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Commentaries from the EdgeTHE OFFICE OF LIFE, JUSTICE AND PEACE at the L. A. Catholic ArchdioceseA visit to the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese gives the opportunity to enter a world envisioned by the L. A. Archbishop Jose Gomez, and Pope Francis just days after his passing. And how can we describe that vision? One way is to picture the great power of a Church with a following of five million across the expanse of Parishes in Southern California, dedicating this power to making a better life for all, Catholic and non-Catholic. The vision manifests itself clearly in the subject of this episode - the Archdiocese Office of Life, Justice and Peace. Michael Donaldson, Office Director...2025-04-2848 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES, Francisco TanAs the podcast theme of community emergency outreach programs at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) comes to an end for the month of December, 2024, it is clear that creative innovation is making a difference. In this episode, Francisco Tan, Psychologist and head of the LACDMH Psychiatric Mobile Response Team (PMRT) takes us into the field with his description of what his program does and how his Teams function. We learn about his eight Teams that include various skilled professionals who may include a Social Worker, a Nurse and a Community Health Worker, perhaps a Peer, someone...2024-12-2336 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES, Episode #15 with Miriam Brown, L.C.S.WMiriam Brown leads the way at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) with the broadest view of the ways the department can and will
respond to a long menu of emergencies in a City like Los Angeles, California. Her expertise, and even more, her dedication, has brought her to the position at LACDMH of Deputy Director of the Emergency Outreach and Triage Division. Her many years of work in this field has made LACDMH an innovator and a model leading the way for mental health departments throughout the USA and beyond. Miriam admits you have to have...2024-12-2031 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES, Reuben WilsonThe Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) has developed a robust way of delivering vital services to people suffering from a mental health crisis. It has grown over the years and rests firmly in 2024, in a campaign called - “Who Do I Call for Help”? It is a campaign for the community introducing a national number #988, available 24/7. That number is a key part of the LACDMH program, the Alternative Crisis Response Unit. It is an alternative because it frees Police and directs these type of calls to people who have the expertise to bring support to the crisis. Reub...2024-12-2032 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES, Bac Luu at the LAPD HeadquartersHere is some good police news. Here is a tale of lessons learned from past mistakes. Here, come and listen to ways institutions, organizations, work cultures and people always have the potential to change for the better. Bac Luu, a leader with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), is heading a program that is embedded in the offices of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). In this episode he takes us into a world where LACDMH and LAPD have forged a beneficial partnership decades in the making. It is most importantly a benefit to the community as...2024-12-1541 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Elizabeth CopeA few years ago the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) went forward to create new kinds of services in unchartered waters. What developed was a courageous and innovative program called, Street Psychiatry-HOME (Homeless Outreach Mobile Engagement) Team. It was courageous because certain techniques to help seriously mentally ill people living on the streets had never been tried before. Innovative because a Psychiatrist was bringing care outside to the streets, and The Team was made up of various disciplines - Nurses, Social Workers, Peers - all working as one to save lives.
This episode is the final one...2024-11-2841 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Episode #10 with Dr. Shayan RabDr Shayan Rab goes where Psychiatrists have rarely gone, into the streets where the unhoused of Los Angele, California, strive to survive. He uses the word - majestic - to describe his daily work experience, a word that means beauty and dignity. It is how he sees the opportunity to save a life and to change systems to respond to this USA humanitarian crisis. Through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), he began what he calls a journey, walking into the streets finding ways to treat individuals who are on the brink of losing their capacity to...2024-11-2236 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Episode With Dr. Yelena Koldolskaya and Isidro AlvarezWe are continuing with a series of episodes on Street Psychiatry, learning about various parts of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH)’s program called The HOME Team. Guests on this episode are key to the program’s successes, treating people like in an open air hospital to save lives. They are Dr. Yelena Koldolskaya, Psychiatric Supervisor and Medical Director over a team of people working in the southern region of Los Angeles, California, and Isidro, Alvarez, Medical Caseworker. Together, we learn from them what happens when they meet someone with no housing in a critical condition who...2024-11-2231 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Aubree LovelaceIn Los Angeles, California, there is a smaller City within a City. The smaller one is the City where its citizens live and die on the street. The numbers are staggering. At the last approximate count, there were over 75,000 people trying to survive unhoused and, at the same time, thousands who are dying. Only a few years ago the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) started a pioneering and creative response to this widespread area crisis. It is a program referred to as Street Psychiatry and often called a “radical solution”. It is radical because the medical and ther...2024-11-1533 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH on the FRONTLINES: Dr. Sarah ChurchAs the last series of podcast episodes highlighting the new CARE Court, a Superior Court of the State of California, initiated in December of 2023, our guest is Dr. Sarah Church, Supervising Psychologist of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), who has stories to tell. She has watched individuals with mental illness begin to grow and to turn their life around as they benefitted from the CARE Court programming. She further reminds the listeners how a Petition filed for someone with mental illness is reviewed by the Presiding Judge of the Court as the first step in someone...2024-11-0434 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH On the FRONTLINES: Dr. Nilsa Gallardo and Felipe AndalonWe continue our podcast episodes on CARE (Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment) Court, a judicial place that creates a path to healing and rehabilitation for individuals suffering from untreated mental illness. A pillar of making this Court an agent for change rather than a place for punishment, is the partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH). The guests on this podcast episode, Dr. Nilsa Gallardo, Program Manager, and Felipe Andalon, Mental Health Case Worker, are staff from the department who are able to paint the picture of inspiring stories. Their dedication and expertise can bring success...2024-11-0333 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Harold Turner, Urban NAMIIn shining a light on some new developments in services at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), CARE Court is a perfect example. Launched in December of 2023, and funded by the State of California, the department has joined an exciting collaboration of government agencies and community organizations fostering a wide systemic change. The CARE stands for Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment and in this episode you will hear from a leader who heads an organization that gives that community assistance. Harold Turner is the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles...2024-10-2546 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Judge Scott R. HerinA persistent struggle in a metropolitan area like Los Angeles, California, is the struggle to treat persons with mental illness before it becomes severe. In the United States mental illness since the covid pandemic has become more of a crisis. On any given day in Los Angeles, someone is coming before the Courts having broken the law while experiencing a psychotic disorder. In December of 2023, a new approach was launched to bring services rather than punishment to such an individual. It is called CARE Court. CARE stands for - Community Assistance, Recovery, & Empowerment, and perhaps the key word is empowerment...2024-10-2512 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Jaime GomezAs the special series on the podcast program continues, this is the final episode exploring Peer Resource Centers at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH). We are visiting with Jaime Gomez on the Eastside of the City, a Supervising Community Health Worker who relishes that his programming specializes in reaching out into neighborhoods. In other words, instead of being located at a particular building, Jaime and his team use parks, libraries and schools to connect with individuals, families and the elderly who are in need but may never visit a traditional office for mental health services. In...2024-10-0239 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Roslynn AdolphusThe podcast series highlighting outstanding and innovative programs at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) continues with a visit to another Peer Resource Center located in South Los Angeles, California. This Center is part of a sprawling complex at the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Hospital, in an area renown for a lack of services. In a welcoming space expressed by both staff and its decor, the Center is on the ground floor of a building that provides an array of mental health services.
