The 37th annual Chabad “To Life” telethon on Sept. 3 raised more than $3.5 million for Chabad West Coast. The six-hour event was broadcast live from Illuminate Studios in the San Fernando Valley.

Rabbi Boruch S. Cunin, director of Chabad West Coast, was among the Chabad leaders in attendance. He described the telethon as the “biggest expression of Jewish pride that there is in the world. Any person who looks at the world — you have Texas underwater; you have [one of the biggest fires in Los Angeles history] burning in La Tuna; you have the world going nuts. You can’t change the darkness with a vacuum cleaner or a whisk broom, only with the light — and that’s what the telethon is.”

Actor Jon Voight, a regular participant in the telethon over the years, was raised Catholic but is a longtime friend of Chabad. Wearing a suit, tie, yarmulke and Nike sneakers, he told the Journal “he was having some fun and doing some good” this year.

The event made Voight, one of the stars of the Showtime series “Ray Donovan,” nostalgic. He recalled meeting Cunin 30 years ago and finding the rabbi arm wrestling with patients of the Chabad Residential Treatment Center. “He was so down to earth,” Voight said of Cunin, shortly before joining young Chabad followers in a dance to celebrate the conclusion of the telethon.

About 20 people on the telethon’s phone bank fielded a constant stream of calls from supporters donating to the cause. Chabad West Coast operates more than 200 branches that conduct outreach for the Orthodox Jewish movement.

Additional guests included former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is running for governor; actress Renee Taylor; attorney Marshall Grossman; and Chabad of Ojai Valley Rabbi Mordy Nemtzov.

Longtime telethon producer Michael Levin produced the event with the help of Rabbi Simcha Backman, co-director of Chabad of Glendale and the Foothill Communities, and Rabbi Shalom Cunin, director of Chabad of Westwood.

From left: ReKood Music Festival Co-Chair Ari Ryan; his wife, Rebecca; and former Israel Defense Forces lone soldiers Tamir and Addee Lerner attend the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Young Leadership Division of Los Angeles’ inaugural ReKood Music Festival at the Belasco Theater. Photo by Virginia Bulacio

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Young Leadership Division of Los Angeles, partnering with Israeli American Council Lead, a network of young professionals, held its inaugural ReKood Music Festival at the Belasco Theater on Aug. 26.

More than 1,200 FIDF supporters, along with 18 former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, attended the event, which raised more than $250,000 for FIDF programs assisting young men and women in the IDF.

Ari Ryan, co-founder and chairman of FIDF Young Leadership Los Angeles and FIDF western region vice president, co-chaired the festival.

“The contributions of our community,” Ryan said, “send a clear message to those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the Jewish homeland that they are not alone and that we are here for them today and always.”

The sold-out event — the title of which translates from Hebrew to “dance” — featured performances by Jewish rapper Lil Dicky, Iggy Azalea, DJ Vice, Maggie Speaks and Mark McGrath, and DJ Child’s Play. Warren G and DJ Aaron Colbert headlined the VIP lounge. As people enjoyed the live music, they also watched the live broadcast of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor boxing match, shown on screens around the venue.

Among the attendees was Daniel Babajoni, president of Nessah Educational and Cultural Center’s young adults group, LeDor VaDor.

“Being able to speak with the former soldiers one on one, connecting with them and having fun with them was the best part of the experience,” Babajoni said. “It makes me proud seeing how well-connected and influential the young leaders of FIDF are to put together such a great event in honor of the brave men and women of the IDF, and enabling our community to give back while having fun together.”

Among the other attendees were Simon Etehad, former FIDF western region vice president; Leore Ben-David, managing director of Zionist Organization of America Campus; and Robert Roig, FIDF Young Leadership executive board member and ReKood co-chair.

— Mati Geula Cohen, Contributing Writer

Rob Eshman

Rob Eshman, longtime editor-in-chief and publisher of the Jewish Journal, has announced he will be leaving his position on Sept. 26, while Journal President David Suissa, formerly the founder of Suissa/Miller Advertising and editor and publisher of OLAM Magazine, will step into Eshman’s role.

Eshman, who has written and sold two movie projects while at the Journal, said that after 23 years at the publication, he wants to switch the focus of his career to writing full time. He will be working on a food book — Eshman writes the blog “Foodaism” — and another movie project.

“I couldn’t be prouder of what the Journal has become,” Eshman said. “And I am honored and grateful to have been a part of it. I will always love this paper, its staff and this community.”

Peter Lowy, chairman of TRIBE Media, which produces the Jewish Journal, said Eshman has been integral to the Journal and the Jewish community. “He brought curiosity, intellect and a sense of humor to his work,” Lowy said. “Most of all, he cares passionately about journalism and Judaism — and he showed that every week.”

Lowy said Eshman approached him in late July to begin discussing the move, and together with Suissa they worked toward a smooth transition.

“What makes the Journal great is a great staff, its board and the community we serve,” Eshman said. “Those will remain the constants of the Jewish Journal.”

The Journal combines news of the 600,000-strong Los Angeles Jewish community with commentary, features and national and international news. It publishes 50,000 print copies each week and updates jewishjournal.com, one of the world’s most widely read Jewish news sites, throughout the day.

Eshman, 57, is a native of Encino and a graduate of Dartmouth College. He is married to Rabbi Naomi Levy, an author and founder of Nashuva. They have two children, Adi and Noa.

— Jewish Journal Staff

Actress-comedian Caroline Langford performed a one-woman show at the Israeli-American Council’s Shepherd Community Center in Woodland Hills. Photo courtesy of Caroline Langford

Caroline Langford performed her humorous one-woman show, “The Ups and Downs of Caroline Langford,” at the Israeli American Council (IAC) Shepher Community Center in Woodland Hills on Aug. 22.

Langford, 59, who was born in England and made aliyah with her family when she was 14, starred in Israeli candid-camera movies in her youth, including the popular “Smile! You’ve Been Had.” She has since acted in numerous film, TV and stage productions.

In her show for the IAC event, which she performed in Hebrew, Langford recalled her father’s revelation as their family flew from England. “I asked him, ‘Why are we moving to Israel?’ He said, ‘Because we are Jewish.’ And I said, ‘Since when?’ ”

“I remember people in Israel asking me, ‘Why have you moved from England? Here, it sucks.’ Now, when I’m going back to Israel for a visit, they all say, ‘Why did you move? Here, it’s the best place in the world.’ ”

Langford, a mother of two, once was married to the son of former Israeli defense and foreign minister Moshe Dayan. They divorced and she has since remarried and now lives with her Israeli-born husband in Woodland Hills.

The IAC Social Club, which provides entertainment, lectures and activities to people age 50 and older, organized the evening.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has awarded 58 grants totaling more than $4.8 million to community clinics in the Los Angeles region, including five Jewish organizations.

Beit T’Shuvah, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Westside Jewish Community Center each received grants to continue their aid to underserved populations.

“We’re very grateful for Cedars-Sinai’s support in helping undocumented migrant children and their families cope with trauma,” said Lyn Morris, senior vice president of clinical operations for Didi Hirsch. “Many have suffered physical or sexual abuse and are struggling with culture shock as they begin lives in a new country where they don’t speak the language and have limited resources. This grant allows us to help people who have nowhere else to turn get the treatment and care they need to ensure healthy and brighter futures.”

Beit T’Shuvah’s Extended Care program was a recipient of a mental health grant that will provide “a crucial component of care for our clients as they move through our unique treatment program,” said Hayley Levy, executive director at Beit T’Shuvah. “We are truly grateful for the partnership that exists between Cedars-Sinai and Beit T’Shuvah. Without this grant, a critical aspect of client care would be missing from our program.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

Moving & Shaking highlights events, honors and simchas. Got a tip? Email ryant@jewishjournal.com.

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Yiddish actor Mike Burstyn’s directorial debut, “Azimuth,” which tells the story of two soldiers during the last day of the Six-Day War in June 1967, premiered at an Aug. 24 Israel Film Festival event at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Burstyn, 71, who also wrote the script, is the Bronx-born son of Yiddish actors. The Los Angeles resident first read the story about the two soldiers years ago and decided to develop it into a full-length film, which stars Israeli actor Yiftach Klein and Egyptian actor Sammy Sheik.

Sheik, who lives in Los Angeles, told Burstyn he loved the script.

“He called me back and said that, even though it’s an Israeli film, he wanted to do it because of the message it sends,” Burstyn said during a Q-and-A after the screening, conducted by Jewish Journal President David Suissa.

“Azimuth” follows the conflict between two soldiers deadlocked in an abandoned United Nations outpost during the ceasefire that ended the Six-Day War. Burstyn said the movie doesn’t take sides but, instead, portrays a battle of survival between two relatable individuals.

“The metaphor is … we cooperate or we are going to die in the desert,” the filmmaker said.

Sheik, who attended the premiere, said he traveled to Israel and met many Israelis whom he found to be the “sweetest people I ever met. I found that most people really want peace.”

Both Sheik’s and Klein’s fathers participated in the Six-Day War, on opposite sides.

The film will screen during the 31st Israel Film Festival, which opens in Los Angeles on Nov. 5.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

Bottom row, from left: Shawn Landres; Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer; Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Noah Farkas and Julie Munjack and (top row, from left) Mishkon Tephilo Rabbi Gabriel Botnick; Dara Papel, Caroline Kelly, Va Lecia Adams Kellum and Adam Murray attend a Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles homelessness event. Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Religious and community leaders gathered at Mishkon Tephilo Synagogue in Venice on Aug. 24 to discuss strategies to prevent and end homelessness.

The panelists addressed the lack of sufficient resources and affordable housing in Los Angeles County at the event organized by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ Community Engagement Strategic Initiative.  

“Every person who became homeless went through some kind of trauma,” Rabbi Noah Farkas of Valley Beth Shalom and chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, told the audience at the synagogue located in the beach community where hundreds of women and men sleep on the street.  

“We don’t have a lot of shelters, food banks and affordable housing,” Farkas said. “We have to establish neighborhoods, so people who fall into homelessness can stay in the communities and neighborhoods where they used to live.”

The event drew about 140 guests and community and civic leaders, including Ted Winterer, mayor of Santa Monica; Va Lecia Adams Kellum, president and CEO of the St. Joseph Center; and Shawn Landres, chair of the City of Santa Monica Social Services Commission and chair of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission.

Before the panel, guests were invited to take a tour of the St. Joseph Center, which provides services to homeless people in the area.

Adam Murray, executive director of the Inner City Law Center, said the lack of affordable housing units in Los Angeles is pushing people to live on the streets. He encouraged guests to educate themselves on the issue, volunteer and join organizations that assist homeless people.

“Roll up your sleeps and get involved,” he said. “Every community needs to have affordable housing.”

With homelessness at crisis levels, some panelists encouraged everyone in the audience to be patient.

Caroline Kelly, chair of the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission, said that because of mental illness issues, people who are homeless often “need much more time to have housing and stay in the housing.”

Other panelists talked about the importance of erasing the stigma of mental illness and homelessness.

“[Homeless people] are someone’s mother, father, brother, sister or daughter,” Murray said. “We need to bring a sense of urgency to homelessness and see them as ourselves.”  

At the end of the event, the organizers announced the recipients of the Federation’s 2017 ChangeMaker Challenge, a program that rewards organizations that make an impact on the city. This year’s winners were the Latino Resource Organization, the New Beginning Outreach Foundation, Safe Place for Youth, Shomrei Torah Synagogue and University Synagogue.

— Olga Grigoryants, Contributing Writer

Rabbi Jon Hanish, senior rabbi at Temple Kol Tikvah of Woodland Hills and a recipient of the National Alliance on Mental Illness 2017 California Outstanding Clergy Award. Photo courtesy of Temple Kol Tikvah

Rabbi Jon Hanish, senior rabbi at Temple Kol Tikvah of Woodland Hills, has received the 2017 California Outstanding Clergy Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The honor, announced on Aug. 25 at the annual NAMI California Conference in Newport Beach, recognizes faith leaders who show exemplary commitment to supporting people with mental illness and their families.

“I know many religious leaders who do more than me when it comes to mental health issues,” Hanish said in a statement. “I feel dwarfed by their efforts. All I can do is say thank you to NAMI for this unexpected award.”

Hanish became involved with NAMI, a volunteer-based organization that provides resources and support groups for people affected by mental illness, when he participated in a clergy panel in 2013. Hanish has since become a regular speaker about Judaism and mental health at NAMI events, and every year has invited a NAMI speaker to address his congregation between morning and afternoon Yom Kippur services.

Hanish recently gathered 12 congregants and community professionals for “Care and Share Training,” a two-night NAMI program that prepares religious institutions to launch mental health support groups. Hanish’s session was the first of its kind in California.

Before leading the misheberach, the prayer for the sick, during Kol Tikvah services, Hanish often emphasizes the equal importance of mental and physical healing. 

“Acts of God are the actions taken by us and our communities to embrace everyone,” Hanish said. “No illness, no affliction, no challenge should be suffered alone. Community is needed.”

— Gabriella Kamran, Contributing Writer

Saba Soomekh, assistant director of interreligious and intercommunity affairs at American Jewish Committee Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of American Jewish Committee

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Los Angeles announced on Aug. 28 the addition of Saba Soomekh as its assistant director of interreligious and intercommunity affairs and Roslyn Warren as associate director for international relations.

Soomekh was the associate director of research at UCLA’s Leve Center for Jewish Studies from 2015 to 2017 and has written about world religions, women’s studies and the geopolitics and history of the Middle East. Her book, “From the Shahs to Los Angeles: Three Generations of Iranian Jewish Women Between Religion and Culture,” was published in 2012 and was awarded the gold medal at the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the religion category.

“It is an honor to be a part of the AJC family,” Soomekh said. “For the past 13 years, I have been involved with AJC as a lay person. As a religious studies scholar, my new position as the assistant director of interreligious and intercommunity affairs enables me to engage directly with various faith groups and communities in order to ensure that we work together to promote democratic values and the protection of human rights.”

Warren previously worked at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security alongside Melanne Verveer, the first U.S. ambassador for global women’s issues and a former chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Warren has traveled to more than 50 countries throughout her career, and has written about international affairs ranging from local partner protection in Iraq and Afghanistan to women’s participation in global peace processes.

“After spending several years dedicating myself to human rights issues across the world,” Warren said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to return to my hometown of Los Angeles and serve a community and a global mission that I hold dear.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

Moving & Shaking highlights events, honors and simchas. Got a tip? Email ryant@jewishjournal.com.

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A benefit event for the Brent Shapiro Foundation at Green Acres mansion in Beverly Hills on Sept. 9 raised more than $1 million.

The gathering was hosted by Linell and Robert Shapiro,  a defense lawyer, who established the foundation following their son Brent’s death at age 24 in 2005. Brent Shapiro was involved with alcohol and drugs since in his early teens. He went to rehab several times and was clean for 18 months before attending a party where he drank beer and took an accidental overdose of the drug Ecstasy.

His parents created the foundation to honor his life and promote prevention and awareness of chemical dependence. The foundation operates the Brent’s Club program that works in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Brent’s Club serves more than 1,300 young people who are tested for drug use every year. None has failed a test so far. All graduates receive a college scholarship, and two of the graduates were honored during the event, receiving awards plus full scholarships.

“We started 12 years ago with 100 people in the club,” said Linell Shapiro, “and now we have expanded to six clubs and we are going to open two more in New York and Malibu. These kids appreciate what we are doing for them and it warms your heart to see them. Tonight is a celebration of Brent’s life. I’ve never known anybody who was so loved like he was. He is incredibly missed, and I know he is here with us tonight and loves the message of giving back.”

So far, 3,000 young people between the ages of 11 and 17 have participated in the program.

The event, hosted by Mario Lopez and Robert Shapiro, honored singer Demi Lavato, who has struggled with her own substance abuse. Also in attendance at the event were Priscilla Presley, Sugar Ray Leonard, Adrienne Maloof and Tracee Ellis Ross.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

From left: Israeli Consul for Public Diplomacy and Culture Karin Eliyahu-Pery; Jewish National Fund (JNF) Board Member Gina Raphael; L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell; Deputy Chief of Mission at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles Eitan Weiss; and JNF Los Angeles Executive Director Lou Rosenberg commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Photo courtesy of Jewish National Fund

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) hosted events at fire and police stations around the United States to pay tribute to American first responders and commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

JNF built the 9/11 Living Memorial in the foothills of Jerusalem in 2009, and it stands as the only memorial outside of the U.S. that lists the names of all of the victims of the terrorist attacks. Designed by Israeli artist Eliezer Weishoff, the memorial is a 30-foot-high bronze sculpture of the American flag that morphs into a memorial flame and includes a metal beam from one of the original World Trade Center towers.

The Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles began delivering flowers to fire stations along with a postcard of the memorial on 9/11 three years ago and last year approached Daniel Friedman, JNF’s L.A. Israel advocacy and education department area director, about expanding the effort. 

JNF created a plaque with a photo of the memorial in Israel and this year hosted events in L.A., Baltimore and New York.

“It was a huge honor to be part of a special ceremony to recognize our first responders. [It] shows the amazing bond between the United States and Israel, two countries that have shared values of peace and religious tolerance,” Lou Rosenberg, JNF’s Los Angeles executive director, said in an email.

“I think that so often our first responders are taken for granted. These brave people put their lives on the line every day for the betterment and safety of their communities. So to be able to express our gratitude to these police officers, fire fighters and sheriffs was truly an amazing experience,” Friedman said in the email.

JNF hosted four ceremonies, one in Beverly Hills and three others in L.A. On Sept. 8, Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse, Fire Chief Greg Barton and Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli were presented with the plaque. On Sept. 11, JNF visited the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office, LAPD headquarters and the West Los Angeles LAPD police station, where staff members were presented with the plaque in honor of their service.

Among those at the various events were L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief Charlie Beck and Eitan Weiss, deputy chief of mission at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles.

“Israel has always stood, and will always stand, with the United States of America, just as the United States has always stood with Israel,” Israeli Consul for Public Diplomacy Karin Eliyahu-Pery said in an email. “Like true friends and allies, we come together in celebration of good moments and also on occasions of terrible sadness, such as today.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

From left: Israeli American Council Chairman Adam Milstein; Jewish Journal President David Suissa and Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Ed Feinstein. Photo courtesy of Israeli American Council

A panel discussion on Sept. 6 titled, “Israeliness: A Strategic Asset for the American Jewish Future?” featured Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Ed Feinstein, Israeli American Council (IAC) Chairman Adam Milstein and Jewish Journal President David Suissa.

Approximately 80 people gathered at the IAC Shepher Community Center in Woodland Hills for the discussion, which also centered on the future of the Israeli-American community.

Feinstein expressed a fear that the next Israeli-American generation will have no ties to Israel and to Judaism.

“Here is my problem: In 20 years, whatever ‘Israeliness’ is will disappear,” he said. “They might eat falafel once in a while, might speak a little Hebrew, but that’s it. Israeliness is something that is based on memories that your children don’t have, so unless you do something about it, it will be Little Italy all over again.”

Milstein said the IAC was established by Israelis in part to keep the next generations of Israelis in America connected to their roots and to the essence and culture of Israel. He said membership in synagogues can be expensive and Israeli Americans who cannot afford the high cost have other options to feel connected to their Jewish heritage and maintain their connection to Israel.

“We see increasingly more Jewish Americans participate in our programs,” he said. “They love our Israeli culture and are delighted to discover many new ways to enhance their connection to Judaism and the State of Israel.”

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

Rabbi Noah Farkas

The American Jewish World Service (AJWS) has named two local rabbis, Noah Farkas of Valley Beth Shalom and Andrew Feig of Alice and Nahum Lainer School, as Global Justice Fellows for 2017-18.

