Jewish Life

Well at least we know what was served for second night Rosh Hashana dinner in Anaheim in 1894/5655 – goose! According to the local Anaheim news, “a number of fat ganders have been spotted whose heads will fall into the basket on Monday morning,” referring to the preparation for the evening’s festive meal. Jewish-owned businesses in Anaheim at the time included P. Davis & Bro. General Store and Bank, Hippolyte Cahen General Merchandise, Rudolph Luedke Jeweler, and ...

It might seem a bit odd, but the person who single-handedly introduced modern Latin American art as a legitimate field of study was not, herself, Hispanic. She was Jewish, and her name was Shifra Meyerowitz Goldman. Born in New York in 1926 to Russian immigrants Abraham and Sylvia (née Perla Kadish), she spoke only Yiddish until the age of 6. Her father was a waiter and her mother a seamstress, but they loved the arts and spent any free time they had immersing Shifra and her younger ...

The Merage JCC is honored to present Mila Gokhman: Light & Shadow, an exhibition devoted to a selection of art and design by a remarkable, 88-year-old Ukrainian-American artist of soaring creativity, who resides in Orange County. 

Strength and weakness are measured by how a society’s vulnerable members are treated. February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, raising awareness of people with special needs. We are honored to introduce Dr. Adrienne Matros, Jewish National Fund USA (JNF) Orange County’s Co-President, a pillar of the community and a prominent activist. Dr. Matros has been a resident of Orange County’s Newport Coast for 21 years. She is a clinical ...

A few days ago was Tu Bishvat – the birthday of the trees. Tu Bishvat was first designated in order to calculate how old are the trees. On this day, the trees are considered to have aged one more year, and all of the trees that are five years or older can be eaten from. Tu Bishvat is actually the name of the date in the Hebrew calendar. Tu means 15 and Shvat is the name of the month. On a regular year, we celebrate Tu Bishvat by planting trees and eating dried fruits. I remember every ...

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 ...

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 ...