The July Edition Includes:

Youth & Adult Basketball Leagues, Summer Sports Camp,

Meet Katie Ellison, Mah Jongg, Readers Club, Men's Club, Tisha B'Av,

Nelson Mandela Day, Summer Recipe, Guide to Buzzwords

Letter From Jeff Rubin

Executive Director, Valley JCC

A bucket list is a list of experiences or achievements that someone wants to fulfill before they die or "kick the bucket." It's a way to set goals and create a roadmap for living a fulfilling life.

Here are some examples of ideas for a bucket list:

1. Travel the world: Visit iconic landmarks, explore different cultures, and try new cuisines.
2. Learn a new language: Challenge yourself to become fluent in a language you've always wanted to speak.
3. Skydiving: Experience the adrenaline rush of jumping out of a plane and free falling through the sky.
4. Volunteer for a meaningful cause: Give back to your community or participate in a humanitarian mission abroad.
5. Write a book: Share your story or knowledge by writing a book and getting it published.
6. Learn to play a musical instrument: Master the guitar, piano, violin, or any instrument that captivates you.
7. Run a marathon or complete a challenging physical feat: Push your limits and achieve a personal fitness goal.

I, too, have a bucket list. One item at the top of the list is to visit Israel. I have always wanted to go, but until now I haven’t made it there. I've talk to friends about it, some who grew up there. When I watch programs about Israel, I am in awe. Israel is a country rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. Here are just a few of the things that I want to see or do:

1. Explore all things Jerusalem.
2. Float in the Dead Sea: Experience the unique sensation of floating effortlessly in the mineral-rich waters of the lowest point on Earth.
3. Discover Masada: Hike or take a cable car to the top of this ancient fortress and learn about its dramatic history.
4. Visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial: Pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and learn more about this dark chapter of history.
5. Wander through the narrow streets of Old Jaffa: Enjoy the charming atmosphere, visit art galleries, and take in the stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea.
6. Dive or snorkel in the Red Sea: Explore the vibrant underwater world of Eilat's coral reefs.
7. Trek in the Negev Desert: Embark on a desert adventure, hike through the unique landscapes, and spend a night under the stars.
8. Attend a traditional Shabbat dinner: Experience the Jewish Sabbath by joining a local family for a traditional Friday night meal.

I am fortunate that in just a few days I will embark on this amazing adventure as a chaperone for the JCC Maccabi Games. I cannot wait to experience all things Israel and tell you all about my journey when I return. 

Until then, have a great summer. 

Thank You,

Jeff

Save the Dates!

John Paul Thornton

will continue to present a series of art history classes with an emphasis on Jewish artists and Jewish history.

Please mark your calendars with the following class dates for 2023 - 2024:

August 23

October 11

January 10

February 21

All classes will be virtual on Zoom and take place on

Wednesdays, from 6:00-7:30pm.

See you then!

Message From Ollie Haas,

Valley JCC President, Board of Directors

At Valley Jewish Community Center (VJCC), we hope this Newsletter finds you and your family healthy and ready to enjoy the summer.

As you know, VJCC is a 501c3 tax-exempt community service organization. Under the guidance of our Executive Director, Jeff Rubin, Valley JCC offers programs and activities for families and individuals of all ages. Our monthly calendar of activities continues to grow and we have online on our website valleyjcc.org descriptions of the happenings of our Center Without Walls as well as a monthly newsletter featuring the activities available and upcoming. 

This Newsletter includes feature stories about the activities and about our members. We strive to add new instructors and additional classes focused on art history, music, travel presentations, and fitness. And, as we get feedback from you, our members, we will strive to grow and change to meet your need and wants.

Your continued support will continue our quality community programs such as:

• The Wayne League Adult Basketball program which now has over 100 teams.

• The Wayne League Youth Division which has 16 teams. 

• Mah Jongg every Monday at the Village at Northridge.

• Two different sports camps for youth this summer.

• Senior Table Tennis for Mind and Body.

• Funds to expand our programs at Today’s Montessori, VJCC’s outstanding preschool.

• A variety of educational, recreational and social programs for all ages.

• A Health and Wellness Fair scheduled for October 15th. (Save the date!)

