Sharon Schatz Rosenthal

Twinning builds friendships between U.S. and Israeli youth

Published on August 27, 2008

The goal is to maintain a strong bond between Jews in the United States and Israel. Currently, 18 Los Angeles schools participate in the program. Participating students, or "delegates," range from fifth to 11th grade, depending on the school.

Temple bingo— a gamble if it’s a good way to raise funds

Published on July 30, 2008

Typically associated with American Legion halls, Elks clubs and churches, the sedentary game that caters to seniors is not often associated with Jewish houses of worship. But a few synagogues across the Southland have offered weekly bingo nights as temple fundraisers for decades

One more time around

Published on June 12, 2008

Finding love a second or third time is not always so effortless, but 52 percent of men and 43.5 percent of women remarried in 2004, according to a 2007 U.S. census bureau report. And Jews are no exception.

It’s a nice day for a green wedding

Published on April 10, 2008

With our country's growing concern about the environment, many couples are choosing to have eco-friendly weddings. Jewish brides and grooms-to-be in the Southland are no exception.

Looking forward and giving back

Published on February 7, 2008

When Richard Weiner and Judith Forman geared up for their November nuptials last year, they didn't register at Crate & Barrel, Macy's or Bed, Bath & Beyond.

"We're 65 years old," chuckled Weiner, a Philadelphia lawyer who has become bicoastal since marrying his Manhattan Beach bride. "We're at an age when you start getting rid of stuff, not getting new stuff."

Teen makes a difference for orphans in Kenya slum

Published on November 8, 2007

After Ryan Silver returned home from a trip to Africa with his family, he began preparing for his bar mitzvah. Without hesitation, he knew that his mitzvah project would involve helping the children in the orphanage he visited in a Nairobi slum. Between the guests' donations and his own, Silver raised more than $2,700. In addition to completing a Jewish rite of passage, Silver was pleased that his celebration helped educate others about the plight of the children in Africa and to ultimately offer financial support.

How to reduce restlessness among tweens and teens at services

Published on May 10, 2007

Author Gail Anthony Greenberg attributes the change to a societal trend empowering kids to make their own decisions. "These days, we give children more latitude," she added. As a result, many rabbis, administrators, parents and even bar mitzvah party vendors take preventative measures to quell chatty, restless or precocious preteen guests from being disruptive at bar mitzvah ceremonies and receptions.

Yichud—a romantic oasis

Published on April 19, 2007

Jennifer Tralins' wedding on a private beach near Miami was picture perfect, from the warm sand under her bare feet to the sweet sounds of the flute as she walked down the aisle in an elegant beaded gown. But for the bride, the most memorable aspect of the ceremony was her yichud, the private moment a couple shares together after the conclusion of the wedding ceremony.

Siblings show they have write stuff

Published on March 8, 2007

For Daniel and Lauren, becoming authors has also meant serving as peer educators.

"I told my friends that I wrote a book about the Holocaust, and at least three of them didn't know what it was," said Daniel. Lauren had a similar experience.

How to choose an Israel summer program

Published on February 22, 2007

After her USY trip last summer, Daniela Bernstein, 16, of Los Angeles is already thinking about returning. "The trip cultivated my love of Israel and the complete realization of how crucial Israel is to Judaism and the Jewish people," said Bernstein. "I am already planning my next visit."

After School Is Prime Game Time for Kids of All Needs

Published on August 17, 2006

"I wanted to be a coach because I like sports," said Gaskin of her involvement with the Prime Time Games program.

The Pacific Palisades resident initially took on the responsibly to fulfill an outreach requirement for her bat mitzvah last spring. The experience has satisfied more than a ceremonial obligation.

"I feel good because I'm helping other people," Gaskin said.

Nonverbal Baby Talk a Sign of the Times

Published on February 23, 2006

Rather than waiting for her son to express himself verbally, Rabbi Debra Orenstein, like many Southland parents, decided to enhance Emmet's language skills by taking baby sign-language classes. Teaching sign-language to preverbal hearing babies is one of the fastest-growing parenting trends in North America.

T-Shirts Tell Tales of Domestic Violence

Published on October 6, 2005

Lisa Kapler remembers the day her high school boyfriend deliberately bit her cheek until it bled.

Young Jews Can Act Out—on Sundays

Published on September 1, 2005

After landing the lead in several school plays at Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles, Leora Weinstock, 13, decided she wanted to be a professional actress.

