HIGHER HOLIDAYS INNOVATION WORKSHOP 2018 August 15, 2018 • 4 Elul 5778 Stephen Wise Temple

8:15 AM REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST 8:30 AM GREETINGS Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, Temple Beth Hillel; Chair, Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop Zeldin-Hershenson REMARKS Becky Sobelman-Stern, Executive Vice President, Chief Program Officer, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

INTRODUCTION Rabbi Jason Weiner, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; President, Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles WELCOME/HAZKARAH Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Stephen Wise Temple

9:00 AM The Arc of the Holy Days Reimagined: From Rosh Chodesh Elul to Simchat Torah – Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR Zeldin-Hershenson CREATIVE MODALITIES Bibliodrama/Nigun – Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Temple Beth Am Meditation/Blessings – Rabbi Naomi Levy, Nashuva

10:00-10:50 AM When and Why Forgiveness is Not the Best Answer? – Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Kehillat Israel Zeldin-Hershenson HOT TOPICS Israel – Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard, Adat Ari El PREVIEWS Infertility – Dvora Entin, LCSW Gun Control – Rabbi Jason Weiner, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; President, Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Grappling with Our Own Imperfections – Rabbi Zachary Shapiro, Temple Akiba

Homelessness – Rabbi Noah Farkas, Valley Beth Shalom

Taub When and Why Forgiveness is Not the Best Answer? – Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Kehillat Israel 11:00-11:55 AM Udko Israel – Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard, Adat Ari El Udko B Infertility – Dvora Entin, LCSW HOT TOPICS Plotkin Chapel Gun Control – Rabbi Jason Weiner, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; President, Board of WORKSHOPS Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Chapel Study Grappling with Our Own Imperfections – Rabbi Zachary Shapiro, Temple Akiba Zeldin-Hershenson Homelessness – Rabbi Noah Farkas, Valley Beth Shalom Outside Dance the Spirit of Your Jewish Soul – Sara Tanz, Tanz Dance

12:05 PM LUNCHEON Zeldin-Hershenson HAMOTZI Rabbi Michele Lenke, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles BIRKAT HAMAZON Rabbi Lynn Brody Slome, Wilshire Boulevard Temple ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Rabbi Ilana Grinblat, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Board of Rabbis & INTRODUCTION of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

1:00 PM Thinking Outside the Box: Integrating Nature and the Senses into the High Holidays – Rabbi/Cantor Judy Greenfeld, Nachshon Minyan Zeldin-Hershenson INNOVATIONS Yizkor for Healing – Rabbi Anne Brener, Academy for Jewish Religion, California Disruptive Ritual – Rabbi Lori Shapiro, Open Temple Dance the Spirit of Your Jewish Soul – Sara Tanz, Tanz Dance

2:30 PM CLOSING Rabbi Joshua Hoffman, Valley Beth Shalom Zeldin-Hershenson

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

CREATIVE MODALITIES 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM ZELDIN‐HERSHENSON HALL

The “Creative Modalities” Session will focus on innovative techniques which can be integrated into services or teachings during the high holiday season. RABBI SHARON BROUS THE ARC OF THE HOLY DAYS REIMAGINED: FROM ROSH HODESH ELUL TO SIMCHAT TORAH Rabbi Sharon Brous founded IKAR in 2004. It quickly became one of the fastest growing and most influential Jewish communities in the country, and a model for inspiring Jews from the most marginalized to the most engaged. Rabbi Brous takes an innovative approach to the high holiday season as a whole as well as each of its components. She will begin our morning by sharing how she approaches the holidays from Rosh Hodesh Elul to Simchat Torah. Rabbi Brous will share tangible ways to invite people to a journey through the spiritual arc of the holidays. She will discuss how to give congregants a sense of where they’re headed and how to make meaning where they are – making the whole experience feel more enriching, stimulating and coherent.

Rabbi Sharon Brous is a leading voice in reanimating religious life in America, working to develop a spiritual roadmap for soulful, multi‐faith justice work in Los Angeles and around the country.

Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR which was started in 2004 and has become a model for Jewish revitalization in the US and beyond. IKAR’s goal is to reinvigorate Jewish tradition and practice, inspiring people of faith to reclaim a moral and prophetic voice in counter‐testimony to the small‐minded extremism now prevalent in so many religious communities. IKAR quickly became one of the fastest growing and most influential Jewish congregations in the country and is widely credited with sparking a rethinking of religious life in a time of unprecedented disaffection and declining affiliation.

Brous’s 2016 TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.2 million people and translated into 19 languages. In 2013, she blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden at the Inaugural National Prayer Service, and in 2017, she spoke at the Women’s March in Washington, DC. Brous was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of the most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized numerous times by The Forward and the Jerusalem Post as one of the fifty most influential Jews.

She is in the first cohort of Auburn Seminary‘s Senior Fellows program, which unites top faith leaders working on the frontlines for justice. Brous also sits on Mayor’s Interfaith Collective and on the faculty of the Shalom Hartman Institute‐ North America and REBOOT, and serves on the International Council of the New Israel Fund and the national steering committee for the Poor People’s Campaign.

She is a graduate of Columbia University, was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three beautiful children.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

RABBI ADAM KLIGFELD BIBLIODRAMA/NIGUN

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld has developed and led a rhythmic, intimate, soulful, spiritual and dynamic creative service called Hama’alot at Temple Beth Am since 2014. This service takes place on Shabbat mornings throughout the year, as well as on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Kligfeld will demonstrate some of the techniques used in Hama’alot – such as bibliodrama and nigun‐‐which can be incorporated into high holiday services to help people connect more deeply with the Torah readings, prayers and the spirit and meaning of the moment.

Raised in a traditional Conservative home in Connecticut, Rabbi Adam Kligfeld brings to his work at Temple Beth Am a commitment to Jewish ritual, his love for Israel and his enthusiasm for Jewish education, teaching Torah and creating community.

Rabbi Kligfeld came to Beth Am in 2009 after serving for 9 years at Congregation Eitz Chaim in Monroe, NY where he reinvigorated Eitz Chaim's Kabbalat Shabbat service, turning it into a spirited Carlebach‐style approach to davvening, and revamped the Bnei Mitzvah program in order to teach all students the ongoing skills for reading Torah and serving as shaliah tzibbur on Shabbat. Over a four‐year span, Rabbi Kligfeld helped Eitz Chaim to envision, plan and ultimately implement their dream of constructing a brand‐new synagogue building, placed strategically in the center of several residential neighborhoods in Monroe, fostering growth, and an even greater sense of a local Shabbat community.

Since arriving at Beth Am, Rabbi Kligfeld has been focusing on enlivening the Shir Hadash service that takes place on Shabbat morning in the sanctuary and building and enriching the overall musical culture of the entire institution. Rabbi Kligfeld is leading the initiative within Temple Beth Am for an exciting campus expansion, developing new properties for TBA’s growing ECC and Day School, as well as evolving a vision for a full renovation of the TBA’s sanctuary and ballroom.

Rabbi Kligfeld teaches regularly in the Pressman Academy Day School and Religious School, along with being a teacher and story‐teller in the ECC. In addition to teaching a regular, weekly class on Humash with Rashi, Rabbi Kligfeld teaches throughout the Rabbi Joel Rembaum Institute for Adult Education and Family Programming.

Rabbi Kligfeld is an active member of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and participated in a unique cross‐ denominational mission to Israel with 18 other colleagues. One of his passions is building bridges and connections within the Jewish community, and he has been instrumental in organizing joint events for Selichot, Shavuot and Tisha B’Av bringing together members from myriad local congregations from a variety of denominations. In 2006, Rabbi Kligfeld was selected to serve on the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement and in that capacity stimulated a process of self‐review for the CJLS, now culminating in a series of recommendations for its future work and progress.

Rabbi Kligfeld is a 1995 graduate of Columbia College, magna cum laude, with a degree in psychology and Jewish history. He was ordained as a rabbi in 2000 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, with a focus on Talmud.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

RABBI NAOMI LEVY MEDITATION/BLESSINGS

Rabbi Naomi Levy is the founder and spiritual leader of Nashuva, a groundbreaking Jewish spiritual outreach organization based in Los Angeles. Rabbi Levy leads inspirational high holiday services which reach thousands – in person and by worldwide webcast each year. Along with inspiring sermons and uplifting music, her services include guided meditation as well as a unique approach to the Torah Service where a thousand souls become engaged as one in blessings during the Aliyot to the Torah. Rabbi Levy will lead us in a mediation and in Aliyot blessings which can be incorporated into high holiday services or teachings.

Rabbi Naomi Levy has dedicated her rabbinate to issues of soul, spirituality, comfort, healing and personal prayer. Naomi's new book Einstein and the Rabbi was released in September. She is the author of the national bestseller To Begin Again, as well as Talking to God and Hope Will Find You.

She is the founder and leader of NASHUVA, a Jewish spiritual outreach community based in L.A. Levy has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and on NPR. She was in the first class of women to enter the Jewish Theological Seminary’s rabbinical school.

She lives in Venice Beach, CA with her husband Rob Eshman, they have two children, Adi and Noa.

HOT TOPICS PREVIEWS 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM ZELDIN‐HERSHENSON HALL

The “Hot Topics” Session will focus on timely events and issues that are especially pertinent to discuss this year. Each presenter will provide texts and sources which rabbis can use in their teachings during the high holiday season. The presenters will give a brief overview of these sources to the entire group and then conduct a workshop for those who are interested in exploring this topic further where participants can share what sources they would use to teach about this topic. Please bring texts and ideas that you can share for the workshop that you plan to attend.

WHEN AND WHY FORGIVENESS IS NOT THE BEST ANSWER? Tshuvah and forgiveness are central themes of the holidays, but what if these processes are not possible in a particular relationship? How do we move forward? In this session, Rabbi Amy Bernstein will share sources and insights into how to address this difficult situation that many of our congregants, patients and students face at this time of year.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

RABBI AMY BERNSTEIN, Kehillat Israel Rabbi Amy Bernstein became the Senior Rabbi of Kehillat Israel in July 2014, after serving four years as Associate Rabbi. An Atlanta native, Rabbi Bernstein has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Cultural Anthropology from Northwestern University, where she also earned a certificate in Women’s Studies. She is also an alumna of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. Her rabbinic training included one year as a visiting graduate student at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

In addition to working with B’nai Mitzvah and Confirmation students, Rabbi Bernstein leads Friday morning Torah Study and teaches KI’s Jewish Meditation class. She teaches adult enrichment courses throughout the year and leads the annual Women’s Retreat.

Before KI, Rabbi Bernstein was the rabbi of Temple Israel in Duluth, Minnesota for 14 years. As the only rabbi for several miles, she represented the Jewish community in the Greater Northland region. She served two terms as president of the Arrowhead Interfaith Council and six years on the Board of Trustees of the College of St. Scholastica, where she was also on the founding board of the Oreck/Alpern Inter‐religious Forum. She was a scholar‐in‐residence for the Jewish Chautauqua Society and lectured widely throughout the Northland.

Outside of her rabbinical work, Rabbi Bernstein performs as a member of Three Altos, a vocal trio.

Rabbi Bernstein makes her home in Pacific Palisades with her partner, Judy Griffith, her daughter, Eliana, and their rescue Chihuahua, Olivia.

ISRAEL This year in Israel has been filled with dramatic events – from the moving of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem to confrontations at the Gaza border, and more. Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard will share sources to help rabbis discuss the recent events in Israel in a thoughtful way during the holidays and beyond.

RABBI JONATHAN JAFFE BERNHARD, Adat Ari El I am a Torah loving, evolution believing, husband, father, son and brother. I was raised in a loving, supportive, completely non‐observant home by parents who valued and modeled education, respect, communication, passion and love.

So, on the one hand, my family still has no idea how they raised a Rabbi. On the other hand, given my family life, it makes perfect sense that I not only became a Rabbi but also have been a Rabbi at Adat Ari El since 1996. What drew me to Judaism was a language, ritual, and vision of how to be in this world that reflected the values instilled in me.

What has made Adat Ari El the place for my wife Laurie and me to live, raise our three boys and plant our roots, is a community of people who share these values and believe this is a way to live and make the world a better place.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

INFERTILITY As the new year begins, we often are forced to confront which of our dreams have and have not come true in the past year. For couples struggling with infertility, the holidays can be a particularly challenging time of year – especially as the Torah and Haftorah readings of the first day of Rosh Hashanah focus on fertility and childbirth. In this session, Dvora Entin will give rabbis resources to assist families who are struggling with infertility.

Yesh Tikva, Hebrew for “There is Hope,” is a national non‐profit, created in January 2015, to provide emotional support to those navigating infertility. Yesh Tikva provides the following support services: Fertility Friends, Infertility and Halakha resources, Insider's Guide to Navigating Infertility, and forums for sharing support and guidance. Yesh Tikva is also working to educate the Jewish community about the unique struggles that come along with infertility, including the Mikvah Infertility Awareness Campaign and the Infertility Awareness Shabbat initiative. Yesh Tikva aims to give infertility a "voice" so no one should have to feel alone or ashamed. For more information visit us at www.YeshTikva.org or email us at [email protected].