They are among 14 rabbis selected from across the country by AJWS, which promotes human rights and combats poverty in developing nations.

The six-month fellowship will begin in October and include a weeklong trip to Guatemala in January, when the rabbis will meet with leaders in the fight against poverty and the advancement of human rights. They will continue their advocacy work during a trip to Washington, D.C., focusing on laws and policies promoting human rights.

“Rabbi Farkas has been supporting progressive values in the L.A. area for years, with his leadership with RiseUp LA and many other initiatives,” said Lilach Shafir, AJWS director of international education and Jewish engagement. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him again, at this intense level. Rabbi Andrew Feig is a community organizer and a leader in the interfaith field in L.A., and he brings a social justice perspective to bear on all of his work as a school rabbi in L.A.”

Rabbi Andrew Feig

In addition to his work with VBS, Farkas launched the Seminary Leadership Project, which has trained Jewish clergy to create social change through JOIN for Justice, and he is the founder of Netiya, an interfaith organization that works on food issues in Los Angeles.  In 2015, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl appointed Farkas to the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority, which oversees the regional strategy against homelessness.

Feig teaches in Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s teacher preparation program, DeLeT, where he mentors student teachers both in and out of Alice and Nahum Lainer School, an L.A. Jewish day school. He previously worked at Milken Community Schools, where he was dean of students and a rabbinics teacher.

“I am very honored to be part of AJWS’ Global Justice Fellowship,” Feig said. “As school rabbi of Alice and Nahum Lainer School, my goal is to integrate the work of combining AJWS’ work with our school’s mission of developing students who recognize the dignity of every human being and have agency to stand against injustice.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

Rabbi Naomi Levy, leader of the spiritual community Nashuva, discusses her new book “Einstein and the Rabbi” with her husband, Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief Rob Eshman. Photo courtesy of Bob Nankin

More than 300 people gathered on Sept. 10 at Temple Beth Am to hear Rabbi Naomi Levy, leader of Brentwood-based spiritual community Nashuva, discuss her latest book, “Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul.” 

The title of the book, Levy’s fourth, refers to a kind of mystery story that runs throughout the work after she found her way to an obscure letter whose author turned out to be Albert Einstein: “A human being … experiences himself … as something separate from the rest,” the great scientist wrote. “The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion.” The letter inspired Levy to play the role of detective, eventually revealing a path to the soul.

The event was the first time Levy had ever been interviewed in public by her husband, Rob Eshman,  the outgoing editor-in-chief and publisher of the Jewish Journal. Their conversation was filled with humor and soulful contemplation, including stories of Levy’s journey to writing the book and of the couple’s life together.  

Eshman recounted that one of the messages of the book — that “the soul is tugging at us, telling us to grow, grow” —  influenced his decision to step down from his role at the Journal.

“It’s your fault,” he told his wife.

“Don’t blame me,” she said.

Adding to the discussion of the soul, Levy and Eshman talked about the concept of soul mates. They recounted their first meeting nearly three decades ago, when Levy was a new rabbi at Mishkon Tephilo in Venice and Eshman was a freelance writer.

If there had been online dating, they likely would have been a “mismatch,” according to Levy. However, during their first date — tea at Rose Café in Venice — “I knew I was home,” Levy said.

After Eshman cooked her an elaborate homemade meal for the first time, she said, “I didn’t know I was home; I knew I was in the Garden of Eden and I’ve never left.”

— Julia Moss, Jewish Journal Staff

Moving & Shaking highlights events, honors and simchas. Got a tip? Email ryant@jewishjournal.com.

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles honored Helgard and Irwin Field with the 2017 Jewish Community Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 17 at the Beverly Hilton, “in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Jewish community and generous support of our life changing work,” the event program said.

Irwin Field, raised in a Zionist and charitable household, served as Federation’s campaign chair in 1973 and 1974, as its president in 1995 and 1996, and in other leadership positions. He also served as publisher of the Jewish Journal from 2003-2011.

Helgard Field, raised in Germany, has been involved with numerous organizations, including the Women’s Zionist Organization, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Israel Museum.

The Fields have four children, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Speakers at the event included Sinai Temple Rabbi David Wolpe — who discussed how counseling the Helgards following the death of their son, Edward, was among the most profound spiritual experiences of his life — and Federation President and CEO Jay Sanderson.

The event featured cocktails, dinner and musical entertainment from the Jewish vocal ensemble Guys and Meidels.

The more than 450 attendees included Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Federation Board Chair Julie Platt, Adat Shalom Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, Federation Executive Vice President Andrew Cushnir, Sinai Temple Rabbi Erez Sherman, and Leon Janks, a managing partner at Green Hasson Janks.

The event raised more than $1 million for Federation’s Special Needs Engagement Fund, which will increase access to Federation programs for Jewish children and teenagers with special needs.

From left: Jewish Vocational Service of Los Angeles (JVSLA) board member Matt Winnick; JVLSA CEO Alan Levey and his wife, Deborah; JVSLA President Harris Smith; JVSLA fall fundraiser co-chairs Adam Abramowitz, Heidi Levyn and Steve Seigel; and JVSLA client Rasika Flores pose with a wax version of Arnold Schwarzenegger from “The Terminator” at the JVSLA fall fundraiser at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. Photo courtesy of Jewish Vocational Service of Los Angeles

Jewish Vocational Service of Los Angeles (JVSLA) held its fall fundraiser, “An Evening at Madame Tussauds,” at the famous wax museum in Hollywood on Sept. 16.

The costume-optional “party with a purpose” drew more than 200 guests, who snapped photographs with the museum’s wax celebrities and mingled while enjoying food, drink and dance until midnight.

The event raised nearly $100,000 to benefit JVSLA programs for veterans and at-risk youths in foster care and on court-ordered juvenile probation.

JVSLA is a nonprofit, nonsectarian agency dedicated to empowering people to overcome barriers and achieve sustainable employment.

“This was absolutely a first-of-its-kind event for JVS and the beginning of an entirely new approach to our annual fundraiser,” JVSLA Board President Harris Smith said. “We wanted to create both a memorable experience for our longtime donors and an opportunity to engage a new circle of supporters. In addition to a great evening, our guests had a chance to learn firsthand about the life-changing impact of our work in the lives of veterans and youth through the very moving stories of our former clients, Alex and Rasika.”

Alex was former JVSLA Veterans First program client Alex Tapanya, who was stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11 and set up a triage unit to handle injuries. When he was discharged from the military, his work experience didn’t translate to the private sector, forcing him to take whatever job he could get. He then was referred to JVSLA, and the organization made it possible for him to become certified in cyber security. JVSLA also paid to train his wife, also a veteran, in data analytics.

“For both of us, JVS Veterans First was the linchpin not only for funding but for the compassion and support and understanding of our fellow veterans,” Tapanya said. “The program has made a world of difference to our family, and we are deeply grateful.”

The “Rasika” referred to by Smith is Rasika Flores, a former JVSLA Youth Program client who grew up in an unstable, homeless family and dropped out of high school to take care of her siblings.

“Not only did JVS hire me, but they pushed me to want more from myself,” Flores said at the event. “I enrolled in Santa Monica College … something no one in my family has ever done.  With the help of JVS and all of you here tonight, I started to become greater than my sufferings.”

The event’s co-chairs were Adam Abramowitz, managing director at Intrepid Investment Bankers; Jason Kravitz, director of national sales at Mortgage Capital Associates; Heidi Levyn, a client partner at Facebook; Steve Seigel, president of Silversheet; and Aaron Suzar, managing director at L&S Advisors.

—  Esther D. Kustanowitz, Contributing Writer

The Sulamot Klezmer Band from Israel performs at Shelters for Israel’s 69th anniversary luncheon at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Photo courtesy of Shelters for Israel

Shelters for Israel celebrated its 69th anniversary with a luncheon on Sept. 10 at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills.

Drawing about 225 people, the event benefited Sulamot–Music for Social Change, an education program for at-risk children and a collaboration between the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), Tel Aviv University and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

“We chose Sulamot because we were impressed with their model — in partnership with the IPO, the IDF and Tel Aviv University — to reach out to thousands of disadvantaged, at-risk children throughout Israel and provide musical instruments and instruction to them,” Shelters for Israel President Myra Gabbay said.

Shelters for Israel, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, was founded in 1948 by a group of female Hungarian Holocaust survivors who moved to the United States following World War II. Aware of a housing shortage in Israel due to an influx of immigrants, they used money from a regular card game to create a loan fund for the new arrivals to the fledging Jewish state.

To date, the volunteer-led organization has sponsored more than 50 capital projects in Israel serving the elderly, Negev and the Galilee communities, disadvantaged youth and others. Among its current projects is a three-year program in Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev, where the city has committed to match the organization’s funding and build a music school for graduates of the Sulamot program.

Participants in the the event included David Jackson, Shelters for Israel co-president; Rabbi Alan Kalinsky, director of the Orthodox Union’s West Coast region; Holocaust survivor Eva Brettler and Beverly Hills High School 2016 graduate Lauren Aviram.

The highlight of the luncheon was when the Sulamot Klezmer Band from Israel performed klezmer and classic Jewish and Israeli music, Gabbay said. “It was special to dance with the survivors and subsequent generations to the music of these exceptional young people.”

American Friends of Hebrew University Humanitarian Torch of Learning Award honorees Renae Jacobs-Anson (left) and Helen Jacobs-Lepor. Photo courtesy of American Friends of Hebrew University

American Friends of Hebrew University (AFHU) honored Renae Jacobs-Anson and Helen Jacobs-Lepor, prominent civic and Jewish communal leaders, at its annual AFHU Bel Air Affaire on Sept. 16 at the home of Brindell Gottlieb.

The honorees received the AFHU Humanitarian Torch of Learning Award for being “dedicated supporters of Israel and members of AFHU’s national and western region boards,” an AFHU statement said.

Jacobs-Anson, an actor and singer, and Jacobs-Lepor, vice president of business development for US Medical Innovations, have co-chaired the annual event for nine consecutive years.

Additional chairs of the event included Glaser Weil lawyer Patricia Glaser, AFHU western region board vice chair; Glaser’s husband, Sam Mudie; and May Ziman and her husband, Richard, AFHU western region board chair. Hebrew University President and professor Asher Cohen also attended.

The gala raised more than $1 million to support scholarships for Hebrew University students.

AFHU, a nonprofit, raises funds and awareness for Hebrew University, a leading academic institution and research facility in Jerusalem. The university has four main campuses — the Mount Scopus campus for humanities and social sciences, the Edmond J. Safra campus for exact sciences, the Ein Karem Campus for medical sciences and the Rehovot campus.

USC graduate student Sydney Siegel is paired with Shauna Esfandi, who has cerebral palsy, at Friendship Circle of Los Angeles’ eighth annual Walk4FriendshipLA. Photo courtesy of Friendship Circle of Los Angeles

The eighth annual Walk4FriendshipLA, a 2-kilometer walkathon benefiting Friendship Circle of Los Angeles, was held Sept. 17 at Shalhevet High School. 

The gathering is the biggest annual community awareness program and fundraiser for the Chabad-affiliated organization serving Jewish children with special needs.

Friendship Circle Development Director Gail Rollman said this year’s event was a success, raising $220,000 for social, recreational and educational programs.

“It was a thrill to see close to 800 people in pink T-shirts that said ‘Step up for Friendship’ walk in support of our Jewish children who have special needs,” she told the Journal.

Rollman and her husband, Fred, were top walkers, raising nearly $23,000 for the organization through their participation in the event. Other top walkers included Yonatan Mark, Alana Bess, Jonah Weiss and Rabbi Michy Rav-Noy, Friendship Circle of L.A.’s executive director.

The opening ceremony featured a performance by Broken Chains, an Alice and Nahum Lainer School teen band led by Friendship Circle volunteer Zev Gaslin.

Volunteers included Sydney Siegel, a USC graduate student paired with Shauna Esfandi, a child with cerebral palsy.

“I absolutely loved meeting Shauna,” Siegel said. “That is certainly an interaction I will never forget.”

The walk began at 2:45 p.m. and took participants on a route that passed the Petersen Automotive Museum at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. The walk was followed by a family festival that featured Rosh Hashanah crafts, a photo booth, carnival activities, a barbecue, shofar demonstrations, a live DJ and more.

Established 15 years ago, Friendship Cricle operates 25 programs for Jewish children with special needs with the help of 500 teen volunteers.

Moving & Shaking highlights events, honors and simchas. Got a tip? Email ryant@jewishjournal.com.

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An L.A. Theatre Works event honoring attorney E. Randol Schoenberg raised more than $225,000 for the nonprofit media arts organization.

The event, “L.A. Theatre Works Celebrates the Pursuit of Justice,” drew a crowd that filled the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on Sept. 27.

Schoenberg is best known for successfully suing the Austrian government on behalf of Maria Altmann for the return of five paintings by Gustav Klimt that the Nazis stole from Altmann’s family. The case inspired the 2015 movie “Woman in Gold,” named after the most famous of the five paintings, “Adele Bloch-Bauer I.”

The evening featured a performance of L.A. Theatre Works’ national touring production of “Judgment at Nuremberg” by Abby Mann, followed by a conversation between Schoenberg and Geoffrey Cowan, director of the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.

“At a time when our country finds it almost impossible to have a conversation with itself, L.A. Theatre Works reminds us that we must, because our humanity connects all of us,” said actor Hector Elizondo, the event’s host.

In a pre-recorded video, actress Helen Mirren, who played Altmann in “Woman in Gold,” lauded Schoenberg, whom she met during the making of the film. “I got to know a man whose sense of justice, whose persistence, whose courage is exemplary,” Mirren said. 

Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse also praised Schoenberg’s work. 

“Although there can never be adequate justice for what occurred in Europe in the 1930s and ’40s, Randy understands that we must continue to pursue it,” Bosse said. “Recent events and headlines in our own country remind us how essential this is.”

In his discussion with Cowan, Schoenberg said, “I think it’s so important to study the Nazi period because it was the worst period in the history of mankind. It shows us exactly what can happen in advanced societies and even in democratic societies.”

— Kelly Hartog, Contributing Writer

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFSLA) board members tour historic Jewish Los Angeles, led by the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California. The monument recognizes JFSLA, originally The Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles, as the first chartered charity in the city. Photo courtesy of Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFSLA) board members on Sept. 24 visited the site of their organization’s first location, situated in Chavez Ravine, adjacent to Dodger Stadium.

The visit was part of a tour of historical Jewish sites facilitated by Stephen Sass, president of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California.

The site holds special significance for JFSLA, as it was the first property acquired by the organization, originally the Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles, in 1855, a year after it was founded. The location served as the Jewish community’s cemetery until 1902, when the remains and monuments were transferred to the Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles.

A monument at the site, California State Historical Landmark No. 822, recognizes the organization as the first chartered charity in the city and dates the acquisition of the land as April 9, 1855.

“There were hardly even a dozen Jews in L.A. in 1854,” said Michael Sidman, JFSLA director of communications. “For JFSLA’s board members to see the very first act we spearheaded, it is amazing to see how far we have come.”

Among those who attended were JFSLA board chair Shana Passman and the organization’s president and CEO, Paul Castro.

“Providing Jewish burials was the first thing on the minds of the handful of Jewish pioneers who went west,” Passman said. “Seeing the place where our predecessors laid the foundation for our community made me proud of all that we have accomplished in the last 163 years and more determined than ever to continue the important work we do.

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

Michal Taviv-Margolese, executive director of NCSY West Coast region. Photo courtesy of Michal Taviv-Margolese

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Director of Communications Michael Sidman. Photo courtesy of Jewish Family Service of Los
Angeles

Two Los Angeles-based Jewish organizations have announced a change of leadership.

NCSY, formerly known as the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, appointed Michal Taviv-Margolese as executive director of its West Coast region; and Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFSLA) named Michael Sidman its new director of communications.

Taviv-Margolese previously was the Los Angeles regional director for the Israel-based education organization AMIT.

“I’m most excited about working with an incredibly talented, passionate group of professionals to continue the mission of connecting and inspiring Jewish teens,” she said.

NCSY was founded by the Orthodox Union in 1954 to help Jewish teens build leadership skills. Today, it runs extracurricular programs across the country in partnership with public schools, synagogues and Jewish day schools.

Taviv-Margolese will take over the group’s operation in a region that ranges from Seattle to the north, Phoenix to the east and San Diego to the south. She said she is committed to “empowering teens through leadership development to become committed, impassioned leaders of the community.”

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles is a social services organization with multiple Southern California campuses whose programs range from providing psychosocial support for Holocaust survivors to sheltering domestic violence victims, Jewish and non-Jewish.

Sidman previously held the post of communications director for the New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. Before that position, he served in leadership and communications roles at Columbia University Medical Center, the New Israel Fund and the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan.

Regarding his new position at JFSLA, Sidman told the Journal he is excited “to communicate the amazing work it does for the both the Jewish community and the Greater Los Angeles community as a whole.”

Before Sidman’s appointment, the position of communications director had been vacant for several years.

— Eitan Arom, Senior Writer

Adeena Bleich (from far left), Adam Bierman, Nick Greif, L.A. City Councilmember David Ryu, LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin, Rabbi Jason Weiner, Rabbi Joshua Hoffman and Jewish Federation Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations Aubrey Farkas Harris celebrate Rosh Hashanah at Los Angeles City Hall. Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

The sound of the shofar echoed off the vaulted ceilings of Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 26 in observance of Rosh Hashanah.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles organized the event in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilmen Bob Blumenfield, Paul Koretz and Mitchell Englander. The council members gathered with Federation leaders, participants and alumni of the Rautenberg New Leaders Project (NLP), rabbis and community leaders to welcome the new year with apples and honey.

“It was an honor to partner with the city of Los Angeles and the Jewish community to recognize and celebrate Rosh Hashanah and usher in the New Year together,” said Alisa Finsten, Federation’s senior vice president for community engagement. “I would like to thank all of the elected officials who have been extremely supportive of the work of the Jewish Federation, not only today, but yesterday and tomorrow, as well.  We look forward to continuing to work with our city partners to address the most pressing needs of our great city.”

Additional attendees included L.A. City Councilman David Ryu; LAUSD School Board member Nick Melvoin; Rabbi Jason Weiner of the Cedars-Sinai Spiritual Care Department; Rabbi Joshua Hoffman of Valley Beth Shalom; NLP alumnus Adeena Bleich; and American Jewish Committee Assistant Director of Policy and Communications Siamak Kordestani.

“Every year during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we reflect on the past and we make commitments to be our best selves and to better serve our communities moving forward,” Kordestani told City Council members. “This year, let us work ever harder to pursue a more just and tolerant society where all races and religious groups live in peace and with dignity.”

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

From left: Israeli lacrosse player Noah Miller; former U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg; sports documentarian Erit Yellen; USC Casden Institute Director Steve Ross; swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg and L.A. Tri Club co-founder Larry Turkheimer participate in a discussion on “Jews, Sports and Social Justice.” Photo by Steve Cohn

About 100 people attended a Sept. 24 panel discussion with Jewish sports figures titled “Jews, Sports and Social Justice,” held at the Town and Gown ballroom on the USC campus.

The Casden Institute at USC, which is dedicated to the study of the Jewish role in American life, organized the event, the 12th edition of its annual lecture series.

The panel featured four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming Lenny Krayzelburg; Noah Miller, a member of Israel’s national lacrosse team and an Israel Defense Forces veteran; Alan Rothenberg, former president of the United States Soccer Federation; and Erit Yellen, a producer and writer of documentaries dealing with sports and social issues.

Highlights included Krayzelburg recounting his path to Olympic glory, which included facing virulent anti-Semitism growing up in the Soviet Union, and Miller outlining his work coaching Arab-Jewish youth lacrosse teams in Israel to promote tolerance through sport. Yellen, the panel’s lone female, discussed how Title IX has improved gender equality in collegiate and youth sports, but professional sports “still have a ways to go,” she said.

