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Jewish Journal

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October 4, 2018

Like, is this really all happening again? - A poem for Parsha Breisheit by Rick Lupert

Like, is this really all happening again? – A poem for Parsha Breisheit by Rick Lupert

Leave a Comment / Blogs /

The Earth was astonishingly empty

Like a blank canvas
Like no-one had thought darkness and light
needed to be different
Like a flyover state
Like someone bumped into something
and said I should
really do something with this.

Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water,
and let it be a separation between water and water.

Like the water was too close to the water
Like the invention of the reverse canal industry
Like this should be the base ingredient
for everything
let’s stir this up

And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering
of the waters He called seas

Like you get to be the Guy who names everything
Like everyone will need either shoes or a boat
Like when I say everyone, you should know
at this point, there was no-one.
Like a population explosion is going to need
a place to hang its hat

Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens,
to separate between the day and between the night

Like the separation between night and day
was the original dimmer switch
Like the biggest things in the sky are
not always the closest
Like I can stare directly at one, but not the other
Like the gravity of this situation is
just coming together

And God created the great sea monsters,
and every living creature that crawls

Like the word monsters wasn’t inserted into
the beginning of the oldest text
just to keep our attention
Like anyone can tell you this wasn’t
the very first genre fiction
Like our fear of monsters was seeded
at the very beginning

Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness

Like He’s either talking in the royal We or
there are some characters we
have yet to be introduced to
Like this isn’t the very first evidence
of Vanity
Like you could make a self portrait
that could take on a billion
lives of its own

And [God] abstained on the seventh day from all His work

Like the two day weekend doesn’t
extend Shabbat beyond
its natural boundaries
Like a forever pillow that stops in
every week
Like the vacation they told you to take
before you were born
but never do
It’s time

God Wrestler: a poem for every Torah Portion by Rick LupertLos Angeles poet Rick Lupert created the Poetry Super Highway (an online publication and resource for poets), and hosted the Cobalt Cafe weekly poetry reading for almost 21 years. He’s authored 21 collections of poetry, including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion“, “I’m a Jew, Are You” (Jewish themed poems) and “Feeding Holy Cats” (Poetry written while a staff member on the first Birthright Israel trip), and most recently “Donut Famine” (Rothco Press, December 2016) and edited the anthologies “Ekphrastia Gone Wild”, “A Poet’s Haggadah”, and “The Night Goes on All Night.” He writes the daily web comic “Cat and Banana” with fellow Los Angeles poet Brendan Constantine. He’s widely published and reads his poetry wherever they let him.

Like, is this really all happening again? – A poem for Parsha Breisheit by Rick Lupert Read More »

A Moment in Time: Adding Color to the Everyday

Leave a Comment / Blogs /
Dear all,
While preparing brunch for Sukkot last weekend, I couldn’t help but serve the funkiest bagel I had ever seen!  It reminded me that in a world where we so often need to fit in, it’s also important to stand out. But it’s not really about putting on flash and pizzazz.  Rather, it’s about the little things that can make the ordinary extraordinary.  (Kind of like how I wear striped socks everyday!)
It doesn’t take much:
A little thought
A little creativity
A little heart
A lot of YOU (and don’t fake it – be the REAL you!)
Today can go by like any other day.  But it doesn’t have to.  It simply takes a moment in time to add your color!
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
A change in perspective can shift the focus of our day – and even our lives.  We have an opportunity to harness “a moment in time,” allowing our souls to be both grounded and lifted.  This blog shows how the simplest of daily experiences can become the most meaningful of life’s blessings.  All it takes is a moment in time.
 
Rabbi Zach Shapiro is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba of Culver City, a Reform Jewish Congregation in California.  He earned his B.A. in Spanish from Colby College in 1992, and his M.A.H.L. from HUC-JIR in 1996.  He was ordained from HUC-JIR – Cincinnati, in 1997.  He was appointed to the HUC-JIR Board of Governors in 2018.

A Moment in Time: Adding Color to the Everyday Read More »

Nazi Flag Painted on N.C. University’s Free Expression Tunnel

Leave a Comment / Online, United States /

A Nazi flag, as well as other neo-Nazi propaganda, was spray-painted on Appalachian State University’s Free Expression Tunnel and first discovered on Sunday.

