Here’s a lazy piece on Sherman Oaks resident Phil Blazer’s Jewish TV network. The reporter Dana Bartholomew only quotes two people gushing about Blazer’s creation and includes no critical perspectives.
Phil Blazer publishes a monthly Jewish newspaper (The National Jewish News) which features almost no original reporting. If his network is anything like that, it’s nothing to get excited about.
Jane emails:
You briefly mentioned Phil Blazer recently. I have some additional insights, as his son is the Rabbi at the reform Santa Clarita Temple Beth Ami I’ve attended. Phil Blazer is a very cocky, self-obsessed, pompous man. You were correct about his newspaper: there is nothing original. He prints what has been researched, written and published elsewhere. He’s a glorified salesman who enjoys seeing his name wherever he can.
Mark Blazer, the Rabbi, I believe is striving to be his own person. However, he has made many mistakes, many that involve his alignments with certain members of his Temple at the exclusion of others. Santa Clarita/Valencia, it’s pretty small and the fact that inter-personal issues have arisen is problematic. Members have left and more are considering it. Certain board members are egotistical. Lots of conflict going on! Oh, the expose you could do there! Not long ago, there was a Temple employee who was also a congregant who managed to have affairs with three different men. Her marriage survived but two others disintegrated because of it. Many cover-ups, lots of maneuvering. Now, that matter is not a problem, but the bad blood between members and the Board and the awareness that the Rabbi picks and chooses who he has personal relationships with is becoming a major sore spot among even those he considers his friends.
I’ve also been around the conservative Temple in Santa Clarita, CBS (Congregation Beth Shalom). They seem to believe they are the upper echelon of Judaism in our area. It is not an across the board thing though. Some of their members are actually very down to earth, as are some at Temple Beth Ami. Its the few obnoxious, pretentious ones though who can ruin anything that is positive.
Almost forgot to mention that Rabbi Blazer is very forward thinking in some ways. He had a porn star come and speak a couple of years back. It was Nina Hartley.
