We call this format a Timesaver Guide to Israel’s Coming Elections. This will be a usual feature on Rosner’s Domain until next Election Day, September 17. We hope to make it short, factual, devoid of election hype, and of he-said-she-said no news, unimportant inside baseball gossip.
Bottom Line
Small merger on the Left.
Main Political News
Meretz, Democratic Israel, and a notable MK from Labor formed a new list: The Democratic Camp.
Meretz’ Horovitz will lead the merged party, Shafir from Labor second, former PM Ehud Barak will be number 10.
On the right: The New Right and the United Right did not yet reach an agreement. PM Netanyahu opposes a right merger.
Developments to Watch
Polls. Will the new left gain in the polls? We should expect a jump after the merger, but seriousness must dictate patience. It will take a few weeks before we know if this new entity is a significant contender.
Labor: It is not clear if Labor can join the new entity and under what terms. If not, it is in real danger of losing many of its voters.
Barak: A former PM doesn’t join a race to be a number 10 in a small to medium party. It is likely that Barak does not intend to stay in the fray for much longer after the election.
The Blocs and Their Meaning
We must wait for more polls to know which parties lose and gain following the left’s merger. But we should not expect a shift in the blocs. In other words: Likud voters are not likely to move leftward because of a Horovitz-Shafir-Barak merger.
Note that the updated numbers no longer enable Likud and Blue and White to form a unity government on their own.
A Party to Watch
New polls will be conducted today with the new party in place. For now, here is a calculation that includes the expected seats of Meretz, Democratic Israel plus one (what Shafir takes away from Labor). This is a highly conservative calculation. I will update it tomorrow when new numbers get in.
The opening of a burger chain in Dearborn, Mich., founded in Israel, was delayed after the owner received threats following calls to boycott the restaurant.
The Detroit Free Press reports that University of Detroit Mercy Adjunct Law Professor Amer Zahr called for a boycott after hearing that the chain — Burgerim — was founded in Tel Aviv in 2011.
“Building their company on stolen Palestinian land is how they established themselves,” Zahr, a supporter of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, told the Free Press. “Whether they ended up moving (headquarters) … it doesn’t really matter. The genesis of the company was in Israel.”
Lebanese-American Sam Zahr, who is not related to Amer, planned to open Burgerim in Dearborn at the beginning of August but the opening has now been indefinitely postponed “after his kids were bullied and he received threatening messages from those opposed to the burger chain founded in Israel,” according to the Free Press.
“I’ve received very hurtful comments,” Sam Zahr told local news station WDIV. “You support Israel, you don’t support the Palestinian cause.”
One message read: “You have Palestinian and Lebanese blood on your hand if you open up that joint,” according to the Free Press.
Additionally, in April, Zahr set up a tent at the Royal Park location featuring free burgers for Ramadan, only to find the following morning that the tent had been vandalized.
Amer Zahr told the Free Press that Burgerim’s Israeli roots were “offensive to many members of the [Dearborn] community,” adding that “everyone for the most part in Dearborn is very supportive of Palestinian rights and our struggle.”
He did acknowledge to WDIV “no one should be bullied” over the matter.
Sam Zahr put $180,000 into Burgerim’s Dearborn location and had signed a five-year lease. He told the Free Press “he has lost everything” as a result and said it was all “for no reason.”
“A burger is not gonna make a difference,” Sam Zaher told WDIV. “I don’t care where it comes from, we’re in America.”
He added that he didn’t “want a burger to divide people. That’s why I walked away from this.” Sam Zahr will still be opening two Burgerim locations in Oak Park and Redford Township later this month.
Jewish groups came to Sam Zahr’s defense.
“What are we talking about here, burgers?” Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper told the Journal, noting that boycotting Burgerim “doesn’t help a single Palestinian, and frankly it’s a bit depressing.”
