In an unusual show of cooperation, five of the community’s most prominent Jewish organizations have joined forces to make a rabbi’s wish come true: bringing the world-famous Jewish Expo back to Los Angeles for one more run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 12. The joint project follows the latest trend of emphasizing solidarity within the Jewish community.

Jewish Expo 2000 — an 8,000 square foot traveling museum of Jewish history and culture — arrives at the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus in West Hills following a successful world tour, including its latest stop in Sydney, Australia. The Expo utilizes high-tech sound and light effects, animation and interactive media to illustrate key points from the Torah and the Talmud and is designed to appeal to all ages, particularly school-age children.

Rabbi Moshe Bryski, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch’s Conejo Jewish Academy, first viewed the Expo on the opening day of its previous visit to Los Angeles in 1994 — Sunday, January 16 to be precise. The next morning, the Northridge Earthquake struck. Exhibitors immediately packed up and left town. But Bryski remained troubled by the thought that so few people had had the opportunity to view the show on its ill-fated trip.

“It always stayed in my mind that for my school, the trip to the Expo was one of the most powerful we could have ever taken,” Bryski recalled. “I knew I had to find a way to bring the Expo back. But it was such a big undertaking, so I became determined to get other organizations involved.”

Several months ago, Bryski met with Jack Mayer, director of the Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance and Arthur Jablon, Valley Alliance chair, to gauge the Federation’s interest in becoming a sponsor. The Valley Alliance leaders went one better; they offered the use of the Milken Center free for the two weeks of the show, an estimated in-kind donation of $27,000 for the space, publicity and additional security.

Jablon said he found the project vital to the greater community and therefore the Valley Alliance.

“It stresses Jewish education for the entire Jewish population,” Jablon said. “It gives us an opportunity to host at what we consider the central address for the Jewish population in the Valley an event that will bring together all streams of Judaism under one tent for a hands-on learning experience. The Valley Alliance has a responsibility to develop programs that will create a more inclusive Jewish community, something this program will certainly do.”

The Bureau of Jewish Education was the next to climb aboard the project, followed by the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Los Angeles, both agencies of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. The four groups then went before the Jewish Community Foundation, which agreed to give an $18,000 grant.

What makes the joint project unique is the parties involved. Although the Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance and the Jewish Community Centers have worked together before with the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Foundation, this is the first time that the four agencies have cooperated on a project initiated by Chabad.

“This is probably a first, to have all these organizations come together on a project,” Bryski said. “I found it very refreshing. It is uplifting when so many different groups can come together to focus on the positive side of Judaism. There’s been so much negativity out there that when we can put it aside to work on something beneficial, it gives everyone a very good feeling.”

“We will also extend complimentary tickets to any group that works with the handicapped or with mentally challenged children or adults,” Bryski said.

The Jewish Community Centers have planned a number of special events around the two weeks of the Expo, including a VIP Reception on Thursday, December 2. There will also be a special Chanukah celebration with a menorah lighting on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. and from Dec. 5-9 at 5:45 p.m. by various celebrities and community leaders. Radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger will perform the menorah lighting on Dec. 6 and author and radio host Dennis Prager has been scheduled for Dec. 8.

The Jewish Expo was created in 1993 by the Shluchim Office in New York on behalf of the Tzios HaShem Youth Organization, an Orthodox group which Bryski calls “the largest Jewish youth organization in the world.” Schluchim representatives worked with a number of designers to create the Expo, primarily Parren Gerber, an expert in the field of automated exhibits whose work has appeared at a number of large entertainment companies, including Walt Disney Corp.

Among the seven major exhibits are “A Walk Through Jewish History” featuring displays of key periods such as the return from Egypt, the Babylonian Exile and the events surrounding the story of Chanukah; “Jewish Leaders” with animatronic three-dimensional figures of Moses, Joshua, King David and Mordechai against backdrops depicting each leader’s story and “The Holy Temple,” a large-scale model of the Bet HaMikdash in its original glory.

Members of Chabad of the Conejo, Chabad of the Valley and Chabad of the Marina will also be staffing a “Dreidle House” at the Expo, featuring an olive oil press and “Judah Maccabee” handing out Chanukah candy.

“The whole atmosphere is just going to be a terrific place for kids,” said Bryski, adding with a mischievous grin, “This is what we want our children to be excited about instead of Pokemon.”

Jewish Expo 2000 also includes an arts and crafts workshop, a video theater and a “Concentration”-based game show with audience participation. About 40 schools from as far away as Redondo Beach have made reservations to view the exhibition, according to the Bureau of Jewish Education’s Expo coordinator Arlene Agress.

“We teach the concepts of Jewish history, Jewish heroes, and about our ethics and values but what kids see out there in the world, on television and in the movies hardly relates to what they learn in the classroom,” Agress said. “What is wonderful about the Expo is this is a multi-media event that will bring all these areas of Jewish education to life.

“It’s especially nice for very young children, who do not often get to go on field trips. And having it at [the same time as] Chanukah is really nice.”

EXPO AT A GLANCE

WHEN: Daytime hours, Sundays December 5 and 12 and in the evening on Saturdays December 4 and 11, as well as weekday evening from Nov. 29 through Dec.9. Reservations are strongly suggested.

TICKETS: Individual tickets are $5 if purchased in advance, $7 at the door. For individual or family tickets &’009;call toll-free (877) 4-EXPO-LA [(877)439-7652]. &’009;&’009;Group tickets are $3.50 per person with complimentary tickets available for teachers and other educational staff members. For group and school reservations, please call (818) 991-0991.