November 30, 2018

NuRoots’ Infinite Light: Celebrating Hanukkah After the Fires

Leave a Comment / Cover Story / Esther D. Kustanowitz

Infinite Light, a citywide festival of Hanukkah events organized by NuRoots, a 20s and 30s initiative run by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, began this past summer with upward of 35 organizational partners and individuals planning events. They ranged from meditation to storytelling and everything in between.

The marketing plan was set. Social media posts had been written and scheduled. Then the fires hit and everything changed.

“Our mind-shift has definitely changed, regarding marketing and the framing of the program” said Margalit Rosenthal, senior vice president of NuRoots. “We pressed pause while everything was going on. Now, as we’re coming back, we’re really focusing the message less on ‘celebration,’ and not using language in a joking way.”

In previous years, events had names like “Vodka and Latkes,” “Let’s Get Lit for Hanukkah” and “Light it Up.” But this year, Rosenthal explained, the overall framing for L.A.’s Infinite Light has shifted.

“Now is the time to actually feel the community that comes together in times of crisis like this,” Rosenthal said. “There are a lot of scary things in this city and community. We are really looking to give people an outlet during this time, the comfort of feeling that community.”

From Nov. 30 through Dec. 9, NuRoots is helming Infinite Light’s festival of diverse programs to celebrate Hanukkah that covers a wide geographical swath of the Los Angeles map. The array of programs includes hosted experiences in arts and culture, civic engagement, food, fitness, games, global Jewish culture, Israel, LGBTQ+, music, Shabbat, social justice and storytelling for singles, young couples and young families.

Among this year’s offerings are Hanukkah in Marrakesh, hosted by a NuRoots community member in a private home in West Hollywood. Art and Storytime with PJ Library is taking place in Beverly Grove. Master Debater, a debate on the themes and ideas of Hanukkah with a comedic bent, is sponsored by East Side Jews in Silver Lake. Festival of Rights, hosted by Bend the Arc in Sherman Oaks, celebrates the holiday and the work of young Jewish leaders in their Jeremiah Fellowship Program. Glow: Cocktail Party & Comedy Podcast features IKAR’s Rabbi David Kasher in conversation with his brother, comedian Moshe Kasher, in Pico-Robertson. And JQ International’s annual “Gelty Pleasures” Hanukkah party, this year with a story slam, takes place in West Hollywood.

“Now is the time to actually feel the community that comes together in times of crisis like this. We are really looking to give people an outlet during this time, the comfort of feeling that community.” — Margalit Rosenthal

One of the stipulations of Infinite Light partners, who receive partnership investments ranging from $500 to $3,000 depending on the size and extent of collaboration with partnering organizations and individuals, is that the events not be fundraisers. Even in the aftermath of the fires, there doesn’t seem to have been a pivot by event organizers, but it is something that NuRoots would be open to, if the hosts requested it.

“None have come and asked to raise money for our fire relief fund,” Rosenthal said. “[But] if they did, we’d figure out a way. People are reeling and trying to figure out how to do the program they are already doing, without having to change [them].”

Why so many events? Because L.A. is a large city and from the Federation’s perspective, “shows a healthy economy,” Rosenthal said. “There are so many young Jews in the city. We don’t anticipate anyone having issues filling up their space,” she said, noting that in a large community, there’s always going to be a lot of events. “But we’re also conscious of not programming similar events on the same nights and in the same location. We listen to our partners.”

Ultimately, Rosenthal said, Infinite Light’s Hanukkah celebrations will continue, and will provide a sense of belonging that many — even those in pain — may find comforting.

“Hanukkah is celebratory and fun,” she said. “We want people to feel that, but also want them to feel the connection to the community.”

NuRoots’ Infinite Light: Celebrating Hanukkah After the Fires Read More »

DeSantis: ‘BDS Is Nothing More Than a Cloak for Anti-Semitism’

Leave a Comment / Online, United States / Aaron Bandler

Florida Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis (R) said during his speech at the 2018 Israeli-American Council (IAC) conference that he intends to crack down on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement when he becomes governor.

DeSantis told the audience he has “already warned companies like Airbnb that if you single out Jews in Judea and Samaria for disparate treatment, we are going to review our BDS laws… and we are going to act.”

