When Temptation Bids Me Waver — A poem for Parsha Nitzavim

Leave a Comment / Judaism, Poetry, Torah / Rick Lupert

Perhaps there is among you a man, woman,
family, or tribe, whose heart strays this day
-Deuteronomy 29:17

There is a famous funny video
shown on a famous funny video program
in which a parent leaves candy in front of
a child, who is told they cannot eat the candy
until the parent returns.

The parent walks away, leaving the child
in front of everything they’ve ever desired
and a hidden camera waiting to see
what they will or won’t do.

The child fidgets
sometimes rearranges the candy
sometimes eats just one.

Sometimes there are two children –
one who wants to follow the direction
and the other, like a sweet-tooth Abel
who eats both sets of candy.

Sometimes a dog comes along
and eats the candy out in front of
the shocked child who, having done nothing wrong
will now have to explain why it is gone.

This temptation describes my entire life of choices –
an ongoing battle between good and evil
in which, sometimes, the candy is eaten.

It is hard to always do the right thing
especially when the wrong thing
comes in so many sizes.

A missing piece of candy is one thing, but
take the whole bag and the consequences reverberate –
others do without.

People have been disappointed, to say the least.
I sometimes succumb to the temptation
to say the very least.

I think of this as Moses reminds me
on this side of the river, that there is
always a Hidden Camera.

That the footage is constantly being reviewed.
That I chip away at the very fiber of my soul
when I succumb to my sweet desires.

Let my passage into the new year
find me on the right side of temptation
before the river dries up.

God Wrestler: a poem for every Torah Portion by Rick Lupert Los 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 25 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 “The Tokyo-Van Nuys Express” (Poems written in Japan – Ain’t Got No Press, August 2020) 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.

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Biden, Bennett and Iran

Leave a Comment / Columnists, Commentary / Dan Schnur

The Taliban and ISIS-K have already accomplished something that Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett could not: they seem to have convinced Joe Biden to stay in the Middle East.

To be clear, Biden is not keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Despite the terrorist attacks in recent days, there will soon be no more American boots on the ground in that country. Biden, like Barack Obama and Donald Trump before him, has made it clear that he would like a smaller U.S. footprint in the region. But the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport was a gruesome reminder to him that for American presidents, leaving that part of the world is much easier said than done.

Obama wanted to “pivot” our country’s attention away from the Mideast to the Pacific Rim, for understandable economic and geopolitical reasons. Trump’s isolationism reflected a desire to simply bring our troops home, a sentiment strongly supported by populists at both ends of the political spectrum. Biden’s instincts are somewhere in between, more internationalist than Trump but not to the same extent as Obama (or George Bush or Bill Clinton, for that matter).

Biden sees China and Russia as his top two foreign policy priorities, and has made it clear since his election that other U.S. foreign involvement would receive much less attention. It took the short but bloody war between Hamas and Israel this spring to remind him of the importance of an American presence in the region, and the Kabul massacre has reinforced that message even more strongly.

This made Naftali Bennett’s initial visit to Washington especially timely. The Israeli government has watched the global criticism directed at Biden for the rushed and disorganized manner of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and they believe that this can be used as a potential pressure point to convince Biden to retain an American presence in Iraq and Syria for the foreseeable future. So even if the Kabul terrorist attack forced a postponement of the Biden-Bennett meeting, the fact that the attack happened one day before the two leaders met clearly worked out to Israel’s benefit.

Otherwise, the primary purpose of the meeting was simply for Biden and Bennett to demonstrate that they were not Trump and Netanyahu. The policy differences between the two men seem intractable, but with the exception of the potential Iranian nuclear deal, the distance between them on most other issues—including those relating to settlements, Palestinian statehood and even dealings with Gaza and Hamas—can be swept under the rug for the next few years.

