“Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.” The phrase is the last line of a poem, “The Butterfly,” penned in 1942 by Pavel Friedman, who was in the Terezin concentration camp and ghetto constructed by the Nazi Gestapo in the Czech Republic. More than 150,000 Jews were sent there. The Butterfly Project, founded by...

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...

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...

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. ...

As seen in the OC Register Loosely translated, the Yiddish word “bashert” means “meant to be.” Trudie Strobel, 82, of San Marino says it was bashert that connected the Holocaust survivor — a gifted tapestry artist — with two teenagers and a foundation that celebrates creative students with a desire to foster positive...

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...

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...

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...