Great Shall be the Peace of Your Children
by Rabbi Josh Knobel
וְכָל־בָּנַיִךְ לִמוּדֵי יְיָ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנַיִךְ.
“All of your children shall be students of Adonai, and great shall be the peace of your children (Isaiah 54:13).”
Our sages teach us to read not בָּנַיִךְ, your children, but rather, בֹּנַיִךְ, your builders, suggesting that our children shall become the builders who fashion peace in our world, should we heed their call for peacemaking.
READ MORE

 
Parkland Students to Speak at Services and Saturday’s March for Our Lives
Please join us for a powerful Shabbat evening service on Friday, March 23 at 6:15 p.m., where we will welcome Mia Freeman and Hayley Licata, two students from Parkland, Florida who survived February’s shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. Mia and Hayley will share their experiences and tell their story. On Saturday, Mia and Hayley will be welcomed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to speak at the Downtown Los Angeles March for Our Lives.
Please note: some content may be troubling, especially for younger attendees. Child care is available during Shabbat services.
 
Saturday rally update: Though our shuttle from Wise is now full, anyone who would like to caravan as a group may meet at Wise at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. We will leave promptly at 8:15 a.m.
 

WiseFit Announces Spring Schedule
Fit fitness into your day! Classes in our new facilities are underway and we are now registering for the Spring. Classes include Yoga and Pilates, Iyengar Yoga, and Vinyasa Flow Yoga – all with our incredible team of instructors.
Special: bring a friend for free! Wise members who register can invite 1 non-member friend to join them for any class this spring at no cost. Notify Coach Ryan Hosler ahead of time after you have registered for yourself.
VIEW SCHEDULE AND REGISTER HERE

 

LAST WEEK IN PHOTOS
So many exciting things have happened on our campus over the past week! In particular, we celebrated a terrific Founder’s Day on March 16 with our Wise School students and over 40 of our founding generation members. On Sunday, March 18, our Religious School held tons of terrific Passover actitivies on campus, including an “Escape from Egypt” room! And congratulations also to Mary Itri on her 20th Wise School production: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY
WATCH FOUNDER’S DAY CELEBRATION ON FACEBOOK

 
Worship
 

This Week’s Torah Portion: Tzav

FRIDAY, MARCH 23
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Services
Led by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Cantor Nathan Lam

SATURDAY, MARCH 24
Saturday Morning Services and Torah Study | Plotkin Chapel
9 a.m. Torah Study
10 a.m. Morning Service followed by potluck lunch
Led by Rabbi Josh Knobel and Cantor Emma Lutz

 

NEXT WEEK:

FRIDAY, MARCH 30
5:30 p.m. Shabbat Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by  Cantor Nathan Lam

SATURDAY, MARCH 31
Shabbat Morning and Passover Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Emma Lutz
9 a.m. Torah Study
10 a.m. Morning Service

 

 
Learning Opportunities with Clergy
Bible Study with Rabbi Ron Stern: Monday, March 26 at 9 a.m. Temple Conference Room
Talmud Study with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback: Wednesday, April 4 at 12 p.m. Taub Annex
 
 
Passover with Wise
 

Final Chance for Passover Deals at the Gift Shop
For all your last-minute Passover needs the Gift Shop will be open on Friday, March 23 from 2 – 4 p.m.
Find your perfect new seder plate, replace some well-worn haggadot, and discover kid-friendly ways to celebrate Pesach. All Passover items (excluding haggadot) will be 25% off. The gift shop will also be open after services on Friday evening.

 
Passover Second Night Seder
Saturday, March 31 at 6 p.m.
Led by Rabbi David Woznica and Cantor Emma Lutz
Celebrate one of the monumental turning points in Jewish and world history as we commemorate our liberation by God from slavery to freedom. We will journey back to our time in Egypt, make a quick stop at the Red Sea, and then… onward. Along the way, enjoy Jewish teachings and songs. We look forward to an uplifting evening of music, a special Kosher for Passover dinner catered by Cornucopia, and to creating wonderful memories together as a community.
Prices: $65 for Wise members; $75 for guests; $30 for children 12 and under
REGISTER HERE
 
Pico Union Project presents:
5th Annual Downtown Seder
Sunday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m. | 1153 Valencia St., Los Angeles
Join Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and clergy from all over Los Angeles for this annual celebration of God’s work of liberation from generation to generation. Gather as one family of many faiths, languages, and cultures during a season when many faith traditions affirm that love can conquer fear. In Pico Union Project fashion, this will not be a Seder in the traditional sense but a journey traveled by people of good will through storytelling that sets us free to be servants of God’s love in our world.
REGISTER HERE
 
 
Upcoming Events
 
Center for Jewish Life presents
A (Dys)Functional Family Album: Beneath the Surface of Biblical Relationships

with Rabbi Sari Laufer
Note new date: Tuesday, March 27
7:30-9 p.m.
Sibling rivalry, marital scheming, the occasional fratricide, and more—our Biblical stories offer us the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful of human relationship. Based in some familiar Bibilical narratives, and bringing rabbinic wisdom, modern psychology, and our own lived experience, we’ll explore what we can learn about being a friend, a parent, a child, a partner, and more from Jewish text and tradition.
REGISTER HERE
 

