Temple of the Arts marks Yom Kippur with survivors, artists, and a call for unity

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It falls at the end of the High Holy Days and is observed with fasting, prayer, and reflection. The day is devoted to atonement, seeking forgiveness, and resolving to begin the new year with a cleaner moral slate. Services begin the evening before and end at sundown the next day, traditionally marked by the sounding of the shofar.

High Holiday Yom Kippur services at Temple of the Arts, held at the Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, took place on the evening of Sunday, September 20, and throughout Monday, September 21, 2026.

Rabbi David Baron led the observances. Guests included Nova music festival massacre survivor Natalie Sanandaji, singer and activist Montana Tucker, and counterterrorism expert Steve Emerson.

Natalie Sanandaji Nova Music Festival survivor

In a conversation after the program, Sanandaji described running four miles without stopping to escape the October 7 attack, passing the bodies of friends along the way. Her account gave a personal dimension to the service's themes of survival and resilience.

An afternoon screening of the documentary The Righteous Road Trip was part of the program, followed by a discussion with Jonny Daniels, founder of the From the Depths Foundation, and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth. The film honors non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Other participants included actor Mike Burstyn, Cinémoi president Daphna Edwards Ziman, and acting teacher Bernard Hiller. Songwriter Diane Warren was listed to attend as 15-year-old Eden Kontesz performed Warren's song "I Was Here."

Music director Sharon Farber, cantors Ilysia J. Pierce and Nathan Lam, and a 12-member choir accompanied the services. Dr. Judea Pearl offered a musical tribute in memory of his late son, journalist Daniel Pearl.

Rabbi Baron's message focused on peace and unity. The services closed with the blowing of the shofar, marking the end of Yom Kippur and expressing hopes for prosperity and good fortune in the year ahead. A buffet of sandwiches, fresh fruit, and pastries followed.

For more information: http://www.bhtota.org