The university’s Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) chapter found the graffiti that morning; the chapter’s president, Koby Ellick, shared a photo of the graffiti on social media before students painted over it.

The graffiti featured a Nazi flag; above were the words “Heil Hitler” and to its right were the words “the Holocaust is a good thing” as well as a Star of David.

https://www.facebook.com/WataugaNAACP/photos/pcb.1796810777102238/1797643230352326/?type=3&theater

In response to the graffiti, the university’s Student Government Association (SGA) issued a statement that read that the tunnel “is not intended to cultivate a culture of hate – targeting students or individuals because of their identity, culture, profession, or expression.”

The statement added that certain forms of speech, such as defamation, are not protected under the First Amendment.

“As a public university, we are committed to protecting freedom of speech,” the statement read. “As members of the Appalachian community and contributors to campus culture, we are committed to ensuring that all people are welcomed and accepted on this campus.”

Megan Hayes, the associate vice chancellor and chief communications officer, told the Winston Salem-Journal that the university would be investigating the incident, but as of now they don’t who painted the Nazi graffiti.

The campus Hillel issued the following statement on Facebook:

North Carolina Hillel is deeply disturbed to learn that Nazi symbols and anti-Semitic language were painted on Appalachian State University’s free expression tunnel over the weekend. These words and images are incredibly painful and offensive to Jews and non-Jews alike, denigrating the memory of six million Jews and millions of other victims of the Nazis, and have no place on campus or anywhere in society.

We are working with University officials to ensure this matter is investigated and properly addressed to protect the safety and respect for all members of the campus Jewish community. Our staff are here to support any student or community member who has concerns or would like to discuss this issue.

Algemeiner’s Shiri Moshe noted that the Nazi graffiti was discovered a couple days before a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor spoke on campus on Tuesday.

The Appalachian, the university’s student newspaper, wrote on Oct. 3 that in response to the graffiti, as well as a white nationalist group’s recruiting banner being found on campus a year earlier, the paper will be involved in ProPublica’s “Documenting Hate” project.

“If you are a witness or victim of a hate incident, fill out the Documenting Hate form found under the news navigation header on our website,” the paper wrote. “Your story will be shared with ProPublica so that reporters and civil-rights groups can have a clearer picture of what’s happening and can reach out to you for more information.”

Nazi Flag Painted on N.C. University’s Free Expression Tunnel Read More »

‘History Matters’ but Hope Lives Only If People Remember

Leave a Comment / Opinion /

Editor’s Notes: This is a JJ online exclusive piece. 

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), a public transit agency, recently accepted money for running ads produced by an anti-Semitic group that promotes Holocaust denial and distortion. The transit agency defended its controversial decision based on the First Amendment rights of the group. This action comes at a time when the number of anti-Semitic incidents has risen rapidly in the United States, especially on college campuses.

Along with hundreds of thousands of commuters who use BART in the greater San Francisco area, we are deeply disturbed at BART’s misguided decision to allow advertising on its electronic billboards from a nefarious hate group that masks its denial of history in a veneer of pseudo-scholarship. This California-based group believes that Hitler was a role model, denied that anyone was gassed at Auschwitz and “questions” the historic validity of the Nazi Holocaust.

We wish that BART had contacted the Simon Wiesenthal Center to seek its counsel on what would be an appropriate response when first approached by the so-called Institute for Historical Review (IHR).

For starters, we would have informed BART that the IHR tried to place its disgusting advertising on the Washington, D.C., METRO system, but was turned down by METRO.

The decision-makers at BART appear to have a blind spot for the concerns of the Jewish community, especially Holocaust survivors and their families. Adding to the insult: The IHR ad ran during the Jewish High Holy Days. Without question, had this hate group targeted women or Latinos or African-Americans or the LGBT community, BART would have rejected the hate ads in a picosecond! But to paraphrase the immortal words of George Orwell in his classic book “Animal Farm, “… some groups are less equal than others!” So much for the hypocrisy of governmental commitment to a level playing field.

