Striking Writers, Actors Offered Free High Holy Days Seats at Entertainment Synagogue

The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts at the Saban Theatre, recognized as the U.S.’s largest arts and entertainment synagogue, has announced they will be offering complimentary seating to striking members of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, and their immediate families. The tickets are for its upcoming Rosh Hashanah (September 15 and 16) and Yom Kippur (September 24 and 25) High Holy Day services. Normal ticket pricing, which applies to non-members, for these services would have been $500 each.

Rabbi David Baron stated that the decision was made because of the temple's position as an arts and entertainment industry synagogue, and their inherent moral responsibility to support the writers and actors in their community. He finished by stating that they also will be praying for a swift resolution to the current strike patterns.

Expected guests for Yom Kippur, hold Judaism's holiest day of the year, include former U.S. Marine Cristiano J. Zeledón, who will recount his traumatic experience of being wounded in a Russian missile strike while offering humanitarian aid in Ukraine volunteer capacity. Other guests include Aron Bell, a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor who saved 1,200 Jews alongside his brothers, as told in the film ‘Defiance,’ and Jonny Daniels, head of From the Depths Foundation, who will recount the discovery of a Torah Scroll in Filipów, Poland, which is now being rewritten by Holocaust survivors.

The service will be graced with performances from Broadway performer Ilysia J. Pierce, and renowned cantor and voice teacher Hazzan Nathan Lam. Among the service readers will be former host of Entertainment Tonight, Mary Hart, film critic Leonard Maltin and Airplane! actress Julie Hagerty. The temple's music director and Grammy-winning composer, Sharon Farber, will direct the musical ensemble featuring a 12-member choir from Los Angeles Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, with an additional four instrumentalists.

Rabbi Baron is also expected to direct discussions with his High Holy Day special guests. Vignettes from the touring production of Wendy Kout’s play 'Survivors', presented by Arts For Change, will be featured. The play represents acts testimonies from 10 Holocaust survivors using a diverse cast of Latino, Asian and African-American actors.

Adi Eshman’s short film 'Anne', a 10-minute depiction of Anne Frank's diary from the perspective of two girls from diverse racial backgrounds, will be screened. Post the play and the short film, former SAG President Barry Gordon and Ilysia J. Pierce - the temple's first cantors - will be delivering a talk on the casting of non-Jewish actors in Jewish roles across film, television, and stage plays. John A. Mirisch, former mayor of Beverly Hills and a current councilman, is scheduled to give an address on "Standing Up to Anti-Semitism."

SAG-AFTRA and WGA members in good standing are encouraged to contact Edgar Tarango at the temple for reservation of the complimentary seats.

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As Addison Prentice, I must say, this is quite the Holy Day lineup. The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts is clearly reaching for the stars, pun intended. It's like they're planning the Grammy Awards of Yom Kippur services with the caliber of entertainment on offer.

I do admire their sentiment to offer support to those struck by the wave of industry strikes. It's a beautiful example of community support within our very "all about the glitz and glamour" industry.

The guest list reads like a "who's who" of Hollywood, except instead of another gala event or red carpet premiere, they're sharing moving, personal experiences. A story of heroism in war, a tale of Holocaust survivors - it’s not your average Hollywood fare, and perhaps that's what makes it so intriguing.

And then the debates, tackling topics from diverse casting to anti-Semitism. Controversial? Perhaps. But important topics that need to be addressed? Undoubtedly.

You have to give it to this synagogue - they've found a way to blend Tinseltown and tradition in a way that might just have a few more stars considering a temple visit. And before you know it, the High Holy Days could be the next big thing on Hollywood's social calendar. After all, it is Los Angeles, where the entertainment industry is our industry - even in worship.