Jewish Journal Staff

PBS: ‘Los Angeles—Dream of A Different City’

Published on January 11, 2007

The segment begins with host Jimmy Smits providing a quick overview of a familiar litany of problems besetting Los Angeles. There are traffic-choked interchanges, vast tracts of unchecked development, a trickle of water to slake a thirsty city and brownish air.

Israel-Lebanon Strife Reverberates Locally

Published on July 16, 2006

Mellow Israel Fest Draws 42,000

Published on May 11, 2006

Maybe it was the relatively cool weather on Sunday. Or maybe it was the stepped-up participation

... And We Wouldn’t Mind $100 Million

Published on April 6, 2006

Lakers' basketball star Kobe Bryant "wouldn't mind being Jewish." Bryant, who is Catholic, reportedly told a handful of reporters in Boston last month that, "I wouldn't mind. Really." Well, why not? It's fine by us.

Holy Moly! Robertson Apologizes

Published on January 19, 2006

Last week, The Rev. Pat Robertson apparently decided that he'd better have the government of Israel on his side, too, especially if he wants to build a sprawling evangelical center on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Not All Wish Sharon Well

Published on January 12, 2006

An Israeli commission of inquiry held Sharon, who was Israel's defense minister at the time, indirectly responsible for not anticipating the carnage. Sharon was forced to resign, which, at the time, seemed to end his political career.

Love ‘n’ Bloomers

Published on January 5, 2006

Israel's Maariv newspaper reports that authorities have collected around 400 pairs of knickers and bras from the grilles of the tomb's window and on nearby trees.

The Baby Food for Grown-ups

Published on December 22, 2005

Along with the wave of ergonomically correct strollers and SAT flashcards for the 5-month-old comes Homemade Baby.

Bibi Up,  Sharon Down —for Now

Published on December 22, 2005

Former prime minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is back in control of Israel's Conservative Likud Party as his onetime ally and current rival, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, recovers from a mild stroke.

Jews Who Can Hit

Published on December 1, 2005

The 2006 edition of Jewish baseball cards features "newly discovered" Jewish players and Jewish players from the 1940s women's league. The set of 55 also includes cards for the 13 Jews who played last year in the major leagues

Hatches and Matches

Published on November 10, 2005

Your news weekly about Jewish life now has an easy, free way to share your Jewish life with others.

Get Enraptured With the Central Coast

Published on November 3, 2005

Hava Flashback

Published on November 3, 2005

Authors Roger Bennett, Jules Shell and Nick Kroll discovered in one long B.S. session that nothing quite engaged their friends, Jew and non-Jew alike, as a trip back down memory lane to the day of their or their friends' bar or bat mitzvah.

Dueling Ukranian Rabbis

Published on October 27, 2005

Wine, Women, Song

Published on October 6, 2005

Judd's parents, Art and Bunnie, have been making wine in Napa Valley for 25 years, first creating the Whitehall Lane label, then Judd's Hill.

Nazi Hunter Wiesenthal Dies at 96

Published on September 19, 2005

Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust-survivor-turned-Nazi hunter who always spoke of justice, not vengeance, is dead at 96.

Wiesenthal died in his sleep at his home in Vienna, his office announced Tuesday. Working with a small staff from his cramped three-room office, Wiesenthal sifted through tens of thousands of documents and followed countless leads, compiling archives that helped bring some 1,100 Nazi criminals to justice.

But Will Shawn Green Fast?

Published on September 23, 2004

When the Dodgers face the San Francisco Giants this weekend in a three-game series beginning in San Francisco this weekend, most Jews will be in synagogue for the holiest day of the year.

Music Man Silenced at 82

Published on August 26, 2004

Film composer Elmer Bernstein, who died last week at the age of 82, was born in New York, the son of immigrants from Ukraine and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Love and Loyalty

Published on July 29, 2004

More out of ethnic loyalty than any expectation of a great match, The Journal stayed late at the 78th annual Mercedes Benz Cup men's tennis tournament on July 17 at UCLA to watch a doubles semifinal between two Israelis and two Americans. The Americans, Bob and Mike Bryan, were the tournament's top-seeded doubles team, handsome identical twins from Camarillo who have been unstoppable lately. The Israelis' record was spottier. Yonatan Ehrlich, 28, is a native of Buenos Aries, Argentina, and a resident of Haifa. His partner, Andy Ram, 24, is from Jerusalem by way of Montevideo, Uruguay. They also are strikingly handsome -- they prepped for the match by running shirtless around a practice court, kicking a tennis ball as if it were a soccer ball.

