Community Links 207

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May 18-June 1, 2012

Vol. 9 Issue 207

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May 18, 2012 • 323-965-1544 • info@communitylinks.info

Recommends The Following Candidates for the June 5, 2012 Primary Election:

Community Research And Information Center

The “Top Two” candidates that get the most votes move on to the General Election.

The “Top Two” primary gives voters the ability to vote for any candidate regardless of party preference.

Not all candidates listed below will appear on your ballot.

Community Research & Information Center’s Directors congratulate candidates as they are endorsed by the Jewish Community PAC. (L-R): Stanley Treitel, L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Dr. Morry Waksberg, Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson, L. A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich & L.A. County Commissioner Howard Winkler.

We are a California State PAC. We CAN NOT endorse candidates for President, U.S. Senate, or U.S. House.

MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY 46th DISTRICT : ANDREW B. LACHMAN

50th DISTRICT: BETSY BUTLER

JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE # 3: Sean D. Coen

OFFICE # 10: Sanjay T. Kumar

OFFICE # 65: Andrea C. Thompson

OFFICE # 38: Douglas W. Weitzman

OFFICE #78: Kenneth R. Hughey

OFFICE # 114: Berj Parseghian

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

ALAN JACKSON MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 2: MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS

DISTRICT 4: DON KNABE

STATE MEASURES PROPOSITION 28 - NO

DISTRICT 5: MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH

COUNTY MEASURES

PROPOSITION 29 - NO

MEASURE H - YES

MEASURE L - YES

A Bipartisan Political Action Committee Serving the Jewish Community of Southern California Since 1986.

Our endorsements are independent and are not paid for by candidates or ballot measure sponsors.

Community Research and Information Center—Post Office Box 480454, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Directors: Stanley Treitel, Dr. Morry Waksberg & Howard Winkler —California State ID # 882293

Please Vote !!!

Our Community depends on each and every member to vote responsibly.

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FEATURES

May 18 , 2012

Next Advertising Deadline May 25, 2012 Circulation June 1, 2012 Media Kit & Pricing 323.965.1544 Email info@communitylinks.info News & Press Releases press@communitylinks.info Virtual Subscription

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From Bully To Blessing

Going from bully to blessing is a life changing, life enhancing experience, bringing joy to all those you come into contact with. Especially to you.

subscribe@communitylinks.info

Rabbi Dr. Jerry Lob

Louder

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"Let the Almighty hear what is being read! All the curses have already been fulfilled. Now there must be only blessings for our people..."

Rabbi Yossy Goldman

THE COMMUNITY LINKS is published biweekly and is distributed free to the Jewish Community of Southern California.

THE COMMUNITY LINKS accepts no responsibility for typographical errors or reliability of Kashrus of any advertisers. All submissions become the property of THE COMMUNITY LINKS and may be shortened and/or edited for length and clarity. Articles published in THE COMMUNITY LINKS express the views of the individual writers and may not necessarily represent the views of THE COMMUNITY LINKS. No artwork or any part of the magazine may be reprinted or otherwise duplicated without the written permission of the publisher.

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The Birthday Of The Torah

The Jewish Bible governs the Jewish people. From cradle to grave, laws and regulations are clearly stated in the Torah.

Rabbi Eli Hecht

A Long Engagement

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Only through a life of passionate and fervent Torah and Mitzvos can the neshama unite and be one with Hashem. Through this relationship, the soul and G-d can connect in a deeper and more fulfilling way than any other.

Rabbi Reuvain Wolf

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From Bully to Blessing

By Rabbi Dr. Jerry Lob

I

t is so hard to continue to witness the pain, the deep pain of your victims. Boys like Shloime, someone you consider to be a loser; you say, “Look at his clothes!

His jokes aren’t funny, he doesn’t know how to learn, or his parents just don’t fit.” Or the girl you roll your eyes about: “Poor Rivkie, she just doesn’t get it – the way she dresses, or talks.” His/her very existence seems to offend you.

