From recognition to tikkun olam, from Passover seders to Yom HaShoah commemorations, April is an exciting month for the Orange County Jewish community. For your convenience, we have separated the two days of seders from the other community events. Please contact the sponsoring organizations for details.
Monday, April 1
6 pm
Friendship Circle Evening of Recognition
The Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering
100 Academy Way
Irvine, CA 92617
The community is invited to join Friendship Circle at its annual Evening of Recognition in honor of the 250 inspirational teen volunteers who bring friendship, inclusion and connection to children, teens and adults with disabilities through a variety of social and recreational programs. Friendship Circle is proud to be at the forefront of the remarkable changes that have taken place with respect to how society interacts with those with special needs. Through the gift of friendship, volunteers succeed in reaching individuals with special needs in ways that other forms of therapy do not. Friendship Circle’s programs have a profound effect on all involved: disabled individuals no longer face isolation and now experience friendship and inclusion; their parents benefit from much-needed respite and peace of mind; teen volunteers learn acceptance, becoming more fulfilled and self-confident.Dr. Boris and Sabra Ackerman will be honored with the Jo Ann Krupp Friendship Award for their dedication and commitment to Friendship Circle.
Tickets are $75 per person. For more information, visit www.friendshipoc.org, contact lisa@FriendshipOC.org or call (949) 721-9800.
Sunday, April 7
9 am
Mitzvah Day
Temple Beth David
6100 Hefley Street
Westminster, CA 92683
Join congregants in various activities to repair the world. Help to better the Temple Beth David and the community.For more information on this event sponsored by the Beth David Social Action Committee, contact Temple Beth David at (714) 892-6623 or tbdavid@templebethdavid.org or call Debbie Lelchuk at (562) 761-0592
Sunday April 7
3:15 pm
Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program: Storytelling in the Bible: How and Why?
Temple Beth Sholom
2625 N. Tustin Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Our ancestors in the Land of Israel during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE) did not have an official history of their ancestors, an authorized version of the past. They preserved knowledge about their ancestors and heroes by telling short stories about them, not long, convoluted epics. Many of these were eventually recorded and are preserved in the Hebrew Bible. This presentation will suggest why Israelites preferred the short story method and will explore and discuss a few typical stories in the Torah and Book of Samuel as a way of discovering what interested our ancestors about their ancestors.
The Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program presents Ziony Zevit, Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages, who joined the faculty of American Jewish University in 1974. He earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, but also spent time studying at UCLA, the Hebrew University, University of Michigan, and the University of Vienna. Prior to joining AJU’s faculty, Dr. Zevit taught at the University of Haifa, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and U.C. Berkeley. The cost is $18 before March 31; $36 at the door; and free for CSP 5779 members/Temple Beth Sholom members. For more information, contact CSP at (949) 682-4040 visit www.occsp.org.
Sunday, April 7
5:30 pm
Annual Gala
TVT Community Day School
5 Federation Way
Irvine, CA 92603
$ 90.00
Join TVT’s Annual Gala. Benefitting the many programs at the award-winning Jewish day school, the program offers silent and live auctions, food, drinks and great fun. Tickets are $90 per person. Buy tickets and get details at dyang@tarbut.com, www.tarbut.com or (949) 509-9500.
Monday, April 8
11:30 am
FIDF Women’s Luncheon
Marina Park Community Center
1600 West Balboa Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA 92663
The FIDF Lapidot women’s Lunch will feature keynote speaker, Brigadier General (Res.) Gila Klifi-Amir, and female soldiers from the IDF who will share their personal stories. Klifi-Amir has been a trailblazer and pioneer for women in the military throughout her 30-year career with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). She held several command and staff positions as the first woman to complete the Command Battalion Course ,the head of the Commander school unit, the first female Commander for the Ground Forces and Combat Support Basic Training Units. She established and became the first Head of the Infrastructure and Deployment Department in the Planning Directorate, and then served as the IDF Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff for Women’s Affairs. Gila’s husband, Major General (Res.) Meir Klifi- Amir, is the National Director and CEO of the FIDF. For more information, contact Adam Reingold at adam.reingold@fidf.org. To register go to https://www.fidf.org/oclapidot.
Sunday, April 14
4 pm
Knowledge for College: “How and Why to Engage with Your Jewish Identity in College”
Congregation B’nai Israel
2111 Bryan Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
Teens will engage in conversation about Israel and grapple with some of the challenges Israel and the Jewish people face today. Representatives from campus Hillels, the OC Campus Hillel Israel Fellow and current college students will lead conversations about Jewish college life, engaging with Israel in college and other topics. This can be an opportunity to have K4C connect seniors with current Hillel staff at their prospective college campuses. This is the final session for Knowledge for College for 2019. For more information, contact Rabbi Robin Foonberg at (714) 730-5161 or rfoonberg@cbi18.org.
Thursday, April 18
6:30 pm
NextGen Third Thursday Social Hour: Pre-Passover Carb Overload
The Pizza Press Orange Village
1500 E. Village Way #2197
Orange, CA 92865
NextGen is teaming up with Moishe House for Third Thursday Social Hour at Pizza Press. Join the groups for a carb-filled dinner on the patio, while getting to know other Jewish young adults in their 20s and 30s. There will be a reserved area on the outside patio to enjoy the beautiful California spring weather and have side salads and garlic cheesy bread. Pizza, dessert and beverages are available for purchase. Cost to attend is $10. For more information, contact Amanda Silverman at amanda@jffs.org or https://www.facebook.com/nextgenoc/.
