Pico-Robertson 90035

Los Angeles, CA 90035
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Cleaning Up Pico-Robertson

Posted by on Jul 31, 2009 in David Suissa, Green |

David Suissa writes:

Ever since I moved here three years ago, the trash on Pico — especially east of Robertson — has reminded me of winters in Montreal. Everyone talks and complains about it, but it never goes away.

Boaz Hepner wants to change that.

So when I met him the other day at Pico Café, it didn’t surprise me that one of the first things he did was take me for a walk. The more we went east and the closer we got to his shul, B’nai David-Judea Congregation, the more trash we saw.

The funny thing is, Hepner, a frum, single Jew born and raised in Pico-Robertson, is more of a social animator than a social activist. His claim to fame in the neighborhood is a Yahoo social group called Camp Boaz, with about 350 “friends and friends of friends” for whom he plans regular activities, like theater outings, co-ed softball and Shabbat potluck lunches in his backyard.

A few months ago, he had an “aha!” moment. He was walking along Pico with an empty soda can and he realized, block after block, that he had no place to put it. It took about five messy blocks before he found a trash can.

That’s when his “clean-up Pico” journey began.

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Sam Glaser – The Jewish Music Man

Posted by on Mar 18, 2009 in David Suissa |

David Suissa writes a beautiful column about a beautiful man who lives in a beautiful neighborhood:

If you want to upset a Jewish musician who makes Jewish music, just call him a Jewish musician who makes Jewish music. Like it or not, the term “Jewish music” is not flattering to Jewish musicians. It’s got connotations of old-time schmaltz, of Zionist choirs singing “Heveinu Shalom Aleichem,” of fringe music written for a very specific — and very small — audience.

Musicians have fragile egos — the last thing they want to hear is that their music is of no interest to 99 percent of the listening public.

Well, I’m happy to say that I hung out the other day with a Jewish musician who’ll tell you flat out that he makes Jewish music. That he writes specifically for a Jewish audience. That he doesn’t dream of being in the Billboard Top 40 or performing at the Grammys. And that he’s happiest when his work inspires that miniscule slice of the buying public called the Jews.

His name is Sam Glaser.

For the past couple of decades, Glaser has been Mr. Jewish Music. Each year, he performs in Reform, Conservative and Orthodox communities in about 50 different cities. When he’s not performing or leading Shabbatons, he’s in his recording studio, where he recently completed his 20th album. His music is known for its spiritual ballads and solid rock beats, but there’s nothing wild and crazy about Glaser — the man or the musician.

Nothing, that is, except for his attachment to his neighborhood. If Springsteen had New Jersey and Dylan had Greenwich Village, Glaser has Pico-Robertson.

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