DAVID by Max Friedland

M AY 2017

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CELEBRATING OUR SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY

A SPIRITUAL ODYSSEY BAT MITZVAH CONFIDENTIAL HACKING YOUR HORMONES THE GIRLS IN GREEN

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May

Pulse 14

Explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay.

20 Desire Sin City abounds in worldclass shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things. 22 Discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the world.

28 Know Third generation Nevadan Marla Letizia discusses the future of the Las Vegas Jewish Community.

42 Get Fit for Summer Dr. Sara Gottfried explains how we can achieve optimum health through hacking our hormones.

30 Sense A UNLV student accepts Chabad’s invitation to a Crown Heights Shabbaton.

46 Wonder Gal Israeli actress Gal Gadot redefines the female super hero with her portrayal of the iconic Wonder Woman.

34 Sense The University Medical Center of Southern Nevada are pioneers in women’s heart health research.

58 Ellen Spiegel Four-term Nevada Assemblywoman. The month’s spotlight on someone to know.

CELEBRATING OUR SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY

52 The Girls in Green After high school, Israeli girls are conscripted into the Israeli Defense Forces.

A SPIRITUAL ODYSSEY BAT MITZVAH CONFIDENTIAL HACKING YOUR HORMONES

On the Cover

Wonder Gal n Israeli Mother edefines this 76 Year Old American Icon

www.davidlv.com

Israeli Actress Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman Image: Courtesy Warner Brothers.

THE GIRLS IN GREEN

M AY 2 0 17

36 Taste What do you get when you have a young Jewish girl, a foodie dad, a bunch of Vegas chefs and an agreeable Rabbi?

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Think

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M AY 2017

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Copyright © 2017 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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Joanne Friedland

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EDITORIAL

• Special Veterans Pricing Plan

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• Special Synagogue Pricing Plan • Burials out-of-state and Eretz Yisrael

Endorsed by the entire Rabbinic community, meeting the needs of every denomination with tradition and compassion.

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Contributing Writers

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Jaq Greenspon Marisa Finetti

Marisa Finetti Ruth Furman Jaq Greenspon Jason Harris Rachel Hershkovitz Rob Kachelriess Scott Kerbs Lynn Wexler

Jay Poster Funeral Director, Manager & Founder

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Sheryl Chenin-Webb Family Service Director

Joanne Friedland

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

Kacia-Dvorkin Pretty Family Service Director

702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 08 Number 1 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

A Dignity Memorial® Provider

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DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

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Contributors

Ruth Furman

Jaq Greenspon

Jason Harris

is a journalist and

is a new father as well as a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.

writes for a number of publications and websites. He specializes in food, music, and comedy writing. He has worked in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry. He has sold multiple screenplays, written awards shows and had a tv show on ABC for a minute. He’s still broke. And he loves his daughter Scarlett the most.

publicist who is equally obsessed with helping her clients shine brighter and supporting locally owned businesses. You might find her buried in a murder mystery, binge listening to a podcast or obsessively curating the perfect coffee experience. She resides in Summerlin with her husband, Michael.

Rob Kachelriess stays busy writing about all things interesting in Las Vegas. No topic is off limits. He’s best known for his work with Thrillist and producing content for Luxury Estates International, a high-end real estate brokerage. Rob also contributes to several local and national publications on a regular basis. He spends time away from his laptop with his fiancee Mary and their dog Zoey.

Scott Kerbs is a Physician Experience Coordinator at UMC. He works closely alongside physicians, gathering feedback and addressing concerns to ensure they have the best possible experiences at UMC. He also serves as a member of UMC’s marketing team, drawing upon his experience as a journalist to share valuable information with members of the community.

Lynn Wexler enjoys distilling, and voicing in print, the essence of topics she researches and those she interviews. Her acute and ardent style has been acknowledged throughout her years as a TV reporter, news anchor and journalist, interviewing persons of note on the world stage. As a certified alues and Manners Life Coach, Lynn trains groups and individuals on improving their personal, social and professional effectiveness. She is most proud of her three outstanding children.

Rachel Hershkovitz recently graduated from UNLV and now works as a breaking news reporter for the Review-Journal. Her interests include Internet subcultures, Kabbalah, and literary fiction. ith her sister, she hosts an underground dance party called Soft Leather. 10 | www.davidlv.com

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From the Publisher

MAY 2010

www.davidlv.com

PREMIERE ISSUE

PIVEN’S PEOPLE

Looking Through the Eyes of the Celebrated Israeli Artist

Sex & the Single Girl The Dish on Knishes

In May 2010 we published the premier issue of DAVID, the one with Albert Einstein on the cover. Israeli artist Hanoch Pivin had generously allowed us to feature one of his artworks and even consented to having his Albert wear one of our “Hello My Name is DAVID” stickers on his lapel. Seven years later we are preparing our 85th issue for press. A monthly magazine’s production cycle can be brutal, forcing us publishers to adopt an unsentimental demeanor. No matter how much blood, sweat, and tears we invest in an individual publication, we have to send it out for distribution. Our readers get the new issue and we climb back on the treadmill. Each May, DAVID focuses on women. We celebrate individuals and organizations that are blazing trails and challenging the status quo. This May, we shine a light on two Nevadans, who having accepted the mantle of leadership and are showing us the path ahead. Third-generation Las Vegan Marla Letizia has literally grown up with our city. She recently accepted the board chair of Jewish Nevada. Her vision for a 21st century Jewish community is inspiring. Four-term Nevada Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel is a small business owner and acclaimed culinary doyenne. She, too, is charting a course for our community in these challenging times. Plus, I have it on good authority that her bubka is legendary. Gal Gadot features in two of our stories. If you Google “young Israeli women in the military” and search images, there she is, not in an army uniform but as the iconic character Wonder Woman. This entry does double duty, both selling the heroism of her screen character and that of the young girls in green. She captures our imagination, this mother of two she represents all fighting women, especially heroic mothers. On the other side of the age spectrum, we celebrate two remarkable young Las Vegas women. Rachel Herskovitz is a crime reporter for the Las Vegas Review Journal. It is not easy for an individual who reports public events to open up about their own inner world. She elegantly shares her personal spiritual journey with us, proving that the distance between personal and universal is not that great. Elena Gladstone-Dodd is just setting out on her own journey. My wife and I celebrated with her and her family as she became a Bat Mitzvah this last Saturday. We report on the unique meal served at the luncheon that followed. For the 85th time I have the privilege of signing off, if I don’t see you this month, I’ll see you in the racks. Thanks for your continued support.

Max D. Friedland max@davidlv.com

Mea Culpa There were several issues that need clarification and or correction in our pril issue. We apologize for any confusion they may have caused: In the story Pop Up Shabbat! pages 3235, we incorrectly cited Congregation Ner Tamid Jessica Hutchings’ title. Hutchings is not a Cantorial soloist. She is an ordained Chazzan/Cantor having received numerous degrees: a Master s in Jewish Sacred Music

from the cademy for Jewish Religion a Bachelor’s in Literature in Hebrew Letters and a Master’s of Arts in Education from the American Jewish University’s Fingerhut School of Education. Our friends at Zuma loved the review of their restaurant, Zoom, Zoom Zuma pages 3640. They were, however, concerned that we may have given a false impression about the cocktail that we featured on page 40. They

provided us with the following clarification: uma does not include a literal fish in their Fish In a Bag cocktail. The fish is dehydrated orange cut to look like a fish We had a layout problem with the story Luck be a Lady pages 52-56. Some of the story was inadvertently obscured by an image. The full text of the Lissa Townsend Rodgers piece can be found online at davidlv.com/ content/luck-be-lady.

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Pulse

Your Guide to the Arts, Entertainment and Community Events. What's Hot this Month in Dining, Shopping and Local Attractions.

Foster the People, May 27 www.davidlv.com | 13

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Explore

SIRIUS XM PRESENTS BILLY IDOL: FOREVER Through May 13, 8 p.m., $125 and up. House of Blues, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-632-7600. http:// mandalaybay.com CLASSIC CHER Through May 20, 9 p.m., $112 and up. Park Theater, 3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 844-600-7275. https://montecarlo. com/en/entertainment/parktheater BRITNEY: PIECE OF ME Through May 20, 9 p.m., $125 and up. Axis Theater, Planet Hollywood, 3667 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-7855555. http://caesars.com/planethollywood JOURNEY Through May 20, 7 p.m., $60 and up. The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. http:// hardrockhotel.com

AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS 7:30 p.m., $49 and up. Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-7492012. http://thesmithcenter.com RALPHIE MAY Through May 20, 10 p.m., $44 and up. Harrahs, 3475 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 800-214-9110. https://caesars.com/harrahs LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC SPOTLIGHT SERIES 7:30 p.m., $195. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com YELLOW BRICK ROAD 8 p.m., $5 and up. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http://brooklynbowl. com/las-vegas

DAVE CHAPPELLE 9 p.m., $59 and up. Mandalay Bay Event Center, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-6327600. http://mandalaybay.com

Dave Chappelle, May 5

May 1

TAPE FACE Through May 7, 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m., $74 and up. Flamingo, 3555 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-733-3111. https://caesars.com/ flamingo-las-vegas ELTON JOHN: THE MILLION DOLLAR PIANO 7:30 p.m., $100 and up. The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, 3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las

Vegas. 866-227-5938. http://caesarspalace.com

2 WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY UNITED LUNCHEON 10:30 a.m., $75. Keep Memory Alive Center, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., Las Vegas. 702-892-2326. http:// nvwomensphilanthropy.org

Z-TRIP 7 p.m., $25. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http:// brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas JON LOVITZ & DANA CARVEY REUNITED Through May 6, 8:30 p.m., $75 and up. The Foundry, SLS, 2535 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-761-7000. http://slshotels.com/ lasvegas

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Journey, May 3-20

THE GROWLERS Through May 6, 8 p.m., $30 and up. Vinyl, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. http:// hardrockhotel.com RAMON AYALA & PAQUITA LA DEL BARRIO 9 p.m., $70 and up. Mandalay Bay Event Center, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-6327600. http://mandalaybay.com FIRST FRIDAY ART CELEBRATION 6 p.m., free. Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-383-3133. http://theartsfactory.com CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND TIP CITY Through May 6, 7 p.m., $39 and up. Cabaret Jazz Theater, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com

JIM GAFFIGAN Through May 7, 8 p.m., $55 and up. Caesars Palace, 3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. http:// caesarspalace.com TIM ALLEN 10 p.m., $60 and up. Terry Fator Theatre, Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. http://mirage.com CANELO VS. CHAVEZ 3:30 p.m., $75 and up. T-Mobile Arena, 3780 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-692-1300. http://t-mobilearena.com