But there’s no question that Iran’s nuclear capability will dominate this relationship going forward. It is in the interests of both Biden and Bennett to maintain an affable personal relationship and a veneer of civility on their strong differences regarding the best strategy for dealing with the mullahs. So both are more than happy to wear velvet gloves over iron fists for the time being. Where this gets interesting, and more challenging, is when the Biden Administration must finally recognize that it can no longer continue seemingly fruitless negotiations, and must decide whether to accede to absolutist demands from the Iranian government to achieve an agreement or to walk away satisfied that it has made every possible effort.

Bennett has decided that it makes more sense to play the role of ally rather than antagonist.

In the meantime, Bennett has decided that it makes more sense to play the role of ally rather than antagonist. While he is stridently opposed to any deal that would allow Iran to continue its nuclear program, he emphasized ways that Israel and the U.S. can work together to avoid that possibility. This is a marked contrast to Netanyahu’s more confrontational approach, and reflects Bennett’s belief that he’s more likely to affect Biden’s strategy with sweet talk rather than barbed criticism.

Recent statements from Biden’s team suggest a growing impatience with Iran’s stalling tactics, but it’s difficult to tell from the outside whether that reflects their desperation or exasperation. Bennett is calculating whether keeping a dialogue going with the U.S. might help encourage Biden’s negotiators to give up and walk away. But if he’s wrong, all the good manners that were on display between the two men last week will disappear quickly.

Dan Schnur teaches political communications at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine.

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Finding Glimmers of Light

Leave a Comment / Columnists, Commentary / Mark Schiff

As the world turns dark, my job is to shine a light as best as I can and to try, if only a little, to brighten this ailing world back up. I have no illusions that I can fix the world. I am only one person. So perhaps the scope of that light won’t shine much further than on my family, neighbors, a few friends, and my audiences that come to laugh and forget. At least I am doing something.

With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper galloping towards me, hopefully I’ll be given another chance and more time to fix a few of the twisted and broken branches of this world and of my life. Because to do nothing is a paralyzing thought. To do nothing is to give up my citizenship as a person. To do nothing is to be barely human. To not correct is incorrect. We have seen where the world heads when people either do or say nothing either consciously or unconsciously. It’s too late to do nothing. The clock will not tick backwards.

As we are now witnessing, it’s much easier to destroy than it is to build. Since I have become aware of this, my soul has been ignited. I have always cared about people, goodness, and fair play. I haven’t always acted like I cared, though. I spent many years silently riding the merry go round, worrying more about my credit rating than the rating of my soul. The rabbis might say I was asleep and that saddens me. I personally feel somewhat responsible for the decay.

But thank God, caring was always in me. I now recognize it. I finally hear an echo from the mountain. The supreme voice is angry when I sit still as if I have earned idle time. The voice asks that I do something. Something that proves I am not just words. Something that shows I believe in him and his children.

As the curtain falls on my 60’s and I realize I have so little time left, my eyes have snapped open. A day does not pass where I don’t worry about my family’s safety. I care more about being a good husband, father, grandfather, and friend. I care more about being a good Jew. I have never been prouder than I am today of my Jewish soul. I have never been more grateful for the gift I was given when I entered this world. It makes me think that, because of the depth of my love for being a Jew, the roots of these feelings, coupled with my anxieties for my people, are connected to the long, arduous and treacherous roads my people have had to march down, many times, to their deaths. These feelings are so strong that it makes me think that this is not the first time my neshamah (soul) has entered the Jewish maze. It all feels so eerily familiar.

People are scared. People are angry. People need assistance. A simple hello or phone call can reach the heart as quickly as any bullet.

So, while the roots of our lives are being torn away, prayer, kindness, a hello, a smile, or a phone call asking how a person is has more power than ever before. People are scared. People are angry. People need assistance. A simple hello or phone call can reach the heart as quickly as any bullet.

The rabbis have told us that we can’t solve this. We can’t fix this. But we still must do our part. Mother Teresa did not complete cleaning up Calcutta. The Chofetz Chaim did not end Lashon Hora (negative speech), but he did what he could.

