Starting March 25, the Rosenbloom OM JCC main entrance will temporarily close as we redesign our front lobby. The new temporary entrance will in the back of the building by the CSA studio. Members and guests will need to follow signs and drive around the right side of the building.View parking map

  • Today's Hours

  • Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC
    5:30am - 9:00pm

  • Weinberg Park Heights JCC
    5:30am - 9:30pm

Shabbat candle lighting: 7:11pm

Shabbat candle lighting: 7:11pm

JCC Blog

JCC Blog

Tag: Health

Jan31
by admin
Teens Health
First Aid for Teen Mental Health Infused with Jewish Values

While you might expect teens to be moody, would you know when mood swings, irritability or fears signal something far more serious? Once dismissed as growing pains, problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders affect significantly more teenagers than in previous generations. About 20% of American teens live with a mental health condition, reports the National Institute of Mental Health. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14 and 75% begin by the mid-20s. Tragically, the suicide rate for 18- to 19-year-olds climbed 56% from 2008 to 2017. As teen mental health issues become more prevalent, the need for education grows. 

That’s why 4Front, a teen-focused initiative directed by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore and supported...

Feb13
by admin
Health
Helping JCC members have #StrongerHearts

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States?

Educating Baltimoreans about the prevention and treatment of heart disease is the main goal behind a new innovative collaborative initiative between LifeBridge Health (LBH) and The American Heart Association (AHA) called #StrongerHearts.

“This dynamic partnership between LifeBridge Health and the American Heart Association is already translating into new resources and programs designed to help JCC members enhance or improve their cardiovascular health,” says Barak Hermann, CEO of the JCC of Greater...

Feb20
by admin
Special Needs Health
On the Spectrum

by Alex Holt 

Alex Holt was born on Long Island but grew up near Albany and Buffalo, New York. He was first identified as being on the autism spectrum around 1994 or 1995. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in journalism in 2013 before moving to Baltimore and receiving his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2014. He recently completed an internship at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC in 2017, where he still writes.

“If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism” - Dr. Stephen Shore

What’s it like being autistic? I honestly couldn’t tell you, at least not completely. Actually, that’s not quite true: I...

Jan22
Bodybuilder Yaakov at the J
by admin
Fitness Exercise Health
BODYBUILDING 101: The Importance of Discipline and Diet

There are a lot of benefits to taking up bodybuilding but quick results are not one of them, at least not according to JCC trainers and veteran bodybuilders Yaakov Bar Am and Abbie Friedberg. The way Yaakov and Abbie tell it, bodybuilding requires tremendous self-discipline and meticulous nutrition, years of hard work to start getting the results you want, and even more hard work to maintain those results once they do start showing up.

“You have to want to do it,” Abbie says. “First and foremost, you have to have the drive to do it because it’s a huge commitment. It’s like with any sport: just to go through the motions of doing it, it won’t get you to where you need to be, you really need to have that drive to get up there and do it.”

At least during competition season, Abbie says the source for that drive is...

Nov14
Thanksgiving Dinner
by admin
Health Holidays
A Healthy Thanksgiving…is it possible?

From Amy Schwartz, Senior Director, Fitness and Wellness 

A cup of common sense, a few calorie-cutting tactics, and a newfound emphasis on family rather than food can add up to a healthy Thanksgiving.

Healthy Thanksgiving Meal Tips

1. Chicken Broth. Use it to moisten stuffing, baste the turkey, and braise pearl onions. Make your own or choose low-sodium canned broth.

2. Trim the fat from recipes and side dishes. Make simple switches…
- Roast the turkey on a rack so that the fat will drain off.
- Buy French baguettes for stuffing. They are made without fat or sugar.
- Roast, don’t boil, sweet potatoes to bring out their natural sweetness.
- Replace mashed potatoes with low-calorie squash.
- Flavor food with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

...
Oct09
Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon
by admin
Fitness Health
Can Exercise Prevent Breast Cancer?

Amy Schwartz, Senior Director, Fitness and Wellness 

October is breast cancer awareness month and I thought I’d take a look at the relationship between physical activity and breast cancer risk. Researching this, I found that there is substantial evidence that higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risks of several cancers – including breast cancer. Physical activity includes working, exercising, performing household chores, and leisure-time activities such as walking, tennis, hiking, bicycling, and swimming.

Many studies show that physically active women have a lower risk of breast cancer than inactive women. In a 2013 analysis of 31 studies of the correlation of exercise to breast cancer risk reduction, the average reduction associated with physical activity was 12%! In contrast, a large study showed an increase in...

Jun29
Weightlifting
by admin
Fitness Personal Training Health
Revive Your Body, Revive Your Life

A Conversation with J Fitness Trainer Abbie Friedberg

J Fitness Trainer Abbie Friedberg made the decision to “change [her] world” in her early 30’s.

Abbie’s parents both passed away at young ages following  battles with cancer. Her mother fought  for fifteen years, her father for a little over a year.  The two passed just 15 months apart, her mother at 60; her father at 66.

This took a huge toll on Abbie, but it also catapulted her forward, mentally and physically.  Her mother, Abbie recounts, was a true survivor.  For 15 years, her mother stayed focused on attending all the important family milestones.

Abbie explains, “My mother lived from one event to the next....

Apr28
Dumbbell Weights
by admin
Fitness Health Exercise
Evan Huckfeldt Story

Evan Huckfeldt Before and AfterBy Alex Holt

By the time Evan Huckfeldt walked into Fitness Director Raychel Setless’s office at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC in November 2015, he already knew why, when, and where he wanted to lose weight.

Why, because after only a few months of working at Stevenson University as a residential director, a diet of fast food and cafeteria cuisine had pushed his weight up to 265 pounds. 

When, because he wanted to weigh less than 200 pounds within seven months of joining the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC as a member.

Where, because as a...

Feb13
Hal Gotoff
by admin
Fitness Health Exercise
Feeling fit, feeling fine

At 94, rocket scientist Hal Gotoff’s looking active and athletic 

Harold L. “Hal” Gotoff joined the JCC when he was 43 years old, in 1965. Today, at 94 years, Hal’s working-out strong.

A fitness advocate, Hal recalls his earliest days as a member, jogging four miles up and down the Weinberg Park Heights JCC corridor with his buddies, doing push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, squats.

For 15 years at the Weinberg J, Hal served as a low impact aerobics instructor, and in 1995, he was awarded the JCC Man-of the Year for his dedication and leadership.

According to Weinberg JCC Fitness Supervisor Denard Smith, “Hal is an inspiration and testament to anyone who takes fitness seriously.”

Hal’s work out is more focused and more consistent than some...

Nov18
by admin
Health Holidays
Embracing the Vegan Lifestyle

Vegan Inspiration and a Thanksgiving Recipe from JCC Member Beth Brenner Rose

A few months ago, Beth Rose’s teenage son was cooking dinner to sharpen his culinary skills for the Maccabi ArtsFest. He needed a specific spice for his recipe, and Beth brought him to an Asian supermarket to look for it. She passed a container of live crabs, and as she watched a woman choose one and stuff it in a brown paper bag, Beth made the decision to embrace a vegan lifestyle.

Beth did not grow up with pets and does not consider herself to be a big animal activist, but she feels that if she can get everything she needs from plant-based products, there is no reason for her not to be vegan.

...