“It is a travesty when an Arab-American businessman is intimidated by extremists simply for trying to open a restaurant with roots in Israel,” StandWithUs Midwest Executive Director Peggy Shapiro said. “People, communities and businesses should come together to build a better future, instead of allowing hatred to tear them apart.”
The Israel Group Founder and President Jack Saltzberg similarly said in a statement, “As is generally the case, the hatred of Israel far outweighs facts, truth or logic. The Burgerim franchised restaurants in the U.S. are not legally or financially connected in any way to the restaurants in Israel. So, really what we have are groups of anti-Semites boycotting a Lebanese-American who is simply trying to make a living in the United States. Even if the restaurants here were connected to Israel, the anti-Israel boycott would be shameful on its own, but now they have revealed their ignorance and anti-Semitism even further.”
“Burgerim” is Hebrew for “many burgers.” Its first U.S. location opened in West Hollywood in 2013. The company’s headquarters are currently located in Encino.
From left, Rebecca Rasmussen, Jonathan C.K. Williams, Diana Tanaka, Rob Adler, Julie A. Lockhart (masked), Jenny Gillett, Nick Greene. Photo by Taso Papadakis
“Hell Prepared” Theatre Dybbuk’s new play, “hell prepared: a ritual exorcism inspired by kabbalistic principles, performed within a dominant cultural context,” gives a rare look inside the 17th century Venice ghetto. The audience travels with the actors as the show takes place in multiple locations on the Los Feliz campus of the Philosophical Research Society. The result is immersion into the secluded Venice ghetto, where a spiritual leader seeks to exorcise the dominant culture and its influence on his world. The show is inspired by a 17th-century ghetto rabbi’s poem, “Tofteh Arukh,” and runs two weekends, July 26-28 and Aug. 2-4. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Discounts available for students, seniors and union members. Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles. (424) 298-0894.
Cantor Lisa Peicott
“Rooftop Ruach” Welcome Shabbat in Koreatown during Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s casual, open-air “Rooftop Ruach” Friday night service. Surrounded by fresh air and families, the evening begins with a family-friendly service led by Rabbi Joel Nickerson and Cantor Lisa Peicott. It winds down with a taco fiesta — or a bring-your-own-meal dinner — and entertainment suitable for young and old alike. 7 p.m. $15 adult dinners. $10 dinner for children 10 and younger. RSVP requested. Wilshire Boulevard Temple, 3663 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 388-2401.
Bingo and BBQ Shababt Kol Tikvah’s joy-filled Shabbat kicks off with attendees playing bingo and winning prizes. Meanwhile, a free barbecue dinner is held for all those who RSVP. Sweet treats and coffee are served after the Shabbat service. 5:30 p.m. bingo and BBQ dinner. 6:30 p.m. service. Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 348-0670.
“Shabbat Splash” Pack swimsuits, water shoes and towels for a family-friendly “Shabbat Splash” at Valley Beth Shalom. Enjoy a pool, Slip ’N Slide, an inflatable water slide and games for all ages. To cool down and settle in for Shabbat, a shaded area is set aside for a catered kosher dinner and children’s play. 5-6:30 p.m. water activities. 5:30 p.m. dinner. 6:30 p.m. Shabbat services with Rabbi Joshua Hoffman and Cantor Bryce Megdal. $20 adults, $10 kids ages 3-12. Free for ages 2 and under. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 788-6000.
Courtyard Shabbat Outdoors is a popular summertime setting for kabbalat Shabbat services, so Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills holds services is its spacious courtyard. Fresh breezes cool the grounds in an elegant setting. 6:15-7:30 p.m. service. Free. Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, 300 N. Clark Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 288-3737.
Dinner in the Nieghborhood Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) continues its unique monthly tradition of dinner “Out in the Neighborhood.” After a no-host Shabbat meal of Chinese food at Fu’s Palace, BCC congregants caravan a few blocks east to conclude the evening with musical Ruach Chayim (Spirit of Life) services. 6-7:45 p.m. dinner. Approximately $15-$20 for dinner. Fu’s Palace, 8751 W. Pico Blvd. 8-9:30 p.m. services. Beth Chayim Chadashim, 6090 W. Pico Blvd. (323) 931-7023.