“We need to fight anti-Semitism on all fronts and BDS is nothing more than a cloak for anti-Semitism,” DeSantis said.

He later added that companies boycotting Israel “is a red line for us” and called Israel “what is right with the Middle East.”

DeSantis also pledged to continue funding for security at Jewish day schools and called on the Trump administration to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, arguing that such land is too strategically important to fall into the hands of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah.

Additionally, DeSantis called on the Department of Justice to begin prosecuting Palestinian terrorists who murder American citizens abroad.

“I want justice,” DeSantis said, pointing out that the United States extradites terrorists from other parts of the world who murder American citizens.

DeSantis concluded his speech with a message to companies that engage in boycotts of Israel: “Go ahead and make my day, because I will act and act quickly.”

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Pence at IAC: ‘Standing With Jewish Values Isn’t a Partisan Issue, It’s an American Issue’

Leave a Comment / Online, United States / Aaron Bandler

Vice President Mike Pence keynoted the 2018 Israeli-American Council conference in south Florida praising the strengthening bond between the United States and Israel and condemning anti-Semitism.

Pence began the speech calling President Trump “the most pro-Israel president in American history” and cited members of the administration such as United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, White House adviser Jared Kushner and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley as examples of an “administration that stands with Israel.”

“We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause,” Pence said. “Her values are our values.”

Pence added, “Standing with Jewish values isn’t a partisan issue, it’s an American issue.”

The vice president also praised Miriam Adelson – who introduced Pence along with her husband, billionaire Sheldon Adelson – for being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom before he praised Trump for making “the alliance between American and Israel stronger than ever before.”

“President Trump is a man of his word, and is a man of action,” Pence said, referring to the administration’s zeroing out of funding to the Palestinians, exiting from the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal, withdrawing from the U.N. Human Rights Council and moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as examples of U.S. support.

“Promises made, promises kept,” Pence said.

“There is no place in America for anti-Semitism and violence, and we will … condemn it everywhere it rears its ugly head.” — Mike Pence

Regarding Airbnb’s decision to remove listings from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, Pence said, “The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is wrong and it has no place in the free enterprise of the United States of America.”

Additionally, Pence said that although the administration’s upcoming peace proposal between the Israelis and the Palestinians will require compromise, “the United States will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel.”

The vice president proceeded to condemn Hamas’ repeated rocket attacks against Israel, but pointed out that Hamas and Hezbollah are essentially “pawns” of the Iranian regime.

“While Iran continues to pursue its evil aims, let me make a solemn promise to you, to Israel, to the world: the U.S. will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Pence said.

Pence also praised the Jewish people as “one of the most vibrant threads in the American fabric,” condemning the Oct. 27 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in which 11 were killed as “evil.”

“This anti-Semitic attack was an assault not just on the Jewish community, it was an assault on all of us in America,” Pence said.

Pence added, “There is no place in America for anti-Semitism and violence and we will… condemn it everywhere it rears its ugly head.”

The vice president concluded his speech on a “promise of hope” for the future.

“I’m confident in the years ahead that the friendship between America and Israel will flourish as never before,” Pence said.

Pence at IAC: ‘Standing With Jewish Values Isn’t a Partisan Issue, It’s an American Issue’ Read More »

8 Songs For Hanukkah That Aren’t by Adam Sandler

Leave a Comment / Blogs / Erin Ben-Moche

Now that Thanksgiving is over, America is in Christmasland full force. Theme parks and department stores have brought out their holiday cheer, Starbucks announced its holiday cup and several radio stations have switched to musical playlists consisting of same 20 Christmas songs just sung by different artists (and let’s be honest, this all started the day after Halloween).

But what if you don’t celebrate Christmas? Were Jews so busy writing the best Christmas music that they left nothing for the tribe members? “I Have A Little Dreidel” isn’t exactly topping the holiday charts and can’t compete with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.”

Adam Sandler tried to resolve this issue by writing and performing the “Hanukkah Song” on Saturday Night Live. Hats off to you, Sandler but there’s gotta be more than that.

Hanukkah starts Dec. 2 and if you are looking for tunes to blast at your Festival of Lights party, fear not. Here’s a list of eight Hanukkah songs that will blow “Rock of Ages” out of the water.

