Visionary Jewish Architects Share the Stories Behind Their Work in A Special Zoom Event at The Braid

Architecture shapes how we see our environment. It influences our ideas about home and workplaces, and it can show us a vision of the future. On Sunday, April 11, at 11:00 am PDT, 2:00 EDT, internationally acclaimed architects Bob Hale and Michael Lehrer will share stories about what inspires their work as Jewish architects in a special Zoom event for The Braid (formerly Jewish Women's Theatre).

Visionary Jewish Architects, moderated by Jodie Mendelson, an architect and board member at The Braid, will feature stories of how Judaism has inspired their legendary global projects and the innovative environmental structures they have created for the Los Angeles area. The program will include a short performance by one of The Braid's most popular actors, plus architectural presentations and a Q&A with the audience.

Bob Hale and Michael Lehrer share a friendship and longtime admiration for each other's work. Hale, a convert to Judaism, completed his "Beit Ha-Ahava" - "House of Love" - for his family in 2012. His astonishing Cheviot Hills home is wrapped in a metal sheath perforated with the Hebrew letters for love. He and his wife, Maxine Morris, say it proclaims not only their love for one another but also celebrates the memory of Maxine's father, a Holocaust survivor. Over a forty-year career, Hale's innovative ideas have changed the world of architecture. Since 2001, he has been a principal at Rios, where among a host of notable projects he has led the $41 million Music Center Renovation Project. It has reimagined the aloof modernism of the Welton Becket design as a flexible, functional space that can now accommodate community dance nights as well as experimental outdoor theater. "It was very much an introverted place," says Hale. "It resulted in a perception of an elitist place." His vision was to integrate the raised Music Center complex with pedestrian life on Grand Avenue and Grand Park below, creating a more dynamic environment for the surrounding community. "Creating accessibility was a big issue," says Hale. In 2020, Grand Park was awarded the "Best of Millennium" honor by AIA Los Angeles.

Lehrer founded LehrerArchitects LA in his native Silverlake District to create work "from the intimate to the monumental, inspired by the idea that beauty is a rudiment of human dignity." He views his numerous socially conscious projects as outgrowths of his Jewish upbringing, which obligates the individual to contribute to the betterment of the world. Lehrer has long championed socially conscious housing solutions and recently partnered with the City of L.A. to design the North Hollywood Chandler Boulevard Bridge Home Village, a pilot interim housing project for people who lack shelter. It is comprised of 40 cheerfully colored prefabs with a total of 75 beds.

"Projects like this are exhilarating," he says. "Political, time, and cost constraints were severe, demanding extreme design discipline and chops. Our focus was to honor, nurture, and restore a modicum of wholeness and delight to our fellow citizens without homes."

Lehrer has won more than 140 major design and sustainability awards, including one for The Water + Life Museum in Hemet, co-designed with Mark Gangi, AIA. It is the first LEED Platinum museum in the world, and an international environmental showcase. In 2020, he was awarded The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Gold Medal, its highest honor. "His devotion to fellow humans is matched by his mastery of craft," states 2020 AIALA president Greg Verabian. "He is an architect fully engaged in architecture as a means to contribute to society as a whole."

"As a Jewish theater and arts organization," says Ronda Spinak, The Braid's artistic director, "we are always looking for unique ways to shine a light on our community's involvement in the world. We are delighted to focus this Sunday with The Braid event on how Judaism has sparked architectural creativity, and to introduce our audience to two such extraordinarily talented Jewish visionaries as Bob Hale and Michael Lehrer."

Moderator Jodie Mendelson is the senior project manager of cultural and entertainment, healthcare, and mixed-use construction projects for Cumming Management Group, located in downtown L.A. "It is my great honor to introduce two of my architectural role models to our Braid audience," she says. "They have taught me so much in my own architectural career, and their insights about how architecture can make our world a better place are inspiring."

The Braid is the 2020 winner of The Argonaut's Best of the Westside's "Best Live Theatre Award" and The Santa Monica Daily Press award for "Most Loved" performance. The Braid presents inspiring Jewish stories, art, and other programming that highlight Jewish contributions to contemporary life. Now in its 13th (bat mitzvah) season, The Braid's salon theatre of original dramatic shows, each written to a specific theme, displays the diverse and eclectic community of writers, artists, and creators who celebrate Jewish life, one story at a time.

Learn more about The Braid at www.The-Braid.org. For virtual tickets to Visionary Jewish Architects: a Conversation with LA's Acclaimed Creators, visit: www.The-Braid.org.

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