Wednesday, April 24
7 pm
Cypress College Yom HaShoah Program:
“Out of the Darkness, We Can All Create Light”
Campus Theatre
Cypress College
9200 Valley View
Cypress, CA 90630
Speakers will include Betty Cohen, Holocaust survivor who survived Birkenau; Lou Fogelman, Betty’s nephew, also a survivor; and Dr. William Kott, 97 years old, who was involved in liberating Buchenwald. The program also includes a tasteful musical program with interpretive singing and dancing and a special candle lighting ceremony. Photographs of survivors taken by Clifford Lester, former chair of the photography department at Cypress College and creator of this event, will be on display.
Saturday, April 27
5:30 pm
Tikkun Olam – Mitzvah Mingle
University Synagogue
3400 Michelson Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
Experience the joy of creating projects that benefit non-profit organizations: teen bake sale to support HIAS, toiletry bags and first aid kits for Illumination Foundation, sandwiches for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, book cleaning and pencil cases for Think Together, cards for Children’s Hospital and items for Orangewood. Then, enjoy a buffet dinner and folk song singalong featuring guitar duo, Bill & Tim.
RSVP is required for all ages by April 23 — dinner: $15 adult; free for kids 17 and under. For further information contact Jerri Kaplan, jkkaplan@cox.net, Kathe Katz, kkatz39@aol.com or Robin Smith, robinhallesmith@gmail.com. For reservations, contact (949) 553-3535 or office@UniversitySynagogue.org.
Passover Seders
Friday, April 19
Chabad Jewish Center of Mission Viejo
24041 Marguerite Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
7 pm
Rabbi Zalman Marcus will lead a seder that lasts about 3 hours with food served right away, a family like atmosphere, Bassie Marcus’s special Pesach recipes, the rabbi’s relevant insights and many parts of the Haggadah read in English. Cost is $50 per adult, $32 per child in advance. After April 5, cost is $58 per adult, $40 per child. Scholarships are available upon request. For more information, call (949) 770-1270.
Congregation B’nai Israel
2111 Bryan Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
7 pm
Rabbi Elie Spitz will lead a 6 pm Service and a 7 pm Community Seder. This event is strictly Kosher for Passover. Costs are: member: $50/adult; non-member: $60/adult; member: $25/child 6-12; non-member: $35/child 6-12; $15/child 3-5; children 2 and under free. For more information, contact CBI at (714) 730-9693 or cbi18@cbi18.org.
Temple Beth Emet
1770 W. Cerritos Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92804
6 pm Service; 7 pm Seder
The service and Seder led by Rabbi Joel Berman and Cantor Zev Brooks, featuring a complete kosher for Passover dinner catered by Bruno. Costs are: adults (TBE members): $40; non-members: $45; children 3-10: $20; under 3: free. For details, contact TBE at (714) 772-4720 or tbeanaheimshul@gmail.com.
Temple Beth Sholom
2625 N. Tustin Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
6 pm
Join Rabbi Heidi Cohen and Cantor David Reinwald for a First Night Community Seder. For details, call (714) 628-4600 or visit www.tbsoc.com.
Young Israel of Orange County
Back Bay Conference Center
3415 Michelson Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
8 pm
Rabbi Dov Fischer will lead community seders for the eleventh year. Highlights include a professionally catered four-course dinner, a selection of wines and Shmurah Matzoh in two choices: hand-made from Israel and machine matzos, a service conducted in a contemporary style that blends Hebrew and English, lots of learning, lots of Jewish history and lots of family-friendly humor and fun. Make reservations for Friday or Saturday night by clicking https://yioc.org/product-category/passover-seder-3/.
Saturday, April 20
Congregation Beth Jacob of Irvine
3900 Michelson
Irvine, CA 92612
8:15 pm
Rabbi Yisroel Ciner will conduct a second night seder with catering by Hotz Stuff. Cost is $65 per adult and $33 per child. To make reservations, visit https://www.bethjacobirvine.org/event/Passover2019# or call (949) 786-5230.
Temple Bat Yahm
1011 Camelback Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
6 pm
Rabbi Gersh Zylberman and Cantor Jonathan Grant will lead the second seder. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals can be ordered. Cost is $60 for adult members, $70 for adult guests, $30 for children 5-12 and no charge for children under 5. RSVP by visiting www.tby.org/passover.html or calling (949) 644-1999.
Temple Beth David
6100 Hefley Street
Westminster, CA 92683
6 pm
Join Temple Beth David for a second seder. For more information, contact Temple Beth David at (714) 892-6623 or tbdavid@templebethdavid.org.
Young Israel of Orange County
Back Bay Conference Center
3415 Michelson Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
8 pm
Rabbi Dov Fischer will lead community seders for the eleventh year. Highlights include a professionally catered four-course dinner, a selection of wines and Shmurah Matzoh in two choices: hand-made from Israel and machine matzos, a service conducted in a contemporary style that blends Hebrew and English, lots of learning, lots of Jewish history and lots of family-friendly humor and fun. Make reservations for Friday or Saturday night by clicking https://yioc.org/product-category/passover-seder-3/.
Jlife wishes you and your family a chag sameach! Please contact us with your community events for “Jlife Extra” by e-mailing ILENESCHNEIDER@aol.com or calling (949) 433-6862.