BART spokespeople reportedly have said that the agency doesn’t endorse the message or the group. Photos online reveal that the ads say “History Matters!” (the institute’s motto) with the name of the institute. Mark Weber, the IHR’s director, has been quoted on several media outlets as saying his group paid $6,400 for the ads. He told reporters that BART initially rejected the ads when the designs featured the group’s URL. After that was removed, the agency said the ads met the guidelines.

Not surprisingly, an IHR spokesman said that as a result of the ads at BART train stations, IHR saw an increase in web traffic and received inquiries from the public. Congratulations, BART, on proving that advertising works — even when it comes to Holocaust denial and distortion.

The Holocaust is the most thoroughly documented, genocide in human history. Nazi Germany was meticulous in its record-keeping about its victims. In the post-WWII era, the German government in cooperation with the International Tracing Service took possession of some 50 million records regarding 17 million of the victims of The Third Reich. Readers are welcome to search online to learn more about this unimaginable low point in human history.

So what should BART do?

  1. Stop displaying the ads immediately.
  2. Donate the monies that it received from the IHR to local Holocaust survivors in the Bay Area.
  3. Run ads for free featuring faces of victims of the Holocaust who rebuilt their lives in California.
  4. Order a review of its current bylaws and upgrade those rules immediately. Otherwise prepare for a bevy of extremist groups to follow up on the IHR victory.

Emil Fackenheim, who died in 2003, was a noted Jewish philosopher and rabbi. He taught and believed that in addition to the 613 commandments in Jewish tradition, Jews should observe a 614th: Do not grant Hitler a posthumous victory. By allowing this horrible error in judgment to go unanswered, BART has violated the 614th commandment.

Simon Wiesenthal, the great Nazi hunter who lost 89 family members in the Holocaust and the unofficial ambassador of 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, against all odds brought some 1,100 Nazi war criminals before the bar of justice. He stated these two important calls to action to the post-Holocaust world:

“Freedom is not a gift from heaven, it must be earned every day” and “Hope lives when people remember.”

BART, are you listening?

Rabbi Abraham Cooper is associate dean, director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Maurey Schapira is a past national president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews and lives in the SF Bay Area.

‘History Matters’ but Hope Lives Only If People Remember Read More »

Jews of NY

Trending on Instagram: ‘Jews of NY!’

Leave a Comment / Jews of NY /

Jewish millennials in the Big Apple are buzzing about this hit Instagram page on Buzzoid.

Jews of NY speaks to the younger Jewish generation in an upbeat language they understand, focusing on fashion, art, music, food, current lifestyle and pop culture with a Jewish connection.

Aside from featuring outstanding Jews that are making a mark in NY, this inspiring social media publication also creates original content and goes live from the hottest places and events in NY: restaurants, music shows, galleries and yes, even synagogues!

Just last week, Jews of New York featured Israeli superstar singer & actress Shiri Maimon, who will be playing the character of Roxie Hart in the NYC based Chicago Broadway musical.

During New York City’s Fashion Week, the followers of the page were introduced to the biggest Jewish and Muslim fashion influencers, collaborating and creating content together right after attending the NYC Diversity runway show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BncpAg9HpyT/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

The personality backing this page prefers to remain anonymous as Yoav Davis, CEO of Davis Media, the company that manages the page, told us. “It’s someone charitable who holds Judaism and NY close to their heart. The idea is to focus on what’s hip, relevant, and interesting for young Jewish professionals in New York.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYzd5p7Aoyd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Davis Media, a New York City-based digital media content agency, is used to working with many major brands, celebrities, and Instagram influencers that normally have commercial goals. “It’s a very interesting creative process. We know how to work with major brands and we help companies and personalities find their social DNA on a daily basis, but, with Jews of New York, finding the right voice was different. It’s not promoting a product, it’s promoting an idea by connecting Jewish people and exposing non-Jews to Jewish achievements and culture.”

https://www.facebook.com/JewsofNY/videos/227601941259688/

 

