Eyes on Wise 2.28.19

The Death of Heroes
by Rabbi Josh Knobel

This Sunday, HBO will televise the first half of Leaving Neverland, a documentary about Michael Jackson’s alleged pedophilia. The film features Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who narrate their multi-year ordeal of sexual abuse at the hands of the King of Pop.
READ MORE

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

“Bernard-Henri Lévy shared an enlightened and sober assessment of the future of the political world balance. It was an honor to host this internationally recognized thinker at Stephen Wise Temple.”
– Rabbi David Woznica

TONIGHT!
Preview for Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in Dialogue with Rabbi Woznica
Thursday, February 28 | 7:30 p.m.

“Rabbi Telushkin is one of the most influential Jewish teachers and prolific authors of Jewish books of our time. I look forward to probing his mind on contemporary Jewish issues, world-wide antisemitism and exploring his latest book Words that Hurt, Words that Heal: How the Words You Choose Shape Your Destiny. I am sure he will share thoughtful insights on matters of importance to the Jewish people as well inspire us to elevate Judaism in our personal lives.”
– Rabbi David Woznica
REGISTER HERE

Kol HaKavod to Wise School alumna Naomi Zweiback who is part of Oakwood School’s “The Pad Project,” which was the subject of the Oscar award winning documentary by director Rayka Zehtabchi. Pictured above are Naomi and her classmates alongside the amazing women who are the subject of the film Period. End of Sentence, proudly displaying their Oscar. The film tells the story of the Oakwood students’ mission to empower women in a rural village outside of Delhi, India. Ariela Zweiback is now bringing the project to her school, de Toledo High School.
LEARN MORE THE WORK NAOMI’S CLASS CONDUCTED
CLICK TO WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY

Friday, March 1
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, March 2
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Chapel Study
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Paul Dorman
10 a.m. | Tot Shabbat | Katz Family Pavillion REGISTER HERE
Led by Rabbi Sari Laufer and Rabbi Josh Knobel

Next Week

Friday, March 8
6:15 p.m. | Shabbat Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi Ron Stern and Cantor Emma Lutz
8 p.m. | Soulful Shabbat | Sanctuary REGISTER HERE
Led by Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Cantor Nathan Lam

Saturday, March 9
9 a.m. | Lay-led Torah Study | Chapel Study
10 a.m. | Shabbat Morning Services | Plotkin Chapel
Led by Rabbi David Woznica and Cantor Emma Lutz

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

Watch for the Temple’s Gift Shop weekly specials!

This week all mezuzahs are 25% off! (Kosher parchments not included.)
Having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah soon? The Gift Shop has a wide selection of tallits from Israel. All tallits are 25% off.

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

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: 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

Melton School presents
Tuning In to the Text: The Story of Purim Retold
Sunday, March 3 | 7 p.m. | Plotkin Chapel

Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz, International Director of the Florence Melton School, presents an unforgettable hour of text study and song that will bring new meaning to the celebration of Purim. Politics and Power Struggles make up the drama that unfolds in the pages of Megilat Esther. Bringing with him a blend of fascinating text study and heartfelt song that will both inform and inspire, Rabbi Schwartz will get us in touch with the powerful story behind the story, and another dimension of the miraculous chain of events. Tuning In to the Text is a learning encounter for adults who are looking to find profound meaning in the text and the holiday celebration, to discover concepts buried deep in our ancient texts, and to breathe into them brand new, innovative and contemporary relevance.
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

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

Annual Library Luncheon
with Dr. Stephen Aizenstat

Come join us for a stimulating lecture from Dr. Stephen Aizenstat about “The Hidden Intelligence of Your Dreams”. Tickets are $50, lunch is included.
REGISTER HERE

Wise Women presents
Mahj and More
Wednesday, March 13 |

Wise members and guests are invited to join other Wise Women for our monthly open play day: Mah Jongg, Canasta, Bridge or any other game you’d like! This month, please join us after the Library Luncheon at our updated time of 2pm. 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 will be served. This is a free event, we kindly ask for your RSVP.
RSVP HERE
*Save the date for upcoming Mahj & More sessions with newly added summer dates: Wednesdays April 3, May 1, June 5, July 10 & August 7 (all sessions at 1pm in Udko Annex)*

Wise Years

Dr. Raphael J. Sonenshein (Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State University Los Angeles) will address the complexities of our rapidly changing political climate. Award-winning documentary filmmaker and screenwriter Paul Boorstin will discuss his biblically-inspired novel David and the Philistine Woman. Film: In Search of Israeli Cuisine, an exploration of the 100+ diverse cultures of Israel through food.
REGISTER 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 Jews. 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.
People of all genders are invited to enrich this meaningful conversation.
REGISTER HERE

Howdy, pardner! Stroll on up to the saloon, grab some prairie dew to wash down that hot rock, and enjoy great food, great laughs, and even greater company at our annual “Purim for Grown-Ups.” Featuring theatrical performances from the Smith-Drori Stephen Wise Temple Theatre Company and music from the Kates-Sackler Country Jamboree, you’ll be glad you didn’t miss out. Festivities will include music, dancing, food, and plenty of quality schmooze-time. Note: this is strictly a 21+ event.
REGISTER HERE

Wise YAD presents
Saved by the Belle: Esther’s Purim Party
Thursday, March 21 | 7 p.m.

