The March Edition Includes:

Register For A Great Event: Sunday, May 5, 2024, "Blintzes & Burritos Brunch",

Meet: Stephen Sass, Breed Street Shul; Meet: Caroline Dunn, Canasta Instructor; Macabbi 2024; Youth and Adult Basketball; Readers Club; Men's Club

Letter From Jeff Rubin

Executive Director, Valley JCC

Happy March - Spring Is Here!

Spring is a magical time of renewal and transformation. As the season changes, so do our clocks, giving us the gift of more daylight hours to savor. This shift not only allows us to bask in the warmth of the sun for longer periods but also provides an excellent opportunity to spend quality time outdoors with our loved ones.

With the arrival of spring and the time change, we are presented with a chance to embrace nature's beauty and immerse ourselves in its wonders. Whether it's a leisurely stroll in the park, a picnic under blossoming trees, or a hike along a scenic trail, there are countless ways to make the most of these extended daylight hours.

Gathering with family and friends outdoors becomes even more enjoyable as we soak up the sun's rays and revel in the natural surroundings. From impromptu gatherings in the backyard to planned outings to nearby attractions, springtime offers a perfect setting for creating lasting memories with those we hold dear.

So, let us welcome spring with open arms, embrace the time change, and make the most of the additional daylight hours. Let's seize this opportunity to reconnect with nature, bond with our loved ones, and savor every moment of this vibrant season.

Best regards,

Jeff

To Register for "Blintzes and Burritos Brunch" CLICK HERE or go to: WWW.VALLEYJCC.ORG/CELEBRATION

Valley JCC members enjoying friendship and food

at West Hills Pizza Company while supporting

Valley JCC and Today's Montessori.

Letter From Ollie Haas

President, Board of Directors



Hello Valley JCC Members and Community Friends!

It’s Leap Year once again! This means an extra day in February and an important election in November. It also means that this year the Jewish Holidays line up very differently. For example, Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day, December 25th, and ends on January 1st. 

There is also a primary election on March 5th and just about all of us in California receive mail-in ballots. Remember to VOTE. 

Hopefully, everyone received the Save-the-Date email announcing the Valley JCC’s biggest fundraiser of the year. This year the “Gala” will be a delicious “Blintzes and Burritos Brunch” on Sunday, May 5th from 11am to 2pm. It promises to be a lovely day with a presentation by our 2023 Honoree, John Paul Thornton, the award-winning artist and art historian. He’ll be talking about Jewish and Latino art and artists. The fully catered Brunch will include a margarita cocktail or mocktail (your choice), as well as dessert. There will also be drawings and surprises. And, early registration ensures a seat at the table as well as a less expensive event ticket.

Please plan to join the fun and support the Valley JCC!

Tickets are for sale on the website now. We’re also seeking Sponsors and Tribute Journal ads. Simply call (818) 360-2211 for further information or check out the website valleyjcc.org

Warmly,

Ollie

Valley JCC President

Meet: Caroline Dunn,

Canasta Instructor

Caroline Dann, Canasta Instructor for Valley JCC, was born in NYC and enjoyed her early childhood there. Caroline’s family was in the entertainment industry, and eventually moved to California. Caroline was a High School student when they moved to Beverly Hills. The family were members of Wilshire Blvd. Temple.

Currently, Caroline lives in Encino where she teaches Canasta classes. In 2019 she founded the Los Angeles Canasta Academy, which offers both private and group classes. Previously Caroline had a career as a Psychotherapist.

Caroline has been playing Canasta for 8 years. When her children left for college, she began teaching friends to play the game. It was then she realized how much she loved teaching and decided to make this a new career.

When not enjoying Canasta, Caroline volunteers for many non-profit organizations, including Hope of the Mission. In fact, a portion of all proceeds earned from teaching Canasta classes are donated to various organizations. Caroline’s other interests include knitting, traveling and the arts.

We welcome you to the Valley JCC family!

Meet: Stephen J. Sass,

Breed Street Shul Project

Stephen J. Sass is the Founding President of the Breed Street Shul Project. He has led the battle to save the Shul from the wrecking ball, and has worked as part of a team with many other volunteers to rehabilitate it for future generations. 

Long active as a volunteer in civic and community affairs, he has served as a lay historian of the Jewish community of Southern California. He also serves as President of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California, which preserves and creates awareness of the region’s Jewish heritage, and as chair of the Los Angeles County Historical Landmarks and Records Commission, appointed by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

Steve grew up in the North Hollywood neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley. He attended Grant High School, graduated from the University of Southern California with majors in journalism and religion (Judaic studies), and graduated from Loyola Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. 

