Three events last week celebrated the inauguration of John Pérez as the California Assembly’s new speaker while also emphasizing his connection to Judaism. Although he is not Jewish, Pérez, the first openly LGBT person to be elected to one of the state’s most powerful leadership positions, enjoys ties to the Jewish world.
SAT | MARCH 20\n\n(MUSIC)\nErwin Schulhoff and Kurt Weill had their careers silenced under the Nazis. Tonight, art rises above injustice as violinist Daniel Hope and pianist Jeffrey Kahane perform select pieces by the composers in a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra concert. Sat. 8 p.m. $18-$100. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. (818) 243-2539. laco.org.
Celebrating the historic partnership forged during the civil rights movement between the African American and Jewish communities, two events drew from the spirit of Black History Month with an eye toward building a stronger, collaborative future between the two groups.
Oscar-nominated actress Mare Winningham indulges her inner Jewish cowgirl during Temple Aliyah’s “A Down Home Shabbat: A Celebration of Jewish Bluegrass.” Winningham, who has recorded three folk-influenced albums, joins Rabbi Stewart Vogel, Grammy-nominated chazzan Mike Stein and other performers for this country-themed Shabbat. Fri. 8:15 p.m. Free. Temple Aliyah, 6025 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 346-3545. templealiyah.org.
Hila Plittman, a Grammy-winning Israeli soprano, sings composer Andrea Clearfield’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated cantata, “The Long Bright,” a one-night only West Coast premiere.The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony and women’s choir Kol Isha accompany Plitmann for this multimovement piece, which contains lyrics from the poetry of author/playwright David Wolman. Paying tribute to Wolman’s late wife, who died of breast cancer, the performance illustrates “the transformative process from grief and loss to transcendence,” said Noreen Green, L.A. Jewish Symphony conductor and artistic director.
As part of their Be True project, Jews for Judaism, an international education and outreach organization, is holding its first photo contest. Students ages 10-22 living anywhere in the world can submit photos along with brief descriptions. The theme is: “The Joy of Judaism.”\n
Three years ago, JDate initiated an unofficial program offering rabbis the chance to purchase memberships at 18 percent off the regular price. Since then, rabbis around the country have been buying in bulk and giving out free JDate memberships to congregants.
It’s Thursday night at an Italian restaurant in a Ventura County strip mall. Bruce Fine is standing at the back of a small room where he performs his weekly Las Vegas-style variety show, “The Laugh Pack,” an homage to the Frank Sinatra-Rat Pack genre of the 1960s.
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