Helene Seifer
Helene Seifer's Latest Posts
Passover, Easter: religious traditions joined by theme of rebirth
Although the dates vary from year to year, Easter and Passover are always spring holidays that celebrate rebirth and renewal and share one thing in common. The centerpiece of Passover is the ritual meal called the Seder, when the story of the Jews’ 1300 B.C. exodus from slavery in Egypt is told. It is written […]
Ramadan: a month of fasting, prayer, charity and community
Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan! The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins this year at sundown on March 10 and ends at sundown on April 9. There are over two billion Muslims worldwide, making Islam the second largest religion, just behind Christianity’s nearly 2.4 billion adherents. Of the 3 million to 4 million Muslims estimated to […]
History abounds at the Monastery of the Angels — part 2
The Chronicle published an article in December on the Monastery of the Angels and the pumpkin bread and other treats it has provided for decades. Many locals have taken interest in the monastery over the years, and 2024 marks its 100th anniversary. In this issue, we provide additional historical information about this beloved (once) religious […]
Lizzie and Steve Blatt: an artful romance that spanned an ocean
Lizzie Pearl Rudoff met Steve Blatt in London in 2007, and they married in Steve’s backyard in Windsor Square two and a half years later. The path that brought together the British mother of two and the divorced Los Angeles business manager was unexpected and marked by tragedy, art and more than a little fairy […]
City’s famous and legendary restaurants celebrated in book
Those with a love of Los Angeles history, food or architecture — or those who just enjoy eating out — are sure to have an appetite for the compendium of facts, stories, recipes and photographs found in chef, author and food historian George Geary’s newest book, “L.A.’s Landmark Restaurants: Celebrating the Legendary Locations Where Angelenos […]
Heavenly pumpkin bread from the Monastery of the Angels
Tucked into the Hollywood Hills, the Monastery of the Angels, established in 1924, might seem an unlikely place to find sweet treats, but the large sign promoting “MonasteryGoodies.com” at the corner of the property proclaims otherwise. Although the nuns and their staff make various chocolate candies and peanut brittle, the sisters are primarily known for […]
