- NEWS & COMMENTARY
A new era of Jewish leadership in L.A.?
Los Angeles chose Eric Garcetti as its first elected Jewish mayor, one of a number of political contests on Tuesday that reflected the city’s diversity, as well as its numerous…
Stone-walling
In the last two years, the Western Wall in Jerusalem — also known as the Kotel — has become a place of controversy as much as of worship. It’s the site of a battle that has long been waged by…
Gun violence in America: Scandal!
Two years after his mother was shot and killed, Dallas Sonnier received a phone call from the police: His father had just been shot and killed.
- HOLLYWOOD
Spielberg to produce ‘Halo’ television series, plus other news from the Xbox One announcement
Microsoft Corp gave the world a first look at its new Xbox One on Tuesday, announcing that its first gaming console in eight years will come with exclusive video and…
Justin Timberlake and Coen brothers answer Jewish questions at Cannes
Using his preternatural smoothness, Justin Timberlake saved the Coen brothers from some serious awkwardness at a Cannes press conference for their folk singer film “Inside Llewyn Davis” on Sunday. “Jewish…
Sean Penn lobbies for Charedi man imprisoned in Bolivia
Actor Sean Penn urged a congressional hearing to pressure Bolivia to release a haredi Orthodox father of five under house arrest in the country.
- LIFE & CULTURE
Sarah Silverman sings about staying home in ‘Perfect Night’
For your listening pleasure, “Perfect Night,” in which Sarah Silverman recounts the benefits of skipping the club for the couch. Because this is a Silverman production you can expect references…
Maccabi Tel Aviv back on top but coach future uncertain
Champions Maccabi Tel Aviv have reasserted their dominance of Israeli soccer but media reports on Tuesday suggested they might have to continue their revival without coach Oscar Garcia.
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
- BLOGS
State 194: A Documentary About Palestine
Opening this weekend at Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 is a very hot-button new documentary called State 194, which follows the recent history of Palestine. Many will approach this film with…
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
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The P90X of Yoga Has Arrived
Around the pole in Israel
Pole dancing as a modern sport connects the world of dance—jazz, ballet and cabaret—with acrobatic exercise. The pole serves as the base to perform different acrobatic acts of varying levels of difficulty. Regular exercise clothes are worn, not the sexy revealing garb many imagine, with the stomach exposed in order to allow for friction with the pole and to prevent slipping.
From Flab to Fab: Kosher style fitness
Year after year, the number one new year’s resolution people have is to lose weight. And, according to Time magazine, it’s also the number one broken resolution. Great intentions in January fall by the wayside and, come spring, warmer weather and lighter clothes remind us of those forgotten winter goals.
Classes bring a bit of shul to yoga
In a dimly lit room overlooking Santa Monica’s bustling Third Street Promenade, prayers set to electronic music float between bodies in motion. Barely audible over the melodies are the deep exhales of students.
02Max puts a youthful spin on the gym scene
"Our goal is that by the time you graduate college you know how to eat properly, you know how to put an exercise program together," Jashinsky said.
Ashkenazi women and ovarian cancer
Dr. Beth Y. Karlan is the director of the Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. Her specialty is ovarian cancer, the deadliest of gynecologic cancers and one that is diagnosed in more than 22,000 women annually.
Joe ‘Master Blaster’ Weider still going strong
Even at 86 years old, Joe Weider gives you the sense he might have once been one of those Olympians. As he approaches the head of the table inside this wood-paneled room, Weider appears dapper and powerful, his muscular torso still filling out the gray pinstriped suit he wears with a starched white shirt and red power tie.
Semper Fiber
Too-frequent weigh-ins can sabotage any diet efforts, because a woman's weight is a mysterious, jumpy, undependable thing that does not follow any known laws of nature. Over-weighing would lead to stress. Stress would slow down my metabolism, which was already prone to sleeping in late.
Alex Baum: Wheels of a Dream
Alex Baum, who will be celebrating his 84th birthday on Dec. 30, fought in the French Resistance, survived two and a half years in the concentration camps, and has since dedicated his life to performing good deeds, most notably in his advocacy of amateur athletics.
Affordable winter escapes are but a snowball’s throw away
Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's time to do a little carving -- and we're not talking brisket.
Skateboard Creator Builds Business on Performance
Skateboarding runs in the Tashman family, although not on the paternal side. His mother, who also grew up religious, skateboarded when she was a kid. She was sponsored by a local Velcro company. "She took her old roller skates and nailed them to a two-by-four for her first skateboards," Tashman said. Since he was 3 years old, "she would attach me to my skateboard and pull me down hills and our neighbor's empty swimming pool," he said. "She always wanted me to be a cantor, though."
An Israeli Workout for the Brain
What do limousine drivers, breast cancer patients and retirees have in common? They're all the beneficiaries of the applications developed by CogniFit, an Israeli company.
