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What’s Happening: Dancing, Comedy, Roseanne Barr

[additional-authors]
February 20, 2019
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

FRI FEB 22

Mental Awareness Shabbat 
Hoping to normalize and de-stigmatize mental health issues, Temple Ahavat Shalom holds a Mental Health Awareness Shabbat. The evening begins with dinner and social worker Pam Farkas discussing today’s teenager and mental health issues. Worship services follow, addressing self-care, mental health and insights from Jewish wisdom. Rabbi Arturo Kalfus, Cantor Ken Cohen, Rabbi Dalia Samansky, cantorial soloist Beth Wasserman Rosenfeld and rabbinic student Jonah Sanderson lead services. Guests bring their own meals. Dessert provided. 6 p.m. dinner, 7:30 services. Free. Temple Ahavat Shalom, 18200 Rinaldi Place, Northridge. (818) 360-2258.

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

Special LGBTQ Guest
Beth Chayim Chadashim (BCC) welcomes Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, who leads the country’s largest LGBTQ-friendly synagogue in New York City. Kleinbaum, who in 1994 installed BCC Rabbi Lisa Edwards, speaks during the Ruach Chayim Shabbat musical service. Guests are invited to honor Edwards for her 25 years on the pulpit before her planned July 31 retirement. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with “Shabbat Dinner in the Neighborhood” at Fu’s Palace, 8751 W. Pico Blvd. Dinner, $15–$20. Services follow at 8–9:30 p.m., Beth Chayim Chadashim, 6090 W. Pico Blvd. (323) 931-7023.

SAT FEB 23

Sweethearts Ball
Singles and couples ages 50-and-older meet for the Sweethearts Ball Dinner Dance Party at Stephen Wise Temple. More than 300 rock-and-rollers are expected to dance the night away to the music of Tommy Tassi & the Authentics, who play top hits from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Dinner included. No reservations required. On-site parking. 7–11 p.m. $25 (cash only) at the door. Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive. For information, contact John at (310) 204-1240 or johnseeman@aol.com.

“A Funny Thing Happened…”
Beit T’Shuvah stages a stand-up comedy night, called “A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Rehab!” The event, which features up-and-coming comedians, supports the organization’s pay-what-you-can addiction recovery program. 7 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Valet parking provided. Beit T’Shuvah, 8847 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 204-5200.

Netanel Goldberg

“Sacred Sounds Unbound”
Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and Temple Beth Am debut their musical series, “Sacred Sounds Unbound,” featuring Israeli musician Netanel Goldberg. Adept on guitar, percussion and vocals, Goldberg is known for leading prayer sessions and healing circles in Israel. Rabbi Jonathan Aaron, Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny and Cantor Lizzie Weiss introduce the program. 7–10 p.m. $18. Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, Greer Social Hall, 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. (310) 288-3737.

SUN FEB 24

Heroes to Heroes Founder
Judy Isaacson Elias, founder of Heroes to Heroes, which sends Israel Defense Forces (IDF) veterans to assist American combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), shares her story during a breakfast program at Shomrei Torah Synagogue. With the aid of both Israel and IDF soldiers in the past nine years, Heroes to Heroes has aided more than 200 U.S. soldiers suffering from PTSD. 9:45 a.m. Free. Includes continental breakfast. Shomrei Torah Synagogue, 7353 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills. (818) 854-7650.

Lisa Robins

“The Giving Life”
Three women philanthropists share where their passions for giving have taken their lives, during a panel discussion organized by the Jewish Women’s Theatre program at The Braid. The panelists are Jill Black Zalben, director of the Stanley and Joyce Black Foundation; Ilyse Teller, board chair of the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research; and Natella Royzman, director of charitable planning at the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. Additionally, a short performance, starring actress Lisa Robins, dramatizes how the daughter of the president of Sears & Roebuck became the grand dame of philanthropy in New Orleans. The gathering includes a light brunch. 10 a.m.–noon. $20. The Braid, 2912 Colorado Ave., No. 102, Santa Monica. (310) 315-1400.

