Eyes on Wise 2.14.19

All You Need is Love
by Rabbi Sari Laufer

After this weekend at Wise Family Camp (February 7-9, 2020: Save the Date!), I was feeling nostalgic for sleep away camp…especially with Sunday’s rain. Summer on the East Coast always featured some serious rain days, and while it was always a bummer to miss out on sports and waterfront, those rainy days also stand out as some of my most treasured memories. In particular, I recall sitting in the dining hall, rain beating on the windows, deeply invested in the results of our Sing Down.
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We had such a great time this past weekend with our Stephen Wise Temple families at Camp Ramah! Thank you to everyone who came out. #CampWise2019
To see more photos and videos check out our Stephen Wise Temple and Wise Center for Youth Engagement Instagram pages!

Subscribers to the Wall Street Journal may have noticed a terrific write-up of a familiar name in the February 8 edition: their profile of leading French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy was an excellent preview of his upcoming speaking engagement here at Wise. On February 21, Lévy will discuss America’s role on the world stage. The WSJ calls his latest book “elegantly provocative” – we expect a fantastic evening of insight that you will not want to miss.
REGISTER HERE
WSJ SUBSCRIBERS: CLICK HERE TO READ PROFILE

Friday, February 15 
6:15 p.m. | Shabbat Services | Sanctuary
Led by Rabbi David Woznica, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Nathan Lam
Rabbi Woznica’s sermon will be “Limitations Can Liberate”
Watch live on Friday night: Facebook | WiseLA.org

Saturday, February 16
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Chapel Study
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Josh Knobel and Cantor Emma Lutz

Next Week

Friday, February 22
6:15 p.m. | Shabbat Services | Sanctuary
Led by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Cantor Emma Lutz

Saturday, February 23
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Chapel Study
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services | Zeldin-Hershenson Hall
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Paul Dorman

Homes for Heroes

We’re always grateful for your incredible efforts to support our veterans just moving into permanent housing. This month, our partners are helping 8 formerly-homeless women who served in our armed forces move into new apartments: but they’re moving in without basic appliances, furniture, or the everyday items that make a house a home. YOU can help by making a donation to our Homes for Heroes program: all funds go towards helping them with new items for their new homes!
DONATE HERE

How Do You Want to Change the World?

You have the ability to make a difference! But how do you want to do it? Tell us your preferences and we’ll keep you updated about all of the exciting ways to join with Wise and other partner groups to effect real change in the world. Tell us if you want to support environmental causes; volunteer to house and feed the homeless; support organizations in Israel doing life-changing work; or become a mentor to a young person in need. Select what you want to learn more about: you’ll be the first to know the latest news about tikkun olam causes that inspire you the most.
CLICK HERE TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Center for Tikkun Olam presents
Housing the Homeless
Friday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m.

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. RSVP required
RSVP HERE

Help our Lunch Bunch care for the stranger by assembling lunches for residents at LA Family Housing’s Valley Shelter.
RSVP HERE
If you have questions, email Diane Kabat or call 818.981.5485

Center for Jewish Life presents
The Empire and the Five Kings: America’s Abdication and the Fate of the World
with Bernard-Henri Lévy

Bernard-Henri Lévy asserts that the United States was once the hope of the world. Nations looked to America to stand up for the values that created the Western world, and to oppose autocracy and repression.
This evening, Lévy shares his thesis that America is retreating from its traditional leadership role. In its place come former empires eager to exercise power and influence— Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and the Sunni Arab world—which are taking steps to undermine the liberal values that have been a hallmark of Western civilization.
Lévy reveals the stakes as America retreats, a process that did not begin with Donald Trump’s presidency and is not likely to end with him.
The resolution will require the West to find a new way forward if its principles and values are to survive.
Bernard-Henri Lévy is a philosopher, activist, filmmaker and author of over thirty books including The Genius of Judaism, American Vertigo, Barbarism with a Human Face, and Who Killed Daniel Pearl? Lévy has served on diplomatic missions for the French government.
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
REGISTER HERE

Rock Zen Roll Shabbat
Saturday, February 23 | 10 a.m. | Parenting Center Classroom B

Join us for a special family Shabbat experience at the Wise School Parenting Center. This class incorporates all the joys of our Shabbat class with a unique yoga and movement component geared specifically for our youngest yogis, facilitated by yoga master Cheryl of Rock Zen Roll Yoga. This Saturday Shabbat class also introduces your children to the joys of Shabbat including all your favorite Shabbat songs, the blessings and challah. Come make new friends and watch you child enjoy all the fun the parenting center has to offer!
REGISTER HERE

Special Course Encore for Religious School Parents!
Escaping the Busy Trap:  What Judaism Can Teach Us About How We Spend Our Time
with Rabbi Sari Laufer
Sundays: February 24, March 3, 10 | 10-11:30 a.m.

