On April 8, 1822, a group of Jewish Americans met to found New York City’s first Jewish charitable organization, the Hebrew Benevolent Society. With $300 ($6,600 in today’s dollars) collected, these Jews, who had arrived from England and Holland in the 17th and...
CEO Perspective
Passover 5778
A Passover Message from Ronald Richter Dear Friend: As the holiday of Passover begins tonight, the Jewish community all over the world will celebrate the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt more than 3000 years ago. The Passover seder retells this story...
International Women’s Day
The message below was sent to JCCA staff for International Women's Day on March 8, 2018. Dear JCCA Colleagues: Today is International Women’s Day. The celebration, adopted in 1975 by the United Nations, has special significance this year, in particular because of...
The Tragedy in Parkland, Florida
The message below was sent to JCCA staff following the tragic high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. Dear JCCA Colleagues: Yesterday afternoon, a gunman opened fire on students at a Florida high school, killing at least 17 people and wounding...
JCCA CEO Ronald Richter Featured on NBC 4
JCCA CEO Ronald E. Richter was recently featured in two stories about keeping children safe from abuse and neglect in New York City. Melissa Russo of NBC 4 New York's I-Team interviewed Richter as part of an in-depth look at caseloads and prevention services in the...
CEO Perspective: …and the 2016 Gold Medal in parenting goes to Nellie and Ron Biles!
Simone Biles, a champion gymnast, is poised to win gold at the Olympics. The unsung heroes in her story—like those of so many children who achieve greatness in athletics, the arts or academia—are her parents. True, Simone showed an early talent. But her parents...
CEO Perspective: Reflections on My First Year Plus
This has been a rewarding, professionally inspiring and – because of the incomparable commitment of our staff to our clients – heartwarming first year as CEO of JCCA. I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know many of you and the people we serve, learn about...
CEO Perspective: A Gentle Giant of a Man
JCCA CEO Ronald Richter recounts a heartwarming story about a little boy in JCCA's Pleasantville START Program, a short-term residential program for youth with behavioral and mental health problems in Westchester, NY. I often visit the boys and girls on our Campus....
CEO Perspective: Our Volunteers
At a “Meet and Greet” gathering on JCCA’s Westchester Campus recently, JCCA CEO Ron Richter spoke to an intimate group of The Cottage Schools’ volunteers about their engagement with our young residents. More than 500 women, men and children volunteer to tutor our...