DVORA ENTIN, LCSW Dvora Entin, LCSW developed and directs JFCS Ma’oz in Philadelphia, a unique initiative to engage the Orthodox community on mental health issues. With specialized training in maternal mental health and perinatal death, Dvora moderates the Pregnancy Loss phone support calls for K’nafayim and for Yesh Tikva on intertility. In 2017, her BLOOM program to engage the Orthodox community on Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders won the Perinatal Mental Health Society Innovation award. Dvora presents nationally about perinatal loss and compassionate bereavement.

GUN CONTROL From Las Vegas to Parkland, Florida to Texas, our country has experienced a wave of mass shootings this year, and the issue of stopping gun violence is in our minds and hearts as we enter this holiday season. What does our tradition have to say about this issue? Rabbi Jason Weiner, President of the Board of Rabbis and senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department of Cedars‐Sinai Medical Center, will explore sources from the Torah, Talmud, and halakhic commentaries about who can buy, own, or sell weapons. This workshop will give us Jewish sources with which to engage our congregants in civil dialogue on this issue.

RABBI JASON WEINER, Cedars‐Sinai Medical Center

Rabbi Jason Weiner, BCC, serves as the senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars‐Sinai, where he is responsible for the chaplaincy team and all aspects of spiritual care.

Rabbi Weiner previously served as the assistant rabbi at Young Israel of Century City in West Los Angeles. He has earned two rabbinic ordinations, as well as a master's degree in bioethics and health policy from Loyola University (Chicago), where he is completing a doctorate in clinical bioethics. He has also earned a master's degree in Jewish history from Yeshiva University. Rabbi Weiner has completed four units of clinical pastoral education. He is a board‐certified chaplain through Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains, and he sits on the association's board.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

Rabbi Weiner is the president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and has been honored with Rabbinic Leadership Awards from the Orthodox Union and Chai Lifeline. He is a member of the Cedars‐Sinai End of Life Committee, Organ Donor Council and Bioethics Committee, for which he serves on the internal advisory board. Rabbi Weiner is also the rabbi of Knesset Israel Synagogue of Beverlywood, and he frequently serves as a scholar‐in‐residence at conferences and synagogues throughout the nation on topics related to Jewish medical ethics, pastoral care, health and wellness.

He is the author of Jewish Guide to Practical Medical Decision‐Making (Urim Press) and Guide to Observance of Jewish Law in a Hospital (Kodesh Press). He has published more than two dozen scholarly articles and book chapters, as well as a number of "popular" pieces.

GRAPPLING WITH OUR OWN IMPERFECTIONS As rabbis, we try to give our all to our communities, but what do we do when we’re not running on full steam? How do we cope when we have an illness, a broken leg or a broken heart? How do we compensate? What do we give up? What do we gain? Rabbi Zachary Shapiro, rabbi of Temple Akiba of Culver City, will share texts to explore how do we as spiritual leaders grapple with our own limitations. How do we face the world Al Regel Echad?

RABBI ZACHARY SHAPIRO, Temple Akiba

Rabbi Zachary Shapiro is not only the spiritual leader at Temple Akiba, but has been a source of guidance, support, reflection and a good hug since 2006. A native of Boston, Rabbi Shapiro has lived in Los Angeles since his Ordination from HUC‐JIR, Cincinnati in 1997. He met Ron Galperin that same year, and they were married in a religious ceremony in 2002, followed by a legal ceremony in 2008.

Rabbi Shapiro continues to bring high energy and forward thinking to Temple Akiba every day. Whether it’s hosting Shabbat services on the beach, guiding groups of Temple members through Israel, Cuba and other foreign lands, leading Temple senior high schoolers to lobby in Washington D.C. for important causes, or playing his guitar and filling our Temple with song, Rabbi Shapiro is the backbone of Temple Akiba.

HOMELESSNESS Los Angeles the homeless capital of the United States. Every night thousands of people sleep outdoors on sidewalks, in canyons, behind buildings. How can we speak to this crisis meaningfully in our communities? Rabbi Noah Farkas, of Valley Beth Shalom, who chairs the board of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), will lead this workshop, exploring texts and solutions about how our communities can help.

RABBI NOAH FARKAS, Valley Beth Shalom

Rabbi Noah Zvi Farkas is a clergy member at Valley Beth Shalom, the largest Jewish congregation in the San Fernando Valley. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2008, where he won numerous academic prizes in the areas of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud. He is a faculty member of the Florence Melton Graduate Studies Program and is a guest lecturer at the American Jewish University. Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl appointed Noah to the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority at which he oversees the regional strategy between public and private partnerships to end homelessness. He has been featured on NPR as a change maker and a rising voice of Jewish leadership.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

Before coming to VBS, Noah served as the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Biloxi, Mississippi where he helped rebuild the Gulf Coast Jewish community after Hurricane Katrina. Under his leadership the congregation reformed its board structure, built a new building, and worked with civic officials to ensure the Jewish community’s future in Southern Mississippi.

While in Rabbinical School, Rabbi Farkas served as a Chaplain for the United States Navy Reserve during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rabbi Farkas worked with military families of all faiths to prep them for deployment and to help them spiritually and emotionally when they returned home. Noah is a social entrepreneur, launching Seminary Leadership Project which has trained hundreds of Jewish clergy nationwide to create social change through JOIN for Justice where he also serves as a board member. Rabbi Farkas is also the founder of Netiya www.netiya.org, an interfaith organization that works on food issues in Los Angeles and boasts a membership of over forty congregations. He is also the founder of VBSNextGen, which creates a home Jews in their 20s and 30s at Valley Beth Shalom through innovative learning and social programs.

Rabbi Farkas publishes widely on topics of spirituality, social justice, millennial engagement. For two years he had syndicated column in the Forward that focused on food and Jewish spirituality called “Turning the Tables.” He is a regular contributor to the Jewish Journal and speaks nationally at conferences. He is the author of The Social Action Manual: Six Step to Repairing the World. He is currently writing a book about the Binding of Isaac.

Most Recently, Rabbi Farkas lead a two‐year campaign to address homelessness in Los Angeles county. He galvanized a coalition of churches and synagogues along with many other organizations to work with Los Angeles County to pass historic legislation that will move hundreds of millions of dollars to build affordable homes. He lives in Encino with his wife Sarah and four children.

HOT TOPICS WORKSHOPS 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM

TAUB ANNEX WHEN AND WHY FORGIVENESS IS NOT THE BEST ANSWER? – RABBI AMY BERNSTEIN UDKO A ISRAEL – RABBI JONATHAN JAFFE BERNHARD UDKO B INFERTILITY – DVORA ENTIN PLOTKIN CHAPEL GUN CONTROL – RABBI JASON WEINER CHAPEL STUDY GRAPPLING WITH OUR OWN IMPERFECTIONS – RABBI ZACHARY SHAPIRO ZELDIN‐HERSHENSON HOMELESSNESS – RABBI NOAH FARKAS OUTSIDE DANCE THE SPIRIT OF YOUR JEWISH SOUL – SARA TANZ

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

INNOVATIONS 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ZELDIN‐HERSHENSON HALL This “Innovations” Session will continue to focus on how to approach the holidays in new and creative ways.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX – INTEGRATING NATURE AND THE SENSES INTO THE HIGH HOLIDAYS – RABBI/CANTOR JUDY GREENFELD In 2006, Rabbi/Cantor Judy Greenfeld founded the Nachshon Minyan Synagogue in order to bring a unique Jewish experience to the San Fernando valley. One of the hallmarks of her creative services is the ways that she draws from unconventional sources. She will share how she used “elements of nature to focus and engage the bodily senses of her participants, to assist them in understanding the importance of trust and faith during these turbulent political times. Her ability to weave the liturgical idea of “turning and re‐turning” with the solar eclipse will be touched on through this presentation. Rabbi/Cantor Greenfeld will share some of her innovative techniques. She will also address the importance of pre‐High Holidays set‐up and how to find themes that personally engage your particular community.

Rabbi/Cantor Judy Greenfeld is founder and spiritual leader of the Nachshon Minyan and Religious School in Encino, CA. Judy’s goal is to “reach out to people who have been disillusioned — the unaffiliated and the unfulfilliated, and give them the dignity of discovering where they fit in the Jewish tapestry.” Her work has resulted in profiles in both local and national publications including the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, which reported, “Everything the Nachshon Minyan comprises …is imbued with a spiritual inclusiveness that has drawn a devoted and burgeoning membership.” The community offers both Women’s and Men’s Torah study classes on a monthly or weekly basis, monthly Shabbat services at the American Jewish University, transformative and innovative High Holy Day services, and project‐ oriented, experiential programming based on Mussar practices, Torah and learning from life. She is the co‐author (with Dr. Tamar Frankiel) of two books, Minding the Temple of the Soul and Entering the Temple of Dreams. Hazzan Greenfeld has lectured and taught movement and prayer at retreats and synagogues around the United States. She has released two CDs, “Leap of Faith: The Nachshon Minyan Sings the Sabbath” and "When You Lie Down and When You Rise Up: Jewish prayers to begin and end your day." Judy received her Cantorial Ordination in 2004 and her Rabbinic Ordination in 2016.

YIZKOR FOR HEALING – RABBI ANNE BRENER Everyone dies in the middle of a conversation, and the Jewish path of mourning gives us tools for the challenging work of transforming that conversation into an enriching spiritual connection. This discussion will explore the days when we recite Yizkor as opportunities to approach healing from different perspectives, which can enable mourners to address the different tasks, or seasons, of grief.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW is a Los Angeles based Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director and a frequent scholar–in‐residence, who assists institutions in creating caring communities. A prolific writer, she is the author of the acclaimed Mourning & Mitzvah: Walking the Mourner's Path (Jewish Lights), now in its third expanded edition. She has contributed to many books on Jewish spirituality and healing and has been a frequent columnist for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. Named as an Eshet Hazon by Aleph Jewish Renewal in 1995, she was ordained as a Reform Rabbi in 2008. Anne is Professor of Ritual and Human Development at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California and a founding faculty member of the Yedidya Morei Derekh‐ Jewish Spiritual Direction Program.

DISRUPTIVE RITUAL – RABBI LORI SHAPIRO Goat Yoga for the Grand Aleinu? A Neo‐Nazi interrupting the Torah service to explain Azazel? Muslims performing prostrations and prayer as LAPD officers enter the room in the middle of explaining the concept of the Ger? All of these were disruptive ritual moments at Open Temple, an emerging community creating an open door for everyone to begin their Jewish Soul Journey. Rabbi Lori Shapiro shares her method of ritual disruption and leads a brief workshop to integrate more mild moments into your community’s experience of awakening.

Founder of The Open Temple in Venice, CA, Rabbi Lori Shapiro’s rabbinate is dedicated to reaching unaffiliated and intermarried families and seekers. Previously the Director of Jewish Life and Senior Consultant for Interfaith Relations and Outreach at the University of Southern California Hillel, Lori’s transdenominational rabbinate was informed by her studies at the American Jewish University, years living in Israel studying within an Orthodox Jewish framework and graduation from both the Academy for Jewish Religion/California as well as the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Lori and The Open Temple are a part of a national incubator supporting cutting edge and innovative Jewish programming mentored by Rabbis Without Borders and CLAL. Currently, she is completing her training as a Spiritual Director with the Yedidya Center for Spiritual Direction and is a member of Spiritual Directors International, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, and the Sandra Caplan Beit Din. In 2016, Councilman Mike Bonin presented Rabbi Lori with the Spirit of Venice Award in honor of her work with Open Temple, and in 2017 Open Temple was recognized internationally in the LA Slingshot Guide as well as chosen to be a member of the Upstart accelerator’s 10th cohort, an honor of distinction in the Jewish Start‐up world. In 2018, Rabbi Lori and Open Temple were selected as members of Cohort 2 by the Open Dor Project. She and her husband, Dr. Joel Shapiro, live in the Venice (CA) canals with their daughters, Harel and Golda. Lori is a graduate of Barnard College.

DANCE THE SPIRIT OF YOUR JEWISH SOUL – SARA TANZ Take your high holiday preparation to new heights by connecting your mind and body with the spirit of your Jewish soul. Jewish themed music and movement highlight the themes of the chagim, like light, love, creation, waking, judgement, forgiveness. The participants bring their own emotional connections to these ideas and create a unique and memorable experience each time. There will be interaction, interpretation, meditation, dance and movement in many forms. Leave your inhibitions at the door, open your Jewish soul, and let loose.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California/Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop 2018 ‐ PRESENTATIONS & BIOGRAPHIES

Sara Tanz grew up in New York City and has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Her early training in jazz, tap, ballet and gymnastics opened the door to the world of movement which has always played an important role in her life. Loving the group dance experience eventually led Sara to discover “Nia,” a healing and expressive fitness technique, at Equinox in NY, and to earn her Nia white belt certification in 2000.

