Ryan Torok
Events Highlight Assembly Speaker’s Jewish Ties
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.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: March 20-26
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.
Jews, Blacks Affirm Shared Priorities
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.
Picks and Clicks for March 13 – 19, 2010
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.
Picks and Clicks for Mar. 6-12, 2010
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.