I came to the JCC on Montrose Rd to go swimming but they allow WAY TOO MANY customers in at once and the pool was too crowded for me to go in. To make matters worse, JCC DOESN'T GIVE REFUNDS. That's $15 dollars down the drain!
The place is filthy and the water fountains give hot stinky water.
VERY good experience.
THE people who work there are very helpful.Sirithara
The JCC has a great fitness center, basketball court/gym, indoor, and outdoor pools. Membership is only $45/month, as opposed to a staggering $60-100 for the YMCA.
JCC has everything you could need to stay fit and more in the way of programming
Tried the fitness facility was unorganized and outdated. The manager Ryan was unable to be found when I had a complaint. With all the choices in the area I would go somewhere else. I am new to the area and hope my review helps anyone else looking for a fitness facility in the area.
we came here for swimming. The swimming pool is huge, but water is not clear. The worst thing is it has a 10 minute adult swimming time per hour, which forces the kids to get out of the water. It was our first time, and the life guards were very impatient about kids.
The Early Childhood Center at the Bender JCC is no more than a large-scale babysitting operation. They claim to adopt a play-based curriculum - founded on Emergent Curriculum and inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach: a lot of nice words to hide the fact that the program doesn't really have a structure and children are given the freedom to choose what to do.
They "claim" that they embrace and welcome diversity, and open their doors to everyone, including people of all backgrounds, religions, abilities, etc. Unfortunately, this is a gross misrepresentation, and I had to experience first hand that, if you have a child with special needs, you are not very welcome, unless you are willing to accept the unreasonable requests of the Director, Ora Rosenfeld.
They also have a significant personnel turnover, which is detrimental to providing continuity for the kids and a sense of community. In the 10 months my daughter has been there, 3 out of 4 teachers and assistant teachers in her class left, and 2 out 3 staff members who joined to replace them left as well.
There are much better preschools in the area, so please stay away from this center for the sake of your children. After leaving the JCC, we used the Goddard School in Rockville and couldn't be happier! They also have a Branch in Bethesda.
Outstanding community and wonderful staff! You will thoroughly enjoy your experience from the moment you enter and meet the staff at the front desk. We joined a little more than one year ago and this was because of our initial meeting and tour with Rena Silbert who is so customer focused! We have stayed as the folks who work here are exceptional. Recently we have seen such dedication in people such as Ryan Grant who actually runs fitness & membership, but picked up a shovel after 3 inches of snow fell in order to shovel off the pool deck for the safety and use of the members ....now that is impressive! A special shout out to the Director of Aquatics, Caroline Cardullo who is more than a blessing to all who use both the outdoor and indoor pools! She always is there for the members. The JCC is more than a place to work out as it is a wonderful welcoming community!
Its wonderful. The pool is heated all year! Great fitness center for all ages and bodies.
Love this place. Came here for programs as a child now still come and use the facilities for the gym. The JCC preschool is an amazing school and the summer camp is just as impressive. With all range of programs ranging from free men's club or spinning classes to paid ones such as Hebrew lessons after school programs and sports for children. The JCC provides something for all people wether you are a child or and elder adult. I have been comming to the JCC for over 20 years and love it. Despite being a Jewish community center this place does not discriminate with 30% of preschool being non-jewish and the gym and sports facilities being very affordable, member ship is open to everyone regardless of backround culture or race.
Our daughter went to after school program at JCC for 3 years. Overall it is a great facility with so many different classes to keep your kid busy. That being said I feel their annual membership is very expensive.
Here's part of the issue with the BJCC. If you're there for the Early Childhood Care, Swimming Pools or community events, then things are pretty much smooth going. ECE, Pool, child care, social gatherings for seniors and other ethnic groups, and special needs are are all well addressed. The issue is if you are considering using the gym or taking group exercise classes. The exercise facility is regularly neglected, with benches in the weight often found wrapped in duct tape for extended periods of time, or significant amounts of rust to be found on plate equipment or cable machines. There are new(er) weights in the weight rooms. There are a good number of new treadmills, stair mills and elliptical machines, and there are also elliptical machines and treadmills that are over ten years old. Group Exercise is evolving into a large number of Les MIlls classes. The good thing about these classes is that they are choreographed by an internationally recognized business and offer a consistent product every 12 weeks. Downside? There isn't a plan to help along novice attendees and advanced ones inevitably plateau. There's nothing in the routine to challenge long-time Les Mills participants other than increase weight, and this can lead to greater risk of injury such as back pain. Another issue to consider with Les MIlls programs is that the company itself certifies whether an instructor is fit to teach their choreographed classes. This means that the instructor isn't necessarily meeting the requirements of board certified fitness instruction, and this would be an important issue for anyone attending the classes to investigate and consider. My recommendation for anyone attending Les MIlls classes is to ask lots of questions of the instructor and make an informed decision as to whether they should attend this style class on a regular basis.
It's a great place to come together,excellent drumming lessons there
benderjccgw.org
