January/February 2022
Barbara Shipnuck, z''l
We are so grateful and blessed to have known Barbara Shipnuck, our NCJW Section President. We extend our thoughts and prayers to her children and grandchildren and to all those who loved her. She will be missed.

Donations in her honor may be made to the Barbara Shipnuck Memorial Fund at: https://ncjwlongbeach.org/tributes.
"Spa" Options Still Available
Please take a moment to step into our ReJEWvenation Spa and review your “spa” menu options, either through the letter we sent you or at our website! Thank you in advance for considering a generous donation to NCJW − GLB & WOC's 2021 Annual Campaign. 
Shirley Stein Joint Annual Book Review:
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz
Monday, January 24, 11 am, Zoom
Note: The registration link has been fixed!

You still have time to sign up for this year's Shirley Stein Annual Book Review!

Cosponsored by NCJW - GLB & WOC and Sharon-Carmel Hadassah, English historian and author Lucy Adlington will tell us about her book The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive.
See what others are saying:

"Lucy Adlington tells of the horrors of the Nazi occupation and the concentration camps from a fascinating and original angle. She introduces us to a little-known aspect of the period, highlighting the role of clothes in the grimmest of societies imaginable and giving an insight into the women who stayed alive by stitching." – Alexandra Shulman, author of Clothes...and other things that matter

"An utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read" – Judy Batalion, NY Times bestselling author of The Light of Our Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos

There is no charge for the Zoom presentation, but a donation is appreciated; all raised funds will be forwarded to the LA Holocaust Museum. 

To register for the Zoom link, please click here.
To donate, please click here.

For further information, please contact Sharon Brannon via info@ncjwlongbeach.org or (657) 235-2511.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Barbara Alpert National Council of Jewish Women Endowment of the Jewish Community Foundation of Great Long Beach & West Orange County.
4th Thursday NCJW Movie Club
Thursday, January 27 and February 24, 7 pm, Zoom
NCJW movie night is the 4th Thursday of the month. All movies can be viewed on either Netflix or Amazon. Watch the movie on your own, then come and share your thoughts!

January 27: The Power of the Dog takes place in 1925 in Montana. The Burbank brothers Phil and George are wealthy ranchers. As Phil swings between fury and cunning, his taunting of Rose takes an eerie form. His mockery of her son is more overt, amplified by the cheering of Phil's cowhand disciples. Then Phil appears to take the boy under his wing. Is this latest gesture a softening that leaves Phil exposed, or a plot twisting further into menace?
February 24In the movie Passing, mixed-race childhood friends reunite in middle-class adulthood and become increasingly involved in each other's lives and insecurities. While Irene identifies as African-American and is married to a Black doctor, Clare "passes" as white and has married a prejudiced, wealthy white man.


Register here for the Zoom discussions.
Repro Shabbat Is Coming!
Friday/Saturday, January 28-29, Zoom 
Our local community is involved in several ways in this meaningful Shabbat dedicated to Reproductive Freedom.

The stakes are so high this year around abortion access. NCJW is seeking to create a Jewish movement by carving out a moment to honor reproductive freedom over Shabbat. We start to reclaim the narrative from the religious right when we build from the ground up, right at home in our communities. 

