Bag Designer Genuine RRP Brown £320 Body Women 00 Class Bag Cross Crossbody Cavalli RYx0zTwT
Many years in the making, the Napa Center for Thought & Culture finally made its debut over the summer. The nonprofit organization is the brainchild of Congregation Beth Shalom of Napa Valley Rabbi Niles Goldstein and Board President Ellyn Elson, and is the first of its kind on the West Coast.
Modeled on the success of venues such as New York’s 92nd Street Y and Washington D.C.’s Sixth & I, the center aims to add to the appeal of Napa as a destination, not only for its food, wine and weather, but for “the kind of intellectual and cultural offerings that feed the mind and the soul, not just the belly,” Goldstein told the Journal in a telephone interview.
“There’s only one synagogue in town,” Goldstein said, and “although the reach of the center would be far beyond just the Jewish community, a group of people from the synagogue said, ‘Let’s create a new organization that would be focused on exactly that.’”
The concept, he said, was to turn Napa into a place like Aspen, Colo., and its Ideas Festival, Ashland, Ore.’s Shakespeare Festival, or Park City, Utah’s Sundance Film Festival.
The seeds for the center were planted in 2011, when Elson became president of Congregation Beth Shalom. She read a study that there were around 2,400 Jews in Napa. “At that point, we only had 105 members of the synagogue,” Elson, said. “And I thought, ‘This is really ridiculous. Where are all these Jews?’”
Brown Cavalli Genuine Women 00 Class Bag RRP Crossbody Body £320 Bag Cross Designer “We don’t want the Jewish content to necessarily hit you over the head the way it does in synagogue. We want it to be a little more subtle.” — Rabbi Niles Goldstein
Speaking with people in the community, Elson discovered many considered themselves spiritual Jews who would enjoy educational programs. In February this year, she formed a committee and invited eight people to be on the task force, where they then came up with the name for the center.
Elson thought it would take a year to get the center off the ground, but it took only 12 weeks. “Almost all of our programming is in place for the next year,” she said.
The center’s first event was held on June 17, when it screened “Itzhak,” a documentary about renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, followed by a talk with conductor Thomas Conlin. The center followed up with a second event, the screening of “RBG,” the documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Aug. 26, followed by a panel discussion.
Both events sold out quickly and half the attendees were non-synagogue members.
“People are really hungry to be able to listen to both the sage on the stage and have an opportunity for discussions that are meaningful, provocative and stimulating,” Elson said. “Everything that we do is based on Jewish values,” although not every program will have a Jewish piece to it.
“Our short-term plan is in our very first year to offer really compelling and engaging programs that will be reflective of the kinds of seasons that we want to have,” Goldstein said. “It’s a mixture of films, lectures, conversations and musical performances. We don’t want the Jewish content to necessarily hit you over the head the way it does in synagogue. We want it to be a little more subtle.”
Goldstein will be leading a conversation series, “The Road Not Taken,” where he’ll interview people who have chosen interesting or unusual careers. The center also has an upcoming concert on Oct. 13 with vocalist Perla Batalla, focusing on the music of Leonard Cohen.
While the center’s events will be held at the synagogue and other venues around Napa, the goal is to eventually build a conference center. Elson hopes to raise funds and have the building completed within four years.
“We hope to be a global location for these kinds of programs and that people will come to Napa as a destination,” she said. “Maybe they are coming here partially because it’s pretty, partially because of wine, but we think, most importantly, because there’s a retreat they can go to that’s going to be thought-provoking, stimulating and really maybe make an effect on their life and make it better.”
JJ Inside The Print
When my late father, Rabbi David Hartman, took his first pulpit in the Bronx in 1955, he could not stop thinking about all the congregants...
As a people, our questions started early: Am I my brother’s keeper? Where is the sheep for a sacrifice? If there are 10 righteous people,...
One of the toughest parts of this job is choosing what to put on the cover. For Rosh Hashanah, it’s that much tougher. It’s been...
“Perched up on a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, along the fragile border between the Jewish and Muslim Quarters, is our home,” writes...
A few days ago, I met a local Jewish columnist (name omitted to protect the innocent) at a bat mitzvah party. She mentioned that she’d...
