GUEST SPEAKER: Vladimer Saprykin, vice minister of...

GUEST SPEAKER: Vladimer Saprykin, vice minister of education in the former Soviet Union, will speak Sunday at Hillcrest Christian Church, 17531 Rinaldi St., Granada Hills. Saprykin will speak at the 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. services.

HOLIDAY DISCUSSION: Rabbi Stewart Vogel of Valley Beth Shalom and Sally Weber, director of Jewish Family Service of the San Fernando Valley, will hold a dialogue Wednesday on the upcoming holiday season for interfaith couples. The discussion will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the synagogue at 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

LECTURE SERIES: A three-part lecture series titled “The Arab-Israeli Conflict: From Confrontation to Reconciliation,” will begin on Thursday at Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. The second lecture, “Zionism: Exploring the Past to Understand the Present,” is scheduled for Dec. 10 and the final lecture, “The Fight Over the Land,” will be given on Dec. 17. Each lecture will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per session or $12 for the series, available at the door. The series is offered by the Jewish Federal Council of Greater Los Angeles and five other Jewish organizations.

SHABBAT SERVICES: The Valley Storefront Multiservice Center for Seniors will host an Oneg Shabbat service at 1:15 p.m. Friday. Prayers, songs and stories will be led by Isaac Schlein. Reservations are not required.

ANNIVERSARY: Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills will celebrate its 30th anniversary with several special events. On Friday, a Shabbat dinner at 6 p.m., followed by a service, will honor those who have been members for 20 years or more. Those who have celebrated their bar and bat mitzvahs during the past 30 years at the temple will be honored at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 5, followed by a nostalgia program at 7 p.m. A tapestry called “Celebration,” which was woven in China, and stained glass windows will be dedicated at services at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 18.

CHRISTIAN ROCK: Calvary Community Church will host a Christian rock concert Friday featuring the band Prayer Chain, with opening act bands Killing Tree and Raspberry Jam. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 each. The church is located at 31293 Via Colinas, Westlake Village.

NEW LOCATION: Makom Ohr Shalom, a congregation for Jewish spirituality, is now meeting at the Encino Community Church, 5955 Lindley Ave. Shabbat meditations are held on the first and third Fridays of each month and are led by Rabbi Theodore G. Falcon with Cantor Monty Turner.

News and announcements for this column can be sent to Religion Desk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311.