March 27, 2008
Calendar Girls picks and clicks for March 29-April 4
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http://www.jbbbsla.org/jbbbsla/.WED | APRIL 2
(BOOK TALK)
It's difficult to imagine living under Nazi rule, let alone being a young child growing up during that time. Author Alice Rene travels through the eyes of 6-year-old Ilse as the young girl watches Nazi soldiers march down her street in Vienna. Rene's "Becoming Alice: A Memoir" chronicles the adventures of her Jewish family's harrowing escape, their struggle as immigrants to fit into the American landscape and Ilse's personal problems growing up within a troubled family. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Wed. 7 p.m. Free. JCC at Milken, Rosenkrantz Library, 22622 Vanowen St., West Hills. (818) 464-3274. http://alicerene.com/calendar.html. (ISRAEL DIALOGUE)
In 1998, Rabbi Daniel Gordis kissed a shiny life in Los Angeles goodbye. He took his wife and two children on a one-way El-Al flight to Israel and has become a fixture there ever since. The founding dean of American Jewish University's Ziegler Rabbinical School (then University of Judaism) is now senior vice president of the Shalem Center and writes extensively about Israeli society and the challenges faced by the Jewish state. His widely circulated e-mail dispatches have filled the pages of two books, and tonight he'll pose the question, "The Year 2048: Can Israel Survive to the Age of 100?" followed by a discussion with Rabbi David Wolpe. 7:30 p.m. Free. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. http://www.sinaitemple.org.(SINGLES)
Looking for a little comic spice? Stephen S. Wise's Social Circle (45-60ish) invites you to spend "An Evening With Bernie Kopell," the versatile actor-comedian who's played so many roles on so many sitcoms that he knows a thing or two about the diversity of human behavior. Mix and mingle during a dinner buffet before satiating your sense of humor with Kopell's cackle-inducing act. Dessert will follow, giving you extra time to cozy up with a new cutie. Wed. 7 p.m. (dinner), 8 p.m. (show). $15-$20. Stephen S. Wise Temple, Hershenson Hall, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, Los Angeles. (213) 215-4333.
THU | APRIL 3
(CONFERENCE)
From early modern Europe to the colonization of the United States, the idea of religious tolerance is as much a dream today as it was hundreds of years ago. In a two-day USC International conference, leading scholars from France, the United Kingdom, Brazil and the United States will discuss "Religious Tolerance and Intolerance From the Inquisition to the Present." Encapsulating a large span of history, scholars will discuss topics from the emergence of religious toleration in Europe to the treatment of indigenous Native Americans. Professor Benjamin J. Kaplan of University College London will illuminate the divisiveness of faith during his keynote address, and you'll also have the opportunity to partake in thought-provoking lectures led by accomplished academics throughout the day. Thu. and Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Davidson Conference Center, USC campus, 3415 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. (213) 740-6724. http://www.college.usc.edu/vhi.
(FILM FESTIVAL)
For three days, Ventura will brim with Jewish art and culture at Temple Beth Torah's fifth annual Ventura County Jewish Film Festival. In the uproarious comedy, "Sixty Six," Helena Bonham Carter and Stephen Rea grapple with a tough choice: attend a bar mitzvah or watch the World Cup finals? In a "Sex and the City" style documentary, four Jewish "funny girls" gather at Katz's Deli to eat and gab about their female entertainer icons in "Making Trouble." Pack your popcorn, call your friends and catch four unique films from the United States, United Kingdom and Israel during this fun-filled fest, with a special comedic performance by Wendy Kamenoff scheduled for Sunday. Thu.-Sun. Various times. $10-$12. Regency Buenaventura 6, 1440 Eastman Ave., Ventura. For full schedule of show times, call Sam (805) 647-4181. http://www.vcjff.org.
(PESACH PREP)
Once we were slaves and now ... we have to save the Earth. Learn how to give your Passover seder a green facelift when chef Meg Dickler-Taylor demonstrates the connection between Jews' struggle for freedom and the modern struggle to liberate the planet as she explains how to have "The Sustainable Seder." Since all the focus on seder plates might make your tummy growl, you're invited to bring a vegan potluck item for eight to 10 people (whether from your own kitchen or elsewhere) -- just make sure it's earth-healthy, green-friendly and animal free. Thu. 7 p.m. Free. The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, 1525 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 552-2007. http://www.circlesocal.org.
(FILM)
With so many failed attempts at diplomacy, the film "Encounter Point" demonstrates that grass-roots, nonviolent, interpersonal dialogue can sometimes be the best mechanism for mediating conflict. For two years, the film's crew traveled from Tel Mond to Tulkarem, from Hebron to Haifa, to tell the story of a former Palestinian prisoner, a wounded brother, a bereaved Israeli mother and a fellow settler who came together as ordinary people to embrace the extraordinary act of peace. The documentary won the audience award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and has been shown in more than 35 cities worldwide. A Q-&-A with filmmaker Ronit Avni will follow the screening. Thu. 7-9:45 p.m. $10. Laemmle's Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 274-6869. http://www.encounterpoint.com.
FRI | APRIL 4
(FILM)
Hollywood is largely responsible for the world remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust. Because of its numerous portrayals, people around the world have a sense of what concentration camps looked like, how Jewish families huddled in attics and were crammed into cattle cars. "Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust" explores "how an industry that sells fantasy has dealt with one of the most horrifying episodes in modern world history, and asks hard questions about the responsibility of filmmakers [and] the uneasy relationship between American popular culture and the Holocaust." Narrated by Gene Hackman, the film includes excerpts from more than 40 films, rare newsreels and interviews with survivors and the filmmakers who have told their stories through cinema. $6.50-$8.50. Laemmle's Grande 4-plex, 345 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. For listings, call (213) 617-0268 or visit
