Emmett Whitaker Releases Final Season of ‘Survivor Palisades’ in September, Featuring Footage Recorded in June 2024

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

For Emmett Whitaker, the final season of “Survivor Palisades” marks the end of an almost-decade-long era—but the show took on an even deeper meaning following the Palisades fire.

The locations he used for filming were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades fire, offering viewers video footage of the town from June 2024.

“This season is incredibly sentimental, as it was filmed before the fires and shows an untouched, majestic Pacific Palisades,” Whitaker, who lost his home in the Alphabet Streets, told the Palisadian-Post. “There’s so many shots of the beautiful, beautiful Palisades. As much as it is gone, at least for me, it feels like it’s still here because there’s so much footage of it, and I think that’s really special.”

The show, created, produced and edited by Whitaker, is a “fan-made version” of the CBS reality competition series “Survivor,” where contestants compete at various locations for prizes.

Whitaker said “Survivor Palisades” was sentimental to everyone, even before the fire, describing it as the “culmination” of many of the crew and cast members’ childhoods—several of who have been participating since Whitaker began the project in 2017, with the first episodes releasing in 2019.

“They first played when they were 12 or 13, and now they’re coming back and playing when they’re 19 or 20—some even 23,” Whitaker said. “But I think for everyone now it meant even so much more because everywhere that we filmed is gone and seeing that was really impactful.”

Filming the fifth season took place over one “long” day, Whitaker said, which started with some crew members arriving as early as 5:30 a.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m.

“It was one day, non-stop,” Whitaker said. “It’s pretty hard getting the amount of people that we have to give up more than one day.”

The cast included 12 members, with a 45-person crew on site for filming and a 60-person crew to bring the season to fruition. Whitaker said this was a “really big production compared to what we’ve done in the past.”

The fifth season featured “all-stars,” which Whitaker described as the “best of the best” from the first four seasons. “A good amount” of the cast were from the Palisades, but the casting was open to participants from across Los Angeles County.

“They’ve played before, all of them have made it pretty far in the game and are pretty strategic and entertaining,” Whitaker said. “Some winners are back.”

Whitaker was 11 years old when he decided to make a backyard version of the show he loved, featuring members of the community. In the beginning, to raise funds for production, he earned money babysitting, hosting neighborhood lemonade stands and doing extra chores.

The fourth season of “Survivor Palisades” was released in 2024, with the fifth and final season, “Survivor Palisades: All-Stars,” available for streaming via YouTube since September.

Whitaker hosted a premiere watch party event for the fifth season, attended by 150 people, at the Illusion Magic Lounge Theater in Santa Monica.

“It went so great,” Whitaker said of the premiere event. “It was truly amazing to bring so many people together … most of them had lost their homes, so it was really impactful to let everyone see [the Palisades] again.”

One of the locations that was key to the show for the past eight years was the Cudzil family home in the Huntington, which was lost in the fire.

“I really couldn’t thank anybody more than the Cudzil family who, year after year, have lent me their house to be the set of ‘Survivor Palisades,’” Whitaker said. “Without Jerry, Lorie, Sean, Abigail and Emily Cudzil, I’m unsure if this series would even exist.”

Sean and Whitaker’s friendship dates back to first grade, Lorie explained to the Post. The families lived two blocks apart in the Alphabet Streets before the Cudzils moved to Alma Real in 2015.

When he was starting the first season, Lorie said Whitaker asked if he could use their home to film. The family said yes, with no hesitation.

“The thing that I loved about our house was I loved having it full all the time,” Lorie said, which included hosting friends and family over for holidays like Halloween and Christmas. “I love being the house where people wanted to gather.”

Lorie said over the years, filming the show at the house had been “really fun,” that they had “a great time.”

“What’s been great about the fifth season is that Emmett gave us all such a gift … the footage of what we used to have there is really special,” Lorie said. “Of course, Emmett didn’t know at the time that he was really preserving such a beautiful memory for all of us.”

She described how remarkable it is that the past seasons exist and are available for viewing.

“To be able to not just have the memory in your head, because that’s the part that’s tough,” she said. “A lot of this stuff, you just have to remember in your head, but by doing ‘Survivor’ and videoing it, we can actually see what used to be there and actually see the fun and see how special it was to be together there in the Palisades.”

Lorie added that the viewing in August was “really emotional to just be all together” and “really enjoy the way things used to be.”

In addition to seeing the Palisades before January 7, for those who watch the fifth season, Whitaker said viewers can expect some surprising moves, including “idol plays” and “blindsides.”

“There were a few challenges that were really cool,” Whitaker said. “There’s a plank challenge that went on for five minutes. They were doing a one-arm and one-leg plank for five minutes, pushing their bodies to failure.”

