Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Episode 7: Choosing Jewish Joy: Building Community at the Kaplen JCC with Michael Kollender & Sue Gelsey
Description
Daniel Herz welcomes Michael Kollender, Board Chair, and Sue Gelsey, CEO, of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades as they reflect on the center's 75th anniversary. Daniel, Michael, and Sue dive into the importance of shifting the community's narrative away from focusing solely on anti-Semitism and toward joyful, positive Jewish engagement, or, what they call "Jewish joy."
Learn all about the Kaplen JCC's incredible reach (nearly one million visits through its doors annually), how the JCC serves as a "community of communities," and how it serves everyone from children learning to swim to seniors forming a tight knit friend groups. As an added bonus, this episode also features a bit of breaking news regarding the JCC's future, with the announcement of an upcoming capital campaign to build a brand new Campus East to support their massive growth.
It is another inspiring conversation about leadership, community building, and making a lasting impact. Proudly sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey!
Sign up at https://JewsforNJ.org
Connect on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jfnnj