San Diego Jewish Journal April 2017 by San Diego Jewish Journal

APRIL 2017 NISAN â&#x20AC;¢ IYAR 5777

PASSOVER!

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Manischewitz Macaroons Selected Varieties 8 to 10 oz.

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APPLE VALLEY

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HUNTINGTON BEACH

BEAUMONT

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HUNTINGTON BEACH

1430 Beaumont Ave.

CARLSBAD

2687 Gateway Rd.

CATHEDRAL CITY 69255 Ramon Rd.

CLAREMONT

1055 W. Foothill Blvd.

COSTA MESA

1175-C Baker St.

13200 Palm Dr.

ENCINITAS

1048 N. El Camino Real

FULLERTON

1040 E. Bastanchury Rd.

HEMET

10114 Adams Ave. 7101 Warner Ave.

LA HABRA

851 N. Harbor Blvd.

LA MIRADA

12800 La Mirada Blvd.

LA QUINTA

43396 Florida Ave.

78630 U.S. Highway 111

HEMET

LAGUNA WOODS

3125 W. Florida Ave.

24336 El Toro Rd.

LAKE ARROWHEAD

28100 State Hwy. 189

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22351 El Toro Rd.

LANCASTER

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LONG BEACH

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MURRIETA

25050 Hancock Ave.

PALM DESERT

78210 Varner Rd.

OCEANSIDE

2170 Vista Way

ORANGE

3325 E. Chapman Ave.

ORANGE

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1800 E. Collins Ave.

2841 Mary St.

PALM SPRINGS

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1717 E. Vista Chino

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1111 E. Imperial Hwy.

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13589 Poway Rd.

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PRICES EFFECTIVE SUNDAY, MARCH 12 THROUGH TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017. 2 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

TEMECULA

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UPLAND

1619 N. Mountain Ave.

WEST COVINA

375 N. Azusa Ave.

YORBA LINDA

18527 Yorba Linda Blvd.

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 3

Join us as we celebrate Congregation Beth El’s 60th Anniversary and honor our Builders.

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Gloria and Rod Stone Erna z”l and Andrew Viterbi

Their vision, contributions, and enduring commitments have enabled us to become the outstanding community that we are today.

May 6, 2017 Congregation Beth El 8660 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92037

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4 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 5

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Passover...a time for sharing. The closeness of family and friends gathered together in thankful celebration. A special feeling. A special warmth. A time for sharing, when age-old traditions proudly grace the seder table. Wondrously alive and vital.

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 7

CONTENTS

April 2017

Nisan/Iyar 5777

PASSOVER:

Community seders from Chula Vista to Palm Springs.

31 PASSOVER:

One particularly empty Seder table brings back memories of how the Passover tradition started, and how it can continue on.

39 PASSOVER:

In favor of taking a look back at the original intent of the Torah before jumping to modern conclusions about how to conduct a Seder.

53 ISRAEL:

Unpacking one legal scholar's analysis of settlements, Article 49(6) of the Geneva Convention, and the UN's unapologetically one-sided perspective.

59 THEATER:

Pat Launer explores how New Village Art's production of "Awake and Sing" could give Method Acting back a good name.

8 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

OPERA’S GREATEST MOMENTS

AROUND TOWN 18 Our Town 20 The Scene 70 What's Goin' On 77 Synagogue Life IN EVERY ISSUE 14 Mailbag 16 What’s Up Online 72 News 74 Diversions ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 28 NEW RELEASES:

From Passover to Yom Hashoah, the best in new books out this month.

28 SENIOR EVENTS:

A brief run-down of what to do at the local Jewish senior centers this month.

36 PASSOVER:

Israel's winery on a hill enjoys devine provenance.

43 PASSOVER:

What Jewish history forgot.

46 PASSOVER:

Researchers, lawyers and patients are pinning high hopes on expanded marijuana access. But why?

50 PASSOVER:

A look at Passover's competing calls to action, from Rabbi Leinow.

56 POLITICS:

Checking back in with Jewish Republicans as the president's first 100 days approach.

Jean Will Presents...

Opera's Greatest Moments Sunday, June 25th • 4:00pm

Concert Hall | California Center For The Arts, Escondido Ticket Prices: $25-$35. Students: $10.

66 FOOD:

Dine Under the Stars with Performers, Tickets: $55-$60. Group Discounts Available | Free Parking

68 FOOD:

Artists: Monica Abrego, Gregorio Gonzales, Jorge Lopez-Yañez, Zande Svede, The Center Chorale, The North Coast Singers

Dark chocolate pistachio macaroons. Jewish Food Fest fires up the grill in Poway.

76 SYNAGOGUE:

Ohr Shalom celebrates its history at this year's fundraiser.

SUNDAY,

Conductor: Enrico DECEMBER 7 Lopez-Yañez Artistic Director: Ruth Weber

340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA 92025 Buy tickets at the Center ticket office, or call 800-988-4253 The ticket office is open Tues-sat: 12-6pm, and Sun:12-5pm

20th ANNIVERSARY

MONTHLY COLUMNS 12 Editor's Letter 22 Parenting 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 80 Advice

CALIFORNIA

CENTER FOR THE

ARTS ESCONDIDO

PINK MARTINI

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 9

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7

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You are going to have to make some choices,  Retirement  Retirement Plans Plans Retirement Plans but you don’t have to make them alone.  Life/Disability Insurance  Life/Disability Insurance Life/Disability Insurance Changing jobs can be difficult but we are with you every step of the way.  Investment Strategies  Investment Strategies  Investment Strategies

• Retirement Plans • Life/Disability Insurance • Investment Strategies

You are goingdifficult to have to make some choices, Changing jobs can bePlans  Retirement  Retirement Plans Retirement Plans but we are with you every step of the way. but you don’t have to make them alone. Life/Disability Insurance www.sdjewishjournal.com  Life/Disability Insurance  Retirement Plans Life/Disability Insurance You are going to have to some Changing jobs can be difficult but aremake with you5777 every stepchoices, of the way. April 2017 • we Nisan/Iyar  Life/Disability Insurance  Investment Strategies  Investment Strategies  Investment Strategies

 •Investment Strategies but you don’t Retirement Plans have to make them alone.

• Life/Disability Insurance Changing jobs can be difficult but we are with you every step of the way. PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss • Investment Strategies  Retirement Plans EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Natalie Jacobs  Life/Disability Insurance CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus  Investment Strategies

ASSISTANT EDITOR • Brie Stimson ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak OFFICE MANAGER • Ronnie Weisberg

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Gina Grimmer

Registered Registered CVice C lient lient AA ssociate ssociate Registered Registered CVice C lient lient AA ssociate ssociate Director-‐ Investments Senior Vice PInvestments resident-‐ Investments Director-‐ Investments Senior Vice PInvestments resident-‐ Investments Yesenia Fluent in Gil Spanish jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com AVP AVP -‐ R -‐ Client R egistered egistered CC lient lient AA ssociate ssociate AVP AVP -‐ R -‐ R egistered egistered CC lient lient AA ssociate ssociate CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Managing Managing Managing DirectorInvestments Senior PresidentManaging DirectorInvestments Senior Presidentjeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Associate Associate Client Associate Registered Registered CA CA insurance iCA nsurance Lic Lic #I0178195 #nsurance 0178195 CA CA insurance iCA nsurance Lic Lic #I0178195 #nsurance 0178195 yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com CA iInsurance nsurance LLic ic ###0C28496 0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance LLic ic ###0C28496 0I18483 CA insurance LLic #0I18483 CA insurance LLic #0I18483 eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Registered Associate Lic #0821851 Insurance Lic #0821851 ICA nsurance ic 0C28496 CA Lic #0821851 CA ICA nsurance ic 0C28496 CA Jeffrey RClient Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Lic #0821851 Fluent inInsurance Spanish Fluent in Spanish CACA insurance Lic #O178195 CA insurance Lic #O178195 SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish CA insurance Lic #0178195 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Managing Director- Investments Senior Vice President- Investments yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Grimmer Gina Grimmer eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 • fax:Yesenia (858) 638-9801 Gil Grimmer Associate Associate Yesenia Gil GilYesenia Gina Gina Grimmer Grimmer Gina Grimmer (858) 638-9818 Client Yesenia Gil ClientYesenia Associate Associate GinaGrimmer Grimmer eredGina Client RegisteredGina Client jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Associate Registered Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Registered Client Registered Client Associate 5665 Oberlin Suite 204Client San Diego, CA 92121 Registered Client Associate Registered Client Associate Client Registered ClientAssociate Associate Investment Investment and andInsurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Investment Investment and andInsurance Insurance Products: Products Drive, offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO !NOT Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Lic #O178195 Lic #O178195 Gil Gil Fluent in Yesenia Spanish Fluent in•Yesenia Spanish Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer urance CA insurance !MAY Lose Value !MAY Lose Value Fluent in Associate Spanish CA insurance Lic #0178195 Fluent in Spanish eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish& Fluent inAssociate Spanish Gina G rimmer Gina G rimmer CAFargo insurance LicMember #0178195 CA insurance Lic #0178195 CA insurance LicAssociate #0178195 CA insurance Lic #0178195 Client Client Registered Client Associate Registered Client Fluent insurance #0178195 @JeffreyLiberWFA @DonLincolnWFA @JeffreyLiberWFA @DonLincoln yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com ia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com WellsCA Advisors, LLC,Lic SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is aNOT registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Investment and Insurance Products: FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Fargo Value yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Company. Company. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Yesenia Gil CA insurance Lic #O178195 CA insurance Lic #O178195 Investment and Insurance Products offered through affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Registered Client ALLC. ssociate Registered Client ALLC. ssociate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com MAY eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com ©2009Wells WellsFargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors,LLC. Allrights rightsreserved. reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) ©2009 All ©2009 ©2009 Wells Wells Fargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors, LLC.All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved.88580 88580 –v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) Lose Value editor@sdjewishjournal.com Wellseugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fargo Advisors is a EDITORIAL: trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Investment and Insurance NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Lic Products: #O178195 insurance ic #Products: O178195 CA insurance (c) CA 2016 FargoLClearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 Fluent inLLC, Spanish CAWells insurance #0178195 Fargo Advisors isLic aADVERTISING: trade name used by Wellsmarke@sdjewishjournal.com Fargo Clearing Services, Member Jeffrey Liber Don L incoln Wells Advisors Jeffrey FINRA/SIPC Liber Don Lincoln Fargo Wells eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Wells Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Wells Fargo a trade Services, name used byAll Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com (c) 2016 Fargois Clearing LLC Rights reserved 1016-02995 eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: ronniew@sdjewishjournal.com

Investment and Insurance Products: !NOT FDIC Insured !NO Bank Guarantee !MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance Products: !NOT FDIC Insured !NO Bank Guarantee !MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance offered through affiliates: FDICNOT Insured NO Bank Guarantee InvestmentInvestment and Insurance offered through affiliates: FDICNOT Insured NO Bank Guarantee Investment andProducts Insurance Products offered throughNOT affiliates: FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee and Insurance Products offered through affiliates: FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee Investment and Insurance Products offered through affiliates: Guarantee Investment andProducts Insurance Products offered throughNOT affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured MAY LoseMAY Value Lose MAY Lose ValueLose MAY LoseValue Value MAY Value MAY Value Wells Fargo Lose Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo &

ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: assistant@sdjewishjournal.com Wells FargoWells Advisors is aAdvisors trade used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC MAY Lose Value name Fargo is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC

nt and Insurance Products: NOT Products: FDIC Insured NO BankNO Guarantee MAYMAY LoseLose Value Investment and Insurance Products: NOTProducts FDIC Insured NO Bank NO Guarantee MAYMAY Lose Value Investment offered through affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee Investment and Insurance NOT FDIC Insured Bank Guarantee Value Investment and Insurance Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured Bank Guarantee Lose Value Company. Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors isFargo aAdvisors trade name usedAll by Wells Fargo Clearing LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Wells Fargo Advisors isisaatrade name used by Fargo Clearing Services, Member FINRA/SIPC ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Wells Fargo trade name used byWells Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, LLC, ©2009 Wells Advisors, LLC. rights reserved. 88580 –v1Services, -0312-2590 (e7460) Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rightsused reserved. 88580 –v1 -0312-2590 (e7460) LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC Allused Rights reserved 1016-02995 c)Advisors 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC AllFargo Rights reserved Wells Fargo Advisors is aby trade name used by Wells Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Wells Fargo Advisors is aby trade name Wells Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC AllFargo Rights reserved 1016-02995 o is2016 a2016 trade name used Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Wells Fargo Advisors is2016 a2016 trade name used Wells Fargoby Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC

SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2017 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 11

THE STARTING LINE by Natalie Jacobs

EDITOR’S LETTER editor@sdjewishjournal.com

Justice Served on Silver Platitudes

he first thing they tell you in jury duty is this will not be like the tv shows or movies you’ve watched your entire life, or the crime novels you continue to love even though you know they’re terrible. “So this will not be like Law and Order?” No. “How about CSI, CSI Miami, CSI Las Vegas, NCIS or Criminal Minds?” No, no, definitely not. “Not even THE WIRE?” Sorry, no. “But kind of like a John Grisham book, right?” Ugh, no! This is real life, multiple judges remind you. What they mean is, there will be a lot of waiting in hallways, windowless rooms, fluorescent lighting, only one belligerent defendant screaming “I FOUGHT THE LAW!!!” and a quiet voice in your head that repeats “Really? This is the foundation of our justice system?” “Yes,” the judges will telepathically commune, “really, and if you don’t stop all this sarcastic rambling I will find you in contempt of court.” Later, the attorneys will admit that reality is subjective and they’ll say, “The reason we’re gathered here today is to help you figure out what is the most believable scenario that played out at a time and place where you and your 11 fellow jurors were not present, when in fact you weren’t even aware that the defendant existed. Now that you can see the defendant in front of your face, you are responsible for his freedom. Please pay close attention to everything we say for as long as we say it. You may have questions, but you cannot ask them. We will tell you everything we want you to know. You are not to consid-

12 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

er anything we have not told you, because as we already made clear, anything is possible and your tax dollars are only paying for so much of our time.” After the testimony where you’ve tried to retain as many details as possible but you have to admit there were a few times when the yellowy brown hue of the room blended everything together and became so overwhelmingly oppressive that you blacked out, the judge will offer further instructions. “There are some words that have different meanings here than the meanings that are commonly attributed to those words,” the judge will read from a big binder. “You are to consider the meanings of those words as we’ve defined them here, not as they are commonly defined. In other instances, you can consider the common definitions of words. We will assess your grasp on this concept through a MadLibs worksheet that is included in your jury packet.” In the next windowless room through a back corridor that is closed to the public, you will begin arguing with 11 strangers. It will be exhilarating, if only because you have spent two days not saying a single word for hours at a time. “Throw the book at him and let’s get out of here!” someone will say. “But the prosecution hasn’t met its burden of proof!” a do-gooder will retort. “Yeah, where’s the smoking gun?” another will pile on. “Ok, but define accident,” someone will diligently search through the jury packet. With 15 minutes left in the court’s day,

This is real life, multiple judges will remind you. What they mean in, there will be a lot of waiting in hallways. you will take a preliminary vote. 11 to 1. It will become clear why there are no windows in the deliberation room. One juror will get angry that he’ll have to miss another day at his important job to sit in this sweatbox staring at a bunch of Detective Stabler wannabes arguing over $228 worth of groceries. It will be unclear if 12 of you will leave this room until the juror who has been slumped in the corner starts humming “American the Beautiful.” By the lesser-known second verse, everyone will have calmed down. “America! America! G-d mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law!” With the tip-tap of pilgrim’s feet echoing in your heart, you’ll bid the strangers farewell, and until tomorrow dutifully depart. A

JCC PATRON PARTY SAVE THE DATE May 20, 2017 Direct from Chicago

will join us to

wine & dine roast, toast, and boast

Mike Cohen Executive Director of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS retiring after 45+ years of extraordinary service to our community

For more information call or email Paige Pick, (858) 362-1355 or paigep@lfjcc.org www.lfjcc.org/patronparty

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 13

we’re listening let us know what’s on your mind self-righteous accusers say it is. If you’re going to pretend to be balanced, then be so. If you want to be a leftist Jewish magazine with no pretenses to fairness or factuality, fine. Just say so up front (and then see by how much your subscription list will be reduced). As Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions, but not to his or her own facts. Gideon Rappaport San Diego

Between the Ears

Send us your comments:

editor@sdjewishjournal.com 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204, San Diego, CA 92121

Good/Bad/Ugly Dear Editor: I was very relieved to read in this month’s SDJJ Rabbi Eilfort’s letter criticizing the absurdly one-sided film review by Michael Fox in the previous edition. It saved me writing the same sort of letter myself, though mine might not have been as kind. Now I turn a few pages and find that once again you have underestimated the intelligence of your readership by pretending that a two-page spread devoted to the President’s immigration ban is balanced just because you have given the ZOA position. How does giving us one contrary reasonable viewpoint set against three shallow expressions of self-righteousness unrelated to the actual facts constitute a balance? Did you even ask any of the rabbis in town who did not sign the HIAS letter to weigh in on the subject? Vetting for terrorists or jihadi sympathizers is not hatred of or injustice to immigrants, no matter how many howling 14 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Dear Editor: Regarding Sharon Rosen Leib’s article “Hearing the Voices of Elders Lost” [Musings from Mama, March 2017], my reply to you is “oy vey.” Unfortunately, the voices that you hear are problematic. Are you proud to call the president “a putz with ridiculous hair”? I am ashamed to even write that word. Is it because you disagree with his politics? He is committed to protect all the citizens of America by banning immigrant refugees [stet], and rightly so, [they] could possibly be potentially dangerous. How uncouth and disrespectful to insult our president. Are you more concerned about the welfare of questionable refugees than the welfare of innocent victims like Kate Steinle, a beautiful young lady in the prime of her youth, from San Francisco, shot to death by an illegal immigrant? She could have been one of your daughters. I am very proud and thankful that the voices from my elders, also from the shtetls of Europe, instilled in me respect for authority and love of Torah. In the Book of Exodus, chapter mishpatim (civil law) G-d instructs Moses to teach the people ordinances related to the integrity of the judicial process 1.) you shall not revile G-d and you shall not curse a deader among you, 2.) do not accept false reports. Pauline Sonboleh San Diego

CORRECTIONS In the March issue, Simchas section Lydia Krasner was incorrectly identified as the co-owner of BESA. Krasner is co-president of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Services Association. In “Trending Topics for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs,” the article suggested that Krasner has done Disney theme parties and has used plastic or silk flowers in the past, which is not the case in either instance. She also still does sport theme parties. Also in the March issue, “The Jews at the Edge of the World,” photos were incorrectly credited. The photo on pg. 33 is from the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego, courtesy Michael Naiman. The photo of the Eli and Goldie Witt wedding at Tifereth Israel in 1943 is also credit JHSSD, courtesy Natalie Witt Morrison Collection. The Congregation Beth Israel confirmation class photo from 1922 is also credit to JHSSD, courtesy Frieda Judd Townes Collection. Noted incorrectly in the article was the location of the JHSA physical materials. From Laurel Schwartz: “The JHSSD has an office in the Jewish Studies Reading Room at the Love Library where we collect and preserve materials and welcome researchers. These collections remain the property of the JHSSD until they are turned over to Special Collections. The JHSSD pays for the archival materials and preservation work. About one half of our over 90 collections reside in each location.” The SDJJ regrets these errors.

ON THE COVER

This month’s cover is an original illustration created for the San Diego Jewish Journal by local artist Sarah Day. Sarah’s work can be found in shops and galleries around the world, and online at sarahdayarts.com. Follow her on Instagram @ sarahdayarts.

Nowadays, it’s a shortage of blood that’s really a plague.

Nothing is more important than saving a life, so it’s essential that Israel have an ample supply of blood for all its people. That’s where Magen David Adom comes in — collecting, testing, and distributing Israel’s blood supply for civilians and the Israel Defense Forces. And to protect Israel’s blood supply in the future, we’re building a new blood center for Israel, one that will be reinforced against rocket or other terrorist attacks. You can support MDA’s lifesaving blood services.

Make a gift today. Pesach kasher v’sameach. AFMDA Western Region 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 750 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Toll-Free: 800.323.2371 • western@afmda.org www.afmda.org

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 15

what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com NEWS FROM THE UN On March 20, the Trump Administration boycotted a UN Human Rights Council session "Israel and 'other occupied Arab territories,'” citing the body’s bias against Israel. Earlier in the month, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia made headlines for publishing and then retracting a report that called Israel an apartheid state. The person responsible for the report later resigned instead of issuing a correction.

BILLY CRYSTAL ON BEING JEWISH, PLAYING BALL AND MORE The inimitable Billy Crystal is back on the road. Cindy Sher of JUF News caught up with the comedian, actor, producer, director and writer, who is 68, to talk about his Jewish identity, his long career and the "one thing" that keeps him going. We've republished the article through JTA on our website. Just search Billy Crystal. 16 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

ISRAELI-AMERICAN TEEN ARRESTED FOR BOMB THREATS A 19-year-old was arrested in Israel on March 23 in connection with a string of bomb threats issued against JCCs in the United States. His lawyer says he has a "very serious" mental condition.

GALLUP POLL FINDS JEWISH APPROVAL RATING OF DONALD TRUMP IS 11 POINTS LOWER THAN THE COUNTRY AT LARGE Clocking in at 31 points, the president's approval rating among Jews, as measured by Gallup in mid-March, was 11 percent lower than the general public (42 percent approval). In their analysis of the results, Gallup points out that Trump has sent “mixed signals to American Jews about their position in the country and his administration’s stance toward Israel.” Gallup also noted that the 42 percent approval rating was the lowest for any president at this point in his term since Gallup began this poll in 1945.

The Four Questions and Gelson’s Passover is a time for family, customs, and food. It’s also a time of the symbolic “Four Questions,” which is part of the Seder. For Passover, depend on Gelson’s for answers as to why we are different from other stores. We offer top quality, cleanliness, dedication to our customers, and our extensive line of FOR PASSOVER ONLY items to make your gathering perfect. If you’re cooking, stop by our Meat Department and choose from a wide array of natural and organic meats, with an emphasis on antibiotic-free, hormonefree, and locally sourced products. Our delicious USDA Choice Beef Briskets are a classic pick for Passover.