7 MISS NEVADA UNITED STATES 6 p.m., $40. South Point, 9777 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. http://southpointcasino.com LEELA JAMES & DALEY 8:30 p.m., $22. House of Blues, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-632-7600. http:// mandalaybay.com

8 BETSY WOLFE & ADAM KANTOR Through May 9, 7 p.m., $39 and up. Cabaret Jazz Theater, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com

10 JCC'S SECOND ANNUAL SPORTS BANQUET 7 p.m., free. Topgolf, 4627 Koval Ln., Las Vegas. 702-794-0090. http://jccsn.org 38TH ANNUAL SAN GENNARO FEAST Through May 14, times vary, $10. Craig Ranch Regional Park, 628 W. Craig Rd., North Las Vegas. 702633-2418. http://sangennarofeast.com

11 SUBURBAN LEGENDS & PILFERS 6 p.m., $10 and up. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. http://hardrockhotel.com

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2 p.m. Saturday, $29 and up. Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com THREE DOG NIGHT Through May 14, 8 p.m., $44 and up. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. http://orleans.com ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS 7:30 p.m., $33 and up. Topgolf, MGM Grand, 4627 Koval Ln., Las Vegas. 702-933-8458. https://topgolf.com/us/las-vegas KIRK WHALUM 8 p.m., $39 and up. Foundry Showroom, SLS, 2535 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-761-7000. http://slshotels. com/lasvegas ARTS FESTIVAL OF HENDERSON Through May 14, 9 a.m., free. Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St. Henderson. 702-267-2171. http:// cityofhenderson.com Trevor Noah, May 12-13

TREVOR NOAH Through May 13, 10 p.m., $60 and up. Terry Fator Theater, Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. http:// mirage.com POPTONE 8 p.m., $30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http://brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

Vegas. 702-791-7111. http://mirage.com BLUE OCTOBER 7 p.m., $30 and up. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-

IAC 69TH ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY - CELEBRATE ISRAEL FESTIVAL 1 p.m., free. Venetian, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-786-6700. https://

862-2695. http://brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

israeliamerican.org/las-vegas

PETER PAN Through May 14, 7:30 p.m. Friday,

SOUL MEN STARRING SPECTRUM 7 p.m., $45.

WINE REVOLUTION: THE GRAND TASTING Through May 13, Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m., $115 and up. The Grand Ballroom, Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St., Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. http://goldennugget.com TRAIN 8 p.m., $75 and up. MGM Grand Garden Arena, MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-892-7575. https://mgmgrand.com HENDERSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: SEASON FINALE 8 p.m., free. Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Pkwy., Henderson. 702-267-4849. http://cityofhenderson.com CHRIS MANN: A NIGHT WITH THE PHANTOM Through May 13, 7 p.m., $36 and up. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com

JAY LENO 10 p.m., $87 and up. Terry Fator Theatre, Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las

Kirk Whallum, May 13

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Cabaret Jazz Theater, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com

LAS VEGAS 51'S BASEBALL VS. IOWA Through May 18, times vary, $15. Cashman Center, 850 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas. 702-386-7100. http://lv51.com

AN INTIMATE EVENTING WITH SANTANA GREATEST HITS LIVE Through May 28, 8 p.m., $135 and up. House of Blues, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-6327600. http://mandalaybay.com

ENANITOS VERDES 8:30 p.m., $45. House of Blues, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-632-7600. http:// mandalaybay.com ZERO GRAVITY Through May 20, $4950. McCarran International Airport, 5757 Wayne Newton Blvd., Las Vegas. 703-894-2188. https:// gozerog.com

BEGINNINGS! THE ULTIMATE CHICAGO TRIBUTE BAND Through May 20, 7:30 p.m., $20 and up. South Point, 9777 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. http:// southpointcasino.com BILL MAHER Through May 20, 8 p.m., $87 and up. Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. http://mirage.com SIX60 7 p.m., $20. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http:// brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas TRUTV IMPRACTICAL JOKERS "SANTIAGO SENT US" TOUR STARRING THE TENDERLOINS 8 p.m., $44 and up. Ka Theater, MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-8927575. https://mgmgrand.com JOHN FOGERTY: FORTUNATE SON IN CONCERT Through May 24, 8 p.m., $96 and up. Encore, 3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702770-7171. http://wynnlasvegas.com SUPER SUMMER THEATER - OKLAHOMA Through May 20, 7:30 p.m., $15 and up. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, 6375 Nevada

159, Blue Diamond. 702-875-4141. http:// supersummertheatre.org FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH KONGOS POOLSIDE AT THE JBL SOUND STAGE 9 p.m., $30. Paradise Pool, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. http:// hardrockhotel.com GEORGE BUGATTI'S PIANO BAR WITH SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST STAR ANTONIA BENNETT 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., $39 and up. Cabaret Jazz Theater, The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http:// thesmithcenter.com GIN BLOSSOMS 8 p.m., $40 and up. The Showroom, Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St., Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. http://goldennugget.com

THE TEMPTATIONS Through May 21, 8 p.m., $55 and up. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. http://orleans.com LOS LOBOS AND LOS LONELY BOYS 8 p.m., $25 and up. Star of the Desert Arena, Buffalo Bills, 31700 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702386-7867. http://primmvalleyresorts.com CBS RADIO'S SPF 9 p.m., $45 and up. Boulevard Pool, Cosmopolitan, 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. http://cosmopolitan.com DIRTYBIRD BBQ 2 p.m., $20 and up. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, 200 S. 3rd St., Las Vegas. 800-745-3000. http://dlvec.com TESTAMENT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SEPULTURA & PRONG 6 p.m., $30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. http://brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas CHRIS BROWN: THE PARTY TOUR 7 p.m., $40 and up. MGM Grand Garden Arena, MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-8927575. https://mgmgrand.com

2017 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS 5 p.m., $87 and up. T-Mobile Arena, 3780 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-692-1300. http://tmobilearena.com

THE SWEETS' SPOT WITH MELODY SWEETS 9:30 p.m., $25 and up. Cabaret Jazz Theater, www.davidlv.com | 17

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The Chelsea, Cosmopolitan, 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. http://cosmopolitan.com SMASH MOUTH 9 p.m., $35. Elation Pool, Stratosphere, 2000 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-380-7777. http:// stratospherehotel.com DEAD & COMPANY 8 p.m., $50 and up. MGM Grand Garden Arena, MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-892-7575. https://mgmgrand.com LAS VEGAS 51'S BASEBALL VS. EL PASO Through May 30, times vary, $15. Cashman Center, 850 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas. 702386-7100. http://lv51.com GABRIEL IGLESIAS Through May 28, 10 p.m., $60. Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. http://mirage.com CABRERA CONDUCTS BRUCKNER 7:30 p.m., $30 and up. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http:// thesmithcenter.com

Dead & Company, May 27

The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http://thesmithcenter.com

up. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. http://orleans.com

BAND OF HORSES 8 p.m., $29 and up. The Chelsea, Cosmopolitan, 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. http://cosmopolitan. com

MIX 94.1 PRESENTS LUKAS GRAHAM 8 p.m., $30. Paradise Pool, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. http:// hardrockhotel.com BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS 7:30 p.m., $45 and up. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http://brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas MARSHA AMBROSIUS & ERIC BENET 8 p.m., $30 and up. House of Blues, Mandalay Place, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-6327600. http://mandalaybay.com

JOEL MCHALE 9 p.m., $61 and up. MystÃ¨re Theater, Treasure Island, 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. http:// treasureisland.com KATHY GRIFFIN 10 p.m., $87 and up. Terry Fator Theatre, Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. http://mirage.com AIR SUPPLY Through May 28, 8 p.m., $44 and

LITTLE RIVER BAND 8 p.m., $84 and up. Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St., Las Vegas. 702-3857111. http://goldennugget.com 13TH ANNUAL BEST DAM BARBEQUE CHALLENGE Through May 27, time vary, free. Bicentennial Park, 999 Colorado St., Boulder City. 702-293-9256. http:// bestdambarbecue.com PUNK ROCK BOWLING & MUSIC FESTIVAL Through May 29, 3 p.m., $50 and up. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, 200 S. 3rd St., Las Vegas. 800-745-3000. http://dlvec.com FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE POOL WITH HIGHLY SUSPECT 9:30 p.m., $29. Paradise Pool, Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas. 702693-5000. http://hardrockhotel.com

FOSTER THE PEOPLE 8 p.m., $20 and up.

PINK TALKING FISH: A FUSION OF PINK FLOYD, THE TALKING HEADS, & PHISH 11:59 p.m., $15 and up. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. http:// brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

LOVERBOY & STARSHIP 8 p.m., $24 and up. Sunset Outdoor Amphitheater, Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson. 702-547-7777. https://sunsetstation.sclv.com NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: THE TOTAL PACKAGE TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS PAULA ABDUL & BOYZ II MEN 7:30 p.m., $35 and up. T-Mobile Arena, 3780 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-692-1300. http://tmobilearena.com

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 7 p.m., $30 and up. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. http:// thesmithcenter.com

To submit your event information, email calendar@davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.

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Devour

Rajah Masala Chef and healthy living advocate Hemant Kishore’s Rajah Masala is a tribute to one of his favorite bar snacks, enjoyed during his college days in the South Indian state of Kerala. Available, along with other Indian dishes, at his Toddy Shop, (inside Inn Zone) the dish consists of fresh and cool salsa sprinkled with hearty roasted peanuts and served with assorted chips. Kerala is a prominent spice exporter and its food prominently showcases its tropical influences. Expect chef’s offering to be a reflection of his native flavors and style. Toddy Shop, inside Inn Zone, 238 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-255-5588

Lychee and Rose Petal Martini This cocktail comes from the mixologists at Zuma located inside The Cosmopolitan. It is a bright and fragrant libation perfect for mom on Mother’s Day. Made of vodka, lychee puree and rose syrup, one sip will take her on a virtual stroll through the secret garden of her choice. Ingredients 1 3/4 oz. vodka or gin 2 oz. lychee puree 3/4 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. rose syrup 1 pinch salt 1 rose petal for garnish Method Combine vodka or gin, lychee purée, lemon juice, rose syrup, and salt in a cocktail shaker. Shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a rose petal. ZUMA, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-698-2199

CAFÉ BOM BOM Sushi Samba, a celebration of three cultures – Japan, Brazil and Peru – brings together one of the finest Japanese whisky programs in the city and the best way to experience the mix of culture and flavor is their sublime whisky pairing menu. This texture bomb is dark roasted coffee custard, chocolate hazelnut crumble, sweet cream ice cream, and Japanese whisky foam, paired with the Japanese Cherry Manhattan Granita, made of Iwai Japanese Whisky, Antica Formula Carpano vermouth, cherry bitters, and maraschino cherry syrup. Sushi Samba, The Palazzo, 3327 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-607-0700 www.davidlv.com | 19

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Desire

Mother's Day Mom always has a mint, a safety pin and Kleenex. Give her something to carry those emergency necessities. Crafted of cream and multicolored watercolor floral print smooth leather, Fendi s Kan I shoulder bag is detailed with a border of multicolored leather flowers. , . Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes, 3377 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-629-4200.