Shabbat, Surf, Sand At the peak of the summer season, Kehillat Israel (KI) of Pacific Palisades welcomes families and friends to a casual Shabbat at the beach at Will Rogers State Beach. Bring a picnic dinner to enjoy before the service. Enter the parking lot at the intersection of Temescal and Pacific Coast Highway, continuing north until you see the KI banner at Lifeguard Station No. 5. 5:30 p.m. picnic. 6:15 p.m. service. Free. (310) 459-2328.
SUN JULY 28
“Summer Snow and Pool Party” Grab a bathing suit and towel and join Atid young professionals of Sinai Temple for the “Summer Snow and Pool Party,” held by member Barak Raviv. Twenty thousand pounds of snow will be shipped in for the event. Bartenders craft flavored snow cones while partygoers enjoy sleds, a snow slide, a moon bounce, floats, indoor karaoke, an infinity pool and a Jacuzzi. Registration is limited to 200 guests. For those in their 20s and 30s only. No tickets sold at the door. Guest list is enforced with security at the gate of the private home. No parking at the location. Uber or Lyft encouraged. 2-6 p.m. $10. Beverly Hills address will be emailed prior to the event. (310) 481-3244.
Chazzan Mimi Haselkorn
“Summer Sing-Along”
The Temple Aliyah community comes together when Chazzan Mimi Haselkorn leads an evening “Summer Sing-Along” of folk melodies and camp songs. At the host private home, a light dairy dinner is served. Guests may bring wine, soda or a dessert to share. 5:30 p.m. $5. (818) 346-3545. RSVP to the link above.
TUE JULY 30
Amazon Warehouse Tour Ever wondered how Amazon purchases arrive so speedily? The women of Temple Isaiah and their friends enjoy a visit to the online retail giant’s local fulfillment center. See what happens after you click “Buy” on Amazon.com as Temple Isaiah tours its facility in Riverside. Participants see first-hand how Amazon boxes and delivers packages for its customers. The one-hour tour is followed by lunch in Monterey Park or Arcadia. Carpools will be arranged to Riverside. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. RSVP to sherrizigman@gmail.com. (310) 277-2772.
Archaeology Field School Attention junior archaeologists ages 8-12: The Skirball Cultural Center holds Archeology Field School, a two-day summer camp experience exploring ancient writing, trade and tombs. Campers learn how archaeologists make discoveries and practice their excavation skills at a 1,500-square-foot dig site and field research tent. Sign up for one or both days. Campers bring their own bag lunches and snacks. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 30-31. $60 members, $70 general each day. Advance registration required. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500.
“Calling All Musicians” No musical background is needed for Kehillat Ma’arav’s “Calling All Musicians” gathering for poets, music lovers and songwriters. Bring your instruments, ideas and inspiration for an evening of collaboration and help create an original melody for “L’cha Dodi” that will be incorporated into Friday night Shabbat services. Light refreshments served. 6:30 p.m. Free. Kehillat Ma’arav, 1715 21st St., Santa Monica. (310) 829-0566.
WED JULY 31
Parenting Workshop For those with a second child on the way or who have had a second child in the last 18 months, social worker Barbara Olinger leads a six-part weekly parenting workshop and support group. The class explores how to prepare for your child, how to handle feelings and behaviors likely to arise, and practical management issues. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. $25 per class. Open Temple House, 1422 Electric Ave., Venice. (310) 821-1414. Register at barbara@opentemple.org.