“Hot Rod Hanukkah” By Meshugga Beach Party
If surf rock is your music of choice then “Hot Rod Hanukkah” should be the first song in your playlist. Jewish surf rock group Meshugga Beach Party has been performing Jewish-influenced surf songs in the Bay Area since 2003 and while the band dresses modestly, their music is far from conservative. The song, which is from the album of the same name, offers a fun upbeat twist for Hanukkah.

“8 Days (of Hanukkah)” By Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
The late Sharon Jones merges Motown and Judaism all in one probably creating the most soulful Hanukkah song to date. The Grammy winner kicked off her holiday album, “It’s A Holiday Soul Party” with this upbeat groove and, between riffing the rules of Dreidel and the saxophone solos, this gem should be played year round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U0k_vHxc2k

Chanukah Honey
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” actress and writer, Rachel Bloom, performs a parody of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” by showing how Jewish girls would seduce nice Jewish boys during the holiday season. This is just one of the songs from the 2013 album “Suck It, Christmas (A Chanukah Album)” featuring Bloom, who is Jewish, referencing camp memories, menorahs and family friends. Funny yes, but not for the faint of heart. Listener discretion is advised.

“Candlelight – Hanukkah” By The Maccabeats
In 2010, Jewish a cappella group the Maccabeats transformed Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” and made a viral Jewish Hanukkah parody called “Candlelight.” This song, which now has more than 14 million views, started the wave of Jewish a cappella holiday music and continues to be shared by rabbis and teens alike each year.

“How Do You Spell Channukkahh?” By the LeeVees
New York performers Adam Gardner and Dave Schneider answer the question many ask in their lifetimes with this Hanukkah jam. The LeeVees formed in 2005 after realizing there were no contemporary Jewish rock songs to blast on the radio. Ever since, they have been creating original Jewish music including their recent 2017 Hanukkah album, “Hanukkah Rocks.” For a bonus song, here is “Nun, Gimmel, Heh Shin.”

“The Hanukkah Song – 8 Days and Nights” By Adam Chester
Written and performed by pianist Adam Chester, a.k.a. the Surrogate Elton John, this slower jam tells the story of the Hanukkah miracle and how we can celebrate miracles around us. The repetitive chorus is not only catchy it’s great for kids who are learning about the holiday.

“[I’m Spending] Hanukkah In Santa Monica” By Tom Lehrer
If there’s no schmaltz at Hanukkah did you really celebrate Hanukkah? For those who don’t wish to see snow in December Tom Lehrer’s hoaky but fun tune is for you. Before Sandler was rhyming Jews, there was Lehrer, who rhymed Jewish holidays with almost anything.

“Don’t Let Me Down” By The Y-Studs
Before a cappella group, the Y-Studs went viral from their song “Evolution of Jewish Music” they were creating fun Jewish renditions and mash-ups of various songs in pop-culture. In 2016, these nice Jewish Boys from Yeshiva University released a Hanukkah inspired version of “Don’t Let Me Down” based on The Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Closer.” Hebrew prayers for the holiday and the original song intertwine so well you won’t realize you’re listening to a different song. This song is a great pump-up jam for those who love intricate music.

BONUS SONG: “Bohemian Chanukah (A Queen Adaptation)” By Six13
On Tuesday, Nov. 27 Jewish a cappella group Six13 released their Hanukkah song for the 2018 year and already received more than 70,000 views in less than 24 hours. This creative homage to Queen’s rock anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody” blows many a cappella paradies out of the water showing how far Jewish a cappella has come. The words, music and attention to detail come together perfectly making this the ultimate Hanukkah song of the year.

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Books to TV: ‘The Plot Against America,’ ‘Save the Deli’ to Become Series

Leave a Comment / Entertainment / Gerri Miller

Philip Roth’s 2004 alternate history novel “The Plot Against America” is being adapted for an HBO miniseries. Centering on a Jewish family in New Jersey in the 1940s, the story imagines an America under the presidency of Charles Lindbergh and the rise of fascism and rampant anti-Semitism.

The six-part series is from producers David Simon, Ed Burns, Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Nina Noble, Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle. Philip Roth is an executive producer. No casting has been announced.

