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34 | OHCC LIVING | NOVEMBER 2024 | RV Club The RV Club kicked off fall with October travels to the Emerald Desert RV Resort in the Palm Desert area. Time at the pool, a little pickleball, bocce, tennis, putting green, horseshoes, croquet, billiards, and fellowship around the campfire. And if that wasn't enough, it was off to the Aerial tram, Sunnylands Estate and of course, some local shopping, and more. Many thanks to our gracious hosts, Debbie and Mike Cea, Donna and Chris Butler. Not to be outdone, November brings Fantasy Tours 7 Day Taste of Baja in the Guadalupe Valley Wine Region which boasts over 120 unique wineries, Latino fusion cuisine, and fresh seafood. Do you see a theme here, wine and food, what's not to like? Beachfront camping on the Sea of Cortez, local arts and crafts, Puerto Peñasco Sunset Cruise and relaxing on the beach with Rally Coordinators Sue and Sal Pellerito. Also in November, it is off to an RV favorite, Bonelli Bluffs in the San Dimas area of Los Angeles County. This trip included several 1st-class catered meals and a docent-led visit to Rubel Castle. The Castle is a one-of-a-kind place to see! It's remarkable what one man can do with some ingenuity and mostly donated items. And of course, golf, crafts and campfire fellowship rounded out this adventure thanks to Wagon-Masters: Michael and Laura Urban and Pele and Steve Pyle. Coming on Dec. 3 to Abravanel Hall is our "Comfort and Joy" celebration. We will enjoy a scrumptious meal with hearty food stations catered by Flavor Chef and ring in the season with music by Gin 'n' Tonix and dancing like no one is watching. Also in December, there is the SOI Motorhome Club Rose Parade RV Rally in Pasadena where there is never a dull moment with delicious meals, ice cream social, talented entertainment, day tours, a day at the horse races, helping to decorate the Sierras Madre Float and of course, premium Tournament of Roses Parade seats. February 2025 is just around the corner and will kick off a trip to Coachella Lakes RV Resort and then off to Lake Havasu City for camping and cruising. Remember, if you don't own an RV, you can join our club and enjoy all our adventures as a WOW, "With Out Wheels." Make note that the next RV Club Membership Meeting will be on Tues., Nov. 26 at 6 pm and if you are not there, we may talk about you. Written by Marshall Kelsay Yiddish Club More than one f lavor of Judaism: Despite competition from over 1,000 ice cream f lavors in the US, the old standards of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry still rank among the top five favorites (according to the International Dairy Foods Association, June 2022). When politicians and social experts study the makeup of the American Jewish community, they also find more than one 'f lavor'. How so? Religiously, American Jews generally follow one of three main branches of Judaism: *Orthodox: Follows strict rabbinical interpretation of Jewish law and its traditional customs and observances guided by the Torah. Example: Torah law prohibits followers from performing any work on Sabbath. *Conservative: Seeks to preserve Jewish tradition and rituals but has a more f lexible approach to interpretations of Jewish law. *Reform: Modernized traditional Jewish beliefs, laws and practices to better adapt Judaism to the modern social and cultural world. Reform Judaism is the largest group at 35 percent in US, followed by Conservative at 18 percent and Orthodox at 10 percent. Minor Jewish groups like Reconstructionist and Renewal account for 6 percent. Some 30 percent of US Jews do not identify with any denomination and remain unaffiliated with any temple or synagogue. Now if this isn't confusing enough, there are also several ancestral groups of Jewish heritage to which American Jews are born into. The two main ones are: *Ashkenazi Jews: Most American Jews today are 'Ashkenazim', descended from Jews who emigrated from Germany, France, Russia and Eastern Europe from mid-1800s to early 1900s. Yiddish is their original language, based on German and Hebrew. 'Ashkenazi' is the Hebrew word for Germany. Traditional foods: gefilte fish, chopped liver, borscht, etc. *Sephardic Jews: Descendants of Jews from Spain, Portugal, Greece. Turkey, North Africa and Middle East. 'Sepharad' is the Hebrew word for Spain. Most of the early settler of North America were Sephardic, who f led Europe during the Spanish expulsion of 1492, banning Jews from practicing their religion. Many f led or converted to Catholicism to appease the ruling king. The first Jewish congregation in North America, Shearith Israel founded in 1684, is still an active Sephardic synagogue in New York. The original founders were Spanish and Portuguese refugees from Brazil. Sephardics' traditional language is Ladino, based on Spanish and Hebrew. Traditional foods are Mediterranean with olive oil as a staple, delicacies like stuffed grape leaves and pastries using phyllo dough. About three percent of American Jews self-identify as Sephardic, with the largest US Sephardic communities being found in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle. On a personal level, my own two daughters are half Sephardic and half Ashkenazic, having grown up in Seattle and Portland. Both myself and my two brothers married Sephardic girls in Seattle, as did several of my college friends. An interesting mix of cultures! So, there is lots of variety to explore when it comes to the overall Jewish community — just like ice cream! Written by Harv Jae Be sure to join us at our next Yiddish Club Deli Luncheon on Sun., Dec. 15. Our great entertainment is to be announced!