In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon. The Los Angeles chapter of WIZO has evolved over the years, bringing together both longtime members and a growing number of younger women, many of whom were introduced to the organization through their mothers. Among them was Dianna Mannheim Sternberg, who presented her mother, Kathy Mannheim, with the Distinguished Service Award. Sternberg became visibly emotional as she spoke about her mother’s influence on her life and her deep connection to WIZO’s mission. Mannheim, who was equally moved, received a standing ovation from the audience.

The event also included a special recognition from Deborah Harris, WIZO California co-chair, who honored Lya Zisman on her 100th birthday, paying tribute to her and her family’s longstanding dedication to WIZO. Beverly Hills Councilmember Sharon Nazarian also spoke.

A lot has changed in WIZO since it was founded in 1920, especially since Oct. 7, 2023. Before the war, WIZO was primarily known for its social welfare programs, including daycare centers, youth programs and services for women and families in need. But in the past two and a half years, the organization has expanded its role to focus as well on wartime emergency support, assisting evacuated families, reservists and their spouses, wounded soldiers and children affected by the conflict. WIZO has also mobilized volunteers, opened emergency childcare programs and provided emotional and practical support to families struggling with the realities of war.

WIZO USA Co-President Ruthy Benoliel spoke about the unseen burden carried by the families of reservists, emphasizing that while soldiers are on the front lines, their wives are often left to hold everything together at home. They have to juggle taking care of the kids, working and staying strong for their husbands, which isn’t always easy.

She shared the story of Nitzan, a woman whose life was upended when her husband was called up for military duty. “She had what felt like a perfect life — a husband and a child. Her husband promised her, ‘Everything will go back to normal when I come back.” But reality proved far more difficult. After the birth of her second daughter, while her husband was away at war, he returned home after serving for more than 300 days – a changed man.

“She became depressed, lost her job, was sleep-deprived and at one point she looked at me and said, ‘The only thing I wanted to do was jump out the window,’” Benoliel said. “She was in a very dark place, and WIZO gave her tools, support and resources. WIZO showed her light when everything around her felt like darkness.”

Today, Benoliel said, Nitzan is a stronger woman and became, in her words, “the rock her family can lean on.”

Benoliel, who traveled to the event from her home in Miami, also recalled her recent visit in Israel where she landed in Ben Gurion Airport, which was almost completely empty, as very few flights are coming in or going out. “As I was landing, I saw American planes and Israeli planes side by side,” she said. “We should be proud to be Americans because we are allies of Israel.”

The event, “Truth in Focus: Israel and the Media,” also featured remarks from Rachel Bachar, Director of Community Engagement at the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, and Laura Stein, WIZO California’s Legal Chair.  The keynote speaker was award-winning journalist Jacki Karsh, who launched a journalism fellowship in 2024 aimed at training and supporting journalists to improve coverage of Israel and related issues.

Before Oct. 7, Karsh said, almost no one in her “work world” knew she was Jewish. “My Jewish identity was very real and very deep,” she said, “rooted in family, Jewish education, community and philanthropy, but I didn’t cover Jews, Israel or antisemitism in any professional capacity.”

That changed after Oct. 7. It was then she said that those two worlds collided, and she officially became what she calls “a Jewish journalist.”

Karsh described the days that followed as a rupture inside journalism itself. She noticed what was happening inside newsrooms and how decisions were made regarding the coverage of what’s happening between Israel and Gaza. This deeply troubled her. “I saw inaccuracy, self-proclaimed experts and, in some cases, outright terrorist propaganda being repeated, all moving so fast that the truth couldn’t keep up.”

She said she focused her work on exposing how editorial decisions were shaping global understanding of Israel and unpacking how headlines and broader media framing influenced public perception of events on the ground.

Karsh also worked closely with hostage families, describing them as ordinary people suddenly thrust into unimaginable and rapidly unfolding circumstances, where every hour felt critical and overwhelming. She spoke about how they were often placed in media interviews and public settings while still processing deep trauma, navigating intense fear, and worrying constantly about the safety of their loved ones.

She emphasized that her role was to support them in telling their stories, while ensuring their voices were heard clearly and with dignity. Above all, she said she wanted audiences to understand the emotional reality they were living through — their fear, their isolation, and the human cost behind the headlines.

For the past two-plus years, Karsh has traveled across the country speaking about media bias and “how the media is pushing a certain agenda.” For decades, she said, “Israel has been portrayed through a very specific narrative — as an occupier and colonialist,” she said. “This didn’t just begin on Oct. 7.”

