Wise welcomes sponsored Afghan refugee to Los Angeles
After months of preparation, our incredible team of volunteers was ready to greet Hosai as she completed her journey from war-torn Afghanistan to Los Angeles. Nearly 10 months ago, after waiting for three days on the tarmac of Kabul Airport as crowds clamored to get aboard the few airplanes leaving the country and suicide bombers detonated their murderous devices, Hosai found herself in Albania. She left her family, her husband of a [...]
Search for Meaning with Betsy Borns and Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
In the latest edition of Search for Meaning, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts comedy writer Betsy Borns, best known for her work on hit television shows "Rosanne" and "Friends." Author of "Comic Lives: Inside the World of Stand-Up Comedy," Borns is also the creator of the sitcom "All of Us," produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, which ran for four seasons. From [...]
Keri Loventhal named new Aaron Milken Center director
Stephen Wise Temple and Wise School are proud to announce the hiring of Keri Loventhal, M.Ed., as the director of our Aaron Milken Center for Early Childhood Education. Loventhal—who has over 20 years of experience—will lead our early childhood program into a new era as we prepare to break ground on our state-of-the-art, $30 million facility. "I am thrilled to welcome Keri as our Director, as together we continue to ‘make great [...]
Andrew Rehfeld joins Stephen Wise Temple Shabbat
This Friday, May 13, Stephen Wise Temple's weekly Shabbat evening services will feature a special guest speaker: Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., the President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Services will begin in our main sanctuary at 6:15 p.m., and can be streamed online via our web page, Facebook, or YouTube. Rehfeld, a leading political scientist and distinguished leader of the Jewish community, will give a speech entitled: "A Vision [...]
Wise School students celebrate Israel and their teachers
Last week was a busy one for Wise School students. On Wednesday, they solemnly marked Yom HaZikaron. On Thursday, they celebrated Israeli independence with Yom Ha'atzmaut. On Friday, they paid tribute to their teachers with Yom HaMoreh, which capped off a week of teacher appreciation activities sponsored by the Wise Parents Association. On Yom HaZikaron—Israel's Memorial Day—Wise school she students participated in a meaningful memorial service, followed by a moment of silence, [...]
Wise mourns loss of pillar and past president Dr. Eve Kurtin-Steinberg
It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that we share news of the death of a pillar of our Jewish community, Dr. Eve Kurtin-Steinberg, spouse of Dr. Michael Steinberg, mother of Beth (Sampson Glassman) Steinberg and Drew (Jesse Aguayo) Steinberg, grandmother of Lev, Liam, and Micah, and sister of Dr. Paul Kurtin (Ilona Szer), Jon Kurtin (Linda), and Todd Kurtin (Nancy). Eve served our congregation in numerous ways, including as chair [...]