Steve Ross, director of the Casden Institute and a USC history professor, had a simple answer when asked why he chose this year’s topic.

“Sports break barriers better than anything else in our society,” he said.

Ruth Weisberg, a USC art teacher in attendance, said she enjoyed the event.

“It had a good representation of different points of view, different experiences,” Weisberg said. “I liked how people responded passionately to the questions both about Jewish identity and their involvement in history and sport, and I felt I learned a great deal.”

After the discussion, guests joined the panelists for a gala dinner.

— Oren Peleg, Contributing Writer

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Political pundits David Frum and Peter Beinart participated in “The Challenges of Trump’s America,” a panel discussion held Sept. 26 at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino and moderated by Rabbi Ed Feinstein.

Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic, spoke about the intense reaction he has received for his prediction that Trump would lose the presidential election and the importance of political involvement to create change. His forthcoming book, “Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic,” focuses on “Trump as a system of power.”

“Donald Trump as a personality is a combination of the disappointing, the dysfunctional, but he is just one man,” Frum said. “The United States is a giant bureaucratic state with all kinds of checks and balances and rules and regulations, and the question is, how much harm can one man do? The question isn’t to ask, who is he? … The question is, what happened around him? How is this system of power possible in a constitutional republic, and how is it enabling it?”

Beinart, a contributor to The Atlantic, a senior columnist at The Forward and a CNN political commentator, discussed the impact of Trump’s presidency nationally and internationally.

“It is very significant that Donald Trump is the first American president since the 1990s who does not publicly support the two-state solution … and has therefore liberated [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu to no longer publicly support the two-state solution, either,” Beinart said. “That, I believe, is going to have profound long-term implications. Once we permanently foreclose the possibility [for] millions of Palestinians who live in the West Bank under Israeli control but without citizenship and democratic rights, we have planted a bomb underneath the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state.”

Beinart called out Trump for bigotry and asked for unity among Jews and Muslims in the wake of rising prejudice.

“The anti-Semitism is frightening, but we have to be careful not to become narcissists,” he said. “The anti-Semitism that is rising does not have powerful members of the White House and of the United States Congress egging it on. The anti-Muslim bigotry that is emerging in the Trump era is entirely different than the anti-Semitism cause; it has the active support of some of the most powerful politicians in the United States. [Trump] goes after soft targets; we are not a soft target. Muslims are a soft target, and that’s why we must stand for them.”

Frum ended the presentation on a lighter note, emphasizing the importance of being proactive.

“I’m not an optimist by nature, but I’m determined in the Trump years to be an optimist by conviction,” he said. “The thing I resent about the question ‘What do you think will happen?’ is that it makes me a spectator. I’m a citizen and a participant and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know what I’m going to do.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

Young adults turned out for an evening of comedy, cocktails and networking on Sept. 14 at West Hollywood bar Now Boarding in support of Visions, The Next Generation of Israel Cancer Research Fund.

About 50 young adults turned out for an evening of comedy, cocktails and networking on Sept. 14 at the West Hollywood bar Now Boarding in support of the group Visions, The Next Generation of the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF).

The young leadership group attracts individuals dedicated to supporting cancer research in Israel by raising money for ICRF, a North American organization that supports Israel’s educational and scientific resources in the fight against cancer. ICRF describes itself as the largest single source of private cancer research funds in Israel

The event raised about $1,000.

Performers included Iranian-American stand-up comic Tehran Von Ghasri, the son of an Iranian-American father and African-American mother whose Instagram page shows him wearing a T-shirt declaring, “Persian Is the New Black.” Ghasri goes by the stage name “Tehran,” which also is the name of Iran’s capital city.

Comedian and actor Kirk Fox (“Parks and Recreation”); Jewish comedian Leah Lamarr, who was born Leah Goldman; and Sofiya Alexandra (Comedy Central’s “This is Not Happening”) also performed.

Attendees — including Visions L.A. board President Aaron Cohen and Vice President Colin Coggins — enjoyed food from the Feast From the East restaurant.

Cohen, 34, a real estate agent with Rodeo Realty, said he appreciates the opportunity of engaging his peers in philanthropy.

“When you are able to look at your peers and tell them they can actually make a difference in someone’s life — and most young professionals don’t necessarily think about philanthropy — they get interested in it and move forward in it and realize we have made money at an event we can donate to a scientist who can help cure cancer,” he said. “That is the most rewarding for me — knowing my peers and myself can have a say in philanthropy and it’s not just elderly people donating money from their estate.”

Marty Finkelstein, the Journal’s executive director of advertising, serves as the president of the ICRF L.A. board of directors.

Ittay Hayut, CEO of Hoopo, speaks at a reception organized by Fusion LA, the first Los Angeles accelerator for startups. Photo by Kelly Hartog.

Fusion LA, an early investment group for Israeli startups in Los Angeles, held a Sept. 26 VIP reception at the Rose Room in Venice, in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles.

About 75 people from the tech and venture capital industry, many of them Israeli, mingled, sipped wine and ate kosher canapés before sitting down to hear about the work being done by Fusion LA co-founders Yair Vardi and Guy Katsovich.

Fusion LA selected six Israeli cutting-edge companies to participate in an intensive four-month program at its workspace in Santa Monica. The process repeats every six months with six new companies.

“Our vision is to connect Israel, which is the biggest startup ecosystem outside of the U.S., with Los Angeles, which is the most growing tech ecosystem in the U.S. after Silicon Valley and New York,” Katsovich said at the event.

Of the initial six startups, one is headed by women. Fuse.it, the brainchild of Liat Sade-Sternberg, enables people to interact with their favorite video content, including movies, music and sports events.

Uniper, another of the companies, is a platform that helps the elderly live more independent lives through interactive TV-based programs. It’s already proved to be a success in Israel, and with $800,000 raised, is looking to tap into the U.S. market.

— Kelly Hartog, Contributing Writer

Younes and Soraya Nazarian, through their Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, contributed $3 million to a $100 million capital campaign supporting Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design’s new campus in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Y&S Nazarian Family Foundaton.

The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem announced on Sept. 28 that it has reached the $70 million mark in its $100 million capital campaign, thanks, in part, to a $3 million donation from the Los Angeles-based Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation.

Local philanthropists Younes and Soraya Nazarian started  the foundation, which is “dedicated to the promotion of education as the most important catalyst for societal change,” according to its website.

The capital campaign is funding a future 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art home in the “Russian Compound” area of Jerusalem. Slated to open in 2021 under the name the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Campus, it will bring together the school’s 2,000 students and 500 faculty members. Designed by SANAA, a Japanese-based architectural firm, the academy will feature both a modern glass exterior and Jerusalem stone, “speaking to Bezalel’s vision of bridging the old with the new,” a press release said.

The campus will bear the name of Morton Mandel, a philanthropist and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, who contributed $25 million to the campaign.

Established in 1906, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is a prestigious art school and Israel’s oldest institution of higher education.

Other contributors to the campaign are the Russell Berrie Foundation, the Polonsky Foundation, the William Davidson Foundation, Romie and Blanche Shapiro, and Linda and Ilan Kaufthal.

Professor Adi Stern, president of Bezalel Academy, praised the progress of the capital campaign, saying, “Our new campus in the heart of the city is the most significant project being undertaken in Jerusalem today.”

CBS Los Angeles Sports Director Jim Hill (right) hosted the 2017 Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Gala, which honored L.A. Rams owner and chairman E. Stanley Kroenke and benefitted the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute. Photo by Alex J. Berliner.

The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Board of Governors Gala on Oct. 4 at the Beverly Hilton hotel raised $1.3 million for Cedars-Sinai’s Regenerative Medicine Institute.

The event honored Los Angeles Rams owner and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke with the Board of Governors Visionary Award. Kevin Demoff, the Rams chief operating officer and executive vice president of football operations, presented Kroenke with the award.

“Thanks to Cedars-Sinai and the board of governors. My family and I are inspired by the work of Dr. [Clive]Svendsen and the Regenerative Medicine Institute,” Kroenke said, referring to the institute’s director. “We are so happy to partner with Cedars-Sinai and the board of governors to support them as well as work toward new paths to help those in need and their families.”

Additional honorees were Hollywood producer Gordon Gray and his wife, Kristen, who were presented with the inaugural Luminary Award. The Grays founded the Charlotte and Gwyneth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease for their young daughters, who are suffering from the nervous system disorder, for which there is no cure. Svendsen presented the Grays with the award.

Boyz II Men performed their hits “I’ll Make Love to You,” “End of the Road” and “Water Runs Dry” as well as an acoustic performance of “Free Fallin’ ” as a tribute to the late Tom Petty. The L.A. Rams cheerleaders also performed.

Gala co-chairs were Lisa DeBartolo Miggs, Don Miggs, Nikki DeBartolo and Chad Chronister.

The Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors is the primary fundraising and leadership group of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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California State Sen. Robert (Bob) Hertzberg’s Oct. 8 Sukkot brunch and legislative update drew about 30 Jewish social justice leaders.

Guests gathered inside a sukkah at his Van Nuys home as Hertzberg, a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, discussed a package of housing bills written to address the state’s homeless crisis and his commitment to reforming the cash bail system, which he said undermines the American idea of the presumption of innocence.

Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Noah Farkas also attended and was a guest speaker. He drew connections between the fragility symbolized by the sukkah and the situation facing the homeless. He also discussed the symbolism behind the lulav and the etrog, two of the four species used during the holiday of Sukkot, which was Oct. 4-11.

Barri Worth Girvan, Hertzberg’s district director, welcomed guests and asked everyone to introduce themselves as one big family.

Artwork from San Fernando Valley synagogues Temple Beth Hillel and Adat Ari El, which are located in Hertzberg’s legislative district, decorated the sukkah.

From left: Teenagers Yoni Kollin, Sunshine Schneider, Maccabee Raileanu and Anthony Palomera participated in a JQ International Forum, “Today’s Teens: Voices of Queer and Ally Youth.” Photo by Anna Michele Falzetta.

The Teen JQSA (Jewish Queer Straight Alliance), the first communitywide youth group in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQ) and ally Jewish teens ages 13-18, held an Oct. 8 panel titled “Today’s Teens: Voices of Queer and Ally Youth” at the West Hollywood City Council chambers.

JQ International, Builders of Jewish Education and the city of West Hollywood organized the event. Teen JQSA is a JQ International program.

Panelists Maccabee Raileanu, Yoni Kollin, Sunshine Schneider, Anthony Palomera and Emma Aronoff-Aspaturian discussed challenges facing LGBTQ youth.

“I just want my administrators and directors and adults in my corner of the Jewish community to realize what they’re really asking when they ask for queer teens to be their own advocates,” said Raileanu, a longtime JQSA participant and El Camino Real Charter High School senior. “I want them to step into the shoes of the people they’re talking to, because then I think a lot of changes will happen. They will realize how scary and how weird and uncomfortable that experience can be, and they’ll step up as the adults in the situation and realize what they’re working with.”  

Social media personality Stephanie Frosch, known on YouTube and Instagram as ElloSteph, moderated.

The gathering drew about 50 attendees, including JQ staff members Asher Gellis, Arya Marvazy, Anna Goodman and David Kazdan, and Temple Judea Rabbi Samuel Spector.

Organizations that partnered with JQ to make the event possible included Congregation Kol Ami, Hebrew Helpers, the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, Kol Tikvah, IKAR, Adat Ari El and Camp Lightbulb, an overnight summer camp for LGBTQ young people.

JQ has been engaging in teen health and wellness work thanks in part to a grant from The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and its L.A. Jewish Teen Initiative.

Alyse Golden Berkley, the new board president of the Jewish National Fund Greater Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Jewish National Fund.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) Greater Los Angeles has named Alyse Golden Berkley as its board president.

Berkley succeeds Matt Fragner, who has served as JNF regional president for the past two years.

A JNF Oct. 16 press release announcing Berkley’s appointment said she is a “proud Zionist and active within the Jewish community.”

In a 2016 video, Berkley said her life changed after participating in a five-day JNF mission to Eilat.

“I actually could see the difference that I could make in my lifetime for Israel,” she said. “I could make a difference and I could improve the life of Israelis. Now, I devote pretty much close to full time volunteering for the Jewish National Fund, which is my pleasure, my honor.”

In a statement, JNF Greater Los Angeles Executive Director Lou Rosenberg welcomed the new regional president.

“We are very excited to have Alyse assume the leadership of Greater Los Angeles,” he said.

According to its website, JNF is the “single largest provider of Zionist programs in the U.S. Its work is divided into seven program areas: Forestry and green innovations, water solutions, community building, Zionist education and advocacy, research and development, heritage sites, and disabilities and special needs.”

Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Rabbi Emerita Laura Geller was named a Next Avenue Top 50 Influencer in Aging for 2017.

Next Avenue, a journalism website focused on America’s booming older population, has named Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Rabbi Emerita Laura Geller as one of its Top 50 Influencers in Aging for 2017.

Next Avenue recognized Geller for her efforts in creating Next Stage: Boomers & Beyond, an initiative designed to address the needs of community members who are 50 and older, and her more recent venture founding ChaiVillageLA, a partnership between Temple Emanuel and Temple Isaiah that enables people to age in place as they grow older.

Working in partnership with public television organizations, including PBS, Next Avenue divides its coverage into five areas: health and well-being; caregiving; money and security; work and purpose; and living and learning.

Geller, the third woman to become a rabbi in the Reform movement upon her ordination in 1976, was the only Jewish clergy member named to this year’s list. She made baby boomers a focus of her pulpit before her retirement in 2016, even speaking about it from the bimah during the High Holy Days.

Geller served at Temple Emanuel for 22 years. She currently is working with her husband, Richard Siegel, on a book titled “Getting Good at Getting Older: A Jewish Catalog for a New Age.”

Based on a statement she provided to Next Avenue regarding one thing she would change about aging in America, Geller said, “I would encourage the creation of religious and secular rituals to mark transitions in the journey of growing older, whether closing a family home, becoming a grandparent, reaffirming marital vows, sharing ethical wills or beginning new adventures. Marking transformations provide spiritual and practical guides for growth, connection and wise aging.”

Entertainment executive David Geffen has pledged $150 million to the building LACMA campaign. Photo by Bruce Weber

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has received a $150 million pledge from Jewish philanthropist and entertainment executive David Geffen toward the museum’s new galleries, raising the fundraising total for the Building LACMA campaign to $450 million. The campaign goal is $650 million.

In a press release, LACMA described the donation as “the largest single cash gift from an individual in the museum’s history. … [T]he new Peter Zumthor-designed building will be called the David Geffen Galleries in honor of his extraordinary gift.”

The David Geffen Galleries will replace four of the museum’s current seven buildings.

“At a time when federal funding for the arts is threatened, it’s important that we foster public-private partnerships, like this one, to support arts and cultural institutions,” Geffen said in a statement. “We must ensure that the public, everyone, has access to these venerable institutions. I am proud to partner with the County and other members of the community in helping LACMA move this remarkable project from vision to reality. Together, we can and must make sure every person has access to the arts.”

LACMA CEO and Director Michael Govan said Geffen’s gift is an unprecedented gesture of dedication to the exhibition of the arts in Los Angeles.

“David’s commitment demonstrates his belief in the power of art museums to reach a broad and diverse public and create significant civic benefit,” Govan said.

LACMA board of trustees co-chairs Elaine Wynn, a Jewish businesswoman who co-founded Mirage Resorts and Wynn Resorts, and Jewish-American businessman Tony Ressler also expressed gratitude for Geffen’s contribution.

Geffen, 74, is a movie and music mogul who founded Asylum and Geffen records and co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. The son of parents who met in what was then Palestine, his estimated net worth is $7.8 billion.

From left: Friends of Sheba Medical Center Executive Director Nina Lieberman, honoree Shannon Massachi and gala emcee John Lithgow. Photo courtesy of Friends of Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer.

Actor John Lithgow hosted the Friends of Sheba Medical Center’s 47th anniversary gala, “Embracing Our Future,” on Oct. 15 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Philanthropists Robert and Beverly Cohen co-chaired the event, which drew 725 guests and raised more than $2.5 million for the medical center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. The funds will be used to support Sheba Medical Center’s new neonatology center. Sheba’s Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care is one of the largest in Israel and births approximately 170,000 babies annually, including those born prematurely or requiring intensive care treatment.

Keynote speaker Dr. Tzipi Strauss, chief of neonatology at Sheba Medical Center, discussed Sheba’s work in advancing neonatal care.

Meanwhile, Lithgow presented Shannon Massachi, an e-commerce entrepreneur who has helped promote and advance Sheba’s medical research and pediatric neuro-oncology work, with the Laurel of Leadership award. After dinner, the Ruth Flinkman-Marandy and Ben Marandy family received the Professor Mordechai Shani Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their support for education, art, research, health, Israel and Sheba Medical Center.

Attendees included Marilyn Ziering, who announced a $1 million donation; Max Webb; Soraya and Younes Nazarian; Stanley Black; Jean and Jerry Friedman; and Dina Leeds.

Lithgow’s appearance included the reading of an original fairy tale about the life-saving work of the medical center, written by Hollywood writer and producer Jeff Astrof. The fairy tale featured a tiger and a goat — natural enemies — meeting and becoming friends through their life-saving treatment at Sheba Medical Center.

— Esther Kustanowitz, Contributing Writer

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ Sylvia Weisz Women’s Philanthropy group’s annual L’Dor V’Dor event on Oct. 26 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel honored Beth Freeman with the Doris Factor Women’s Leadership Award “for her long-standing partnership” with the group and her “remarkable dedication to our community.”

Upon receiving the award, Freeman discussed sharing traditions from generation to generation, her family, Jewish values, involvement in the community and more. She also said it was important to dream for the future and use traditions as a guidepost in taking action to heal and repair the world.

Jess Carbino, a sociologist at the dating app Tinder and a high-tech dating expert, was the guest speaker.

The evening was organized to introduce new people to Federation, to engage new and longtime supporters, and to connect women from across generations in the community to one another and to Federation’s work.

Attendees included L’Dor V’Dor leadership members Sarina Klemes, Debi Graboff, Stephanie Gold, Joanna Tait and Jodi Galen.

His Royal Highness Turki al Faisal speaks to Rabbi David Wolpe at the Middle East Security Forum. Photo courtesy of Israel Policy Forum

“Middle East Security Forum” on Oct. 29 that examined challenges and opportunities for the United States, Israel and surrounding countries.

American, Israel and Arab scholars and policy experts, including Nimrod Novik, a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum and a former adviser to Shimon Peres, Dalia Dassa Kaye, director of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy, and former Congressman Howard Berman discussed Iran’s nuclear pursuits, the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate and more.

“If the U.S. walks away from the nuclear agreement, it loses credibility,” Alireza Nader, senior international/defense researcher at the RAND Corp., said during a panel titled “Iran’s Regional Posture and Nuclear Pursuit.”

Meanwhile, Sima Shine, a senior research fellow with the Israel Institute for National Security Studies, said she believed it was possible President Donald Trump would pull the U.S. out of the agreement. “I would not bet my money on the fact that he would not do it,” Shine said.

Also participating on the panel about Iran were Ilan Goldenberg, director of the Middle East program at the Center for a New American Security, and Professor David Menashri, a visiting Israel Institute fellow at the UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.

Participants in “Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Stalemate” included Ghaith Al-Omari, Shira Efron and Israel Defense Forces Major General (Res.) Avi Mizrachi. Michael Koplow, policy director of the Israel Policy Forum, moderated.