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 17

our TOWN BY LINDA BENNETT AND BETSY BARANOV, PHOTOS BY VINCENT ANDRUNAS

Seacrest Gala

The 39th annual Seacrest Foundation Women’s Auxiliary Gala “Seacrest Vintage 2017” was a sparkling affair on Saturday, Feb. 25. Three hundred and fifty guests helped raise $550,000 for the resident assistance fund, which provides charitable care for Seacrest residents most in need. Guests were invited to indulge in several wine tastings, along with cheese plates and decadent lamb shanks. Dan Cohen again served as Master of Ceremonies with presentations by gala chairs Cindy and Larry Bloch and Women’s Auxiliary President Mary Epsten among other speakers during the program. After the live auction and dinner, guests danced well into the night under a purple canopy between a dessert spread and open bar.

TOP L-R: Selma Leighton and Sy Singer • Mary and Jon Epsten. BOTTOM L-R: Sheila and Jeff Lipinsky • Cindy and Larry Bloch, Bea Bloch, Reisa Bloch.

18 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Imagine a world in which every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.

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Give us a call at 619-764-5995 to learn how you can support thriving Jewish life on campus.

Nisan â&#x20AC;˘ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 19

the SCENE BY EILEEN SONDAK AND NATALIE JACOBS, PHOTOS BY TONY AMAT AND BEKAH PEACE PHOTOGRAPHY.

TOP, L-R: Fay Stassis and Kevin Vernon • Ashli Finouli and Shante Schwarz. PHOTOS BY TONY AMAT.

Film Foundation Oscar Party The San Diego Film Foundation held a fundraiser at a La Jolla mansion on Oscar night. The viewing party supported the Foundation’s community-wide efforts with its International Film Festival and outreach programs to students throughout the county. The red-carpet event was as elegant as any Hollywood affair. Some of San Diego’s hottest chefs, including Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room and Trey Foshee of Galaxy Taco prepared signature dishes, while a champagne toast capped off the evening.

La Jolla Playhouse Gala Another star-studded affair took place on Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Marriott Marquis. The La Jolla Playhouse gala featured an exclusive one-night-only concert of the Playhouse’s Broadway-bound musical “Come From Away.” The gala also offered a tribute to Artist Director Christopher Ashley and his decade with the institution.

20 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: Dr. Howard and Barbara Milstein, Captain Beverley Bass, Tom Stawicki and Gail Bryan • Congressman Scott Peters, Lynn Gorguze, Katherine Stuart Faulconer, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer • Debby and Hal Jacobs. PHOTOS BY BEKAH PEACE PHOTOGRAPHY.

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 21

MUSINGS FROM MAMA

by Sharon Rosen Leib

PARENTING srleib@me.com

The New Reality

s a native of Southern California blessed to live in laid-back coastal communities throughout my life, I never worried much about my personal safety. Times have changed. Now, being a female Jewish journalist equals three strikes against me. Beyond my own concerns, San Diego’s Jewish community has been on high alert after recent bomb threats to the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s (JCC) La Jolla campus. Last month, I attended the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) San Diego Jewish community briefing on anti-Semitism and security to learn what was being done local to protect our institutions. A national civil-rights organization founded “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” the ADL also coordinates with law enforcement agencies. Their security manual, “Protecting Your Jewish Institution: Security Strategies for Today’s Dangerous World,” encompasses a parade of worst-case scenarios: Explosive threat response planning, active shooters, suicide bombers and “a brief look at weapons of mass destruction.” In light of recent events at Jewish institutions around the world, none of these horrors seems excessively far-fetched. Our synagogue’s executive director now sends emails to reassure members that leadership has established protocols to ensure the safety of everyone from pre-schoolers to seniors. The synagogue board upped membership dues to cover additional security measures. Every member was required to select a unique keypad access code to gain admittance through the steel security gate. An armed guard patrols the synagogue’s perimeter. A wall bordering the synagogue campus blocks the pre-school playground from

22 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

view. Surveillance cameras monitor the parking lot, gate and playground. We do this so we can pray, celebrate, learn and observe Jewish holidays with some peace of mind. Recently, I attended the memorial service for a friend’s mother at our local Catholic church. I was struck by the wide-openness of the church’s campus: no security guard; no gates or keypads and no protective walls – in short, no fear. How lovely to be able to send your children for spiritual education in a house of worship without the threat of external menace. My heart goes out to the families of the JCC pre-school children ranging in age from 18 months to 5 years who’ve had to evacuate the premises during every bomb scare. At the ADL community security briefing, one mother asked the panel of law enforcement officers, “Are our kids safe here?” San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman replied, “I know it’s incredibly upsetting. But we are doing everything possible to keep your children safe.” She urged the community not to be intimidated. We Jews have been stereotyped and vilified throughout history as a powerful, privileged religious minority. When we must walk past armed guards to celebrate a wedding, attend a prayer service or take our children to pre-school, we do not feel powerful or privileged. We feel anxious. We feel sad mourning our children’s innocence lost. We feel the tragic necessity of accepting these precautions as the new normal in this era of anti-Semitic rancor and increasing threat levels. I may have three strikes against me but I’m not going to be counted out. As a female Jewish journalist and mother, I’m compelled to speak my truth and carry on. I urge you to do the same. A

see something?

SAY SOMETHING.

Law enforcement officers at the ADL/JCC meeting said San Diegans should report anything they consider anti-Semitic or hate-related – they want to know about all swastika graffiti (even if on a bathroom door) so they can determine whether any patterns are emerging. If you see something you think is a hate crime or anti-Semitic incident, notify someone from the following organizations: ADL San Diego: (858) 565-6896 SDPD: (619) 531-2000 (Unless you witness a crime in progress, in which case, dial 9-1-1.)

SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY Early Childhood Center invites you to ask…

THE 4 QUESTIONS • What Challenges my children? • What Inspires them? • What do they want to Explore? • How will my child benefit from SDJA’s Preschool?

SDJA’s preschool offers educational programs planned and structured to meet the developmental needs of the whole child in a warm, loving, and nurturing environment. Our preschool prides itself in offering a program rich and meaningful in Jewish culture, traditions, and values. We offer weekly enrichment classes and a Pre-K curriculum featuring: • Science • Technology • Reading • Art & Math (STREAM)

• Spanish • Hebrew • Science • Reptiles

• Ballet • Gymnastics • Yoga • And more!

Our Early Childhood Center (6 weeks – 5 years old) is now enrolling for the 2017-18 school year. Classroom seats are limited and some classes will fill up.

Schedule your tour today. Call 858-314-9441 or contact admissions@sdja.com

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE andreasimantov@gmail.com

Twenty Twenty

or several shabbosim in a row, I’d noticed a beautiful young woman sitting on the right side of the women’s section, balancing an extremely large Artscroll siddur (prayerbook) on her lap and an even larger chumash (Pentateuch). Like most of us, she knew the service almost by heart. The Torah reading and subsequent Haftarah reading is always sung aloud and we follow the written words with our fingers in the books. After the service there is a kiddush consisting of liquor, cakes, drinks and other snacks. It is where we mingle as a spiritual community, make new friends, touch base with old ones and invite strangers who are without a sabbath meal to join us or, perhaps, find a seat at a stranger’s Sabbath table. The kiddush provides wonderful opportunities for singles of all ages to meet within the protective walls of an all-embracing community. I cannot begin to count the numbers of couples I’ve met who’d first seen one another in shul on a Shabbos morning. The kiddush is where David first laid eyes on Shira and while she did not exactly “see” him, she sensed his sincerity. He poured her some cola, selected the most-chocolatey piece of rugelach and laughed at her ability to chuckle at herself. He hoped he wasn’t speaking out of place but, indeed, she didn’t “look” blind and she said, “thank you” because she got it. She explained that there was still some vision left, it came and went in degrees, occasionally negatively-affected by her moods and that there was, at the present time, no cure. Perhaps as a warning to reign in his heart, she shared that she’d soon be totally blind and had no regrets other than bemoaning that her vision might not last long enough to experience the beauty of Europe. They took their drinks and cakes to the courtyard and 24 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

sat on a bench. He spoke of his family in America, a love of sports; she appeared passionate about her work with children with special needs. After a while Shira bade David a “gutten shabbos” and joined her parents for the walk home. From the other end of the social hall, her mother, Chaya, had witnessed the opening scenes of this eventual courtship with equal measures of hope and concern. What if this young man, like the one before him, broke her heart? To be fair, Shira had also rejected several matches because she felt they were based on co-disabilities and this was offensive to her. But wasn’t Shira practicing discrimination herself by rejecting men with disabilities as minor as she claimed her own to be? In the end it is all moot because David dated Shira and Shira fell in love with David and one evening he placed a beautiful ring on her finger and asked her to spend the rest of her life as his partner. The wedding was a love filled tear-fest that saw the bride dancing and hugging and thanking everyone who had been part of her journey. And after the seven days of celebrations called sheva brachot, David handed his kallah an envelope with several folded pages that outlined the itinerary of their magical trip to Europe. And in the dead of winter, while Shira could still squint in just the right light and by holding her head at a certain angle, they saw the magnificent greenery of Scotland, the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc Du Triomphe and Big Ben. Sometimes the gift of physically perfect vision is granted to those who simply can’t see while other, low-vision individuals are blessed with eagle-like acuity. Perhaps it boils down to the color of the lenses. A

How is this exhibition different from all other exhibitions? Find out at:

Exhibition runs

MARCH 2017 THROUGH JANUARY 2018 in Balboa Park! This exhibition explores the fascinating, vivid, and significant history of San Diego’s Jewish community. Engaging and educational interactive displays tell the story of the Jewish experience in San Diego from the 1850s to the present day. Visit today! Open 10am – 5pm daily. sandiegohistory.org

ARIEL QUARTET April 21 at 8 pm | Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, UC San Diego Tickets: $45–59

Characterized by their youth, brilliant playing, and soulful interpretations, the Ariel Quartet will be making their San Diego debut with works by Beethoven and Schumann. artpower.ucsd.edu 858.534.TIXS

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 25

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT by Saul Levine

EXAMINED LIFE slevine@ucsd.edu

A Profound Human Need

ho doesn’t love Tevya? I’m referring of course to the beloved and beleaguered hero of “Fiddler on the Roof.” When Tevya sings the wonderful signature song “Tradition,” he brings down the house because we recognize ourselves in the evocative music and powerful lyrics. In “Tradition,” Tevya plaintively expresses his plight to himself, to us and to G-d. He barely ekes out a living as a milkman in his shtetl Anatevka, but it isn’t poverty which plagues him as much as trying to cope with the bewildering changes in his life. In addition to domestic and work challenges, he is beset by threatening winds of social change: Violent anti-Semitism in Russia is rearing its ugly head, one daughter wants to marry a non-Jewish Cossack, and another is emigrating to America. Tevya is overwhelmed. He cherishes his personal and religious traditions with reverence, but there’s a palpable desperation in his pleas: He’s holding on to them for dear life. Traditions, it turns out, are Tevya’s lifeline. We need our traditions as well. I’m certainly not equating our circumstances to Tevya’s, but we do lead complicated inner and outer lives. In addition to the usual pleasures and challenges of family, work, and finances, many people nowadays are feeling unsettled and anxious in the current news climate: Our political system is in some disarray, national and international threats abound, and invective, rage and fear permeate our media and lives.

