Community Briefs

JDL-ers Plead Not Guilty

The Jewish Defense League’s (JDL) Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, attempted arson and possession of a destructive device. Each faces a maximum two life sentences, plus an additional 75 years for Rubin and 95 years for Krugel if convicted of the charges. Rubin and Krugel continue to be held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where they share a cell.

Following the pleas, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Block set a date for the trial, which is scheduled to begin March 19. U.S. district court judge Ronald Lew will oversee the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Rubenstein, who is prosecuting the government’s case along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Jessner, said the trial is listed with the court as a “complex case,” meaning the trial is expected to last 16 days or longer. Rubin and Krugel were arrested Dec. 12 and indicted by a federal grand jury Jan. 10.

Outside the courthouse, Krugel’s lawyer, Mark Werksman, accused the FBI of entrapment, claiming the government’s informant instigated every part of the alleged bomb plot. Werksman said. “The most violent thing [Krugel] has ever done is throw eggs at skinheads.” The defense lawyer referred to the informant as “a dirty person” and an “FBI provacateur.” — Mike Levy, Staff Writer

The Sandwich Generation

“How do you parent a parent?”

Dr. Shira Hantman, author of The Sandwich Generation, and a group of 20 women professionals from Tel Aviv met with their counterparts in Los Angeles this week, under the auspices of The Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, to answer these types of questions.

As Israel addresses issues faced by its first generation of grandparents, “The Sandwich Generation Seminar” allowed experts from Los Angeles to share programs and ideas with their counterparts from Tel Aviv. This group of highly trained professional women shared expertise in a variety of fields, including social work, nursing, psychology, media relations and economics. Ultimately, programs are being designed to support this newly defined group of women, who face acute pressure from taking care of parents, spouses, children and a career. Participant organizations included The Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, Jewish Family Service, Na’amat, the Prime Minister’s Office, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel Petroleum and Energy Institute, The Center for Women’s Rights-Tel Aviv, and others.

“Overnight I found myself in the position of being a caregiver to my mother, worrying about my father, and still providing both emotional and instrumental services to my children, my husband and myself. …I realized that I was not alone in this predicament,” Hantman said. — Staff Report

Living the ‘Dream’

The Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles joined Brookins Community A.M.E. Church to celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Sunday, Jan. 20. Pastor Fredrick O. Murph, Consul General Yuval Rotem and Police Chief Bernard Parks each spoke at the event, which focused on the common goals of the Israeli and African American communities to pursue civil liberties for all people. The event featured musical performances by the Brookins A.M.E. Choir, the L.A. Gospel Choir and L.A. Shir, a local Israeli choir. — ML