The 'J' At 50: Memories From The Earliest Campers
By Amy Schwartz Kimlat
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando, once known as the Jewish Community Council of Central Florida. As the JCC’s marketing director for 11 years (2006-2017), I’m taking a nostalgic stroll down memory lane to celebrate this JCC that changed my life, bringing me both my career and my husband – and where we now bring our own children. I connected with several of the JCC’s earliest members about their fond recollections of the “J” in the 1970s, and how this special place impacted newer generations of their families. From summer camp adventures on the rusty old plane to lifelong friends made in preschool, their stories showcase the tight-knit bonds and spirit of togetherness that the JCC has fostered over the last 50 years.
JEFF GREENWALD
From Raining Candy to Building Bonds
For Jeff Greenwald, the 1970s-era Roth Family JCC was an adventure playground of creativity, discovery, and friendship.
“I remember a building, and over to the left where the gym is was a big, old house,” says Jeff. “It was the arts and crafts shack. And an old rusted-out airplane that we’d climb on.”
The Greenwalds were newcomers in 1978 yet they quickly immersed themselves in the vibrant life of the JCC with Jeff attending summer camp every year.
“The summers were different,” he reflects. “We went for eight weeks. Same kids, same place. That’s why bonds were built.”
Memorable field trips to Semoran Skateway, Disney’s Fort Wilderness, and Wet ‘n Wild still stand out in Jeff’s mind. One of his favorite memories was how they announced color war one year.
Jeff Greenwald nd his family at the JCC.
“They had a helicopter fly over the field, and they threw candy out for all the kids to make the big announcement,” he says. “Unfortunately, the wind blew the candy, and it went all over onto Maitland Boulevard. It was a much smaller highway, and there was no fence, so here were all these kids running out into traffic to try to get the candy, dodging cars. The counselors were beside themselves.”
The JCC connects multiple generations of the Greenwald family. Jeff’s children – Micah, Garrett, and Xander – attended the Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center and JCC summer camp from 2008 to 2023. His mother, Marion Greenwald, served as an ECLC teacher in the mid-’80s to early ‘90s, and Jeff’s wife, Michelle, continues that tradition from 2016 to today.
DENISE SILVER CARROL:
“Heaven on Earth”
Denise Silver Carroll has fond memories of the original JCC building in the 1970s, which she recalls had three sections and a small blue carpeted stage for summer camp plays. She reminisces about playing in the old wasp-infested airplane and on the playground’s wooden fort with ropes and slides “where we pretended to be pirates in our young days and stole kisses in our older days,” Denise remembers.
She attended summer camp from 1976-1989 participating in activities like cooking, gaga ball, capture the flag, arts and crafts, and hanging out in the game room or music room to escape the heat.
“JCC summer camp was the best,” Denise says. “Just about everyone from the Orlando Jewish community was there. During the year, we went to different schools, but over the summer, we were one big gang.”
Denise describes camp as “heaven on earth for eight weeks every summer.”
Her favorite memories were of color war with teams like Tzahal and Palmach.
“To this day, I can still hear the chants of each team,” Denise recalls.
Above: Denise at JCC camp (middle row, fourth from right).
Below: Denise and Patrick Carrol with their son Dylan at the JCC preschool.
More recently, Denise’s son Dylan attended the JCC’s Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center from 2013-2018.
“When I dropped him off that first day, I started to cry,” Denise says. “His first room was behind the original building where I started.”
For Denise, the JCC still feels like home.
“The faces and names have changed, but the feeling of one big gang is still there,” she says.
Dylan is still close with his JCC preschool friends like Eli Gucailo, giving the Carroll family a lasting, multigenerational connection to the JCC.
LAWRENCE KOLIN:
High Dives & Family Ties
Lawrence Kolin’s memories of The Roth Family JCC in the 1970s are filled with the nostalgia of simpler times.
“There was an old house on blocks, an airplane fuselage to crawl in, and a wooden pirate ship playground,” says Lawrence. “Oh, and the pool had a high dive!”
His journey at the JCC began at Camp K’ton Ton with his counselor (and the eventual JCC preschool director) Bonnie Friedman and continued to his teenage years as a counselor-in-training for the summer camp. Lawrence vividly recalls announcements on stage by then-camp director (and the JCC’s eventual executive director) Marvin Friedman as well as the uplifting lyrics of “Rise and shine and give God your glory, glory.”
Life at the JCC was not just about learning and growth but also about pure fun.
“We played lots of red rover and capture the flag among the orange groves that stood there,” Lawrence remembers.
Perhaps the sweetest aspect of Lawrence’s relationship with the JCC is its multi-generational impact on his family. His daughters, Dena and Abi, followed in his footsteps becoming JCC preschoolers and campers. Lawrence’s wife, Karen, further deepened the family’s ties to the community center by serving for a time as the JCC’s membership director.
Above: Larwence Kolin (front row, left) at JCC summer camp in 1976.
Below: Dena and Abi Kolin (front row, red shirts) at JCC summer camp.
Life at the JCC was not just about learning and growth but also about pure fun.
“We played lots of red rover and capture the flag among the orange groves that stood there,” Lawrence remembers.
Perhaps the sweetest aspect of Lawrence’s relationship with the JCC is its multi-generational impact on his family. His daughters, Dena and Abi, followed in his footsteps becoming JCC preschoolers and campers. Lawrence’s wife, Karen, further deepened the family’s ties to the community center by serving for a time as the JCC’s membership director.
SHARON ARONOFF WHITE:
Three Generations of JCC Kids
Sharon Aronoff White’s relationship with The Roth Family JCC spans a remarkable three generations. Sharon fondly remembers the JCC in the 1970s as just a “little house,” which still stands on the property of the sprawling community center of today.
Sharon’s own journey with the JCC started around 1973-1974, when she was a camper there. Her most treasured memories revolve around her counselors, particularly Bonnie Friedman and the late Lois Tannenbaum. Sharon felt an immediate connection when her first child, Shaina, started at the JCC, and Sharon discovered Bonnie serving as the director of the preschool.
“I immediately felt at ease and knew Shaina would be safe and would flourish,” Sharon recalls warmly.
Sharon Aronoff White and her daughter Shaina White Williams at a JCC Shabbat
Her children – Shaina White Williams, Jamie White Norden, and Zachary White – all followed in her footsteps attending preschool at the JCC. They each continued their journey at the Hebrew Day School (now Jewish Academy of Orlando). The story comes full circle as Sharon’s grandsons, Grayson and Jaxon, also attended preschool at the JCC.
This story was originally published in print in Fall 2023.