JEWISH HOME LA

Sarah Pachter One evening, my husband and I planned to attend a black tie event. I was eight months pregnant and had only one formal gown that fit. It was an exquisite piece that I kept in a garment bag, hidden in the back of…

Rabbi Pinchas Gruman It was the ’70s, in L.A. This was when, against the advice of my concerned friends, I organized the kashrus committee for L.A. under the auspices of RCC (Rabbinic Conference of California). There was a slaughterhouse in L.A. at that time that…

Dear Dr T., I’ve never seen this question anywhere, so I hope you will take the time to respond. With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approaching, I feel increasingly anxious and tense. It’s not the regular stuff – you know, the cooking, cleaning, shopping; it’s…

Dear Readers, I’ve just about given up keeping up with this election. Progressives now tell us that pointing out Mrs. Clinton’s health issues is taking advantage of her being a woman and different than a man. (No kidding.) Self-serving Edward Snowden is now a villain…

Rebecca Klempner Toba’s Passage by Libby Herz, illustrated by Dena Ackerman (Hachai 2016) Babel by Marc Lumer, Chaim Burston, and DovBer Naiditch (Apples and Honey Press 2016) Former Angeleno, illustrator Dena Ackerman (née Heller), and current Angeleno, author/illustrator Marc Lumer, each have new books out…

Rebecca Klempner Four Jewish women from the L.A. area participated in the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) Leadership Conference held September 18th – 20th in College Park, Maryland. Over 300 participants from nine countries gathered to hone their leadership skills and promote the unity of Jewish…

Yehudis Litvak The Heroes of Hatzolah dinner, held by Hatzolah Los Angeles in conjunction with United Hatzolah Israel, inspired its attendees and raised the funds necessary to expand the life-saving work of these organizations. Well over 700 people from all areas of Greater Los Angeles…

Yehudis Litvak Two Los Angeles organizations – Hatzolah Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles — received awards from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for their outstanding work in the field of community resilience. Representatives of these…

Sarah Pachter I recently discovered one of the secrets of getting along with difficult people while playing a basic card game with my children. The game is called “Spot It,” and it consists of 60 cards. A typical card displays a handful of symbols such as…

Dear Readers, What is it about the coming of Moshiach that makes us feel uncomfortable? It’s the elephant in the room; everyone believes it will happen, everyone wants it to happen but as soon as someone mentions it – or what’s more, wishes for it…

Yehudis Litvak Yeshivas Bais Toras Menachem (BTM), in partnership with TTI College, is introducing a unique program this year that will allow its students to earn Smicha and a Bachelor’s degree simultaneously. This is the first such program on the west coast. BTM is headed…

Bracha Miriam Turner On Thursday, September 8th, Nessah Synagogue hosted an election debate featuring a panel of public representatives and political commentators to discuss issues of concern to the Jewish community. The event was moderated by Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal…

Susan Schwamm It is no secret that advances in the availability and affordability of technology devices has had a profound impact on our daily experience. From the ability to connect with family and friends anytime and anywhere to the convenience of managing our personal finances…

Aaron Feigenbaum August 6th marks the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, more commonly known as the Internet, a technology that is nearly inescapable in today’s world. While older communications technologies like TV and radio made significant impacts in terms of linking the world…

Sarah Pachter Imagine it is a beautiful afternoon in Los Angeles, and you decide to take a stroll around the neighborhood. You go to your local coffee shop, order an iced latte, and begin to thumb through a copy of National Geographic. Right away you…

Rabbi Sholom Kesselman The fear is palpable; the mood, tense. A sense of dread hangs over every community like a thick grey cloud. It is the month of Elul and only a few short weeks before the awesome Day of Judgment. Soon, all will have…

Dear Dr T., I enjoyed your recent JHLA column about concrete ways (diet, sleep, exercise) of helping our children be successful in school. But, honestly, it’s kind of basic. What about our attitudes and expectations, hopes and dreams? What impact, if any, do they have…

Rabbi Arye D. Gordon On Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Beth Jacob Congregation of Beverly Hills held a tribute evening in memory of Rabbi Dr. Maurice Lamm, zt”l. The first to speak was Rabbi Kalman Topp, the present rabbi of Beth Jacob. His connection with Rabbi…