A family in grief chooses life

By Julie Gruenbaum Fax
Published on September 19, 2012

In July, Ivonne Goldberg was at the park with her 3-year-old son, Mikey, and with Nofar Mekonen, a sunny 14-year-old girl visiting from Israel. Nofar was chatting on and on about her trip to Los Angeles, her family, her school.

My Single Peeps: Michele L.

Published on August 22, 2012

Let this be a lesson to all of you: Michele showed up at our interview with two boxes of noodle kugel — one savory, one sweet. Can I be bought off? Apparently.

Thermostat or Thermometer: How Do You Function?

By Samira Asemanfar
Published on August 21, 2012

Families reading together: Two summer novels for children

Published on August 14, 2012

When was the last time your fifth grader read a book written in free verse? How about a children’s version of life in Stalinist Russia? These two very unusual novels for young people from two Los Angeles children’s authors make excellent summer reads and particularly good discussion starters for families to read together.

Survivor: Sol Berger

By Jane Ulman
Published on August 1, 2012

“Where are the dollars?” two plainclothes Gestapo officers demanded as they appeared without warning on both sides of Sol Berger. Sol denied any knowledge, even though the daughter of a local currency dealer was hovering nearby at the train station in Tarnow, Poland, holding the dollars he desperately needed to immigrate to Palestine.

In a new network, Jewish cancer survivors are finding the understanding they need

Published on July 12, 2012

Roni Bibring was 15 when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Four years later, her treatment completed, she says her biggest challenge -- having lost touch with many of her friends -- is making new friends who understand what she’s been through.

My Single Peeps: Aviv A.

Published on July 5, 2012

Aviv, 34, shows up to our interview dressed to the nines. He’s wearing khakis, a blue chambray shirt and a plaid blazer. He’s wearing Gant — a label I like a lot. And I appreciate how fastidious he is about clothing.

10 groups awarded for fostering inclusion of disabled in Jewish community

Published on June 12, 2012

The Ruderman Family Foundation announced its ten inaugural Ruderman Prize in Disability winners, for fostering full inclusion of people with disabilities in the Jewish community.

Survivor: Miriam Rothstein

By Jane Ulman
Published on March 29, 2012

“I don’t know where I am.” After three days and nights in a cramped cattle car, Miriam Rothstein — neé Farkas — was thrust onto the Auschwitz-Birkenau platform. Her sister Margaret and Margaret’s three children were sent to one side, her brother Baruch to another. Where was Rachel?

You, with a kid

Published on March 29, 2012

I’ll never forget asking my therapist the following question when I found out I was pregnant: “Who am I going to be?”

The story of Titanic survivors Leah and ‘Filly’ Aks

Published on March 29, 2012

When Titanic departed on its first and last voyage from Southampton, England on Wednesday, April 10, 1912, 18-year-old Jewish immigrant Leah Aks and her 10-month-old son, Philip were on board.

The high cost of how women relate to money

Published on February 16, 2012

There are a number of topics society has told us we aren’t supposed to discuss in mixed company. Religion, for example, has long been a forbidden subject between people of different faiths. Politics is mostly swept under the rug among people of different parties. Money, something that we all have feelings about, has never been a polite conversation piece.

Brides reflect: the most important takeaways for wedding planning

Published on February 7, 2012

On my wedding day last fall, I was very nervous. My husband and I planned our celebration, to be held in Chicago, entirely on our own and all the way from Boston. We were also combining a Russian-Jewish family with a Sabra-Israeli family, and members of each took long flights to the U.S. for the wedding.

Your sedentary life is getting old

Published on January 26, 2012

One of the best anti-aging activities you can do for your body is exercise. For years, it has been widely accepted that we start getting slower, weaker and more fragile with age. But more recently, this has been proven otherwise by studies on the cellular process of aging and the impressive performances of older athletes.