“Developing the strategy was a very fun challenge. After all the research and brainstorming we did, we came to the conclusion that we want to do something unique that’s like nothing else out there,” said Davis. We’ve noticed that most of the pages that post about Jewish life do so in a traditional, political and sometimes outdated manner, so there is a need for younger, hipper and millennial-friendly content. That’s why Jews of NY is more relatable and is more relevant to 2018.”  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlnrPNonE4t/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

This highly engaged page allows and encourages in-depth discussions to happen in the comments, although from time to time there are some negative ones. “Yes, we get hate DM’s and emails but are very proud of our answer-hate-with-love policy. It’s all worth the real-life meetups that happen between the followers who first communicated with each other in the comments. The vast majority of the followers are people with similar interests who are open to online networking and find new friends, colleagues, and even love. The vibe is open and inclusive, with a positive energy towards collaboration.” Davis said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BncocEhhZVj/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

The followers of the page have become an online community that connects young Jewish people from all over the globe and not only NYC, so yes, this means you can find your Shidduch here too. Unlike many other Jewish pages, the focus is on lifestyle and pop culture, which means that politics are off the table.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnoZwmIntWN/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

Whether it’s mouthwatering images of rugelach from that new Jewish bakery that everyone’s talking about, or real and authentic North African couscous from one of the leading Jewish-Israeli chefs in the city, Chef Einat Admony in her new restaurant, Kish-Kash NYC, Jews of NY has the best Jewish food-porn that will make you want to jump right in. There’s cauliflower from Eyal Shani’s Miznon NYC, who’s opening the page went live from, and, of course, Zabar’s favorites, and even rainbow-colored challah.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnWrXren-gb/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

On the other hand, we have highlights of the most well known Jewish and Israeli designers and artists such as Eva Hesse and Donna Karan, and exclusive, behind the scenes content of the venerable late Joan Rivers, whose look and style remains apt today. Jews of NY make sure to bring their creativity and color to the forefront, showing their vivid imaginations to the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjyMr4tApkM/?taken-by=jews_of_ny

We asked Yoav Davis about what the plans are for the future of Jews of NY and he replied that “In a perfect world, I believe there should be a page like this in every major city. Till then, you’re welcome to follow @Jews_of_NY on Instagram.”   

Trending on Instagram: ‘Jews of NY!’ Read More »

Daughter of N.Y.’s Israel Consul General Says SJP Harassed Her

Leave a Comment / Online, United States /

Ofir Dayan, a former Israel Defense Force (IDF) officer and the daughter of Dani Dayan, New York’s Israeli Consul General, told the New York Post on Saturday that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has been harassing her but the university has done nothing to stop it.

Dayan, the vice president of Columbia’s Students Supporting Israel (SSI) chapter, detailed four specific encounters she has had with SJP:

· In fall 2017, a female student began screaming that Dayan was “killing Muslim babies” and that she needed to leave the campus for being a Zionist after she overheard Dayan speaking in Hebrew.

· At least 50 SJP members blocked a hallway that Dayan and four other SSI members were walking through while they were chanting slogans into a microphone in October 2017.

· SJP members set up “mock checkpoints” when Dayan’s father spoke at the school in February; Dayan was even given a flyer that called her father a “war criminal.”

· SJP members called Dayan and others “terrorists” as they distributed literature for Hebrew Liberation Week in March.

But the school told Dayan that they couldn’t crack down on SJP unless they become “violent.”

“We have to wait until we’re beaten to call you?” Dayan told the Post. “[The school] can protect me, but they choose not to.”

Suzanne Goldberg, Columbia’s vice president for student life, told the Post, “We will always work with students who have concerns about their physical safety, allow debate on contentious questions where our students hold strong views, and provide essential personal and group support.”

Columbia’s SJP chapter told the Post that they were against anti-Semitism but didn’t address Dayan’s complaints.

In response to the university’s handling of these complaints, pro-Israel students hosted a rally on Thursday.

SJP is scheduled to have its national convention at UCLA in November; members of the pro-Israel community have called on UCLA to either prevent the convention from being held on campus or force it to be open to the public. UCLA has told the Journal that they can’t do either, citing the First Amendment.

