Gural JCC plans to expand services

The leaders of the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC sent a 25-question survey to 3,500 members to gauge their interest in programs the Jewish Community Center should offer as it acquires part of the Temple Israel campus in Lawrence.

Executive Director Joel Block said tat JCC officials learned that teen programs and cultural arts topped the wish lists of most respondents. “Parents would like to see more volunteer opportunities and more structured, organized programs for the teenagers,” Block said. “We’ve heard this before. The survey reinforced it.” Survey responders indicated that they wanted more trips to New York City, theater outings and movies, he added.

More women responded to the survey than men, and women in the 25-to-34 age group were the largest group of respondents, according to Stacey Feldman, the JCC’s director of development. The 18-to-24 and over-75 categories had the fewest respondents.

“We found that the JCC is a unifier in the community,” Feldman said. “We meet their needs on a day-to-day schedule.”

The JCC, based in Cedarhurst, offers programs and services ranging from camps for children, including those with special needs, to groups for seniors and Holocaust survivors. JCC social workers help those with challenges such as traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease.

With the expected acquisition of the Temple Israel site, the JCC — which serves about 16,000 people a year at 18 different sites — plans to expand its offerings, which has been Block’s goal since he succeeded Rina Shkolnik nearly three years ago.

“In order to serve the community, you need to understand the needs of the community,” Block said. “We wanted a sampling of the people, their needs, what they’re looking for — a wish list. JCCs look and feel different in every community. It is not a franchise. The reality of a JCC is it reflects the needs of the community, not the other way around. That is why what we do is so special.”

He noted the Singles Night the JCC sponsored in February, which drew 142 participants to Temple Israel. The JCC had a relationship with the temple for several years — leasing space for its nursery school, several other classes and clubs and events — prior to entering into an agreement to purchase the campus last year.

To begin the planning process for new teen programs and more cultural arts offerings, Block wants to have discussions with the more engaged people who responded to the survey, as well as his board. “We want to talk about what they really want to see and road-test some ideas,” he said.

Acquiring Temple Israel
Announced in March of last year and approved by the JCC’s board and Temple Israel’s membership, the proposed sale of the Central Avenue property is now in the hands of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. A sale, mortgage or lease of a religious institution’s property that exceeds five years must be approved by the attorney general and then filed in state Civil Court for final approval. The attorney general reviews how the money from the sale will be used, and how the temple will fulfill its religious mission after the sale is completed.

JCC officials declined to reveal the purchase price. In 2010, Temple Israel signed a letter of intent to sell a half acre of its property, including two Fulton Street homes owned by the temple, to the Peninsula Public Library for between $2.5 million and $3 million. The library decided not to buy the land.

Temple Israel President Ken Shapiro said he believes the pending transaction will serve both parties well. “The JCC community members and temple community members will be sharing their guests and programs, which will help both grow,” Shapiro said. “Secondly, we dropped the maintenance and insurance costs, which enable us to continue, certainly sustain ourselves for a minimum of 10 years, possibly 20.” Approval is expected later this year, JCC and temple officials said.

Block said that the JCC would continue to run many of its programs at the Grove Avenue building in Cedarhurst. He views the division at Temple Israel in thirds: the JCC, the temple and Carlyle Caterers, which provides the food and beverages for parties and other events booked at the temple.

“It is a wonderful benefit to the JCC to have the rich tradition, 107 years, of Temple Israel,” Block said, “and we hope we are deeply embedded together for years to come.”

Have an opinion about JCC programs? Send your letter to the editor to jbessen@liherald.com.