I have learned a lot about myself over the years. And one of those things is that I have a lot of "favorites." And for the record… I am comfortable with this fact. 😊 And right now, the middle of September is one of those times. As an avid sports fan, baseball is nearing the playoffs (although, sadly, my SF Giants will not be playing in October), college football is ramping up (Fight On!), and the NFL has just completed its second week of games (my 49ers are 1-1 but looking at a great season ahead). It's an exciting time, including all of the excitement and anticipation leading up to this year's elections. A lot is going on.

 

The same is true here at our Jewish Federation. Last week, my staff and I held a staff retreat, and we discussed the need to continue to share and "pull back the curtain" on some of the work our Jewish Federation is doing as a way to continue to illustrate and show the value we add, as an organization, within our community. So, for this week's column, I wanted to share a little bit of what is coming up here at our Jewish Federation in hopes that you will be enticed to attend (and let others know about) our upcoming activities.

 

Let's start with this Thursday—our 2024 High Holy Day Resource Guide will be emailed out. It is a collection of links to articles, family activities, recipes, and a schedule of what each of our community partners (our synagogues) has planned for this year. We prepare this each year to help all of us prepare for the start of the New Year. So check your inbox on Thursday morning, and feel free to share it with everyone you know.

Also this Sunday, our PJ Library program is having a very special Rosh Hashanah family program here at our Jewish Federation office. Attendees will get a chance to meet a bee keeper and their bees and learn about how they make the golden delicious liquid we eat with apples at this time of year.

Next, our Cultural Arts' JFed Players are again hitting the stage with their fall production of Wisdom of Eve, which opens this Saturday night. This show is a gripping tale of ambition, jealousy, and fame in New York's theater world. It follows the story of Eve Harrington, an unscrupulous ingenue determined to rise to Broadway stardom. As secrets are revealed and loyalties tested, the lines between admiration and obsession blur, leading to a shocking climax. There are only five performances - September 21, 22, 25, 26 and 29. Get your tickets by clicking here.

 

Then, on Sunday, October 6, beginning at 4:30 pm, our Jewish Federation and Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, along with our local synagogues, are bringing our community together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel. The event will take place at Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center (1434 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena), and the entire community is invited to give each other an opportunity to process what has transpired, to commemorate and remember those we have lost, and to find the tools we need to move forward as proud Jews. Registration is required for security purposes and can be done by clicking here.

 

Of course, as you saw in last week's email, our 26th Annual Jewish Book Festival will begin at the end of October. Our Jewish Book Festival committee has put together an incredible line-up of authors covering a wide range of topics and subject areas. Your festival brochure should arrive in your mailbox by the end of the week. Keep an eye out for it.

 

Hope to see you at an upcoming event.

 

See, we have so much going on that I am very excited to share it all with you. Oh, I almost forgot. While it is not something our Jewish Federation is doing, it is important nonetheless, and I wanted to make sure you knew. Today is National Voter Registration Day. If you are not registered to vote, take less than 2 minutes and do it today by clicking here.