So now, God forbid, before the dark turns permanent and the door is sealed behind us on this Yom Kippur, I choose to light the few new candles. A little light is better than none. I believe that each flicker of a candle is a wink from God to keep going.

Mark Schiff is a comedian, actor and writer.

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More Than 70 State Dept. Employees Call on Blinken to Fire Employee Over Antisemitic Blog Posts

Leave a Comment / News, United States / Aaron Bandler

More than 70 State Department employees are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to fire an employee who has a history of antisemitic blog posts.

Foreign Policy reported that the letter, dated July 28, identified the employee as Foreign Service Officer Fritz Berggren, who has a personal blog called “bloodandfaith.com” that came to light in a February Politico article. The letter highlighted an October 2020 post on the site in which Berggren stated: “The world gasps in horror with each new ‘endangered’ sub-species, but cheers the elimination of White culture from whole regions of the earth. This will not stop until White people stop it—we have been handmaidens to our own demise.’” Another October post titled “Jews are Not God’s Chosen People. Judeo-Christian is anti-Christ” reads in part: “Jesus Christ came to save the whole world from the Jews—the founders of the original Anti-Christ religion, they who are the seed of the Serpent, that brood of vipers.”

Additionally, the letter argued that Berggren signed one of his posts as “Fritz Berggren, PhD Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State,” which they argued violates department policy against invoking their department credentials when expressing personal viewpoints.

“Not only is his propagation of antisemitic ideas highly disturbing and offensive to Jewish and non-Jewish employees alike, but as Jewish employees, we feel his presence at the Department is threatening,” the letter stated, later alleging that Berggren is “openly inciting his readers to take action based on his toxic beliefs. The Department should not wait for Berggren to target Jewish employees in the workplace, potentially with violence, before removing him.”

The letter was sent a couple days after a swastika was found carved into an elevator wall at the State Department. Both Blinken and President Joe Biden condemned it at the time.

“While there is no evidence that Berggren is behind the swastika carved into the Department elevator, his continued employment with seemingly no consequences sends a message of impunity that has undoubtedly contributed to the atmosphere in which someone would dare to do such a thing,” the letter stated.

According to Foreign Policy, Blinken responded to the employees in an August 9 letter stating that while he couldn’t comment on the specifics of cases, the department treats such matters very seriously and that employees found to have taken discriminatory actions will be disciplined or even terminated.

State Department official Shalom M. Konstantino, who heads the Jewish Americans and Friends in the Foreign Affairs group in the department that spearheaded the letter, told Foreign Policy that Blinken’s response showed that he was committed to addressing the matter. “Our group is going to continue to work with the secretary and his staff to make sure accountability is at the forefront of our efforts to root out antisemitism from the halls of the [State Department headquarters] and all U.S. embassies and consulates around the world,” he said.

Another State Department official, however, expressed frustration over the fact that the department has yet to take action against Berggren, calling it “shocking and appalling.” “They say there are First Amendment issues, but at some point, that can’t be the right answer,” the official told Foreign Policy.

Berggren told Foreign Policy regarding his posts: “I am heartened to know that I have Jewish readers—I truly hope that they, like Saul, come to know Jesus Christ as literally the Son of God. Saul, renamed Paul, converted and began preaching the message: Jesus is the Son of God! If even one Jew or Gentile is converted then it is well worth whatever inconveniences may ensue.”

Various Jewish Twitter users expressed outrage that Berggren is still employed by the State Department.

“For years, U.S. State Department employee Fritz Berggren has maintained a blog attacking Jews and promoting white Christian supremacy,” Combat Antisemitism Movement tweeted. “Six months after he was exposed, he still has his job, despite the demands of his co-workers for his firing.”

For years, U.S. State Department employee Fritz Berggren has maintained a blog attacking Jews and promoting white Christian supremacy.

Six months after he was exposed, he still has his job, despite the demands of his co-workers for his firing.https://t.co/vn9JNeLMLo

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) September 2, 2021

Ellie Cohanim, former US Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, similarly tweeted, “There was a swastika found near the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism recently, and this guy still has his job?!! That desecration felt very personal and so does this @SecBlinken.”

