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Picks and Clicks for March 13 – 19, 2010

Oscar-nominated actress Mare Winningham indulges her inner Jewish cowgirl during Temple Aliyah’s “A Down Home Shabbat: A Celebration of Jewish Bluegrass.” Winningham, who has recorded three folk-influenced albums, joins Rabbi Stewart Vogel, Grammy-nominated chazzan Mike Stein and other performers for this country-themed Shabbat. Fri. 8:15 p.m. Free. Temple Aliyah, 6025 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 346-3545. templealiyah.org.
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March 9, 2010

SAT | MARCH 13

(ART)
Artist Rachel Schmeidler critiques the public’s celebrity obsession in her exhibition “Hollywood Most Wanted + Co.” Mug shots of figures like Lindsay Lohan and Kobe Bryant get a pop-art makeover, calling attention to the glamorous set’s flaws. Sat. through April 28. Free. ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 464-1478. hollywoodmostwanted.com.

(LECTURE)
UCLA professor Yona Sabar speaks on “Aramaic, Armenians and the Jews: A Long History” for the Westwood Village Synagogue’s “Lunch and Learn” series. Lunch is served. Sat. noon. $10 (students), $18 (adults), $54 (families). Westwood Village Synagogue, 1148 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 824-9987. www.villageshul.org.

(FILM)
Norman Finkelstein, author of “The Holocaust Industry,” is an academic who informs and infuriates. Directors David Ridgen and Nicolas Rossier look at the life of and controversy surrounding the political science professor in “American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein,” which opens this weekend for a one-week engagement. Sat. $8 (seniors, children under 12), $11 (general). Laemmle’s Music Hall 3, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

(MUSIC)
Two chamber symphonies perform pieces from genre-pushing composers whose lives were upset by the Nazis, including Pavel Haas, Erich Korngold, Franz Schreker and Arnold Schoenberg, in Jacaranda’s “Indoor Outposts.” Sat. 8 p.m. $15 (students-advance), $35 (general-advance), $20 (students-door), $40 (general-door). First Presbyterian Santa Monica, 1220 Second St., Santa Monica. (213) 483-0216. jacarandamusic.org.

SUN | MARCH 14

(FILM)
Lev Eisha, a community of religiously engaged women, screens “Making Trouble,” a documentary about funny Jewish women, followed by a panel with comediennes and writers at its annual fundraiser, Laugh With Lev. Sun. 1:30-4:30 p.m. $36 (members), $45 (general). Congregation Beth Israel, 8056 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 575-0985. leveisha.org.

TUE | MARCH 16

(LECTURE)
Dickinson College theology professor Ted Merwin explores the deli’s part in Jewish identity with “Homeland for the Jewish Soul: The Jewish Deli in America,” a look at the deli’s depiction in film, vaudeville and television. Sponsored by UCLA’s Center for Jewish Studies. Tue. 7:30-9 p.m. Free. UCLA Faculty Center, 480 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles. (310) 267-5327. cjs.ucla.edu.

WED | MARCH 17

(PANEL)
Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Irvine School of Law’s founding dean, joins other panelists and KPCC talk show host Larry Mantle for a live discussion, “Combating Terror in the Skies — Balancing Privacy and Security,” as part of “AirTalk on the Road.” Wed. 7-8:30 p.m. Free. National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave., downtown. (213) 623-6003, ext. 10. cai-la.org.

(THEATER)
Follow Robert F. Kennedy through his political victories and defeats during the civil rights movement in Murray Horwitz and Jonathan Estrin’s “RFK: The Journey to Justice”. L.A. Theatre Works records the performance for its syndicated radio series. Wed.-Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2:30 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. $20-$48. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 827-0889. latw.org.

THU | MARCH 18

(ART)
Architect Frank Gehry, whose projects include the Walt Disney Concert Hall, talks about his life, body of work and influences with Barbara Isenberg, author of “Conversations With Frank Gehry.” The event, which celebrates the symbiotic relationship between architecture and music, will open with a performance by cellist Lynn Harrell. All proceeds benefit the Santa Monica High School orchestras. Thu. 7 p.m. $10 (students, seniors), $20 (general). Santa Monica High School Barnum Hall, 600 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 395-6204 ext. 407. samohiorchestras.org.

FRI | MARCH 19

MUSIC
Oscar-nominated actress Mare Winningham indulges her inner Jewish cowgirl during Temple Aliyah’s “A Down Home Shabbat: A Celebration of Jewish Bluegrass.” Winningham, who has recorded three folk-influenced albums, joins Rabbi Stewart Vogel, Grammy-nominated chazzan Mike Stein and other performers for this country-themed Shabbat. Fri. 8:15 p.m. Free. Temple Aliyah, 6025 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 346-3545. templealiyah.org.

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