26 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Thus we try to cope by bringing a semblance of order and predictability to our existence – even some serenity, if possible. This is seldom an easy task, but it’s especially challenging when in addition to personal tzoress, our world appears to be in turmoil. We humans are a remarkably social species, and traditions help bring us together. These provide us with experiences of shared values and mutual comfort. They also offer us time for reflection and relaxation, and relief from the pressures of our daily lives. All religions have traditions which enable us to accomplish these goals: Seders, Shabbat meals, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, Ramadan observances, Tet celebrations, festivals, prayers, atonements and countless other religious occasions held regularly around the globe. Similarly, non-religious, ethnic, cultural, family and other secular groups have traditions and rituals which foster communing and camaraderie, and enhance our quality of life. When traditions take place on a regular basis, they bring predictability and constancy to our lives. We get reassurance that we will indeed be all right. Traditions fulfill important criteria for achieving the “Four B’s:” Being refers to being able to appreciate ourselves and our strengths, and feel grounded in spite of our frailties and foibles. Belonging covers our personal comfort in knowing that we’re an integral part of some group(s), where we are respected and appreciated, perhaps loved by others. Believing means that we have a set of

Without traditions, it is difficult to fulfill our profound human needs for affiliation and communing. “higher” (i.e., non-material) principles and values by which we lead our lives, which can be religious or secular rules of ethical behavior. Benevolence refers to the extent to which we enhance the lives of others – be they family, friends, or strangers. Without traditions, it is difficult to fulfill our profound human needs for affiliation and communing, and as a result we are more often alone, and feel alienated and demoralized, especially in times of uncertainty and jeopardy. Tevya learned that his cultural traditions could not “guarantee“ paths to stability and serenity, since unpleasant realities can intervene. But with his traditions embracing family and friends and his cherished and shared traditions, he was better able to weather the storms of ominous change with insight, wisdom, and even humor. So it is with all of us. A

The Behavioral Health Committee of Jewish Family Service of San Diego Invites You to Our Annual Luncheon in Support of Behavioral Health Awareness

Living with Bipolar Disorder: A personal story of recovery and hope

Featuring Suzy Favor Hamilton

Champion Underwriters

Caryl Lees Witte

Barbara Barsky

Join three-time Olympian and national spokesmodel Suzy Favor Hamilton, as she shares her inspirational story of healing from bipolar disorder and finding the strength to speak up about mental illness. Hamilton is the author of the best-selling memoir Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness, which chronicles her tumultuous journey from Olympic runner, to Las Vegas escort, to outspoken mental health advocate. Infused with wisdom, compassion, and honesty, Suzy’s story underscores the importance of meeting people where they are in their illness and offers insight on how family and friends can serve as partners along the path toward healing.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Registration: 11:00am | Luncheon & Program: 11:30am – 1:30pm Hyatt Regency La Jolla | Event Chair: Mimi Lee $50 prior to May 1, $60 thereafter

Join Us: www.jfssd.org/luncheon See the full list of Underwriters on our website

This Passover, Invest in the Promised Land. INVEST IN ISRAEL BONDS israelbonds.com

Development Corporation for Israel Western Region 1950 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 370 • Los Angeles, CA 90025 losangeles@israelbonds.com • 800.922.6637

Invest in Israel Bonds israelbonds.com This is not an offering, which can be made only by prospectus. Read the prospectus carefully before investing to fully evaluate the risks associated with investing in Israel bonds. Member FINRA

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 27

New Releases “Tell Me How This Ends Well”

“Jumping Over Shadows”

What if Israelis were the next refugees to flood into the United States? What would that do to the state of antiSemitism in this country? That's part of the backdrop of a new, "wickedly funny" novel by David Samuel Levinson. It's 2022, a family gathers for Passover in Los Angeles.

A memoir of secret love and the blurry lines between religion, nationality and generations. Annette Gendler traces her gentile family history back to a great-aunt who had a forbidden Jewish lover before World War II, and how that compares to the author’s own life.

“Survivor”

Just in time for Yom Hashoah, this coffee table book memorializes Holocaust survivors with stunning color portraits and handwritten memories. This is the result of photographer Harry Borden’s five years traveling the world to collect survivor testimonies, through interviews and mementos that have been kept for more than 70 years.

“The Undoing Project” Michael Lewis unpacks the unlikely friendship of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, two Israeli psychologists who changed the way we think about how we think. Their work led to a mistrust in human intuition and opened the door to "big data" as we're experiencing it today.

28 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

“Phoenix: Shimon Peres and the Secret History of Israel” You can never have too many “secret histories” of world affairs. This one fills in some blanks from the Shimon Peres biography and promises to be an interesting look inside one of the world’s most beloved leaders.

Meetings and Events for Seniors Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post-185 Contact Jerome Klein at (858) 521-8694 April 9, 10 a.m. North County Jewish Seniors Club at the Oceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 April 12, 12:30 p.m. Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings April 9, 11 a.m. Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 April 7, 10:30 a.m. Middle East update with Mark Silberstein. $6. JFS Balboa Ave. Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 April 6, 11 a.m. Passover Seder, $15. On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 April 23, 11 a.m. The Flower Fields photography workshop and Blues jam in Carlsbad. $36 due by April 13. JFS No. County Inland Center at Adat Shalom Contact (858) 674-1123 April 10, 11 a.m. Seder with Adat Shalom’s Rabbi David Castiglione. JFS College Avenue Center at Temple Emanu-El Contact Elissa Landsman (858) 637-3273 April 20, 12:30 p.m. Art show with entertainment on flute and guitar.

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Volunteer Opportunity “I drive because I love getting to know my riders.” Hannah, On the Go Volunteer

Join the team that drives On the Go

We’re a team of volunteer drivers. When older adults make the tough decision to “turn in their keys,” we help them hold on to their independence by getting them where they need to go. Sometimes we drive people to the doctor, and sometimes to visit friends. We’re about helping our neighbors stay connected to the people and places they love most.

• You choose who, when, and where you drive • We provide secondary insurance and reimburse you for every mile • Scheduling is convenient and done online

Let’s get to know each other: (858) 637-3050 | www.jfssd.org/volunteer Serving the Entire Community

Join us at one of our training sessions: Thurs, April 27, 2017 10:00am Wed, May 10, 2017 2:00pm Tues, May 23, 2017 10:00am All trainings held at Jewish Family Service

On the Go is a program of Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS) and is operated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 29

FOR MORE INFORMATION info@campmountainchai.com (858) 499-1330 www.campmountainchai.com

SUMMER 2017 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! First-time campers are eligible for $700 or $1000 grants

SAVE THE DATE

2nd Annual CAMP MOUNTAIN CHAI

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017

L VE LAUGH C MP

PARADISE POINT RESORT

OPEN HOUSE

COME SEE WHAT MAKES CAMP MOUNTAIN CHAI SO MAGICAL! SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017 • 12PM – 4PM • FREE BBQ Lunch • Meet the Directors and Staff • Camp Tours Experience the Ropes Course & other activities!

30 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

||| PASSOVER |||

PASSOVER 2017 April 10-18

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 31

||| PASSOVER |||

Community Seders COMPILED BY BRIE STIMSON

ur annual list of Passover community seders has arrived. Use this guide to find information on your local synagogue, or try a new one. Costs, dates and times are included, along with contact information and any reservation details. Passover is coming up fast, so hurry to make plans if you haven’t already – the feast will be here before you know it. Also included in this section are thoughtful reflections on what this holiday marks, and what it means in contemporary society.

Chabad: Chabad Center of University City 3813 Governor Dr. San Diego CA, 92122 (858) 455-1670 chabaduc.org April 10, 7:30 pm Cost: No charge but donations of any amount are welcome. Reservations are required. Chabad Jewish Center of Rancho Santa Fe 5690 Cancha De Golf Suite 112 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 921091 (858) 756-7571 jewishrsf.com April 10, 7 p.m. Chabad of Oceanside/Vista 1930 Sunset Drive, Vista, CA 92081 (760) 806-7765 jewishoceanside.com April 10, 6:45 p.m. Cost: $55 Adults/$30 Children under 10 (under age 3 free) R.S.V.P. by April 7 at jewishoceanside.com/seder, call (760) 806-7765 or email info@ jewishoceanside.com. Chabad of Chula Vista 1548 Bedford Ave. Chula Vista CA, 91913 (619) 836-0770 jewishchulavista.com April 10, 2017, 7 p.m. RSVP for location. Adults $36/ Children $18/Sponsors $180

32 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

You’ll read about “passed over” Jewish history, a meditation on a lifetime of Passovers and what it’s like when loved ones start disappearing from the Seder table, and a biblical argument in favor of keeping this holiday politics-free. If anything remarkable happens at your holiday gathering, share the story with us. Send a letter to the editor, tag us (@sdjewishjournal) on Twitter, or drop us a note on our Facebook page.

Chabad of Coronado 956 Orange Ave. Coronado, CA 92118 (619) 365-4728 chabadcoronado.com April 10, 6:45 p.m. Cost: Adults $40/Children $25

Chabad of San Marcos and CSUSM 649 Sandy Lane San Marcos, CA 92078 (760) 481-7503 alefcenter.com April 10, 7 p.m., April 11, 8 p.m. Cost: Adults $36/Children $18

Chabad of Carmel Valley 12341 Del Mar Oaks San Diego, CA 92130 (858) 333-4613 chabadcv.com April 10 and Tuesday, April 11, 7 p.m. Cost: Adults $40/Children $20

Orthodox: Kehillas Torah (858) 829-9648 April 10, 6 p.m. Call or email bledermansdccd@gmail.com for the location, cost and to R.S.V.P.

Chabad of Downtown 308 G Street San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 289-8770 chabaddowntown.com April 10, 7p.m., Tuesday, April 11, 8 p.m. Cost: Adult $40/Children $20 Chabad of La Costa 1980 La Costa Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92009 (760) 943-8891 chabadatlacosta.com April 10, 8 p.m. Cost: Adult $36/Children $18 Chabad of Pacific Beach 4150 Mission Blvd. Suite 216 San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 333-0344 chabadpb.org April 10, 7:30 p.m. Call synagogue for cost and to R.S.V.P.

Gala Red Carpet

Cocktail Hour Silent Auction Dinner - Dancing Live Auction

Saturday, May 6

2017

OPENING ACT - 5:30 PM RSVP By April 27

619-286-2555 www.teesd.org

Starring

Temple Emanu-El

Earlybird Discount Ends April 10 Seating is Limited

6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, California 92120 1

IRON DOME

connected to

6 BREAKTHROUGHS

the development team at Rafael are nearly all Technion graduates

TECHNION

researchers and students

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is a major source of the

innovation and brainpower that drives

AZILECT

the Israeli economy, and a key to Israel’s

REWALK

preserving dopamine to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

renown as the world’s “Start-Up Nation.”

bringing the opportunity to walk to the paralyzed

Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to Israel’s economy and security.