Sinai Temple Max Webb Senior Rabbi David Wolpe and His Royal Highness Prince Turki al Faisal, a former Saudi chief of intelligence and former ambassador to the United Kingdom, participated in a closing discussion.

Additional speakers were Sinai Temple President Angela Maddahi and Israel Policy Forum Executive Director David Halperin.

The more than 250 attendees included Jacob Segal, a board member of the Southern California Israel Chamber of Commerce.

From left: Jewish Public Affairs Committee Board Chair Cece Feiler, State Assembly Member Richard Bloom and Samara Hutman attend a JPAC event honoring Bloom for his work combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Photo courtesy of Jewish Public Affairs Committee

The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in America, on Oct. 26 honored California State Assemblyman Richard Bloom for his efforts opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The honor was bestowed at a gathering in the Brentwood home of Cece and Bill Feiler, which drew about 40 people, including Assemblymen Matt Dababneh, Marc Levine and Adrin Nazarian, as well as Los Angeles Board of Education member Nick Melvoin. Bloom discussed the challenges he faced passing Assembly Bill 2844, an anti-BDS measure prohibiting state contracts with entities boycotting Israel and other sovereign nations.

Speakers included JPAC Executive Director Julie Zeisler, who gave a recap of her organization’s accomplishments over the year.

Cece Feiler, board chair of JPAC, spoke about how Bloom’s family took in her family when they first came to the United States after the Holocaust.

Nazarian, Levine and Melvoin gave toasts to Bloom, and Nazarian presented Bloom with an honorary Assembly resolution recognizing his leadership in the state legislature. Since 2012, Bloom has represented the 50th District, which includes Agoura Hills, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hollywood, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Topanga, West Hollywood and West Los Angeles.

Zeisler later told the Journal that Bloom “spoke about the bill as a larger effort to continue to defend and empower the Jewish people against the forces that are determined to vilify Jews and Israel.”

Heather Cooper Ortner, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles

Heather Cooper Ortner, former director of development for the Brandeis-Bardin Institute and director of the Western Area Development Center for Hadassah, has been named president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles (ALZGLA).

Mark Liberman, co-chair of the organization’s board of directors, announced Cooper Ortner’s appointment on Sept. 18.

“Heather brings a wealth of experience in the health care arena to Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles,” Liberman said in a statement. “Her proactive approach and passion for her work, coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit, make her a valuable asset, particularly as awareness continues to grow for the comprehensive programs and support ALZGLA provides for the entire community.”

Cooper Ortner, a UCLA graduate, previously was CEO for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.

“I am honored to be joining Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles,” Cooper Ortner said in a statement. “By providing a multitude of free programs and ongoing assistance, ALZGLA is clearly bringing much-needed support to those with Alzheimer’s as well as their families and caregivers here in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. I am grateful to the board of directors for the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization of dedicated and talented professionals. I look forward to helping raise the profile and to increasing funding and efficiency so ALZGLA can serve even more people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.”

ALZGLA describes itself as “the only local full-service, dementia-focused nonprofit with 36 years of experience and five locations serving Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.”

From left: Pablo Sepelak, the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles; Dan Schnur, the Director of the Los Angeles Region of the American Jewish Committee (AJC); and Hynek Kmonicek, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, at an AJC ACCESS program on the Czech Republic’s Jewish heritage and Czech-Israeli relations. Photo by Siamak Kordestani

Hynek KmoniCek, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to the United States, on Oct. 10 gave a presentation on his country’s history to members of ACCESS LA, the young leadership division of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

Kmonicek, in the address to about 30 guests at a private dinner party in the Beverly Hills home of attorney Honey Amado, spoke about the similarities between the Czech and Jewish states — in particular, that much of each country’s population comes from somewhere else, and if either nation were to lose a war, it would cease to exist.

In honor of Sukkot, Amado converted part of her residence and backyard into a sukkah and showed Kmonicek and Czech Consul General Pavol Sepelak how to shake a lulav and etrog.

Among the ACCESS LA’s activities are building relationships with the consular corps and with diverse ethnic and religious communities in Los Angeles, said its director, Rachel Wallace, who organized the program.

When the Journal asked Kmonicek whether he was Jewish, he answered, “Yes, in the sense that my mother was Jewish, although I didn’t find this out until I was 26 years old. My father was Czech, and my own wife was born into a Muslim family.”

Also speaking at the dinner was Jiri Duzar, deputy director of the Czech Tourism Office in New York, who urged tourists to venture beyond Prague when visiting his country.

Speaking for the AJC were Dan Schnur, director of the organization’s Los Angeles region, and ACCESS leaders Jonathan Waxman and Aaron Kollitz.

Jacob Ari Labendz, director of the Center for Judaism and Holocaust Studies at Youngstown State University in Ohio, discussed his research on Czech-Jewish relations.

— Tom Tugend, Contributing Editor

From left: Michael and Corie Kross, activist Chloe Valdary and actor Jonathan Lipnicki attended the Birthright Israel Foundation fundraiser. Photo courtesy of Birthright Israel Foundation

The Birthright Israel Foundation held an Oct. 18 fundraiser at Stephen Wise Temple to support its program that provides free 10-day trips to Israel for 45,000 young Jewish adults annually.

Since it began in 2000, Birthright Israel has sent more than 600,000 young adults on the trip, including actor Jonathan Lipnicki (“Jerry Maguire”), who this summer became the program’s 600,000th participant. Lipnicki and pro-Israel activist Chloe Valdary appeared at the event, which was the New York-based foundation’s fourth annual fundraiser in the Los Angeles area.

More than 200 people attended, including the foundation’s L.A. Leadership Council members Arlene and Buddy Pupp, Regional Director Art Paikowsky, and President and CEO Izzy Tapoohi. Also attending were Betsy Berger, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles vice president for strategic philanthropy and planned giving, and philanthropists Adam Milstein and Shawn Evenhaim. Corie and Michael Koss co-chaired the event.

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Leave it to Jerry Seinfeld to transform a Beverly Hilton ballroom into an intimate comedy club.

Performing a half-hour set to conclude the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) Red Star Ball on the evening of Oct. 30, the comedic legend commanded the large, candlelit room like he was headlining the Improv.

Seinfeld opened the evening with a few minutes of material — joking about how Gentiles attend events for the alcohol, Jews for the rolls — but he promised he would return at the end of the night. When he came back onstage after 10 p.m., the funnyman captured both the mood of the fundraiser and the comic sensibility he is famous for.

“It’s been a beautiful night of generosity …,” he said. “Now, let’s get back to complaining.”

The gala raised pledges of more than $18 million, a record for an AFMDA event anywhere in the country, according to an event spokesperson. It also spotlighted the life-saving work of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s ambulance, blood-services and disaster-relief organization that serves as emergency medical first-responders for the state’s more than 8 million people. MDA is mandated by the Israeli government to serve in this role, but it is not a government agency.

Of those in attendance, Humanitarian of the Year Honorees Sheldon and Miriam Adelson pledged $12 million to the organization, and Maurice Kanbar, creator of SKYY Vodka, pledged $5 million.

“My heart is in Israel,” Sheldon Adelson said. “And Israel is in my heart.”

Renee and Meyer Luskin received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their support for the arts and education in Greater Los Angeles.

Next Generation Award winner Nikita Kahn — an actress, model and animal rights advocate — credited gala co-chair Dina Leeds with instilling in her the importance of supporting Israel.

“Her passion for Israel is contagious,” Kahn said of Leeds, who co-chaired the evening with her husband, Fred.

Additional speakers included Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Sam Grundwerg and the Leeds’ daughter, Alisa. The latter highlighted the contributions of MDA to Israel. She has volunteered with the organization and called it a model for peace as it treats patients regardless of religion or ethnicity.

A number of MDA medics attended the gala, including Rivka Or, a senior emergency medical technician; and Mohammed “Chamudi” Arrabi, a gay, Muslim medic.

“It makes me happy when I help somebody,” Or said.

Also in attendance were comedian Elon Gold; Rabbi Zvi Boyarsky, of the faith-based rehabilitation organization Aleph Institute; USC Hillel Executive Director Bailey London; Jewish Journal Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Suissa; and Israeli reality TV star Yossi Dina.

From left: Jesse Sharf, Kam Babaoff, Aliza Karney Guren, John Ghermezian and Kamyar Shabani participate in 30 Years After’s “The Builders of Los Angeles.” Photo by Jasmine Foroutan

30 Years After, the Iranian-American Jewish civic engagement organization, held its first in a series of events celebrating its 10th anniversary. The event, titled “The Builders of Los Angeles,” took place on Oct. 24 at the PH Day Club – Luxury Penthouse in West Hollywood and brought together a panel of prominent real estate developers and philanthropists.

The panel included Kam Babaoff, managing director of Ensemble Investments; Aliza Karney Guren, CEO of Karney Properties; John Ghermezian, chief business officer of Mall of America; and Kamyar Shabani, principal of Optimus Properties and a member of the 30 Years After advisory board. Jesse Sharf, partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, moderated.

The panelists discussed their careers, the real estate industry, their passion for philanthropy and the Jewish community, and how their Jewish identities influence their philanthropy and businesses.

“People think that bad people get ahead in business, but people actually like doing business with good and philanthropic people,” Sharf said in response to an audience question. “It gets you further.”

When the panelists were asked what compelled them to be philanthropic, Babaoff responded: “My mom and dad were my role models. Growing up in Iran, our house was like Grand Central Station. People who needed help were always coming through, whether for money or dispute resolution. It is our duty and responsibility to give back, and giving back isn’t just giving money.”

“Money isn’t satisfying, but philanthropy is,” Ghermezian added. “A cause gives you a reason to continue working hard.”

About 250 people attended the event, including former Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad; Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, and 30 Years After co-founder Sam Yebri.

In an interview, 30 Years After Executive Director Shanel Melamed said she was proud of how the program has helped provide a space for Persian Jews.

“This decade of engagement and leadership training has led to a comprehensive, emerging generation of Iranian-Jewish leaders who are equipped and motivated to contribute to, and lead, Los Angeles,” Melamed said. “We’re proud to be the central organization empowering Iranian-American Jews to be impactful members of society, and we have even greater goals for the next 10 years. We welcome everyone to join our exciting and growing movement.”

— Mati Geula Cohen, Contributing Writer

Diego Cartagena, vice president of legal programs at Bet Tzedek. Photo courtesy of Bet Tzedek

Bet Tzedek, a pro bono legal aid agency, has named Diego Cartagena as its next vice president of legal programs.

Cartagena succeeds Gus May, who became a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in August, and will report directly to Bet Tzedek CEO Jessie Kornberg.

“This is a good day for Bet Tzedek and a great day for the thousands of clients that depend on us for a fair chance and a better life,” Kornberg said in a statement announcing Cartagena’s appointment.  Diego exemplifies what is best about our mission: an audacious commitment to push the bounds of what seems possible and deliver on our pledge to deliver equal justice for all.”

Cartagena’s responsibilities will include managing “the continued growth of Bet Tzedek’s community services,” according to the announcement. He has worked at Bet Tzedek since 2012, serving as the organization’s pro bono director.

“I look forward to working with longstanding and new community partners, pro bono supporters, and sister legal services agencies to continue to build on Bet Tzedek’s incredible history of protecting the rights of those most vulnerable by building innovative programs and coalitions that are responsive to the evolving community landscape,” Cartagena said.

Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett speaks to the Jewish Journal’s David Suissa at the Israeli American Council National Conference. Photo by FPerry Bindelglass

The Israeli American Council (IAC) National Conference attracted a record number of attendees this year — about 2,500 — when it was held from Nov. 3-6 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

“We have to make sure that America is pro-Israel regardless of who is in Congress and who is in the White House,” Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) said at the event, which examined Jewish and Israeli identity, Israel as a nation-state of the Jewish people and cutting-edge innovative ideas in education, technology and community building.

Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer also appeared and described President Donald Trump’s recent speech criticizing the Iran deal as “the second-best day since I have been ambassador.”

Additional speakers included U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, who participated in an interview with Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa; diplomat and author Dennis Ross; IAC Chairman Adam Milstein; and Miriam Shepher, an IAC national council member from Los Angeles. Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, sat for a conversation with IAC board member and chairman emeritus Shawn Evenhaim.

The IAC is an umbrella organization with 16 chapters across the country, including in Los Angeles. Since 2007, the organization has prided itself on investing in programs that assist the Israeli-American community.

From left: Imam Abdullah Antepli, Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa and Yossi Klein Halevi participate in a discussion titled “Enemies, A Love Story.” Photo courtesy of Beth Jacob Congregation

An Oct. 29 discussion at Beth Jacob Congregation, titled “Enemies, A Love Story: A New Way Forward for Jewish-Muslim Relations,” featured a formerly self-proclaimed extremist Jew and a formerly anti-Semitic Muslim discussing Muslim-Jewish relations. The Shalom Hartman Institute, a pluralistic research and leadership institute for Jewish thought, organized the discussion.

Jewish Journal Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Suissa moderated the discussion between Yossi Klein Halevi and Imam Abdullah Antepli, co-directors of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative, which, according to Hartman.org, “invites North American Muslims to explore how Jews understand Judaism, Israel and Jewish peoplehood.”

Halevi and Antepli spoke with compassion and conviction about how they want to see the program work now and in the future. Their remarks often drew applause from the approximately 250 people who attended, including Beth Jacob Rabbi Kalman Topp.

— Ginger Vick contributed to this report

Larger Than Life children and volunteers attend the 14th annual Larger Than Life gala dinner at the JW Marriott L.A Live. Photo by Abraham Joseph Pal

Larger Than Life–L.A. Family, a nonprofit affiliated with the Israel-based Larger Than Life organization, in October brought to Los Angeles from Israel 38 youths with cancer for a 10-day dream vacation.

The youths, ages 10-18, enjoyed Southern California theme parks, rode ATVs, sailed on a yacht and partied at a gala dinner downtown at the JW Marriott hotel at L.A Live on Oct. 29. It was the 14th annual trip organized by Larger Than Life.

At the gala, approximately 750 guests watched a video about two friends, May Gurfinkel and Noa Tzemach, who both died months ago after battling cancer for two years. The two became close after visiting Los Angeles in 2015 on a Larger Than Life vacation.

“Noa started as a mentor to May, and they became one soul. They went together to the very end, talking about things that we will never, ever be able to understand,” said Gurfinkel’s father, Golan, who traveled from Israel for the event. May Gurfinkel died in July.

“I used to be the one who gave others money and a helping hand, and I thought I could handle this by myself, but it simply wasn’t possible,” he said. “We needed all the help we could get. Without Larger Than Life, your generosity and help, we wouldn’t be able to make it. The Larger Than Life dream trip gave May hope and the best friends ever.”

The event raised more than $1 million, including $2,000 raised by the youths themselves.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

The post Moving & Shaking: Seinfeld Headlines Ball, Iranian-American Jewish panel and Israeli American Council National Conference appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Wolf Blitzer accepted an honor from the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH) on Nov. 5 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. The CNN anchor discussed what his late Holocaust-survivor parents from Poland experienced before coming to the United States.

Blitzer’s mother, Cesia, was a forced laborer in an ammunition factory in Germany. She secretly distorted the bullets she made in the hope that the bullets would misfire and kill Nazis instead of Allied soldiers.

“That was how she survived the war,” Blitzer said. “She was a very powerful woman.”

In Munich after the war, Blitzer’s father, David, observed people standing in a long line. He didn’t know what they were waiting for but assumed it must be good since so many people were doing it.

After a half-hour of being in the line, his father asked a woman in front of him what everyone was waiting for, Blitzer said.

“‘America. They are giving visas for America,’” Blitzer said the woman responded. “My dad says, ‘Visas for America?’ It did not enter his mind he could come to America.”

LAMOTH President Paul Nussbaum presented Blitzer with the museum’s honor. During his acceptance speech, Blitzer, 69, said he thought of his parents as he reported on Nazis marching in the streets in Charlottesville, Va., shouting, “Jews will not replace us.”

“As I was reporting the news about that on CNN, I thought of my mom and dad, who would’ve been so stunned to hear those words shouted here in the United States of America. They wouldn’t have believed it,” he said. “This was a country they loved so much. They would never have believed in this day and age they would have heard slogans like that in the U.S.”

The hundreds of attendees included LAMOTH’s Executive Director Beth Kean and Education Director Jordanna Gessler; filmmaker Aaron Wolf and more than 70 survivors.

Manijeh Nehorai, founder and director of ETTA’s Iranian American Community Division, is honored at the organization’s 20th anniversary gala. Photo courtesy of ETTA

The Iranian-American Community Division of ETTA, which serves the housing and social services needs of disabled adults in the Los Angeles Jewish community, held a gala on Oct. 25 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel that celebrated 20 years of fundraising. The ceremony honored Manijeh Nehorai, founder and director of the Iranian-American Division for more than 22 years, and featured a congratulatory message from Farah Pahlavi, the former empress of Iran.

“It was a great privilege to be recognized by ETTA,” Nehorai said. “Over my more than 20-year association with ETTA — along with the board, staff and volunteers — we have worked hard to provide much-needed programs and services to individuals with special needs. The growth of ETTA continues to be phenomenal, and it is gratifying to be part of such an influential and important organization.”

More than 550 people attended the event that also included a fashion show by Iranian native and acclaimed designer Simin Couture, featuring ETTA clients and ETTA Young Professionals.

“Recognizing Mrs. Nehorai is long overdue,” said ETTA Executive Director Michael Held. “We are thrilled the Iranian Division board of directors, along with the greater Iranian community, will have the opportunity to express their gratitude for all she has done, and continues to do. Through her vast experience, professional training and dedication, she has changed the hearts and minds within the Iranian community and bettered the lives of the many Iranian clients and their families we serve.”

Throughout the past 20 years, the Iranian-American Division has been assisting ETTA, an affiliate of OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services, in providing programs and services to aid people with disabilities and their families.

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

From left: Jeffrey Kaplan and Rodney Freeman participate in the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ fifth annual Tour de Summer Camps. Photo by Howard Pasamanick Photography

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles hosted its fifth annual Tour de Summer Camps on Oct. 29, starting at Camp Alonim at the Brandeis-Bardin campus of the American Jewish University in Simi Valley.

More than 650 cyclists and hikers who participated in the communitywide event raised a record-breaking $1.2 million for scholarships for kids to attend Jewish summer camps.

“The entire community has embraced this special event,” said ride master Rodney Freeman. “Tour de Summer Camps has become a day to celebrate the good in our community, which has resulted in almost $6 million raised over five years to benefit Jewish camping scholarships. My dream is that every child with the desire to attend Jewish summer camp will be able to do so, regardless of their family’s financial capabilities.”

The fundraiser, which had four bike routes of different lengths, had some new additions this year, including three hiking routes, a live band, a fun zone with a rock wall and lawn games, and a personalized bike plate.

“This event is incredibly supported and attended by the community, because we all know that Jewish summer camp is one of the greatest drivers of Jewish identity,” said Federation President and CEO Jay Sanderson.

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

“Together As One,” an interfaith concert, featured clergy and attendees of all faiths and backgrounds. Photo by Farzana Ali

An interfaith concert at University Synagogue in Brentwood on Oct. 29, titled “Together as One,” had people dancing in the aisles to the music of the Yuval Ron Ensemble.

The nearly 180 attendees contributed canned or dried foods, underwear, socks and grocery store gift cards for homeless people in Los Angeles County.

Seated onstage below four Torah scrolls, the Yuval Ron Ensemble played traditional Middle Eastern music rooted in the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. A mystical whirling dervish — a person doing a devotional dance — performed during two selections. Vocalists sang in Hebrew and Arabic, with a Spanish-language singer joining in for a heartfelt, multilingual version of “Imagine” by John Lennon.

