Welcome to Brandeis Conejo Valley/San Fernando Valley Chapter

  "National Chapter of the Year" 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2019 and Louis Brandeis Award 2018

BNC - A BRIDGE FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE
Last Updated: July 14th, 2025
Message from your co - Presidents:

Welcome to Conejo Valley/San Fernando Valley Chapter!

Dear Friends;

As we enter a new year, we thank everyone for putting their faith in us to lead you for the next two years. It is an honor to be part of this Conejo Valley / San Fernando Valley chapter of Brandeis National Committee. It is the second largest one in the country! We are grateful for the participation of our more than 835 members from Toluca Lake to Camarillo (and beyond).

With the help of our Study Group VPs and leaders, we are looking forward to adding more stimulating study groups for every one of every age.

Our goal is to keep our chapter a very dynamic one and growing with even more diverse members. We have been awarded the National Chapter of the Year and the Louis Brandeis Award multiple times so we have a high bar to maintain.

We are excited to have a new team at BNC helping us move into the future with new marketing and outreach ideas.

We will also continue to honor our commitment to stay connected to Brandeis University through fundraising and activities that reflect the values on which the University was founded: academic excellence, social justice, non-sectarianism and service to the community.

For 20 years, our BNC chapter has proudly supported philanthropy in support of Brandeis libraries, scholarships and science. We have also supported many local groups through our social justice programs.

We have had great successes in the past year and look forward to 2025/2026 and what's in front of us. There is much to be thankful for and much to be excited about to accomplish in the future.

We welcome your feedback about any facet of the BNC Conejo Valley / San Fernando Valley Chapter, so please reach out to us!

With Appreciation,
Jan Fogelman co-president (click here to send email directly to Jan) jan.fogelman@gmail.com

Dell Smulowitz co-president (click here to send email directly to Dell) dsmulowitz9@gmail.com

THIS IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

Renew Your Membership Online
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Click here, complete the form, pay and you're done.

(click here to learn more!) https://www.brandeis.edu/75/

Global Service Initiative
Celebrate Brandeis at 75 by making a difference in your community.
The Legacy of Louis: Inspiring Inquiry
The Brandeis National Committee is proud to announce its newest campaign, The Legacy of Louis: Inspiring Inquiry, as the university nears its milestone 75th anniversary in 2023.

The Legacy of Louis: Inspiring Inquiry will reinvigorate the Brandeis Library's mission to empower its community to become scholars, creators, and innovators through the creation of two interactive additions to the Library. The first will be the construction of a research archive of original letters, photographs, documents and family objects that shed light on the life and the lasting contributions of Justice Louis D. Brandeis.

The second addition to the Brandeis Library will be the creation of a new Judaica reading room in the library. This space will provide the Brandeis community with a place to engage with Jewish texts outside of the typical classroom and religious environments. By presenting Jewish texts in conversation with writings from cultural and religious traditions from around the world, the room will serve scholars and students alike.

In 1948, the BNC (formerly BUNWC) was founded alongside the university to provide philanthropic support and now nearly 75 years later, continues to support the mission and principles upon which Brandeis was founded.

We look forward to sharing more information and learning opportunities for the Legacy of Louis: Inspiring Inquiry soon!
BNC Launching the BNC Online Chapter!

It's beginning of 2022 and Brandeis National Committee launching the BNC Online Chapter!

The Brandeis National Committee Online Chapter is both its own chapter and an extension of the inclusive virtual community that was created by active chapters and members from all over the world. In this way, the Online Chapter is a unique experience for new members and an added benefit to current members of the Brandeis National Committee.

The virtual community that has been fostered by chapters and members of the Brandeis National Committee since 2020 has kept us all together during a very challenging time and it is our hope that the Online Chapter will continue to foster connectivity between BNC members and chapters around the world.

If you would like to know more about the BNC Online Chapter, CLICK HERE!

Merle Carrus P'12
BNC President
Introducing the Jewish Experience

Today, as we prepare to welcome the beginning of the Jewish New Year, I am delighted to announce the launch of the Jewish Experience, Brandeis' new website and multimedia platform dedicated to exploring Jewish history, culture, and traditions. It features exciting faculty research, alumni profiles, and thoughtful examinations of questions of identity and community relevant to Jews — or anyone interested in Jewish issues.

Brandeis is distinct from all other colleges and universities. Envisioned as a 'gift from the Jewish community to higher education,' it was founded as a symbol of freedom and opportunity to all academically-qualified individuals, no matter their background. At a time when Jews were prevented from attending the leading colleges and universities in the United States, the vision that underpinned our founding was radical. Engaging and honoring this founding ethos is an integral part of the Framework for the Future. As part of this endeavor, the Jewish Experience seeks to illuminate the great wealth of scholarship and knowledge about Jewish issues and Judaism - in all its diversity and richness - on campus and beyond...

TO VISIT THE WEB SITE - CLICK HERE!
Contact Barbara Peifer for Tributes (email directly) barbsgr88@aol.com.