I was one of the Jewish leaders invited to the Vatican last week to witness Pope Leo XIV’s embrace of Nostra Aetate, first at a gathering of hundreds of faith leaders and the second at the pontiff’s weekly public appearance in St. Peter’s Square. Sitting near the podium I saw him declare to a 100,000 […]
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What is it with vice presidents of the United States when they visit college campuses and are asked almost anything about Israel? They end up as tongue-tied as Coldplay’s frontman, Chris Martin, at Wembley Stadium. He welcomed two Israeli teenage girls on stage and then succumbed to this brain freeze: “I am treating you as […]
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The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s (SWC) 2025 Los Angeles Humanitarian Award Dinner on Oct. 30 brought together Oct. 7 survivors with journalists, studio heads and Academy Award-winning actors, directors and producers at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The evening celebrated the reach and responsibility of the arts and journalism when it comes to confronting the ugliest parts […]
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As we prepare for Shabbat, 42 million Americans are nervously waiting to see if they will be able to put food on the table; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are due to expire on November 1. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger led a SNAP Day of Action earlier this week, urging the U.S. […]
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Turning the Page into 5786: Brave Enough to Begin Again This season has always held the feeling of beginning for me. The month of Elul, leading into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur… the return to intention, reflection, and renewal. And after so many years in classrooms, September still carries the energy of fresh notebooks, new […]
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In “After The Hunt,” Julia Roberts stars as Alma, a philosopher hoping to get tenure at Yale who has a friendly, flirtatious relationship to a fellow instructor, Hank (Andrew Garfield), though she is married to Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg). From the beginning, some things are off. Hank squeezes the leg of Alma’s top student Maggie (Ayo […]
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“Go Play!” a comedic new play about human-to-human and human-to-canine relationships, is wrapping its limited run at the Odessey Theatre in West L.A. on Nov. 2—meaning this is the final weekend to see a show that appeals to any dog-owner as well those looking to spend 90 minutes enjoying a clever, relatable and lighthearted production. […]
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There’s nothing quite like returning to New York — a city that celebrates ambition, creativity, and connection at every corner. This visit was one of those rare trips that felt like a full circle moment: honoring milestones, reuniting with friends, celebrating creativity, and being reminded—again—why I fell in love with travel storytelling in the first […]
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On October 19, Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) hosted its seventh annual “Ambassadors of Peace” (AOP) event, honoring individuals in the entertainment industry who speak out against hate and bring about positive change not only in the industry, but the world. Honorees included actor Jerry O’Connell, Bruce Resnikoff, president/CEO, Universal Music Enterprises, who worked with […]
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Not all gratitude is created equal. I can say thank you to a Lyft driver or a cashier at Trader Joe’s, but what do I say when my mother gives me valuable advice? Or when a friend saves me from making a blunder? Or sends me a compliment for something I wrote? Or when I’m […]
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