Hazak Second Semester 2021-22
Hazak Mondays Program Guide
Hazak programming will be offered ONLINE (on Zoom) ONLY through March 27. Beginning Monday, March 28, Hazak will reconvene in person at VBS with simultaneous connectivity online.
Monday, February 7, 2022
10:00am "Search for VBS Rabbinic Leadership"
Jeff Goss, CPA and President VBS Synagogue
This is the first chief rabbi that VBS has had to recruit since Rabbi Schulweis started decades ago. So this is a new experience for us. Hear from the President of VBS about the search process, our experience to date, and ask any questions you have.
11:15am "The Enduring Legacy of “Fiddler on the Roof“"
Barbara Isenberg, Journalist and Author
Barbara Isenberg, author of Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of 'Fiddler on the Roof,' The World's Most Beloved Musical, will explore how Sholem Aleichem’s 19th century Yiddish stories were re-imagined, set to music and popularized onstage and onscreen worldwide. Rarely offstage, rarely on hiatus since its 1964 Broadway debut, Fiddler on the Roof is a favorite of audiences from Japan to Argentina, while Norman Jewison’s 1971 “Fiddler on the Roof” film has already reached 1 billion people worldwide. She will also discuss why “Fiddler” still has such power and meaning today.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, February 28, 2022
10:00am "The Five Pillars of Islam and How They Compare with Judaism"
Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Ph.D., Professor in medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles
Judaism and Islam share many aspects of religion in terms of thought and practice. In fact, they are much closer to one another than either is to Christianity. We will examine the major tenets of Islam, known as "The Five Pillars," and will compare them to parallels in Judaism through a PowerPoint presentation, followed by Q&A.
11:15am "Scams that Target Seniors"
Sparky Abraham
Alisa Anderson
Archie Roundtree
Bet Tzedek Legal Services
The legal team from Bet Tzedek will discuss scams that target seniors with a focus on home renovation scams and the Property Assessed Clean Energy program. Hear about these and ask about any other scam and fraud issues you have experienced.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, March 14, 2022
10:00am "We Have Always Been a “Mixed Multitude”: Building Inclusive Jewish Community"
Rabbi Adam Greenwald, Vice President for Jewish Engagement at American Jewish University
The balancing act between communal self-protection and inclusive welcome has been with us since we left Egypt together with many other freedom seekers. Two decades into the twenty-first century – where do we stand?
11:15am "What's a Nice Jewish Boy..."
Jesse Gabriel, Assemblymember, 45th California State Assembly District; Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus
A member of VBS, Assemblymember Gabriel authored legislation to establish the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2019 in the wake of the deadly shooting at Chabad of Poway, a synagogue in San Diego County. Join him in conversation about what he is doing and planning as an Assemblymember in California.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, March 28, 2022
Welcome back! Hazak reopens in person at VBS.
9:30am Registration and refreshments in the Main Hall
10:00am "Turn It Off And On Again: A short but practical guide on basic technology skills"
Yonah Feinstein, MaEd, Technology Consultant and Lover of Gadgets
How do I Zoom? What is PDF? Why does my computer sound like a '57 Buick? Do I really need a laptop? What happened to floppy discs? Hazak invites you to join us for a conversation on all things digital hosted by VBS’s new gadget guru and technology troubadour Yonah Feinstein. In this session, we will start with how to use Zoom, and move on to “Net-iquette” (Etiquette for the InterNET), and then open up the floor to Q & A.
11:15am "Celebration of Women and Music through a Jewish Lens"
Dr. Noreen Green, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony
In this stimulating, interactive lecture, Noreen Green discusses what a conductor “really” does and the unique challenges of being a woman conductor. Sharing personal stories and insights of the history of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Dr. Green discusses her choices of repertoire centered on women composers and performers.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, April 11, 2022
10:00am "Another Golden Age for NASA"
Bill Green, Caltech/JPL (Retired)
In the 1970’s, men from earth were walking on the Moon, NASA spacecraft were returning our first close up looks at our neighboring planets, and the first spacecraft designed to orbit the earth to collect global information about our changing environment were launched. It was a golden age for NASA. This decade promises to become a second golden age for NASA. This talk will get you up to date on the current news from NASA—latest results from the Perseverance Rover and the Mars helicopter, an update on missions now flying and under development to determine if any asteroids pose a threat to the earth, news of launch preparations for missions to take humans back to the moon and beyond using enormous rockets and spacecraft, and an update on the James Webb Space Telescope launched in December 2021 that is designed to look back in time to the origins of our universe. Come enjoy retired Caltech and JPL Engineer Bill Green give his annual Hazak update on all the latest news from space.
11:15am "Jewish Music in LA"
Mark Kligman, Chair Professor of Jewish Music at the Herb Alpert School of Music, UCLA
Los Angeles is plentiful with Jewish Music in synagogues and elsewhere. The creation of new synagogue music in Los Angeles over many decades has impacted synagogues across the United States. This presentation will provide audio and video examples of innovators, creators and champions of Jewish Music in Los Angles adding a rich sonic contribution to our city.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, April 25, 2022
10:00am "Future of the LA Jewish Community"
Rabbi Noah Farkas, President and CEO Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Rabbi Farkas will be sharing findings from The Study of Jewish LA, about the attitudes, behaviors, and practice in Jewish households. Areas of focus include socio-demographics, human services, and Jewish engagement/connection. Results from this Study will enable our entire community to plan most effectively and efficiently for the future.
11:15am "Anti-Aging, Healthspan, and Quality of Life"
David Heber, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Public Health, David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA
Everyone wants to live longer, but Healthspan is different than lifespan, and involves your quality of life and the management of common disorders of aging. Can you affect how you age? You will learn some ways to manage aging in this talk on the latest science of aging and the evidence that what you do matters.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Monday, May 9, 2022
10:00am "Wisdom from Under the Table"
Rabbi Ed Feinstein, Valley Beth Shalom
Sometimes we feel that the world has passed us by. But we who are a little older possess wisdom that the “Tik-Tok Generation” desperately needs to know. They can fix our computers; we can fix their future. Let us celebrate the wisdom of maturity.
11:15am "Creating New Jewish Music"
Cantor Phil Baron, Valley Beth Shalom
The Helfman Institute for New Jewish Music has been creating works for the synagogue and concert hall since 2010. This group of talented composers has now produced over 60 pieces, a full oratorio and several "pulpit dramas." Founding director Cantor Phil Baron will explain their process, play recordings, and tell us about the Helfman Institute's latest exciting project.
12:45pm Hazak Torah Study with Cantor Phil Baron
Monday, May 23, 2022
Join us outside on Sinder Terrance for our End of Year Celebration!
QUESTIONS?
Email vbshazak@vbs.org
Mon, January 27 2025
27 Tevet 5785
Hazak Updates
Questions? Email vbshazak@vbs.org