Fornasetti s Ortensia lidded candle is crafted of natural vegetable wax poured into a glazed ceramic vessel featuring the lithographic image of house muse Lina Cavalieri peeking out from behind flowers. The candle s lush Flora di Fornasetti fragrance is a musky floral scent created by master perfumer Emmanuel Philip. . Barneys Las Vegas, Grand Canal Shoppes, 3377 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-629-4200.

Give her a vacation with a dreamy scallop shell as the focal point. The Tassel Shell Necklace by Tommy Bahama is a layered necklace that shines with golden chains, enameled charms, and petite tassels. $58. Tommy Bahama, Town Square, 6635 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-948-8006.

This perfume is more like a piece of home decor than a beauty product. But the scent inside is e ually surprising. The blend of jasmine and cocoa heats up the skin and takes you from office to party. Carolina Herrera Good Girl. . Macy’s Fashion Show, 3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-731-5111.

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She said it on her birthday, you heard it at Christmas, and Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is no different. If mom wants for nothing except quality time here are a few ways to put a smile on her face. A custom basket of pampering necessities should do the trick, then start her bath. Prices vary. LUSH, Downtown Summerlin, 2120 Festival Plaza Dr., Las Vegas. 702-869-1118.

From the fiercely feminine original Hardware collection by Tiffany & Co., the utilitarian design and name draws inspiration from the urban New York City soul, where the modern rebel mixes high fashion with street style. The look is classic, edgy and inspired by a unisex bracelet from 1971. Lady Gaga, a women who is fiercely feminine and original, is the face of the new collection. . Tiffany & Co., Shops at Crystals, 3720 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-545-9090.

Miu Miuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sumptous coral mohair eco-shearling slide sandals are embellished at the vamp with imitation pearls. . Nordstrom, Fashion Show, 3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-862-2525.

For the true chocolate connoisseur, Nevada s first bean to bar chocolates present flavors from profiles representative of Madagascar, Tanzania, Peru, enezuela and the Dominican Republic, the five countries from which the cocoa beans are harvested. HE Chocolate + Confexxions offers various gift boxes, like the lexx olume , which holds chocolate bars, for Mother s Day. . . Hexx Chocolate + Confexxions, Paris Las Vegas, 3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-331-5100.

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Discover Pahrump Valley From award-winning wineries to top-notch golf courses and outdoor trails, there are many reasons why you should visit Pahrump. This May, Pahrump is giving you four more reasons to make Pahrump your basecamp to adventure with the Wild West Extravaganza & Bluegrass Festival, the Lake Spring Mountain season opening, races at Pahrump Valley Speedway and the High Desert International Film Festival. Pahrump, visitpahrump.com

Cabrera Conducts Bruckner Theatrics and daring abound in this hearty program featuring an overture from Wolfgang Amadeus’ last opera, Richard Strauss’ only concerto for Oboe and Anton Bruckner’s awe-inspiring sixth symphony. The Magic Flute Overture opens the performance with dramatic flair. Rising star, Liam Boisset will make his debut playing Richard Strauss’ autumnal, Oboe Concerto, famously inspired by conversations between the aging composer and a young U.S. soldier, an oboist, at the end of WWII. The evening concludes with Anton Bruckner’s magisterial Symphony No. 6, one of the only symphonies that remained unchanged by the composer. This glorious symphony is a poignant way to finish our th season the premiere was conducted by none other than Gustav Mahler, who was in the midst of composing his Symphony No. 4 at the same time! Las Vegas Philharmonic, May 27. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park. For tickets, 702-749-2000. lvphil.org.

Hitting the Ball Out of the Park Rub shoulders with the elite of the Jewish sporting world while raising funds for the next generation of super stars. This year, the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada (JCC) holds its annual Sports Banquet at Topgolf. Guests will include World Series champion with the 2004 Boston Red Sox and currently Los Angeles Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler and power forward for the Israeli league Maccabi R. Gan team, local girl Dannielle Diamant. Rumor has it that the Vegas Golden Knights and the soon to be Las Vegas Raiders will also be represented. Jews, masters of the ice and pigskin, who knew. One thing is for sure — with the JCC catering, no one will leave hungry! 2nd Annual Sports Banquet, Wednesday, May 10, 7-10 p.m. TOPGOLF, MGM Grand, 4627 Koval Ln., Las Vegas. 702-794-0090. jccsn.org

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Mingle Adelson Educational Campus’ 13th Annual In Pursuit of Excellence Gala Venue 1

Venetian Hotel | Casino, Las Vegas

Date

Sunday, March 26

Event

Mark Cuban showed up to the gala in jeans, a polo shirt and sneakers. He explained that his casual attire was a result of him being unaware that the evening was a formal. “I thought I was coming to speak to a bunch of kids down at the Adelson School,” said Cuban, a “Shark Tank” investor and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Cuban, this year’s recipient of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson “In Pursuit of Excellence Award,” spoke powerfully about sports technology and his Jewish heritage. Previous Recipients of the award have included former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Nobel laureate and author Elie Wiesel and Somali-born Dutch-American activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Photos 1.

5. 6. 7.

Attendees take photos with entrepreneur Mark Cuban. ddison Educational Campus fifth grader Riley Bello sings the national anthem. (L-R) Mark Cuban, Dr. Miriam Adelson and Sheldon Adelson . Adelson Education Campus senior Justin Kalb poses a question to Mark Cuban. Mark Cuban answers questions from students . Chet Buchanan, gala host. Attendees look through silent auction items

Photos: Chase Stevens/ Las Vegas Review Journal www.davidlv.com | 23

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Mingle Run Away with Cirque du Soleil Venue Springs Preserve

Date Saturday, March 11

Event

More than 1,000 participants came out for a fun filled day with their favorite Cir ue du Soleil artists. Donning extravagant costumes designed to create a fully immersive and interactive experience, the performers happily took photos with participants before, during and after the race, praising guests for their own Cir ue du Soleil inspired outfits. Mayor Carolyn Goodman kicked off the race again this year, while guests enjoyed live music, performances by students of the rts Nomades program, gorgeous weather, complimentary refreshments from Starbucks and hole Foods, free massage therapy, a carnival play area and more all while giving back to the community. They also had the opportunity to run through Boomtown 1905, the Springs Preserveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exciting and unforgettable new exhibit, for the first time ever at the event.

Photos: Cashman Photography

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Mingle Congregation Ner Tamid, Framers Gala Venue Paris Hotel, Las Vegas

Date 1

Thursday, April 6

Event

Congregation Ner Tamid (CNT) celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Henderson home by honoring the extraordinary involvement of Hank & Barbara Greenspun (In Memorium), Brian & Myra Greenspun, Danny & Robin Greenspun, Max Spilka & Susan Greenspun Fine, Jeff Gale & Janie Greenspun Gale as well as Jerry & Yvonne Gordon, Jon Sparer & John Klai, Bob & Aydie Unger and Rabbi & Joni Akslerad. CNT provides a number of community outreach services including assistance to homeless , elders, educational scholarships, and other important community building services. CNT offers a wealth of programs, classes, groups, and activities designed to meet the needs and interests of the multifaceted, multigenerational congregation.

Photos 1. 2. 3.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

9 10

Bob and Aydie Unger. Jim Wadkins and Mindy UngerWadkins (L-R) Robin Greenspun, Danny Greenspun, Susan Fine and Max Spilka . (L-R) Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, Alison Mulligan, Jon Sparer and John Klai. Cantor Jessica Hutchings and Rabbi Sanford Akselrad. Illisa and Eric Polis (L-R) Dena & Alan Mann and Del & Marlene Acosta. Dr. Fred Toffel and Dr. Arlene Bumbacka. Sarah and Bruce Familian.

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Mingle Temple Beth Sholom, 2017 Annual Gala Venue Temple Beth Sholom - Las Vegas

Date Sunday, April 2

Event

The gala, themed The Rat Pack is Back, celebrated twelve former Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) presidents. Honored were Oscar B. Goodman, Jared E. Shafer, Gene R. Greenberg, Edward M. Bernstein, Jerome L. Blut, Sandra Mallin, Dr. David Steinberg, Ellis Landau, Mitchell Ogron, Dr. Steven Saxe, Michael Solomon and Joel Mann. The emcee, Mayor Carolyn Goodman, kept the evening in high spirits. Highlights included awards given to honorees, a silent and live auction, a commemorative journal and the dinner catered by celebrity chef Gustav Mauler. All proceeds went to the programs that serve TBS and the Las Vegas community.

Photos 1.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

(Back L-R) Edward Bernstein, Rabbi Felipe Goodman, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Joel Mann, Dr. Steven Saxe, Gene Greenberg, Sandra Mallin and Jerome Blut. (Front L-R) Carol Jeffries and Ellis Landau. (L-R) Debbie Strimling, Barbara Silverberg, Heidi Straus and Andrea Gordon. (L-R) Marisa Mattzdorf, Cynthia Asher, Barbara Silverberg and Tonya Gottesman. Dr. Gerald and Reesa Niznick. Liz and Rabbi Felipe Goodman. Claudia and Edward Bernstein (L-R) Rob and Marci Murdock with Zachary Murdock. (L-R) Jonathan & Tammy Sherman and Cori & Matthew Saltzman.

Photos: Kristi Wong of SnapFanatic, Stav Levaton

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Live

A Focus on Living in Las Vegas People and Places Arts and Entertainment Food and Beverage Philanthropy and Religion Health and Fitness and More...

At Elenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Table | 36 www.davidlv.com | 27

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Know

A Woman For All Seasons Marla Letizia, Board Chair of Jewish Nevada

By Lynn Wexler

here are many different seasons in a life. Marla Letizia seems to have embraced – and grown wiser from – them all. And it wasn’t always easy. A fourth-generation Las Vegan, Letizia is by all accounts accomplished… in business, as well as with family, community, giving and faith…all integral pillars upon which her life’s journey rests.

