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Weekly News & Updates
February 26, 2026 - 9 Adar 5786
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CLICK HERE for this week's Healing List.
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Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the urim and tummim, so that they are over Aaron’s heart when he comes before God. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before God at all times.
Exodus 28:30
| | Upcoming Services & Events | | |
Shabbat Evening Service
Friday, February 27, 7:30 pm
Join Rabbi Jillian Cameron and Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro as we welcome Shabbat together through soulful song, prayer, creative teachings, and communal connection. Celebrating a simcha (joyful occasion) like a birthday or anniversary? Honor your loved ones and friends by sponsoring the oneg (post-service snacks) other aspects of the Shabbat service! Click here to sponsor.
About Cantor Spencer-Shapiro: Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro brings a deep commitment to Jewish mindfulness and spirituality and strives to establish personal connections while honoring the past through music and prayer. She serves as the Cantor and Rosh T’filah (Head of Worship) of the synagogue on the Jack H. Skirball campus of Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles where she is also an instructor in the Rabbinic school. Kerith served as a congregational cantor, most notably at University Synagogue and Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles from 2014-2025. Learn more about Cantor Spencer-Shapiro on her website!
And join us before Shabbat at 6:45 pm (and after services) for our monthly clothing swap! RSVP is not required. Please note that we are not currently accepting new donations for the clothing swap.
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Hamantaschen Making Class
Sunday, March 1, 12 pm
Join BCC board member Nicolasa Nevarez in the BCC kitchen for a fun-filled cooking class in which we will make this festive Purim treat! This will be before our #NoKings Purim celebration in the afternoon!
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#NoKings Purim
Sunday, March 1, 3 pm
Join us for our annual Purim shpiel, megillah reading, and more!
Come see Vashti as the underground leader of the #NoKings Shushan movement, Esther and Mordecai as double agents in the court of King Achashverosh who is looking rather orange as they try to save the soul of Shushan from evil Haman (boo!) the architect of the 5th Century BCE Project and creator of SLICE (Shushan Land Immigration Customs Enforcement)!
Schedule of the event:
3:00 pm - Doors open, plan to arrive at this time!
3:15 pm - #NoKings Shpiel - featuring the aforementioned characters!
3:45 pm - Nosh on delicious Hamantaschen! Make Mishloach Manot for your friends! Join in a social justice project!
4:15 pm - Megillah Reading in multiple languages and styles!
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Torah Study
Tuesday, March 3, 7 pm
Join BCC's Rabbi Jillian Cameron every Tuesday from 7 pm - 8:30 pm on Zoom to explore the week's Torah portion through thoughtful discussion and conversation. All are welcome; friends, familiar faces, and new ones. No prior experience needed!
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Book Talk: Unlearning Jewish Anxiety with author Caryn Aviv
Sunday, March 8, 11 am
Feeling anxious lately about the state of the world and being Jewish? It’s not all in your head, and you’re not alone. Rabbi Caryn Aviv’s new book, Unlearning Jewish Anxiety: How to Live with More Joy and Suffer Less explores what anxiety feels like, and untangles some common Jewish anxiety habits about our safety, worth, and belonging in this difficult world. This interactive author event will describe what we face, how we got here, and how we can live more fully in the present moment with awareness, curiosity, and self-compassion. And hopefully, less suffering. Click here to RSVP!
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Trans Havurah Hangout
Sunday, March 8, 12 pm
Na'avor (let's cross), BCC's trans Havurah, invites you to join our monthly Zoom hangout. We welcome people who are trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, GNC, intersex, and allies. Join us to catch up and schmooze! Contact transhavurah@bcc-la.org if you need more information! Click here to register for Zoom!
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Nefesh Mountain - Live at Troubadour
Wednesday, March 18, 8 pm
Nefesh Mountain Band will be in Los Angeles for a very special night at Troubadour! The concert will be on Wednesday, MARCH 18 at 8:00 pm; with 2 sets of acoustic and electric Bluegrass & Americana and a few surprises as well!
Free tickets for this event are available to our community! Click here to get your ticket!
