SHARE:  

Valley JCC Newsletter June 2022

Fundraising Committee Makes Plans For 2022-23

(L to R): Fundraising Committee members Phyllis Levy, Susan Menkes, Stephanie DuCaine, Ellen and Howard Cohen, Elaine Fox, and Andy Levy.

(L to R): Fundraising Committee members Donna Haas, Susan DuVal, Ollie Haas, and Michael Fishman.


Stay tuned for all the new events!

Letter From Jeff Rubin

Executive Director, Valley JCC


As we embark on the start of summer, we enter a familiar pattern. The school year winds down, our kids get ready to go to summer camp and participate in programs and new experiences with friends, and families prepare for that long awaited vacation. With Father's Day in the middle of June, many of us will dust off our grills, get the pool ready, and prepare for a change in the weather.


I, for one, love the summer months and fondly remember my own childhood and what the summer meant for me. I couldn't wait for school to be over, to go to camp, and to swim every day. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, our family barbeques, going to Dodger games, July 4th, and being outside from the time I woke up until the street lights came on. I spent days on end at Racquetball World (now Athletic Society), hitting the beach with friends, camping at Leo Carrillo Beach, and going to Newport Beach with family and spending time in San Diego with friends.


Summer is a time for fun, family, and friends. It's a time to make new connections, try new things, get involved, explore the great outdoors, and make memories. Staff at Valley JCC is working hard to create a full array of programs for you and your family to participate in and enjoy. As we continue to grow, we plan to expand our offerings to include more events and activities for all. 


New to Valley JCC, will be a quarterly schedule for programs, classes, sports leagues, excursions, clubs, and social events. You will be able to see the entire season at a glance, decide what classes and events interest you, and register in advance so you don't miss out or double-book your activities. Or, you have the option to register for classes throughout the quarterly session too, so long as the class isn't full.


We want to offer activities that you will enjoy. If there is something you're interested in, please reach out and let us know. We hope you'll get involved with our programs, our members and participants, and our community. We're here for all ages and interests, tots to seniors. Make some new memories with Valley JCC.


Thank You,

Jeff

Message From Ollie Haas

Valley JCC President, Board of Directors


Following the success of our fundraiser, we are now turning our focus on summer. The Board of Directors and committees continue to meet during the summer months, busily planning programs and events for June, July and August. 


There will be a continuation of our partner classes on a variety of subjects, including music, art, and travel presentations. The Men’s Club, MahJongg group, Table Tennis and Readers Club will continue to meet. Wayne League Youth basketball, camps and clinics as well as JCC Maccabi Games will take place during the summer. 


New classes are in the works! We look forward to the first appearance by world-renowned artist and art historian John Paul Thornton, who will present “Art In Israel” on June 29th. Other new series will spotlight business coaching and life planning.


Our committee is planning new experiences for all age groups, including family gatherings. I invite all of you to submit ideas for classes, programs, or events that you would enjoy taking with other Valley JCC adults, youth and families. If you’re an instructor and would like to teach a class in your specialty, please let us know.


There’s a place for all of you with Valley JCC. I look forward to meeting you soon.



Best wishes,


Ollie Haas


John Paul Thornton

presents

"Art In Israel"

Upcoming Classes for June 2022

Check out our June classes and click on the link to sign up!

Back by Popular Demand

Art & Anti-Semitism 

Thursday, June 2

11am-12:30pm (PT on Zoom


Save! Register by May 31st for “Early Bird” pricing!!


More Details and Tickets


Still Traveling: Specific Spain & Complex Catalonia 

4 Mondays, June 6, 13, 20 & 27 

11am-12:15pm (PT) on Zoom


More Details and Tickets


Songs & Stories: A Tribute to Harold Arlen 

Wednesday, June 8 

1-2pm (PT) on Zoom 


Save! Order before June 6th for “Early Bird” pricing!


More Details and Tickets



Argentine Jewish Artists 

Thursday, June 9 

11am-12:30pm (PT) on Zoom


Save! Register by June 7th for “Early Bird” pricing!


         More Details and Tickets



Daring Discussions:

How Viewing Porn Impacts Young People 

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom 


  Save!

Order before June 12th for “Early Bird” pricing!


 More Details and Tickets

Music & Morsels: the Voice of the Cello 

Wednesday, June 15 

1-2pm (PT) on Zoom


Save!

Order before June 13th for “Early Bird” pricing!


More Details and Tickets








Quarterly Brochure

listing classes, lectures, clubs,

excursions, special events,

class dates, times, and details


So you can plan ahead...


There will be four sessions a year:


Summer Session

June-August


Fall Session

September-December


Winter Session

January-March


Spring Session

April-June


Registration will take place just before each session.

You are always welcome to register during the session too.


Stay tuned...

This class will take place at:

ONEgeneration 17400 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys

Meet Reb Jason

Rabbi, Temple B'nai Hayim

"Reb" Jason van Leeuwan

Reb Jason in costume for Purim Spiel

“Reb” Jason van Leeuwan, Rabbi of Temple B’nai Hayim in Sherman Oaks, is also a cantor, chaplain, vocalist, composer, producer, actor, director and activist. Born in Syracuse, New York, he grew up learning Torah and Zionism from his Jewish teachers, parents, and activist grandparents. He credits Camp Ramah with his skill in Israeli dancing.