And you have the power. You are strong, perhaps physically, certainly emotionally. You’re the one the others look to for approval. If you find someone acceptable, she is. And if you say she’s not, she’s not. The other boys are afraid of you, find it too difficult to stand up to you, and even though in their hearts they feel uncomfortable, at the very core of their being they know that this is wrong, they still go along with you. The other girls laugh with you, perhaps inwardly praying they won’t be next, that you spare them.

Oh yes, you are very powerful. You have the power to break, to break the spirit of your victim, to break his confidence, and his belief in himself. I have seen the broken pieces. I know this is not your intent, but this is what happens. And you have the power to instill dread, a literal dread of coming to school, or to shul, or of seeing you at a simcha.

And you have the power to change the life of a human being.

From a trusting, happy individual to one who is fearful, dis12

trustful and sad. And at times the pain of being bullied can lead one down the road to disconnection from the community and turning away from Hashem.

You say, “Oh, what’s the big deal! Everyone goes through it. Be a man, grow up, it’s just a joke.” “I’m doing her a favor, she has to know that she doesn’t fit in.” “I’m doing it to teach him kavod haTorah, good middos, or instructing him in the name of “shtoltz” (dignity) to teach him his place.” Sometimes you even convince yourself that you are engaged in a mitzvah. So you push him around, physically or verbally, and you know what’s best for him… But You Don’t.

I have seen the terrible pain, and I know that even if she doesn’t know how to stand up to you, it is still wrong, and will never be right, to hurt her. It’s not a joke, it’s not funny.

It is deadly serious, with consequences that can last a lifetime.

This is not a guess. This is the absolute truth.

I know that, in your essence, you are not an achzor (a cruel person). You may act with achzarius, with great cruelty, but you are not an achzor. I know that as a ben or bas Yisroel you are of the people defined by the midda of being Rachmanim Bnei Rchmanim, and you are a rachaman (compassionate). You are a child of Avrohom, with the spiritual genes of being a blessing for others. So I mourn for you as well, May 18, 2012 • 323-965-1544 • info@communitylinks.info

stuck in a cycle that is so foreign to who you really are. You know, when you look at yourself in the mirror, that you do not want to be cruel. Perhaps a sibling, parent, teacher, or older boy has treated you in the same way. And in order to cope with the pain, humiliation, or fear, you may have become hard, acting like you don’t care, even convincing yourself that it’s no big deal, that you really don’t care, maybe even that it’s good for you.

But it is a big deal, and you do care.

And inside, deep inside, the pain and the rage are unresolved and just sit there, and can come out on others.

Don’t get me wrong. Do not misunderstand me. These last comments are meant only to say that you too are hurting, and you too deserve compassion, and are probably unaware of how devastating your actions can be.

The fact that you’ve been hurt and have suffered doesn’t change the reality that it is not OK to continue the damage. Hurting another may provide some relief for the moment, but it just perpetuates the cycle of hurt, and sends your own pain deeper, making it less accessible for healing. The price of bullying is a high one, perhaps highest for you.

Maybe you’re wondering what you can do. First, STOP. If you feel you can’t, you must get help. Now. Talk to your parents or your Rebbi, teacher, Rabbi, or friend. If the person you talk to tells you, “Don’t worry about it, it’s not so bad,” don’t believe him.

They are trying to be kind but it is not helpful to you to minimize your actions. In order to change, you must know that it is unacceptable. You must internalize a commitment to zero tolerance for these behaviors.

And the people around you, including your silent friends who have gone along with you until now, must help you in this process by insisting on zero tolerance as well. It may be necessary to talk to a therapist to begin the hard work of change.

Second, please be courageous and ask forgiveness from your victim. I say “courage” because this is very difficult, and a scary thing to do. Do not wait until Yom Kippur, do it now.

Asking forgiveness has many benefits; it is obviously your obligation, an integral part of teshuva, and it helps in the healing of the person hurt. But more than that, it helps you in a powerful way, it helps you change your behavior, and begins the process of your own healing.

Third, know that you are gifted.