Active in the Jewish community, Steve attended Valley Beth Israel Hebrew School, and graduated from Los Angeles Hebrew High School. He was active in United Synagogue Youth and enjoyed activities with other teens from JCC’s as a member of the Jewish Youth and Young Adults Council. “The Jewish Community Center brings the whole community together, providing a safe space for expression of being Jewish,” Steve believes. “It can nurture all that we have in common.”

Steve chaired the intergenerational Fairfax Community Mural Project, resulting in a photo mural, painted by seniors and teens, in the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood highlighting Los Angeles’ Jewish history. Steve served as executive producer and co-writer of “Meet Me At Brooklyn & Soto”, an award-winning documentary on East Los Angeles’ Jewish heritage.

His professional background includes serving in executive positions with HBO, Max, Universal, NBC, and other studios.

Stephen currently resides in Studio City with his husband, Dr. Steven Hochstadt, a clinical psychologist. He is a member of Valley Beth Shalom, in Encino and Beth Chayim Chadashim.

Art & Artists: 100 Jewish Artists – Part II

Mondays, March 4, 11 & 18

11am-12pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Get “Early Bird” pricing; Buy before Mar 2.

For details & tickets, click here.

Music & Morsels: Women & The Great American Songbook

Wednesday, March 6

1-2pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Get “Early Bird” pricing; Buy before Mar 4.

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: “La Forza del Destino”

Thursday, March 7

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Buy “Early Bird” ticket before Mar 5.

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: “La Rondine”

Thursday, March 14

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Buy “Early Bird” ticket before Mar 12.

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: “Roméo et Juliette”

Thursday, March 21

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Buy “Early Bird” ticket before Mar 19.

For details & tickets, click here.

Exploring Opera: “Madama Butterfly”

Thursday, March 28

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom

Save! Buy “Early Bird” ticket before Mar 26.

For details & tickets, click here.

Basketball

The Wayne League

by

Jason Moser

As March arrives, we are entering playoffs for our basketball leagues. That means that we are also taking Spring registration as teams get eliminated.

We are looking at upwards of 120 adult teams now that we have merged with The Loot Basketball League. Players have been extremely happy with the online stats, social media interactions, and weekly updates on the league website.

This is the link to see all the interactive features and to register a team for the spring season https://linktr.ee/thelootbasketball so please don't hesitate to check us out!

Also, merging with Valley Stars youth leagues, we have featured 48 different teams playing with us this session, by far our most diverse season. The long term goal now is to work out any further bugs and have these leagues running on autopilot so that we can start offering other sports in our portfolio.

None of this could have been possible without the generous donors, mergers, and partnerships with all the school districts and private facilities that have chosen to accommodate the Valley JCC. 

Please join us - Shalom!



Valley JCC sports leagues are named

in memory of beloved former

Executive Director Jerry Wayne

Norwegian Fjords & Arctic Circle Cruise

Aug. 25-(Sept. 6), 2025

This beautiful journey north highlighted with special activities, sumptuous meals, and exciting excursions is sure to fill quickly. Our allotment of staterooms is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve yours soon!

For a cruise overview, click below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cultural-arts-trip-norwegian-fjords-arctic-circle-cruise-tickets-842119651547

For details & pricing, contact James at jsokol@marinjcc.org

International Women's Day

International Women's Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement. It gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. Spurred on by the universal female suffrage movement, the holiday originated from labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century.

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2024 is "Inspire Inclusion".

When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

With well over a century of history and change, the first International Women's Day was held in March 1911. It's a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women's equality. 

World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, Gloria Steinem, reportedly once explained:

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."

Join in and make International Women's Day your day by doing what you can to support and advance women.

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Purim Recipe

Purim 2024 is from Saturday night, March 23

to Sunday, March 24

All-The-Seeds Hamantaschen

By “all-the-seeds,” we mean many more than the classic hamantaschen’s standard recipe that only contains poppy seeds.

This recipe includes: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and yes, of course, poppy too! Tahini and honey add richness here too.

For the full recipe, go to:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/all-the-seeds-hamantaschen

Book Recommendation

The Women

by Kristin Hannah

From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. 

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. 

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. 

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

www.goodreads.com

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.

March Men's Club Meeting

Monday, March 4th, 6:00pm

Bob's Big Boy

8876 Corbin Avenue, Northridge

PLEASE RSVP to me at: steve@valleyjcc.org

Please let me know whether or not you're attending

For more information, contact steve@valleyjcc.org or call 818-360-2211

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