Debra L. Eckerling
International Incubator Supports Intentional Jewish Communities
A Jewish incubator called Hakhel (from the Hebrew “kehillah,” or community) is helping young Jews around the world support new expressions of Jewish life...
Jewish Bucket List No 7: Krav Maga
Krav Maga is the first thing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uses to train new soldiers to get up to speed and ready for...
Mazel Tov Gift Guide
Do you find it challenging to find a meaningful present for a bar or bat mitzvah honoree? We’ve got you covered. Rather than a...
Jordan O’Kelley: Creating Art for Special Needs
Fourteen-year-old Jordan O’Kelley took a unique approach to his mitzvah project, roping in his twin 13-year-old sisters, Rachel and Macey, as well as his...
Dylan Siegel: Helping Third World Children
Students preparing for their b’nai mitzvah often are encouraged by their families and synagogue communities to take on meaningful social justice projects.
“We’ve come to...
Jewish Bucket List: Yiddish Immersion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=5SNHv8daIN8
The stage was set. The musicians played. The featured performer read Yiddish poems accompanied by klezmer music. The crowd was excited. I was, too....
Triple Adult B’not Mitzvah at Los Angeles Jewish Home
On June 15, three residents of the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s (LAJH) Grancell Village campus in Reseda had their bat mitzvahs.
While they may be...
The Late Bloomer
Eileen Greene, 90
It’s never too late to take on something new. Just ask Brentwood resident Eileen Greene, who became a TEDx speaker at the...
Embroidering the Past
Trudie Strobel, 82
Child Holocaust survivor Trudie Strobel wasn’t able to speak about her experiences in the Shoah until 35 years ago when she had a...
Jewish Bucket List No. 5: Kashering a Kitchen
As part of my bucket list experiences over the past couple of months, I learned how to braid and bake challah and the basics...
JFLA Offers Loans for College Students
As students celebrate their high school graduations, many are already navigating the high cost of student loans as they prepare to enter college. However,...
Everything Happens for a Reason
Noah Rossi, 18
High School: Shalhevet
College: Yeshiva University
Noah Rossi is a comeback kid. When he didn’t get into a Jewish high school for ninth grade, he discovered...
A Passion for Arts and Sciences
Elisheva Zisblatt, 18
High School: YULA Girls
College: Harvard University
When YULA Girls High School valedictorian Elisheva Zisblatt takes the stage at her June 13 graduation, she plans to talk...
First Graduating Class For Spivak Center
This June, the KeHILLAT mogen David Spivak Educational Center (KMDSEC) in the Pico-Robertson area will graduate its first fifth-grade class. The Orthodox Jewish Day...
Kentucky Derby Horse Races for Poway
Although Gray Magician finished 19th at the 145th Kentucky Derby on May 4, the longshot horse served a greater purpose: to raise money for...
MIXing It Up at Milken Middle School
“At the core of a Jewish education and identity is the development of a curious mind.”
So said Milken Middle School Assistant Principal Chris Scarlata,...
Local Chabad Centers Respond to Poway Attack
The Chabad community is a close-knit one. In the wake of the April 27 shooting during the Passover service at Chabad of Poway, the...
Jewish Bucket List Item No. 4: Kosher Cooking
As a child, I remember sitting on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen, watching her prepare Jewish delicacies ranging from kishka (made from matzo...
Fusion Labs L.A’s Spring Cohort of Israeli Startups
Founders of seven Israeli startups attended a reception at SPACES in Santa Monica earlier this month, part of Fusion Labs L.A.’s spring session. Some...
Westwood’s Model Matzah Factory Brings the Passover Experience to Life
Something amazing has happened on the third floor of Chabad House at UCLA in Westwood. It’s been magically transformed into the five different sets...
Creating Art for the Streets of L.A.
When Los Angeles artist and graphic designer Michele Weisbart had the opportunity to showcase her work at the Mar Vista Art Walk in 2017,...
Peace-Inspired Art: Tree of Life
Inside Ricardo Basta’s jewelry store in Century City sits an elaborate Tree of Life pin on a wooden stand. A plaque on the base...
Jewish Bucket List Item No. 3: Baking Challah
Even though most Jewish holidays and celebrations begin with the blessing over challah, I’ve never learned how to bake it. Challah is one of...
Shula Mozes: Helping At-Risk Young Adults
In 2001, Israeli philanthropist Shula Mozes established an organization called Lamerhav, to help at-risk young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who...
Actress Flips the Script in ‘Too Much Sun’
“I knew from the time I could speak that I wanted to have a career in the theater,” playwright Nicky Silver told the Journal...
Tribe Members Take Home Writers Guild Awards
Members of the Tribe were out in full force at the Writers Guild of America West Awards on Feb. 17 at the Beverly Hilton....
Keeping Women’s Hearts Healthy
According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, and with February...
Jewish Bucket List Item No. 2: The Miracle Project
The song “Matchmaker” from “Fiddler on the Roof” is now in my head, thanks to my February Jewish bucket list community service experience at...
Camp Hess Kramer Fire Inspired His Art
As artist Sergio Hernández watched TV news coverage of the Woolsey Fire last November, he felt devastated. His emotions changed, however, when he saw...
Jewish Bucket List Item #1: Israeli Folk Dancing
As promised in my previous column, I am trying to undertake a new Jewish experience for every month of 2019.
My first bucket list...
