Dear Friends,
Many of us have been struck recently by the fact that it’s been two years of pandemic existence. I thought about that myself recently when we launched a brand-new Creative Movement Class two weeks ago, for children ages 4-6. The class of 12 students had an amazing time learning new choreography and expressing themselves through movement. It was incredible to see how much fun they had during the class, and even more inspiring to hear from the children at the end of the session that they didn’t want it to be over. One child said that they wished the class didn’t have an end so that they could keep dancing!
Young children have missed out on so much, including after school enrichment. What stuck out to me the most after the first class, and will be something that I will remember for a long time, was the parent who simply thanked me for offering this class. She told me that their child was just two years old when the pandemic began, and that this was the first time that a dance class was available for her child and that it made things feel “a little more normal”. Children have lost so much over these past two years and to be able to give these experiences back to them is one of the driving forces behind why we do the work we do here at the J.
We are so excited to continue to offer and create programming that fits the needs of our community, in an ever-changing world. With Covid-Safe programs and dynamic classes and events, we hope to give more young children first opportunities, and continue to serve all our community member’s needs. If you have any ideas for programming or notice you’re missing an opportunity that you think we could fill, we would love to hear from you! Email me to set up a time to chat: mmartin@phillyjcc.com.
Shabbat Shalom,
Matt Martin
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