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L.A. Holiday Info:
Candle lighting: 7:31pm Friday, 16 May 2008 Parashat Behar Saturday, 17 May 2008 Havdalah (72 min): 9:01pm Saturday, 17 May 2008 Community EventsThere are no upcoming events currently scheduled.Recent Events HDC 18-29 Young Professional ShabbatonJanuary 25, 2008 (1:30 pm) -- Chanuka Party December 4, 2007 (8:00 pm) View Full Calendar Login Form
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Q: I'm confused regarding the difference between keeping kosher for the Sephardic community vs. Ashkenazi. Some Persian Jews eat "chicken" with milk products saying it's not "meat". However, the Ashkenazi say "chicken is meat". Are both situations correct or is one more valid than the other. 
Once in a while I get a phone call from a traveler who plans on spending Shabbat in the vicinity of my synagogue. “So this is a Sephardic synagogue?”. “Yes”, I reply. “And are you Orthodox?” is usually the question that follows. Hearing the question I am torn between the urge to slam the phone down and the noble aspiration to teach the caller a lesson in Jewish history and Sephardic identity.
Q: There is a big stigma in our community in regards to marrying an older women or even a girl about the same age. From a Jewish point of view, what is the opinion on this?
Marriage is a sacred institution that not only requires a commitment to one another, but an allegiance to overcome the inevitable difficulties that compose a working relationship. When a man and woman live together prematurely, they are not bound by these institutional allegiances, and therefore underestimate the selfless dedication necessary to create a fruitful marriage. To solidify his point, Rabbi Shofet alluded to the trend of increasing divorce rates and noted that understanding one's expectations and perceptions of marriage are crucial to making it a successful one.
With a decades of immigration of Iranian Jews to Israel, they are slowly gaining respect acceptance by the population as whole. Over the past 2 decades one can see an immergence into the public arena, they are much more involved in public life, holding public office and other prestigious positions. Most notably are President Moshe Katsav (Ghasab) and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, both Iranian born.
My journey begins many years ago. As far back as I could remember I was quite a spiritual person. I wasn't raised in any religion until I was about 12, that's when