Newlyweds Havdalah at Rabbi Yoshi’s Home
Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m.
Couples married in the last two years are invited to our Newlyweds Havdalah at the home of Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Jacqueline Hantgan. Enjoy a lovely evening concluding Shabbat and kicking off the week with song, prayer, great food, and great conversation. Join your Wise clergy and other recently married couples and help us make it a Shavua Tov. Please contact Lucy Harel, Director of Membership, with any questions.
RSVP HERE

 

West Coast Jewish Theatre and Stephen Wise Temple present
Simcha by Howard Teichman: A Staged Reading
Sunday, March 25 at 3 p.m. | Plotkin Chapel
Mike Burstyn (Azimuth, The Dybbuk) stars in this delightful play about a life-affirming journey into the world of a traveling magical storyteller who weaves his tales of Jewish folklore. Reminiscent of the well-loved stories of Sholem Aleichem, Simcha’s tales spread a pervasively modern patina over the seemingly familiar folktales.
Tickets: $25 (General Admission)
Call 323.821.2449 to purchase.

 

Center for Jewish Life presents
Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court: From Brandeis to Kagan
Tuesday, April 10, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.
Examine the lives, legal careers, Jewish backgrounds, and Jewish legacies of Brandeis, Cardozo, Frankfurter, Goldberg, Fortas, Bader Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan. Explore the appointment of Brandeis in 1916 and how that appointment began the tradition of a “Jewish seat,” the role anti-Semitism did or did not play in the lives of the Justices and Senate confirmation hearings, as well as the relationships and friendships that impacted their careers. You’ll learn their views on subjects including freedom of speech, death penalty, gender equality and more. A look at some of the most influential American Jews and how they shaped the way Americans lived and live today. Rabbi Dalin’s book Jewish Justices is now a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.

LEARN MORE

 

Center for Jewish Life presents:
Classical (Siddur) Hebrew, Beginning 2
(for students who completed Beginning 1)

9 Mondays: April 16 –June 25 (No class on 5/21, 5/28)
7 – 9 p.m.
This class is for students who completed Beginning 1 or can read at a beginners level. The class focuses on improving reading skills and understanding the prayers.
REGISTER HERE

 
Yom Ha’Atzmaut Soulful Shabbat Services and Dinner
Friday, April 20
Services: 6:15 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Our Soulful musicians and singers will join our clergy for a celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday.
NOTE: Special service time of 6:15 p.m.
REGISTER FOR DINNER
 
Jewish World Watch Walk to End Genocide
Sunday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Pan Pacific Park
Join Rabbi Ron Stern, our religious school students, and our Wise Walks team for this annual event that brings thousands of people together to speak out and raise awareness and funds to end worldwide genocide. March with our students, parents, friends, teachers, and clergy as we stand up for the millions of people around the world who cannot stand up for themselves.
REGISTER HERE
 
Cantors’ Concert Celebrating 70 Years of University Synagogue
featuring Cantor Emma Lutz
Sunday, April 22 at 4 p.m. | 11960 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles
Cantor Emma Lutz will sing alongside colleagues from all around Los Angeles to help our friends at University Synagogue celebrate their 70th anniversary.
LEARN MORE
 
Annual Library Luncheon
with guest speaker Rabbi Naomi Levi
Friday, April 27 at 12 p.m.
A few years ago, Rabbi Naomi Levy came across a writing by Albert Einstein that took her on a mysterious journey which she chronicled in her popular book Einstein and the Rabbi. At this special luncheon we will discuss her search into the depths of the soul, all while uncovering a mystery about the world’s most renowned scientist. In addition to Einstein and the Rabbi, Rabbi Naomi Levy is author of the national bestseller To Begin Again and founder of Nashuva, a Jewish Spiritual outreach movement. Proceeds from this event provide essential support of our beloved Wise School library.
LEARN MORE
 

Center for Jewish Life presents
Reform Judaism: An Exploration of our Role and our Future 
Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Many of the greatest contributions of Reform Judaism also present its greatest challenges. It seeks to be innovative while at the same time embracing tradition. It casts a wide tent while at the same time seeking to have core beliefs. It allows for personal autonomy while at the same time desiring a community based on shared values. It holds the Torah as sacred while concurrently not holding all its teachings to be binding.
LEARN MORE

 

Soulful Shabbat and Confirmation: Celebrating Our Graduating Seniors
Friday, May 18
Services: 6:15 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate the confirmation students and graduating seniors in our Wise family with a Soulful Shabbat service, presentations, and special blessings. Our entire community is invited to dinner after services to help congratulate our confirmands and graduating class.
NOTE: Special service time of 6:15 p.m.
REGISTER FOR DINNER 

 
 
Community Calendar
 

Valley Town Hall with Congressman Brad Sherman
Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m. | Reseda High School
Join Congressman Brad Sherman for a chance to discuss the issues including healthcare, immigration issues, Veterans Affairs, the economy, Social Security and Medicare—and all the other issues facing Congress. As a public service, Wise announces all public forums being held by elected officials to discuss community concerns. Submissions can be sent to [email protected].
RSVP HERE 

