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Not Your Typical High School Club | Jlife

Many teens have been a part of the Bureau of Jewish Education’s (BJE) community since childhood… for some it may be their first experience with the organization. Either way, BJE wants everyone to know just how welcome they are.

It is with great enthusiasm and anticipation that BJE announces some upcoming changes to its program structure.

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In Our Own Back Yard | Jlife

Twenty years after the gavel heard around the world acquitting O.J. Simpson of murdering his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, Jewish Federation & Family Services and Nicole’s youngest sister Tanya Brown are giving a voice to women who are victims of domestic violence.

The Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse reminds us there are cultural implications to consider.

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The Maccabi Games | Jlife

Team OC sent a team of 81 teens (ages 13-17) and 14 coaches to the 2015 JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest in Fort Lauderdale. Team OC was successful in both competition and in spirit. Winning accolades for being the most animated (and loud!) team at the Games.

They joined over 1,500 participants from across the globe in a weeklong event of games, arts, service and fun. “The opportunity to connect so many teens to the Jewish community and Israel is epic!

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Orange County’s Jewish History: The House of Hippolyte | Jlife

Hippolyte (pronounced “Hippo-leet”) Cahen was born in Oran, Algeria in 1847 and emigrated to the U.S. as a young man. He lived for a short time in San Francisco before moving to Anaheim, and ten years later, in 1878, he became a naturalized citizen.

Cahen had a beautiful Victorian house built for their growing family.

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A Shooting Schmiracle! | Jlife

Most people don’t know the history of bagels. Beginning as a simple piece of bread, it wasn’t until Moses shot a 9mm bullet through the center of the doughy-delicacy, piercing an aesthetically pleasing hole, that the first “holy” breakfast food for the Hebrew people was created. Now a staple in every Jewish kitchen, we often forget to appreciate the history of what has become synonymous with Jewish soul food.

Okay, maybe Moses didn’t own a handgun, and tracing the origins of bagels can be discussed later. However, Jews with guns is a topic which interests many people in Orange County. Recently, roughly 125 individuals, mainly but not exclusively Jewish, came together for the “Bullets & Bagels” event on August 23 at Raahauges Outdoor Range in Corona to share their passion for firearms.

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OC Jewish Arts Festival 2015 | Jlife

Featuring 12 scintillating events in just 15 days, the OC Jewish Arts Festival 2015 promises to be the biggest yet.

Thousands are expected to attend, as the Festival is considered the largest Jewish event in Orange County and a cornerstone of the diverse community.

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Thriller Writers Come to the OC | Jlife

Just about anyone who is a mystery buff, knows the name Kellerman. Faye and Jonathan Kellerman have been best-selling mystery writers for nearly three decades, and their son Jesse joined the “family business” in 2006 when he published his first novel. All three Kellermans will be guests at University Synagogue, Sunday November 8.

The Kellermans make mystery their business.

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Tikvah Hospice | Jlife

“We couldn’t have taken care of my dad at home without hospice.”

“You made it possible for our family to stop being our mom’s medical team and just go back to being her kids.”

Choosing hospice care can be a tough decision, but once the decision is made, families quickly learn that hospice care allows them to focus on quality of life along with their loved ones in end-of-life situations.

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Return & Renewal | Jlife

Close to 900 people gathered on the hot Sunday afternoon to fill Temple Beth Sholom’s (TBS) new sanctuary and celebrate Retrun and Renewal. Attendees were met with a festive atmosphere a year and a half after a kitchen fire decimated the synagogue.

It was a spectrum of religious diversity: the Catholic Archdiocese of Orange, Latter Day Saints, clergy from Bat Yam, Beth Tikvah, Beth El, Beth Emet, TBS Rabbi Emeritus Shelton Donnel, and former TBS Rabbi Frank Stern were present at TBS to bring the Torahs home. In addition community, civic, and state leaders expressed their commendation.

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Tracking Our Ancestors | Jlife

Dodging sprinkler systems and cleaning dirt, leaves and mud from grave markers, is all a part of what the intrepid members of the Jewish Cemetery Project of Orange County face as they attempt to take pictures of Jewish graves.

Jewish Gen of Orange County became involved with this project after several members explored the JewishGen.org database on their own.

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Comrades & Conversation on the Court | Jlife

Recently, i had the honor and privilege of speaking with a few great guys who have kept up with a wonderful tradition all their own. For the past five or six years, a dozen community seniors meet every week on Friday at 10:30 a.m., most attend University Synagogue. These friends and comrades converge on local tennis courts for an hour and a half. Following the games they gather at a local restaurant for lunch and discuss the news of the day. This has been a very special tradition that these men look forward to every week.

Orange County Jewish community leaders stay in touch over tennis and lunch.

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Orange County’s Jewish History: Hellman Ranch | Jlife

Isaias Hellman’s Seal Beach Ranch

The Orange County property of a major Jewish entrepreneur and philanthropist.

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Jewish National Fund | Jlife

Language and conflict aside, California and Israel have a lot in common. Both were pioneer destinations; desert land intent on becoming an agricultural mecca; areas of vast expanse rife for adequate and comfortable living conditions, yet so many insist on cramming into the better-known cities.

Building a Future for Israel

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No Longer A Shanda | Jlife

This past June was the first meeting of the OC Jewish Substance Abuse Task Force. Community members and professionals came together and agreed that increasing substance abuse education and resources is a pressing issue in the Jewish Community. Here are a few things that they focused on:

There is a growing problem of drug and alcohol abuse in the Jewish community, specifically Orange County, and members of the community and professionals I have spoken to have all expressed a collective frustration that there are too few resources to help those in need—whether it’s information, support, or just a place to feel welcome. I wanted to write an article that would get the conversation started about a few of the things being done in the community and try to remove some of the stigma surrounding this issue.

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The Reggio Emilia Philosophy | Jlife

The Reggio Emilia teaching philosophy is the belief that children are highly capable learners with extraordinary inborn abilities, potential, strength, and creativity. We, as teachers, focus on the process of learning by leaving worksheets behind and surrounding our kids with opportunities to explore—encouraging questions, hypotheses, and analyses.

Lisa Monette is the director of the Merage JCC Early Childhood Learning Center and a contributing writer to Kiddish.

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A 21st Century Educator | Jlife

Developing programs that meet the unique and individual needs of children has been a hallmark of Penn’s approach to Jewish education; and the five programs she oversees, provide opportunities for a wide range of congregants and their families.

President of RENA (the Reconstructionist Educators of North America), Penn is currently the Director of Congregational Learning at University Synagogue; and in the years since she has been at US, the scope of programming has been expanded and the approach of traditional religious school has been re-envisioned. She has been on the cutting edge of new programming, so necessary in the 21st century.

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Shpilkes | Jlife

A Parkinson’s Support Group with a Jewish Perspective

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Orange County’s Jewish History | Jlife

"Rabbi Bernard P. King achieved much in his life: founding rabbi of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’a lot in Irvine, winner of the 1993 National Conference of Christians and Jews Humanitarian Award, named one of the 100 most influential leaders of Orange County by the OC Register, to list just a few."