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- NEWS & COMMENTARY
A new era of Jewish leadership in L.A.?
Los Angeles chose Eric Garcetti as its first elected Jewish mayor, one of a number of political contests on Tuesday that reflected the city’s diversity, as well as its numerous…
Stone-walling
In the last two years, the Western Wall in Jerusalem — also known as the Kotel — has become a place of controversy as much as of worship. It’s the site of a battle that has long been waged by…
Gun violence in America: Scandal!
Two years after his mother was shot and killed, Dallas Sonnier received a phone call from the police: His father had just been shot and killed.
- HOLLYWOOD
Spielberg to produce ‘Halo’ television series, plus other news from the Xbox One announcement
Microsoft Corp gave the world a first look at its new Xbox One on Tuesday, announcing that its first gaming console in eight years will come with exclusive video and…
Justin Timberlake and Coen brothers answer Jewish questions at Cannes
Using his preternatural smoothness, Justin Timberlake saved the Coen brothers from some serious awkwardness at a Cannes press conference for their folk singer film “Inside Llewyn Davis” on Sunday. “Jewish…
Sean Penn lobbies for Charedi man imprisoned in Bolivia
Actor Sean Penn urged a congressional hearing to pressure Bolivia to release a haredi Orthodox father of five under house arrest in the country.
- LIFE & CULTURE
Sarah Silverman sings about staying home in ‘Perfect Night’
For your listening pleasure, “Perfect Night,” in which Sarah Silverman recounts the benefits of skipping the club for the couch. Because this is a Silverman production you can expect references…
Maccabi Tel Aviv back on top but coach future uncertain
Champions Maccabi Tel Aviv have reasserted their dominance of Israeli soccer but media reports on Tuesday suggested they might have to continue their revival without coach Oscar Garcia.
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
- BLOGS
State 194: A Documentary About Palestine
Opening this weekend at Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 is a very hot-button new documentary called State 194, which follows the recent history of Palestine. Many will approach this film with…
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
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Mike Levy
Jewish Groups Stay Silent on Union Vote
A showdown between Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and hundreds of its registered nurses over unionizaton will come to head after three days of balloting ending Friday, Dec. 13.
The hospital has strongly opposed the registered nurses push to be represented by the California Nurses Association (CNA) which represents 45,000 nurses at 150 hospitals in the state. According to observers, upwards of half of the 1,500 registered nurses eligible to take part in the vote may side with the hospital. Both sides have assailed each other in the days leading up to the vote.
The nurses have accused the medical center of illegal activities, while the hospital has said the nurses' actions have disrupted patient care.
Many Angry Voices
The old joke says, "For every two Jews, you have three opinions." So is it possible that, as members of the Jewish political left complained in an ad on the back page of this newspaper on Nov. 22, "In the name of unity in a time of crisis, the great Jewish tradition of vibrant and open debate has given way to a single voice"?
One of the main organizers of that "One Community, Many Voices" statement, UCLA professor David N. Myers, said of current Jewish political discourse that "the default assumption is that you support the present policies of the Israeli government, and hold Israel free of responsibility for the situation, or you're against us."
One Night for Israel
The new Toys for Chanukah campaign comes hot on the heels of IESF's Rosh Hashana Honey campaign -- when you, dear readers, sent honey for a sweet new year to Israeli victims of terror, IDF soldiers and friends and family in Israel.
7 Days In Arts
7 Days In The Arts
The Festival of Lite
Even "heart healthy" or "light" menu options can be filled with hidden fat, sodium or other dangers for those on special diets or trying to eat healthy.
Rubin Laid to Rest, But Not Controversy
Mourners filled the seats and crowded into the back room of Sholom Memorial Park on Sunday, Nov. 17, to lay to rest Jewish Defense League (JDL) leader Irving David Rubin, but the funeral did not lay to rest the questions surrounding the controversial activist's death or the 11 months he spent in federal prison awaiting trial.
