Concert on former BLM-looted street- Where's our Maccabee defense? (Includes event footage)

Los Angeles' new Mayor Karen Bass, who during the B.L.M. riots of 2020 wouldn't disavow Marxism) was welcomed by Chabad leaders to kindle a menorah on a street (in her Congressional district) which B.L.M. looted Jewish shops on - an action that she didn't speak out against.

Newly inaugurated mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass (fFormer chair of the Congressional Black Caucus) is welcomed to light the first menorah candle on the streets in her former district that suffered a pogrom of looting by the Black Lives Matters rioters that she didn't condemn

L.A. Times staff writer Laura Newberry and David Zahniser in Yahoo News Sun.18 Dec.

Mayor Karen Bass and other community leaders celebrated the beginning of Chanukah on Sunday, 18 December lighting the menorah at sundown at a citywide ceremony on L.A.'s Westside.

The ceremony, which began at 4:45 p.m., was held on Pico Boulevard between Doheny and Wetherly drives.

Chabad of the Valley's Rabbi Mayer Greene describes how the annual tradition of public concerts were conducted during city health restrictions. Also, when are the the Menorah Lightings concerts in L.A this week besides Pico-Robertson? Universal CityWalk and The Grove.  

Chanukah Menorah-lightings continue at the Santa Monica Promenade nightly at 6:30 (recorded music and horas) through Sunday.

The Pico lighting was part of a larger celebration that ran through the afternoon and featured a street fair, carnival and evening performances that include Benny Friedman, Yoni Z and the Cheder Menachem Boys Choir.

Pico Blvd was closed between Doheny and Livonia Avenue for the celebration, which was hosted by Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin and Chabad of California. 

 

Criminals robbed and ransacked the clocks and jewelry
shop of Persian-Jewish, Hooshmand Talasazan in
L.A.'s orthodox, Pico-Robertson neighborhood

Along this street around Shavuot 2020, Black Lives Matters rioters looted Jewish-owned stores among their 'pogrom' in and alongside then Rep. Karen Bass' district. Did she condemn that? The election hopeful merely objected to B.L.M's "defund the police" initiative.

Chanukah, also called the Festival of Lights, is celebrated over eight nights and marks the Jews’ recapture and rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, following their victory over Hellenist Syrians.

Chabad Lubavitch, a movement whose work is rooted in orthodox Judaism, reaches out to educate secular Jews, philosophically and culturally. They offer programs to help needy people regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs. The organization’s representatives have joined with mayors and city officials to illuminate the menorah on Hanukkah each year since 1985.

Daniel Greenfield, who writes and edits "The Point" section of Frontpage Magazine online, characterized as "a pogrom" the Black Lives Matter riots that looted stores on this street and desecrated synagogues & ransacked Jewish stores nearby in June 2020.

In consideration of the recent upsurge in antisemitic expressions of animosity from Black supremacists and White supremacists, ought Jews be demonstrating their culture on public streets, in a way which might invite trouble in most large cities in America and Western Europe?

Mr. Greenfield voiced his view of Jews asserting their cultural pride, with the need to prepare for action for circumstances that contrast with fairs in the streets. J.E.T.S. vocational boys high-school students provide the example.

JooTube: What do you think about the level of vigilance that's being taught?

Greefield: It's very important the reality is it's dangerous out there and it's easy for students to become subjected to feel like they're a persecuted minority, that there's nothing good about being Jewish - and this shows the opposite! It shows students the important part that is being Jewish is worth fighting for.

Question: Do you think the kids should be learning more than just Torah? Should they be learning self-defense? 

 

Answer: I mean that's part of it, obviously, you need to actually be able to defend yourself. You need to be able to defend your Jewishness. When they were building the Beis HaMigdash, the Second Beis Hamigdash there were people who had spears half of the time - and they were building the Beis HaMigdash during the other half of the time! 

 

Question: How good are we doing at preparing our warriors today?

Answer: There's a lot more we need to do. But people are starting to wake up - which is very important.