Soccer on Sunday, Wickedly Wonderful
Talia Schrager loves soccer. She loves being able to run and kick and shout with other girls. Her mother, Sandra Lepson, loves the assertiveness and self-confidence the game inspired in her daughter. So with her daughter about to age out of her team, Lepson knew she had to find a way to let her daughter continue playing.
‘Sex and the City’ Workout
I joined my first gym while in college. My friends and I signed up for a three-month trial together, intending to rid ourselves of the proverbial freshman 10 -- the end result of late-night doughnut runs.
Top 10 Things to Do Before the Change
No matter where you are in the menopause transition, it's never too late (or early) to get your health act together to ensure the next 40 or so years are as terrific as or better than the first were. Here are 10 things you can do right now.
Fit L.A. - Let’s Take a ‘J-Walk’ Around the Block
After schlepping 40 years in the desert, it's hard to imagine a CD to exercise by coming from a people who have harbored a subconscious distrust of walking. But with my daughter's upcoming nuptials, my unending kvetch about fitting into the dress won out over my skepticism.
Fit L.A. - The Birthday Party Crasher: Dr. Atkins
The timing couldn't have been worse. I was happily toting a batch of homemade bread and a broccoli quiche to a pot-luck birthday party, eager for some good fun and good eats. But I had barely crossed the threshold, when Sandy, the hostess and erstwhile birthday girl, announced that she had lost another 10 pounds on the Atkins plan.
Clearing the Air About Allergies
Though no one knows why allergies are skyrocketing, we do know what causes them. Allergies are an immunological "overreaction" to a substance that enters the body through airborne particles such as pollen, skin contact, or ingested foods.
Task Force Reviews Access for Disabled
While federal laws require public buildings to provide access for the handicapped, Jay Kruger still encounters restaurants without ramps, public restrooms with hard-to-open doors that trap him inside and theater seating that is spitting distance from the screen.
Seniors Flock to OASIS of Learning
OASIS provides an eclectic array of classes, many of which are free. Fitness fans can choose among such options as chair exercise, yoga and karate. Art buffs can study French and American impressionism or drawing. Others can explore Jewish spirituality, analyze Shakespeare or play guitar. Some of the classes are even taught by retired professors from UCLA and USC. And seniors who wish to travel can choose among a variety of day excursions and extended trips.
Doctor Helps Kids Deal With Diabetes
If there's such thing as a typical doctor, Francine Kaufman surely doesn't fit the mold. First, as Zucker noted, "She's the only doctor we know who comes to work in stilettos and a miniskirt."
Training for Life
Dave Rabb is a personal trainer with a few secrets: bring balloons to class, reward genuine efforts with cookies and make sure all clients use the potty before climbing the equipment.
Fit From N.Y. to L.A.
When I first moved to Los Angeles several months ago, I went to the gym every day. So, I discovered, does everyone else here.
The ‘Personal’ Touch
As the concern for a healthy lifestyle grows, personal trainers -- exercise coaches who are employed privately to work out one-on-one with their clients -- are becoming more popular.
Pass the Hummus, Please!
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.
Unwind With Yoga
The regular practice of yoga can increase energy levels, flexibility, strength, relaxation, and decrease stress.
Overweight and Counting ... Down
When Reena first entered the program a few years ago, she was a shy and baggy-outfitted 12-year-old, weighing 170 pounds, unsure if this would be just another boring visit to the doctor. But her single mom, a registered nurse, is acutely aware of the health issues involving overweight children.
Exercising the Mind
As we enter the new millennium, fitness professionals are becoming more aware of the movement toward spiritual forms of exercise. Programs like Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and body work are common in fitness clubs and community centers. To keep up with today's stressful lifestyles, we must do more than increase our heart rates and pump iron to maintain maximum health. Mind and body fitness can facilitate this by achieving inner balance and harmony in mind, body and spirit.
Prostate Cancer: A View From The Trenches
In an effort to give men facing prostate cancer a true understanding of the emotional and physical trials in store, Leon Prochnik spares no details.
Fat and Fit
"The medical community says we're eating ourselves to an early grave," said Glenn Gaesser, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia and author of "Big Fat Lies" (Fawcett 1996), "and it's a big overstatement."
Bulldog on the Ice
Ethan Lee Fougner, a 7-year-old hockey player from Valencia, is our May Athlete of the Month.
Fit After 50
Looking to get in shape, clients of all ages, shapes and sizes come to youthful fitness trainer Betsy Mendel. Mendel, who operates a business called No Excuses, has developed special insights into the training needs of her middle-aged clients. After arriving in Los Angeles from Atlanta five years ago, she fell in love with the sunny climate and found it the perfect place to indulge her fanatic workout habits in the great outdoors. Since 1999, she has been training full time, offering workouts suited to L.A. beaches, canyons and other outdoor spaces.
Karate Kids
Look for these young stars to grace the Maccabi Games and the karate world in the near future.
