The Asheville JCC will receive the Zahav award in Jewish Impact at the JCCs of North America Biennial to be held May 15-18 in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 700 people from the U.S., Canada, Israel, and countries in Latin America and Europe and the former Soviet Union are expected to attend this showcase event of the JCC Movement.
The award is being given for the “What’s Jewish About That?” interactive quiz, created by Community Life & Events Director Rochelle Reich. “The quiz lives on a touch screen in the lobby with a monthly rotation of four questions,” she explains. “The quiz is designed to be an easy, low barrier way for people to interact with the intersection between daily and secular topics and Judaism. It is a simple, quick way for JCC members and visitors to make Judaism relevant to their everyday lives. Topics are wide-ranging and include camping, swimming, insects, pregnancy and trees.”
The inspiration for the project is a result of a fellowship that Rochelle participated in for emerging Jewish Professional leaders in the JCC Movement. The Jewish Experiential Leadership Institute was joint project of the Jewish Theological Seminary and the JCCA, and was funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation. Rochelle credits this amazing experience for the projects’ success.
The full list of Zahav Award Winners and Kol Ha Kavod Award Winners are listed at http://biennial.jcca.org/awards/jcc-excellence-awards/. Zahav Award winners will be displayed at the JCCs of North America Biennial. They represent an impressive group of ideas in programming, service, operations, and marketing.
“Those who choose to work in non-profits and dedicate their careers to building community aren’t always recognized when their work succeeds or goes beyond expectations,” said Robin Ballin, JCC Association senior vice president, directors JCCs of North America Biennial.
“This is a chance for them to shine, for their peers to see what excellence looks like and for others to get ideas, and run with them,” she said. “We have so many talented people in the field, doing exceptional work every day. It was difficult choosing which initiatives were deserving of awards.”
This year there were 213 submissions for the competition. Awards recognized excellence in lay leadership, program and operations, and marketing and communications. Entries came from 60 JCCs and of those, 37 won Zahav Awards, given for outstanding visionary initiatives, and 62 were awarded Kol Ha Kavod Awards, given for exemplary initiatives that can be replicated.
Every two years, the JCCs of North America Biennial Convention brings together JCC lay leaders to learn, share, and network with their peers. JCC Association offers leadership and vision and invites top speakers to lead seminars and workshops on a variety of topics relevant to JCCs—their operation and mission.
About JCC Association:
JCC Association is the leadership network for the Jewish Community Center Movement, comprising nearly 350 JCC, YM-YWHA, and campsites in the U. S. and Canada. JCC Association offers a wide range of services and resources to strengthen the capacity of its affiliates to provide educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programs to enhance the lives of North American Jews of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the movement fosters and strengthens connections between North American Jews and Israel as well as with world Jewry. JCC Association is also a U.S. government-accredited agency for serving the religious and social needs of Jewish military personnel, their families, and patients in VA hospitals through JWB Jewish Chaplains Council.
