Resources, Encouragement and Positivity, as Mothers Enjoy Boro Park JCC’s Annual Parenting Event

By: Sandy Eller

It was a full house at the Boro Park Jewish Community Council ballroom on Tuesday, May 14th as a group of involved women attended a special parenting event celebrating their continued commitment to empowering their children.

The free event was run by the BPJCC in partnership with Catapult Learning and was open to all alumni of the Parent Engagement Community Center, known as the PECC, giving participants an opportunity to further enhance their parenting skills.  In keeping with the day’s theme of running a home that is infused with simchas hachaim, guest presenter Rebbetzin Chana Malka Singer provided hands on tips to find ways to incorporate joy and positivity into the fabric of everyday life.  Mrs. Rachel Horovitz LMSV, coordinator of the PECC workshops who has extensive experience working with the Chasidish community, facilitated a roundtable discussion that further explored those same concepts. In addition to enjoying lunch and refreshments, participants also savored an opportunity to have one on one discussions with licensed professionals, gaining additional insights to help them in their personal journeys as parents.

BPJCC established the PECC approximately three years ago, in collaboration with Catapult Learning.  Together, the two have run a series of over a dozen workshops to provide mothers with the skills they need to help each child maximize their potential, particularly in light of today’s serious challenges that affect every community.  

The Parenting Engagement Community Center is funded by the New York City Department of Education, and has evolved since its initial launch, growing to fill a void that existed within the Boro Park community. The two hour workshops provide a safe, confidential space for mothers to ask questions about particular issues they are encountering, and has given participants the hands on tools they need to guide their children along the road of life.

“The PECC is extremely needed and extremely popular,” said BPJCC CEO Rabbi Avi Greenstein.  “It has ushered in a new era of helping parents and dovetails with our mission of giving the community the type of culturally sensitive help that it needs.”

"We are honored and humbled to align with so many valuable and genuine partners, like BPJCC during this incredible journey for over 15 years in New York City,” added Bill Backall, senior vice president of Catapult Learning.  “Together, we unlock equitable solutions for all to have an opportunity to succeed.”

Rabbi Greenstein credited education policy consultant David Rubel, who was instrumental in creating the PECC, for his continuing dedication to the program and his passion for helping parents.  Having worked closely with yeshivas and the DOE for many years, Rubel noted during the event how rewarding it is to see an idea become a reality.

 “The PECC can be summed up in one sentence,” said Rubel.  “When parents get help with parenting issues, their child is helped, and then will be able to do better in school.”

The ongoing parenting program is offered at no charge, with no insurance required and no questions asked.  The workshops are given to small groups of mothers, with separate sessions dedicated to the different realities of older and younger children, and they are so popular that attendance at each one is at nearly 100 percent.  One on one mentoring is the newest service to be offered, providing mothers with yet another valuable parenting resource, as counselors empower parents to build a strong foundation for their children's success and promote a harmonious and thriving family environment. Parents can make an appointment with a licensed social worker, and then subsequently schedule additional meetings as needed, to help their children succeed in a variety of areas, such as effective communication, positive behavior, social, organization, study, and time management skills.

“This is the real type of help that only a community-based organization can structure because we see the need with our own eyes,” explained Rabbi Greenstein.  “People shouldn’t be afraid to reach out, because we are here to help.”