 

Mayor Bass also attended a Hanukkah event Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, appearing with the Los Angeles County Supervisors and other elected officials.

During that event, she spoke about growing up in the heavily Jewish Fairfax District and pledged to combat antisemitism in the city.

Benny Friedman sings "Malachem" ("Angels") at public concert on Pico Blvd  

 Benny Friedman sings "A Yid " like an anthem. 

 Benny Friedman & Yoni Zee rock out

Teen students of J.E.T.S. in L.A. embrace to ballad "Baruch Nafshi" (Bless My Soul) by Benny Friedman


Benny Friedman rocks Chanukah in Hollywood with the JETS guys
 

Benny Friedman and JETS teens sing Matisyahu's "One Day;" "We Are Not Afraid," "Hashem Melech"
These songs are also easy to share in this playlist.

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Menorah lighting and Chanukah concert in L.A. draws many revelers, civic leaders

Jewish kids given public Chanukah celebration at L.A.'s Universal CityWalk. 

On Sunday, December 9th, L.A.'s 1th annual menorah lighting at Universal Studios CityWalk, brought more than 1000 people to be entertained by Jewish performers, among them rock-band 8th Day, Piamenta-NextGen, and rave-pianist Mendel Simon. 

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Rabbi Jonathan Herzog coordinated civic leaders Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Mike Zine, City Controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Gruel, and Israel Consul General David Siegel to master the reluctant oil lamps and kindle the menorah on the second night of Chanukah, 2012 with Rabbi Morty Einbinder of Chabad of the Valley.  Universal Studios Hollywood President, Larry Kurzweil led the lighting, welcomed the celebrants, and offered encouragement and support for America's ally, the Holy Land of Israel.

Yaffa Yarkoni, 1925-2012: The voice of Israel in war and peace

Yaffa Yarkoni, one of Israel's greatest and best-loved singers, passed away Sunday in Tel Aviv at the age of 86, following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Lyricist Avi Koren, a close friend of the singer's for 45 years, recalled yesterday that Yarkoni, an Israel Prize laureate, once said to him: "Look how I am fooling the entire world - after all, I have no voice."

"She may not have had a voice, but she was the voice of the country. My mother listened to Yaffa Yarkoni; my grandson listens to Yaffa Yarkoni; and she accompanied us, the members of my generation, all our lives," Koren said yesterday."At the age of four, we sang her children's songs; as teenagers, we danced to the sounds of her ballroom tunes. During the Six-Day War, she came to perform at outposts at which our friends fought. She was there all the time."
Read obituary by Ben Shalem in Ha'aretz
Yaffa Yarkoni sings "Davar Lo Od" ("Nothing More") in this clip from Gil Shani.



Yaffa Yarkoni was known as the singer of the wars, a tradition that began during her own IDF service in the War of Independence.


She was known as the singer of the wars, a sobriquet that she detested, but when Yaffa Yarkoni, Israel’s queen of song who delighted generations of children, soldiers and all audiences died on Sunday only a week after her 86th birthday, she was remembered more for fading out of the limelight. 

Read obituary in The Jerusalem Post by Greer Fay Cashman with Herb Keinon 

"Rhythm and Roots" show at L.A.'s Ford Theater combines African-American and Hebrew music and dance styles

Israeli, Israeli-American, and African-American performers joined to stage a multi-ethnic music and dance theater at L.A.'s Ford Theater on Sunday, August 28th. The "Rhythm and Roots" event featured individual and joint performances by Macy Gray, Israel's Harel Skaat, L.A.'s Israel-American Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble, Lulu Washington Dance Theater, the Agape Int'l Choir Ensemble, MC Lyte, and vocalist Abraham McDonald.