Young Jews Can Act Out—on Sundays

Published on September 1, 2005

After landing the lead in several school plays at Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles, Leora Weinstock, 13, decided she wanted to be a professional actress.

Young at Heart Get a Turn at the Bimah

Published on June 16, 2005

Rose Engel practiced her Torah and haftorah portions with an eager diligence. She studied with the rabbi and prepared an essay. Her passion and excitement matched that of most of the synagogue's bat mitzvah candidates, but at 87, she is far from their peers.

Engel is the most senior member of the 31 women who became b'not mitzvah on June 13 at Adat Ari El in Valley Village.

Let My Students Go

Published on April 21, 2005

Cecelie Wizenfeld is not alone in her efforts to find memorable ways of helping children connect with the holiday. While model seders, seder plate illustrations and handmade afikomen bags have become standard educational fare in the classroom, many Southland religious and day school teachers are finding that creative and unusual holiday projects make more of an impact.

Moms-to-Be Seek Religion Reconnect

Published on March 31, 2005

Shlepping around with swollen feet, a growing belly and mounting exhaustion is a challenge for any mom-to-be, but Beth Saltz is determined to go to Shabbat services as often as she can for the rest of her pregnancy.

"I feel I need to do it now before the baby is born," said Saltz, a Woodland Hills resident who is five and a half months pregnant with her first child. "Sometimes parents don't work on their own spirituality and beliefs until the child is older, but I think it's important to do it now."

At this turning point in her life, Saltz views Judaism as more important than ever -- and she's not alone.

Cure Found for the Summertime Blues

Published on March 17, 2005

Teva Adventure offers a variety of wilderness programs enabling Jewish travelers to develop outdoor skills while keeping Shabbat and kashrut. While backpacking, hiking, mountain climbing and fishing, participants learn Jewish perspectives on the outdoor world. Programs for 14- to 19-year-olds include Rocky Mountain Teen Adventure and Derech Hateva in Israel.

When Xmas Enters the Classroom

Published on December 16, 2004

Five days a week during this holiday period, Jodi Braverman sits in a room that conjures up images of the North Pole. The walls are covered with pictures of jolly old St. Nick, and not one, but two miniature Christmas trees serve as obstacles to the seating area. From time to time, Yuletide carols serve as background music.

When Parents Get Preschool Jitters

Published on October 21, 2004

It was the first day of preschool and 2-year-old Jessica didn't know any of other children in her new class at B'nai Tikvah Congregation Nursery School. But the child's anxiety paled in comparison that of her mother.

Ease Your Kids Into Holiday Services

Published on September 16, 2004

Ah, the High Holidays. The mere words conjure up memories of long services, uncomfortable clothing, endless Hebrew passages, Mom and Dad dozing off, semi-fasting against my will, and, most of all, not quite taking in what the holidays were all about. What can I say? I was a kid.

Israel Seminar Gives Teachers Refresher

Published on September 2, 2004

"We didn't have the resources and knowledge of how Israel has been changing according to the international arena," said Jewish-day-school teacher Ziva London on a break between sessions at an Israel teacher education workshop at the University of Judaism (UJ).

Catholic Teachers Learn Shoah Lesson

Published on September 2, 2004

Early in her teaching career, Marilyn Lubarsky introduced her ninth-grade history students to the Holocaust by showing "Nuit et Brouillard" ("Night and Fog"), a 1955 film containing vivid images of the horrors endured by Jews in concentration camps.

The Class of 2004 Ready to Journey On

Published on June 10, 2004

It's graduation time and The Journal caught up with several high-achieving high school graduates from around the Southland. For many of these young leaders, Judaism will continue to play a role in their lives as they enter the world of college and beyond.

Parents Don’t Kid About Day Schools

Published on May 27, 2004

After extensive research, campus tours, a detailed application and an interview, Aidan Buckner was recently accepted into the school of his choice. While his parents may have done the legwork, it is Aidan who will enter kindergarten at the Ronald and Trana Labowe Family Day School at Adat Ari El in Valley Village this fall. The 5 1/2-year-old seems unfazed by the upcoming transition, but for his parents, the news marks the end of a long journey.

