessary to see results and reach your goals.
With state of the art facilities and equipment, including a Cardio Wellness Center, a multi-level Strength Room, a private Personal Training Studio, Sauna and Steam Room, 5-lane heated Pool and large double Gymnasium, JCC fitness programs are designed to help meet the individual needs of our members.
If you want to be healthier, feel better, look better or meet new people, spend quality time with your family or connect with your community, our facility offers a friendly, professional and supportive environment. Whether you are a new exerciser or a seasoned athlete, our staff will design a health and wellness plan tailored to meet your needs.
Our community embraces good health and well being.The JCC serves wellness in different and personal ways to suit your preferences and lifestyle, whether you want to use the fitness centers or have the individual attention and privacy of the JCC private Wellness Studio. Do it on your own, or work with one of our Certified, professional, experienced Personal Trainers to set and help you achieve your individual goals.
Our exclusive Wellness Studio is private space-just you and your trainer. Private or semi-private sessions are available, with hours by appointment.
JCC Aquatics
JCC Aquatics is the premier aquatics program in the area, offering best in class instruction and facilities to the community and providing the opportunity for individuals to become elite athletes in a safe and enjoyable environment.
We take great pride in what we do for our swimmers. Our Coaching staff provides some of the best training available in New Jersey. JCC swimmers learn that they have the power within themselves to accomplish their goals. They know that with hard work and dedication all of their goals are possible.
The JCC aquatics programs promote and encourage good health through regular exercise for all ages from infant to older adults. In addition to over 60 hours per week of OPEN SWIM time for lap swimming and recreational/family swim, we offer classes to suit most every need. Among those offerings are American Red Cross swim classes, swim team, Stroke & Turn Clinic, Swim Team Prep, Training Team, water aerobics, arthritis and multiple sclerosis exercise, private swim lessons and lifeguard training.
Live Well@The JCC
LIVE WELL @ the JCC is an exercise and educational program focusing on the over 55 population. The program includes Tai Chi, Zumba Gold, Chair Yoga, BeFit Strength, and Line Dancing. Lectures include The Big Picture of Health, Reiki, Low Vision, Cognition and Hearing Loss, CarFit, and Powering your Brain; other health and wellness offerings at the JCC include JCC Voice4 Seniors and Pickleball @ the JCC.
Heading into our second successful year, Live Well@The JCC is an exercise and educational program focusing on promoting Fitness, Health and Wellness for our 55+ population. LIVE WELL @ the JCC emphasizes your HEALTH (promoting the length and quality of your life by interacting with your environment and positive choices), your FITNESS (focusing on prevention by decreasing your risk for chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Hypertension and Heart Disease), and your WELLNESS (through the spirit, the mind, and the body integrating and constantly changing with the environment).
JCC Athletics
JCC Athletic programs feature varied sports and fitness activities from aerobics to martial arts. Open badminton and paddleball, exciting leagues and tournament play, our outstanding facilities and staff ensure expert instruction in a safe, fully-equipped setting.
Classes cover all ages and level of skill.
Offerings include: Preschool Athletic Classes, After School Classes, Youth Basketball Clinics and League play, Men’s Basketball, Karate & Youth Karate, Pickleball, Badminton, Open Gym time & Summer Sports Camps.
Better Together Summer Camp
Ages 2 1/2 to 6
A day filled with American Red Cross Swim Lessons, Physical Education, Outdoor Play , Music, Weekly Themes with crafts !
Ages 7 - 13
American Red Cross Swim Lessons, Team Games, Sports, Sports Skills, Games and Crafts. Pizza Fridays !
Entertainment will be brought in for special shows.
Also late night activities!
After Camp Program
Our after-camp child program allows kindergarten and school-age children to balance learning and fun through a variety of experiences. More information coming up soon.
Where we work
Awards
Chamber Member of the Year 2018
Edison Chamber of Commerce Chamber Member of the Year
Affiliations & memberships
Edison Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year 2018
The Jewish Federation in The Heart of New Jersey 2022
Edison Chamber of Commerce 2022
Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce 2022
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our community of all ages and backgrounds experiencing the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County (JCC) is expanding, not only in the number of participants, but in their interest and enthusiasm for intellectual, social, physical and cultural activity and stimulation. More and more people are coming to the JCC, not simply for the programs, trips and activities, but because it has become the center of their lives outside of their homes. They are welcomed with open arms and open minds, and the JCC has become a hub of action.
It is vital for the community, the members of the JCC and our guests and participants, that the JCC is able to provide more expansive and multipurpose space with the ability to offer the necessary, expanded and enhanced programs and services to people of all ages, including Senior adults, Baby Boomers, those with Special needs and our young families and children, to educate, develop, enrich, stimulate and to assist in healthy and nurturing growth and development.
The JCC capital expansion project creates new and additional Early Childhood Learning and Enrichment space, new Center for Lifelong Living program spaces, new, state-of-the-art health and wellness space and facilities, including for expanded Special Needs programs, and transitions unused and inefficiently used space into New Preschool classrooms, teacher preparatory space and staff offices, as well as enhancing our ability to provide and expand our programs and services. The JCC is committed to being that "Third Place" in peoples lives, that provides a continuum of programs and services for infants through seniors.
We seek to enrich and stimulate our members and community through intellectual, cultural, health & wellness and socialization opportunities. We are focused on providing a more comprehensive set of special needs programs for those with autism spectrum disorders and other special needs, as well as respite opportunities for their caregivers.
