The June Edition Includes:

Photos From "An Evening With John Paul Thornton",

Speaker Series 2023, Youth & Adult Basketball Leagues, Summer Sports Camp,

Meet Keith "Kiki" Esparza, Maj Jongg, Readers Club, Men's Club

Letter From Jeff Rubin

Executive Director, Valley JCC

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. Express your appreciation sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life and you’ll find that you have more of it.” Ralph Marston

Valley Jewish Community Center’s Annual Celebration, “An Evening with John Paul Thornton: From the Artist’s Studio”, certainly didn’t disappoint! In fact, our successful event exceeded our wildest dreams. 

What an incredible evening! Over 190 people from the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys attended our celebration at the Rose Goldwater Community Center, located on the Westfield Topanga property. 

The enjoyment and the amazing reactions from those in attendance, including our dignitaries, reflect the value of our programming and all that we do throughout the year. 

Thank you to the Board of Directors and Staff. Your constant support and all that you do enables Valley JCC to make a continuing impact in the community.

Thank you to our Fundraising Committee. Your hard work and dedication throughout the entire process, from start to finish, is so appreciated and inspiring. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for everything you do for our Valley JCC Community. 

Thank you John Paul Thornton, our honoree, who was so humbled by the reception and accolades he received throughout the evening. His presentation was personal and inspiring, giving the audience a glimpse into his childhood and life experiences. He told me that the event was absolutely amazing and he was "floored" by the entire experience.  

On behalf of Valley JCC, it was our absolute honor and pleasure to recognize John Paul for his outstanding contributions and service to thousands upon thousands of people both in and out of our community. His unique talents and, more importantly, his dedication for sharing his passion for the arts with such enthusiasm and attention to detail, is what sets John Paul apart and makes him truly one of a kind. 

The evening gave all those in attendance a look into John Paul’s life on a more personal level, including his drive and desire to share and make a difference in this world. We are grateful and thankful for our relationship with John Paul and plan to expand and enhance our programming with him, moving forward. 

Thank you to Westfield. The venue was everything we hoped it would be. The space looked fantastic and we utilized every inch of the building. 

Thank you to all in attendance. We are so grateful to our sponsors, our donors, and our dignitaries. We look to the future with excitement and enthusiasm. 

Our thanks to the photographers Dan Katz, Jay Ross, and Linda Perry. 

Please take a look at the photos of the celebration. They are included in this newsletter.

Thank You,

Jeff

AN EVENING WITH JOHN PAUL THORNTON

Nearly 200 guests gathered together to honor international artist, art historian and lecturer John Paul Thornton on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Rose Goldwater Community Center, located in Woodland Hills.

The celebration included an exhibit of John Paul's paintings, his personal video presentation, Certificates of Recognition from political dignitaries, a silent auction, and refreshments. It is Valley JCC's honor to pay tribute to a man who has

touched and enhanced the lives of so many throughout the world.

Photo Credit:

Jay Ross (JaysfStop), Dan Katz (Dan Katz Photography),

Lois Julien (Valley JCC)

Special Thanks

to

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield

for his support of

Valley Jewish Community Center

Harriet Kremer Bilford attended Valley JCC's May 20th event honoring John Paul Thornton. A few hours later, she posted this beautiful tribute on Facebook. With her permission, we share it with you...

Message From Ollie Haas,

Valley JCC President, Board of Directors

This is a good time of year to consider the “milestones” in our lives. After all, it may be close to the date of your engagement or marriage, or one of the developmental stages in the life of your child or grandchild, such as the baby steps they took as an infant. 

Perhaps it’s the time of the completion of preschool, elementary school, middle school, or high school. Or, your graduation or one of your family members from college or university. It may be a time to begin a new phase in education, a job or career change, or a relocation in your living situation.

A milestone is an important event or action. A milestone represents an important stage of development, a key point in time that demonstrates progress. Milestones indicate that you have reached the next “mile” in your life’s journey.