Both are sports heroes in Israel, according to Hagai Ben Zvi, who covers tennis for the Israeli press. Their international careers were set back by three years (each) of army service, but both made the semifinals at Wimbledon last year and both have been invited to the Olympics in Athens.

Big Sunday, Big Turnout

Published on May 6, 2004

Big Sunday, Big Turnout

Bus Girl

Published on April 15, 2004

The fictional Carrie Bradshaw saw her image on a bus placard because she wrote a popular sex column. But Carol Taubman sees her image go by each day on the side of MTA buses for a very different reason.

Delegates at UJC Assembly Show Solidarity

Published on November 20, 2003

Waving Israeli, American and Canadian flags and hoisting signs naming their hometowns, thousands of delegates at the Jewish federation system's General Assembly (GA) wound their way through the back alleys, markets and main streets of Jerusalem, vowing to stand by Israel.

An Afro Judeo Beat

Published on November 13, 2003

Tired of the same old synagogue music? Want to put a little lift in your liturgy? Then give your cantor the gift of Ugandan Jewish music, Say what?

Yes, Smithsonian Folkways has just released a singular CD titled, "Abayudaya: The Music of the Jews of Uganda."

This is a sometimes lilting, often haunting and always fascinating collection of African Jewish music in which the rhythms and harmonies of Africa blend with Jewish celebration and traditional Hebrew prayer.

Time for Something Sweet

Published on September 4, 2003

Platters of apple slivers prepared for dunking in honey are a holiday ritual symbolizing hope for a sweet New Year.

Fed Campaign Ends on High Note

Published on September 4, 2003

In June, the Journal incorrectly reported the 2003 results as slightly down based on incomplete figures that did not reflect the final campaign push.

You Gotta Be in it to Win it

Published on September 4, 2003

Synagogues and Jewish institutions will help sell tickets, which can be purchased via credit card through The Jewish Federation of Orange County.

Applause for Cause

Published on September 4, 2003

The Los Angeles recording artist and producer composes and reinterprets Jewish melodies with accessible, contemporary riffs. Taubman's popularity shifted to high gear since debuting a joyful "Friday Night Live" Shabbat service in 1998 at Los Angeles' Sinai Temple, which he performed in June in Orange County.

Helpful Hints for Dad

Published on June 12, 2003

"Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events," by Richard Greene, offers the annotated text of modern history's most memorable spoken words.

It Beats a Button

Published on January 30, 2003

Who says politics and religion don't mix? Modern Orthodox Jews eager to capitalize and promote the campaign are selling yarmulkes that say "Lieberman 2004 President."

Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Published on January 23, 2003

Tired of wearing designer clothes and lining the pockets of fashionistas? These days, clothing companies are banking on Jewish pride and charity as the impetus for their labels.

Israeli Surfs New Turf

Published on December 26, 2002

"He has proved his great potential. He has the attributes of a champion," an ecstatic Gebhardt said Sunday of Friedman. "He has great technique and a strong character, but he needs some moral support to make him even better," he said.

Marvin Mirisch

Published on November 28, 2002

Marvin Mirisch, one of three brothers who formed the Mirisch Co. motion picture production company, died on Nov. 17 of undisclosed causes at UCLA Medical Center.

Eye-Popping Tale

Published on October 31, 2002

"The Golden Land: The Story of Jewish Immigration to America" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (Harmony Books, $29.95).

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin begins this clever, coffee-table tome by noting that only three days after Spain's pious rulers, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, expelled their 200,000 Jewish subjects in 1492 for no reason other than their stubborn insistence on worshipping God, Columbus set sail for India. However, Columbus and his three ships and crew (90 members, five of whom were Marannos, or secret Jews) arrived in the New World, part of which, the United States, "would come to house the largest, most prosperous and most successful Jewish community in Diaspora history."