After studying movement for years, Sara developed “Dance Your Dreams,” an endorphin‐ charged workout set to inspirational world music. Most recently, Sara added Zumba fitness training to her repertoire. It is fast and fun and burns calories! Being part of the Zumba wave is exhilarating.

Sara also finds inspiration in creating specialty programming with organizations like schools and camps. Sara also enjoys the opportunity to create unique experiences for group to draw closer to their Jewishness through movement. For these programs in particular, Sara draws deeply on music and movement style to draw out themes, concepts and symbols associated with the particular holiday experience or season.

Sara’s mission is to share with YOU the joy and freedom that only dance can bring! She currently teaches in Los Angeles.

HONORED GUESTS

BECKY SOBELMAN‐STERN, Executive Vice President: Chief Program Officer, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

As Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer, Becky oversees our Federation’s programmatic activities in L.A., Israel, and internationally. Becky’s leadership has continued to propel the Federation’s active engagement with the community through program offerings, strategic partnerships, and relationships.

Most recently, Becky served as Vice President of Consulting & Community Development at the Jewish Federations of North America, where her leadership energized over 150 Jewish Federations to enhance community impact and Jewish identity programs, foster dynamic connections with Israel, and care for Jews in need.

Becky received her BS in Business Education from New York University and her Master of Social Work in Community Organization from Hunter College.

 HAZKARAH  Board of Rabbis of Southern California / The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop – August 15, 2018 | 4 Elul 5778

We mourn the loss of these beloved colleagues during the past year. May the Eternal One comfort their families, communities and colleagues among all the mourners of Tziyon and Yerushalayim.

Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, the Reform leader who founded the Los Angeles Stephen Wise Temple, died on January 26, 2018; he was 97. Under his guidance, the Temple developed into one of the world’s largest Reform congregations.

Born and raised in Brooklyn (New York), the son of a respected scholar and ardent Zionist, he moved to Los Angeles in 1954 to establish the California branch of Hebrew Union College and served as the 11-state regional director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

In 1964, he and a nucleus of 35 families founded Stephen Wise Temple on an 18-acre mountain site between the city’s two largest Jewish centers, the Westside and San Fernando Valley.

To prepare the site, contractors literally had to move a mountain by lowering its height, Zeldin told the California Journal in 2004. “I invited the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University) to buy the property next door. And we pushed a million cubic yards of dirt into the hole to make it a levelled piece of property.” His legacy is a thriving congregation of some 4,800 members and students led by five rabbis and two cantors.

The impact of his personality ranged well beyond the local Jewish community. Former California governor Gray Davis, said Zeldin combined the abilities of a committed educator, hard-driving business executive and nonpareil persuader, who believed that a synagogue had to serve its members from pre-birth to post-death.

After meeting Zeldin in 1981, Davis, though a Catholic, was so taken by the rabbi’s personality that he attended High Holiday services at Stephen Wise Temple for 34 years.

Its Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback observed, “I was amazed and inspired by Rabbi Zeldin’s impact on the lives of so many members -- what he did for our congregation, for the Los Angeles community and more broadly, for the Jewish people, was truly extraordinary.”

With long term collaborator Metuka Benjamin, Zeldin launched an extensive Reform day-school system including a pre-school, elementary school and community high school. Benjamin said Zeldin had an “iron fist in a silk glove – nobody ever said no to him.”

Zeldin, a committed Zionist who enjoyed impressing Israeli visitors by his students’ Jewish knowledge and fluent Hebrew, emphasized that schools were on the front line of Jewish continuity. “At Stephen Wise, we built the school before we built the Temple.”

Among Zeldin’s many patrons was Lowell Milken, co-founding chair of the Milken Family Foundation, who described him as “the most transforming individual I have met in my lifetime.” Business executive David Smith, closely involved in bringing the Temple’s educational goal to fruition, said: “Rabbi Zeldin always had a clear picture where he wanted to go. Some people complained that he didn’t listen to 12

what they were saying. However, he did listen, though he was never side-tracked from where he was going.”

Zeldin transferred his acumen to his champion-level chess game – “I try to think three moves ahead,” he used to say and applied his vigor and enthusiasm to the golf course.

Zeldin retired as senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Temple in 1990 but remained actively involved with the congregation throughout his life.

Florence Zeldin, who was married to the rabbi for 68 years, predeceased him in 2012. Zeldin is survived by his children Joel and Michael; brother Bernard Zeldin; five grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren.

Adapted from The Jewish Chronicle column by Tom Tugend, May 10, 2018

Rabbi Robert K. Baruch was born to Karl and Gertrude Baruch on November 15, 1944. He died on May 20, 2018; he was 73. Bob and his younger brother Michael were raised in St. Louis, Providence and Kansas City. Bob fell in love with classical music early, began playing clarinet in high school and went on to get his first degree in music from Kansas University. He decided to forego the life of a musician in favor of becoming a rabbi and got his rabbinical degree from Hebrew Union College in 1971.

Bob met his wife Monica in Rochester, where he had his first job as a rabbi. Later, he and Monica moved to Rio so that he could take up a position as rabbi at a temple there. In order to do this, he learned Portuguese in a month. Bob’s love of languages allowed him to also become fluent in Hebrew and German.

Subsequently, Bob served as rabbi at Temple Micah in Washington, D.C. from 1978 to 1983. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a rabbi at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and pursued a doctoral degree in Comparative Literature at UCLA. He completed his PhD thesis on the Israeli poet Dan Pagis in 1994.

Bob had a brief brush with Hollywood in 1996 when he played the rabbi at the end of the movie, “The Birdcage.” Bob loved to tell about his one acting lesson from Nathan Lane, who was given the taks by Mike Nichols of helping Bob to say his line – Mazel tov!” – in a slightly less rabbinical fashion: “Rabbi, we want just a hint of mint.”

In 1992, Bob and Barry Cohen went to China to bring home their daughter, Suzanne. Suzie was the love of Bob’s life, the source of tremendous pride and happiness. He went on to become a beloved teacher at the Milken School, where he was awarded the Tzadik Award for righteousness by the students several times. In the years after he retired, there were many occasions when he ran into former students whose affection for Rabbi Bob was abundantly evident. (He said that could be startling, as when “Rabbi Bob!!” would ring out from the showers in the gym he went to.)

In 1998, he met Tom Knechtel, whom he married in 2013. Tom says: “It was a vast gift to have this wonderful, wise, kind, tender, loving man in my life for the last twenty years.” After he retired from teaching, Bob was involved with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, where the depth of his learning

was greatly admired by his coleagues. He returned to his clarinet, and his later life was filled with Torah study, music, books, friends, Suzie and her husband Joe, and the arrival of his two grandsons, Avery and Beckett.

Written by Tom Knechtel and Suzanne Martin for the Memorial Service on May 23, 2018

Adapted from the eulogy by Rabbi Karen Fox, May 23, 2018 Our rabbis taught that there are three crowns: The Crown of Torah, The Crown of Priesthood, And the Crown of Royalty. But they emphasized that the Crown of a Good Name excels them all. Kohelet says: A good name is to be treasured above fine oil. (Ecc 7:1)

Rabbi Robert Baruch was a mensch of the highest order. He valued kindness in relationship with his husband Tom and daughter Susie, son-in-law Joe, his grandsons, his students and friends. I believe that the study of Torah over his lifetime led him to kindness, community and God. He might not have acknowledged that as a young man; but as he aged, he grew into the depth of his person through the years of learning and love in the family he built with Tom.

I met Bob in 1985, when both of us served as Rabbis at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Although he was involved in the pulpit life of lifecycle rituals, Shabbat and holiday preparation, Bob was uniquely responsible for Adult Jewish Learning and the development of an Art Center. His presence brought an intellectual rigor to Adult Studies and he was appreciated in that way. He led classes in Modern Hebrew Poetry, post Holocaust Theology and Jewish Thought. He also brought people into the Gallery that might not have entered WBT previously. Our offices were adjacent and luckily, we had each other to ‘debrief’ events, politics and people.

Bob went from Wilshire to UCLA to complete his PhD in Comparative Literature and from there became a key faculty member at Milken Community High School. He taught Torah, Biblical commentaries and Modern Jewish Thought over a period of 15 years. Students appreciated his intellect but even more so, his presence as a liberal Jew, a caring and devoted teacher. He could make the Text come alive to students, with or without Hebrew skill; he could move them into meaning and purpose. He was known as “Rabbi Bob”, and I am grateful that my sons, Avi and Benjy, were able to study with him. And I am also grateful that I could be present with him as Susie became a Bat Mitzvah...many years ago. Wow, did he Kvell!

Bob continued to deepen his learning and after 60, began to explore the spiritual sides of Jewish learning. He became a student and Haver in the Institute of Jewish Spirituality. Again, we were together in study sessions, yoga intensives and silent retreats. Exploring texts not only for what they said but how the text enabled God to break through, Bob opened and deepened his relationships with colleagues and with God. Bob was always curious, curious about the text, about the context of Jewish life and practice and about its impact on his community. He carried this spiritual learning into his teaching, creating a new avenue to explore with his students. Once retired, he continued to study, to practice yoga and explore spiritualty.

Over these last months, we’ve been studying Psalms together and even in his fragile state, Bob could recite or sing the psalms by heart. Last Wednesday we explored Psalm 27 and when I reached Ps 27: 4, I began to sing... Achat Shaalti.... His eyes widened, and he hummed this passage that brings us into closeness with God. He listened intently to the English ... 14

“One thing I have sought from Adonai, how I long for it: That I may live in the House of Adonai all the days of my life; That I may look upon the sweetness of Adonai And Spend time in God’s Palace, …. Wait for Adonai, Fill your waiting with Hope Let your heart be strong and of good courage, And wait for Adonai.”

And then we hummed the Psalm again...he waited....and it is so fitting that he died on Shavuot, Receiving Torah into his heart, yet again.

“Monuments need not be erected for the righteous: their deeds are their memorials.” (JT Shkalim 11a)

Bob will be remembered, his Crown of his Good Name: for his kindness, his menschlichkeit, his curiosity and his inspired love of Torah.

May we take his kindness, his menschlichkeit, his curiosity and his inspired love of Torah into the world, each of us carrying a bit of Rabbi Bob Baruch forward into the next generation.

Zecher Tzadik L’vracha.... The Memory of the Righteous is a Blessing.

זיכרונות לברכה May their memories be a blessing.

The Board of Rabbis of Southern California / The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

UPCOMING PROGRAMS - 2018-2019 / 5778-5779

TOUR DE SUMMER CAMPS: BIKE OR HIKE FOR THE JEWISH FUTURE October 28 Sign-up now for this exciting cycling and hiking event! Raising funds to provide summer camp scholarships allowing more children in our community to enjoy the magical experience that creates a lifelong connection to Jewish identity! Join as an individual rider, create a congregational team or join with friends, family, and others as a team. More information: www.tourdesummercamps.org

NEW APPROACHES TO HEBREW LEARNING IN CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOLS October 31 Frustrated with how Hebrew is taught to children in your congregation? Looking for a new model, in which Hebrew learning is effective as well as fun and joyful for your students? Join Rabbi Nicki Greninger as she describes developing a new approach to Hebrew education that has been working well in her synagogue for the last five years. This is a workshop not to be missed!

HARTMAN BEIT MIDRASH SERIES – THREE SESSIONS Multiple Dates We are thrilled to continue our popular Beit Midrash Series. You can look forward to incomparable learning opportunities with renowned scholars from the Shalom Hartman Institute faculty. Previous scholars include Tal Becker, Orit Avnery, Yehuda Kurtzer, Elana Stein Hain, Alex Kay, Micah Goodman, Steve Greenberg and Rani Jaeger. Names and locations to be announced. First session with Rachel Korazim - November 7

FEDERATION SUPER SUNDAY December 2 Please join us for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles' Super Sunday! We will need your help in getting support from colleagues and community members for the Federation’s life-changing work.

RABBI AMY BERNSTEIN PRESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION January 16 Please join The Board of Rabbis for an Installation Reception honoring Rabbi Amy Bernstein, incoming President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, as well as the incoming Executive Committee members that comprise the Board of Rabbis’ leadership team at Kehillat Israel, 4:30-6:30pm.

PESACH SEMINAR Date TBD After our successful 2017 seminar with Hartman Scholar Dr. Elana Stein Hain, and with Rabbis Deborah Schuldenfrei, Aaron Lerner, and Hillary Chorny, we look forward to another seminar focusing on important issues and deep text exploration. Stay tuned for more information.

