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 …
I have always had a sense of pride in being Jewish. It began as a childhood experience and has continued throughout my life. I love the feeling of knowing that our tradition teaches us a strong sense of morality, provides a structure for the year, and guides us on how to live our lives. Plus…
Shortly after my wife and I got married in 2000, we moved from Washington, DC, to LA so that I could attend grad school at Hebrew Union College and USC and pursue a double master's in Jewish Nonprofit Management and Social Work. While I knew I wanted to work within the Jewish community, I ne…
AB 715 Must Be Passed to Protect Jewish Students from the Rise of Antisemitism in California’s K-12 Schools
Recen…
It may sound shocking, but one of the many aspects I love about my job is that people in our community, as well as those I know outside of our community, feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and perspectives about the Jewish community with me. And in particular, both the rise of antisemit…
This week, like many other parents in our community, my daughter started school. While I am sure most parents are more excited about what lies ahead in this school year than their children, it is a year full of opportunities, possibilities, and a return to a more structured schedule. And to …
I am a Zionist and will not apologize for being one. I believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. I know that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and I firmly believe that Israel has a right to defend itself.
And… I’m incredibly concerned, annoyed, and frustrated that th…
Over the last several weeks, I’ve participated in a series of different meetings where the situation between Israel and Hamas has come up. These meetings have taken place with local school district staff, elected officials (or their staff), and other stakeholders. In each of these cases, w…