NBC is developing “Save the Deli,” a workplace comedy about a 30-year-old woman who becomes the new owner of her family’s Chicago delicatessen after the death of her grandfather. It’s based on David Sax’s book “Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen” as well as writer Lauren Bachelis’ own experiences. Her grandfather owned Mort’s Deli in Tarzana.

Bachelis is executive producing the series with Milo Ventimiglia (“This is Us”) and Russ Cundiff of Divide Pictures.

Books to TV: ‘The Plot Against America,’ ‘Save the Deli’ to Become Series Read More »

Two Orthodox Boys Separately Attacked in Brooklyn

Leave a Comment / Online, United States / Aaron Bandler

Two Orthodox boys were attacked in Brooklyn on Sunday in separate instances, the New York Post reports.

One of the boys, age 9, was walking home with his mother when the assailant, described to be in the age range of 14-18 and wearing a hoodie, approached the boy and suddenly began punching him multiple times in the face. The assailant left without saying anything to the boy.

Thirty minutes later, a group of four or five people shoved a 12-year-old Orthodox boy to the ground and punched him on a street that was near to the other attack. It is not yet known if the two attacks are related.

Neither of the boys required medical attention. The investigation remains ongoing.

According to New York Police Department statistics, anti-Semitic hate crimes increased in New York City from 2017 to 2018 by 29 percent in New York City.

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Happy 183rd Birthday Mark Twain – A Tribute in Quotations

Leave a Comment / Blogs / Rabbi John Rosove

Mark Twain is among my most favorite writers. His wisdom and wit shine a constant light on truth and reveal the absurdities in which we so often find ourselves.

Ken Burns (his documentary on Mark Twain, by the way, is superb and can be found on Netflix) said of him:

“He was the Lincoln of our Literature. He imprinted us with our own identity. He was the original stand-up comic in America. After he lost everything and everyone he held dear [his immediate family all died in his lifetime] he had to be funny. He inspired laughter from a font of sorrow. His work alters our consciousness of the world.”

Mark Twain (i.e. Samuel Clemens) was born on November 30, 1835 and died on April 21, 1910. We are all the richer because of him. Everything he wrote is worth reading over and again.

Here are a few of his words:

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.”

“A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.”

“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.”

“A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”

“All generalizations are false, including this one.”

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”

“Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

“Clothes make the man [woman]. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.”

“Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.”

“Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.”

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”

“Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn’t.”

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”

“Go to Heaven for the climate; Hell for the company.”

“Golf is a good walk spoiled.”

“Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

“Humor is humankind’s greatest blessing.”

“I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough.”

“I have made it a rule never to smoke more than one cigar at a time.”

“I make it a rule never to smoke while I’m sleeping.”

“I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up.”

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

“When I was younger I could remember anything whether it had happened or not. My faculties are decaying now, and soon I shall be so that I cannot remember things that never happened. It’s sad to go to pieces like this, but we all have to do it.”

“Before 70 we are respected at best and have to behave all the time; after 70 we are respected, esteemed, admired, revered and don’t have to behave unless we want to.”

“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”

“I was born modest, but it didn’t last.”

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“It’s like a cow’s tail going down.” (On getting older)

“The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated.”

Happy 183rd Birthday Mark Twain – A Tribute in Quotations Read More »

Rosner’s Torah Talk: Parshat Vayeshev with Rabbi Olivier Benhaim

Leave a Comment / Rosner's Video / Shmuel Rosner

With an Modern Orthodox, Sephardi background, Rabbi Olivier Benhaim has been a student of Torah and of the Jewish way for most of his life. He lived in Israel for close to 10 years, where he studied in Jerusalem with many teachers of the Jewish spiritual path, both in Yeshivas and scholarly circles. Rabbi Olivier is the Rabbi of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle. He received a B.A. and a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College in Newton, MA. He was ordained as a Rabbi in 2009.

This week’s Torah portion — Parashat Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23) — features the first part of the story of Joseph and his brothers. It begins with Joseph’s dreams and continues to tell us about how he was sold into slavery by his brothers, about the affair with Potiphar’s wife, and about the beginnings of his career as an interpreter of dreams. Our discussion focuses on Joseph’s journey.