A Record of Achievement: Sholem Bar/Bas Mitzvah Celebrants, Topics, Venues, and Dates

The diversity of subjects over the years is a reflection of the celebrants’ varied interests and of Sholem’s goal of promoting inquiry, curiosity, and creativity. More will be added as they become available.

Celebrant Topic Venue Date
Hinman, Ciaran The Golem Awakens: History, Influence, and Unintended Consequences The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/28/16
Linver, Kiara Library of the World, Book of My Heritage The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/28/16
Furth, Daniel The Role of Music During the Holocaust The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/28/16
Alvarado-Goldberg, Mayán Thinking Outside the Box: Evolving Perspectives on Multiculturalism Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/30/15
Marks-Froot, Milo Powering Up in the Real World: The Social and Educational Benefits of Video Games Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/30/15
Kolesnikow, Mavi Jews and Other Discriminated Groups Roxbury Park Recreation Center 05/09/15
Pezeshki, Hannah Unconventionally Jewish Roxbury Park Recreation Center 05/09/15
Hawkins-Zeller, Dawson Culture Shock The Turner Center 06/21/14
Verba, David Cesar Jews and Bagels Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 05/24/14
Vizcarra-Barton, Benjamin Arturo The Jewish Influence on High Technology Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 05/24/14
Pezeshki, Samantha The Persian-Chinese-Jewish Connection Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 05/18/14
Rogers-Fett, Jacob Ladino Heritage Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 05/18/14
Gomes, Michael Jewish Involvement in the Anti-Apartheid Struggle in South Africa Veterans Memorial Building, Culver City 05/10/14
Marvizon, Eliana Treatment of Jews During the Spanish Inquisition Veterans Memorial Building, Culver City 05/10/14
Grossman, Eli The Bielski Partisans: The Largest Jewish Resistance Group in World War II The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/03/14
Manheim, Milo Activism At Any Age The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/03/14
Marks-Froot, Emmett Why Animals Matter The Moss Theater, Santa Monica 05/03/14
Krantz, Emmett A Legal History of Evolution 04/20/13
Share-Vargas, Diego 04/20/13
Holcer, Uriel Jewish Resistance to Nazi Oppression Covel Commons, UCLA 03/23/13
Ringach, Noam The Book of DNA: Our Shared Story Covel Commons, UCLA 03/23/13
Rollins-Fife, Eloise The Mighty Pen: Jewish Activism in Poetry Doubletree Hotel, Culver City 06/11/12
Shackelford, Marshall Manes Klezmer and Appalachian Music: My Dual Heritage Doubletree Hotel, Culver City 06/09/12
Fox-Lerner, Aaron I Can’t Believe it’s Not Culture, Or How I Learned tp Stop Worry And Love Victims Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/12/12
Gretsky, Aaron A Secular Interpetation of the Holidays Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/12/12
Hersh, Benjamin Delusional Deluger? Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/12/12
Shaffer-Del Valle, Pablo Fighting for Justice: Jews and Labor Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades 05/28/11
Vizcarra-Barton, Anna Sophia Sounds of the American Dream Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades 05/28/11
Katz, Jakob Tyler A Jew, A Catholic, and a Muslim Walk into a Bar … Mitzvah Calabasas Community Center, Agoura Hills 05/21/11
Lieber, Samuel Chong The Shoulders I Stand On Calabasas Community Center, Agoura Hills 05/21/11
Manpearl, Terry What is a Secular Jew? Lincoln Middle School, Santa Monica 06/26/10
McLaughlin, Hana Jews and Art Pacifica Ballroom, Radissson Hotel, Culver City 06/26/10
McLaughlin, Talia Jews In Commerce Pacifica Ballroom, Radissson Hotel, Culver City 06/26/10
Shackelford, Truman Jewish and Appalachian Humor Lincoln Middle School, Santa Monica 06/26/10
Furth, Eric Walker The Darker Part of the Big Screen–Holocaust Movies and The Differences Between Them Doubletree Hotel, Culver City 06/10/10
Citrin, David The Jewish Mafia Los Angeles Meeting and Event Center 05/01/10
Cook, Sarah Anti-Semitism and Quotas in Medical School in the 1900s Los Angeles Meeting and Event Center 05/01/10
Ehrlich, Emily Jewish Stereotypes: Past and Present Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 04/24/10
Silverman, Sophia Similarities Between Jews and Mennonites Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 04/24/10
Gordon, Julia Taub Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 12/19/09