Listen to this episode and you will hear from Roslynn Adolphus, Supervising Community...2024-09-2832 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Tosha Sweet and Tammy LoftonThe launching of a new series of episodes on this podcast, COMMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE, is covering important aspects of innovative and powerfully effective ways of supporting and promoting mental health. The projects, beginning with what is called the Peer Resource Centers, are part of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) in California. Given that many people will not enter into offices that are part of a traditional governmental program, with the operation of these Centers you have, “a welcoming place where everyone coming for help is greeted by others who also have faced emotional difficulties” - surr...2024-09-2331 minCommentaries from the EdgeMENTAL HEALTH ON THE FRONTLINES: Catherine Clay and Joseph CuevasThe launching of a new series of episodes on this podcast, COMMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE, is covering important aspects of innovative and powerfully effective ways of supporting and promoting mental health. The projects, beginning with what is called the Peer Resource Centers, are part of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) in California. Given that many people will not enter into offices that are part of a traditional governmental program, with the operation of these Centers you have, “a welcoming place where everyone coming for help is greeted by others who also have faced emotional difficulties” - surr...2024-09-2334 minCommentaries from the EdgeSOUTH AFRICAN APARTHEID: A First Person Account, with Chaplain Ruth Belonsky, MJSThere is courage and there is sacrifice, and Ruth Belonsky’s life is an example of both. Born into the world of Apartheid in South Africa, she grew up in an area called East London near Cape Town, segregated like everywhere in that Country. A child of immigrants from Germany, she believes that hearing stories of how her family escaped from the Nazis, motivated her to seek ways to end the laws separating people by race and color.
As a young adult she entered politics and was elected to her City Council, all the while secretly participating in what were il...2024-08-3132 minCommentaries from the EdgeCINNAMON GIRL, A Mystery Novel of Suspense, set in Los Angeles, by Writer Daniel WeizmannLos Angeles (L. A. ) is renown as a City of sunlight, a place of gorgeous topography from the mountains to the desert to the Pacific ocean. And yet, Writers for the last hundred years have been attracted to finding out what is lurking in the shadows of L. A. Daniel Weizmann in his second mystery novel, follows in that long tradition of what is called, “crime noir”, with an added bonus. The Author is a native of this sprawling global locale who is gifted with a curiosity and a keen sense of observation taking the reader to corners of diverse neig...2024-07-1342 minCommentaries from the EdgeEVERYONE IS AN IMMIGRANT with Angelica Salas of CHIRLAWhat symbol could be more famous for the United States of America than the Statue of Liberty. At its very top is the famous poem which reads in part “…..Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free,…..” It is famous because that is the essence of the U. S. , a Country that has welcomed people from all over the world who are in distress, often running for their lives, determined to make a better future for their families. This podcast episode introduces Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). She has head...2024-06-2242 minCommentaries from the EdgeDISPLACED PERSONS: A Book of Short Stories by Author, Joan Leegant“…..but no one, it seems, is able to give you directions.” Excerpt from a book of poems by Billy Collins
Have you ever wished you had a roadmap of your life, like a GPS that clearly tells you what direction to take? DISPLACED PERSONS, Author and Educator Joan Leegant’s most recent book of stories, creates characters that enthrall you as they struggle to find their direction and make difficult decisions. As a gifted short story Writer, Essayist and Teacher, Ms. Leegant pushes her readers, not allowing them to shy away from the complexities that everyone faces as life is navigated...2024-06-1044 minCommentaries from the EdgeMAKING A VIBRANT LIFE at 90 Years Old with Harvey KeenanTurning 90 years old to Harvey Keenan means simply opening new doors to walk through continuing his involvements in the community. What is his key to having a vibrant life at any age? He advocates for remembering that there are choices to make to keep yourself on a path to meaning and purpose to your days. Harvey likes the term Elder for himself, not old, a way of thinking of yourself with dignity and respect. Listen to his menu of activities and commitments. He gives his energy to it all with a devotion to family and friends at the same time...2024-05-1726 minCommentaries from the EdgeGOING FORWARD AGAINST THE ODDS: A Muslim Jewish Partnership with Ben GinsburgAt the moment of this podcast episode recording, the world is waiting to see the very future of war in the Middle East, the very future of war or peace in the world. What better time to highlight a program with a legacy of bringing Muslims and Jews together. It is called “NEW GROUND: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change”, which has been operating in Los Angeles, California, for the last 17 years. Its programming creates a learning curve for its participants in workshops and specialized trainings. The Communication and Operations Coordinator, Ben Ginsburg, gives the listeners a full description, bringing hope in t...2024-04-1635 minCommentaries from the EdgeOVERCOMING DIVISIVENESS: A Hope for Coming Together with Marvin J. Southard, Ph.DOnce again the prominent leader in the mental health field, Dr. Marvin J. Southard, joined the Podcast program as a guest for the fourth time. Continuing the theme of divisiveness in the United States society and how it has impacted much of pubic and private lives, Dr. Southard reflects on the recent passage of the controversial political Proposition 1, in the recent California elections. He is looking through the lens of divisiveness in seeing a model cure as many conservative and progressive voters came together to try and defeat the proposed law. It narrowly passed by a slim margin of over 50...2024-04-1131 minCommentaries from the EdgeTOMORROW’S WOMEN: Palestinian and Israeli Young Women Come Together for “Courage and Leadership"This is the moment that TOMORROW’s WOMEN, created 20 years ago, was made for, a moment bleak with pain and suffering after October 7th, offering hope and a vision forward. Listen to the young women alumnae of the program, Noga Bar Oz, Lana Ikelan, both talking from Jerusalem, and the Executive Director, Holly Morris from the offices in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, tell their story about this program. TOMORROW’S WOMEN brings young women from Israel to a beautiful Camp in the nature of Santa Fe, far from conflicts and turmoil, to have a three week experience that changes them...2024-03-0653 minCommentaries from the EdgeTRAUMA AND HOPE: The Work of The Ariel Center in Israel with Gila RockmanIsrael is a traumatized nation since the morning of October 7th, when Hamas Terrorists entered the land and went on a rampage of killing, torturing and raping. Israel is the only nation where repeatedly its very existence is threatened and yet, it is populated by a people, like everyone everywhere, who only want peace, a secure life for health and happiness.
This episode of Commentaries From the Edge highlights an Israeli organization called The Ariel Center. In talking with its founder, Gila Rockman, we learn that the Center was created in memory of her Brother, Ariel Goldsmith. It is dedicated...2024-02-1637 minCommentaries from the EdgeRecipe for Personal Peace and Wellbeing with Dr. Marvin J. SouthardIt is a New Year, 2024, and we are walking through turbulence in the United States in many ways. There is climate turbulence, political turbulence and the turbulence of a divided society increasingly breaking into hostile groups. All of this feels more consequential because the U. S. is heading toward a Presidential election by the end of the year which will impact the global community.
