- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Kerry says Israelis, Palestinians must make tough decisions
Israeli and Palestinian leaders must decide soon on whether to revive long-dormant peace negotiations to end their decades-old conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.
Industry is best bet for peace, Israeli billionaire says
On a new industrial park in Israel's largest Arab town, a software plant belonging to a multibillion-dollar U.S.-listed firm sits cheek-by-jowl with two small Arab-owned businesses: a metal factory and one producing tools for brain surgery.
Adelsons donate $40 million to Birthright
Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, donated $40 million to the Birthright Israel Foundation.
- HOLLYWOOD
Billy Crystal to star in Larry Charles’ FX series
Looks like FX is going to be injecting some humor into their lineup. Not a bad idea, we think, after many seasons of the awesome yet dark series “Justified” or…
Civility replaces violence in ‘Last White Night’
In June 1965, during the most violent days of the civil rights movement, 21-year-old Paul Saltzman drove from Toronto to Mississippi to become a freedom fighter with the Student Nonviolent…
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…
- LIFE & CULTURE
A talent agent turns yogurt maven
Amy Salko Robertson — producer of such films as “The Oh in Ohio,” “Lab Rats” and “When Do We Eat?” a comedy set at a Passover seder —realized that she…
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.
Angelina’s breast cancer victory isn’t for celebrities only
Actress Angelina Jolie just announced that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning that she was genetically predisposed to cancer. Her disclosure was a powerful show of solidarity with…
- BLOGS
Propaganda lies in a disguise
Muhammad al-Durrah, the little boy who became the symbol of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, is returning to the headlines after a decade. A photo of him, crying, leaning against a wall…
Male Eating Disorders: A Real Thing
Recently, People Magazine came out with an article about Ashley Hamilton talking openly about his struggles with an eating disorder. I applaud Ashley for coming out about having an eating…
Religion at the End of The Big C
Last night, Showtime’s The Big C aired its final episode. After three seasons of half-hour installments, this comedy returned for a shortened final season consisting of four hour-long episodes. Subtitled…
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Doheny Kosher scandal: What took RCC so long? [UPDATED]
The Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) abruptly revoked its certification from Doheny Glatt Kosher Meats on March 24, but the RCC, Los Angeles’s leading kosher oversight agency, had first heard about the distributor’s suspicious practices years earlier.
Orna Eilon: Connecting for cultural continuity
For thousands of years, Jews have lived as minority populations in various regions worldwide, surviving largely through their strong commitment to community.
Temple Judea to hire Rabbi Joshua Aaronson
Members of Temple Judea in Tarzana concluded a yearlong search for a new senior rabbi by voting to hire Rabbi Joshua Aaronson on Jan. 16. The spiritual leader of Temple Har Shalom in Park City, Utah, Aaronson will join Judea, a 1,000-member-family Reform congregation, on July 1, replacing Rabbi Donald Goor.
Bet Tzedek moves east
Ever since Bet Tzedek’s inception in 1974, the free legal-services firm has mostly been housed in the heavily Jewish Fairfax district, with additional offices in the San Fernando Valley and the Mid-Wilshire area.
The Howard Berman-Brad Sherman campaign war
I’ve covered many political campaigns, but none quite like Berman versus Sherman.
Berman or Sherman? No thanks, says Valley Republican group
Berman snags newspaper endorsements, Sherman files complaint against Berman campaign
With California’s congressional primary election scheduled to take place on June 5, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys), has won endorsements from the editorial boards of the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News.
Live Broadcast: Berman v. Sherman Debate (With Mark Reed) [LIVE RECORDING]
Sherman lays into Berman in four-way Congressional debate
In 2001, the last time the lines of congressional districts were redrawn, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) so hated the way that the San Fernando Valley was sliced into districts that he reportedly said that Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) “stabbed me in the back.”
Letters to the Editor: Middle East, climate change, Israel and the San Fernando Valley
Not so much a bombshell as a failed firecracker (“Newt’s Bombshell,” Dec. 16). David Suissa turns back the clock to 1977 for a quote from Zahir Muhsein that states the obvious: “There is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.”
Big money, a game of chicken, and Wikipedia smears: a month in the Berman v. Sherman race
Bill Clinton, state and local officials endorse Sherman in contested West Valley district
Valley and Proud: Ventura Boulevard
Whether you’re seeking food, culture, retail or sights, the number and breadth of choices along Ventura Boulevard is positively obscene. Beginning at Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood and concluding nearly 17 miles later in Woodland Hills, Ventura, the main thoroughfare that defines the San Fernando Valley, offers history, nightlife, businesses, services and even pockets of homes.
