Religious hymns replaced laughter as singing echoed throughout the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. The iconic comedy club hosted a service for High Holidays to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. The doors opened at 10 a.m. with the service beginning at 11a.m.
The Factory promotes its annual Rosh Hashanah service as a welcoming place for those looking for a Jewish community outside of a traditional synagogue.
One person who attended this morning is Isaac Pachulski, a bankruptcy attorney who said he was there to celebrate the beginning of the year 5785 on the Jewish calendar.
“What this is about is having a place for for Jews who do not belong to an organized synagogue, but who want an opportunity to pray and celebrate the Jewish new year, to come and celebrate. And it’s free, and anyone can come in, sit where you want, and it’s a very homey kind of group,” Pachulski said.
Renee Rubin moved to Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was looking for a way to meet new people in the city when she found the Laugh Factory. Rubin says she’s not religious, but she finds the Laugh Factory service uplifting -- and a way to connect with others.
“There’s a lot of pain in the world all around from people of all walks of life,” Rubin said. “And I think it’s important to acknowledge at this time of year, and it helps you kind of center yourself in kind of the good fortune that we have living here in Los Angeles, to kind of take a moment and think about it and see what we can do to make things better everywhere.”
Services attendee Ron Niv said he feels similarly.
“I like the vibe here,” Niv said. “During the pandemic I saw them online, and its got the right mix for me. It’s welcoming, it’s a little bit old-school, it’s not totally new-school, so I enjoy the services. I like the feel.”
Rosh Hashanah symbolizes new beginnings and a brighter future. For anyone wishing to celebrate the High Holidays at the Laugh Factory, there will be a Kol Nidre service on Friday, October 11 at 6 p.m, followed by Yom Kippur services the next day at 11 a.m.