Weekly Newsletters and Special Announcements

January 27, 2023 | 5 Shevat 5783 | Parashat Bo

Enjoy Torah Sparks: Creative commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings written by Conservative Yeshiva faculty.

January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

On Friday, January 27, people world over will observe "International Holocaust Remembrance Day."  January 27 was designated because it is the date in 1945 that Auschwitz-Birkenau - the largest and most deadly of the 44,000 Nazi Concentration, Incarceration and Death Camps built between 1933 and 1945 - was liberated. This designation was made by UN Resolution on November 1, 2005, at the United Nations General Assembly after the 60th anniversary.  While some countries around the world have instituted their own Holocaust Memorial observances - the most well-known being Yom HaShoah, commemorated on the 27th of Nisan just one week after Passover - there are some components that make January 27 distinct.  

Whereas Yom HaShoah is primarily observed throughout the land of Israel and by Jews in other countries, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is meant to be observed by every person as a reminder of what can happen when unbridled hate, greed and malicious  ingenuity work together unchecked.  On this annual day of commemoration, the UN encourages every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazism in distinctive ways and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, provides resources to help make this day meaningful and educational.  CLICK HERE for access to their materials.  
Other resources provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum can be found here.
To be part of this year's international observance hosted by the United Nations on January 27 beginning at midnight Pacific Time, click here.  This year's theme is "Home and Belonging."

The magnitude of loss that we recall and the victims whose memories we honor every January 27th  and 27th  of Nisan cannot be quantified in words.  May each of us dedicate ourselves to doing whatever we can, day by day, to be their voices crying out for an end to all manifestations of baseless hatred and brutality.  "Never Again!"

T”u b’Shevat 5783: Living Our Values

Second Annual
C.L.U.E. B'Shevat Seder
for Economic Justice
Sunday, February 5th, 2023
5:00 P.M. PST | 8:00 P.M. EST
Hosted at Temple Beth Emet in Anaheim.

Click here to RSVP and learn more.

T"u b'Shevat Virtual Lobby Day for Environmental Justice
Monday, February 6, 2023
Meet with members of congress to advocate for important legislation.
Register Now: bit.ly/tubishvatlobby

Click here to learn about the current legislation that will be the focus of our lobbying efforts.

Join JCoOC's Monthly Giving Circle
in support of our unique mission and programs

Friday, January 27 at 6:30pm on Zoom
FRIDAY NIGHT BY CANDLELIGHT WITH
OR HAMIDBAR
The Jewish Collaborative joins Rabbi David Lazar and friends from Or Hamidbar: Spiritual Judaism in the Desert for Kabbalat Shabbat services.
Join on Zoom here or watch on Facebook LIVE

Saturday, January 28 at 9:30am
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES WITH DUVID SWIRSKY
Congregation B'nai Israel in Tustin will be featuring guest musician and prayer leader, Duvid Swirsky, guitarist for the Moshav Band, in their Shabbat morning worship. Join the CBI Livestream.

Saturday, January 28 at 2pm PT
TWELVE STEPS AND TORAH
JCoOC partners with Our Jewish Recovery(OJR) every Shabbat afternoon for Torah study informed by the wisdom of Twelve Step recovery. Join us on Zoom (new link). For more information and to be added to the Twelve Steps & Torah email list, click here.
For a full menu of OJR programs and meetings click here.

Saturday, January 28 from 3-5pm 
GAN LAGUNA DOES HAVDALAH
This exciting new program for families with children ages 0-5 and their siblings meets once a month at a private home in Laguna Beach.
Featuring Rabbi Marcia Tilchin, Dale Schatz and friends. Music, crafts, nosh and good company! RSVP here.

Monday, January 30 at 9:30am
ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE
Mahloket Matters: How To Disagree Constructively. Rabbinic Judaism places great value on grappling with multiple opinions. In today's world, listening and learning from one another appears to be a lost art. Join Rabbi Daniel Levine for the third of six sessions (one per month) exploring how to regain this skill.
Unit 2: Fear War Or Trust Peace?
Learn more and register here.​​​​ Access previous class recordings here.

Monday, January 30 at 5:30pm PT
SURVEY OF JEWISH HISTORY 
Newcomers are welcome to join Rabbi Daniel Levine's engaging tour of Jewish history fusing biblical, rabbinic and scholarly sources.  
Register Here ​​​​​​to join our class. Watch recordings of previous classes here.

Sundays through Thursdays at 6:00pm
OC EGAL NIGHTLY MINYAN

If you are looking for a place to say Mourner's Kaddish, observe a yahrzeit, or participate in an evening minyan, OC Egal meets online five nights a week. Click here to receive the private Zoom link. All are welcome.

Click here to learn about upcoming ongoing support groups led by Chaplain Fran Chalin M.S.W./M.J.C.S. and to express interest in participation. Weekly meetings will address issues associated with specific types of loss. Hosted by the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County and House of Ruach.

FEBRUARY 2023 SCHEDULE

Thursdays at 6:00pm PT / 9:00pm ET on Zoom

February 2 - For those grieving 
Spouses and longtime companions.
(1st Thursday of every month)

February 9 - For those grieving 
Teen and adult children.

(2nd Thursday of every month)

February 16 - For those grieving 
Parents and guardians.
(3rd Thursday of every month)

February 23 - For those grieving 
Siblings and close friends.

(4th Thursday of every month)

UPCOMING EVENTS - FEBRUARY

Sunday, February 5th
C.L.U.E. B'Shevat Seder
for Economic Justice
5:00 P.M. PST | 8:00 P.M. EST
Hosted at Temple Beth Emet in Anaheim.
1770 W Cerritos Ave, Anaheim, CA 92804
Click here to RSVP and learn more.

Monday, February 6 at 9:30am
ADVANCED LEARNING INSTITUTE
From Catastrophe to Hope - Session 3 of 4
Rabbi David Lazar guides us in a close reading of the Biblical Book of Joel in an attempt to understand the circumstances surrounding its composition, use of other biblical materials and how it has been understood over the centuries. See the recordings of the first two classes hereLearn more and register here.​​​​

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Saturday Evening, January 28 at 7:00pm
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah Concert
University Park Community Center
Hosted by Orange County Community Scholar Program
$18 Per Person General Public
Registration Required – Sign up for the concert here.

Saturday night, February 25th & Sunday, February 26th
All are invited to attend IMAGINE, a musical review directed by Elizabeth Kent. This inaugural production of Hilltop Players at Temple Beth Tikvah, Orange County's newest young people's theatre program, is proudly co-sponsored by The Jewish Collaborative's BIMAH initiative.
Click here to purchase tickets.

The Jewish Collaborative of Orange County is a creative, collaborative, and compassionate community mosaic dedicated to innovating and supporting local and national programming that enriches the landscape of Jewish life and encouraging individuals and families to connect their passions and purpose with Judaism.