For more information please call the office at (310) 392-3029

Ongoing Classes

Leading Prayer:
Rabbi Dan Shevitz

Polish your haftorah reading skills, learn to read the Torah, or lead Shacharit, Musaf or Shabbat services. Whatever your level of expertise, Mishkon is always eager to help you improve your liturgical skills. Whether it is teaching beginners or coaching veterans, Rabbi Dan is delighted to meet with individuals or groups. Please contact him for an appointment. Donation suggested from all.

Prayerbook Hebrew:
Dr. Jeff Gornbein
Mondays 7:00 - 9:00 pm (donation suggested from all)
At the Gornbein home, Santa Monica
Starts October 14, 2002

One of our most popular classes! Never again feel lost in synagogue. Learn the meaning, the power, and the beauty of Jewish prayer in Hebrew and English. This is your heritage — why not make it your legacy as well? Ability to read Hebrew required. Donation suggested from all.

Bereshit Reading Hebrew Workshop:
Lazare Tannenbaum
Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 pm
Mishkon members: free Nonmembers: donation suggested
Starts October 2, 2002 in the library

Beginners aleph-bet and intermediate aleph-bet workshop

Talmud And Tea:
Rabbi Dan Shevitz
Tuesdays 8:15-9:30 pm (donation suggested from all)
At the Shevitz home, Venice
Starts October 1, 2002

Experience the wisdom and intellectual challenge of the Talmud. Discover what Jews have discussed for more than two millennia. Enjoy tea and goodies as well as great conversation. No experience necessary.

Torah And Tea:
Rabbi Dan Shevitz
Thursdays 7:00-8:00 pm
At Mr. Pickles Deli, 13354 W. Washington Blvd.
No purchase necessary, but you may order dinner or nosh from the menu.

A lively discussion of the weekly Torah portion led by Rabbi Dan.

Iyengar Yoga With Jewish Meditation:
Nishima Kaplan
Sundays 4:30-6:30 pm in the chapel
Single class: Mishkon members $10. Nonmembers $11
Discount (6 classes): Mishkon members $50. Nonmembers $55

Instructor Nishima Kaplan takes students through five stages of meditation and prayer in a class combining yoga poses and chanting of Jewish liturgy to create an intimate and unique community class in a sacred space. Join us to emerge centered and deepened.

Special Programs

Sundays At The Shul With Rabbi Dan:
Back To The Basics Series

Sunday, 11/03/02
5:00-6:15pm
Place: Chapel. Donation suggested.

Who Is God? How has the concept of God changed from Biblical to modern times. An introduction to Jewish theology.

Sunday, 11/24/02
5:00-6:15pm
Place: Chapel. Donation suggested.

What Is Torah And What Do We Do With It? What are the texts of our sacred scripture? How did they become sacred? How does a Jew read Torah in a way distinct from reading any other texts?

Sunday, 12/15/02
10:00-11:15 am
Place: Chapel. Donation suggested.

Sacred Deeds: What Are The Mitzvoth? We were taught that 613 is the magical number, but what are they really? How does a deed become a sacred deed, and when is it just a superstition?

Cooking With Daniel

Class Cost: $40
Dinner Cost: Adults—$ 10; Children under 13—$7
Place: Social Hall
Participants limited to 10 per class!

Join us in the kitchen with our own Daniel Kutt, veteran caterer of many delectable Shabbat dinners. These Sunday afternoon cooking lessons are both fun and a tasty experience. Come to learn to prepare a variety of main courses with complimentary side dishes. And after the lesson — dinner is served for you and your family.

Sunday, March 2, 2003
Class: 2:00 pm-6:00 pm
Dinner 6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Chicken, Chicken, And More Chicken
More ways to prepare chicken than you ever imagined. Learn to make a four-star dinner in less than 15 minutes!

Date: Sunday March 30, 2003
Class: 2:00 pm-6:00 pm
Dinner 6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Beyond Salmon
From sushi to traditional recipes, with an emphasis on new and innovative ways to create sumptuous pareve entrees.

Each class requires a reservation. Call the office to reserve your space

Blessings And Brunch

Back by popular demand — a morning service like no other! This highly participatory and percussive service gins quietly with meditation, chanting, and niggunim, builds with the addition of singing, drums, and other instruments, and, finally, movement. Bring your instruments and leave your inhibitions at home!

