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What’s Happening in Jewish L.A. Mar. 2-8: Special Film, Comedy and Debates

[additional-authors]
March 1, 2018
Foxtrot

FRI MARCH 2
“FOXTROT”

Foxtrot

In the movie “Foxtrot,” Israeli director Samuel Maoz depicts the gut-wrenching grief, the overzealous mourning relatives, the well-meaning bureaucrats, and the downward spiral of depression and anger that come with losing a son in the military. Israel’s entry in the Oscar race for best foreign language film (which, ultimately, was not nominated) is a wrenching portrayal of parental grief, the joys and stresses of marriage, the boredom of army life and how Israel’s occupation policy humiliates the occupied and hardens the occupiers. The film opens at Laemmle’s Royal Theatre before expanding to additional screens on March 9. Various times. Friday-Sunday: $13, general; $10, seniors and children. Monday-Thursday: $12, general; $9, seniors and children. Laemmle’s Royal Theatre, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

FRIDAY NIGHT UNPLUGGED

Friday Night Unplugged

Friday Night Unplugged injects soul and meaning, through mindful meditation and a cappella prayers, into Shabbat services. Get into the zone for a meaningful and uplifting Friday night led by Rabbi Mendel Simons, director of Young Jewish Professionals of Los Angeles. A burgers-and-beer cocktail hour follows. 5:30-7:30 p.m. $10. The YJP Loft, 7122 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 692-4190. yjplosangeles.com/unplug.

NEFESH SHABBAT

Nefesh Shabbat

Uplift the soul and experience Shabbat during this biweekly service led by Wilshire Boulevard Temple Rabbi Susan Goldberg and the WBT Nefesh band. Come early for a potluck at 6:30 p.m. and stay for the acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. A musical, spiritual and community-oriented evening awaits. 7:30 p.m. Free. Wilshire Boulevard Temple, 3663 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 835-2146. wbtla.org.

SUN MARCH 4
SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM

Rabbi Keara Stein, director of InterfaithFamily/LA, leads the final session of a four-part speaker series, “There’s Nothing New Under the Jewish Sun: A Look at Modern Issues Through a Jewish Lens.” The program has examined the hot-button topics of the day, including sexual harassment, fake news and the internet. 9-10:45 a.m. Free. The Studio @ SIJCC, 1110 Bates Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 663-2255. sijcc.net.

PURIM CARNIVAL

San Fernando Valley-based Temple Judea encourages the entire family to enjoy a day of festivities, featuring rides that are bigger and better than ever, including a Ferris wheel, zip line, giant slide, bouncy houses, obstacle course and Lego pit. Of course, no carnival would be complete without nosh, and this event serves up plenty, with hot dogs, burgers and cotton candy among the options. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wristbands ($40 for unlimited rides and food) and tickets ($25 for 20) are available for purchase in advance or at the event. Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com/purim.

WOMEN AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

As the nation grapples with gun violence in schools and public spaces, Temple Isaiah holds a timely discussion with representatives of Women Against Gun Violence, which seeks stringent gun laws. The morning event will focus on how to talk to children about guns; how to keep children and communities safe; how to ask your family, friends and neighbors if they have guns and whether the guns are locked up; and what gun owners should know about locking up their guns. Light breakfast served. 9:30 a.m. Free. Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-2772. templeisaiah.com.

FIFTH ANNUAL OSCAR NIGHT AT KEHILLAT ISRAEL

Kehillat Israel marries Hollywood’s most glamorous night with tikkun olam. Guests are invited to watch the Academy Awards on the big screen while packing 1,500 lunches for homeless people. Don’t miss this “golden” opportunity to mingle, gossip about the winners and repair the world. Recommended for guests at least 8 years old. Free and open to the public. 5-9 p.m. Sign up to attend or sponsor at ourki.org. Kehillat Israel Social Hall, 16019 W. Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-2328. ourki.org.

