The ECLC kicked off a new school year this week after spending the prior week preparing the classrooms, attending professional developments, and getting ready to welcome the children back!
We began the staff orientation week by reflecting on the Jewish value of Kavod, which centers on respect. This theme of respect permeated our interactions during team gatherings, where we discussed the Rights of the Child, the concept of Co-Regulation, and the importance of honoring children’s boundaries. Additionally, we dedicated time to exploring one of the “100 languages” by defining mark-making and engaging in a mark-making experience using a wide variety of materials and tools. Educator teams selected a Jewish value to represent their class name, collaborated on a unique tradition to honor each child’s birthday, displayed family photographs of the children, and worked tirelessly to create rich learning environments filled with intention. In alignment with the Jewish principle of Hiddur Mitzvah, which emphasizes enhancing rituals with beauty, educator teams arranged flowers and decorated vases to use for Shabbat in their classroom.
We were so excited to open our doors and welcome families to the 2024-2025 school year on Monday! This first week of school has been busy as the children are settling into their new classrooms, getting to know their teachers and peers, learning daily routines and schedules, engaging in learning provocations, and cultivating important and foundational relationships.
Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia philosophy, placed significant emphasis on the value of relationships within early childhood education. In this approach, relationships are seen as the foundation of the educational experience, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Malaguzzi advocated for an environment where children, educators, and families are co-constructors of knowledge, each contributing to the learning process through dialogue, mutual respect, and shared experiences. This interconnectedness not only supports cognitive development but also nurtures emotional and social growth, making relationships central to the work and learning that takes place each day within the ECLC.
We are so grateful for our ECLC community, and are looking forward to a new year brimming with possibilities!
When school is out and the sun is up, kids of all ages enjoy a summer favorite: camp.
This is where they give all kinds of activities a try — archery, painting, ultimate frisbee, woodworking, theatre. And with the freedom to explore comes the opportunity to figure out what they like and who they are. No pressures or expectations allowed here.
Most importantly, every one of Pozez JCC’s camp experiences is fun in nature and laced with meaning. We have four summer camps, each offering a different experience with one common thread: age-old Jewish values are infused into the everyday, making them relevant and relatable over and over again.
“Summer camp has long been a part of the Jewish communal experience,” said Jeff Dannick, Executive Director of Pozez JCC. “Here, we put extra effort into making sure everyone can be together and make memories that impact their lives.”
As we near the official end of summer, a bittersweet time for all camp lovers, we’re taking a look at the magic and memory of each of our camps whose impact runs multi-generational here in Northern Virginia.
Who: Rising K-10th graders When: Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm between June-August, in total 3-6 weeks Where: Gesher Jewish Day School
At Camp Achva, Judaism is intentionally boundless, existing outside of synagogues and classrooms. And oftentimes, in the great outdoors. Kids may be on the soccer field or around the campfire as they sing Hebrew songs or learn Israeli dances. Everywhere you look, they’re doing Jewish — and having fun.
Such a casual space, where shorts and sneakers are the norm, creates one of the most elemental aspects of Achva: connection. From playing Gaga to creating pottery, campers do everything together. They have the freedom to lean into fun — all day.
The emphasis on connection, and being surrounded by counselors who meet every child where they are, has been life-changing for Jodi Enos, a first-time camper at Achva. Finding the right camp for Jodi, who has a complex medical story, has been a yearslong challenge, said her mother, April.
“In the past, other summer camps we tried would tell us they ‘weren’t a good fit’ for our child,” April said. “I had almost given up hope of ever finding a place where she wouldn’t be treated as a burden on a system never designed for kids like her.”
And then, she found Achva, one of the most inclusive Jewish day camps in the region. Here, kavod (respect) and simcha (joy) are social imperatives.
“While the rest of the year our lives are dominated by medical appointments, for six precious weeks, I got to watch my child just be a kid, go to camp, and have fun,” April said. “Camp Achva was clearly engineered from the ground up with kids like our child, and families like us in mind. We’ve found our community.”
Who: 3 ½ to 16 year olds in the greater metro D.C. area who have cancer and their siblings When: Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm between June-August, 6 weeks in total Where: Pozez JCC
Horizon Day Camp, a partnership project between Pozez JCC and Sunrise Association Day Camps, is the only free day camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
The camp is designed to run on “yes” for children who so often hear “no.” Soccer and dance and playground fun — activities that can harm a fragile body — are all possible again because of adaptive equipment and skilled professionals. There are specially trained staff and on-site medical support, which includes a team of nurses supervised by a pediatric oncologist.
