Author: David Rutman

Sometimes we just have to let our great thinkers do the talking. Sometimes we just need to read, hear and listen to their words. So this week I present Rabbi Uziel – Israel’s first Sephardic Chief Rabbi, an outstanding leader, halakhic scholar and philosopher, and my personal rabbinic role model – in his own words. […]

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to work as a Jewish district attorney in Soviet Ukraine during the post-Stalinist era, now’s your chance to find out. Marat Grinberg, a scholar of Russian and Jewish literature, culture and film at Reed College, has expertly translated the memoirs of his grandfather, Mikhail Goldis (1926-2020), who […]

A week after announcing that Kadima Day School was at risk of closing due to financial shortfalls, the school confirmed it has raised over $943,000 and will remain open for the next school year. This extraordinary show of support not only secures Kadima’s immediate future, but lays the groundwork for a more sustainable and visionary […]

TEL AVIV, LOS ANGELES – Within hours of the horrific attacks of October 7th, Israelis around the world sought to return home. Whether reservists on leave, Israelis on vacation, or dual citizens living abroad, the need to return home far outnumbered the flights available. Still reeling from the events and mourning friends and family members […]

My beloved Los Angeles has erupted in chaos and violence, this time over ICE operations, and once again, we see a lack of leadership. Instead of showing respect for law and order, LA Mayor Karen Bass has expressed anger. “This morning, we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles,” […]

I have a dear friend who volunteers once a week in the emergency room of a local hospital. One of her roles is to help alleviate that anxiety-filled process of waiting for treatment. So she gets to hear stories from people, and I get to hear some of them. This week, she met an elderly […]

Erev Shavuot shopping. The streets are buzzing with excitement. Finally, something to celebrate. The aroma from the bakeries fills the air and the line in the cheese store extends to the street. Our baskets are so filled with fruits that our sweetheart fruit and vegetable vendor helps Peni and I to the car. On this […]

As the late comedian George Carlin once said, “It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” For the Los Angeles Jewish community, this question might feel like an invitation to a heated debate over bagels and lox at Nate and Al’s on a Sunday morning where the answer is […]

The author of “The Art of the Deal” deftly negotiated two elections with the American people and improbably landed himself in the White House. After surviving two impeachments and assassination attempts, Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office like the Terminator, promising “Hasta la vista, baby” to the old way of doing things. Like him […]