Jain Center Los Angeles CA 1998 07 10th Anniversary of Jain Bhavan

Author(s): Jain Center So CA Los Angeles
Publisher: USA Jain Center Southern California

Page 63

Jain Center Youth Council (JCYC)
Past and Present by Shree Saileshbhai Jain
Jain families in LA area felt a need to educate their children in Jain religion. Very early classes were organized in 1982 at Rajulben and Rajenbhai Mehta's residence. Fifty to eighty children attended the Sunday classes. Later, classes were shifted to Sarlaben and Divyakantbhai's residence, before the Jain Center was built. Niranjanbhai Shah, Girishbhai C. Shah and Mahendrabhai Khandhar taught religion at this early stage.
Jain Center Youth Council (JCYC) was established, and children had their own president of the group. Piyush Mehta, Amit Kothari and Ajit Shah were amongst few of the children who served as the presidents of JCYC during these years.
Girishbhai C. Shah and Mahendrabhai Khandhar continued to teach (until 1994) religion when classes were shifted to the Jain Center in 1988. Adult classes were started at the Center for the parents. Girishbhai B. Shah has been teaching the adult classes. Sailesbhai Jain joined the team in late 1988 to teach Gujarati. Bindiben Doshi helped Sailesbhai with Gujarati classes. Geetaben Shah joined the team to teach one of the two Gujarati classes. Surendrabhai Jain taught Hindi at the center. This year Biren Mehta started religion classes for eighteen and older (college) youth. Pravinbhai Mehta joined him to help conduct the class. Savitaben Mehta started "Stutra" class this year. Our latest addition to our education system is English classes for our senior members.
Sailesbhai Jain started coordinating extra curricular activities for children at the Center. These activities included election of the JCYC president and the committee, picnic in the park and on the beach, roller skating, roller blading, ice skating, and visit to area theme parks. Children visited Christian Church, Jewish Temple, Buddhist Temple and Hindu Temple. Representatives from other religions were also invited to address our children at the Center. Informative seminars were held to improve life skills. Debates and discussions with religion background were introduced to provoke thought process of children. Forums were arranged for teenage children as well parents of the teenage children to improve understanding between the generations.
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Souls live forever while in the birth and rebirth cycles and also while in Moksha.
Akash Shah (10)