A weekly rally of solidarity and song with Rick Recht, JCC leaders, clergy, and families on Facebook Live
The Staenberg Family Foundation has launched the JCCs (Jewish Community Camps) of North America Flagpole, a community-wide rally of solidarity and song on four consecutive Wednesdays—May 13, 20, and 27, as well as June 3—at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET, which will stream via Facebook Live on the Jewish Community Centers of North America Facebook page. Rick Recht, a renowned Jewish artist, will host the interactive and music-filled Flagpole series that will prominently feature leaders, clergy, and JCC camp families from coast to coast, who will share inspiring stories and news from their own communities. The use of “Flagpole” in the series’ title comes from the Jewish summer camp ritual of gathering around the flagpole daily to sing, make announcements, and raise or lower the flags.
“COVID-19 will make the summer camp season more complicated this year, but so much of the magic of Jewish summer camp is in the relationships between our kids, their staff, and camp’s amazing traditions. So, we’re finding ways to give life to those traditions in other ways,” said Doron Krakow, president and CEO of JCC Association of North America. “With 25 overnight camps and more than 150 day camps, JCC Association is home to the largest network of Jewish camps in North America, providing a summer home to nearly 100,000 young people each year.”
Krakow continued, “The Flagpole gatherings will bring our campers and their families together through the music and song via Facebook Live, with the remarkable Rick Recht. Together, they’ll celebrate the timeless rituals and traditions that are at the very heart of Jewish summer camp.”
In addition to bringing Flagpole to JCC Association, the Staenberg Family Foundation is launching the Flagpole initiative in multiple cities, including Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta, as well as with the Ramah Camping Movement.
“I’ve never experienced such an extreme level of interaction and engagement as I am seeing with Facebook Live community gatherings,” said Rick Recht, founder and music director of the Flagpole initiative. “Not only are people attending in unprecedented numbers, but the sentiments they share during the shows about community, gratitude, and hope are absolutely profound and heartwarming.”
JCC Camps Flagpole
Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on Jewish Community Centers of North America Facebook page
Flagpole series begins on Wednesday, May 13, 2020
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ABOUT RICK RECHT
Rick Recht is one of the most celebrated Jewish artists of our time, playing family concerts, Shabbat Alive! services, religious school concerts, teen concerts, camp concerts, and tot concerts throughout the United States and abroad. He is widely recognized as a pioneer of the Jewish rock music genre, elevating the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity among the masses. Recht has 12 top selling Jewish albums, including his latest hit album, “Here I Am.” In addition to his role as an artist, Recht is regarded as a top Jewish educator and leader in the Jewish world. He is the founder and executive director of Songleader Boot Camp, a high quality leadership training program in North America. He is the national music spokesman for PJ Library and producer of PJ Library Radio. Recht is also the founder and executive director of Jewish Rock Radio, the first high caliber, 24/7, Jewish rock Internet radio station. He resides in St Louis, MO, where he serves as artist-in-residence at United Hebrew Congregation. Recht enjoys sharing his life with his wife, Elisa, and sons, Kobi and Tal.
ABOUT STAENBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Staenberg Family Foundation was founded in 2005 by Michael and Carol Staenberg as a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Guided by Jewish values, the Staenberg Family Foundation seeks to ensure that the Jewish community, as well as the greater St. Louis region, thrives and flourishes. The Staenbergs chose to establish the Foundation in this manner because they believe that the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ mission is consistent with their family values as Jews. Tzedakah (righteousness) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) are values that have guided the Jewish people and guide the Staenberg family. They also wanted to set an example of giving for the community and their immediate family. “Our children are the next generation, and it’s really important that we teach them the importance of giving to others. Tzedakah is basic to Judaism,” stated Carol Staenberg.
ABOUT JCC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
JCC Association of North America leads and connects the JCC Movement, advancing and enriching North American Jewish life. With 1.5 million people walking through the doors of JCCs (Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps) each week, the JCC Movement represents the largest platform of Jewish engagement on the continent. JCC Association is the convening organization of this powerful network, partnering with JCCs to bring together the collective power and knowledge of the JCC Movement, which includes 6,000 full-time skilled professionals and more than 32,000 part-time seasonal staff. Our network of 25 overnight camps, serving 22,000 campers and employing 6,000 staff members, draws campers from 152 U.S. cities and four Canadian provinces. More than 150 day camps serve 58,000 campers and employ 11,000 summer staff. By supporting JCC professionals and staff, together we enhance and strengthen Jewish life throughout North America. Learn more at JCCA.org or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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