Building Bridges: Religious Leadership During Times of Unrest

In honor of MLK day, join religious leaders from across the City of Los Angeles who represent multiple faiths for a discussion about the critical role they play particularly during difficult times for communities.  From the role of Rabbis during the Holocaust to the work of MLK and religious allies during the civil rights movement, we look at how these leaders can lift up and frame societal attitudes during challenging times.

The panel will be moderated by Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Hillel, President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California of the Jewish Federation of LA, and President of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders (LACRL). She also has served on the board of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis. A native of St. Louis, she graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, with a bachelor of science in secondary education.

Panelists include:

Pastor William D. Smart, Jr. - President and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California

He is also Co-Pastor of the Christ Liberation Ministries in Los Angeles, where he serves with his wife.   He recently served as Director of External Training and Outreach at the Los Angeles Alliance for A New Economy a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, where he served for 9 plus years.

Hyepin Im -  U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. She is the President and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE), a national nonprofit, empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community. Hyepin also currently serves on the US Dept of Homeland Security Secretary's Faith Based Secruity Advisory Council.

Rabbi Toba Schaller - Director of Student Life and Senior Jewish Educator at UCLA Hillel 

Rabbi Toba Schaller serves the Jewish community as Senior Jewish Educator / Director of Student life for Hillel at UCLA.  Rabbi Toba, as students call her, was ordained through HUC-JIR in New York in 2016 and received a MA in Religious Education from HUC in 2015.  Her rabbinate has included roles in congregations, camping, day school and more.  A native of Wyoming, Rabbi Toba grew up mostly in Texas and is proud to be as comfortable in the honkey tonks of her home town as she is the streets of Westwood.

Mahomed Akbar Khan - Faith leader based in Los Angeles, California, with more than 30-years of conflict resolution, Humanitarian Aid, Multi Faith Promotion & Youth Development. He currently serves as Executive Board Member of the Faith Based Advisory Council for the LA County Department of Mental Health, on the Community Advisory Board for Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, on the Faith Based Advisory Council for LA City Attorney Mike Feur, and as a Board Member at the Newstar Family Justice Center.

RSVP HERE