Foundation for Jewish Camp announces four new specialty camps

Published on September 13, 2012

The Foundation for Jewish Camp announced four new camps to be included in its specialty camp incubator designed to engage Jewish campers.

Judea Pearl wins award for work in artificial intelligence

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 15, 2012

Judea Pearl, co-founder of the Daniel Pearl Foundation and an internationally renowned expert in computer science, will receive the Turing Award, known as the “Nobel Prize in Computing,” for his path-breaking innovations in artificial intelligence — the discipline probing the partnership between humans and robotic machines.

Can Jewish giving weather the transfer from one generation to the next?

Published on January 25, 2011

Last week’s news that one of the country’s largest Jewish foundations will close in two years, its assets to be divided among the foundations of its founder’s heirs, is shining a spotlight on a major question in the Jewish philanthropic world: How will Jewish philanthropic giving weather the transfer of assets from one generation to the next? The San Francisco-based Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, which has given out about $700 million since it was started by Richard Goldman in 1951, with most of the gifts benefiting environmental, health and Jewish causes, will close at the end of 2012, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Hillel Official Julian Sandler Dies

Published on March 23, 2009

Julian Sandler, chairman of the Hillel: Foundation for Jewish Campus Life Board of Directors, has died.

The Real Madoff Scandal: Charitable Hoarding

Published on March 18, 2009

Of all the shocks of the Bernie Madoff heist, perhaps none was more stunning than the list of victims. Among them were several Jewish foundations and many of our community’s most prominent nonprofits. The losses were staggering, and in some cases crippling.

More Jewish teens attacked in Paris, Adelson gives $30 million to Birthright

Published on September 11, 2008

Three Jewish teenagers were attacked in the same Paris district where another Jewish teen was beaten severely in June.

The latest pledge consists of a $20 million contribution for 2009 and $10 million for 2010, said Michael Bohnen, president of the Adelson Foundation, in a news release Tuesday announcing the gift.

Sherry Lansing’s epiphany

By Danielle Berrin
Published on July 23, 2008

"Suddenly, I cared less about a hit movie or making money than I did about giving back. That was the legacy that I wanted," Lansing said.

Waiting for Ratner, the king formerly known as Solomon

By Danielle Berrin
Published on August 30, 2007

Circuit.

‘Top 400’ misses full picture of Jewish philanthropic giving

By Jacob Berkman
Published on November 2, 2006

Jewish groups look to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of top 400 fundraising organizations to see how well Jewish philanthropy is doing.

Spielberg Gives $1 Million for Israel Relief

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 20, 2006

When the Righteous Persons Foundation, created and financed by Steven Spielberg, announced earlier this month that it was giving $1 million for relief efforts in Israel, including $250,000 to The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles crisis fund, the impact went beyond the donation itself.

Education Giant Simha Lainer, 100

Published on August 3, 2006

From establishing funds through the Jewish Community Foundation in Los Angeles to starting the Simha and Sara Lainer Fund for Jewish Education through the BJE of Greater Los Angeles to supporting Israel, Lainer and Sara were key supporters of the Jewish community.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker Make Me a Donation Match

By Chanan Tigay
Published on July 27, 2006

A longtime Jewish organizational professional and fundraiser, Hyman last year launched the Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy (CEJP) to support and advise philanthropists who are considering major gifts to Jewish and Israel-related causes.

Warren Buffett’s Jewish Connection

By Chanan Tigay
Published on June 1, 2006

Warren Buffett is not a Jew; in fact, he describes himself as an agnostic. Still, the billionaire investment guru, who made big news in May when his Berkshire Hathaway corporation bought an 80 percent share in the Israeli metalworks conglomerate, Iscar, for $4 billion, for years has been making his mark on the U.S. Jewish community back home -- although sometimes in a roundabout way.

