JCC gave volunteer a lifetime of experiences

   Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center volunteer Barbara Glazer received the Joe E. Smith Award at the JCC’s annual meeting on May 27. This is an edited version of her acceptance speech.

   Here is the question: How many hours do you have to spend at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center to be considered for the Joe E. Smith volunteer award? One hour per week? One hour per day? Or just set up a bed in the building because you never leave anyway?

   While my recent life and time has been dedicated to this organization, my relationship with the JCC goes way back and forms the foundation on which I stand today.

   My parents — Susan, who is here tonight, and Arnold Effron (of blessed memory) — introduced me to the JCC by taking my brother and me to Camp Interlaken Family Camp in 1974. That initiated my 10 summers of joy at the Steve and Shari Sadek Family Camp Interlaken which gave me the heart and soul of my Jewish identity.

   I was a performer at the Jewish Jubilee when the JCC was still on Prospect Avenue and always attended the Walk for Israel with my family and friends.

   Jumping forward a few years, as a single girl living in Wilmington, Del., I found comfort in joining the JCC as my workout facility and it also turned out to be my matchmaker. I met my husband, Mark Glazer, at a JCC-sponsored young adult Chanukah party while living there.

   When Mark and I moved our family to Milwaukee 14 years ago, we immediately joined the JCC and thus began my modern relationship with this fabulous organization.

   I have watched my children — Aaron, Daniel and Josh — grow through their experiences at the JCC.

   They have developed skills such as swimming, golf and basketball; built friendships both locally and up in Eagle River; and nurtured their Jewish identity by performing mitzvahs and taking leadership roles in BBYO.

   Mark and I too shared four years of Family Camp with our children to make l’dor v’dor [from generation to generation] a reality in our family.

   One of the most memorable experiences of our JCC life occurred when Josh and his friend Adam chose to raise funds for former JCC athletic director, Bob Aker, of blessed memory, upon his diagnosis of ALS.

   The Buckets for Bob fundraiser brought awareness of ALS, much needed funds for Bob’s medical care, and an overwhelming sense of the family and community that the JCC fosters for all who walk through its doors.

   Currently I am chairing the Jewish Impact portion of the Maccabi Games and hoping to make a difference in the inner city of Milwaukee in the name of our JCC.

   Although my whole life, it seems, has been tied to the JCC, my story isn’t really unusual in this Jewish community. We all have a connection to the JCC whether we are current members or not.

   The question to ask is, “Why would I choose to volunteer my precious time to this organization?” One could argue that I am indebted and thus I am obligated to give back to my JCC, but that isn’t the whole story.

   The JCC is the shining star in our Jewish community that unites us no matter which synagogue we pray at or how we live our lives. Everyone is welcome here and we partner to make our community healthy and resilient.  

   I volunteer here because these JCC values are my values and our city is a vibrant place to live and work because agencies like the JCC are strong and secure.

   I volunteer to make Jewish Milwaukee welcoming and so that those in need of a food pantry are not forgotten. I volunteer because every Jew deserves the opportunity to enjoy the full scope of Jewish life no matter what their financial means may be.

   I volunteer because I believe that a strong Jewish community of today means a strong Jewish future for tomorrow. I volunteer because I truly care about what happens in Milwaukee and to the Jewish people.

   While my volunteering helps the community, it has given me tremendous personal satisfaction as well. When I stepped out of the workforce to raise my children, volunteering kept my skills active and broadened my business expertise.

   I can definitely say that I have gained more from volunteering than I have given in time I have donated. The experience has been priceless.

   I would be remiss if I didn’t give some credit of my staying power and volunteer drive to the wonderful staff that work at the JCC.

   Every time I walk through these doors I am greeted warmly, challenged mentally and physically, and given opportunities for personal development and encouragement. The family of staff at our JCC is the best and helps to make this organization so strong.

   Finally, I need to give a special thank you to our president and chief executive officer, Mark Shapiro. His vision, passion, energy and leadership has been both electrifying and challenging over the past 12 years.

   Thank you to the Joe E. Smith family for endowing this honor and to the nominating committee for recognizing me in this manner. I’m touched, humbled and honored to have received this award.

   Thank you to my family who support me through committee meetings, endless chatter about the Jewish community and frozen pizza dinners on occasion. My greatest joy is seeing you, my children, take on your own leadership roles in the Jewish community and follow in the path Dad and I have paved for you.

   So to answer the question at the start: How many hours do you have to spend at the JCC to be considered for the Joe E. Smith volunteer award? The answer is a lifetime.

   Barbara Glazer is also active in Women’s Philanthropy of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and is a co-chair of this year’s MJF annual meeting.