Northridge mother pleads guilty in syrup swastika vandalism

By Ryan Torok
Published on July 19, 2012

A Northridge mother pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for helping her teenage daughter and two friends deface homes with maple syrup swastikas, human feces and toilet paper, according to the L.A. city attorney’s office.

A beautiful shiva

By William Goldstein
Published on May 8, 2008

My mother, Sylvia Goldstein, Sura Malka bas Yeshiya, passed away on March 11, the fourth of Adar II. She was 92 and had the full use of her mind and wit all of her years.We moved on to the week of shiva.

Shoah survivors’ offspring carry their legacy within

By Jane Ulman
Published on May 1, 2008

More than 60 years after the Holocaust, the descendants of survivors continue to be undeniably and deeply shaped by an event that preceded their birth. Together they share a unique upbringing that many say is both an onus and an inspiration.

I am now the voice of my parents

By Julie Kohner
Published on May 1, 2008

There was never a time in my life when I did not know about the Holocaust.In a strange way, I think I just took the idea of this for granted.

Identity and connection spur more adult b’nai mitzvah

By Peter L. Rothholz
Published on March 13, 2008

The reasons why milifers and seniors have gravitated to adult b'nai mitzvah programs since the trend first took off in the 1970s are numerous, including the fact that most women didn't have such ceremonies until the 1980s (the first bat mitzvah was held in 1922). One perennial influence is a child or grandchild reaching b'nai mitzvah age, and the divergent issues brought about by intermarriage can sometimes compel one or more adults in a family to take on b'nai mitzvah study to serve as a role model.

‘Boychick’ puts bar mitzvah audience in the simcha

By Jay Firestone
Published on February 28, 2008

"The Boychick Affair: The Bar Mitzvah of Harry Boychick," is the latest addition to the ever-amusing genre of interactive theater, known in the business as "environmental theater." In such plays, the conventional fourth wall is broken as actors directly interact with members of the audience. Each character has a detailed background, either created on the spot or written prior to the performance. While the show is staged and scripted, about 30 percent to 40 percent is improvised, said playwright and director Amy Lord.

TV: From Bensonhurst to Vermont, via Hollywood

By Pat Sierchio
Published on February 21, 2008

Gary David Goldberg did not set out to be a screenwriter. He was already 30 when a teacher at San Diego State University guided him toward the profession. That fateful nudge set Goldberg on his path to becoming a successful writer/producer and director of a string of films and television shows that include "Spin City," "Brooklyn Bridge" and the phenomenally popular sitcom, "Family Ties."

Mom’s last day

By Rabbi Mike Comins
Published on November 1, 2007

Remembrance of a mother's last day.

Manage your Chanukah fantasy by putting the focus on your family

By Donna Becker
Published on December 14, 2006

Every Chanukah we seem to throw ourselves into planning the perfect celebration.But the reality during Chanukah is that I start off feeling overwhelmed and end up exhausted.Our expectations of Chanukah -- or any holiday -- are often exaggerated by childhood experiences, for better or for worse.

Television: Will Shabbat dinner drama hold ‘Nine’ viewers captive?

By Shoshana Lewin-Fischer
Published on November 16, 2006

A new series, "The Nine," created by siblings Hank ("Without a Trace") and K.J. Steinberg ("Judging Amy"), tells the story of nine strangers at a L.A. bank and a robbery that will "only take five minutes" -- until, in TV fashion, something goes horribly wrong. The flashbacks -- very small ones that lead every episode -- only hint to the whole story of what happened during the 52-hour standoff.

Briefs: Olmert upbeat on U.S. ties; Hamas names new leader; Olmert’s lesbian daughter slams Jerusale

Published on November 16, 2006

world news briefs

Got Sababa?

By Keren Engelberg
Published on May 12, 2005

More fashion for a cause? You betcha. After all, why "Livestrong" when you could "Get Sababa?"

Lance Armstrong's yellow "Livestrong" bracelets to benefit his cancer foundation are already passé. But hoping to start a fashion craze of her own, 27-year-old Traci Szymanski has launched Get Sababa, a clothing line in progress, complete with the now-requisite rubber-band bracelets. (Hers are blue-and-white tie-dye.)