The evening’s finale included a blessing over the donated food and clothing by clergy members from multiple faiths, including University Synagogue’s Rabbi Morley Feinstein and Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro. The ensemble, joined by members of the University Synagogue choir and the Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir, then performed Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” beneath a quote from Isaiah: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

The event, a Days of Compassion service project organized through the office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, was sponsored by University Synagogue congregant Barry Silverman, the Agha Khan Council for the Western United States, Safe Place for Youth, Ward AME Church, and the St. Joseph Center.

Daniel Tamm, the mayor’s Westside representative and interfaith liaison, took part in welcoming guests.

— Scarlet Michaelson, Contributing Writer

From left, back row: David Foster, Seal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cheryl and Haim Saban and Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Sam Grundwerg attend the annual FIDF western region gala with IDF soldiers. Photo by Alexi Rosenfield

A record $53.8 million was raised at the annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region gala on Nov. 2 at The Beverly Hilton hotel. FIDF national board member and major supporter Haim Saban conducted the fundraiser during the sold-out event that drew 1,200 guests. It didn’t take Saban long to raise the record amount of donations, thanks in large part to Oracle co-founder and billionaire Larry Ellison, who didn’t attend but donated $16.6 million.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, donated more than $5.5 million. Over the years, Eckstein has donated a total of $40 million to FIDF. Among the gala attendees were Guess founders Maurice and Paul Marciano, who also donated millions to the FIDF.

Among the celebrities attending the event were Gerard Butler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joanna Krupa, Katharine McPhee and Gene Simmons. Simmons, a member of the rock group Kiss and a regular guest at the FIDF gala, performed Kiss’ signature song “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

“Year after year, the support from the Los Angeles community for this remarkable event continues to amaze me, and this year’s gala is no exception” Saban said. “[My wife] Cheryl and I are grateful for the outpouring of support for these great causes and deeply honored by this year’s record-breaking donations.”

The gala featured the screening of a video called “Heroes of the IDF,” which told the stories of women combat soldiers. Today, 95 percent of IDF jobs are open to women, who serve as pilots, infantry soldiers, artillery combat soldiers, electronic warfare specialists, and anti-aircraft and naval officers. About 11 percent of combat soldiers drafted into the IDF each year are women.

Among the 17 active-duty soldiers attending the gala was border policewoman Cpl. Ravit Mor, whose life was saved by the late border policewoman Hadar Cohen, 19, after she was attacked by a male terrorist in February 2016. After being stabbed several times, Cohen shot the perpetrator but she was then attacked from behind by another terrorist and died. Mor later told the Jewish Journal about the close relationship she formed with Cohen’s parents: “It’s amazing how they supported and embraced me during that time, even though they were in pain for losing their daughter. This experience had made me stronger and taught me how to appreciate every moment in life.”

Also in attendance was Noam Gershony, the former IDF pilot whose helicopter crashed as he was heading to rescue troops during the 2006 Lebanon War. Gershony broke nearly every bone in his body, and was paralyzed from the waist down. He emerged from a deep depression not only to be rehabilitated, but to win a gold medal and share a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis at the 2012 Paralympic Games. When Gershony came on stage walking with the assistance of crutches, he was received with a standing ovation. Addressing the audience, Gershony jokingly said: “Now I can finally go out with a beautiful girl in Tel Aviv — or even a few.”

Presiding as the evening’s master of ceremonies was Israeli actress Moran Atias. The event featured special performances by singer Seal, The Tenors and David Foster & Friends.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

The post Moving & Shaking: CNN’s Blitzer Honored by LAMOTH, Tour de Summer Camps, FIDF Gala appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Sharsheret California, a national nonprofit organization supporting Jewish women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer, held its first anniversary celebration at Robertson Art Space on Nov. 5.

In its first year Sharsheret hosted 62 outreach and education events from San Francisco to San Diego. The group has also held 13 cultural competency training sessions for health-care, mental-health and Jewish-communal professionals.

Nearly 150 guests attended the event, which included a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception and a performance by Israeli singer and songwriter Eleanor Tallie. Abbi Hertz, Lisa Hofheimer and Courtney Mizel — members of the Sharsheret California Community Advisory Committee — co-chaired the event.

“When we opened the California office last year, we knew we were addressing a critical need in the Jewish community here to educate women and men about their increased risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer,” Sharsheret California Regional Director Jenna Fields said. “We had laid the groundwork over the years to build our presence. But when we officially launched last year, we took a leap of faith, and our Sharsheret leadership took a leap of faith, with the hope that the dream of a few would grow to the vision of many, and it did.”

Attendees included Donna Schlessel; Shuli Bendheim Steinlauf and her husband, Avi Steinlauf; Sari Abrams and her husband, Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of Congregation B’nai David-Judea; Annie Spar and her husband, Elon Spar; Sharsheret Executive Director Elana Silber; and Sinai Temple Rabbi Nicole Guzik.

— Esther D. Kustanowitz, Contributing Writer

From left: Talent agent Adam Berkowitz, actors Lior Ashkenazi and Ania Bukestein, Israel Film Festival founder Meir Fenigstein and Mark Ivanir attend the festival’s opening night. Photo by Robert Todd Williamson

The 31st annual Israel Film Festival (IFF) began Nov. 5 with a gala at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills that honored actor Jeffrey Tambor and Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi.

Tambor was presented with the 2017 IFF Achievement in Television Award by Israeli actress Ayelet Zorer, who had a role in the Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated Amazon Studios series “Transparent,” in which Tambor plays a transgender woman. (Tambor subsequently announced he may be leaving the show after sexual harassment allegations were made against him.)

Ashkenazi, who received the IFF Cinematic Achievement Award, is starring in “Foxtrot,” which won the Ophir Award — the Israeli Oscar — and will be submitted by Israel for the Academy Awards’ best foreign language film category. Actor Mark Ivanir (“Homeland”) presented Ashkenazi with his award.

In his speech, Ashkenazi addressed the controversy surrounding “Foxtrot,” which was heavily criticized by Israeli Minister of Culture Miri Regev, who claimed the film supported the agenda of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.

“There are those who try to mess with our art and work,” Ashkenazi said. “We as artists spark debate and make us all more tolerant, and we are going to continue creating and speaking our minds despite those who want to silence us.”

Yariv Mozer’s documentary, “Ben-Gurion, Epilogue,” winner of this year’s Ophir Award for best documentary, was the festival’s opening night film.

Adam Berkowitz, co-head of the television department at Creative Artists Agency, chaired the festival. Also in attendance was the festival’s founder and executive director, Meir Fenigstein.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

From left: Hailey, Todd, Dana, Ron, Sarah, Randall and Kathy Katz come together at the Katz Family Pavilion and Shalom Garden dedication ceremony. Photo courtesy of Stephen Wise Temple

Stephen Wise Temple in Bel Air dedicated its new Katz Family Pavilion and Shalom Garden on Nov. 5.

About 700 people turned out to celebrate the completion of the 18-month, $9.2 million building project, including lead donor Ron Katz and his family — sons Randall and Todd, daughters-in-law Kathy and Dana, and granddaughters Hailey and Sarah — for whom the facility is named. Also in attendance were Stephen Wise Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Rabbi Emeritus Eli Herscher and Cantor Nathan Lam; its building committee chair Leandro Tyberg; and Ed and Deena Nahmias, benefactors of the pavilion’s Nahmias Family Plaza.

The 9,500-square-foot pavilion will be used for sports, cultural and lifecycle events. Working with Lehrer Architects, the temple replaced its historic Hershenson Hall at the center of its campus with the new pavilion. The project also transformed a parking area into a 7,000-square-foot park dedicated in honor of Herscher and his four decades of service to the Stephen Wise Temple community. He retired in 2015.

After the event in an interview with the Journal, Zweiback expressed gratitude to the Katz family. “The way you say thank you,” he said, “is you live the values that inspire this place and then you build for the future.”

From left: Netiya Executive Director Devorah Brous, L.A. City Councilman David Ryu and L.A. Food Policy Council Executive Director Clare Fox.

Devorah Brous, executive director of Netiya, was honored as a Los Angeles Good Food Champion by the City Council on Oct. 24 as part of Food Day in Los Angeles.

Brous, whose organization is working to transform unused land at religious congregations into urban gardens, was one of 15 people honored from each city council district. She was chosen for the honor by District 4 Councilman David Ryu. Food Day was an effort organized by the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.

“They are all food champions,” Brous said of her fellow honorees. “One is
opening a restaurant. One has started a community garden in East L.A. That’s what makes the award cool. It’s really diverse, with people from every racial and ethnic background. It’s really interesting and exciting to see the council members are getting behind some of the initiatives we’ve been launching.”

Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, who bet on the Dodgers in the World Series, appears in a YouTube video about the bet. Photo from YouTube

Earlier this month, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback lost a friendly bet to Rabbi Oren Hayon of Congregation Emanu El in Houston over the 2017 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros.

At stake were food and tzedakah. Zweiback and the Stephen Wise congregation promised to buy the Houston congregation a Factor’s Famous Deli platter and to make a donation to a cause of Emanu El’s choice if the Astros won. Emanuel El promised pecan pies and a donation to Union of Reform Judaism’s Camp Newman, which was devastated during the recent Northern California fires, if the Dodgers won.

The synagogues’ two rabbis exchanged humorous videos on YouTube over the course of the seven-game series. In one video, after the Astros beat the Dodgers, 7-6, in 11 innings, Hayon created a video of him eating pecan pie. Zweiback made a video in which he pretended to be on the phone with the Dodgers’ Jewish outfielder, Joc Pederson — who Zweiback referred to as “Yaakov.”

After the Astros beat the Dodgers in seven games, Stephen Wise sent the Houston congregation the Factor’s platter and made a donation to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. More than 150 families in the extended Emanu El family were affected by the storm. Despite winning the wager, Emanu El graciously made a donation to Camp Newman.

From left: Ben Savage, Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) honorees Dr. David Snyder and actress Bonnie Hunt, Avram Hershko, Candice Rosen and David Goodman attend the ICRF 2017 “Unlocking Cures” gala. Photo by Lindsey Boise

The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) held its “Unlocking Cures” gala on Nov. 11 at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills, honoring actress, producer, writer and director Bonnie Hunt and City of Hope Dr. David Snyder.

Hunt’s credits include the movies “Jumanji” and “Jerry Maguire.” Before getting into show business full time, she was an oncology nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where she worked closely with Dr. Steven Rosen, now CEO of City of Hope, a cancer treatment and research center in Duarte, Calif. She continues to support patient advocacy, medical research and many medical-related causes.

Snyder is an expert in stem cell transplantation for the treatment of leukemia and other blood disorders. He has been at City of Hope for more than 30 years.

The program for the event said Hunt and Snyder “exemplify the mission of the ICRF to improve the lives of those around the world by supporting world-class medical research in Israel.”

City of Hope and ICRF announced a collaboration in 2016 with the establishment of the Jacki and Bruce Barron Cancer Research Scholars Program to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between cancer researchers in the United States and Israel.

The event, which opened with a cocktail reception and a silent auction, was attended by 250 people and raised more than $330,000. Actor Ben Savage was the emcee for the dinner and awards presentation, and Nobel laureate Avram Hershko, an Israeli biochemist, delivered the keynote speech.

Among those in attendance were ICRF Los Angeles board president and Jewish Journal advertising director Marty Finkelstein and ICRF board members David Cohan and Candice Rosen, who co-chaired the event.

“ICRF is that wonderful organization that merges the needs of cancer researchers with the ingenuity and resources of Israel,” Cohan said. “This gala is our opportunity to do our part to support them both. We must do our part!”

The post Moving & Shaking: Sharsheret California, Supporting Jewish Women Facing Cancer, Celebrates First Anniversary appeared first on Jewish Journal.

A pop-culture roundtable at Temple Beth Am on Nov. 16, featuring five creative Jewish professionals, examined depictions of Jews in movies and television and what they say about American-Jewish life.

“Tonight, we want to talk about how the Jewish experience has changed over time,” psychologist and screenwriter Michael Berlin, the event moderator, said at the start of the evening, titled “Schmaltz, Schmendricks and Showbiz!”

During the event, comedy writer Rob Kutner (“Conan”) discussed what it was like being a pro-Israel writer at “The Daily Show” and having more pro-Israel views than then-host Jon Stewart. Kutner said he tried to bring more balance to the content of a “Daily Show” segment that portrayed pro-Israel Jews as being unwilling to listen to anything other than full-throated support for Israel.

“I didn’t want to argue too much with my boss, but I was trying to present a reasonable pro-Israel position,” Kutner said.

Michelle Fellner, a television editor whose credits include “Mad Men,” recalled how she bonded with show creator Matt Weiner over their shared Jewish heritage when she worked on the Emmy Award-winning drama.

Over the course of the evening, the panelists presented clips from films and television shows that depicted Jews in flattering and negative ways. Journal contributing writer Esther D. Kustanowitz discussed “JAP Battle,” a clip from the musical-comedy show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” featuring two Jewish American princesses trading rap verses skewering each other and Jewish stereotypes.

Kustanowitz said the evening was an opportunity “for Jews to emerge beyond the stereotype.”

During a Q-and-A toward the end of the night, Temple Beth Am Rabbi Ari Lucas asked the panelists how Judaism informed their approach to their work. Andrew Wallenstein, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, said he struggles with staying true to the Jewish law prohibiting lashon harah (Hebrew for “gossip”) because almost 90 percent of the content on his newspaper’s website is gossip. Still, he said, he hopes the articles shed some light on troubling realities in society.

American Jewish Committee Los Angeles President Scott Edelman (left) and Learned Hand Award recipient John Rogovin. Photo by Howard Pasamanick Photography

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Los Angeles honored John Rogovin, executive vice president and general counsel at Warner Bros. Entertainment, with the AJC Learned Hand Award on Oct. 25 at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles.

“Who better exemplifies the spirit of liberty than the American Jewish Committee, which I admire so much for their work on behalf of all of us — Jews and non-Jews — safeguarding human rights,” Rogovin said in his acceptance speech.

Michael Powell, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, presented Rogovin with the award.

Attendees at the ceremony honoring Rogovin included John Emerson, former United States ambassador to Germany. Emerson delivered the evening’s keynote speech on the importance of U.S.-Germany ties and the role AJC plays in that relationship.

Norman Eisen, former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Matthew Dontzin, founding partner at Dontzin, Nagy & Fleissig, served as the masters of ceremonies.

The dinner co-chairs were Jaye Rogovin, John Rogovin’s wife; former AJC National President Bruce Ramer; AJC Los Angeles President Scott Edelman; and Latham & Watkins partner Joseph Calabrese.

AJC Los Angeles Director Dan Schnur opened the program.

AJC, an advocacy group combating anti-Semitism, supporting Israel and more, established the Learned Hand Award, the highest honor the organization bestows to an individual in the legal profession, in memory of Judge Learned Hand, a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

From left: Deanna Migdal, Esther Friedberg, Chellie Goldwater Wilensky, Gail Simpson, Susan Isaacs and Ivy Libeross attend the NA’AMAT USA luncheon. Photo courtesy of NA’AMAT USA

The San Fernando Valley Council of NA’AMAT USA held its annual Distinguished Community Leader Awards luncheon at American Jewish University on Oct. 29.

This year’s honorees were Dr. Fran Kaufman, a prominent figure in the treatment of pediatric diabetes; community activist Barbara Yaroslavsky, for her fight against poverty; and Gail and Myles Simpson, for their service to NA’AMAT and Conservative Judaism.

“I am very appreciative of this honor,” Gail Simpson said. “NA’AMAT has been a part of my life for the past 40 years. I’ve seen all of our accomplishments in Israel and how NA’AMAT has improved the lives of women and their families. Our programs are constantly evolving as the needs of women grow and change.”

NA’AMAT USA, a volunteer organization, partners with NA’AMAT Israel to provide educational and social services for families and individuals in need.

The luncheon included a video screening about NA’AMAT’s technological high schools for disadvantaged and at-risk teens in Israel, introduced by the organization’s national vice president of public relations and publicity, Susan Isaacs.

“It is an inspiration to recognize the achievements of our distinguished honorees,” NA’AMAT USA Executive Director Deanna Migdal said. “These leaders serve as models for us all as we work to fulfill our mission of enhancing the quality of life of women and children in Israel.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

“Fauda” star Laetitia Eido poses on the red carpet at the Israel Film Festival. Photo by Alex Zamyatin

As part of the Israel Film Festival, 220 people attended a screening of a new episode from the Israeli TV hit “Mossad 101” at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills on Nov. 15. The screening was followed by a panel discussion about how to expand the impact of Israeli television. Adam Berkowitz, co-head of television at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), moderated the panel, titled “Israeli TV: An American Success Story.”

“Israeli TV is quite young — 27 years,” said Udi Segal, founding CEO of Sumayoko Films, which produced “Mossad 101.” “It can offer young and enthusiastic creators.”

Segal said Israeli creators tend to have lower budgets than their American counterparts, which is helpful for the creative process. “When you have a small box, you must think outside it,” he said.

“Israelis are innovators and entrepreneurs, and want to invent and push the envelope,” said Sharon Tal, head of drama and comedies at Amazon. “They never want to think safe. They always have something to say and they say it.” She added that Israeli writers are used to a “very honest and brutal approach,” that they’re not afraid of getting notes about their scripts, while American writers have to be “treated with kid gloves.”

“What makes a good TV show is to take reality and exaggerate it a little,” said writer David Shore (“House,” “The Good Doctor”). “That’s what Israel is — reality that’s a little more heightened and a little more focused.”

The panel also included Danna Stern, managing director of Yes Studios, and award-winning actor Tsahi Halevi. Halevi has been acting for about five years and now is enjoying recognition for his work in “Mossad 101” and “Fauda,” both of which were featured at the festival.

“The last year-and-a-half has changed the formats business,” said Michael Gordon, an agent at CAA. Gordon said Israel is particularly well positioned to export stories. It generates “organic stories, because the population isn’t homogenous,” he said.

Both “Fauda” and “Mossad 101” present diverse characters coming into conflict with one another over cultural or ideological differences.

The following night, Nov. 16, the festival hosted a red-carpet world premiere for the second season of “Fauda,” featuring two sold-out screenings and a Q-and-A panel discussion with the talent and creators of the show.

— Esther D. Kustanowitz, Contributing Writer

From left: Sephardic Education Center (SEC) Director Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, “NCIS: Los Angeles” actress Daniela Ruah, Sephardic Film Festival honoree Joe Ouaknine and SEC President Neil Sheff. Photo courtesy of Sephardic Educational Center

The Sephardic Educational Center (SEC) kicked off its 14th annual Los Angeles Sephardic Film Festival on Nov. 5 with a dinner under the stars at the Paramount Studios lot.

Every year, the Sephardic Film Festival showcases original stories by filmmakers around the world, while highlighting the heritage and culture of Sephardim.

This year’s opening film was actor and director Ze’ev Revach’s “Back to Casablanca.” The film follows Revach’s journey back to his homeland in search of a Moroccan actor to star alongside him in his next film, which he dreams he’ll be able to distribute around the Arab world.

SEC President Neil Sheff delivered remarks at the start of the evening.

Proceeds from the weeklong festival, which closed on Nov. 12, support SEC educational programs, including SEC Hamsa Israel, a trip to Israel for teenagers led by SEC Director Rabbi Daniel Bouskila.

The SEC presented Joe Ouaknine, co-founder of Titan Industries, a women’s fashion footwear company, with the Maimonides Leadership Award. Ouaknine was born in Morocco, immigrated to Canada, moved to Los Angeles in 1977 and is an active supporter of the Los Angeles Sephardic community, the SEC website says.

