May 21, 2008
Calendar Girls picks and clicks for May 24-30
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http://www.sinaitemple.org.FRI | MAY 30
(MARRIAGE)
There's a whole lot more to getting (and staying) married than centerpieces and
color schemes, and American Jewish University (AJU) would like to help you plan the "ever after" part of your marriage. AJU's Marriage Weekends, held on the lush grounds of the 3,000-acre Brandeis-Bardin Campus in the Santa Susana Mountains, give couples the opportunity to meet with licensed therapists, a rabbi, a financial planner and other couples to explore topics such as communication, conflict resolution, love, family planning, money managing and even sex. Split into three tracks -- "Making Marriage Work" for engaged or recently married couples, "Newly Married" for alumni of the first track and couples who have been married for less than two years, and "Marriage Check-Up" for couples who have been married for two to 10 years -- the three-day retreat also includes a Shabbat celebration, free time to hike, ride horses, swim, play tennis and enjoy the outdoors, and social activities so you can get to know other similarly situated couples and swap gushy/crazy/exasperating anecdotes. Fri.-Sun. Also, Feb. 6-8, 2009. $300 per couple. Brandeis-Bardin Campus, 1101 Peppertree Lane, Brandeis. To register, call (310) 440-1566 or visit http://marriage.whizincenter.org(FILM)
"Don't you know? Auschwitz isn't just for the Jews anymore," says Lukas, the disturbed (and disturbing) protagonist of "The Memory Thief," a melancholy film by Gil Kofman that was screened at the L.A. Jewish Film Festival this month and opens in theaters today. Lukas is a non-Jewish young man working as a tollbooth clerk who becomes suddenly and frighteningly obsessed with the Holocaust, to the point where he convinces himself that he is a survivor. A psychological twister, this disquieting film will haunt your thoughts for days, which is more than you can say about most other movies. The film's theater run is a limited engagement for one week only. Kofman will participate in Q-and-A sessions after the screenings on May 30, May 31 and June 1. Check theater for show times. $7-$10. Laemmle's Music Hall 3, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 274-6869. http://www.memorythiefmovie.com.
(FUNDRAISER)
Hundreds of impassioned teens will gather on the Santa Monica Pier to raise money for refugees in Darfur. Meet 13-year-old Hayley Frankel, organizer of the ambitious event and founder of Teens4Tolerance, a group dedicated to aiding victims of the genocide. Frankel has raised more than $6,000 during her recent bat mitzvah campaign and purchased 200 solar cookers for women and children in the war-torn region. Support her efforts and register for the fun-filled fundraiser soon -- only the first 250 R.S.V.P.'s are guaranteed admission. Dance for Darfur encourages teens to dance, sing and chow down for a good cause. Fri. 7-10 p.m. $25 (online), $30 (at the door). Santa Monica Pier Carousel, 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica. info@teens4tolerance.org. http://www.teens4tolerance.org.
(ISRAEL @ 60)
Celebrate Synaplex Shabbat with more than 200 temple-goers commemorating Israel's 60th birthday. Grab your prayer books and enjoy music, Israeli dancing, gourmet Israeli cuisine and wine, meditation and a compelling short film. Appetizers will be served during the temple's social hour, which will be followed by erev Shabbat services featuring a special address by Israel's Consul General Jacob Dayan. Also speaking will be Jason Fenton, a faculty member at Saddleback College, who will speak about his experience in 1948 as a volunteer in Israel during the country's War of Independence. Fri. 5 p.m. (social hour), 6 p.m. (dinner), 8 p.m. (Kabbalat Shabbat service). Free (2 and under), $5 (12 and under), $19 (members), $22 (general). Temple Beth David, 6100 Hefley St., Westminster. (714) 892-6623. http://www.templebethdavid.org/.
Celia Soudry contributed to this article