More to be announced in the weeks ahead If you are interested in learning more about these or other programs, please contact the Board of Rabbis staff at [email protected]. 16

Selected Program Highlights 5777-78/2017-2018 Board of Rabbis of Southern California/The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

High Holy Days Conference 5777 ▪ Rabbi David Saperstein, Keynote I Presenter: Insights from Jewish Tradition in Addressing Social Justice, Political, or Other Controversial Topics on the High Holidays ▪ Rabbi Dr. Marc Saperstein, Keynote II Presenter: Inscribed for Life or Death? High Holy Days Preaching in Times of Catastrophe: Past and Present ▪ Breakout sessions presented by Rabbi Sarah Bassin, Rabbi Mark Borovitz, Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben, Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen, Abby Fifer Mandell, Rabbi Naomi Levy, and Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn. Recordings of most sessions can be found on our YouTube page:

YouTube.com/BoardofRabbis.

Shalom Hartman Institute Partnership: Rabbinic Leadership Initiative and Weiss Fellowship ▪ Rabbi Sarah Hronsky and Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky have joined other Board of Rabbis members in their third and final year of Rabbinic Leadership Initiative Cohort VI, thanks to a generous fellowship from The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. ▪ Rabbi Sarah Bassin and Rabbi Ahud Sela participated in the Hartman Institute’s Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar in Jerusalem thanks to a generous scholarship from the Mickey and Edna Weiss Fellowship.

Beit Midrash Series ▪ Dr. Christine Hayes, The Dangers of Absolutism ▪ Dr. Micah Goodman, Reflections on the Hebrew Slave: Dinei Eved Ivri in Shemot and Devarim

▪ Dr. Elana Stein Hain, On God, Torah and Humanity: Between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael

Pesach Seminar ▪ On March 13 at Sinai Temple, Hartman Scholar Dr. Alexander Kaye, presented, “Our Resistance to Freedom: Insights from the Exodus Narrative.” ▪ The second half of the program involved two parallel sessions of table learning where members engaged with each other on a variety of Pesach- and seder-related topics. The

presenters were Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik and Rabbi Ari Lucas.

Special Programs ▪ Board of Rabbis President, Rabbi Jason Weiner, led a series called The Board of Rabbis Comes to You in which he held learning sessions in different geographic areas of Los Angeles on contemporary Jewish medical ethics dilemmas. ▪ Interfaith Programs: In partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, the Board of Rabbis held a program to explore different ways traditional religious communities have responded to the needs of, and issues raised by, individuals who are transgender in their communities. The Board of Rabbis also partnered with the Shalom Hartman Institute to offer a class that weaved together history, demography, beliefs and cultures to illuminate the five centuries of American Islam thus far, the present composition of its constituent communities, future trends to be aware of, and how Muslims and Jews can learn to work together – and keep disagreement from holding each other back. ▪ The Board of Rabbis also partnered with Rabbi Karen Fox to do a program on Supervision and with Beit T’Shuvah for an Immersion Program on addiction. 17

BOARD OF RABBIS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LOS ANGELES

OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2016 - 2018

PRESIDENT Rabbi Jason Weiner

VICE PRESIDENTS Rabbi Amy Bernstein Rabbi Joshua Hoffman Rabbi Sarah Hronsky Rabbi Kalman Topp

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Rabbi Morley T. Feinstein

MEMBERS Rabbi Sarah Bassin Rabbi Jon Hanish Rabbi Lynn Brody Slome Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei Rabbi Adam Greenwald Rabbi Zachary Shapiro Rabbi Nicole Guzik Rabbi David Woznica

Believing that the interests of the Jewish People are strengthened by a healthy rabbinate and the cooperation of the rabbis in the work of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California seeks to:

• Promote and nurture the growth of rabbis on both spiritual and professional levels, • Foster a sense of Klal Yisrael among the different denominations, and • Serve as a resource for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in its work to engage, care for and ensure the future of the Jewish People.

Board of Rabbis of Southern California – The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

NEW MEMBERS High Holy Days Conference – August 15, 2018 / 4 Elul 5778 We welcome members who have joined the Board of Rabbis since the 2017 High Holy Days Conference.

Rabbi Lisa Berney Rabbi David Kasher Leo Baeck Temple, Los Angeles IKAR, Los Angeles

Rabbi Barry Diamond Rabbi Julian King Adat Elohim, Thousand Oaks Desert Outreach Synagogue, Rancho Mirage Rabbi Aaron Finkelstein Milken Community Schools, Los Angeles Rabbi Sari Laufer Stephen Wise Temple, Los Angeles Rabbi Shira Freidlin IKAR, Los Angeles Rabbi Keilah Lebell IKAR, Los Angeles Rabbi Alan Henkin Central Conference of American Rabbis, Rabbi Michele Lenke New York Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles

Rabbi Micah Hyman Rabbi Adam Lutz Kehillat Israel, Pacific Palisades Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Rabbi Audrey Ickovits Holistic Jew, Santa Monica Rabbi Michael Schwartz Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue, Rabbi Joshua Kalev Malibu Congregation Tikvat Jacob, Manhattan Beach Rabbi Daniel Sher Kehillat Israel, Pacific Palisades Rabbi William Kaplan Shalom Institute, Malibu Rabbi Nitzan Stein Kokin Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles

YouTube.com/BoardofRabbis

Higher Holidays Innovation Workshop Session Handouts

Promote and nurture the growth of rabbis on both spiritual and professional levels,

Foster a sense of Klal Yisrael among the different denominations, and Serve as a resource for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in its work to engage, care for and ensure the future of the Jewish People.

UNATANA TOKEF 2005

We now confront the meaning of this day When injustice, illness, and death, As we stare into the face of our own Enter the circle, mortality. Give us the compassion not to avert our gaze. We form a circle. Hands and souls linked, We stand as community. Only You know what the year will bring. Together we contemplate Who will live and who will die. The Yomim Noraim. Who will face cancer or depression The days of awe, Or the other maladies of flesh and soul. The days of trembling. Job loss, addiction, infertility, heartbreak, Temptations to stray from vows to family and Our eyes scan the room community. And lock with the eyes of others, Impoverishment, earthquake, hurricanes, acts As we consider the year just begun. of terror, We are vulnerable creatures subject to Your grace. As we cross the threshold of a New Year, We are not so foolish As to think that it will be We do not ask to be exempt from the A year unblemished by tears. afflictions of being human. We only ask that You be with us in the peaks and in the valleys, Give us the strength to stand as a circle, That You help us to stand with each other in When the year is touched by anguish and good times and in bad. pain. And that the circle of witness and consolation Remains unbroken In the coming year.

Amen.

[email protected]

ck iuf Directing the Heart

The Midrash Examines the Emotions of Prayer: adapted from Deuteronomy Rabba Chapter 2

…R. Johannan said: Prayer is known by the following ten designations: Shaw’ah, ze’akeh, ne’akah, rinnah, pegiah, bizur, keria’ ah, nippul, pillul and tahanunun

vgua Shaw’ah CRY To cry, to call for help and [to cry out] in anguish or [with a] sigh, writhing in the agony of death. Job uses “vgua,” to describe the cry of the wounded soul and justifies complaint as prayer: Men groan in the city; The souls of the dying cry out; yet God does not regard it as reproach. (Job24:12) It is the same sound that rose to God from the slaves in Egypt,…and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and the cried and their CRY came up unto God from their bondage. (Ex2:23).

vegz Ze’akeh LAMENT It is a cry of distress, as in, the broken hearted cry of exile described by Isaiah. (Is65:19) It is the sound that Esau uttered at the loss of his blessing. (Gen.Rab 67) This is another sound uttered by the slaves, and heard by God.

vetb Ne’akah GROANING The groaning of the wounded, in prayer and in distress. Ne’akah is yet another word for prayer found in the last lines of Exodus Two. And God heard their GROANING and remembered the covenant.. (Ex 2: 24) Eziekiel uses this word to describe, the groaning of a deadly wounded man.”(Ez30:24)

vbr Rinnah SINGING An expression of adoration of God…singing, chanting, or rejoicing. The sound of joy, wonder, and exultation described by God to Job, challenging him to imagine the moment of creation: When the morning stars sang together And all the divine beings SHOUTED FOR JOY.(Job:38:7)

gbp Pegiah ENCOUNTER To strike against, come in contact with, meet (in a hostile sense) to attack or strike… intercede or pray. It describes an encounter, which can be deceptively simple, but turns out to be pregnant with a numinous and powerful significance, as in the experience of Jacob when he: left Beer-sheba and set out for Haran. He CAME UPON a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. (Gen28:10-11) The intensity of this word, is

Jewish Healing Connection/Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Anne Brener represented earlier in Job’s frustrated cry as he attempts to encounter God with the passion of his sense of injustice. He asks: What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? What will we gain by PRAYING to him? (Job21:15) That this word is usually translated as “Praying,” validates the expression of rage and passion as an appropriate expression of prayer and as the vehicle for the encounter with God.

vrm Tzarah TROUBLE Anguish, trouble, distress, persecution as well as being caught in narrow straits, or being harassed. It is the word that Job used to describe the depth of feeling with which he would need to strike out to express the anguish of my spirit in the BITTERNESS of my soul.(Job7:11) It refers to a narrow place and is the root of the word for Egypt: ohhrmn. Once again, the emotional experience of slavery is a model for the feelings to accompany prayer and Job is the role model for expressing its passion.

tre Kriah Call To proclaim, read, demand, or read aloud. This word is used frequently in Psalms: CALL upon Me in time of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor Me. (Ps.50:15}…Have mercy on me, O Lord for I CALL to You all day long (Ps 86:3)… In my time of trouble I CALL You, (Ps.86:7) This word suggests calling out in an expression of passion and the yearning for contact with God.

kpb Nippul FALL To fall, lie down, or be dropped or to prostrate one’s self. It can imply a significant depth as in: :a deep sleep FELL UPON Abram and a great dark dread descended. (Gen 15:12) Assuming this position demonstrates both a sense of personal horror and a plea for God’s mercy.

kkp Pillul PRAY To pray, intercede, judge, plead, entreat, mediate, [or] incriminate oneself. It appears to include the opening of the heart in confession, fear, and remorse and is the word used to describe Jonah’s prayer, from the belly of the great fish. An ancient Arabic word that may be related means “to cut oneself with the notched edge of a sword.” This may indicate that to intercede in Divinity one must cut oneself open, find ones wounds and transgressions and let them speak.

ibj, Tahanunum SUPPLICATION To bend oneself, to supplicate, or to beg, with an implication of to caress, grace, favor, or bandage. This is used when one seeks an undeserved favor, for truly righteous and humble people never feel that they have a claim on God’s mercy. (Rashi) To use this form of prayer is to ask for grace from one in power, as when: Esther fell down at [the Kings feet and besought him (ukibj,) with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device … against the Jews. (Est. 8:3)

Jewish Healing Connection/Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Anne Brener

rufzh Yizkor And the Cycle of Seasons Using Time as a Healer

The phrase, “time heals all wounds” can be misleading. For those who hold their breath and hope that the steady procession of the calendar will end their pain, the promise of this phrase may bring great disappointment. But for those who have learned to use time as a tool, the progression of the seasons provides many opportunities for healing.

Autumn-Holding on “Nothing gold can stay.” Robert Frost Yom Kippur

Kol Nidre: Releasing Vows: Dealing with “if onlys” and unfinished business “Tshuva,(repentance), prayer and acts of generosity avert the severity of the decree.” liturgy

Tshuva: redeeming regrets. What regrets do you have? What regrets might they have? ______

Tefilla: penitent and sincere commitment to change

______

Tzeduka: acts of generosity and good deeds on the path of redemption

______

c. Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW 323-934-0689

winter-letting go “Let the tears run down like a river day and night.” Lamentations 2:18 Shemini Atzeret

Like seeds, germinating in the ground as they soak in the rains of winter, our hearts soften when bathed by our tears.

Somewhere, in the depths of winter comes a yearning for spring.

c. Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW 323-934-0689

Spring-Rebirth “For now, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The blossoms have appeared in the land.” Song of Songs 2:11 PESACH

Bondage to the Past The ties that keep us from freedom can be rooted in any number of emotions- positive or negative. We may be tied to a something fulfilling and are unable to let go. We may have unresolved issues.. How are you in bondage to the past or living in someone else’s kingdom?

Pharaoh: How has your loss become a tyrant in your life holding you in bondage? How is it your taskmaster, as you continue to do its bidding and not that of your higher self?

The Plagues: What punishments have you endured because of this bondage?

Matzah: What have you failed to give proper time, attention & nurture due to mourning?

The Sea of Reeds: What obstacles must you pass through to get to freedom?

Manna: What has sustained you during your journey?

The Golden Calf: What has distracted you from the tasks of healing?

Moses & Miriam: Who have been your role models and teachers in this wilderness?