We are excited to be participating in the annual JCC Maccabi Games taking place this month in both Israel and Fort Lauderdale! We are sending the fifth largest delegation from the U.S. to Israel. All best wishes for success and fun to each of our athletes!

Our preschool, Today’s Montessori is near capacity with a waiting list for some of the age groups. 

We just held a very successful Annual Gala event, honoring the renowned art historian, educator and artist, John Paul Thornton, with over 180 people in attendance.

As past members, your support has enabled us to continue to grow and change. 

Membership remains an essential requirement that allows us to offer programming, activities, sports, camps, community activities, and special interest clubs to all ages in the community. For us to cover our current and future expenses, your membership is more vital now than ever. 

Our mission as always is to serve you and the Jewish Community. 

The Center plays many roles in our community: roles that are vital to Jews who want to feel connected to a part of their Tradition and Heritage. We need your continued assistance to make that happen!

Please be sure to renew your membership this summer. If you are not yet a member, please join in to help VJCC grow! 

Thank you for your support, your membership, and your commitment to sustaining the ONLY JCC in the San Fernando Valley, Conejo Valley and Santa Clarita Valley.

Best wishes,

Ollie Haas

Music & Morsels: “Symphony” & Surprise

Wednesday, July 5

1-2pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Get “Early Bird” pricing; purchase before July 3rd.

For details & tickets, click here.

Art & Artists: Gods & Heroes in Ancient Cultures from the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA)

Three Mondays, July 10, 17 & 24

11am-12pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Register by July 8th for “Early Bird” pricing!

For details & tickets, click here.

Basketball

The Wayne League

by

Jason Moser

"Summer is here and we hit an incredible number of teams in our adult basketball league", Jason reports. Usually the number 102 represents the temperature in the Valley and surrounding areas. In this case, we are talking about the number of teams in our adult basketball league!

All of this is possible because of the amazing facilities we have partnered up with. Highland Hall is the newest school to let us use their wonderful facility. We now have relationships with 9 schools from Agoura Hills to Santa Clarita.

Our youth league numbers are slightly down with kids and families traveling all summer long. However, as in basketball, we will rebound in the fall.

Finally we would like to thank coach Kiki Esparza for running the summer basketball camp and coach Ben Yeger for his annual summer sports camp. In just over 18 months we have reached unimaginable heights with these great community relationships.

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:

Katie Ellison

Corporate Director of Digital Marketing

SRG Senior Living

Katie Ellison, Corporate Director of Digital Marketing with the Senior Resource Group, advocates “The Power of WE”. The phrase means living life with a full team at the ready. That’s what takes place in their senior living communities like The Village at Northridge and The Village in Sherman Oaks. Valley JCC currently holds Mah Jongg and Table Tennis games at The Village in Northridge, as well as the annual Holiday Boutique. We plan to add more activities in the near future.

“Our goal at our retirement facilities is for our residents to live better, longer,” explains Katie. She believes that often, there’s a stigma attached to living at a retirement home. People think they’ll lose the ability to make decisions for themselves. However, there are so many opportunities offered to seniors, they can continue to make choices and will not lose their independence. 

The wellness program ZEST is designed to strengthen mind, body, and soul through activities that foster holistic well-being. Some ZEST experiences are to stay in shape with Cardio, Strength & Balance fitness program, learn something new at Life Long Learning seminars, explore new technology, join a book club, take a yoga class, enjoy gardening, and tap your toes with music therapy. Along the way, seniors usually make new friends with similar interests.

Valley JCC looks forward to partnering with nearby locations for classes and programs that will be mutually beneficial to our members and Village residents.

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, July 3rd

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

...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

Tisha B'Av

Tisha B’Av on July 26 this year, is an annual fast day in Judaism. It is also known as one of the most tragic days in Jewish history since it saw a number of disasters that affected Jews for years to come. The day of mourning takes place to mark the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. Av 9 (day nine) is also the time that saw the fall of Bethar, and the end of the Jewish rebellion against Rome. Here’s all you need to know about the day.

HISTORY OF TISHA B'AV

Tisha B’Av has a catastrophic history that is still remembered by Jews across the world. This is why the day of mourning is observed religiously every year. Apart from fasting and praying, Tisha B’Av also serves the purpose of recalling the sufferings the Jewish people went through to obtain the status they have in the world today. It all started when Jews were awaiting to find a way into the Promised Land. Alas, they received no hope of beginning their new lives in Israel. This was followed by the first blow to the Jewish faith when the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. During this invasion, almost 100,000 Jews were killed and the survivors were exiled. Around 133 A.D., the Romans built the city of Aelia Capitolina on the sacred site. 