VELCADE

treating multiple myeloma

DRIP IRRIGATION improving crop yields in drought conditions

PILLCAM

a miniature disposable capsule to non-invasively map your colon

To find out more about programs in the community, contact: MARK GREENBERG, San Diego Chapter Director 858.750.2135

mgreenberg@ats.org

www.ats.org

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 33

Beth Jacob Congregation 4855 College Ave. San Diego CA, 92115 (619) 287-9890 bjsd.org April 10, 8 p.m. Call to R.S.V.P. or go online to bjsd/org/ event/seder2017. Prices have not been set by print deadline, but are usually around $50 for adults and $30 for children. Conservative: Temple Beth Shalom 208 Madrona St. Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619) 420-6040 bethshalomtemple.com Tuesday, April 11, 6 p.m. Cost: $25. To R.S.V.P. call (858)344-5632

ohrshalom.org April 11 at 6:00 p.m. Cost: Non-Member price is as follows: Adults - $50 Children (ages 5-12) $30 Chai @ Beth El 8660 Gilman Drive La Jolla 92037 (858) 452-1734 cbe.org Tuesday, April 11 R.S.V.P. by April 3 Cost: $37 Beth El Members/$47 Nonmembers Temple Isaiah 332 W. Alejo Rd. Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 325-2281 templeisaiahps.com April 10, 6 p.m. Cost: Members $70/Children under 12 $36/ Children over 12 $45/Guests $85. Reservation requested by April 5 at 5 p.m.

Ohr Shalom Synagogue 2512 Third Ave. San Diego CA, 92103 (619) 231-1456

Happy Passover from all of us at the

34 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Reform: Congregation Beth Israel 9001 Towne Centre Drive San Diego CA, 92122 (858) 535-1111 cbisd.org April 10, 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $40 for members and their guests (per person); $45 for nonmembers (per person). Children 6-12 years old are $18 and children 5 and under are $5. R.S.V.P. requested by April 5. Temple Solel 3575 Manchester Ave. Cardiff-By-The-Sea CA, 92007 (760) 436-0654 templesolel.net April 11, 5:30 p.m. Call for costs and to R.S.V.P. Congregation Etz Chaim 16911 Gunn Stage Rd, Ramona 92065 (760) 789-2781 etzchaimramona.org

Humanistic: Kahal Am: The Humanistic Jewish Community of San Diego (858) 549- 3088 kahalam.org April 15, 1 p.m. Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111 Cost: Members $35/ Nonmembers $45; children 6-11 $15, children under 6 free. R.S.V.P. and payment must be received by April 5; reservations and payment can be made through the Kahal Am website or by mail.

April 15, 2017, 4 p.m. No charge, pot-luck. Bring a non-dairy dish Temple Adat Shalom 15905 Pomerado Rd. Poway, CA 92064 (858) 451-1200 adatshalom.com April 11, 6 p.m. Cost: Members $42 (adult)/$27 (child ages 5-12), $5 (ages under 5). Nonmembers $52 (adult)/$30 (non-member child). Temple Emanu-El 6299 Capri Drive San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 286-2555 teesd.org April 11, 6 p.m. Cost: Adults: Members $50/Nonmembers $60; Ages 6-12: Member $35/Nonmembers $45; Ages 5 and under Members $10/ Nonmembers $12 R.S.V.P. requested by April 7

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 35

||| PASSOVER |||

Returning Jewish Wine to its Homeland Visiting one Israeli kosher winery for 2,000 years of perspective BY BRIE STIMSON

ooted on picturesque limestone terraces nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, the Psagot Winery overlooks the Wadi Kelt and the mountains of Edom in Israel. The winery, with its perfect location for grape-growing, produces more than 300,000 kosher wines a year. Many of those are exported to different countries around the world. It was founded by Yaakov Berg, who emigrated from Russia at the age of three. “My father was a farmer and I was raised with a lot of love for the land and this was how the hobby of winemaking was born and turned into a successful winery,” Berg tells the Jewish Journal. Berg started the winery 14 years ago, and the business continues to grow. “Thank G-d [the winery’s business is] very good. We continue surpassing milestones we set for ourselves and are excited to see what the future holds,” he says. “We are known for our red wines, which include three different blends, a Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. We also make Chardonnay, Viognier and Rosé.” Psagot wines can be found here in San Diego and throughout the United States, and also in Canada, Europe, Panama, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa. Berg says he has plans to enter new markets worldwide. 36 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Since the winery’s inception, his business has grown one hundredfold, “now, in our Bar Mitzvah year we produce 300,000 bottles a year. We always strive forward,” he says. In the beginning, Berg explains, the financial side of the business was challenging, but by starting small and expanding slowly they are continuing to see success. Kosher wine doesn’t have a great name, and Israel is still working on its image as a premiere vintner in a global market with tough competition. Berg takes the long view. He says that although up until recently the world only knew the simple Kiddush wine, in ancient times the Romans bought their premium wines from Israel. But since the Jews were disconnected from their land for 2,000 years, Berg explains, “getting the word out that we are now producing incredible wines takes time.” The wine proprietor says it’s a miracle that Israel is producing wine again, let alone wine that is actually getting positive attention. “For 2,000 years, there were unsuccessful attempts at growth production. Even though all the nations that stayed here tried, they couldn’t grow anything. But now, the land produces very fine fruit – the Jewish people returned to their land and the land returned to us.” Psagot’s terroir (soil, topography and cli-

mate) at 3,000 feet above sea level is optimal for winemaking. The mineral-filled rocky limestone that the winery’s vines are planted in makes superior grapes. The vines absorb the minerals through the roots while looking for fluids, affecting the quality and taste of the fruit. A great day trip from Jerusalem, the winery has a visitor’s center with activities for kids as well. Berg hopes to continue to make the best wines possible in the foreseeable future, to make people happy with great products and through his wines he wants to “connect all people to the amazing story of Israel.” A

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 37

SDSU Student Leaders Travel to Israel & Palestinian Territories on Fact Finders MIssion

illel led a mission of San Diego State University student leaders for an educational fact-finding mission to Israel and the Palestinian Authority over winter break. Most trips to Israel focus on bringing Jewish students Israel. However, the purpose of this trip was to educate any SDSU students in positions of leadership on campus about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by shining an intentional light on the complexities and nuances, in an immersive and experiential fashion. This was the second such trip organized and staffed by Hillel’s Jewish Agency for Israel Fellow Gal Winrebe. In May, we brought 18 students on a mission modeled after a similar trip organized by UCLA Hillel. The goal was not to convince participants to become pro-Israel advocates but rather to help them see the conflict as much more than what the discourse on campus would have them believe. The summer trip had a profound impact on the participants, and as news spread of their experience, nearly 50 students applied for the heavily subsidized 10-day winter mission. In January, Gal brought 24 student leaders including five students active in Israel advocacy efforts on campus to meet with Israelis and Palestinians and learn first-hand about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group met with various government officials, grassroots activists, and citizens from various perspectives of the conflict who shared their personal narratives. As one student said, “Their narratives helped me and my fellow students come to our own conclusions and form our own perspectives about Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the conflict.” Participants were selected based on demonstrated leadership experience on campus, such as leaders in student business organizations, student government, fraternities, sororities, media and other groups. During the mission, they were encouraged to ask difficult questions, with no question being off-limits. Participants brought back their experience to campus and shared what they learned with other students. Many of the participants joined the mission with very little knowledge about Israel and the Middle East, and what they did know was often a result of misinformation. The mission helped shape their understanding 38 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

of the region through the context of the religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity of the region. As one student said, “what surprised me about Israel is how my perspective on the Israeli settlements in the West Bank completely changed. Although the global community, and recently the United Nations have condemned the Israeli settlements as both internationally illegal and an impediment to peace, I no longer see it that way.” When visiting various settlements throughout the West Bank, students were surprised to see how many Palestinians benefited from employment opportunities and social benefits. SDSU Hillel hopes to organize a third Fact Finders mission next year. SDSU student Anthony Berteaux stated, “On both Fact Finders trips to Israel and the West Bank, I expected to see the same Israel I had seen on previous trips, but Fact Finders showed me an Israel that wasn’t black or white, good or bad – they showed me an Israel that was conflicted, an Israel that was human, an Israel that couldn’t ever be defined by a news headline or a blog post. Over the course of the trip, and in my interactions with fellow participants and the people of the land, I realized something I should have known all along: there are no two sides to this conflict, there are no two narratives. There are multiple narratives and histories in the region and Fact Finders taught me to practice radical empathy to all these narratives. Labels such as pro-Israel or pro-Palestine don’t do the people of this land justice and more than anything, movements like BDS don’t do justice to the complex narratives and truths of the people living on the ground. Every day I carry with me the stories of people like Ihab and Ora Balha, who started a bilingual, integrated kindergarten for Jews and Arabs in Jaffa, or the stories of Palestinians living in the West Bank who bravely meet with Israeli settlers to better understand the “other.” These stories give me hope, and further affirm my commitment as a storyteller to tell stories that reflect the complex reality on the ground.” To learn more about Hillel of San Diego, please contact Amy Hart, The Lori Bolotin Director of Development at ahart@hillelsd.org, or 619-764-5995, or go to www.hillelsd.org

||| PASSOVER |||

A String of Seders One particularly empty Seder table brings back memories of how the Passover tradition started, and how it can continue on. BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT

here are many milestones in a Jewish life. Seders at Passover, for me, have always been the most significant. As a child, I could not wait to gather with my cousins for spring and Passover at my grandparent’s house. After the never-ending recitations in the Haggadah, the many courses of food and the dun-coloured raisin wine, we were finally excused to rumble in the rec room downstairs away from the adults wearing dark fedoras and lacy shawls. My cousin Allan, the oldest, was the leader. He would fearlessly jump up on the bar and announce the teams and skirmishes we would lead against the rubber military men that emerged from concealed places in the room. His brother, Robin, would mount an attack of teddy bears against the rebels, soundly vanquishing them.

We felt like one connected ball with numerous limbs, convulsed in silly giggles and innocent childhood fun. Allan intervened to smooth out any fracases and bring order to the group when the voices from the floor above pierced our noisy commotion, demanding respect for the religious evening. Serious adults and prayers were not our concern. SO MANY YEARS LATER. It is April 15, 2014 and it is snowing. The bunny who frequents our yard in the spring must be confused. I see it cowering beneath some overhung branches that are quickly slicked down by snow. It is Passover again but instead of the childhood anticipation I once welcomed, I am uneasy. This will be the first without our mothers: my motherin-law’s increasing dementia has her con-

fined at Shalom Village where a Seder of sorts will be enacted for the residents; and for me, my mom has passed away on Rosh Hashanah. The mood is somber even as childhood memories of boiled meatballs and potatoes pass between the members of my husband’s family who are gathered around our table. They all agree those meals were terrible, reliving the desire to retch, while their mother insisted she maintain her own childhood tradition for her family. I do not scoff. I deeply comprehend that need to bring something personally meaningful from one’s past into our children’s lives. Perhaps to demonstrate that we, as parents, once owned a previous existence, and that we, ourselves, possessed unique and special experiences, some even worthy

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 39

of passing down as traditions from our quasi-religious experiences. Congruently, these practices remind us of the emotions we shared with the people who were once responsible for our care. There is an emptiness at the table without my mother-in-law Bessie, who did eventually leave the boiled meatballs and potatoes behind in favor of exquisite gefilte fish, soup and flourless chocolate cake. I wonder if a place should be set for my mother, usually at the head of the table in the corner. My eldest daughter would sit beside her, chat and interact. My mother thoroughly enjoyed the full attention of her eldest grandchild, Ariel, kind and solicitous, making her laugh occasionally, a spark rekindled. I hear that my son Jordan has told JJ, his 5-year-old, that Baba has died. The child wants to visit the grave marker. I recall my mother’s 90th birthday, two years prior to our first Seder without her. Then 3-year-old JJ stood on a chair, surveyed the boisterous tangle of friends and family, found the party too loud and confidently intoned “Everybody, settle down.” To which a startled group responded with silence. My mother, captivated, would always chortle as she shared that vignette. It was a better memory than of JJ’s brother who, upon visiting my mother, would turn away and scream at the top of his lungs. The first Passover without my father was 19 years ago. My mother was strangely subdued. We all experienced the ghostly absence of the man who had been the hallmark of our lives. Jordan, a mere boy, muttered, “I miss him so much,” his eyes stanching tears. An emotional supper: the focus not on the coming of freedom from slavery, but the bondage to emotion that comes when a heart is entangled with the pain of loss.

