Eyes on Wise 1.17.19

Tu Bishvat: A New Year for All Life
by Rabbi Josh Knobel

Though the Western world celebrates January 1 with revelry and spectacle, Jewish new years are a little different.
The most renowned Jewish new year, of course, remains Rosh Hashanah, which begins a 10-day period of introspection designed to remind us of our responsibilities to God and to our fellow human beings. Judaism, however, observes three additional new years, each reminding us of a unique and sacred Jewish responsibility.
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Wise Religious School Director Earns Honor at National Conference
Kol HaKavod to Ashley Marx, Director of Religious School! This week at the Association of Reform Jewish Educators Conference, a gathering of educational leaders and professionals, Ashley was granted the title of RJE, Reform Jewish Educator. The coveted title signifies that Ashley has met the established criteria of experience, education, and standards for the field – it is granted by representatives from the American Conference of Cantors(ACC), the Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE), the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), and the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ).

This Week’s Torah Portion: Beshalach

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18
6:15 p.m. | Shabbat Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Sari Laufer and Cantor Nathan Lam
Watch live on Friday night: Facebook | WiseLA.org

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Sanctuary
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services 
Led by Rabbi Josh Knobel, Cantor Nathan Lam and Cantor Paul Dorman
B’nai Mitzvah students and families will be joining in this service
8 p.m. | Nava Tehila in Concert REGISTER HERE

NEXT WEEK

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
6:15 p.m. | Shabbat Services | Sanctuary
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Emma Lutz
Join us as we observe the first yahrzeit of Founding Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin (Z”L) with participation from our Wise School 3rd Grade students. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Sanctuary
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services 
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Emma Lutz

Learning Opportunities with Clergy
Talmud Study with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback: Wednesday, January 23 | 12 p.m. | Udko Annex
Bible Study with Rabbi Ron Stern: Monday, February 4 | 9 a.m. | Temple Conference Room

Kol HaKavod to the Schenkman family, who were featured in a Jewish Journal article about the GOFARR Fund, which they established to support renal disease treatment and research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. GOFARR (Gabriel’s Organization Funding All Renal Research) was created in the wake of Gabriel Schenkman’s childhood diagnosis of hypoplastic kidney disease and his mother Elisa’s subsequent donation of a kidney. “They have always been involved in fundraising for the hospital,” writes the Jewish Journal, “persuading friends and relatives to donate, and participating in toy drives. But their efforts kicked into high gear five years ago when the twins were preparing for their bar and bat mitzvahs at Stephen Wise Temple.”
READ MORE 

Lam Music and Media Center presents
Nava Tehila in Concert
Saturday, January 19 | 8 p.m.
Nava Tehila is a Jerusalem-based community for Jewish renewal, dedicated to creating musical, engaging prayer spaces where people feel comfortable to come as they are. Nava Tehila’s musical spiritual leaders generate new prayer modalities, compose new music for prayer, and train Jewish leaders, including rabbis, cantors and students, in the art of musical and innovative prayer leading. Experience a taste of this incredible group of musicians and spiritual leaders at a special performance co-sponsored by our friends at Temple Beth Am.
Tickets: $18
BUY TICKETS 

Center for Jewish Life presents
Museums with Mario: LACMA (Only a few spots left!)
Tuesday, January 22 | 1:30–3 p.m.
Mario will select five pieces on exhibit and drill deep into the desire for “aesthetic arrest.”
Cost (does not include admission):
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
Museum Admission: $18: payable upon entry to the museum
Parking $15 per car
REGISTER HERE

Wise Jams
Thursday, January 24 | 7 p.m.
Jam with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, the Maestro David Kates, and other musicians and singers in our community! Are you an ace on the bass? Get your kicks on the sticks? Bring your axe, your sax, your vox, and your chops. We’ll supply the mics, amps, sheet music, and a rockin’ good time!
RSVP TO DAVID KATES