According to researchers from Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago, being busy in America is no longer an excuse or a lament—it’s a sign of status. Committed to what New York Times columnist Tim Krieder calls “The Busy Trap,” many of us careen from commitment to commitment while bemoaning our lack of time and focus. The ancient psalmist, however, teaches us to “number our days wisely, that we may attain a heart of wisdom,” while Shabbat and the holiday calendar teach us how to take a step away from time. Join us to explore ancient texts, Jewish ritual, and modern psychological wisdom on how to make more hours in your day, and—barring that—how to make the moments you do have matter even more.
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. (LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!)

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

Wise Guys’ Night Out

Wise Guys is a community of men that endeavors to make meaning and change the world by sharing moments of fun, camaraderie, learning, spirituality, music, and tikkun olam together. Join Rabbi Josh for an evening on the town complete with great food, great drinks, and even better conversations with fellow Wise Guys. Guys Night Out is open to Wise Guys only.
REGISTER HERE

Center for Jewish Life presents
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in Dialogue
with Rabbi David Woznica

This evening we probe the mind of one of the most influential authors of Jewish books of our time. We will explore Rabbi Telushkin’s thoughts on a wide range of issue including Israel, God, the role Judaism can play in shaping our interpersonal and familial relationships, Jewish humor and what it teaches about the Jewish People, and the use of words in private and public discourse.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin was named by Talk Magazine as one of the 50 best speakers in the United States. He has authored 18 books, among them Jewish Literacy and A Code of Jewish Ethics, which won the National Jewish Book Award as the Jewish book of the year. His book Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History, was a New York Times bestseller. His latest book, Words that Hurt, Words that Heal, was published in January 2019.
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
REGISTER HERE

Tot Shabbat and Baby Playdate
Saturday, March 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

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

Soulful Shabbat
Friday, 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
Museums with Mario
The Getty

With a collection this important you start with a single picture in pastel seen through the eyes of a practicing artist. We will focus on Manet and his use of black.
Cost:
$15: Stephen Wise Temple Members
$20: General Public
Parking $15 per car
REGISTER HERE

Rosh Hodesh Women’s Gathering
Wednesday, March 13 | 8:30 a.m.

Join us to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, a beautiful experience for women by women filled with Torah, poetry, song, love, community, and friendship. Please feel free to bring a friend and include in your RSVP.
REGISTER HERE

Wise Women presents
Mahj and More
Wednesday, March 13 | 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.
RSVP HERE

Center for Jewish Life presents
How to Read the Bible: A Class for the 21st Century
with Rabbi Ron Stern and Rabbi Josh Knobel

We will explore sections of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) through the lens of modern scholarship. Using the latest insights into the origins and historical context of the Bible, we will discover how understanding the texts in their cultural milieu, along with the added perspective of archeological research, allows us to gain even richer appreciation of the motives and wisdom of our ancestors. This unusual and cutting-edge reading of the Bible will lead to a deeper relationship with the texts and an awareness of how these texts speak to us in ways never considered by scholars from our ancient past.
The Bible is our sacred text because our ancestors have handed its wisdom to us through the centuries and because countless interpreters have shepherded it into our hands. This class returns after a successful debut last year with a look at new texts. Join us as we continue this exciting journey into our past that will radiate wisdom into our lives today.
REGISTER HERE

Join Rabbi Josh Knobel for this very first in a series of conversations designed for modern Jewish men. Featuring Los Angeles cardiologist Reed Wilson, Executive Director of MVAT James Colbert, and Fred Kogen, the founder of Bullets & Bagels, Southern California’s premier Jewish shooting club, “.45 Caliber” will explore the lives of Jewish gun owners, as well as the principles of ethical, responsible gun ownership in the 21^st Century.
REGISTER HERE

The prayers, readings, and music of the High Holy Days create an emotional journey that helps to shape the spiritual experience for our most sacred days and set us on the path for a new year. In this course we will explore the new Stephen Wise Temple machzor, lovingly written and edited by your Wise clergy to capture the unique experience of our community’s worship during the Days of Awe. We will listen to the music and discuss its emotional impact as we also analyze readings and texts from the machzor that create and shape our perspectives on prayer.
REGISTER HERE

Jewish World Watch presents 
13th Annual Walk to End Genocide

The Walk to End Genocide is a community event that brings together advocates of all ages and backgrounds in one united voice to say: “We will not stand idly by while genocide and mass atrocities occur.”  The Walk helps to raise awareness of ongoing atrocities in Syria, Myanmar, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Funds raised from the Walk allow Jewish World Watch to continue its work to educate, advocate, and support projects in these conflict-affected areas.
Please join the Wise Walks Team!
For questions, contact Team Captain Diane Kabat (Email: [email protected], phone: 818.501.1836)
REGISTER NOW FOR EARLYBIRD RATES

Wise Guys presents…Conversations
Man Up, Defining Jewish Masculinity for the 21st Century