Recognition of the milestones in one’s life can lead to purposeful planning and can help one deal with unexpected changes, obstacles, or “bumps in the road” along our journey.

When we create, recognize and analyze important milestones in advance, we help to outline a clear path to success. The more detailed planning we do, ahead of time, can really help to avoid unwanted surprises.

Of course, there are always things that occur that are unexpected. So, we must be flexible, “roll with the punches,” and to the best of our ability, be prepared. Our relationships help us to deal with the obstacles in our lives.

Joining together, along with the community for the betterment of us all, can help strengthen us as individuals and in our relationships. The Center is all about community.

Last month, Valley JCC held our annual Gala - our largest fundraising milestone of the year. We honored John Paul Thornton, artist and art historian extraordinaire. If you have not attended one of his classes, the next one is Wednesday, July 19th.

Please consider renewing your membership, or joining the Center for the first time. As a JCC, one of the best ways we can be prepared is through our membership. 

The money we raise from our Gala and and our memberships allows us to create wonderful programs like the Speaker Series. The first of takes place Thursday, June 29th and will feature an incredible panel of women entrepreneurs. Save the Date! 

Best wishes,

Ollie Haas

Art & Artists: Egyptomania from the CMA’s Collection

Four Mondays, June 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2023

11am-12pm (PT) on Zoom  

Save! Register by June 3rd for “Early Bird” pricing!

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: Luminous Music & High Drama

Two Thursdays, June 8 & 15, 2023

1-2:15pm (PT)on Zoom  

Save! Get “Early Bird” ticket prices; register before June 6th!

For details & tickets, click here.

Bryant’s Broadway: Kern & Hammerstein

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

1-2pm (PT) on Zoom  

Save! Order before June 19th for “Early Bird” pricing!

For details & tickets, click here.

Basketball

The Wayne League

by

Jason Moser

Our spring session just ended and we are excited for summer.

We are working on and hopeful to add Highland Hall Waldorf School, located in Northridge, to the list of schools under our sports umbrella.

We also have a basketball camp for kids from June 12th to June 30th at de Toledo High school and four weeks of sports camp with Eclipse. More information and flyers for both camps are in this newsletter and on our website.

Our summer basketball leagues will run from the last week of June through Labor Day for both youth and adults. We are pleased to be adding an 8u division and more girls divisions to our youth program.

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

Please join us - Shalom!

Wayne Girls Basketball

Girls league playing Sundays at A. E. Wright Middle School

Valley JCC sports leagues are named

in memory of beloved former

Executive Director Jerry Wayne

Meet:

Keith "Kiki" Esparza

Coach Keith “Kiki” Esparza is President and Head Coach of Valley Stars Basketball Academy, a non-profit organization established in 2016. His mission is for the Academy to be a place where kids can go and “be a star”. As the coach, his goal is create a world where all the players are stars. 

“We’re changing lives one dribble at a time”, is Kiki’s motto as he coaches and mentors basketball players throughout the school year and at summer camps. Kiki has coached and influenced the lives of over 600 children in the past seven years.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, and playing basketball and baseball throughout childhood, Kiki became passionate about sports and the life lessons it teaches. He worked as a summer counselor, served as a referee, and has officiated at high school and recreational basketball games for more than 20 years. His father had told him that he could be good at coaching. So, after years of seeing some inequity in the opportunities that some kids had at local parks, Kiki decided to start his own non-profit organization.

In addition to sports, Kiki worked in the family restaurant for years. He realized the importance of attending college, and went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from CSUN. Years later, he also graduated from culinary school. He says that there are many similarities in coaching and cooking, beginning with knowing the basic fundamentals and techniques. Both require thinking on your feet, creativity, ability to adjust at a moment’s notice, and continually teaching and re-evaluating.

