Installation of Senior Cantor, Emma LutzFriday, March 25 at 6:15 p.m. | In-person and Online
Since joining Stephen Wise Temple & Schools in 2016, Cantor Emma Lutz has made a significant mark on the Wise community. She has guided our Wise School students, mentored our youth, shared moments of joy and sorrow with our families, and brought beautiful, soulful music into our Sanctuary. On Friday, March 25, we will officially install Emma as our senior cantor. As part of a special Shabbat evening, we will host incredible cantors, rabbis, and musicians from around the country—as well as young singers from our Wise community—all gathering on our beautiful hilltop campus to celebrate Cantor Emma Lutz with joyous song. We hope to see you here in person for this this momentous occasion, which will be followed by a celebratory reception on Nahmias Plaza. The service will also be streamed online. We look forward to being together for a special evening of song, as we mark this meaningful milestone in our community.
When I was a little girl, my grandmother shared with me the story of how she became the first bat mitzvah on the West Coast. In May of 1939, when so much of the world was shifting and even crumbling around her (a bit like today), she stood on the bima at Temple Sinai in Long Beach and proudly led her congregation in prayer. Later on, when she was installed as president of her Hadassah chapter in 1998, she was honored in a special ceremony on the bima at Stephen Wise Temple for those two great accomplishments achieved some sixty years apart.It is no accident that I also ended up on this bima. As you well know, the hard work, commitment, and generosity of those in our family and extended family so often lays the groundwork for our own stories.Please join us for a special Shabbat service & celebration on Nahmias Plaza at 6:15 p.m. on March 25 when I am officially installed as Senior Cantor of Stephen Wise Temple & Schools. The service will, of course, be accompanied by great and prayerful music, lifted up by the voices of our youth and so many cherished cantors and colleagues from around the country. And yet, it is the presence of our community–your presence–that will make the evening truly sacred.
Jewish Mexican chef Pati Jinich brings her multicultural perspective to every recipe she creates, blending the traditions, ingredients and stories that have shaped her cooking.
When England took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, I felt a sense of cosmic justice. Sixty years is a long time. Argentina won it the last time. Maybe it was England’s turn.
Restaurants, gift shops, hotels and car rental companies have all been hit hard by the ongoing war. The blow to the economy is evident almost everywhere you go.
Do you want to convince Jews, and the world, that Zionism is a cause worth supporting? Explain what “Zionism” is, and perhaps it will turn out that the world is actually on our side.
Miniature, polite gestures of memorialization serve neither as insurance against future catastrophes nor as tributes to the victims. So should we stop to acknowledge them?
For close to 30 years, we forked up whatever we could afford and were happy to do it. It was now time for them to experience the exhilaration of staring at a pile of bills, not knowing where the money would come from.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
Installation of Senior Cantor Emma Lutz
Lisa Ellen Niver
REGISTER
When I was a little girl, my grandmother shared with me the story of how she became the first bat mitzvah on the West Coast. In May of 1939, when so much of the world was shifting and even crumbling around her (a bit like today), she stood on the bima at Temple Sinai in Long Beach and proudly led her congregation in prayer. Later on, when she was installed as president of her Hadassah chapter in 1998, she was honored in a special ceremony on the bima at Stephen Wise Temple for those two great accomplishments achieved some sixty years apart.It is no accident that I also ended up on this bima. As you well know, the hard work, commitment, and generosity of those in our family and extended family so often lays the groundwork for our own stories.Please join us for a special Shabbat service & celebration on Nahmias Plaza at 6:15 p.m. on March 25 when I am officially installed as Senior Cantor of Stephen Wise Temple & Schools. The service will, of course, be accompanied by great and prayerful music, lifted up by the voices of our youth and so many cherished cantors and colleagues from around the country. And yet, it is the presence of our community–your presence–that will make the evening truly sacred.
REGISTER–click here
ARTICLES FROM CANTOR LUTZ:
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Israel Bonds Holds LA Events, 2026 Milken Scholars Include Local Jewish Students
Rabbis of LA | Being a Pioneer Is Not a Smooth Path
Mili Avital Never Let Hollywood Rewrite Her Script
Why JD Vance Awkwardly Dances Around Israel
Rahm Emanuel and the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
All the Words — A poem for Parsha Devarim
Democratic Jews Will Criticize their People, But Why Not Their Party?
Criticizing their political party would mean betraying the identity that has defined most American Jews since the days of FDR.
A Bisl Torah — Low to High, High to Low
Our constant battle is teetering from low to high, high to low, and back to high again.
Moses the Thoughtful Judge
Print Issue: City of Lost Angels? | July 17, 2026
A Jewish Angeleno looks back several decades and wonders whether the golden age of LA Jewry is behind us.
Unbreakable Bond: From Einstein’s $500 Bond to $57 Billion in Israel Bonds
Throughout Israel’s history, in moments of crisis and uncertainty, the Jewish Diaspora has stood alongside the country through Israel Bonds.
Kitchri—Comfort and Culture in a Bowl
For me, and probably every other Iraqi Jew, kitchri is the quintessential meal of the Nine Days.
Everyone Screams for Ice Cream in July: Culturally and Creamy Rich Recipes from Pati Jinich
Jewish Mexican chef Pati Jinich brings her multicultural perspective to every recipe she creates, blending the traditions, ingredients and stories that have shaped her cooking.
Great Grilled Grub for National Grilling Month
Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue, a casual weeknight dinner or a Shabbat meal on the patio, the possibilities are endless.
A Moment in Time: On Sabbatical
Table for Five: Devarim
Justice For All
Letter from Los Angeles
A Jewish Angeleno looks back several decades and wonders whether the golden age of LA Jewry is behind us.
Dear England: Don’t Cry for Thee Argentina
When England took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, I felt a sense of cosmic justice. Sixty years is a long time. Argentina won it the last time. Maybe it was England’s turn.
The Admirable Epstein: ‘Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles‘
The Beatles’ manager’s life makes “a wonderfully inspiring and terribly sad story.”
Summer in Israel: Still Waiting for Tourists to Return
Restaurants, gift shops, hotels and car rental companies have all been hit hard by the ongoing war. The blow to the economy is evident almost everywhere you go.
Rosner’s Domain | Can You Be a Zionist Without Zionism?
Do you want to convince Jews, and the world, that Zionism is a cause worth supporting? Explain what “Zionism” is, and perhaps it will turn out that the world is actually on our side.
The Story This Moment Needs
In this moment of rising antisemitism, I’ve noticed that the way I remember, and retell, my own childhood has changed too.
The Jewish Tree of Life and American Tree of Liberty
The Kristallnacht Monument and the Question of Whether to Stop
Miniature, polite gestures of memorialization serve neither as insurance against future catastrophes nor as tributes to the victims. So should we stop to acknowledge them?
Jewish Donors: Don’t Walk Away
Do not give up on institutions — but do not disengage from the responsibility to hold them accountable.
Capping the Fire Hydrant
For close to 30 years, we forked up whatever we could afford and were happy to do it. It was now time for them to experience the exhilaration of staring at a pile of bills, not knowing where the money would come from.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.