Surivor: Greti Herman

By Jane Ulman
Published on January 18, 2012

In the pounding rain, lined up five abreast, Greti Herman — then Margit Berger — and her parents were marched from Hungary’s Csillaghegy Ghetto to the nearby train station. As they walked, her mother motioned for her and her father to remove five of the six threads that attached the yellow stars to their canvas raincoats. They arrived early evening, into “a big chaos,” according to Greti, as the Hungarian gendarmes — the police force — shoved people into the waiting cattle cars, tossing their belongings in after them.

Feeding the hungry, keeping It ‘light’

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on January 5, 2012

On a recent Friday morning, about an hour and a half into his regular weekly shift as the Friday manager of the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry (NHIFP), Jerry Rabinowitz, 86, broke into a smile.

‘We’re here to make other people’s lives easier’

By Julie Gruenbaum Fax
Published on January 5, 2012

Many people avert their eyes when they walk by the homeless. Hanne Mintz opens her hand, her heart and her home.

Cooking for AIDS patients Is chicken soup for grieving mom’s soul

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on January 5, 2012

Several days before Mollie Pier’s son, Nathaniel, died of complications from AIDS, she joined together with his doctors, Nathaniel and his longtime partner, Michael, as the couple exchanged rings and vows in his hospital room.

Remember Us project means they’ll never be forgotten

By Danielle Berrin
Published on January 5, 2012

There was a moment while preparing for her bat mitzvah when Rebecca Hutman feared the occasion would not live up to its importance. She wasn’t settled at a shul, and the experience was feeling kind of rote.

Sarica C.

Published on January 4, 2012

I’ve become fascinated with meeting single peeps who are only children. Sarica is one of them. Whatever negatives there are growing up without siblings, the positives are immediately apparent. Sarica, like others I’ve met, is overachieving, confident and a natural leader. She also happens to be really smart.

Survivor: Donna Tuna

By Jane Ulman
Published on January 4, 2012

Suddenly, midday on Sept. 1, 1939, Donna Tuna — then Golda Tajchman — spotted planes flying low over her small town of Ryki, Poland, machine-gunning the inhabitants, who were running, panicked, in all directions. Donna, along with her mother, sister Regina, and younger twin siblings, Feige and Avrum, raced to the riverbank.

Who goes to Jewish adult ed?

By Pini Herman
Published on January 4, 2012

Formal adult education in America is more than 100 years old as a popular concept, having started at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1907. As a Jewish concept, it is embedded in the Torah. Before going to the Holy of Holies in the Temple on Yom Kippur, the high priest would spend the night in study.

Retraining programs get unemployment bump

Published on January 4, 2012

Courtney Myrick, 27, trained to be a massage therapist several years ago but found that customer service jobs paid the bills. After 10 years in the industry, however, jobs became scarce and less stable.

Are you ready for an MBA?

By Judy Gruen
Published on January 4, 2012

Thinking of returning to school for an MBA? If so, you have lots of company. Highly ranked MBA — master of business administration — programs remain extremely competitive, despite the economic downturn. This is true not only for the full-time and part-time MBA programs that are geared toward people who have between two and eight years of work experience, but also for executive MBA programs tailored for more seasoned workers.

Israel’s Mr. Basketball is also Mr. Goodwill

Published on December 26, 2011

Selected 12th overall in the 1965 National Basketball Association draft, Tal Brody passed on the American Dream so he could help change the landscape of Israeli sports—turning down the Baltimore Bullets for a spot on Maccabi Tel Aviv.

At 95, Kip’s Toyland owner ready for more fun and games

By Rachel Heller
Published on December 22, 2011

On a chilly Monday morning in late November, the sunlit patio outside Kip’s Toyland in the original Farmers Market was awash in anticipation. Reporters and city officials milled about, and passers-by with cameras hovered among the tables and chairs.

Aimee L.

Published on December 21, 2011

Aimee was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., but went to college in upstate New York to get as far away from the South as possible.

