What’s Happening: Simchat Torah ‘Dancing,’ Homeless Forum

FRI OCT 18

“Sukkot in Mexico”
Young professionals in their 20s and 30s should feel as if they are in Mexico when entering this exotic-looking sukkah, decorated fiesta-style, at Beth Jacob Congregation. Enjoy a Shabbat dinner rich in Mexican delights. 6 p.m. Mincha and kabbalat Shabbat. 6:45 p.m. cocktails. 7:30 p.m. dinner. $35 members, $45 general. Jacob’s Garden, Beth Jacob Congregation, 9030 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 278-1911.

Holistic Jew Shabbat
An ocean view, prayer, meditation, singing and movement are the highlights of a Holistic Jew Shabbat in the sukkah this evening. Produce from the Holistic Jew Garden is served along with ethically sourced kosher meat. Santa Monica-based Rabbi T’mimah Ickovits hosts. 5:50-9:30 p.m. $26. Holistic Jew House. Santa Monica address provided upon registration.

Potluck Sukkah Dinner
Are you in the neighborhood of Venice tonight? Join the Mishkon Tephilo community in its sukkah for a family-oriented Shabbat celebration. A service geared for preschoolers and early elementary students is followed by a vegetarian potluck meal. All potluck meals at Mishkon are strictly vegetarian and peanut-free. You may call the office for guidelines. Bring food in disposable serving dishes with disposable utensils. Dessert is provided plus BYOB. No RSVP. For more information, contact the school director at preschool@mishkon.org. 5 p.m. services. 5:30 p.m. dinner. Mishkon Tephilo, 206 Main St., Venice. (310) 392-3029.

“The Day”
Israeli avant-garde cellist Maya Beiser and world-class ballerina Wendy Whelan of the New York City Ballet teamed with composer David Lang and choreographer Lucinda Childs to create a collaborative new work, “The Day,” to be staged tonight and Saturday night. Memory, aging, death and survival of the soul are the main themes of the dance program. 8 p.m. Oct. 18 and 19. $39-$99. UCLA Royce Hall. UCLA central ticket office: (310) 825-2101.

SAT OCT 19

Services in the Sukkah
Children and their families sing and dance during Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills’ (TEBH) Shabbat service in their Early Childhood Center (ECC) sukkah this morning. PJ Library joins TEBH clergy in story and song in a refreshing outdoor setting. 10 a.m. Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills ECC sukkah, 300 N. Clark Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 288-3737.

 “A Jewish Child’s Story”
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Louise Reichlin and Dancers hold the Los Angeles premiere of Reichlin’s autobiographical “A Jewish Child’s Story,” a Holocaust-era reflection. Drawing on her earliest dream world, Reichlin, granddaughter of Jewish refugees, combines these reflections with memories of family members killed in the Holocaust. These weekend performances are not for young children. The multimedia work is in two parts. Part One is “A Dream: The Roses on My Wallpaper.” Part Two is “Yellow Star.” 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $25 general admission, $20 seniors (over 65) and children 12 and under. Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 644-6272.

SUN OCT 20

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin
Octogenarian actresses Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who co-star in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie,” share their acquired wisdom when they take the stage during the Distinguished Speaker Series at the Saban Theatre. The friends of 40 years kick off the annual lecture series, which also includes Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and former President George W. Bush. Lectures begin at 7 p.m. Tickets sold in packages only. For all six evenings in the series: $400, $320. Choose four evenings for $280. Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Additional locations include Thousand Oaks, Pasadena, Costa Mesa and Redondo Beach. For more information, call (310) 546-6222 or click the link above.

MON OCT 21

Simchat Torah Celebration
Music and dancing highlight Valley Beth Shalom’s (VBS) joyful Simchat Torah celebration, “Dancing With the Stars.” Dancing with the Torah is the traditional pastime of the evening when people young and old take turns carrying the scrolls around the VBS campus. Organizers promise to introduce “Torito,” the signature Simchat Torah drink. 6 p.m. Tots meet in Burdorf Hall for Torah celebration and parade. 6 p.m. Mincha and Ma’ariv in Winer Chapel. 6:30 p.m. community celebration. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 788-6000.

