Ellis Kirschenbaum, executive director of Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, emails:
Luke,
Thank you to you and the committee that included Temple Emanuel in your ratings. Ratings are subjective and we can’t really quarrel with your consensus opinion with one exception – we think our worship services are extraordinary and are curious if your committee attended the ones we like the best.
On the third Friday of each month (but because of an unusual schedule change, this month on January 29) we are having our Shabbat B’Yachad service. This is an upbeat, contemporary musical service featuring our live Bayit Band led by Roy Zu-Arets, renowned Israeli composer and Cantor Yonah Kliger.
On the first Friday of each month, we have our Shabbat Unplugged service – an uplifting, spiritual musical service in the round. It is our most popular service (and my personal favorite.) The next Shabbat Unplugged is February 5.
Both services begin at 7:30 p.m.
Every Shabbat morning, we have a somewhat more traditional service we call the New Emanuel Minyan. It too features a great deal of music but is more contemplative in tone. We are having a guest Scholar on January 30, Rabbi Shelia Peltz Weinberg. She is the founder of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Services normally begin at 10:00 a.m. but because of Rabbi Weinberg’s presentation at 11, the service begins at 9:30.
On February 27, Anat Hoffman, the Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, working to create pluralism in Israel and the Chair of Women at the Wall, challenging discrimination against women at Jerusalem’s holiest place, the Kotel (Western Wall) will be speaking at the New Emanuel Minyan.
We invite you and your committee to join us at any or all of these compelling worship services.
