During his latest visit to Beverly Hills, Ahmir Lerner, executive director of Beit Issie Shapiro, met with community leaders and supporters to highlight the organization’s impact, including a talk at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club where he spoke about its mission to better the lives of people with disabilities and the remarkable work being done with wounded soldiers through the new “Tech for Heroes” service.
Lerner’s visit also included a special screening of the movie “Malachi,“ a documentary that explores the life of a young man with a disability, highlighting both the social barriers he faces and the profound impact of compassion, dignity and human connection. The film’s director, Ido Bahat, joined the screening and engaged the audience with a Q&A.
Since its founding over four decades ago, Beit Issie Shapiro has served as Israel’s pioneering leader and innovator in the field of disabilities.
On Feb. 11, a luncheon was held at Jewish Family Service LA’s (JFSLA) Café Europa that featured “Borrowed Spotlight,” a photography exhibition and book dedicated to sharing Holocaust survivor stories. The portrait series, created to combat rising antisemitism and preserve Holocaust history, was captured by fashion photographer Bryce Thompson. It pairs Holocaust survivors with today’s most recognizable figures – including Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner, Billy Porter and David Schwimmer – using their public platforms to amplify the survivors’ stories. The exhibition features large-scale portraits of Holocaust survivors posing alongside A-list celebrities along with the survivors’ testimonies.
At Café Europa, approximately 35 people turned out, including 20 survivors. Survivors and Café Europa participants Ella Mandel and Eva Nathanson, who are featured in the photographs, attended and shared their stories. Additionally, JFSLA staff spoke about the importance of celebrating survivors.
Café Europa is JFSLA’s weekly social program providing community and support for Holocaust survivors.
On Feb. 10, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills (TEBH) held a special community conversation featuring Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian. The discussion was moderated by TEBH Senior Rabbi Jonathan Aaron and organized by the Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills’ Men’s Club.
The event is part of TEBH’s ongoing speaker series, which brings prominent civic, business and cultural leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue with the community. Previous speakers have included developer, civic leader and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso and sports broadcaster and author Jay Glazer.
During the evening, Nazarian, the first Jewish Iranian-American woman to serve as a mayor in the United States, shared reflections on leadership, community engagement and civic initiatives, including her advocacy efforts and work on community-based projects in Beverly Hills and her commitment to combating antisemitism while promoting unity, civic responsibility and interfaith collaboration across the broader community. The conversation provided attendees with an opportunity to hear directly from the mayor in an intimate and thoughtful setting.
