FROM
THE CEO
TODD ROCKOFF | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
2018 was a year filled with collaboration and community. As a
community center, it is our vision to create a safe, welcoming
space and our team has been focused on making our J feel like
home to members and guests. I truly believe we have the best
team any JCC can have. Together we live up to our service
pledge:
We create community based on Jewish Values by providing
the highest quality programs and services in a safe and secure
environment for ALL people of ALL ages
People of all generations love The J because it is a place that
represents aspirations. We meet everyone on their own terms
and we create a positive environment where anything is
possible. There is truly something special about this place. The
J is the town square of our community and we take great pride
in that.
Here is a look at all of the people The Tucson J serves:
• Over 17,000 people walk through our doors each week.
• We have over 2,000 membership units and over 500 active
Silver Sneakers.
• This J has 260 hardworking employees, which grows to
almost 325 during the summer.
• In our Early Childhood program, we have 350+ children
enrolled and over 150 in J Care.
• Over the summer, Camp J boasts 250+ children per day.
• We serve over 40 participants in Taglit.
• This winter, 147 people were naturalized and became
American citizens, including one of our own Early Childhood
Education teachers.
• Last fall, 1,500 people gathered to mourn and honor those
who lost their lives in the shooting in Pittsburgh in October.
The J is place of communal celebration in times of joy and
comfort in times of sorrow.
We also consider ourselves a place of training and learning.
Throughout the course of the year, we offer a number of
education classes in the area of arts, culture, and culinary
arts. Additionally, we provide other learning opportunities in
partnership with local synagogues.
The J is committed to ensuring our staff have opportunities
for professional development throughout the year. We
place priority on sending staff to professional development
conferences, including the Southwestern Regional JCC
Association Conference and ProCon. Additionally, we provide
regular opportunities for staff to build their professional
toolkits through webinars, in person learning and peer-to-
peer engagement. The J believes we are all lifelong learners.
The J is also a caring community. We take great pride in
providing over $800,000 in scholarship funds annually. This
would not be possible without the generosity of donors and
supporters of The Tucson J. We believe providing opportunities
for families to be able to participate in Early Childhood
Education, J Care and Camp J helps ease the burden on families
that may be struggling at this time.
Engaging with the community is not a passive activity. We try
to be out in the community as an active participant. At The
J, we believe the more people we meet and introduce to the
opportunities we provide, the more people will choose to
engage with us. It is with a sense of pride that more people in
our community feel they belong, than have made the decision
to join. Belonging is sense of relationship and joining becomes
an outcome of that positive relationship and engagement with
the organization.
Over the past number of years, membership has grown from
1,600 to over 2,000. We have spent time reimagining our
programming and implementing a wellness model that is a
collaboration between departments and the community.