“The quote by Sheldon Kopp [“You only get to keep what you give away”], for me, sums it up best. When the going gets tough, I’ve learned that giving – whenever and in whatever capacity you can – returns one’s investment exponentially, sometimes in kind but always in spiritual and positive energy, enabling clarity and renewed ability to continue forward,” Letizia shares. The quote also inspires introspection. “The meaning in the quote taught me to take responsibility for whatever is lacking or causing distress in my life,” continues Letizia. “For example, if I feel like I’m not getting enough

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respect, it means I need to give more respect. We all, in fact, own our feelings and circumstances and can improve those things by becoming the author of those behaviors in turn.” Letizia’s bio puts her on a who’s who list of Las Vegas achievers. With over 35 years of marketing and journalism experience, she began her career at KL S T , working as the first woman in Las egas history to direct live television news broadcasts. She then anchored the toprated 11 p.m. news broadcast at KTNV-TV13, where she also created and hosted a 30-minute morning talk show. As a business innovator, Letizia created the Las Vegas Mobile Billboard Industry in , later joining with Big Traffic, LLC, a Southern Nevada based advertising and media firm offering creative advertising solutions, production, media buys and opportunities. Together with her husband Tom, Letizia has also owned and operated radio and TV outlets throughout Nevada and New Mexico. This partnership, and longtime marriage, is one of the things Letizia is most proud of. The pride also extends to her “retirement from the limelight, between 1981 and 2001, to raise our now grown children, Russell and Harmony.” “I’m also proud of the positive energy I bring to all I endeavor, including the ways in which I have handled the lowest lows of my life,” says Letizia. Letizia was one of the first women to earn a Stevie ward for omen in Business; is a founding member of the board of trustees of The Meadows School; and has served on the advisory board of the Make-AWish Foundation of Southern Nevada. She and Tom were recognized by Senator Harry Reid as recipients of the Congregation Ner Tamid Menschen of the Year award, reflecting the ultimate value of giving selflessly to benefit the community. hen a solid organization finds you worthy of honoring, graciously smile, say thank you , enjoy all it has to offer, and then find ways to give back!” says Letizia. And give back she does…repeatedly. One of her passions is supporting and growing the Las egas Jewish community. s the Board Chair of Jewish Nevada, she is dedicated to strengthening community ties and connections, as well as raising money for the many programs offered by Jewish Nevada that aim to help all factions of the Jewish and non-Jewish community. “It brings tears to my eyes to witness so many who struggle in our community. It’s up to all of us to give ‘til it hurts, as the saying goes, to help others,” says Letizia. “Jewish Nevada’s Social Services Agency helps so many by making up for what government agencies cannot or fail to do. This is only made possible by people reaching into their hearts and giving - any amount at all - to support Jewish Nevada. It’s about participation. Participation connects us to each other and is the foundation of philanthropy.” Letizia, together with other Jewish Nevada board members, is also working to navigate the agency’s mission to become a world class, 21st century, modern Jewish community that the rest of the world will want to emulate. “We’re a diaspora within a diaspora here in Las Vegas. We don’t have Jewish neighborhoods like the established communities back east, where communication travels easily mouth to mouth,” states Letizia. “Our work to unite all sectors of our community is ongoing. We’re developing an app to connect each of us to each other regarding security, news and event info.” Each season of life brings with it limitations and opportunities; hardships and triumphs. For Letizia, it’s wisdom gained from tribulation, honest retrospection, and, above all, giving, that opens her eyes to seeing how uniquely precious each life’s journey is, and the joy realized by investing in appreciation, gratitude, and faith. www.davidlv.com | 29

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Sense

A Home Away... A Young Woman Goes to a Brooklyn Shabbaton By Rachel Hershkovitz

or the first six years of my life, my family were observant Orthodox Jews. It accounts for such a small fraction of my life that I hardly remember it. Now, there s a menorah in the house and a painting of a rabbi, but my family no longer checks packages for kosher symbols, fasts on Yom Kippur, or dresses modestly. Somewhere along the way, my mother decided she loved her Judaism but desired a secular life as well. bout two decades later, I wound up on the Chabad radar when a rabbi stopped me at NL . He gave me his business card, which read Chabad at NL followed by an italicized suggestion that said something about a home away from home. Chabad is one of the world s best known Hasidic movements, famous for its outreach. nlike other sects of Judaism, it follows the inspiration of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, who died in at age . He is respectfully known to the Chabad community as the Rebbe. Like most Hasidic groups, Chabad is defined by its spiritedness, but differentiates itself by its passion for inclusion and outreach. You know you re in the presence of Hasids when you see a group of bearded, hatted men spontaneously dancing together, and if you re a guy, they ll invite you to join in. Even Chabad rabbis pursue friendships differently than your average Jewish leader. Most rabbis will not flag you down, e uipped with business cards and directions to their home. Chabadniks will text on all occasions and at all times of day. There are classes and dinners nearly every day of the week. Interestingly, much of the outreach focuses on college aged Jews. nd begins with Shabbat Sabbath). Many observant students stay for a Shabbaton at the Chabad houses on Friday night and all day Saturday to avoid driving. These houses operate as second homes for many, offering several bedrooms with beds lining the walls. few months after attending a number of Shabbatons at the NL Chabad house, I accepted an invitation to an international Shabbaton for college students in the most Jewish place in the nited States: Crown Heights, where Chabad has its head uarters. I was determined to explore my roots in Orthodox Judaism and to try and find a stronger sense of community.

Crown Heights has been spared the well documented effects of Brooklyn s great hipster influx. Judaica shops and all Kosher bodegas still line the streets. I spot a shop for sheitels wigs) for the married women prohibited from displaying their natural hair in public. Children with kippot male head coverings) walk the streets alone Orthodox Jews are the true pioneers of the free range kids movement. There s a Mitzvah Tank, a large traveling van where Jews can pray and receive advice. nd there are plenty, I mean, plenty of signs welcoming the Moshiach Messiah). The building used to hold the Shabbaton is an ornate edifice, a synagogue that once opened its doors for wealthy New York City Jews, before they left for more ritzy neighborhoods. Most of the services and activities occur in the building s great hall, which contains several chandeliers and painted moldings. The ceilings include raised gold and blue decorative flourishes. painting of the Rebbe hangs above a mounted candelabra. During times of prayer or dancing, a mechitzah wooden partition) is placed in the center of the room to divide men and women.

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When Orthodox Jewish men and women pray, they are separated by a mechitzah (a partition). The portrait of the Rebbe hangs over the proceedings.

Young people show up for Chabad events in droves, sometimes to honor G-d, but more often than not, to connect with other Jews. Women participate wearing “short” skirts or pants and many of the men sport tattoos and lack head coverings. Chabad doesn’t mind the gulf between their beliefs and those of the Jewish students they host. A Jew is a Jew. And once a Jew, always a Jew. Here, Judaism is less defined by the act of believing and the devoutness of that belief, (as in Christianity), but more by the communal act of ritual. The ritual, Hasids believe, brings one closer to God, rather than the other way around. Judaism conflates ethnic identity with religious belief, making it hard to classify Jews as just a religious denomination. It’s that attitude of inclusiveness that makes it so easy for me to love Crown Heights. It’s a life too regimented for me, someone who celebrates the 21st century feminist advances. Yet oddly enough, it’s a life I am happy to see exist in these troubled times. If not for the Hasids, who would preserve the love of Torah, the teachings of the Talmud or speak Yiddish?

Hasids are the ardent custodians of Jewish belief and thought. “I’m not buying it,” Dan, a young man from New Jersey, says over Shabbaton lunch. We’re seated at a circular table of about 10 people, and because our table belongs to the older students’ “grad track” program, we have bottles of sweet wine to use to make Kiddush, the formal blessing over the first glass. Someone at our table has plucked bottles from each abandoned table, and now the group is on its seventh bottle, which at a low 5.4 percent alcohol is closer to juice. Not that Chabad ever needs wine to get rowdy. The large, ornate room holds a thousand participants, most of whom are under 21 and jumping up and down in exultation and song. Hands cling to the top of hats and dress shoes stomp in time with music. Moments like these come in waves, in part due to the composition of Jewish songs. The structure is circular; it repeats the same melody for different stanzas. Some songs don’t have words, only “oys,” “ahs,” and “ays.” The same song could theoretically run forever, and as one song loses momentum, another begins. A song could www.davidlv.com | 31

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also end if someone ever drops anything, which will prompt everyone in the room to sing “Siman Tov Umazal Tov,” a song for good luck traditionally sung at weddings. Breaking an object resembles a Jewish groom’s ceremonial stomping of a glass, hence the song. “I’m just not buying it,” Dan repeats, as we scoot in to make way for the incoming conga line. “I’m really here for my brother.” He explains that his twin brother is very religious and has recently turned to Chabad. He believes his brother’s recent foray into religious life has been motivated by impressions of Orthodox Judaism, its joy and its rich identity. “I think people see this life as possible for them,” Dan says, mentioning that he saw the appeal. Controversies do surround Chabad, one of which has cost membership for the organization. It concerns the Moshiach. Chabadniks universally believe in the Moshiach literally. But a small fraction insist that the Moshiach has already arrived in the form of the Rebbe, and some even argue that the Rebbe never died. While this group comprises a small number, it’s enough for many Jews to dismiss Chabad as cult-like or strange. Critics are quick to point out that Chabad has picked no successor to Schneersohn, the last in a line of leaders, even though he died in the 90s. While at the Shabbaton, a rabbi explains to me that to most of Chabad, the Rebbe serves as an inspiration. His philosophy of intense service and of “lighting” the world with small good deeds, or mitzvot, inspires those in Chabad to keep going. With our mitzvot, we cleanse the world and make it habitable for God. Because the Rebbe spoke often of the Moshiach in his final days, claiming that we lived in a Messianic age, some Chabadniks believe he must be the Moshiach. “I’ve tried arguing,” the rabbi said. “But nobody changes their mind from an argument. When has that happened?” Those in this group claim that the Rebbe must still be living to resolve

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A welcome Moshiach neon sign at a pharmacy in Crown Heights.

issues with biblical law. Since Judaism is a text-based faith, it determines its values, traditions, and beliefs through the Torah. And the Torah communicates that a person cannot die and come back to become the Moshiach. Ergo, he’s living somewhere, maybe alongside Tupac and Elvis. “I was at the Rebbe’s funeral, but some will still tell me he’s alive. That it was illusion.” The Rebbe may not be alive, but that doesn’t make his legacy one that won’t live on as a Moshiach might. He was adaptive and, in many ways, a revolutionary. He was an activist, championing women’s rights within the Orthodox community by opening Torah study to women and girls. In the late s, he also met with Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress, to urge her to use her new position on the Agriculture Committee to expand the food stamp program. With his blessing and encouragement, she did. The Rebbe led and inspired a traditional movement within Judaism, but he also updated its values. For me, that’s enough. Without the Rebbe’s message of inclusiveness, only my memories would have formed my connection to Judaism. Now I know how to recite Kiddish and how to properly wash my hands before breaking bread. I can say I love Judaism and want to practice it more closely, albeit in my own, gender-egalitarian way. At the end of Shabbat, the students gather in the great hall to celebrate. The same partition separates the men and the women, and this time a live band plays for the crowd. The ceilings are just high enough that voices carry across the room, and it’s the usual rumble of feet and clapping hands. A drone with a camera attached hovers overhead, moving between the men and the women’s sides of the room, capturing video. The crowd waves and gestures until the drone hits a glass chandelier on the women’s side and without a second pause, a thousand Jewish voices change their tune: Siman tov umazal tov, mazal tov vesiman tov, siman tov umazal tov... www.davidlv.com | 33

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Sense

Not Just a Man’s Disease

UMC Cardiologists Highlight Importance of Women’s Heart Health

Left: Pamela Ham became the first person in Nevada to receive the world s smallest pacemaker. Top Right: monitor displaying fluoroscopy images of the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System implant procedure. Bottom Right: Dr. rjun Gururaj holds the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System.