Whitaker graduated Palisades Charter High School with the Class of 2024. He is currently a student at Boston University, double majoring in international relations and film & television production.

For Whitaker, reaching the end of “Survivor Palisades” has been “super surreal.” He said filming days, especially for the fifth season, as “adrenaline rushing” and “indescribable.”

“These 12 players come, they’ve been prepping for this for months, the cameras are out there, it’s a big deal,” Whitaker said. “They want to keep their reputations. They want to get redemption … the energy in the air is just so palpable those first few hours and the whole day. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Looking back on the show, Whitaker said it’s been “such a fun time” and that he hopes it has provided a “good and safe community” for everyone involved—a sentiment that Lori echoed.

“I will always be able to look back on this,” Whitaker said. “It’s such a monumental part of my identity and my adolescence, so being able to have it as a sort of footprint that will always be there is really special and really cool.”

Visit youtube.com/@pacific_productions to watch any season of the series. 

Kehillat Israel Associate Rabbi Daniel Sher On Loss, Resilience and Rebuilding After the Palisades Fire

By MICHAEL MATLOF | Intern

Racing home to Pacific Palisades from a conference in Palm Springs on January 7, Kehillat Israel Associate Rabbi Daniel Sher called his wife and three small children while they fled the growing flames enveloping their community.

Thankful his family was safe, Sher arrived to discover the devastation taking over the Palisades. Not only did many members of Sher’s own community lose their homes, Sher had as well.

“I shared a video on social media within about 20 minutes of knowing we lost our house because I needed to know who was sitting with me in grief,” Sher said.

When congregants informed the rabbi that they had lost their homes, he noted they always asked about his health as well.

“Everyone was thinking about each other,” Sher described.

For the rabbi, the stages of grief were undeniable: He said he found himself struggling to remember what items he still owned, wondering whether a suitcase had been burned or simply misplaced.

“I like to compare the physical items that you lost to tools to engage with the people that you love in this world,” Sher said.

Losing those items, Sher said, can feel gut wrenching. Yet, Judaism’s teaching of “life above anything else” provided him a compass for himself—and a message to send to his community: “Even when something is terrible, at least you get the chance to still be alive, right? That’s important.”

The rabbi said he would trade 100 of his homes for the safety of his children, even if there are many things he still misses about his house.

Since the fires, Sher’s focus on valuing life has been a major guide for himself and his congregation.

“Our congregation is just connected to a much larger history of people surviving tragedy and figuring things out and finding those bright moments,” he explained.

Despite the events, Sher said the KI community has been able to carry on. As an example, just five days after the fires, a KI bar mitzvah took place at Sinai Temple in Westwood.

“We still lifted him up on a chair,” Sher said. “Tragedy will not define us, it will shape us.”

To spread his messages, Sher has often turned to social media and Instagram as an amplifier. Sher’s congregation spread geographically post-fire, becoming a diaspora rather than a grounded community. To reach them, Sher began sharing more of his reflections online.

“Nothing beats being together, but I can reach people in the palm of their hand,” he concluded.

One major moment of hope for the congregation came through the fact that KI’s temple, located on Sunset Boulevard, withstood the fire.

“The minute I found out that it did survive, I didn’t ask why,” Sher explained. “I was flooded with the inspiration and the knowledge of what we would be able to do with it.”

While still under renovations and fire remediation, Sher said he believes the building provides a symbol of what is possible when rebuilding the Palisades community. According to Sher, faith isn’t why the building survived and the others surrounding it did not: “Faith is how we weather what happened,” he said. “Judaism teaches that we don’t waste tragedy. We don’t ask for it, but when it comes, we use it to grow.”

He said he thinks the Palisades community must ask the difficult questions of what comes next and how to build back with intention.

“If everyone woke up the next day and said, ‘We have our health, what can we accomplish next?’” Sher posed. “If we slowed down and thought about it and were intentional, that’s the next step, right? What does the Palisades look like with intentional redesigning?”

He said he hopes religious institutions in the Palisades can be part of rebuilding the Palisades in a logical way. According to Sher, the devastation of the fire also represents a rare opportunity.

“I’m going to sit one day on my porch, and it won’t just be the place where I raised my kids,” he said. “It will be the place they saw us rebuild something special. We can’t waste this chance. Intentionality is another word for love.”

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

An “energetic crowd” of 250-plus people attended the second event hosted by Pali ❤️ Beats, which took place on Friday, September 19, at Gladstones.

Pali ❤️ Beats was founded by Highlands residents Andrew Hires and Nima Mashkouri to host fundraising events at still-standing venues in Pacific Palisades, providing music and a place for people to gather, while supporting local businesses and fundraising for workers affected by the fire.

