Services Planned for High Holy Days

Synagogues throughout the Southland will be celebrating the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana, marking the beginning of the Jewish religious New Year of 5759, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in the coming weeks. Rosh Hashana begins at sundown on Sunday and continues through Tuesday. It is the beginning of 10 days of penitence that end with Yom Kippur, which starts at sundown Sept. 29 and ends at sundown the next day. Yom Kippur, the most solemn Holy Day on the Jewish calendar, is devoted to prayer and fasting. Some congregations will also have tashlich services where congregants can symbolically cast their sins away upon the water. Below is a listing of some of the services planned throughout the area. Most require tickets. For times and ticket information, contact the individual synagogues and organizations.

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Don R. Singer, rabbi of Shir Hadash, the Reform Jewish Fellowship, will conduct High Holy Day services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur outside in the garden at the Zen Center of Los Angeles, 923 S. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles. Meditation sessions with instruction will be offered prior to every service. A discussion circle will be held on Yom Kippur afternoon for those who would like to share and listen to other’s experiences. Call (310) 456-5323 or (213) 387-2351.

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi will return to Los Angeles to celebrate the High Holy Days at Makom Ohr Shalom synagogue joining Makom’s new rabbi, Debra Orenstein, cantor/musical director Monty Turner and the Makom Ohr Shalom Choir for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. Rabbi Mordecai Finley, Makom’s co-rabbi, will join the congregation for the second day Rosh Hashana service. Services will be held at UCLA’s Ackerman Hall. A children’s program will be available during all events. Call (818) 725-7600 or visit their website at https://www.makom.org

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Chavurah Ha-Am of Orange County is organizing lay-led, Reform/Reconstructionist-

oriented nondenominational services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Their goal is to provide inclusive, egalitarian services on an affordable basis for those who otherwise would have no access. Services will be at Mile Square Park, 16400 Brookhurst, Fountain Valley. Tickets are $2-$10, on a sliding scale. For details or to volunteer to help with organizing, call (714) 847-2079 between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.

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Temple Beth Zion-Sinai, 6440 Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood will celebrate the High Holy Days with services led by Rabbi Claudio Kaiser Blueth and Cantor Yehuda Keller leading the choir. Call (562) 429-0715.

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Rabbi Denise Eger and Cantor Mark Saltzman will lead Congregation Kol Ami in Rosh Hashana services at Temple Akiba, 5249 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City on Sunday at 8 p.m. and Monday at 10 a.m. Child care will be provided at the morning service, as well as educational programming for children age 6 and up. Yom Kippur services will be held at Temple Akiba on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 and will include a healing service. Call (310) 248-6320.

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Temple Beth Am, a center for Conservative Judaism at 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, will be holding traditional services in the Main Sanctuary led by Rabbi Joel Rembaum, Hazzan Jeremy Lipton, Rabbi Jacob Pressman and the Beth Am Choir, and the lay-led Library Minyan. Informal, participatory and child-friendly “BAIT Tefillah” services will be led by Rabbi Perry Netter and David Ackerman at the Ionic Lodge across the street from the Temple. Child care and holiday activities will be available for children from age two through high school level. Call (310) 652-7353, Ext. 223.

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Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz will celebrate Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with innovative services for Conservative, Reform and nonaffiliated Jews throughout the area at the Westin Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 5400 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, near LAX. Sponsored by the Chai Center, the annual New Year’s events which are billed as “enlightening and entertaining,” have attracted up to 3,000 people in recent years. Rebbitzin Olivia Schwartz will lead a discussion group on women’s spirituality issues on the afternoon of Sept. 30. No tickets or reservations are required and services are free. Call (310) 391-7995. On the Internet, https://www.chaicenter.org

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Continuing a fifteen-year tradition, the Laugh Factory will open its doors to those in the Jewish community who are unable to be home with family and friends for the High Holidays. Rabbi Robert Jacobs and Cantor Sandy Shanin Lasarow will conduct participative, community-oriented services in the liberal Jewish tradition at the Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. Senior citizens and those unable to make a contribution to their local synagogue are particularly welcome at the services, which are free. Reservations are required, however. Call (213) 656-1336.