Daughter of N.Y.’s Israel Consul General Says SJP Harassed Her Read More »

Obituaries Oct. 5, 2018

Leave a Comment / Obituaries /

Nathan “Nate” Abramowitz died Sept. 23 at 91. Survived by daughters  Judy, Sharone, Orit (Yitzchok Cohen); son Harold (Andrea Quaid); 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Pearl Bader died Sept. 15 at 93. Survived by sons Bruce (Wendy) Bader and Mitch (Jill) Bader; 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai  

Sheldon Brown died Sept. 21 at 89. Survived by wife Marion; daughter Janet (Howard Samuels); son Kenneth (Shelley Grant); daughter Janet (Howard Samuels); 4 grandchildren; sister Rita Rubin. Mount Sinai 

Irwin Daniels died Sept. 13 at age 94. Survived by daughters Shelley, Kay (Steve); 2 grandchildren. 

David Fogiel died Sept. 8 at 71. Survived by wife Lucyna; son Michael; brother Henry. Mount Sinai

Herbert J. Frankel died Sept. 20 at 82. Survived by sons Adam (Jenna), Paul (Paula); 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

George Goodman died Sept. 12 at 95. Survived by wife Iris; daughters Shawn (Jared), Dana (Evan); son Stephen; 5 grandchildren. Hillside 

Michelle Haines died Sept. 17 at 81. Survived by daughters Julie (Jonathan), Lynn, Lisa; 2 grandchildren. Hillside

Alice Jacobson died Sept. 23 at 94. Survived by daughter Wendy Wyatt; son Earl; 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Judith Ann Katz died Sept. 13 at 78. Survived by husband Burton; daughters Nicole Katz-Chiara, Alyssa. Mount Sinai

Frances(Zelman) Kowal died Sept. 23 at age 93. Survived by daughter Betty (Al); son Abe (Fern); 4 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. 

Florence K. Lang died Sept. 23 at 93. Survived by husband Murray; daughters Barbara (Robert) Land-Lyons, Paula (Stanley) Drake, Anna (Harold) Elliott; 8 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Mount Sinai 

William Lang died Sept. 8 at 93. Survived by sons, Larry (Janice),  Bruce (Julie); daughter, Terri (Joe) Budenholzer; 7 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Henley Leventhal died Sept. 18 at 99. Survived by son, Ron (Stephanie); 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai 

Robert E. Levine died Aug. 16 at 63. Survived by sister Lesley Radell. Mount Sinai  

Lev Lisovetsky died Sept. 17 at 82. Survived by son, David (Nelly) Lisov; 2 grandchildren; brother Naum (Valentiva). Mount Sinai 

Jerome Manson died Sept. 15 at 98. Survived by wife, Shirley; sons Bruce (Susan Stern), Marshall; 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai 

Allan Marvin Margolis died Sept. 21 at 84. Survived by daughter Lisa (Mitchell) Dehm; son Gary (Evett) Margolis; 4 grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Rosalie Menkes died Sept. 22 at 90. Survived by daughters Robin Weinberg, Pamela (Leland) Dorner, Barbara (David) Mathews; 7 grandchildren; sister Phyllis Beck. Mount Sinai

Irene Reiss died Sept. 8 at 102. Survived by daughter Annette (Mort) Wolfson; son Robert (Patrice) Reiss; 7 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law Fayla Reiss. Mount Sinai  

Laurie “Mitchell” Roberts died Sept. 20 at 90. Survived by husband Ronald; daughter Nancy (Donald) Norton; son Steve (Veronica) White; stepsons Kevin (Lori) Roberts, Curt Roberts; 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Sidney A. Robinson died Sept. 17 at 96. Survived by daughter Marcia Goldstein; son Robert; 4 grandchildren; sister Janith Gold. Mount Sinai 

David Rosenberg died Sept. 12 at 65. Survived by daughters Melissa (Eric) Sharky, Jacquline Rosenberg; 2 grandchildren; sister Rosa. Mount Sinai  

Jennie Russo died Sept. 17 at 92. Survived by sons Nate (Kim), Michael, Adam (Wendy), Josh; 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai  

