JCC Performing Arts Program Build Connections That Last a Lifetime

When Staenberg Omaha JCC Performing Arts Director, Esther Katz, thinks about the long-term impact of the JCC theater program, she thinks of all the individuals who have participated in or watched their numerous productions. She is amazed at how these relatively brief moments on stage can create such strong connections within the community.

“Our Performing Arts programs reach far beyond the stage. When I run into community members who participated in our program years ago, they still tell me their stories. I listen as they recount their fond memories. These encounters remind me that the experiences created at the JCC stay with people long after the curtain closes,” she said. “Our performing arts programs help shape young people into confident, creative, compassionate adults. Some will go on to pursue careers in theater, but most will simply carry the lessons, friendships, confidence, and memories they gained here into whatever path they choose. Many find their way back to the JCC later in life, continuing to be part of the community that helped shape them.”

Performing Arts programs have always been a cornerstone of the JCC’s offerings. The JCC dance program has been providing classes for over 50 years. The community theater program was added in 2010, and participation has steadily increased over the past 16 years. Community theater productions have traditionally been limited to one, all-ages cast, but recently junior level and adult level productions were added. The Performing Art Department has also expanded their class catalogue to include music and voice lessons, private acting coaching, prop shop stage production classes, improv, and acting classes for all ages.

Esther credits the growth and success of the program to the participation and passion of the community.

“Maxine Noodell is a community member I think about when I think back to where we started,” Katz said. “For years, Maxine would walk by my office each week, stop in to say hello, and ask when we were going to get some kind of theater program going again at the J. She would tell me stories of days gone by and reminisce about her own time on the stage. When we were finally able to make her request a reality, we were lucky enough to have her grace our stage once again. She participated for many years. Now she comes and watches our performances. She still gets to be a part of our theater community, which is special.”

The program’s ability to touch the lives of audience members is another special benefit. Each year residents from the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home come over to the JCC to watch performance dress rehearsals.

“They really seem to enjoy it,” Katz says “Which is a big part of why we do this. Connecting the community is at the heart of this program. We have the unique ability to make a difference across so many age groups. When I see kids who have come through our theater program or hear that one of our former students is heading to Columbia University this year to study theater, my heart is filled with pride knowing that their journey began here.”

“There are multiple examples like this,” Katz says. “There was a student who began as a child actor in our theater program. Years later, when she was looking for a job, she remembered the JCC as a place that had always felt warm, welcoming, and like home. She applied for an open part-time position and now has grown into a full-time administrative roll.  Her story is just one of countless examples of how the connections we make through this program can last a lifetime.”

Examples like these are what make Katz so incredibly proud of the JCC Performing Arts program.

“We may measure our success in productions, performances, and full houses, but our greatest measure of success is the people who walk through our doors, find a place where they belong, discover something they didn’t know they could do, and carry that experience with them for years to come. That,” she said, “is true impact.”

If you would like to get involved in the Staenberg Omaha JCC Performing Arts program, please visit jccomaha.org for a listing of upcoming theater auditions, productions, and classes.