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Marc Ballon

Marc Ballon

Rocker Grrrl Memoir Charts Swift Decline

Zeroing in on 30, rocker Jen Trynin gave herself an ultimatum: either make it now or get out of the game. Her youthful looks belied the years she spent slogging through the Boston music scene without much to show for it besides too many hangovers.

Community Briefs

Community Briefs; Displaced Gaza Resident Raises $5,000 in L.A.; Father, Daughter Each Earn Book Awards; Preteen Ambassadors From Beverly Hills.

Cartoon Tension at UC Irvine

The showing of three cartoons of the prophet Muhammad at a conference last week on radical Islam at UC Irvine attracted a near-capacity crowd of about 400, including leaders of some local Jewish groups, while protesters demonstrated outside.

Fishel to Play Key Falash Mura Role

John Fishel took his seat on the jetliner and glanced across the aisle. Seated near the president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles was an Ethiopian woman. Resplendent in traditional garb, she cradled an infant in her arms and looked lovingly at her toddler son seated beside her.

Super Sunday Aims at Aiding Programs

\”The Federation improved our lives,\” said Khananashvili, now a 48-year-old social worker and Beverly Hills resident. \”They gave us our start here and protected us under their shield. We\’re very grateful.\”

Disputed Film Draws Muted Response

In a measure of the acclaimed movie\’s respectability in some quarters of the local Jewish community, the University of Judaism recently sponsored a screening of and panel discussion on \”Paradise Now\” that featured the film\’s director, Hany Abu-Assad.

Libraries: The New Mideast Battlefront

\”Libraries have become the latest battleground in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,\” said Andrea Rapp, a Judaica librarian at the Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati, who has compiled examples of alleged anti-Israel bias appearing in children\’s books.

Library Collection of Judaica Stands Out

Many of Los Angeles County\’s 84 libraries carry Jewish-flavored works, but Culver City has the only stand-alone Judaica collection. Among other Southland public libraries, Agoura Hills Library has a Holocaust and Hebrew language collection, and the Los Angeles Central Library in downtown — part of the city of Los Angeles\’ library system — has a Yiddish collection with 3,000 books.

Library Group Draws Fire Over Web Site

With more than 64,000 members, the American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest organization of its type in the world. The group aims to improve the quality of libraries and to ensure equal access to information for all. This mission has included advocacy when libraries or librarians are in danger.

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