Active Camps for the Unathletic

Published on December 25, 2003

Jordan Cinnamon, 15, has been crazy about the ocean since he was a little kid, so when it came to choosing a way to spend the summer, the idea of going to a regular sports camps didn't appeal to him.

Time to Transition From Day to Night

Published on December 25, 2003

This summer, Jacqueline Berlin, 7, will leave her mom, dad
and younger sister to enter the world of overnight camp for the first time.

Q & A With Simha Lainer

Published on December 11, 2003

"If you have a piece of fruit," said Simha Lainer, "throw away the skin and eat only the good part inside." Such a wise and optimistic statement could fit right in with the list of "zayde-isms" that Lainer's granddaughter, Lisa, is compiling for the family in honor of his upcoming 100th birthday.

Move Over Frosty, Here Comes Fran

Published on December 11, 2003

Fran Drescher doesn't remember receiving Chanukah presents as a child.

"With the Dreschers, [Chanukah] was all about the food," laughed the actress who is best known for her role in TV's "The Nanny," which aired from 1993-99. "Nothing was as important as the chocolate dreidels and chocolate coins."

Get Your Creative Jews Flowing

Published on December 4, 2003

Calling all creative kids. If you have a way with words or an aptitude for art, you can use your unique talents by entering the first annual Jews for Judaism Jewish Students' Creative Writing & Art Contest.

Working with the theme "I Love Judaism," future scribes and artists can express their feelings about their young Jewish lives by writing original poems, songs or short stories or creating a piece of artwork. The competition, which is divided into three age groups, is open to Southern California Jews in first through 12th grade.

The contest is sponsored by Jews for Judaism, an international organization that provides a wide variety of counseling services, along with education and outreach programs, that enable Jews of all ages to rediscover and strengthen their Jewish heritage. The group is also the Jewish community's leading response to the multimillion-dollar efforts of cults and Evangelical Christians who target Jews for conversion.

Teen Victims Tell Their Stories

Published on November 27, 2003

On June 1, 2001, Larisa Azyaski stood with her best friend Irina Nepomnyaschy among a sea of teenagers clamoring to get into the Dolphinarium, a popular Tel Aviv club. Suddenly, the place exploded. A suicide bomber detonated himself, and Azyaski saw only darkness in front of her. She felt like her head was on fire. Disoriented and separated from her friends, she walked past dozens of motionless bodies and managed to escape the chaos

A Teen Spared From Terror

Published on November 27, 2003

Hilla Hayo, 16, was not a victim of the Dolphinarium attack in Tel Aviv on June 1, 2001 -- but she could have been. The teenager, who, along with four classmates, spent 10 days at New Community Jewish High School in West Hills this October as part of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation's Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, canceled her plans at the last minute the night of the explosion. She and her pal were planning to go to Pacha, the Dolphinarium's neighboring club whose patrons were also struck when the bomb was detonated.

"My best friend got sick and we decided not to go," remembered Hayo.

Tzedakah With Toys

Published on November 13, 2003

When 5-year-old Ariela Weintraub learned about the recent Southern California fires during a family dinner discussion, she was worried. The Santa Monica resident asked her mother, Susan Weintraub, "Mommy, do you think the children who lived in those burning houses lost their toys?"

Her mother told her yes, and the youngster ran to her room and returned with a big white teddy bear. To her parents' surprise and delight, Ariela announced that she wanted to donate her cherished stuffed animal to a child who lost his or her own toys in the fires.

When Susan Weintraub told her daughter's story to Rabbi Karmi Gross, the principal of Maimonides Academy in Los Angeles, which is attended by Ariela and her older sister, the 5-year-old's generosity inspired a school toy drive for local children affected by the fires.

Hebrew, Anyone?

Published on November 6, 2003

you thought Hebrew school was just for bar and bat mitzvah students, think again. This fall, tens of thousands of Jews around the United States and Canada are learning to read and write Hebrew through Read Hebrew America/Canada. The campaign, which is made possible by the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP), a New York-based organization that provides Jewish educational opportunities, is now offering its annual free Hebrew crash course in Los Angeles and other cities across the country during the month of November.

"Hebrew is the language of the Jewish people, yet in America we don't know if more than 20 or 25 percent of Jews can read it," said Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenbaum, NJOP's program director.

Pencils Ready? Let the Stress Begin

Published on October 16, 2003

After working with two private tutors last fall, Aliza J. Sokolow took the SAT college entrance exam in January. Devastated by her test results, the Milken Community High School junior studied on her own and took the test again in April.