This is the fifth of six weekly columns by Rabbi Zimmerman leading up to Yom Kippur. As our High Holy Days preparation continues and Rosh...
When does a year begin? Dumb question? Not for Jews. The Mishnah counts four beginnings of the year; in our modern life, we count two....
Hard Women Suitable Handbag Evening Diamond Rhinestone Evening Dinner For Beading Red Clutch amp; Jxth Pink Clutch Color Clubs Parties Bags for Handbags Wedding Purse Party Evening Purse wZzqIExaMake More Dressing, Just in Case What an honor to be part of such a wonderful Rosh Hashanah food issue (Aug. 31). I loved it, and...
We believe that God puts a piece of Himself inside you. That’s your soul. That means when a person believes in God They not only...
Pure honey is just as layered and complex as wine and chocolate and equally deserving of our appreciation. During Rosh Hashanah, we eat honey as...
This past year’s Jewish storyline is built around several core themes. President Donald Trump’s persona and policies have been the common denominator for many of...
Journey in a Hut: The holiday of Sukkot as told through the eyes of a rabbi who blends his Sephardic traditions with those of his...
One question, five voices Edited by Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist What does it mean that God is our Sovereign? Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson Spiritual...
Evening Vintage Clutches Day Style TuTu Bags Fashion Bag Wedding Knitted Bags Purse Women Party For silver Small Messenger Metal xYYBqw7pMany years in the making, the Napa Center for Thought & Culture finally made its debut over the summer. The nonprofit organization is the brainchild...
In 1972, swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich, setting a record that stood until Michael Phelps broke it...
Too many of us these days are plagued with doubts about our self-worth. A rabbi I know who has counseled people for more than 35...
A jukebox musical stocked with hits by singer-songwriter Carole King that underscore the times of her life, “Beautiful” has been a hot ticket since it...
Larry Ackerman died July 12 at 67. Survived by son Aran; 2 grandchildren; sister Bobbie Amirayan. Mount Sinai Howard Besbris died July 26 at 69....
Soon, they may ask you what you want to be when you grow up. And it may seem to be an impossible question so when...
The minute you walk into the small space that is Bibi’s Bakery on Pico Boulevard, the intimacy conveys a distinct feeling of belonging, thanks to the...
As many Los Angeles Jews head to synagogue to celebrate the High Holy Days, many nonreligious members of the Tribe always wonder where they can...
The Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard has been a mecca for stand-up comedy since 1979. But twice a year, it serves as a synagogue, welcoming...
“So much of what we do during the High Holy Days is verbal, but tashlich is a visceral opportunity to really embody the process of...
“Zu zwei,” the female SS guard shouted. “In twos.” Eighteen-year-old Lili Montag — now Weinberg — grabbed her little sister Agi’s hand and quickly lined...
During High Holy Days services 15 years ago, Congregation Or Ami Cantor Doug Cotler took a failed musical risk that haunts him to this day....
On a recent Friday night, more than a dozen guests filled Jenn Weingarten’s cozy Inglewood home. The young-adult crowd — all in their 20s or 30s...
For nearly three decades, the Chai Center — a nonprofit Jewish outreach group — has done things differently. In an effort to reach Jews who...
The popular video game Fortnite Battle Royale by Epic Games may not seem to have anything to do with Rosh Hashanah, but it does. The...
Designer Genuine 00 Brown Body Cross Women Crossbody RRP £320 Bag Bag Cavalli Class In 2016, when artist Wanda Peretz was at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, she looked up and fell in...
Friends of Sheba Medical Center in Los Angeles held its inaugural Women’s Community Luncheon at El Caballero Country Club on Aug. 28. From left: Friends...
Because blowing the shofar is such an important part of Rosh Hashanah, let the kids participate in the tradition with this fun-to-make toy version. Crafted...
Last December, I was a “guest” at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for a week that felt like an eternity. Every day I prayed that I would...
There are a lot of firsts in Mayor Eric Garcetti’s life. The 47-year-old, who was raised in the San Fernando Valley by Sukey Roth, the...
Sept. 9 Erev Rosh Hashanah Sept. 10 Rosh Hashanah Sept. 11 Second Day Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18 Kol Nidre Sept. 19 Yom Kippur Debating where to...