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March 28, 2013
Ken Brecher: From Amazon jungle to Library Foundation
If Ken Brecher were a book, he’d be a hard one to set down. The 67-year-old president of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles is a treasure-trove of exotic stories and insightful anecdotes. One need only step into his office inside downtown’s Central Library to find out.
John Farahi sentenced to 10 years for Ponzi scheme
John Farahi, a popular Iranian-Jewish radio talk-show host and investment adviser, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on March 18 in downtown Los Angeles to 10 years in federal prison for operating a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme against local Iranian-Americans. Farahi, 56, also was ordered by the court to pay more than $24 million in restitution to close to 60 victims.
Amos Shapiro, University of Haifa’s new president
University of Haifa President Amos Shapira is blunt about what he believes should be Israel’s top priority.
Mogen David: A Sephardi, Ashkenazi and Orthodox future?
On a recent Saturday morning, at Congregation Mogen David’s Ashkenazic Shabbat service, a blond-haired girl in a shimmery pink sundress tugged at the fringes of a man’s tallit (prayer shawl). The tallit belonged to Alex Katz, and he tried to ignore her entreaties as he led 90 people in the social hall in the prayer for the United States.
Pico-Robertson’s Orthodox head east
Three years ago, when Edo Cohen’s observant friend moved several blocks away from the center of Pico-Robertson’s Orthodox community to an area east of La Cienega Boulevard, he remembers thinking, “I can’t believe he moved there.”
Archbishop Gomez addresses AJC
Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez spoke about Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s election as pope of the Roman Catholic Church, immigration reform and Catholic-Jewish relations during a dialogue organized by the American Jewish Committee of Los Angeles (AJC) on March 19.
Survivor: Gloria Ungar
\”Sorry, children. I’m not going to jeopardize my life for your father’s money.” The Christian forester smuggling three Jewish children across the border from Poland to Slovakia had stopped abruptly, wished them luck and told them to keep walking. But Gloria Ungar — then Gitta Nagel — gripped his arm, promising that her father would make him very rich if he continued. She, her younger brother Nathan and her cousin were wending their way through a pitch-black forest. “It was terrifying,” Gloria recalled; she knew they wouldn’t make it alone. Her cousin had broken her ankle, and Nathan was crying that he couldn’t walk anymore. Plus the Germans were scanning the forest with floodlights, siccing attack dogs and then shooting whenever they saw a shadow. The children threw themselves against trees whenever the floodlights came near.
The chametz within
Rejoice! Spring has arrived, and Pesach is here. The time of our liberation is at hand. The Exodus from our narrow straits is re-enacted once more.