Author: David Rutman

For those of you who do not live in Los Angeles, an almost-debate last week between the two candidates vying to be our city’s next mayor might not have attracted much of your attention. But a program in which incumbent Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman took questions separately in front of a largely Jewish […]

This week marks three years since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel. Despite the irrefutable proof of horror, the barbarism that took place on that date was denied by antisemites and trivialized by the media and even the United Nations. No war ever waged in history has been subject to such a subjective and […]

We never saw anything like Oct. 7. We never saw anything like Sept. 30. Sept. 30 was a miracle as much as Oct. 7 was a catastrophe. They’re both impossible to describe. Even saying “there are no words” to describe Oct. 7 doesn’t cut it. I also haven’t found words to describe Sept. 30. Seriously: […]

When Congressman Dave Min addressed the Jewish Community in a forum last month, he said much that should have made us hopeful:  he recognized the recent spike in antisemitism and acknowledged the human cost of harassment and threats of violence.  He promised he would “continue to call it out.” Yet, in those moments when we have needed […]

With the third anniversary  of Oct. 7 at hand, it is a good time to check in with Rabbi Yanky Kahn, one of Los Angeles’ most frequent and most generous visitors to Israel since Hamas’ attack. A longtime leader at Chabad of the Valley, Tarzana, along with his father-in-law, Rabbi Kahn probably has come closer […]

A big blue van, with a dog in a tub surrounded by bubbles, pulled up on Skid Row next to a homeless man. A man popped his head out the van’s window and asked him if his dog would like some grooming. The man looked puzzled at first. Then he looked at his matted dog, who […]

The scene was breathtaking: a massive, illuminated table set in the backyard of my family’s Los Angeles home on the second night of Rosh Hashanah. As Persian Jews, the evening had its distinct warmth, energy, and vibrant vibe. Every place setting was arranged with precision—apples, honey, pomegranates, and all the traditional symbolic foods reminding us […]

Damning accusations about “fake news” have permeated the two Trump administrations. The president, who admittedly has no peer in political insults, is, nonetheless, not entirely wrong. After all, the press went full-court press in blaming him for January 6 even though DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith ultimately could not charge Trump with incitement or insurrection. […]

Sukkot contains an inner contradiction. All the pilgrimage festivals have an agricultural and historical aspect. Pesach is both the beginning of the barley harvest and the commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. The festival of Shavuot begins the wheat and fruit harvest and commemorates the giving of the Torah. There are many symbolic connections between […]