Addressing this divisiveness and their consequences, Dr. Marvin J. Southard, a longtime leader in the field of mental health, visits the podcast program for the third time and once again gives us a roadmap for coping...2024-01-2636 minCommentaries from the EdgeBehind the Scenes Filming of LIONS OF THE SEA with Producer, Adam LeipzigA documentary film titled, LIONS OF THE SEA, is in the process of being created as a journey into the world of Sea Lions. In the story to be told we will meet them in a most protected environmental area off the coast of the Galapagos. Adam Leipzig, the Producer, is no stranger to creating nature documentaries. As past President of National Geographic Films, he brought March of the Penguins to the world, considered one of the best documentaries of all time. As viewers we will see the Sea Lions among the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic chain 600 miles off the...2024-01-2428 minCommentaries from the EdgeEND OF THE YEAR REPORTINGWe are very grateful to all of you listeners and the podcast guests. Have a healthy and happy New Year.2023-12-3004 minCommentaries from the EdgeA MODEL CENTER FOR THE COMMUNITY, with Bianca Juarez EscamillaReturning once again to the Pico Union Project (PUP), we hear in this episode from Bianca Juarez Escamilla, who is a new staff member that brings her talent and knowledge as a resident in this multiethnic neighborhood near the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, to the development of innovative programming. This is an extraordinary community center, a model that responds to the neighborhood with a humanitarian spirit created by its founder, Craig Taubman. Bianca discusses the various programs and services provided and clearly describes a place that brings people together as we struggle in the USA where people now...2023-11-3028 minCommentaries from the EdgeCENTROPA: Jewish History Comes Alive with Lauren Granite, Ph.DBesides remembering what is long gone, decimated by the Holocaust of World War II, the CENTROPA organization is dedicated to recapturing the vibrant Jewish life of the early 20th century on the European continent. Their operation is based in headquarters in Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and Hamburg, Germany. The organization’s full name is Central Europe Center for Research and Documentation.
The motto for CENTROPA is “Preserving Jewish Memory, Bringing History to Life”. It is a daunting task given the great diversity and variety of the Jewish way of life from 1900 to the 1930s, which was often integrated into every layer of Eu...2023-11-2535 minCommentaries from the EdgeLIBRARIES - A Sanctuary and a Purpose Redefined, with Karen Pickard Four and Edna OsepansSometimes there are extraordinary people who arrive just at the right position to make a community a better place to live for everyone. This is the case at the Los Angeles City Pubic Library system with Karen Pickard Four and Edna Osepans. Karen has been the lead Librarian at what is called the Library Experience Office since 2021, and Edna, the Supervising Social Worker for the last seven months at the same Office.
They are leaders and pioneers in rethinking the library experience in the face of 21st century challenges that could not have been imagined years ago. In this podcast...2023-10-0640 minCommentaries from the EdgeUNITED WE STAND: Welcoming the Immigrant with Isaac CuevasUnited States of America sits on lands that were first occupied by Indigenous Tribes. They are the Native Americans. Today, these same lands are mostly occupied by descendants of immigrants or current immigrants. In this podcast you will be listening to Isaac Cuevas, Director of Immigration and Public Affairs for the Los Angeles, California, Catholic Archdiocese. He is taking us on a verbal trip, first to the border of California with the country of Mexico. Then, we go with him to scenes in downtown Los Angeles, where buses arrive from Texas bringing immigrants who have just recently arrived in the...2023-09-1531 minCommentaries from the Edge29 WIsdoms: THE JEWELS OF ELUL with Ross ChaitWe are all walking through a turbulent time in the world, and particularly in the United States. It is a time when many are turning to their spirituality or faith for inspiration, for comfort, for some guiding principals. The JEWELS OF ELUL books published annually for the last 21 years, are part of the idea of spiritual preparation for the Jewish New Year. Ross Chait, Project Coordinator for these books of wisdom, explains on this podcast episode that each book has a one page commentary for the 29 days leading up to the New Year Holiday. Those 29 days are a period called...2023-08-2838 minCommentaries from the EdgeA STUNNING DEBUT NOVEL ABOUT LOVE LOST AND SURVIVAL by Judith TeitelmanIn this moving and emotional debut novel, GUESTHOUSE FOR GANESHA, Judith Teitelman takes us on a lyrical journey with her poetic writing style and her spiritual awareness. We are introduced to Esther, the center character of the story, and we immediately learn two elements that fill this novel; Esther’s connection to the Revered Hindu Diety, Ganesha, and Esther’s need to keep traveling across the European continent over a 22 year period as she deals with her torment. It is both a personal torment caused by love, and her world descending in torment caused by the outbreak of war in 1939.
In the...2023-08-2034 minCommentaries from the EdgeHISTORY REPEATS - DEFENDING THE DEFENSELESS with Barry FisherThere are borders on the European continent where civilizations have clashed, empires have risen and fallen. The Country of Kosovo is one of those places, formerly part of what was Yugoslavia and now bordered by several nation States such as Albania, Serbia and Macedonia. As we take up the fate of Kosovo Romani (formerly referred to as Gypsies), Barry Fisher, award-winning humanitarian Lawyer, continues describing his work with Romani people to defend their rights worldwide.
In the 1998 - 99 Kosovo War, like often in history, the Romani were victims by all sides and still await justice for their suffering. The Romani...2023-08-0224 minCommentaries from the EdgeChanging the Conversation Around Aging with Jennifer Wong, Ph.DDo you remember the image of old people spending their days sitting in a rocking chair? That may be extreme but so is the revolution happening about getting older in America. No place are the radical changes more apparent than at a new place called the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace. For people of an older age, think of a place to hang out that is vibrant, colorful, full of diverse activities and diverse people. Welcome to an innovative space geared to older adults and by its very success, changing what it means to grow old in the 21st century.
In this...2023-06-2333 minCommentaries from the EdgeDrumming for Mental Wellness and Brain Enhancement - Steven Angel, Drumming for Your Life InstituteHere is an example of taking the oldest sound, and most primitive, and using creative innovation to apply it to current 21st century needs. Steven Angel, President and Creator of the Drumming for Your Life Institute, is a prolific inventor finding ways that an ancient activity can improve our lives. He tells us that he discovered what he calls “the doubtful internal voice”, that inhibits learning especially for youth in the classroom. Steven explains that drumming can affect the neural pathways in the brain, releasing the ability to focus and concentrate. He has brought his Reading and Rhythm program to scho...2023-06-0229 minCommentaries from the EdgeLegacies From the Holocaust for Today’s World with Dr. Michael BerenbaumThe thoughtful and systematic arrangement of a nation to eliminate an entire people who had resided in the area for 1000 years, became the Holocaust by Germany in the World War II era. This is not to ignore the many European nations during that time that participated in and encouraged the annihilation of Jews. Other groups such as the disabled, the homosexual and Romani, to name a few, were also targeted for elimination during these years of massive crimes against humanity.
