The New Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Jewish Community Center

The needs of communities continually change and evolved. Institutions such as the JCC need to be aware of these needs. In the case of the Jewish Community Center, this requires us to engage in an ongoing process of evaluation of our personnel, programs and facilities.

Since the JCC opened at the West Hartford site in 1962, we have gone through two major renovations in response to the needs and desires of our community and specifically our membership. In the fall of 2007, we completed our second very ambitious expansion and renovation.

Dedicated lay leadership is at the heart of a successful non-profit institution. The JCC is fortunate to have Joyce and Andrew Mandell as two such committed leaders. Joyce and Andy have been supporters of the JCC for many years. Joyce is a past President and Chairwoman of the JCC Board. Andy has served as the founder and Co-Chair of the JCC Golf Tournament, one of the JCC's largest fundraisers. Currently, Joyce and Andy are the Co-Chairs of the JCC Capital Campaign.

To acknowledge their outstanding leadership support, the expanded and renovated JCC has been renamed in their honor. Our formal name is now the Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Jewish Community Center, also known as the Mandell JCC.

At the launch of this campaign, they said: "The reason our family has committed so much time, energy and resources to support our Jewish Community Center is that we believe in every successful Jewish community there is a vibrant JCC. The JCC represents the core values of our heritage; it is the 'Jewish neighborhood' of the future; and it provides a safe environment for people of all ages to come together for a variety of exceptional programming and activities. A newly expanded and renovated JCC will enable us to broaden the scope of our programs and services to accommodate the growing needs of our community. Join us in our efforts to make the JCC an anchor of this community for years to come."

We are thrilled to report that the community has come forward and the JCC has successfully raised $12,000,000. The funds have been used to undertake many improvements that have been enthusiastically welcomed by our members.

To learn more about how we plan to improve the Mandell JCC and how you can help, click on any of the headings to the right under 'Also Inside.'

The expanded and renovated Fitness and Wellness facilities of the Mandell Jewish Community Center's are now open. The Hoffman Field House, is a new 22,000 square foot facility and was named in honor of its major funders, the Hoffman family of West Hartford.

The new Field House includes the Siegal/Levy Gymnasium, which is named by the Siegal and Levy families in memory of Perry Levy. It features a full basketball court that divides into two large half-courts, bleacher seating for 150 people and can be used for community and social events. There is also a group exercise studio, a family changing room, a men's locker room, and a drop-in childcare suite with expanded babysitting services.

This expansion has enabled the Center to extend its popular adult and youth basketball, develop a new volleyball program, and provide additional capacity for children's gymnastics, indoor soccer, hockey, t-ball and community events. The new exercise studio has high ceilings and natural light, and we have more than doubled the capacity of the many group exercise classes at the JCC.

The Hoffman Field House was the first phase of a full-scale renovation of the JCC's fitness facilities, which is now complete. Renovations also include a new 7,000-square-foot fitness center complete with 55 pieces of cardiovascular exercise equipment, strength machines and a weight room. There are new facilities for Pilates(TM), Spinning(TM), a Women's Exercise Circuit, and an expanded women's locker room.

The Center is also strengthening its focus on fitness for youth with its new "CoolFit" program. Designed for ages 8-12, the program will offer supervised exercise on specially equipped interactive and fun cardio equipment during the afternoons and weekends.

The popular indoor Playscape for children has been built into a two story high space that was formerly a squash court. There are two racquetball courts and a Yoga Studio available to the members.

"Family programs have always been one of the Mandell JCC's greatest offerings to the community," explained David Jacobs, the Center's executive director. "Our child care, pre-school and after school programs, summer camp, indoor and outdoor playscapes, pool and Family Room Parenting Center draw families from around Greater Hartford. Now we've taken our family fitness to the next level with the addition of CoolFit and other new programs designed to keep kids active and healthy."

Saint Francis Care has a significant presence at the Mandell Jewish Community Center these days. As part of a major renovation and expansion of the JCC, the Hospital has added a new outpatient physical therapy site to its existing cardiac rehabilitation and wellness programs. The Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital Physical Therapy Center specializes in assessing and treating orthopedic, sports-related, and neurological injuries and conditions such as neck and back pain, muscle and ligament injuries, stroke and multiple sclerosis. The Center also offers post-surgical rehabilitation including joint replacements, ACL reconstruction and rotator cuff repairs.

"The new physical therapy center is a natural extension of our partnership with the Mandell JCC. The location is convenient and easily accessible for injured patients. The patients also enjoy the benefit of skilled therapists treating in a wellness oriented environment. It's a wonderful combination!" said Ed Johnson, DDS, Senior Vice President at The Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital.

"This partnership is a continuation of a decades-old partnership that began with Mount Sinai Hospital and the creation of the JCC's Phase 3 Cardiac Rehabilitation Program," said David Jacobs, Executive Director of the Mandell JCC. "The addition of the Physical Rehabilitation program and the myriad wellness classes offered by Saint Francis Care is a major step for both institutions and a great benefit to our community."

The Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital Physical Therapy Center at the Mandell JCC

Hours:
Monday:	10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday:	7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday:	9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday:	7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Friday:	7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Michael Perin, PT, Certified MDT, will be joining the Mandell JCC very soon as the full-time Physical Therapist for the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital Physical Therapy Center. Mike has over 8 years of experience, having graduated from the University of Hartford in January, 1999, with a B.S. degree in physical therapy. He was employed in an outpatient orthopedic clinic in New Jersey right after graduation until he relocated to Connecticut in 2000. He began working for The Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in July, 2000, focusing on outpatient orthopedic physical therapy, aquatic therapy and sports medicine, with a professional interest in spine problems and rehabilitation. Mike became credentialed in 2002 by The McKenzie Institute in the mechanical assessment and treatment of the spine.

There are many ways you can help us raise $2.5 million to reach our $12 million goal.

Make a Contribution

Think about how the JCC has touched your life, your family's life and the life of our community.

Maybe your children attend our nationally accredited Early Childhood Center. Your grandchild might participate in our Theater programs or Teen activities after school. You could be lowering your cholesterol as you work out mind and body with our highly skilled personal trainers. You might be learning how to surf the internet in our SeniorNet classes. However you use the JCC, we know how important it is to maintain the standard of excellence that you have come to expect.

We can only keep that promise with your financial support. Connect to the JCC Capital Campaign page and find out more about the opportunities to make a contribution.

Help Us Raise Funds

You believe in the Center. You have made a generous contribution. Thank you for making a difference. Help us give others an opportunity to support this wonderful project. Our members have many interests at the JCC, from cultural arts and fitness, to school and camp supporters to senior programs. You can select one of these interest groups and help convey the exciting project we are undertaking and encourage members to be a part of it. To volunteer, please call our Campaign Office at 231-6440.

Other Ways to Volunteer

We rely on our volunteers in so many ways. You are our pulse. You help us understand what the needs of our membership and community are. See the many ways you can help at the JCC.