Actress Daniela Ruah (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) emceed the evening.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

LACMA Director Michael Govan poses at “ArtWorks ADL” with (from left) his wife, fashion and luxury brand consultant Katherine Ross; Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Regional Director Amanda Susskind; ADL executive committee member Nicole Mutchnik; and Sotheby’s Executive Vice President and Chairwoman Andrea Fiuczynski. Photo courtesy of Anti-Defamation League

“ArtWorks ADL: Justice, Advocacy And Art” drew more than 400 art aficionados, philanthropists and friends of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to the Beverly Hills home of husband-and-wife entrepreneurs and philanthropists Lisa and Joshua Greer.

The Oct. 26 event, held in the Greers’ backyard on a balmy evening, showcased more than 40 paintings, sculptures and mixed-media works donated by Los Angeles-based artists and galleries inspired by the ADL mission and representing the Jewish, Asian-American, Latino, African-American and LGBT communities.

Andrea Fiuczynski, executive vice president and chairwoman at Sotheby’s America, conducted a live auction. The event raised $420,000 to support ADL programs combating hate and bigotry.

Attendees included the evening’s co-chairs, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Director Michael Govan and international art consultant Lauren Taschen.

The post Moving & Shaking: ‘Schmaltz, Schmendricks and Showbiz!’ Dishes on Pop Culture; Art Show Supports ADL appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Israel’s chief Sephardic rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, visited Los Angeles from Nov. 21-26 and met with many community members and leaders, including former L.A. mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa.

During a meeting in the rabbi’s hotel room, Villaraigosa, who is running in the 2018 California gubernatorial race, asked the Hebrew-speaking rabbi for a blessing. The two leaders also discussed pluralism issues facing Israel in light of the Reform movement’s efforts to create a mixed prayer space at the Western Wall.

“It was a very interesting conversation,” Congregation Mogen David Rabbi Yehuda Moses said. “I was in the room. I thought it would be a two-minute conversation. It was a 15-minute conversation.”

Yosef’s trip was coordinated by Moses, who received rabbinic ordination from Yosef’s late father, former chief Sephardic rabbi of Israel Ovadia Yosef. It was the first time Yosef visited Los Angeles since his appointment in 2013.

The chief rabbi, author of books on Jewish law important to the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities, also met with Chabad of California Rabbi Baruch Shlomo Cunin; Rabbi David Zargari of Torat Hayim; Nessah Congregation Chief Rabbi David Shofet; and Rabbi Netanel Louie of the Eretz Cultural Center.

Yosef also spoke to about 700 representatives of the Sephardic community at the Eretz Cultural Center in Tarzana. “He strengthened the whole community,”
Moses said.

From left: Limmud FSU co-founders Sandra Cahn and Chaim Chesler, Israeli Minister Ofir Akunis and singer Mike Burstyn at the event “Leonard Cohen and Judaism” at Hillel at UCLA. Photo by Eli Mandelbaum

A Nov. 14 event at Hillel at UCLA lauded the late singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and his Jewish roots. “Leonard Cohen and Judaism” was hosted by the organization Limmud FSU and included speeches touting Cohen’s legacy and the singing of his hit song “Hallelujah” by actor-singer Mike Burstyn.

Cohen died on Nov. 7, 2016, in his Los Angeles home at the age of 82.

Limmud FSU, an organization dedicated to connecting Jews from the former Soviet Union with their roots, hosted the event in part because of Cohen’s Eastern European heritage. Chaim Chessler, the organization’s founder, pointed out that Cohen’s mother and paternal grandfather were from the region.

The event included a rendition of “Promise,” an unreleased song by Cohen that was performed by local musician Willie Aron, who co-produced it.

“When the world is false, I won’t say it’s true,” Aron sang. “When the darkness comes, I’ll be there with you.”

Speeches addressed Cohen’s connection with Judaism and the liturgical roots in many of his lyrics.

Cohen taught that “in order for us to be whole, we have to realize the shadow, the darkness, and not hide from it,” said Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, president of the Academy for Jewish Religion California, a transdenominational seminary that shares a building with Hillel.

Ofir Akunis, a Likud member of the Knesset and Israeli minister of science, technology and space, also spoke at the event, calling Cohen “one of the greatest artists of all time” and applauding his “tight connections to the Jewish people.” Akunis referenced Cohen’s 1973 trip to Israel to perform for soldiers during the Yom Kippur War as a sign of the artist’s connection with the Jewish state.

Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, director emeritus of Hillel at UCLA, praised Cohen’s ability to combine Judaism and universalism. “Cohen translated Judaism through music,” he said, “and ask any musician, music transcends boundaries. … He was our rebbe.”

— Eitan Arom, Senior Writer

Zane Buzby (right), founder of the Survivor Mitzvah Project, was honored Nov. 27 by the Mensch International Foundation, founded by Steven Geiger. Photo courtesy of the Mensch International Foundation

The Mensch International Foundation honored four community members with the Mensch Award on Nov. 27 at Sinai Temple.

The honorees were Michael Berenbaum, professor of Jewish Studies at American Jewish University; Zane Buzby, founder of the Survivor Mitzvah Project; former Sinai Temple Rabbi Zvi Dershowitz, who served there for 47 years; and Meir Fenigstein, president and founder of the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles.

“The first award I received was the Silver Angel Award, 37 years ago,” Berenbaum said. “I told my mother about it and she said, ‘I already know you are an angel, but now you should try to be a mensch.’ And here I am today, a real mensch.”

Steven Geiger established the foundation 15 years ago in Hungary, where he was born. The organization’s goal is to raise money to support Holocaust survivors in need and to combat anti-Semitism and stereotyping through education.

Geiger has named many well-known figures as recipients of the Mensch Award, including former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and former president of Israel Yitzhak Navon.

Actress Frances Fisher introduced Buzby, an actress, film director and philanthropist who then screened a short video documenting the harsh conditions facing Holocaust survivors living in
Eastern Europe.

“I founded the Survivor Mitzvah Project to change their lives, but they are the ones who changed mine,” she said.

Dershowitz was born in Czechoslovakia in 1928 and fled the country with his family 33 days before the Nazi invasion. The family settled in New York City. Dershowitz, who also served as a chaplain in the Southern California prison system for many years, said the award actually “belongs to my parents, who were the real mensches.”

Fenigstein was moved to tears as he recalled his parents, both of whom were Holocaust survivors. “Their love and support gave me the energy to follow
my passion, and I’m here because of them,” he said. “They would have been very proud of me if they saw me
here today.”

The event commemorated the 70th anniversary of United Nations Resolution 181, which was passed by the U.N. General Assembly on Nov. 29, 1947, and called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.

A panel discussion about the U.N. resolution followed the award ceremony. The speakers were Berenbaum, UCLA professor Judea Pearl, Chapman University law professor Michael Bazyler and Rabbi Moshe Kushman.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

From left: Jewish National Fund (JNF) L.A. board members Barak Lurie and Doug Williams attend the annual JNF breakfast, which they co-chaired. Photo courtesy of Jewish National Fund

More than 1,000 invited guests attended the sold-out 12th annual Jewish National Fund (JNF) Los Angeles Breakfast for Israel on Nov. 28 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

Guest speakers included author and radio commentator Larry Elder and Chemi Shalev, senior columnist and U.S. analyst for the Israeli Haaretz newspaper. The topic was “Media Bias & Israel.” More than 60 table captains and partner organizations helped to bring a cross section of
civic and Jewish community members to the event.

Additional participants in the program included Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Sam Grundwerg and event co-chairs Douglas Williams and Barak Lurie.

JNF is a nonprofit organization focused on alleviating Israel’s water shortage, promoting education, maintaining more than 250,000 acres of forest in Israel,
and more.

Roman Catholic Priest Father Patrick Desbois (left), author of “The Holocaust by Bullets,” appeared in conversation with Heritage Retreats’ Rabbi Mordechai Kreitenberg. Photo courtesy of Miller Ink

Humanitarian and Roman Catholic priest Father Patrick Desbois appeared in conversation with Heritage Retreats’ Rabbi Mordechai Kreitenberg and philanthropist Mitchell Julis at the Museum of Tolerance’s Peltz Theater on Nov. 7.

Desbois, president of Yahad-In Unum, an organization dedicated to identifying and commemorating sites of Jewish mass executions in Eastern Europe during World War II, shared his experiences documenting genocides and educating for their prevention.

“It is a big challenge to be a believer in God while living with open eyes, but it is part of that belief to cry out,” said Desbois, author of “The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest’s Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews.” “Searching for these victims who are waiting to be found is an act of faith.”

The panel opened with a video introducing Desbois’ work and contextualizing its importance in light of contemporary anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. A Q-and-A session with the audience followed the discussion.

Heritage Retreats, which provides young Jewish adults with an opportunity to engage with Judaism in outdoor wilderness settings, organized the event.

The group plans to lead trips to Poland, where participants will visit the massacre sites identified by Desbois and meet witnesses whom he has interviewed near Krakow.

The post Moving & Shaking: Top Israeli Sephardic Rabbi Visits L.A.; Tribute Paid to Leonard Cohen appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Friends of ELNET: European Leadership Network (FELNET), which supports the work of ELNET, an Israel advocacy organization devoted to improving the perception of Israel in Europe, raised more  than $800,000 at its Dec. 7 gala at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

The event featured a discussion between former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and David Siegel, chief executive officer of ELNET-Israel, with Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief David Suissa moderating. Before the discussion, Valls delivered remarks about, among other things, anti-Semitism in France.

The approximately 200 attendees included Larry Hochberg, co-founder and chairman of FELNET; Ken Ruby, the organization’s vice chairman; Jonathan Boyer, West Coast director of FELNET; and philanthropists Stanley Black, Naty Saidoff and Annette Shapiro.

The event had been planned to take place at the Skirball Cultural Center but was moved to the Hilton because of last week’s Skirball Fire.

From left, top row: Adam Peri, Gal Hayon, Itay Shimoni, Ronen Gordon, Hush Paz and Kfir Melamed and (from left, bottom row), Noa Goren Zahavi, Gilat Rapaport and Liron Sela participated in the Base Band concert at American Jewish University. Photo by Linda Kasian

Base Band, a local musical group of Israeli musicians and singers, performed Israeli army band songs before a sold-out crowd at American Jewish University’s Gindi Auditorium. The Nov. 29 concert commemorated the Nov. 29, 1947, adoption of the U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine.

“This show is meant not only for the Israeli community but for the Jewish-American communities who are familiar with the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] but are unfamiliar with the Israeli bands,” said Israeli musician Itay Shimoni, who formed the group with local Israeli singer Gilat Rapaport. “We want to bring them and their children closer to Israel through the songs of our country and give them a glimpse of the Israeli army culture life.”

Israeli army bands were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Band members performed in military bases all over Israel in order to lift the morale of personnel. Sometimes they performed during lulls in the battle, when troops would regroup at the base. Their songs became part of the Israeli culture and some of Israel’s leading singers made their debut as singers in those groups.

Base Band was formed after Shimoni, who arrived in Los Angeles a couple of years ago, contacted Rapaport with the idea. The latter, who performed in such a band in the 1990s, immediately decided to join Shimoni in the project. The two managed to find young Israeli singers, including Gal Hayon, Liron Sela and Noa Goren Zahavi, each of whom immigrated in recent months to the United States.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

AJC honoree Marlene Grossman and her husband, Marshall (left), with
Dan Schnur, the director of the Los Angeles region of the American Jewish Committee. Photo by Howard Pasamanick Photography

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Los Angeles honored Marlene Grossman, an environmental advocate, urban planning expert and community organizer, with the Ira E. Yellin Community Leadership Award on Dec. 3 at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. Her children, Leslie Bronson and Rodger Grossman, presented her with the award.

The Yellin Award, named in memory of former AJC regional president Ira E. Yellin, recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding civic, business and community leaders who have improved the quality of life in Los Angeles.

The keynote speaker was Erwin Chemerinsky, a nationally recognized constitutional lawyer and dean of the UC Berkeley Law School. He discussed protecting free speech on college campuses, combating hate crimes and how young attorneys can make a positive difference.

Yellin’s daughter, Jessica Yellin, a former chief White House correspondent for CNN, served as master of ceremonies.

AJC regional board members Marshall Grossman, the honoree’s husband, Marian Mann, Reeve Chudd, Phyllis and Bert Massing, Cathy and Len Unger and Adele Yellin, Ira’s widow, served as dinner chairs. Also in attendance were Dan Schnur, regional director of AJC; Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer; and City Councilwoman Nury Martinez.

About 40 people attended the inaugural Arq West Coast event in Venice. Photo by Danya Shults

The inaugural Arq West COAST event was held on Nov. 7at the Late Sunday Afternoon store in Venice. About 40 people attended the event organized by the lifestyle brand. Arq is designed to connect Jews and non-Jews to Jewish life and culture in a way that feels relevant and modern.

Founder Danya Shults, a public relations and marketing consultant, considers herself “Jew-ish,” noting on the Arq website that she read “ ‘Macbeth’ in Hebrew at Jewish day school, made out with a Jewfroed counselor in the red gazebo at a Jewish summer camp, and sang Shabbat songs around the piano every week with her Zionist mother, yarmulke-wearing father and siblings.”

The roots for Arq came about when Shults created “Pop-Up Shabbat,” potluck dinners for people in New York. Last year, Shults expanded the concept to include personal meet-ups that included community gatherings, retreats, couples’ salons, along with a website and a weekly newsletter called the “Ish.”

Shults and her husband moved to Los Angeles several months ago and launched Arq locally. Shults told the Journal that Arq is “less about specific age or background. We aim to be inclusive for people seeking something that is accessible.”

In that spirit, the event began with participants discussing with a partner questions such as: When have you fallen and gotten up again? Who helped you? What’s a cause that riles you up or that you have been an advocate for? What’s something that you need help with right now?

Chaplain Dina Kuperstock then spoke about the story of Noah’s ark and God’s promise to never destroy the world again, and she asked everyone to take part in a meditation session focusing on the notion that everyone has the power to find light and a spark in the darkest of times.

Shults said Arq’s events are a way for people not only to connect but to also come together during difficult times. “The political situation has been really tough,” she said. “There’s been violence and natural disasters. I don’t want to be a downer, but these things are in everyone’s Facebook feeds.”

To that end, she said, Arq’s mission to help people connect “is one of the key antidotes to the stress and anxiety and panic and fear that comes from all of this.”

— Kelly Hartog, Contributing Writer 

From left: StandWithUs Festival of Lights honorees Alon and Rosana Miller and Dina and Fred and Leeds; keynote speaker Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; Roz and Jerry Rothstein, CEO and COO of StandWithUs; and Michael Dickson, executive director StandWithUs-Israel, at the Beverly Hilton. Photo by Jonah Light Photography

The StandWithUs (SWU) Festival of Lights gala dinner, which was held on Dec. 10 at the Beverly Hilton, raised more than $3 million for the pro-Israel education organization.

The evening program honored Dina and Fred Leeds and Rosana and Alon Miller.

It also recognized Kfir Itzhaki, 28, with the Guardian of Israel Award, and Yahya Mahamid, 20, with the Star of David Award.

In November 2015, Itzhaki stopped a stabbing rampage by a 19-year-old terrorist from Hebron, who attacked an 80-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man. Ithaki chased the attacker and held him down until police arrived. A specialist in the Krav Maga fighting system, Ithaki told the 1,000 people at the gala that he knew he was risking his life but didn’t hesitate.

“I was raised by the Torah value that says, ‘Thou shall not stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor.’ I don’t think it’s only your right but your duty to stop a terrorist from hurting other people.”

Mahamid, meanwhile, is an Israeli-Arab Zionist and SWU educator who has been touring the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, speaking at campuses, synagogues and high schools. Born in Umm El-Fahm, Mahamid said he was indoctrinated from childhood to hate Israel and Jews, but that things changed after he got a job as a busboy in a Tel Aviv hotel and found that Israelis were nice to him.

When three Jewish boys were kidnapped and later murdered in the West Bank, Mahamid posted their photos on Facebook. He said his friends and community didn’t take it well. “I started receiving death threats, but it didn’t stop me,” he said during his speech. “We must stand against hate and always show our love and support to the State of Israel.”

Mahamid plans to join the Israel Defense Forces upon his return to Israel, although Israeli Arabs are not required to join the army.

Roz Rothstein, chief executive officer and co-founder of SWU, discussed the work the organization has done for the past 16 years.

“SWU was created to fight against anti-Semitism and educate people around the world of all ages and faiths about Israel,” she said. “Based on what we are seeing today, it was timely and visionary that we began the organization, that we did not wait for someone else to do the work we do.”

Former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold, the keynote speaker, praised President Donald Trump’s recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a national holiday for the Jewish people,” he said.

Comedian Elon Gold was the master of ceremonies.

Debbie and Naty Saidoff and Ellie and Bruce Lederman underwrote the event.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

The post Moving & Shaking: Friends of ELNET, StandWithUs and More appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Marking the first day of Hanukkah, the Los Angeles City Council and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles held a menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 13 at City Hall.

“The Federation was honored to partner with our elected officials to host and celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, at City Hall,” said Alisa Finstein, Federation’s senior vice president of community engagement. “This event brings all corners of our community together each year to light candles, sing songs, eat sufganiyot and remember the miracle that happened long ago.”

Among the elected officials and Jewish community leaders who attended the morning event in the City Hall rotunda were City Council members Paul Koretz, Bob Blumenfield, Mitch O’Farrell, Paul Krekorian, Monica Rodriguez and David Ryu; Becky Sobelman-Stern, Federation’s executive vice president and chief program officer; and Federation board member Jesse Gabriel. Rabbis Joshua Hoffman and Jaclyn Cohen led the celebration.

From left: Shalom Institute Executive Director Bill Kaplan and Shalom Institute honorees Michael and Linda Bennett, Adam Weiss, and Arthur Pinchev and Shalom Institute Associate Executive Director Joel Charnick attend the Shalom Institute gala at the Skirball Cultural Center. Photo by Dmitry Rogozhin Photography.

Shalom Institute, the home of Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu, honored four leaders’ contributions and commitment to its organization and to the Jewish community.

About 330 people attended the Dec. 2 event at the Skirball Cultural Center that celebrated the achievements of Adam Weiss, Linda and Michael Bennett, and Arthur Pinchev.

The gathering also raised nearly $200,000 for the Shalom Institute’s Sherut L’Olam Teen Leadership and Advocacy Program, the Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden, and Camp JCA Shalom scholarships.

Weiss, president of the Shalom Institute, received the Rae and David Finegood Leadership Award. He has helped the organization secure its land in Malibu, solidify its financial position and begin to implement its strategic plan.

The Bennetts were honored with the inaugural Marla Bennett Inspiration Award, named for their daughter, a Camp JCA Shalom camper, counselor in training, unit head and program director who was killed in a 2002 bombing at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “Linda and Michael’s unwavering support and vision ensures that future generations can benefit from all Marla was passionate about,” a Shalom Institute statement said.

Pinchev, director of Shalom Institute’s Sherut L’Olam: Teen Leadership and Advocacy Program, which trains students to become leaders on environmental and social justice issues, received the Vision Award. He was recognized for improving the program and engaging more teens from bar and bat mitzvah age through high school.

Shalom Institute staff who attended included Executive Director Bill Kaplan and Development and Community Engagement Director Marsha Katz Rothpan. Other attendees included Jacob Knobel, recipient of the Shalom Institute’s 2013 Emerging Young Leaders Award; and David Spieser, who serves on the Shalom Institute board of directors.

Front row, from left: Camp Ramah in California Executive Director Rabbi Joe Menashe, board members Karmi Monsher and Lesley Wolman and board chair Andrew Spitzer and (back row, from left) Camp Ramah in California honorees Abner and Roz Goldstine and Abby and Jonny Mars. Photo courtesy of Camp Ramah in California

Camp Ramah in California, which operates a Jewish summer camp in Ojai, held its annual gala celebration on Dec. 3 at Sinai Temple.

