JCC Professional Conference

  • About
    • Welcome
    • Letter From Doron Krakow
  • Schedule
    • Schedule At-A-Glance
    • Job Tracks
    • Keynote Speakers
    • CYO Sessions
    • Breakfast Meetings
    • Morning Activities
    • Evening Activites
  • Awards
    • JCCs of North America Program Award Winners
    • JCCs of North America Program Awards
    • JCCs of North America Service Awards
    • Award Categories
    • Guidelines for Submission
    • Program Awards FAQs
  • Sponsors & Vendors
    • Become a Sponsor or Vendor
    • 2019 Sponsors
    • 2019 Vendors
  • Hotel
  • Registration
    • Rates
    • Register Now
You are here: Home / 2011 / What I learned in Orlando – DAY ONE

What I learned in Orlando – DAY ONE

April 5, 2011 By marketing

In my group of 35 Adult Arts and Education Professionals we were asked to bring in two photos, printed on 8 ½ by 11. One was to be a picture of what we saw when we enter our JCC and the other was to be an image of a Jewish spot within our JCC. We covered the small meeting room walls with taped up photos of multi-sized entrances, front desks, reception areas, sculptures, Menorahs, Mezuzahs, a giant hanging wooden Magen David that hovers over a JCC foyer, as if it is protecting or watching over its guests, children in Purim costumes, comfy, funky-looking couches to hang out on and ponder relevant Jewish paintings (Calgary JCC).
After discussing our pictures, and which pictures resonated with each participant, one of our leaders Dr. David Ackerman was specially taken with Toronto’s Miles Nadal JCC’s Jewish Life Senior Programmer Sharoni Sibony’s photo of our entrance. She chose a photo of our ever-ebullient entrance greeter, Akiva with our security guard Joseph. Akiva is as friendly as he appears in the photo. The message David received from Sharoni’s picture is, ‘yes, we are welcoming, and yes, you are safe here, because you need to be safe in your JCC and did we mention how welcome you are?’ It is an admittedly mixed or layered message, a picture that says a lot. Sharoni and I were taken a-back with this exercise – looking at other JCCs, that are so unfamiliar to us but something about them all is inherently familiar. Is it the thought involved in conveying a warm and welcoming environment at each JCC?
Just listening to what our JCC colleagues across North America love about entering their place of employ, what prides them and what element of the entrance speaks to us as professionals and users – be it a donor recognition spot, a picture drawn by a child, or a ticket booth – made me think about how we differ as individuals on what is important to each of us, what makes us proud and passionate about the entrance to our building. Gently provoking stuff for day one…and that was only the beginning.
Then, JCC President Allan Finkelstein address on 21st Agency for 21st Century Leaders mega-charged me! “if it’s not broke, BREAK it!” among other zingers from his speech (that were being tweeted as he spoke them) tops it off for me. What a speaker! So I signed up for breakfast with him in a couple of days… eeek, I’d better get my act together and think of fascinating but relevant topics to engage Allan while he eats his French toast, or corn flakes.
Esther out.

Esther Arbeid | Miles Nadal JCC

Filed Under: 2011, Participant Blog Posts Tagged With: pc2011, procon

Book Your Hotel Rooms

Reserve your hotel rooms before they sell out! Learn more

Thank You To Our Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

 

Emerald Sponsor

 

Sapphire Sponsors



Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

Search

Connect with us: Facebook · Twitter · Instagram

Copyright JCCs of North America © 2021 · www.jcca.org

MENU
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Letter From Doron Krakow
  • Schedule
    • Schedule At-A-Glance
    • Job Tracks
    • Keynote Speakers
    • CYO Sessions
    • Breakfast Meetings
    • Morning Activities
    • Evening Activites
  • Awards
    • JCCs of North America Program Award Winners
    • JCCs of North America Program Awards
    • JCCs of North America Service Awards
    • Award Categories
    • Guidelines for Submission
    • Program Awards FAQs
  • Sponsors & Vendors
    • Become a Sponsor or Vendor
    • 2019 Sponsors
    • 2019 Vendors
  • Hotel
  • Registration
    • Rates
    • Register Now