JCC Cares

A Taste of the World to Come

milwaukeemaccabi August 7, 2015

Every week, Jody Hirsh, the JCC’s Judaic Education Director, provides a Judaic message in honor of Shabbat. Below is the Shabbat message for Friday, August 7, 2015.

A Taste of the World to Come

The rabbis tell us that the Shabbat is a “taste of the World to Come.” For the rabbis, the World to Come is that perfected life after the Messiah comes: a life of abundance, and peace, and safety, and satisfaction which is the repaired and perfected world toward which people, in partnership with God, work. The Shabbat, they told us, is a taste of that perfected world.

All week here in Milwaukee, we’ve also had a Taste of the World to Come as a result of the JCC Maccabi Games. All week, almost 1,000 Jewish teens from all over the USA and the World converged on Milwaukee for competitions, friendship, social gathering, and special events. They have been training for this week for months, if not years. There have been so many “World to Come” moments. When two groups of kids encounter each other and discover they are competing in the same sport and therefore rivals, often wish each other “Good Luck!” Now THAT is sportsmanship. The World to Come. Or… when two basketball or soccer teams finish their cutthroat game: one team wins, and one loses, of course, and the winning and losing teams hug each other. The World to Come.

On Wednesday was the special day of “JCC Cares.” The Maccabi kids participated in community projects helping those in need: They partnered with Special Olympics of Wisconsin to help with a track meet for kids with special needs; they packaged snacks for the Hunger Task Force feeding thousands of disadvantaged children; they helped install public equipment at Walker Square Park; and, they rebuilt and replanted the Jewish Community Garden at the JCC which provides fresh vegetables for families in need.  Truly the World to Come.

The image and example of these Jewish athletes has truly given us a taste of the World to Come.

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Shabbat Shalom

Click here to view past Shabbat Messages.

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milwaukeemaccabiA Taste of the World to Come

JCC Cares From The Sidelines

Hannah - Star Reporter August 5, 2015

This is my third time participating in the JCC Maccabi Games, and every time JCC Cares is run in a very different way. Last year Austin went to Boca where we weren’t allowed to go see other JCC Cares projects. This year I was able to take part in helping and then see others do the same thing. This morning I got on a bus at 8:45 and headed to the JCC garden. All that I had known was that the JCC garden feeds people who can not afford to get the food that they need. We walked into the introduction room where we were told about what we would be doing and were shown a video. After watching the video and seeing the statistics of how many people really rely on this garden to feed there families, I understood that this was very important. My group had to build new beds so that they could have more space to grow fruits and vegetables. I enjoyed my JCC cares project but still didn’t feel like I was making a very big difference. After our project was done we got on the bus and headed back to Nicolet. I had heard about how amazing the Special Olympics have been in the past so I went to check it out. When I got there it was amazing to witness what was happening. I was able to see so many Jewish teens playing with so many children who are special needs. Watching what was going on made me proud to see what we could accomplish it just a few hours. When I did my own project I was just doing the labor. I wasn’t really thinking about who would benefit, but sometimes we need to just step back and see what our work can do.

 

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Hannah - Star ReporterJCC Cares From The Sidelines

JCC Cares – Community Garden Build

milwaukeemaccabi July 30, 2015

Since its introduction in 1997, JCC Cares remains the differentiation between the JCC Maccabi Games and any other sporting event. The JCC Cares program is an opportunity for participants to take a few hours out of their schedules to participate in a hands-on community service project.

We have ambitiously chosen four JCC Cares projects that will create lasting memories for our athletes, build upon our strong partnerships and make long term impacts on the participants and the entire Milwaukee community. In every case, our goal is to provide a meaningful experience for our teen athletes enabling them to see that they can make a difference and to volunteer in their own communities.

