How long is summer in L.A.? Ask ussometime in late August, when the thermometer registers 90 atdaybreak, traffic stands still on PCH, and the kids prowl the housechanting “Now what?” Well, here’s what: The Journal’s listing ofgreat things to do for kids and grown-ups, and summer books to readbetween applications of SPF-15. Have a great one…

Here’s a handy roundup of classes and special activities forJewish children of all ages. Many require fees and advancereservations, so it’s best to call ahead.

My Jewish Discovery Place

(Located at 5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles.Normal visiting hours are 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdaysand Thursdays, and 12:30 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Grandparents areadmitted free on Thursdays when accompanied by a grandchild. Forinformation, call Sherri Kadowitz, museum director, at 213-857-0072,ext. 2257.)

Classes for Children Ages 6-12

* Mondays, July 6-Aug. 10, 4:30-6 p.m.Adventures in Art.

Batik, clay, sculptured dolls and personalizedpillows.

* Mondays, July 6-Aug. 10, 4:30-6 p.m.International Cooking.

All food prepared in class is dairy andkosher.

* Wednes-days, July 8-Aug., 12, 4:30-6 p.m.Puppet Fun.

Create different types of puppets eachweek.

* Wednesdays, July 8-Aug. 12, 4:30-6 p.m.Recycled Rhythms.

Make music, using body percussion and everydayhousehold items (ages 9 and up).

Workshop Wednesdays (1-4 p.m.)

* Wednesday, July 8. Family Banners.

* Wednesday, July 22. Personalized Paper Dolls.

* Wednesday, Aug. 5. Design a Rocking Chair.

* Wednesday, Aug. 19. Make and Take It Ceramics.

Sundown Tuesdays & Thursdays

(5:30-7:30 p.m.)

(Dinner, family time in the museum and an eveningprogram included.)

* Tuesday, July 7. AnEvening of Magic.

* Thursday, July 16. PJStorytelling.

Come dressed in your jammies and makeahavermdoll.

* Tuesday, July 21. Reptile Night.

* Thursday, July 30. MadHatters Night and Face Painting.

* Tuesday, Aug. 4. Dr.Seuss Night.

Come dressed as your favorite Dr. Seusscharacter.

* Thursday, Aug. 13. Kids on the Block.

Interactive puppet show .

* Tuesday, Aug. 18. Mystery Night.

Sunday Family Events

* Sunday, June 28, noon. Music on the Westside.

Peter Himmelman in concert at the WestsidePavilion.

* Sunday, July 12, 1-4 p.m. A Day in the Life of an Artist.

Meet local Jewish artists and participate increating a work of art.

* Sunday, Aug. 9, 1-4 p.m. Exhibit Opening: The Story of Jewish LosAngeles.

Make bagels and borekas.

* Sunday, Aug. 23, 1-4 p.m. Family Funday Carnival.

Games, face-painting, moon bounce, clowns.

* Sunday, Aug. 30, 1-4 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Jewish Family Clayhouse.

Make a Judaic heirloom to celebrate the NewYear.

Skirball Cultural Center

(Located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles.The center is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to5 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Discovery Center andOutdoor Archaeology Dig are available to children during regularmuseum hours. For reservations and information, call the educationdepartment at 310-440-4636.)

* Saturday, July 11, 1:45 p.m. Archaeology Dig Workshop.

A 90-minute program for children, ages 8 and up,accompanied by a parent. (Also Aug. 1.)

* Sunday, July 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sephardic Festival.

Storytellers, crafts workshops, demonstrations,music and food.

* Sunday, Aug. 2, 1 p.m. Lions and Tigers and Bears.

Family tour of the museum followed by a craftactivity. Geared toward children ages 4 to 7.

* Sunday, Aug. 16, 1-4 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2-4p.m.

Container to Camera: The Art and Craft ofPhotography.

A two-session workshop teaches participants, ages8 to 14, to build their own cameras and develop prints in adarkroom.

Museum of Tolerance

(Located at 9786 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles.Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays;10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fridays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays. Much ofthe museum is too intense for young children. For reservations, aswell as information on special programming, call310-553-8403.)

This summer, the museum is screening classic filmsthat exemplify the struggle for human rights and tolerance. There isalso a more lighthearted series for the younger members of thefamily.

Films Suitable for Young Children

* Sunday, June 28, 2 p.m. “Oliver.”

* Sunday, July 19, 7 p.m. “Annie.”

* Sunday, Aug. 9, 2 p.m. “The Secret Garden.”

* Sunday, Aug. 23, 2 p.m. “National Velvet” (1946version).

* Sunday, Aug. 30, 2 p.m. “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.”

Films for Older Children &Adults

* Thursday, July 16, 7:30 p.m.“Gentleman’s Agreement.”

* Thursday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. “West Side Story.”

* Thursday, July 30, 7:30 p.m. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

* Monday, Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. “Gandhi.”

* Thursday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. “The Killing Fields.”

* Monday, Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. “My Left Foot.”

* Thursday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. “Philadelphia.”

* Thursday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. Kundun.”

* Thursday, Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m. “Schindler’s List”(Russian-language version).

