Temple Plans Variety of Events

What Jews Want to Know About the New Testament” will be the topic at 9:40 a.m. Sunday at Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah.

Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller and Robin Martin of Ventura’s Church of the Foothills will lead the discussion, which is open to the public.

The monthly Tot Shabbat will begin at 7 p.m. Friday. The shortened service is oriented toward very young children and highlighted by music.

The Women of Reform Judaism’s yearly Hanukkah boutique is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 22.

At 4 p.m. that same day, a discussion titled “Coversations About Jewish Identity in Interfaith Families” will be open to all. Child care is provided by reservation.

For reservations or information, call 647-4181. The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road, Ventura.

Young Continentals to Perform

* The 30-member Young Continentals will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Paula.

“The Young Continentals are an enthusiastic evangelical group of young people communicating the message of hope found in Jesus Christ,” said Vickie Horn of the church.

Immediately after the program, instrumentalists, vocalists, technicians, dancers and chaperons are invited to audition for or pick up information on becoming a Young Continental.

The public is welcome to the free concert, although seating is limited, Horn said. The church’s Fellowship Hall is at 121 N. Davis St. Call 525-6654 for information.

Hanukkah Boutique Offered

* Congregation B’nai Emet in Simi Valley will hold a Hanukkah boutique from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

B’nai Emet is at 4645 Industrial St., Suite 2C. Call 581-3723 for information or instructions.

Free Concert at Church

* The gospel music group New Creations will perform at Ventura Missionary Church at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The New Creations blend a traditional southern style with a contemporary mixed trio sound.

The free concert is open to the public. Ventura Missionary Church is at 500 High Point Drive. For information, call 656-0500.

Christmas Bazaar Planned

* An “Alternative Christmas Market” at Camarillo’s United Methodist Church will be held Sunday by several local organizations, including Project Understanding, Camarillo Hospice, UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity.

Homemade foods, crafts and gifts will be sold at the church’s Brooks Hall between 10 a.m. and noon.

The church is at 291 Anacapa Drive. For details, call 482-4312.

Dinner, Auction to Benefit School

* Ventura County Christian High School will host a dinner and silent auction Tuesday at O’Briens on Main in Ventura to benefit curriculum and facility development.

Established in 1994 in Ventura, the school, which has an enrollment of 91, is supported by several churches throughout the county.

An auction preview and bidding will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served from 6 to 7 p.m. Live entertainment will also be featured.

Tickets for the dinner are $25 if purchased in advance by calling the school at 641-0187, or $30 at the door. O’Briens is at 394 E. Main St.

College Club to Discuss Cloning

* The ethics of cloning will be discussed at the Moorpark College Catholic Club meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Library Room 211 at the college.

Father Richard Benson, who teaches at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, will lead the discussion.

Non-Catholics are welcome to attend the discussion. For directions or information, call president Steve McAlister at 498-6141.

Science of Mind Classes Offered

* Two eight-week Science of Mind classes, “How to Pray Effectively” and “Spiritual Laws,” will be offered at the Westlake Church of Religious Science from Wednesday through Jan. 20.

Each class will meet once a week. Fees are $100 for nonmembers, $90 for members and $70 for teenagers.

Call the church office at 495-0105 for details. The church is at 2649 Townsgate Road, No. 500.

Preschool Hanukkah Boutique

* Temple Etz Chaim’s preschool in Thousand Oaks will offer “Nosh and Shop,” a Hanukkah boutique, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The public is welcome.

Proceeds from vendor sales will go toward purchase of new playground equipment. For information, call 497-6852. The temple is at 1080 Janss Road.

Academy to Hold Open House

* St. Augustine Academy of Ventura will hold an open house at 7 p.m. Friday.

The academy provides a Catholic liberal arts formation for fourth- through 12th-graders. The public is welcome to see presentations of students at the open house.

For information, call Martin O’Hara at 658-8161. The academy is at 1711 Wood Place.

Special Family Shabbat Planned

* Oxnard Congregation Am HaYam will hold a special family Shabbat service at 7 p.m. Friday. All members of the Jewish community are invited.

Call 656-6634 for information.

All Shabbat services are held at the Oxnard Monday Club, 1401 W. Gonzales Road.

Musical Comedy to Be Performed

* “The Therapy Sisters,” a musical comedy, will be performed by Lisa Rogers and Maurine McLean in the sanctuary of All Saints Episcopal Church in Oxnard on Wednesday. The $10 concert will begin at 7 p.m. and benefit the Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

For information, call the church at 483-2347. All Saints is at 144 South C St.

Showtime ’98 to Be Presented

* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will sponsor Showtime ’98 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

More than 200 local performers age 8 and older will accompany former city manager Grant Brimhall in singing and dancing.

Tickets, at $5, are available at the Thousand Oaks stake of the church or by calling 495-6389. Tickets purchased for an Aug. 29 performance, which was canceled because of power outages, will be honored Nov. 21.

Holiday Gifts Featured

* On Nov. 22, Thousand Oaks’ Temple Etz Chaim Sisterhood will put on a Hanukkah Happening, featuring holiday gifts, at the temple from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For information, call the temple office at 497-6891. The temple is at 1080 Janss Road.

Institute Plans 2 Lectures

* The Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley will hold two lectures with Rabbi Edward Harwitz and Jordan Elgrably the afternoon of Dec. 5.

Harwitz, of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, will speak on “Generation to Generation: The Challenge of Transmitting Tradition.” Elgrably’s topic will be “Cultural Commuting: The Hidden Jews of the Sepharad.”

The afternoon will include Israeli dancing with time to picnic on the institute’s 3,000 acres at 1101 Peppertree Lane.

Reservations are essential--no tickets will be sold at the gate the day of the program. For information, call 582-4450. All Shabbat afternoon lecture programs are $15 per person, with the gate opening at 1 p.m.

Christian Musician to Perform

* Christian recording artist Randy Stonehill will perform three free concerts Dec. 5 and 6 at Ventura’s South Coast Fellowship.

Stonehill, known in the Christian music world for 30 years, has been active with Compassion International, which helps underprivileged children worldwide, for 15 years.

He will perform at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 8 and 10 a.m. Dec. 6.

South Coast Fellowship is at 4050 Market St. For information, call 658-7646.

Theological Conference at CLU

* The theme of Cal Lutheran University’s 18th annual January WinterBreak Theological Conference will be “Christ and the Coming Century.” Topics will include “Martin Luther’s Legacy” and “Daring to Be Christian as the Century Turns.”

The WinterBreak Theological Conference, to be held Jan. 27 and 28, is open to both clergy and laity. For information or to register, call the church relations office at 493-3936.

Cal Lutheran is at 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.

Bahai Convention Delegate Picked

* David Rastegar, president of Aspen Environmental Group of Agoura Hills, was recently elected by the Bahai Unit Convention in Simi Valley to be a delegate to the national Bahai convention in April in Wilmette, Ill.

Rastegar is one of 171 delegates chosen on the regional level to represent 130,000 members of the Bahai faith in the 48 contiguous states.

His tenure is one year. He will report to the Bahais of Ventura County on his return from the national convention.

For information on the Bahai faith, call Molly King at 933-1253.

Bishop of Ventura Ward Named

* Dennis Garret of Ventura has been named bishop of the Ventura 1st Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He replaces Robert Ayer.

Garret’s past roles in the LDS church have included young men’s president, ward clerk and a full-time mission for the church to New Zealand.

For information on the Ventura 1st Ward, call Olivia Freeman at 521-0820.