What’s Happening: Hanukkah Events, YULA Comedy Night

FRI DEC 13

Beach Boys Shabbat
Nearly 60 years after the Beach Boys left their South Bay hometown of Hawthorne, their beachside sounds highlight Kehillat Israel’s Beach Boys Hanukkah Shabbat. The liturgy is set to Beach Boys music with English lyrics to the service set by Daniel Leanse. Soloists are Cantor Chayim Frenkel, Leanse, Rabbi Amy Bernstein and Surf’s Up, a Beach Boys tribute band. The evening is sponsored by Marilyn and Stewart Lonky in memory of their parents. 7 p.m. Free. Kehillat Israel, 16019 W. Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-2328.

SAT DEC 14

Seniors Holidays Dance
Adults ages 50 and older gather for dancing, dinner, drinks and dessert at this annual holiday party. The evening features a live band and, according to organizer Debra Graff, is a “great way to spend the holidays.” More than 250 people, including couples and singles, are expected. 7-11 p.m., $25. Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, Los Angeles. For additional information, email johnseeman@aol.com.

SUN DEC 15

Holocaust Survivors Brunch
Sinai Temple invites all Los Angeles-based Holocaust survivors and the teen community to a free brunch and program. It is a moment to honor the legacies of survivors who, face to face with students, share their stories. If you know a survivor who is unable to drive, contact teencenter@sinaitemple.org or call (310) 481-3232 and transportation will be provided. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 pm. Free. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd. (310) 474-1518.

“40 Years in America”
Jewish Journal columnist Tabby Refael and the Chloe Pourmorady Ensemble headline “40 Years in America,” a concert and soiree at Valley Beth Shalom about the arrival and integration of the Iranian Jewish community in the U.S. Refael is co-founder of 30 Years After, and Pourmorady’s seven-member group combines elements of ancient and modern sounds, classical and rock. Tasty Persian desserts are on the menu. 7-10:30 p.m. $36. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 788-6000. (310) 247-2266. 

Chanukapalooza
Have hours of fun a week before Hanukkah at Beth Jacob’s Chanukahpalooza, teaming with other teens. Sevivon (dreidel) activities and Hanukkah crafts keep you occupied while you also have options for your favorite sufganiyot fillings. 10 a.m.-noon. $10 members, $15 general. Beth Jacob Congregation, 9030 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 278-1911.

Hanukkah Monologues 3.0
To emotionally prepare for Hanukkah one week from tonight, Temple Beth Am invites you to “The Hanukkah Monologues, 3.0: Heroes, Miracles & Lights in the Dark,” an evening of live holiday performances of personal narratives by community members. Inspired by NPR’s storytelling show, “The Moth,” the evening includes plenty of time for noshing and schmoozing. Recommended for ages 14-and-older. 7-9 p.m. $20 general admission, $18 for members. Temple Beth Am, 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 652-7353.

Hanukkah Festival
Whatever you want out of Hanukkah, you are likely to find it this afternoon at the Skirball Cultural Center’s annual Hanukkah Festival. Get in the holiday spirit with musical performances by Klezmer Juice, classic Hanukkah tunes by fiddler and accordionist duo Zingarella, live capoeira by Dana Maman and Friends, hands-on workshops, storytelling, exhibits, dining —  including latkes and sufganiyot — and shopping. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $12 general admission, $9 seniors, full-time students and children older than 12, $7 children 2-12. Free for members and children 2 and younger. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. (310) 440-4500.

“Very Happy Goyisha Hanukkah”
If you are looking for a new slant on understanding Judaism’s December holiday, the Jewish Women’s Theatre brings you “A Very Happy Goyisha Hanukkah,” a new cabaret show with songs, stories and schmaltz. Written and performed by Anna Abbott and directed by Susan Morgenstern. Come watch an Evangelical debutante describe her funny journey from “Our Daily Bread Daycare” to a new life of chopped liver and latkes.
Two performances: 2 p.m. today, and 8 p.m. Dec. 17. $30, $35 at the door. The
Braid, 2912 Colorado Ave., No. 102, Santa Monica. (310) 315-1400.