Through Valley JCC’s Sports Coordinator Jason Moser, Kiki heard about Jeff Rubin and the Wayne League Basketball programs. He liked the way the Wayne League operates, how much the coaches care for the kids, and how Valley JCC serves the community. Therefore, along with Valley JCC, Coach Kiki is offering three weeks of summer basketball camp at de Toledo High School in West Hills. The flyer with detailed information is in this newsletter and on Valley JCC’s website.

When Coach Kiki is not coaching basketball or cooking, he enjoys watching the Lakers, Rams, and Dodgers. Another favorite activity is hanging out with his little dog, Betty Boop.

From Today's Montessori...

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.

The Men's Club meets the first Monday of the month, unless there is

a national or religious holiday.

Our Next Men’s Club meeting:

Monday, June 5^th

6:00pm

Bob’s Big Boy, 8876 Corbin Ave., Northridge

Please RSVP to me and let me know whether or not you will be able to attend.

I hope to see all of you Monday, June 5th!!! It’s been too long since we last met!

...Steve Levine 

Stay tuned for the next activity...

We are planning trips for 2023

For more information, contact sandnl@verizon.net or call 818-360-2211

Chocolate Chip

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 whole eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon (heaping) instant coffee granules

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup (heaping) milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons flax seed, crushed in a mortar/pestle

2 tablespoons millet, crushed in mortar/pestle

Vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Miniature chocolate chips

Miniature candy-coated chocolates

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a mixer, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, butter and margarine until combined. Add the vanilla and eggs, and stir together.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, instant coffee and salt. Add to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing gently after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips, flax seed and millet.
4. Drop balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and allow to cool.
5. Using a kitchen scoop, take one scoop of ice cream and place it onto the flat side of a cookie, then top with second cookie, pressing to allow the ice cream to spread slightly. Immediately roll the edges of the cookie in chocolate chips or candies so that the ice cream is coated. Wrap individually in plastic and freeze until the ice cream is very firm, at least 4 hours.

www.foodnetwork.com

Book Recommendation

A Map For The Missing

An epic, mesmerizing debut novel set against a rapidly changing post-Cultural Revolution China, A Map for the Missing reckons with the costs of pursuing one's dreams and the lives we leave behind.

Tang Yitian has been living in America for almost a decade when he receives an urgent phone call from his mother: his father has disappeared from the family's rural village in China. Though they have been estranged for years, Yitian promises to come home.

When Yitian attempts to piece together what may have happened, he struggles to navigate China's impenetrable bureaucracy as an outsider, and his mother's evasiveness only deepens the mystery. So he seeks out a childhood friend who may be in a position to help: Tian Hanwen, the only other person who shared Yitian's desire to pursue a life of knowledge. As a teenager, Hanwen was "sent down" from Shanghai to Yitian's village as part of the country's rustication campaign. Young and in love, they dreamed of attending university in the city together. But when their plans resulted in a terrible tragedy, their paths diverged, and while Yitian ended up a professor in America, Hanwen was left behind, resigned to life as a midlevel bureaucrat's wealthy housewife.

Reuniting for the first time as adults, Yitian and Hanwen embark on the search for Yitian's father, all the while grappling with the past--who Yitian's father really was, and what might have been. Spanning the late 1970s to 1990s and moving effortlessly between rural provinces and big cities, A Map for the Missing is a deeply felt examination of family and forgiveness, and the meaning of home.

www.goodreads.com

She Bid And She Won!

At Valley JCC's May 20 event, "An Evening With John Paul Thornton", Lillian McCain was the highest bidder for the 2 ticket package for the Dodger game held on Memorial Day.

Lillian is pictured at the May 29th game with her son, Jim.

The Tickets were donated by Bryan Clark of Gorst & Compass Insurance Company.

Go Lillian!

Go Dodgers!

Valley JCC is looking forward to engaging in continuous outreach in the community.

Stay tuned for details...

Fundraising Opportunity

On Your Birthday!

"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