THU AUG 1
The Klezmatics
The Klezmatics The Klezmatics are a little grayer now than when they were formed in New York’s East Village in 1986, but the musical beauty of the only klezmer band to win a Grammy Award remains untarnished. Eastern European Jewish and Yiddish music lives again when the Klezmatics take the stage as part of the Skirball Cultural Center’s 23rd annual Sunset Concerts series. The sextet plays tracks from its latest album, “Apikorsim” (“Heretics”). Also appearing is Maral, an artist known for Iranian folk songs. She serves as the DJ for 90 minutes ahead of the Klezmatics’ performance. 6:30 p.m. doors and DJ set. 8 p.m. Klezmatics. Free. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. (310) 440-4500.
Rachel Kann
New Moon Gathering At Mishkon Tephilo, Rachel Kann holds her religious, spiritual, gender-inclusive Rosh Chodesh Av gathering for the new moon. Part ritual, part guided meditation, part healing service and part poetry reading, the gathering is organized by the Institute for Jewish Creativity at American Jewish University and Asylum Arts. 7:30-10 p.m. Free for members. $5 general. Mishkon Tephilo, 206 Main St., Venice. (310) 392-3029.
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.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) condemned Israel in two separate resolutions on July 23, one of which was a resolution about Palestinian women’s rights.
The “situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” resolution states that ECOSOC has “grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel, the occupying Power, and its impact on women and girls” and “that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights, and their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society.”
The resolution goes onto urge Israel “to immediately cease all measures contrary to international law, as well as discriminatory legislation, policies and actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
ECOSOC passed the aforementioned resolution by a vote 40 in favor, 2 against and 9 abstentions.
The second resolution, titled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan,” blamed “Israel’s occupation of Palestinian and Syrian lands” for the economic hardship of the Palestinian and Syrian people, according to a U.N. press release. That resolution passed with a vote of 45 in favor, 2 against and 4 abstentions.
U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer denounced the U.N.’s July 23 actions in a press release, calling them hypocritical for solely condemning Israel on women’s rights but failing to denounce Iran, Saudi Arabia or Yemen, all of whom sit on ECOSOC.
“When you have Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen among the UN council members accusing Israel of violating women’s rights, you are in the theater of the absurd,” Neuer said.
According to Human Rights Watch, Iran has arrested women’s rights activists for refusing to wear hijabs in public, both Iran and Saudi Arabia require consent from male spouses in order for women to travel abroad, and in Yemen women are “exposed to domestic and sexual violence” because of “a lack of legal protection.”
U.N. Watch’s press release also argued that the women’s rights resolution ignored the Palestinian governments’ treatment of women. Hamas forces women to wear headscarves in the Gaza Strip as well as bans them from smoking and participating in public marathons with men, according to the Huffington Post. Amnesty International has also noted that women and girls are “inadequately protected against sexual and other gender-based violence, including so-called ‘honor’ killings in the West Bank and Gaza.
In March, the United Nations gave Iran a seat on the U.N. Women’s Rights Committee.
On July 14, more than 80 guests attended a sold-out breakfast salon for Friends of Sheba Medical Center at Los Angeles’ Hillcrest Country Club.
The event featured professor Michal Schnaider-Beeri, a world leader in the study of Alzheimer’s disease and the director of the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Research Center at Sheba Medical Center.
Philanthropists Jean and Jerry Friedman, supporters of Friends of Sheba Medical Center, a Beverly Hills-based nonprofit that raises awareness and funds for Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, hosted the breakfast.
The gathering celebrated Sheba’s recognition by Newsweek magazine as one of the top 10 hospitals in the world.
Schnaider-Beeri’s keynote presentation focused on how Israel is positioned to become the source of preventing Alzheimer’s disease. A major focus of her research is how diabetes and the metabolic syndrome trigger dementia and Alzheimer’s. She also addressed the critical role new technologies play in the early detection of the disease.
Guests included Dina Leeds, Soraya Nazarian, Myrtle Sitowitz, Rosalie Zalis and Alexandra Gleysteen, executive producer of Shriver Media and Maria Shriver’s Alzheimer’s nonprofit, The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement.
