What’s Happening in Jewish L.A. Nov. 3-9: Food, Faith and Field, Sephardic Film Fest and More

SAT NOV 4
LEV EISHA SHABBAT

A joyous community of Jewish women led by Lev Eisha founding Rabbi Toba August, musical educator and recording artist Cindy Paley, and performing artist Joy Krauthammer comes together to celebrate. A Kiddush follows. 9:30 a.m. to noon. Free. Lev Eisha at Temple Beth Shir Shalom, 1827 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 575-0985. leveisha.org.

“ANNIE KORZEN FAMOUS ACTRESS”

Actress Annie Korzen, best known for her role on “Seinfeld” as Del Boca Vista retiree Doris Klompus, performs her solo show for Jewish Women’s Theatre. Korzen takes the audience on a journey through her life onstage and off, juxtaposing her status as a bit player in films and television with being a divalike leading lady in her son’s life. Extended through Nov. 19. 8 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $40 in advance, $45 at the door. The Braid, 2912 Colorado Ave., No. 102, Santa Monica. (310) 315-1400. jewishwomenstheatre.org.

SHABBAT SHIUR

On Shabbat, Eli Beer, founding president of United Hatzalah of Israel, leads an afternoon class. Hatzalah of Israel is Israel’s all-volunteer emergency medical first-responders’ organization. A Hatzalah ambulance will be on display for kids. 12:30 p.m. Free. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 788-6000. vbs.org.

SUN NOV 5
“FOOD, FAITH AND FIELD”

Faith-based food justice organization Netiya holds its second annual “Food, Faith and Field,” a multifaith symposium connecting spiritual practice with responsible land use. Panel discussions include “Food Relief or Food Justice?” “Faith-Based Stewardship: Agrarian Theology” and “Earth-Based Wisdom: Applying Spiritual and Environmental Stewardship.” Roundtable discussions examine “Land and Health: Healing Your Land and Spirit,” “Climate Change: What Your Congregation Can Do” and more. Speakers include Netiya founding Executive Director Devorah Brous, activist Helena Norberg-Hodge and former Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief Rob Eshman. Mary MacVean, former Mind & Body editor at the Los Angeles Times, will moderate a Q-and-A. Planned demonstration topics include how to start and cultivate a garden, and how to reap a harvest. Eco-friendly art will be on display. 3-7 p.m. $35. Temple Israel of Hollywood, 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 761-5111. netiya.org.

14TH ANNUAL L.A. SEPHARDIC FILM FESTIVAL

Through the art of cinema, the weeklong event depicts the Sephardic Jewish experience from Tunisia, Israel, France, Iraq and Morocco. The opening gala features an awards ceremony, dinner and the screening of the 2012 Israeli film “Back to Casablanca.” The festival continues through Nov. 12 with “The Pirate Captain Toledano,” a short film set in the world of Jewish piracy in the Caribbean; “Why Do They Hate Us?” a documentary examining anti-Semitism in France; and “Dimona Twist,” a nostalgic work about Casablanca. Through Nov. 12. $325 for opening gala, $15 for individual films. Opening gala at 4 p.m. at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Films run Nov. 7-12 at Laemmle Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (323) 272-4574. sephardiceducationalcenter.org.

MITZVAH DAY

Paint a homeless shelter, sort through clothing donations, prepare low-income students for admission interviews at college preparatory schools or participate in other volunteer activities on this Mitzvah Day, when The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley synagogues hold community service projects to help people in need. Among the synagogues involved are Stephen Wise Temple, Shomrei Torah Synagogue, Temple Aliyah and Temple Judea. For times, locations and more information on Federation projects, call (323) 761-8000 or visit jewishla.org/program/community-service-days. Contact synagogues for information on their programs or visit their websites at wisela.org/mitzvahday, templealiyah.org, stsonline.org and templejudea.com/mitzvahday.

HADASSAH WOMEN’S WELLNESS DAY

Hadassah Southern California’s daylong gathering aims to educate and empower women to live full and healthy lives. World-class medical experts from the Cedars-Sinai and UCLA medical centers will explore topics including secrets of female urology and sexual health, memory training and brain fitness, heart and lifestyle, body blind spots, the differences between men and women, and women’s cancers and melanoma. Ellen Hershkin, Hadassah’s national president, is scheduled to appear. Wendy Walsh, a relationship expert, is set to moderate a panel discussion. 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $95 (includes continental breakfast, lunch and parking). American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 276-0036. hadassah.org/events/wellnessday2017.

“AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE IN MUSIC”

The impact of American Jews on music in the United States will be examined during this three-day event. “David’s Quilt,” an evening concert exploring the life of the biblical King David, starts the event Nov. 5. A two-day conference Nov. 6–7 will follow. Panels will focus on the Jewish-American musical experience, from the great immigrant wave of the 1880s to the 1920s, through Yiddish folk, popular music, Broadway and klezmer wedding music. Topics include “Jews and the L.A. Music Industry,” “Jewish Musical Interactions With Popular Media” and “Echoes of the Holocaust on the American Musical Stage: ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and Beyond.” A chamber music concert will conclude the event. All music will be performed by UCLA students. “David’s Quilt,” 7 p.m. Free. Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, Los Angeles. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. Monday through Tuesday evening. Free. UCLA Luskin Conference Center, 425 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles. (310) 825-5387. cjs.ucla.edu.

