Dec 29, 2015
As a non-Jewish person working at a Jewish Community Center I had to ask myself…Mitzvah…what the heck does that mean? As I’ve done so often since I began working at the OFJCC I turned to Google to find out the meaning of another Hebrew word I’m not familiar with. Simply put,...
Dec 18, 2015
More than 750 people gathered at the OFJCC on November 22 for an extraordinary conference on the future of Israel, its relationship with American Jewry and the relevance of Zionism today. Presented in collaboration with Haaretz newspaper, Zionism 3.0 brought outstanding journalists, political thinkers and members of Israel’s Knesset to the...
Dec 16, 2015
On Sunday, November 22, over 750 attendees participated in an all-day conference at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, California called “Zionism 3.0: Israel’s Place in Tomorrow’s World.” In partnership with Ha’aretz newspaper, we hosted speakers from across the political spectrum – from Bret Stephens to Peter Beinart, from...
Dec 16, 2015
This was written in early November from my hotel in Jerusalem where I attended the JCC Global Conference and JCC Innovation Summit with approximately 500 other global JCC leaders. It was before the horrific terror attack in Paris, and, most recently, in San Bernardino. These reflections feel even timelier now. I was invited...
Dec 10, 2015
First of all—let me get this out of the way—I’m not Jewish. That said, I do have a favorite Hanukkah song, Hanukkah Blessings by the Barenaked Ladies. It’s one that I play often this time of year as I’m decking my halls and baking my cookies. I hope my Jewish friends and...
Arts and Culture / Jewish Life
Dec 4, 2015
What will modern Judaism look like in the next century? According to Rabbi Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, the future is unclear. During his recent talk at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, Wolpe highlighted several factors that are threatening the continuation of modern Jewish life: the...
Dec 1, 2015
I’ve never been a big fan of potato latkes. Zucchini latkes, yes. Potato latkes, no. I was originally planning to come up with one alternative recipe to share on this blog, but after scouring the web for ideas, I found so many fantastic concoctions that I had to share them...