Join Rabbi Josh Knobel for this pivotal entry in a series of conversations designed for modern Jewish men. “Man Up” will explore how Jewish men can turn the tide against a culture of sexual harassment and assault that has left far too many women in our world at risk of abuse and exploitation. Discover how to acknowledge and combat misogyny without compromising your manhood, how to be woke without mansplaining, and how to raise empowered, feminist, Jewish men for the 21^st century.
REGISTER HERE

IHPN is an international program for training professionals in disaster response and deploying them around the world. Members receive expert briefings, emergency-preparedness training, enrichment with field leaders, and priority access to voluntary deployments on IsraAID missions. Right now, the program is actively recruiting for health professionals, mental health experts and engineers.
LEARN MORE

Los Angeles Jewish Teen Initiative presents
Starting the Conversation: Talking to Your Teens about Vaping and Marijuana Use

What do we as parents need to know about smoking, vaping, “juuling,” edibles, and other trending substances? Join LAJTI for a free workshop to learn the basics and walk away with tools to talk about these trends with your teens and help them make healthy decisions. Facilitated by Linda Gingras, LMFT, CADC II, and Director of Addiction and Prevention Services at Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles.
Space is limited, RSVP required.
LEARN MORE AND RSVP

Nefesh B’Nefesh presents

This is your chance to have ALL your Aliyah questions answered under one roof! Meet with Israeli professionals, and get step-by-step guidance from the experts. Israeli vendors and service providers will be able to provide answers and guidance about the topics most critical to your Aliyah planning, including employment, insurance, taxes, real estate, financial planning, and much more. This is a great opportunity to meet other Aliyah-minded individuals and is open to all, whether you are planning Aliyah in the near future or further down the line. Light refreshments will be available.
LEARN MORE (CENTURY CITY)
LEARN MORE (SHERMAN OAKS)

We observe the yahrzeits of:
Max Abrams*, Sidney Alpert, Irving N. Bloomgarden*, Arline Borteck*, Herman Brown*, William Buchalter*, Frieda Canter, Benjamin Chernyk*, Rose Lee Citron*, Robert Deutsch, Shirley Diamond*, Richard Laurans Feller*, Helen D. Fine*, Mollye Fischer, Herman Frankel*, Robert Gans, Hyman Glassman, Betty Glickman*, Shirley Golden, Edna Goldstein*, Jessie Joseph, Herman Kahn*, Julius Kingsdale*, Benjamin Klein*, Paul  Kramer*, Esther Kramer*, Berna Lee Landsman Rosenthal, Craig Leigh*, Marvin Levin*, Dr. Raymond F. Lipton*, Evelyn Loder, Hilda Melnick*, Isadore A. Melnick*, Larry Pollack, Doreen Rolf*, Chloe Camille Sampson*, Babette Joyce Sekler*, Lillian Shy*, Samuel Simms*, Charlotte Simon, Judith Simon, Esther Rose Smith*, Violet Tomaryn, Louis Trottman*, Simon David Wolstan*, David Robert Zide*

*Designated on our memorial walls

Mazal Tov to:

Azita and Ramin Khalili on their son Ryan Khalili becoming Bar Mitzvah
Monica Maglione–Cornejo and Michael Maglione on the birth of their daughter Penelope Maglione
Janet Marvizi and Mehran Mehdizadeh on their son Zachary Mehdizadeh becoming Bar Mitzvah

Linda Habif on the loss of her husband David Habif

RABBI YOSHI ZWEIBACK DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Ruth Orbuch, by Allen Orbuch

RABBI ELI HERSCHER DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Ruth Orbuch, by Allen Orbuch

RABBI RON STERN DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Larry Pollack and Jessie Joseph, by Seema and Susan Pollack

CANTOR NATHAN LAM DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Ruth Orbuch, by Allen Orbuch

GENERATIONS ENDOWMENT
IN HONOR OF:
Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon’s upcoming wedding, with love from Janine and Rick Kolodny

MAX HESS LIBRARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Chloe Rose Sampson, by the Sampson Family

SOCIAL ACTION FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Ruth Orbuch, by Carole Markoff

SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Rosita Tyberg’s birthday, by Viviana Ploper

WISE READERS TO LEADERS
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon, on their marriage, by Edward and Carol Horowitz

YAHRZEIT FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Sidney Alpert, by Laura and Harvey Alpert
Frieda Canter, by Eli and Arlene Chernow
Robert Deutsch, by his sister, Lana Sternberg
Mollye Fischer, by Penny R. Berns
Robert Gans, by Jeffrey and Elizabeth Koppelman
Hyman Glassman, by Ruth Winthrop
Berna Lee Landsman Rosenthal, by Marvin Rosenthal and Jonathan Sayers Rosenthal
Charlotte Simon, by Owen Simon
Judith Simon, by Lynne Richter
Violet Tomaryn, by Bea Fisher and Family

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

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