Through her journalism fellowship, Karsh now aims to help reshape and strengthen how such coverage is reported and understood.

Guests departed with a gift in hand and a shared sense of purpose, feeling that their participation was contributing to WIZO’s vital work supporting women, children, and families across Israel.

Long active in Jewish advocacy and pro-Israel politics, the Democratic strategist and former journalist says combating antisemitism will be central to his campaign for California’s 24th State Senate District.

Brian Goldsmith was not an elected official when antisemitism bill AB 715 came up for a vote in the California Legislature. He was a private citizen, but lobbied anyway — reaching out personally to undecided legislators and advocating for protections for Jewish students on campus.

Now, in a bid for California’s 24th District State Senate seat currently held by Democrat Ben Allen, Goldsmith is seeking a title to underscore his fight against anti-Jewish discrimination.

Long before the violence of Oct. 7, 2023 touched every corner of the Jewish consciousness, Brian Goldsmith had already decided that antisemitism inside the Democratic Party — and beyond — was an issue worth the political risk. He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.

Goldsmith spent his career as a journalist, entrepreneur and Harvard and Stanford Law graduate learning how to turn complexity into action, but his Jewish values remain the throughline.

“I have been focused on protecting Israel and taking on the battle against antisemitism for much of my life. I am fortunate to have been raised in a strong Jewish family that is deeply engaged in this cause,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith was raised in a family deeply involved in Jewish philanthropy. His maternal grandfather, Jerry Mack, served as chairman of the Israel Bonds Campaign, founded Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, and received the Israel Prime Minister’s Medal in 1973. He also attended the Camp David Accords signing ceremony as a guest of President Carter.

His paternal grandparents, Bram and Elaine Goldsmith, were lead contributors to the Jewish Federation’s Goldsmith Center and supporters of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Those roots in Jewish advocacy are why, for Brian Goldsmith, running for State Senate is not a career pivot, but a continuation of a generational pursuit.

“Representation is about who is present when decisions are made. Brian is stepping forward with clarity, discipline, and a lifetime of preparation,” Jewish journalist and philanthropist Jacki Karsh said.

The endorsements following Goldsmith’s Senate announcement reflect support beyond standard political alignment. Along with Democratic figures including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus endorsed him. So did Julie Platt, former chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.

State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), who authored AB 715, noted Goldsmith’s record of Jewish activism.

“Even as a private citizen, he jumped in to lobby members to help us pass landmark antisemitism legislation … I am grateful for his advice and wisdom and look forward to working with him after he wins,” Gabriel said.

While he is a critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Goldsmith remains unwavering in his support for the State of Israel — the state his grandparents supported in its infancy.

“I cannot imagine a world without Israel and will never abandon our commitment to Israel’s security,” he said. “I have fought against any effort to single out Israel for unique condemnation or to apply a different standard to the world’s only Jewish state.”

He is drawing support from across the political spectrum.

“While our politics may sometimes differ, I know he would be a strong ally for our community in the legislature. He is passionate about tackling hate and division,” Jewish entrepreneur Michael Broukhim said.

Brian Goldsmith, his wife Claire, and their two children live in California’s 24th Senate District, which includes Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks.

The district has experienced a rise in antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7, but Goldsmith projects confidence in his Judaism and a sense of resolve.

“Antisemitism is not a policy disagreement,” he said. “It would be unacceptable against any group — any group, that is, except, sometimes, the Jewish community. And that is a double standard we have to fight and defeat.”

Goldsmith intends to join the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, a body of lawmakers focused on the needs of the state’s Jewish community.

“I’d aim to be a leader and a go-to voice, especially on combating antisemitism and hate in all forms,” Goldsmith said. “I say every day, to every group, that antisemitism — and the broader epidemic of hate and division — is one of the most significant challenges we face …”

He also believes in supporting Jewish nonprofits, noting their broader role in public life.

“They are a beacon of tolerance and acceptance, they deserve security and protection against hate and harassment, and they play a critical role delivering public services beyond the Jewish community,” he said.

The California Legislature lacks voices who understand that defending the Jewish community is not a partisan act, but a moral one.

“We need to take on forces that foment division and antisemitism and hold them to a higher standard — even if Washington won’t,” he said. “When hate rears its ugly head against one ethnicity, it hurts us all, and we must work to stand united.”

This has been a time of extraordinary challenge and change, not only for the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies of American Jewish University, but for every rabbinical school across North America. Those stresses reflect transformations sweeping across higher education, seminaries of every faith, religious denominations, and the demographic and technological landscape of our age.

