(PLAINVIEW, N.Y.) - On a celebratory morning, leaders of the Mid Island Y JCC, community residents and supporters gathered on Thursday, July 31 to celebrate a $950,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant that was secured and delivered by Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview).
The funds secured by Deputy Minority Leader Drucker will help the Y JCC recoup losses that it sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in doing so will bolster one of Nassau and Long Island’s preeminent Jewish cultural, social and athletic centers – one that has expanded the scope of its offerings to best serve the diverse cultural, religious and ethnic communities contained within Plainview Old Bethpage, Syosset and Woodbury.
Officials confirmed this grant is the single largest gift in the history of the Mid Island Y JCC.
“The Mid Island Y JCC is an iconic institution, and this is exceedingly special because I have the opportunity to give back in the most meaningful way to the communities I serve and reside in,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “I’ve lived in Plainview my whole life, and to deliver the kind of relief to the Mid Island Y JCC is without a doubt the most gratifying thing I have done in my nine years of public service representing this community.”
“The beating heart of that mission is community building and providing a space where people can come together to share common experiences, build friendships, and combat isolation,” said Mid Island Y JCC CEO Rick Lewis said.
“It comes at a time when the world is struggling. Everything this community suffers in their home budget, we suffer 10 times greater here,” Lewis said. “This grant makes a world of difference, and I don’t know if I can say it enough – thank you, Arnie.”
Deputy Minority Leader Drucker secured final approval for the $950,000 ARPA grant on Nov. 20, 2024. Funds were drawn from a tranche of federal ARPA funding received by the County, some of which was set aside at the urging of the Democratic Minority delegation to support eligible not-for-profit organizations and special districts that deliver ARPA-approved services.
Mid Island Y JCC Board President Jason Blumkin said the facility has been an essential resource for all ages through its childcare, fitness, nutrition assistance, bereavement support, and initiatives like the Adler Center for Special Needs, which creates a nurturing and supportive environment by pairing typical day camp activities with supports for an inclusive experience.
“You feel such pride in the ways that the JCC, the staff and the volunteers allow us to provide for this community. You also worry about the future,” Blumkin said. “Thanks to this generous grant from Arnie and all the work he did to get us to this stage, I can worry a little less knowing how far this will go in our community.”
Ann Dorman Adler, a former President of the Y JCC Board and a board member since 2007, was introduced to the Mid Island Y JCC was more than 30 years ago when she saw an ad in the local Pennysaver. She came to the “Mommy and Me” class in the ad – and “we started staying for everything, “said Dorman Adler, who was accompanied by her daughter, Leah. The Adler Center that their family helped to launch has grown to support hundreds of youngsters.
“There’s no place that does it all - or does it all with the spirit of building community and engagement that we do it with,” Dorman Adler said. “Ask anybody else here who is a member, and they’d tell you the same thing: ‘I came here for X, but I stayed because I love this community and what this agency does.’”
The reach of that hospitality and warmth spans transcends global boundaries, said Dagan Cohen, the Senior Shalich representing the Jewish Agency at the Mid Island Y JCC.
“When we first came here, we were just starting to learn the community – and then October 7 happened,” Dagan, a native of Israel, said. “One of the first things that I learned is that this JCC will always stand for what is right. When I saw the hostages wall being put up – they are the only JCC on a major roadway – I knew I was in the right place. Then we came into the building and saw the Israeli flag and blue and white – there was so much support, even before people got to know us personally.”
PHOTO CAPTION – From left – Mid Island Y JCC Board President Jason Blumkin, CEO Rick Lewis, Deputy Minority Leader Drucker and Deputy CEO Marlie Cohen at the Mid Island Y JCC on July 31, 2025.
PHOTO CREDIT – Photo by Peter M. Budraitis