Also attending were members of Friends of Sheba’s board of directors, including Jean Friedman, Marianne Berman, Helene and Ben Boston, Parvin Djavaheri, Dr. Harry Green, Barbara Lazaroff, Adrian Miller, Judy Flesh Rosenberg, Agi Schwartz, Judy and Aron Shapiro, Judie Stein and Lynn Ziman.
Rising members of Friends of Sheba’s young leadership division, Sheba 2.0, joined the event, too, to learn and lend their support.
Yifat Mukades, the new Hebrew school director at Sephardic Temple. Photo courtesy of Sephardic Temple
Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel has welcomed Yifat Mukades as its Hebrew school director.
Mukades brings more than 20 years of experience in Jewish education according to the Westwood-based community.
“We are excited to announce that we have selected Yifat Mukades as our new Hebrew school director,” a statement from the congregation said. “Yifat has a master’s degree in Jewish education [from American Jewish University], with a concentration in Israel education. She has extensive experience in teaching Judaic studies and Hebrew, and will be joining our Hebrew school full of energy, out of the box ideas, and love for teaching our children.”
Born and raised in Israel, Mukades previously spent 20 years working in advertising as a media director for large companies around the globe. For the past three years, she has served as the assistant director of Valley Beth Shalom’s Etz Chaim Learning Center.
“She always brings her Israeli upbringing and experience to bear when teaching her students,” the Sephardic Temple website says.
She currently resides in Thousand Oaks.
From left: Reverend Peter De Jesus and Karmel Melamed. Photo courtesy of Sephardic Temple
More than two dozen Latino Christian pastors and leaders gathered on July 15 at the Latin American Bible Institute college in La Puente for the first in a series of pro-Israel speaking events organized by Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel organization in the country.
The event, titled “Why Israel?” was led by CUFI’s National Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, Rev. Peter De Jesus, who said the gathering was just the first in a series of events that was geared toward encouraging Southern California’s Latino Christian community to support Israel and fight growing anti-Semitism in the country.
“Together, we shared why it is imperative that we Christians stand in solidarity with the State of Israel and the Jewish people in Israel, the U.S. and beyond amidst the growth of anti-Semitism in the Middle East, our own nation, and around the world,” De Jesus said.
Los Angeles-based Iranian Jewish activist Karmel Melamed also spoke to the crowd about the violent anti-Semitism Iranian Jewry has faced at the hands of Iran’s ayatollahs since 1979 and the growing threats to Israel and America’s security from the Iranian regime.
De Jesus said CUFI will host the group’s second annual bilingual “Night to Honor Israel” in late September at a Compton church where both Jewish community and multiethnic Christians in the Los Angeles area will be invited to celebrate their common support for Israel.
— Karmel Melamed
Calabasas teenager Lindsay Lipman was named a recipient of the Jewish Sports Heritage Association’s (JSHA) Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish High School Athlete of the Year Award.
Lipman, a 2019 graduate of Viewpoint School, was a four-year starter on her
school’s varsity soccer team. She was the captain as a junior and senior, and her
team won the league title two consecutive years. This fall, she will play for
NCAA Division III Washington University in St. Louis.
The JSHA educates about the role Jewish men and women play in sports. Its 2020 Jewish High School Athletes of the Year, announced last month, also include Estee Ackerman of Yeshiva University High School for Girls in New York.
The two will receive their awards during the JSHA 2020 induction ceremony on April 26 at Temple Israel of Lawrence in New York.
From left: Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council Executive Committee members Alex Menenberg, Ari Stiller, Kim Chemerinsky, David Mark, Harry Rimalower, Ava Badiee, and Andrew Hendel. Photo by Tiffany Koury/ABImagescil
Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council hosted the 23rd annual Justice Ball on July 13 at Poppy in West Hollywood.
More than 400 young professionals spent the night on the dance floor entertained by guest DJs Denise Love Hewett, Madame Gandhi, Classixx and Fred Matters.