Economic realities demand serious reckoning. But beyond finances, the world of the rabbinate and the world of congregations have been fundamentally remade. It’s not the same as it was 20 years ago. It is not the same as it was 40 years ago. Synagogues that don’t adapt will not survive.

Every single rabbinical school is confronting the reality that the old streams of rabbinical students have dried up. The person who went to a Solomon Schechter day school, spent summers at Camp Ramah, participated in a Year Course in Israel – that student has largely disappeared. That doesn’t mean there aren’t great people out there.  It means we have to find them differently. Today, we are reaching people who never imagined becoming rabbis, who discovered Judaism and fell in love with mitzvot later in life, and who are looking for a path forward. That is a blessing — and it creates a profoundly different educational environment.

Technology and social media have utterly upended our expectations. A rabbi today must know how to command a room and command a social media feed. They have to know how to perform when they speak in public, they have to know that something they say in a synagogue adult education class to 15 people can reach 15,000 by morning. That means rabbis are having to learn an entirely different set of skills, including how to balance a budget, fundraise, partner with lay leaders, and supervise staff. There’s just an enormous number of skills that weren’t on the docket when I started rabbinical school, and we have to pivot to be able to provide that expanded mastery, without compromising the competence in scripture, rabbinics, preaching, counseling, and teaching.

These converging forces have upended Jewish organizational life at every level, prompting a comprehensive reassessment of what is needed for rabbinical education. Institutions that aspire to lead must dig deep, ask hard questions, and respond with bold courage.

American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies is facing these shifting possibilities directly. We are blessed with visionary leadership, professional and volunteer, under the guidance of our new president, Jay Sanderson. This is a moment of great possibility and expansive vision. This is a moment for transformation and for change.

The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community. An honest assessment requires that we raise questions that were once forbidden or might make some people squirm.

For example, we didn’t used to have the capacity to provide training online. But I will tell you that many other noble institutions—including Hebrew Union College, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Hartman, and Hadar—are now actively offering hybrid rabbinical training in which there’s a significant component of learning online. AJU has to consider its own signature approach to these new tools. We have to examine a hybrid fusion of online and in-person approaches, both for pedagogical advance and to accommodate new sociological realities. And we have to embrace new possibilities for the sake of sustainability and meeting actual communal trends.

Denominational identity has shifted, and it helps to distinguish between two ways of thinking about it. On the one hand, denomination can refer to a particular nexus of bureaucracy (professional organizations), institutional networks (congregational umbrellas), and ideology. That particular form of denominational loyalty has been waning for some time, and is, frankly, uninspiring.

But if by denominational identity we mean, for instance, a deep commitment to the primacy of Hebrew and classical texts, to historical and liturgical continuity, rich mitzvah observance, to the question of training rabbinical students in a context that is explicitly Zionist and supportive of Israel, then to the degree that those interlocking commitments express what has been a denominational perspective, those remain front and center. These are all pressing values that must be on the table, shaping our desired outcomes.

All the big questions must receive consideration and analysis. All must be on the table. For that very reason, it must be stressed that no decisions have been made, except the decision to pursue rich, deep conversation to seek an emerging consensus. It means we need to be open to hearing the arguments others raise with us, so that even if we don’t buy their solution, we can craft a coherent, thoughtful response.

I know there will be substantive responses to many of these issues, and that the Ziegler School will not, at the end of the day, be the same rabbinical school it was 5, 10, or 25 years ago. All living things change, and we are committed to a thriving, living, superb rabbinical school at AJU. There will be a Ziegler School when the dust settles.

While AJU pursues this course of exploration, conversation, and rebuilding, it is simultaneously committed to ordaining and educating out the current batch of students. In a few weeks, the current students will register for Fall semester courses, which will continue to be offered at our AJU Beverly Hills campus. Learning will continue, and these students will receive a Ziegler ordination upon completion of their studies, which may lead to membership in the Rabbinical Assembly.

All change can feel like turmoil, I understand. But I affirm it is for the good. President Sanderson and the board are committed to strengthening the university’s fiscal strength, both for the university as a whole and for the Ziegler School, working together to eliminate the siloing of AJU’s various programs so they can work in symbiosis.

We are asking questions that we should have been asking for quite some time. The board is addressing itself to responsibilities with great seriousness, and Jay Sanderson is leading us toward transformation and growth. To partner with him, we need to stay engaged, stay involved, and participate in this exciting rebirth.

The best days of American Jewish University are in our future.

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair for the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies of American Jewish University. Starting this July, he will step down as dean after 25 years and be promoted to the AJU Mordecai Kaplan Distinguished Scholar.