How Ready Are We?
"For bioterrorism, we're about as prepared as we are for snow," said City Councilman Jack Weiss, who has spent a year working with security experts and local officials to figure out what Los Angeles needs to do to prepare for and prevent terrorist attacks.
JDL’s Questionable Future
Kelly Rubin will turn 13 on Nov. 20. His bar mitzvah, already postponed to December, is now on hold as his father, Irv Rubin, lies in critical condition at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.
Local Jews Win, Mostly
While Republicans swept in the national elections, with the GOP reclaiming the Senate and retaining their majority in the house, in California, Democrats made a strong showing, winning every statewide office.
Judges Facing Judgment Day
It is a simple enough question: yes or no? Voters on Nov. 5 will answer the question many times, and the independence of California's judicial system depends on the answer.
Justices for the California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal are appointed for 12-year terms by the governor. They are confirmed by a committee consisting of the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the attorney general and the presiding justice of the Court of Appeal. If a judge is appointed to serve the remaining term of a retiring or deceased judge, or when the judge has finished a 12-year term, the jurist must be approved in an election in order to remain on the bench.
Among the judges up for retention on the Nov. 5 ballot are a handful of Gov. Gray Davis appointees with close ties to the L.A. Jewish community.
High Stakes on ‘Down Ballot’
Nearly a quarter of all U.S. claims made to the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) have come from California.
Support for IsraelElementary to Watson
She may not know the word shteibel, but she knows what's going on.
Top Cops Patrol Israel Beat
"I went with police one night on patrol on Ben Yehuda Street," recalled Irvine Police Chief Michael Berkow. "There was a rock concert that night, about 20,000 people on the street, probably 80 percent 13, 14, 15, 16 years old, the rest parents with toddlers.
Get a CLUE to Help the Poor
"It's not someone else's problem. It's our problem." The problem Devorah Shubowitz is talking about: poverty.
Agencies Survive Budget Battle
For Jewish community-affiliated agencies that receive money from the state, the last two months of past-deadline legislative wrangling over the budget has been a nail-biting time, with some organizations awaiting word on half or more of their annual funding.
Jew at the ‘Bu
In June 1956, Kathy Kohner, a Jewish girl from Brentwood, began tagging along with some of the neighborhood boys driving out to Malibu.
High Security Holidays
Last Sunday, a bomb squad van, police cars and fire trucks rushed to Temple Beth Torah in Culver City.
Last Yom Kippur, a car crashed into a small synagogue on Pico Boulevard, and off-duty police officers immediately evacuated the nearby B'nai David-Judea.
The Real Gidget
In June 1956, a Jewish 15-year-old girl named Kathy Kohner began tagging along with some of the neighborhood boys and driving out from her Brentwood home to the beach in Malibu. The sport of surfing intrigued her, and she convinced the boys to teach her. Because she was young, slight and a girl, the surfer dudes took to calling her "Gidget," short for "girl midget."
When she told her screenwriter dad, Frederick Kohner, a Czech-born refugee who fled from the Nazis, about the goings on, he wrote the 1957 novel, "Gidget," featuring the lingo and subculture she brought home from the beach.
The New Middle East Battleground: College Campuses
The signs on campus read, "Zionism equals Nazism" and "Why do Israelis love to kill Palestinian children?" One simply showed an Israeli flag dripping blood.
Strange BRU
Who's taking a stand against Israel this week? Would you believe ... the Bus Riders Union (BRU)?
Send in the Committees
As former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks gears up for a City Council race, the campaign for his old job went into high gear last week with 47 candidates vying for the post.
Jewish Groups Make Housing Affordable
The numbers are discouraging for anyone who does not own a home. Every month, California's housing prices seem to set new records. The state has the third lowest rate of home ownership in the country. Housing prices put pressure on rents, which rise even as stock-derived income, which cushioned the costs for many, disappears. Competition for affordable housing is intense; waiting lists are long.