After moving to California, Reb Jason received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lee College of the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University), and his Bachelor of Literature from the University of Judaism. He was ordained and received a Master of Arts degree in Hebrew Letters from New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary. Most recently, Reb Jason received an honorary Doctor of Divinity after 25 years of rabbinic service. Reb Jason has served the community in many areas. He founded AIDS Interfaith Long Island, an emergency homeless shelter program, a Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles, many youth oriented enrichment programs, and serves as a hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor. 


With his passion for music, Reb Jason is represented on YouTube and Spotify. He released “Shabbat Rocks” in 2004; he has written edgy Purim Spiels, such as “Rocky Horror Purim Spiel”, “Purim Stardust-David Bowie Megillah”; and the newest album “Shabbat Awakens”. He will play the part of Don Carlo in Landmark Opera Company’s “Carmen” on June 12th and June 19th. 


“I’m trying to reframe what we mean by Judaism and religion. These words often get a ‘bad rap’ by being too doctrinaire and ideological. To me, Judaism is an Art of Living," explains Reb Jason. “Who are we really?”, he continues. “We are a group - not a building.” During the restrictions and isolation of the pandemic, Reb Jason mobilized his community and introduced new ways to gather and learn. Using Zoom, the congregation continued to meet for Shabbat services, pre-school classes and programs.


In addition to all this, he enjoys time spent with his two children, Avital and Yeshiva.


Readers Club

Join us!


Wednesday, June 15th at 7:00pm


"The Indigo Girl"

by Natasha Boyd


FREE

Please RSVP to: rsvp@ValleyJCC.org



When you RSVP you will receive the meeting ID and Password




Spotlight On

Andrea Weiss



Andrea Weiss, her parents and grandparents before her, have all been involved with Jewish Community Centers. It all began when Andrea’s grandparents left Europe for America. America turned out to be South America, rather than the United States. Finding a large Jewish community, but no community center, Andrea’s grandparents built one. They were active and involved with the Center and passed the experience on to their children.


Andrea’s parents moved to Los Angeles in 1963, where she and her brother eventually attended Bay Cities JCC’s pre-school until they moved to Northridge. Andrea became active in the North Valley JCC, where she joined the Tween Program and several after school clubs. During high school, Andrea was part of West Valley JCC’s BBYO group. She was also involved with the Maccabi Games and played basketball in the competition. The games took place in Los Angeles, Seattle and New Jersey.


“Being part of the JCC growing up, gave me a sense of spirit and knowledge of my culture,” explains Andrea. So, when she saw an article in the Jewish Journal that stated the last JCC in the San Fernando Valley was closing, she knew she had to do something about it. “I wanted to give the memories from my childhood to my kids,” she continued.


Andrea did some online research and found Jerry Wayne and a JCC Without Walls. She joined the small group that was meeting regularly and working toward bringing back a Center for the community. Andrea and her husband Daniel have both served on Valley JCC Board of Directors. She feels lucky to be part of the center and feels that every generation can benefit from being connected.


Andrea and Daniel met in first grade. Years later they married, and now have a home in Northridge, the neighborhood where they grew up. They are the parents of Shana, Jenna and Bennett. Andrea enjoys attending all her children’s sports games, listening to true crime podcasts, reading, listening to music, and traveling. Pictured above (L to R): Daniel, Shayna, Andrea, Bennett, Jenna.

Basketball Camps

For Boys & Girls

Basketball

The Wayne League

by

Jason Moser


Adult basketball summer sign ups have begun. The league will start mid-June and run thru Labor Day.


The youth leagues are set to start June 12th. We have a 9-10 division at de Toledo High School and Emek Hebrew Academy.


We have a few sign ups in the 11-12 and 13-14 division but need more teams to guarantee a league.


We also have a summer camp for boys and girls ages 6-14 years. Locations will be in Calabasas, and Sherman Oaks. Please look at all the choices on the flyer above and sign up for some special fun.



I’m looking forward to seeing the parents and families in the community. We appreciate their effort in keeping our leagues going strong.


Join us!

Register Here For Youth Basketball Camps
Register Here For Adult Basketball Leagues

From Today's Montessori...


On May 19 we celebrated Lag B'Omer at school by making bonfire crafts. We collected sticks, pasted them, and then created our fire by blowing watercolors with a straw.


We learned that over 2,000 years ago an army of Romans invaded Israel and destroyed the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans were cruel to the Jewish people and wouldn’t let them study or teach the Torah. However, some brave and very clever rabbis refused to obey the Roman rules and taught Torah in secret.


One famous rabbi named Akiva told his students to carry bows, arrows, and picnic lunches. Then the students should go to the fields. It would look like they were there to hunt, not study with the rabbi. 


To celebrate Lag B'Omer, Jews all around the world light bonfires.

Valley JCC Men's Club


Meet and socialize

with other 55+ men in the Valley!


