May Newsletter - Pacific Community of Cultural Jews

MAY 2015
PAGE 2
CHAI-LIGHTS
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Hello Everyone!
Friday, May 1st, 7:30 PM
THE PHILOSOPHERS' CAFE
at the home of
Greta Singer & Dan Goldberg
(see page 3)
Sunday, May 3rd, 1:30 PM
PRESENTATION:
THE ISRAELI WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE
at the home of
I am happy to share with you that we have reached
100lbs. of donated canned goods to the Orange
County Food Bank!! Having reached this goal is only
the beginning. We will continue this as an ongoing
project----let`s get to 200lbs.
We had a wonderful Seder a few weeks ago and I
want to say thank you to all those involved in making
it a success. As always, we collect donations as our
Afikomen. This year we collected $276. The Board
voted to round the total to $300. This year we are
sending that money to the non-profit Mazon-A
Jewish Response to Hunger. Our Pacific Community
is very generous. Thank you.
Leslie
Lee & Zena Jacobi
Saturday, May 9th, 12:30 PM
BOOK REVIEW
DINE OUT
(see Page 3)
Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion
By
Phil Zuckerman
Tuesday, May 19th, 7:30 PM
FILM CLUB
at the home of
Shirley Spiegle
(see Page 3)
Friday, May 29, 7:30 PM
THE PHILOSOPHERS' CAFE
at the home of
Suzy & Bryon Baron
(YES,TWICE THIS MONTH)
(see page 3)
A recent study indicates that increasingly more people are
turning away from religion. This book examines the reasons for this.
The author quotes numerous in-depth interviews with formerly religious individuals of various faiths (Christians,
Jews, Moslems etc.) to determine their motivations for
leaving their religions. He finds that leaving a religion is a
“ highly personal, complex and drawn-out process”. He
negates the stereotypes associated with secularism. He
feels that Secularism is a growing trend and is leading to
very positive outcomes. But, as many of us have found, it
can be a very difficult, but ultimately very rewarding process.
Many of us who have become secular after growing up in
religious households can certainly relate to and identify
with many of the people who were interviewed. I really enjoyed this book and gained many insights into the growing
secular trend. I would highly recommend it.
Jerry Zwick
MAY 2015
PAGE 3
CHAI-LIGHTS
THE PHILOSOPHERS' CAFE
SUNDAY, MAY 3rd at 1:30
(Our Friendly Discussion Group)
Friday, May 1st at 7:30 PM
At the home of
Greta Singer & Dan Goldberg
RSVP by April 30th
[email protected]
- AND -
Friday, May 29th at 7:30 PM
At the home of
Suzy & Bryon Baron
RSVP by May 25th
[email protected]
Lee Jacobi
will provide an educational,
in-depth review of
THE ISRAELI WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE
at the Jacobi home,
23 Alameda St., Irvine
RSVP [email protected]
Guests $10.00
GUESTS $10.00
FILM CLUB
DINE OUT
TUESDAY, MAY 19th
7:30 PM
Saturday, May 9th,
12:30 PM
at the home of
Shirley Spiegel
"IRVING BERLIN"
RSVP by May 15th
[email protected]
Guests $10.00
LUNCH at the
SOUP PLANTATION
Mesa Verde Shopping
Center,1555 Adams St.
Costa Mesa
RSVP by May 5th
[email protected]
MAY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 4
THE BEACH
by
Greta Singer
Last weekend, it was 90 degrees on a Sunday in Huntington Beach. While we were walking
on the pier, I couldn't help noticing all the differences between this beach and my beach in Brooklyn in
the 50's when I was growing up.
The pier was packed with people walking, posing for pictures with the pelicans, fishing off
the pier's end. There were many people sitting on benches and standing around waiting for their table
at Ruby's. A couple of people held signs telling us that Jesus had died for our sins. Another group had
signs that said "Peace Now". A few lone young men played guitars and sang, although no one appeared
to be listening. Parents pushed babies in strollers and little kids walked or ran along side. Some young
people walked on the pier in teeny tiny bikinis, lots of tattoos showing. Many couples of all ages, including us, were holding hands.
Down on the sand, many groups of 4 or 6 played sand volleyball with nets and balls supplied by the city. Some kids flew kites. Near the water a small surfing contest was going on with some
spectators and the officials working the microphones. The beach was busy, but only crowded on the
sand nearest the water. There was a vast expanse of empty beach up near the parking lots. And the
parking areas were packed with cars paying $15, I think, for a day at the beach.
In the water were only the most intrepid beach goers and some little children; the Pacific
Ocean is rather cold for casual swimming. Further out were the surfers, of course, in their wet suits thus
protected from the cold. The whole scene spoke of California, perfect for an old fashioned surfer
movie.
How different was the California scene from the beach at Coney Island when I was a girl.
On a hot day in Brooklyn, the beach was packed and I mean packed like the proverbial sardines in a
can. On the sand, which was too hot to walk on barefoot, there was not a spot of sand showing.