What’s That You Say About the West Coast?
It seems Arabs and Jews in can agree on one thing at least -- a touch of resentment toward East Coast "national" organization headquarters.
What’s That You Say About the West Coast?
It seems Arabs and Jews in Los Angeles can agree on one thing at least -- a touch of resentment toward East Coast "national" organization headquarters.
No Shvitz
Hot on the heels of the Jewish Community Center closings, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles announced in late June that it would close the saunas and steam rooms in seven of the eight centers that still had them. (The Hollywood-Wilshire Y will leave its sauna open on a 90-day trial basis with increased monitoring.) The announcement sparked anger and protest from YMCA members who have used the facilities for years.
Fuel for Fear
An FBI warning that Al Qaeda might attack Jewish targets with gasoline trucks ignited widespread concern in Los Angeles and fueled heightened security in Jewish communities nationwide this week.
Cedars-Sinai: Best in the West
TheAmerican Jewish community supports the best medical centers in the country, from sea to shining sea, according to a new study published in the May/June issue of Modern Maturity magazine.
Israel Security Experts Advise L.A.
The topic was terrorism. "How underprepared are we in the U.S.?" "Very." That exchange, between an emergency care physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Dr. Jonathan Halevy, director of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, was part of an ongoing effort in Los Angeles to change the answer.
From Russia with Love
The Russian-speaking Jewish community in Los Angeles has come together for Israel in ways community leaders could not have imagined even a year ago.
Though the Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union have always been outspoken in their love for the Jewish state, a variety of factors, from a cultural unfamiliarity with charitable giving to the hardships of restarting their own lives, have kept "the Russians" from joining in major fundraising for Israel -- until recently.
"The community is growing up," says Si Frumkin, who is chairman of the Southern California Council for Soviet Jews and an unofficial spokesman for the community.
Rodeo: Not Just A Beverly Hills Street
The broncs and the bulls are coming to Anaheim. Not the NFL or NBA variety, though -- real bucking broncs and angry bulls, with real cowboys holding on for dear life. The rodeo is coming to town.
Shooting in Cheviot Hills
A dispute between two groups of young Persian men, one Jewish, one Muslim, erupted in a shooting at Cheviot Hills Park the night of June 3.
We Need You!
The famous musical, "Fiddler on the Roof," which celebrates life and Jewish family tradition during turbulent times, is coming to town, and what better time than now?
Originally written by Shalom Aleichem and turned into a film by Joseph Stein and Norman Jewison in 1971, "Fiddler" has withstood the test of time. What happened in the Jewish ghetto of Anatevka, Russia, in 1904 is representative historically of the persecution Jews have faced, from the Nazis in World War II to the ascending tension in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians today. The play is a celebration of togetherness and perseverance; fighting for Jewish pride and keeping the faith even when there is little left to believe in and no one else to turn to.
Cluck Naked
Geneticist Avigdor Cahaner of Hebrew University is breeding featherless chickens, according to a report by Reuters.
Cahaner crossed a standard boiler chicken with a smaller chicken that is partly bald due to a naturally occurring "naked neck" gene. The resulting birds are less fatty than standard chickens. And they are naked.
Featherless chickens would be less expensive to raise in hot climates like the Middle East, where expensive cooling systems are needed to prevent feathered fowl from overheating. Energy and water used in large-scale feather-plucking plants would also be saved.
A Museum’s Fate
The rent is paid through December. After that, no one knows where -- or if -- the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust will have a home.
For What It’s Worth
That silver kiddush cup you save for special occasions? Your great-grandmother's seder plate? Beautiful objects with sentimental and ritual value, sure, but what kind of cash value do you have sitting on your mantels and bookshelves? With a fun takeoff of a popular PBS show, the Judaica Roadshow will answer your nagging questions. Professional appraisers specializing in Judaica will be on hand at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park-Simi Valley to offer appraisals of Judaica heirlooms, artwork and tchotchkes.
