7 Days In Arts

Sunday, Oct. 7

Equipped with lulav and lemony fresh etrog, the children at the Skirball’s Celebrate the Harvest Holiday: Sukkah Decorating event will help garnish the sukkah. Artist Abby Gilad will lead a workshop in making wall posters, followed by refreshments in the sukkah. $5 (ages 4 and older). 2 p.m. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (310) 445-4400.

Legendary composer, conductor, author and lecturer Leonard Bernstein revolutionized musical theater when he fused classical music with pop tunes in the famous musical “West Side Story”. The winner of seven Emmy Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, Bernstein reconnected with his Jewish roots in 1943, when he created “Symphony No. 1: Jeremiah” and various other Jewish-themed music for the Israel Philharmonic. Today, his significant contributions are being commemorated in “Leonard Bernstein: An American Dreamer,” at Symphony in the Glen’s free classical music concert in Griffith Park. 3 p.m. 4800 Crystal Springs Drive. For more information, call (323) 644-5600.

Monday, Oct. 8

In Nazi Germany, the Nazis confiscated and destroyed every bit of Jewish culture … officially. Yet here and there, some representative art and music slipped through the net. The CD “Beyond Recall” is a compilation of Yiddish music that originated 60 years ago in a German concentration camp and in time was saved through the efforts of the Jewish Cultural League. After painstaking work, the 14-hour CD has regained quality sound, and includes German cabaret music, comedians, Palestinian folk songs and cantorial singing. This musical antique, chronicling music from 1933 to 1938, is on sale today in a boxed set with a 400-page hardcover book. For more information, visit www.bearfamily.de/index_english.htm, then click on Bear Family News and Sept./Oct. new releases.

Tuesday, Oct. 9

Actress Ali MacGraw, who gave a heart-wrenching performance in the film “Love Story” alongside Ryan O’Neil, stars in “Goodbye Columbus” tonight. This 1969 rendition of a young, nouveau riche suburban woman trying to cope with love and social hierarchy won MacGraw a Golden Globe Award. $6 (general admission); $5 (members); $4 (students). Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For reservations or more information, call (323) 655-8587.

Wednesday, Oct. 10

Many viewers of artist Paula Schoen’s work report feeling an overwhelming tranquillity. The paintings “Awakening to Love” and “Remembering Love” are displayed today, exhibiting the soft brush strokes and bright, passionate blends of color that are her trademark. Gallery hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat. and Sun., 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Through Oct. 28. Marion Meyer Contemporary Art, 354 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. For more information, call (949) 497-5442.

Thursday, Oct. 11

The play “Not on the Menu” is set in a diner, and highlights the trials and tribulations of three couples experiencing the early stages of their romantic relationships. A nosy waiter adds some laughs in this comedy/drama written by Neil Steven Klayman and Cherie Troped. $15 (general admission). Thurs., 8 p.m. and Fri., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Through Nov. 2. Actors Art Theater, 6128 Wilshire Blvd., ‘110, Los Angeles. For reservations or more information, call (323) 960-7676.

Friday, Oct. 12

The Jewish community has many divisions, and author David Berger, adds yet another in his new book “The Rebbe, the Messiah and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference” (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, September 2001). Berger examines the belief held by some that a second messiah will come, and also focuses on the effects of such a faith in the theology of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe and the various beliefs of the present Jewish population. $29.95. For more information, call the International Specialized Book Services at (800) 944-6190.