Calendar Girls Picks and Clicks Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: NFL to frum; Shiksa syndrome, ‘Waltz with Bashir’

MON | DECEMBER 1

(FILM)
The Israeli film industry continues to wow world audiences with its increasingly innovative and skillful productions. The buzz this year is about a provocative animated film by Ari Folman that is Israel’s official submission for the foreign-language Oscar in 2008. “Waltz With Bashir” is an autobiographical ” target=”_blank”>http://www.ticketmaster.com.

(PARENTING)
OK, you’ve probably heard of the “Dog Whisperer,” but have you ever heard of the Family Whisperer? Mark L. Brenner, a specialist in early childhood development, adolescence and high-conflict family issues, is presenting “Four Critical Habits to Prepare Your Child for Life.” Brenner will also take questions about other concerns, offering practical advice for parents with children in all age groups. Mon. 7:30 p.m. $6-$10. Thousand Oaks Chabad Jewish Center, 2060 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, Suite 1, Thousand Oaks. (805) 493-7776. ” border = 0 vspace = ‘8’ hspace = ‘8’ align = ‘left’>father, Yona, was one of those Jews. From a mud hut in a tiny village where people still spoke the language of Jesus — Aramaic — to the ivy-covered halls of Yale, Yona’s tale, chronicled in “My Father’s Paradise,” is one of a nearly vanished history and a new generation that longs to preserve it. “Sabar’s search is part memoir, part history, a bit of cultural critique, some family bonding, and there’s even a mystery,” wrote one critic. Sabar will be reading excerpts from and signing his book at various SoCal events. Tue. Noon. Free. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. Also, Dec. 3 at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena; Dec. 6 at Temple Menorah in Redondo Beach; and Dec. 6 at Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in Pasadena.

(THEATER)
There’s major drama at New Community Jewish High School. No, not the scandalous kind of drama; the educational kind. The West Hills private school is inaugurating its new drama department with a student production of “God’s Favorite” by Broadway hit-maker and Jewish American playwright Neil Simon. First published in 1974, this comedy borrows its main plot points from the biblical Book of Job, but transforms the seriousness of the story into a farcical tale about one man’s unshakable faith in the face of terrible (and hilarious) misfortunes. Wed. 7 p.m. and Thu. 7 p.m. $10-$12 (advance), $12-$15 (at the door). New JCC at Milken, 22622 Vanowen St., West Hills. (818) 348-0048. ” target=”_blank”>http://www.latw.org.

THU | DECEMBER 4

(PLAY)
Manfred and Gad Beck are teenagers crazy in love, living in Berlin. But when 19-year-old Manfred dies in the Holocaust, Gad tries to forget the love they once shared. That is, until Manfred’s ghost comes to haunt him, pleading with him to remember. “For a Look or a Touch” is a theatrical song cycle that is part ” target=”_blank”>http://www.broadstage.com.

(AUTHOR TALK)
Have you ever pretended to be someone you’re not for a chance at love? Manhattan publicist Aimee Albert knows just how you feel. When Albert’s non-Jewish boyfriend breaks up with her on — of all days — Christmas, she decides to find love with a member of her own tribe. But there’s only one problem: The very nice, cute and eligible Jewish boy (Josh Hirsch) she’s met has mistaken her for a shiksa, and Albert feels compelled to keep up the charade. Is giving up a part of who you are simply the price you have to pay for love? Find out when actress, author and dater Laurie Graff reads from her latest novel “The Shiksa Syndrome.” Cocktails and dessert will be served. Thu. 7 p.m. $5. Temple Israel of Hollywood, 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 876-8330, or R.S.V.P to stacey@tioh.org. ” target=”_blank”>http://sinaitemple.org/events/atid/web2wed.

FRI | DECEMBER 5

(LECTURE)
Alan Veingrad is a former offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers; he is also an Orthodox Jew. Faith and football have much more in common than you might expect, as Veingrad himself can explain. Veingrad will describe “how his retirement from professional football created a void that ” target=”_blank”>http://www.yicc.org.

(FILM)
The line between Aryan and Jew was not always a definitive one during World War II. Identities were blurred, ancestries concealed and allegiances switched, all in the name of self-preservation. “One Day You’ll Understand” explores these Holocaust-era themes through a mixed-religion, middle-class French family whose buried history is being forcefully unearthed by its next generation. French director Amos Gitai has received abundant praise for this film, starring Jeanne Moreau and Hippolyte Girardot; the Toronto International Film Festival called it “masterly…touches the deepest wellsprings of emotion,” and Salon writer Andrew O’Hehir wrote “no living filmmaker has Gitai’s extraordinary formal command of the medium.” Fri. Various showtimes. Laemmle Music Hall 3, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 274-6869. Laemmle Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 981-9811. ” target=”_blank”>http://www.iatlaw.org/la-agoura.

(LECTURE)
American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger, who has been named to the Forward 50 list twice, is in town for Leo Baeck Temple’s peace-building week to speak about alleviating poverty, hunger and disease worldwide. A former candidate for New York City mayor, Messinger is sure to be an inspiring speaker. Fri. 6-8 p.m. Free. American Jewish University, Familian Campus, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 476-2861. ” target=”_blank”>http://www.westcoastncsy.com.