In this episode Dr. Michael Berenbaum, a renown world scholar of the Holocaust as well as a Professor, a Rabbi...2023-05-2732 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Fountain Theatre - A Place of Artistic Excellence with Co-Founder, Stephen SachsThe Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre, Stephen Sachs, is modest about his 33 years at the helm of its creative and award-winning accomplishments. As an example, the City Council of Los Angeles, California, recognized Stephen for his contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles. Being an actor, director and playwright, he took the helm of a theatre organization with a vision that the theatrical experience can be a sacred space. A place where community problems can be presented and the audience can learn new ideas and understandings about the world around them. In this episode, listeners will hear about his courageous choic...2023-04-1635 minCommentaries from the EdgeMAKING COMMUNITY AND FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS IN A GLOBAL CITY with Visionary Aaron PaleyIn a world finding its way out of years of a pandemic way of life and restrictions, Aaron Paley’s long career in championing cultural connections may be a winning path. Aaron’s incessant creative programming in the public spaces of Los Angeles is grounded in his impressive credentials. He received a Masters in Business (MBA) in non-profit Arts Management from UCLA and an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in Architecture at the College of Environmental Design. To some, Aaron Paley with Katie Bergin, in founding the Community Arts Resources(CARS) organization 34 years ago, accomplished the impossible in a City like...2023-04-1442 min
Mind Your Business With Yitzchok SaftlasJCon Parnassah Conference Preview, co-hosted by Shaina Keren, featuring Executives From Yeshiva University and Touro University, Dr. Elly Lasson, Danny Gavin, Chaim Shapiro, Dr. Chavi Goldberg, and Shea RubensteinThis show, featuring Dr. Danielle Wozniak, Vice President for Global Strategy and Business Development at Yeshiva University, Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, Dean of Students and Vice President for Planning at Touro University, Chaim Shapiro, Director of Office for Student Success at Touro University, Dr. Chavi Goldberg, Dean of Machon Temima, Dr. Elly Lasson, CEO of Lasson Talent Solutions, Danny Gavin, Founder and Instructor of ODEO Academy, Shea Rubenstein, Co-Founder and President of JCC Marine Park and JCON Business Conferences, was a powerful and dynamic team, previewing the upcoming JCon Parnassah Conference. They discussed the best jobs on the market, and the t...2023-04-031h 18Commentaries from the EdgePARENTING AS AN ART - THE ART OF PARENTING, with Ping HoThe book, THE INNOVATIVE PARENT: Raising Connected, Happy and Successful Kids through Art by Erica Curtis and Ping Ho, takes its place among important guides to support and cheer on the best kind of parenting. It is the winner of a 2019 National Parenting Products Association Award. Ping Ho, MA, MPH, is the Founder and Director of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA ) Arts and Healing Program which is known to transform lives through creative expression. She joins the podcast program once again at a crucial moment for families and their kids. The reports from the frontlines of parenting...2023-03-2135 minCommentaries from the EdgeLIVING IN THESE TIMES: Looking at Muslims in America with Omar RicciWe live in a time of great tension between the forces of inclusion for all peoples and the forces pushing us apart in often hateful and threatening ways. In this episode you will hear from Omar Ricci, one of those who is dedicating his life to linking people together in their humanity. Mr. Ricci is the Spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Southern California, located in the heart of Los Angeles. In addition he is a Reserve Police Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, a board member of the Muslim Public Affairs Council and works professionally as a Management...2023-03-1338 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Part 2 - with Fernando Guerra, Ph.DThe City of Los Angeles, a young city, has been a magnet for over 100 years, attracting people from all over the United States and the world. Dr. Fernando Guerra, a Professor of Political Science and Chicano Latino Studies for almost 40 years at Loyola Marymount University, founded the Center for the Study of Los Angeles on the campus in 1996. As the Center’s Director, he wanted to create a place to understand the people of Los Angeles in hopes of making the city more equitable by engaging residents and leaders.
The impetus for creating such a Center was the citywide uprising th...2023-02-1731 minCommentaries from the EdgeSTART AGAIN, NOT OVER: Creating Your Best Future, with Dr. Leticia XimenezAt a time when the world is faced with a new “normal”, the question is how do we prepare for a future that will look very different than the past. According to Dr. Ximenez, it is time for us to embrace the unknown and to relish the freedom to create a life with new possibilities. Clearly, as the pandemic spread around the world since 2020, it brought death and destruction in its wake. In this episode, Dr. Ximenez speaks about this time of reconstructing our lives once again. She asks us to take risks, to listen to our inner voices and to a...2023-02-1035 minCommentaries from the EdgeYesterdays’s Immigrants and Today’s Refugees - The International Institute with Cambria TortorelliThe people’s of the world are on the move, migrating across regions and continents. Many, due to wars, oppression and violent circumstances, come as refugees with little salvaged from their past lives. In Los Angeles, California, there is an organization called the INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE that works in tandem with the offices of the State Department of the Federal government. The Institute takes responsibility for resettling individuals, families and unaccompanied minors from the moment they land at the airport.
In this episode, we hear from the President and CEO of the International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA), Cambria Tortorelli, not on...2023-01-2339 minCommentaries from the EdgeA Week in the Life of a Television Sitcom Writer with Tracy NewmanTracy Newman came to comedy writing by being a founder of a Los Angeles improvisational organization called The Groundlings. It was located on the famous Melrose Avenue, and it was during the heyday in the 1960’s for these kind of entertainment venues. The Groundlings, which still operates today, became a training ground where aspiring actors could learn how to create jokes and how to respond to a live audience when creating comedy. Many members of the group went on to have stellar careers like Tracy and her younger Sister, Lorraine, who became part of Saturday Night Live.
Incredibly, Tracy’s tele...2022-12-2747 minCommentaries from the EdgeTHEATRE AND COMMUNITY: Creating a Better Future with Evelina FernandezEvelina Fernandez, actress and Playwright, is a founding member of the Latino Theatre Company, one of the premier theatrical groups telling the stories from the growing Latino community in Los Angeles and around the United States. The Company took residence in the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC) in California, an important part of this major cultural center. From the onset in the mid 1980s, LATC was dedicated to showing how the arts could address community problems and become a place for provoking audiences to consider solutions.
In 2007, the Latino Theatre Company took over the management of the cultural center and continued...2022-12-1440 minCommentaries from the EdgeUnderstanding How the Brain’s Development Affects Our Destiny, with Steven Siegel, M.D. , PhdUnderstanding the brain, how it functions and its impact on our individual destiny is an endless quest. Dr. Steven Siegel, Chair of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine and Chief Mental Health and Wellness Officer for Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles, has spent years conducting brain research. It is a research that continues to be a frontier of learning, much like the exploration of space.
