Cedarhurst-based Marion & Aaron Gural JCC talks successes and future

There was a lot to celebrate at this year’s annual meeting for the Cedarhurst-based Marion & Aaron Gural JCC on June 27. For starters, it was the first meeting since 2018.

But the purpose of the get together was to showcase what the nonprofit has accomplished within the last year and what it hopes to accomplish in the future.

With its Grove Avenue headquarters in Cedarhurst and the Harrison-Kerr Family Campus in Lawrence, the Gural JCC offers assorted services for children, teens, adults and seniors. The family campus includes an early childhood center and the JCC uses the ballroom in side Temple Israel for events. In 2016, the JCC acquired the temple property.

Board of Directors President, David Kaye spoke about current new programs and JCC partners.

“We have 220 Holocaust survivors in our (Chaverim Program for Holocaust Survivors) program, distributed 840,000 pounds of food to those in need, 7,100 people visited our kosher food pantry, supported 115 caregivers, almost 6,500 hours of mental health services, 700 seniors participate in our group for older adults and 300 children in our early childhood program,” he said. “In addition, we’ve also partnered with a few highlighted programs such as Nafshenu Alenu and the Jewish Women’s Leadership Council.”

Nafshenu Alenu, which translates to “spirits united,” was a program founded by Young Israel of North Woodmere senior Rabbi Yehuda Septimus and Stuart Katz that promoted mental well-being with meetings across the Five Towns.

Volunteer Services Manager, Laurie Brofsky, recognized the JCC’s volunteers.

“To this date, this year, we’ve had almost 600 volunteers providing the Gural JCC with well over 8,000 hours of service,” she said. “They have been helping us help our communities.”

Volunteer Zachary Bernstein said it felt good to be appreciated.

“It felt very nice,” he said. “It’s more fulfilling actually doing the volunteering.

Bernstein volunteers by helping donate food during the Jewish holidays.

“So what’s the future hold?” Kaye asked.

Early this year, the Gural JCC submitted a proposal in response to the Nassau County’s Request for Proposal for the county-owned Lawrence property where the Five Towns Community Center has operated since 1972, seeking a new tenant/operator that can provide youth-oriented activities and services at a more modern facility.

“We’re waiting to hear from Nassau County on the proposal,” he said. “The 55,000- square-foot facility would enable us to really build out a full-service JCC for this community.”

The deadline for RFP submissions was March 1 and County Executive Bruce Blakeman appointed a committee to review submitted proposals and make a recommendation. The other proposal was from the Lawrence school district.

The JCC’s proposal included spending a minimum of $6 million on capital improvements for the gymnasium, lighting, lobby and classrooms. In it’s proposal, the existing center at the location would be able to operate independently and continue its services.

As the JCC awaits a response, one incoming facility they are most excited about in the next coming months at the Lawrence location is a sensory gym.

Craig Spatz,  the board’s chairman, said the Barbara Harrison Sensory Gym will be an extension for the current early childhood services at the site. 

The gym would benefit children who need a structured environment to build their sensory, communication and motor skills.

“Out of the 300 students we have here, each and every day, 70 children require some type of therapeutic exercise,” Spatz said. “It’s about 25 percent. Why? Because we don’t have the room. They’re doing it on stairs, in hallways and there is no specific area for these children. The therapists need it, the children need it and we want to be able to have something very unique.”

Spatz said this was an idea that was thought about over the years and it will soon become a reality in the next coming months.

“We felt it was time because our school is the largest pre-school within the Five Towns,” he said. “They need a centralized place.”

The gym is named after Barbara Harrison, a teacher and second in charge of the preschool within the last 20 years. She was named the JCC’s Person of the Year at this year’s gala and is recovering from a stroke.

“We thought it was the right and thoughtful thing to do to make sure Barbara is here for life,” Spatz said. “Her name is attached to it because this is something she wanted and she is a valuable asset.”

In an email, Melissa Wienerkur, associate executive director for Early Childhood, wrote about the significance of naming the soon-to-be gym after her colleague.

“Barbara Harrison, one of the pillars of our Early Childhood Center, has always valued herself on the relationships and cherished the connection we have with our families,” she wrote. “As we were preparing to open up school in the midst of the Covid pandemic, Barbara suddenly suffered a stroke which left her unable to return to the school that she helped build and nurture for 26 years. Anyone who had the privilege to know Barbara knows how dedicated, caring and completely focused she was on the ever changing needs of the JCC Early Childhood students.”