There was a swastika found near the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism recently, and this guy still has his job?!! That desecration felt very personal and so does this @SecBlinken. https://t.co/KiUc9NSdB7

— Ellie Cohanim (@EllieCohanim) September 2, 2021

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Rabbi Mordecai Finley: Serving God and Country

Leave a Comment / Rabbis of LA / Danielle Berrin

An honest accounting of the past year would have to acknowledge some of the most difficult shared realities we’ve faced as Jews, Americans and human beings in quite some time. So it seemed appropriate to ask a spiritual leader to reflect on his own spiritual struggles.

But Mordecai Finley wasn’t taking the bait.

“To be honest, I don’t have spiritual trouble or conflict,” the rabbi and founder of Ohr Hatorah in Venice said when I called him to chat.

It’s not that Finley doesn’t have problems — he’s human, after all — it’s that he has deep confidence in his ability to cope with them.

He attributes this unique mental fortitude to his experience training and serving in the United States Marine Corps. In fact, he sees a direct line from mastering close-order drill to his role serving the master of the universe.

“It’s a mystical experience,” Finley said of boot camp training.

He described drill formation in reverential, poetic detail — the moving in unison, the order of arms. The way he tells it, the precision and perfection demanded of trainees becomes a kind of spiritual flow. “Eighty people become one,” he said. “It’s like dance, like watching ballet.”

Well executed drills could be beautiful, yes, but they were also among the hardest things Finley has ever experienced— physically, psychologically, spiritually.

“You had to be 100% present and accountable every day or the consequences were enormous,” he said.

Anyone who has seen certain Hollywood movies knows this familiar scene: the soldiers in training collapse, exhausted and desperate, broken into submission.

“But something ethereal happens when you overcome the defiant, noncompliant parts of yourself,” Finley said. “There’s a kind of clarity that happens.”

He called this clarity devekut l’misima — a concept from the Israel Defense Forces, meaning “devotion to the mission.”

“This began my spiritual path,” Finley said. “I grew up in a left-wing progressive family, and [prior to serving] I thought the way you change people is through law. But in the military I saw myself and others transform before my eyes. And it wasn’t because of the uniform code of military justice; something internal had changed.”

Finley recalled a day during training when his platoon was marching on the beach and any deviation from complete uniformity resulted in punishments like 100 push-ups. Before long, the entire platoon collapsed on the beach, panting or passed out, depleted. That’s when the drill sergeant reminded them of the 1950 Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, a defining episode of the Korean War, in which 30,000 U.S., Korean and British troops fought against 120,000 Chinese soldiers in brutal conditions. The result was a bloodbath, but the marines famously carried out their dead.

“You weaklings would have left them behind,” Finley remembers his drill sergeant said.

“Suddenly we all stood up as one person. That story completely changed our physical sense of self. I thought, ‘Well, that’s the power of myth.’ So I instantly understood the power of religion.”

After he completed his service, Finley decided to become a rabbi.

“I had seen enough moments where myth, honor and duty transformed people,” he said.

But most of Finley’s congregants haven’t served in the marines. How does he impart the lessons of that experience, which was so visceral, and served him so well, to his congregation?

‘When you have honor, you have an honor code. And there’s an honor code for relationships, for families, for parents and children.’

“I appeal to virtues such as honor, integrity and duty that nearly every human being can understand,” Finley said. “When you have honor, you have an honor code. And there’s an honor code for relationships, for families, for parents and children. [In Judaism] we say, ‘honor your parents.’ Well, what’s the honor code?”

God knows the human experience presents an endless array of challenges and crises. But most of the time, they need not be overwhelming, Finley said. His view is that a person’s ability to cope is directly related to how well prepared they are.

“The secret to life,” he said, “is to train.”

Fast Takes with Rabbi Finley

DANIELLE BERRIN: What’s currently on your night-table?