The Homelessness Crisis
Homelessness, once only spoken about in whispers, may be the most talked about domestic crisis in the country. Temple Akiba is holding a forum to explore how to end the epidemic and effectively aid the 57,000 unhoused in Los Angeles County. Temple Akiba President Ira Diamond moderates a panel discussion among five people intimately familiar with the problem: Chelsea Byers, a field organizer with the United Way’s Everyone In campaign; Matthew Tecle, a field deputy for L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin; formerly homeless person Emily Martiniuk; Mark Lipman of the Culver City Homelessness Committee; and Danny Pepper, director of resident services at the West Hollywood Community Housing Corps. L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin delivers introductory remarks. A Q&A session follows the discussion. 6:30-8 p.m. Free Temple Akiba, 5249 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. (310) 398-5783.

World-Class Teacher
Elevating back-to-back holidays Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, acclaimed Torah scholar Rabbi Menachem Leibtag returns to Beth Jacob Congregation from Israel and teaches at the Modern Orthodox synagogue. A pioneer of Jewish education on the internet and founder of the Tanach Study Center, Leibtag teaches at two yeshivas in Israel, including one for women. He appears on Oct. 21 and 22 at Beth Jacob Congregation, 9030 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 278-1911.

TUE OCT 22

Learning Jewish Meditation 
Starting this afternoon and for two more Tuesdays (Nov. 5 and Nov. 19), the public is invited to learn the fundamentals of Jewish meditation with expert instruction from Alison Laichter, who has led classes around the world and now has settled in Los Angeles. Classes draw strongly on kabbalistic teaching as well as Chasidic practices. Limit is 20 students. 1-3 p.m. Three sessions: $75; $60 for Skirball members. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500.

“The Show Won’t Go On”
Among books you may have imagined never would be written is “The Show Won’t Go On.” Billed as the first comprehensive study of the phenomenon of performers, both famous and obscure, who have died onstage, it includes a comedy magician who died on live television and an actor who dropped dead doing the play “The Art of Murder.” Co-authors Jeff Abraham and Burt Kearns appear at an Echo Park neighborhood bookstore and explain how they went about their research. 8-10 p.m. Free. Stories & Books Café, 1716 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (213) 413-3733.

WED OCT 23

Israel Election Analysis
Four academics sit down to evaluate Prime Minister Netanyahu’s survival chances after the second set of deadlocked Israeli elections this year, and discuss the possible annexation of the West Bank and the future of left- and center-left parties in Israel. Panelists include Shaiel Ben-Ephraim and Liron Lavi of the host Nazarian Center at UCLA, professor Eran Kaplan of San Francisco State University and professor Roy Peled of UC Berkeley. 5:30-7 p.m. Free. UCLA Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, Bunche Hall, Room 6275. (310) 825-9646.

THU OCT 24

Barrier-Breaking Heroine
Author Lily E. Hirsch, whose new book is “Anneliese Landau’s Life in Music: Nazi Germany to Émigré California,” brings a fresh perspective to Nazi Germany and musicologist Anneliese Landau’s musical impact on Los Angeles with this lecture. Landau broke many barriers in the World War II era, lecturing on German radio before escaping the Nazi regime 80 years ago and arriving in Los Angeles. For many years, she was music director of the Jewish Community Centers Association. 4 p.m. Free. UCLA Hillel, Herb Alpert School of Music, Schoenberg Music Building, Library Room 1102. (310) 825-4761.

Interfaith Youth Concert
The public is invited to honor the birthday of the late journalist Daniel Pearl, murdered 17 years ago by terrorists. Young Jewish, Muslim and Christian musicians from three elementary and middle schools perform in an interfaith concert at the Weizmann Day School on the campus of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. “When the children from these three faith communities take the stage, we hear their beautiful voices and we know that peace is possible,” says Lisa Feldman, head of school at Weizmann. 11 a.m. Free. Weizmann Day School, 1434 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena. (626) 797-0204.

Have an event coming up? Send your information two weeks prior to the event to ryant@jewishjournal.com for consideration. For groups staging an event that requires an RSVP, please submit details about the event the week before the RSVP deadline.