Delijanis put historic theater district back in the spotlight

By Karmel Melamed
Published on August 1, 2012

The classic Los Angeles Theater at Broadway and Sixth Street is not much to look at from the outside -- situated alongside a host of busy retail shops, its sidewalk is lined with street vendors selling toys and trinkets. But upon entering the theater's French Baroque-style lobby, with its 50-foot ceiling, grand staircase, plush red carpet, detailed fresco paintings, ornate marble fountain and crystal chandeliers, one is immediately transported to a bygone era of opulent, glamorous movie palaces.

PBS documents struggles and successes of U.S. Jewry

By Tom Tugend
Published on January 3, 2008

Jewish life in North America was nearly aborted before birth when the governor of New Amsterdam sought to expel 23 Brazilian Jews, who landed at the southern tip of Manhattan in 1654.

In a petition to his superiors at the Dutch West India Company in Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant urged "that this deceitful race... be not allowed to further infest and trouble the new colony."

Books: The bible and history—facts or truth?

By Rabbi David Wolpe
Published on September 20, 2007

Cline's book is a dispassionate recounting of the central issues that preoccupy scholars and pseudoscholars of the biblical text.

Fate of Santa Monica apartment building embroils rabbi and residents in legal battle

By Jane Ulman
Published on October 26, 2006

Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, a rabbi active in the Los Angeles Persian community, is embroiled in a revolt. It's taking place in the normally laid-back city of Santa Monica and concerns the future of the Teriton apartment building.

Huizar Proposal Would Close Razing Loophole

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 22, 2006

An order to investigate the demolition of a historic Jewish Community Center (JCC) building in Boyle Heights is now on the agenda of the Los Angeles City Council.

Spectator - Fiddle Dee Dee and Oy Vey!

By Gaby Friedman
Published on February 2, 2006

"Truthfully, my grandfather really was the catalyst for the journey," Brian Bain said in a phone conversation from Dallas, where he relocated after his New Orleans home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. He was referring to Leonard Bain, a retired traveling hat salesman and silent film editor who was 99, in 2002, when the film was made. The elder Bain has since died at the age of 101.

Vienna Glories in Past and Present

By Carvin Knowles
Published on January 19, 2006

The best way to discover Mozart here might be a night at the Vienna Opera. I was lucky enough to attend a performance of "The Magic Flute" during my visit, which was sponsored by Austria Tourism. This was classical Mozart through and through in terms of the music, but the performance was strikingly modern.

Letters

Published on October 27, 2005

Before we are relegated to yet another historical reference on the Canter's mural, let's hope the community mobilizes to at least make enough of an effort to slow down the gentrification of the area.

Historically Sacred L.A.

By Gaby Friedman
Published on July 28, 2005

Robert Berger is a third-generation Angeleno who dares to do the unthinkable in Los Angeles. He actually gets out of his car and studies old buildings.

‘Food Maven’ Saves Endangered Recipes

By Judy Bart Kancigor
Published on April 14, 2005

When the El-Ghriba synagogue in Tunisia was bombed by Al Qaeda in 2002, the fragile remnant of a once thriving Jewish community was even further shattered.

Zucky’s Counter Culture

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 31, 2005

"Zucky's was designed by Weldon Fulton as a prime example of the Googie or California Coffee Shop Modern architectural genre," Biondo said. "In any remodeling, we want to preserve the main Zucky's signboard, exterior ceramic tiles and stonework, the diagonal treatment along Fifth Street, and the brick wall and window sills."

Medieval Me

By Robert J. Avrech
Published on November 11, 2004

What books must every Jew read? What books are critical to informing your understanding of your faith, your culture, your people? With this issue, The Jewish Journal introduces a new weekly column: My Jewish Library.

Trial of King David Sabotages Lessons

By Rabbi David Eliezrie
Published on May 6, 2004

I chose not to attend Tarbut's trial of King David. Billed as "the people against King David," it promised to be a trial that was "3,000 years in the making."

Secrets of the Cryptic Scripture

By Gaby Wenig
Published on August 28, 2003

Matthew Asner and Danny Gold, the two Reform Jews who wrote, directed and produced the documentary, say that while they don't necessarily believe in the codes, they find them interesting.

Helpful Hints for Dad

By Jewish Journal Staff
Published on June 12, 2003

"Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events," by Richard Greene, offers the annotated text of modern history's most memorable spoken words.

Classic ‘Nathan’ Takes Modern Turn

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on May 22, 2003

In Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's "Nathan the Wise," now at the Lillian Theater, a bloody war ravages the Middle East. Jerusalem is the flashpoint.

Israel in the Classroom

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on May 23, 2002

"Before [the crisis], our approach to teaching Israel was just positive and idealistic. It was all about kibbutzim and how Israel is so beautiful and we all want to go there," said Ellen Goldberg, the principal of Temple Isaiah Religious School.

The Almanac: What is Purim?

By Jewish Journal Staff
Published on March 1, 2001

As told in the biblical Book of Esther, the Purim story recounts how Haman, the chief minister to King Ahasuerus, plotted to destroy the Jews of Persia.