The Promised Land: Describe the life you hope for in the future.

God: Envision a healing power or energy to carry you to Freedom and the Promised Land.

Pesach commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and gives us the opportunity to release our bondage to the past. Spring holds the promise of rebirth and the hope that new life will be soon begin.

c. Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW 323-934-0689

Summer- Affirming the harvest They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. One that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall come again with rejoicing, laden with sheaves. Psalms (126:5-6 Shavuot

First fruits: Before we go forward, we acknowledge what came first. . Write a note of gratitude to that which has brought you to this day of Yizkor. ______

Seven Praises: The “First fruits” /Shavuot offering included portions of the seven species for which the land of Israeli is praised. Deuteronomy 8:8 : wheat, barley, grape, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates., list seven praises of aspects of what has been lost.

1.______2.______3.______4..______5.______6.______7.______

Affirming the Harvest –The Torah of What is Gone What have you learned from whom or what you mourn? ______Acts of Thanksgiving What memorial act will you perform to commemorate what has past?

______c. Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW 323-934-0689 On Israel: Navigating 3 different challenges

Navigating between American Jews and those to the left and right First, I suggest that we work to articulate a hierarchy of our moral commitments that we can crudely divide among what we consider moral imperatives, moral concerns, and — further down the line — political preferences. Firmly entrenched ideologies of political communities — political parties, religious denominations, etc. — make it easy for their adherents to conflate these three, but they are really separate, and precision counts. All of us carry around with us a short list of moral imperatives that reflect our central commitments. These are ordering principles in our political universe, and it would be difficult for us to inhabit communities — or to make personal life decisions — that did not follow their mandates. Separately, however, we carry around a longer list of moral concerns — the issues we care about (often deeply) but which do not rise to the level of ordering our families, communities, and life choices. Most of us can tolerate relatively easily living in community with people who do not value the same full list of moral concerns, but we struggle to do so when it comes to moral imperatives. On the basis of this, my suggestion for building political community is that in lieu of comprehensive or single-issue litmus tests, we endeavor to follow a “two-thirds and 51 percent” rule, which would state as follows: We identify in political communities, or organize for particular causes, with people who share, or at least do not operate in contradistinction to, two-thirds of our core moral imperatives, and with whom we agree on a minimum of 51 percent of our moral concerns.

-Yehuda Kurtzer, “Linda Sarsour and American Jewish Politics”

Israel: navigating between American Jews and Israelis The vast majority have no idea what Reform Judaism is. They know little about any non-Orthodox form of Judaism. Most also have little regard for religious pluralism, a value that most American Jews see as fundamental to a decent, democratic society. Whatever Bibi has done, they say, is a problem for American Jews. They are wrong. It is a problem for the Jewish people. So, if American Jews want to win (and preserve Israel as the nation-state of the entire Jewish people at the same time), they have to make this Israelis’ problem. They have to create a coalition crisis larger than anything Litzman can precipitate. How? Here, with apologies to Jonathan Swift, is a modest proposal. First, it is time to educate the Israeli public about the values of pluralism and Jewish peoplehood. One person needs to pick up the phone and in 45 minutes raise $10 million (it would take less than 45 minutes) to give to leaders like Rabbi Benny Lau and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Orthodox rabbis who understand pluralism and value Jewish peoplehood . … Then, Netanyahu, his party and anyone in his coalition must become toxic. No meetings with American Jews, not in Israel and not in the US. Delegations that would normally meet with him should stop. Israel’s consuls-general in the US should be shunned and disinvited. Birthright mega-events? Netanyahu (and Naftali Bennett, who cleverly managed not to be present for the vote) should be disinvited. Can’t be done? Then cancel the event. Ultimately, though, if American Jews cannot use financial pressure, they cannot create a coalition crisis, and they will lose. There has to be a price to having appointed Litzman (Health Minister) to the Health Ministry. Israeli hospitals survive in part thanks to American Jewish philanthropy. The flow of money should stop. Meetings with hospitals’ fund-raisers should be canceled. The hospitals did nothing wrong, but when they start running out of money, Israelis will start to care. That is the kind of coalition crisis the prime minister does not want. You don’t feel comfortable doing that? That’s fine and decent. So prepare to lose. Don’t forget El Al …

-Daniel Gordis, “How to make Israelis care”

Israel: Navigating between Jews and Arabs

Lydda is our black box. In it lies the dark secret of Zionism. The truth is that Zionism could not bear Lydda. From the very beginning there was a substantial contradiction between Zionism and Lydda. If Zionism was to be, Lydda could not be. If Lydda was to be, Zionism could not be. In retrospect it’s all too clear. When Herbert Bentwich saw Lydda from the white tower of Ramleh in April 1897, he should have seen that if a Jewish state was to exist in Palestine, an Arab Lydda could not exist at its center. He should have known that Lydda was an obstacle blocking the road to the Jewish state and that one day Zionism would have to remove it. But Herbert Bentwich did not see, and Zionism chose not to know. For half a century it succeeded in hiding from itself the substantial contradiction between the Jewish national movement and Lydda. For forty-five years, Zionism pretended to be the Atid factory and the olive forest and the Ben Shemen youth village living in peace with Lydda. Then, in three days in the cataclysmic summer of 1948, contradiction struck and tragedy revealed its face. Lydda was no more.

-Ari Shavit, My Promised Land

324 S. Beverly Drive Suite 354 Yesh Tikva Inc. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Supporting Jewish People Facing Infertility www.yeshtikva.org

High Holiday Board of Rabbis Workshop 2018

Dvora Entin, LCSW

Yesh Tikva, Hebrew for “There is Hope,” was established to end the silence and create a community of support for all Jewish people facing infertility. Yesh Tikva gives a voice to their struggles, breaks down barriers and facilitates the conversation surrounding infertility. For more information visit www.YeshTikva.org.

Yesh Tikva is a 501(c)3- EIN 47-3886529 For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

324 S. Beverly Drive Suite 354 Yesh Tikva Inc. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Supporting Jewish People Facing Infertility www.yeshtikva.org

Sensitivity Suggestions: It is very important to note that no two people suffer or react identically to similar situations. The following are only suggestions; be sure to consider each individual and his/her experience and apply what you deem to be most appropriate.

Keep in mind:

1. Do not assume anything; not everyone who does not have a child or has a large gap between children is navigating infertility. 2. If someone reaches out to share his/her story, the best thing one can do is listen. 3. Be cautious of offering any medical suggestions or referrals unless asked. If asked always offer more than one option. Make sure that congregants are aware of non- medical support options.

Jewish Ritual Sensitivity:

1. When offering, an individual or couple, the opportunity to participate in a ritual that is thought to help one have children it is important to know who you are asking before doing so: ▪ Some people appreciate such offers and run at the opportunity ▪ Some people feel very hurt by such an offer and would prefer not to even be offered them 2. It is a beautiful custom to use child centered holidays as an opportunity to pray for those who have not yet been blessed with children or who are struggling to expand their families. 3. Assess the community experience: a. Where are there spaces that might be particularly painful for a couple? b. What might be a way to be more inclusive at your shabbat tables or holiday meals? c. What might be ways to raise more sensitivity or awareness in the ritual congregational experience?

At times those struggling with infertility, be it primary, secondary or circumstantial, can become emotionally overwhelmed and may need some distance. It may come across as a personal offense, but it is important to remember that it is not personal.

Yesh Tikva is a 501(c)3- EIN 47-3886529 For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

324 S. Beverly Drive Suite 354 Yesh Tikva Inc. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Supporting Jewish People Facing Infertility www.yeshtikva.org

If You Ask How I’m Doing- By: Anonymous

You know that awkward moment of silence when someone asks “How are you?” and you know that, to answer truthfully would go deep into a conversation neither of you wants to enter, so you take a deep breath before you muster up a quick “fine” and try to change the subject? That awkward pause is the story of my week.

After my most recent miscarriage, I am pretty much everything that is the opposite of “fine,” but well aware that all anyone expects to hear is a cheerful reply, and maybe an interesting story of something wonderful that happened recently. So instead, I pretty much ignored pre- holiday emails and text messages from friends, claiming I was just too busy to check my phone erev yom tov. I’ve missed kiddush in shul and other large social gatherings. I’ve jumped down the rabbit holes of storybooks and Netflix, making friends with fictitious characters who let me enter their lives for awhile, and never ask me how I’m doing. I’ll do anything to avoid that awkward moment where I make a quick decision to once again skip over the hard truth of “what’s new.”

You see, I deeply appreciate my friends and relatives for checking in, and I’m starting to learn to answer this tough question more honestly, at least with my innermost circle. A year ago, I would have ignored your texts and emails until I was ready to honestly tell you that I’m fine, so please consider this brief-but-awkward pause a huge improvement. Just know that even if you dare to start small-talk, I’ll probably be a little quiet, for now. But one day soon, you might get the real answer and may be a lot more real than you anticipated. Hopefully, this newfound vulnerability will bring us closer, when I’m ready. But in the meantime, I’m not yet convinced you really want to know, so please try to pretend you don’t notice or mind my awkward silence.

Why We Chose to Have our Seder Alone This Year- By: Rachel

I have a close friend who once told me that she and her husband were having seder alone. At the time, I thought that sounded like the most depressing scenario ever, and I worked hard to convince her to spend a holiday meal with my husband and me. Having grown up at big family sedarim, I could not even fathom what a seder attended by two would even look like. I hate to admit it, but I was a little bit judgemental of them for being sooo antisocial.

Fast forward to three years later:

When others heard that my husband and I were having our seder alone this year, they quickly invited us to theirs, assuming it was because we had nowhere to go. B”H we had invites {as baalei teshuva, we haven’t always had invites, so this is actually a very genuine gratitude}. Pesach is a holiday where people should be with their family. According to the

Yesh Tikva is a 501(c)3- EIN 47-3886529 For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

324 S. Beverly Drive Suite 354 Yesh Tikva Inc. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Supporting Jewish People Facing Infertility www.yeshtikva.org

Haggadah, the whole point of the holiday is to tell our children all about when we were freed from slavery in Egypt. Seders across the world are usually held in a room full of happy people, with children running around. But not in our home. As of now, our little family is comprised of only two.

My husband and I have reached a point where we no longer want to be bystanders, observing how others hand down the story of the Exodus to their children. We truly long to be teaching our own. When you’re enduring the test of infertility, most holidays are difficult. For me, Pesach is the worst. Over the past three years, Pesach transformed from being my most favorite holiday {really!} to being my most dreaded, most emotionally challenging time of year. This is the time when we’re supposed to be passing our traditions to the next generation… but we still don’t know if and when our next generation will begin to be built…

Pesach was always a “north star” on the infertility compass for me. This year, we’re entrapped in loneliness; next year, we should be {in Jerusalem} making seder for a table filled with our own children. The week before last Pesach, our reproductive endocrinologist told us that we needed to prepare ourselves for a future filled with IVF cycles; by Shavuot, we were well into our first cycle. When we got pregnant from a frozen transfer last summer, we were due during Pesach, until that ended in a miscarriage. I would have been devastated by this news regardless, but now I had to worry about how I would face another Pesach with just the two of us.

I don’t intend to sound bitter or depressing. Sometimes, I am grateful for all the time G-d has given us to devote to building our marriage. I also enjoy the luxury of uninterrupted time to curl up with a book, or (especially before Pesach) having my home remain just as neat and tidy as I’ve left it. But as much as I can try to think about the plus sides, they seem like a small consolation for this very big nesayon (test of faith).

So this year, we took back Pesach. Instead of another dreaded year of plastering on smiles and pretending to be joyously celebrating the holiday, we decided to stay home, where we could openly cry to Hashem all we wanted. I sobbed through my husband’s drasha on the four sons and, without anyone else there, I felt so free to do so. We read stories of tzadikim, miracles, and of future generations. We used the seder night as an opportunity to connect with each other and with Hashem, and to learn and pray, rather than just as a painful reminder of what’s lacking in our lives.

I know that many of my friends and compatriots in the “infertile” club don’t have this luxury due to family obligations. And I know that for many of you, seder night surrounded by your nieces and nephews is often a funny mix of awesome and painful, all in one. But if you have the chance to set aside a little time to step away from all the holiday chaos and just focus, and let your emotions run through you in full-force if you like, I highly recommend it.

May we all experience open miracles and liberation from that which holds us captive!

Yesh Tikva is a 501(c)3- EIN 47-3886529 For more information, please contact us at [email protected]

Caring for Jews in Need Ensuring the Jewish Future Engaging in Our Community

Based on Jewish values, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles convenes and leads the community and leverages its resources to assure the continuity of the Jewish people, support a secure State of Israel, care for Jews in need here and abroad, and mobilize on issues of concern to the local community, all with our local, national, and international partners.

Learn more about our work and how you can get involved here.