San Fernando Valley: Like!
It was a gorgeous spring afternoon in Woodland Hills, and I was sitting at a table in the outdoor courtyard of a small food court waiting for one of my friends to arrive from the city for a lunch date.
PJ Library families snuggle up with Jewish books
"You can sign up and get books once a month just because you're a Jewish kid, or because you have a Jewish child. We want people to know that there are no strings attached," said Carol Koransky, executive director of the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance.
All pink, all the time
Earthquake rattles San Gabriel, Pomona synagogues, Israeli consulate evacuated
An earthquake felt throughout the Southern California area Tuesday morning caused no visible damage to synagogues close to the epicenter in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. but the Israeli Consulate on Wilshire was evacuated
Economic turmoil puts pressure on Jewish community
The food pantry would not open for another 40 minutes, but already about a dozen people were waiting in the parking lot, many holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the blistering San Fernando Valley sun
UCLA dorm kosher meal plan discontinued, Jewish Little League sends All-Star team to Israel
After only one year, UCLA's meal plan offering hot kosher meals to students has come to an end. The failure of students to sign up for this dining option is in part the reason for its demise, as participation dwindled from five students in the fall trimester, to only three in the winter, and eventually one lone student in the spring
Valley ‘Walk for Darfur’ raises $35,000
More than 1,400 people marched up Vanowen Street and across Victory Boulevard in West Hills last Sunday to raise funds and awareness about the genocide in Darfur. The second annual three-mile Walk for Darfur raised more than $35,000 for Jewish World Watch's work in refugee support, political advocacy and education.
For Israeli ex-pats, the homeland is calling
Merav and Roy Lobel are going back to Israel. Since the birth of their baby boy, now eight months old, they have longed to be with their families. Each time they've hung up the phone after a call to Israel, they've felt as if part of their heart was still there.
Anti-Semitism charge colors liquor license fight in City of San Fernando
Real estate developer Sev Aszkenazy recently settled a lawsuit with the city of San Fernando over a liquor permit he was denied for a planned steak house. He said the denial was due, in part, to anti-Semitic bias.
City Voice: The perfect combination
An evening at Shomrei Torah Synagogue got me thinking about Barack Obama and how much the San Fernando Valley has changed since I first roamed there in 1970.
It's an odd combination of thoughts, I know. Or, perhaps not. The more I thought about it, the combination made perfect sense to me.
City and Feds offer $95,000 reward for information on Valley firebombings
Los Angeles and Jewish officials announced today that the reward for information about last week's firebombing attacks on The New JCC at Milken and the West Valley residence of a Jewish family has been increased to $95,000.
Villaraigosa condemns Molotov cocktail attack on Milken JCC
Community briefs dealing with the firebombing of the Milken JCC.
City Voice: Condo conversions cause casualties
In Jewish communities in Los Angeles, tenants are uneasily contemplating a fate increasingly familiar to renters - the conversion of their building to condominiums.
LAPD arrests man for defacing councilman’s Valley office
A Sherman Oaks man has been arrested for defacing the Valley district field office of L.A. City Councilman Jack Weiss early Thursday morning with three swastikas and two incoherent messages, glued to the glass entrance door with epoxy.
Meet Harry Schwartzbart—defender of the First Amendment
Jewish emergency info card a hit with LAPD; Postcard and dog tag campaign seeks release of Israeli
Jewish emergency info card a hit With LAPD; Postcard and dog tag campaign seeks release of Israeli soldiers; Jewish Home Taps Caan for Walk
Seniors Seek Loving Hands, Home
When Arden Realty Chairman and CEO Richard Ziman's elderly father was beginning to fade about 10 years ago, the father made a simple request. "'If I begin to lose it, take me there,'" said the father, as recounted by his son. "'I will never be in better hands and with better people who will take better care of me.'" Since 1912, those better hands have been at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging.
Jewish Population on Rise in South Bay
Jewish life in the South Bay has been flourishing.
According the Jewish Federation/South Bay Council, the area is one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in California. From Westchester to San Pedro, the Jewish population has increased dramatically to an estimated 40,000, and there are numerous indicators that this trend will continue.
Robin Franko, director of the South Bay Council and a lifelong South Bay resident, says that the numbers speak volumes about the thriving community.
