For its 11th festival, the Los Angeles Sephardic Jewish Film Festival (LASJFF) needed an honoree for its gala, which takes place Nov. 11 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. At the same time, the Portuguese-American actress Daniela Ruah needed a community. Or at least as much of a community as a busy young actress on a hit TV show can find time to fit in.
A Palestinian boy who died in southern Gaza was killed by Israeli troops, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of 13 world leaders that President Obama called to thank for congratulatory messages following his reelection.
A series of panels, workshops and lectures draw like-minded women to this daylong conference. Highlights: CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler delivers the keynote, “Crafting Our Jewish Feminist Narrative”; Jewish Journal Executive Editor Susan Freudenheim moderates “Jewish Women’s Voices in Activism”; Rabbis Rachel Adler (Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion), Sharon Brous (IKAR) and Lisa Edwards (Beth Chayim Chadashim) examine “The Rabbinical Perspective: Women’s Equality Within Judaism”; Jewish Journal Senior Writer Julie Gruenbaum Fax moderates “Mom Activism: Can I Really Be a Mom and an Activist?”; and Journal blogger Ilana Angel joins a panel of speakers addressing “Diversity Within Our Jewish Community: Understanding and Strengthening Each Other.”
Jewish women have a long-standing history of deep involvement in the American feminist movement. Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique,” was Jewish, as is playwright and activist Eve Ensler, current leader of the international movement opposing violence against women.
Dennis Prager has again conveniently and simplistically divided his world into good and bad, conservative Republicans being good, liberal Democrats being bad (“A Jew Tours for Romney,” Nov. 2). He then uses this formulation to claim that the conservative Republicans more ardently favor Jews and Israel, than do the liberal Democrats.
Iran\’s energy minister said his country\’s first nuclear power plant will be fully operational in the next two months.
Our congregation recently sent some congregants off on their first trip to Israel with a tefilat haderkekh — a prayer for a safe journey: Holy One of Blessing, Even though we know You are everywhere, when we journey toward the Holy Land — we expect — we hope — You will be easier to find there … But I wonder why that is?
One of Ilysa’s favorite jobs was working at a coffee shop while she was in college. So it was fortuitous that I had her meet me at one to talk. Sometimes when I meet with people, it takes a bit of time for me to get a handle on their personality. Not with Ilysa. She’s nice. She’s personable. She’s never had a job she didn’t like. And she currently has two of them. She’s the youth director at Temple Ahavat Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Northridge. And she works with special-needs kids in a middle school in Van Nuys.
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