The challenge with understanding the human brain is the unbelievable complexity of its millions of cells. The amazing fact is that Dr. Siegel explains how in embryo our brain is...2022-11-0438 minCommentaries from the EdgeAMERICA ON EDGE: A Profile of Power and Racism with Dr. Najuma Smith-PollardIt appears that what holds American society together has some serious cracks. These fissures are the seemingly unchecked spread of extremism expressed in acts and words of hate and racism. In this episode, Rev. Najuma of the University of Southern California’s (USC) Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC)addresses the recent recording of four Los Angeles, California, civic leaders released to the public which revealed disgusting and racist commentary while detailing a plot to manipulate voting districts. This conversation broadcast to the local community played into the recipe for social chaos when leaders depended upon betray the public. At the...2022-11-0236 minCommentaries from the EdgeSCANDAL AND VIOLENCE - An Asian American Perspective with Hyepin Im, president of F.A.C.E.In the wake of a leaked recording of a conversation by four Civic officials in Los Angeles, California, full of racist and demeaning words, many community leaders have stepped forward to respond. In this episode listeners will hear from Hyepin Im, the founder and President of FACE, Faith and Community Empowerment. It is an important and inspiring service organization connected to the 5000 Korean Churches, with a long menu of programming for all who are in need. Their efforts for others to promote home ownership, to secure employment and to help youth, contribute to a better community.
At the same time...2022-11-0129 minCommentaries from the EdgeWEST L.A. COMMONS: Building a New Community Core with William Lee and Lara RegusLike many places in the world, Los Angeles is in a phase of great transformation. At the same time that old structures are being torn down and replaced by modern, new buildings, there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands of people and families who are homeless. It means that as the City experiences this physical transformation, it is imperative that housing becomes a priority, especially affordable housing.
In this episode you will hear about the West L. A. Commons, a new kind of Civic Center replacing a core thar has been languishing for decades. Lara Regus, Senior Vice...2022-09-2427 minCommentaries from the EdgeTHE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES, with Professor Fernando Guerra, Ph.DFernando Guerra is the Founder and Director of The Center for the Study of Los Angeles started in 1996, at the campus of the Loyola Marymount University,(LMU), located in a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In addition to growing the Center in its breath of research, he has continued in the position of Professor of Political Science and Chicano Latino Studies for almost 40 years. He arrived at LMU after completing his Doctorate at the University of Michigan.
From the very beginning of his teaching he focused his classes on Los Angeles. The inspiration for the creation of such a Center...2022-09-1031 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Arts Flourishing at UCLA Hillel with Perla Karney, Artistic DirectorHillel, on campuses across the United States and internationally, takes their place with other religious centers on college campuses, to enrich the lives of young people during their academic experience. In particular, the purpose of Hillel is to serve Jewish students at a pivotal time in their lives to foster learning about Jewish values and to promote their commitment to social justice as a lifelong cause.
At the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) what is unique is the presence of a significant art center initially endowed by the late David Dortort, a renown television producer, inspired by the...2022-08-1833 minCommentaries from the EdgeUnderstanding the war in Ukraine with Fred Kaplan Columnist for Slate.comThe thread of Fred Kaplan’s long career as a stellar Journalist has culminated in the last twenty years as the WAR STORIES Correspondent for Slate.com. It seems war is a topic for a lifetime career, and now in the year 2022, the war in Ukraine has no end in sight.
Kaplan, besides being a Pulitzer Prize winning Defense Correspondent, is the author of six books, displaying his deep knowledge of the military issues that surround us. His latest book is, THE BOMB: Presidents, Generals and the Secret History of Nuclear War.
He comes to this podcast episode with a ke...2022-07-0239 minCommentaries from the EdgeWhat WE Can do about School Violence with Psychologist, Dr. Tony BelizAt this writing in June of 2022, there is breaking news that a bipartisan agreement has been made among Leaders of the United States Senate bringing some hope of meaningful gun legislation.
Dr. Tony Beliz is returning to the COMMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE podcast program for the third time, responding to what seems like an epidemic of gun violence and school shootings moving across the U. S. ,with his emphasis on the importance of specialized training and preparation. Dr. Beliz brings decades of experience in developing how to asses persons on a path to violence and has worked as an independent co...2022-06-1343 minCommentaries from the EdgeWhat is a Jew - with Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh, her 26th year at Temple Israel of HollywoodThis is the final episode of a three-part series asking three distinguished Rabbis of Los Angeles, California, to answer the same question - What is a Jew? According to Rabbi Missaghieh, showing three very different opinions on the same subject, each with valid points, is the essence of answering the question of what it means to be a Jew. The question is more important than the answer. The Jew, in this Rabbi’s answer, is someone living with ambiguity. The search itself for answers is the cornerstone of the identity.
Rabbi Missaghieh is an innovative clergy person, enriching her congregation at...2022-06-0932 minCommentaries from the EdgeTHE CONTROVERSY OF MEDIA, NEWS, JOURNALISM with Howard Rosenberg, Pulitzer Prize WinnerInto the 21st century we are struggling, challenges all around us, locally and globally. Award winning Journalist Howard Rosenberg helps us confront and understand where we are in the constantly changing world of media. How have the developments in the last years blurred our way of knowing the truth from the lies and driven us into a world of divisiveness and hostility. Rosenberg, as a 25 year veteran of television criticism writing for the Los Angeles Times, and a Professor at the University of Southern California (USC) teaching critical writing and news ethics retiring in 2019, can only offer us awareness and...2022-05-2337 minCommentaries from the EdgeTEEN YOUNG WOMEN SPEAK UP ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULTSexual harassment and assault often in the work place has been headlines in our society in the last years. Many prominent men have lost their jobs and their standing in the community after being immune from any accountability. At the same time, issues of blaming the female victim and protecting the male predator are still common in the lives of teen young women.
Listen to the voices of three teens who made this topic a research project as Fellows of an organization called MOVING TRADITIONS. Alex Nelson, Mayah Windt and Mia Vorkoper, all describe themselves as Feminists advocating for a chang...2022-05-1426 minCommentaries from the EdgeSONGS AND TV COMEDY with Tracy Newman - Singer, Writer and ProducerOver a span of decades, Tracy Newman has used her creativity in folk song writing and singing, and in her pioneering work as a comedy writer for live performances and television audiences. The origins of much of the comedy we enjoy today in the United States, came from a blossoming of talent that arrived on the scene 50 years ago now. One of the places that became a hotbed of developing future comedic stars was a place called the GROUNDLINGS IMPROV THEATRE in Los Angeles, California, and Tracy was a founding member. It was there, like a farm team in sports, tha...2022-05-1334 minCommentaries from the EdgeWHAT IS A JEW-Continuing the Question with Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Director Emeritus UCLA HillelThis topic is part of a series asking three Rabbis of Los Angeles, California, to answer the question, What is a Jew? In this episode you will hear from Rabbi Chaim, Director Emeritus of the UCLA Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life. He recently celebrated his fortieth year of working with students and faculty making Hillel a place where thousands would come for learning and personal growth. One of his greatest joys has been his Rabbinic work with students who would come to study with him. Rabbi Chaim is a frequent lecturer in various academic departments at UCLA and othe...2022-05-0536 minCommentaries from the EdgeBecoming Aware of the Kurds - Their Struggle and Story with Human Rights Lawyer Barry FisherThe Kurds are a people who lay claim to a land always under threat.
