In Person. Connections is a community for people in their 20s + 30s that provides experiences to foster independence through engaging activities using the JCC’s facilities and throughout the Upper West Side and the surrounding areas.

Connections offers a variety of programs, including visual and performing arts, fitness and athletics, cooking and nutrition, and museum and community tours. Connections programming provides opportunities for participants to develop new skills, explore and learn more about our artistic and cultural communities, and build and deepen friendships.

Monday Morning Motivation + Yoga: Mondays from 9:30–10 am
Start the week by grounding and centering ourselves, practicing yoga, reflecting on our past weeks, and setting goals and intentions for the coming days. Each class will focus on adding a new yoga pose or movement to our repertoire as we build an invigorating and dynamic flow from one week to the next.

Visual + Performing Arts: Tuesdays from 12:30–2:30 pm
Participants will engage in and learn about various visual and performing arts. These classes will be taught by various local artists, performers, and instructors. Whether at the JCC or local cultural institutions, these classes will focus on developing skills such as drawing and illustration, musicality and rhythm, and artistic description and interpretation. Activities around these skills are designed to inspire creativity in class participants.

Photography Club: Wednesdays from 2:30–3:30 pm
Join us as we develop and hone a range of photography skills. This class will introduce landscape and cityscape photography, allowing participants to build upon their existing iPhone or digital camera skills. We'll focus on photography concepts such as light, color, perspective, and filters, and will learn editing techniques to enhance our growing photography skills.

Graphic Design: Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm
In this interactive class, participants will learn to use various websites and apps to create original drawings, posters, and designs. We will encourage participants to explore and have fun with digital art and all the possibilities it has to offer.

Fitness Fridays: Fridays from 12:30–3 pm
Join us in the gym with Coach Sheima, where we'll participate in various sports and fitness activities. Through instruction, drills, and strength training, participants will develop and increase hand-eye coordination related to a number of ball sports, work collaboratively with teammates, and build strength, endurance, and stamina. Each week, we'll also focus on a different health and wellness topic such as nutrition.

Connections, at hbadain@jccmanhattan.org for more information about the program and to set up an intake.