By Scott Kerbs, UMC Physician Experience Coordinator

hile heart disease and other cardiovascular concerns are often incorrectly viewed as issues primarily affecting men, UMC hopes to change this perception among community members by raising awareness of heart conditions and their significant impact on women. Heart disease is the No. cause of death among both women and men in the United States, accounting for approximately one in four female deaths in , according to the .S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the merican Heart ssociation notes that women are less likely than men to survive a first heart attack. Dr. Robert esley, a cardiologist at MC, said women typically experience coronary heart disease later in life than men, but many women experience more aggressive forms of the disease. Coronary heart disease occurs when pla ue accumulates in the coronary arteries, which provide blood to the heart. Coronary disease can be more rapidly progressive in women, Dr. esley said. The first presentation can be a heart attack. report from the merican Heart ssociation revealed that nearly two-thirds of women who die suddenly as a result of coronary heart disease did not experience any previous symptoms. Dr. Richard Shehane, Co Director of MC s Heart Failure Clinic, said

women often experience atypical symptoms of a heart condition. In addition to the more common symptoms of chest pain and pressure, some women may experience one or more of the following symptoms: shortness of breath, palpitations, pain in the arms and neck, epigastric upper abdominal) pain and or nausea, in addition to other signs. “Community members should not ignore these types of symptoms,” Dr. Shehane said, noting that men may experience these atypical symptoms as well. Dr. Shehane encourages women to seek appropriate medical care if they experience any symptoms of a heart condition, especially if they have one or more risk factors. The most common risk factors for heart disease include cigarette smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease and high blood pressure. On average, women experience heart disease about years later in life than men, with the exception of women who smoke cigarettes, Shehane said, noting that smoking serves as the No. risk factor. In addition to the many issues associated with coronary heart disease, women may also experience additional risks if they have atrial fibrillation, a serious condition marked by an irregular heart rhythm that is rapid in many cases. Patients with atrial fibrillation have an increased risk of stroke, which is especially concerning for women.

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trial fibrillation is an independent risk factor for death. It tends to be more conse uential in women, as the stroke rate is higher among women, said Dr. rjun Gururaj, who recently performed a groundbreaking procedure at MC, implanting the world s smallest pacemaker to assist a female patient with atrial fibrillation. This was the first procedure of its kind in Nevada, and it involved implanting the wireless Micra pacemaker, which is roughly the size of a large vitamin, to help control the heart rhythm of Pamela Ham, a year old woman with atrial fibrillation. This technology is truly a revolution, Dr. Gururaj said, describing the compact pacemaker as a game changer for patients that reduces the risk of many complications associated with traditional pacemakers, which re uire significant surgical procedures. Developed by Medtronic, the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System is a leadless pacemaker that does not use wires, and it is attached to the heart after being guided through the femoral vein in the groin. The procedure was successful, and Ham is expected to feel the full effect of the technology in several weeks after Dr. Gururaj programs the pacemaker during a follow up appointment. Ham, who looks forward to enjoying life without the fatigue and shortness of breath that have limited her activities for the past months, said she encourages women to seek care if they have any symptoms that may indicate a heart condition. She initially wrote off her symptoms as the effects of aging, but she was able to receive the most advanced care available after realizing her need for medical attention. Dr. Gururaj said primary care providers play a key role in helping patients identify potential heart issues and connecting them with the appropriate specialists. In addition to recommending the merican Heart ssociation guideline of minutes of moderate exercise per week to reduce an individual s risk of heart disease, Dr. Shehane said many women may also benefit from the assistance provided by dietitians. Kathryn Spada, a Clinical Dietitian at MC, said women who seek to improve their heart health through diet should focus on minimizing sodium, in addition to saturated fat and trans fat, the two types of fat that can build up in the arteries. She said keeping sodium at approximately , milligrams per day, or as low as , milligrams per day for people with heart disease, can assist in reducing an individual s blood pressure. Spada recommends checking the nutrition labels on all foods and selecting items with no more than milligrams of sodium per serving. The best trick is to avoid using the salt shaker at all, Spada said. Instead, use more herbs and spices to flavor your food. She added that canned vegetables often contain high amounts of sodium, recommending fresh or frozen vegetables for a heart healthy diet. Spada encourages women who have concerns about their diet to seek personalized assistance from a dietitian. dietitian can get really specific and provide individuals with the best meal plan possible, she said. Health care professionals of all disciplines at MC urge women to pay close attention to their heart health and take steps to reduce existing risk factors. hile many people are aware of the impact of heart disease on men, it is important to recognize that women s hearts are not immune to this leading cause of death. For more information about the services provided by MC, please visit www.umcsn.com.

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Taste

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At Elena’s Table A People’s Heritage is Celebrated in the Menu for a Bat Mitzvah Luncheon By Jason Harris Photos by Spencer Burton

or the past twelve months or so, I’ve been toying with an idea for a television show called The Food Underground. In it, I’d visit the coolest, most off-the-beaten-path, most unique, most underground food events going on in each city. Somewhere between the straightforward format of Guy Fieri’s show but without his hokey attitude and the ultra suave persona of Anthony Bourdain lies The Food Underground. This past Saturday, a perfect example of the type of celebration TFU would showcase took place. It wasn’t in a warehouse or an art gallery or a runoff Coachella show, but, of all places, it occurred at a temple in Summerlin, celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of an interesting girl named Elena. And while Elena herself is a character and we are happy for her ascent into adulthood, the food - the craziness of this Bat Mitzvah - was all schemed out by her father, Eric Gladstone. Gladstone, the erudite food public relations master and social media workhorse, some of you might remember, was the food writer for this magazine before he turned the column over to me. We have remained friends and have bonded over being single parents, our left-of-center taste in music, and our mutual love of food specifically chefs willing to take chances. With that last element in mind, Gladstone hatched a plan for the food at his daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. Says the birthday girl’s father, “On a personal

Top Left: (L-R) Eric Gladstone, Gilleum Marcoux, Elena Gladstone-Dodd, Josh Clark, James Trees, Emily Brubaker, Vincent Rotolo, John Arena. Top Right: Steamed salmon, Spring Salad with Barkan and Hermon

Israeli wines. Bottom Right: Israeli salad, Noodle Kugel with Braised Chicken Thighs. Bottom Middle: Eggplant Ghoresht. Bottom Left: Roman artichokes, stuffed lamb and chicken and goose liver pate. (A full menu appears on page 40) www.davidlv.com | 37

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level, arranging this Bat Mitzvah for my daughter but still thinking about it as a family event and a social event for me as well, thinking about my friends as food writers being there and chefs I wanted to invite there -- I just couldn’t do a normal ‘rubber chicken’ catering meal. Knowing all these people, I thought, ‘how could I do this just a little bit different?’” He recruited many of his favorite chefs in Las Vegas with one thought - how can a group of the most talented culinary whizzes in the city reinterpret traditional Jewish food on a modern level? Gladstone states, I ve always wanted to try and find ways to push the food) scene forward, to encourage chefs here who are passionate to challenge themselves and try new things and always keep moving. It goes back to that and trying to find opportunities to do that all the time. Of course, planning a celebration as momentous as a young woman’s Bat Mitzvah takes time; what with the learning of the Torah and the hiring of a DJ and the securing a venue. It’s a schlep. This collision of ideas and events led to the most interesting Bat Mitzvah menu I dare say any of the attendees have ever experienced. Gladstone reached out to major food figures in Las egas like Jolene Mannina of Urban Seed, a facilitator of ideas and people if ever there was one. She connected him with Joshua Clark of the popular Downtown sandwich shop The Goodwich. Clark took on a bulk of the planning and with his catering chef, Gilleum Marcoux, created a number of the dishes that made the final cut. Serendipitously, many elements were already being played with at Clark’s place of business. He states, “Being that it’s spring, we have some interesting things on our menu right now at The Goodwich. Items like) labneh, le du , beets and spring vegetables. e took some of our green pea falafel that’s on the menu at The Goodwich, chunked it up and fried it. The spring salad showcased many of these items and le du duck confit) made its way on top of a potato latke with huckleberry compote. That dish was a collaboration with Emily Brubaker from Urban Seed and a former chef at Sage. She also happens to be the only Jewish culinary expert of the bunch. It seems like a no-brainer that she would prepare the latkes her way but Gladstone had her use a 70-year-old family recipe for the potato pancakes, the kind that’s handed down from one generation to another in Jewish families. Brubaker had some more freedom with her kugel, a sweet version of the casserole that showcased an updated take on her grandmother’s recipe. This baked noodle pudding had the eggs whipped into a custard for added richness and utilized dried cherries, cinnamon, and ginger. “It’s kind of weird because I’ve eaten so many traditional dishes of so many weird countries over the course of my lifetime and I’ve never had kugel before today” says food and features writer Al Mancini. The mohawked old punker continues, “ I’ve lived in New York and went to a law school where I was a minority by not being Jewish and yet I’d never eaten some of the most basic cuisines that are most common to Jewish cooking.” It’s that type of exploration of palettes and creativity and ideas that Gladstone was hoping to accomplish. Mancini sums it up like this, “I can only assume that wherever there are Jews, there are Jews making traditional Jewish food with the spin of the nation in which they are located. The idea of trying to demonstrate that worldliness of a culture that sometimes maybe might seem to outsiders as very insular, but to really show that it is worldly and that it is embracing of all the many nations of which Jews reside and eat is really cool.” But what about the rabbi ould he feel the same way Gladstone had

