Mother’s Day Within the J – 2023

“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a while but hold their hearts forever.” This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the mother/(adult) child duos who work or work out together at the JCC. Discover more about their relationships and how they manage family dynamics in the workplace.

Gail Neer is the Welcome Desk Supervisor at the Park Heights JCC and her son, Antonius Reternik, is the Assistant Director of Member and Guest Services Operations. 

What do you do at the JCC? How long have you worked here?
Gail: I’m the Park Heights Welcome Desk Supervisor and I will have been here a year and a half at the end of June.

Antonius: I am currently the Assistant Director of Member and Guest Services Operations. I have been with the JCC of Greater Baltimore for just over 2 years and I have worked for JCCs in general for over 11 years. I got my original position here as the Welcome Desk Supervisor by walking in and handing the hiring manager my resume and asking for an interview.

What two things create a perfect day at work?
Gail: An early start to the day and interacting with our wonderful members.

Antonius: Community and accomplishment; one of the reasons I enjoy working for JCCs is the sense of community and I feel like my job gives me the ability to feel like I have accomplished something at the end of the day.

Has working together strengthened your relationship with your mother (child)? How?
Gail: I feel it has strengthened our relationship. We also worked together at the JCC of San Francisco. I was there almost 16 years and Antonius about 10 years. Although we have different jobs, we can support each other as we understand the ups and downs of the job.

Antonius: I think it has. We both worked together at the JCC in San Francisco and at different times we were often able to commute to and from work together as well as just stop by to chat. I was also able to see how hard she worked firsthand and how she handled adversity and persevered through it.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve given to your child? (What is the best piece of advice your mother has given you? Did you take it?) Did they take your advice?
Gail: Most things in life are NBD (no big deal), so focus on what’s truly important and let the rest sort itself out. I hope he is learning this lesson.

Antonius: That I can do almost anything I set my mind to. Sometimes, I am not always the best at pushing beyond my comfort zone.

What is your mother’s (child’s) superpower?
Gail: He has great follow-through on what needs to be done at work.

Antonius: Perseverance! She has had hard times in her life, but she has always pushed through and kept fighting. 

What are your tips for balancing work and family?
Gail: First, make time for yourself to nurture your spirit, mind, and body. Then make time for your significant other or your next closet relationship, then any children, work, and the community.

Antonius: The most important is to leave each in their place: once you leave work there is very little that needs to be handled like an emergency. Most of us don’t have a life hanging on making a decision after work hours, and vice versa.

AMY SCHWARTZ AND RHETA ROSEN

Amy Schwartz is the Senior Director of Group Fitness at the JCC. Her mother, Rheta Rosen, is an avid group fitness participant.

What do you do at the JCC? How long have you worked here?
Rheta: I am an active user of the JCC. I take group fitness classes 3-4 times a week. I’ve been a member for about 22 years. I love being at the JCC. It makes me feel good. I’ve developed a community here. We’ve gone from seeing each other at the JCC to going out to lunch!  

Amy: I moved to Owings Mills and began teaching classes at a local fitness center. One of the instructors I met there (Pauline Lapin) suggested I audition at the JCC. That’s how I started working for the JCC. That was in 1998. I worked full-time for an insurance company in downtown Baltimore. In October 2000, I ran into Esther Greenberg at BWI. She was a JCC Board member at the time and an avid user of JCC group fitness classes. We were both headed to the same marketing conference. She gave me a ride home from the airport and told me that the JCC was looking for a marketing director. So, in January 2001, I started full-time as the JCC’s Marketing and Membership Director and still taught group fitness at the JCC. About 6 years later, I became the JCC’s Fitness and Wellness Director. My current title is Senior Director of Group Fitness. (Sorry, it’s not a short story!!)

What two things create a perfect day at work?
Rheta: The perfect day at the JCC is walking out and feeling better than when you walked in!

Amy: That’s a tough question! I love what I do at the J! I love fitness. I love group fitness! I love the community we build with members and with our instructor team! 
Has working together strengthened your relationship with your mother (child)? How?

Rheta: Yes, definitely. I can discuss what happens in my class. It also makes my relationship with the JCC stronger and more familiar. So many people know me because they know Amy. 