More than 530 Ramah families, friends and community members celebrated the evening’s honoree couples: Roz and Abner Goldstine, and Abby and Jonny Mars.  The Goldstines are involved in a number of community organizations. Jonny, who is a member of the organizaton’s board of directors, and Abby Mars received the inaugural Alumni Leadership Award.

Proceeds from the evening established Camp Ramah in California’s Mercaz Yisrael: Endowment for Israel Programs, to enhance programs that include Ramah’s Israel Seminar summer experience in Israel for campers, and Mishlachot, a program bringing Israeli counselors to Ramah for the summer.

The event began with cocktails, followed by dinner and the program.

The Conservative camp in Ojai draws young Jews from around the world, who become known as “Ramahniks.”

From left: Masa Israel Journey Project Manager Julia Smelensky, Masa Israel Journey’s new southwest regional director Avital Khaazanov and American Israel Gap-Year Fair founder and Executive Director Phyllis Folb participate in the American Israel
Gap-Year Association Fair. Photo courtesy of Phyllis Folb

The fifth annual American Israel Gap-Year Association (AIGYA) Fair was held at YULA Girls School on Nov. 16.

Participants included Masa Israel Journey’s Project Manager, Julia Smelensky, and its new southwest regional director, Avital Khaazanov; AIGYA founder and Executive Director Phyllis Folb; The Israel Experience at Bar Ilan University’s experiential education director, Meir Balofsky; and Artzi Executive Director Yishai Ashkenazi.

Students attended the event to learn about gap-year opportunities in Israel after they graduate from high school. They spoke with representatives of various Israel-based gap-year programs.

Skirball Cultural Center Founding President Uri Herscher (left) presents Rob Eshman, former Jewish Journal editor-in-chief and publisher, with the Career Achievement Award. Photo by Marvin Steindler Photography.

The Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California held its JCPSC Honors 37th annual dinner on Dec. 14 at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, honoring the contributions and achievement of eight outstanding Jewish communal professionals.

The event honored former Jewish Journal Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Rob Eshman with the Career Achievement Award.

“I’m proud to say that for a good period of my life I was a Jewish professional, and it is so humbling to count myself among people who have dedicated their professional lives to serving this community, upholding its values and making those values come to life every single day,” Eshman said upon receiving the award from Uri Herscher, founding president and CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center.

The other honorees and their awards were: IKAR Executive Director Melissa Balaban and MAZON President and CEO Abby Leibman, the Alan J. Kassin Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement; Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Executive Vice President Carol Koransky, the Bobbi Asimow Award for Professional Mentorship; Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Services Dan Rothblatt, the Award for Professional Excellence in Fundraising; Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles Director of Community Engagement Ashley Waterman, the Mark Meltzer Young Professional Award; and Jewish Federation and Family Services of Orange County Director of Senior Care Cally Clein and Senior Director of Program Impact Terri Moses, the Dora and Charles Mesnick Award for Achievement in Senior Adult Programming.

“We all stand on the shoulders of the people who came before us,” Rothblatt said. “Recognition from one’s peers is sweet and rare.”

The approximately 230 attendees included Jay Sanderson, president and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; Rabbi Sharon Brous, founder and senior rabbi at IKAR; Marvin Schotland, president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles; and Becky Sobelman-Stern, Federation’s executive vice president and chief program officer.

JCPSC Co-Presidents David Bubis and Randy Lapin delivered opening remarks.

— Esther D. Kustanowitz, Contributing Writer

The post Moving & Shaking: Federation Lights Menorah at City Hall; Jewish Communal Professionals Honored appeared first on Jewish Journal.

FRI DEC 22
“FACES OF HOMELESSNESS: BRINGING OUR NEIGHBORS HOME FOR GOOD”

The exhibition features oil-on-canvas portraits by Stuart Perlman of area homeless people that are accompanied by biographies of the subjects. Perlman, who has been a psychologist and psychoanalyst in Los Angeles for more than 30 years, began painting these portraits in 2010. He spent hours listening to his subjects’ stories and getting to know them. He has painted 200 portraits of homeless people who have lived on Venice Beach and Skid Row. Through March 7. By appointment. Free. Council House, 543 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 852-8512. ncjwla.org.

FINAL SHABBAT FLOW OF 2017

Experience the peace and presence of Shabbat through the mindful movement of a vinyasa flow yoga class. Live music, chanting, challah. No seats, no books, no stress. Welcome, namaste and shalom! Bring your yoga mat, towel and water, and wear comfortable exercise clothes. Roll out your mat, take stock in what you accomplished in 2017 and set intentions for 2018. Hosted by Om Shalom Yoga. 8 p.m. $15. Space limited; guests admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Yogaraj Yoga Studio, 2001 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles. (Free parking in the structure next door.) (424) 299-2507. facebook.com/omshalomyoga.

SAT DEC 23
“THE MENORAH”

Like Hanukkah, this night of improv comedy has a theme of eight: eight scenes from eight improvisers. One person begins a scene, which builds to an eight-person scene, then revisits all of the show’s scenes again. Featuring Beth Appel, Hal Rudnick, Jonny Svarzbein, Talia Tabin, Danny Cymbal, Matthew Brian Cohen, Jake Fallon and Heather Sundell. 7 p.m. $7. UCBT Franklin, 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 908-8702. franklin.ucbtheatre.com.

“WE ARE AMERICA”

Pink Lady and Senior Star Power present this musical salute to veterans. Performers range in age from their 60s to their 90s, but they bring the sassy, the sexy and the sizzle in this revue featuring singing and dancing. Through Dec. 31. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, 6:30 p.m.  Dec. 31. $25-$45 (Dec. 23 and 30), $60 (Dec. 31). Madrid Theatre, 21622 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. (818) 400-2701. brownpapertickets.com/event/3097240.

SUN DEC 24
“FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” SINGALONG

Tevye, Golde and the folks of Anatevka light up Norman Jewison’s musical film, which plays at Laemmle theaters across Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. This year marks a decade since Laemmle began this annual “Tradition,” featuring Jewish leaders serving as hosts of the screenings, prescreening trivia and prizes for “Fiddler” buffs, and more. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in costume. Children are welcome. 7:30 p.m. Additional 5 p.m. screening at the Town Center 5 in Encino. $18 (general), $15 (seniors, students). Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd.; NoHo 7, 5420 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Ahrya Fine Arts, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; Playhouse 7, 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; Claremont 5, 450 W. Second St., Claremont. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

ELON GOLD’S “MERRY EREV XMAS”

Stand-up comedian Elon Gold performs on Christmas Eve with special guests at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Come for his spot-on Jeff Goldblum and Woody Allen impersonations; stay for his humorous insights about what it is to be Jewish in contemporary America. 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m., $35 (general), $55 (VIP). Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 656-1336, ext. 1. laughfactory.com/clubs/hollywood.

MOSTLY KOSHER

The indie klezmer and folk band puts a modern twist on traditional Jewish sounds when it performs at the 58th annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration. Led by musician Leeav Sofer, who was named one of the Jewish Journal’s “30 Under 30,” Mostly Kosher bridges Jewish and American musical roots. Other performers at this multicultural event presented by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors include VOX Femina Los Angeles, a choir of 34 women that will perform Hanukkah and Christmas songs. Musicians from Korea, Hawaii, West Africa and elsewhere also perform. Those who can’t make it in person can catch a broadcast of the event on KOCE, the PBS SoCal station. The event also will be streamed live at pbssocal.org. 3-6 p.m. Free (first come, first served). Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 972-3099. musiccenter.org/holidaycelebration.

“JOKES FOR JEWS”

Michael Gelbart

Spend Christmas Eve laughing with a lineup of nearly a dozen comedians. Michael Gelbart, who has appeared on Comedy Central, Teen Nick, the Disney Channel and Starz, headlines. Additional performers include Adam Feuerberg, Dana Eagle and Joshua Snyder. 7 p.m. $20. Flapper’s Comedy Club Burbank, 102 E. Magnolia, Burbank. (818) 845-9721. flapperscomedy.com.

THE BALL 2017

Mix, mingle and socialize at this Jewish singles event in West Hollywood. (What else are you going to do on Christmas Eve?) Previous years have drawn upward of 1,000 attendees, so arrive early to avoid long lines. 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. $35-$50. Bootsy Bellows, 9229 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. letmypeoplego.com.

MATZOBALL

Find your bashert in time for New Year’s. The 31st annual MatzoBall on Christmas Eve draws young Jewish singles looking for friendships, hookups and marriages. 21-and-older only. IDs required. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. $30. Spare Room (Inside the Roosevelt Hotel), 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. matzoball.org/our_events/matzoball-los-angeles.

MON DEC 25
TEMPLE ISRAEL OF HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS MEAL

Temple Israel of Hollywood has held an annual Christmas meal for the underprivileged and homeless for more than 30 years. Volunteers are needed for the event’s setup, parking lot control, food service and cleanup. Setup is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 23 (open to all ages). Christmas Day shifts are 6-10 a.m. for early food preparation (13 and older), 6:30-10 a.m. for parking lot control (13 and older), 8-10 a.m. for first shift (13 and older) and 4-5 p.m. for cleanup. The meal is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hollywood United Methodist Church, 6817 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. (323) 874-2104 (church); (323) 876-8330 (temple). tioh.org.

“DREAMING OF A JEWISH CHRISTMAS”

Gaston Poon in “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas.”

Director Larry Weinstein’s irreverent musical documentary tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Torme and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. It is a tale of Jewish immigrants and how they used their talent to go from being outsiders to the creative forces behind Christmas’ most memorable music. A Q-and-A follows with classic film and music expert Michael Schlesinger. Noon. $11. Laemmle Town Center, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (800) 838-3006. lajfilmfest.org.

ONE-ON-ONE OUTREACH DELIVERY

Join congregants of synagogue Kehillat Israel in packing and delivering groceries and toys to low-income families in South Central Los Angeles. Co-founded by Kehillat Israel member Michael Schwartz, One-on-One Outreach is a volunteer organization that convenes once a month to help those in need. Noon to 2 p.m. Email Michael@oneononeoutreach.org for additional information. (310) 459-2328. ourki.org.

THU DEC 28
LUNCH ’N’ LEARN WITH RABBI VOGEL

Temple Aliyah Rabbi Stewart Vogel discusses and analyzes the week’s Torah portion.  This interactive classic offers insights into Judaism’s most sacred text. Accessible for beginner students. No Hebrew or previous Torah experience necessary. 12:15-1:45 p.m. Free. Temple Aliyah, 6025 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 346-3545. templealiyah.org.

“AN AMERICAN TAIL”

Executive producer Steven Spielberg’s classic animated movie follows a Jewish family of mice emigrating from Russia to America by ship. At the center of the story is a young mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz, who gets lost from the rest of his family. Fievel’s family presumes he is adrift at sea, but Fievel makes it to New York and meets a bustling crew of colorful characters. Throughout the adventure, the little mouse is determined to reunite with his family. The film screens at the Skirball Cultural Center as part of “Family Film Series: Journeys Near and Far.” On Jan. 4, Pixar’s “Up” closes the series. 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Free. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

The post What’s Happening in Jewish L.A. Dec. 22-28: Volunteering, Comedy, Singles Events and More appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS) held a groundbreaking on Dec. 18 for construction of the JFS Lois and Richard Gunther Center at 330 N. Fairfax Ave., which will transform the existing Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center into the organization’s new headquarters. The ceremony was attended by JFS leadership, staff, volunteers and clients, including JFS President and CEO Paul Castro and JFS Capital and Endowment Campaign Co-chairs David Levine and Dena Schechter. Civic and community leaders were there as well, including Los Angeles City Councilmen Paul Koretz and David Ryu, City Attorney Mike Feuer and state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica).

“The new Center building will be as innovative and strong as the organization that is building it,” Castro said in a statement. “It will help us better integrate our services, expand and strengthen our reach within the greater L.A. community, consolidate our extensive array of programs, and increase our efficiency. This means that more time, energy and resources can be directed exactly where they belong: supporting the lives of our neighbors and community members.”

JFS expects to complete the construction, which follows a multimillion-dollar capital campaign, in two years. The new facility will house the Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center, the Hirsch Family Kosher Café, mental health services for Holocaust survivors, counseling services for victims of intimate-partner violence, an older-adult health and wellness center, and the JFS administrative offices.

The center is named for the couple who provided the lead gift for the capital campaign. Lois Gunther previously served as a JFS board president and has been a longtime JFS supporter; her husband, Richard, is a board member of Americans for Peace Now.

During construction, programs and services previously provided at the multipurpose center will be available at 6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 275, in Los Angeles.

Rabbi Yitzchak Sakhai, executive director of Sephardic Tradition and Recreation, lit a menorah at the L.A. Clippers’ Jewish Heritage night. Photo by Jacob Gonzalez/LA Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers paid tribute to the team’s Jewish fans with Jewish Heritage Night on Dec. 20.

The evening took place on the eighth day of Hanukkah and featured a pregame ceremony. Rabbi Yitzchak Sakhai, executive director of Sephardic Tradition and Recreation, lit a large menorah at center court. His wife, Esther, joined him.

The Los Angeles Jewish Community Children’s Choir performed the national anthem. Milken Community School’s Israel Dance Company performed at halftime. The Clippers defeated the Phoenix Suns, 108-95.

The 2017 David Twersky Journalism Award recognized Jewish Journal senior writer Danielle Berrin for her October 2016 feature story, “My Sexual Assault, and Yours: Every Woman’s Story.”

Berrin, the sixth winner of the prize for Jewish journalism, joins past winners J.J. Goldberg, Jane Eisner, Andrew Silow Carroll, Larry Cohler Esses and Johanna Ginsberg.

“[Berrin’s] story was very well received by the judges and received either a first, a second or a third rank from each and every judge to comfortably win out of a field of eight finalists that included two past winners,” said the prize’s founder and chair, Amir Cohen.

In her first-person story, Berrin recalled how an Israeli journalist, who was in Los Angeles to promote his latest book, made unwanted sexual advances toward her as she interviewed him. Berrin did not name the journalist. However, after publication of her story, speculation prompted Haaretz correspondent Ari Shavit to acknowledge that he was the journalist who had met with Berrin. Shavit subsequently resigned from the Israeli newspaper.

The David Twersky Journalism Award is named for the late Jewish journalist, Zionist and peace advocate, who died in 2010.

Jonathan Rifkind (left), son of the late David Rifkind, with Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, founder of Jews for Judaism. Photo courtesy of Jews for Judaism

International education organiza-tion Jews for Judaism held a gala event on Dec. 13 at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Westwood that presented Yaacov and Rayme Isaacs with its Community Service Award and commemorated the life of David Rifkind, a former board chairman and leader of multiple initiatives for the organization.

The event also marked the launch of the David Rifkind Legacy Fund, which will support JFJ initiatives.

The nonprofit works to discourage Jews from converting to other faiths via counseling and education centered on strengthening Jewish identity, addressing religious coercion and promoting critical thinking.

Speakers included Jews for Judaism founder Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz; Rifkind’s son, Jonathan; and screenwriter David Weiss, who served as master of ceremonies. He shared his story of how the organization played a role in his return to Judaism.

More than 200 people attended the event, which featured cocktails, a silent auction and dinner, and was co-chaired by Steve and Julie Bram and Alan and Dorit Teichman.

From left: Hollywood producer and philanthropist Steve Tisch; Tisch’s wife, Katia Francesconi; and Tel Aviv University alum and director and screenwriter Gideon Raff. Photo courtesy of American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

American Friends of Tel Aviv University honored Hollywood producer and philanthropist Steve Tisch at its annual gala on Dec. 6 at the IAC Building in New York City.

Tisch is a key supporter of the university. In 2015, he gave a $10 million gift to transform its Department of Film and Television into the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television.

“We thank our honoree, Steve Tisch, for his investment in the future of our students and for helping to strengthen Israel’s influence on the cinematic arts globally,” said the university’s president, Joseph Klafter.

Tisch’s producer film credits include “Forrest Gump,” “Risky Business” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.” He is the co-owner and chairman of the National Football League’s New York Giants.

Marsha Katz Rothpan (center) received the Outstanding Development Professional Award at the JCamp 180 conference. Photo courtesy of the Shalom Institute.

Marsha Katz Rothpan, development director of the Shalom Institute in Malibu, was presented with the Outstanding Development Professional Award at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s 13th annual JCamp 180 conference on Oct. 22-24 in Springfield, Mass.

“With this award, Ms. Rothpan joins a distinguished group of development professionals who have made significant contributions to the world of Jewish camps,” JCamp 180 Director Mark Gold said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have been able to recognize her contributions through this award.”

Katz Rothpan’s contributions to the Shalom Institute have included the introduction of Jeffersonian Dinners — dinner parties that aim to build a sense of community and partnership around a shared issue.

In an email, Katz Rothpan told the Journal that the dinners have generated new leadership and excitement within the organization, which is home to Camp JCA Shalom.

“We’ve reaped many things as a result — increased and new donations over time, new board members and other volunteers, campers, program participants — and gained tremendous knowledge and ideas related to services and programs provided and needed,” she wrote in the email.

During the conference, Katz Rothpan and Shalom Institute Board Secretary Larry Cohen led a workshop on the Jeffersonian Dinners as a model for relationship building.

Additional guest speakers included Union of Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs; JCC Association of North America President and CEO Daron Krakow; and Jewish Funders Network President and CEO Andres Spokoiny.

Seated, from left: Jewish Women’s Initiative honorees Lisa Richards, Rivkah Eisenberg, Emuna Braverman, Rochel Markman and Sandy Gordon, and (standing, from left) JWI Director Chana Heller, JWI luncheon co-chairs Susan Berman and Stacy Tilliss, JWI honoree Holly Magady, JWI associate director Sharon Shenker, event co-chairs Carolyn Ormond and Lisa Kodimer, and honorees Debbie Hirschmann and Lucy Blinder at the third annual JWI luncheon. Photo courtesy of AISH Los Angeles.

Aish Los Angeles’ third annual Jewish Women’s Initiative (JWI) luncheon, held Dec. 10 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, honored eight women: Lucy Blinder, Emuna Braverman, Rivkah Eisenberg, Sandy Gordon, Debbie Hirschmann, Holly Magady, Rochel Markman and Lisa Richards.

“This year’s honorees have been instrumental in lighting the way for Jewish moms to discover the significance of Judaism in their lives and their families’ lives,” JWI Director Chana Heller said in a statement.

The event, which drew about 300 JWI members and supporters, raised funds for JWI programming and scholarships for Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) trips to Israel.

The gathering began with a boutique, silent auction and event book signing, and it continued with a musical performance, lunch, tributes to the honorees and the awards presentation.

The honorees previously participated in the JWRP trips to Israel and have served as educators within the JWI movement.

“The mission of JWI is to empower Jewish women to communicate the beauty, joy and relevance of Judaism in their homes and communities,” a JWI press release said.

The organization holds weekly classes, monthly learning groups, a lunch-and-learn program, and an annual women’s retreat.

An earlier version of this article said the Shalom Institute in Malibu was a program of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. The two are not affiliated. [Correction made Jan. 5].

The post Moving & Shaking: JFS Groundbreaking, AISH Women Honored appeared first on Jewish Journal.

ETTA, an organization that provides programs and services that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independent lives, held its 24th annual gala on Nov. 29 at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

The event honored Jonathan and Miriam Istrin and Susie and Fred Toczek, who together announced a scholarship program — Summer@ETTA — for the ETTA summer camp. The program serves teens and adults with developmental disorders, including autism and Down syndrome.