In this episode, Barry Fisher, a return guest, talks about his link to the Kurds and their long suffering goal to create a Kurdistan, not dissimilar to the current struggle of the Ukrainians with their endless fight to carve out and maintain a separate country. The Kurds continue to be a people whose dream of having a peaceful, geographic space is a distant goal. They often become caught in historic struggles and swept into times when the world is full of refugees fleeing for their very...2022-03-2930 minCommentaries from the EdgeTurbulence and Targeted Violence in pandemic times with Dr. Tony Beliz, PsychologistIn March of 2021, one year ago, Dr. Tony Beliz, drew upon his expertise to discuss assessing persons on a pathway to violence. In this episode he returns to describe the long list of traumatic changes caused by the pandemic that has affected all of us. Dr. Beliz not only details prevention strategies but what families and friends need to look for in young people who fall into a state of isolation and hopelessness. He continues to be a Consultant to mental health staff, law enforcement personnel and educators, teaching how to respond to those individuals who become prone to hurt...2022-02-2747 minCommentaries from the EdgeWHAT IS A JEW, with Rabbi David Wolpe, Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, CaliforniaRabbi David Wolpe is a renown spiritual leader and scholar in the Jewish community and beyond. He is based in Los Angeles, California and holds the position of the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple, a large and historic place of worship and learning. He has taught at various significant universities, appeared in multiple television series and appeared in a myriad of public debates with the likes of Christopher Hitchens. Rabbi Wolpe is in demand as a keynote speaker, lecturer and spiritual teacher in the United States and around the world, from Israel to India. He is the author...2022-02-2326 min
Shalom In Your Phone!Whoops: Accountability & Revelation in Torah and Whoopie SagaThis week, in parashat Truma, we are commanded to bring donations in order to build a tabernacle. This will be the ultimate place for daily divine expression and revelation. But it will also be a place to take accountability for all the mistakes we make. This week Rabbi Becky and Daniella take a look at how pop-culture held Whoopie Goldberg accountable for statements made about the Holocaust that were totally wrong, hurtful and harmful to the Jewish community. Daniella shares her raw emotion and family stories from their survival of the Shoa. Is there an opportunity for revelation hidden...2022-02-0438 minCommentaries from the EdgeIn search of Spirituality for Emotional Wellbeing with Dr. Chris Miller, EducatorMental health has become a wider concern as the pandemic way of life has restricted human contact and promoted feelings of depression and despair. For some time now, research has shown that turning to one’s sense of spirituality can be a powerful tool for increasing and maintaining mental health. In certain agencies and organizations mental health services have incorporated a client’s spirituality into an effective plan for their recovery from emotional distress.
Dr. Chris Miller discusses how this search for the benefits of spirituality at a time of stress can come from a formal religious practice or from a place...2022-02-0232 minCommentaries from the EdgeGYPSIES: Their History and the First Amendment with Human Rights Lawyer, Barry FisherGypsies, known as Romani people, with their long history of moving across countries and continents, fit into the modern day movement of millions struggling to find a better and more peaceful life.
Barry Fisher tells us the story of his own musical and professional legal relationship as their lawyer, a population often stereotyped, living in the realm of mystique and mystery.
We come to understand like other marginalized and abused groups, that Barry Fisher as a Lawyer, calls upon the First Amendment Rights in the United States Constitution to offer Gypsies the cornerstone of human rights protection.
Over many centuries...2021-11-231h 00Commentaries from the EdgeGrieving: Understanding What It Means and Tools for Coping, with Psychologist, Dr. Robin KayGrieving, it seems, is something we all need to learn how to approach as it is inescapable in the human experience. It is offset by the joys and beauty of life as we carry it along with us.
In these last two years, we are living in a time with grief all around us from the worldwide pandemic that persists. With guidance from Robin Kay, Ph.d, current Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and former Chief Deputy as well as Acting Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, we learn...2021-10-1931 minCommentaries from the EdgeBRAIN RESEARCH LEADING TO BETTER LIVES with Steven Siegel, M.D., Ph.dNote to Listeners - There are a few points on this podcast recording with tech difficulties. Thank you for listening for the valuable information about the functioning of the brain. K. G.
Dr. Steven Siegel, Chair of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine and Chief Mental Health and Wellness Officer for Keck Medicine, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, has spent years researching the brain.
Beginning with an interest in scientific research especially on schizophrenia, he decided that becoming a medical doctor would allow him to make a more significant contribution to improving people’s lives.
In th...2021-10-1133 minCommentaries from the EdgeLOVE THY NEIGHBOR: Approaching Homelessness with expert Amie QuigleyAmie Quigley, Director of Community Programs at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood in California, has spent over the last decade perfecting outreach techniques and practices to those who are homeless, often mentally ill and with addictions. The centerpiece of her successes is her way of organizing agencies and service groups to coordinate their services through the Church sponsored Hollywood Healthcare Partnership. Community resources are leveraged in a concerted way to maximize results. To understand the true effectiveness of all Amie does, is to learn of her loving and respectful way of approaching everyone no matter their dire circumstances or...2021-08-1141 minCommentaries from the EdgeEXPLORING IDENTITY - BORN WITHOUT BORDERS, with Playwright, Velina Hasu Houston, PH.DVelina Hasu Houston, Playwright and Professor, child of a Japanese Mother and African American Father, was born on a United States Military Ship sitting in contested waters. All her life she has had that sense of fluid borders. Velina was raised in a small town in Kansas, middle America in every way, and at a young age announced that she wanted to write. Navigating through a society that more often searched to give her a fixed identity and limit her ambitions, she rejected that characterization and in spite of discouraging advice, went on to garner awards for playwriting and a...2021-07-3144 minCommentaries from the EdgeTelling Untold Stories: The Latino Theatre Company of Los Angeles with Evelina Fernandez.“Telling Untold Stories: The Latino Theatre Company of the Los Angeles Theatre Company”
Evelina Fernandez, a founding member of the Latino Theatre Company and currently an Associate Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Center located in the heart of downtown, Los Angeles, describes her path from her part in the original production of Zoot Suit which went to Broadway, to becoming a lifelong advocate for social justice in the Chicano-Mexican American-Latino communities.2021-07-2032 minCommentaries from the EdgeFIXING PUBLIC EDUCATION: What We Can Learn from Shakespeare, with prominent Educator, Robin LithgowEveryone has an opinion about what the United States public education classrooms need, and everyone agrees there is something terribly wrong with how young people are learning, or not learning, in America’s public education system. Robin Lithgow, a prominent educator in California, was a classroom teacher for 21 years before becoming the Director of the Arts Branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District for 14 years. She has what might seem to some both classical and radical ideas for what is desperately needed for young people to become educated.
