Former Attorney General Eric Holder to Receive Inaugural Temple Israel of Hollywood Rabbi John L. Rosove Justice Award for His Ongoing Work on Voting Rights on Sunday, June 2, 2019 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, June 2, 2019, Temple Israel of Hollywood (TIOH) will continue its 93 year tradition of dedication to social justice, through both thought and deed, by presenting its inaugural Rabbi John L. Rosove Justice Award to the Hon. Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82^nd Attorney General of the United States.  Mayor of Los Angeles, the Hon. Eric Garcetti, will introduce and present the award to Attorney General Holder at a special celebration at TIOH, 7300 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046, beginning at 4 PM PT.

Mr. Holder currently serves as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and will speak about his ongoing work on voting rights issues, legislative redistricting and the importance of ensuring free and fair elections.

Mr. Holder served in the Obama Administration as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from February 2009 to April 2015, the third longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African-American to hold that office.  Under Mr. Holder's leadership, civil rights, including voting rights, were a top priority at the Justice Department.  Mr. Holder vigorously defended voting rights, including the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  He criticized politically motivated voter ID laws that were designed to suppress minority and youth votes, and he led the Justice Department's efforts to overturn these laws around the country. He is an internationally recognized leader on a broad range of legal issues and a staunch advocate for civil rights.

Mr. Holder served in government for more than thirty years, having been appointed to various positions requiring U.S. Senate confirmation by Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Reagan.  He began his legal career at the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Justice Department. 

Mr. Holder was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up in East Elmhurst, Queens.  He holds undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University.

"I'm deeply honored to receive the inaugural Rabbi John L. Rosove Justice Award," said Eric H. Holder, Jr. "Throughout his life of service, Rabbi Rosove has dedicated himself to social justice and giving back to his community. I look forward to joining the Temple Israel of Hollywood community to celebrate the progress we have made as a country and discussing the work we have left to do."

TIOH's inaugural Justice Award is named in honor of Rabbi John L. Rosove, who is retiring from his duties as Senior Rabbi of TIOH this June after serving the community for 31 years. 

"It is a great honor for the first Justice Award presented by Temple Israel in my name to be given to Attorney General Eric Holder, who embodies among the most important values of the Jewish people and a liberal democracy -- the values for which this award is intended.  In thinking of Attorney General Holder, the verse from Deuteronomy 16:20 immediately comes to mind – "Justice, justice shall you pursue,"" said Rabbi Rosove, who regards social justice work and high ethical practices as essential core Jewish religious values. 

A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Rosove earned a BA in Art History from UC Berkeley, a Masters in Hebrew Letters from HUC-JIR, LA, Rabbinic Ordination from HUC-JIR, NY, and a Doctor of Divinity from HUC-JIR, LA.  Throughout his tenure, Rabbi Rosove's mission has been to build Jewish community and draw Jews and their families closer to God, the Torah, Jewish tradition, the Jewish people, social justice, and the State of Israel as a Jewish national home.  Rabbi Rosove has overseen the rebirth of Temple Israel of Hollywood and spearheaded a number of new education and social action projects including the Temple's Day School (founded in 1989) and Big Sunday Weekend of Service (founded in 1999) that puts 50,000 Los Angelenos to work each year and is now an independent year around 501C3 non-profit organization.  He was national chairperson of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, representing 1.5 million American Reform Jews from 2016-2018 and in his role had a seat on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Vaad HaPoel of the World Zionist Organization, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He serves on the board of the American Friends of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Advisory Committee of the Daniel Center of Tel Aviv, and is an International Vice-Chair of Rabbis for Women of the Wall.  He served for four years as a national co-chair of the Rabbinic Cabinet of J Street from 2012-2016 and again has assumed that role as of 2018.  In addition to writing a regular blog for the Times of Israel, Rabbi Rosove's book, "Why Judaism Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to His Children and the Millennial Generation" was published by Jewish Lights Publishers, a division of Turner Publishing in 2017. His forthcoming book "Why Israel [and its future] Matters – Letters of  Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation" will be published November 29, 2019 by Ben Yehuda Press, New Jersey.

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About Temple Israel of Hollywood
Since its founding by a group of entertainment luminaries in 1926, Temple Israel of Hollywood has never strayed from its Hollywood roots or its connections to Reform Jewish traditions and values. Today, TIOH remains dedicated to worship, community, Jewish life, social justice, education, Jewish expression through the Arts, and to Israel in a contemporary context.  TIOH was founded upon a commitment to social justice, through both thought and action. Leading Jewish thinkers, including Rabbis Mordechai Kaplan, Leo Baeck and Stephen S. Wise, gave sermons here about important social issues. In 1965, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke movingly from the Temple's pulpit about segregation, poverty, freedom, and human dignity.   TIOH congregants annually serve a joyful Christmas dinner to over 1,000 homeless and hungry Angelenos; prepare monthly lunches for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; gather food and other relief supplies for distribution locally and globally; organize for disaster relief; and continuously address contemporary social and humanitarian issues through leadership and action.  In 1997, Temple Israel launched Mitzvah Day which became "Big Sunday Weekend," the largest regional community service event in America. "Big Sunday" is now an independent nonprofit with year-round programming, which draws tens of thousands of participants year-round to participate in hundreds of service projects throughout California and several other states.  Temple Israel remains among its strongest supporters.  As a congregation that was founded, in large part, by creative leaders in the entertainment industry, TIOH strives to honor their vision by making the arts a vital aspect of the identity of Temple Israel of Hollywood.  Understanding and expressing Jewish life, spirit and community through the arts is a vital aspect of TIOH's identity. This vision is implemented through TIOH's high quality professional artistic programs, including music, visual arts, drama, and literature that connect to the Jewish experience. 

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SOURCE Temple Israel of Hollywood

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