Barry Sable died Sept. 10 at 65. Survived by wife Janine; sons Claude Guy, Daniel Rick (Lisa); 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Leah Sharp died Sept. 11 at 97. Survived by daughters Varda (Abe) Sasson, Rose (Richard) Ahran; 2 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; sister Mazal; brother Shmuel. Mount Sinai 

Melvin Small died Sept. 13 at 93. Survived by daughters Jennifer (Ivan), Hillarie (Tom); sons Jason (Linda), Noah; and Carrie; 17 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. Hillside 

Albert M. Solomon died Sept. 15 at 96. Survived by daughter Rita (Shel) Silverstein; 3 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. Groman Eden

Paul Steinbaum died Sept. 18 at 73. Survived by sisters Lynn, Harriet. Hillside

Clara Troulman died Sept. 18 at 93. Survived by daughter Janice Kaye; son Stephen; 2 grandchildren; sister Pearl Gotlieb. Mount Sinai  

Harriet Uckless died Sept. 24 at 81. Survived by daughter Laura (John); son Steven; 3 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; sister Noreen. Hillside

Obituaries Oct. 5, 2018 Read More »

How to Make Tissue Paper Mosaic Vases

Leave a Comment / Home /

People seem to pass on their used glass vases to me — those left over from old flower arrangements or the ones they picked up on a whim at the dollar store. “I know, Jonathan could use these,” they must think. 

Given my surplus of hand-me-down glassware, I like to decorate them in fun ways to give them new life. One of the easiest ways to transform glass vases is by decoupaging them with tissue paper. (It’s so easy — there are only three steps in this tutorial.) By cutting the tissue paper into little pieces and adhering the paper to the glass, you create a mosaic pattern that almost looks like stained glass. Besides making beautiful vases to display flowers, these pieces also could double as candleholders, with light filtering through the colors of the tissue paper. 

What you’ll need:
Glass vases/candleholders
Tissue paper
Mod Podge decoupage medium
Brush

1. Cut tissue paper of different colors into squares, triangles or any shape you’d like. 

2. Working a section at a time, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the glass. Then place the tissue paper pieces on top of the Mod Podge, creating a mosaic pattern. It’s OK to overlap the pieces; this mosaic looks better when it’s not perfect.

3. When you’re finished with your design, coat the entire vase with another layer of Mod Podge to completely seal the tissue paper. The Mod Podge will dry clear.

Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.

 

How to Make Tissue Paper Mosaic Vases Read More »

What’s Happening: Jewish Names, Life in Russia and Voter Forum

Leave a Comment / What's Happening /

FRI OCT 5

 

Friday Night Unplugged
Join the Young Jewish Professionals group for a scotch and sushi cocktail hour, music and a meditative Kabbalat Shabbat led by Rabbi Mendel Simons and an a cappella group. This event was created with a vision to inject soul and meaning into the Friday night service. Evening attire. 6-8 p.m. $15. 9261 Alden Drive, Beverly Hills. yjplosangeles.com.

“Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable”
This 90-minute documentary focuses on the work of late photographer Garry Winogrand. Toting a Leica M4 camera, Winogrand harnessed the serendipity of the streets in 1960s and ’70s America; he captured spontaneous images of everyday people, from the “Mad Men” era of New York to the early years of the women’s movement and the post-Golden Age of Hollywood, all while observing themes of cultural upheaval, political disillusionment, intimacy and alienation. This first cinematic treatment of his work, which includes selections from thousands of rolls of film still undeveloped upon his unexpected death in 1984, features interviews with American photographers Tod Papageorge and Jay Maisel, and “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner. Showtimes on the Laemmle Theatres website. $12 adults, $9 seniors (62 and older) and children 11 and younger. Laemmle Playhouse, 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (310) 478-3836; Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

“Scaffolding”
Writer-director Matan Yair’s coming-of-age film focuses on 17-year-old Asher, who has been an impulsive troublemaker for his entire life. Asher is compelled by rage and violence but also possesses charm and street smarts. While his strict father sees him as a natural successor to the family’s scaffolding business, Asher finds a different masculine role model. Torn between the two worlds, Asher seeks a chance for a new life and identity. When a sudden tragedy occurs, he has to take the ultimate test of maturity. Starring Asher Lax, Ami Smolartchik and Yaacov Cohen. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Check the Laemmle Theatres website for showtimes. $12 adults, $9 seniors (62 and older) and children 11 and younger. Laemmle Town Center, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (310) 478-3836; Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

SUN OCT 7

 

“Cohen, Levi, Yisrael: Jewish Names Around the World”
Sarah Benor of Hebrew Union College discusses the history and sociology of Jewish names from around the world. Part of Temple Judea’s Sunday Scholar Series. 9:15-10:45 a.m. Free and open to non-temple members, but reservations are required. Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana.  (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com.

