Community News

Marking One Year

Jewish Long Beach is inviting the community to come together at the Alpert Jewish Community Center (JCC) on Monday, Oct. 7, to commemorate one year since the attack in Israel that shattered the global Jewish community’s sense of safety.

This gathering will offer space to mourn the lives lost, pray for the hostages, pay tribute to the heroes defending the people of Israel and  reaffirm the community’s strength and commitment to Israel.

“The devastating harm Hamas unleashed on the Jewish people will never be erased,” said Deborah Goldfarb, CEO of Jewish Long Beach. “At a time like this, the most powerful thing we can do is unite as a community. Our strength lies in standing together and  only through collective action will we heal.”

The terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 innocent people and  captured over 250 people as hostages on Oct. 7, 2023.

Guest speaker Lone Soldier Barak Moritz, from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 7th Armed Brigade, will share his experience engaged in the fight against Hamas. A Lone Soldier is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to support them. Moritz grew up in Long Island, NY, and moved to Israel with his family at age 10. At age 18, he was drafted into the IDF as a paratrooper and placed in the Palsar unit assigned to the 7th Armed Brigade.

Palsar units specialize in reconnaissance, advanced weapons and  special intelligence. He was living in San Diego when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 and returned to Israel immediately upon learning that his company was called to service.

The commemoration event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Alpert JCC (3801 E. Willow St., Long Beach). Reservations are strongly recommended. Visit https://jewishlongbeach.regfox.com/october-7th-commemoration for more information and to register.

No backpacks or large bags will be allowed inside. Clear bags that are equal to or smaller than 12” x 6” x 12”. Small clutches that are 9” X 6” are permitted and do not need to be clear.

Earlier in the day, the Alpert JCC will be hosting a reflection space from 8 to 11:30 a.m. open-house style with refreshments, an instrumentalist, prayer and reflection activities, a photo gallery of Israel from that day and  a support counselor from Jewish Family & Children’s Service for anyone in the community looking for solace.

Salt Marsh Stroll

Learn about restoration ecology and plant communities being cultivated for restoration of native plants on Oct. 5. Bring binoculars to view wetlands wildlife. Appropriate for ages 7 and up. Closed toes shoes are required. Park at the intersection of PCH and 1st St., just at the border from Long Beach in Seal Beach.

For more information or to RSVP for the nature walk, contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org.

Tech Talk Open Forum

The Lifetime Learning Center is offering Tech Talk on Oct. 9 & 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Long Beach City College on the Pacific Coast Campus. Cost includes both sessions for $20.

Tech Talk is an Open Forum on streaming, internet safety and  an opportunity to share questions and concerns with digital tech devices and services. Live Demonstrations will be projected on large screens in Dyer Hall, Building QQ.

Sign-up online https://lbccfoundation.org/lifetime-learning-center/ or contact Theresa Brunella at (562) 938-3047.

Republican Women

Greater Long Beach Republican Women will hold their monthly meeting Saturday, Oct. 12, at The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St. Registration is at 9 a.m. and buffet breakfast starts at 9:30 a.m. with guest speaker: Tim O’Reilly, president of the Los Angeles GOP Executive Board.

Cost is $30 for members, $35 for non-members. For a reservation, call Maryann von der Horst at (562) 760-1556 or email vonderhorstm@aol.com.

Sunset Sail with Special Guest Characters

Join the Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI) and Children’s Maritime Institute (CMI) to sail the harbor and watch the sunset from the deck of American Pride, the Official Tall Ship of the City of Long Beach! This Saturday, Oct. 12, 5-7:30 p.m. sail features special guest characters, including Peter Pan and  pirate lessons for kids of all ages.

During the sail, you can sit back and relax or become part of the crew and help set the sails – your choice. Boarding from the Pine Avenue Pier, picnics welcome aboard too. Tickets are $60 for adults, $30 for children 12 & under. Learn more and purchase your tickets at lamitopsail.org/events.

Gems on the Hill

The Long Beach Mineral and Gem Society will be hosting their annual event “Gems on the Hill,” at the Signal Hill Library, 1800 E. Hill St. in Signal Hill on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual Mineral and Gem Show is free for all to attend and will feature vendors selling everything from handmade jewelry, mineral specimens, a variety of cut and polished stones, fossils, beads and much more.

The show will also include lapidary demonstrations from society members showing how to cut and polish stones. Our Kids area will offer fun, educational activities including a gemstone dig, rock adoptions and rock painting. There will be an opportunity to buy a geode and watch as they are cut open to reveal their unique internal crystals. This is a great family friendly event for anyone wishing to explore the fascinating world of gems & minerals.

Library Strategic Plan

The Long Beach Public Library has launched a community survey as part of its efforts for the development of its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The survey, which focuses on identifying the needs of the community and evolving trends, is open now through Oct. 31.

The multilingual survey is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog, and community members are invited to provide input by completing it online or by visiting any library branch and completing a paper version of the survey. All responses will remain confidential.

The library is committed to meeting the information needs of Long Beach’s culturally diverse and dynamic population and connecting people and inspiring ideas through programming, partnerships, learning and connections to resources. The survey will help to identify community needs and trends, which will give valuable insight on delivering accessible, inclusive and quality services and programs. Feedback garnered through the survey will help guide the strategic planning process and inform the development of the library’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which is expected to be presented to the City Council in spring 2025.

For more information about the survey, visit lbpl.org or call (562) 570-7500.

Celebration of Letterpress

The Los Angeles Printers Fair on Oct. 19 & 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the International Printing Museum in Carson is the largest annual celebration of letterpress, book arts and  the paper arts in the west. With the backdrop of the museum’s world-famous collection of antique presses, the LA Printers Fair brings together nearly 100 artistic vendors and 1,500 visitors to explore the creative worlds of handmade books, paper and letterpress printing.

This year’s exhibitors include some of the finest letterpress and printmaking artists in the Southwest, who will be offering a wide variety of custom posters, prints, hand-printed cards, memorabilia, decorative papers and  antiquarian books for sale. Throughout the museum’s galleries visitors can also print their own keepsakes on antique printing presses, have their name cast in printer’s type, make paper by hand, or screen print their own shirt! There will also be hands-on activities and demonstrations of letterpress printing, collaging, digital screen printing, paper arts and  much more.

This year’s featured artist is Rebecca Chamlee of Pie in the Sky Press. Since 2012, Chamlee’s artist’s books have examined the intersection of her artistic and scientific interests by collecting and cataloging the natural world. As a life-long amateur naturalist and citizen scientist, Chamlee studies the rich and diverse elements of the natural world that her native California has to offer.

From the unique flora and fauna of the arid inland valley that she calls home to the rocky tide pools of her childhood; Chamlee is inspired to record, interpret and  celebrate nature. Chamlee retired in 2023 as an associate professor at Otis College of Art and Design where she taught bookbinding, letterpress printing, artist’s book classes and headed the Book Arts minor program, but she continues to offer innovative workshops at book arts centers throughout the country. Her work, which has been exhibited widely, is also featured in special and private collections such as The Getty, Yale University and  the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

General admission to the 16th Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair is $12 and  the fee includes both days. There will be food trucks, opportunity drawings and  plenty of free parking too.

All proceeds from the LA Printers Fair will benefit the International Printing Museum, a nonprofit institution dedicated to the heritage, preservation and  advancement of the printing arts. For more information or advance tickets: www.printmuseum.org or (310) 515-7166.