Dear Friends,

Our thoughts are with all of you now as you care for yourselves and your families during these very difficult days. Here at the JCC, we have had to make hard decisions in order to safeguard our community as we navigate this unprecedented time. We had hoped to reopen on April 20, but it is now apparent that this will not be the case. We will be in touch as soon as we know that it is safe to reopen. We are as eager to welcome you back as you are to return.
 

The closure has meant drastic reductions in revenue, specifically in program and membership fees, and has required major staff and programming adjustments. About 400 of our beloved staff have been furloughed, and everyone else has taken pay cuts. We remain committed to serving our community, especially those who are most vulnerable, including isolated older adults and people with special needs. This is why we have created the JCC Coronavirus Emergency Fund.

The goal of the fund is to quickly secure donations that will help us get through this crisis. Funds will be used to support staff, allow us to stay connected to you through online programming, and sustain us so that we may open our doors again. This has been the hardest moment in the JCC's history, and we need your support now more than ever. Please give what you can. Every dollar counts, and thanks to the generosity of some of our donors, every gift you make to the Emergency Fund will be matched dollar for dollar, so your gift will have double the impact. Please click here to make your matching gift.

As many of us prepare for Passover and Easter this week, we hold on to the values that unite us. Spring will come, and with it, the promise of growth and opportunity. We are a resilient community, and together we will get through this. It won't be easy and it won't be quick, but as I watch the generosity displayed by every health worker, every police officer and firefighter, every person sewing masks, buying groceries for neighbors, or calling isolated seniors, it's abundantly clear: Love is bigger than a virus.

Please take care of yourself and let us know if we can be of service to you or a loved one.

With fierce determination and heartfelt wishes for health and strength,

Rabbi Joy Levitt
Executive Director