SUNDAY TH OCT. 28

Presented by The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation

The Jewish Federation’s Tour de Summer Camps is the cycling event that makes it possible for thousands of kids to enjoy a transformative summer camp experience who would otherwise not be able to afford it. At our 6th annual event, you can choose to BIKE one of our scenic routes (18, 36, 62, or 100 miles). Sign up today and start training to ride for the Jewish future!

Tour de Summer Camps benefits: Camp Akiba • Camp Alonim • Camp Gesher • Camp Gilboa • Camp Hess Kramer Camp JCA Shalom • Camp Ramah • Gan Yisroel West • Gindling Hilltop Camp • Havaya Arts • Kibbutz Bob Waldorf on the Max Straus Campus • Moshava Alevy • URJ 6 Points Sports Academy • URJ SciTech Academy

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS Presenting Sponsor The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Century Sponsors Debbie & Mark Attanasio • Julie & Marc Platt • Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation Breakaway Sponsors Alyce & Phil de Toledo Mile Marker Sponsor Start Line Sponsor Finish Line Sponsor Breakfast Sponsor Water Bottle Sponsor Official Bike Shop Held Properties /The Held Foundation Freeman Group DPR Construction The Cayton Family BH Properties Helen’s Cycles Camp Sponsor Frida & Joel Glucoft • Jewish Journal • Laemmle Theatres The Sigal Family and NewMark Merrill Companies Cycle Sponsors Del Amo Construction • Dove Communications • Luxe Hotels Marmol Radziner • The Mutchnik Family • Plum Foundation

Sponsor listing in formation as of 7/xx/18.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities: [email protected] | (323) 761-8013 You can’t change what they suffered. But you can spread the word — and help them do more than survive.

They lived through hell in Treblinka, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. Today they live in Tarzana, Valley Village, and Pico-Robertson — increasingly frail and often alone. There are more than 10,000 Holocaust survivors in Los Angeles ― and 3,000 of them live in poverty. The reparations they receive for all they suffered and all they lost don’t begin to meet their needs. The Jewish Federation’s Save Our Survivors campaign is a grassroots effort to raise awareness of the essential home care services they need to remain independent — while they are still with us — including: • Transportation to doctor visits • Personal care • Light housekeeping • Grocery shopping Help us make sure our entire community knows about Save Our Survivors. For content and resources for you to spread the word to your networks, friends, and family, visit: www.JewishLA.org/SOSResource OPPORTUNITIES: Birthright Israel LA Way

The Federation sends groups of young adults ages 18-32 from Los Angeles to Israel, where they can enjoy program additions and benefits not available on other Birthright Israel trips. We are happy to guide participants through the registration process and do what we can to help them get onto a trip that is right for them. Onward Israel LA

The Federation sends students from local universities and young professionals ages 19-26 for an eight- week, subsidized Summer program where they develop professional skills through high-level, personalized internships among Israeli peers and BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL professionals in Tel Aviv. Masa Israel Journey & IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES Young adults spend 5 to 12 months after high school, in college, or after graduation interning, volunteering or studying in Israel for those between Dear Rabbi, the ages 18-30. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is a strong community partner of Birthright Israel. The Honeymoon Israel Federation makes it a top priority to send hundreds Federation partners on this new of young adults to Israel each year and provides post initiative to provide highly subsidized trip engagement programming once they return to trips to Israel for diverse couples, ages Los Angeles. Whether you know someone who is 25-40 to create a shared Jewish family experience and narrative and build planning to go on a Birthright Israel trip, or know community with like-minded young someone who just experienced this once in a lifetime couples. This unique program is open opportunity, the Federation is here to help! to all types of partners and is specifically welcoming of interfaith and LGBTQ couples. For more information on any of our programs, please contact us at [email protected]. If you know someone who just returned from one of Marks Endowment Fellowship these trips, we are here to help them continue their & Sam Rosenwald Fellowship journey, and discover new ways they can connect to the LA Jewish community. Whether someone is Young adults in college and beyond can receive grants to participate in looking for social activities, business and educational opportunities in Israel professional networking, or to meet even more like and immersive experiences minded Jews their age in their own backyard, the domestically and abroad. Federation is a great resource. CONTACT US FOR MORE Sincerely, INFORMATION AT: The Birthright Israel & Immersive Experience Team [email protected] Margalit, Sarah and Anastasia

Sign Sign Up Up Today! Today!

books and music every month! books and music every month!

books and music every month! every music and books month! every music and books

Today! Today!

Up Up

Sign Sign Sign up for PJ Library and you’ll receive the gift of a FREE, Sign up for PJ Library and you’ll receive the gift of a FREE, high-quality children’s book or CD each month. high-quality children’s book or CD each month. No matter your Jewish background, PJ Library will enrich your No matter your Jewish background, PJ Library will enrich your family’s life with Jewish stories and songs – and it’s absolutely family’s life with Jewish stories and songs – and it’s absolutely FREE for families with children 6 months through 8 years old FREE for families with children 6 months through 8 years old in Los Angeles and the five Valleys. in Los Angeles and the five Valleys. Sign up now at PJLibrary.org/LA. Sign up now at PJLibrary.org/LA. Join PJOW – the next chapter of PJ Library for Join PJOW – the next chapter of PJ Library for kids ages 9-11 at PJOurWay.org. kids ages 9-11 at PJOurWay.org. For more information, contact Risa Goldstein at For more information, contact Risa Goldstein at [email protected] or (323) 761-8234. [email protected] or (323) 761-8234.

PJ Library of Los Angeles is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, with support PJ Library of Los Angeles is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, with support from generous local donors, and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. from generous local donors, and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

If you have a child with special learning needs, please contact Naomi at [email protected] or (323) 761-8219. If you have a child with special learning needs, please contact Naomi at [email protected] or (323) 761-8219.

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is proud to offer Incentive Grants for first time campers to Jewish overnight camps • Up to $700 – first time campers attending a 2 week session (12+ days) • Up to $1,000 – first time campers attending a 3+ week session (19+ days)

ELIGIBILITY - In order to qualify for an incentive grant, campers must: • Never have previously attended Jewish overnight camp for any length of time (not including weekend and family camps) • Reside in Greater Los Angeles as determined by the Federation • Enter grades 2-12 (after their summer at camp) • Register at a Jewish residential camp in California as listed at www.jewishcamp.org/camps* • Not currently receive an immersive, daily, Jewish experience (ie: children who attend Jewish day school or yeshiva are not eligible for this program, but may be eligible for 1st time camp grants through individual camps)

TO APPLY: Step 1: Sign up for camp!* Questions? (Note: You will be unable to complete the One Happy Camper Contact: Vicky Lee at The Jewish application until you have registered for camp) Federation of Greater Los Angeles Step 2: Go to www.OneHappyCamper.org and complete the [email protected] or application (323) 761-8233

Build your skills. Find your mentor.

Lead our community Grow your network. forward.

Empowering the next generation of Jewish CLI offers four highly-competitive tracks: community leaders is a top priority of The Entertainment: Agent, assistant, actor, writer, director. Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. No matter your role in the industry, the Entertainment track The Community Leadership Institute (CLI) will help you take the next step in your leadership journey. is a competitive 15-month leadership Real Estate: Geared toward committed young professionals program giving promising young in the real estate and construction industry who are passionate professionals the highly-developed skills about growing their networks while gaining skills to be effective community leaders. and meaningful connections they need to compete in today’s world and become Russian Jewish Community: Did you or your parents move here from the former Soviet Union? Do you identify as a leaders in our Jewish community. combination of Russian, Jewish, and American (depending on who’s asking)? Look no further than the Russian Jewish track! This hands-on, life-changing, and Universal: Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and everything in deeply inspiring top-tier program between. Regardless of your profession, the Universal track provides young leaders ages 25-40 will prepare you to address some of the community’s most the opportunity to: pressing issues as you start on your leadership path. • Expand their leadership skills If you want to cultivate the skills you need to become a strategic • Work one on one with an influential mentor and effective leader in the Jewish community, we want to hear • Connect with a cohort of dynamic individuals from you! • Engage with innovative organizations Apply and learn more at JewishLA.org/CLI • Travel to Israel for a dynamic leadership experience • Develop a philanthropic mindset Touching every Jewish life in Los Angeles, Israel and the world — starting with yours. JewishLA.org By engaging teens in Jewish life, we are ensuring A community-wide our Jewish future for generations to come. effort to engage The Los Angeles Jewish Teen Initiative is co-funded by The Jewish Federation of Greater teens in compelling Los Angeles and the Jim Joseph Foundation, with seed funding provided by the Jewish and meaningful Community Foundation of Los Angeles.

Jewish experiences For more information about LAJTI, please visit JewishLA.org/teen-initiative or contact that support them [email protected]. in leading healthy and fulfilled lives. The Federation created the Los Angeles Jewish Teen Initiative (LAJTI) to ignite our teens’ passions, inspire Teen Educators, and support vibrant organizations serving the future of the Jewish Community. Here’s how: ENGAGING CREATING JEWISH TEENS CONNECTIONS & RESOURCES Teens need new ways to pursue their diverse In order to create a vibrant network for Jewish interests and passions through a Jewish lens. teens, we must create new points of connection while ensuring that existing programs thrive. Through our Teen Program Accelerator, powered by UpStart, we give our program partners tools to Through the Jackie Pisternick Teen Scholarship Fund design and launch a variety of new and expanded and the Burt & Elaine Margulis Teen Engagement opportunities, including: Scholarship Fund, we provide incentive grants and • Theatre and improv needs-based financial aid for short-term immersive Jewish programming, such as: • Leadership and advocacy • Youth group Shabbatons and conventions • Inclusion • Service learning trips • Culinary arts • WJCC Maccabi Games • LGBTQ and allies • Sports and fitness Our Focus on Teen Wellness engages the community • Female empowerment to support teens socially, spiritually and emotionally. Through workshops and trainings on critical topics, we Our Julie Beren Platt Teen Innovation Grants offer resources for teens, parents, and educators to empower teens to bring their creative ideas to life. discover how their Jewish community can support them and foster balance, joy and meaning in their lives. Our Community Internship Program offers teens a paid, skill-building experience in L.A. Jewish nonprofit organizations. YOUR ONLINE GUIDE EMPOWERING FOR TEEN LIFE IN LA THE LOS ANGELES jteensla.org JEWISH TEEN INITIATIVE TEEN EDUCATORS The professionals who work with teens have many opportunities to sharpen their skills. The Jake & Janet Farber Teen Experiential Educator Network, in partnership with the BJE, provides Jewish teen educators diverse networking, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.

Working with synagogues, The Ezra Network

is an initiative of The Jewish Federation of

Greater Los Angeles in partnership with

Jewish Family Service, Bet Tzedek Legal The Ezra Services, and JVS SoCal. Network

Ezra means help in Hebrew. Let us help you access what you need.

JewishLA.org/Ezra

We all need help sometimes.

That’s why we created The Ezra JewishLA.org The power of community. Network Where to go to get the help you need The Ezra Network resources are available in the following locations:

Westside Laurel Canyon Corridor Leo Baeck Temple Job Counselor: (310) 622-3844 Mishkon Tephilo Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 Stephen Wise Temple Adat Ari El University Synagogue Social Worker: (818) 854-9760 Social Worker: (323) 600-5722 Temple Israel of Hollywood Job Counselor: (310) 622-3844 Social Worker: (323) 600-5722 If you’re facing economic problems Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 or living with the challenge of Mid-Wilshire helping an aging parent or a teen West Valley Temple Beth Am in trouble, you’re not alone. In Congregation Or Ami Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills the comfort and privacy of one of Shomrei Torah Synagogue Temple Isaiah our partnering synagogues, you Temple Aliyah Social Worker: (323) 229-0235 can get help with government Social Worker: (818) 854-9760 Job Counselor: (310) 728-5567 program eligibility; access one-on- Job Counselor: (310) 622-3844 Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 one sessions with a social worker, Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 legal counselor or job counselor; Pico South Bay Beth Jacob Congregation participate in support groups; Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay obtain referrals for other services B’nai David-Judea Congregation Congregation Tikvat Jacob-Beth Torah Congregation Mogen David and information about upcoming Temple Beth El workshops; and receive financial Young Israel of Century City Temple Menorah Social Worker: (323) 229-0235 assistance. It’s all there for you — in Social Worker: (323) 600-5722 private — and free. Job Counselor: (310) 622-3844 Job Counselor: (310) 728-5567 Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 Legal Counselor: (323) 549-5827 Life is hard enough. Now getting help is easy, thanks to For schedules, a listing of other community resources, or additional information, The Ezra Network. please visit JewishLA.org/Ezra. Los Angeles Jewish Community RESOURCE GUIDE

