Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Volunteers Still Needed for “Every Person Has A Name”, A 25-Hour Holocaust Remembrance Program to Commemorate UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys is partnering with the City of Pasadena and the community’s synagogues, to hold Every Person Has a Name. This 25-hour vigil will be held on the steps of Pasadena City Hall on Saturday, January 26 – Sunday, January 27, 2019.

The program will begin with a commemoration ceremony at 7:00 p.m. and it will feature speeches from elected officials, including Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek, Congresswoman Judy Chu, State Senator Anthony Portantino, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Assemblymember Chris Holden (invited), Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, local clergy, as well as performances by the Jewish Federation’s Jewish Youth Orchestra and Kol HaEmek.

Immediately following the ceremony, the program will transition into the reading of the names of people who perished during the Holocaust. Holocaust survivors, and children of Holocaust survivors from around the community will begin by reading the names of their family members who were killed during the Holocaust, and then will be followed by volunteers from throughout the community reading names.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Pastor Tyrone Skinner to Speak at Altadena Baptist for Black History Celebration

The 33rd Annual Black History Celebration will be held at Altadena Baptist Church [ABC] in Altadena, California at 5:00 p.m. on February 19, 2017. All are welcome to attend.

Prominent speakers join local artists and dignitaries for this celebration every February: in 2015 nationally-known author Brenda Salter-McNeil spoke to a standing-room-only crowd. This year, Reverend Tyrone Skinner of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena will be the featured speaker. He has served as an instructor for the National Baptist Convention with the Western Regional Youth Conference and Laymen’s Department, and holds positions on several non-profit boards. Reverend Skinner will speak on this year’s theme: “Still We Rise.”

“This is a pivotal time to be focusing on Black history,” said ABC’s co-pastor George Van Alstine. “We speak prophetically as a church, and that prophetic voice rises from the Black community in an empowered and beautiful way. Now is the time to embrace our history and our future together.”

The 33rd Annual Black History Celebration is an Altadena institution.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Newly-Arrived Rabbi Noam Raucher to Speak at Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Newly-arrived Rabbi Noam Raucher will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Altadena Congregations Together Serving (ACTS) interfaith Thanksgiving Service, Sunday November 20 at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, 1434 N. Altadena Drive, just north of Washington Boulevard.

The event is being sponsored by ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving), an interactive fellowship among local religious congregations, who work together on community issues such as homelessness, positive youth activities and mutual understanding.

Congregations that will take part in this event’s program include the Christian Science Church, St. Marks Episcopal Church, Altadena Community Church, the Bahai Faith, Christ the Shepard Lutheran Church and the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Praise music on the Thanksgiving theme will be presented by Altadena Baptist Church’s Gospel Choir, under the direction of Loren Roberts, and by Cantor Ruth Berman Harris. A musical tribute will be made to song-writer Leonard Cohen, who recently passed away, through the singing of his moving “Halleluia.”

A freewill offering will be received to support the ACTS Food Bank from which a number of local families receive food every Saturday.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Dialogue on Gun Violence and Racism to be Held at Altadena Community Church

The Altadena Community Church will offer opportunities for congregants and community members to process and respond to recent events of gun violence. It is hoped that these opportunities will provide space for individuals to seek peace and healing, the Church said in an annoucement.

On July 24th and July 31st at 11:30 a.m., Rev. Mark Smutny, an Ambassador from the Kaleidoscope Institute, will lead adult education on gun violence and racism.

This Sunday, the Church announced, attendees will focus on President Obama’s speech in Dallas and reflect on how recent gun violence has impacted our lives. On July 31st attendees will reflect on Christian scripture and how people are called to respond to recent events.

As an Ambassador from the Kaleidoscope Institute, Rev. Smutny will also introduce the tools known as “Respect Guidelines” and “Mutual Invitation” to facilitate multicultural dialogue. Congregants and community members are invited to join this event as the organizers seek to move attendees from the news to hope and peace.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Welcomes New Rabbi

The 94-year “young” Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center is welcoming Rabbi Noam Raucher as their new Senior Rabbi. Rabbi Raucher had been serving as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rabbi Raucher said he loves being a rabbi and the meaningful work of the rabbinate.