Then came the time when the Roman Empire reigned the land. During this era, the Second Temple was also destroyed and over 2,500,000 Jews died as a result of war, famine, and disease. About 100,000 Jews were captured and sold as slaves by Romans for labor and blood sport. This, however, was not the end of the calamities faced by Jews as, around the year 1095, the First Crusade was declared by Pope Urban II. This war led to the death of thousands of Jews, while others were displaced from their homes and continued to live a life of fear and turmoil. One of the final blows to the Jewish faith was the Holocaust in Germany where one-third of the world’s Jewish population was escorted to death’s door. 

www.NationalToday.com

Guide to Buzzwords

& Acronyms

What Does This Really Mean?

• Bandwidth: “Do you have the bandwidth?” The time or capacity to do work, particularly work that wasn’t originally assigned to you.
• Ping: “I’ll ping you after my meeting.” Ping means to contact someone by phone, email or text.
• Drill Down: “We can drill down that account.” It means to look further into a matter in order to get more details.
• Deep Dive: “I need you to do a deep dive into the budget.” A more detailed analysis than what has already been done.
• Circle Back: “Can you circle back to me later? That means to catch up later.
• Bubble Up: “Be sure to bubble it up.” Meaning: tell your boss what’s going on - but only if it’s important.
• Cascade: “We’ll need you to cascade the information.” In other words: tell other people, so your boss doesn’t have to.
• Take it Offline: “We’ll have to take it offline.” Or, talk about this later.
• High Level View: “I can give you a high level view of it.” This means: a vague description.
• Low Hanging Fruit: “We need to go for the low-hanging fruit.” Meaning: easily attainable accomplishments.
• Whitespace: “Let’s take advantage of our whitespace.” Or, potential sales to existing clients.
• Action Items: “Let’s prioritize the action items for this project.” Meaning: things you can do.
• Going Forward: “Going forward, you should focus on this project.” Means: in the future.

www.themuse.com

Grilled Vegetables With Caper Butter

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 medium crookneck or yellow summer squash, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 medium sweet yellow or orange pepper, quartered
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, quartered
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 3 green onions, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• 1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers; cook 2 minutes. Stir in parsley.
• 2. Brush vegetables with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 3. Grill zucchini, squash and peppers, covered, over medium heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender, basting occasionally with butter mixture. Grill mushrooms and onions, covered, 1-2 minutes on each side or until tender, basting occasionally with butter mixture.
• 4. Cut vegetables as desired; transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with remaining butter mixture.

www.tasteofhome.com

Book Recommendation

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy

by

Susan Elia MacNeal

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series comes a tantalizing standalone novel inspired by a real-life mother-daughter duo who stumble upon an underground Nazi cell in Los Angeles during the early days of World War II—and find the courage to go undercover.

“Stirring . . . Susan Elia MacNeal’s page-turning prose is as entertaining as ever—I was riveted from beginning to end.”—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain may be next—but to many Americans, the war is something happening “over there.” Veronica Grace has just graduated from college; she and her mother, Violet, are looking for a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles. After a blunder cost her a prestigious career opportunity in New York, Veronica is relieved to take a typing job in L.A.—only to realize that she’s working for one of the area’s most vicious propagandists.

Overnight, Veronica is exposed to the dark underbelly of her new home, where German Nazis are recruiting Americans for their devastating campaign. After the FBI dismisses the Graces’ concerns, Veronica and Violet decide to call on an old friend, who introduces them to L.A.’s anti-Nazi spymaster.

At once, the women go undercover to gather enough information about the California Reich to take to the authorities. But as the news of Pearl Harbor ripples through the United States, and President Roosevelt declares war, the Grace women realize that the plots they’re investigating are far more sinister than they feared—and even a single misstep could cost them everything.

Inspired by the real mother-daughter spy duo who foiled Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII, Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is a powerful portrait of family, duty, and deception that raises timeless questions about America—and what it means to have courage in the face of terror.

www.amazon.com

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