JCC Branch Opens In Palm Beach Gardens
By Joyce Moed

Sun Sentinel
The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches recently welcomed hundreds of people to the grand opening block party of its new JCC North facility in Palm Beach Gardens.

The party took place outside the facility at Midtown Square and featured a variety of activities for families and children, a tour of the new facility and a free concert. Other events throughout the day included a Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival short movie screening, a Fire and Ice Mad Science Show, a Mommy and Me Yoga demo, and children's soccer and baseball clinics. Face painters, balloon artists and kosher food vendors also were featured throughout the carnival-like setting.
The new JCC location is expected to meet the needs of northern Palm Beach County's growing Jewish population.

"There's an overwhelming excitement in Palm Beach Gardens to have a convenient Jewish Community Center close to where they live," said Michelle Lobovits, JCC executive director. "We clearly had a declining membership in West Palm Beach. Clearly from the turnout we had today, we feel the need is great for a Jewish Community Center to be here in this community. The turnout was fabulous."

One of the cornerstones of the new branch is the personal training boutique, a component of the JCC's health and wellness education program. Other features include classes and programs for all ages, which will take place at various locations throughout northern Palm Beach County, such as Mommy and Me, adult education classes and children's after-school programs, including T-ball, soccer, music and art.

Cultural arts events presented by the JCC North will include a "Girls Night Out" with Jill Zarin, co-star of The Real Housewives of New York City, on Jan. 21; comedian, comedy writer and author Carol Leifer on Feb. 8; and a concert by Joshua Nelson, the "Prince of Kosher Gospel," on March 18.

JCC programming will take place year-round, Lobovits said.

"More and more people are living here 12 months," she said. "This is definitely a year-round facility. There will be a lot of after-school programs for children and classes for adults."
Rachel Fox, program director, agreed.

"In June, we will add cooking and robotics," Fox said. "There will be really cool fun stuff for them to do. We will also have Camp Shalom days for when kids are off from school."