Fundraising Committee Makes Plans For 2022-23

John Paul Thornton

presents

"Art In Israel"

Upcoming Classes for June 2022

Check out our June classes and click on the link to sign up!

Daring Discussions:

How Viewing Porn Impacts Young People 

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 

1-2:15pm (PT) on Zoom 

  Save!

Order before June 12th for “Early Bird” pricing!

 More Details and Tickets

Quarterly Brochure

listing classes, lectures, clubs,

excursions, special events,

class dates, times, and details

So you can plan ahead...

There will be four sessions a year:

Summer Session

June-August

Fall Session

September-December

Winter Session

January-March

Spring Session

April-June

Registration will take place just before each session.

You are always welcome to register during the session too.

Stay tuned...

This class will take place at:

ONEgeneration 17400 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys

Meet Reb Jason

Rabbi, Temple B'nai Hayim

“Reb” Jason van Leeuwan, Rabbi of Temple B’nai Hayim in Sherman Oaks, is also a cantor, chaplain, vocalist, composer, producer, actor, director and activist. Born in Syracuse, New York, he grew up learning Torah and Zionism from his Jewish teachers, parents, and activist grandparents. He credits Camp Ramah with his skill in Israeli dancing.

After moving to California, Reb Jason received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lee College of the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University), and his Bachelor of Literature from the University of Judaism. He was ordained and received a Master of Arts degree in Hebrew Letters from New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary. Most recently, Reb Jason received an honorary Doctor of Divinity after 25 years of rabbinic service. Reb Jason has served the community in many areas. He founded AIDS Interfaith Long Island, an emergency homeless shelter program, a Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles, many youth oriented enrichment programs, and serves as a hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor. 

With his passion for music, Reb Jason is represented on YouTube and Spotify. He released “Shabbat Rocks” in 2004; he has written edgy Purim Spiels, such as “Rocky Horror Purim Spiel”, “Purim Stardust-David Bowie Megillah”; and the newest album “Shabbat Awakens”. He will play the part of Don Carlo in Landmark Opera Company’s “Carmen” on June 12th and June 19th. 

“I’m trying to reframe what we mean by Judaism and religion. These words often get a ‘bad rap’ by being too doctrinaire and ideological. To me, Judaism is an Art of Living," explains Reb Jason. “Who are we really?”, he continues. “We are a group - not a building.” During the restrictions and isolation of the pandemic, Reb Jason mobilized his community and introduced new ways to gather and learn. Using Zoom, the congregation continued to meet for Shabbat services, pre-school classes and programs.

In addition to all this, he enjoys time spent with his two children, Avital and Yeshiva.

Readers Club

Join us!

Wednesday, June 15th at 7:00pm

"The Indigo Girl"

by Natasha Boyd

FREE

Please RSVP to: rsvp@ValleyJCC.org



When you RSVP you will receive the meeting ID and Password



Spotlight On

Andrea Weiss

Andrea Weiss, her parents and grandparents before her, have all been involved with Jewish Community Centers. It all began when Andrea’s grandparents left Europe for America. America turned out to be South America, rather than the United States. Finding a large Jewish community, but no community center, Andrea’s grandparents built one. They were active and involved with the Center and passed the experience on to their children.

Andrea’s parents moved to Los Angeles in 1963, where she and her brother eventually attended Bay Cities JCC’s pre-school until they moved to Northridge. Andrea became active in the North Valley JCC, where she joined the Tween Program and several after school clubs. During high school, Andrea was part of West Valley JCC’s BBYO group. She was also involved with the Maccabi Games and played basketball in the competition. The games took place in Los Angeles, Seattle and New Jersey.

“Being part of the JCC growing up, gave me a sense of spirit and knowledge of my culture,” explains Andrea. So, when she saw an article in the Jewish Journal that stated the last JCC in the San Fernando Valley was closing, she knew she had to do something about it. “I wanted to give the memories from my childhood to my kids,” she continued.

