Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)

1 day ago | jewishjournal.com | Debra Eckerling

Musician Happie Hoffman is a former non-cook who discovered the joy of cooking during the pandemic, when she was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cooking, like music, is a way to connect to your roots and has the power to heal your soul“I understood that if I wanted to have a proper Shabbat meal, I had to learn how to make it for myself,” Hoffman told The Journal. She wanted to enjoy the tastes and the feelings she associated with Jewish holidays in her youth, but did not have the cooking skills.

2 days ago | jewishjournal.com | Ryan Torok

Artist Shlomit Levy Bard’sphotography exhibition, “(RE)Defining Zionism: Portraits and Perspectives from a Post-October 7 Israel,” captures the complexity of what Zionism means in the aftermath of Oct. 7, challenges simplified narratives and highlights the diversity of Israeli society. Currently on display at Hillel at UCLA, the exhibit is as much a storytelling exhibit as it is a photography display.

2 days ago | jewishjournal.com | Debra Eckerling

You’ve heard of Christmas in July. How about Hanukkah in June? While the first Friday of the month, June 6, is National Donut Day, these wonderful treats can — and should — be enjoyed year-round. Here are some recipes to try. Laurie Fleming, founder of Fork to Spoon, makes delicious donuts in the air fryer. “Air fryer Jewish donuts, or sufganiyot, offer a healthier, crispy alternative to the traditional deep-fried version,” Fleming told the Journal.

2 days ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

Israel is not paying enough attention to the world. The world is paying too much attention to Israel. That’s been a chronic problem, and it is exacerbated as the war in Gaza doesn’t seem to have an end date. The world – well, let’s not focus on the whole world, that includes countries like Indonesia and South Africa, but rather on some of Israel’s closer allies. When France criticizes Israel with its customary grandiosity, one could dismiss it as business as usual.

5 days ago | jewishjournal.com | David Suissa

We all know the drill at Passover: we gather around Seder tables to celebrate the greatest gift known to humanity—sheer, unbridled human freedom. Freedom is the elixir of life. Given how scarce it’s been throughout human history, with oppression being the rule, it shouldn’t surprise us that the Passover story of liberation from bondage has captured the world’s imagination. In the Jewish world, no matter how religiously observant or unobservant one is, “going to a seder” is on every Jew’s lips.