‘Rabbi, Matisyahu shaved off his beard! Should I shave off mine?’

Published on December 15, 2011

As if the Jewish world doesn’t have enough problems with Iran on the brink of starting a nuclear war and the radical Muslim Brotherhood making gains in Egypt's phased elections.

Lisa L

Published on December 14, 2011

Lisa describes herself as looking like Shirley Temple, “But I’m spicy — not vanilla.” She’s originally from New York, then moved to San Francisco for 12 years.

Survivors: Rita Kahane and Serena Rubin

By Jane Ulman
Published on December 14, 2011

“Schnell, schnell,” the SS soldiers, with dogs and guns, yelled at the newly arrived Auschwitz prisoners. “Hurry, hurry.” Twins Rita and Serena Siegelstein, then 17, were suddenly separated from their parents and two brothers and rushed into a large building.

Jason L.

Published on December 7, 2011

Jason lives in the same building as I do and shares an apartment with two friends from high school. During our interview him for this profile, one of the roommates, Rebecca, wanders around the house, eavesdropping.

Chanukah for the kids

Published on November 23, 2011

"Chanukah Lights,” by Michael J. Rosen and Robert Sabuda (Candlewick: $34.99) is a Chanukah book like no other, a beautiful collaboration from two masters of their fields: author Rosen and pop-up-book artist extraordinaire, Sabuda.

Ian L.

Published on November 22, 2011

Ian grew up with two much older sisters, but “I was kind of like an only child … good life, good childhood, maids … I even had a wet nurse.”

Israelis seeking alternatives to traditional wedding ceremonies

Published on November 21, 2011

Anna Melman and Ari Bronstein are in the midst of planning their wedding, which will be held in January in Israel. They have a venue and a rabbi. But they want to find ways of making the traditional ceremony more egalitarian.

Rising tennis star Nadine Fahoum: In her own words

Published on November 17, 2011

My name is Nadine Fahoum and I am a 21 year old Israeli Arab Muslim from Haifa. When I was 6 years old and it was time to enroll me in elementary school, my parents faced a very complex dilemma—whether to enroll me in the ―Reali Hebrew School or in an Arab school in Haifa.

Esther H.

Published on November 16, 2011

Esther walks into Starbucks to sit down with me, recognizes a young guy at the table next to us and gives him a hug. “He’s my acting coach.” She sits down, continuing, “I noticed people come off kvetchy [in the column]. I want to come off on a higher level. On a sophisticated level.” Her accent is the Jewish Bronx of the 1940s.

Passing of Evelyn Lauder marked by Jewish activists against breast cancer

Published on November 15, 2011

It’s hard to find a Jewish woman without a direct connection to breast cancer. With nearly one in 40 women of Ashkenazi descent possessing a genetic mutation that greatly increases their chances of contracting the disease, breast cancer, like Tay-Sachs and Gaucher’s, is a disproportionately Jewish disease.

Mikveh time for Oprah?

By Lauren Bottner
Published on November 10, 2011

Arab spring comes with bikinis

By Lauren Bottner
Published on November 10, 2011

Jaclyn L.

Published on November 9, 2011

Jaclyn spent her childhood moving from place to place: “We were a gypsy family.” So she has a lot to compare it to when she says, “I love L.A. I love living here. It’s got everything. And I like the people. I dispute most of the clichéd descriptions of the people in L.A. I found very intellectual, deep-thinking and smart people out here.”

I believe pain and anger may offer opportunities for growth

Published on October 26, 2011

I was 10 years old. My father left us and moved to the United States from Winnipeg, leaving my mother, my 6-year-old sister and me destitute. After spending a bitter Canadian winter and spring with friends, we moved into my mother’s parents’ home in Minneapolis.

The mourning after

Published on October 20, 2011

Each culture has rituals and customs surrounding death, and Judaism is no exception. Jewish tradition and the Jewish community provide mourners with structure and direction during the grieving process.

