JEWISH HOME LA

Congregation Bais Naftoli Celebrates Silver Anniversary

On Sunday morning, Congregation Bais Naftoli honored radio and television personality Larry Elder and Judge (Dayan) Rabbi Yuval Noff during the standing-room-only celebration of the congregation’s 25th Silver Anniversary.

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang; Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell; former mayor and gubernatorial candidate, Antonio Villaraigosa; and Councilman Paul Koretz delivered congratulatory remarks.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Elder noted that his entire career was supported by Jewish friends and mentors. He indicated that two Jews – Dennis Prager, a fellow syndicated Salem Radio host, and George Green, retired President-General Manager of KABC Radio – were responsible for his successful run at 790 AM.

Rabbi Noff, who is an RCA dayan and President of Kol Simcha Charitable Foundation in Baltimore, thanked the Los Angeles Jewish community for recognizing his charitable work, mostly with cancer patients being treated at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

Top Row L-R: Rabbi Yuval Noff, RCA Judge (Dayan), Larry Elder, Bais Naftoli President Andrew Friedman, Consul General of Germany Hans Jorg Neumann and Consul General of Hungary Tamas Szeles. Bottom Row L-R: Former Mayor of Los Angeles and Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz and Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell

Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was lauded for his constant support of the State of Israel, both as Mayor of Los Angeles and while Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Andrew Friedman, President of the Congregation, emphasized that since only 1.5% of the U.S. population is Jewish, it is crucial that the Jewish community builds bridges, makes coalitions and reaches out to the gentile community. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched together with members of the Jewish community in the Civil Rights movement, members of the Latino, African American, and Jewish minority groups should march together in support of the State of Israel.

Consuls General of Hungary and Germany, Tamas Szeles and Hans Jorg Neumann, as well as members of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments, Special Agents from the FBI, DEA, ICE and CHP, joined the event.