Other Activities

* Sunday, June 28, 12:30 p.m. Tails in Art.

As part of the Family Days at the Museum seriesheld at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Flights of FantasyStory Theatre will present its version of “Meshka the Kvetch.” Alsomuseum tours and crafts workshops for children ages 5 through 12. Forinformation, call the education department at (213) 857-6512.

* Friday, July 24, 6 p.m. Shabbat in the Park.

A family picnic in the Crystal Springs area ofGriffith Park, followed by a participatory Shabbat service.Appropriate for children ages 3 and up. Sponsored by theHollywood-Los Feliz Jewish Community Center. For information, call(213) 663- 2255.

* Saturday, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m. Havdalah in the Park.

A family picnic in the Crystal Springs area ofGriffith Park, followed by a participatory Havdalah. Appropriate forchildren ages 3 and up. Sponsored by the Hollywood-Los Feliz JewishCommunity Center. For information, call (213) 663-2255.

* SummerUnplugged.

Although the Jewish Community Library is notcurrently open to the public, it is sponsoring a reading program forchildren in grades 2 through 6. Prizes will be awarded to allchildren who read 18 age-appropriate books on Jewish subjects beforeAug. 28. Call Abigail Yasgur at (213) 761-8644 for instructions andan official entry form.

For Teens

(For information on all of the followingactivities for teens in grades 9 through 12, call Alan or Stefanie atJCC Teen Services: 818-587-3277.)

Travel

* Sunday-Tuesday, June 28-30. San Diego Trip.

Includes visits to Sea World and San Diego WildAnimal Park.

* Sunday-Tuesday, July 12-14. El Capitan Camping.

Camp at El Capitan Beach.

* Sunday-Tuesday, July 26-28. White Water Rafting.

Rafting, kayaking, hiking, climbing and a ropescourse in the Kern County woods.

Tikkun Olam

* Friday, July 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wheels for Humanity.

Refurbish wheelchairs for children who can’tafford their own.

* Monday, July 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Helping the Poor and Homeless.Assemble lunches and distribute them to homeless men, women andchildren.

* Wednesday, July 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.JCC SOVA Food Pantry.

Collect and distribute food for the hungry. (Alsoon Wednesday, July 22.)

* Thursday, July 16, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.Habitat for Humanity.

Assist lower-income families in building their newhomes. (Also on Thursday, July 30.)

* Monday, Aug. 3, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Mountains Restoration Trust.

Plant trees in the Santa Monica Mountains.

* Thursday, Aug. 6, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Jewish Home for the Aging.

Play games and participate in crafts projects withthe elderly.

* Monday, Aug. 10, 8:30 a.m.-noon Project Angel Food.

Prepare and deliver meals to men, women andchildren living with AIDS.–- Beverly Gray, EducationEditor

Grown-up Fun

When you’re not at the beach, the campground or,heaven forbid, work, try these summer ideas:

1) Lunar-cy. From the People whobrought you the lunar calendar come two great summer ideas: Take ahike beneath the full moon (Eden Outdoor Adventures offers some; call310-459-4020), or go grunion hunting, three to six days after the newor full moon. They’re shiny, smelt-like and kosher, too (call theCabrillo Marine Aquarium at 310-548-7562).

2) GreatPerformances. The University of Judaismwill offer a Wednesday-evening summer arts series at the GindiAuditorium. There will be klezmer, The Foremen and monologuist VickiJuditz. Call (310) 476-9777, ext. 201, for information.

3) High Culture.Atop the Sepulveda Pass, the SkirballCultural Center has a range of summer activities, from a SephardicFestival on July 19 to a series of lectures by leading entertainers.Call (310) 440-4500 for schedules, tickets and information. Check outnew exhibits at the Museum of Tolerance, too (310-553-8403).

4) Friday NightLive. Rabbi David Wolpe andsinger/songwriter Craig Taubman are drawing hundreds of young, mostlysingle adults to the kind of Shabbat service your parents neverdreamed of — fun, song-filled and stimulating. Call Sinai Temple at(310) 474-1518 for more information.

5) Straight toVideo. Now’s the time to see the year’sreleases you might have missed: Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry”(available now), the Wiesenthal Center’s Academy Award-winning “TheLong Way Home” (June 30) and the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski”(Aug. 11).

6) We LoveL.A. Youdon’t have to leave town to sightsee. Become a local tourist bystaying at a nice hotel and exploring a new neighborhood. Old Jewishneighborhoods, such as Fairfax, Pico/Robertson, Downtown and BoyleHeights, await your rediscovery. For pointers, call the SouthernCalifornia Jewish Historical Society at (213) 653-7740.

7) Fresh AirFun. The Brandeis-Bardin Institute in SimiValley offers outdoor summer concerts and indoor summer seminars.Call (805) 582-4450 for information.

8) PlayOn. Jewish-themed theater stays lit allsummer, with productions of “A Cheap Date,” with Harvey Miller at theCourt Theatre (818-789-8499); Susan Merson’s “Clarice Cohen’s TribalTale of Love,” at The Eclectic Theatre Company (213-660-TKTS);”Refugees,” at the Sweet Lies Theatre (818-755-7900). Check TheJournal for other listings.

