Orange County Jewish Life's
Extraordinary Energy
by Florence Dann
“Location, location, location.” While that’s the
priority when seeking a new home for our
family, it is just as true when selecting a new home for a
synagogue family. So when Yung
Israel
of Orange
County
had the opportunity to move into the former Vista Verde
School, it was almost a
foregone conclusion that it would make the move. While the previous
location had initially served the six-month old congregation, the rapid
growth and needs of the shul demanded a new location that offered room
for its expanding programs and services.
Founded initially by some 15 families,
YIOC quickly grew to 25 in the first month. And as the numbers steadily
kept increasing, there were frequent trips to Target for more chairs,
and to Los Angeles for more Siddurim and Chumashim.
By the second month, 40 people were attending services every Shabbat
morning, and most recently, that number has grown to 60 people – men and
women – every Shabbat morning.
And so, when a new, larger facility
became available, the congregation was ready. On Sunday, September 14,
YIOC dedicated its new facility and brought its Torah into its new
location at 5144 Michelson Drive. The auditorium of
the former Vista Verde School
has been refurbished to accommodate the growing congregation, and the
two-hour dedication service incorporated messages of gratitude, pride,
and hope. Over 150 people attended
the service, which included congregational readings from the Siddur and
other sources. Michael Lapin, president of the congregation, spoke about
what Young Israel is and why the congregation wanted to affiliate with
the movement. “We had decided not to include any political
personalities,” said Rabbi Dov Fischer, spiritual leader of YIOC.
“However, we did invite Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R - 70th A.D.).” His
district includes Irvine
where the shul is centered, but he delivered remarks of a personal
nature, reflecting the bonds of friendship forged over the past two
years between his family and the Fischer family. After Fischer spoke,
the Torah was brought in under a chuppah and carried by Hilton
Schlosberg, who had donated the Torah in memory of his parents.
YIOC has been fortunate and grateful for the generous
donations it has received since the shul’s inception. “We received, as a
longterm loan, a beautiful Aron Kodesh (Holy
Ark),” said Fischer. The
Ark
was painted by Barbara Mendes, granddaughter of the founder of the
Orthodox Union, Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes. “To further mark the
occasion, the married children of our one of our families presented a
beautiful contemporary lectern to
our shul, which we used on Sunday for the first time,” Fischer added.
Another donation is a very unique, special silver-plated shofar that was
donated for the occasion and the High Holidays.
“We now number 75 membership households,”
said Fischer, “with members ranging from
families with children to single men and women.” The congregation spans
from young adult professionals, several young marrieds, and college and
high school students to older, more established members, including
prominent leaders in the Orthodox Jewish community. “There is an
extraordinary energy in the shul,” commented Fischer, “from the robust
participatory singing that marks our services, to the genuine warmth and
caring that bonds our congregational family.” Every Shabbat, after
morning services, more than half the congregation remains after kiddush
for a community lunch, punctuated by singing Shabbat zemirot songs and
group bentsching.
In the short time Young Israel of Orange
County has been a congregation, several programs have evolved. The
Women’s Group is organized around three programmatic goals – paralleling
the three sides of the “Young Israel” symbol – (i) educational programs,
(ii) social events, and (iii) Chesed – acts of kindness. “Indeed, our
Women’s Group has grown to a dynamic force among the women of our
congregational community,” said Fischer. More than 30 women attended the
initial Sunday brunch. And in the following month, the Women’s Group
held a Shabbat afternoon panel forum, where professional women from
within the congregation described how they balance significant
professional secular careers with the lifestyle of being Orthodox,
kosher, and Shabbat observant. The keynoter was a young litigation
attorney and panelists, included a marketing consultant, a 20-year
certified fraud examiner, and other professionals who blend their
careers with family responsibilities and being Modern Orthodox.
The new youth director was formerly
program director of Orange County Hillel and is focusing his efforts on
developing young people’s programming in the shul and greater community.
“We work closely with Hillel, because I am a member of the Board of
Directors of the Hillel Foundation of Orange County,” said Fischer.
Fischer also teaches Torah classes twice each week at UCI. And in
addition to its college outreach, YIOC has a program every Shabbat
afternoon for teenagers. Since YIOC has use of the new facility for
Friday nights and Saturdays, the Shabbat afternoon sessions take place
at the Fischers’ home. “From 1:30- 3:30, Ellen and I invite the teens to
join us for Shabbat Day fun, including sophisticated board games and
even a bit of Torah,” he added. Other youth programming is aimed at
Jewish teens in the public schools, as well as in Jewish day schools.
Fischer also teaches a Chumash Bible
Study once a week and several classes on Shabbat as well as the teen
program. “In the coming weeks, we are launching two new classes,” said
Fischer. “Once monthly, we will gather for “Sunday Night at the Movies
with the Rebbetzin and Rabbi,” in which we will view a full length
popular feature film each month, followed by a discussion of important
values derived from the film. And one Monday night every month, we will
hold a seminar roundtable that discusses a major topical issue (such as
global warming) in the light of traditional Jewish sources.”
And while these classes are taught out of the
Fischers’ home, everyone is looking forward to the first High Holidays
when YIOC will be able to utilize the new space. The space also allows
the shul to introduce a revolutionary alternative High Holiday Learners
Service for adult beginners, who otherwise might not attend Orthodox
High Holiday services. “The alternative service will be substantially in
English, with the full complement of shofar soundings on Rosh Hashanah
and the traditional Viduy confessional on Yom Kippur,” said Fischer,
“yet will be contemporary in tone and message, even as it fosters
traditional sentiments of the unique bond between G-d and the Jewish
People.”
The growth and energy of Young Israel of
Orange County supports Fischer’s firm belief that “there is a real
longing for a Judaism that adheres to traditional teachings and
accommodates our modern world.” For more information about Young Israel
of Orange County, visit the website: www.yioc.org.