Community Briefs

Metivta, a Westside “Center for Contemplative Judaism,” is holdinga two-day conference Dec. 13-14 at Adat Ari El synagogue in NorthHollywood. The event will include panel discussions led by an arrayof academics and rabbis, as well as a series of community workshopsin which “hands-on” exposure to Jewish meditation, chant, and otherspiritually-oriented practices will be taught.

Metivta’s director, Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man, is a well-knownfigure in the Jewish meditation movement and one of the conference’spanelists. Other speakers will include Dr. Nan Fink, a co-founder ofTikkun magazine and currently co-director of Chochmat HaLev inBerkeley, and Rabbi David A. Cooper, the author of “God is a Verb.”

Workshops will explore various aspects of what has become knownrecently as Jewish Renewal: a reclamation of kabbalistic teachings,an introduction to meditation techniques, an examination of thespiritual connection between mind and body, and more.

Those who have not pre-registered, but who arrive during the 6p.m. registration period Saturday or on Sunday at 8 a.m. will be ableto participate if space is available. For more information, call(310) 477-7143. Adat Ari El is located at 12020 Burbank Blvd. atLaurel Canyon, in North Hollywood. Handicapped parking available. —Diane Arieff Zaga, Arts Editor

Beth Olam May Remain Open

The bankrupt Hollywood Memorial Park, and its Beth Olam cemetery,will apparently stay open, after all.

The venerable cemetery and its Jewish section, the last restingplace of many stars, was in danger of being padlocked after afruitless one-year search for a buyer.

At press time, David Isenberg, attorney for the memorial park’strustees, reported that Callanan Mortuary had made a bid for$375,000, which is expected to acceptable to all parties and thebankruptcy court.

Callanan is pledged to honor all previous purchases of “pre- need”burial plots, crypts and niches. Visitation rights to the cemeterywill continue uninterrupted, according to Isenberg. — Tom Tugend,Contributing Editor