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Producer of HBO documentary about his father, Don Rickles, only son Larry Rickles dies at 41

Larry Rickles earned an Emmy Award for a 2007 documentary about his dad. Larry Rickles, an Emmy Award-winning producer and the son of comedian Don Rickles, died Saturday, December 3rd, in Los Angeles of respiratory failure due to pneumonia. He was 41.

 In addition to his father, Rickles is survived by his mother Barbara and his sister Mindy. The family has asked that donations be made to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Don Rickles, 85, is still active in show business. (Mike Barnes in the Hollywood Reporter).

Devout Jews "Spread the Light" driving in a caravan of menorahs driving through L.A..; Comedic commentary from Howard Stern Show's outrageous Melrose Larry Green

Dozens of families form caravan carrying large, lit menorahs on their roofs through Los Angeles to communicate the message of Chanukah on the final night of the holiday. Tzvi of Lubavitch Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon describes the second largest menorah parade in America.

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Comedian Melrose Larry Green, the outrageous social commentator from the Howard Stern TV Show, provides post-parade, year-end social commentary in the final video on the playlist.

Chanukah kindles message of rededication to upholding responsibility to Torah; Benny Friedman sings with Pardes Jewish Rock

Rabbi Moshe Parry describes the back-story of the Chanukah (rededication) zealots whom we commemorate with Chanukah; and the parallels between the internecine Jewish competition to maintain torah precepts and responsibilities, then and today.
 

Religious Jewish students from L.A. rejoice over Chanukah concert, sponsored by Chabad, featuring Benny Friedman and Israeli rockers, Pardes Jewish Rock.


Students from Ohr Elchonon and Jewish Educational Trade School ("JETS") sing and dance and spin like dreidels (carried on shoulders and breakdancing).

Holocaust drama, "Way to Heaven," explores Jewish dilemma

Norbert Weisser & Talyan Wright
Offered the risk of exposing their Nazi imprisoners for Red Cross help, what should the Jewish inmates do? Theatrical drama, "Way to Heaven," portrays this dilemma at the Odyssey Theater through Dec 18.

"Engrossing and menacing, Way to Heaven is inspired by the true story of the elaborate deception that took place at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1944 Germany. In order to fool the international Red Cross inspectors, the Nazis constructed a fake village to quell extermination rumors. "A spare and eloquent work. "- NY Times
"Chilling...bracing in it's clarity and moral power." - L.A. Times

"Brilliant performances... a play for the ages." - Park La Brea Press
Norbert Weisser & Bruce Katzman

"Kudos magnificos, in whatever language you choose to translate it, to playwright Juan Mayorga." - Park LaBrea Press

Haim Saban dazzles Friends of Israel Defense Forces L.A. gala with Streisand and David Foster

The way we were: Streisand and Saban shore-up for Israel by Danielle Berrin in The Jewish Journal

For the 1,200-person crowd at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Gala Dinner on Dec. 8, it was Israel lighting the corners of their mind. 
 Century City’s Hyatt Regency ballroom was teeming with Los Angeles’ most hawkish, hard-line lovers of Israel, among them the annual event’s hosts, Haim and Cheryl Saban. Channeling a less idealized love were the evening’s headliners — Barbra Streisand, who sang, and Jason Alexander, who emceed — both of whom belong decidedly to the pro-peace, two-state solution left.

JooTube's Playlist features clips with Noa Tishby, Ronny Weinreich, Haim Saban, David Foster, Antonio Banderas, Michael W. Smith, Nita Whitaker and Cody Karey, Barbara Streisand, and dedicated L.A. F.I.D.F. supporter. Leo David. (2nd button from left advances to next clip; 2nd button from right raises Playlist menu).

Original video: Newt Gingrich address to RJC: 'Obama lets Islamofascism propagate internationally and domestically'

Complete raw video of address at the Republican Jewish Coalition Summer Bash in L.A.- with speech transcript highlights.

Speaker Gingrich says Obama Administration's pro-"Palestinian-ism" is endemic of their skewed, ethical compass which facilitates, rather than thwarts, political Islamism's conquest of free-people around the world from the Muslim world, to Israel and America.



Transcript excerpts:

"Thank you for the opportunity to be with you this evening. As we gather this evening, America is in the midst of an economic crisis.

More Americans are without jobs, and for longer periods of time, than at any time in our history since the Great Depression.

I am running for President to lead a movement of Americans who will insist on changing Washington so we can renew America.

To do this, we must insist on dramatic and bold changes in Washington, repeal policies that are killing jobs and stifling growth, and enact policies that will create jobs and prosperity. There is no more important task for the next president.

This is why I was so happy to accept your invitation to be here tonight." . . .
Read the complete transcript at
http://www.newt.org/news/newts-address-republican-jewish-coalition/

Amb. John Bolton presents wide-ranging perspectives at reform synagogue in L.A.