It is clear we are living in a time when there ar...2021-07-1341 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Pico Union Project (PUP) - A Center for Gathering all people with Founder Craig TaubmanThe Pico Union Project is the name of an extraordinary community center located in a Jewish Synagogue dating back to 1909, situated in a multiethnic Los Angeles neighborhood of many refugees. The Center is a model of vibrancy that practices responding to the needs of neighbors with determination and imagination. PUP founded by Craig Taubman who worked for years in the music industry, uses his talents to bring people together from all over Los Angeles to a Center created at a time of divisiveness. To make a donation go to www.picounionproject.org or write to PUP 1153 Valencia, Los Angeles, California 90015...2021-07-0232 minCommentaries from the EdgeDivisiveness Revisited: We All Play A Role, with return guest, Dr. Marvin J. SouthardIn December of 2020, at a moment when we were in the throes of a raging pandemic, Dr. Marvin J. Southard, former Director of the Los Angeles, California Department of Mental Health, talked about the costs and cures of our increasing divisiveness in the United States society and in families and friendships. We ended that episode by promising to visit this topic once again six months later, and in our salutations of good-bye, expressed hope for a better future.
Fast forward to the Summer of 2021, late June, again with Dr. Southard who is a leader in bringing new understandings about mental...2021-07-0144 minCommentaries from the EdgeDivisiveness Revisited: We All Play A Role, with return guest, Dr. Marvin J. SouthardIn December of 2020, at a moment when we were in the throes of a raging pandemic, Dr. Marvin J. Southard, former Director of the Los Angeles, California Department of Mental Health, talked about the costs and cures of our increasing divisiveness in the United States society and in families and friendships. We ended that episode by promising to visit this topic once again six months later, and in our salutations of good-bye, expressed hope for a better future.
Fast forward to the Summer of 2021, late June, again with Dr. Southard who is a leader in bringing new understandings about mental...2021-07-0144 minCommentaries from the EdgeWHEN WATER WAS EVERYWHERE, A Novel, with Author, Barbara Crane.At a time of drought in the area of Southern California, and in the Southwest region of the United States, award-winning Novelist, Barbara Crane, gives us hope with her compelling and beautifully written story, WHEN WATER WAS EVERYWHERE. Fictional characters are set in the history of California at the dramatic moment when it passes from being part of Mexico to joining the United States as a result of the Mexican American War in the middle of the 19th century. Crane’s novel contributes to a greater understanding of the original population of the region by the indigenous tribe, the Tongva, wh...2021-06-2430 minCommentaries from the Edge“Say Little and Do Much”: the Karsh Family Social Service Center with Rabbi Beau ShapiroThe Karsh Family Social Service Center of the Los Angeles Wilshire Blvd. Jewish Temple is a Center for our times, offering a menu of free services for anyone walking through their doors. Given the increasing needs of individuals and families in many metropolitan cities of the U. S. , it is a model for how a religious institution can practice the commandment of love thy neighbor by reaching out. The Karsh Center is located at 3750 6th Street, Los Angeles, California, 90020, and to contact - www.karshcenter.org.2021-06-2231 minCommentaries from the EdgeASIANS IN AMERICA - The Invisible Minority Under Attack with special guest Hyepin ImThe organization, Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE), has a membership of over 300 Korean Churches in Los Angeles, California. The Founder and President of FACE, Hyepin Im, discusses the long standing history of Asians in the United States, especially in California, being an invisible minority and what this means with the current violent attacks against Asians.
Suddenly, there is a focus on Asians in America revealing their great diversity, their historical contributions and place in the United States society, and the racism they have endured. The dedicated work of Hyepin Im is to make sure that Asians have a voice at “th...2021-06-0233 minCommentaries from the EdgeTIme and Age is Their Enemy - Youth in Foster Care with Nancy Harris, Executive Director, 3FNSome young people have hardly known what a consistent family life could be. They have spent much of their childhood and adolescence being shuffled from one foster family to another in a system allowing them to arrive at 18 years old unprepared for their future as an adult. Today, there is an organization that is taking on this challenge head on based in Los Angeles, California. Listen to the approach of the FAITH FOSTER FAMILY NETWORK (3FN)’s Executive Director, Nancy Harris, describing their program, and their advocacy for more mental health funding and for the ways the child welfare system, wi...2021-05-0531 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe March Toward Social Justice with Reverend Tom CareyIn Los Angeles, California, there is a church that is historic for being a center for social justice and police community relations. It is called the Church of Epiphany, one of the oldest Episcopal Churches in L. A. , and has a famous basement where meetings of social activists of the 1970s, and beyond were part of the Chicano (Mexican American) Movement for immigrant reform and a Moratorium on the Vietnam War. Today, Rev. Carey carries on the tradition of being out front in finding solutions for our most pressing societal problems.2021-04-2434 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe African American Male, Racism, Unity as a Remedy with Reverend Oliver BuieThe long trail of brutality toward African American males is the backdrop of Pastor Oliver Buie’s opening commentary on 400 hundred years of being discounted and mistreated. Facing the last year, and the future in this year of 2021, he makes the case for the remedies for racism, and the call for America to live up to its promise at last.
Recounting memories from his own life, Pastor Buie describes how the whole of the United States society can benefit when we come together to be inspired by the late Congressman John Lewis - to create the “beloved community”. Pastor Buie is car...2021-03-2245 minCommentaries from the EdgeAssessing Persons on a Pathway to Violence with Psychologist, Dr. Tony BelizDr. Tony Beliz, renown Psychologist in developing programs and trainings to assess persons prone to commit acts of violence, talks about his past work at the Los County Department of Mental Health as well as an independent consultant, to teach mental health staff, law enforcement personnel and educators how to respond to those individuals who, often out of hopelessness and isolation, become prone to hurt themselves and others. The basis of his approach is to remember that everyone has a story that has brought them to this terrible moment. In conclusion, he urges all of us to be aware that...2021-03-1635 minCommentaries from the EdgeACCELERATING A CAREER IN MEDIA with Adam Leipzig, founder of MediaUMEDIAU is a concept ready to facilitate new pathways to a career in the changing and expanding world of media. It offers an online education available globally credited by and associated with the University of California at Irvine (UCI).
There are several unique aspects of an education at MediaU. Adam Leipzig, the Founder, is a former movie producer, and past President of National Geographic Films. Besides spearheading the development of this innovative online media education, he is a Professional Faculty member of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He and his team of media experts...2021-03-1133 minCommentaries from the EdgeNetworking for foster children with Nancy Harris, executive director, Faith Foster Families NetworkIn the olden days there were orphanages in the United States. Since the 1980s, in a major metropolis like Los Angeles, California, there has been a foster care system for children who are not growing up with a family member. This system has created its own problems with currently 30,000 youth under the charge of the Los Angeles County government.