His self-written professional credo states: “I will live each and every day guided by a covenant of love with my Teacher. Each day I give thanks for the opportunity to serve the Jewish people, my fellow citizens of the world, and God. In service to them I will operate as a light of the Jewish tradition perpetuating: love, justice, hope, and wisdom. I will value people over programs, and relationships over numbers. I will always strive to sanctify life and treat all of creation as holy.”

Rabbi Raucher is originally from Hamden, CT and grew up in a home of Jewish educators and leaders. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2002 with honors in Judaic Studies and Psychology,

Monday, February 15, 2016

Dr. Joy J. Moore to Speak at Altadena Baptist for Black History Celebration

The 32nd Annual Black History Celebration will be held at Altadena Baptist Church [ABC] in Altadena at 5:00 p.m. on February 21, 2016. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Prominent speakers join local artists and dignitaries for this celebration every February: last year nationally-known author Brenda Salter-McNeil spoke to a standing-room-only crowd. This year, Dr. Joy J. Moore of Fuller Theological Seminary will be the featured speaker. Director of Fuller’s Pannell Center for African American Church Studies, Moore has focused on cross-racial ministry in urban, rural, and suburban congregations. As a pastor, she has called local congregations to recognize their vocation of glorifying God as a peaceable community—practicing hope, hospitality, and honesty. Dr. Moore will speak on “The Harvest: From Roots to Fruit.”

“This is one of the ways we give back to the community every year,” said ABC’s co-pastor George Van Alstine. “With everything happening on the national stage, the Black History Celebration takes on new meaning: it is the Church’s responsibility to recognize the roots of the Christian faith in the black community,

Monday, January 18, 2016

Metropolitan Baptist Church Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Exuberant Service

Altadena’s Metropolitan Baptist Church celebrated the life and teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday with an exuberant afternoon service.

The service, which was sponsored by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Pasadena, was led by the Rev. Tyrone Skinner as host pastor, and the Rev. John B. Bledsoe, of Zion Star Missionary Baptist Church.

State Senator Carol Liu addressed the congregation and local attorneys Dale Gronemeier, and Elbie “Skip” Hickamanbottom, Jr., were both honored for their work in support of the African-American community.

The attendees were inspired by the Lincoln Avenue Celestial Temple COGIC Church, and the afternoon’s featured speaker was Rev. James E. Stevenson, Sr., Pastor of Scott United Methodist Church.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Neighborhood Church to Sponsor Walk Marking Six Month Anniversary of Christopher Walker’s Murder at Fair Oaks Burger

The day before Halloween in 2014, Altadena-bred Christopher Walker, 26, was shot as he sat on the patio at Fair Oaks Burgers about 4:30 in the afternoon by a person who got out of a car, fired multiple times at him, then climbed back into the car and sped off on East Calaveras Street.

Walker was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital, where he died.

As Walker’s family and friends prepare to mark the six month anniversary of his death (Altadena’s first homicide since 2012), his story is attracting attention as a revealing tale of the lure of gangs in our neighborhoods.

Annenberg Radio News released a program last week that focused on Walker, and on April 30, the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasadena will host a memorial march which will be joined by community leaders and anti-gang experts.

For the details, we turn to Neighborhood Church’s Reverend Hannah Petrie:

“This past week has been a whirlwind of activity in preparation to get the word out about a meaningful,

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Radio days at Neighborhood Church April 24-25

What do we hear after each and every Radio Play? “That was so much fun, I wish I’d asked my uncle/aunt/mom/grandpa to come see it!” Now’s your chance to do so. Laugh, cry and sing along with Radio Review Best Hits! (1955). Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25, Neighborhood UU Church of Pasadena’s Sanctuary, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd at Walnut.

Come early! Open seating. Reception at 6:30pm; curtain at 7pm. Dress up in 40s or 50s clothes and hats! Free childcare if you sign up with Kat Roberts KRoberts@neighborhooduu.org before 1 pm on April 19th.

Ned Racine’s Radio Review Best Hits! (1955) is the 6th installment and the best yet! Parodies of radio plays, real funny commercials and tunes from 1955.

Tickets on sale On April 5, 12 and 19th on Neighborhood Church’s patio or email Lee atlee.brainerd@gmail.com. CHEAP! Adults, $8; Students, $5; Family Cap, $20–not recommended for children under 8 or thereabouts.

Stars 30 über-talented actors and musicians among Neighborhood Church members and friends.