People's blankets covered the sand and you had to walk on tiptoe on the edges of their blankets to get
to the water's edge. Only rarely did your feet have to touch the red hot sand. There were no parking
lots but they weren't needed because everyone came by bus or the BMT subway trains.
There were hundreds of people in the water, which was warming up in the sun It was crowded
like the Ganges in holy season. There were children near the edges pretending to be swimming and
older kids jumping the waves. Athletes swam out beyond where the waves were breaking. Old women
poured water on themselves near the shoreline; fathers carried small howling children out into the surf.
There were no surfboards; who could afford one?
Back on the sand, men in clothes not bathing suits, were selling ice cream from heavy freezers they carried on their backs. Lots of people had a portable radio which could be heard by everyone
nearby. No ear buds in those days. On the boardwalk, people wore a towe around themselves or a
robe over their bathing suits. You could buy pizza and fries and ices and all sorts of drinks from stalls
on the boardwalk, but most people brought food in bags or coolers and didn't leave the beach for hours.
Those were the days when we put baby oil on our skin and basked and baked in the sun all day.
Nobody knew about or worried about skin cancer and our mothers thought "a little color" was good for
us.
Was the difference between "my" beach and the Socal beach that between a big city beach
and one in the distant suburbs? Is Huntington Beach a more affluent community than Brooklyn was in
those days? Is it just the difference in time, in years, the differences that exist when 60 years pass? I
am not sure of the answer to my questions. I just know how happy we used to be to be near the ocean
and how happy I am now to be able to be near the ocean again.
MAY 2015
PAGE 5
CHAI-LIGHTS
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
THE CHAILIGHTS IS NOW FEATURING A COLUMN WITH A NEW RECIPE EACH MONTH. IT WOULD BE
DELIGHTFUL TO GET JEWISH ONES, BUT THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO THOSE. IF YOU HAVE ONE YOU'D
LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE SEND IT TO: ALICE SELFRIDGE AT [email protected].
_______________________________________________________
Zucchini-Carrot Harvest Muffins
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose flour is ok, too.)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded, unpeeled, zucchini
1/2 - 1 cup finely shredded carrots
Grease and flour (or use paper liners) 18 small muffin cups
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.
In another bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to wet ingredients.
Stir until blended. Fold in shredded zucchini and carrots.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake 20 mins. or until knife comes out clean.
Options: Substitute apple sauce for oil. Muffins won`t be quite as tender, but they`ll taste as
good and be much lower in fat/calories!
Add raisins (regular or yellow).
Make a small batch of brown sugar mixed with cinnamon and melted butter to sprinkle on top
before baking.
Leslie
REMEMBER OUR ONGOING
CANNED GOODS FOOD DRIVE!
Bring one can to each event so
that we can reach at least
200 lbs!
donated this year!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Dave Okamoto
5/07
Sharon Machtinger 5/16
Lotte Kopstein
5/26
MAY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 6
MAY 2015
PAGE 7
CHAI-LIGHTS
OFFICERS
President:
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer:
Membership:
Hospitality:
Program Coordinators:
Publicity:
2014-2015
Leslie Zwick
Lee Jacobi `
Sylvia Rothman
Bryon Baron
Alice Selfridge
Zishia Kerr
Suzy Baron
Nancy Okamoto
Diana Bunin
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Committee and board positions:
Newsletter Editor
Lee Jacobi
Dan Goldberg
Greta Singer
Shirley Spiegel
Karen Knecht
Bernice Stein
Good & Welfare/Sunshine
Alice Selfridge:
Madrikha :
Karen Knecht
[email protected]
Web Master:
Bill Selfridge
[email protected]
SHJ Representative:
Board Members At Large:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
.
[email protected]
WANT AN ELEGANT AND MEANINGFUL WAY TO COMMEMORATE AN EVENT OR HONOR
SOMEONE?
HOW ABOUT CONSIDERING MAKING A DONATION TO THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL JEWS? WE
WILL CERTAINLY PUT YOUR MONEY TO GOOD USE AND WILL NOTIFY THE PARTY IN WHOSE HONOR YOU
ARE DONATING THAT YOU HAVE DONE SO. TO MAKE YOUR DONATION, SEND A NOTE THAT EXPLAINS FOR
WHAT/WHOM YOU ARE DONATING AND THEIR CONTACT DETAILS, ALONG WITH YOUR CHECK, MADE OUT TO
PACIFIC COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL JEWS. ADDRESS IT TO: BRYON BARON, 1141 TULAROSA AVE.
ORANGE, CA 92866
Chai-Lights
21152 Lockhaven Circle
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
Chai-Lights is published monthly by the
Pacific Community of Cultural Jews, Orange County, CA
Phone:562/592-0999 E-mail: [email protected],
http://www.pccjews.org
An annual (hardcopy) subscription may be purchased for
$18.00. to cover printing and mailing
For an electronic copy, please provide your e-mail address
Editor: Bernice Stein [email protected]
Affiliated with The Society for Humanistic Judaism and
The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations