SPRINGFIELD –  Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Jewish Community Center in Springfield is working to provide people with a safe space for people to connect and exercise as the school year begins.    

Executive Director Michael Paysnick told Reminder Publishing the center is “really gearing up,” with the start of the school year.

The center, which closed for several months due to Gov. Charlie Baker’s stay at home advisory in March, reopened in mid-July. However, despite having their doors closed to the public, Paysnick said they continued to offer virtual programming and even handed out hundreds of Camp-in-a-Boxes.

“When the pandemic struck, we transitioned to totally virtual,” he said. Paysnick said staff members worked to maintain contact throughout the summer with children in the programs and “conducted a special reading program for kids at home.”

He added their special needs program has continued to meet virtually, and a social group has been established that meets weekly as well.

The priority, he said, has been to provide support to children and families in any way possible. “We’ve tried to be creative in terms of virtual programs, [we’ve] done everything from Facebook chats to Facebook meetings and support groups,” he said.

The center’s preschool, Paysnick said, is up and running with the proper health and safety precautions and guidance. He added that the center was looking into offering a program for children who were learning remotely. “We’re in the process to, in the next day or so, announce a special program for school-age children that will be attending school virtually,” he said. One of the main points of the program, he said, was “to assist and provide childcare.”

Chief Operating Officer, Deb Krivoy, explained the program will work similarly to the hybrid learning plan approved by many schools where students stay with an assigned cohort. “The idea is to be able to do small groups that will stay together the entire time with dedicated staff who are only working with that particular small group,” Krivoy said. She added that there would be “no co-mingling, no exposure to other students or staff.”

She said the purpose of the program “is to provide a space for supervised learning setting.”     Krivoy said the program will offer both half-day and full-day opportunities, with the second half of the day allowing participants “to take advantage of the recreational programs” with “a big emphasis on being outside.”

Paysnick said in addition to offering virtual education programming, the center has and continues to offer virtual recreational programming. One of the center’s most popular programs that is offered virtually to guests, Chief Communications Officer Debbie Whitehead said is their personal training program which she said “is very strong right now.”

Whitehead said, “For the comfort of members, we allow them to have virtual or outdoor personal training.” Additionally, she said the center also has a dedicated studio for personal training “if they want to do indoor training.”

She added, “We’re always looking at the whole person.”

In addition to offering virtual programming, the center has also begun to offer limited in-person programming. Paysnick said one of the programs being offered in-person is the cycling class, which has been taking place in the center’s parking lot. Zumba and other group activity classes are being held in other outdoor spaces such as the tennis courts and fields.

Paysnick said the center’s pool is also open for guest use, but with restrictions in place such as only allowing one person per lane and special lanes dedicated to family members living in the same household.             

When asked what the center’s plans were when the weather becomes colder, he said they were “investigating tents to try to extend the season.” Additionally, he said that as talks for extending the season emerged he found that people said they’d be okay with holding classes into the fall as the weather cools.     

“We may be cycling with parkas on,” he joked.

He said in addition to offering classes outdoors, the center has a significant amount of space to allow for programming to allow for social distancing if people should choose to attend classes indoors. “We do have space in our building to significantly physically distance programs, it’s a question about whether people feel safe indoors,” he said.

For those who do choose to participate in programs inside the center, Paysnick said they are taking precautions to ensure the safety of both guests and staff. For the preschool, such measures include taking the children’s temperature when they arrive, and making sure staff and children wash and sanitize their hands regularly. Additionally, he said, a fogging system is used on indoor spaces and outdoor playground equipment two times a day.

Paysnick said anyone who visits the center is asked to fill out a screening form, has their temperature taken and is provided with hand sanitizer throughout the building. The center has almost “moved into a software app so families have the ability to do no touch signing in and out of children,” he said.

Paysnick added that they have implemented a system to ensure that each piece of equipment gets cleaned after use. “Nobody is using equipment that hasn’t been sanitized,” he said.

Whitehead, Paysnick and Krivoy praised the staff and the extra responsibility they have taken on to ensure the center stays clean and everyone stays safe. “Staff has been incredible. Really I think the name of the game has been flexibility,” Krivoy said. “Their flexibility has been outstanding.”

Whitehead said it has been “really wonderful to see the children again.” Paysnick echoed this and said the staff truly missed guests and hopes they “will be able to expand services and programs.”

Anyone interested in trying some programming offered by the center can get a guest pass by visiting their website at https://www.springfieldjcc.org, by calling 739-4715 or emailing earon@springfieldjcc.org.