“JEWISH PHOTOGRAPHERS OF MODERNITY”

Deborah Dash Moore, the Frederick G.L. Huetwell professor of history and director of the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, will deliver the 2017 Jerome Nemer Lecture hosted by USC’s Casden Institute and USC’s Visual Studies Research Institute. Moore has published an acclaimed trilogy examining American Jewry in the years from 1920 to 1960, including the experience of Jewish soldiers in World War II. In her 2014 book, “Urban Origins of American Judaism,” she examines synagogues, city streets and photographs to understand how city life has shaped religious practices in Judaism. Los Angeles photographer Bill Aron, a chronicler of Jewish communities around the world, also will speak. 4:45-7 p.m. (4:45 p.m. reception, 5:30 p.m. dinner). Free (reservations required). Town and Gown, University Park Campus, USC, 665 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 740-1744. usc.edu/esvp. RSVP code: NemerLecture.

SHARSHERET ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Israeli singer and songwriter Eleanor Tallie performs in celebration of the first anniversary of Sharsheret California, which supports young Jewish women and their families facing breast cancer. Tallie, who sings in English, has a bluesy, soulful sound that incorporates hip-hop and horns in ways some have described as “neo-soul.” The event will honor and thank the volunteers and friends who have helped make Sharsheret’s first year of operation on the West Coast a success. The evening also includes a VIP meet-and-greet and a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception. 7-9 p.m. $72 for young leadership (30 and under), $90 (per person over 30). Robertson Art Space, 1020 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. (866) 474-2774. sharsheret.org/cacelebration.

MON NOV 6
“AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST”

McGill University professor and presidential historian Gil Troy, a prominent activist in the fight against the delegitimization of Israel, and Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Ed Feinstein, an active American Israel public affairs committee member, discuss the past and future of American leadership in the Middle East. 7 p.m. registration; 7:30 p.m. program. Free. Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 788-6000. vbs.org.

TUE NOV 7
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL CLOWNS

Two medical clowns from Israel, David “Dudi” Barashi and Rotem Goldenberg, will discuss how clowns can heal illness and help build bridges between Arabs and Israelis. Medical clowns in Israel use laughter to comfort patients. Also, film director Sasha Kapustina will talk about her documentary about Israel’s medical clowns, “I Clown You.” 6:30 p.m. Free dinner for members of Sinai Temple and its men’s club; $10 dinner for nonmembers. Sinai Temple,10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. sinaitemple.org.

WED NOV 8
LONG BEACH JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Five films are on the schedule Nov. 8, 9, 11 and 12 at the Long Beach Jewish Film Festival. “On the Map” tells the Cinderella story of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team’s unlikely run in the 1977 European Cup championship. In “The Invisibles,” four young Jews must survive in 1943 Berlin. In “Moos,” a Dutch film co-written and directed by Job Gosschalk, the life of a young woman who cares for her father is upended by the arrival of an old friend. “Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story” examines the lives of Harold and Lillian Michelson, who left an indelible mark on classic Hollywood films. In “The Women’s Balcony,” a tragedy at a bar mitzvah divides an Orthodox community in Jerusalem. $50 festival pass; $12 per film; $5 for students. Alpert Jewish Community Center, Weinberg Jewish Federation Campus, 3801 E. Willow St., Long Beach. (562) 426-7601. alpertjcc.org.

“ISRAEL AT THE CROSSROADS: WHY THE JEWISH STATE STILL MATTERS”

Larry Greenfield, a fellow of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy and an expert on Israeli affairs, and Jewish Journal Senior Writer Danielle Berrin discuss Israel’s policies and security concerns, and its connections to the United States and American Jewry, religion and the world. Moderated by Rick Entin, who co-chairs the Israel Matters Committee at Kehillat Israel. 7 p.m. Free. RSVPs are recommended but not required. Kehillat Israel, 16019 W. Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-2328. ourki.shulcloud.com/form/im.

AVI AVITAL

Israeli mandolin virtuoso and composer Avi Avital leads clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh and New York City chamber orchestra The Knights in performing original, baroque and romantic masterworks grounded in the classical tradition and crossing boundaries into the worlds of Middle Eastern and Balkan music, klezmer and jazz. Avital is known for making new arrangements of classical works not originally intended for mandolin. 7:30 p.m. $50-$90. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. (310) 434-3200. thebroadstage.org/azmehavitalknights.

MEET “THE INQUISITOR’S TALE” AUTHOR

New York Times best-selling author Adam Gidwitz, a Newbery Honor Books Award winner and a National Jewish Book Award finalist, will sign “The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog.” The book is about three children who traverse villages in France in the year 1242 in an attempt to prevent Talmuds and other holy books from being destroyed. 7:30 p.m. $10; $5 for educators and students with ID. Burton Sperber Jewish Community Library at American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 440-1572. wcce.aju.edu.

THU NOV 9
“IRAN’S QUEST FOR REGIONAL HEGEMONY”

As debate continues over the Iranian nuclear agreement, Tel Aviv University professor emeritus and UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies visiting professor David Menashri will explore the impact of Iran’s growing power and ambition on the Middle East and beyond, placing these developments in their historical and regional context. 6 p.m. Free. UCLA Royce Hall, Room 314, 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 825-9646. international.ucla.edu/israel/event/12782.

MEET “HANK & JIM” AUTHOR

Author Scott Eyman will discuss his latest book, “Hank & Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart,” a fascinating portrait of the actors’ extraordinary friendship. Eyman is the author of 15 books, three of them New York Times best-sellers. 7:30 p.m. $10. Burton Sperber Jewish Community Library at American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 440-1572. wcce.aju.edu.