Nick Street

Islamic tales of forbidden love, lovers

Published on July 2, 2008

Early in "A Jihad for Love," a new documentary directed by Parvez Sharma and produced by Sandi Simcha Dubowski, we meet Mazen, a 20-something Egyptian man who has fled Cairo for Paris to avoid the three-year prison sentence authorities want to impose on him because he is gay.

Albert Winn’s photography captures the intertwining influences of Judaism and illness

Published on June 5, 2008

"A funny thing happens when you become ill. Even though you're the person who's sick, you have to be a caregiverin a way. You can't just dump information on people."

Reform rabbinical school teaches students to reach out to HIV/AIDS patients

Published on June 5, 2008

HIV/AIDS education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) means "making sure rabbinical students don't leave campus before they hone their skills to help people in need," said Michele Prince, director of the Kalsman Institute of Judaism and Health at HUC-JIR.

Valley couple shares bimah for rite of passage

Published on May 8, 2008

When Lee Larsen and Bob Clarke met in the 1970s at the 8709 Bathhouse -- one of Los Angeles' best known gay social spots of the time -- they never imagined that they would one day share a very different kind of aquatic experience.

An old story finds new life in LGBT haggadah

Published on April 17, 2008

Theater: Tolins draws on his own mentorship ‘Secrets’

Published on April 3, 2008

"Everything I write is a question of identity," Jonathan Tolins says over tea after a yoga class in Sherman Oaks. "What choices do you have? What roles do you take on?"

Music: All ‘Transport Systems’ are ‘go’ for Ari Gold’s album vision

Published on October 4, 2007

"I'm feeling shtetl fabulous," singer Ari Gold confesses on the opening track of "Transport Systems," his fourth studio album and the first to reflect his creative vision from concept to completion.

Film: ‘Bubble’ star crosses many borders in role as gay Palestinian

Published on September 8, 2007

Yousef Sweid has worked as an actor, dancer, director, writer and puppeteer. To that list of talents one can add tightrope walking, a feat he accomplishes with considerable grace both in his life and in "The Bubble," a new film from Eytan Fox that opens in Los Angeles on Sept. 7.

Bipolar Express: ‘Idiot Box’ takes a trip

Published on August 2, 2007

Rhoda, Mary, Laverne or Rachel would feel instantly at home in Donna Marquet's quirky-cute set for "The Idiot Box," a play currently at the Open Fist Theatre in Hollywood. The cloying "anyplace and no place" flatmates in the big city vibe is spot-on for "The Idiot Box," a shrewd, bittersweet pop-culture critique of American sensibilities post-Sept. 11.

Films at L.A.‘s Outfest examines gay life in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Published on July 5, 2007

"The Bubble" is one of two Israel-centered features scheduled for the 25th Outfest, Los Angeles' gay and lesbian film festival, July 12-23. The film is being shown in collaboration with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation, as well as JQ International.

Donors’ love of the stars shines on at Griffith Observatory

Published on January 25, 2007

Films: Teen gang members take a page from Anne Frank in ‘Freedom Writers’

Published on January 4, 2007

"Freedom Writers" opens with a montage of scenes from Long Beach two years after the Los Angeles riots. Images of gang life and the neighborhoods where members stage their brutal rites float on a stream of hip-hop sound.

Jewish and Muslim students at USC share dorm and friendships

Published on December 21, 2006

At a time when Jews and Muslims in other parts of the world aren't having much luck learning from one another, the conversation and the setting for it are both quietly revolutionary. Here Jewish and Muslim students live together in harmony.

Sherwood Schwartz—creator of hit TV shows ‘Gilligans Island’ and ‘The Brady Bunch’—trades sitc

Published on November 9, 2006

Sherwood Schwartz is not one to complain. Which isn't to say he has nothing to complain about.

Secrets of cosmos draw eyes heavenward

Published on November 2, 2006

Whether they're secular or religious, Jewish astronomers are part of a venerable tradition of inquiry and teaching. And the light transmitted by this tradition shines just as brightly in the upcoming generation of space scientists.

Finding their way home to Judaism: three same-sex couples share their conversion stories

Published on October 12, 2006

Spiritual decision-making is also frequently a factor in the calculus of gay life. In fact, finding a religious tradition that affirms gay experience and offers the support of a vibrant community can be one of the most important aspects of self-realization for gay men and lesbians -- especially for people who see being in a committed relationship as a natural extension of their spiritual lives.

New Year brings new hope to inmates

Published on September 28, 2006

Daniel, a 24-year-old UCLA student, has gotten under my skin. I met him a month ago when I followed Rabbi Yossi Carron on his rounds through Men's Central Jail and Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Rabbi Carron brightens prisoners’ darkest days

Published on September 21, 2006

With any luck, Daniel will be spending Rosh Hashanah on the outside. It's likely he'll soon be making the transition from jail to the recovery program at Beit T'Shuva, a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth.