The Circuit

Prager at Podium

Talk show host Dennis Prager stepped away from his radio
microphone to give a lecture for Chabad of Pasadena at the Pasadena Hilton Dec.
10. More than 300 people attended to hear Prager’s views on whether Israel and
the United States are standing alone. The evening raised funds for children’s
programs.

Pups for Peace

We take it as a given that graduates — at any level — walk
on two legs, but perhaps that is something we should reconsider.  On Dec. 10,
Pups for Peace, the bomb-sniffing dog training program, graduated its final
class before the program relocates its operations to Israel.

The graduation ceremony took place at the Milken Family Foundation
Conference Center. Glen Yago, former economic initiatives co-chair of  The
Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, founded The
Federation-funded program as a way for people in the United States to help
prevent suicide attacks in Israel.

Simha’s Simcha

“It’s a privilege to be able to live 100 years,” local real
estate mogul and Jewish philanthropist Simha Lainer told the crowd at a dinner
reception in honor of his 100th birthday on Dec. 14. “Thank God I’ve lived to
see this beautiful moment.” 

More than 550 friends, family members and Jewish educators
who attended the evening tribute at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel rose from
their seats, giving Lainer a standing ovation.

Lainer, a key Jewish education donor, shared the spotlight
with the inaugural celebration of New Community Jewish High School (NCJHS) in
West Hills, one of the many schools that reaped the benefits of his
generosity. 

“Thank you Simha Lainer and the entire Lainer mishpachah,”
said Pamela Teitelbaum, one of the dinner chairs and a member of the core group
that helped NCJHS come to fruition. “You have each helped our children to love
learning and cherish our Jewish heritage.”

The evening included a video presentation on Lainer’s
remarkable life, as well as special musical performances by the NCJHS chorus,
UCLA Hillel’s Shir Bruin, Temple Emanuel Cantor Judy Greenfeld and violinist
Mark Kashper from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Also there to celebrate and support Lainer were Los Angeles Unified
School District board member David Tokofsky, Jewish Federation President John
Fishel, University of Judaism President Robert Wexler and Reps. Brad Sherman
(D-Sherman Oaks) and Howard Berman (D-North Hollywood).

— Sharon Schatz Rosenthal, Education Writer

Changing of the
Guard

In its biennial changing of the guard, The Jewish Federation
of Greater Los Angeles tapped longtime community activist Harriet Hochman to
become chair of the organization’s board — replacing Jake Farber.

Hochman, speaking at The Federation’s annual meeting on Dec.
17 at the Skirball Cultural Center, said she hoped to make the Jewish charity
more accessible and relevant. The former chair of The Federation’s Women’s
Campaign told a crowd of 400 that she planned to pay heed to the concerns of
dissenters and to coax unaffiliated Jews to get involved to broaden The
Federation’s programming.

“We must humanize ourselves so that our members feel they
are more than just a computer printout,” Hochman said to applause.

Farber, 79, said he hoped he made some positive
contributions in his two years as board chairman. Among his accomplishments, he
said he is proud at having helped create a blueprint for The Federation to
operate more efficiently going forward.  A philanthropist for more than 50
years, Farber heads a family metal recycling firm.

In related news, Laurie Konheim was named The Federation’s
campaign chair. 

At the event, the Jewish philanthropic organization
announced it has raised $39.5 million so far this year, about $500,000 more
than last year.

— Marc Ballon, Senior Writer