MORDECAI FINLEY: “Why Religion Matters” by Huston Smith. He’s such a beautiful human being and part of me never wants to be far from him

DB: Last show you binge-watched?

MF: Ozark.

DB: Your day off looks like…

MF: I don’t have a day off.

DB: Favorite thing to do in Israel?

MF: Body surf on the beach in Tel Aviv

DB: Something about you most people don’t know?

MF: I’m pretty open about myself. I have to think about that.

DB: Most essential Torah verse?

MF: The light of God is the human soul, proverbs 20:27

DB: Biggest challenge facing the Jewish world…

MF: Lack of wisdom

DB: Guilty pleasure

MF: Chocolate

DB: Favorite Jewish food

MF: Matzah brei

DB: If you weren’t a rabbi you’d be…

MF: In the military

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DIY Apple Surprise Balls for Rosh Hashanah

High Holy Days Calendar 5782

Leave a Comment / What's Happening / Ryan Torok and Ari Noonan

Erev Rosh Hashanah: Sept. 6
Rosh Hashanah Day: Sept 7
Rosh Hashanah Day 2: Sept 8
Kol Nidre: Sept 15
Yom Kippur: Sept. 16

SAN FERNANDO AND CONEJO VALLEYS

Adat Ari El
The Conservative congregation holds in-person High Holy Days services, with livestream access included in purchase of ticket. COVID-19 protocols applied to limited-capacity sanctuary services. Various times and locations on synagogue campus. $250 per person, general. Adat Ari El, 12020 Burbank Blvd., Valley Village. For additional information, visit adatariel.org/hhd_5782.

Congregation Beth Ohr
Independent, non-denominational spiritual community Congregation Beth Ohr holds services on Zoom and on YouTube. Erev Rosh Hashanah 7:30-9 p.m., Rosh Hashanah Day 10 a.m.-noon, Kol Nidre 7:30-9 p.m., Yom Kippur 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Yizkor 12:30-1 p.m., Afternoon discussion 3-4:30 p.m., Closing service 4:30-6:30 p.m. High Holy Days tickets $40 per person per service, $55 for both morning and afternoon Yom Kippur services, with no charge for Yizkor, $175 per person for all services. Bethohr.org

Congregation Or Ami
Calabasas-based Reform Congregation Or Ami offers both in-person and livestream viewing opportunities for High Holy Days worship. Indoor and outdoor services available. COVID-19 protocols apply. $360 adults, $290 seniors, $280 youth 4th-12th grade, free children, Pre-K–3rd grade. Tashlich on Sept. 7 at Zuma Beach, Tower 11, 4:30 p.m. More information at orami.org/hhd. Services livestreamed on oramilive.com.

Kol Tikvah
The Woodland Hills Reform community holds live services for select “studio” audience members in its sanctuary and livestreams to those near and far via Zoom, YouTube and Facebook. Charitable contribution requested. (818) 348-0670. koltikvah.org/hhd

Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue
The Reconstructionist community by the beach offers limited in-person seating and livestream access for its congregants as well as livestream access to the general public. Various times. Member tickets free, Member extended family $99, General public ticket $198. Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, 24855 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. (310) 456-2178. mjcs.org/5782-hhd-schedule-tickets

Shomrei Torah Synagogue
The Conservative congregation requires either a membership or a ticket purchase for its in-person services. While an RSVP is required for all in-person services, an RSVP is not necessary to access the livestream services. Various times, prices. Shomrei Torah Synagogue, 7353 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills. (818) 854-7650. stsonline.org/high-holiday-information.

Stephen Wise Temple
The Bel-Air-based Reform community’s in-person services are available to members only, and the general public is welcome to watch free livestream services at wisela.org/Online. Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 476-8561. wisela.org/HighHolyDays

Temple Judea
Every service held on the Reform community’s campus will be streamed online, and no ticket is required. The general public may also purchase tickets to in-person services by contacting Bruce Raff at braff@templejudea.com. For more information, visit templejudea.com/pray/high-holy-days/

Valley Beth Shalom
The Conservative congregation holds in-person High Holiday services and provides virtual worship opportunities through the recently launched VBS TV. $360 for VBS TV access. For additional information, call (818) 788-6000 or visit vbs.org/highholidays.