40 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

This 2014 Passover, a similar quiet haunts us even though the grandkids continue to be wild and unruly. JJ, quite interested in traditions, is anxious to try the bitter herbs, the charoset, and to contribute his part in The Four Questions. He asks for the translation of the list of wine droplets we dribble on our plates: locusts, darkness, vermin...and with a dark look of horror after considering the list, bursts out, “Those are not GOOD drops.”

This will be the first without our mothers: my mother-in-law’s increasing dementia has her confined at Shalom Village where a Seder of sorts will be enacted for the residents; and for me, my mom has passed away on Rosh Hashanah. I hope he does not store these afflictions in his mind and later ponder them. He is already a sleepless fellow, his imagination overwrought with terrifying images. His mother tries to rationalize, “We don’t have to worry about them now.” But how can the thoughts of devouring locusts, bloodied doorposts not persist in one’s thoughts once they have been reiterated over and over in

the Haggadah? Chaos at the table continues: numerous kugels, turkey, brisket, salads and desserts. The actual reading, responsive in both Hebrew and English has whizzed by for me. The youngest grandchild, referred to as A.B. by his mom, is cradling an iPhone watching an Arcade Fire concert where the audience jumps around wearing masks. To a 2-year-old, the flash and glitter, even with the sound off, is mesmerizing. I notice he punctuates his screening with an animation clip that involves Santa Claus. I know my father would not have allowed such malfeasance. He never even let my son include some English into the Hebrew-only Seder. Also absent from this table is my second daughter, who has been retained in Philadelphia because a tree has fallen and blocked her driveway. But we expect to see them next year, in Canada. On the way home this wintery spring night, darkness falls and feelings of sadness, confusion prevail. I am streched across dimensions, at once a little girl playing in the basement with her cousins, a grandma missing her mother, an adolescent speaking Hebrew with her father, a wife feeling connected to her husband’s family history, and a mother wishing she could hug her daughter who is stuck behind a felled tree so many miles away. Pesach will always make me yearn for my mother’s arms around me, to hold my own children and grandchildren in the warmth of the home that my husband and I have built for them, with them. In this year of missing pieces, I don’t know how to gather everything up and make it whole. With every year that passes, though, we continue trying to hold onto the strings that connect us to our past and our future, no matter how loose or tangled they may seem. A

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42 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

||| PASSOVER |||

passed-over

Jewish History An exploration of little-known or long forgotten Jewish history, Passover edition. BY MARNIE MACAULEY

n “What Jewish History Forgot” we look at fascinating, little-known, unsung, and yes, funny finds, the details of which you may or may not read in history books. Yet, these facts and anecdotes are not only edu-taining, but can forever affect the way we see ourselves, and how the world sees our culture. For this entry, we look at Passover, our celebration of the Israelites’ exodus from Egyptian slavery. Did you know that... Pesach Was A Noble Shlep In The Old West? Today, preparation for Passover, or Pesach, is a relative breeze for most Jews living in the Western States, such as California. But did you know the tsouris the Jewish Mama endured to keep our customs in the western territory during pioneer days? Picture it. This was a time when there weren’t enough Jews around to make a gezunta Bar Mitzvah and before you could find Manischewitz matzo in the General Store next to the saddles and shotguns. Did you know these Jewish mamas, with 3,000 years of gritty DNA, insisted on keeping things kosher with enormous dedication? For example, they raised their own livestock and grew veggies to follow the laws of

kashrut. In 1959, Seymour Siegel quoted the following from the journal of a Jewish girl: “When we got ready for Passover, we even scrubbed the door knobs. We had a library with books in it. For Passover, my mother made me go through every one of those books, shake them out, G-d forbid someone would be reading a book a crumb would fall out.” The place? Nogales, Arizona. Ira Steingroot in “Keeping Passover” quotes a young boy describing the holiday.

“All holidays were celebrated at home, where the baked goods were made.” Did you know that mamas shlepped to Sonora, Mexico to buy the fish for the gefilte fish for Passover and Tucson (over two hours away) for matzo makings? Jewish families would come together and celebrate the sacred observance in one house. So mamalas, while we shvitz hunting for stray chametz crumbs, we can remember with pride these heroines who grew, raised, ran, prepared, cooked and banned together to keep Pesach alive and well in the Old West. “Madison Ave” Came Up With The Modern Passover Haggadah? True, the “Haggadah” (The Telling) or the Passover story, has been around for thousands of years and was, for most of them, passed down orally. The earliest written version we know of, which originated in the Mishnah in tractate Passoverim was created in Spain during the 13th century. Today, our Haggadahs are filled with legend, rituals, songs, blessings and of course prayers. One of the most popular and well-known came from – Maxwell House Coffee. Coffee and Haggadahs? Did you know this alliance was the brainchild of

Nisan • Iyar 5777 l SDJewishJournal.com 43

marketing genius and ad-maven Joseph Jacobs and a non-Jewish Tennessee salesman, Joel Cheek? As the story goes, during the 1930s, when Cheek, who shlepped coffee in saddlebags in Tennessee, wanted to hit the Eastern market, it was Jacobs who explained that Ai Ai Ai! … coffee beans were Kosher for Passover, as they were actually berries. So of course Cheek listened when Jacobs told him to hit the independent Jewish stores. The coffee became a hit, and Cheek and his Jewish customers forged such a bond that General Foods published and distributed Haggadahs, named of course: Maxwell House! JEWS WITH A HANDFUL OF WEAPONS HELD BACK THE NAZIS FOR ALMOST A MONTH? Most of us over age 40 have heard of the heinous Warsaw Ghetto during WWll and the Nazi scourge. But how many know that under the leadership of Mordecai Anielewicz, the Jews of the ghetto staged a series of uprisings in 1943? More, while the Nazis, under SS General Juergen Stroop planned a three day victory to deport the remaining 60,000 Jews, they held out for 27 days! Ultimately, these Jewish heroes were defeated. Mordecai Anielewicz was killed during the siege on May 8 after which Stroop burned the ghetto and ordered the destruction of the Great Synagogue on Tlomacki Street on May 16.

Of the horror, Stroop wrote: “Over and over, we observed the Jews preferred to be burned alive rather than being caught by us.” Ironically, yet poignantly, this final heroic battle occurred on Passover eve, 1943. The Seder, “Words of the Warsaw Ghetto” before the Final Uprising, 1943: Passover has come to the Ghetto again. The lore-laden words of the Seder are said. And the Cup of the Prophet Elijah awaits. But the Angel of Death has intruded, instead. Who shall live, who shall die, this Passover night. But no more will Jews to the slaughter be led. The truculent jibes of the Nazis are past. And the lintels and doorposts tonight will be red With the blood of free Jews who will fight to the last. JEWISH CELEBS TWEET PESACH? From Presidents to cave-dwellers in Sri Lanka who today doesn’t “tweet” all from world policy to whether they had a blintz or a cheese burrito for breakfast? So, of course, many a Jewish celeb has had something to tweet to the world on Pesach. Did you know The Forward has kept a record of the most, well, you decide: The late Joan Rivers on her way to daughter Melissa’s for Pesach: “Seders in L.A. are

so showbiz – until Elijah arrives, we’ve hired a seat filler from the Oscars.” Ari Shapiro: “‘Tis the season to throw out the half jar of horseradish that’s been in my fridge since last Passover and buy a new one.” Dan Levy: “Passover is a great holiday if you don’t hate your parents and love being constipated.” Andy Borowitz: “Chocolate bunnies? Too obvious. Let’s go with bitter herbs and saltwater. – The man who invented Passover.” A FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE BROKE MATZO WITH REFUSENIKS? We Jews traditionally conclude the Seder with the emotional words: “Next Year in Jerusalem,” referring to the coming of the Messiah and our spiritual redemption in our Holy Land. But how many know that under President Ronald Reagan, former Secretary of State George Schultz did much to help imprisoned Jewish Soviet dissidents, and kept the pressure up with the Soviets to issue exit visas. Ultimately, in one of his proudest moments, he recalled participating in a Seder in Moscow in 1987 with Refuseniks, including Ida Nudel, Josef Begun and Vladimir Slepak. According to author Tim Boxer, Schultz felt the zenith of his career was a phone call from Ida Nudel – from Jerusalem. “Where are you?” he asked. “I am home,” she said. To all, a happy and safe Pesach! A

Did you know that Gene Cernan, astronaut on Apollo 17 In 1973, shouted, “Man, oh, Manischewitz,” the matzo company’s slogan, in the middle of his moonwalk?

44 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

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jewishinsandiego.org/events Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 45

||| PASSOVER |||

High Hopes From sick people to researchers to lawyers, there’s plenty riding on California's new regulated marijuana market BY NATALIE JACOBS

effrey Spivak had been having seizures for three years when Sanjay Gupta’s CNN special “Weed” came out. The documentary introduced Jeffrey, now 68, and his wife Deborah to a girl named Charlotte who has a debilitating seizure disorder called Dravet. By the time Charlotte was 5 she was having up to 300 seizures a week. Her parents heard that the non-psychoactive strain in marijuana, called cannabidiol (CBD), may help control her seizures. After using a tincture, or oil, with a drop under the tongue, Charlotte went from having 300 seizures a week to one. In the documentary, the Spivaks saw hope for Jeffrey, who developed epilepsy as a result of a cavernous hemangioma, or a malformed blood vessel in his brain in 2010. “We saw that and we were like wow, if that’s going to help her, I want some of that,” says Deborah over the phone one afternoon. Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, but research and business development have gone through waves of progress and stagnation as federal administrations have alternately cracked down and eased up on enforcing the fact that marijuana is a schedule one narcotic. There are some physicians who will discuss marijuana as a treatment option for patients, but in Deborah and Jeffrey’s experience in San Diego, none of their doctors were talking about it. All the while, Jeffrey’s pharmaceuticals were not stopping the seizures and were in fact creating painful side effects. 46 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Eventually, the Spivaks found one dispensary in California that carried CBD oil, Harborside in Oakland. “We bought a ticket and we flew up to the Bay Area,” Deborah recalls. “We got a medical marijuana card for Jeffrey and we just went.” Armed with sparse dosage instructions

Deborah and Jeffrey Spivak were encouraged to try CBD oil after a CNN documentary told the story of how it eliminated the seizures of a 5-year-old girl.

from the dispensary, the Spivaks arrived home in San Diego and gave the CBD oil a try. With a couple drops under the tongue twice a day, Jeffrey was seizure-free for five months. They traveled back to Oakland once during that time to get more CBD oil, and excitedly talked about moving there soon if it continued to work. “But it stopped working,” Deborah says. “And then we were frustrated because no one could tell us what the next step was.”

