Beverly Hills Leaders Join Jewish American Summit

Beverly Hills City Councilmember Dr. Sharona Nazarian and Beverly Hills Unified School District Board President Judy Manouchehri were among those taking part in the Jewish American Summit on August 30 in Los Angeles.

Manouchehri participated in a panel focused on building a pro-Israel coalition across party lines, joining Los Angeles City Council candidate Tim Gaspar and West Hollywood City Council candidate Tanya Tsikanovsky. Attorney Elizabeth Barcohana, chair of the California Republican Party's Subcommittee for Jewish Engagement, moderated the conversation.

The discussion brought local elected leadership and municipal candidates into a broader examination of Jewish participation in public life. Other sessions addressed Jewish voting patterns, advocacy and opportunities surrounding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton also attended and spoke in a discussion about California's future. Journalist Jacki Karsh moderated a conversation with businessman and philanthropist Adam Milstein examining antisemitism as a challenge facing American society beyond the Jewish community.

Produced by Aish LA, the summit brought together participants from government, entertainment, education, business and community organizations. Co-founder and co-executive producer Mike Drath said more than 1,000 people attended the third annual gathering.

Dr. Sheila Nazarian, an Iranian-American television personality, activist and board-certified plastic surgeon whose practice, Nazarian Plastic Surgery, is based in Beverly Hills, spoke about lessons from Iran. Additional speakers included UTA Vice Chairman and University of California Regent Jay Sures, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter. Discussions throughout the day addressed U.S.-Israel relations, antisemitism, higher education and the role of social media in advocacy.

The main program was followed by the Layla Lavan mixer for young professionals. Proceeds from the summit support Aish LA's Jewish education and community work.