Community Service Day
In honor of Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ Community Service Day offers a range of service opportunities: At Vista del Mar Child and Family Services, volunteers of all ages and abilities prepare for Purim by assembling gratitude gift baskets for firefighters and first-responders. At Jewish Family Service Chaverim and HaMercaz, work with Shalom Institute’s Shemesh Farms on projects that include gardening and karaoke. At ETTA, volunteers 11 and older make no-sew fleece blankets. At Sinai Temple, the Miracle Project and Beit Bracha organize an interactive day of theater games, musical performances and more. Times and locations: 10 a.m.–noon, Vista del Mar, 3200 Motor Ave.; 10 a.m.–noon, Jewish Family Service, 12821 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood; 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd.; noon-2 p.m., ETTA, 13034 Saticoy St., North Hollywood. Contact the Jewish Federation at (323) 761-8000 or visit the website for additional information.

Barr and Boteach Talk About Their Trip to Israel
Roseanne Barr and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach discuss their recent trip to Israel, an intimate account of their life-changing journey. Jewish Journal Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Suissa moderates the conversation. 8 p.m. $15 presale, $20 door. Limited seating. Morry’s Fireplace, 9118 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information and tickets, click the link above.

Parsha Posters

Jewish Street Art
Artist and graphic designer Hillel Smith directs a spray-paint stencil workshop at Temple Isaiah. Smith, creator of weekly parsha posters in the synagogue’s lobby, starts with a discussion about art as a way of expressing personal and communal identity and highlights Jewish approaches to art throughout history before teaching how to design, cut and paint stencils. 1–2 p.m. Free. Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-2772.

MON FEB 25

“Secrets of Erotic Lust”
In his ongoing effort to solidify marital relationships, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach examines “Three Secrets of Erotic Lust,” drawing on the recent book, “Lust for Love,” which he wrote with actress Pamela Anderson. 6:30–8:30 p.m. $20. Nessah Synagogue, 142 S. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 273-2400.

WED FEB 27

“Doing Jewish”
Wilshire Boulevard Temple screens the documentary “Doing Jewish: A Story From Ghana,” about Gabrielle Zilkha, a young Jewish woman from Canada who sets out to be a volunteer in Africa and finds herself surrounded by Christians as Rosh Hashanah approaches. She keeps traveling and searching and encounters a group in Ghana, the Jews of Sefwi Wiawso, who practice circumcision, keep kosher and seek acceptance in the Jewish world. 7:30 p.m. Free. Wilshire Boulevard Temple Irmas Campus, 11661 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles.  (213) 388-2401.

“From India to Indiana”
Music by the late composer Walter Kaufmann is the centerpiece of “From India to Indiana: Melding Music,” a blend of classical music from the West with traditional music of India. Kaufmann, who lived from 1907–84, fled from Czechoslovakia to Bombay with the rise of Nazism. He came to the U.S. in 1957 and taught at Indiana University before retiring. The Grammy-nominated ARC Ensemble performs Kaufmann’s work. 5:30 p.m. pre-concert talk and performances; 7:30 p.m. concert. Free. UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Schoenberg Hall, 445 Charles E. Young Drive East. (310) 825-0174.

THU FEB 28

Stephen Fried
Author, journalist and teacher Stephen Fried discusses his latest book, “Rush,” which delves into the life of one of America’s lesser-known Founding Fathers, Benjamin Rush, and concludes that Rush deserves to be rated with the great U.S. leaders. In a presentation at American Jewish University, Fried discusses his research into previously unpublished letters that uncovered impressive facts about this protégé of Benjamin Franklin. 7:30 p.m. $10. American Jewish University, Sperber Community Library, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 440-1572.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, one of the most influential authors of Jewish books, and Stephen Wise Temple Rabbi David Woznica, discuss a range of topics, including: Israel, God, the role Judaism can play in shaping our interpersonal and familial relationships, Jewish humor and what it teaches about the Jewish people, and the use of words in private and public discourse. The program is presented in cooperation with Israel Bonds, which attendees will have the opportunity to purchase. 7:30 p.m. $15 temple members, $20 general. Stephen Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive. (310) 476-8561.


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