2017 ONE-STOP REFERRALS THE EZRA NETWORK

When you don’t know where to start, you can call a single number The Ezra Network jewishla.org/ezra that opens the door to all kinds of support and information. In the comfort and privacy of one of our partnering synagogues, you can get help from a social worker, legal counselor or job counselor. 211 Government and Community Services Line Call 2-1-1 or visit 211LA.org Social Workers: Central Access Line/Jewish Family Service (877) 275-4537 Laurel Canyon Corridor and West Valley (818) 854-9760 One-stop connection to community and government resources. jfsla.org Mid-Wilshire, South Bay and Westside (323) 600-5722 HaMercaz/Jewish Family Service (866) 287-8030 Pico (323) 229-0235 One-stop referral service for Jewish families with children with special needs (birth to age 22). Job Counselor (310) 622-3844 hamercaz.org Legal Counselor (323) 549-5827 JKidLA/BJE City (323) 761-8616 Valley (818) 464-3391 Listings and referrals for Jewish education, including day schools, preschools, complimentary schools and residential camps. jkidla.org JQ Helpline/JQ International (855) 574-4577 Referrals and supportive assistance for LGBTQ Jews, their families and allies. jqinternational.org Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC)/Jewish Federation (323) 761-8105 The one-stop community resource for Jewish adults with special needs and their caregivers. lajac.org

The Jewish Federation is a vibrant, forward-thinking, mission, impact, and results-driven organization — and Jewish to our core. We identify, assess and address both the most pressing challenges and greatest opportunities in order to support and sustain Jewish community today and ensure a rich Jewish community accessible to everyone for generations. The result? We touch every Jewish life in Los Angeles, Israel and the world — starting with yours.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles 6505 Wilshire Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90048 | (323) 761 - 8000 19710 Venture Blvd., Suite 105 | Woodland Hills, CA 91364 | (818) 668 - 2330

Our Federation’s Caring for Jews in Need strategic initiative prepared this resource guide in order to support our community. As the convener of the community we serve, The Jewish Federation is honored to work with a variety of organizations to meet needs, provide engagement opportunities, and ensure the Jewish future we share. JEWISH COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

ADDICTION SERVICES COUNSELING & FAMILY SERVICES (CONT.) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE/SCHOLARSHIPS Whether you are interested in residential or outpatient help, JQ Helpline/JQ International (855) 574-4577 If you need financial assistance, call one of the partners below. counseling or a 12-step approach, the first step to take in dealing Referrals and supportive assistance for LGBTQ Jews, their Brawerman Leadership Institute/ with addiction is to call one of these community partners. families, and allies. Monthly support groups for parents The Jewish Federation (323) 761-8116 Aish Tamid of Los Angeles (323) 634-0505 of Iranian and Orthodox LGBTQ teens and young adults. Need-based leadership fellowship for Jewish students starting Drop-in center, crisis intervention, and career guidance for jqinternational.org college that includes a $10,000 annual scholarship. at-risk young adults ages 14-28. aishtamid.org National Council of Jewish Women/LA jewishla.org/brawerman Alcohol & Drug Action Program/ Counseling talkline and services (877) 655-3807 Emergency Survival Fund/ Jewish Family Service (310) 247-1180 Individual and family counseling, support groups, court National Council of Jewish Women/LA (877) 655-3807 Addiction and substance abuse education, support, and advocacy, and child art and literacy programs. ncjwla.org Offers transportation, bill and rental assistance as well as a prevention services for people of all ages. jfsla.org Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services (310) 836-1223 holiday program. ncjwla.org Beit T’Shuvah (310) 204-5200 Counseling services for children with emotional, behavioral, Jewish Crisis Fund/The Jewish Federation Jewish residential and outpatient addiction treatment and learning, and developmental disorders. vistadelmar.org Central Access Line (877) 275-4537 prevention programs. beittshuvah.org Case management program with financial assistance for CLOTHING AND ITEM DONATIONS/ Chabad Residential Treatment Center (323) 965-1365 Jews in financial crisis. Contact JFS Central Access for more LOANS (G’MACH) Comprehensive residential treatment center for men suffering information. jewishla.org Whether you want to borrow a piece of medical equipment, from substance abuse. chabadrehab.com Jewish Free Loan Association City (323) 761-8830 donate furniture you don’t use, or need gently used clothes for Valley (818) 344-1072 COUNSELING & FAMILY SERVICES your family, call these community partners. Zero-interest loans for students, small businesses, From counseling services to programs for youth at risk, there is a BTS Thrift Boutique/Beit T’Shuvah (310) 204-4669 emergencies, healthcare, special needs, lifecycle events, etc. wide range of services for individuals and families in need. Clothing, furniture, and houseware donation center and thrift jfla.org store. beittshuvah.org/bts-thrift-store/ Aish Tamid of Los Angeles (323) 634-0505 Jewish Los Angeles Special Needs Trust (424) 341-3344 Drop-in center, crisis intervention, and career guidance for Home Item Distribution/Global Kindness (310) 402-8882 Offers affordable financial tools that allow those with special at-risk young adults ages 14-28. Community Educational Collects donations and distributes clothing, housewares, needs to save for the future. jlatrust.org Resource Center provides academic planning and career electronics, toys, and more at no cost. Marks Endowment Fellowship/ guidance for nontraditional students. aishtamid.org myglobalkindness.org The Jewish Federation (323) 761-8208 Aleinu Family Resource Center/ Medical Equipment Loan/Bikur Cholim (323) 852-1900 Grants for college students, graduate students, and young Jewish Family Service (310) 247-0534 Loans out free medical equipment to patients of all ages. adults participating in learning and/or research opportunities Comprehensive services for children, families, and older bikurcholim.net in Israel. jewishla.org adults. Offers culturally sensitive services for the Orthodox National Council of Jewish Women/LA One Happy Camper/ community. jfsla.org Council Thrift Shops (800) 400-6259 The Jewish Federation (323) 761-8233 Aviva Family and Children’s Services (323) 876-0550 Clothing Vouchers/Talkline (877) 655-3807 Grants for first-time campers grades 2-12 for Jewish overnight Provides mental health, foster care, and education programs Clothing, furniture, and houseware donation center and thrift camp. onehappycamper.org for at-risk children, teens, and families. avivacenter.org store. ncjwla.org/council-thrift-shops Sandra and Lawrence Post Israel Grants Program/ Chai Lifeline (877) 374-6331 Second Chance G’Mach/Tomchei Shabbos (323) 851-1000 The Jewish Federation (323) 761-8233 Services for Jewish children with serious illnesses and their Provides gently used furniture, appliances and holiday Grants for people ages 15-26 participating in first-time peer/ families including hospital support, counseling, camps, and clothing to families in need. tomcheishabbos.org educational experiences in Israel. jewishla.org family programs. chailifeline.org/westcoast Scholarship Program/ EMPLOYMENT Counseling Services/Jewish Family Service Jewish Vocational Service (323) 761-8888 x8868 From resume writing to ESL classes to job training to Associate Central Access Line (877) 275-4537 Provides Jewish students in L.A. with need-based financial aid Degree programs, if you need help with employment, you’ll find Professional therapists provide counseling and mental health for post-secondary education. jvsla.org intervention for children, teens, adults, survivors of violence, it here. Student Scholarships/ couples, and families. jfsla.org Jewish Vocational Service National Council of Jewish Women/LA (323) 852-8515 Main Office: (323) 761-8888 Family Violence Project/Jewish Family Service Offers $1,000-$2,000 student scholarships for women in Hotline (818) 505-0900 The Ezra Network (310) 622-3844 financial need. ncjwla.org 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelters, transitional (Job counselor in synagogues) housing, comprehensive counseling, and education and JVS WorkSource Centers: prevention outreach. jfsla.org Marina del Rey (310) 309-6000 Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center (323) 644-2000 West Hollywood (310) 652-6378 Provides acute in-patient, residential, and out-patient services Job search and career services, training programs, and to mentally ill adolescents and adults. gatewayshospital.org workforce development. Specialized program for mature jobseekers (ExperienceWorks). Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles jvsla.org or jewishla.org/ezra One-on-One Mentoring (323) 456-1155 Camp Bob Waldorf on the Max Straus Campus (323) 456-1152 JobLink/Tomchei Shabbos (323) 851-1000 College Guidance Program (323) 456-1164 Connects Jews with employment opportunities. Includes Youth mentoring (1-1 matches with adult volunteers), resume review, job search skill development, job matching, camp programs and a college guidance program for mentees. and retraining. jbbbsla.org tomcheishabbos.org or [email protected] JKidLA/BJE City (323) 761-8616 LA ORT College City (323) 248-8555 Valley (818) 464-3391 Valley (818) 382-6000 Listings and referrals for Jewish education, including day Nonprofit college offering vocational technical training schools, preschools, complimentary schools and residential and AA degree programs. laort.edu camps. jkidla.org JEWISH COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

FOOD AND NUTRITION ISRAELI RESOURCES MEDICAL SUPPORT SERVICES When you or your loved ones are facing a health crisis, you לעזרה בעברית, התקשר המספרים הבאים The community partners listed below provide food assistance ranging from groceries to meals and more. are not alone. These community partners can provide a host of Israeli American Council (818) 836-6700 Global Kindness (310) 402-8882 Central organizing body of Israeli-Americans in Los Angeles. services to offer physical, financial, and emotional support. Collects leftover prepared kosher food from catered events, as israeliamerican.org Bikur Cholim/ well as groceries, and distributes to people in Pico-Robertson (323) 852-1900 Israeli Consulate (323) 852-5500 Jewish Healthcare Foundation area. myglobalkindness.org Services for Israelis in need living in or visiting L.A. Services for Jewish families with serious illness including Nutrition Program/Jewish Family Service embassies.gov.il/la short-term housing during treatment, medical referrals, and (323) 937-5843 x1702 or (323) 937-5852 equipment loans. bikurcholim.net MATI Israeli Community Center (818) 456-8527 Home-delivered kosher meals and community dining options Provides programs for the Israeli community living in Los Brandman Centers for Senior Care/ for seniors and adults with disabilities. jfsla.org Angeles. maticenter.com Los Angeles Jewish Home (855) 774-8444 (310) 836-5402 Comprehensive medical care for nonresident seniors including Project Chicken Soup Stand by Me (818) 664-4100 Kosher meal delivery for people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, primary medical care, rehabilitation, and home health Supportive services, including meals, support groups, services.brandmanseniorcare.org or other serious illnesses. projectchickensoup.org counseling, transportation, and more, offered in Hebrew for SOVA Community Food and Resource Program/ Jewish Israelis with cancer. standbymela.org Chai Lifeline (877) 374-6331 Jewish Family Service (818) 988-7682 Services for Jewish children with serious illnesses and their Free groceries one time per month, plus supportive services RUSSIAN RESOURCES families including hospital support, counseling, camps, and family programs. chailifeline.org/westcoast including free legal assistance, job counseling, Medi-Cal and За помощью по-русски, CalFresh enrollment, counseling, and case management. звоните по этим номерам GeneTestNow (844) GENE-TEST/844-436-3837 Detailed schedule available online. jfsla.org/sova Raising awareness about Jewish genetic diseases and West Hollywood Comprehensive Service Center/ SOVA Valley – 16439 Vanowen St. near Hayvenhurst educating the community about the importance of pre- Jewish Family Service (323) 851-8202 SOVA West – 8846 W. Pico Blvd. near Robertson conception genetic screening. GeneTestNow.com Social services for Russian West Hollywood residents over 18 Tomchei Shabbos (323) 851-1000 years old. Recreational and social services for older adults. The Jewish Bereavement Project/Kalsman Shabbat and holiday kosher grocery delivery and other jfsla.org Institute on Judaism and Health (213) 765-2180 resources. tomcheishabbos.org Links to support groups and services at synagogues and INCARCERATED SERVICES agencies that provide information on Jewish bereavement, IMMIGRANT RESOURCES Incarcerated Jews and their families should contact the partners mourning rituals, and other grieving resources. Whether you say “Hello” in Farsi ( ), below for support and advocacy during incarceration and after. jewishbereavement.org and kalsman.huc.edu/ Russian ( ) or Hebrew ( ), these Aleph Institute (310) 598-2142 Jewish Healing Center of Los Angeles (310) 277-1550 שלום Здравствуйтe partners provide culturally sensitive services to immigrants in need. Religious, spiritual, legal, emotional, constitutional advocacy Hospice services, spiritual care, and bereavement and funeral LA ORT College City (323) 248-8555 and reentry assistance for individuals in prison, mental health services. jhcla.org Valley (818) 382-6000 facilities and the U.S. armed forces, as well as their families. LA Community Chaplaincy Services (424) 888-4748 Offers ESL classes. laort.edu www.aleph-institute.org On-call, private-pay Jewish and interfaith spiritual care. Resettlement/The Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Alternative Sentencing/Beit T’Shuvah (310) 204-5200 lacommunitychaplaincy.com Service and Jewish Vocational Service (323) 935-5303 Advocates on behalf of those with drug and alcohol-related Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care/ Pre-arrival refugee assistance, family immigration, crimes to enter rehabilitation instead of incarceration. Cedars-Sinai (866) 278-7500 naturalization, & post-resettlement vocational and social beittshuvah.org Certified Jewish chaplaincy, palliative care and respite care for services. Jewish Chaplaincy Services for Los Angeles Corrections individuals facing terminal illness and their families. Institutions/Kalsman Institute seasons.org IRANIAN RESOURCES Chaplaincy services including pastoral care, spiritual Sharsheret (310) 409-2330 counseling, and Jewish learning for Jewish inmates at Men’s Free resources and support for Jewish families facing breast Central Jail, the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, and the and ovarian cancer, and BRCA risk—before, during and after Farsi Mental Health Services/ Century Regional Detention Facility. diagnosis. Sharsheret.org kalsman.huc.edu/ or [email protected] Jewish Family Service (818) 432-5037 or (818) 432-5025 Skirball Hospice/ Mental health services in Farsi for low-income individuals. jfsla.org LEGAL SERVICES Los Angeles Jewish Home (877) 774-3040 Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center/ For free legal services, call the number below. Palliative care and psychological support for individuals facing a Jewish Family Service (310) 231-9228 chronic disease or terminal illness. skirballhospice.org Services for older adults including care management, Bet Tzedek Legal Services Main Office (323) 939-0506 Stand by Me (818) 664-4100 counseling, support groups, transportation, and meals. The Ezra Network (323) 549-5827 Supportive services including meals, support groups, Services available in Farsi and English. jfsla.org (Legal counselor in synagogues) counseling, transportation, and more, offered in Hebrew for Iranian American Jewish Federation (323) 654-4700 Israelis with cancer. standbymela.org Free legal counsel including housing, debtors’ rights and An organization dedicated to the needs of Iranian Jews in Los bankruptcy, guardianships and conservatorships, employment Tikvah Hospice/ Angeles. iajf.org rights, and government services. VITAS Innovative Hospice (800) 723-3233 Iranian Peer Counseling Warmline/ bettzedek.org or jewishla.org/ezra Certified Jewish chaplaincy and palliative care for individuals Jewish Family Service (818) 464-2864 facing terminal illness and continued support for bereaved Jewish Divorce Assistance Center Iranian immigrants can access services and receive families. vitas.com/California of Los Angeles (323) 473-5222 information about available resources in Farsi. jfsla.org Informal mediation services as well as emotional and logistical JQ International (855) 574-4577 support to navigate a Jewish divorce. jdacla.org A facilitated support group and community events for Iranian LGBTQ teens, young adults, and their families. jqinternational.org JEWISH COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