MARC MARON

Marc Maron

Jewish comedian Marc Maron headlines a special event that is sure to have audiences laughing out loud all night long. The veteran stand-up comic draws on 20 years of writing and performing experience, which includes conducting intimate interviews with iconic personalities on his hit podcast, “WTF With Marc Maron.” Don’t miss an opportunity to spend the night with one of the sharpest funnymen working today. For ages 18 and older only. 6 p.m., doors; 7 p.m., performance. $20. The Ice House, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. (626) 577-1894. icehousecomedy.com.

MON MARCH 5
IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE

One LA, a coalition of faith-based organizations committed to social justice, including Temple Beth Am, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and Temple Judea, holds a conference focused on the moral and economic framework for supporting immigration. 6-8 p.m. Free. Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. (310) 488-1167. onela-iaf.org/immigration_conference.

“JEWISH SOLDIERS IN BLUE & GRAY”

“Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray”

More than 10,000 Jewish soldiers fought in the Civil War, the nation’s deadliest war, which pitted brother against brother and Jew against Jew. The film “Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray” tells a remarkable history, including Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s order expelling Jews from Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi; the rise of Sephardic Jew Judah P. Benjamin to secretary of state of the Confederacy; the imprisonment of Confederate spy Eugenia Levy Phillips; and the story of Abraham Lincoln’s Jewish doctor, who moved through the South as a Union spy. Sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County. 7-9 p.m. Free. Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. (818) 889-6616. jgscv.org.

“ELIE WIESEL: WHEN A DISSIDENT SETS THE AGENDA FOR ESTABLISHMENT”

Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel played many roles in his life: Holocaust survivor, activist, author, educator and Nobel laureate. Join scholar Michael Berenbaum as he discusses Wiesel as a dissident against Jewish passivity, indifference and complacency. Berenbaum will examine Wiesel’s early years and his dissidence that ultimately became part of the Jewish agenda. 7:30 p.m. $18. David Alan Shapiro Memorial Synagogue, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 476-9777. aju.edu.

WED MARCH 7
“STORY TIME AT NOAH’S ARK”

“Story Time at Noah’s Ark”

Accompany your children to a one-of-a-kind, story-time experience. Listen as flood stories from cultures around the world are brought to life through the timeless tradition of oral storytelling. The program is presented weekly on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. $12, general; $7, children 2-12. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

ATID YOGA

Atid, Sinai Temple’s group for people in their 20s and 30s, holds an evening yoga class for all levels, from beginners to seasoned yogis. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. atidla.com/calendar.

THU MARCH 8
“MENTAL ILLNESS AND CREATIVITY”

Ayelet Waldman

Kay Redfield Jamison, author of the 2017 book “Robert Lowell: Setting the Stone on Fire,” which illuminates the interplay of mania, depression and creativity, and Israeli-American author Ayelet Waldman discuss “Mental Illness and Creativity.” Waldman explored similar themes in her 2016 book, “A Really Good Day,” which told of the author’s experiments with small doses of LSD to brighten her mood. The two authors challenge the audience to think differently about a misunderstood condition. 7 p.m. Free, advance ticket required. Getty Center Harold M. Williams Auditorium, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 440-7300. getty.edu.

“JEWS, MUSIC AND MODERNITY IN BUENOS AIRES”

Lillian M. Wohl

Since 1994, “Jewish music” has emerged as an important yet ambiguous mode of cultural expression in Argentina, making audible Jewish history in Latin America and affirming a contemporary Jewish presence in the region. Lillian M. Wohl, the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music Post-Doctoral Fellow at UCLA, discusses the intersection of  cultural renewal and memory in Jewish music performed in public and private spaces in Buenos Aires. 4-5:30 p.m. Free. RSVP to cjsrsvp@humnet.ucla.edu. UCLA Faculty Center, 480 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles. (310) 267-5327. cjs.ucla.edu.

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