FY17 Annual Report

A HUGE THANKS We give thanks to all the tireless committee chairs whose ideas, time and guidance have enabled our Center to grow and adapt so we can best serve our community. Financial Assistance Bob Simon Fitness, Sports and Wellness Scott Lazar • Bob Simon Governance and Nominating Erica Needle HaDerech Mindy Goldberger Jewish Film Festival of Central NJ Elyse Deutsch • Marcy Lazar Mah Jongg Party Tracey Hoberman • Jill Markovits • Erica Needle • Laurie Saks • Barrie Schwarz • Jessica Silverstein Marketing David Sanders Membership Jessica Silverstein Arts and Education Phyllis Bernstein • Jill Horowitz Rome Audit Committee Erez Liebermann • Yossi Jayinski Budget and Finance Barry Friedman • James Pritchett Building Jeff Silverstein • Ryan Teicher Camp Yachad Tracey Hoberman • Alex Skibinsky Create a Jewish Legacy Mindy Goldberger Development Erica Needle Early Childhood Debbie Chustek • Jordana Marks • Barrie Schwarz Personnel Carrie Drake Poker Tournament Barry Friedman • Erez Liebermann Safety and Security Jason Benedict Special Needs Task Force Josh Bornstein Strategic Planning Task Force Don Abraham • Stefani Klaskow Teen Engagement Stacie Friedman Touch a Truck Meredith Goldblatt • Lauren Guberer Winter Fundraiser Tracey and Jason Hoberman And a huge thanks to all of you who volunteered on these committees! 2016-17 Committee Chairs September 1, 2016 – August 31, 2017 Peter Weissbrod President Jennifer Mamlet Executive Director A letter from our President and Executive Director Dear Members, What a year 2017 was for our JCC! While our entire year could have been defined by the single day in January 2017 when our JCC received a telephone bomb threat, we now look back with great pride that this year was instead defined by our resolve to come out of that harrowing event stronger than ever. This year, our JCC raised more dollars, welcomed more members and offered more programs to serve you better. To all who gave, supported, stayed, joined our JCC or joined us in saying now is our time – we say thank you. This year’s annual report is a collection of stories – snapshots of moments from the past year when we came together both in fear and apprehension and in celebration of key milestones and successes. In addition to the stories on these pages, we proudly share that we doubled the size of infant care to meet the growing demand of families in our community; we received a $50,000 pledge from the Wilf Family Foundation to start a much needed capital reserve fund over the next five years, and we drafted a Strategic Plan that will begin implementation in 2018. In 2017, we also saw a change in our Board’s leadership as Ken Rotter’s two-year term as President came to an end. The cornerstone of Ken’s agenda as our President was his commitment to securing a strong future for our JCC. With a new Strategic Plan, 18 newly secured legacy commitments valued at over half a million dollars in future support to our Center and the attainment of a new solar panel system, it is clear that his agenda drove great results that are putting our JCC on a strong path for future success. We are so grateful for Ken’s leadership and the profound impact he has had on our entire community. On behalf of our Board and Staff, we say thank you. We are thankful for the professional, lay and community members who remain deeply committed to our community and our JCC. It is our hope that the stories in these pages inspire and remind you why there’s something special about this place and that you feel our tremendous appreciation for the way our community came together this year to make our JCC stronger than ever.