Thursday, March 28, 2013

Steve Zimmer holds middle ground

By Bill Boyarsky

After surviving opposition funded by the mayors of America’s two biggest cities, newly re-elected Los Angeles Unified School District board member. . .

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

L.A. mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel’s coalition building

By Bill Boyarsky

Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel, born and raised Christian, is married to a Jew. The couple’s 10-year-old son studies Hebrew and is being raised in. . .

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Eric Garcetti: up close

By Bill Boyarsky

Someone in the audience asked the mayoral candidates about the county’s foster children program. Eric Garcetti answered in a particularly. . .

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Howard Berman-Brad Sherman campaign war

By Bill Boyarsky

I’ve covered many political campaigns, but none quite like Berman versus Sherman.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Berman versus Sherman, by the numbers

By Bill Boyarsky

The biggest challenge in covering the congressional race between Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman lies in determining how to judge the two men. . .

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Jan Perry’s quest: Spirituality, pursuit of L.A.‘s well-being

By Bill Boyarsky

I asked City Council member Jan Perry, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, if she was on a spiritual quest when she converted to Judaism.. . .

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Berman vs. Sherman: Evaluating their congressional records

By Bill Boyarsky

Much of the debate in the San Fernando Valley contest between Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman has revolved around their congressional records,. . .

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Opinion: What’s in a name?

By Bill Boyarsky

When Morrie Stanley Mosk decided on a political career, he began referring to himself as M. Stanley Mosk and then Stanley Mosk. It was the 1940s and. . .

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Save the Academic Decathlon

By Bill Boyarsky

In a city where some of the very rich are willing to pay $1 billion-plus for the bankrupt Dodgers baseball team, why can’t anyone spare $500,000 to. . .

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Voters vs. Sherman, Berman

By Bill Boyarsky

Always interested in the gritty and unpredictable side of participatory politics, I dropped in on Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman, both of whom. . .

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Opinion: Iran an issue for valley’s 30th district voters

By Bill Boyarsky

No doubt Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman will be confronted with questions about Iran as they campaign in the new West San Fernando Valley 30th. . .

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Taking the pro-Israel pulse of GOP candidates

By Bill Boyarsky

The race for the “Who Loves Israel Most” title has been one of the most interesting developments in the Republican presidential election. It’s. . .

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Opinion: L.A. Sukkah sit-in shows Jews' passion for politics

By Bill Boyarsky

As I stopped at the sukkah in the Occupy L.A. encampment outside City Hall, I thought of the Jews’ role in the upcoming presidential election,. . .

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Opinion: Obama’s numbers could swing 30th district race

By Bill Boyarsky

Rep. Brad Sherman doesn’t intend to follow Rep. Henry Waxman’s advice to give up his San Fernando Valley congressional race against Rep. Howard. . .

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Opinion: Prep for costly fight as Berman, Sherman keep gloves on

By Bill Boyarsky

The Howard Berman-Brad Sherman story is loaded with angles — Jewish, Latino and, what may be most important, financial.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bill Boyarsky: LAUSD reaches out to middle class

By Bill Boyarsky

Los Angeles’ new school superintendent, John Deasy, says one of his top goals is to persuade middle-class families, including Jewish parents, to. . .

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

School Is in Session for Villaraigosa’s Critics

By Bill Boyarsky

“A great school is an anchor for a neighborhood,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “A great school district is an anchor for a. . .

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Galatzan’s Concern for Public Schools Is Personal, Too

By Bill Boyarsky

Much of the recent history of the Los Angeles Unified School District is also part of the past of Tamar Galatzan, who now sits on the governing board. . .

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Yaroslavsky observes Nigeria’s democratic process

By Bill Boyarsky

Zev Yaroslavsky’s latest nation-building assignment wasn’t easy. Dispatched to Nigeria as part of an international corps of election observers,. . .

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

State budget crisis calls for action

By Bill Boyarsky

If there was ever a time for Jewish parents to fight for Los Angeles public schools, this is it.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Public libraries face crucial funding vote

By Bill Boyarsky

When Susan Kent was a child in Westchester County, N.Y., she read her way through the public library children’s section and then headed over to the. . .

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

‘Value-added’ teacher ratings add little value

By Bill Boyarsky

The teacher evaluations recently posted on the Los AngelesTimes Web site deserve acareful but skeptical reading.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

New school to honor legacy of Jewish justice Stanley Mosk

By Bill Boyarsky

In 1947, Stanley Mosk, then a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, was confronted with a case that divided the city. Three African American. . .

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Unemployment and Its Effects Linger

By Bill Boyarsky

When this recession is a memory, the Jewish community’s unemployed and their children — just like the rest of the country — will still feel the. . .