Out of the Pool and Back to School

A farewell message on the outside window of the
aquatics director's office. (by Dick Bergeron)

On Monday, August 23, the indoor pool at the Jewish Community Center off Talamini Road in Bridgewater will have a different configuration of users: The kids are all leaving and getting ready to hit the books once again.

That means the nature of the swimming programs will be altered to reflect the change in seasons and, for a brief period, the pool will be a lot quieter and more lanes will be open for lap swimming.

Despite the higher utilization of the indoor pool during the summer months, the Aquatics Director, Stephanie Johnson, does an excellent job of maintaining a weekly lane schedule by type of swimming activity. It’s the key for lap swimmers like me to know when to show up.

The schedule is in the form of an Excel spreadsheet color coded to show lane availability by type of usage (lap swim, swim lessons, swim team, private lessons, water therapy, etc.). It’s converted into a PDF file and posted on the JCC’s web site.

The JCC (officially the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center) is a valuable asset to Bridgewater and its surrounding communities. While it clearly honors and represents the ages-old Jewish tradition, it is truly a non-sectarian agency that serves the New Jersey counties of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren in what I consider to be a very effective ecumenical manner.

The entrance to the JCC onTalamini Road in Bridgewater.
(by Dick Bergeron)

I don’t know if the founders and organizers of the JCC think of it that way, but this Catholic boy sure does. The JCC effectively embodies the American character of retaining the memory of one’s own tradition while respecting and accommodating all of the others.