Orthodox Union's 13th Annual

West Coast Torah Convention

December 11-15, 2003

The Secret to Jewish Survival:
The Jewish Family

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Schedule as of 11-24-03 Subject to changes

Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills
1150 S. Beverly Drive, LA
and Greater Los Angeles Area OU Synagogues

8:00 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Location: Cong Shaarei Tefila, 7269 Beverly Blvd.

“The State of the Jewish People”

Keynote Speaker: Richard Joel
President, Yeshiva University

Session for Rabbinic Leadership 9:30 -11 AM
With Rav Hershel Schachter
Lay-Leaders Shiur following 7AMMinyan@YIHP
With Mordechai Willig
Faculty at the local Yeshiva High Schools
SHALHEVET Rabbi Joel & Aviva Tessler
VTC Rabbi Tzvi & Efrat Sobolofsky
YULA Rabbi Eli Goldberg & Shira Smiles

B’NAI DAVID-JUDEA 8906 W. Pico Blvd.

DINNER & FORUM

4:30 p.m. Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
5:30 p.m. Dinner (prepaid RSVP only)
7:30 p.m: “All in the Family: How We Interact With Our Non-Observant  Loved Ones?”
Participants: Dr. Elli Kranzler
Rabbi Joel Tessler
Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter
Moderator: Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky

Friday Night Onegs:

Oneg Shabbat in Calabasas – 7:30 pm:
Rabbi Strajcher

Oneg Shabbat in Fairfax/Hancock Park–7:30 pm:
Rabbi Hershel Schachter

Oneg Shabbat in No. Hollywood – 7:30 pm
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler

Oneg Shabbat in Westwood – 8:00 pm
Rabbi Mordechai Willig

Scholars in Residence at Greater LA Synagogues:

Shabbat Lunch--Beth Jacob-BH (prepaid RSVP only)
D’var Torah

Women’s Shabbat Afternoon Shiur @ 3:15 PM

Westside: Speaker: Aviva Tessler
@ Peled Home, 1508 S. Crest Dr. LA

Covered by $18 Per Person Registration Fee

COMMUNITY-MELAVE MALKAH:

8:00 PM - Speaker: Dr. David Luchins
North Hollywood: Private Home
Topic: Are the Jews Becoming Republicans?”

8:00 PM CONCERT- @ B’nai David Judea Cong-8906 W. Pico Blvd. with Musical Guest Elli Kranzler “I Sing to Hashem With My Soul” MC: Dr. Mark Goldenberg

Sessions @ Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills
1150 S. Beverly Dr.
(Covered by $18 Registration Fee)

9:15 AM-10:30 AM

Session 1: The Jewish Idea of Family in the Teachings of Rav Soloveitchik
Speaker: Rabbi Mordechai I. Willig

Session 2:
For Healthcare Professionals:
Topic: The Genome & the Jews: Responding to New Discoveries & Tests
Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler

10:40 AM-11:30 AM

Session 3:
Sholom Bayit: Keeping Our Marriages Spicy
Speakers: Rabbi Joel & Aviva Tessler

Session 4:
When Generations Clash: Kibbud Av v’Em in Conflict with Other Religious Imperatives
Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky

Session 5:
Healthcare/Legal Professionals:
Topic: Providing Care/Withdrawing Care: Halacha in Conflict with Changing Legal Doctrines
(MCLE will be available for this session)
Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler

11: 40 AM-12:50 PM

Session 6:
Pitfalls in Kashruth Certification and How to Avoid Them
Speaker: Rabbi Moshe Elefant

Session 7:
Spiritual Dynamics of the Father and Mother Roles (Women Only)
Speaker: Shira Smiles

Session 8:
Harei at Mekudeshet Li: How to Fulfill the Ongoing Responsibilities of Marriage
Speaker: Rabbi Hershel Schachter

12:50 PM-1:25 PM LUNCH & YACHAD SESSION

Session 9:
How the Disabled Child Affects Jewish Family Life

1:30 PM-2:10 PM

Session 10:
The Family of Am Yisrael: Becoming United and Fulfilling Our Destiny
Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

2:15 PM-3:15 PM

Session 11:
Flipping Out: How to Maintain Balance Between Family Relationships and Religion
Speakers: Rabbi Joel & Aviva Tessler

Session 12:
If Judaism is an Ideal Life, Why Do Our Families Have Such  Tsuris?
Speaker: Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg

Session 13:
Why Aren’t My Children Observant: What Are We Doing Wrong?
Speaker: Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter

3:30 PM MINCHA

VALLEY Sessions @ Shaarey Zedek
12800 Chandler Blvd. North Hollywood.
Covered by $18 Per Person Registration Fee

8:00 AM Shacharit

9:00 AM-10:00 AM

Session 14:
Is An Ivy League Education Worth the Spiritual Price?
Speaker: Dr. David Luchins

10:20AM-11:10 AM

Session 15:
If Judaism is an Ideal Life, Why Do Our Families Have Such Tzuris
Speaker: Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg

Covered by $18 Per Person Registration Fee

9:30 A.M.-12 NOON

Andy & Beverly Ligget Womens Beit Midrash

Theme: Inspiring Dignity in our Lives With Mrs. Shira Smiles
Location: The YULA Nagel Family Campus-Beit Midrash-9760 W. Pico

Orthodox Union/NCSY
Phone: [310] 229-9000 ext. 3 FAX: [310] 229-9011
rakalinsky@ou.org

FACULTY:

Harvey Blitz (NY)
National President, Orthodox Union

Rabbi Moshe Elefant (NY)
Executive Rabbinic Coordinator
OU Kashruth Division

Rabbi Yosef Furman (Los Angeles)
Magid Shiur, Daf Yomi, Young Israel Century City
Rebbi at YULA High Schools

Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg (Detroit, MI)
Executive Director, Kids Kicking Cancer

Richard Joel (NY)
President, Yeshiva University

Dr. David Luchins (NY)
Chairman, Political Science Department, Touro College;
National Vice President, Orthodox Union

Rabbi Herschel Schachter (NY)
Rosh Kollel and Professor of Talmud, YU-RIETS
OU Senior Halachic Advisor

Shira Smiles (Ramat Beit Shemesh)
Educator, lecturer
Darchei Bina & Afikei Torah Seminaries

Mrs. Efrat Sobolofsky, MSW (Paramus, NJ)
Candidate for doctorate, YU-Wurzweiler
Social worker, Jewish Association for Developmental
Disabilities, Bergen County, NJ

Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky (Paramus, NJ)
Young Israel of Paramus/KAJP, NJ
Professor of Talmud, YU-RIETS

Rabbi Sholom Strajcher (North Hollywood, CA)
Dean, Emek Hebrew Academy

Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler (Monsey, NY)
YU Professor of Biology; Rosh Yeshiva, RIETS
Rav, Community Synagogue, Monsey

Mrs. Aviva Fox Tessler (Potomac, MD)
Judaic Studies teacher, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and founder of Operation Embrace (national effort to help Israeli injured victims of terror).

Rabbi Joel Tessler (Potomac, MD)
Beth Sholom Congregation
Founder, B’shert Institute for Jewish Studies

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
OU Executive Vice President

Rabbi Mordechai I. Willig (Riverdale, NY)
Professor of Talmud, RIETS
Rosh Kollel, Wexner Kollel Elyon
Rav, Young Israel of Riverdale

Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter (La Jolla, CA)
Congregation Adat Yeshurun

For more information, please contact 310- 229-9000 Ext. 3