Gordon, Linda Taub Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 12/19/09
Gorelik, Joseph Jews of the Soviet Union 05/30/09
Leist, Madeline Civil Rights Won and Lost 05/30/09
Ratner, Miranda Jewish Prejudices Musicans Union, Los Angeles 05/30/09
Garcia, Elias Piracy: A Jewish Response to the Inquisition Musicans Union, Los Angeles 04/25/09
Sazer, Sasha Jewish Who Rock Musicans Union, Los Angeles 04/25/09
Do Espirito Santo, Reva Aisah So You Say You’re All Grown Up?  The Reality of Coming of Age and Adulthood Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Santa Monica 06/07/08
Rogers-Fett, Ella Marie Something Different Than Bogeymen: How Chidlren’s Literature Presents the Holocaust Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Santa Monica 06/07/08
Steinmetz, Sarah Tang Jews in the Fashion and Garment Industry Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Santa Monica 06/07/08
Katz, Elijah Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, Sherman Oaks 05/17/08
Richter, Juliana Myths Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, Sherman Oaks 05/17/08
Kohanski. David Jews in Space Covel Commons, UCLA 03/29/08
Meyer, Ethan Samuel Jews and Bagels: The Hole Story Covel Commons, UCLA 03/29/08
Iguchi, Benjamin Yoneo Beser Lakhn Vee Veynen Covel Commons, UCLA 03/22/08
Lieber, David Chong What Magic Can Teach Us: How Belief in the Supermantural Has Influenced Religion and Society Covel Commons, UCLA 03/22/08
Ben-Levi, Camilla Connections Between Jews and Animals Northwest Auditorium, UCLA 06/02/07
Kahn-Abrams, Maya Jews During the African-American Civil Rights Movement Northwest Auditorium, UCLA 06/02/07
Branfman-Verissimo, Lukaza My Roots: Women of Peace, Justice, and Equality Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades 05/27/07
Shaffer-Del Valle, Emilia Jewishness and Music Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades 05/27/07
Craven, Jesse Mitzvah House of Blues, West Hollywood 05/19/07
Jacoby, Laura What is a Jew? House of Blues, West Hollywood 05/19/07
Gretsky, Miles This Jew in Music Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 04/29/07
Palmer, Grant Jews in the Renaissance Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 04/29/07
Gordon, Steven Taub Jews and Jazz Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club 12/23/06
Feder, Jay How Jews Are Portrayed in the Movies Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 06/09/06
Leist, Jackson Truth and Myth in the Bible Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 06/09/06
Santo, Avila Jews and Blacks Overcoming Barriers in Sports Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 06/09/06
Garcia, Ruben The Immigration Experience Herrick Chapel, Occidental College 04/08/06
Rosenbaum, Jonah Jewish Humor Herrick Chapel, Occidental College 04/08/06
Lieber, Alina Chong Jewish and Chinese New Year Celebrations: Primitive Origins to Present Day Practices UCLA Faculty Center 06/12/05
Iguchi, Sarah Art and the Formation and Preservation of Community Egyptian Theater, Hollywood 06/05/04
Monkarsh, Eli Jew: The Born Identity Egyptian Theater, Hollywood 06/05/04
Besbris, Elena Jews of Prime Time Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA 05/22/04
Kaye, Sophie Emma Oh My Goddess! Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA 05/22/04
Richman, Maya Food for Thought: How Women Preserved Jewish Culture Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA 05/22/04
Koss, Emily Skinheads Occidental College 05/01/04
Levyfield, Nadine The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Occidental College 05/01/04
Jacoby, Rachelle Partisans: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance House of Blues, West Hollywood 04/10/04
Scheer, Becky The Aftermath of Genocide in Europe and Cambodia House of Blues, West Hollywood 04/10/04
Devine, Guthrie Peter Goldfarb Growing Up in a Multicultural Self House of Blues, West Hollywood 03/20/04
Steinmetz, Isaac Pan The Jews of China House of Blues, West Hollywood 03/20/04
Horbund, Amy Marie They Only Killed Each Other Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 04/06/03
Wasson, William On Every Corner: Jewish Political Cartoonists Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 04/06/03
Craven, Jake Let My People Jam: Jews and the Jazz Movement Hollywood Post 43, Hollywood 03/01/03
Koegel, Jeremy Bell Building a Besere un Shenere Velt: A Story of the Cooperative Housing Movement Hollywood Post 43, Hollywood 03/01/03
Pill-Kahan, Lili My People’s Sons – Doctors Sportsman’s Lodge, Studio City 06/30/02
