La Esencia del Judaísmo 

  The Los Angeles Chapter has developed an innovative and pioneering endeavor to develop a unique and strategic relationship with the Latino Evangelical/Pentecostal community. Spanish speaking rabbis serve as guest lecturers to educate Latino Pastors and key lay leaders. The course includes an open and intimate dialogue to best understand the Jewish tradition. La Esencia del Judaísmo's curriculum focuses on Judaism as a religion, culture and civilization. The academic sessions in Spanish cover three major areas:

1. Biblical Judaism/Ancient Israel
2. Rabbinic Judaism/Diaspora Jewry
3. Modern Jewish History/Philosophy & Zionism

for more information contact Rabbi Randy Brown 

AJC proudly attended the Our Lady of Guadalupe Festival at East Los Angeles College along with Archbishop Jose Gomez, Jaime Huerta, Associate Director, Los Angeles Archdioces Office of Justice & Peace and over 12000 devoted Latino Catholic parishioners.

AJC Board of Governors Member, Debbie Saidoff, with Latino participants

Latino Leaders meet with Israeli Consul General, David Siegel

On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, over 150 Latino Religious Leaders gathered at Llamada Final Church and Zion Multimedia to hear a private briefing from Israeli Consul General Siegel. Among the topcs of discussion were the advancement of Latino - Jewish Relations and the threat of a nuclear Iran.

5th Annual Fiesta Sukkot

Over five hundred members of the Jewish and Latino communities attended the 5th Annual Fiesta Sukkot at the Sinai Temple. The festive gathering was filled with music and dance in English, Hebrew, Spanish and Ladino. The program was devoted to establishing a case for comprehensive immigration reform. Professor Hirsoshi Motomura offered a historical background and analysis of immigration within the United States. Graduating LMU student Yara Hidalgo shared her personal narrative on her struggles as an undocumented student. The keynote address was given by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, the author of the California DREAM Act, who encouraged the diverse audience to be persistent with their advocacy efforts.

3rd Annual Sukkot a Huge Success!

There was singing, dancing, and prayer at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles as more one thousand people from AJC, the Israeli community, and the Latino Pentecostal and Evangelical community joined together on October 8th to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Check out the pictures here. Read more about the event here.

This year’s celebration, organized by AJC's Assistant Director of Interreligious Affairs Randy Brown, was the culmination of this year's 'Essence of Judaism' program. The event was a filled with songs in English, Hebrew Spanish and Ladino (a combination of Spanish and Hebrew), participation by the Latino community in the Jewish rituals associated with Sukkot, and a presentation on the growing relationship between the Jewish and Latino communities.  Read the press release here.     

 Hispanic-Jewish Women Dialogue  

The Hispanic-Jewish Women’s Task Force enjoyed home made dishes including latkes and tamales, flamenco dancing by member Sarah Vasquez, and a hot game of dreidle conducted by member Candice Stein at the thirteenth annual Holiday Party. Held at the home of Judith and Arthur Hirshberg on December 5th, the Task Force fosters open communication and dialogue between Hispanic and Jewish women in the San Fernando Valley. They share knowledge and skills in order to address the social concerns and needs that impact individuals, families and communities. 

Unidos For Israel

AJC Hosts Latino Jewish Seder

Latino Pastors Receive Israeli Flag &
Learn About the Jewish Holiday of Sukkot

Latino-Jewish Policy Forum

AJC Latino Jewish Policy Forum Presents an Analysis of AB 1381

LAUSD General Counsel Kevin Reed articulates a point as Mayor Villaraigosa Policy Analyst's Erin Walsh looks on.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposal to significantly change the structure and oversight of the Los Angeles Unified School District has created a lot of discussion and controversy in the community. In an effort to understand the issue better the AJC Latino Jewish Policy Forum organized a meeting entitled ‘Which Way, LAUSD?’ to discuss the Mayor’s proposal, Assembly Bill 1381, on August 10th. The panel was moderated by Professor of Political Science at Cal State Fullerton Dr. Raphael Sonenshein, and panelists were Kevin Reed, General Counsel for LAUSD, and Erin Walsh, Policy Analyst for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Over 40 attendees asked probing questions of the panelists to get at the core issues of governance, oversight, collective bargaining, performance in the school system, and many other issues.

 AJC Hosts Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David L. Brewer

The Los Angeles Chapter Latino Jewish Policy Forum hosted the Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David L. Brewer on April 19, 2007. Attendees included a broad group of people representing Jewish and Latino community organizations and elected officials. Brewer, a former military Admiral, was recently hired to run the country’s second largest school district. Brewer spoke about his intentions to reform the district based on an independent evaluation identifying the areas for change. Brewer talked about his priorities for the district: innovating to create a 21st century education, ensuring that students are college prepared and career ready, sharing responsibility with teachers, parents, and the community, and providing school safety. Many expressed concern about the growing gang problem, particularly in the Latino community, and Brewer assured the group that providing outlets for students to stay out of gangs, particularly for young boys, was a top priority. He also answered concerns that the bureaucracy needs to be streamlined, noting that these changes do not happen overnight and the community needs to work with him to make sure these reforms are realized.