Dates:
Sunday October 13 2002,
Sunday January 26, 2003,
and Sunday May 4, 2003
Time: 10:00 am
Cost: $5.00 donation requested.
Place: Social Hall

Reservations required. Please call the office so that we know to expect you.

Memoirs Of One Righteous Among The Nations
A Morning With MS. Irene Gut Opdyke

Irene Opdyke was only 15 when war interrupted her nursing studies and separated her from her family. Escaping imprisonrnent by the Russians, she was forced to work as a servant in the home of SS officials. After witnessing atrocities against Jews she performed numerous courageous and heroic acts, including smuggling food and information into a Jewish ghetto, transporting escaped Jews'ro the relative safety of the forest, and hiding Jews'in the home of her SS "employer." Honored for this heroism by the government of Israel and by the Vatican, she has written (with Jennifer Armstrong) a memoir In my Hands: Memoirs of a Holocaust Rescuer (Random House), Ms. Opdyke shares her dangerous personal jouney with our congregation. Copies of her book will be available for purchase and signing.

Date: Sunday 10/20/02
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 noon
Place: Social Hall
Donation suggested.

Sabbath Dinner Speakers
Followed by dinner in the Social Hall after Friday evening services

Mishkon offers a year-round program of Friday night dinners, often with well-known local or national speakers. Our 2002-2003 list includes David Rosenstein from COEJL, Marvin Wolf, an illustrious author and storyteller, and Amanda F. Susskind of the Anti-Defamation League. Call or visit Mishkon for the latest on this exciting series. (Yes, the food is always delicious).

$20 members
$10 children under 12
$22 nonmembers
$18 senior (60 +)

October 18,2002
Make A Difference, If You Dare
David Rosenstein discusses the role of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California (COEJL), an organization dedicated to revitalizing the relationship between Judaism, environmental stewardship and the Jewish community. Focusing on education, outreach and collaboration. COEJL aims to unite the Jewish community with the environmental community.

December 13, 2002
So You Wanna Write A Book
If you've ever thought about becoming an author, don't miss this! Author Marvin J. Wolf, a Mishkon member, will present a Jewish twist on this overview of the book publishing industry.

June 20, 2003
Do American Jews really need an Anti-Defamation League?
Amanda F Susskind, ADL regional director, presents provocative and controversial views on issues ranging from hate crimes to law enforcement, international affairs and terrorism in the new millennium.

Masada: A Mishkon Film Preview
With Glenn Kirschbaum

The fortress Masada stands high and mighty in the magnificent :
desolation of the Negev. Here in the year 73 CE a zealous band of Jewish rebels defied the mightiest force on Earth — Rome. The rebels could have surrendered, but according to the only account extant, were defiant to the end, sacrificing their own children before taking their own fives. This 90-minute film examines events leading to the standoff, the character of the combatants, and the 11 final hours of the siege. Afterward we'll discuss whether we actually know what happened on this summit fortress. Did events unfold as we have come to understand, or did the ancient historian who recorded these events have his own secret agenda? it's all part of one of the worfd's most enduring mysteries
-the story of Masada.

Please join us as Glenn Kirschbaum, supervising producer, who shares his film made for the History Channel along with his ersonal perspectives
Date: 2/23/03
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
Cost: Donations suggested
Place: Chapel

Mishkon Culture Series
Enjoy a play, listen to music, visit a museum with your Mishkon friends.

The Chosen
Date: Sunday, October 6, 2002
Place: West Coast Jewish Theater, Marina del Rey
Time: 7:00 pm Cost: $25.00

The West Coast premier of a production adapted from the classic novel by Rabbi Chaim Potok. Adapted by Aaron Posner & Chaim Potok.

Milk and Honey: Music by Jerry Herman
Date: Thursday, December 5, 2002
Place: University of Judaism Gindi Auditorium
15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air
Time: 8:00 pm Cost: $35.00

It's the 1960s, and the Land flowing with milk and honey is also spilling over with American tourists. Jerry Herman's unique score captures the flavors and rhythms of Israel. Directed by Rick Sims. A docent-led gallery visit will be given before the performance, sponsored by Hazak.

Jewish Life in the American West
Date: January 12, 2003
Place: The Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Griffith Park
Time: 2:00 pm Cost: Seniors $5.00; Students/kids 2-12 $3.00;
Nonmembers: $7.50

A decent tour of an original exhibition exploring the history and adventures of Jews in the American West from early exploration along the Santa Fe trail to settlements. The exhibition emphasizes the contributions of Jews who built homes in the West, from homesteaders in Utopian agricultural communities to the entrepreneurs who created America's film industry. Bus transportation provided by Hazak.