Because participants are undergoing treatment, every day of camp is created to stand alone, ensuring they never feel left out when they miss one or more days. The entire Horizon experience is made for children facing one of the biggest challenges of their little lives — and the very existence of this camp is an act of chesed (loving-kindness) and r’fuah (healing).
For siblings Toby and Alex Loewy, the culture and spirit of camp has followed them home, said their mother, Saskia.
“Toby has been singing camp songs each afternoon. Alex repeats values like, ‘We all win when we have fun,’” Saskia said. “The wonderful counselors and chaperones made the magic happen.”
Who: 9th-12th graders and 18-27 year olds who are neurodiverse When: Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. between July-August Where: Pozez JCC and all over DMV area
So many summer memories are made at Camp Kesher, where neurodivergent teens and young adults gain independence, make friends, and have hours of outdoor fun.
Field trips and hands-on activities happen in a warm, structured environment. On Mondays, campers may do yoga or go paint. Tuesday may focus on sports or music. No matter the activity, every day is built to be different and engaging.
To meet participants where they are, Kesher is staffed by experienced educators and trained volunteers. They, and all who make camp possible, uphold the Jewish value of adam yehidi nivra (every person is a unique creation).
“When my son would come home, he would talk about the friends he made, all of the fun places he visited, and the interesting activities he participated in,” said Caroline Pak, who sent her son Ryan to Kesher for a third summer. “I am so glad he could spend part of his summer just having fun with supportive peers and staff.”
Who: Adults of all ages When: Monday-Friday from 9:30am-1:30pm in August, 1 week total Where: Pozez JCC
Missing the good old camp days? When summers were spent making friendship bracelets and learning Israeli dances? We have a summer camp for kids at heart: Camp Gadol.
This mini-camp experience includes all your favorites: color wars, slingshot archery, singing, dancing, art. Our participants have learned Yemenite basket weaving, participated in a scavenger hunt, explored Jewish wisdom on living, made s’mores over a fire, created Havdalah candles from beeswax, packed Shabbat boxes for Jewish hospital patients, and so much more.
By doing, Camp Gadol has been fostering kehillah (community) for many campers, including Marcia Lawson.
“I was impressed and thankful that Jewish study was incorporated into the camp experience,” Lawson said. “Having someone to guide us through studying with a partner was a deeply satisfying intellectual and religious experience that reminded me of how much I enjoyed Jewish group study in the past.”
Echoing a similar experience, Judy Douglas shared, “Community is so important to Jewish culture. The camp experience was a great way to connect with people in the community. It also allows the time and space to explore facets of Jewish culture in an innovative and fun atmosphere… I do hope to join again next year!”
Camp is where children, and in our case, adults, give all kinds of activities a try — archery, painting, ultimate frisbee, woodworking, theatre, and more. And with the freedom to explore comes the opportunity to figure out what they like and who they are. No pressures or expectations.
This summer, while school was out and the sun was up, people of all ages leaned into camp fun at Pozez JCC.
At Camp Achva, Judaism was intentionally boundless, and oftentimes, existing in the great outdoors. Children spent time on the soccer field and around the campfire singing Hebrew songs and learning Israeli dances. Everywhere you looked, they were doing Jewish — and having a good time.
Children with cancer and their siblings spent their summer at Horizon Day Camp, designed to run on “yes” for those who so often hear “no.” Soccer and dance and playground fun — activities that can harm a fragile body — were all possible again because of adaptive equipment and skilled professionals.
So many memories were made at Camp Kesher, where neurodivergent teens and young adults gained independence, made friends, and had hours of outdoor fun. There were day trips and hands-on activities, including yoga and music.
At Camp Gadol, our space for adults, participants learned Yemenite basket weaving, participated in a scavenger hunt, explored Jewish wisdom on living, made s’mores over a fire, created Havdalah candles from beeswax, packed Shabbat boxes for Jewish hospital patients, and so much more.
Every one of these camps hold magic and memory. Each is a place of experience, where moments matter in the spaces created. And there is much more to come.
At the Pozez JCC, helping our community build heathy bodies, minds, and spirits is a pillar of who we are and what we do. In this blog, I’m focusing on our bodies, in particular healthy joints.