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Performance: Lesbo Solo
Saturday, March 21, 7 pm
Slightly world-renowned lesbian playwright, Terry Baum, has both created and ridden the wave of history that has freed gay people. She tells that true story in Lesbo Solo, My True Life Adventures thru 50 Years of Gay Liberation. The play begins in 1963, when Terry’s beloved high school teacher, Miss Perl (yes, our own beloved Harriet Perl!), is threatened with being fired over rumors that she’s a lesbian. The powerful arc of the gay liberation movement over five decades is seen through Terry’s moving and hilarious personal narrative. Learn more about the play and get your tickets here!
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Passover Seder
Thursday, April 2,
Doors: 6 pm | Seder begins: 6:30 pm
This year... indoors! Join us for our annual second night Passover seder led by Rabbi Jillian Cameron and Cantorial Soloist Raymond Zachary. This year's Passover Seder will take place in the BCC sanctuary. Register as soon as you can! The deadline is March 31st. Click here to register!
| | Volunteering Opportunities | | We are always seeking volunteers to help with BCC's programming! Click the button below to see this month's list of volunteer roles and sign up. Have something else in mind? Reach out to the BCC office at bcc@bcc-la.org to share your volunteering idea. | | Do you need a ride to BCC on a Friday night or other events? Or, can you offer someone a ride? We'll try to connect people in need of a ride with people who can offer one. Click here to offer or request a ride. Email the office for questions at bcc@bcc-la.org. | | The BCC Jewish Library project is a new initiative to help Los Angeles Jewish community members rebuild their Jewish libraries in the wake of the January 2025 wildfires. To learn more about the initiative and how you can take part, click here. | | |
Social Action: Rapid Response Networks
If you see ICE Activity anywhere you go, you can report it to the Rapid Response hotlines in your area.
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Los Angeles Raids Rapid Response Network (LARRN) 📞 888-624-4752 | Covers: Los Angeles County
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Immigrant Defenders Law Center 📞 213-833-8283 | Covers: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial counties | Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4 PM
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CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) 📞 213-353-1333 | Covers: Los Angeles County
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Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network 📞 323-922-5644 | Covers: Boyle Heights
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Koreatown Rapid Response Network 📞 323-894-1504 | Covers: Koreatown
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ORALE (Long Beach Community Defense Network) 📞 562-269-1083 | Covers: Long Beach
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Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice 📞 909-361-4588 | Covers: San Bernardino and Riverside counties
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Orange County Rapid Response Network 📞 714-881-1558 | Covers: Orange County
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805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network 📞 805-870-8855 | Covers: Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties
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San Diego Rapid Response Network 📞 619-536-0823 | Covers: San Diego County
Social Action: More Resources
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Chop Wood, Carry Water - Jessica Craven. A weekly bulletin filled with IMPORTANT and UPLIFTING information.
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Bend the Arc - Bend the Arc is building a multiracial, multiethnic, intergenerational movement of Jews and allies all across the country who are rising up to build an American future free from white supremacy, antisemitism, and racism. In Washington, D.C. and cities across the country.
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Indivisible - A grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the current agenda.
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Seeking announcement-makers!
Do you care about all the many things happening at BCC each week? Want to share them with the community? We are looking for BCC members who would like to make post-service announcements on Friday night. A template and guidelines will be provided. If you’re interested, please reach out to Maggie at bcc@bcc-la.org. We are also always seeking greeters for Shabbat! If you are interested in volunteering for this task, please reach out to Maggie at bcc@bcc-la.org.
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Did You Know...
You can watch past and current BCC services on the BCC website! When you go to the BCC homepage, click "Livestream" in the menu in the upper right corner. On that page, you can watch the current service being livestreamed. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can click the link that says "Watch past services here" to see older services. Click here to visit the Livestream page!
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Support Beth Chayim Chadashim
The World's First LGBTQIA+ Synagogue
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At BCC, we are dedicated to growing and sustaining our synagogue family - virtually and in person. We are grateful to so many of you who share your time, wisdom and resources with our community.
Your continued support and generosity are critical. It allows us to ensure the breadth and depth of all we offer throughout the year, maintain our physical space, sustain our human resources and guarantee our place as a safe, progressive and vibrant LGBTQIA+ Jewish space in the Los Angeles community now and for generations to come. Thank you for your care and commitment to our beloved community.
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Stay Connected with BCC on Social Media
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