Center for Tikkun Olam presents
Housing the Homeless: A Five-Part Series
Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m.
March: TBA
How is LA housing the homeless in your neighborhood? With over 50,000 homeless citizens on the streets of Los Angeles the voters of our city and county have made the decision to get a significant number of them safely housed in the next several years. Money has been allocated and plans are underway throughout the city to develop a variety of housing alternatives. Every city council district is committed to providing units. How will these decisions effect you? Wise will host a special series to answer questions that you might have about the housing options being considered.
LEARN MORE AND RSVP

Center for Jewish Life presents
Caring for our Elders—And Ourselves: The Status of Senior Care in our Society
with Molly Forrest
Monday, January 28 | 7:30 p.m.
The gift of aging comes with a new set of challenges that most of us will face in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. Almost all are unprepared. As our parents and others age, some are in need of care beyond what we can provide. What are the options for our loved ones to continue to stay at home? If it is their preference, is it necessarily wise for them to stay in their homes? What about home caregiving? Should we invite our elderly or infirm parents to live with us? If they are to live outside their home, how do we go about choosing the best facility for them to live out their years? What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing long-term care insurance policies for ourselves and our loved ones? What role do Medicare and Medicaid play in our decision?
Molly Forrest is CEO-President of the L.A. Jewish Home, the largest non-profit elderly continuing care community in the Western United States. She oversees an annual budget of $140 million that provides care to 4000 seniors. With 46 years spent in senior services, Ms. Forrest has worked in governmental and for-profit agencies and, for the last 22 years, at the L.A. Jewish Home.
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
REGISTER HERE

Wise Alumni Networking & Social Event
Tuesday, January 29 | 7-9 p.m.
Ever wonder “where are they now?” Our Wise School alums (21 and older) are invited to join us for a special night to network, schmooze, reconnect, and share stories from their glory days on our beautiful hill. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served. If your child attended Wise School, please be sure to share this event with them!
Address to be provided upon RSVP.
RSVP HERE

Wise School Gala: TLV > WISE 
Saturday, February 2  | 7 p.m.
Two weeks to go! Join us for an incredible evening under the Tel Aviv sky as we honor Beth and Bryan Behar, Sherly and Kami Daneshgar, and Orley and Bobby Melamed. You won’t want to miss this celebration of our school and honorees, along with cocktails, dinner, DJ, silent auction, and much more! 
BUY TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS
REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE AUCTION (Attendance not required!)

Tot Shabbat and Baby Playdate
Saturday, February 2
9 a.m. | Baby Playdate (12 months and younger)
10 a.m. | Tot Shabbat Service
Gather together with our community for a festive service! Our Clergy and song leaders lead our music- and story-filled service that introduces the youngest members of our community to the joy of Shabbat. Parents and grandparents will love it too!  Special for parents with newborns, we’ll have a baby playdate for an hour leading up to Tot Shabbat.
REGISTER FOR BABY PLAYDATE
REGISTER HERE FOR TOT SHABBAT

Center for Jewish Life presents
The Weight of Ink: Rachel Kadish in Conversation with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Tuesday, February 5 | 7:30 p.m.
The Weight of Ink is set in London of the 1660s and of the early 21st century. It is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an immigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love for Jewish history. This work of historical fiction is about women separated by centuries and the choices and sacrifices they make to reconcile the life of the heart and the life of the mind.
Rachel Kadish is author of the novels The Weight of Ink, From a Sealed Room,and Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story. She also authored the novella I Was Here.
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
Presented in partnership with the Jewish Book Council
REGISTER HERE

Wise Women presents
Pre-Event Reception for The Weight of Ink
Tuesday, February 5 | 6:15 p.m.
Enjoy a light wine and cheese reception for fellow bookworms among our Wise Women group. We will engage in a book club-style discussion of The Weight of Ink in advance of Rachel Kadish’s conversation with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback. This reception is free for women who are members of the Stephen Wise Temple and $18 for the general public.
Note: you must register for both events if you are planning to attend the Wise Women reception AND Rachel Kadish’s dialogue with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback.
REGISTER HERE FOR THE PRE-EVENT RECEPTION