Hashem has given you a gift in your personality. Your charisma, your ability to influence others, is an incredible gift from Hashem, and like all gifts from Hashem, it comes with an achrayus (responsibility), the achrayus to use it in a Torah way, in Hashem’s ways of kindnesss and compassion.

You have the power to make a difference, to affect the lives of other human beings. Yes, I have been a witness to the pain, but I have also witnessed the extraordinary impact of someone just like you, changing.

Transforming into someone who now uses his power to protect, reach out, and to encourage an atmosphere among his peers of mutual respect.

When this occurs, it is breathtaking.

Going from bully to blessing is a life changing, life enhancing experience, bringing joy to all those you come into contact with. Especially to you.

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BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI

One section stands out from the rest in this week's Parshah. It is known as the Tochecho, "The Rebuke." There we read a whole litany of disasters that will befall our people should we turn our backs on G-d and abandon His way of life. The tradition is that the Baal Koreh (Torah Reader) himself, without being called up, takes this Aliya and when he reaches the relevant section, he lowers his voice to soften the blow of these terrible curses.

For 24 years, I produced and hosted South Africa's only Jewish radio show, The Jewish Sound. Once, my guest on the air was Rabbi ShlomoRiskin from Efrat, Israel. He told the story that as a child growing up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, one Shabbat he went to daven in the Shul of the Rebbe of Klausenberg, Rabbi Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam (1904-1994). Originally from Rumania, the Klausenberger Rebbe was a spiritual giant of a man who had lost 11 children in the Holocaust and never sat shivah because he was pre-occupied with saving as many lives as he possibly could. After the war, he settled in America and developed a large following. Subsequently, he relocated to Israel and, among other things, established the Laniado Hospital in Netanya.

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By Rabbi Yossy Goldman

“Louder!”

That Shabbat--Rabbi Riskin related--The Rebuke was being read. When it came to the part of the curses, the reader did what he always did. He lowered his voice and read in a softer tone. Suddenly, the Rebbe shouted in Yiddish, "Hecher!" ("Louder!"). The reader was confused. He was simply following the tradition of generations. Perhaps he was not hearing right, so he continued reading in the softer tone. "Hecher! Hecher!" thundered the Klausenberger Rebbe. "Let the Almighty hear what is being read!

All the curses have already been fulfilled. Now there must be only blessings for our people..."

Many of our Sages have described the Holocaust as the birth pangs of Moshiach and the ultimate redemption.

Never will there be a repeat of such calamities. We have endured more than enough of exile, wanderings, pogroms and persecutions. The curses, in all their tragic, cataclysmic imagery have actually materialized. Now there must be only goodness, happiness, warmth and blessing for the people of Israel.

At the end of The Rebuke, G-d says: "And I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with May 18, 2012 • 323-965-1544 • info@communitylinks.info

Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the Land...."

Not only will the Almighty remember us, the Jewish people, He will also remember His Holy Land, our Land of Israel. Perhaps we might interpret this as a message to the anti-Semites of the world who hide behind their antiZionist or anti-Israel rantings and ravings. I will remember the Land--a message also to the nations of the world who claim to be our friends, the shrewd manipulators who are expert in political backstabbing in Washington and London. I will remember the Land--a message to our own Jewish fantasizers who would undermine their own brothers with their hopeless attempts at appeasing mortal enemies. To all of them, the G-d of Israel says: I will remember the Land. I will never forsake My land or My people.

And as He remembers us, let us remember Him and our covenant. May we prepare for Shavuot and the Giving of the Torah with earnestness and joy. May G-d and His people always remember each other. Amen.

By Rabbi Yossy Goldman. Senior Rabbi of the Sydenham Highlands North Shul since 1986, and president of the South African Rabbinical Association.

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THE BIRTHDAY OF THE TORAH The Jewish Bible governs the Jewish people. From cradle to grave, laws and regulations are clearly stated in the Torah, the Jewish bible.

On Shabbos night, May 26th, Jewish people worldwide will celebrate a holiday called Shavuot, meaning weeks, marking the culmination of the seven weeks since Passover.