 
Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health and Cedars-Sinai present
Jewish Wisdom and Wellness: A Festival of Learning

April 15 — April 29
Learn about health and wellness at this annual community-wide series of events, lectures, workshops, and experiential classes hosted by community organizations and synagogues throughout Los Angeles and Southern California. Jewish Wisdom & Wellness is intentionally multidenominational and interdisciplinary, and programs will be offered across the streams of Jewish life.
LEARN MORE 
 
Lifecycle • Yahrzeits

We remember with love those who died in recent days and weeks:

Joyce Berger, Dean Russell Prober, Carrie Lutin Scott, Jack Straus
 

We observe the yahrzeits of:

Natan Aabedi, Anne Ackerman*, Hinda Adler*, David Alhadeff, Michael Aratow*, Hannah Leh Baum*, Lawrence Bloch, Morad Chaman, Jean Chernow, Rose Cohn*, Harvey K. Cousens*, Kate Federman*, Jacob J. Gilbert*, Morris Glassman*, Dr. Joseph Goldfarb*, Lena Goodwein*, Helen Greenwald*, Bertha Gutman*, Isadore Kahn, Mark L. Karp, M.D., Gilbert Klein, Charles Kossman*, Ginger Kottwitz, Debbie Krasne*, Cheryl Diane Kurtzman*, Irving H. Levin*, Elliott David Lokitz*, Jesse Luxenberg*, Mildred Niver Marzell*, David Modlin, Benjamin Morris* Etty Morris*, Lora L. Morris*, Ernst Pinkus*, BeBe Reichstein, Julius Root*, Sally Rosenthal*, Daniel Rubinstein*, Mollie Snookal*, Sam Snookal*, Maurice Storch*, Barry Strommer, Joseph Tushinsky*, Adele Wiener

*Designated on our memorial walls

 
Lifecycle • Mazal Tov
Shehechianu Moment

Do you have a milestone birthday or anniversary approaching? We’d like to celebrate your special day on the bima during Friday evening Shabbat Services! Invite your family, join your Wise community, make it a “shehechianu moment” – a time to give thanks for life, health, and the blessings that enable you to reach this great moment in your life. Let us know by emailing Arlene Spiegelman or calling 310.889.2272 and she’ll make sure to schedule a date that works for you. We’d love to share your celebration!

To our B’nai Mitzvah — may the Torah guide and inspire you every day of your adult life.
Mazal tov to:

Sharona and Kamran Tavakoli on their daughter Tiffany Tavakoli becoming Bat Mitzvah.
 

Lili and Jack Lenack on their daughter Natalia Bader becoming Bat Mitzvah.
 

 
Lifecycle • Tributes

We honor people through charitable giving.

RABBIS’ DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Andrew Markoff, by Carole Markoff

Hinda Adler, by The Adler Family

Frances Rose Albert Stein, by Eileen Stein

 

WISE SCHOOL GENERATIONS ENDOWMENT
IN HONOR OF:

Felice and Doug Williams on the birth of their grandson, Luca Soheil Younesi, and to Rachel and Michael Younesi on the birth of their son, by Janine and Rick Kolodny

Jila and Kam Hekmat on the birth of their grandson, and to Jasmin and Ryan Hekmat on the birth of their son, by Janine and Rick Kolodny

 

AFSANEH YOUSEFZADEH MEMORIAL FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Afsaneh Yousefzadeh, by Karin and Shawn Azizzadeh

 

SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Lawrence Bloch, by Susan and Steve Kay

 

RABBI ZELDIN RABBINIC CHAIR FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, by Jo and Irv Kierman, Joyce Grunauer, and Marjorie Fuchs

 

SAUL AND TOBY KASSAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Lynda (Kassan) Camhi, by Ronnie and Michael Kassan

 

YAHRZEIT FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Anne Ackerman, by Laurie Ackerman and Carly AckermanCanning

BeBe Reichstein, by Jackie and Erin Harrell

Adele Wiener, by Jill Kaufman

David Modlin, by Adriane and Allan Morrison

Gilbert Klein, by Walter Klein

Jean Chernow, by Eli Chernow

Rose Bronstein, by Leslie Wright

Sam Faber, by Loretta Appel, Lance Toomin, and Larry Toomin

Ernst Pinkus, by Frank Pinkus

David Alhadeff, by Sylvia Ward

Lena Goodwein, by Eleanora Goodwein

Charles Kossman, by Annie and Ted Haas

 
Thank You
We appreciate our wonderful volunteers:

Nosh Volunteer:
Susan Firestone

Gift Shop Volunteers:
Terrie Baumann
Rochelle Fox
Lori Rubin
Carol Sookman

 
A Welcoming Community
Have a great idea? Share it with us by submitting it to our online suggestion box.
SUGGESTIONS

Do you want to reach us? 
CONTACT LIST

Are you having a lifecycle event? Or would you like to be added to this email list? 
LET US KNOW

Would you like to get involved? Check out upcoming Temple and School events. 
VIEW CALENDAR

 
 
Stephen Wise Temple | 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive | Los Angeles, CA 90077

 
Shabbat Shalom