The Money Trail to Israel
Seven-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars will pay for three medical trauma units at Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center, which has treated 500 casualties of terrorist attacks, including those from the Passover massacre in Netanya. One-million dollars buys bulletproof vests for 1,000 volunteer civil guards, who protect their own neighborhoods and often are the first on the scene of a terrorist attack.
Couple Fights Harassment
Jacobson and Dorman have installed a security system and now keep a video camera by the door, which they take whenever they leave the house. They are afraid of their neighbors, and the tapes they have made show good reason to be.
Funny Because It’s Jewish
A laughter-filled evening, with a bit of insight thrown in, was a sure bet as the popular Writers Bloc series brought together actor-comic Jerry Stiller, Vegas legend Shecky Greene, uber-comedy writer Shelley Berman and "youngster" Jeffrey Ross.
The Sabra Kosher Gourmet
Having studied abroad in Jerusalem between intifadas, I thought I had seen the attractions and sites of the land, but the ministry offered a view a student on a budget never imagined: Gourmet Israel, eight days of cutting-edge kosher restaurants and winery tours.
Living in Allen-town
For Allen's fans, the 90-minutes of Woody's quips and movie clips offer some insight into the every-year process of moviemaking, and thoughtfully examines the recurring themes and obsessions of a thoughtful filmmaker.
We Want You!
In very little time, 31-year-old Jamie Garelick had to frantically pack her bags, sublet her apartment and say goodbye to friends, all to prepare for her two-month trip to volunteer in Israel.
Ross Options
In his featured speech to the crowd assembled for the Yom HaShoah program at Sinai Temple, Ambassador Dennis Ross, the diplomatic point man for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during previous administrations of George Bush and Bill Clinton, acknowledged his disappointment in the current violence and outlined what he views as the likely possibilities for the conflict.
Physician, Heal The Soul
Physicians played a significant role in the Holocaust, and today's doctors can learn from the ethical failures of that period, according to an article recently published by Dr. Joel Geiderman, co-chair of the emergency department (ED) of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In "Physician Complicity in the Holocaust: Historical Review and Reflections on Emergency Medicine in the 21st Century," Geiderman sets out a series of moral failures he attributes to German physicians before, during and after WWII. Published in the March issue of Academic Emergency Medicine journal, the two-part article enumerates ethical challenges requiring greater vigilance from today's physicians.
6 Million Memorialized
At Yom HaShoah commemorations across Los Angeles, the Jewish community and friends looked to the past to remember and to the present to engage.
The Citywide Youth Commemoration at Wilshire Boulevard Temple on April 9 was a by-the-kid, for-the-kids affair, with elementary, middle and high school students presenting artistic renditions of their understanding of the Holocaust. Through song, story, poetry and the testimony of survivors they had interviewed, students from 15 Los Angeles area schools ensured that the memory of what happened will be passed on to the next generation. After the Emanuel Academy sang the Yiddish "Partisan's Song," students from Fulton Middle School recounted a survivor's testimony, "Seven Days Locked Up," in English and Spanish.
JDL Trial Set for October
The trial of Jewish Defense League (JDL) leaders Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel on criminal conspiracy charges in the alleged plot to detonate bombs at a mosque and a congressman's office is scheduled to begin in October. As Rubin and Krugel await their trial in a shared cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center, information has slowly come out about the informant who helped the government build its case since the arrests in December.
At the heart of the case against Rubin and Krugel are hours of tapes recorded by an informant working for the FBI. The tapes have been turned over to defense lawyers but are still being transcribed.
Thin Blue Media Line
Felice and Michael Friedson call their news production company The Media Line, Ltd. (TML), but a limited media line is exactly what they are trying to get around. Dedicated to an accurate portrayal of Israel in the news, the Friedsons work to provide both sides of the story.
In early February, TML opened its own broadcast studio in Jerusalem after years of broadcasting from makeshift quarters in a hotel lobby. Now the nonprofit company has a home for its multiple projects, a list of journalistic endeavors that keeps expanding.
