News & Announcements

A few weeks ago I experienced another first in my life. I know my fellow grandparents will relate to this. Our first grandchild, Ayden, became a Bar Mitzvah during a Zoom service at PJTC. I can’t even find the words to express the joy that I felt, sitting in Knell Chapel with my husband Steve, and watching our son, Aaron, present Ayden his tallit. In 1994 we presented our son his tallit in Galpert sanctuary, and our two daughters followed in 1997 and 2001. PJTC has been our Jewish “home” for more that 35 years.

In 1980 we moved to Southern California from Chicago, and began to find our connection to a Jewish community here. It began with enrolling our son at B’nai Simcha Preschool, and eventually becoming members at PJTC. After many years of working on committees, serving as a PJTC Board member and President, I now find myself co-chairing PJTC’s Centennial Celebration. The Centennial is a continual reminder of what it means to have the PJTC community in my life. It has been a source for Jewish spiritual connection, education for our three children and now our grandchildren, and the place where we have found life long friends who have become our family.

When our third child was born, we decided it was time to establish estate plans to protect the future of our family. With many decisions before us we also asked ourselves what other priorities were meaningful to us. It was at that moment that we knew we wanted to do something to help insure the future of our Jewish community at PJTC, and include PJTC in our estate plans. As our PJTC community celebrates 100 years, join me in the promise of PJTC’s future, and become a member of PJTC’s Ohr Tamid Society. If we all make a commitment to remember PJTC in our estate we will guarantee that PJTC will be here for our grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond to the next 100 years.

Sandy Hartford, Ohr Tamid Society Member