Jewish Alliance Family Room Parenting Center opens

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Comic writer Dan Zevin greets guests
Comic writer Dan Zevin greets guests

 

Ella, left, Yaakov, Julian, Ezra and Avi are enjoying the new Family Resource Parenting Center after school.  /Arthur C. NormanPROVIDENCE – On Tuesday, October 8, about 50 people attended the opening and dedication of the new Alliance Family Room Parenting Center at the Alliance JCC. Comic writer and performer Dan Zevin greeted guests and signed copies of his book “Dan Gets a Mini-Van (Life at the intersection of Dude and Dad).” Michelle Cicchitelli, Director of Jewish Life, welcomed the enthusiastic and appreciative gathering.

Cicchitelli explained that this project resulted from research based on Jewish affiliation and young families. According to Brandeis University Professor Mark I. Rosen, Ph.D., a leading expert in the field of Jewish nonprofits, parents with young children continue to search for belonging and guidance along their journey. His research also highlighted the projected decline in Jewish population, mostly due to low birthrates among Jews, intermarriage and assimilation, meaning that fewer children will be raised as Jews in the future. A goal of the Parent Center is to meet the needs of these young families to ensure the future of the Jewish community in Rhode Island. Dr. Rosen adds, “An investment in programming for first-time parents and young families has the potential to change the Jewish future by engaging many families who might otherwise be lost to the organized Jewish community.”

The Center is a multipurpose space, said Cicchitelli, “a space for people to go with their children if and when they are looking to be somewhere other than their house, a place to meet others and connect – helping to build community, a place to go when parents just need to kill time … if you have 15 minutes between school dismissal and swim lessons.” In collaboration with Alliance partners and others, the Center will house programs and workshops on various parenting issues – a centralized place where families with children will gain exposure to these offerings, interwoven with Jewish content.

Cicchitelli and Alliance Grant Writer Jennifer Zwirn Yolles wrote and won a legislative grant from Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox that “fills a long-held need to house cultural and educational programs and discussions for parents and grandparents of young families and their young children,” said Alliance President and CEO Jeffrey Savit. “I am so thrilled that this Center has now opened at the  Alliance JCC.”

The area was selected in cooperation with senior management, but Cicchitelli did all the rest – the exquisite design and meticulous execution of the floor plan, area groupings, colors, fabrics, furniture, toys and, especially, those fabulous alphabet letters.

Asked about the letters, at which many of the opening- night guests marveled, Cicchitelli said, “I had seen mismatched alphabets before and loved them. I enjoy crafting, so I took it on as a project. I went to many stores to find [letters]and then went back to stores to exchange letters, until I was satisfied with the layout. Then I lay them out on my living room floor and went to work. I painted many of them, glued others to bases and used a variety of other materials, such as yarn and washi tape.”

The Family Room Parenting Center will have specific areas for drop-in play and art. The designated play area will house child-friendly toys and equipment that encourages hands-on, experiential learning, as well as physical and quiet play. The art area will provide creative opportunities for children, while allowing for exposure to materials and experiences that are not always available in the home. Both spaces will be accessible during specific hours each day (to be determined by demand, staffing) when members can drop-in at their leisure.

Parent centers like this are successful in many JCCs across the country. Hopefully, a center of this kind, under the Alliance umbrella, will lend a hand to families meeting one another in a non-threatening way, easing the networking process and creating stronger community bonds from the start. A designated space is being planned that will also assist with membership, as members will have different opportunities within the space than non-members, continuing to help build a stronger Jewish Alliance.

“This was a true labor of love and something that I would have loved as a new mom,” said Cicchitelli, “and I just hope it is something that will fill the need within our community and be utilized.”

Michelle Cicchitelli (mcicchitelli@jewishallianceri.org), Director of Jewish Life for the Jewish Alliance, can also be reached at 421-4111, ext. 178.