News & Announcements

Shalom PJTC,

Here we are at the start of a new year and we are all praying that with it comes a hope for peace in Israel and health, happiness and prosperity for all of us.

2023 was a tremendous year for your Men’s Club. Membership is thriving and our programming is continuing to draw large numbers. In November our annual Veteran’s day event drew 75 folks. We treated all Veteran’s and our own LBSRS Hei students to a spectacular brunch, enjoyed the pomp and precision of the US Marine Corps color guard, listened to the beautiful voice of our own Melissa Levy as she sang, a’capella, both the National Anthem of the US and Israel, and heard from our engaging guest speaker, a military Veteran, Doctor and the Mayor Pro Tem of Arcadia, Dr. Michael Cao, talk about his experience on the front lines as an air services medic in Afghanistan and Iraq. Very timely as his experiences were extremely relevant to the current situation in Israel.

Our December bagel breakfast featured Mark Goldstein, President and CEO of Entertainment Partners, who led us through the beginnings, negotiations and the final resolution of the writers/actors strike that stifled the entertainment industry for nearly half a year.  His insider insight as to what lies ahead as far as the recovery process and overall the effects on the economy were tremendous keeping the 5-6 dozen attendees engaged.

As of this writing I’m pleased to report that the MC football pool has produced over 40 winners since the beginning of the fall NFL season. Congratulations to all thus far. I’ll endeavor to get a full list of the winners in the next Flame.

We have two events planned for January. The first is for the benefit of the B’nai Mitzvah aged kids where we feature several “alumni” of LBSRS to talk about how their religious education and experiences at PJTC helped shaped who they are and their career decisions. Last year we featured a film writer/producer, a police officer/teacher and an administrative lead for a Southern California School district. All present (students, teacher and parents) walked away with nothing but glowing comments about the program. Stay tuned for part two! The second event you need to keep an eye out for information about the MC day at the LA Reign Hockey game. There will be discounted tickets for all and vouchers will be given to all kids in attendance for food and beverages. Space will be limited so sign up early and enjoy a Sunday afternoon watching this LA Kings minor league team come up against a worthy opponent.

We continue to make donations to our regular recipients (LBSRS, B’nai Simcha, Jewish Federation, summer camps, PJTC, USY and Kadima), and we are anticipating contributions equal to or exceeding those of last year. Membership dues, modest recommended donations for our events and tributes in honor of award recipients are where our income for our donations are derived from. If you’re not a member, please join, and whether a member or not, please attend and participate in our activities.  Here’s our membership and activities link  https://givingtools.com/give/389

Don’t forget that the last Wednesday of each month is our social gathering at T. Boyles Tavern in Pasadena. We call it HeBrews and Burgers and our numbers this year have increased.  It’s a great opportunity to schmooze and belly laugh with old and new friends. All are welcome.

Finally, keep an eye out for our upcoming gala…the annual Man (Member) of the Year Award (MOTY) coupled this year with our Josh Pais Lifetime Achievement Award (JPLAA). The deserving recipients will be announced shortly.

Hope to see you soon and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fred Rotenberg, Pres.

PJTC MC 2023-24