Wise Women presents
Mahj and More
Wednesday, February 6 | 1 p.m.
Wise members and guests are invited to join other Wise Women for open play: Mah Jongg, Canasta, Bridge, or any other game you’d like on the first Wednesday of each month. Groups or single players and all levels (beginners to experts) are welcome and encouraged! If you have a Mah Jongg set, please bring it along. Snacks and light refreshments served. This is a free event. RSVP required.
For more information on Canasta Lessons please contact Rachel Goldberg ([email protected], 310.889.2227).
RSVP HERE

Soulful Shabbat
Friday, February 8 | March 8 | April 12
Dinner | 6:30 p.m.
Services | 8 p.m.
Soulful Shabbat is a one-of-a-kind musical service, one of Wise’s most popular traditions. Join our clergy and our Soulful Shabbat musicians and singers for a spiritual evening featuring the rhythms and melodies our members have come to love.
REGISTER FOR DINNER

Center for Jewish Life presents
Raising Your Voice: Learning to Chant Torah
with Cantor Emma Lutz
Wednesdays: February 13, 20, 27 | 7–8:30 p.m.
After a brief history of cantillation (the systems of chanting from our Torah and other sacred texts), we will learn the basic tropes (symbols) for chanting Torah. This class does not require any prior knowledge of Hebrew reading or any singing experience. Together, we will explore and experience firsthand how music and chanting deepen our experience of reading our sacred texts.
REGISTER HERE

Wise Women presents
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER
Tuesday, February 26  | 3:00 p.m. (NEW DATE ADDED!)
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the first-ever retrospective about the famed associate justice and American cultural icon. It offers a visually rich, entertaining, yet rigorous look at RBG’s life and work. Woven throughout the exhibition are excerpts of briefs and other writings by RBG, including some of her most famously searing dissents. In addition, the exhibition also brings to light how her childhood, teachers and professors led her to pursue the law and be so committed to the nation’s highest ideals.
Join Wise Women for lunch, followed by a private group tour at the Skirball Cultural Center.
Cost: $36 for Wise Members, includes lunch, admission and group tour. 
This event is for Wise Members only. Unfortunately we cannot offer refunds once registered. 
REGISTER HERE

Jewish Women’s Theatre presents
Chutzpah & Salsa
Tuesday, March 5
6 p.m. | Pre-show reception 
7 p.m. | Performance
Jewish Women’s Theatre’s Chutzpah & Salsa presents a cultural collage on stage: personal and mostly true stories of Jewish immigration to South and Latin America from Europe, Syria, and other lands that were not “Jewish-friendly.” These stories, written by Latino Jews, reveal funny, poignant, and pivotal moments in their lives as they share what it means to have a Latino heart and a Jewish soul. Powerhouse writers of these stories include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario, Fulbright Scholar Ivonne Saed, MacArthur Fellow and poet Ruth Behar, and Award-winning author Barbara Mujica.
Our gratitude to Susan and Mel Plutsky for their generous sponsorship of our pre-show reception.
BUY TICKETS

Wise Guys presents
Men’s Ski Trip to Mammoth
Friday, March 29 – 31 
Join Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Rabbi Ron Stern on the Wise Guys men’s trip to Mammoth Mountain. Winter sports, camaraderie, good food, Shabbat! Cost of the trip includes lodging, two catered dinners, snacks, some wine, and self-prepared breakfasts (lift tickets not included). 
REGISTER HERE

We remember with love those who died in recent days and weeks:
Marjorie “Margie” Lipson, Darren Neishuler, Ruth Orbuch, Ray Pivo, Nemat Shadgoo, Linda Sue Sokol, Albert Stein, Joy Tanzman

