Learning to Swim, Learning to Thrive 
How the JCC helps children build confidence, safety, and life skills in and around the water 

You might assume the Talmud’s top parenting priorities include asking the Four Questions or mastering the perfect cream cheese ratio on an egg bagel. Surprisingly, one of the obligations it actually spells out is teaching a child how to swim. Apparently, ancient Jewish wisdom had fairly strong opinions about swim lessons. In the Talmud (Kiddushin 29a), rabbis outline the duties parents have toward their children: to teach them Torah, help them build practical life skills, and provide them with the tools they need to stay safe and thrive in the world around them, —and yes, teaching a child how to swim, a recognition that the ability to navigate water can quite literally save a life.  

“Water safety is one of the most important topics in aquatics,” says Amanda Spafford, Aquatics Manager at the JCC. “Our goal is to help individuals of all ages build confidence and stay safe in and around the water.” That mission matters. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death for children, making education, supervision, and preparedness critically important.  

“Water safety is thoughtfully integrated into our Swim Readiness program in a way that is appropriate, supportive, and engaging for young children,” says Paula Voss, Director of the JCC’s Early Learning School. “Through playful experiences, repetition, and positive relationships with instructors, children begin developing lifelong water safety awareness and respect for water.” Lessons for adults are also available, welcoming everyone from beginners learning basic skills to experienced swimmers looking to improve their technique. 

 In true Jewish fashion, swim classes combine preparedness, practical knowledge, and just enough healthy worrying to keep everyone safer. 

Those skills continue at Camp Shai, where pool days are some of the most anticipated parts of the summer experience, usually discussed in great detail all the way home. Younger campers participate in Swim Readiness lessons led by certified lifeguards before enjoying supervised free swim time. Campers under 48 inches are required to wear life jackets unless they pass a swim safety test, and swimmers hoping to access the deep end must demonstrate important skills like treading water and swimming the length of the pool. Families also receive progress reports so they can track growth and celebrate milestones along the way. Sometimes that progress means mastering a new stroke; other times, it simply means feeling brave enough to jump in without six minutes of negotiation.  

Recognizing that safety education extends beyond swimmers themselves, the aquatics team recently introduced a water safety class for parents. The class teaches families how to identify risks at pools, lakes, and other bodies of water, recognize signs of drowning, and respond in emergencies until help arrives. But learning to swim offers more than physical safety. It can also help children develop resilience, adaptability, and confidence, teaching them how to quite literally and figuratively “go with the flow” through life’s challenges. For many children, the journey starts with small victories: letting go of the wall, jumping into the pool independently, or merely agreeing to get their hair wet.  

The goal isn’t simply to create stronger swimmers but to help children build a self-belief that extends beyond the pool. In many ways, that reflects the deeper wisdom behind the Jewish teaching itself: raising children means preparing them for life’s uncertainties with practical skills and a sense of resilience. At the JCC, teaching children to swim is one way that ancient values continue to come alive, helping families stay safe, grow stronger, and move through life with greater confidence.