In 2017, arrived on the scene a new coalition, the Faith Foster Families Network (3FN), made up of six Black Churches and community organizations dedicated to improving the fostering of children and their outcomes for a better future life, addressing the fact...2021-03-021h 00Commentaries from the EdgeHealing for All through the arts with Ping Ho. Director of the UCLA Arts and Healing ProgramHealing is needed now more than ever. The arts, available to all, offer powerful tools for sustaining us as we navigate the challenges of life during this pandemic. Ping Ho, Founder and Director of the University of California at Los Angeles (USA) Arts & Healing Program, gives us a roadmap for how to harness the arts for our well-being. She insists that we are each capable of self-expression in myriad forms such as dance, painting, drumming, drama, and more. What is necessary is that we abandon self-judgment and embrace the artistic process in order to facilitate creativity. Ping gives specific techniques...2021-02-1637 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Causes, Costs and Cures for our Divisiveness with Marvin J. Southard, PhDMarvin J. Southard, Ph.d in his long career, contributed to new understandings and acceptance of mental illness, explaining in his innovative programming, that we are all on the same path of mental wellness, educating communities on how to reduce the stigma of mental illness. He had a lasting impact as a Director of the Los Angeles County, California, Mental Health Department bringing together spirituality and mental health in partnership of service to individuals and families. This has meant a partnership between clergy leaders and the largest government mental health department in the USA. In discussing the divisiveness in the...2020-12-1836 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Prophetic Edge: A clergy’s role in a multilayered pandemic with Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-PollardSpeaking as a Pastor of the Word of Encouragement Community Church, Reverend Smith Pollard discusses why clergy are in a position to be out front in helping congregants deal with the issues of our time - the pandemic, social justice, systemic racism and economic struggle. Most importantly, she explains why Black Lives Matter means everyone’s life matters, and the tradition in history of clergy of many denominations leading people to a better world.2020-12-1231 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Pico Union Project (PUP) - A Center for Gathering all people with Craig Taubman, FounderThe Pico Union Project is the name of an extraordinary community center located in a Jewish Synagogue dating back to 1909, situated in a multiethnic Los Angeles neighborhood of many refugees. The Center is a model of vibrancy that practices responding to the needs of neighbors with determination and imagination. PUP founded by Craig Taubman who worked for years in the music industry, uses his talents to bring people together from all over Los Angeles to a Center created at a time of divisiveness. To make a donation go to www.picounionproject.org or write to PUP 1153 Valencia, Los Angeles, California 90015...2020-12-1132 minCommentaries from the EdgeLos Angeles Theatre Center: A LEGACY AND A PRESENCE with Evelina FernandezLearn about the history and operation of an important and pioneering regional theatre in the USA as part of the global City of Los Angeles. Evelina Fernandez, playwright, actress, and Associate Artistic Director, has been a part of the performing arts center (LATC) since the mid-1980s. She discusses the pioneering theatrical work of LATC celebrating and encouraging the arts from diverse communities locally and worldwide. Evelina explains how the Latino Theatre Company developed in this exciting atmosphere of artistic innovation and evolved to managing this four theatre complex since 2007.2020-11-2341 minCommentaries from the EdgeThe Prophetic Edge: A Clergy’s Role in a Multilayered Pandemic with Reverend Dr. Najuma SmithReverend Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard, Pastor, and Program Manager at the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engageme. Speaking as a Pastor of the World of Encouragement Community Church, Reverend Smith-Pollard discusses why clergy are in a position to be out front in helping congregants deal with the issues of our time in 2020 - the pandemic, social justice, systemic racism and economic struggle. Most importantly, she explains why Black Lives Matter means everyone’s lives matter, and the tradition in history of clergy of many different denominations leading people to a better world.2020-11-1800 minCommentaries from the EdgeArmenians: From Trauma to Resilience with Salpi GhazarianARMENIANS: FROM TRAUMA TO RESILIENCE
Salpi Ghazarian, Director of the University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies, comes to this episode at a moment of war in the Armenian enclave of Azerberijan where drones supplied by Turkey are attacking the population as a way of forcing Armenians to leave this territory. The moment conjures up the long historic story of trauma in Armenian life. The most stark example was the genocide of 1915, by the Ottoman Turkish Empire that murdered 1.5 million Armenians and how the telling of this event from generation to generation has become part of Armenian identity. Director...2020-10-1626 minCommentaries from the EdgeJewish Theatre and Identity with Jeremy Aluma, Executive Director of the Alliance for Jewish TheatreA Conversation about theatre and how it expresses Jewish identity.2020-09-3046 minCommentaries from the EdgeWomen, INCARCERATION AND A NEW WAY OF LIFE RE-ENTRY PROJECT (ANWOL) with Judith Sydner-GordonA conversation with Judith Sydner-Gordon. A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project (ANWOL) founded and directed by Susan Burton, is a model for bringing
people leaving prison back into a productive and contributing way of life. In this organization the focus is on the unique needs of women and their children. Learn about ANWOL’s 22 years of success and how it continues to grow. To contribute or to volunteer -
The website - anewwayoflife.org or text, #Freedomwork to 44321
Write to P. O. Box, 875288, L. A. 90087
Call - the office, (323) 563-3575
Susan Burton’s Memoir - BECOMING MS. BURTON
is avai...2020-09-0926 minCommentaries from the EdgeFirefighters: Anatomy of a Hero with Dr. Robert Scott, Psychologist - Part 1 and Part 2.Dr. Robert Scott describes his unique career and experiences both locally and all over the world, treating and teaching how to bring healing to Firefighters who give so much to their community. He was with many for two weeks during 9/11, in New York, and has traveled to Kuwait to help those fighting fires in the middle of war, as examples of his rich career.2020-08-0446 min
Commentaries from the EdgeWelcome to Commentaries from the EdgeAn announcement of a new series2020-07-1500 minCommentaries from the EdgeIntroduction to Commentaries From the EdgeWhat to expect with the new series with outstanding guests from a variety of disciplines.2020-07-1503 minCommentaries from the EdgeDays of Trauma: A Presentation by Dr Thema Bryant-Davis, “Coping with Covid 19 and Racism.A talk with Psychologist Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis, Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, Author, and Minister2020-07-1526 min
Unhireable by Keren Margolis & Tommy O'Malley#72 JONBENÉT MITZVAH w/ David GoldbergTime Out NY’s David Goldberg once ranked us 11th out of 13 best pods, but that’s because he misspelled 1! Can the New York market only sustain so many gays, queers and bitches? How many yaaaaassssses were torn from the lips of Ru Paul? Are true New Yorkers amphibians (hybrid switchy toppy bottoms)? There’s only one way to find out!!! Tell us what you think @unhireableshow!2018-04-1100 min