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By Rabbi Eli Hecht In the Torah there are three pilgrim festivals, Passover, Shavuot and Tabernacles. Shavuot highlights the Divine revelation on Mount Sinai. According to all Biblical accounts it was witnessed by 600,000 men ages 20 to 60, besides women, children and a multitude of emancipated slaves including nobles who accompanied Israel at the time of the Exodus.

There were several million eye witnesses to the giving of the

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Torah on Mount Sinai. The Jews' firm belief in Torah and Divine commandments is not a matter of faith but an absolute conviction. As the saying goes "seeing is believing."

In the year 1312 B.C.E. the Torah records the phenomena known as "the Revelation on Mount Sinai."

In the Book of Education by Rabbi Aaron Halevi of Barcelona, a 13th century sage, it states that "It is a well accepted tradition of all civilized people of the world to accept the evidence of two or more witnesses as conclusive proof, even to the extent of sentencing a man to his death.

That is why the Almighty God gave the Torah to Israel in the presence of 600,000 male adults, so that they could bear testimony to the fact."

My great-grandfather, Zaidy (grandpa in Yiddish) Peretz, came to America in the 1880's and established our American family. Zaidy made a good choice for us. In this land of freedom there were no pogroms.

Shavuot was the time my family held its annual get-together. My American born family members would meet, exchange greetings and hold a grand festive meal. We considered our lives very blessed.

However my European born Jewish classmate, Miklosh, was not so fortunate. He considered Shavuot a time of sadness and anxiety. During World War II, Miklosh lost his family. No parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts were left. In general, he lost over 100 members of his immediate family.

When the holiday came, he remembered his martyred family.

Once in school I naively asked him, "What does May remind you of ?" I expected to hear him answer, "Spring". He answered, "The liberation of the concentration camp." This was where he had been incarcerated.

Recently, I received a phone call from my old schoolmate, Miklosh. He did have a miracle happen. After finishing school he found his cousin, a holocaust survivor, and married her.

He now had a wonderful family and a great income. We spoke about our past school days. He related that he had learned to deal with his past and to look ahead towards making his life work. The greatest news was that he was going to attend a prayer service with six grandchildren.

Now, that was a modern day miracle worthy of a festive meal.

The Shavuot celebration marks the creation of the Torah, the blue print for the Jewish people. It also commemorates liberation from all oppression and persecution. It was instituted by God to show us how to live justly, to move ahead and to count our blessings.

This year has been a very tumulus one. Many of us have gone through experiences as tragic and terrifying as any previous generation. Many of our military are busy with protecting our democracy. The lands of Israel and Afghanistan are going through hardships of unbelievable proportions. We are all being challenged.

As there is no monopoly on the Torah. Perhaps all religions should celebrate Shavuot. Many dream of the day when there will be peace on earth. I think that’s a fine idea. But for me, I dream with my eyes open by supporting our government in its war against terrorism.

Rabbi Eli Hecht is vice-president of the Rabbinical Alliance of America and past-president of the Rabbinical Council of California.

He is the director of Chabad of South Bay in Lomita, CA which houses a synagogue, day school, nursery school and chaplaincy programs.

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By Rabbi Reuvain Wolf

A Long Engagement Bamidbar Many paradigms of human relationship express the Jewish people’s connection with Hashem. Each type of relationship runs deep, but carries specific qualities that differ from the others.

There is great honor in the service of a worthy master. In the ideal servant/master relationship, the servant honors and obeys the master, not out of fear of punishment, but out of loyalty and a desire to please him. The true servant is empowered by his master, and fears only the horrors of failing in his task or disappointing his master in some way.

Between parent and child there is a lasting, permanent and unbreakable bond of love. There is awe in the child, perhaps in a similar vein to a servant/master relationship, but this is always secondary to the love. A family provides a stable and strong sense of security, comfort, care and trust. This love wouldn’t be described as fiery and passionate; rather, it’s quite simple - but it’s durable and permanent. Children are essentially extensions of their parents; in many aspects, they can be considered one in the same, therefore their bond is practically impossible to break, even if it isn’t fiery and passionate.