Amy: Yes. My mom didn’t work out before she joined the JCC. She played tennis with a group of friends once a week. Then she and my dad joined the J once I started working here. I encouraged my mom to try different classes. She took a few of my classes which was really fun. She doesn’t know her right from her left, though!! I said, at least once in every class she took, “your other left foot, mom!!” The shared experiences have been priceless!!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve given to your child? (What is the best piece of advice your mother has given you? Did you take it?) Did they take your advice?
Rheta: Be honest with yourself and with everyone else. Yes, Amy’s taken that advice at times. She doesn’t always listen. My daughters are much more independent than I am.

Amy: Be honest. Yes. I follow it, but probably not how she meant it! I am sometimes brutally honest. I’ve learned, over time, from good friends, work colleagues, and a good supervisor, that honesty is great as long as it’s accompanied by empathy. 

What is your mother’s (child’s) superpower?
Rheta: I think Amy is amazing. I think she has great ideas. I feel like she is well-respected at the J because of her knowledge of fitness and everything else!

Amy: Generosity. She’s generous with her time — she volunteers for her synagogue, she’s always available for her children and grandchildren and extended family. She’s extremely thoughtful — a good friend who is the caretaker for her husband, recently fell. My mom called to ask if she could bring them lunch. She got them their favorites from Lenny’s and drove it 20 minutes to Towson where they live.

What are your tips for balancing work and family?
Rheta: Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. I don’t know that I could do everything that Amy does at one time. I don’t think I could multi-task like Amy does.

Amy: Get your family involved with your work!! There are so many opportunities for everyone to be part of what we do. I also think that being able to work from home (a byproduct of COVID) helps. 

HILARY GROOPMAN AND ALEK GROOPMAN

Hilary Groopman teaches Zumba and is a member of our Group Fitness team. Alek Groopman is a personal trainer, runs the Youth Fitness Programs, and works with the Ropes Course and Sports.

What do you do at the JCC? How long have you worked here?
Hilary: I am a Zumba Fitness Instructor at the JCC and have been teaching classes for a little over 15 years.

Alek: I got my position at the J after college by starting as just a floor worker, then getting my CPT, and then taking over the Youth Fitness Programs, and now working with the Ropes Course and Sports on top of training. I’ve been here almost ten years. 

What two things create a perfect day at work?
Hilary: My perfect day is when I see friends, colleagues, and participants at the JCC. It is wonderful to be seen and valued, and I endeavor to feed that back to those I meet. And, my perfect day includes being able to teach a class where I can motivate participants to get a good workout, to feel the joy of movement, and to help build a supportive community where members can express themselves through dance.

Alek: The perfect day at work involves seeing all my favorite clients (including mom) and being able to get in my own workout while shooting the breeze with all my other great trainers. 

Has working together strengthened your relationship with your mother (child)? How?
Hilary: Working together strengthens respect. I have had the opportunity to get to know Alek in his professional life in a way that is different from the typical family setting. I am constantly impressed with his knowledge base and his motivational skills. I really value seeing him interact with others on this level.

Alek: Our relationship has certainly gotten stronger as we have been able to grow physically and professionally together. Getting to spend time together at work has been able to give each of us insight into each other’s days and help us understand each other better. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve given to your child? (What is the best piece of advice your mother has given you? Did you take it?) Did they take your advice?
Hilary: I have tried to encourage Alek to follow his dreams. I think he is on a wonderful path.

Alek: Follow your passions. And yes, I get to work with people, actually doing something that helps them and not doing some mindless cubical job.

What is your mother’s (child’s) superpower?
Hilary: Alek’s superpower is his capacity to love and care for those around him.

Alek: My mom’s superpower is her persistent positivity and presentation. She always has her bright outfits on point while teaching to reflect her great attitude.
What are your tips for balancing work and family?

Hilary: It’s important to find joy in both work and family activities, to feed your soul, and allow you to bring the positivity of one to the other. Sharing these different aspects of yourself fosters connectivity and understanding. The balancing act requires vigilance to evaluate and maintain a respectful separation while putting your best self into both work and family.

Alek: To balance work and family, respect what people do for their profession and when life wanders into those areas, look to them as experts in that field as opposed to your family member and they will surprise you with what they can do. Outside of work, make time for each other. My mom and I love to cook with each other.