HISTORY OF THE JEWISH LIFE CENTER

Jewish life has been part of the Simi Valley/Moorpark region for more than 30 years.  More than 8,000 Jews have settled in Simi Valley and Moorpark alone.  While there are many churches in this area, Jewish families in Simi Valley and Moorpark have no permanent facility to call their own.  This need was the inspiration for civic, business, political, and Jewish leaders to pool their resources and talents to create The Jewish Life Center of Simi Valley.

The creation of The Jewish Life Center was driven by the imminent loss of Simi Valley’s only Jewish preschool (“the preschool”).  In 1997, the local school district gave notice to The Jewish Community Center
(“JCC”) that it intended to sell the elementary school campus which housed the JCC’s Simi Valley Center for Early Childhood Education.  Due to the anticipated sale, the JCC gave notice to the families at the preschool that it was closing the JCC preschool operation in June 1998.  At the same time, our local synagogue, Congregation B’nai Emet (“CBE”), had no preschool and was rapidly outgrowing its rented industrial park site. 

A coalition of leaders from the preschool and the synagogue searched for a place where both the preschool and the congregation could be housed.  The search resulted in a land donation by Kaufman and Broad, a leading developer of homes in California.  The 4ľ-acre parcel is located in the heart of Simi Valley, at the corner of Royal Avenue and Corto Street.  The preschool became the CBE preschool when the JCC closed its Simi Valley operation.  CBE donated the land to The Jewish Life Center in September 2002 and joined with other Jewish organizations and community leaders to build a facility to serve the entire Jewish community.  It turned out that the preschool was able to remain at the closed public school campus.  The School District, however, has now slated the property for re-opening as a public school.  The Jewish Life Center emerged from the efforts of the coalition of leaders who searched for the land and retains the goal of providing a permanent home for both the preschool and Congregation B’nai Emet.  

The Jewish Life Center was incorporated on February 1, 2002.  The mission of the Jewish Life Center is:  “To create a campus for Jewish culture, learning and worship that reflects devotion to our heritage and its continuity in our community.”  Our goal is to be the focal point for a stronger, more vibrant Jewish community as well as to provide social services and cultural opportunities for the entire community.