A District Divided
As the City Council begins it consideration of Redistricting Commission-drawn district maps, a conflict between Valley activists and Jewish interests seems to have been resolved. But as proposed districts are scrutinized and rescrutinized block by block, the question of whether the 5th City Council District will contain three core Orthodox neighborhoods remains open.
Exodus From Addiction and Shame
These are the Ten Plagues of Prison Life, and we take a drop of grape juice out of our cups for each: Damage left in the wake of destructive addiction. Abusive relationships. Low self-esteem. The embittered spirit. Wrong attitude. Weakening mind and body. Daily degradation. Deprivation. Captivity. Separation from loved ones.
L.A. Trembles
Although "Trembling Before G-d" has enjoyed a successful theatrical run in Los Angeles, drawing in theatergoers is only part of the mission of Sandi Simcha DuBowski's documentary about gay Orthodox Jews struggling to reconcile conflicting parts of their identities.
Hopes ‘n’ Votes
Kevin Feldman hopes that the newly drawn 30th Congressional District gives him a chance. His opponent in the March 5 Democratic primary is Rep. Henry Waxman, a popular 28-year veteran who has often run unopposed.
Valley Boys Battle for Hertzberg’s Seat
Concern for the future of Jewish political involvement runs high in Los Angeles, but not in the 40th Assembly District.
A View of Two Parks
It is fitting that Los Angeles' current chief of police has a plural for a surname.
Recovered Lives
John Ostland spent 11 years, off and on in prison because of his drug addiction. He would steal anything of value to get money for his habit.
A Wealth of Embezzlers
The case exposes a danger for nonprofit organizations like synagogues, which may rely on volunteer lay leadership for much of their financial management and oversight.
On Hertzberg’s Horizon
Even though Robert Hertzberg will step down from the speakership of the California Assembly on Feb. 6, he still has plenty to say. The Sherman Oaks Democrat, as a rule, keeps busy.
Trivial Matters
The question: Who is Seth Disner?
He’s Always Been Fyvush
Comedy Nite 2002 started out as a fundraising evening for Hillel at Pierce and Valley colleges on Saturday, Jan. 26. It quickly turned into a mutual admiration society meeting when Fyvush Finkel showed up. The evening's honoree gave as good as he got, praising Hillel for providing "a bissel of Yiddishkeit" and encouraging the parents in the audience to "tell these students never to give up."
Budget Worries
Gov. Gray Davis' proposed state budget for 2002-2003 has local Jewish organizations worried. With the state's approximately $12 billion deficit (in a proposed $98 billion budget) covered by program cuts, along with loans and spending deferrals, local agencies such as Jewish Family Service (JFS) and Jewish Vocational Service may face a significant reduction in funding.
Un ‘Common’ Characters
Two garbage bags full of dead birds separate four Brooklyn buddies from their dreams in actor-playwright Matthew Klein's debut production, "The Common Man."
Community Briefs
Community Briefs.
Careless Undertaking
A gruesome scandal at two Jewish cemeteries in Florida may have implications at a cemetery near you.
A class-action lawsuit alleges that Menorah Gardens oversold space at its Palm Beach County cemetery and at another cemetery in Broward County.
Bicoastal Mensch
With the election to pick his successor in the Studio City-to-Sunland seat scheduled for March 5, The Journal caught up with Joel Wachs to reminisce about 30 years of L.A. politics and his new hometown.
Leave the Czech
Vivien Straus grew up on a 660-acre kosher, organic dairy farm on the outskirts of a town of 50 in Marin County.
Terrorists or Fall Guys?
Terrorists or Fall Guys?
Rescuing the VCJCC
At the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, the metaphors were dire. "This is like a horrible accident, and we're the paramedics," Mike Brezner told an advisory committee meeting on Monday night.
Who’s on Second?