Celebrating the connection and diversity of the world’s cultures through music and dance, Israeli-American Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble, African American Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and multi-ethnic, interfaith Agape International Choir joined together for a cross-cultural evening under the stars. Also featuring guest artists Israeli superstar Harel Skaat, making his Los Angeles debut; two-time Grammy Award-winner Macy Gray; R&B singer Abraham McDonald, whose victory on the first-ever Oprah Show Karaoke Challenge earned him an exclusive contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group; and legendary female rapper MC Lyte, All proceeds from Rhythm & Roots go to support Children Uniting Nations, an organization that brings attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth, and Keshet Chaim’s youth education programs, which serve to eradicate ethnic and cultural barriers through the arts. Diverse as the RHYTHM & ROOTS artists might seem on the surface, they all share a communal mission to bring peace and healing to the world through their art.



Keshet Chaim's mixed white and black troupe, reflecting Israel's integrated Ethiopian Jewry, appeared to surprise and impress many of the African-American audience members. The dance ensemble's high-profile patron, Mrs. Daphna Ziman, asked the audience to remember the 25th birthday of Palestinian-kidnapped Israeli, Gilad Shalit, still held under inhumane conditions by Palestinian Hamas for over 5-years.

The talented, Los Angeles-based Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble was founded in 1983 by Eytan Avisar, still its Artistic Director. Their performance was choreographed by Kobi Rozenfeld. Genie Benson serves the dance troupe in the capacity of executive director. Keshet Chaim (Hebrew for Colors of Life) is an American Israeli contemporary dance company dedicated to celebrating the inclusive spirit of Israeli culture and Judaism throughout the world. Influenced by world music, the multi-ethnic roots of the Jewish people, and a constant drive for interpreting and exploring Jewish values through art, Keshet Chaim serves as both a repertory ensemble for traditional dance forms and a laboratory for contemporary work. Keshet Chaim founder and artistic director Eytan Avisar conjures the colors of Jewish life and culture with vibrant storytelling and choreography, creating an emotional connection to the people of Israel and their sacred roots.

Limmud LA '11: visiting Israeli band, Aharit Ha'yamim, perform Sephardic celebratory, "Simcha G'dolah Laila"

Limmud LA '08 immerses American Jews in learning and celebration of culture with pride and joy

LimmudLA organizer Shep Rosenman and singer/songwriter Jill Sobule collaborate with participants in this Jewish songwriting workshop. (Photo by Scott)

Watch videos from the LimmudLA President's Day Eve concert. "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy," Debbie Friedman sings her inspiring "Mi shebayrach."



Debbie then breaks into an upbeat medly of "Turn the World Around,""Oseh Shalom," "Miriam," "Hallelu," and "David Melech Yisrael" to get the sold-out audience of LimmudLA participants dancing and rejoicing.


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The Moshav Band perform their inspirational anthem, "Come Back (to me now)" the soundtrack of the famous Nefesh b'Nefesh aliyah documentary.



JTA syndicates Sue Fishkoff's review of Limmud '08.

“I knew what I was getting into and I still wanted to come, because I love all Jews,” said Rabbi Moshe Shapoff, who traveled to Limmud LA from his Israeli home in the Jerusalem suburb of Givat Zeev, where he co-founded a vocational school for haredi youth.

“I was literally in tears seeing all those Jews dancing together. At the end of the day, it’s not what we wear, but that one soul touches another,” he said.

That’s a big part of what the British-based, volunteer-driven Limmud is about: Jews of all stripes and ages coming together to study, worship and learn from each other.

Read it all.

LA's Jewish Journal publisher, Rob Eshman, claims that Limmud proves that LA has a significant Jewish community.

...That's the essence of Limmud -- not just Jews learning from other Jews but experiencing the breadth and depth of tradition, culture and spirituality in one place, in a weekend.

I was in another session, hearing four stand-up comedians, including a Chasid, a Palestinian and Aaron Freeman, a black convert to Judaism, joke about all the hilarious stuff that happens in the Mideast. That was after a full day spent dipping into one class on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph Solovetchik, another on the meaning behind the Hebrew calendar and innumerable hallway and, yes, barstool discussions and debates with everybody from the Russian scholars to Hollywood players to major philanthropists to street-level activists to post-denominational observant Israeli-American rock musicians (they were in the hot tub with me, along with a brilliant Reform aerospace engineer from Manhattan Beach -- go figure).