The uniqueness of love between husband and wife is that they are two separate beings who are quite different in many ways, yet, they have found each other and united. When a bride and groom, people who come from two different families, perhaps even different cultures and countries, join in marriage, they have bridged a huge gap between themselves.

This love is filled with excitement and passion, it has the appeal of freshness and newness, but it isn’t innate, it is nurtured and cherished. While it can reach unimaginable peaks, it naturally fluctuates, and is therefore less durable than the others.

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The Torah’s instructions for marriage address this by mandating times of separation and times of togetherness within the laws of family purity. During the times of separation between husband and wife, a longing develops, fanning the flames of their love. When they finally reunite, their passion is renewed and filled with excitement once again.

Our relationship with G-d also carries these nuances. At times we feel like subjects. G-d requires of us to make His world holy. We swell with pride, knowing that we are members of His legion, living and implementing the Torah’s ideals, serving and representing divinity in the world. Our efforts are valiant and bold, knowing that we represent G-d’s will within the creation. We also sense our lowliness and personal failures in the times that we may have erred in our duties.

Other times, we feel like G-d’s children. We come from our parents, as the soul comes from G-d. We expect our parents to take care of us, whether we ask or not. Our parents love us and provide us with food and shelter, they protect us from the evils around us and they give us a boost when we are feeling down. Likewise, G-d treasures and protects us, and we turn to Hashem when we need Him. We can cry our hearts out to Him, as children cry to their parents.

As Jews, we also enjoy a marriage with G-d. This is a relationship filled with enthusiasm and excitement. We recognize the infinite distance between us and Him, yet we long to connect with G-d more and more.

Before being born in a body, the soul exists as a purely divine being. She is an extension of Hashem as a child is an extension of her parents. She freely basks in the endless delights of G-dliness from a position infinitely higher than here. Still, the peak of the soul’s experience there occurs from the perspective of the parent/child relationship, as the soul and G-d are purely of the divine, and therefore the relationship still has limits.

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Once in the physical, the soul becomes the prisoner of a body, and is severely limited by the world around her, and the unholy desires of the body in which she is trapped. In this form, she is completely severed from her source and yearns to reunite with her beloved, just as Hashem, so to say, desires that we return to Him. It is only through marriage that two different beings can unite and connect on the deepest and most profound level, and this is the opportunity available only during a soul’s journey into the physical realm. Only through a life of passionate and fervent Torah and Mitzvos can the neshama unite and be one with Hashem. Through this relationship, the soul and G-d can connect in a deeper and more fulfilling way than any other.

May 18, 2012 • 323-965-1544 • info@communitylinks.info

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Here, G-d provides the framework for the marriage. We can enter into a relationship with Him as we are, physical beings living in a material realm. Despite the fact that the soul is now in a crude physical body, infinitely different from the perfect spiritual being which G-d is, she can now nurture a new, deeper relationship. We connect with Him with the passion of a couple which bridges a vast divide to be together.

dushin is a formal engagement. The groom gives his bride a ring, and they are legally married, but cannot live together. They must be separated from each other for a period of time, and are forbidden to others. Only after the second stage, Nissuin, can they begin their new home together. (Although today we perform both Kiddushin and Nissuin on the same day, both stages are integral to every halachic marriage.)

These three elements of relationship are also experienced in different times of the year.

The Torah recognizes that a healthy marriage requires passion, and this procedure helps the couple find theirs. The ring of Nissuin serves to set aside one for the other; for it is only through giving the ring to this woman, has the man designated her to be his bride. Furthermore, only through her acceptance does she designate herself for her groom. Once their bond is established, their commitment to each other is real.

On Rosh Hashanah, we approach G-d as his loyal servants. He created the world, set forth His plan, and we come humbly to the palace, to pledge our loyalty and faithfulness to Him. We pray with awe and fear. This is a universal day for judgment of the entire created realm, for all beings are G-d’s creations, existing for a specific divine purpose.

On Pesach, we plainly see that G-d protects and provides for us like a parent. He swoops down and liberates His children from all oppressors, and severely punishes those who cause us harm.

