Service Will Honor the Fallen Soldiers of Israel

In remembrance of Israel’s fallen soldiers, the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles will hold a Memorial Day ceremony Monday at Congregation Adat Ariel in Valley Village. Israel’s Memorial Day, known in Hebrew as Yom Hazikaron, serves as a salute to the more than 20,000 men and women who have given their lives for their country in the 52 years since the nation gained independence. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and include a candle-lighting service for families of deceased soldiers and singing of traditional Memorial Day songs by the local Israeli choir LA Shir.

In Israel, Memorial Day is marked with ceremonies at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and at military cemeteries across the country. Sirens sound twice during the day, calling the nation to observe a moment of silence.

The synagogue is at 12020 Burbank Blvd. The event is open to the public.

FESTIVAL OF LIFE

A conference focusing on the architecture, literature and spirituality of Los Angeles continues today at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena.

Organizers said the three-day “Festival of Life” is intended to present Christians with ways they can be agents of change in this complex metropolitan area.

Workshops cover a variety of topics, including welfare, prayer, poetry and diversity.

Speakers will include Connie Rice, a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles and co-director of the Empowerment Project, a public policy organization. Rice, who will speak today at 8:30 a.m., was previously co-director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Los Angeles office.

Author Richard Rodriguez is scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m.

A registration fee of $35 includes admission to keynote lectures and two workshops, as well as refreshments during breaks. The church is at 132 N. Euclid Ave.

BUDDHISM

The Los Angeles Buddhist Union at the Rosemead Buddhist Monastery will present a program today titled, “Buddhism: The 21st Century.” A panel discussion with Sri Lankan, Chinese, Japanese and Korean Buddhist scholars will be followed by questions from the public.

Topics will include violence and intolerance; science and technology; and addressing youth problems through a Buddhist approach.

Among the panelists are Jong Mae Park, Zen priest in the Chogye Order and chief advisor to the Korean Buddhist Council; Ananda Guruge, dean of academic affairs and director of the International Academy of Buddhism in

Bangkok; and Masao Kakuryu Kodani, abbot of Senshin Temple.

The event will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at 7833 Emerson Place, Rosemead. For information on future events, call (626) 288-1210 or (626) 280-1213.

SPRING TOUR

The Women’s Interfaith Committee will learn about Buddhism on Wednesday during its 28th annual spring tour. Participants will meet at the Bahai Center, 5755 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, with buses leaving at 9 a.m. for the Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights. Activities will include music, demonstrations of Chinese paper cutting and a guided tour of the temple. Cost is $12. Reservations are required and may be made at (310) 828-6368.

EXHIBIT

An exhibit of photos taken by teenagers in Los Angeles and Tel Aviv will open Sunday at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Ruby Gallery. The display shows the work of students from Jewish and public schools in Los Angeles alongside photos taken by students in Tel Aviv schools. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv-L.A. Partnership project, the works attempt to compare the sense of Jewishness in each city. An opening reception begins at 4 p.m. with the Los Angeles teenagers who took the photos.

MUSIC

Hawaiian Gospel singers Randy and Gay Hongo will present a concert tonight at Christ Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. The Hongos have been singing together since they married in 1971. Five of their 14 albums have won the Na Hoku Hanohano award, Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammy, for best inspirational album. Besides performing in Hawaii and around the world, the Hongos conduct workshops for church musicians.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m., preceded by a teriyaki dinner at 5 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 are free. The church is at 4011 Clinton St. Reservations: (323) 665-3581.

* Six hundred voices from 10 choirs of varied races and faiths will join Sunday at Founder’s Church of Religious Science for the second annual International Choir Festival. Among the groups scheduled to perform separately are the Los Angeles Samoan Community Christian Church Choir; the Gwen Wyatt Chorale, which recently performed for Pope John Paul II in Vatican City; the Korean Master Chorale of Costa Mesa; the L.A. Vocal Core of Torrance; and Founder’s Choir of Founder’s Church of Religious Science. The finale will bring together all 600 voices of the participating choirs. The concert begins at 4 p.m. The church is at 3281 W. 6th St. in Los Angeles. (323) 388-9733.

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