March 27, 2024
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CMEK Expands to Jewish Center and Heichal HaTorah

CMEK, the Bergen County sports program that provides youngsters with the skills needed in a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, dodgeball and a host of others, will be expanding its programs to the Jewish Center of Teaneck (JCOT) as well as to Heichal HaTorah, the boys yeshiva high school housed at JCOT.

At the tender age of 17, Chad Mekles ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship through his creation of CMEK, originally an acronym for Chad Mekles Expert With Kids. For the past 20 years, his goal has been to train youngsters in the sport of basketball while developing their confidence, motivation, excellence and knowledge, four key goals incorporated into the current CMEK acronym.

As a young teen growing up in Cresskill, Mekles trained at the JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly and eventually rose to the position of coach. He participated twice in Maccabi competitions and in 2003 coached the local Maccabi basketball team. While a student at the University of Delaware, he participated in a Birthright Israel tour led by Rabbi Eliezer Sneiderman, which motivated him to become more of an active participant in his communities through his CMEK programs.

Married to Erica and the proud father of Sylvie, 3, and Harley, 1, the Mekles family resides in Englewood. Mekles runs CMEK programs throughout Bergen County including at the JCC on the Palisades, Yeshivat Ben Porat Yosef and in various gyms in Cresskill, Paramus, Teaneck, Englewood, Upper Saddle River and Woodcliff Lake.

The CMEK programs are varied and multifaceted. Fundamentally, CMEK conducts basketball clinics that train participants who then go on to compete in various leagues. These leagues include youths as well as adults, men and women.

CMEK’s services also include providing children’s parties, which offer a myriad of activities in addition to basketball including dodgeball, relay races, water balloon tosses and many other activities. CMEK provides school breaks and holiday camps for periods of time during the year when children are not in school. These times include weekly summer camps, winter break, the eve of Jewish holidays and legal holidays. CMEK services also include court renting for groups of people who wish to play a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball and the popular Israeli sport of mamanet. Many of these programs have been successfully hosted at local yeshivot. Parents have been very appreciative of the secure and entertaining programs provided for their children.

With the impending expansion into the Teaneck Jewish Center, which is scheduled for September, CMEK has planned additional programs and events. CMEK will provide full services for bar/bat mitzvah celebrations. Also, CMEK is planning an after-Shabbat program for the winter months where children will participate in several hours of fun sports activities at the synagogue. In addition, programs will be held during the week on alternate evenings for boys and girls, offering Sports & Swim in the gym and pool facilities, which are currently undergoing major renovations. The goal of these programs is to re-invigorate the offerings of the JCOT.

An exciting new joint venture with Heichal HaTorah, the boys Yeshiva High School housed in the Teaneck Jewish Center, is in the planning. CMEK has been invited to join Heichal HaTorah’s physical education program. In addition, CMEK will provide coaches for Heichal’s basketball and softball teams.

This new venture is being enthusiastically welcomed by Kenny Mandel, executive director of Heichal HaTorah/JCOT. Mandel commented, “We are very excited to be partnering and working with Chad and CMEK. CMEK is known as the premier sports programs in the greater Bergen County community. Chad and his team will be working on bringing new and differentiated athletic programs to the building that hopefully many can join and enjoy.”

To sign up for any of CMEK’s programs and offerings, please visit their website at www.CMEK.com or contact Chad Mekles at 201-927-3027 or [email protected].

By Pearl Markovitz

 

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