Jewish Perspectives Speakers Program:
Oreach I'Mishkon

An extended learning experience in the Social Hall. Events begin Shabbat afternoon with a two-hour workshop followed by light refreshments, Havdalah, and a kumsitz (singing and shmoozing). Part two is Sunday afternoon and includes light refreshments.

Part 1: 2:00 pm Part 2: 10 am
November 16-17 2002: Rabbi David E. S. Stein
Recent Perspectives on Classic Leqal Texts

Part 1: Punishment on Parchment:
The Torah's Criminal Law As Spiritual Discipline

Professor Aaron Kirschenbaum of Tel Aviv University makes an astonishing claim: "The rabbis of the Talmud and their medieval successors regarded the criminal law of the Torah as primarily a mighty instrument in character training, religious indoctrination, and spiritual edification — and only secondarily (and sometimes not at all) as of practical import." How does he make his case? If he's right, how did pre-modern Jewish communities cope with crime?

Part 2: More Than Just a Pretty Typeface:
Reclaiming the Ketubah As A Leqal Text

Rabbi Stein makes a case that Jewish wedding contracts should go beyond loving words and lovely decorations. In pre-modern times, the wedding process incorporated legally binding language on disposition of property in case of death and divorce; Jews today have much to learn from this. How can planning for disaster enhance a marriage? How can it best be mentioned under the wedding canopy?

June 28-29 2002: Judy Gordon
A Jewish Dimension To Making Choices

Part1: 2:00 pm Part 2: 10 am

Is there a Jewish dimension to making the choices that constantly face us? Are we responsible for the consequences of choices we refuse to make? What do we do when seemingly faced with no choice? These and other questions will be addressed at this workshop.

Shiurim (Torah Studies)

These learning experiences, taught by Mishkon members, usually begin an hour before sundown and end with Havdalah. Cozy and informal, they are held in members' homes and are a nice way to learn with your community, get together with friends, and enjoy a rewarding end to Shabbat!

Chana Bell
Sunday, December 8, 2002, 10:00 am at the Bell home, Venice
A Jewish Perspective On Communicatinq With The Disabled

What does "You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:14) mean to us in day-to-day encounters with people with disabilities? Ms. Bell will review the text and commentary and show a video, Ten Commandments Of Communicating With People With Disabilities. Afterward she will lead a group discussion.

Dr. Amy Shevitz
Saturday, January 11, 2003, 3:45 pm at the Shevitz home, Venice
Anti-Semitism in America, Past and Present

In a time when anxieties about Jewish security in the world are rising, many American Jews are also worried about their security. Dr. Shevitz will examine the history of anti-Jewish prejudice in the U.S., discuss the current situation, and evaluate the origin and nature of American exceptionalism. Is it true, as Rabbi Marvin Hier asserts, that "we have no idea if a worse Auschwitz is around the corner" in this country?

Jeffrey Prince
Saturday, February 8, 2003, 4:15 pm at the Prince home, Santa Monica
Sing Unto God! Finding Your Inner Song

Join Mr. Prince for a musical celebration. Learn new Shabbat niggunim and enjoy Shabbat z'mirotyou already know. Learn about the transition from the joyous sounds of Kabbalat Shabbat to the soulful, sweet songs of Havdalah. No musical background required - only joyful enthusiasm!

Dr. Glenn Yago
Saturday, March 8, 2003, 4:30 pm at the Yago home. Pacific Palisades
Pledges, Boundaries, and Obligations:
Aruvot in Jewish Law and Practice

Why are we obligated to take care of each other? What is the basis of trust, belief, pledges, and bonds in both the public and private sphere? When, how, and where are borders created to bring us together or keep us apart in a world defined more by dispute and chaos? We'll review some of the sources and texts that prescribe personal, commercial, and political behavior in a contested world.

Gene Alper
Saturday, April 5, 2003, 5:00 pm at the Alper home, Santa Monica
A Jewish Perspective on Social Welfare

Mr. Alper will discuss the textual and legal basis supporting social welfare programs in our community, as well as the Jewish moral and ethical concepts used in social welfare work. He will show how we can use these concepts to improve the well-being of our community.