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no doubts. He states, “Malcolm Cohen is from London. He has a really cool sense of outreach and trying new things and trying to reach different communities and people who don’t necessarily identify in the traditional sense. He’s a very out of the box thinker. I knew he would get it.” Cohen echoes the sentiment; “Rabbis try to think about how to repackage Judaism in new ways all the time. Eric actually managed it!” More importantly, he adds, “Kids like Elena will always need to work out how they relate to their heritage. Elena’s dad showed her one way of doing it!” The most interesting intersection of cultural meshing, at least as a participating chef, is Vincent Rotolo, the man who is making waves at the hottest pizza joint in Downtown Las Vegas, Evel Pie. He might be focused on creating the perfect pizza pie now -- he recently took second in the world for best Gluten Free Pizza at the International Pizza Expo -- but back in the day, he used to toil with a different type of dough. Rotolo proudly exclaims, “I worked at Barney Greengrass from 1992 - 1995.” The seminal Jewish deli in New York was a rite of passage in its own way for Rotolo who still remembers huge, culture-changing events that took place in the iconic deli. He recalls, “The deal for Dreamworks was signed at Barney Greengrass and I was serving sturgeon bagels and nova bagels when Katzenberg and Geffen were signing the paperwork.” There was one thing that made the pizzaiolo different from most of his coworkers. He explains, “I was the only non-Jew that worked there. I loved scallion cream cheese and every weekend I had this dish on an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and Barney Greengrass was the kind of place where if you worked you made your own food on your break. They gave me the nickname The Italian Scallion.” That memory, that life experience, was the inspiration for his dish. He had bagels flown in from H & H Bagels in Manhattan and lox and scallion cream cheese delivered from his beloved Greengrass. Getting his favorite dish authentic was paramount to his endeavor. Of his challenge, he states, “I haven’t made it in over 20 years. The most important thing was sourcing the ingredients.” As with all great dishes, this one comes with a story as much as a recipe. Rotolo explains, in a very New York kind of way, “Nova eggs and caramelized onions is their number one seller at Barney Greengrass. It’s the only thing that outsells smoked salmon on its own. I like smoked salmon but I like the chunks of it. Chunks of smoked salmon, clarified butter, saut that till it starts getting caramelized. Then you add in the caramelized onions, then you scramble the eggs in after like you’re making an omelet.” Sitting next to Rotolo’s egg dish was pastrami-fried rice, courtesy of Sheridan Su of Flock & Fowl and Fat Choy. Further down the line was Jamaal Taherzadeh’s (executive chef at Libertine Social) Persian - Jewish eggplant khorest. Marcoux’s braised chicken thigh with spiced raisin jus and crispy lentils, which was a riff on a taste he remembers from a Mediterranean restaurant he used to work at, weren’t far from that. The recently relocated James Trees showcased his take on Roman artichokes and chicken liver pate on two separate tables. Over in the corner was the dessert bar courtesy of Daniel Ontiveros, Jinju Caldwell and Gladstone’s mother, Carole. It was a truly impressive and exciting exploration of the expression of Judaism through the many different cultures its food impacts throughout the world. As for what the Bat Mitzvah girl thought about the whole thing, her father states, “I don’t think she’s processed it all. She’s a picky eater, which is why we added pizzas. But she actually tried a lot of other things! www.davidlv.com | 39

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Elena Jayne Gladstone-Dodd Bat Mitzvah Menu

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April 22, 2017

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Potato latkes with huckleberries, sour cream and duck confit. Noodle Kugel with cherries, cinnamon and ginger. Emily Brubaker, Urban Seed

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Nova Lox, Eggs & Onions.New York H+H bagels & Barney Greengrass Scallion Smear. Vincent Rotolo, Evel Pie Chicken and Goose Liver Pate with sherry vinegar onions, on house made rye crackers. Roman Style Artichokes with batutto (anchovies, chiles, garlic) and parsley. James Trees, Esther’s Kitchen

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Eggplant Ghoresht: Persian eggplant stew in spicy tomato sauce with pickled golden raisins. Jamaal Taherzadeh, Libertine Social Pastrami Fried Rice. Sheridan Su, Flock & Fowl/Fat Choy Spring Salad, Labneh, Falafel, Dukka & Orange. Israeli Salad. Steamed Salmon Stuffed Leg of Lamb, Fennel, Mushroom, Pomegranate. Braised Chicken Thighs, Spiced Raisin Jus, Crispy Lentils. Josh Clark & Gil Marcoux, The Goodwich

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Think

Essays and In-Depth Articles on Topics that Will Have People Talking all Month Long.

The Girls in Green | 52 www.davidlv.com | 41

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Get Fit for Summer

Think

Hacking Your Hormones to Lose Weight By Rob Kachelriess

ou may think your perpetual weight gain is due to all those doughnuts and time spent with Netflix instead of at the gym. And you’re probably right. But also, these issues can generally be boiled down to one word: hormones. Pretty much everything you do (and even a few things you have no control over) affects your hormones and thus, the fluctuating nature of your body weight. Dr. Sara Gottfried knows quite a bit about this topic. The M.D. is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Reset Diet and the recently released Younger. She says hormones regulate everything from how much fat your body burns and stores, to your appetite, gut bacteria, and even food cravings. So what can you do?

Skip the Sugar You know this one already, but it’s probably the single most important thing to control in order to keep your hormones - and bodyfat - in check. “The majority of Americans eat too many processed foods and sugar -- and not nearly enough vegetables,” says Dr. Gottfried. Removing processed carbohydrates will change your diet for the better and positively influence hormones. When your body eats food, the pancreas produces insulin to utilize the energy from sugar (or glucose). However, by eating processed carbs, which have little fiber or nutritional value, your body is going to get more sugar than it can handle - causing your pancreas to get overused - leading to insulin resistance or block. That’s not a good thing. “I think of insulin as being a bouncer in a nightclub,” Dr. Gottfried continues. “You want it working on your side. At normal levels, it’s not storing fat. But if you’re eating too much sugar - and/or are stressed - you can develop insulin resistance and that leads to fat storage.” When that happens, you crave even more sugar and it becomes a cycle that’s hard to break.

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they use it so quickly. They store it not as fat but as glycogen, which they can use to power their muscles.” And in case you’re wondering, glycogen is a storage system for energy in your body, generally in the liver and muscles. It s a way of efficiently taking the glucose in your body and putting it away for the next time you work out.” Dr. Gottfried says the best way to replenish your body with glycogen is by having carbs within 30 minutes after exercise. Throw in some protein to repair the muscles and skip the fat for now - which will just get in the way and slow down the digestion of the carbs.

Marathon Running Sucks Your choice of exercise can be pivotal. In an effort to lose weight, people will usually run on the treadmill or use an elliptical machine for 60 minutes straight, but it actually raises cortisol - a “fat storage hormone that makes you preferentially store fat in your belly,” especially if you have adrenal issues or trouble with insulin. Adaptive forms of exercise are usually a better alternative, like yoga, pilates, or tai chi. Dr. Gottfried is a big fan of burst training or high intensity interval training in which fast sprints alternate with brisk walking, allowing the cortisol levels to rise and fall during the workout instead of being elevated the entire time. “This came up in my 30s, when I was a runner and about 25 pounds overweight,” remembers Dr. Gottfried. “My doctor told me to simply exercise more and eat less, and that was just completely wrong. It was the worst advice ever. Running more was just going to raise my cortisol more. My cortisol was three times what it should’ve been. Yoga and pilates helped me lose weight far more than running ever did.” Dr. Sara Gottfried

Veggies are your best snacks “Adding nutrient-dense whole foods and vegetables can get your hormones working for you again, particularly insulin, leptin, estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol,” says Dr. Gottfried, who counts kale chips, sliced cucumber for dips, and salads as some of her favorite snacks. Eating more vegetables can also help lower estrogen, which you want to keep in check. In part because the fiber lowers blood sugar and insulin, and in part because of a direct effect on good bacteria in the gut, which allows you to follow the golden rule with estrogen: use it then dump it.” While estrogen is often considered a “feminine” hormone, it’s not good for women to have too much of it. “Women and men with excess estrogen have more moodiness and fat deposits at the breasts and hips.”

Time of Day Matters When You Eat Have a protein meal within 30 minutes after waking up (for example, “a couple of pastured eggs and some avocado or a protein shake”). If you want to take it a step further, you may be able to reset insulin and other hormones by intermittent fasting (the most popular form of which seems to be avoiding breakfast altogether and waiting until the afternoon for your first meal). But if you absolutely must have something to eat in the morning, Dr. Gottfried makes this important point: “The worst possible thing you can do if you’re trying to lose weight is have the standard (carbohydrate heavy) American breakfast… like Grape Nuts, milk, a glass of orange juice. It raises your blood sugar. It raises insulin. It’s going to make you store fat.” However, people whose metabolism is working just fine like serious athletes for example - can load up on those morning carbs no prob. “That’s because

Take Vitamin C - but not too much One of the best ways to balance hormone levels is taking Vitamin C, which studies show lowers cortisol and helps to raise progesterone - a sex hormone released by the ovaries in women, but also benefits men by serving as a precursor to testosterone. Some people have experimented with megadosing Vitamin C, but Dr. Gottfried says she isn’t a big fan of megadosing anything. 20 grams or more of Vitamin C can give you sweats and bring on diarrhea. “In general, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she says while recommending 1-2 grams a day instead. Yeah. Sweats plus diarrhea is definitely not a good idea.

Sleep More and Drink Less If you don’t get enough sleep, it will raise your cortisol levels and cause “inappropriate carb cravings” the next day. And, sorry about this, but booze will raise your cortisol as well. “Some people do better than others. There’s definitely people who can drink more and have no problem with their sleep and have no problem with cortisol. But I think there’s a certain point when your liver and your body just doesn’t adapt to alcohol as well as it used to and it raises cortisol the next morning. Some people wake up at 2 a.m. and can’t sleep. That’s high cortisol.”

Take Omega-3s Omega fatty acids are commonly found in fish EP and DH ) as well as plants (ALA). “They cool down inflammation in your body,” says Dr. Gottfried. Four grams a day is associated with low cortisol and lean body mass, but there are a lot of forms of fish oil out there. So which one is best I don t think the data is as good for options like krill oil. Salmon oil is about the same as any

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good fish oil. Omega s are found in walnuts, chia seeds, and eggs as well. You can also try hemp seeds. Just don t confuse them with marijuana buds.

Think Twice About Dairy The average merican tends to associate dairy with calcium and considers it to be something healthy, but Dr. Gottfried is among the growing number of health experts who say hold up not so fast. Dairy is a good thing if you re not intolerant or allergic. So a lot of it has to do with your immune system. If your immune system likes dairy, it s a good thing for you. hile dairy can contain itamin , itamin D, and protein, Dr. Gottfried says she is among the large population of people who are sensitive to dairy and don t digest it well. If I go to a party and I nosh even a little bit on a cheese plate, I ll gain five pounds that night. I have dramatic swelling in my intestines and I retain fluid. bout percent of whole milk is lactose a sugar that can raise blood glucose and stimulate insulin. I m not a big fan of milk. I think breast milk is awesome but I don t think we should be drinking cow milk the way that we do, says Dr. Gottfried. That s the Dairy Council convincing us to have) something that s not in our best interest.

Gender Matters When it Comes to Crossfit Intense workouts create stress in the body, so it can break down and rebuild muscle. However Men respond differently to stress than women do, according to Dr. Gottfried. Men can typically get away with much more aggressive workout regimens. I think that s why men do better with CrossFit for instance. The popular workout program, which combines resistance and aerobic exercise, will make muscles super glucose hungry and you want that, especially if you re a man in his s or s. It s a really great way to lower your blood sugar and to get insulin back on your side again. It can also raise testosterone which helps increase lean body mass and makes you less likely to have estrogenic deposits in your breasts. That s right a good crossfit routine can help you avoid man boobs.