Andrea did some online research and found Jerry Wayne and a JCC Without Walls. She joined the small group that was meeting regularly and working toward bringing back a Center for the community. Andrea and her husband Daniel have both served on Valley JCC Board of Directors. She feels lucky to be part of the center and feels that every generation can benefit from being connected.

Andrea and Daniel met in first grade. Years later they married, and now have a home in Northridge, the neighborhood where they grew up. They are the parents of Shana, Jenna and Bennett. Andrea enjoys attending all her children’s sports games, listening to true crime podcasts, reading, listening to music, and traveling. Pictured above (L to R): Daniel, Shayna, Andrea, Bennett, Jenna.

Basketball Camps

For Boys & Girls

Valley JCC June Calendar

Check Out June Classes & Events!

Mah Jongg

at The Village at NorthRidge

Join in and have fun on



Mah Jongg Game Day

Mondays

10:00am to 2:30pm

Location:

The Village at NorthRidge

9222 Corbin Avenue, Northridge

Bring your lunch!

Fee: $6 per session; no charge for VJCC members

For more information, contact Judi at Judi@mahjonggfunla.com

or call: (818) 764-6240

To become a member of the Valley Jewish Community Center

Go To: www.valleyjcc.org/membership

Happy Birthday! June

Jonathan Bubis

Nancy Clark

Leyla Sade

Paul Baker

Renee Cooperman

Sari Currier

Elaine Fox

Ollie Haas

Judy Hackett

Mona Heller

Sandy Korb

Jeff Medovoy

Judy Mordoh

Harlene Sosin

Jerry Stone

Merav Jacob

Abby Younger

We Wish You Good Health & Happiness!

June Event:

Summer Solstice

When Is The First Day Of Summer?

The first day of summer arrives with the solstice on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 5:14 a.m. EDT. 

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is tilting mostly toward the Sun. As seen from Earth, the Sun is directly overhead at noon. For those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year and the arrival of winter. The solstice happens at the same moment for everyone, everywhere on Earth. At Stonehenge on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge.

Summer Solstice Folklore

The summer solstice has long been celebrated by cultures around the world:

• In Ancient Egypt, the summer solstice coincided with the rising of the Nile River. As it was crucial to predict this annual flooding, the Egyptian New Year began at this important solstice.
• In centuries past, the Irish would cut hazel branches on solstice eve to be used in searching for gold, water, and precious jewels.
• Many European cultures hold what are known as Midsummer celebrations at the solstice, which include gatherings at Stonehenge and the lighting of bonfires on hilltops.

Fun fact: Be sure to look at your noontime shadow around the time of the solstice. It will be your shortest noontime shadow of the year!

...Farmers Almanac 

No-Bake Summer Berry Tart

A Summer Solstice Dessert

It can be prepared with strawberries or blueberries, too!

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. Above the Arctic Circle, where the sun never sets, Midsummer Eve is celebrated all day and all night under the light of the midnight sun.

LINK for recipe CLICK HERE 

or go to:

http://foodieunderground.com/no-bake-summer-berry-tart-with-honey-and-olive-oil/

...foodieunderground

Book Review

Violeta

by Isabel Allende

This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life will be marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. . . .

She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life will be shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.

Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.

...goodreads.com

"How To" Use Amazon Smile...

1. Go to the AmazonSmile website: www.https://smile.amazon.com/charity
2. Sign-in using your existing Amazon Account Name and Password
3. Select your charity: Valley Jewish Community Center
4. Start shopping
5. Every time you shop on Amazon from now on, begin at: Smile.Amazon.com and sign in. The sign-in spot is located in the upper right-hand corner
6. A percentage of each purchase goes to Valley JCC. Everything helps!

Calling All Holiday Boutique Vendors...

Save The Date!

Valley JCC Holiday Boutique

takes place on

Sunday, December 4th

10:00am - 3:00pm

Location: The Village at NorthRidge

See Your Message or Advertisement

HERE

For more information including pricing, e-mail Lois@valleyjcc.org