Kelly Hartog

Touro L.A. to Open Doors for Orthodox

Published on May 5, 2005

Attention young Orthodox high school graduates: Planning to attend college this year on the East Coast? Why not do something really radical: Stay in Los Angeles?

Creative Judaica Takes Different Path

Published on April 28, 2005

Walk into any Judaica store looking for a Kiddush cup, candlesticks or spice boxes and you’ll find yourself confronted with a plethora of silver and wood and an abundance of carved or engraved Jewish symbols from Stars of David to Lions of Judah.

Painter and sculptor Tobi Kahn tries to break that mold with his innovative ceremonial objects which eschew kitsch and present Judaica in an entirely new light.

The Nation and The World

Published on April 28, 2005

The Nation and The World.

Circuit

Published on April 21, 2005

More than 900 young professionals attended the third annual ATID Purim Party at the Peterson Automotive Museum on March 19.

A Hoppin’ Seder

Published on April 21, 2005

Q. Why do we have a haggadah on Passover? A. So we can seder [say the] right words.

It's a terrible joke, but it suggests why seders have gone from righteous to rote, from dynamic to deadly boring. Everything is too much by the book, the haggadah, to be exact, in the worst possible way, says David Arnow, in "Creating Lively Passover Seders: A Sourcebook of Engaging Tales, Texts & Activities." (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004, www.livelyseders.com).

Arnow says that seders are supposed to be living, vibrant, creative -- with room for spontaneous discussion and new ideas that reinvent what freedom means to the current generation, which gathers to commemorate a liberation that occurred thousands of years ago.

Blintzes, Cupcakes and Pasta—Oh My!

Published on April 14, 2005

Back in the day, Passover meant meat, matzah and potatoes for eight days of the Passover.

Q & A With Rabbi Steven Burg

Published on April 7, 2005

After five years working as the National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) West Coast regional director, 32-year-old Rabbi Steven Burg is heading back to New York with his wife and children, following his appointment as national NCSY director.

Circuit

Published on April 7, 2005

The Circuit, information on events around los angeles.

Secular Fans Hip to Religious Rapper

Published on April 7, 2005

He's into rap, hip-hop, reggae -- and religion. He's not a Christian rocker; he's a Chasidic reggae/hip-hop musician.

Matisyahu is the artist formerly known as Mathew Miller -- until he found God, Lubavitch-style, almost five years ago.

Diva Sings Out About Her Tour, Fans

Published on March 31, 2005

In America, celebrity divas are instantly recognizable by their first names: Madonna. Britney.

Israel has its own diva: Rita.

Circuit

Published on March 31, 2005

Circuit

A Minor Holiday’s Major Following

Published on March 24, 2005

It's easy to understand why getting dressed up, eating lots of candy and hamentaschen, drinking the night away and partaking in a festive meal appeals to many. But it's only really in the post-war era that Purim has become a major player in the Jewish calendar.

Circuit

Published on March 24, 2005

Circuit

PowerPoint Purim

Published on March 17, 2005

Given that fulfilling the mitzvah of Purim requires that we hear the reading of Megillat Esther, the Orthodox Union (OU) has come up with a unique way for the deaf and hard of hearing to participate in the mitzvah.

Just Say No, Even on Purim

Published on March 17, 2005

One is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until one cannot distinguish between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai" (Talmud, Megillah 7b).

A Small Piece of Jerusalem’s Past

Published on March 10, 2005

If you're planning a visit to Jerusalem, it's a must to visit the model of the Second Temple at the Holyland Hotel in Bayit Vegan. Occupying one-quarter of an acre and at a scale of 1:50, the model is an impressive sight.

But if you can't make it to the Holy Land anytime soon, then the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Midtown Los Angeles offers the next best thing. Tucked away on the second floor in a self-contained room stands a replica of the Second Temple, painstakingly built on a 1:100 scale by Jerusalem artist Rabbi Shalom Ifergan.

PETA Renews Fight on Ritual Slaughter

Published on March 10, 2005

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has again attacked the AgriProcessors Inc. plant in Postville, Iowa, over what it deems the cruel and inhumane method of ritual slaughter of cattle.

Circuit

Published on March 10, 2005

She may not be Jewish, but that didn't stop actress Brooke Shields from agreeing to narrate a new short documentary produced by Moriah, the film division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Circuit

Published on March 3, 2005

Circuit.

Briefs

Published on March 3, 2005

Briefs.

The King of Israeli Hip-Hop

Published on February 24, 2005

With angry lyrics that court controversy, two multiplatinum albums and a third on the way, his own clothing line, record label, legions of fans and glittering religious jewelry, Subliminal could easily be mistaken for a Jewish P.Diddy.

Circuit

Published on February 24, 2005

The Circuit, information on events around los angeles.

Death Spotlights Old Circumcision Rite

Published on February 17, 2005

The death of one infant boy from herpes and the infection of two others has focused attention on an ancient practice that is still used in some ultra-Orthodox communities as they circumcise babies.

Project’s Tunes Hit Multicultural Notes

Published on February 10, 2005

There's an old adage that the overnight sensation took years to get there. It's certainly a sentiment that can be applied to 27-year-old Israeli music sensation Idan Raichel.

His debut album, "The Idan Raichel Project," shot straight to No. 1 upon its release in December 2002, going on to win Israeli Artist, Song and Album of the Year. The album itself went multiplatinum. Yet the so-called "unknown" Raichel who, according to the Israeli press "emerged from nowhere," had paid his dues for many years.

The Mating Game

Published on February 10, 2005

"I'm going to a shidduch conference," I announce to my friends. Despite my protests that I'm going to the conference for research I am conducting about the desperate and dateless ... um -- I mean single and searching -- in Los Angeles, I am bombarded with a plethora of jokes by my (former) friends about wearing long sleeves, choruses of "Matchmaker" from "Fiddler on the Roof" and references to "Crossing Delancey."

Feldshuh Enjoys View From ‘Balcony’

Published on January 27, 2005

"There are three female historical figures that I have wanted to play: Golda Meir, Indira Ghandi and Margaret Thatcher. And the last two haven't been offered to me."

Angelenos Make Aliyah Dream Reality

Published on January 13, 2005

It's 4 p.m. "Erev Christmas," and 21-year-old Adam Bodenstein is still rushing around his home in the Pico-Robertson area. He has yet to take a shower before Shabbat comes. In four days time, the Modern Orthodox UC Berkley graduate, who grew up in a Conservative household, will board a flight at New York's JFK Airport that will take him to his new home -- Israel.

But this is no ordinary El Al flight. This is Nefesh B'Nefesh's (NBN) eighth flight (and first-ever winter flight) in three years.

Noa Back With New Album, Daughter

Published on November 18, 2004

Renowned recording artist Noa, known as Achinoam Nini in Israel, is currently at home basking in the glory of her latest creation.

And no, it's not a new album.

It's her daughter, Enéa. "It means 'her eyes' in Hebrew," says Noa, who has written a song with the same title.