Haftarah Intro – Eric Ward | Yom Kippur 5785

This week’s parashah is the fourth in a row to remind us that Abraham and Sarah are old. Imagine them in Los Angeles, 2025 – how would they age? And how can that help us imagine a new approach to aging for ourselves?

The Rabbis warn of a society defined by its cruelty toward the most vulnerable. We must not become Sodom.

Come together for our tech-free (off-mic) Kabbalat Shabbat Services with a focus on lifting our voices in song as a community. Don’t go to Shalhevet. Rather, enter through our alleyway and down the ramp into our event space. For those with accessibility needs, you can be dropped off and enter through the front door.  After Services, there will be two dinner options following services:  -Everyone is invited to stay for community dinner at the IKAR Event Space.  -TRIBE will gather for Shabbat dinner at the Office Patio for people in their 20s and 30s.  We never want cost to be a barrier in attendance. If you need assistance, please email [email protected].

*Please note, we understand the underlying audio was compromised and that folks may need to turn the volume up. Get Involved with New Israel Fund Join The West Bank at Boiling Point call on 11/10 at 9am PT Bring NIF to Your Network: Contact Joe Goldman at [email protected] to explore bringing NIF to your communities so we can empower our partners on the ground in Israel, as well as follow/share NIF on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Visit Israel and Palestine With NIF: We invite you to join NIF to stand alongside Jewish and Palestinian activists in their struggle for justice and democracy, an end to the occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, and the paving of a different path forward: one that guarantees equality, security, and prosperity for Palestinians, Israelis, and everyone who calls this land home. March 8, 2026-March 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026-October 16, 2026. Support NIF:  One-time, monthly, join the NIF Legacy Society, via DAFs, IRA qualified charitable contributions, or even open one’s own DAF at NIF’s Progressive Jewish Fund Dr. Yasmeen Abu Fraiha is a medical doctor with a specialty in internal medicine, currently completing a clinical fellowship in critical care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, combined with a research fellowship at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School. Her research focuses on healthcare policy and politics that create inequality in health services and outcomes for underserved communities.  She formerly served as the Health Policy Director at the Task Force for Health Promotion and Equity in the Arab Society at the Israeli Ministry of Health, leading major efforts and interventions to deal with health disparities between Jews and Arabs in Israel. She co-founded two NGOs that promote socio-economic development of the Bedouin community in Israel, while focusing on health, education, women’s employment, housing and community empowerment. She has won several awards, including the 2007 Ramon Award for quality, leadership, and excellence and was chosen to be part of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. In 2023, she was named one of Israel’s 50 most influential women by Globes Magazine. Yasmeen holds a BSc and MD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School.