Leonard Green

Published on October 31, 2002

Leonard I. Green, founding partner of the West Coast's largest leveraged buyout firm and board chairman of the Los Angeles Opera, died on Oct. 25 following complications from heart surgery in Venice, Italy, where he was vacationing. He was 68.

Political Prophylactics

Published on October 10, 2002

It was an ominous warning affixed to the plastic-covered condom, which was glued on a rust-colored postcard with pictures of dirty mattresses: "Practice Safe Politics."

Community Briefs

Published on October 10, 2002

Community Briefs

Eulogies:Jonathan “J.J.” Greenberg

Published on September 19, 2002

Jonathan "J.J." Greenberg, the executive director of the Jewish Life Network, died Saturday in Israel after his bicycle was struck by a car a day earlier.

Let Them Eat Cake

Published on August 1, 2002

While so much of daily life in Israel has changed -- or stopped -- due to the security situation, life does go on: children celebrate birthdays, teenagers become b'nei mitzvah and couples marry.

L.A. Mourns Loss of Two Leaders

Published on June 20, 2002

Isadore Familian, an industrialist and longtime supporter of Jewish institutions such as the University of Judaism and City of Hope, died on June 13. He was 90.

Dr. Max Vorspan, a rabbi, professor and senior administrator at the University of Judaism (UJ), founder of the Pacific Southwest Region of the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism and co-author of "The History of the Jews of Los Angeles," died June 13 at the age of 86.

Community Briefs

Published on May 2, 2002

Community Briefs

Passover Briefs

Published on March 21, 2002

Passover Briefs

Community Briefs

Published on March 21, 2002

Community Briefs

Community Briefs

Published on March 14, 2002

Community Briefs.

Community Briefs

Published on February 28, 2002

Community Briefs

Community Briefs

Published on February 21, 2002

Community Briefs

The Almanac

Published on February 21, 2002

The Almanac

Community Briefs

Published on February 7, 2002

Community Briefs

Skiing With a Purpose

Published on January 31, 2002

As people shoosh down the California mountains, one group will be getting more than just snow: Torah.

Clinton in Tel Aviv

Published on January 24, 2002

Despite his administration's failure to bring peace to the Middle East, former President Bill Clinton still enjoys rock star-like popularity in Israel. That was amply demonstrated last Sunday night when Clinton received an honorary doctorate at Tel Aviv University from university President Hamar Rabinovich.

Community Briefs

Published on January 24, 2002

Community Briefs

Lehrer to Leave

Published on December 27, 2001

David Lehrer, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) since 1986, will be leaving his position in the near future. He has been with the organization for 27 years.

U.S. Terror Victims

Published on December 20, 2001

The U.S. State Department will now include American victims of Palestinian terror on its Rewards for Justice Program, which offers "substantial monetary rewards"for information leading to the arrest or conviction of people responsible for acts of terrorism.

Pass the Hummus, Please!

Published on November 22, 2001

Hummus, the popular Middle Eastern staple made out of chickpeas, packs a nutritional wallop, according to a new study by Dr. Ram Reifen and Dr. Shahal Abbo of the faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A-door-able Art

Published on October 25, 2001

In these patriotic times, everyone -- from the fashion industry to the jewelry industry -- is capitalizing on the American flag motif.

So it should come as no surprise that someone believes that Jews will want to display the flag too, in the most unlikely of places: religious articles.

Kosher Bunny

Published on October 11, 2001

Playboy Magazine's new Miss November, Playmate Lindsey Vuolo, doesn't hide much in the centerfold, including her Jewish roots and her attachment to Israel.

Community Briefs

Published on July 19, 2001

Community Briefs

Community Briefs

Published on June 21, 2001

Hundreds of Valley residents attended a rally Sunday at Shaarey Tzedek Congregation to protest a possible MTA busway that would turn Chandler Boulevard into a segment of the proposed East-West Transit Corridor.

Hero With a Thousand Faces

Published on May 24, 2001

The 60th birthday of Bob Dylan (né Robert Zimmerman) has created a bull market in baby-boomer nostalgia and soul-searching.