Now’s a good time to focus on your body’s health
The human body is made up of many joints, which allow us to move and function the way we are built to. From an early age, it is important to keep your body consistently physically active, flexible, and strong overall. This helps to prevent natural degeneration in our bones, muscles, and joints as we age. Although starting early is important, it is NEVER too late to start taking care of your body!
What do our Joints do for us?
Our joints (in their optimal state) allow us to perform our daily activities with ease. When joints are restricted (not in their optimal state), whether from excessive sitting, repetitive motions, stagnation, etc., the body cannot function properly. When one part of the body does not function properly, the entire body becomes affected. Our bodies are like cars, a system that runs well if all parts are functioning properly. A flat tire for a car is like a restricted joint that cannot go through its full range of motion. Think about that for a second… If you keep driving the car with a flat tire, the other parts of the car must work harder to compensate for the flat tire. The same thing goes for your body and the many joints it has.
Why is Joint Health Important?
Our joint health gets more important as we age. Other than chronic pain and other diseases, falls are one of the highest risk factors of aging. Falling becomes more problematic as the muscles start to lose their elasticity, thus decreasing flexibility, strength, and stability within the body. In the J-Fit Health Club, we encourage you to enhance your movement quality and maintain or gain back control of your body.
For our older population, with the proper guidance, exercise, and nutrition, you can slow down or possibly reverse the degeneration process of your joints. To that end, did you hear!? The J is running several 4-week Fall Prevention sessions running from September through December. For more information, please email the Fitness Director at Jeff.Tauriello@theJ.org
If you have questions about this topic and want to learn more, stop by the J-Fit Health Club. Our professional staff will happily assist you and answer any questions you may have.
As the lazy days of summer begin to wane, the buzz of a new school year starts to fill the air. For many families, this transition is a time of excitement, anticipation, and a bit of anxiety. At the Pozez JCC, we believe that integrating Jewish traditions and values into our back-to-school preparations can help make this transition smoother and more meaningful for our children.
Preparing for back to school is about more than just buying new supplies and setting schedules; it’s about setting intentions and embracing the values that will guide us through the year. Jewish traditions emphasize the importance of community (Kehilla), respect (Kavod), and continuous learning. We can embed these values into our children’s routines, helping them feel grounded and supported as they navigate their educational journey.
As we prepare for the new school year, let’s embrace gathering, creating, and celebrating together and enriching our children’s educational journey with the values and traditions that make our Jewish community so special. We look forward to seeing you and your family at upcoming events and wish everyone a smooth and joyous start to the school year.
Local School Start Dates:
August 19th: Falls Church City Public Schools, Fairfax County Schools, Prince William County Schools, Alexandria City Schools
August 22nd: Loudoun County Schools, Gesher Jewish Day School
August 26th: Arlington Schools, Montgomery County MD Schools, DC Schools
Let’s Get Ready B’Yachad (Together)
Pozez JCC has several upcoming events designed to bring families together, celebrate our heritage, and get ready for the school year ahead.
Back to School: Creation in Sand – September 8th
One of the highlights of our back-to-school lineup is the “Creation in Sand” event. This unique and creative activity draws inspiration from the themes of new beginnings, as found in the story of Noah. Families will gather to watch the story of Noah in beautiful sand art, and then create, reflecting on the idea that each school year is a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with learning, growth, and new experiences. This event is a perfect way to inspire creativity and mindfulness as we embark on a new journey together. Celebrate with grandparents as well, on this Grandparents Day! (Two sessions are offered on this day… 10:30 AM in English and 4:00 PM in Russian.)
Pozez JCC Open House – September 22nd
On September 22nd, we invite you to the Pozez JCC Open House from 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM. This is an excellent opportunity for both new and returning families to explore everything our community center has to offer. From educational programs and cultural events to fitness facilities and social gatherings, the Open House will showcase how the Pozez JCC can support your family’s needs throughout the school year. It’s a great chance to meet staff, make new friends, and get involved in our vibrant community. The Open House is not just about discovering resources; it’s about feeling connected and supported as we step into the new school year.
Apple Picking with PJ for Rosh Hashanah – September 22nd, 1pm
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time for renewal and reflection. What better way to celebrate this season than with a fun-filled day of apple picking at Stribling Orchard in Markham, VA? This family-friendly event connects us to the traditions of Rosh Hashanah, including the sweetness of apples dipped in honey, symbolizing our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year ahead. It’s a wonderful opportunity to teach our children about the significance of Rosh Hashanah while enjoying a delightful outdoor activity.
