The Los Angeles Jewish community came together for a unique and powerful event in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day — held annually on Jan. 27 — at Sinai Temple.
The Jan. 28 program at Sinai included a screening of the poignant documentary “As Seen Through These Eyes,” written and directed by Hilary Helstein, who serves as executive director of the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, accompanied by the LA opening of the exhibit “Art Survives: Expressions of the Holocaust.”
The film was followed by a Q&A with Helstein, moderated by Carolyn Hoffman, a licensed clinical social worker who serves as director of Sinai Temple’s Mental Health Center.
The more than 200 attendees turned out to learn, share and celebrate human resiliency.
The audience represented the full diversity of the community, including many from different faith communities and nationalities, including Consul General Paulina Kapuścińska of Poland; Consul General Michael Postl of Austria; and Consul General István Gróf of Hungary. Other notables in attendance included American Jewish Community Regional Director Richard Hirschhaut and John Popoch, deputy chief of staff in the office of Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
The night would not be complete without the participation of Holocaust survivors. Among those who turned out were Joe Alexander, now 102 years old, along with Eva Nathanson.
As individuals and families work to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles (NCJW/LA) has been among the organizations stepping up to help.
NCJW/LA has been receiving an influx of clothing and household item donations through its Council Shops, which has seven locations throughout the city and collects “gently loved items.”
On Jan. 25, a large-scale volunteer event — organized by NCJW/LA — took place in two shifts with more than 40 volunteers, “and this crucial effort helped the organization sort through the massive amount of donations,” according to NCJW/LA leadership.
Volunteers who turned out to NCJW/LA’s donation center on Washington Boulevard sorted through the donations of clothing and household items.
NCJW/LA — which helps women in Los Angeles who are struggling to support themselves and their families — will begin distributing these donations through giveaway events in February and the months ahead to families in need. Since the outbreak of the fires, the organization has also been offering $100 vouchers per person per household to shop at its Council Shop thrift stores.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently met with leadership of Kehillat Israel (KI), a Reconstructionist synagogue in the Pacific Palisades located in the heart of where the recent devastating Palisades Fire occurred.
Despite the unprecedented damage the fire caused to the surrounding neighborhood, Kehillat Israel remained standing. But many of its congregants, residents of Pacific Palisades, lost their homes.
“Kehillat Israel is home to almost 1,000 Jewish families, a third of whom lost their homes in the fires,” according to a statement from Newsom’s office.
The meeting between Newsom and KI leadership took place on Jan. 28 at Beth Shir Shalom, a synagogue in Santa Monica where some of KI’s programming is currently being held. Among those in attendance were clergy, staff and board members of KI, including Senior Rabbi Amy Bernstein and Rabbi Daniel Sher.
“It was an honor to see the resilience of the Kehillat Israel community,” Newsom said in a statement. “To know their place of worship still standing is nothing short of a miracle and watching the clergy and congregants coming together to pray, learn, and support each other is inspiring. Pacific Palisades will build back stronger than ever, and KI will continue to be a leader in that recovery.”
