An Unforgettable Experience: My First JCC Regional Conference

Anyone who works at a JCC can tell you it is a wonderfully unique experience. Every day is different and keeps you on your toes in the best possible way. When the JCC Association announced it was putting on the JCC’s of North America Professional Conference this year, the first since before Covid, we were all understandably very excited. Getting together with other JCC professionals from around the country who understand the passion and dedication it takes to work at a non-profit like this is such an amazing opportunity. Unfortunately, to our profound collective disappointment, the conference had to be canceled. That’s when a beautiful thing happened. JCC leaders, including our very own CEO, Ivy Harlev, stepped up and worked together to create regional conferences all across the country, giving even more J staff the opportunity to get together than would have attended the original conference. There were almost 170 J team members at the JCC Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference alone!

I was especially excited because this would be my first JCC conference ever. Not only was I asked to attend along with 11 of my colleagues, but I was also asked to co-chair the Marketing track with Central NJ Marketing Director, Jill Callahan. Jill and I had fun brainstorming ideas for the 4 sessions we were to run during the 3-day conference. We were lucky enough to get JCC Association Digital Marketing Director, Morgan Weiss, as a guest speaker for our sessions. Morgan was an invaluable resource leading up to and during the conference.

We finally arrived at the Capital Camps retreat center in Waynesboro, PA, a beautiful campground surrounded by nature. Once our team was settled into our shared cabin (team bonding level: LEGENDARY), I took a short hike down what felt like the longest staircase in the world to a sparkling river and just soaked in the beauty around me. I definitely felt the burn on the way back up, but it was worth it. It was the calm and focus I needed to face the jam-packed schedule of the days ahead.  The days were filled morning-to-night, starting with early hikes and ending with evening activities like Drag Bingo and Comedy Sports. Everything in between was filled with engaging, thought-provoking discussions during our cohort sessions, and electives on topics ranging from climate change to fighting Anti-Semitism. The greatest part of all was meeting so many new people who could relate to everything I experience in my job every day.

Through networking, I was able to gain valuable insight from experts in my field that I wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. Overall, attending this conference gave me the opportunity to meet some amazing people and form valuable connections that will last for years to come.

Overall, my first regional conference was an incredible learning experience. I was able to gain new insights, build meaningful relationships, and have a great time overall. I can’t wait to do it again next year and see what new things I will learn!