Valley Is No Longer a Remote Outpost
I've lived in two of the country's most ridiculed locales. I was born in New Jersey, the punch line of stand-up comics everywhere. Adding insult to injury, my family moved to the San Fernando Valley in the early '70s. At that time, the Valley was perceived as the end of the earth -- a place you'd need a passport to visit, should you actually want to. Over time, the remaining farmland and orchards gave way to more strip malls and housing tracts, while the Valley retained its reputation as a place where nothing worthwhile happens.
Things change. I now live on the Westside. Hoboken is considered hip. And the San Fernando Valley, well, it's begun to resemble the Westside in ways both positive and negative.
Preschoolers Relay for Friend
Temple Ahavat Shalom parents and preschoolers strolled around America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College on Jan. 27, waiting for Alexa Weiner to arrive for her fifth birthday party. When they learned that the event had been canceled due to a family emergency, none of them could have imagined that the bright, spirited birthday girl was at Childrens Hospital, fighting for her life as she awaited emergency surgery for stage-three brain cancer.
Off the Bimah: A Concerted Effort
With her slender figure, long, shining strawberry-blonde hair and big hazel eyes, Alison Wissot looks more like a stage ingénue than most people's conceptions of a cantor -- not surprising, since that's what she was 10 years ago.
Wissot's cantorial career is off to a brilliant start: Less than three years after graduating from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's School of Sacred Music in New York, she is filling the largest Reform cantorial pulpit in the San Fernando Valley, the 1,300-household Temple Judea in Tarzana and West Hills.
No Divorce
The Valley will rise again, even if we have to sue: that was the vow of secessionists as the measure to breakup the City of Los Angeles went down in defeat, winning by a narrow margin in the San Fernando Valley but losing in the citywide vote.
Valley Races That Also Matter
With the spotlight on secession for the past few months, it is almost easy to forget that there are major political races involving Jewish candidates in the San Fernando Valley.
The most significant battle is the one being waged in the 27th U.S. House District. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) has been virtually invincible up until now in the 24th District. However, the district was redrawn in September, thus making him an unknown quantity to about two-thirds of his constituents and leaving an opening for challenger Robert Levy, an attorney from Woodland Hills.
Valley Jew/City Jew
Why is it that the majority of Jews in Los Angeles and in the San Fernando Valley oppose secession?
The most recent poll that counted Jewish voters, conducted last July by the Los Angeles Times, found that 57 percent of Jewish voters opposed secession and 34 percent said they were for it, with only 9 percent saying they were undecided.
Although the number of Jewish voters was too low to allow for a breakdown of Valley Jews versus city Jews, Susan Pinkus, director of the Times Poll, said that even in the Valley, Jewish voters were strongly against the breakup.
Not a Full Slate
The dearth of candidates can be partly attributed to the unusual nature of this election.
Valley Secession: An Inside Look
Zev Yaroslavsky has served on the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) since its inception in 1998. This experience, plus eight years as a Los Angeles County supervisor representing both sides of the Santa Monica Mountains, and a councilman before that, has made him one of the best-informed authorities on Valley secession. He recently took time to share his insights with The Jewish Journal.
Elephant in the Valley
Used to be that every once in a blue moon, a rare Republican, who happened to be Jewish, would decide to run for office in the heavily Democratic San Fernando Valley, only to be soundly defeated at the polls.
This year, Jewish Republicans hope to change all that with three candidates: Robert M. Levy, who is running against Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks); Connie Friedman, who is up against Jewish Democrat Lloyd Levine for former Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg's old seat in the 40th District, which covers most of the San Fernando Valley, and newcomer Michael J. Wissot, who will compete against Assemblywoman Fran Pavley in the heavily Democratic 41st District, which is located partially in Ventura County.
Community Funding
An Israel advocacy mobile unit for college campuses. A community rabbi to cover the West San Fernando Valley. A series of cultural events to forge bonds between the Jewish communities of the East Valley. These are just a few of the innovative programs to be launched by grants from The Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance.
Religion, Rabbis and Reform
The San Fernando Valley secession movement faces almost total opposition from Los Angeles' political, civic, academic and media establishments. But over the coming weeks, it is likely to be taking flak from the city's religious elite, too.
A Map Is a Mirror
No one said redistricting is fun. But this once-a-decade political ritual does provide a mirror to how much leverage a community has, or lacks.
On Hertzberg’s Horizon
Even though Robert Hertzberg will step down from the speakership of the California Assembly on Feb. 6, he still has plenty to say. The Sherman Oaks Democrat, as a rule, keeps busy.