GardenCommunity Garden Build. The JCC Community Garden will be enhanced and improved during JCC Cares to increase the amount of produce harvested. Hunger exists in every community of our country. All produce from the garden goes to our Jewish Community Pantry located in the inner city of Milwaukee where over 10,000 households are served, including Milwaukee’s most at-risk families and elderly. Over 40% of those we serve are children. In many cases, the Jewish Community Pantry is their only access to fresh produce. By providing a nutritionally sound diet, we can help families stay healthy and focused on their future.

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milwaukeemaccabiJCC Cares – Community Garden Build

JCC Cares – Food Pack

milwaukeemaccabi July 29, 2015

Since its introduction in 1997, JCC Cares remains the differentiation between the JCC Maccabi Games and any other sporting event. The JCC Cares program is an opportunity for participants to take a few hours out of their schedules to participate in a hands-on community service project.

Hunger-and-MCFIWe have ambitiously chosen four JCC Cares projects that will create lasting memories for our athletes, build upon our strong partnerships and make long term impacts on the participants and the entire Milwaukee community. In every case, our goal is to provide a meaningful experience for our teen athletes enabling them to see that they can make a difference and to volunteer in their own communities.

Food Pack. In partnership with Hunger Task Force and the Milwaukee Center for Independence, a community resource for children, teens, adults and older adults with special needs and their families, athletes will participate in a food packing project to help combat hunger in Milwaukee. This project will help feed 20,000-25,000 Milwaukee Public School children who do not have access to meals.

 

Be on the lookout for future blog posts with the other three JCC Cares projects.

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milwaukeemaccabiJCC Cares – Food Pack

JCC Cares – Special Olympics Unified Relays

milwaukeemaccabi July 28, 2015

Since its introduction in 1997, JCC Cares remains the differentiation between the JCC Maccabi Games and any other sporting event. The JCC Cares program is an opportunity for participants to take a few hours out of their schedules to participate in a hands-on community service project.

We have ambitiously chosen four JCC Cares projects that will create lasting memories for our athletes, build upon our strong partnerships and make long term impacts on the participants and the entire Milwaukee community. In every case, our goal is to provide a meaningful experience for our teen athletes enabling them to see that they can make a difference and to volunteer in their own communities.

Special-Olympics-Wisconsin-layersSpecial Olympics Unified Relays. Based on our partnership with the Special Olympics of Wisconsin, we will welcome Special Olympians to participate alongside their JCC Maccabi peers in unified relays during a track and field event. This event breaks down barriers and allows all of the athletes to bond in a unique environment. After competing, athletes will engage in “crazy races,” conversation and activities over lunch.

 

Be on the lookout for future blog posts with the other three JCC Cares projects.

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milwaukeemaccabiJCC Cares – Special Olympics Unified Relays

JCC Cares – Walker’s Square Park Outdoor Exercise Build

milwaukeemaccabi July 27, 2015

Since its introduction in 1997, JCC Cares remains the differentiation between the JCC Maccabi Games and any other sporting event. The JCC Cares program is an opportunity for participants to take a few hours out of their schedules to participate in a hands-on community service project.

We have ambitiously chosen four JCC Cares projects that will create lasting memories for our athletes, build upon our strong partnerships and make long term impacts on the participants and the entire Milwaukee community. In every case, our goal is to provide a meaningful experience for our teen athletes enabling them to see that they can make a difference and to volunteer in their own communities.

Walker-Square-logoOne of the JCC Cares projects is the Walker’s Square Park Outdoor Exercise Build. We will continue growing our already strong collaboration with the United Community Center, a comprehensive social service agency serving the families of Milwaukee’s Hispanic south side, to construct outdoor exercise equipment in Milwaukee’s Walker Square Park. The addition of this equipment to the area will have long lasting effects as it addresses the issues of childhood and adult obesity, behavior problems and fragmented communities.

 

Be on the lookout for future blog posts with the other three JCC Cares projects.

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milwaukeemaccabiJCC Cares – Walker’s Square Park Outdoor Exercise Build