A Decrease in Vigilance
A conference on genetic diseases held by the Cultural Foundation of Habib Levy in November led The Journal to examine the Jewish community's reduced state of awareness about genetic testing for prospective parents. During the past 30 years, large-scale genetic screening of Ashkenazi Jews in the U.S., Israel and other countries has reduced the number of babies born with Tay-Sachs, the most widely known Jewish genetic disease, by 90 percent. Yet today, younger Jews are less conscious of Tay-Sachs and even less aware of testing made available during the past five years for a newer array of genetic diseases. Geneticists and physicians confirmed that many people are not adequately informed about their genetic testing options. Regardless of their educational background, few individuals know if they fall into a high-risk category for genetically transmitted diseases. Experts interviewed maintain there has been a relaxation in vigilance about carrier screening and a consequential rise in danger signals for American Jews of Ashkenazi descent.
Fitness Resolution
January is the time for setting goals and resolutions for most people, and getting in shape is usually at the top of that list. However, if you are fitnessphobic, the idea of putting on gym clothes can be rather intimidating. Most gyms in Los Angeles are a smorgasbord of hard bodies, which can leave a beginner feeling like chopped liver. Only about 20 percent of the population exercises on a regular basis, so you are not alone if you haven't already started a program.
Get Up and Go!
Parents, teachers and health professionals have reminded us of the essentials: eat a balanced diet, don't smoke, exercise, get plenty of sleep and have regular check-ups. What they never explained is why?
Healthy Future
Smiling at the memory of being asked to serve as chairman of the board of City of Hope, Jack Suzar confides, "They caught me in one of the weakest points of my life."
The Novice
It is called Pilates, and I had been hearing about it for some time but dismissed it as a faddish '90s workout. It fit the mold perfectly: It had the requisite exotic name (pronounced puh-LAH-tees), you had to go to a gym to do it, and celebrities hailed it as a miracle workout that managed, with perfect '90s perversity, to give shapely women the bodies of 12-year-old boys.
Hoop Dreams Do Come True
Rabbi Gabriel Elias vividly remembers his frustration as a teenager not being able to participate in intramural sports because games fell on Shabbat.
Jewish Law and RU-486
How do Jews and how does Judaism view the recent approval of Mifeprex, a drug combination that can replace surgical abortion in many women?
Arthritis Rumba
"Ouch," cried a perfectly coiffed, white-haired lady. "It hurts."
"My fingers won't listen to me," a tall brunette complained.
But Susanne Haymaker, their exercise teacher at the Jewish Home for the Aging, wouldn't listen. "Lift your fingers up if they're hurting, " Haymaker encouraged. "That will signal the brain. People with severe arthritis have to help their fingers along."
www.GetOffYourTuchus.com
Attention mouse potatoes: There is more to physical activity online than the baseball scores at www.ESPN.comIn fact, there are a host of sites devoted to fitness, providing health advice, exercise tipsand even some interactive options that help you plan and optimize your workouts. As with allthings online, what you find depends on what you are looking for.
Israeli-Style Fitness
Maybe it's no Sports Club/LA in its luxury and beauty, but the Elite Sports Center at Tel Aviv University is one of the best sports clubs in Israel, with facilities and services that may make even the premier sports club in L.A. a little envious.
Exercise is Good for the Soul
Maybe it's a stereotype, but Jewish people have always been considered smart. Not just by others but by themselves, too. We pride ourselves on making education a priority for our children. We encourage them to study, to go for the extra credit, and we imbue them with the value of education that they will pass on to their own children. But there's a type of education that we - and many other Americans - have been ignoring, that may have a direct impact on brain power: physical education. According to new research by neuroscientists and educators, physical exercise "may boost brain function, improve mood, and otherwise increase learning," writes Dolores King for the Boston Globe.
Jodi Kalicki’s transformation
Jodi Kalicki's transformation from overweight single mother to fitness expert began late one evening as she sat in front of the television set sipping Coca-Cola and munching Cheetos in her mother's Reseda apartment.
Who Wants To Be an Expert?
Be proactive about your health.
Getting Healthy
How do you decide where to begin? Start with knowing what's important in order to achieve good health and what's not.
Adding Zeal to the Golden Years, Simply
Recent surveys have shown that many older Americans are not taking advantage of established methods of protecting their health and lives, including those paid by Medicare.
The Force Behind ‘The Group Room’
Some people take lemons and make lemonade. Selma Schimmel took a diagnosis of cancer and turned it into a vast support network which has changed the lives of thousands of people.
Use It or Lose It
The other day, an older client said to me, "I've reached that point in my life where the only thing I want to exercise is caution."
Just because we're getting older doesn't mean we can slack off on exercise. You can choose to be 20-years-old or 50-years-young. The difference is often in how well we take care of ourselves -- and that means exercise and eating right..
Eye of the Damn Tiger
Krav Maga, the official fighting system of the Israeli Defense Forces, isn't about winning competitions like some of the other martial arts. It's about surviving a violent confrontation however possible, a philosophy which has made the training popular with both law enforcement officers and regular people looking for a way to protect themselves on the street.
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