SENIORS AND HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS SPECIAL NEEDS/DISABILITY SPECIAL NEEDS/DISABILITY The community partners below can help older adults, including SERVICES CHILDREN SERVICES ADULTS Holocaust survivors, age in place through a variety of services The community partners listed below provide help to children The community partners listed below provide an array of services and programs. with special needs, as well as much-needed support to the and programs for adults with special needs and their caregivers. Elder Law/Bet Tzedek Legal Services (323) 939-0506 families who love them. There are many synagogues and camps Adult Day Program/ETTA (818) 985-3882 ext. 238 Free elder law services and assistance with conservatorships, that offer programming for families with children or adults Community-based adult day programs in the city (Isak elder abuse, and family caregiver rights. bettzedek.org with special needs. Visit hamercaz.org or lajac.org for more Boruchin) and in the Valley (Conejo Day Program). etta.org information. Holocaust Survivor Program/ Assessment and Disability Services/ Jewish Family Service (323) 937-5900 Children with Special Needs Loans/ Jewish Vocational Service (323) 761-8888 Services for Holocaust survivors including Café Europa and Jewish Free Loan Association (323) 761-8830 Comprehensive vocational evaluations of individuals with Café Shalom social clubs, care management, counseling, Interest-free loans of up to $10,000 for diagnostic expenses, disabilities. jvsla.org behavioral supports, and more. jfla.org in-home supportive services, assistance with reparations, Chaverim/Jewish Family Service (818) 464-3360 financial assistance, and more. jfsla.org Friendship Circle Social-recreational club for Jewish adults with special needs. Holocaust Survivor Services/ Provides social, recreational, and educational opportunities to jfsla.org Jewish children and teens with special needs and their families. Bet Tzedek Legal Services (323) 549-5883 Conservatorship Services/ Conejo Valley Friendship Circle (818) 865-2233 Free legal support to Holocaust survivors applying for Bet Tzdedek Legal Services (323) 939-0506 reparations, pensions, and other benefits. bettzedek.org friendshipcircleca.org Provides assistance to those seeking a conservatorship and JFS Care/Jewish Family Service (213) 383-2273 Friendship Circle by the Sea (Pacific Palisades) (310) 454-7783 powers of attorney for adults with special needs. Assists in In-home caregivers for seniors and adults. jfscare.org fcpalisades.org obtaining Representative Payee status. bettzedek.org Los Angeles Jewish Home (855) 227-3745 Friendship Circle of Los Angeles (310) 280-0955 Ezra Vocational Training/ Multi-level senior living services from independent to fcla.org Camp Ramah in California (310) 476-8571 dementia care. jha.org Friendship Foundation of the South Bay (310) 214-6677 A seven-week vocational training program for young adults Menorah Housing Foundation (310) 477-1476 gotfriends.com with special needs. ramah.org Affordable independent-living apartment rentals for low- Valley Friendship Circle (Studio City) (818) 508-6633 JBI International (Jewish Braille Institute) (323) 500-3700 income seniors. menorahhousing.org valleyfriendshipcircle.com Free braille, large-print and audio publications of Jewish Senior Centers & Comprehensive Services/ HaMercaz/Jewish Family Service (866) 287-8030 cultural, liturgical and educational material from The Jewish Jewish Family Service One-stop referral service and support services for Jewish Braille Library. Available in seven languages including Russian, Centers offer care management, meal programs, health and families with children with special needs. jfsla.org Yiddish, Hebrew and Spanish. jbilibrary.org wellness, mental health services, transportation, in-home Hand in Hand/ Jewish Deaf Community Center (818) 239-4448 support, home safety modification, MSSP, and more. Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue (310) 456-2178 A central resource for deaf, hard of hearing persons, and the Financial pre-screening for Jewish free burial. jfsla.org Inclusion program that integrates youth of all abilities with community at large. jdcc.org or [email protected] Felicia Mahood Multipurpose Center (310) 231-9228 mainstream peers in an after-school social program. mjcs.org Los Angeles Jewish Abilities Center (LAJAC)/ 11338 Santa Monica Blvd. near Sawtelle Hevrah Program/Far West Region USY (818) 986-0907 Jewish Federation (323) 761-8105 Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center (323) 937-5900 Program for Jewish teens with special needs. fwusy.net The one-stop community resource for Jewish adults with special needs and their caregivers. lajac.org 330 N. Fairfax near Beverly Blvd. JBI International (Jewish Braille Institute) (323) 500-3700 Israel Levin Senior Center (310) 396-0205 Free braille, large-print and audio publications of Jewish The Miracle Project for Adults/ 201 Ocean Front Walk in Venice cultural, liturgical and educational material from The Jewish The Miracle Project (310) 829-7034 Braille Library. Available in seven languages including Russian, Socialization program for adults with disabilities using Jewish Pico-Robertson Family Resource Center (310) 247-0534 Yiddish, Hebrew and Spanish. jbilibrary.org music, dance, and storytelling. themiracleproject.org 8838 W. Pico Blvd. near Robertson Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters OurSpace (818) 530-4069 Valley Storefront Senior Center (818) 984-1380 of Los Angeles (323) 456-1155 Located at Temple Aliyah and Valley Beth Shalom, and serving 12821 Victory Blvd. near Coldwater Canyon in N. Hollywood 1on 1 mentoring for siblings of children with special needs. the entire community, this program offers a full range of West Hollywood jbbbsla.org learning, social, and spiritual Jewish experiences for children, Comprehensive Service Center (323) 851-8202 teens, and adults with special needs. ourspacela.org Jewish Life Programs/ 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood Vista Del Mar (310) 836-1223 x209 Residential and Independent Living Services/ Skirball Hospice/ Nes Gadol offers religious, cultural and arts programming for ETTA (818) 985-3882 Los Angeles Jewish Home (877) 774-3040 children with autism and other special needs. Residential, independent and supported living for adults with Palliative care and psychological support for people and their vistadelmar.org/nesgadol/ special needs, as well as recreational programs. etta.org families facing a terminal illness. skirballhospice.org OurSpace (818) 530-4069 Shemesh Organic Farm Employment Program/ Westside JCC Senior Programs (323) 938-2531 Located at Temple Aliyah and Valley Beth Shalom, and serving Shalom Institute (818) 889-5500 Senior programming including wellness classes, holiday/social the entire community, this program offers a full range of Social enterprise venture that provides employment and programs, and programs for frail seniors. westsidejcc.org learning, social, and spiritual Jewish experiences for children, internship opportunities for young adults with special needs. teens, and adults with special needs. ourspacela.org shalominstitute.com Yachad (310) 229-9000 x206 If you or someone you know lives out of Inclusive Jewish social programming for children, teens, and reach of these services, please visit adults with special needs. yachad.org/losangeles/ jfna.org for more information. Resources for the Jewish Community

ORGANIZATION NUMBER WEBSITE Aish Tamid of Los Angeles (323) 634-0505 aishtamid.org Aleph Institute (310) 598-2142 aleph-institute.org Aviva Family & Children’s Services (323) 876-0550 avivacenter.org Beit T’Shuvah (310) 204-5200 beittshuvah.org Bet Tzedek Legal Services (323) 939-0506 bettzedek.org Bikur Cholim (323) 852-1900 bikurcholim.net BJE: Builders of Jewish Education (323) 761-8605 bjela.org Camp Ramah in California (310) 476-8571 ramah.org Chabad Residential Treatment Center (323) 965-1365 chabadrehab.com Chai Lifeline (877) 374-6331 chailifeline.org/westcoast Conejo Valley Friendship Circle (818) 865-2233 friendshipcircleca.org ETTA (818) 985-3882 etta.org Friendship Circle by the Sea (310) 454-7783 fcpalisades.com Friendship Circle of LA (310) 280-0955 fcla.org Friendship Foundation of the South Bay (310) 214-6677 gotfriends.com Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center (323) 644-2000 gatewayshospital.org GeneTestNow (844) GENE-TEST GeneTestNow.com Global Kindness (310) 402-8882 myglobalkindness.org Hevrah Program/Far West Region USY (818) 986-0907 fwusy.net Iranian American Jewish Federation (323) 654-4700 iajf.org Israeli American Council (818) 836-6700 israeliamerican.org Israeli Consulate (323) 852-5500 embassies.gov.il/la JBI International (Jewish Braille Institute) (323) 500-3700 jbilibrary.org Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles (323) 761-8675 jbbbsla.org Jewish Deaf Community Center (818) 239-4448 jdcc.orgJewish Jewish Divorce Assistance Center of Los Angeles (323) 473-5222 jdacla.org Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (877) 275-4537 jfsla.org Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (323) 761-8000 jewishla.org Jewish Free Loan Association (323) 761-8830 jfla.org Jewish Healing Center of Los Angeles (310) 277-1550 jhcla.org Jewish Los Angeles Special Needs Trust (424) 341-3344 jlatrust.org Jewish Vocational Service (323) 761-8888 jvsla.org JQ International (855) 574-4577 jqinternational.org Kalsman Institute (213) 765-2180 kalsman.huc.edu/ LA Community Chaplaincy Services (424) 888-4748 lacommunitychaplaincy.com LA ORT College (323) 248-8555 laort.edu Los Angeles Jewish Home (855) 227-3745 jha.org Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue (310) 456-2178 mjcs.org MATI Israeli Community Center (818) 456-8527 maticenter.com Menorah Housing Foundation (310) 477-1476 menorahhousing.org The Miracle Project (310) 829-7034 themiracleproject.org National Council of Jewish Women/LA (877) 655-3807 ncjwla.org OurSpace (818) 530-4069 ourspacela.org Project Chicken Soup (310) 836-5402 projectchickensoup.org Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care/Cedars-Sinai (866) 278-7500 seasons.org Shalom Institute (818) 889-5500 shalominstitute.com Sharsheret (310) 409-2330 sharsheret.org Stand by Me (818) 664-4100 standbymela.org Tikvah Hospice/VITAS Innovative Hospice (800) 723-3233 vitas.com/California Tomchei Shabbos (323) 851-1000 tomcheishabbos.org Valley Friendship Circle (818) 508-6633 valleyfriendshipcircle.com Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services (310) 836-1223 vistadelmar.org Westside JCC (323) 938-2531 westsidejcc.org Yachad (310) 229-9000 x206 yachad.org/losangeles/