Los Angeles events explore Jewish wisdom and wellness

LOS ANGELES, April 21 (UPI) -- Jewish leaders and members of the public will explore Jewish wisdom and wellness during a "week of learning," in Los Angeles, officials say.

The Jewish Wisdom & Wellness week is co-hosted by Cedars-Sinai and the Kalsman Institute on Judaism & Health and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Rabbis, physicians, scholars, musicians and others will take part in more than 60 lectures, classes, musical performances and art exhibits across a broad stream of Jewish thought and practice.

The events -- highlighting important themes around wisdom, prayer, family and community -- will be held at Cedars-Sinai, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, synagogues, college campuses and other locations throughout the Los Angeles region.

The week kicks off Sunday evening with a panel discussion at Cedars-Sinai by four prominent Los Angeles rabbis, some of whom have endured personal health crises, about the ways Judaism can help people weather difficult medical and spiritual situations.

"We want to tap into the deep well of Jewish wisdom and use it as a lens to show how it can inform and help heal our bodies and spirits," Joel L. Kushner, interim director of the Kalsman Institute, said in a statement.

Among the topics scheduled to be discussed are: the influence of Jewish tradition on end-of-life decisions, yoga as a healing art and the Jewish perspective on organ transplantation.