“Everyday Jewish Family Life in Tsarist Russia”
ChaeRan Freeze, a professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, discusses the daily struggles of ordinary Jews in tsarist Russia as they confronted changes in family life, religion and new government regulations such as registration, military conscription and opportunities to settle outside the Pale of Settlement. Her talk includes archival documents from the former Soviet Union. Presented by the Jewish Genealogy Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. (818) 889-6616. jgscv.org.

Duo Klavitarre in Concert
Polish husband and wife Jolanta and Maciej Ziemski, who perform on piano and guitar as Duo Klavitarre, offer a selection of chamber duets. Their performance features the music of Jewish French-Polish composer Aleksander Tansmann — who fled Europe for Los Angeles in 1941 and resumed his career in France after World War II — and pieces by Chopin and Brahms. 4 p.m. $15 general admission, $10 students. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. 100 S. Grove Drive, Los Angeles. (323) 651-3704. lamoth.org. 

Carmen and Louis Warschaw Distinguished Lecture
Since 1999, the Carmen and Louis Warschaw Distinguished Lecture at USC has explored the diverse ways culture and heritage have influenced Jewish politicians. This year’s lecture will be delivered by Jason Kander, the first millennial elected to a statewide office. Called “the future of the Democratic Party” by former President Barack Obama, the 32-year-old Kander is a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, where he investigated corruption in the Afghan government. He returned home to Missouri, where he continued to fight government corruption as a state representative and secretary of state. His currently is running for mayor of Kansas City and is also the president of Let America Vote, which fights voter suppression. Reception 4:30 p.m., lecture 5:30 p.m. Free. USC University Park Campus, Los Angeles. (213) 740-4996. dornsife.usc.edu/warschawlecture.

MON OCT 8

 

“Tamar’s Sukkah” Book Reading
Bring your kids, up to age 8, to the PJ Library at the Zimmer Children’s Museum for a reading of “Tamar’s Sukkah.” The picture book, written by Ellie Gellman and illustrated by Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, tells the story of Tamar and her friends as they decorate her sukkah and learn about cooperation, friendship and how to make a sukkah. The reading is followed by activities in the library’s art studio. 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $5. Zimmer Children’s Museum, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 761-8984. zimmer.sharewell.org/event.

AJRCA Lunch and Learn
With the controversy over who can perform conversions to Judaism still roiling Israel, the subject for the Academy of Jewish Religion’s first “Lunch and Learn” event of the season examines the different standards for conversion among the different streams of Judaism. Chaplain Muriel Dance, executive director of the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din of Southern California and an AJRCA alumna, leads a discussion over lunch. 12:20-1:10 p.m. Free. Academy of Jewish Religion, California, 574 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. (213) 884-4133. ajrca.edu/whats-happening/events.

TUE OCT 9

“Your Vote Counts: A Ballot Initiative Forum”
Come November, Californians will not only vote for governor and congressional representatives, but they will also have to decide on a dozen ballot initiatives, including four that cover affordable housing and rent control. The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, in association with Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, helps to clear up your questions with a nonpartisan panel. Dan Schnur, professor at USC’s Annenberg School of Communications and UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, moderates the discussion with panelists Renee Chanon, former president of the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles; Wendy Greuel, a member of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission; and Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy. Help with registering to vote, requesting absentee ballots and ways to get involved also are available. 6-8:30 p.m. Free. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 761-8000. 4249la.blackbaudhosting.com/vav-vote-and-volunteer.