They belonged to an epilepsy support group where other members were also experimenting with CBD. Some suggested they add small amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in marijuana) into the dosing regimen. “Everyone has a different take on what they were doing and if it was working or not working,” Deborah says. “For a lot of people it was cost prohibitive because insurance doesn’t cover it. It’s a big jumble.” A quick search of the Harborside website in early March found 17 different kinds of CBD tinctures ranging from $300 for a 2-ounce bottle to $35 for a half-ounce bottle. Some offer dosage information and organic certification, others just note the name of the brand and the CBD to THC ratio. “When you go to a dispensary and you say I have back pain,” Deborah offers as an example, “they give you 10 different choices of strains of marijuana and it has a certain percentage of indica and a certain percentage of sativa. That’s all they tell you. You have to then purchase all these different kinds and then go home and experiment. Then you also can experiment with how you take it – should you smoke it in a cigarette like a joint, should you use a vaporizer, should you make a compound butter, should you bake it in a brownie, should you drink it, what time of the day? It’s all these factors. It’s expensive and time consuming.” All for a big maybe, she says. Jeffrey stopped using the CBD tincture after five months and three different renew-

als. In 2014, he had brain surgery to remove the hemangioma. Now, he uses marijuana (edibles) to control the side effects of the medications – pain, nausea, headaches. But the seizures persist. Jeffrey’s experience with marijuana is not that different from his and many people’s experience with pharmaceuticals. For everything from bipolar disorder to cancer, it’s rare that a patient gets a perfect medication and dosage on the first prescription. Sick people and doctors spend years perfecting drug regimens. And still, pharmaceuticals stop working or create harmful side effects that eventually create difficult either/or scenarios for patients. Even so, for many people, there’s a lot riding on the potential of marijuana in medical applications. Israel is a noted leader in marijuana research, but here in the United States, doctors are reluctant to suggest marijuana to patients because there is little domestic scientific research to show its efficacy and in what instances. Because of its narcotic classification, research is tightly regulated and funding is scarce. Under the control of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in coordination with the FDA and DEA, there is only one entity allowed to provide marijuana for research in the entire country, that’s the University of Mississippi. Under those constraints, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at UC San Diego was opened with state funding in 1999 to research pharmaceutical applications for marijuana shortly after medical usage became legal in

the state. Similarly, the November 2016 passage of Proposition 64 will allow for additional funding to CMCR through the taxation of medical and recreational pot in the state. Dr. Joseph Hamp Atkinson is a clinical psychiatrist and co-founding researcher at the Center. He says investigators there are currently exploring “drugged driving” to “assess what are the effects of acute intoxication with marijuana on driving abilities.” “It turns out,” he says, “cannabis’s time course in the body is much more complicated than alcohol. So it’s not as straightforward as setting a limit of so many nanograms per milliliter of blood, or some concentration in the breath. Those data simply aren’t there. [And] it’s not so straight forward as some of the states [where medical and recreational pot is legal] have said.” The legalization of recreational marijuana in California has created increased need for this kind of research to identify legal limits, but in the past CMCR has also conducted investigations on the efficacy of cannabis in treating diseases. Such studies, published or submitted for publication, include cannabis for treatment of HIV-related peripheral neuropathy, short-term side effects of cannabis therapy on spasticity in MS, analgesic efficacy of smoked cannabis, and on general neuropathic pain. Studies conducted by other research institutes have supported the seizure-reducing qualities of cannabidiol, but only on specific epilepsies

“We saw that and we were like wow, if that’s going to help her, I want some of that.”

Kosher Pot Medical marijuana made headlines just before last year’s Passover when Israel’s ultra-orthodox Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky declared it permissible to consume even though other kitniyot are forbidden. Strains from certain growers have also been deemed kosher by the Orthodox Union, which means that packaging for that marijuana includes the ubiquitious OU Kosher symbol.

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 47

Lori Good, dentist and chair of Hadassah's local Yachad group.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. The difference between marijuana strains is found in the THC potency. Dr. Atkinson notes that CMCR’s research typically uses potencies of 2-8 percent THC per marijuana cigarette (those that come from the University of Mississippi), compared to 12-14 percent THC in street pot (tested from marijuana seized by law enforcement). “We compare the pain-taming affects of each potency [in the 2-8 percent range] and in general, the lower potencies did just as well as the higher potency and had fewer side effects,” says Dr. Atkinson. “There was even some suggestion that higher potency cannabis was associated with more, rather than less pain.” In order for marijuana to truly penetrate the pharmaceutical market, chemists need to be able to derive a “pure product” from the plant, Atkinson explains. “There are dozens of cannabinoids in the overall cannabis plant. There are literally hundreds of other chemical constituents.” As cannabis becomes more legal in more states, growers are creating new hybrids, like the brothers who created the virtually CBD-only plant now called “Charlotte’s Web” after the little girl who saw such remarkable seizure reduction from consuming its tincture. I happened to speak with a local cannabis lawyer, Jessica McElfresh, on a day when White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made headlines by suggesting that the Trump administration may direct the Justice

48 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Jessica McElfresh, attorney specializing in marijuana issues.

Department to go after states that have legalized marijuana. “They might do a lot of things,” McElfresh says frankly. “He also [previously] made a statement that they weren’t going to do anything.” The fact is, she says, we don’t know.

“Everyone has a different take on what they were doing and if it was working or not working.” “I do think we’ve reached a point where over half the states in this country have a medical marijuana program. We have eight states where people have voted to pass adult use or recreational cannabis. And over 40 states have voted that they think CBD should be available in some form. So they’d basically be taking on a lot of people.” Over the past two decades, California’s stance has effectively been to simply not enforce some criminal laws on pot at the state level. That has left marijuana businesses subject to federal raids, like those that happened under the Obama administration in 20112012. But, McElfresh says many people have been and will continue to be willing to take

Dr. Joseph H. Atkinson, co-founding researcher at CMCR.

on those risks, for a piece of what some analysts are predicting will be a $2.6 billion market by 2020. Under the new California laws, which are now operating under a tax-and-regulate model instead of a turn-theother-cheek model, the state, law enforcement and select research institutes each stand to consume pieces of that pot pie as well. It’s all of these converging interests and rapidly changing laws that got the local Hadassah group interested in hosting a forum about marijuana. “It’s not something, I have to be honest, that I know very much about,” says Lori Good, a pediatric dentist and president of Hadassah San Diego’s Yachad group, the sub-committee for women in their 40s and 50s. “I was looking for something that would inform me about what’s going on.” Deborah Spivak, Dr. Atkinson and attorney Jessica McElfresh will speak about their various involvements with marijuana at the Hadassah event “Post-Passover Pizza and Pot” taking place on April 20. Unbeknownst to the organizers, that date, 4/20, is something of a national holiday for pot enthusiasts. Organizers are careful to note that no marijuana will be served at the event, but don’t be surprised if you smell some skunk elsewhere throughout the day. “Post-Passover Pizza and Pot,” at Congregation Beth Israel is open to men and women and the community at large. For more information and to register, call Deena Feinman at (858) 268-3200. A

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||| PASSOVER |||

Slaves in the Past and

Free Today

A look at Passover and its competing calls RABBI BEN LEINOW

assover and the Seder is a celebration of contrasts. We experience fun and seriousness, singing and speaking, the present and the past, charity and wealth, slavery and freedom, new and old, hunger and lots of food. I am the first-born son in my family. We never ate the Seder meal before midnight. Being that I was the eldest son, I was the first Bar Mitzvah, and the first boy to move from the children’s table to the adult male table. I could no longer sneak into the kitchen for the snacks of celery and carrots that my mother had for the children. In my adult role, I had to be ready to read any part of the Haggadah without hesitation. Our Seder was conducted with extreme dedication, as if we thought that divine punishment would be levied upon a misspoken word. Later in life I learned that the purpose of the Seder is to gather the family together and celebrate the freedom of the Children of Israel as they moved from “slave” to “free person.” Our task is to tell the story in such a way as to feel we were with Moses and the People of Israel searching for freedom. By the end of the Seder we rededicate ourselves to work for freedom for everyone. The modern reaction to the traditional 50 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Seder was to focus on time. If you check on the internet you will be able to find the “Thirty Minute Seder,” the “Twenty Minute Seder,” the “Three Minute Seder” and the “Three Sentence Seder.” When I asked someone recently if he had a place to go to on the evening of April 10 his answer to me was, “Oh you mean for the Passover dinner? We always have a Passover dinner, and we never have bread or rolls, but Matzah instead.” He also added, “It is the one Jewish thing we always do in my family.” To bridge the gap between the traditional, modern and dinner Seders, I have five suggestions. In advance of the Seder, review the Haggadah and look for content you would like to talk about and songs you would like to sing. When explaining the four (really five) questions do not go into why we recline. Most people sit in high back chairs and reclining does not take place. Another question that could be asked instead is “What do we do from the past that keeps us from being free in the present?” When we talk about the symbols of the Seder plate, if you agree, you might let the lamb bone symbolize that we will never do animal sacrifices again. Be sure to include an

orange as a symbol of equality between men and women. There is an experience in the Seder when we open a door and invite all who are hungry to join us. Providing food for the hungry is a beautiful idea but I have been involved in many Seders and not once did someone come thru the door. A better way of reaching people who need food might be to ask all who are coming to your Seder to bring a large bag of non-perishable goods that can be distributed to organizations that provide for the hungry. Most people love the song “Dayenu” which thanks G-d for the wonderful events and gifts that G-d bestowed upon the Jewish People. My suggestion is that after “Dayenu” we echo all that G-d did for us by renewing our commitment to mitzvot (good deeds) by singing the song “Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah,” which means “One mitzvah leads to another” (Perkei Avot 4:2). That song reminds us we should live an active meaningful life from Seder to Seder. I hope you and your family have an inspiring and joyful Passover. Hag Pesach Samayah, Happy Passover. A

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||| PASSOVER |||

In favor of taking a look back at the original intent of the Torah before jumping to modern conclusions. BY RABBI JACOB RUPP

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 53

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||| POLITICS |||

100 Days, 100 Opinions

Checking back in with Jewish Republicans who were on various points of the Trump support spectrum last year. How are they feeling now? BY EVA BEIM

hen I spoke with Mark Hirsch at last year’s Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in Las Vegas, he was a “never Trumper” who didn’t believe that the man he described as an arrogant egotist with ridiculous policies could actually win. But win he did, with the eventual support of Hirsch and many others who changed their minds about the controversial figure at some point during his campaign. “I went from being a ‘never Trumper’ to being never Hillary; and then to pro-Trump with reservations. I had no choice but to support him,” Hirsch explains when I get back in touch with him in early March. His harshest critiques of Donald Trump came before he was the official nominee of the Republican party. Now that Mr. Trump is the president, Hirsch thinks that he has matured in many ways. But the New Yorker still has his reservations. “When he goes after [Chuck] Schumer as a lightweight,” Hirsch offers as an example, “that’s too much. He needs to cut that out, 56 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

