By Rebecca Zimmerman
The Simon Family JCC is like a second home to me. In fact, I often feel like I live there.
My children attend the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, located on campus, as well as Camp JCC during the summer. It’s convenient to go to the gym or stop by the Cardo Café after drop off.
I end up coming to the Center even when there is no school or camp.
On the weekends and school holidays, I still use the gym because my kids can play happily in babysitting. We’ve attended fun, family-friendly events like the Shabbat dinners, P.J. Library, the Maccabeats, and Israel Fest, just to name a few.
We hosted our daughter’s birthday party at the Center, and this year we even convinced the kids to participate in Kids Night Out while we grownups had a few hours to ourselves.
Did I mention the pool has kept me sane? During the two weeks of snowpacalypse and on rainy weekends, I brought my stir-crazy kids to the indoor pool. In the summer, you’ll often find us at the outdoor pool, beating the heat. We often end up running into friends or making play dates there.
It’s not just the facilities and the helpful staff that make the Simon Family JCC such an inviting place. It’s the people we meet and befriend that create this community.
Having lived in Israel where I did not have close family, I’ve come to understand the importance of a community in providing support for families. I feel lucky that we’ve found such a wonderful group of people that have helped make my family feel at home in Hampton Roads.
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