Author: David Rutman

As if Israel didn’t already engender enough reasons for an antisemitic world to despise the Jewish state, its parliament, the Knesset, came up with another one last week—a real doozy. A majority of Israel’s elected representatives voted to impose the death penalty against Palestinians—specifically, death by hanging—for acts of murderous terror intended to end Israel’s […]

On March 29, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills held its fifth annual Bird Goldstein Songs of Freedom Interfaith Concert, bringing together clergy, musicians and community members from diverse faith traditions for an afternoon of music and connection. Held in the spirit of both Passover and Easter, the program celebrates the power of using our voices […]

This week, you likely belted out the words Dayeinu. Some of you hit another with a green scallion. (Email me if you need an explanation!) Others politely sang each refrain, reminiscing about days of religious school past. Dayeinu does not mean “It’s enough.” You might think the song reflects the angsty sentiments of the Israelites. […]

According to Rabbi Zach Shapiro, Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba in Century City and a lifelong musician, the way Reform and Conservative congregations pray underwent a seismic change in the 1970s. That’s when Debbie Friedman, the hugely popular Jewish musician who died in 2011, “began to transform the way we pray.” The change, he told […]

Last week, the Brandeis Center and UC Berkeley settled a lawsuit over Berkeley’s longstanding failure to address antisemitism, including anti-Zionist bylaws adopted by student groups. The settlement was clear: Registered student organizations may not write discrimination into their governing documents. Nor may they exclude speakers, officers or board members on the basis of categories protected […]

With Passover days away, it should be remembered that California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, unlike Ramses, the Pharoah of ancient Egypt, actually let his people go—without putting up a fight. Not that disgruntled Californians were enslaved, of course. But like Pharoah, Newsom wanted them to stay. Jews escaped bondage in Egypt for the Promised Land; the […]

Why is Moses not mentioned in the Haggadah? When I was younger, I would wrinkle my nose at this question and dismiss it as a “klutz kasha,” a meaningless query that betrays an ignorance of how the Haggadah was edited. There is no author who “excluded” Moses from the Haggadah; the Haggadah is a collection […]

On March 11, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles (JBBBSLA) welcomed supporters and community leaders to The Big Event, an evening celebrating the organization’s impact and honoring three champions of mentorship and community: Sandy Sigal, Susan Kushner and Ethan Stern. Held at Stephen Wise Temple, the annual gathering raised more than $900,000 and […]