We observe the yahrzeits of:
Helen Ameti*, Albert Asaban*, Elsie Adler Auerbach *, Sara Bass, Ida Benson*, Eva Braverman*, Josephine Buchbinder*, Leonard Bush, Mark David Delson*, Sam Demsky*, Sydney J. Dunitz*, Victor Fabe*, Dr. Benjamin B. Faguet*, Ruth Freiman*, Solomon   Fromer*, Helene S. Gaines*, Esther Goldberg*, Dorothy Jablonowitz*, William Jeffrey Kadner*, Gabriel Kahn*, Sam G. Kaplan*, Mildred “Millie” Karp, Milton D. Klein, M.D., Ellise Leff Laub*, Stephen J. Magassin*, Hal Michaels*, Arnold Naftalin, Irving Pollack, Irwin Pollack, Sam Povar*, Herman Rosen, Henry Shadur*, Marcia Spiwak*, Viola Vari, Rubin Weinstein*, Alfredo Widawer*, Ethel Yurman*

*Designated on our memorial walls

We reach out as a community and offer our support and deepest sympathy to those among us who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

Kami and Sherly Daneshgar; Ramin and Doris Daneshgar on the loss of Kami’s and Ramin’s grandfather Nemat Shadgoo
Henry Lipson on the loss of his wife Marjorie “Margie” Lipson
Allen Orbuch on the loss of his wife Ruth Orbuch
Robyn Sokol and Phil Harnick on the loss of Robyn’s mother Linda Sue Sokol
The family of Joy Tanzman on her passing

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!

Mazal Tov to:
Yassi and Justin Lancer on their son Jacob Lancer becoming Bar Mitzvah this weekend
Melody and Hooman Nissani on the birth of their daughter Chloe Nissani

We honor our loved ones, our family simchas, and our communal losses through charitable giving. To give in honor or in memory of a cherished family member or dear friend, please visit WiseLA.org/Giving.

RABBI YOSHI ZWEIBACK DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Phil Sniderman’s 2nd bar mitzvah, by Phil and Shirley Sniderman
Rabbi Yoshi, in appreciation for officiating at Nancy’s bat mitzvah, by Nancy and Allen Satenberg

RABBI DAVID WOZNICA DISRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Arnold Naftalin, by The Shpall Family

RABBI RON STERN DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Irving and Irwin Pollack, by Seema and Susan Pollack

CANTOR EMMA LUTZ DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Phil Sniderman’s 2nd bar mitzvah, by Phil and Shirley Sniderman
Jeremy Goldstein’s bar mitzvah, by Phil and Shirley Sniderman
Cantor Emma, in appreciation for her help with Nancy’s preparation for her bat mitzvah, by Nancy and Allen Satenberg

SOCIAL JUSTICE/SOCIAL ACTION
IN HONOR OF:
Joan Isaac’s bat mitzvah, by Sandy Stewart
Rosita Tyberg’s birthday, by Susan Savin and Alfredo Umansky

IN MEMORY OF:
Ruth Orbach, by Carole Markoff

AVI EFRAIM GESUNDHEIT FUND FOR MUSIC
IN MEMORY OF:
Herman Rosen, by Howard and Carol Rosen

METUKA BENJAMIN SCHOLARSHIP FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Viola Vari, by Sussan and Michael Shore

HOMES FOR HEROES
IN HONOR OF:
The Wise Walkers, by Ed and Carol Horowitz

KASSAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Milton D. Klein, M.D., by Ronnie and Michael Kassan

YAHRZEIT FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Helen Ameti, by Ann and Sam Rubinfeld
Mildred “Millie” Karp, by Doreen, Donald, Kara, Greg and Kim Nortman
Sara Bass, by The Bass Family
Leonard Bush, by Robert and Arlene Bush, Julie Bush, Robi Bush, and Stefanie Ivener
Arnold “Arne” Schwartz, by Sandy, Cindy and the Sigal Family, and Gloria Schwartz
 

We appreciate our wonderful volunteers:

Lunch Bunch
Tammy Steinman (inadvertently omitted 12/20/18)

Center for Jewish Life Volunteers:
Susan Firestone
Freda Moscowitz
Barbara Sampson
Tammy Steinman

Nosh Volunteer:
Susan Firestone

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

Do you want to reach us? 
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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. 
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