The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is asking community members to give time and elbow grease in addition to what’s in their pockets.
The tragedy of 14-year-old Santa Monica High School student Matthew Mezza’s recent suicide has prompted an outpouring of grief and giving in the local community.
The music of Debbie Friedman energized generations of Jews across denomination lines. This weekend, a memorial concert to be held in the late singer-songwriter’s honor will attempt to do the same through a celebration of Friedman’s popular tunes.
Irving Feintech, real estate developer, philanthropist and past Cedars-Sinai board chair, died on Feb. 5. He was 92. Feintech was born Nov. 11, 1918, in Des Moines, Iowa, and moved to Los Angeles as a child with his parents, Abraham and Ida, and his siblings, Norman and Celia.
Five years after the infamous “cartoon crisis,” many Danes still seem confused about what constitutes free speech and why it is important to defend. The Danish public is tired of discussing the case, worried that the debate is becoming a sectarian issue between left and right rather than a rallying point for shared values. Meanwhile, the pressure on free speech continues with threats of violence, lawsuits, and changes in international law.
In a country surrounded by enemies, it makes sense that traditional sanctuaries for escape — bars and nightclubs — are widely accessible and innovative. Whereas Hollywood haunts rely on Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan for cachet, Tel Aviv haunts rely on creative concepts, friendly service and good vibes.
In 1799, the French artist Vivant Denon, accompanying a team of scientists traveling to Egypt with Napoleon (who excused his invasion with the logic that he was bringing democracy to the Arabs) was touring some ancient sites along the upper Nile when he came across an 8-year-old girl in severe pain. Writing in his journal, Denon noted that “a cut, inflicted with equal brutality and cruelty, has deprived her of the means of satisfying the most pressing want, and occasioned the most horrible convulsions.” Denon was referring, of course, to female genital mutilation. The Frenchman quickly pulled out a knife and performed a counter-operation, by which he “was able to save the life of this unfortunate little creature.”
Israel and the Egyptian Unrest. I wanted to take a moment to praise your journal and Mr. Suissa for his article, “Israel Never Looked So Good” (Feb. 4). Sometimes it is difficult to hear the voice of reason over so much shouting, but Mr. Suissa’s words ring out loud and true.
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