WEST HOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD AND EASTSIDE

Congregation Kol Ami
If you are attending in person, masks will be required as is signing an attestation that you are COVID-free and without symptoms. Everyone attending services, whether online or in-person, will have to register in advance. Tashlich held Sept. 12, 10:30 a.m. Will Rogers State Beach, Tower 10. Congregation Kol Ami, 1200 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood. (323) 606-0996. kol-ami.org/hhd.

Chai Center
Drawing all backgrounds, Chai Center holds in-person services with socially distant seating in an open, backyard tent. RSVP required for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to guarantee a chair. Venue location near Highland and Third St. Exact location provided upon RSVP. chaicenter.org/allevents/highholidays/

Hollywood Temple Beth El
Concerns about the spread of the Delta variant mean High Holy Days services will be live streamed through Zoom. Led by Rabbi Norbert Weinberg, the congregation’s services feature streaming music by world-class choirs and cantors. $36. As a public service, the first night of Rosh Hashanah and Neilah will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook.com/htbel/live.

Nashuva
Spiritual community Nashuva invites those who are masked and vaccinated for outdoors services at various sites, including Clover Park in Santa Monica, Temescal Gateway Park and Venice Beach. $350 minimum donation requested. All services, except for tashlich, will be livestreamed. For additional information, visit https://nashuva.com/pray/high-holy-days-2021/

Nefesh
On erev Rosh Hashanah, the Nefesh community welcomes the new year with a unique audio and walking tour experience, featuring song and prayer, in Griffith Park. On Rosh Hashanah, Nefesh gathers outdoors at Temescal Canyon Park. On Kol Nidre, the location is to be determined, depending on the Delta variant. On Yom Kippur, the community returns to Temescal Canyon Park for outdoor services. Masks are required at the outdoor services. Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur services streamed on Zoom. nefeshla.org/high-holy-days-2021

Pico Union Project
The Sanctuary @ Pico Union, led by Craig Taubman, brings together clergy, artists, and special guests for virtual services, Pico Union Project, 1153 Valencia St., Los Angeles. (213) 915-0084. For service times and prices, visit picounionproject.org.

Silverlake Independent JCC Virtual Experience
Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center and East Side Jews partner on a virtual “Days of Awesome” experience. Suggested donation range is $36-$360 per stream. sijcc.net/days-of-awesome-registration.

Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park and Eagle Rock
Services are held both in-person and online those unable to attend. Various times, prices. Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park and Eagle Rock, 5711 Monte Vista St., Highland Park. (323) 745-2474. tbila.org/high-holidays-5782-/-2021.html

Temple Israel of Hollywood
To keep the community safe, the Reform synagogue requires proof of Covid-19 vaccination and masks worn indoors. Services will be livestreamed to ensure access so everyone may participate. In-person tickets not available for the general public. For service times, visit tioh.org/worship/high-holidays/

Young Jewish Professionals
Rabbi Mendel Simons leads services for the Young Jewish Professionals (YJP) at The Sofitel Hotel. YJP will not host services on Erev Rosh Hashanah or the second day. Sofitel Hotel, 8555 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. For additional information, visit yjplosangeles.com/services.

WESTSIDE

Beit T’Shuvah
Rehabilitation center Beit T’Shuvah is holding virtual 2021 High Holy Days services for community members. Tickets $36 per person, per service. beittshuvah.org/high-holidays-2021/

Beth Chayim Chadashim
Beth Chayim Chadashim, one of the oldest LGBT congregations, holds a mix of online services and in-person events. To register for the virtual services, call (213) 290-6139 or visit bcc-la.org/pray/high-holidays/

Beverly Hills Jewish Community
Beverly Hills Jewish Community Synagogue holds an authentic Sephardic/Moroccan service outdoors in accordance with Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills guidelines. Times and schedule of services are emailed following your ticket confirmation. (310) 276-4246. http://www.beverlyhillsjc.org/rhyk2020

Chabad
Chabad synagogues across Los Angeles hold services for the High Holidays. Typically, membership or dues are not required. Here are a few Chabad houses holding services: Chabad of Santa Monica at jewishsmonica.com; Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles at downtownjcc.com; Chabad of the Valley at chabadofthevalley.com; and Chabad of Culver City at jewishcc.com.