We also plan to provide greater food and meal offerings for our seniors on a more regular schedule so that our seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes, are provided hot, healthy meals to address food insecurity.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The JCC has outlined a series of initiatives to address its challenges and achieve its goals:
This includes a physical plant facility expansion of approximately 11,000 sf., to create a new Center for Lifelong Living, with new state of the art program spaces to provide arts & cultural programs, intellectually stimulating programs and lecture series, new health & wellness initiatives; an expansion of the Early Childhood Education wing to enable an additional 60-80 students to experience the best in class Bright Beginnings Preschool.
The JCC has created a program, JCC Connects On The Road, which brings JCC programs to isolated seniors in nursing and assisted living facilities, as well as providing cutting edge arts and cultural performances to public spaces in different communities, both to provide experiences for those who cannot participate at the JCC, as well as expanding the impact of the JCC and creating new branding and awareness of the programs and services of the JCC to the greater community, and expanding its geographic reach.
The JCC is expanding its social service offerings, including those addressing the special needs community, youth mentoring programs, and programs for those in recovery. The JCC is specifically developing more programs in partnership with adjacent municipalities and local governments to expand grant and other funding opportunities and provide services which local governments are unable to facilitate.
The JCC is upgrading its web-based and social media outreach and communications to reach a greater population, including those in the millenial and generation X cohorts.
Finally, the JCC is partnering with local Chambers of Commerce and multi-cultural business and community organizations to create scale and limit duplication of services, and again, to create and strengthen relationships within communities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The JCC has a staff of great creativity and passion, including those with diverse backgrounds, in the arts, health & wellness, multiple social workers and counselors, and those with marketing and communications backgrounds and experience.
The JCC is not limited by formats imposed by some umbrella or parent organization.
The JCC facility, including its health & wellness, gym, aquatics and educational facilities, as well as its multi-functional spaces, allow for a diversity of programs that serve multiple generations, multiple cultures, multiple needs and interests. The existance of available property enables the JCC to expand its footprint both in terms of physical space and impact.
There is a strength and stability among the Board of Directors of the JCC that supports the vision of the leadership and the work of the professional staff. The commitment and longevity of the professional staff, the lack of turnover provides a level of familiarity and a comfort level with and among the membership and those in the greater community and with it a credibility in the quality of the programs and services provided by the organization.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The JCC has experienced growth in membership and program interest and participation in the past 5 years, primarily in our adult, baby boomer and senior adult constituencies. we have expanded programs and services in the areas of health & wellness, intellectual stimulation and socialization programs, as well as reaching capacity in our preschool.
Our facility and space limitations are impeding our further ability to grow. In an effort to address our program and services limitations, we are embarking on a capital expansion to facilitate expanded programs and services for our adult communities, including our over age 50 health & wellness program, Live Well@The JCC, our senior adult services, including moving senior programs from the 2nd floor of our facility to new, state of the art space on the 1st floor. We will also undertake an expansion of our early childhood education wing to enable an additional 40-60 children to participate in our best in call Bright Beginnings Preschool. This expansion, which has recently commenced over the past 3 months, and funded through the generosity of major donors, new funders and the community, will be transformative for the JCC and the thousands of people we serve and impact.
This includes a physical plant facility expansion of approximately 11,000 sf., creating a new Center for Lifelong Living, with new state of the art program spaces to provide arts & cultural programs, intellectually stimulating programs and lecture series, new health & wellness initiatives; an expansion of the Early Childhood Education wing to enable an additional 40-60 students to experience the best in class Bright Beginnings Preschool.
The JCC has an initiative, JCC Connects On The Road, bringing JCC programs to isolated seniors in nursing and assisted living facilities, as well as providing cutting edge arts and cultural performances to public spaces in different communities, both to provide experiences for those who cannot participate at the JCC, as well as expanding the impact of the JCC and creating new branding and awareness of the programs and services of the JCC to the greater community, and expanding its geographic reach.
The JCC is expanding its social service offerings, including those addressing the special needs community, youth mentoring programs, and programs for those in recovery. The JCC is specifically developing more programs in partnership with adjacent municipalities and local governments to expand grant and other funding opportunities and provide services which local governments are unable to facilitate.
The JCC has upgraded its web-based and social media outreach and communications to reach a greater population, including those in the millenial and generation X cohorts.
Finally, the JCC is partnering with local Chambers of Commerce and multi-cultural business and community organizations to create scale and limit duplication of services, and again, to create and strengthen relationships within communities.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County
Board of directorsas of 02/15/2024
Ms. Barbara Muhlgeier
Sanford Braverman
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Karen Daichman
Robert Fleischer
Alan Horwitz
Central Jersey Supply
Roberta Levine
Robert Lipschutz
Barbara Muhlgeier
Linden Towne Auto Sales, Inc.
Caryn Nacht
Eric Nacht
E.S. Nacht Co., Inc.
Marc Rann
Lynch Metals
Barbara Spack
Hadassah
Laura Staffin
Procedyne Corp.
Howard Zuckerman
Textile Connections International
Karen Zuckerman
AHRC
Martin Hoffman
Caroline Seidner
Judith Rosenstein
Ken Shatten
Ken Braverman
Nuts.com
Amy Rothchild
Fran Reisfeld
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/22/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.