At Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) Women for Israel screening of the documentary film, “Al Tira: Diary From a Nation at War,” the filmmaker Jonathan York said he wasn’t planning to make a film when he visited Israel this past December.
“I went with no intention of creating a film…I just instinctively started to record,” he said at the May 29 event, held at Sinai Temple.
The result is an emotionally stirring, 30-minute film — shot on an iPhone — of Israeli society coming to terms with life in the aftermath of Oct. 7. “Al Tira” — Hebrew for “fear not ”— follows York as he visits kibbutzim targeted in Hamas’ attack, as he attends funerals of fallen IDF soldiers and as he comes across protests in Tel Aviv convened by the family members of hostages. In the film, he explains that as a Persian Jew he’s had a lifelong connection with Israel, and he felt compelled to visit the country after it suffered what was the most tragic event for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Since the completion of the film, York, along with JNF-USA, have organized in-person screenings of the film in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Tel Aviv.
In an interview, York, who grew up in Los Angeles and works professionally as an attorney, said he prefers screening the film in communal, in-person settings rather than making the film available online. He’s foregoing reach, he said, “for depth.”
Attendees of the screening included Sinai Temple Co-Senior Rabbi Erez Sherman, attorney and activist Sam Yebri and several JNF-USA staff-people and leaders, including JNF-USA Greater Los Angeles Co-President Susie Toczek; Executive Director Lou Rosenberg; National Campaign Director Sharon Joy; and Director Neuriel Shore.
A community of donors in Los Angeles, led by Barak and Indre Raviv, dedicated an ambulance to Magen David Adom in Israel, the national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. This gesture was a direct response to the tragic events of Oct. 7 in Israel.
Raviv, a financial advisor in wealth management, along with his wife, Indre, a senior vice president for a cybersecurity company, spearheaded this humanitarian effort. The couple was moved by the recent attacks and felt compelled to make a tangible difference. Their initiative culminated in a touching ceremony attended by 150 donors, supporters, family members and friends, held at The Community Shul in Pico-Robertson.
During the ceremony, Raviv dedicated the ambulance in memory of his grandmother, Sara Mostysser, who died in Israel on her 101st birthday. In his emotional speech, he shared a cherished lesson from his grandmother, saying, “My Bubby always taught us that talk is cheap and if you want to get something done, you need to do it yourself!”
The evening was further enriched by the soulful performances of Israeli singer Liyah Bey Lapidot, whose songs added a poignant backdrop to the event. Speakers included Rabbi Pini Dunner, Marcus Freed and Janet Morgan, the director of philanthropy for the American Friends of Magen David Adom for the West Coast. Miriam and Dana Raviv, Barak’s mother and sister, spoke of Mostysser’s love for Israel and the Jewish people. Each speaker highlighted the role of Magen David Adom and the profound impact of the community’s support.
Local Jewish philanthropist Victoria Mann Simms spoke at a celebration, held May 28 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, honoring the 2024 recipients of a three-year campaign recognizing extraordinary nurses.
Photo by Jonah Light Photography
At a time when the nursing care crisis is growing in urgency on a national and global scare, the campaign, “Off the Chart: Rewarding Nursing Greatness,” awarded 40 nurses from four leading Los Angeles-area health systems—Cedars-Sinai, City of Hope, UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC—each with an unrestricted financial gift of $10,000. Ten nurses were recognized from within each healthcare organization.
The campaign, an initiative of the Simms/Mann Family Foundation, is currently in its second year. The announcement of this year’s honorees coincided with National Nurses Week.
At the Luxe, speakers included Etti Rosenberg, an Israel-based, globally recognized nurse innovator.