Andrea Bronfman, Charity Giant, Killed

By JTA Staff
Published on January 26, 2006

Andrea Bronfman, a giant in the world of Jewish philanthropy, was killed Monday when a car struck her while she was walking her dog in Manhattan. She was 60 years old.

Obituaries

Published on January 26, 2006

Obituaries

The Circuit

Published on October 6, 2005

The Circuit

Lifecycles - Makeup Artist Gives Dignity to Scarred

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on August 4, 2005

Until burn survivor Wendy (not her real name) met makeup artist Maurice Stein a decade ago, she dreaded leaving her house. Before a gas stove explosion almost burned her alive in 1987, she had been a 23-year-old cocktail waitress with long, blonde hair and blue eyes, and generated plenty of attention from the opposite sex.

However, the fire from the explosion incinerated her hands, nose, ears and eyelids and left her face an unrecognizable mask of colors and scars. When the hospital nurses allowed her to look in the mirror, "I screamed and cried," she said. "I looked like a monster."

When she finally left the hospital nine months later, people stared at her when she ventured out, and cosmetics didn't help. Her old Clinique foundation slipped off the scars and thicker makeup looked waxy.

"I was desperate to find someone to help me," Wendy said.

Happy Campers

By Rob Eshman
Published on September 2, 2004

We are driving to pick up our son from camp. He's been there three weeks, the longest stretch he's been away from us since his birth.

In this age of e-mails and BlackBerrys and cell phones, the rule at Camp Alonim at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley is no e-mails, BlackBerrys or cell phones. He's sent us a few postcards home, clearly written by an 11-year-old who has put away childish things, like parents.

"Dear Family: We prayed and prayed and had havdalah end of story. Love, Adi. P.S. I love you. P.P.S. Tomorrow's our overnight and we're creating our own fire and no letters on Sunday."

Celebrating 10 Years of ‘Schindler’s List’

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 11, 2004

Ten years have passed since the premiere of "Schindler's List," but the emotional impact of the film and its aftermath remain intense, not least for its creators, actors and the survivors whose lives were depicted.

Teen’s Loss of Sister Spurs Charity Efforts

By Andrea Adelson
Published on March 4, 2004

Seventeen-year-old Megan Knofsky keeps alive her sibling's memory by sustaining a teen support group that raises money for research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, the genetic disorder that affects 30,000 people and claimed her sister, Sarah, in 1997.

The Circuit

By Andrea Adelson
Published on March 4, 2004

George Smith is a financial matchmaker. He earns a princely living making matches between scores of lenders and clients buying property ranging from car washes to golf courses.

Summer Reading

By Tom Teicholz
Published on September 11, 2003

So this summer, whether by chance or intent, the three best novels I read were all from the other side of the Atlantic, all from Mitteleuropa: "Crabwalk" by Gunter Grass, "Embers" by Sandor Marai and "Azarel" by Karoly Pap.

Recall Tarnishes Golden State’s Shine

By Bob Hertzberg
Published on July 10, 2003

California has always been a land of hope and opportunity.

Marvin Mirisch

By Jewish Journal Staff
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.

Community Briefs

Published on November 28, 2002

Putting a new spin on Chanukah celebrations, the U.S. Marine Corps Marching Band will perform at The Calabasas Shul's annual menorah-lighting ceremony to honor the men and women of the United States armed forces.

The Circuit

By Michael Aushenker
Published on November 21, 2002

Nearly 600 guests were onhand as philanthropist Susan Samueli was honored at the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) Auxiliary's annual membership luncheon, held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire on Oct 23 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Synagogues to Fly on Wings of Song

By Julie G Fax
Published on October 10, 2002

The real measure of success for Hallelu will not be whether the Universal Amphitheatre is filled to capacity on Sunday, Oct. 20, or whether the audience leaves humming the songs performed by an unprecedented gathering of Jewish musical talent for what is essentially a giant kumsitz.

