Shabbat Shalom from Sam: When the Lights Went Out, the J Shined

At 7:41 a.m. on Thursday, I received a text letting me know that the JCC had lost power.

As inconveniences go, it was a pretty significant one. We were in the first week of camp, transitioning classrooms in our Early Childhood Education center, and navigating one of the busiest times of year for membership, aquatics, and food service. Over 1,000 people were counting on us to quickly determine what programs could continue, what needed to change, and how we would communicate with families and members.

What I found myself watching that morning wasn’t the outage itself. It was our staff.

As messages started flying in our staff group chat, team members immediately began coordinating. Questions were answered, updates were shared, and people stepped in wherever they were needed. Nobody seemed particularly concerned with whose job something was. They were focused on what needed to happen next.

There were conversations about safety, operations, lunch service, swim lessons, and camp schedules. Staff members walked dark hallways gathering information, making calls, and keeping everyone informed. Several employees from different departments joined our Welcome Desk team to help answer member questions.

One message confirmed that camp was proceeding as normal, while another reported that the pools would likely need to close at 8:45 a.m. Camp Director Hamilton Hensel responded, “If the pool needs to close, camp will pivot. It’s a beautiful day outside!” When the closure became inevitable, the conversation quickly shifted from “What do we do?” to “How do we make this fun anyway?” Less than a minute later came Hamilton’s answer: “[…] Water balloons are being filled!”

That exchange made me smile because it captured something important about our team. Even in the middle of uncertainty, people weren’t just focused on solving problems. They were thinking about the experience of the children, families, and members we serve.

We often talk about community at the J. This week, I got to watch it in action. Community isn’t just the relationships we build with our members. It’s also the relationships we build with one another. It’s the willingness to step up, solve problems together, and support one another when things don’t go according to plan.

By mid-morning, the power was back. The lights came on, programs resumed, and the day moved forward. The outage reminded me that what keeps the J running has never been electricity; it’s our people.

Thank you to our staff for the care, professionalism, creativity, and teamwork you demonstrated throughout the morning. And thank you to our members and families for your patience and understanding as we worked through an unexpected challenge.

I’m grateful to be part of a community such as this one.