On Tuesday morning, I walked into the JCC in my bathing suit, ready for work.

Since beginning my tenure at the JCC, connecting regularly with members has been incredibly important to me. Last year, I hosted monthly “Sippin’ with Sam” gatherings. This year, I have been joining different JCC programs to spend time with the members who participate in them.

I have plenty of conversations with members in the hallways and fitness center, but these experiences allow for longer and more meaningful conversations. I get to hear why people joined the JCC, why they have stayed, what our community means to them, and how we can serve them even better.

Which brings me back to the bathing suit.

This month, I joined Rivercise, which gives members dedicated time to walk in our Biccard Lazy River. Some walk with the current, while others walk against it. Whichever direction you choose, I can attest that it is much more difficult than it sounds.

As I entered the lazy river, I immediately saw Ellen Shevitz, a JCC member for more than 33 years. Ellen recently moved back to her hometown of New York City, but she was in town for a visit. Even from nearly 1,000 miles away, she has maintained her JCC membership.

I was thrilled to see Ellen and have the opportunity to catch up with her. Just one week earlier, she had sent me an email from her archives. In early 2015, Ellen wrote to former JCC Executive Director Ira Jaffee, of blessed memory, about a sport she believed the JCC should introduce to its members: pickleball.

Ellen had first played pickleball in California in the 1970s and understood its potential long before most of us had ever heard of it. She generously donated all the equipment needed to launch the JCC’s pickleball program. Eleven years later, pickleball has exploded in popularity and become an important part of the experience we offer our members.

The first time I met Ellen, I had just begun my tenure at our JCC. In early 2025, she came to my office with an idea. Actually, she walked into my office with a petition supporting the idea.

Ellen explained that swimmers, particularly those who enjoyed Rivercise, needed more dedicated opportunities to use the waterpark. I certainly was not expecting a petition that day, but I listened. After connecting with our Director of Aquatics Sam Webb, we acted on the feedback Ellen and many other members shared. We expanded access to the lazy river and extended the waterpark season.

When I added Rivercise to my calendar months ago, I had no idea Ellen would be in town. Yet there we were, walking together in the lazy river, enjoying a program that had grown in part because she cared enough to speak up. I believe our moment together captured something essential about the JCC.

Longtime members like Ellen carry our history, but they also help shape our future. They know where we have been, recognize what makes this community special, and often see possibilities that others might miss. Their loyalty is not passive. Instead, it is expressed through participation, generosity, honest feedback, and a willingness to help make the JCC stronger.

I believe that leadership requires listening to that feedback, even when it arrives unexpectedly or comes with a petition. It does not mean that every suggestion can or should be implemented. It means taking people seriously, asking thoughtful questions, and being willing to act when an idea will meaningfully improve the member experience.

Some of the best and most impactful changes at our JCC began because a member cared enough to share an idea. Our responsibility as leaders is to create opportunities for those conversations, listen with openness, and follow through when we can.

Ellen helped bring pickleball to the JCC. Years later, she helped expand access to Rivercise. Both stories are reminders that the JCC is not simply a place our members use. It is a community they help build.

Whether we are walking with the current or against it, we are at our best when we keep moving forward together.

Shabbat Shalom,

Sam Dubrinsky
Chief Executive Officer