Also feted were longtime ETTA staff members Leah Schachter, director of volunteer services and special events, and Josh Taff, director of the Isak Boruchin Adult Day Program, who received the inaugural “Etty” award for outstanding professional achievement. Eight ETTA youth board members received the Youth Leadership Award. The Pujols Family Foundation, a nonprofit that supports families living with Down syndrome, received the Community Philanthropy Award. And the Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation, which recently donated a van to the organization, received the Builders of Tomorrow award.

The 700 attendees included Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who turned out with his older brother, Champ, who has Down syndrome. Pederson accepted the award on behalf of the Pujols Family Foundation, which is named for Los Angeles Angels player Albert Pujols.

Dan Freeberg and James Geary accepted the award on behalf of the Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation. Actor Bradley Whitford (“The Post”) emceed. Actor Gary Cole (“Veep”) also attended.

Civic, political and community leaders in attendance included former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, state Sen. Ben Allen, L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian, attorney and ETTA board member Sam Yebri, ETTA Board of Advisors member Davis Factor and ETTA Executive Director Michael Held.

Temple Beth Ami Cantor Kenny Ellis (far right) hosts a Christmas Eve screening of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts theater in Beverly Hills. Photo by Tish Laemmle

More than 1,500 people turned out for screenings of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Laemmle Theatres outlets across Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, marking the 10th consecutive year that the theater chain has shown Norman Jewison’s 1971 musical film about the shtetl of Anatevka on the night before Christmas.

“We totally rocked the shtetl at six venues with seven packed auditoriums,” said Laemmle Theatres spokesman Marc Horwitz.

As they have done every year, folks who turned out at Laemmle theaters in Beverly Hills, Encino, Pasadena, Santa Monica and elsewhere sang along with favorites “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “If I Were a Rich Man.” The screenings also feature a host who leads the crowd in “Fiddler” trivia before the start of the film.

The hosts were Temple Beth Ami Cantor Kenny Ellis, a comic and entertainer who recently appeared as a rabbi in an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; klezmer bandleader Gustavo Bulgach; actress Susan Edwards Martin; Jason Moss of the Jewish Federation of Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys; Steve Sass, president of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California; Cantor Phil Baron of Valley Beth Shalom; and Temple Beth Israel Cantor Paul Buch.

From left: ADL Regional Director Amanda Susskind, ADL Regional Board Chair Ivy Kagan Bierman, ADL honoree Leah Weil, Bet Tzedek CEO Jessie Kornberg, retired U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, and Sarah and Joe Kiani attend the annual Anti-Defamation League gala. Photo courtesy of the ADLFoundation

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) held its 2017 annual gala celebration on Dec. 6 at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

The event honored Leah Weil, senior executive vice president and general counsel at Sony Pictures, with the Jurisprudence Award. Weil, the child of Holocaust survivors, said she has always been focused on pushing back against anti-Semitism, in part, because of her family history.

Additional honorees were husband and wife Joe and Sarah Kiani, who were presented with the Humanitarian Award by retired U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. Joe Kiani is CEO and chairman of Masimo Corp., a medical technology company, and Sarah Kiani is a board member of the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare.

According to a press release, Sarah Kiani described the ADL as “our nation’s David, slinging rocks against the Goliath of prejudice and hate, and standing up for those who are voiceless.”

The event raised nearly $1.1 million to support ADL efforts combating racism and bigotry.

Attendees and participants included Los Angeles Assistant Supervising Deputy City Attorney Anh Truong; ADL National Youth Leadership Mission participant Haley Pak; comedian and actor Wayne Federman, who emceed; and songwriter Alan Bergman.

Stephen Jensen, Anthony Vinciquerra and Karen and Alan Weil co-chaired.

Howard Kaplan, incoming general manager at Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries. Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai

On Feb. 1, Howard Kaplan will join Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries as its new general manager. For the past 13 years, Kaplan served as executive director of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, where he was instrumental in reviving its summer camp programs and spearheaded the 2011-15 renovation and expansion of its Erica J. Glazer Family Campus. Kaplan previously held key positions at Temple Aliyah and the Brandeis Bardin Institute.

Since its inception in 1964, the Mount Sinai general manager position has been held by only three people. Kaplan will succeed Leonard (Len) Lawrence, who is stepping down after 15 years to pursue new business opportunities. The mortuary praised Lawrence for promoting the importance of Jewish funeral traditions and for increasing the popularity of Mount Sinai’s park in Simi Valley.

“We are excited to have Howard Kaplan join this group of esteemed professionals who have led Mount Sinai for nearly 60 years and look forward to his continued leadership,” said Eric J. Diamond, chairman of Sinai Temple’s Cemetery Management Committee. Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries is the largest exclusively Jewish mortuary and cemetery organization in California.

From left: YICC Leadership Award recipients Sabrina and Aric Zamel, YICC Senior Rabbi Elazar Muskin, Arthur Kranzler Keter Shem Tov Award honoree Rabbi Yisroel Baruch Sufrin, Tribute Award recipient Gil Goldschein, Ruhama Muskin and Tribute Award recipient Ilana Goldschein at the YICC Tribute Award Dinner. Photo by Steve Cohn Photography

Young Israel of Century City (YICC) synagogue celebrated its annual Tribute Award dinner on Dec. 17 at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel.

About 400 guests joined in celebrating the completion of YICC’s new facility at 9315 W. Pico Blvd., which opened on Dec. 1 after 18 months of construction.

YICC Senior Rabbi Elazar Muskin paid tribute to all those who devoted their time and talent to making the new building possible.

The synagogue presented Rabbi Yisroel Boruch Sufrin, head of school at the Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy, with the YICC Arthur Kranzler Keter Shem Tov Award in appreciation of his allowing the synagogue to use the school’s facilities during YICC’s construction project.

The synagogue’s treasurer, Aric Zamel, and his wife, Sabrina, were honored with the Leadership Award for serving on the building committee and for their many years of commitment to the synagogue.

Synagogue President Gil Goldschein and his wife, Ilana, received the Tribute Award for their dedication in leading the congregation during the new building’s construction.

Bruce Powell (center), the outgoing head of school at deToledo High School, appears with deToledo High School faculty at The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ Global Teen Twinning Program 20th anniversary event. Photo courtesy of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Global Teen Twinning Program on Dec. 10 at Stephen Wise Temple.

The event acknowledged the impact the program has had on thousands of students and their families, and recognized Bruce Powell, the outgoing head of school at deToledo High School, for 20 years of leadership and support of twinning.

The Federation program connects 20 schools in Los Angeles with 20 schools in Tel Aviv and one in Vilnius, Lithuania, through jointly prepared curricula, teacher training and exchanges lasting 10 days or more.

The initiative has supported more than 60,000 middle and high school students, parents and faculty, some of whom attended the event.

The post Moving & Shaking: ETTA Celebrates; Federation Honors Bruce Powell appeared first on Jewish Journal.

Legendary Jewish musician Herb Alpert and his wife, Lani, have donated $2 million to establish the Eden Alpert Therapeutic Music Program at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services in Los Angeles in honor of Alpert’s daughter Eden.

Alpert attended a Jan. 7 dedication ceremony for the legacy gift, granted through the Herb Alpert Foundation, at his Vibrato Grill Jazz Club in Los Angeles.

Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services is a leader in providing specialized educational, mental health, autism, adoption and early intervention services to children and families. According to the organization’s website, the Eden Alpert Therapeutic Music Program was created to provide children served by the organization with a “safe environment to explore their creative potential, develop a greater appreciation for music and learn career skills.”

“The entire Alpert family has maintained a strong connection with Vista Del Mar for more than 50 years,” Rona Sebastian, president of the Herb Alpert Foundation, said in a statement. “The Eden Alpert Therapeutic Music Program grows out of that long-term history and brings together the Foundation’s passion to support the arts for all young people and encourage an environment that nurtures compassion and well-being.”

Nancy Tallerino, Vista Del Mar’s president and CEO, and Laurie Konheim, chair of the organization’s board of directors, expressed appreciation for the gift.

Alpert is a Grammy-winning musician, recording executive and philanthropist known for his work with the group Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Leaders and members of Adat Shalom and Ward AME Church walked together in the 33rd annual Kingdom Day Parade on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including Adat Shalom Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz (top row, third from left) and Pastor John Cager of Ward AME Church (back row, far right). Photo courtesy of Adat Shalom

Celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr., Adat Shalom, a Conservative congregation in Culver City, participated in the 33rd annual Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles on Jan. 15.

For the second consecutive year, the synagogue’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, and children of Adat Shalom walked with Pastor John Cager and children of Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church in University Park.

The respective communities participated in the event — the theme of which was “When They Go Low, We Go High” — as part of an ongoing effort to change the relationship between the Jewish and African-American communities in Los Angeles.

“Change always begins with a single step,” Lebovitz said in an email. “We’re all better off if we learn to walk together.”

Thousands of people turned out for the parade that started at Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman and Sen. Kamala Harris, who served as grand marshal.

The Congress of Racial Equality of California organized the event.

Far West USY President Ari Teckteil (left) accepts the Chapter of the Year awards on behalf of local L.A. synagogues from 2017 USY International President Noah Lee at the USY International Convention in Chicago. Photo by North Shore Photography

Southern California synagogues received top honors at the 2017 United Synagogue Youth (USY) International Convention in Chicago from Dec. 24-28.

For overall excellence in youth programming, USY recognized Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks, Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, Temple Beth Am in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles and Congregation B’nai Israel in Tustin .

In addition, the Far West USY region, which includes more than 20 congregations in California, Arizona and Nevada, won the award for largest overall membership increase.

USY is a program of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for Conservative Jewish teens in North America.

Attendees at the conference included Far West USY President Ari Teckteil and 2017 USY International President Noah Lee.

From left: The Guardians of the Los Angeles Jewish Home 2017 real estate event co-chairs Kenny Stevens, Peter Steigleder, Josh Keimach and Brad Luster. Photo courtesy of Guardians of the L.A. Jewish Home

The guardians of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, an event-driven organization that raises funds for the facility, held its annual real estate dinner on Dec. 13 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel.

Approximately 500 people attended the event, which raised $300,000 for the organization and honored Howard Banchik, co-founder and co-chairman of the board at Westwood Financial. His son, Randy, co-CEO of Westwood Financial and a member of the Guardians’ governors council, presented him with the award.

The event was co-chaired by Josh Keimach, a member of the Guardians’ 2017-18 young men’s leadership division; past president Brad Luster; and executive vice presidents Peter Steigleder and Kenny Stevens.

Guest speakers included Stuart Gabriel, director of the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate; Robert Hart, president and CEO of TruAmerica Multifamily; and Michael Koss, principal at Koss Real Estate Investments.

Temple Israel of Hollywood Senior Rabbi John Rosove. Photo courtesy of Temple Israel of Hollywood

Temple Israel of Hollywood (TIOH) is moving forward with searching for an interim rabbi to succeed its longtime Senior Rabbi John Rosove, who is retiring on June 30, 2019.

TIOH President Jonny Mars said in a Jan. 5 statement that the TIOH board of trustees arrived at the decision after consulting with a task force that examined whether the synagogue should hire a permanent replacement to immediately succeed Rosove or find an interim rabbi to guide the community through the transitional period.

The decision, Mars said, affords the synagogue the “opportunity to be operational and aspirational. … [An] interim rabbi will be able to help carry out rabbinic responsibilities as we continue to thrive as a community, while giving us time for thoughtful and intentional reflection, assessment of our identity, and confirmation of our values and priorities.”

Rosove is one of this city’s prominent Reform rabbis. Last February, he announced his intention to retire. He will become TIOH’s first rabbi emeritus in its 92-year-history.

The task force, led by TIOH board member Ilyse Pallenberg, consulted with Union of Reform Judaism professionals who specialize in synagogue transition, synagogue leaders who went through similar transitions at other congregations and others, Mars said.

The board of trustees came to its decision during a December meeting.

From left: Shuli and Avi Steinlauf, Rabbi Josh Spodek and Seth and Ruth Berkowitz attend the sixth annual YULA Girls High School Comedy Night. Photo by Lynn Abesera

The sixth-annual YULA Girls High School Comedy Night raised needed scholarship funds for the Orthodox yeshiva. Held on Dec. 4 at the school’s Pico-Robertson campus, the event featured performances by comedians Mark Schiff, Bobby Collins, Mark Weiner, Orny Adams and Nick Paul.

The approximately 250 attendees included YULA Girls High Head of School Rabbi Joshua Spodek and Schiff’s wife, Nancy, who headed the event organizing committee.

Each year, the school, which currently has an enrollment of about 165 students, provides more than $1 million in scholarships.

“This was probably our most successful year, not only with the attendance but with raising money,” Nancy Schiff said. “We hope to do it next year with a larger venue and to have more people come.”

The event kicked off with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and featured a dinner catered by the La Gondola restaurant.

The post Moving & Shaking: Parading, Joking and Working for the Community appeared first on Jewish Journal.

The Builders of Jewish Education (BJE) culminated its 80th anniversary celebration with its 2018 gala on Jan. 16 at Sinai Temple’s Barad Hall.

The event honored Jean and Jerry Friedman, who served on the BJE board from 1982–2004, and Bennett Spiegel, who has served on the board for 16 years, for their “decades of service to Jewish education and the community,” according to the BJE website. Keren Dunn, another board member, was recognized with BJE’s prestigious Young Leadership Award.

“We believe BJE is so important, because through its programs, it facilitates both formal and informal Jewish education,” the Friedmans said in a joint statement. “That combination is the best way to preserve Jewish community.”

Spiegel expressed his respect for the “the mission of BJE to enhance the quality of, increase access to, and encourage participation in Jewish education in Los Angeles.”

Dunn’s children have participated in BJE programming. She credited the organization with giving her son “exposure to hands-on community service and tying the experience to Jewish teachings.”

Rena Slomovic, Jill Lasker and Jennifer Elad co-chaired the event. Mark Goldenberg served as the emcee. Additional attendees included BJE President Mark Berns and BJE Executive Director Gil Graff.

Established in 1937, BJE describes itself as “an independent nonprofit serving the greater Los Angeles area. BJE provides programs and activities that connect families and children to a broad range of Jewish educational opportunities.”  The organization facilitates, among other things, teen experiential education, including the BJE March of the Living program, which sends delegations of Jewish teens to Poland and Israel.

“This is the 80th anniversary celebration of BJE and I am honored to play a role in that celebration,” Dunn said, “as BJE focuses on the past and future dedication of Jewish education in Los Angeles.”

Camp Ramah Executive Director Joe Menashe dedicated a sign to the firefighters who fought off the recent Thomas Fire, a disaster that prompted Ramah to remove its Torahs for safekeeping. Photo courtesy of Camp Ramah

Camp Ramah in Ojai celebrated the return of its five Torahs on Jan. 7 after they were removed for safekeeping during the recent Ventura County wildfire.

Though it wasn’t directly affected by the fire, the Conservative summer camp had a mandatory evacuation on Dec. 7.

Exactly one month later, more than 300 volunteers gathered to fill sandbags, write thank-you notes and bake cookies for firefighters, reshelve siddurim and plant trees.

“From the Ramah Beit Knesset, where we returned the Torah, we went to the area where the firefighters fought off the fire,” said Ramah Associate Director Ariella Moss Peterseil. “We dedicated a sign to them and their bravery and courage, which will remain on our campgrounds and remind us of this personal Hanukkah miracle we had in that place. It truly was the best of Ramah and Judaism: Being able to acknowledge what we are grateful for, with a Jewish ritual, and then launching into action.”

Executive Director Rabbi Joe Menashe shared a story about how a tree that has a sign that reads “ze hashar lashem tzadikim yavo uv” (This is the gate of the Lord, and the righteous shall pass through it) was only slightly burned, and that the camp had many “righteous people” in the firefighters and first responders who saved the camp.

Board chair Andrew I. Spitzer called the celebration a “true and sacred partnership between man and God.”

— Virginia Isaad, Contributing Writer

From left: TELACU President and CEO Michael Lizarraga, songwriter Melissa Manchester, journalist and television host Jackeline Cacho, U.S. Congressman Juan Vargas and Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Sam Grundwerg attended the fifth annual Fiesta Shalom. Photo by Michal Mivzari

Jewish and Hispanic community leaders gathered on Jan. 14 at Tomayo Restaurant and Art Gallery in East Los Angeles for the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles’ fifth annual Fiesta Shalom celebration.

Consul General Sam Grundwerg, whose office has long been concerned with strengthening Jewish-Latino relations, hosted the festive evening along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and TELACU President and CEO Michael Lizarraga.

The event honored U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Melissa Manchester for their visionary leadership and roles as inspirational figures in their respective fields.

Jackeline Cacho, Emmy Award-winning journalist and television host, emceed the evening event, during which several members of Congress spoke, including Vargas and Reps. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk). Together, they discussed the multitude of similarities, shared values and shared interests between both communities and their vast areas of cooperation.

“The family values, beliefs and rich cultures that the Latino community upholds align with the values that the Israeli people hold dear,” Grundwerg said. “In the last century, we witnessed the great and abiding friendship between the Jewish people and Spanish-speaking peoples.”

The event featured a kosher-style dinner and music performed by the salsa band Orquesta Tabaco y Ron. More than 200 guests danced, networked and celebrated the strong bonds between the communities in the United States, and the desire to maintain their distinctive and diverse cultural identities working in solidarity and support of each other.

— Ayala Or-El, Contributing Writer

Members of the third cohort of the The First 36 Project, which supports parents of children ages 0-3, attended a reception held at the headquarters of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

A reception was held on Jan. 18 at the headquarters of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for its The First 36 Project.

“The First 36 Project is a groundbreaking program that connects families with Jewish community and helps them put cutting-edge development research directly into practice, precisely when experts say it matters most — from the start,” a Federation statement said. “Developed by the Simms/Mann Institute, Builders of Jewish Education (BJE) and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, The First 36 Project provides Parent and Me facilitators at our Jewish Early Childhood Centers with an exclusive professional development opportunity designed to enhance their knowledge and amplify their ability to support parents of children ages 0–3.”

The dessert reception featured remarks by Federation CEO Jay Sanderson, BJE Associate Director Phil Liff-Grieff, and Victoria Simms, a nationally recognized child development specialist and the president of the Simms/Mann Family Foundation.

The evening event also marked the graduation of the second cohort of The First 36 Project and welcomed the third group to the program. Participants of the second cohort included, among others, Emily Glickman of Leo Baeck Temple, Wise School’s Nicole Mevorak, Debbie Myman and Jenna Pitson, and Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Molly Mills. Other participating schools include Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov-Ohr Eliyahu, Harkham Hillel Academy and Valley Beth Shalom.

The first cohort launched in 2015-2016.

B’nai David-Judea honored (from left) Rae and Shep Drazin, Emil and Lola Sassover and Andres Terech and Nikki Sieger at its annual gala dinner. Photo courtesy of B’nai David-Judea

The B’nai David-Judea (BDJ) annual dinner on Jan. 15 honored Lola and Emil Sassover, Rae and Shep Drazin, and Nikki Sieger and Andres Terech.

The Sassovers received the Tiferet David award in recognition of “a lifetime of commitment to the Jewish community.” The Drazins, Migdal David honorees, “were honored for their commitment to men and women’s tefilah and Torah study.” Sieger and Terech, who received the Chasdei David award, “were honored for their commitment to service for the BDJ community, including organizing the Purim Mishloach Manot every year and leading the once-a-month BDJ East Minyan,” said a statement provided by BDJ executive director Adynna Swarz.

Approximately 275 people attended the event, which was held at Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills and coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Among the highlights of the evening was when the Sassovers’ grandchildren read excerpts from the couple’s newly published memoir,  “From Dust to Dawn, Rebuilding Our Lives After the Holocaust,” which was authored by former Jewish Journal senior writer Julie Fax.

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