Carol Fefixson
Saturday, May 10, 6:25 pm at the Felixson home. Culver City
Jewish Environmental Stewardship

A facilitated discussion on the powerful connection between environmental stewardship and Jewish life. Jews have always cared for the earth, as it is written (Genesis 2:15): The Eternal placed the Human Being in the Garden of Eden to serve it and protect it." This is an informal exploration, based on scripture, a shared sense of environmental justice, Tikkun Olam and the Jewish tradition of acknowledging responsibility and taking action to alleviate environmental degradation and the pain and suffering that it causes.

Finding Your Roots: Jewish Genealogy: Part II
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2003
Time: 7:00 pm Cost: Donation suggested
Location: Los Angeles Family History Center, 10741 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles

Mishkon member Ruth Glosser leads a tour of the Family History Center (on the grounds of the Churcn of Latter Day Saints), one of our area's richest archives of information about Jewish ancestors. A member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles, Ms. Glosser will highlight areas of special interest to Jewish genealogists. Highlight of the visit is a presentation by Barbara Algaze, a Center volunteer, about how she used Center resources to search out her family roots in Eastern Europe.

Presenters/Instructors

Gene Alper
A Mishkon member, licensed clinical social worker and psychiatric social worker employed by the L.A. Unified School District, Alper has worked for the past six years with children, adolescents and families addressing issues ranging from depression and disruptive behavior to learning disabilities and family dysfunction.

Chana Bell
A Mishkon member. Bell is a learning disabilities specialist at Santa Monica Community College and at UCLA. She is also a mystic poet.

Carol Felixson
A Mishkon member and a member of the executive committee of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life/Southern California., Felix-son serves as docent coordinator for the UCLA Botanical Garden and director of community outreach for a UCLA-managed biological field station and leads workshops on the role of nature and the environment in Jewish spiritual life.

Judy Gordon
A Mishkon member, Gordon is executive director of Metivta, a center for contemplative Judaism, and served as a professional in the Jewish nonprofit world for 25 years. She has trained nonprofit boards and synagogues in strategic planning, board responsibilities, creative planning and board/staff relationships. Yeshiva-educated and a Camp Ramah alumnus, her personal Judaism combines prayer, meditation and study.

Dr.Jeff Gornbein
A Mishkon member and perpetual student of the art of Hazzenut, Jewish prayer, Gornbein is the senior statistician of UCLA's Biomathematical Consulting Clinic.

Nishima Kaplan
A student and teacher of lyengar Yoga for nine years, Kaplan is a member of Mishkon Tephilo and a widely admired artist.

Jeffrey Prince
A Mishkon member. Prince is an accomplished singer and guitarist specializing in Jewish music. He has brought a joyful noise to many Mishkon events.

David Rosenstein
Director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California (COEJL), Rosenstein is the middle-aged father of three young children and is trying to make a small difference in the world.

Dr. Amy Shevitz
The wife of Mishkon's spiritual leader, Shevitz is professor of American Jewish History at California State University-Northridge and teaches at the University of Judaism.

Rabbi Dan Shevitz
Mishkon's spiritual leader since 1996, Shevitz teaches at the University of Judaism and previously served as Hillef director at MIT and as rabbi of Emanuel Synagogue in Oklahoma City. An author and lecturer on Midrash, medical ethics and Jewish mysticism, among many subjects, he taught at Hebrew College and Emmanuel College in Boston. He is also a licensed private pilot, computer maven, and enthusiastic musician.

Rabbi David Stein
A Mishkon member. Stein teaches the martial art Aikido and belonged to the erstwhile Ketubah Committee of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. As a free-lance editor he contributed to the new Conservative Chumash Etz Chayim.

Lazare Tannenbaum
A Mishkon member, Tannenbaum learned Hebrew from tutors and at the Chocma Tzarfat Yeshiva in Aix Les Bain, France. He lived in Israel and served in the IDF.

Manvin J. Wolf
A Mishkon member. Wolf is the best-selling author of 12 nonfiction books. His most recent work, Buddha's Child, My Fight To Save Vietnam, was a collaboration with former South Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky. Wolf served in the U.S. Army as a photojournalist and as a public affairs officer during the Vietnam war.

Dr. Glenn Yago
A Mishkon member, Yago is internationally known author and educator and director of capital studies at the Milken Institute; He specializes in financial institutions and capital markets and has extensively analyzed public policy and its relation to high-yield markets, IPOs, industrial concerns, and employment.