For the first time since 1971, the City Council's 2nd District will elect a new representative. The winner of the Dec. 11 election will fill the seat of Joel Wachs, who left the position in October to head an arts foundation in New York.
Classical Klezmer
What do you do when your symphony season hinges on a theme of celebration, but your country is still reeling from terrorism?
Those Who Will Suffer
Forgive Lee Wallach if he sounds like a commercial for the organized Jewish community. Wallach says he owes his life to the Los Angeles Jewish community, and he is worried that the current economic downturn might endanger the service programs that guided him from an orphanage to a successful -- and Jewish -- life.
Man of the Book
Steve Wasserman is the literary editor of the Los Angeles Times. A former Berkeley political activist, Wasserman became deputy editor of the Times' Op-Ed page in 1978, at the age of 26. He went on to become editorial director of Times Books, a Random House imprint in New York. In 1996, Wasserman returned to California to take over the Los Angeles Times Book Review. The Journal spoke with Wasserman before his speech this week at the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles on the topic "People of the Book: Jewish Citizenship in the Republic of Letters."
Was Hitler Gay?
With more than 100,000 books and scholarly articles over the last 50 years, you might think we know all we need to know about Adolph Hitler. At least, everything relevant.
Just the Right Size
This is a heartwarming story about a kidney.
The kidney in question belongs to Mike Jones. It used to belong to Patricia Abdullah.
Jones and Abdullah have very little, apparently, in common. Jones is an African American man. Abdullah is a female descendant of the Hawaiian royal family. Jones is Christian. Abdullah is Muslim. Jones lives in the city. Abdullah lives in the Valley.
They're a perfect match. Sometimes you just have to stay positive. O-positive.
Latino Group Sues Over District Lines
Spiritual Redevelopment
Cantor Mark Saltzman spent Sunday, Oct. 28 wearing a smile that could solve California's energy crisis.
House Work
Los Angeles' five Jewish members in the House of Representatives hold a number of important committee and subcommittee leadership roles integral to guiding the war on terror. The Jewish Journal went to the source to find out what Americans can expect, as security challenges at home and abroad add stress to our daily lives and our political relationship with Israel.
Like He Never Left
The ghost of Lenny Bruce still haunts North Hollywood.
Just around the corner from the Lankershim Boulevard hobby shop where Bruce was busted for heroin in 1962, "Lenny's Back" at the American Renegade Theatre offers a thoughtful, stinging monologue from the grave.
Terror Under Cloak of Charity
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, when President George W. Bush drafted an executive list of 27 terror organizations, the government has embarked on a mission to freeze the assets of the these organizations and their affiliates, and Muslim social service organizations are now coming under scrutiny.
Rabbi, Torah and Elliott Gould
Where does Maimonides stand on the question of free will? Where is God when evil occurs? Whom do you go to for guidance on these issues? ask Elliott Gould.
Santa Monica Gets A Clue
Outside the Lines
The political battles over redistricting caused a brief but nasty showdown between two prominent California Jewish politicians.
Common Fears
As thousands raced from the office towers of Manhattan, Jewish leaders in Los Angeles scrambled in two directions at once.
Is It Safe?
In light of Tuesday's terrorist attacks, synagogues and other Jewish organizations scrambled to evaluate security precautions.
Mobster Makes Good
"It's a blessing to be able to work in this business. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth," says busy actor David Proval.
The Lamb is Sure to Go
Mallory Lewis grew up with a very famous sister, but she laughs if you ask about sibling rivalry. "She slept in a shoebox in the closet, I had my own room, it was fine by me."
But this is no horror story of an evil stepsister. Mallory Lewis' sister is Lamb Chop, the adorable, perpetually 6-year-old puppet of children's entertainer Shari Lewis. Beloved by millions since their 1957 debut on "The Captain Kangaroo Show," Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop would go on to entertain generations of kids with their PBS series and videos. Mallory Lewis began writing her mom's newspaper column for kids at the age of 12, and by the early '90s, she was head writer and producer for mom's series.