Tattoo Jew

Published on May 17, 2001

The temporary tattoo is a replica of the "Ha'am Im HaGolan" ("The Nation Is With the Golan") bumper sticker popular among many Israelis and some Diaspora Jews.

Cancer Resources

Published on May 10, 2001

Cancer Resources.

Menkes’ ‘Divorce’

Published on April 5, 2001

Dr. John Menkes' "Lady Macbeth Gets a Divorce" at the Beverly Hills Playhouse is a witty and diverting drawing-room comedy that elicits something most sitcoms don't: real laughs.

UCLA Hillel Hosts Muslim-Jewish Series

Published on April 5, 2001

On April 2, UCLA Hillel opened a spring forum titled "Muslim-Jewish Relations: Harmony and Discord Throughout History" examining relations between Muslims and Jews from the founding of Islam to the contemporary era.

Community Briefs

Published on April 5, 2001

Community Briefs

Historical Sips

Published on March 29, 2001

For years, the makers and marketers of kosher wines have claimed that their products can stand up favorably to their non-kosher counterparts.

Draw a Tree, Win a Contest

Published on March 22, 2001

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. That's how the judges of The Jewish Journal's first Tu B'Shevat Art Contest feel about having to pick just three winners out of so many terrific entries.

Deli Stories, No Schmaltz

Published on March 8, 2001

Let's face it, all deli menus are the same. Devotees of one deli or another will battle over which spot has the leaner, meaner pastrami or who makes the fluffiest matzah brei.

The Almanac: What is Purim?

Published on March 1, 2001

As told in the biblical Book of Esther, the Purim story recounts how Haman, the chief minister to King Ahasuerus, plotted to destroy the Jews of Persia.

Community Briefs

Published on March 1, 2001

Community Briefs

Sign of Hope

Published on February 22, 2001

The sign to the left, posted by Israeli Jewish and Arab students at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology around the elite Rehovot campus, reads: "We, the Arab and Jewish students of the Technion, who daily sit together in the same classrooms in cooperation and friendship, express our pain over the recent outbreaks of violence in our country. It is up to us to continue living here in mutual dignity, peace and security. We call on every Technion student to speak out against violence, and on every citizen to work on behalf of good neighborly relations."

Dutch Settlement

Published on February 15, 2001

Jacques van Dam drove up from La Costa last Thursday morning to hear it first-hand: Dutch Jews who spent all or part of World War II in the Netherlands are eligible for compensation and may now apply for further restitution.

What a $230 Million Deal Means to You

Published on February 1, 2001

After last-minute negotiating, Austria, the United States and Jewish groups signed an agreement two weeks ago under which Austria agreed to pay $210 million, plus about $20 million in interest, to cover victims' property claims and unpaid insurance polices. The government also will pay an estimated $100 million in social welfare benefits to Austrian Jews.

Earthquake Relief

Published on February 1, 2001

The death toll from the Jan. 26 earthquake in India may surpass 100,000, with thousands more left injured and homeless. To contribute toward disaster relief, you can send a contribution to Indian Earthquake Relief c/o Jewish Federation Accounting Office, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Mural, Mural on the Wall

Published on December 21, 2000

A new mural joins the A-list of great Jewish murals in Los Angeles.

Searching Jewish L.A.

Published on December 7, 2000

The Jewish Journal web site at www.jewishjournal.com now features a search engine that allows users to find articles that have appeared in past issues of the newspaper. The engine, pictured at right, can search by author, keyword, date or title.

Citywide Solidarity

Published on December 7, 2000

Community support for Israel

Down to the Wire

Published on November 9, 2000

Los Angeles Jews agonized along with the rest of the country as the results from the Nov. 7 election trickled in.

They Like Joe

Published on August 17, 2000

A spring-like giddiness overcame Jewish L.A. Monday morning when news broke that Vice President Al Gore, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, had picked Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) to be his running mate. "You're kidding, right?" was the inevitable first reaction. Could Joseph Isador Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah Freilich Lieberman, really be standing beside Al and Tipper?

Sites of Passage

Published on August 10, 2000

Sites of Passage