Opinion: Why is it so hard to become a better person?

By Dennis Prager
Published on October 12, 2011

The purpose of the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) is moral introspection: Every year, Jews meditate on the issue of becoming a better person.

Ruth Dayan: A return to Nahalal

Published on October 7, 2011

"My life was like James Bond. I never knew what the day would bring." Moshe Dayan's ex-wife visits her old circle on its 90th anniversary.

Following her heart: A Yom Kippur story

By Julie Gruenbaum Fax
Published on October 5, 2011

This is what Ava Kaufman was wearing when she negotiated with God while in a seven-week coma following a heart transplant: a white turtleneck leotard with a white leather miniskirt, and white thigh-high boots.

Taking seven steps to ‘Sukkot happiness’

Published on October 5, 2011

But are you happy? No, this isn’t your mother wanting another update on your life.

Rabbis’ love for Israel: Is it a generational thing?

Published on October 4, 2011

Do Conservative rabbis become more politically conservative on Israel as they grow older, or are older rabbis simply more right wing than younger rabbis when it comes to Israel?

Majority of Israelis support non-Orthodox marriages, survey finds

Published on October 4, 2011

Some 62 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that civil and non-Orthodox marriages should be recognized in their country, according to a new survey.

David B.

Published on September 27, 2011

David grew up in Miami — my mother was his elementary school teacher. Apparently he was always a nice kid.

Rachel C.

Published on September 20, 2011

A close friend e-mailed me that he thought Rachel would be good for My Single Peeps. “I think you guys will hit it off well, as you have a lot in common — a dead dad, childhood ADD, you both write and act, and you’re ‘good people.’ ”

The skin game

Published on September 16, 2011

Most of us have one body part that we’d like to change, be it our double chin, our tuchis or our belly.

Something special

Published on September 16, 2011

Stephen Michaels’ fondest memories of his Aunt Lisa are of watching movies with her.

It’s hard for me to say I’m sorry…

Published on September 16, 2011

Jews tend to be a forgiving people. We also tend to be an apologetic people. There is good reason for this: We are commanded to seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. We also are encouraged (strongly) to accept apologies from others when they are sincere.

My single peeps: Michael C.

Published on September 13, 2011

Michael was born in Michigan. He went to Columbia University, where he studied political science and wrote his thesis on nuclear deterrence theory.

Roseanne Barr: Meditate with me at Jewish retreat center

Published on September 13, 2011

When one thinks of Roseanne Barr, “meditative” is hardly the first adjective that comes to mind.

One woman’s political awakening

Published on September 7, 2011

Sept. 11 is partly responsible for my choice of career. In 2001, I was an architecture student, even if a disillusioned one, completely uninterested in politics and affairs of the world.

Stacey K.

Published on September 7, 2011

When you think of a born-and-bred Brooklyn girl, blond-haired Stacey probably isn’t what comes to mind.

Benson S.

Published on August 31, 2011

Benson was born in Canada. “I call it Poland, because the winters are so bad.” He asks me about myself, and when I answer, he lifts his hands in the air and waves his fingers at me. He’s sending me “blessings,” he says. He has this spiritual/guru kind of bent to everything he says, and it’s not my kind of thing but I’m sure some girl reading this will be all over him like soybeans on tempeh. He’s got the charisma of a preacher, and as much as I blush around people who sincerely use the word “chakra,” I find Benson interesting to talk to.

Lauren Rochelle G.

Published on August 9, 2011

Lauren, who’s 35, reminds me of a Brooklyn Jew from my grandma’s generation. Not the mild-mannered, sweet- talking bubbe — but more the sharp-tongued Brooklyn Jewish grandma who has no problem telling her granddaughter she’s dressed like a whore and then giving her a kiss on the head and asking if her bubbeleh is hungry. At least that was my grandma.

Job hunting woes

By Marcia and Dr. Rick
Published on August 9, 2011