(Published Feb 4, 2020)
Between the five of them (mom Laura, dad Rotem and kids Noa, Rahm and Oren), the Calilis are at the J virtually every day: Laura and Rotem work out with a trainer or on their own, the kids participate in one of the many athletic activities the J offers, or they come in as a family to swim in the pool (indoor or outdoor) or run around in the gym. At minimum, their week looks something like this:
Monday and Wednesday:
Rotem brings the kids in after school to play in the gym. Usually, they play soccer, basketball or a game they call “line tag,” where you can only run along the lines on the gym floor.
Tuesday:
Noa and Rahm jump in the water for swim team. (They’ve also participated in Allen Katner Youth Soccer, dance, karate, Tiny Tot Athletics — the list goes on.)
Thursday:
Laura arrives at 5:30 am for a personal training session, then continues to work out on her own on a stationary bike or in the pool.
Saturday:
Rotem comes in early for a swim lesson, then the rest of the family joins him in the pool for some free play.
So why the J? “It has everything we want,” Laura said. “Our kids feel comfortable here, people say hi to you when you come in and know your name. You always see someone you know when you come here. We’ve made good friends here who we met through all the classes and activities we do, and now we’ll call them up and say, ‘We’re going to the pool, want to come?’”
The Calilis joined the J right when they moved to Indianapolis almost a decade ago. Getting used to the Midwest was a bit of an adjustment after living in Long Island, and Israel before that, but this community has become home, and belonging to the J has been a large part of that.
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