Israel

Sociologist Max Weber first advanced the idea of a Protestant work ethic in 1914. A recent study suggests that not only does this ethic exist, it can make the effects of unemployment worse for Protestants than for non-Protestants. The Dutch survey, which used data from 150,000 people in 82 countries traditionally identified as Protestant - including the U.S., U.K., South Africa, Germany and others - found that while unemployment has a negative effect on everyone, it affects Protestants more, up to 40% more in some cases.

Thoughtful and illuminating, “Via Dolorosa” by highly respected British playwright David Hare, is one man’s journey to understand the underlying reasons for the centuries-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It is both travelogue and monologue, chronicling the author's trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Originally performed by the writer himself, this Southern California premiere features veteran actor David Bryan Jackson playing the part of The Author.

Jewish leaders and critics of the religious right have criticized religious broadcaster Pat Robertson for his Jan. 5 remarks suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent stroke had something to do with God's ill-will for Sharon's deal with the Palestinians to pull out of Gaza. What do you think of such remarks, and as people of faith, has this been a topic of discussion within your congregations? If so, how do you deal with it? The remark by Pat Robertson shows how ignorant he is about the faith he thinks he knows.

Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis The 15 th Annual Mayors' Cup Golf Tournament hosted by the Burbank Sunrise Kiwanis was held on April 27 and it went very well.  Former and current city of Burbank Mayors and all their golf playing friends, as well as our high school players, participate every year in this great fundraising event. Among the Mayors present were current (at the time of the tournament) Mayor Jess Talamantes , as well as former Mayors Todd Campbell , Mary Lou Howard , Dave Golonski , Marsha Ramos , Gary Bric , and Vince Stefano . The first place winners in “A Flight” were:  Michael Cusumano , Bret Mersola , Mike Rigo and Steve Dickson .  First place winners “for B Flight”:  Gary Bric , Ken Spencer , John Bryan and Ron Jancula . The first place High School winners were:  Andy Chung and Bryan Dunayer of Burbank High School, partnered with Kelsy Danzeisen and Sivakorn Losakul of John Burroughs High School.

BURROUGHS VS. CRESCENTA VALLEY WHEN : 7 p.m. Thursday. WHERE : Moyse Field (Glendale High). RECORDS : The Indians are 1-4, 1-1 in the Pacific League; the Falcons are 3-2, 1-1. LAST WEEK : Burroughs defeated Glendale, 24-7; Crescenta Valley defeated Pasadena, 17-14. OUTLOOK : The Indians, the three-time defending Pacific League champions, will be facing a Crescenta Valley team that is coming off a big league win last week against Pasadena. The Falcons' defense played a big part in the win, holding the Bulldogs to one touchdown through almost the entire game until the Bulldogs scored their second TD with seven seconds left.

Irma Lemus BURBANK -- From a public display of Jewish pride to private ceremonies, Burbank residents will celebrate the Hanukkah spirit. Thursday at sundown marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights. In terms of religious significance, Hanukkah is a minor holiday when compared to Passover and Yom Kippur. Nonetheless, Hanukkah is a time when families and friends gather to light the symbolic menorah, eat latkes and exchange gifts.

Jenna Bordelon MAGNOLIA PARK -- A centuries-old wind instrument was brought to musical life Sunday at Chabad of Burbank. More than 50 moms, dads and kids came to the "Shofar Factory" to sand and shellac their own instruments. Rabbi Shmuly Kornfeld drilled and cut the horns for participants, many of whom stayed into the afternoon to finish the details on their works of art. Made of a curly ram's horn, the shofar is the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible, Kornfeld said.

Jim Riggio BURBANK TENNIS CENTER -- Burbank High graduate Tigran Martirosyan had a plan. If he could win three matches in the pre-qualifier of the $25,000 U.S. Tennis Assn. Challenger of Burbank, he would reach the main draw and get his first crack at the top guns in professional men's tennis. Martirosyan got through the first step, but his second opponent was a little too much to handle Saturday, as South Africa's Wesley Whitehouse easily defeated Martirosyan, 6-1, 6-2. Whitehouse, 22, was the 1997 Wimbledon Junior champion and finished that year ranked as the No.2 Junior player in the world.

Alecia Foster and Ryan Carter NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Levon Marashlian, history and politics professor at Glendale Community College, spent the early morning hours Tuesday taping the news to show to his government class. Then the regular program was interrupted with breaking news of attacks on both the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. "At first it looked like it was an accident," Marashlian said. It wasn't. What Marashlian quickly began to realize was that what he was seeing an example of what he had discussed for years as part of his Politics in the Middle East class: terrorism.

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, prompted scepticism with his call for the Jewish community to counter the religious right's approach to dismantling the separation of church and state. Do you feel the religious right is making such an effort? What do you think of Foxman's message? The implication of Foxman's message is that the "religious right" is acting in a subversive, unfair manner that should be stopped. Apparently he believes that if conservative Christians have our way all Americans will be forced to conform to the dictates of a government dominated by the church.