Get to know these four letters: B-C-A-A Get familiar with branched chain amino acids BC ) a helpful way to raise testosterone. Dr. Gottfried recommends taking grams during workouts. It s just a way to raise testosterone, bulk up a little faster, and increase lean body mass. BC s consist of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. You can find them in protein rich foods but supplementation helps a lot. Just trying to get it from chicken and salmon, that s typically not enough. Dr. Gottfried admits that leucine is enjoying its time right now as a trendy supplement all by itself but recommends taking all three together.

Gut It Out There s been a growing discussion about gut health and how it affects your body overall. Dr. Gottfried says it s helpful to think about feeding your microbiome in a way that supports your hormones. For instance, there s a subset of bacteria in your gut that controls your estrogen levels and the more vegetables and less red meat you eat, the better it s going to keep your estrogen levels in check. There s also a subset less understood, controling your testosterone levels. big factor is fiber. Dr. Gottfried suggests grams of fiber a day.

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The average person in the .S. gets about , she notes. I generally like eating about a pound of vegetables a day. That s considered ideal for keeping hormones in balance through your gut bacteria. Lightly steamed broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, and bok choy are good choices. More and more people are turning to probiotics to improve gut health, but Dr. Gottfried says the supplements don t seem to stick as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchee, which studies show can lower blood sugar. Kombucha tea is uestionable because it s not always known how much sugar is left behind in the wild fermentation process. I tend to steer away from kombucha for people who have hormone problems or are trying to lose weight. If you ve got perfectly normal metabolism, kombucha is probably fine.

Stop Saving Receipts e ve covered food and exercise. Is there anything else that can affect our hormones Yep, the environment. Theres all kinds of chemicals you ll come across in your everyday life and Dr. Gottfried says one of the main culprits right now is Bisphenol , a chemical compound more commonly known as BP . It affects so many different hormones, it makes you insulin resistant. It alters your thyroid, it acts as a fake estrogen receptor, and it screws up your testosterone, she says. The main way people get exposed to it is retail receipts. She s right. study by the Environmental orking Group found percent of retail receipts have BP . The other source is cans the plastic lining in cans. Dr. Gottfried says supplements like N cetyl Cysteine N C) can help reduce toxins stored in fat. The main way to reduce your body burden is to periodically detox.

4/24/17 11:14 AM

Think

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Wonder Gal An Israeli Mother Redefines this 76 Year Old American Icon

By Jaq Greenspon t started with a plane crash. ell, the fictional side of things did. It started with Steve Trevor, pilot of that plane, who was a member of the armed forces from merica, the last citadel of democracy, and of e ual rights for women hen he crashed, he washed ashore on a remote island, inhabited by women, which had been doing its level best to stay away from the world of men. They had to, in fact. Many years before, their ueen, Hippolyte, had beaten Hercules, the demi god, in a fair fight. Naturally, Hercules was a sore loser so when he could, he stole Hippolyte s magic girdle, and without it, she had no powers and she, and her people, the mazons, were forced into slavery, bound by chains, to serve the will of men. They escaped, and vowed to live by themselves, away from men, forever. They found an uncharted mass of land, which they dubbed Paradise Island, and so, with the eternal life theirs by right, lived happily and peacefully for centuries. ntil Trevor s warplane crashes nearby and everything collapses. Trevor is injured but will recover thanks to the uick thinking of two young mazons, enjoying the fact there s a man man on Paradise Island uickly, the gods interfere. phrodite and thena show up to let the ueen Hippolyte know that danger again threatens the entire world. They instruct her to send the strongest and wisest mazon to deliver Trevor back to merica, to help fight the forces of hate and oppression. contest is held to find the mazing mazonian and who should win but the ueens own daughter, who found and rescued Trevor to begin with. Hippolyte gives her a new name, Diana, for her time in the new land, and she gives her a costume, red, white and blue, with a golden eagle across the front. Hippolyte tells her daughter that in merica, a land Diana will learn to love, and protect and adopts as her own, she will indeed be a onder oman . nd now, it seems, the world, especially merica, might need a onder oman again. This time she arrives June nd in the guise of Israeli actress Gal Gadot. www.davidlv.com | 47

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The Israeli born Gadot pronounced gah dot) is not the first to inhabit the iconic role, but she might be the first one to truly inhabit her creator s vision of what a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wonder womanâ&#x20AC;? should be. First appearing in 1941 in the back pages of All Star Comics #8, the star spangled girl sprang from the imagination of psychologist illiam Moulton Marston writing as Charles Moulton). Marston, already in his late s by , had pretty much been waiting his whole life for the moment to spring onder oman on the world. Not that he had been trying to create what would become the most popular female comic book character ever, but everything he had done up until that point was leading him right to her doorstep. nd hed done a lot. hen he needed extra money as a student, he won screenplay competitions for silent movie companies. As a Harvard educated psychologist, hed been involved in coming up with the theories and initial hardware, which led directly to the lie detector. hen Hollywood needed someone to handle the public, Marston was there to step in and led the Public Services department for Universal Studios. He also taught and wrote and offered his professional opinions and advice on legal matters whenever asked and sometimes even when he wasn t). But through it all, he also was a devout feminist, even before the term came into popular usage. Marston was involved with womens rights issues from the beginning, having associations with the suffragettes and birth control movements.

He led an unconventional home life, as well, having a blended family with both a legal wife and a mistress (who also considered herself married to him) all living under the same roof and jointly raising their five children. ll of which led to his beliefs that if women were in charge, the world would be a happier, less combative place. He authored numerous articles on the subject, decrying masculine power in favor giving oneself over to feminine domination. hen he wasn t writing himself, he was the subject of articles on the topic, many written by his live in lover Olive Byrne, for magazines as homespun as Family Circle. In one of those articles, Don t Laugh at the Comics, Marston lauded the current happenings in the world of comic book heroes, where characters like Superman, Batman and Captain merica had just blossomed into genuine pop culture phenomenon. t a time when early comics were coming under fire, Marston praised them, as well as one of their most prominent publishers M. C. Gaines. Gaines, who understood business and self promotion as well as Marston did, immediately brought the psychologist into the fold as part of an advisory council. Marston took advantage of the situation and immediately proposed a new character: mericas woman of tomorrow should be made the hero of a new type of comic strip. Originally, Marston, who firmly and absolutely believed in the superiority of women over men, called his new creation Suprema, the onder oman.

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Gaines, who might have been concerned the name was a little too close to one of their other top selling characters, a guy from a far away planet called Krypton, simply dropped the first part of the name and in so doing, gave her the moniker we still know her by: Wonder Woman. Immediately, from her initial appearance in December of 1941, just as the US was getting ready to enter the fray, she did what the other main characters didn’t or couldn’t do… she actually did her part and, in the pages of her stories, fought the Nazis and the axis powers. For Marston, the war itself was a way for women to gain more strength and decrease the time frame for his predicted matriarchy. Because, as Tim Hanley points out in his book Wonder Woman Unbound, “With her inherent moral superiority and loving nature, Wonder Woman was created as a response to the dominant traits of male superheroes.” Marston saw Wonder Woman and her comics as a way to pave the way for young readers to fully understand and embrace the coming revolution. While the revolution hasn’t exactly come to pass the way Marston anticipated, his character has endured in ways he probably couldn’t have predicted. In 1972, Ms. Magazine’s co-founder Gloria Steinem put Wonder Woman on the first ever issue of the first magazine devoted to feminist causes (as well as including an essay inside lauding the character for her “feminism and strength.”) Through the years, Wonder Woman remained one of the few characters to consistently have her own, self-titled comic (even Captain America faded from view for a while after WWII ended). She was the first and for a long while, until Marvel’s Agent Carter in 2015, only) female comic character to have her own movie (1974 starring Cathy Lee Crosby) and TV series (1975-79 starring Lynda Carter). Then something strange happened. Comic book characters on the silver screen came back with a vengeance and all of the big male heroes (and even some minor ones) found themselves with movie deals. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, men in tights were all the rage, but even with such strong female heroes as the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) or the aforementioned Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) it wasn’t until 2016, in Batman vs. Superman, that Wonder Woman finally made it to the silver screen. nd that s where Ms. Gadot comes in. hen news of her casting was first announced, it was met with an amazing amount of derision and skepticism. The comic fan community, known for being vocal in its fidelity to the source material, thought Gadot was too skinny and weak for the role. In true Wonder Woman style, it didn’t

take long for her to shut them up. When asked about it on an Israeli TV program, especially in relation to the size of her bustline (traditionally drawn as, shall we say, ample) and feminine physique, the former IDF soldier responded that she was “the Wonder Woman of the new world.” Then, in order to make sure she could handle the physicality, Gadot undertook, as she says, “A very serious training regimen – Kung Fu, kickboxing, swords, jujutsu, Brazilian…1,000 and 1 things,” just to gain body mass. It worked. The former Miss Israel (who, by the way, did all her own stunts when she appeared in Fast and Furious (2009)) didn’t have much screen time in Batman vs. Superman, but she absolutely stole every second she had. She was able to hold her own going to toe to toe with stars Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck and any doubts about her toughness were laid to rest when she was shown to be taking the lead against an extremely powerful monster-like super-villain while Batman and Superman stand behind her. Even when the film got routinely bad reviews, Gadot was praised for her performance. Now comes her first solo big screen outing, where (after recasting WWII as WWI) we get the full origin story the Amazonian princess (complete with downed flier Steve Trevor, this time played by Chris Pine) envisioned by William Moulton Marston. Even in the trailer for the film, we can already see how the character is holding steady to the initial concept of a strong and powerful woman, one who understands her power but, as opposed to her male counterparts, is compassionate in its use. While this current incarnation takes place 100 years ago, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch (especially in light of her appearance in the upcoming Justice League films) to imagine the dark haired warrior coming from a far off place as a metaphor for current times, inspired by the promise of an America that once was the “shining city on the hill,” a place where equality and justice for all was a rallying cry and not a demarcation of weakness. It’s nice to think that just maybe, there could be a world like the one envisioned by Marston and brought to life in the pages of Wonder Woman, where the power of women was not to be feared but was accepted and invited, where we could all stand shoulder to shoulder to protect those who needed protection from the enemies who would harm us. Then again, maybe a nice piece of fun, escapist cinema, to spend a couple of hours away from the summer heat is all we’ll get – but with Gadot’s Wonder Woman in charge, it just might be enough. www.davidlv.com | 51

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Think

The Girls in Green

They go in as girls. They come out as soldiers. By Lynn Wexler

hink of a soldier. Likely the image in your mind is that of a burly hunk with a buzz cut and an intimidating stare, dressed in camo, and laden with heavy combat gear. Or, depending on your generation, you might have gone straight to the little green plastic GI Joe surprise buried in your now vintage Cracker Jack box. This time, think female soldier. Whatever you conjure, it’s likely not a beautiful, teenaged girl, with long silky hair, fashioned in a mandatory ponytail, flashing a radiant smile, dressed in similar camo, and carrying a 3 foot, 8 pound Uzi submachine gun, slung over her shoulder at the ready to fire rounds per minute at a moment’s notice. Meet the young ladies of the IDF – soldiers serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. That provocative image, in most countries, would trend as a fashion spread in Cosmo. In Israel, it’s the real deal. hether training and serving as fighter pilots or mechanics, weapons or combat fitness instructors, snipers, border patrol guards, or heavy munitions and communications experts –model looks aside, these young Israeli girls can strip down an M4 as quickly as they can exchange their camo for a bikini. Israel is one of the only countries in the world where female conscription is the law for all women ages 18 to 26. At a time when many young people are getting tanked at college parties, these gals – together with their male counterparts – are undergoing extensive physical and disciplinary training to deploy for active duty. That’s not to say that young Israelis don’t indulge. Just that they get an obligatory call to duty early in life. Compulsory service is currently two years for women and three for men, with extended service opportunities based upon skill and position. omen may re uest exemption from military service if married, pregnant, mothers, or it conflicts with religious observance. Those granted exemption spend their service years as volunteers in hospitals, old age centers, with needy children, or involved with other worthy causes. One way or another, everyone serves.

