Hi Readers!
By the time you receive this issue, it will boo prior Passover. We previously did an article on "The Story of Passover" in Issue #33 of JDCC News. We hope you all have a great Seder this year.
In the past several months I have been hearing some disturbing information regarding the question of whether Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf (TBS) should remain on its own property in Arleta. Apparently membership and revenues are declining because there has been some discussion regarding its survival. Unfortunately information is hard to obtain. After contacting the TBS office to request a press release, we did receive a faxed press release although no contact person was listed and it wasn't on formal stationery (see page 9).
In the press release, announcement was made that after 34 years, "it is the feeling of the current Board of Directors, that a new location which has better freeway accessibility and which will be more cost effective to operate, can be found." Arleta, California was never a Jewish community. We hope that TBS eventually finds a more central location that is compatible to the Jewish community.
JDCC does face the same challenge. There are no kosher restaurants, butchers or bakeries in the Burbank, California area where JDCC is located! But we have three Temples - one Reform, one Conservative, and the other is Chabad House which just came to the area and is Orthodox. I would expect that within a few years some kosher places will pop up in the area. The Temple where our Community Seder will be this year will be undergoing renovations as they are also adding a new Religious School building.
May we all continue to grow and expand in serving the Jewish Deaf Community.