DJ Nimazzo (Nima), DJ Ace (his son, Aria Mashkouri) and DJ Godwin (Hires), as well as special guest DJ Micha Smith, performed during the event, which was attended mostly by “fellow Palisadians.”

“The event was a ton of fun and I’m so glad that I’m able to do this for our community,” Aria said to the Palisadian-Post. “The energy of the event is the best part.”

Nima and Hires said they “love this venue,” when speaking of Gladstones. Kids and teenagers played on the sand, while adults “relaxed with food, drinks and great company.”

“We wanted to create something fun and inclusive for our community, a space where people of all ages could enjoy music, the beach and each other’s company,” Nima said. “Seeing families dancing together at sunset was honestly the best part.”

The first Pali ❤️ Beats event took place at Spruzzo. Nima and Hires said, since the inaugural event, they have received “many messages” from people asking when the next show would be.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Gladstones General Manager Jim Harris for his support and for welcoming us to such a spacious and beautiful location,” they said. “The event was a huge success. Everyone was dancing, connecting and simply enjoying the music and beachside vibe.”

The next Pali ❤️ Beats event will take place at Gladstones on Friday, October 24, from 6 to 10 p.m. It will feature special guest DJ DeepMe.

“We’re also proud to share that proceeds from this next event will benefit beloved Palisadian tennis coach Ron Booth, who has taught generations of local players,” the organizers said. “Ron, along with his wife Michelle and daughter Sofia, joined us at the last event, and it meant so much to have them there.”

Proceeds from the September 19 and upcoming October 24 event will be combined and given to Booth, Nima explained.

“Having the Pali ❤️ Beats group at Gladstones was such a highlight for us and the community,” Harris said. “Families dining and interacting, kids running wild on the beach without a care. Something for everyone. Can’t wait to have them back again.”

Hires, a professor of neuroscience at USC, has lived in the Palisades since 2014, first in Marquez Knolls before moving to the Highlands. His wife grew up in the Palisades, attending Marquez Charter Elementary, Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High schools.

Nima, who practices dentistry in Santa Monica, has lived with his wife and two children in the Highlands for 12 years.

Proceeds from the sold-out inaugural evening at Spruzzo went to support Palisades workers who were impacted by the fires, with one recipient in particular.

“We were thrilled to partner with Spruzzo for our first event,” the organizers said. “There were over 100 attendees, whose contributions allowed us to directly give over $2,500 to our first recipient, Coach Tara [Shriner].”

Over the course of 30 years, Coach Tara has taught “thousands of Palisades children” in the Palisades Hills Recreation Center pool, hosting up to 37 open group lessons per week at the time of the fire, they said.

For more information, including about the Gladstones event, visit instagram.com/dj.nimazzo.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

St. Matthew’s Music Guild will continue its 41st season with a concert on Friday, November 7, beginning at 8 p.m.

“When mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis steps onto the stage at St. Augustine by-the-sea Church … audiences will be treated to a rare blend of operatic brilliance, American artistry and soulful tradition,” Music Guild said about the program, which also includes the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s. “The evening … promises what Music Director Dwayne S. Milburn calls ‘an experience that ignites both the imagination and the heart.’”

Bryce-Davis has performed on the stages of the Metropolitan, Houston Grand, Santa Fe and Dutch National operas. She has “quickly become one of the most sought-after singers of her generation,” Music Guild wrote.

The program will open with selections from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” including “Habanera” and “Séguedille.” Following will be Hector Berlioz’ “D’amour l’ardente flamme” from “La Damnation de Faust,” then “O don fatale” from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlo.”

“American composer Amy Beach’s ‘Summer Dreams’ offers a radiant orchestral interlude, while … Milburn’s own ‘Scherzo and Cortege’ adds a personal and contemporary voice,” Music Guild continued. “The evening concludes with Milburn’s stirring arrangements of African American spirituals, including ‘O De Angels Done Bowed Down,’ ‘Stand the Storm,’ ‘Round About the Mountain’ and ‘Ride On, King Jesus.’”

St. Augustine by-the-sea Church is located at 1227 Fourth Street. Tickets are $45 for general admission or $10 at the door for students with ID. They are also available as part of a season subscription.

“Raehann has one of the most compelling voices of her generation,” Milburn said of the November 7 concert. “This program is designed to ignite the imagination and stir the heart … It’s an evening that no music lover will want to miss.”

A “casual pre-concert feature,”  “Liner Notes” will begin at 7:10 p.m. and is free to all ticket holders. It will offer a conversation with Bryce-Davis, as well as insights into the music and composers.

Music Guild anticipated a return to St. Matthew’s Church in Pacific Palisades for its December 5 concert. Updates will be available online.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit musicguildonline.org or call 310-573-0722.