J Blog

Whose Side Will You Take to Get in Shape?
In the spirit of summer competition, our next fitness challenge, Trainer vs. Trainer, starts next week. Angela and Ulises face off in a challenge to get you in beach body shape in no time. Once you choose your team, either Team Angela or Team Ulises, you can choose to train with your group either once or twice a week for the duration of the challenge.

The educators never stop learning at the Bertha Alyce School! Much like the children they teach, these educators never stop spreading their enthusiasm as they make new discoveries and grow in their abilities. With a culture emphasizing continuous professional development and collaboration, it is a natural next step that the educators of Bertha Alyce will now be educating professionals from across the nation.

The term Circuit Training is used often in the fitness industry. Fitness magazines and websites are filled with articles that include a variety of circuit style workouts.

Circuit Training can play a role in your fitness routine regardless of whether your goals are gaining strength, adding lean muscle or losing weight. There are many additional benefits in utilizing this type of workout. Let's start by defining what Circuit Training is.

J Camps opens in a few short weeks. We are getting excited about everything that we have to offer this summer, and we cannot wait to welcome you and your children. 

One of the many things that makes J Camps special is the diverse population of our campers and staff. The world that we live in is ever-changing, and the needs of our campers and staff constantly evolve. The social and emotional well-being of our campers and staff is as important to us as their physical safety here at camp.

Last summer, we contracted with a psychologist on a part-time basis to help us on this front and felt that even though the help was limited, it made an important impact. 

The J invites you to two free screenings of this important film.

A famous story in the Talmud teaches about a gentile who came before the great Shammai and said: “I will convert [to Judaism] if you can teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Shammai pushed the man aside with a ruler that was in his hand. The man then came before the great Hillel [with the same proposition], and Hillel converted him, saying, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor, that is the entire Torah, the rest is just commentary, now go and learn.”

Every summer, we, as parents, have to make choices about the experiences that we want for our children. We look at the 12 weeks that our children will not be in school and think “How can I make this time meaningful and fun for my kids?” 

There are so many different choices: family vacations, spending time with extended family, staying at home, volunteering, going to work with a parent, going to residential camp and attending day camp.

One of the best things about fitness classes is that you have an entire room of people in the same boat as you. It could be your first class ever, or the third this week, all of you are in it together.

When someone asks me where to begin when joining a gym, I always recommend checking out the class schedule. From dance, to cycle, there is something fun to do, the instructors know what they are talking about, and all eyes are not on you.

Bringing Israeli Tech and Innovation to Campers at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC 

We are excited to bring this amazing program from across the globe to Houston this summer. In #BIGIDEA camps, creative and curious campers can choose from 10 different workshops including gaming, graphic design, coding, robotics, electronic DJ-ing, mobile app development, music video production and more. Campers are encouraged to explore, learn, engage and achieve in the spirit of Israel's high-tech industry. 

Hosting guests in our homes can often feel like an overwhelming task. We need to devise a menu, shop for ingredients, cook a meal, and clean up. On the holiday of Passover, hosting can be even more daunting because there is the added element of planning and leading a Seder. And yet, opening our homes is one of the most significant and impactful ways to observe Passover. 

As we approach what is often referred to as "swimsuit season," a desire to look our best becomes a priority. This desire can motivate us to try weight loss options that we wouldn't normally consider or that may prove to be a risk on our health. Safe and healthy weight loss requires patience and self control along with some basic guidelines.