“Healing the Holocaust”
How will legacies and heroic actions of the Holocaust be explained to future generations after the last survivor dies? Holocaust scholar Michael Berenbaum, director of the Sigi Ziering Institute and professor of Jewish studies at American Jewish University, engages groundbreaking author G.K. Hunter on the subject. Hunter’s new book, “Healing Our Bloodlines: The 8 Realizations of Generational Liberation,” examines, among other things, how we learn about invisible burdens that remain after major historic events. A short Q & A follows the 90-minute presentation. 4-6 p.m. Free, $10 suggested donation. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust in Pan Pacific Park, 100 S. The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. (323) 651-3704.

MON DEC 16

Sean Rad of Tinder
An evening with Sean Rad, who co-founded Tinder in 2012 with his childhood friend Justin Mateen, both of whom are from Iranian Jewish families. Organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles as part of its JTECH Sandbox Series, the event draws Jewish professionals in Los Angeles’ tech-based ecosystem, including CEOs, rising entrepreneurs and venture capital professionals. Rad discusses the miracles, triumphs and challenges of launching a tech company that has forever changed how we meet, couple and interact. Rad also talks about Good Today, his new nonprofit venture. 6:30 p.m. mingling, cocktails. 7 p.m. dinner. 8 p.m. program. 8:30-9 p.m. mingling. $36. Private Westside location. Address provided upon registration. For additional information, email Zack Lodmer at zlodmer@jewishla.org or call (323) 761-8326.

“World War II Through the Eyes of Ernie Pyle”
Ernie Pyle probably was the most famous war correspondent in American history. Tonight, actor Arnold Weiss gives a dramatic presentation titled “World War II Through the Eyes of Ernie Pyle” at Kehillat Ma’arav. Killed in the last days of the war at age 44, Pyle wrote about ordinary soldiers called “dogfaces.” After recovering from combat stress, he returned to the war zone in January 1945, but was shot dead by the enemy in April, weeks before fighting was halted. Don’t miss Weiss’ dramatic presentation of his life. 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Kehillat Ma’arav, 1715 21st St., Santa Monica. (310) 829-0566.

YULA Comedy Night
A funny thing happened to six comedians on their way to YULA Girls Comedy Night at the Writers Guild Theater — and you’ll have to buy a ticket to find out what. Performing are Mark Schiff, Blake Vogt, Steve White, Ashley Blaker, Jeff Allen and Kira Soltanovich, who lend their comedic talents to help raise money for YULA Girls High School. 6:30 p.m. cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. 7:30 p.m. show, dessert to follow. $180 per ticket, $300 for two tickets. Tickets and sponsorships available. Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 203-0755.

Anxiety Disorder
Kol Tikvah’s six-part Health and Wellness Series, examining the connection between body and mind, continues with a discussion on anxiety. Licensed marriage and family therapist Nicole Gershenson, who focuses on anxiety, depression and addiction, is the speaker. During the final hour of the evening, Kol Tikvah facilitates a National Alliance on Mental Illness/Faith Net support group. Light nosh served. 6:30 p.m. doors open. 6:45 p.m. program. Free. RSVP requested. Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 348-0670.

WED DEC 18

Brad Sherman Town Hall
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Northridge), holds a telephone town hall. Immigration, fire safety, the economy, Social Security and Medicare are hot topics, too. To participate, call (855) 920-0548 anytime between 7-8:30 p.m. this evening. For more information, click the link above.

“Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas”
The latest screening in Congregation Kol Ami’s “DocJewmentary” film series is the offbeat, irreverent musical, “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas,” which tells how a group of Jewish writers — including Irving Berlin and Mel Torme — who were outsiders and found Christmas to be an ideal vehicle for imagining a better world, wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Members: $5, $25 for the series. General: $18, $80 for series Congregation Kol Ami, 1200 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood. (323) 606-0996.

THU DEC 19

Sephardic Hanukkah for Families
Get an early start on the holiday when you join families of the Sephardic Temple for a Hanukkah program, followed by a party with fun-filled activities for children and the community’s early childhood center’s families. 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Sephardic Temple,
10500 Wilshire Blvd. (310) 475-7000.

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.