9) Ahhhh. Spend a day discovering thebathhouses of your forefathers. City Spa on Pico is a good place tostart — exercise, sunbathe, soak, steam and nosh in the last of thegreat schvitz. Did anybody say plaitza? Men only, except coed onMonday and Wednesday. Call (213) 933-5954.

10) Israel,Anyone? We’re not kidding. You can pick up discount tickets onlineat www.priceline.com and spend a week or two celebrating the 50thwhere it all began . &ndas
h;- Rob Eshman,Managing Editor

Study, Song and Sun

Somewhere between annual dinners and the HighHolidays, synagogue programming usually falls into a lull, leavinglots of time to concentrate on the few events still going on. It’salso a great time to catch up on some of those ever-elusive programssuch as classes and Shabbat services for yourself or your children.For events this week, see The Jewish Journal calendar on page 36.Here’s a sampling of some of the special programs that shuls areoffering to fill up those long days of summer.

* “Shabbat Under theStars” at Leo Baeck Temple. Friday-eveningservices in the Outdoor Chapel, at 7:30 p.m. Begins on July 3 andcontinues through the summer. Special family Shabbat services on July10 and Aug. 7. 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Call (310) 476-2861.

* “Havdala at theBeach” with Mishkon Tephilo, including alight meal and oceanside service in a child-friendly environment.Meet at Mishkon Tephilo, 206 Main Street in Venice, on Saturday, July11, at 7:30 p.m. RSVP at (310) 392-3029.

* “Raising the Sparks ofHoliness: Repairing the World Through Tikkun Olam,” the Summer Kallah Program sponsored by the Reformmovement’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Four-day immersionin text study and scholarship, plus singing, socializing, prayer andentertainment. The July 22-26 gathering at UC Santa Cruz featuresRachel Adler, author of “Engendering Judaism: An Inclusive Theologyand Ethics”; Dr. Lewis Barth, professor of Midrash at HUC-JIR; andscholars in the fields of Holocaust studies, Bible, mysticism andJewish law. For more information, call (212) 650-4087 or (213)653-9962; www.uahc.org/growth.

* “Makor,” an outdoorenvironmental program in the Colorado Rockies, sponsored by UAHC.Combine daily worship and study with some serious hiking. Aug. 26-30,$390. For more information, call (212) 650-4087 or (213) 653-9962;www.uahc.org/growth. –- JulieGruenbaum Fax, Religion Editor

Hot Summer Reads

Our idea of the endless summer is a chaise loungein the shade, a baby sitter for the kids, and one of these great newreleases to catch up on:

1) “TheArchivist” by Martha Cooley (Little Brown,$22.95): A finely written novel that revolves around an obsessionwith Jewish roots, T.S. Eliot and, of course, love.

2) “The Story of theJews: A 4,000 Year Adventure” by Stan Mack(Villard Books, $19.95): The Village Voice cartoonist turns histalent for sharp, witty caricatures on his People, with light andmostly entertaining results.

3) “ToughJews” by Rich Cohen (Simon & Schuster,$25): What better way to celebrate a poolside idyll than by readingabout the gangsters, con men and killers that formed the underbellyof Jewish immigrant life in the early part of this century. See howfar we’ve come, and how low we sank.

4) “The Time of OurTime” by Norman Mailer (Random House:$39.50): Mailer on everything, from lunch at The 21 Club to Deer Parkto Madonna. Writing that can more than hold its own against any other1,276-page book this century.

5) “TheBaker” by Paul Hond (Random House, $23): Arich, deep first novel about a man’s redemption at midlife. Endlesslypowerful writing in a tight, painful story.

6) “TheTreatment” by Daniel Menaker (Knopf, $23):The New Yorker’s former literary editor has written a bright, funnyand, ultimately, thought-provoking book about the edges oftherapy.

7) “Cravings” by Lyn Felman(Beacon, $21): Her family’s relationship with food is the vehicle fordredging up larger issues of religion, grief and loyalty in Felman’sunsentimental memoir.

8) “A LivingCovenant” by David Hartman (Jewish Lights,$18.95): Not light reading, but a swell payoff — one of the greatrabbis of our time argues for a vision of Judaism that embraces bothtradition and modernity.

9) “DamascusGate” by Robert Stone (Houghton Mifflin,$26): The novel on everyone’s summer list. A big, brilliantinvestigation into faith and redemption and Jerusalem.

10) “Central AvenueSounds: Jazz in Los Angeles” (Universityof California Press, $29.95): This oral history of the heyday of LosAngeles jazz, from the 1920s to the early 1950s, floats us back to atime when the city’s rich ethnic stew yielded up a remarkable momentin jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Mingus and Buddy Collette are here,along with Jewish club owners, Latino neighbors and an oppressivepolice force that cracked down on Central Avenue for fear of “racemixing.” Steven Isoardi, who conducted these interviews, deservescredit for retrieving a fascinating slice of local history. This isthe book to make summer cool. –– Rob Eshman, Managing Editor