Welcome to the Greater Long Beach

and West Orange County Jewish Community

With a Jewish Community of nearly 20,000, the Greater Long Beach area has become a thriving metropolis and a significant part of the philanthropic landscape.

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May 19, 2023

From the Desk of Zach Benjamin

CEO, Jewish Long Beach & Alpert JCC

As many are aware, my tenure as CEO of Jewish Long Beach and the AJCC will come to a close on May 31, and so this will be my final Shabbat message to our community. Nearly a decade ago, I made the intentional decision to transition away from a career in large trade associations to pursue a professional life in service to the Jewish people. Although Judaism has always been central to my identity, I was, at the time, almost completely ignorant of the vast Jewish communal infrastructure that existed beyond congregations and the handful of Israel advocacy organizations that my wife and I supported during our many years in Chicago. My decision to become a Jewish communal professional launched a two-year process of self-education on the various agencies, institutions, and movements active in hundreds of communities throughout North America and beyond.

I believe that the future of Jewish peoplehood hangs in the balance between a strong, secure Israel and a vibrant, thriving diaspora. The strength of global Jewry depends on that of both its geographic heart and its most isolated outposts. My journey of Jewish communal discovery led me to the Jewish federation system, within which I felt that I could exact the most significant possible impact on a diaspora community, and thus contribute meaningfully to the preservation and advancement of the Jewish people. Read More.