IKAR
Egalitarian congregation IKAR offers a free live broadcast of its services to IKARites and friends from afar on its website and Facebook page. Members and the general public may attend virtual services. No registration or login information is required. (323) 634-1870. ikar.org.

Kehillat Israel
The Reconstructionist community in Pacific Palisades holds its inaugural Rosh Hashanah Family Experience with an outdoor picnic at 5 p.m. followed by services at 5:45 p.m. All other services are virtual, and tickets for guests are $360. For additional information, call (310) 459-2328 or visit ourki.org/hhdschedulelinks#

Kehillat Ma’arav
Led by Rabbi Michael Gottlieb, the Conservative congregation serving Santa Monica, the Westside and beyond will hold virtual services on Zoom. Donations are appreciated from non-members and guests. For additional information, call (310) 829-0556 or visit km-synagogue.org/events/high-holidays-virtual/

Metivta: A Center for Contemplative Judaism
Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, prayer leader Evelyn Baran and Cantor Marc Bacrach lead the egalitarian, non-denominational community’s High Holy Days. All services are held on Zoom. Advance registration required. Meeting links sent to registrants only. http://metivta.org/

Mishkon Tephilo
With new Rabbi Joshua Katzan leading services, a new cantor and the same great choir, the Venice-based congregation calls for its members, their families and guests to come “home” to Mishkon for the High Holy Days. Various times, prices. For additional information, call (310) 392-3029 or visit https://www.mishkon.org/highholidays2021

Ohr HaTorah
Led by Rabbi Mordecai Finley and Rabbinic Intern Yeshaia Blakeney, Ohr HaTorah holds online services. Steaming access info for the general public, including times and prices, is available at ohrhatorah.org/high-holy-days1.html

Open Temple
Capitalizing on its Venice location, Open Temple’s High Holiday Ritual Lab features Rosh Hashanah, tashlich and Yom Kippur services on the beach. Various times. $36-$180. All services are a la carte. RSVP for the service you want to attend at opentemple.org.

Pico Shul – Days of Awesome
Rabbi Yonah Bookstein leads Pico Shul’s High Holy Days services, accompanied by Chazans Tuli Skaist and Yehuda Prero and Rebbetzin Rachel Bookstein. All participants over age 12 must be vaccinated to participate in services, held in a walled garden backyard in Pico-Robertson. Register at https://kesher.regfox.com/high-holidays-2021

Santa Monica Synagogue
Reform congregation Santa Monica Synagogue holds virtual services on Zoom and Facebook, led by Interim Rabbi Barry Lutz and Cantorial Soloist Audrey Babcock. $100 donation requested from non-members. thesms.org.

Sholem Community
The secular and progressive Sholem Community holds an outdoor Rosh Hashanah in the park, a virtual Kol Nidre and an outdoor Yom Kippur in the park. Rosh Hashanah 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, Rancho Park-Cheviot Hills, 2551 Motor Ave., Los Angeles. Kol Nidre $64, non-members. Yom Kippur 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Rancho Park-Cheviot Hills, 2551 Motor Ave. More information at sholem.org.

Sinai Temple
The Conservative congregation in Westwood holds in-person services while offering online services for members who would prefer to join virtually. (310) 474-1518. sinaitemple.org.

Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills
While all services are virtual, there will be several opportunities to come together in-person, including Tashlich at the beach featuring a new contemplative service before it, and tot services in person. The chapel will be open in the days leading up to and on Yom Kippur. (310) 288-3737. tebh.org/spirituality/holidays/#general

Temple of the Arts
Live services are held at the Saban Theatre, and services will be livestreamed, too. Temperature checks are taken at the door, masks are optional, and COVID-19 sanitization occurs before each service. (323) 658-9100. bhtota.org.

UCLA Hillel
UCLA Hillel offers three options to choose from: In-person services at Hillel for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; online for live Zoom services; or with a digital pass, full access to pre-recorded video prayer playlist. Various times, prices. Uclahillel.org.

PASADENA

Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center
Combining the creativity of last year’s virtual services with a return to in-person, the 100-year-old Conservative synagogue offers both forms of services this time. Adhering to Covid-19 protocols, masks will be required for all ages 2-and-over. pjtc.net/high-holy-days-2021

SOUTH BAY

Congregation Tikvat Jacob
The South Bay Conservative-style holds family services and Tashlich in-person. All main adult services take place on Zoom. (310) 546-3667. http://www.ctjmb.org/high-holy-days

Temple Beth El in San Pedro
As one of the oldest Reform congregations, the temple welcomes those who wish to attend in person or on Zoom, beginning with a multi-access service on Erev Rosh Hashanah, in-person or virtually. (310) 833-2467. https://bethelsp.org.

Temple Menorah
The Redondo Beach Reform temple offers both in-person and online services throughout the holidays with the stipulation those attending indoor services need proof of vaccination. (310) 316-8444. https://templemenorahredondobeach.shulcloud.com

Temple Shalom of the South Bay
With a return to in-person services for the Reform synagogue, COVID-19 precautions will be followed. Masks for all in the sanctuary regardless of vaccination status. All doors in the sanctuary will be open, and families are expected to sit together while distancing from others. (310) 613-3855. https://www.templeshalomsb.org/high-holidays

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A Rosh Hashanah Seder Cooking Demo

Leave a Comment / Food / Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff

The Simanim Delicacies Cooking Demonstration at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills had 70 women attendees learning and savoring some classic, and some updated, Sephardic recipes.

Beth Jacob executive director Robyn Lewis organized the event and printed up a fabulous cookbook and Rosh Hashana Seder Guide with the brachot and corresponding food.

Renowned chef Debby Segura made Cowboy Caviar with black-eyed beans, corn, tomato and avocado, an inventive take on the traditional Rosh Hashana Seder food lubiyah, (black-eyed beans). She also made an exquisite Apple Frangipane Tart that had everybody diving back for seconds.

Steve Schwartz from Art of Tea brewed up some delicious hibiscus tea that he served Gazoz style, with apple, pomegranate tendrils, strawberries and fresh ginger, garnished with sprigs of mint and stems of baby’s breath and a dash of rum. One attendee described it as “the most beautiful drink I’ve ever been served!”

The Sephardic Spice Girls, Rachel Emquies Sheff and Sharon Gomperts served up an array of their holiday favorites. There was membrillo, a delicately spiced candied quince. Rachel’s famous fish balls made with minced whitefish and salmon in a robust red sauce filled with crushed tomatoes, harissa, preserved lemon and green olives. Keftes de prasa con carne, exquisite little meat patties with leek and mashed potato. Eggplants drizzled with deliciously authentic Silan and halva from specialty business House of Halva. A classic lemony and cumin seasoned Moroccan Swiss Chard Salad. Fat Medjool dates stuffed with Marcona almonds or candied orange peel or pistachios.

The audience loved the flavors of the very healthy Autumn Harvest Soup, made with butternut squash, sweet potato and white squash.

The participants walked away with a bit of swag, including a copy of Fleishigs magazine, a Sephardic Spice Girls dish towel, an Art of Tea discount. There was also a discount on the best French cookware Laguiole (available to readers of the Jewish Journal at www.laguioleus.com with code SPICEGIRLS10).

Rachel Sheff and Sharon Gomperts have been friends since high school. They love cooking and sharing recipes. They have collaborated on Sephardic Educational Center projects and community cooking classes. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.

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