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The Sholem Community Organization, an independent, secular Jewish organization, will observe the Jewish New Year in humanistic ceremonies emphasizing the historical and cultural significance of the holidays. Free Rosh Hashana services will be held at Rustic Canyon, 601 Latimer Rd., Santa Monica on Monday. Readings, songs, discussion and a picnic will be featured. A secular Kol Nidre program will be at the Robert Frost Auditorium, 4401 Elenda St., Culver City on Sept. 29 and a free Yom Kippur service will be at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes, on Sept. 30. Call (818) 760-6625. On the Internet, www.primenet.com/jkaye/sholem.html

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Temple Ami Shalom, 3508 E. Temple Way, West Covina, will welcome Cantor Mark Rosen as guest cantor for the High Holy Days. He will be joining Temple Ami Shalom’s Rabbi Marc S. Blumenthal in the holiday services. Call (626) 331-0515.

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Rabbi Shmulik Naparstek will conduct High Holiday services geared for beginners, with Rabbi Lazer Gurkow as cantor at the Chabad of the Marina, 2929 Washington Blvd., Marina del Rey. A tashlich service will be held at Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey at 5:30 on Monday . Reservations are suggested. Call (310) 578-6000.

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Congregation Beth Shalom in Santa Clarita will observe Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with services at the LARC Ranch, 29890 Bouquet Canyon Rd., Saugus. Rabbi Steven Conn will conduct the services, accompanied by Cantor Laurie Rimland Bonn. Children’s services and free child care will be available. Call (805) 254-2411.

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Rabbi Gilbert Kollin and Cantor Judy Sofer will celebrate the High Holidays in services at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, 1434 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena. Call (626) 798-1161.

CONFERENCE/SYMPOSIUM

Learning to live simply will be the focus of a one-day conference at the USC Davidson Conference Center today from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. “No Purchase Necessary: Building the Voluntary Simplicity Movement,” will bring together 18 speakers discussing what it means to individuals and the community to choose to live with less. The free conference is hosted by Seeds of Simplicity, a Los Angeles-based, secular program of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University. Call (818) 247-4332.

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The Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda, Buddhist monk and scholar, will present Buddhist teachings at Pasadena City College today 2 to 6 p.m. The event will appeal to serious students, as well as those who would like to learn more about Buddhism. Ven. Dhammananda will address current Buddhist issues, interfaith problems and answer questions relating to these topics. His appearance is being hosted by the Los Angeles Buddhist Union in Rosemead. Call (626) 280-1213.

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“Exploring Traditions--a Retreat” to deepen spiritual bonds and discover the divine through spiritual roots will be held today and Sunday at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 580 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. The weekend’s events will include time for quiet reflection, as well as lectures and discussion. Today’s activities begin at 9 a.m. Call (310) 208-6516.

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The Navigators--B&P; Ministries and the Gathering of Men will hold their first annual Regional Men’s Conference Sept. 24-26 at the Buena Park Hotel. Geared for business and professional men, the sessions will include workshops on “Integrating Biblical Principles into Business Practice” and “The Future of Work.” The sponsoring organizations are Christian groups for men seeking balance in family, career, personal and spiritual lives. Registration fee is $149, Saturday only fee is $49. Call (800) 955-3061 or (714) 731-8408, Ext. 3.

MUSIC

Music at Noon, a series of free, weekly concerts presented by the Friends of Music Program of Pasadena Presbyterian Church, will feature the Nuance Trio at the Church Sanctuary, Colorado Boulevard at Madison, on Wednesday from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. The trio plays music ranging from Baroque to classical and 20th century repertoire. Call (626) 568-2608.

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Notices may be mailed for consideration to Southern California File, c/o Nona Yates, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or by fax to Nona Yates, Southern California File at (213) 237-4712. Items should arrive two to three weeks before the event and should include pertinent details about the people and organizations with address, phone number, date and time.