Spanier-Wyant, Molly My Family, My History, and Me Sportsman’s Lodge, Studio City 06/30/02
Rosenbaum, Samara Herrick Chapel, Occidental College 06/15/02
Saperstein, Matt Benny, Lenny, and Me Herrick Chapel, Occidental College 06/15/02
Waxler, Alli Emma Lazarus and Jewish Poetry Herrick Chapel, Occidental College 06/15/02
Osher, Kathryn Salvatori Room, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 05/04/02
Blank, Rafael My Diaspora Experience Robert Frost Auditorium, Culver City High School 06/16/01
Siegel, Zebulon Manuel What’s for Dinner? In Inquiry Into Jewish Food Robert Frost Auditorium, Culver City High School 06/16/01
Zimmerman, Gabriel Milo Trying To Decide What I Believe Robert Frost Auditorium, Culver City High School 06/16/01
Monkarsh, Perri Elkuna Chrabow and the Territorialist Movement Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 05/19/01
Oliver-Krohn, Kevin Kindertransport: A Light in the Darkness Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 05/19/01
Ratner, Arianna Jewish Actresses, Show Business, and Anti-Semitism Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 05/19/01
Fisher-Schwartz, Carla Anti-Semitism: A People Persecuted Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 04/28/01
Koegel, Daniel Bell All in the Family: Jewish Involvement in Progressive Political Movements Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 04/28/01
Pettit, Emma Cecilia Naliboff Into the Soul of an Anarchist Writers Guild of America Theater, Beverly Hills 04/28/01
Curtis, Whitney Garland What Secular Jewishness Means to Me and How It Has Affected My Life Fine Arts Auditorium West Los Angeles College 03/31/01
Maurer, Lacey Rose How I Can Be Both Jewish and Wiccan Fine Arts Auditorium West Los Angeles College 03/31/01
Besbris, Max Are Two Bar Mitzvas Better Than One? The Airtel Hotel, Van Nuys 06/10/00
Craven, Shane Living A Jewish Life The Airtel Hotel, Van Nuys 06/10/00
Pill-Kahan, Natan Denying the Holocaust Deniers The Airtel Hotel, Van Nuys 06/10/00
Greene, Jeremy Ethiopian Jews Farragut Auditorium, Culver High School 06/03/00
Schub, Eric “Boytzie” Holztman, A Gangster’s Life Farragut Auditorium, Culver High School 06/03/00
Schub, Micah Battling Benny Brostoff & the Jewish Boxers Farragut Auditorium, Culver High School 06/03/00
Honig-Silbiger, Tania Becoming Bas Mitsva…My Way Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 05/13/00
Pincus-Brimble, Geoffrey Yiddish: Archaic Language or Cultural Treasure? Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles 05/13/00
Bartlett, Casey Understanding the Hollywood Blacklist Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles 04/01/00
Jacoby, Sam Blacks and Jews in the Civil Rights Movement Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles 04/01/00
Richman, Max Lessons from Jewish Resistance during World War II Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles 04/01/00
Boucher, Danielle Hana Keeping It Alive: Twenty five Jews in Search of Modern Jewish Identity Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga 05/09/98
Pettit, Natasha Journey of Shadows, Journey of Light 05/09/98
Pettit, Natasha Naliboff Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga 05/09/98
Siegel, Samuel Passchier A Period in Family History: The Anti-Fascist Years Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga 05/09/98
Cramer, Zachary Navon Righteous People Who Helped and Saved Jews 05/02/98
Fisher-Schwartz, Daniel Blacks and Jews: An American Alliance UCLA Faculty Center 05/02/98
Bickel, David What is a Secular Jew? 04/25/98
Srolestar, Matthew Images of Jews in Pre- and Post-WWII Movies 04/25/98
Caine, Burt Lev Albert Einstein Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, Sherman Oaks 05/03/97
Kaye, Sara Rachel Women’s Role in Judaism Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, Sherman Oaks 05/03/97
Silverston, Hallie Alana The Warsaw Ghetto Dream Valley Cities Jewish Community Center, Sherman Oaks 05/03/97
Horbund, Samuel Kingston Rites of Passage: Thoughts About Bar Mitzvah 04/22/95
Rosow, Liana “Zumi” Solomon Oy! Some Thoughts on Jewish Humor 04/22/95
Schoenbaum, Jenna Reflections on Immigration 04/22/95
Green-Dove, Amelia Stories from History-And My Life 04/01/95
Levine, Maya Katherine Personal Stories From the Nazi Era 04/01/95
Srolestar, Gregory Daniel Primitive Stories About Creation 04/01/95
Mahmood, Rashad Tzedakah and Zakat:  Comparing Jewish and Muslim Principles Grace E. Simons Lodge, Los Angeles 05/01/94

[BACK TO BAR/BAS MITSVE PAGE]