Sense From Senselessness

By Judea Pearl
Published on September 5, 2002

What follows is an edited version of a speech that Judea Pearl, the father of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, delivered upon accepting an award on his son's behalf from the Los Angeles Press Club on June 22, 2002.

Finishing the Foundation

By Wendy J. Madnick
Published on May 23, 2002

As an experienced plastic surgeon, Dr. Joel Teplinsky knows how to fix a nose or perform a skin graft on a burn patient.

Community Briefs

By Journal Staff
Published on April 4, 2002

A Passover appeal by Rabbi David Wolpe at Sinai Temple raised $700,000 in pledges for organizations in Israel helping victims of terror.

The Circuit

By Michael Aushenker
Published on April 4, 2002

So in a nutshell, here's how the first Celebrity Dodgeball Tournament went down...

Torch Song Trilogy

By Melissa Minkin
Published on January 17, 2002

Linda Gach Ray has been carrying the torch for years. This week, she made it official by running the Olympic flame down a stretch of Figueroa Street as the torch was relayed through Southern California on its way to the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, which begin Feb. 8.

Grand Marshal,  Grand Lady

By Wendy J. Madnick
Published on November 29, 2001

Sitting in her seat at the Max Factor Family Foundation Recreation Center of the Jewish Home for the Aging (JHA), 103-year-old Sylvia Harmatz cannot recall the first state to give women the right to vote. But, she remembers very clearly the first day she voted, in 1936. "I wasn't a citizen until I married my husband, and so I used his papers and got a ballot so I could vote for [Franklin D.] Roosevelt," she said. "I was very active in politics from that time on."

Your Letters

Published on September 27, 2001

It is incomprehensible that Joel Kotkin would use his article in The Jewish Journal ("A New World View," Sept. 21) to blame former President Clinton for the World Trade Center tragedy.

Shefa Fund Reaches L.A.

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 23, 2001

"The premise of our mission is idealistic, even romantic, but we operate on a very realistic set of values," says Jeffrey Dekro, founder and president of the Shefa Fund, a public foundation aimed at social causes.

Fund for Survivors

By Tom Tugend
Published on May 17, 2001

A foundation to aid needy Holocaust survivors in California, funded through a $4.2-million check from three Dutch insurance companies, was formally established last week by state officials, Jewish organizations and survivors.

Jewish Giving is Still Looking Good

By Melissa Minkin
Published on May 3, 2001

When the stock market entered bear territory last month, individual investors weren't the only ones taking note. The continued softening of the market can also have a major effect on nonprofit organizations, many of which have benefited greatly from an exceptional run during the past five years.

While it's still too early to tell how the recent changes will affect Jewish nonprofits in Los Angeles, fundraisers at some of the city's largest philanthropic organizations say they're not worried yet.

Couples Camp

By Rob Kutner
Published on December 2, 1999

It was 6:00 on a Friday evening. My wife, myself, and 50 complete strangers had just managed to light two candles, each on one tiny table, without burning ourselves. Our names, printed in a groovy font, glistened under the nametags hanging around our necks. We were sitting in a circle, introducing ourselves and saying what the experience reminded us of. Was it any surprise that two-thirds of us answered, "Camp?"

Coping on Two Continents

By Michael Aushenker
Published on September 9, 1999

Since being diagnosed with diabetes in 1997, two developments have brought 14-year-old Cesar Chavira closer to leading a life like that of his Hollywood High peers: an insulin pump, which provides a continual dosage that lasts all day, and the Sponsorship for Adolescents with Diabetes, which has paired him up with a diabetic mentor.

Conquering A Disease

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on July 22, 1999

Los Angeles residents Pam and George Smith never expected to create a foundation that would raise more than $4 million for research.

Cover Story

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on July 9, 1998

The expulsion of Jews from the IberianPeninsula 500 years ago brought a tragic end to a Jewish presencethat had thrived for centuries in Sepharad, the Hebrew word forSpain. It also set in motion the dispersion of Sephardicculture.