THU OCT 11

 

An Evening With Dennis Prager
Conservative commentator Dennis Prager speaks at Valley Beth Shalom about news from the front pages in the United States and Israel. A fixture in Los Angeles since the 1970s, Prager is a best-selling author and columnist who has a nationally syndicated radio talk show on 150 stations, on which he promotes his nonprofit venture, Prager University. Organized by the Jewish Republican Alliance. 7:30-9:30 p.m. $22 general admission, $25 after 5:45 p.m. on the date of the event. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. For more information, visit their website.

“Good and Mad” Author
Feminist author and commentator Rebecca Traister, daughter of a Baptist mother and a Jewish father, discusses the most effective way to harness women’s anger for social change. In support of her latest book, “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger,” she appears in conversation with actress Tracee Ellis Ross, co-founder of the Time’s Up movement and a TED expert on the force of feminine fury. 7:30 p.m. $20; $38 includes a copy of “Good and Mad.” Ann & Jerry Moss Theater, New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica. For more information, visit their website.

“The Last Palace”
When Norman Eisen, former U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia, moved into his residence there, he found a swastika affixed to the underside of a table. Inspired to explore the intersection of his family’s Holocaust roots and his new home, he wrote the book “The Last Palace.” Eisen, a political commentator for CNN and a former ethics czar during the Obama administration, discusses his recently published work at American Jewish University. 7:30 p.m. $10. American Jewish University’s Familian Campus, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 440-1572. aju.edu.

Maccabi Haifa vs. L.A. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers’ annual preseason showdown with Israeli professional basketball squad Maccabi Haifa Basketball Club is a slam-dunk opportunity for any basketball fan to express love for Israel. 7:30 p.m. $5-$49. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. axs.com.

“Chutzpah and Salsa”
Jewish Women’s Theatre relates the stories of women from Cuba, Chile and Argentina in “Chutzpah and Salsa.” The play addresses what it means to be born with a Latina heart and a Jewish soul. The stories begin similarly to many Jewish tales, with the fleeing from persecution in Eastern Europe, Syria and North Africa. 8 p.m. on Oct. 11 and Oct. 13. 2 p.m. on Oct. 14. General admission $35, students and seniors $20, door $40. No children under 14 admitted. The Braid, 2912 Colorado Ave., No. 102, Santa Monica. (310) 315-1400. jewishwomenstheatre.org.  

Have an event coming up? Send your information two weeks prior to the event to ryant@jewishjournal.com for consideration. For groups staging an event that requires an RSVP, please submit details about the event the week before the RSVP deadline.

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Columbia U Pro-Israel Students to Protest Handling of Anti-Zionism Incidents on Campus

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A group of pro-Zionist students are planning to hold a rally on Thursday protesting Columbia University’s handling of complaints of anti-Zionist harassment.

The event page on Facebook states that Students Supporting Israel (SSI) sent “a detailed, thorough, and evidence-based complaint documenting our members’ harassment by anti-Zionist groups and individuals on campus, and of their clearly numbered violations of the CU Rules of Conduct.”

The complaint, which The Lawfare Project helped write, stated that groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) were involved in tearing down SSI flyers and disrupting SSI events, such as a lecture by Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon in February 2017.

Additionally, the complaint stated that in fall 2017, there was an incident in which “SJP members started a hostile, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic chant simply because they recognized SSI members walking by.”

“Video of this event shows a small handful of horrified and terrified Jewish students standing huddled together while surrounded by a raging mob of around 50 angry activists encroaching on them in a physically threatening and intimidating way,” the complaint states.

However, according to the Facebook event page, Columbia University dismissed the complaint.

SSI also filed three other complaints, including one about the daughter of the Israeli Consul  General in New York being harassed by SJP members for her Israeli background. But the university has done nothing about these complaints, according to the Facebook page.

“SSI has spoken with university administrators on numerous occasions, but all our requests have fallen on deaf ears,” the event page states. “It is time to show the university that we will not stand by quietly while we and other pro-Israel students are harassed and systematically silenced on our own campus.”

The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. EST (1-3 p.m. PST) close to the main gates of the university.

Columbia U Pro-Israel Students to Protest Handling of Anti-Zionism Incidents on Campus Read More »