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“Women have been part of the Israeli military since before the founding of the State, said Moshe Yaalon, Israel s Defense Minister from to , in an online interview. In the arsaw ghetto, in the partisan units fighting the Nazis, and in the pre State underground freedom fighting militias, women were active members. Many proved themselves under fire, Service to country, by all its citizens, remains a cornerstone of Israel s survival. In a speech to the newly minted Israelis shortly after the ar of Independence, David Ben Gurion, Israel s first Prime Minister, said, Since you rightly believe that the security of the State must be pursued night and day, I want you to know that that security will not exist if our nations women do not know how to fight. e are few and our enemies are many. If, heaven forbid, a war falls upon us, the men will go to fight the enemy, and if, heaven forbid, the women who are protecting their children at home do not know how to use a weapon what will be their end if the enemy falls upon them Following the War of Independence however, it was argued, and decided, that women would no longer serve in combat roles, largely based on the realities of falling into enemy hands. It was fair and e uitable to demand from women e ual sacrifice and risk, but the risk for women prisoners of rape and sexual molestation was infinitely greater than the same risk for men, said Ya alon. omen s rights groups challenged the status uo throughout the years since. In , a victory created an amendment to the E uality in Military Service law which decreed that, “The right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is e ual to the right of men. The desire to serve is just as strong among the girls as it is among the boys. From an early age, girls acquire expertise in military jargon and culture. They know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; that each soldier will be assigned to the task where their contribution will be the greatest; that the needs of the army take precedence; and as women they are an invaluable and integral part of the country s defense force, having shown themselves to be worthy in every respect. s reported on the IDF website, today to of all roles in the IDF are open to female candidates and women are currently serving in of all positions, including pilots and special forces. In , during the Second Lebanon ar, women were involved in field operations alongside men for the first time since the ar. Noa Peri Jensch, Regional Director of the Israeli merican Council, Las egas, remembers her service some years ago in the IDF s Intelligence Force, during which time Saddam Hussein was firing chemical weapons into Israel. Her unit was responsible for collecting and decoding encrypted information from Israel s enemies. I will never forget the day I reported for duty. It s a day that all young Israelis come to expect, but not all of us are prepared for. I was a kid, barely . The whole family took me to Bakum, the base near Tel viv, for orientation. I carried a small backpack with only a toothbrush, make-up, toiletries, and sweat clothes to sleep in. I was transferred from the care of my parents to that of the government, recounts Jensch. I was given a military ID and serial number, uniforms, medical shots, and I had to pull my hair back, off my face. I was assigned to a group of people that I didn t know and put on a bus to the camp where I would live and train. I remember waving goodbye to my parents through a window. It was hard.” I may have gone in as a kid but I came out as a woman, Jensch continues. “No matter the branch of service, we all had to learn to assemble, clean and shoot a military grade weapon.”

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Despite gender equality among many of the branches of service at that time, Jensch nonetheless felt that chauvinism was prevalent. My greatest fear was that my commanding officer would ask me to get him coffee. For me that would be humiliating like reducing my skills and knowledge to that of an errand girl. She took a proactive stand and told her commander that she refused to succumb to the task of fetching coffee. Jensch got lucky. Not only did her commander agree, he asked if it would be okay if he got coffee for her Romi Amid was born in Tel Aviv, lived with her parents in Las Vegas for 10 years, and returned to Israel for military service when she turned 18. She was ushered in through a program called Tzofim Garin Tzabar that helps the ‘lone soldier’ acclimate to military service in Israel whilst their families reside elsewhere. Having only recently completed her required service, Amid had more opportunities than Jensch did back in the early s. Of the two options for service she was offered, she chose the more physically demanding – a heavy artillery instructor. Amid excelled and was soon chosen to be a heavy machine gun instructor responsible for training every combat soldier serving at that time. She also served as an instructor for the IDF Officers Training Course for soldiers who want to be officers upon completion of their mandatory service. Amid accomplished all of this by the youthful age of 22. “There is nothing better in the world to teach you about life and yourself than being in the army. It was the best two years of my life. You learn to appreciate warm water showers with heads instead of hoses, says mid. “The scariest and hardest part for me was granting permission for combat boys to use heavy machine guns killing machines in battle. I have to be confident that I ve trained them at the highest level of performance. Yarden Adam, who completed his service a few years ago in a special

unit akin to the .S. Navy Seals, feels that mixed gender units are more comfortable and productive. It s like being in jail with only men. omen are often more helpful and understanding, says dam. and they can also multi task to a far greater extent than men. Adam tells of an incident when his unit was on a dangerous mission having to cross the border into Gaza. His then girlfriend, serving in a different unit as Border Police, held the crucial job of monitoring multiple camera screens to ensure border security. I was confident knowing that she was the one responsible for keeping us safe through a watchful eye, says dam. I may be able to carry and shoot. But she can cover all other skilled responsibilities better than most any man Fraternizing among the genders, within a unit, is closely scrutinized in the IDF. The rules are very serious. breach can land you in military jail, says Amid. You can shake hands but that s all. No hugging, no hand holding, no comingling in the living uarters, and no hanging out alone after hours, she adds. Incidents of sexual harassment exist – as do a few scandalous postings by a handful of IDF women on Facebook, subse uently disciplined. Jensch, Amid and Adam nonetheless agree that the level of earned respect between and among the genders the pride they feel for the important job they do and the bravery exhibited in the service of protecting the Jewish state –outweighs the controversies. So, should you find yourself in Israel out on the town on a Saturday night and spot a group of beautiful young women hanging out at a street side caf , each with an M casually slung over one shoulder, they are likely on leave for the weekend. Feel free to marvel, but beware you re looking at the real deal.

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Grill

Ellen Spiegel

Nevada Assemblywoman, small-business owner and culinary doyenne.

By Ruth Furman Four-term Nevada Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel is a small-business owner and theater lover who is known for her brisket, her work ethic and her passion for helping Nevadans. Spiegel, a Cornell University graduate, worked for 15 years in corporate America before starting her own business. She is president of Strategems Consulting, a company specializing in workers’ compensation claims services, and serves on Easter Seals Nevada’s board. hile she hopes to one day compete on the Food Network’s “Chopped,” her favorite television show, she’s currently busy serving her constituents in Assembly District 20, which contains portions of Paradise and Green Valley, where she and her husband, Bill, have lived since 2001. DAVID Magazine recently interviewed Assemblywoman Spiegel about her passions. DAVID: Gov. Brian Sandoval called you a champion of school safety and anti bullying efforts. Is that a recurring theme in legislation you sponsor?

SPIEGEL: I fight the hardest for those who are least represented or able to speak for themselves and need a strong advocate. People whom I call those with the smallest voices. Children, especially those who have been bullied, are a priority to me and so are women and others who have not had many advantages extended to them. Consumer and health care-related issues are also things I’m passionate about.

DAVID: You own a successful business. How do you manage it during the legislative session? SPIEGEL: I own the business, but my husband, Bill, is vice president and has nearly 30 years of experience. So, our clients know they are in good hands even when I am away from the office. That said, I still work nights and weekends on the business during legislative sessions.

DAVID: You’re also on the board of directors of the National Association for Jewish Legislators (NAJL), which is a bipartisan organization of Jewish state legislators. How have you made a difference in this role?

SPIEGEL: I enjoy working on national issues of importance to the Jewish community, and NAJL is able to present a unified voice on issues like .S. Israel relations, anti BDS Boycott Divestment Sanction) legislation and other important topics like

the recent Jewish Community Center bomb threats. I also chair NAJL’s Nevada chapter, through which I also organize Passover Seders during legislative sessions. The holidays are an important time to connect with family and friends, and I strongly believe no one should ever find themselves alone for the holidays. Because of this, I enjoy opening the Seder experience to our non-Jewish colleagues and friends.

DAVID: How do you suggest people make their voices heard?

SPIEGEL: I am very accessible. I answer my own phone and respond personally to emails and social media messages. If you want to speak out and can’t make it to Carson City, you can testify at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas. Don’t just sit at home and kvetch — get involved. Send letters and emails. Testify. DAVID: hy did you become an assemblywoman SPIEGEL: e moved to Nevada because we believed we could have a better life here, but as I got to know the community, I saw there were opportunities to make things even better. Then, when the recession unfolded, I saw what was happening to hard-working Nevadans and wanted to do my part to help. After having a positive impact on a number of community issues, many leaders encouraged me to run for the ssembly. I was fortunate to win and am now serving my fourth term. DAVID: You’ve said tikkun olam (repairing the world) is one of the biggest reasons you ran for office. Can you explain that?

SPIEGEL: Before I was elected, I was a businesswoman with passion and good ideas for solutions that went beyond my community. Now, as an elected official, I can get things done for the entire state. I fight for children because they are our future, and I fight for those with the smallest voices because they are least able to help themselves, allowing me to fulfill this mitzvah for hard working Nevadans and their families.

DAVID: hat are your favorite free time activities SPIEGEL: I love entertaining and view cooking as my way to be creative. hether it s making my moms Mandelbrot Jewish biscotti) or my brisket, knishes or candied pecans, I love to make people happy by sharing delicious food. For the past years, I’ve also had a goal to enjoy a live performance every month. Living near the Strip makes for some fun “date nights” with Bill.

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