Blog

Like you and the entire world, for the past several months we’ve balanced COVID worries, economic downturns and social unrest with hope and with the desire to do something meaningful. Though our many JCC Cares volunteers have hunkered at home away from the Merage JCC and away from our numerous nonprofit partners, we have remained busy. We’ve been reaching out, and staying connected in a number of ways: collecting hundreds of masks, filling our food drive canisters with groceries, ...

CIF Finalist Aurora Duncan Will Be a Second-Generation Panther With Commitment to Drury Junior National qualifier Aurora Duncan of Irvine, Calif. has announced her decision to attend Drury University beginning in the fall of 2021. She will become a second-generation Panther as her mother, Gina LeBlanc-Duncan, competed in the first two NCAA Championships for Drury and head coach Brian Reynolds. Reynolds will also be Aurora’s coach. She told Swimming World: “I am thrilled to ...

Community and Leadership Heartbroken. I have been searching for other ways to describe what I was feeling throughout the events of this past Wednesday. How is it possible that such things were playing out in the United States Capitol and literally right before our eyes, before the eyes of the entire world? A breakdown in our society. Decency abandoned. Betrayed by our leaders. The events of January 6 did not emerge out of the blue but were rather the not entirely ...

Everything seems like it is changing. In this era of the great quarantine, we shop, work, exercise, and eat (hello carbs!) differently. It won’t be a surprise to you, that Camp has changed as well with rules and regulations governing every aspect of fun and care. In addition to taking temperatures and conducting health questionnaires each morning, we are making huge efforts to reduce the number of people campers cross paths with. Cohort sizes are smaller and large group fun is a lot ...

During a non-pandemic year, December 25 evokes holiday thoughts of delicious celebrations, presents, and family. For many Jews, the joke is that we go to the movies and eat Chinese food. Not at the Merage JCC. Seven years ago, JCC Cares, a social action committee at the Merage JCC in Irvine, launched a December 25 Day of Service with a variety of volunteer projects for families and individuals. In our first year, 150 volunteers participated, cooking holiday brunches for shelters, delivering ...

During the past year, the Merage JCC participated in a JCCA benchmarking study measuring excellence amongst JCCs across the nation. The study focused on financial results, member satisfaction, and governance. Comparing results to previous years’ surveys and peers, the Merage JCC shined! 86% More than 86% of Merage JCC member respondents agreed that our JCC makes an impact in the overall community. 75% Merage JCC maintained a whopping 75% retention rate (pre-COVID). ...

When the Sherman Family moved from their native town of Chicago to Orange County in 2004, they arrived just in time to become inaugural members of the JCC. They felt at home at the JCC, active in every corner and department area. As a family, the activity they enjoyed the most was spinning, so it was not a surprise that they chose to honor the JCC by naming the Sherman Family Spin Room. “We wanted to express our love and support for the J,” explained Julie Sherman. “There ...

For 28 successful years, the OC Jewish Arts Festival at the Merage Jewish Community Center (Merage JCC) has provided our community with a cultural extravaganza, featuring lauded lineups of authors, musicians, filmmakers, celebrities and influencers. Through the years, we have played host to superstar Matisyahu, famous DC satirists Capitol Steps, Tovah Feldshuh, Dennis Ross, Alan Dershowitz, George Mitchell, Rita Rudner and Ed Asner – just to name a few! From history to mystery, fact to ...

Merage JCC’s new Board Chair Entrepreneur and avid golfer, Hal Altman, began his tenure as the Merage JCC’s new Board Chair, in August at the J’s Annual Meeting. Following founding Chair, Irv Chase, Hal has big shoes to fill. With a keen eye for growing businesses, affinity for developing collaborations, and strong connections to community, Hal is posed to develop a legacy around community and Jewish continuity. Joining the board in ...

Irv Chase Retires as Board Chair “Acharai,” the Hebrew word for “after me,” is a popular concept suggesting that one leads and motivates others by jumping in. No word is more apropos of Irv Chase’s leadership. He is the first to jump in, advocate, recruit, and inspire. Prior to 2004, the Jewish community in Orange County was small and spread out, with few connections. Irv’s wisdom of local Jewish life and experiences with his family at the JCC Maccabi ...