SAT MARCH 30
LIONEL ROLFE AND JULIA STEIN
Former editor of the B’nai B’rith Messenger, Rolfe reads select passages from his new picaresque memoir, “The Misadventures of Ari Mendelsohn: A Mostly True Memoir of California Journalism,” which follows the sexual and political travails of a blacklisted Jewish reporter. Stein, whose Holocaust poetry highlighted her first book, “Under the Ladder to Heaven,” reads from her fifth book of poetry, “What Were They Like?” which looks at the lives — Iraqi, Afghan and American —caught up in the Iraq and Afghan wars. Sat. 5 p.m. Free. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 660-1175. skylightbooks.com.
SUN MARCH 31
ELANA BELL
In “Eyes, Stones,” poet Bell’s debut collection, the writer, performer, Jewish Journal poetry editor and educator considers the question of the Israel-Palestinian conflict through the prism of her heritage as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Bell reads selections from her book and discusses “Two Narratives in One Body: The Making of ‘Eyes, Stones.’ ” Sun. 10 a.m. Free. Temple Mishkon Tephilo, 206 Main St., Venice. (310) 392-3029. www.mishkon.org, elanabell.com/event.
“JOKES FOR JEWS”
Joshua Snyder hosts a seder plate full of stand-up comedians, some Jewish, some not Jewish, including vaudevillian performer Michael Rayner, Los Angeles comic Adam Feuerberg, Upright Citizens Brigade alumnus Steve Halasz and Zara Mizrahi. The full-service bar and restaurant serve an assortment of nosherei. Sun. 7 p.m. $15 (present an afikomen at the door to receive $5 off admission). Flappers Comedy Club, 102 E. Magnolia St., Burbank. (818) 845-9721. flapperscomedy.com.
TUE APRIL 2
“AMERICAN BUFFALO”
Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet’s play, enjoying its first major L.A. production in more than a decade, follows a trio of misguided misfits who plot the theft of a rare coin collection. As the time of the heist approaches, tension and anticipation build, revealing loyalties and testing friendships. Tue. 8 p.m. Through May 12 (various times). $35-$55. Geffen Playhouse, Gil Cates Theater, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-5454. geffenplayhouse.com.
WED APRIL 3
AL FRANKEN
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), longtime writer for “Saturday Night Live,” discusses “How the Jewish Tradition Has Influenced One Senator” for the University of Southern California’s 12th annual Warschaw Distinguished Lecture. After spending 37 years as a comedy writer, author and radio talk-show host, Franken was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 and sworn in in July 2009 following a statewide hand recount. During today’s lecture, expect Franken to expound upon his childhood living in Minneapolis, a city that had once been rife with anti-Semitism, his cultural Jewishness and his pro-Israel beliefs. Mon. 4:45 p.m. (reception), 5:30 p.m. (lecture). Free. University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Embassy Room, Los Angeles. RSVP to (213) 740-1744. casdeninstitute.usc.edu.
THU APRIL 4
PETER MEHLMAN
A writer and producer on “Seinfeld,” Mehlman discusses and signs his recent book, “Mandela Was Late: Odd things & essays from the Seinfeld writer who coined yada, yada, and made spongeworthy a compliment.” Thu. 7 p.m. Free. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 659-3110. booksoup.com.
“PANTRY”
Attend the U.S. premiere of “Pantry,” a documentary that examines the cultural and social activities of producing and eating food. The film follows MyVillages.org artists Antje Schiffers and Thomas Sprenger, who collaborated with locavore-minded organizations to stock a pantry to feed 8,000 attendees of a Berlin festival. Following the screening, Skirball curator Doris Berger talks with the artists about “Pantry” and their site-specific wall painting, “Let Me Show You Around,” the result of their two-week residency at the Skirball. Thu. 8 p.m. $5 (general), free (Skirball members, full-time students). Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.
FRI APRIL 5
YOM HASHOAH SOUL SOUNDS
An evening of music, poetry and prose written by some of the great artists of the Holocaust, features a special guest performance by Noel Paul Stookey of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Rabbi Steven Leder conducts services with Cantor Don Gurney, during which Stookey performs “Jean Claude,” a song from his latest album, “One & Many,” telling the story of two French boys separated by the Holocaust. A songwriter committed to raising social consciousness, Stookey also performs a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” An oneg Shabbat follows. Fri. 6 p.m. Free. Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Irmas Campus, 11661 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (424) 208-8932. wbtla.org.
ZUKERMAN CHAMBER PLAYERS
In a continuing effort to motivate future generations of musicians, Israeli violinist virtuoso Pinchas Zukerman leads the Zukerman Chamber Players, a world-renowned ensemble featuring four of Zukerman’s young protégés. Together they perform the music of Brahms and Mozart. On Saturday, the quintet plays Mozart, Kodaly and Schumann. Performers include Zukerman (violin), Jessica Linnebach (violin), Jethro Marks (viola), Amanda Forsyth (cello) and Angela Cheng (piano). Fri. 7:30 p.m. $62-$99. Sat. $67-$110. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. (310) 434-3200. thebroadstage.com.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.