Jewish Life

Perspectives on how friendships have made a difference from the OFJCC Chai Giving Circle. “Guys, I got accepted! Looks like I’m going back to school!” This message from my friend Ashley is an example of the kind of group text messages I wake up to every morning. Because I live on the West Coast,...

Charlene Stern, the producer and director of the documentary film Near Normal Man, offers lessons learned from her father’s survival of the Holocaust and his message for the next generation. With decades of details from my father’s life, I’ve learned that the limitless evil that exists in humankind is less...

Professional coach and Mussar educator Barbara Gottesman shares what Jewish tradition knew before modern science. It happens every year at the end of summer. I plan that, this year, I’m going to be ready for the High Holidays. I’m going to be present, assess my life, set goals on how I...

As a child growing up in a traditional community in Israel, I looked forward this time of the year. Every year when the month of Elul arrived, I would wake up early in the morning to the sound of the shofar (ram’s horn). In traditional Jewish communities, the custom of...

OFJCC Event Services Director Ed Bancroft muses on the benefits of unplugging weekly. Shortly after starting work at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, I was thrilled to learn many core Jewish values align closely with my personal values. Here in the heart of Silicon Valley, life is fast-paced and...

OFJCC Staff member Amy Shulman describes the best part about joining a community theatre group. The first time my synagogue put on a Purim play, the theme was rock ‘n’ roll. King Achashverosh was dressed like Elvis Presley. All I could think was, “Why am I not on that stage?” I’m not...

Let me start out with an admission: I am an unabashed fangirl of DC comics’ pantheon of characters. Ever since I secretly watched Batman: The Animated Series in my parents’ basement, I adored every hero (and some of the villains) DC produced. I still occasionally watch Justice League Unlimited as...

One of the most amazing things about serving as Chief Marketing Officer is that I get to hear so much of the good, the bad, and the just plain weird of all that happens at the OFJCC and in our community. Though the call we received last Monday that forced...

In this week’s Torah portion, Jethro notices his son-in-law Moses dealing with challenges in adjudicating all of the Israelites’ cases by himself. Ever the wise individual, Jethro advises Moses to create a council that will help balance the work for the community. After the council is in place and the society is...

These long, rainy days have us wondering when it will ever stop. And the moment it does, we run outside to enjoy the brief hours of dry weather before the next onslaught. Certainly we’re grateful for the break from California’s long years of drought. But still, some days it feels...