G-d also provides water for us, even in a desert, and sends manna from heaven.

It is on Shavuous, when we receive the Torah, that the marriage takes place. Through the Torah we connect our entire being with G-d. Our minds delve into the holy books; our mouths recite blessings and praises. Our feet run to perform the mitzvos which we do with our hands. The entire human being is consumed in the relationship.

We count the days of the seven weeks to Shavuous like a bride counts the days to her wedding. Each day our excitement grows; we long to unite with G-d. Similarly, when it comes to family purity, halacha requires a niddah to count seven days until she reunites with her husband. This creates an added yearning and desire to reconnect, which rejuvenates and increases their love.

At Sinai, Hashem whispered into the ears of each and every one of us: “Will you marry me?” On Shavuous the opportunity opens for each individual to connect to G-d in a deeply personal and powerful way.

There are two stages to a Jewish marriage. The act of Kid-

The groom’s ring creates an encompassing aura of marriage around the bride, but the marriage is not fully actualized. Now, she officially becomes his Kallah/Bride. Kallah is connected to the word kilayon, which means “yearning to the point of expiry.”

By creating a connection, and then a distance, between them, the couple strongly yearns for one another. Their marriage is ‘in the air’ around them, and they long for it to take place. In particular, the bride greatly yearns to unite with her groom, thus, she is called his Kallah. They are filled with anticipation and their passion is ignited to a greater degree. It grows stronger each day, until they reach their greatest moment – the wedding, where their love is actualized, and their souls unite.

In our relationship with G-d, we harbor the same longing in every moment. On Sinai, He betrothed us and we joyously accepted his Torah. Still, this marriage has yet to fully express itself.

Each day, with great anticipation, we await the coming of Moshiach, the day that G-d will dwell in our world, and we will live in an openly divine realm, where holiness will be tangible and our deepest, truest love will be openly revealed. The Torah serves as our ring, and the souls of the Jewish people, G-d’s bride, long for the imminent Nissuin, when the marriage will be consummate, and we achieve the deepest connection with Hashem.

May we find ourselves in Jerusalem, experiencing the greatest elements of our divine marriage, very soon!

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"Eiden Project" Kickoff was a Major Sucess!!!!

May 9th was the launching of the “Eiden Project.” In conjunction with the event, the Abrams family dedicated a new Torah as the corner stone for this new project.

The goal of the Eiden Project is to expand the Jewish neighborhood and build a magnificent spiritual, educational and social complex, a new pre-school as well as a new Mikvah tto serve the ever-expanding Los Angeles Jewish Community. The estimated budget for this project will be $8,000,000.

The energy in the room was electric and hard to put into words.

Both Rabbi Zajac and his wife Stery, gave very moving and inspiring speeches. Mr. Abrams spoke about the Jewish presence in Los Angeles and how important it is to expand the Jewish community and participate in such a historic event. The Eiden project kickoff raised a little over $700,000!!!

For those who participated, on behalf of the community, we thank you very much for your generosity and support. For those that were unable to attend, I encourage you to participate and make a donation.

Please visit www.theeidenproject.org for further information and dedications oppertunities.

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The newly formed Jewish Business Association of Southern California (JBA) recently held its inaugural launch event at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. The upscale event was attended by over 150 young business professionals from across the Los Angeles Jewish Community.

A keynote address was delivered by serial entrepreneur Noah Alper, founder of Noah's New York Bagels and author of the highly acclaimed book “Business Mensch.”

The JBA was established by a group of Los Angeles based entrepreneurs with the goal of providing a comprehensive support system for Jewish Business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals through networking events, exclusive speaking engagements, workshops and mentorship programs.

More information can be found at www.jewishbusinessassociation.com

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1. A light pole is missing. 2. The cloud has been enlarged. 3. A window is missing. 4. Shmeltzer has been changed to Seltzer. 5 The tree has been enlarged. 6. Saban has been changed to Saba. 7. The word programs now says program. 8. There were two extra designs added under the sign. 9. The star design is missing one of its points. 10.The Molding on the top of the wall is now straight.

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