The Mayor’s Eyes and Ears
Jennifer Stein wears two hats at City Hall. You could say one of them is a kippah.
The recent Stanford University grad, 23, is the South Valley Area director in Mayor James Hahn's Office of the Neighborhood Advocate. She is also Hahn's liaison to the Jewish community.
No Guests Allowed
Three little words. That's what makes the difference between a religious school and a synagogue, as recently defined by the Los Angeles Central Area Planning Commission.
The five-member Planning Commission, responsible for zoning decisions in Hollywood, Hancock Park and other neighborhoods, made its decision Aug. 28 in a hearing regarding Yavneh Hebrew Academy.
In April, Yavneh had submitted an application for a number of changes to the K-8 school's zoning conditions, including adding a ninth grade for girls and allowing prayer services Saturday mornings. In June, after consulting with nearby residents, traffic consultants and architects, Associate Zoning Administrator Dan Green approved all but one of Yavneh's proposed changes. The request "to authorize Saturday prayer for students, parents, relatives and other guests" was denied.
Briefs
The Brief, news from around the United States.
When Henri Met Shirley
A long time ago in a Jewish neighborhood far, far away, Shirley Lowenthal and Henrietta "Henri" Diamond were best friends and neighbors.
In 1930s Boyle Heights, the two young girls played together in adjoining front yards on the 600 block of Mott Street, "like two little monkeys," they recalled.
The two little monkeys moved out of Boyle Heights and grew up. Henri Diamond married Bill Goldsmith and, when she began a career as a singer, changed her name to the more bohemian-sounding Henriette.
Better Than a Job
"Face time" finally got to Carol Cohen.
The 24-year-old business systems analyst is tired of corporate politics that value appearances over quality work. "Some guys come in at 7 a.m. and think that makes them star employees," she says, "They'll stay until 7 p.m., but still do not manage to complete two hours of work."
Here Come the Judges
Gov. Gray Davis announced four possible nominees for California's Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Stanley Mosk in June.
WoodyAllen Superstar
In the world of moviemaking, Woody Allen is an auteur. In the world of jazz, Woody Allen is a rock star.
Out of Commission
There will be no Jews on the Board of Police Commissioners if the L.A. City Council confirms Mayor Hahn's appointees, as it is expected to do this month.
Hugs on Drugs
Warnings from health and law enforcement officials on the dangers of Ecstasy have not deterred Jewish teenagers and young adults from using the drug.
Not Your Grandchild’s Gym
Program coordinator Mike Stifel attributes the Eichenbaum Center's popularity to referrals from local hospitals and "an increasing awareness among older adults that exercise can help them live not just longer, but better."
Forms of Frustration
Marie Kaufman needed help. Even though the 60-year-old social worker is the president of a Holocaust child survivor's support group and has worked as an interviewer for Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, she had trouble when she applied for restitution for slave labor from the German government.
From Krakow to Pico
When Pavel Vogler left Krakow for Southern California in 1992, he brought almost 100 of his favorite paintings.
Hip to Be Square Dancers
"To the best of my knowledge, Trail Dusters is the largest square dance club in America," says Jeffrey Hausman, co-president of the Trail Dusters with his wife, Margie.
From Krakow to Pico
Vogler's first solo exhibit in the United States, now on view at A Shenere Velt Gallery, displays a range of the artist's styles and settings.
Are You My Mother?
Pamela Alster is a trooper. Her solo autobiographical show, "Note To Self: Shop Bloomingdales - Find Mother" plays Thursday nights at the Black Box Theater in Los Angeles, but a recent Thursday afternoon found the writer/actor with a deep puncture wound in her calf from a dropped glass bottle.
Spontaneous Expansion
Of the seven West Coast Chabad centers scheduled to open this week, five do not even have office space yet. Still, they open.