Opening ‘The Box’
Like most of his grad student peers at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer always thought he would eventually become a pulpit rabbi, even taking an assistant rabbi position at a prominent San Fernando Valley synagogue as training for the day he would lead his own congregation.
He’s Always Been Fyvush
Comedy Nite 2002 started out as a fundraising evening for Hillel at Pierce and Valley colleges on Saturday, Jan. 26. It quickly turned into a mutual admiration society meeting when Fyvush Finkel showed up. The evening's honoree gave as good as he got, praising Hillel for providing "a bissel of Yiddishkeit" and encouraging the parents in the audience to "tell these students never to give up."
Beyond the Kitchen
A roomful of women come together on a chilly December evening in Southern California. They eat, they laugh, they talk. One woman stands up and tells everyone that she learned how to say, "No." Her announcement is met with applause. Another stands up and says how happy she is that she has the support of her friends and family.
Living the Chai Life
They're celebrating the fourth night of Chanukah at the Chai Teen and Youth Center, and, to put it mildly, this joint is jumping.
Separate Cities Pay Off
If the people of the San Fernando Valley want to vote to become their own independent city and it is not going to take any money away from the rest of the city, then why should any among us feel we have the right to deny them that right?
Secession Won’t Work
Last month, the ground lurched beneath the crowd trying to split the San Fernando Valley from the rest of Los Angeles. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) determining whether and how breakup proposals reach the ballot, turned the rallying cry of Valley secessionists on its head. Brushing aside any meaningful definition of "self-determination," LAFCO recommends that a new Valley city initially contract for basic services like police and fire from, well, the existing City of Los Angeles.
Togetherness Through Mitzvot
In a rustic little corner of Chatsworth, flanked by trees and horses and dry, dusty land, sits the nerve center of the oldest interfaith program in the San Fernando Valley.
From its offices in a building owned by a United Methodist church, the Valley Interfaith Council (VIC) has, for 37 years, quietly provided an outlet for religious organizations to pool their resources and feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and support the elderly while allowing Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims an opportunity to learn tolerance by sharing mitzvot.
What makes Us Special
When I took the position of Valley editor back in 1998, some people questioned the need for a reporter to cover the Valley.
The MTA View
Jewish Journal: It has been 10 years since the East-West Transit Corridor was first proposed. Why do you think there is still so much resistance to the project, despite the fact that everyone is affected by the dismal traffic conditions in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles?
Chandler Busway:Round Two
A proposed busway continued to spark fierce debate during two public hearings held in the San Fernando Valley during the last weeks of June.
Could Be Green and Great
Numerous spokespeople for the Orthodox Jewish community have passionately opposed any transportation solution that includes using the Chandler portion of the MTA right of way. I would like to express support of the MTA's proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route on the Burbank/Chandler corridor.
Photo Finish
April 10 is the ultimate day at the track for the nation's second-largest school district. Never before has so much ridden on the backs of campaign horses as in the current race for positions on Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) Board of Education.
A Losing Battle?
While most outsiders equate Burbank with NBC studios, Carson and Leno, townsfolk see it as a small haven amidst the chaos of Los Angeles.
Challenging Hate
Two teenage boys were arrested Sun., Sept. 24, in connection with the ransacking of classrooms and painting of swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti on the walls of the West Valley Hebrew Academy in Woodland Hills.
Cousin Sima
In a perfect world, my cousin Sima and I would have grown up together. Almost exactly a year apart, we would have talked in secret code, tormented our younger siblings and giggled together at family seders. We would have shared our adolescent crushes and angst, and danced at each other's weddings.
Waging Peace
In a small grove of trees on the campus of Pierce College in Woodland Hills this past Sunday, a group of government officials and concerned citizens gathered to honor the victims of hate crimes. About 300 people representing a cross-section of the diverse Los Angeles community attended the Unity Over Hate Rally, all braving the intense August sun to share their support for peace, both locally and across the nation.The rally's main focus was to commemorate the events of Aug. 10, 1999. The families of those wounded that day in the shooting at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and of Joseph Ileto, the Filipino-American postal worker gunned down by the same alleged perpetrator, came up to the podium and tried to bring meaning to their personal tragedies. Alongside the stage stood a poster of Ileto, with his first name used as an acronym for Join Our Struggle [to] Educate [and] Prevent Hate.Ismael Ileto, Joseph's brother, gave the morning's most moving speech, noting that it had been a year of heavy losses for his family.
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