The school year brings a new rhythm to family life, and the afternoon hours often carry the biggest shift. JCC Indianapolis shapes back-to-school routines for families throughout Indianapolis, IN. Familiar faces, room to move, and a dependable activity can fit into the week your family already has. Our campus gives kids and parents a place […]

Yesterday, I learned that 77% of people seeking Jewish connection turn to a JCC first. That number should command our attention. Rabbi Daniel Septimus shared this datapoint throughout his visit to Indianapolis this week. Daniel, the former CEO of Shalom Austin, now leads JCC Association’s new Center for Jewish Peoplehood. He repeated the statistic because […]

Recently, I walked into a restaurant to meet a special group for breakfast. Before I even reached the table, I could hear the laughter. Stories were flying back and forth, old memories resurfacing, and every conversation seemed to find its way back to one person: the late Rod Hofts, who served as the JCC’s Director […]

This past weekend, I traveled to the Detroit area to celebrate a family simcha (a joyous occasion): the b’nai mitzvah of two of my next generation cousins.As we sat together before the service began, my cousin, the mom of one of the b’nai mitzvah boys, quietly shared something that has stayed with me all week. […]

As we close out the week, I find myself reflecting on one of the highlights of the past several days: the first meeting of our JCC Hand in Hand Annual Campaign Task Force. Led by JCC Past Board Chair Katy Cantor and JCC Board member Suzanne Rothenberg, this dedicated group has already begun laying the […]

I’m going to start by sharing something that makes me feel vulnerable: when I became a 28-year-old Executive Director at the JCC in Birmingham, Alabama — my hometown — I had no idea what I was doing. I had passion and cared deeply about the mission. But I was learning in real time how to […]

Everywhere I turn at our JCC lately, I see people building something together. A few weeks ago, I asked many of you to share your stories. What came back was extraordinary: stories of friendship, healing, belonging, growth, tradition, and connection. Again and again, one truth emerged. In moments when life felt fractured or uncertain, people […]

For the past 18 months, I’ve had the honor of telling stories — stories about our JCC, community, and the people who make it what it is. Some of those stories have been yours. And they’ve stayed with me. But the truth is, I know they are only a small glimpse. Because every single day, […]

As we move toward Shabbat, I’ve been thinking about what it truly means to build community not in the abstract, but in the small, tangible ways we show up for one another. The conversations we have, moments we share, the ways we create something meaningful together, even when the world around us can feel fragmented. […]

I’m writing this at 10 p.m., on a bus back to our Disney World hotel. My son is asleep on my shoulder, surrounded by families who have just watched the evening fireworks at Magic Kingdom. We’ve spent the week at Disney World — our long-delayed trip, postponed after my husband lost his mother. If I’m […]