Dustin Hoffman and other stars celebrate the Jewish connection to Israel

LOS ANGELES — Dustin Hoffman, Gene Simmons, Jon Lovitz, and Bob Odenkirk were among the Hollywood names who gathered at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Monday night for “Letters, Light and Love,” a theatrical production celebrating the centuries-old connection between the Jewish people and Israel through letters written by historical figures and ordinary people. (Hoffman and Lovitz, both actors, are Jewish; Simmons, of KISS, is Jewish and Israeli-born; actor Odenkirk is married to a Jewish woman and has Jewish children.)

The sold-out October 19 event, organized by Jewish Federation Los Angeles, blended readings, music and storytelling to trace that relationship across generations, from Maimonides and Julius Caesar to Golda Meir, Albert Einstein and Leonard Bernstein. The evening also featured personal accounts of people whose lives and families have been intertwined with Israel.

All ticket proceeds benefited the Sha’ar HaNegev Resilience Centre, which provides emotional and therapeutic support to individuals and families in southern Israel as they work to recover and rebuild after the  October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

JTA