Gerda Straus Mathan

Published on September 16, 2004

Gerda Straus Mathan, a well-respected, Berkeley-based photographer of Jewish and other subjects who studied with Ansel Adams and lived for a time in Southern California, died Aug. 10 following a long illness. She was 83.

For the Kids

By Abby Gilad
Published on July 8, 2004

For The Kids

Schizophrenia With a Dash of Schmaltz

By Hank Rosenfeld
Published on October 16, 2003

When Iris Rainer Dart's cousin was diagnosed with schizophrenia decades ago, the illness sent shockwaves through her Jewish family. "They were from the shtetl and superstitious," said Dart, 59, the best-selling author of 1985's "Beaches." "They thought that the illness was a curse, that the parents must have done something wrong and that it was perhaps contagious."

Dart's cousin was spoken of in hushed tones and kept behind closed doors, a fate that haunted the author.

Finding a Kindred Spirit in a Patriarch

By Rochelle Furstenberg
Published on September 25, 2003

David Klinghoffer's biography of the patriarch Abraham rides on a new wave of interest in the Bible, and a growing sense of the Abrahamic heritage that Christians, Jews and Muslims share.

Digging For Jews

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on April 17, 2003

When director Andrew Davis first read Louis Sachar's acclaimed children's novel, "Holes," about a boy sent to a hellish Texas juvenile delinquent camp, he said he "detected a Jewish family." The story of the fictional Stanley "Caveman" Yelnats IV flashes back three generations to reveal how his forebears struggled to come to America, "which reflects the Jewish immigration experience," Davis ("The Fugitive") said.

Hidden Heritage Inspires Director

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on September 27, 2001

British film director Stephen Frears was drawn to "Liam," about the making of an anti-Semite, partly because of a startling family secret he discovered in his late 20s.

Answering the Call

By Charlotte Hildebrand
Published on March 15, 2001

A historic conference call recently took place between the six Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters (JBBBS) associations in America. The Jewish agencies had never spoken together outside of informal gatherings at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) conferences; in the past, they had never had a reason to speak as one.

The Joy of ‘Oy’

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on March 15, 2001

Richard Lewis is a comedian who has perfected the art of the kvetch.

Reflecting on the Past

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on August 31, 2000

There were reasons for Carole Goldman to decline the role of Ma in Richard Greenberg's Jewish-assimilation play "Everett Beekin," opening tonight at South Coast Repertory.

Epic Proportions

By Tom Tugend
Published on June 8, 2000

"Sunshine" is a massive, sprawling film that spans 120 years in the lives and loves of four generations of a Hungarian Jewish family.

Balancing Acts

Published on December 2, 1999

Dealing with the holiday season is no easy task for a modern Jewish family. Tinsel, bright lights and department store Santas seem to leap out from every corner (certainly from every corner mall). Reinforcing the joy, and the values, of Chanukah can be a challenge to a committed Jewish parent.

Finding Support

By Wendy J. Madnick
Published on September 9, 1999

On a Wednesday night, about a dozen parents of children with developmental disabilities gather at Sinai Temple, a Conservative synagogue on the Westside. They meet to knock down barriers and dispel myths, to offer a shoulder to cry on and good advice on working the system of state and local agencies. Most of all, they provide support in a community where every child is expected to grow up to graduate from Harvard or, at least, UCLA.

Chanukah with the Spielbergs

By Tom Tugend
Published on December 10, 1998

When Steven Spielberg and his three sisters were growing up in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Spielbergs celebrated Chanukah like any other Jewish family -- well, almost.

Withdrawals from the Memory Bank

By Charles Marowitz
Published on October 1, 1998

Jonathan Tolins' first play, "Twilight of the Golds," caused a strong tremor when it was produced at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1993. A science-fictional comedy, it bounced off the provocative theory that sexual orientation could be biologically determined by analyzing the DNA of the fetus, and dealt with the terror of a New York Jewish family faced with the prospect that they were shortly to become the parents of a "bent" son.