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 b…
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 co…
One of my most vivid memories growing up, one I think about around this time, is being surrounded by family, sitting around my grandparents' dining room table as my grandfather led the Passover Seder. I don’t remember much about those seders or where my grandfather hid the afikomen (althou…
The following was an Op-ed Jason Moss, our Executive Director, wrote following Thursday’s attack on Temple Israel in Michigan. It was published online and in this past Sunday’s edition of various Southern California News Group papers.
The new assaults on synagogues in our nation
There …
For the last week and a half or so, if you’re like me, you have been scrolling and searching on news sites and on social media, trying to gather as much information as you can about the current US-led war against Iran that Israel is participating in. This is one of a few reasons why we beg…
Before I get any further in this week’s message, I would like to start by wishing you and your family a Chag Purim (Happy Purim). I think it is rather poignant that we are celebrating the holiday that celebrates our victory over Haman – a figure from Persia who wanted to eradicate Jews �…
For many people, this past Sunday, as family and friends gathered to celebrate America’s unofficial holiday… Super Bowl Sunday, many people were rooting not for a team but rather for the commercials. The spectacle of the Super Bowl, with over 130 million sets of eyes watching, continues …
Our Jewish Federation’s mission is to build community by strengthening and enhancing Jewish life. In January 2025, when the Eaton Fire tore through our neighborhoods, that mission became real in the most urgent way.
We reached out to families who had lost so much, often finding ourselves …
This past Saturday, January 24, our Jewish Federation brought the community came together for our 8th Annual Every Person Has a Name – our 25-hour Holocaust Commemoration and Vigil, supported once again by the City of Pasadena.
Like we have done in the past, we returned back to the steps…
One of the many things I love about Judaism is our traditions. We seem to have “something” for every occasion. I’ve been reflecting on this as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades Fires that forever changed not just the landscape of Southern California but th…
What a year it has been for our community. As I think back to this day, one year ago, when I was imagining what 2025 had in store, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how our year would begin or the impact it would have on our community.
Yet, despite all of the loss and destruc…
Two weeks ago, I was in Washington, DC, for the annual Jewish Federation of North America's (JFNA) General Assembly. It was an incredible experience; however, before the conference began, I decided it would be nice to sort of "prepare" myself for what I might gain from the conference. And so, …
One of the many challenges our Jewish Federation faces is not something you might expect. Unlike other nonprofits, for which people have a strong understanding of what they do and what their donations support, we often hear that people are still unsure what our Jewish Federation is or does. …
When I first began writing this weekly column 5 1/2 years ago, I had no idea how important it would be to some in the community or how much I would enjoy it. You may not know or remember (as I believe I have previously shared in this column), I wanted to be a rabbi when I was growing up. And…
It is rather strange that this is my first weekly message in over a month. In fact, this is the longest I have gone without communicating with our community since I began writing this weekly message back in April 2020, shortly after the start of the COVID pandemic. I hope your High Holidays …
