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Felix Stein and Fred Strauss were German Jewish immigrants who came to America as teenagers in the early 1900s, eventually making their way from New York to Fullerton. Both found work at Stern & Goodman Mercantile, and in 1916 Stein purchased the store from the original owners. Strauss, meanwhile, had opened his own shop around the corner; in 1925 they merged and started the Stein-Strauss Company, which remained in business until 1970. Originally a general store, it expanded into a much ...

Growing up in Israel, one of the things I loved most about Chanukah was going to the Festigal every year. The Festigal is an annual musical show for children. It is held every year during Chanukah and throughout the month of December, traveling from city to city throughout the country. The first Festigal was in 1981 and since then it became a popular Chanukah activity for Israeli families. The performers at the Festigal are well-known Israeli singers and actors. Each year’s Festigal has ...

This past weekend, I shared in a series of experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, a notion shared, no doubt, by all who took part in them. I’ve been wrestling with how best to convey them to you without this message becoming a magnum opus or alternatively diminishing their significance by simply saying too little. Here’s where I came out. I have been privileged to experience many powerful and emotional moments over the course of my career, but the ...

Congratulations to Merage JCC members Tobias Averill, Isaac Evans and David Groner on their selection to Team Maccabi USA as part of the World Maccabiah Games in Israel next Summer! 

Phung Huynh is hopeful for the future.

As an art professor at Los Angeles Valley College, she is constantly inspired by the next generation. “I feel so lucky for that,” she says. “There’s an exciting new group of artists coming up right now.”

As an educator with previous experience at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design and Scripps College in Claremont, Huynh continues to encourage budding talent. “I’m getting older,” she says. “I need to give a platform for younger and emerging artists. I try to do that as best as I can and support others.”

For 29 years, the OC Jewish Arts Festival at the Merage JCC has provided our community with a cultural extravaganza, featuring lauded lineups of authors, filmmakers, celebrities and influencers. In preparation for the 30th year of the Festival, a committee of culture-savvy-enthusiasts comb through films and stories celebrating the rich tapestry of Jewish culture to showcase. Those who are comfortable viewing from home can do so, and people who are excited to gather in the community will be ...

Rosh Hashanah, marking the start of the new year on the Jewish calendar, will be here soon, so it’s time to plan the menu for the annual feast. This year, go beyond the traditional apple-dipped-in-honey! There are plenty of symbolic foods that can help us reflect on the year that has passed and set expectations for the year ahead. Among Ashkenazic Jews, the apple is still the most popular – reminding us of Adam and Eve as we commemorate the creation of the world. But you ...

What should our family do this weekend? I hear this question A LOT—in my own house, walking around the J, and even at our local grocery store. Families have many activities available to them, and at times it can seem like there are TOO many choices. This question and challenge of what to do led our JCC to develop a new summer program for families: Summer Vacay at the J. Taking inspiration from resorts, cruise ships, and our camps, we deliver fun and relaxing experiences for families. ...

Starting October 2021, the Merage JCC will add to its already extensive wellness menu and partner with Mobile Therapy Specialists (MTS) to offer physical therapy at the J! The partnership comes on the heels of an uptick in memberships, and the world returning to some normalcy. As we enter a “post-pandemic” era, the Merage JCC will continue to be a second home for many members to participate in all kinds of activities from basketball, strength training, group fitness, Pilates, ...

Camps are notoriously loud and raucous… Jewish camps especially. From the moment your child steps out of your car at drop-off to the moment they step back in they are Israeli dancing and Shabbos shaking to the beats of Jewish camps’ drums. Our day camp is exploding with Jewish values and Israeli culture everywhere you turn. With directional, program and even the ubiquitous bathroom signs in both English and Hebrew, campers incorporate Hebrew into their everyday activities. ...