Comedy Relief
When Heidi Joyce thinks Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she thinks comedy. It's worked for her before in an effort to combat domestic abuse, and it works again in her new play, "Friends and Enemies."
Best known for her "Stand Up Against Domestic Violence" comedy fundraisers, Joyce opens her first full-length play this week, which runs through July 29 at North Hollywood's Bitter Truth Playhouse.
Mamela’s Messages
"Amy's Answering Machine" by Amy Borkowsky (Pocket Books, $14.95).
(Beep.) "Yeah, hello, Amila. They just said on TV, 'It's 10 p.m., do you know where your children are?' And I'm thinking, I don't know, so I figured I'd call you, mamascheinz. You must be in the bathroom or something. Give me a buzz when you're done, OK? All right, bye-bye."
Hate Israel, Love McFalafel
It wasn't the idea of a McFalafel that sparked the ire of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), but a McDonald's ad campaign in Egypt for the new falafel patty.
War of Words
David Suissa calls it the "three-second war," the battle between Israel and Palestinians fought with sound bites more than mortar shells, a war fought in print and on television.
The founder and CEO of Suissa Miller Advertising, Suissa has unleashed an unconventional weapon in the three-second war: pro-Israel advertising.
The Games Must Go On
After weeks of debate, organizers of Israel's 16th Maccabiah Games announced last Friday that the Olympics-style sporting competition will open as planned July 16 in Jerusalem, despite widespread individual cancellations due to fears of violence.
Goddess of ‘Shiksa’
Playwright Wendy Wasserstein went ahead and called her new essay collection "Shiksa Goddess." But not to worry, the title essay -- a spoof on discovering her Episcopalian "roots" -- and 34 others prove that Wasserstein remains the same witty Jewish cultural critic her fans have come to love through her plays, like "The Sisters Rosensweig" and the Pulitzer prize-winning "The Heidi Chronicles."
Calendar & Singles
Calendar and singles
Searching for ‘Esther’
Wendy Graf's new comedy "The Book of Esther" focuses on a central character named Mindy, who, like Queen Esther, bravely declares her Jewishness in the face of opposition. Unlike Esther, Mindy doesn't save the Jewish people, but confronts her ardently secular family and friends when she discovers her religion.
Jewish, Republican and Proud
Aiming for a more potent voice in local politics, Los Angeles Jewish Republicans met with state party leaders last week to forge closer ties.
Calendar And Singles
Calendar and Singles
7 Days In Arts
7 Days in Arts
Searching for a Response
Here in Los Angeles, 7,590 miles away from Israel, many Jews feel the conflict as if it were happening at home.
Summer in Israel: To send or not to send?
If the point of terrorism is to slowly whittle down the confidence of its targets, it seems to be working.
Pushing for the Jewish Vote
The Jewish vote, which in recent years has played a significant role in supporting the victor, may very well be one of the factors to swing this race.
Holocaust Arts Contest
By 7 p.m., the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust was packed with parents, teachers, survivors and dozens of students who had participated in the Jay Shalmoni Holocaust Arts and Writing Contest. The May 22 reception honored those students, each of whom had spoken to a Holocaust survivor and, inspired by those in-depth talks, had created powerful works of art.
Espresso and Expression
For most of the poets and essayists at Lulu's Beehive coffeehouse on Wed., May 16, this was their first public reading of their work. But every one of the readers was already a published author, thanks to Ohmanut, a new Jewish student arts magazine published by Hillel at Pierce and Valley Colleges with a grant from The Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance.
7 Days In Arts
7 Days in Arts
Calendar & Singles
Calendar and Singles
Calendar And Singles
Calendar and singles
7 Days In Arts
7 Days in Arts
Courting the 5th District
Jews may provide the swing vote in next week's tight race for the City Council's 5th District between the well-known Tom Hayden and newcomer Jack Weiss.
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May 17-23, 2013
What does it mean to be your brother's keeper? Lessons from the Cleveland kidnappings
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