Our 20s and 30s are invited for a totally tubular throwback Purim party for our 20s/30s–food, open bar, dancing, and Purim festivities!
#ThrowbackThursday 80s/90s costumes encouraged!
21+ ONLY
Tickets $18 in advance/$28 at the door
REGISTER HERE
*First 50 registrants will receive a discounted Lyft code
Feel free to forward this event to your favorite millennial!

Co-hosted by Leo Baeck Temple, Temple Judea, Shomrei Torah, Kol Tikvah, Adat Ariel, VBS NextGen, and Moishe House Sherman Oaks.

Wise Parents Association presents
Go All-In for the 9th Annual Poker Tournament

The 9th Annual “All-In” Poker Tournament is back, but with some new and exciting additions. Bring your best game for a chance to win huge prizes at Wise School.  It will be a memorable night of great food, friends, and friendly gambling WITH AN OPEN BAR! All are welcome!
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 Melton School presents
Maintaining Balance

This four-part course takes a look at classic and modern Jewish texts that relate to our contemporary challenge of balancing the needs and demands of family, work, community and self. How can Judaism help us restore balance? This is a great introduction to the Melton School curriculum! New students are encouraged and welcome. No prior Melton School participation is required.
REGISTER HERE

CJL presents
Intermediate Classical Hebrew 

This class, taught in English, focuses on Siddur and Biblical Hebrew with an emphasis on reading and comprehension. Students will improve their reading and pronunciation and will learn to read and understand basic classical Hebrew, such as prayers. Cost is $315.
REGISTER HERE

Rosh Hodesh Women’s Gathering
Wednesday, April 10 | 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 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 Jews. “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.
People of all genders are invited to enrich this meaningful conversation.
REGISTER HERE

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:
Jack Atlas*, David Baumgarten*, Andrew Bender*, Pierre Guido Bertholdi*, Renee D. Bienenfeld*, Barnett Caplan*, Robert Young Desmond*, Shulamit Dor*, Esther Faber*, Edward G. Fogel*, Anna M. Kahn*, Rose Landfield*, Sam Leebove*, Eric Lightner*, Harry Love*, Abe Margolis, Nicholas N. Lubin*, Mort R. Markus*, Hazel Maslan*, Florence D. Ravins*, Lawrence A. Robbins, Bessie R. Rosen*, Joyce Rosenberg*, Tonia Rosenblatt*, Lillian Rothschild*, Sam Schiller, Morris Schlissel*, Martin Seehoff, Mitchell Shames*, Hyman Silverman*, Fanny Snookal*, Carol Wheeler, Jack Wolf*

*Designated on our memorial walls

Mazal Tov to:

Laurie Glickman and Jim Leewong on the marriage of their daughter Andrea Leewong to Alan Sheinberg

RABBI YOSHI ZWEIBACK DISCRETIONARY FUND

IN HONOR OF:

Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, by Daniel and Stephanie Heyman, for officiating at Emilia Clair Heyman’s baby naming

RABBI RON STERN DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon’s marriage, by Sally and Marty Levine

IN MEMORY OF:
Martin Weil, by Fred Schulcz and Leah E. Weil

RABBI DAVID WOZNICA DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN HONOR OF:
Rabbi David Woznica, by Linda Habif, for officiating the funeral of David Habif

Rabbi David Woznica for his kindness and effort in making Rachel’s Bat Mitzvah a special and memorable once in a lifetime event, by Margie Marenus

IN MEMORY OF:

Martin Weil, by Fred Schulcz and Leah E. Weil

CANTOR NATHAN LAM DISCRETIONARY FUND
IN MEMORY OF:
Gerald Laxer, by Edward and Carol Horowitz

CANTOR EMMA LUTZ DISCRETIONARY FUND

IN HONOR OF:

Cantor Emma Lutz, for her kindness and effort in making Rachel’s Bat Mitzvah a special and memorable once in a lifetime event, by Margie Marenus

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

IN MEMORY OF:
Lawrence A. Robbins, by Lynda Robbins

HOMES FOR HEROES
IN HONOR OF:

Victor Fabe, a WWII Purple Heart Hero, by Janice Kahlenberg

WISE READERS TO LEADERS

IN MEMORY OF:

Martin Weil, by Fred Schulcz and Leah E. Weil

WISE SCHOOL GENERATIONS ENDOWMENT
IN HONOR OF:
Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon’s marriage, by Freda Moscowitz

Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon’s marriage, by Kevin and Joyce Anderson

Jessica Lebovits and Ryan Mannon’s marriage, by David and Irene Smith

Carol Wheeler, by Bill and Harriet Zolan

YAHRZEIT FUND
IN MEMORY OF:

Renee D. Bienenfeld, by Robert Bienenfeld
Sam Schiller, by Donald and Shelly Levy

Enayat Shenassa, by Behnam and Sharona Shenassa

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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