Beacon Program

The Y strives to provide fun programing for people of all ages. When the summer rolls around, we re-open our nursery and day camps spanning the ages of 2 and 15. But what about summer programing for our senior members? Well, we figured if summer camp works for kids, why not for senior adults?!

The Beacon program at the Y is a full-service summer program for seniors. For 2 days each week during the summer, we transport groups of senior adults to our Henry Kaufman Campgrounds in beautiful Pearl River, New York for a day of outdoor activities. "Campers" take part in physically and mentally stimulating activities such as swimming in our Olympic sized pool, arts & crafts, exercise, bingo, nature walks, and music & dancing. We encourage all seniors to come and take part in these exciting planned activities, or to just enjoy our camp grounds for a dose of nostalgia.

Who says camp is for children? Here at the Y, our creative programing ensures that those of all ages are having as much fun as possible. Want to learn more about the Beacon program? We would love to see you!

Beat The Heat

As we are sure you all know, there has been a heat advisory issued for this week in New York City.

But we bet most of you don't know that the Y is a NYC registered cooling center. Anyone can stop on by and take advantage of our cool air-conditioned building, or grab a much needed cup of water. You can even take some time to take a look at some of our amazing programing!

The New York City Office of Emergency Management is dedicated to creating a healthy and safe environment for NYC citizens. To find out more information on cooling centers here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/hazards/heat_cooling.shtml

Recognizing Years of Dedication

This month, we celebrated the accomplishments of two of our most beloved and long-standing staff members. Deborah Katznelson, our Chief Social Services Officer here at the Y, has been with us for 30 years. Pedro Hernandez, our Building Superintendent, has been at the Y for 40 years. Deborah and Pedro were both presented with citations on behalf of city council man Robert Jackson Below find words of praise and gratitude from our Executive Director Martin Englisher.


"Debbie: the person who has watched over the Social Services of the Y for many years. This is a much needed department that very few community centers are still committed to providing. Debbie was the person who has helped many people in desperate situations and needed personal attention.  She has been here for 30 years working with me on many projects and helped me to build the Wien House in 1980s. We thank her family, Ira, her husband who is here and Zack her son among her other 3 children all who allowed her the time to devote to the Y."

"Pedro has worked with me here for 40 years. Pedro is the 'keeper of the keys'. He is the one who opens up the Y and makes sure that the operation runs smoothly. It's a hard job and many different people are seeking him at the same time to operate their programs. We together have seen many people pass through the Y and in good times and bad. He raised 4 children here, all who attended the Y as children. We thank his wife Ana and his children have also shared his time for him to be working hard here."