On July 19, members of the Black and Jewish communities came together to help paint a Compton high school as part of a day of service dubbed “Shared Hoped Tour.”
Throughout the day, volunteers helped paint, clean and plant trees at Compton Academy of Technology and Innovation, a new high school overseen by Compton Unified School District. Among those who turned out were Pastor Michael Fisher of Greater Zion Church Family; Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback of Stephen Wise Temple; Amanda Berman, founder and CEO of Zioness; and Congregation Or Ami Rabbis Paul Kipnes and Elana Rabishaw.
“It feels good to do good, and that’s what Or Ami is all about,” Or Ami board member Susie Gruber told The Journal.
The event followed up on a Passover seder earlier this year that drew members of the Black and Jewish communities. This past Saturday, participating groups included Zioness, Repair the World and Exodus Leadership Forum.
“We’re grateful to be a part of this coalition of Black and multi-ethnic Jewish leaders committed to building our sacred communal partnership, and what better way to honor that partnership than serving side-by-side with our Compton neighbors,” Repair the World Los Angeles City Director Michael Auerbach said.
When I arrived around 1 p.m., the volunteers were lining up for a barbecue lunch, which consisted of chicken, beans, veggies and fruit. Afterwards, we went back to work, and I helped with removing old paint off the walls. Around this time, I caught up with Lakeisha White, principal of Compton Academy of Technology and Innovation. She told me she was grateful to all those who came out to paint the new school’s colors — orange and green — on its walls.
I also spoke with Dani Shear, an educator in the religious school at Temple Israel of Hollywood and a former Zioness fellow. Shear said she was proud to be out there representing Zioness, a movement that works to empower Zionists on the progressive left, especially at a time when the State of Israel is facing demonization on several political fronts.
“We’re undaunted and we wear our ‘Zioness’ shirt, and we stand proud with the State of Israel,” Shear, taking a brief break from painting, said.
Former ER physician, scientist, researcher and ”Common Wisdom” author Dr. Laura Gabayan was the featured speaker at an in-store book talk at Barnes and Noble Santa Monica on July 12. In a packed room, Gabayan provided compelling background on how her personal health struggles inspired her groundbreaking study of wisdom, ultimately leading to her acclaimed book and innovative Wisdom IQ Test.
After experiencing a challenging misdiagnosis with an autoimmune disease, Gabayan found herself questioning conventional medical approaches. Drawing from her Jewish heritage’s emphasis on seeking wisdom through questioning and learning — a tradition rooted in Talmudic scholarship — she embarked on a mission to understand what truly makes someone wise. She explained that she was receiving cookie-cutter answers with labels from doctors that weren’t helping, prompting her to explore how ”the wise” think outside the box to find meaningful solutions.
At Barnes and Noble, many attendees expressed appreciation for meeting a physician who thought differently. Some shared frustrations with the medical system and welcomed hearing a fresh perspective from a healthcare professional. One guest mentioned purchasing ”Common Wisdom” as a gift for a friend recently diagnosed with cancer, hoping to provide hope during a difficult time.
When asked about her goals for the book, Gabayan replied, ”My goal is to change lives and bring people more meaning. I loved helping people as an ER doctor, and now that I can no longer practice medicine, my book and test give me new ways to make a difference.”
Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz gives ”Wonder Woman” Gal Gadot Hadassah’s Power of Dreams Award for her courageous advocacy on behalf of Israel in the wake of Oct. 7. The award was presented during the 42nd annual Jerusalem Film Festival, which kicked off in Israel on July 17 and continues through July 26.
