Combating Hate & Embracing Unity

In the year following the October 7 attack on Israel, we’ve seen record highs in anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. Yet, faced with increasing hatred, the Jewish community in Staten Island has stood strong together, with the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island and its Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture at the forefront of these efforts.

The JCC has placed a special focus on creating a safe environment for teens and young adults to express their Jewish identity. This has included workshops on combating hatred, as well as community-building activities. Now overseeing Jewish clubs at four local high schools—including a Jewish-Muslim Student Alliance—the Grushkin Center is helping to empower the next generation that will make a difference.

This year, we’ve focused on strengthening our cultural partnership with Israel, particularly in collaboration with our JCC Global partner community in Binyamina-Givat Ada, Israel. Over the summer, we hosted a delegation of Israeli teens from Binyamina who formed meaningful bonds with teens from our community. These connections helped both groups of teens feel less alone in a time when their very identity as Jews is threatened.

The JCC recognizes the importance of empowering Staten Island’s Jewish community to be themselves and express their identity without fear. Just last month, the Grushkin Center welcomed hundreds of people to join us at free community events commemorating the anniversary of October 7. These programs offered a safe space for Jews to gather together to remember, to mourn, and most importantly, to hope.

In the face of the grief we continue to experience, we also recognize the need to uplift our community and celebrate Jewish joy, or simcha. Simcha will remain at the heart of our programs in the upcoming year, as we provide activities in which people of all ages can experience a sense of joy and community while celebrating their Jewish identity.

We want to continue these programs, but to keep them going, we need your help!

As you consider your year-end giving, please think of the JCC’s efforts to support a stronger Jewish community. Every dollar can make a difference, and no gift is too small. Your generous gift will go directly to the JCC’s Dr. Esther Grushkin Center for Arts + Culture, which provides meaningful programs that combat hate and embrace unity in our community.