While East Coast Jewish leaders attended the White House Chanukah party scheduled a week and a half early, a politically mixed audience of attended a public conversation between former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton and host of Los Angeles' Stephen Wise Temple, Rabbi David Woznica. Amb. John Bolton spoke intimately on a wide-range of topics as part of Rabbi David Woznica's guest series on December 6, 2011. Running time 71 min. Amb. Bolton tells of his strong affinity for Israel. He takes exception to Pres. Obama's claim to have been the best of White House administrations for Israel, considering them, in practice, the worst in the history of Israel since its independence.

Amb. John Bolton contradicts Obama's claim, calling his "The most anti-Israel administration in history"

Speaking after remarks delivered at Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles, December 6, 2011.

Anti-Defamation League denounces U.S. Amb to Belgium Gutman remarks attributing Muslim anti-Semitism to Israel-Palestine

Amb. Howard Gutman (photo: Getty Images via The Forward)
US Ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, at a conference hosted by the European Jewish Union (EJU) in Brussels, Belgium, made a statement saying that there were two types of anti-Semitism: traditional anti-Jewish prejudice and a distinct strain stemming from the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The White House quickly clarified that the US condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, and Gutman expressed his regret that his comments had been misinterpreted.


In a letter to Ambassador Howard W. Gutman, Anti-Defamation League's National Director, Abraham H. Foxman called Amb. Gutman's remark "wrongheaded" and said that it "provides an unacceptable rationale for inaction" against anti-Semitism. "This assessment of Muslim anti-Semitism, and your attempt to distinguish it from traditional or classical anti-Semitism, is not only wrongheaded but could undermine the important effort to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe," wrote Mr. Foxman. "When one tries to attribute this anti-Semitism to outside forces – in this case the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict – one not only misunderstands the role of anti-Semitism in that conflict, but provides an unacceptable rationale for inaction."
Anti-Defamation Leagues' Rabbi Abraham Foxman

Mr. Foxman added, "Anti-Semitism, indeed Muslim anti-Semitism, was alive and well before the creation of Israel. Indeed, the extreme reaction to an independent Jewish state to this day in the Muslim world is connected to anti-Jewish attitudes that persisted for centuries. If the problem was that the Middle East conflict was coming to Europe, then Europe would be seeing attacks on Muslims by Jews, as well as Muslim attacks on Jews. Of course, there are no attacks by Jews against Muslims."

The League said that while it recognized his effort to provide an analysis of the new forms of anti-Semitism and to grapple with an issue close to his heart, the ambassador needed to "avoid characterizations that contradict efforts by the U.S. to dispel the notion that anti-Semitism could be rationalized in any way as an outlet for frustration with Israel or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

Israeli Prof. Barry Rubin: 'Why is Obama Administration so supportive of enemies of democracy?'


Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta Shows How the Obama Administration Is Selling Out Israel…And U.S. Interests by Barry Rubin in Pajamas Media
In a major address on U S. Middle East policy to the Brookings Institution U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave us a clear picture of the Obama Administration’s view of the region. When taken along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent speech on the same subject, we now know the following regarding Obama’s policy:
It is dangerously and absurdly wrong. This administration totally and completely, dangerously and disastrously for U.S. interests misunderstand the Middle East. They are 180 degrees off course, that is heading in the opposite direction of safety.
Despite the satisfactory state of relations on a purely military level, the Obama Administration is not a friend of Israel, even to the extent that it was arguably so in the first two years of this presidency.

Rabbi Nachum Shifren challenges Univ of Cal Irvine decision to prohibit Dr. Terry Jones from speaking

The University of California at Irvine has earned a reputation for the radical, anti-Israel activities of Muslim advocacy groups, particularly the Muslim Student Union. They host an annual anti-Zionist, Israel Apartheid Week. Their conspiracy to disrupt a speech by Israel's Ambassador Michael Oren in 2010 resulted in a convictions and a banning of the MSU on campus for a semester. Events they have organized bring radical Islamists who have incited "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" and contribute to an uncomfortable climate for Jews and Zionists.

A pro-America and Israel "Stand Up America Now" rally organized for Thursday, December 1st by Dr. Terry Jones and Pastor Wayne Sapp was precluded by UCI administration. Jones and Sapp were confronted by the UC Irvine Police Department and, by order of the University Chancellor, threatened with arrest when they arrived for a scheduled interview with journalism Associate Professor Carol Burke in advance of the rally.  


The Administration cited safety concerns as the reason to prohibit Dr. Jones from speaking. What's more,  police issued both men citations - and warned them that they would be arrested if they would return to the campus within a week.

US Senate candidate Rabbi Nachum Shifren (I-CA) and other supporters of Stand Up America Now were escorted off campus. Parts of the University were shut down in order to prevent the rally (and the scheduled counter-rally) from taking place. 

Dr Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp declared their intention to pursue legal action against the University.


Rabbi Nachum Shifren believes that the administration was not incapable of providing adequate security for the conservative speakers, but more like unwilling.  In our exclusive video interview, Shifren alleges that the Administration is acting in the interest of
Muslim power in the school, in prohibiting Stand Up America Now's criticism of radicalism, Islamism, and jihadism.