FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE

It’s the second Friday of the month, which means it’s time for the Ted (z”l) & Hedy (z”l) Orden and Family Friday Night Live at Sinai Temple. Young professionals (ages 21-45) will gather on the Karsh Terrace for a high-energy service with a live band led by Duvid Swirsky, followed by a cocktail hour and dinner catered by the Tel Aviv Grill. 6:15 p.m. $36. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518.  https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9T5cTFNEw/

APPRECIATING TEACHERS

Tonight’s Shabbat service at Leo Baeck Temple is dedicated to thanking teachers. The evening starts with a Religious School Family Shabbat, with students helping to lead the service, followed by a Teacher Appreciation dinner. 6:15-9 p.m. $30 adults; $18 children 6-12, $5 age five and under. Leo Baeck Temple, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles. (310) 476-2861. https://leobaecktemple.org/calendar

KITT Shabbat

Kehillat Israel is back at the Cayton Children’s Museum, and this week’s Shabbat features the work of KITT (KI Tzedakah Teens, the temple’s teen philanthropy program which has raised over half a million over 15 years) and the Cayton Museum.  7 p.m. Free.  Cayton Children’s Museum, 395 Santa Monica Pl., (south of Third Street Promenade at Broadway)  Santa Monica. (424) 416-8320. https://www.ourki.org/programming

HIKE AND LEARN

If you’re in your 20s and 30s, why not join IKAR’s Tribe  for a 3.6-mile moderate hike led by Kayla Morris to Switzer Falls along the Gabrielino Trail. You’ll be crossing streams and waterfalls. Adventure Pass ($5) required. Meet at 701 Angeles Crest Hwy. in Tujunga at 9 a.m. Online registration has closed, but cancellations are possible.  https://ikar.org/events/tribe-20s-30s-hike-and-learn-lay-led-15/

LUNCH DRIVE

Make a meal, make a Mitzvah. For the past five years, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills’ Mitzvah Corps has faithfully prepared lunches for the Hollywood Food Coalition. Since last year’s fires, a group of volunteers has stepped up every weekend to make 200 lunches, and more hands are needed. If you can’t make it but want to help, donations are gratefully accepted. Contact mitzvah@tebh.org for details. 9:15-11 a.m. 300 N. Clark Dr., Beverly Hills. (310) 288-3737. https://tebh.org/event/make-lunch-6-2/

ATID TAKES A HIKE

Sinai Temple invites young Jewish professionals (20s and 30s) to join ATID this morning for a three-mile round-trip with a 750-foot elevation to a viewpoint above the end of Los Liones Trail.  It’s estimated to take an hour and 45 minutes. Meet just outside the trail gate at the end of the cul-de-sac at 580 Los Liones Dr., Pacific Palisades. 9:10 a.m. Free. No dogs allowed. Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18hWyzGB–JwfoxidPgk-HYM6V5PaeyyjkJvJbP_Ktos/viewform?edit_requested=true.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP

If you are grieving someone, you don’t have to do go through it alone: the monthly Hillside Grief Support group meets this morning. Join Hillside’s in-person Grief Support Group, led by Certified Grief Educator Maggi Scharf. 11:30 a.m.  Register here. Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 641-0707. https://tioh.org/event/hillside-grief-support-group/2026-05-10/

KNITTING, CROCHETING

Looking for some quiet relaxation among friends? Every Monday, Temple Ramat Zion hosts a morning session where you can knit and crochet. Yarn is provided, and the finished products are donated to those in need. 9:30 a.m. Temple Ramat Zion, 17655 Devonshire St., Northridge. (818) 360-1881. https://www.trz.org/calendar?date_start=specific+date&date_start_x=0&date_start_date=2026-05-01

TJ VILLAGE MOVIE CLUB

You are invited to join Temple Judea’s TJ Village Movie Club this afternoon. Meet in the lobby of the Laemmle Town Center 5 theater in Encino at approximately 4 p.m., enjoy a film (to be determined) and finish the evening with a meal and movie discussion at a nearby restaurant. Contact Robyn Lutsky at (818) 808-8634 with any questions or to RSVP. Laemmle Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd, Encino. (310) 478-3836. https://portal.templejudea.com/event/tjvillage-movie-club-out–about4.html

WALKERS AND TALKERS

Looking to get your steps in? Why not meet Kehillat Ma’arav’s Walkers and Talkers for their weekly stroll around Santa Monica.  Meet up at the Rose Garden in Palisades Park (cross streets – Palisades and Ocean Avenues), Santa Monica. Noon-1p.m. https://www.km-synagogue.org/calendar/calendar/

FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS

“The Hollywood Rabbi,” spotlighting the life and achievements of Rabbi Marvin Hier, 87-year-old dean/founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and winner of two Academy Awards, kicks off the 20^th annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival at the Saban Theatre.  Red carpet arrivals and reception at 7 p.m., the movie starts at 7:45 p.m. The Saban Theatre. 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (888) 645-5006. More information and tickets at https://lajfilmfest.org.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Braid’s final production of the season “L’Chaim America!” which celebrates America’s 250th anniversary through stories of gratitude and possibility in Jewish American life. Tonight’s performance is in-person only, but there will be 10 additional performances in the Los Angeles and on Zoom through June 17. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $45 general admission; students/community access $20.The Braid, 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., #105, Santa Monica. (310) 263-8277. For complete schedule and tickets, visit https://the-braid.org/calendar/.

SEARCHING FOR SECURITY

Juliette Kayyem, former Undersecretary in the Department of Homeland Security and faculty member of Harvard’s Kennedy School, will be Warren Olney’s guest this afternoon for an on-line discussion about “Security in an Era of Domestic Instability.” It’s part of the “America at a Crossroads” series founded by Jews United for Democracy and Justice. 5 p.m. Register at https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/upcoming-programs/.

JEWISH PLAYWRITING CONTEST

Tonight, you can be a part of the Second Annual Jewish Playwriting Contest. Twenty-minute excerpts from three new plays will be staged, and at the end of the night, you can vote for your favorite. The results will contribute to the selection of the winning play. Presented by the Ebell Theater of Los Angeles and the Holocaust Museum LA, in partnership with the Jewish Plays Project. 7-11 p.m. $18. Wilshire Ebell Theater, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-1277. https://www.ebellofla.org/events/jewish-playwriting-contest