Past outings include special tours of Santa Anita Park, Jet Propulsion Laboratories in Pasadena, experiences at Dodger Stadium, the Getty Museum, and Axe Throwing at Lumberjack's in Northridge.




Reminder: There is no meeting in June


Planning Ahead....


July Meeting

6:00PM, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, (July 4th is on Monday)

Frank Weiler's Deli, 21161 Victory Blvd.

Please RSVP Burt Kaminsky at Burt@Valleyjcc.org.



The Men's Club meets the first Monday of the month.


Stay tuned for the next activity...


For more information, contact Burt@valleyjcc.org or call 818-360-2211

Valley JCC June Calendar


Check Out June Classes & Events!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW LARGER SIZE JUNE CALENDAR ONLINE

Mah Jongg

at The Village at NorthRidge


Join in and have fun on



Mah Jongg Game Day


Mondays

10:00am to 2:30pm


Location:

The Village at NorthRidge

9222 Corbin Avenue, Northridge


Bring your lunch!


Fee: $6 per session; no charge for VJCC members


For more information, contact Judi at Judi@mahjonggfunla.com

or call: (818) 764-6240


To become a member of the Valley Jewish Community Center

Go To: www.valleyjcc.org/membership

Happy Birthday! June


Jonathan Bubis

Nancy Clark

Leyla Sade

Paul Baker

Renee Cooperman

Sari Currier

Elaine Fox

Ollie Haas

Judy Hackett

Mona Heller

Sandy Korb

Jeff Medovoy

Judy Mordoh

Harlene Sosin

Jerry Stone

Merav Jacob

Abby Younger




We Wish You Good Health & Happiness!


June Event:

Summer Solstice


When Is The First Day Of Summer?

The first day of summer arrives with the solstice on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 5:14 a.m. EDT. 
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is tilting mostly toward the Sun. As seen from Earth, the Sun is directly overhead at noon. For those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year and the arrival of winter. The solstice happens at the same moment for everyone, everywhere on Earth. At Stonehenge on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge.

Summer Solstice Folklore

The summer solstice has long been celebrated by cultures around the world:
  • In Ancient Egypt, the summer solstice coincided with the rising of the Nile River. As it was crucial to predict this annual flooding, the Egyptian New Year began at this important solstice.
  • In centuries past, the Irish would cut hazel branches on solstice eve to be used in searching for gold, water, and precious jewels.
  • Many European cultures hold what are known as Midsummer celebrations at the solstice, which include gatherings at Stonehenge and the lighting of bonfires on hilltops.
Fun fact: Be sure to look at your noontime shadow around the time of the solstice. It will be your shortest noontime shadow of the year!

...Farmers Almanac 

No-Bake Summer Berry Tart
A Summer Solstice Dessert
It can be prepared with strawberries or blueberries, too!

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. Above the Arctic Circle, where the sun never sets, Midsummer Eve is celebrated all day and all night under the light of the midnight sun.


LINK for recipe CLICK HERE 


or go to:


http://foodieunderground.com/no-bake-summer-berry-tart-with-honey-and-olive-oil/


...foodieunderground

Book Review

Violeta

by Isabel Allende


This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.


Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life will be marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.


Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. . . .


She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life will be shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.


Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.

...goodreads.com

Fundraising Opportunity

On Your Birthday!

"How To" Use Amazon Smile...


  1. Go to the AmazonSmile website: www.https://smile.amazon.com/charity
  2. Sign-in using your existing Amazon Account Name and Password
  3. Select your charity: Valley Jewish Community Center
  4. Start shopping
  5. Every time you shop on Amazon from now on, begin at: Smile.Amazon.com and sign in. The sign-in spot is located in the upper right-hand corner
  6. A percentage of each purchase goes to Valley JCC. Everything helps!




Calling All Holiday Boutique Vendors...


Save The Date!


Valley JCC Holiday Boutique

takes place on

Sunday, December 4th

10:00am - 3:00pm

Location: The Village at NorthRidge

"How To" Use Ralphs To Benefit Valley JCC

  1. Go to: www.ralphs.com
  2. Click on "Sign in" to the right of the search box. (If you don't have an online account, click on "Register")
  3. Click on your name to the right of the search box at the top
  4. You will now be on your Account Summary page
  5. Scroll down to "Community Contributions" and click on "Enroll"
  6. Complete the online form and Click on "Save"
  7. Enter organization number SK677 and click on the "Search" button
  8. "Valley Jewish Community Center" will be displayed. Click "Enroll"
  9. You will see a confirmation at the top of the Account Summary page
  10. A percentage of your purchases will be donated to Valley JCC



See Your Message or Advertisement


HERE


For more information including pricing, e-mail Lois@valleyjcc.org

Join Us at the Valley Jewish Community Center...


Become A Member!


Join today to support Valley JCC and be an active member of our community! Membership gains you access and discounts to JCC programs. Tuition at Today’s Montessori include membership to Valley JCC and JCC Maccabi.


CLICK HERE to fill out the Membership Form

DONATE

Valley Jewish Community Center

Website: https://www.valleyjcc.org