WHAT'S HAPPENING : THEATER.

Sahl survivor: Long before Whoopi Goldberg and Dennis Miller were skewering politicians, Mort Sahl was giving hell to the chief.

Democrat, Republican, Peroist - Sahl has savaged them all with dazzling displays of wit and bipartisan derision.

Now he's back in L.A., where for five years at the height of the counterculture Sahl held court at the Crescendo Club. Ironically, his current 36-performance gig will take place just one block down the Strip at the Tiffany Theaters, 8532 Sunset Blvd., west of La Cienega Boulevard. Sahl sold out the Tiffany during a 10-week run last summer.

Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 7 and 10 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 31. Tickets are $30 to $35. For information, call [phone].

?13 - Reed Johnson 

art

This year in Jerusalem: Few cities can arouse the mix or intensity of emotions inspired by Jerusalem, a city whose profile is always highest at the holiday season. In the first millennium B.C., King David made it the capital of the Jews. Three thousand years later, Jerusalem holds a sacred position in three great religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It also occupies a unique place in the consciousness of Jewish artists, as you'll discover from viewing ``Reflections of Jerusalem,'' the mixed-media exhibition at the Finegood Art Gallery of the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus, 22622 Vanowen St., West Hills. Running through Dec. 20, the show features the work of 17 contemporary artists from Israel and the United States and addresses traditional religious subjects as well as Jerusalem's modern identity. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Call [phone].

?13- Reed Johnson

film

Resistance is futile: After 30 years, the ``Star Trek'' franchise still has a lot of warp drive left. ``Star Trek: First Contact'' makes it so.

A hugely satisfying sci-fi adventure, and the first to exclusively feature the ``Next Generation'' crew, this eighth film in the series combines ``Aliens''-like military horror with a time-travel plot line that should please casual fans and ``Trek'' fanatics alike. Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and crew chase the soul-stealing, all-engulfing Borg from the 24th century back to the 21st, where mankind's first contact with friendly aliens is at risk.

Superb acting, truly astonishing visuals and an absolutely gripping plot make this the smartest, scariest and most involving ``Trek'' movie of them all. Even more impressive, it's the first feature-directing effort from Jonathan Frakes, who also plays Enterprise second-in-command Will Riker.

?13- Bob Strauss

dining

Tiny Tim at Tam: What the dickens is a Dickens dinner?

For the second year in a row, the Tam O'Shanter, 2980 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, presents its popular version of a Dickens dinner for six nights at 6:30 p.m. beginning Sunday.

It's a three-course meal plus a live theatrical presentation of skits from Dickens' ``A Christmas Carol,'' as well as the bonus of carolers singing, jugglers performing and minstrels playing.

The dinner starts with ``the Cratchit salad'' followed by a choice of prime ribs of beef, roast goose or a fresh seasonal fish entree. Traditional bread pudding and coffee or tea end the repast.

Because of the limited seating, tickets for this annual dinner and show ($39.50) must be purchased in advance.

For additional information or to reserve your tickets, call [phone].

?13- Larry Lipson

music

Catch Phish in Westwood: Known for wildly eclectic music that veers from country to rock to trance-inducing improvised swirls of sound, Vermont's Phish was as surprised as everyone else when the quartet's seventh album debuted at No. 7 in the charts upon its release last month.

The disc, ``Billy Breathes'' (Elektra), was something of an about-face from the band's previous two efforts, which focused on extended jams and often silly limerick-fueled lyrics. The new Phish platter features short, catchy songs with an accent on warm vocal harmonies rather than endless guitar torture.

Phish - led by guitarist-singer Trey Anastasio - appears Sunday at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

``Billy Breathes,'' co-produced by the well-known British hitmaker Steve Lillywhite, apparently owes much to the lyrics of Tom Marshall, a close friend of Anastasio's since the eighth grade. On a scuba vacation to the Cayman Islands, the pair wrote 27 songs, many of which ended up on the new album.

Phish formed in late 1983 when Anastasio posted fliers around the University of Vermont campus seeking musicians to start a band. The group took its present shape two years later when keyboardist Page McConnell joined.

The quartet's fan base is enormous, bolstered by nonstop touring and a loose affinity with the Grateful Dead's audience. Also, Phish allows fans to tape its shows, and the band boasts a significant presence in Internet music-chat rooms.

Pauley Pavilion is on the UCLA campus in Westwood. Show time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $25. Information: [phone].

?13- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1) Raphael Abecassis' ``King Solomon'' is part of a mixed-media show, ``Reflections of Jerusalem,'' at the Finegood Art Gallery on the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus in West Hills through Dec. 20.

(2) Recording artists Phish perform Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

(3) Alice Krige is the Borg Queen and Patrick Stewart is Enterprise Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in ``Star Trek: First Contact,'' the eighth film in the sci-fi series and the first directed by Jonathan Frakes.