AGOURA HILLS

Jewish Academy offers lecture series

The Conejo Jewish Academy will sponsor a two-part lecture series on science, intelligent design, religion and Jewish medical ethics. The lectures will be at 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday at the academy, 30345 Canwood St.

The opening lecture will be "Faith and Fossils: Bones of Contention." The second will be "When Man Creates Man: Assisted Reproduction through the Prism of Jewish Law and Ethics."

The fee for each lecture is $12 for advance-paid reservations and $15 at the door. For reservations, call 818-991-0991.

THOUSAND OAKS

Service will feature singer-actor Holt

Unity of the Oaks Church will present singer-actor Charles Holt in a Mother's Day service at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Holt may be best known for his work on Broadway, including "Jesus Christ Superstar," in the role of Simon; "Smokey Joe's Café"; and "Lion King." He was the first African-American to play the role of Rocky in the European tour of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Holt also has appeared in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "All My Children" and in several films.

Unity of the Oaks is at 1414 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Services are at 10 a.m. each Sunday.The Rev. Molly Rockey is its minister. For more information, call 496-6901.

Parenting workshop offered Tuesday

Temple Adat Elohim and Mishpaha invite the community to attend a workshop for parents and child caregivers responsible for laying the foundation for children to be able to grow and thrive and be ready for the challenges ahead. The workshop will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the social hall at Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive.

This workshop will help parents make sense of some of the difficulties raising children in 2008. Topics will include setting appropriate expectations, teaching values, and how limits affect a child's self-esteem.

Baby-sitting is available with prior reservation to the Early Childhood office by Monday at 497-6920.

Kabbalah & Coffee series continues

The Kabbalah & Coffee course, led by Rabbi Chaim Bryski, meets at 9 a.m. Tuesdays at the Thousand Oaks Jewish Center.

Participants learn about the secrets of life and love based on the Kabbalah, the mystical side of Judaism. This hourlong class is ongoing and can be joined at any time. Questions are encouraged and time is allotted for extracurricular discussion. There is a suggested donation fee of $5 to cover the costs of the coffee and snacks.

The center is at 2060 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, Suite I. For more information, call 493-7776.

VENTURA COUNTY

Talmudic ethics course offered

The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute has launched the Talmudic ethics course, an approach to facing life's most challenging dilemmas. Participants need no prior knowledge of the Talmud and no formal legal training. There are no prerequisites other than an open mind.

The course will be offered at the Chabad Jewish Center of Ventura and the Thousand Oaks Chabad Jewish Center.

Talmudic ethics tackles issues like abortion, euthanasia, freedom of expression, and fair business practices.

For Ventura County lawyers who participate, the course has been approved for nine credit hours by the California State Bar, including 1.5 of ethics credits. This is an opportunity for lawyers interested in learning about Jewish thought to claim continuing legal education credits while being able to engage the most brilliant minds of Jewish history.

The course will be offered from 7:30 to 9 p.m. for six Thursdays beginning next week. The cost is $65.

The Chabad Jewish Center is at 5040 Telegraph Road, Ventura. To enroll or for more information, call 658-7441 or visit http://www.myjli.com.

The Thousand Oaks Chabad Jewish Center is at 2060 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, Suite I, Thousand Oaks. For more information, call 493-7776 or visit http://www.jewishto.org.