As I sat in Rosh Hashanah services this year, memories of services I have attended in the past came to mind. One was as a teen, when my synagogue friends and I sat in the way back at Temple Isaiah and sort of paid attention to the service as we talked and caught up. The service when my oldes…
One of the things I have come to appreciate most about leading our Jewish Federation is the advocacy work we have been able to do on behalf of our community. In that role, we have had many major successes that have benefited not only our local Jewish community, but also Southern California, …
I always find this time of year to be a little strange. On the one hand, we are still in the throes of summer (hope everyone is staying hydrated and finding ways to cool down), and on the other, we're in the midst of the start of the school year. Speaking of, it has been a lot of fun (and so…
Like many in our community and around the world, I was horrified to see that another attack on a synagogue took place this past Shabbat. As the community of Central Synagogue was gathered in prayer, an attacker barged into the sanctuary, shouted obscenities, spat, punched a congregant in the…
Over our Jewish Federation’s 30+ years, the work we do has shifted. While our mission has always focused on strengthening and enhancing Jewish life in our community through the programs we provide, you have probably noticed a shift toward greater emphasis on advocacy in recent years. Even wh…
Have you spent time recently thinking about your identity? You know… what makes you…you? Or more specifically, the various aspects or traits in your life, let alone the experiences that have shaped who you are today?
Over the last several years, as we have seen a prominence of antisemitism’…
I had a chance to catch up with two of my cousins yesterday. During our visit, I was listening to him talk about the volunteer work he is doing and the life-changing impact it is having on the program participants. Of course, this got me thinking about the impact each of us has on the people…
With so much attention last week on our country’s 250th Anniversary celebration and the World Cup, you may have missed two news stories that have, or will have, a direct impact on our local Jewish community.
In a July 1 Jewish News Service (JNS) article about California’s 2025 Hate in Calif…
One of my favorite things about social media is seeing photos posted by people I have had the privilege of knowing throughout my life. Pictures from graduation, playing sports, on vacations… you name it…. I enjoy staying connected and seeing how they are doing, even if we don’t speak or see…
Taking pride in who we are as individuals is an essential part of expressing and appreciating our identity. I am not saying it is easy, but it is something we should all strive to do. We are in a period when pride is taking a front seat in a wide variety of ways.
First, June is Pri…
I have always felt an incredible sense of pride in being Jewish. Whether it was ingrained in me by my parents and family, or the community I grew up in, I am extremely thankful for it.
I have been thinking a lot about this, following an incredible opportunity I had this past Sunday. Althoug…
I am so glad that my parents moved to the city… or, more specifically, the town I grew up in, shortly before I was born. It was a small city in the East Bay of Northern California. Monrovia, the city our Jewish Federation has called home for over 10 years, reminds me a lot of what my hometow…
When I was a kid, growing up in the Bay Area, I was not really aware that there was a Jewish Federation, let alone two – one that “covered” San Francisco and one in the Greater East Bay that was responsible for where I lived. However, unbeknownst to me at the time, my Jewish life was being s…
I have realized that I am at an age when things sometimes seem to speed up. It’s as if time is moving faster, and the days and weeks go by quicker than they should. While I know this is scientifically false, I still feel it to be true. (Even though I cannot see you reading this week’s column…