The event raised more than $125,000 to benefit Bet Tzedek’s work to provide free legal services to Los Angeles’ most vulnerable individuals. “Bet Tzedek attorneys and advocates help people of all communities and generations secure life’s necessities,” according to the Bet Tzedek website. “Wherever people are in crisis, Bet Tzedek’s core services and rapid response programs provide stability and hope.”
Attendees included Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council Executive Committee members Alex Menenberg, Ari Stiller, Kim Chemerinsky, David Mark, Harry Rimalower, Ava Badiee and Andrew Hendel.
Want to be in Movers & Shakers? Send us your highlights, events, honors and simchas.
Email ryant@jewishjournal.com.
Do you find it challenging to find a meaningful present for a bar or bat mitzvah honoree? We’ve got you covered. Rather than a check or gift card in multiples of chai ($18), here are a few other options:
Bar and Bat Mitzvah Art A laser-cut steel bar or bat mitzvah sculpture makes a beautiful special-occasion memento. The image sits atop a steel base and features a fused-glass accent bead. Personalize this keepsake to add an extra-special touch. ($30)
Aviva Torah Pointer This beautiful Torah pointer from Nadav Art features a silver Jerusalem motif, which twists around the cylindrical shape. The top of the pointer has a cut-out decoration and the bottom features a textured design, representing the walls of Jerusalem, connected to a graceful silver hand. ($340)
Note: A variety of Torah pointers are available in multiple formats, from wood to pewter. Just do a search to find one to fit the recipient’s personality and your budget.
Shofar Give your bar or bat mitzvah honoree a classic ram’s shofar. Its natural texture is intact through the base and it’s smoothly polished at the mouthpiece. A clear acrylic shofar stand is available for an additional charge. ($40)
Drone What new adult wouldn’t want a drone? The Holy Stone F181 RC Quadcopter Drone with HD camera is not just a fun gadget. Space permitting, the bar or bat mitzvah honoree can use it to capture the celebration. Can you imagine the horah recorded from above? ($119.95)
When corporate events entertainment producer Michael Pasternak and his fiancée, Ilisa, were planning their wedding reception 18 years ago, they wanted to add a traditional element to their contemporary celebration. Inspired by the iconic wedding sequence in “Fiddler on the Roof” where men dance with bottles balanced on their hats, they sought but could not find anyone to hire.
Undeterred, Pasternak found some dancers on his own, stopped a Chasidic man on Fairfax to ask where to buy the proper clothing and hats, and the result was a wedding surprise that delighted everyone in attendance. “They crashed the party like a Chasidic flash mob,” Pasternak said. “It was such a hit that the calls kept coming. I knew I had something.”
Today, Pasternak has eight troupes of dancers in the United States, including in southern and northern California, plus one in Toronto. Bookings also have included weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs in London and Paris, and events in Portugal and Tel Aviv are pending. “It’s become an international sensation,” he said. “It’s taken the world by storm.”
You don’t have to be Jewish to be captivated. One recent booking was for a backyard wedding for a non-Jewish couple. They set up a scenario in which the dancers got lost looking for a bar mitzvah, but decided to stay and perform.
In addition to those planning weddings and b’nai mitzvot, those in charge of synagogue banquets, fundraisers, holiday parties and other events hire Pasternak’s dance crews, which run the gamut from frum Jews to gentiles. “When we appear at Kiddush luncheons on Shabbos, the frum dancers can’t appear,” he said.
Usually, only the hirers know about the surprise intrusion that includes the bottle dance, leading into the traditional horah and hoisting bar and bat mitzvah honorees on thrones for their grand entrances. Some people opt to add a dance-off battle between the bottle dancers and the DJ’s dance crew.
“People are looking for something fun and different, and that’s what we bring to the table. It adds something unique to the typical simcha,” Pasternak said. “Great food and great music is expected. We are the unexpected.”