  • Temple Israel Long Beach: Torah Study on Saturday, January 29th at 8:45 am. Repro Shabbat falls on the Shabbat when Jews read Mishpatim, the Torah portion with verses that form the basis of the Jewish approach to reproductive freedom—the story of an accidental miscarriage that teaches us much about how Judaism does, and doesn’t, regard the personhood of a fetus. Rabbi Scott Fox will lead the discussion of this Torah portion through lecture and interactive conversations among participants. To join virtually, click here.
  • Temple Beth David: Shabbat Services on Friday, January 28th at 7:30 pm. Rabbi Myers will discuss how our religious texts and our Jewish values support abortion rights, and NCJW - GLB & WOC VP of Advocacy Deb Lelchuk will present the current laws and what the future may hold.  To attend services virtually, click here.
  • *NEW* Repro Shabbat at home: For those looking to do something a little less formal and a little more intimate, Repro Shabbat is now available for individuals to bring into their homes. Learn more here: 73forward.org/reproshabbat.
Childcare & Financial Insecurity
Facing Women Post Pandemic: 
Concerns & Solutions
Thursday, February 17, 7 pm, Long Beach City College or Zoom
AAUW Long Beach and NCJW – GLB & WOC invite you to join us either in person at Long Beach City College, 4900 E. Conant St., Long Beach, Building O‐2, Room 208, or on Zoom to hear our experts explore important questions:
  • How has the pandemic affected working women in Long Beach related to jobs lost and how local companies are assisting with childcare issues?
  • What does LBCC offer that can improve career options for affected women? Is the Child Development program being expanded to meet the needs of working women?
  • Can a Long Beach Commission on the Status of Women bring improvements in Pay Equity and meeting working women’s needs?
  • What can research from Orange County show us about the childcare needs of working women?

Outcomes from this presentation should address:
  • how we can be advocates for working women,
  • what role can NCJW and AAUW play in shaping legislation, and
  • what community volunteer opportunities might exist for us to fill.

Those attending in person will be required to wear a mask and show proof of vaccination.

To participate in person, register here by February 14.
To participate via Zoom, click on this Zoom link on the day of the event.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Barbara Alpert National Council of Jewish Women Endowment of the Jewish Community Foundation of Great Long Beach & West Orange County.
Supporting an Afghan Refugee Family
After the United States made a rapid and tumultuous withdrawal from Afghanistan last fall, millions of lives were disrupted. Now more than 50,000 Afghans are embarking on a new life here in the U.S., and 700 of them will make the Los Angeles/Long Beach area their home. NCJW - GLB & WOC is answering the call to help by sponsoring an Afghan refugee family—and we need your support!

Donations are our first priority right now. Make your tax-deductible donation at https://ncjwlongbeach.org/donate and select the Immigrant Services Fund.
Other ways to help include: Share this message! Ask friends to donate! Have a special skill such as knowledge of affordable housing, medicare, SSI, etc.? Let us know—your expertise is needed!

Learn more about welcome circles at https://www.hias.org/get-involved/welcome-circles or email us at advocacy@ncjwlongbeach.org
Long Beach Community Survey
The 2021 Long Beach Area Jewish Community Study is going on now, and we hope you will participate! This study of the whole community will help our organization enrich Jewish life.

If you’ve already taken this survey, thank you! If not, the research team is waiting to hear from someone in your household! Visit the website to get started: https://lb.norc.org or find more information about the study at Jewish Long Beach. If you have additional questions or would like to communicate with a study member, please email LBAJCS@norc.org or call Frankie Duda of NORC at 877-295-0025.
How to Order Your Free Covid Test Kits
Get your Free at home COVID Tests through USPS. 
1 order of 4 tests per household
HugPacks Packing Postponed
Thursday, March 10, 6 pm, AJCC
Our January HugPacks packing has been postponed to March 10. Contact Linda C. Fox at communityservice@ncjwlongbeach.org or call (657) 235-2511 and say you’ll volunteer! 
Kindergarten Festivals Postponed
Our January 8 KFest event has been postponed. Watch our website or email communityservice@ncjwlongbeach.org for updates on future dates.
Mark Your Calendars...Save the Date
Thursday, February 3: Board meeting, 7 pm. RSVP for Zoom link; all members welcome!

Thursday, March 3: Board meeting, 7 pm. RSVP for Zoom link; all members welcome!

Thursday, March 10: Hugpack Packing, 6 pm, AJCC. Vaccinated volunteers needed; RSVP to communityservice@ncjwlongbeach.org or call 657-235-2511.
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HOW TO REACH US

Email us at info@ncjwlongbeach.org, call (657) 235-2511, or send mail to NCJW Greater Long Beach & West Orange County, 6216 E. Pacific Coast Highway, #239, Long Beach, CA 90803. Please add this contact information to your contacts list.