"My scores went up insanely and I was beyond happy with them," said the 17-year-old, who is now a senior. So, why is Sokolow taking the college entrance exam a third time this month?

Tzedakah-Giving On A Budget

Published on October 16, 2003

Last year, Malka Nutkiewicz and her friend, both students at Emek Hebrew Academy in Sherman Oaks, raised more than $1,000 for Camp Simcha, a kosher summer camp for youngsters with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in Glen Spey, N.Y. During the 2002-2003 school year, the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls at Emek raised more than $25,000 for their pet cause. Because of Nutkiewicz's passion for the charity, which is a flagship program of Chai Lifeline -- a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Jewish children with serious illnesses -- Nutkiewicz was selected to co-chair the campaign this year

Students Seek Forgiveness, Too

Published on October 2, 2003

Adults aren't the only ones planning to ask God for forgiveness during the High Holidays. As the Day of Atonement approaches, youngsters around Los Angeles are already contemplating the mistakes they've made over the past year. Here is what eight young Angelenos plan to repent for during Yom Kippur.

Facing the Holidays Without a Mate

Published on September 18, 2003

Since losing her husband unexpectedly two years ago, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have been painful for Liz Safirstein Leshin, 42.

"For me, the High Holidays and a lot of things like birthdays are very fraught," the Westside resident said. "I haven't been able to feel enthusiastic about much of anything spiritual."

Higher Ed. and the High Holidays

Published on September 18, 2003

Student Opts for Cross Cultural Study

Published on August 21, 2003

Like other 18-year-olds around the country, Aaron Canter graduated high school this past June. But unlike most Jewish students, Canter attended a Mass in celebration of his impending graduation. From the sixth though 12th grades, the Northridge teen attended Chaminade College Preparatory, a Catholic school in West Hills.

Emotional Bond Revs Up Reading

Published on August 21, 2003

Isabella Van Etten, 3, began her journey of learning to read before she was even born. "I got a book when I was pregnant called 'Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go: A Book to Be Read in Utero,'" recalled the child's mother, Celeste Russi of Newbury Park.

Camp Helps Teens Strengthen Identity

Published on August 21, 2003

When I grew up in the outskirts of Philadelphia in the early 1980s, going to a Jewish overnight camp meant spending eight weeks in the Poconos with a bunch of pampered girls with last names like Greenberg, Cohen and Leibman

Top Gun Rabbi

Published on August 14, 2003

While you won't find Sarah Schecter soaring through the skies like Tom Cruise in "Top Gun," the Los Angeles resident has the honor of becoming the Air Force's first female rabbi.

Educator Retiring to Study in Israel

Published on July 17, 2003

As he watched his students play basketball, Rabbi Yochanan Stepen's eyes lit up.

"I felt like I was at Staples Center watching the Lakers play, and I was sitting next to Jack Nicholson," Stepen told them.

"That excited the kids, because names from the news make it relevant," Stepen told The Journal.

Educator CombinesTwo Passions in Life

Published on June 26, 2003

Metuka Benjamin was sitting in a taxicab in a Tel Aviv traffic jam when the Israeli prime minister's limousine happened to pull up next to her. The driver recognized Benjamin and told her to ditch her cab and he would take her where she wanted to go -- and she did.

The Class of ‘93

Published on June 19, 2003

As students around the Southland graduate and move beyond high school, The Journal sought out some of the outstanding Jewish high school seniors of 10 years ago, talking with five of the 13 valedictorians of the Class of 1993.

Sound of Silence

Published on June 19, 2003

It suddenly occurred to me that the Holocaust was an attempted silencing of the Jews. While World War II was decades ago -- and the camps were liberated -- the quiet lingers. We're so far away from it all in the United States. In Poland, the wounds are still raw and it isn't something that the locals are comfortable talking about.

Book Preps Jewish Students for College

Published on May 22, 2003

Jeff Gabriel knows that when he arrives at the University of Colorado in Boulder this September, connecting to his Jewish roots won't be a priority.

Students Seek Justice for Americans in Israel

Published on May 22, 2003

"I'd like to know that America is going to take actions against those who could be threatening me," said 17-year-old Ezra Pinsky, clutching his letter. "It's not going to be a pleasant year if I'm in danger."