He emphasized that the bottle dancers fit in well with themed and otherwise contemporary events, and appeal equally to the bar mitzvah kids’ friends and their bubbes. “We’re not monopolizing the entire event; we’re adding a little Jewish touch,” he said. “We tap into a sense of tradition. We bring fun and excitement, that special moment that everyone remembers and talks about. We bring that magic.”
Jewish tradition is very important to Pasternak, who is descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis and chazzans on his mother’s side. He never met his grandfather, “but I feel that all this Yiddishkayt and affinity for liturgical music and all things Jewish is in my DNA,” Pasternak said. Of Russian and Polish ancestry, he was born and raised in New York in a family that became “a little more Conservative” than the previous generation. A Los Angeles resident since 1978, he met Ilisa, who now works with him at Michael Pasternak Productions, on JDate, later discovering that they lived within walking distance of each other in Sherman Oaks.
The parents of two sons, Darren, 11, and Garrett, 15 (yes, his bar mitzvah party included the Amazing Bottle Dancers), the Pasternaks are members of the Kol Tikvah congregation in Woodland Hills. “We’re not frum, but we light the candles every Friday night and have Shabbos dinner,” Pasternak said, adding that raising the boys with Jewish traditions and values is “a thousand percent” essential to him.
Pasternak confided that he’d never been into social media, but Lin-Manuel Miranda’s viral hit video of his wedding party performing “To Life” from “Fiddler on the Roof” inspired him to post video of his bottle dancers along with testimonials from customers raving about them on his website. “The video has over 4 million views to date,” he said. Going forward, he hopes to expand the business and continue to bring joy and tradition to milestone celebrations.
“When people call or send emails saying, ‘You made my party’ or ‘my wedding,’ it’s so fantastic,” he said. “The logistics of putting this together are not easy. There are a lot of moving parts on our end to coordinate, even though it seems so simple. But it’s all worthwhile when you get those messages. It puts a smile on my face that we’re touching people with what we’re doing.”
For more information about the Amazing Bottle Dancers, call (800) 716-0556 or visit bottledancers.com.
Adam Welton loves to pump up the party. So much so, he has been able to make a living out of it as DJ Mad Hatter. Whether he’s coordinating a 30-hour dance party at alma mater Northwestern University, programming the hottest hits on Radio Disney or providing soundtracks to tweens all over Los Angeles, if he can celebrate life through music, he will.
Welton, 33, has spent 15 years emceeing events and 10 years as a DJ in the United States, Israel, Africa and Europe. He enjoys entertaining large crowds but said even as an African American raised as a Christian, he actually prefers the bar and bat mitzvah circuit. During this past school year, he’s racked up at least one bar or bat mitzvah every weekend.
“[Kids] are crazy and rowdy,” he said. “That’s really what I love about it. To me, it’s something about the energy and the kids and my own personal energy. The music has changed a little. Ten years ago, we were jamming to some ‘High School Musical.’ Sometimes, I even get kids nowadays who want to listen to some of that old-school stuff, requesting old-school Miley [Cyrus].”
Welton said knowledge of what’s hot on the charts and what teens grew up listening to make for a better experience for them during each party. “I keep the party going. I wanna keep these kids dancing,” he said.
Or maybe it goes a little deeper than that. Welton recently discovered he has Jewish roots. Last year, with the help of a genealogy detective, he and his mother, Stacey, tracked down his long-lost Jewish grandfather and discovered he lives down the road in Tarzana.
“Last year, with the help of a DNA detective, Welton and his mother tracked down his long-lost Jewish grandfather and discovered he lives down the road in Tarzana.”
His mother took a DNA test kit, confirming she was Jewish, after her mother revealed to her shortly before she died in 2004 that her birth father was a white Jewish man. Welton said his mother always knew her birth father wasn’t black because she had lighter skin than her mother.
Welton, who was born and raised in Chicago, grew up knowing only his father’s side of the family. He rarely visited his mother’s family, who lived in Los Angeles. “All the ‘grands’ were pretty much nonexistent until last year, when my mom discovered her [birth father],” he said. “To me, I’ve had my mother and father, so that missing piece was for her.”
When Welton and his mother confirmed his Jewish grandfather, Jason, lived in Los Angeles, they reached out to him. Welton said Jason and his grandmother had a “1960s moment,” whereby Stacey was conceived. When his grandmother found out she was pregnant with Stacey, she never told Jason.
Jason and Adam enjoying a day at Dodger Stadium. Photo courtesy of Adam Welton
After learning the truth, Jason welcomed Welton, his mother and the rest of their family. Welton said it was an important moment because Jason was choosing to love an adult daughter and grandson.
“For him to choose love, you know, at the end of the day, I was not expecting that,” he said. “I was expecting, ‘OK, he knew he had a kid. He didn’t want to stick around.’ But he chose love, and I can’t argue with that. All I can do is say ‘thank you.’ ”
Welton said over the last year, his 73-year-old GrandPow (Jason) and his wife, Sandy, whom he calls “Yah-Yah,” have been incredibly welcoming to his family, including celebrating Hanukkah together.
“I just went to a Dodgers game with him and his friends, and it was a lot of fun,” Welton said. “It was me — a young, 33-year-old black guy — and three old white Jewish dudes. It was a lot of fun.”
Welton said he and his mother now proudly wear “hybrid” Star of David and cross necklaces, which he often gets asked about when he’s DJing bar and bat mitzvahs. He is excited to share this new part of his life with friends, family and clients.
In addition, Welton said his Jewish spirit and knowledge of Jewish rituals has expanded thanks to his time spent DJing bar and
bat mitzvahs.
“I’ve learned the ceremonial aspects and I’ve run the sound for some of the ceremonies, so I’ve sat down and listened,” he said. “It’s a lot of work these kids put in at such a young age, so the party element is more appreciative because I’ve seen [the work that goes into it].”
Fourteen-year-old Jordan O’Kelley took a unique approach to his mitzvah project, roping in his twin 13-year-old sisters, Rachel and Macey, as well as his parents for additional support.
Jordan had his bar mitzvah in January through Vista Del Mar’s Nes Gadol program, together with four other special-needs teens. Nes Gadol is a b’nai mitzvah and confirmation program for children and teens of all abilities. Rabbi Jackie Redner leads the program and encourages her students to find meaningful projects.
Considered a “twice exceptional” or “2e” student, Jordan has autism and dysgraphia (difficulty or pain with handwriting). He was diagnosed when he was 5 years old. When he was 10, Jordan wrote a book called “O’Kelley Legendary Legends of Legend,” and for his mitzvah project, he adapted the book into monologues elementary and middle school students could perform. He also produced a play as a fundraiser for the organization
Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG).
Jordan’s sister Rachel was the assistant editor on the book, and Macey acted as personal assistant, doing whatever needed to be done (which included acting in the production) to create “O’Kelley Legends Monologues.” Jordan worked with casting and directing mentors to stage the play at the Actors Art Theater. He reached out to SENG to make the performance a fundraiser for his mitzvah project.
“Being in Nes Gadol taught me compassion and understanding and to appreciate people for who they are, including myself.”— Jordan O’Kelley
“Being in Nes Gadol taught me compassion and understanding and to appreciate people for who they are, including myself,” Jordan said. “2e and gifted individuals perceive the world differently. These differences have value and need to be supported. That’s why I wanted to help SENG as part of my mitzvah project.”
“As Jordan’s parents, we feel beyond proud, extremely grateful and are constantly amazed,” his mother, Harri, said. “We feel compelled to follow Jordan’s lead, support his ideas and accelerate his education so that he can grow into his potential. He hopes his book will inspire other 2e students and their families to share their own journeys.”