[and] all the tweeting.” In our earlier conversation, Micha “Mitch” Danzig said he left the Democratic party after 9/11 over concerns for the security of both Israel and the United States. As an outspoken Jewish Republican, Danzig still didn’t vote for his new party’s candidate. “I live in California,” he said, “so I decided to make a statement with my vote and voted for the Independent, Gary Johnson. But a day before the election, I told my wife ‘There are probably many people who would never tell a pollster they would vote for Trump, but did vote for him anyway.’” Despite the hunch, Danzig says he was still surprised by Trump’s win. “I listened to the media. ... I certainly expected Hillary to win.” On Nov. 9 2016, the Pew Research Center issued it’s preliminary analysis of 2016 voting. The group found that 71 percent of Jews voted for Hillary Clinton and 24 percent went for Trump (out of the total 3 percent of Jews in the U.S. electorate). A higher

percentage of Jews voted for the Republican candidate in both the 2012 and 2004 elections. But the Jewish Republican base may be growing, especially as right-leaning sects increasingly applaud forthcoming Trump policies like education vouchers, immigration restrictions, and his pick for Israel ambassador David Friedman. “I’ve been called a Nazi” when discussing support for Trump, Hirsch says. “I try to remain calm and explain my thoughts to people, but hatred is not part of my world. I’m a child of a Holocaust refugee, and I’m compassionate. ... To label people who voted for Trump with names is to not understand why they voted for him in the first place.” Despite being a minority within his faith group, Danzig says he is very open about his political preferences. “I’ve never been a right or wrong guy for either party. I still take those positions now. If Trump says something I don’t like, I’ll say it. But I’m not ashamed to openly say I think people are over the top [with their

outrage against Trump].” He calls it “Trump derangement syndrome” but admits he has concerns with the president’s foreign policy agenda, noting he hasn’t seen Trump show a firm grasp on the complexity of geopolitical issues. Specifically, Danzig mentions the way President Trump has spoken about the South China Sea, the Mideast conflict and Crimea as areas of unease for him. “He will need input from all of the experts in those areas. It doesn’t mean he won’t listen to the right advice,” Danzig says. “Certainly Obama got it all wrong with the foreign policy, but Trump has to know what the good and bad advice is.” Danzig says he’s happy with most of the experts the president has surrounded himself with, but after Trump’s comment that his son-in-law Jared Kushner may be the only person capable of bringing peace to the Middle East, Danzig raised an eyebrow. “[Kushner is] only 35 years old, and I don’t know how much experience he has. It’s so over the top, it does give me pause,” Danzig says. Hirsch thinks of Trump’s exaggerated style as in line with his New York state of mind. “He’s uber New York style,” Hirsch, who was also born and raised in the city, says, “like a street fighting guy from Queens.” The focus on a president’s first 100 days started with Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. He mentioned it in his radio address, in reference to the 100-day session of the 73rd Congress, which took place from March 9 to June 17 that year. He wanted to measure the legislature’s progress in working with him to end the Great Depression. A remarkable 76 bills were passed into law during Roosevelt’s first 100 days, and so the time table for measuring a president’s performance was set. Now “the first 100 days” are mentioned in almost every presidential campaign speech, promises are made and statisticians diligently keep track of the score. This three-anda-half month period continues to be a way to check presidential productivity, although no president has ever passed as many bills as President Roosevelt did. President Trump reaches the 100th day of his presidency on April 30. Looking at some of the other flashpoints since Jan. 20, Hirsch turns to the executive order issued on Jan. 27 that barred refugees, immigrants and green card holders from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for a period of 120 days (and indefinitely for Syrians).

“It is not a Muslim ban,” he says flatly. “[Trump] used the same countries of concern identified by Obama. Europe has been infiltrated and a lot of people have died. Americans don’t want that here.” On the domestic front, Trump’s “America First” policy is leading to talk of increasing import and border taxes to spur American manufacturing and offset the cost of tax cuts on businesses, which has some Republicans divided. “I’m all for growing American businesses,” Danzig says, “but I hope we don’t see him grow American business through tariffs.” In keeping with the hallmark issue of the Republican party, both Hirsch and Danzig are proponents of the free market. With that, they believe the President’s impacts, positive or negative, on climate change are likely to be minimal. “We have to try” to limit pollution and improving air quality, says Hirsch, who works in real estate investments, “but I don’t want to shut down industry.” Danzig is more optimistic. “We’re going to go green anyway. I don’t think a president determines that.” Saying that an Environmental Protection Agency is important, Danzig thinks it needs to reach a balance between protecting the climate and protecting business growth. For those who find themselves on the “socially liberal” side of the Republican party, there are many issues that have so far riled up the left without causing much of a flurry in the hearts of people like Danzig and Hirsch. “I’m a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage Republican,” says Hirsch, who has three

“I’ve been called a Nazi” when discussing support for Trump. I try to remain calm and explain my thoughts to people, but hatred is not part of my world.” daughters, “but it’s not my priority issue. There are [people] who feel that pro-choice is number one, but without security and the economy, nobody will have any choices.” Danzig, a lawyer, says he’s comfortable deferring to the Supreme Court on the abortion issue. “It’s more important that I can put food on the table and that we can defend ourselves against the threat of terrorism,” he says. Despite the polarized rhetoric and heel-digging on both sides of the political aisle, there continue to be gradients of opinion within individuals. The Jewish Republican vote is a complex one that may well continue surprising people the more vocal it becomes. A

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 57

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||| ISRAEL ||| Neve Daniel, an Israeli community in the West Bank, as seen from nearby Palestinian farmland in February, 2016.

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

making the case for

SETTLEMENTS A legal scholar offers a history lesson on the Fourth Geneva Convention Article 49(6) and the problem that it has only been invoked against Israel. BY BRIE STIMSON

hen it comes to Israeli residencies in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and the Golan Heights, often times the only thing that can be agreed upon is that the issue has been contentious for years. With the new U.S. administration and this president’s new way of talking about peace between Israel and the Palestinians, settlements have come back under the international spotlight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially hoped that President Trump would take a more favorable position on the issue than his predecessor, but during their first meeting in February, shortly after the Israeli Knesset passed its controversial “regularization law” effectively legalizing settlements,

Trump asked Netanyahu to “hold back on settlements for a little bit.” Later in the joint press conference, President Trump also suggested that he’s open to exploring other paths to peace besides just the two-state solution that most everyone in the field has focused on for years. Dr. Eugene Kontorovich, a law professor at Northwestern and an expert on international law and the Israel-Arab conflict, thinks that, no matter the U.S. president or the laws passed by the Israeli Knesset, Israel has the right to erect living quarters in the territories in question because Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention doesn’t apply. He offers his reasons for this as if he were issuing closing arguments in court. Pretend

you are on the jury and pay close attention to the following details. Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention says that an “occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” No one disputes this. It is in the application of this rule that the scales tip. “This idea that Jews can’t settle there is not in keeping with international law,” he said while holding a guest lecture at San Diego State University through the Jewish Studies Program in March. First, some historical background: Israel began its presence in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the old city of Jerusalem after winning the Six-Day Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 59

||| ISRAEL |||

“Attempting to interpret the scope and meaning of Article 49(6) from its application to a single situation is like trying to fix the position of a line knowing only a single point.” War in 1967. The country also gained the Sinai Peninsula in that war, but it eventually returned that territory to Egypt in 1982. Israel also withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Now, the UN has continuously condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements, but Kontorovich takes legal issue with this stance because the organization references Israel regarding Article 49(6) almost exclusively compared to any other situation involving occupied territory. He says the interpretation of the article comes solely from the Israel case, omitting other similar situations around the world. A study done by the International Committee of the Red Cross shows in 107 examples of national and UN interpretations of Article 49(6), all but two were regarding Israel. Meanwhile, history has many examples of occupations that would also seem to violate Article 49(6), according to Kontorovich. Those include, but are not limited to the Indonesian annexation of East Timor in 1978, Morocco in the Western Sahara and Russia in Crimea, just to name a few (Kontorovich names eight during his lecture). In mounting his legal defense of the Israeli settlements, Kontorovich leaves out the many occupations that took place before the agreement was signed at the Fourth Geneva Convention in 1949, like the U.S. co-occupation of West Berlin, Kashmir and China in Tibet. Expanding on the details of just a few of these occupations that result in settlements 60 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

after 1949, Kontorovich starts with the story of East Timor. Portugal owned the small island situated across the Timor Sea from Australia’s northwestern edges, before recognizing its right to self-determination in 1974. Although East Timor wanted independence, Indonesia entered into a year and a half of fighting with the tiny island and eventually annexed it. Portugal maintained that Indonesia’s occupation was illegal and there was strong international condemnation of Indonesia’s use of military force against the Timorese and the annexation, but no one criticized the settlement program that arose from that takeover or characterized Indonesia’s actions as a violation of the Geneva Convention. Around the same time, in 1976, Morocco began settling hundreds of thousands of people in the Western Sahara. The United Nation’s peace plan for that region leaves those settlers in place and no international organization has said anything about Morocco’s settlement program there. The ongoing Turkish occupation of Northern Cypress has also not been described as a violation of the Geneva Convention. Kontorovich goes on, briefly describing Syria’s occupation of Lebanon, Vietnam’s occupation of Cambodia, Russia’s occupation of Crimea and parts of Georgia and others. None have been treated with the same condemnation and invocation of Article 49(6) as the Israeli-Palestinian situation. “Attempting to interpret the scope and meaning of Article 49(6) from its applica-

tion to a single situation is like trying to fix the position of a line knowing only a single point,” Kontorovich wrote in his most recent paper “Unsettled: A Global Study of Settlements in Occupied Territories.” In the paper, he further examines every example of occupation since the Fourth Geneva Convention that involves civilians moving into occupied territory. In this instance also, he says Israel appears to be the exception rather than the rule. Conversely, standard discussion on Article 49(6) defines the issue far too broadly, Kontorovich says, particularly because no one has ever been prosecuted for violating it. The discussions, though heated, remain based solely on academic and political statements, again, entirely based on Israel. He notes that a strict interpretation of the text would suggest that the mere encouragement by a state of its civilians settling in occupied territory should in itself be a violation. But in all cases other than Israel, the UN follows a different interpretation. “It is impossible to form an accurate understanding of Art. 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention by simply studying Israeli settlements and the international reaction to them,” he says. This one-sided view, for Kontorovich, therefore nullifies the entirety of Article 49(6) and requires that a new definition be applied for any legal opinion to be established. Until then, Kontorovich argues, Israel’s settlements should be considered as legal as anyone else’s. A

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 61

||| THEATER |||

The Actors’ Play How New Village Arts’ production of “Awake and Sing” could give Method Acting a good name back BY PAT LAUNER

The ensemble of Awake and Sing! BACK ROW L-R: Tom Steward, Max Macke, Eric Poppick, Tom Deák, Joe Paulson; FRONT ROW L-R: Alex Guzman, Anna Rebeck, Sandy Campbell, and J. Tyler Jones.

he current production at New Village Arts is all about legacy. And family. “Last season,” says NVA artistic director Kristianne Kurner, “we were exploring the American experience, to help us see where we are now in light of where we’ve been. And 62 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

I came across ‘Awake and Sing,’ by Clifford Odets, which was perfect. “It’s centered on family – a family of immigrants. And it was one of the first shows produced by the Group Theatre, which is a direct lineage of my acting training and style.”

The Group Theatre first produced “Awake and Sing” 82 years ago (the anniversary was in February). That influential troupe spawned the Actors Studio (which you probably know from the long-running “Inside the Actors Studio” show on tv). Kurner was in

PHOTOS BY ADRIANA ZUNIGA

the first graduating class of the Actors Studio Drama School’s three-year MFA program at the New School University in New York. She graduated 20 years ago. The Group Theatre was a New York-based theater collective formed in 1931 by Harold

Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg, who were pioneers of a forceful, naturalistic, highly disciplined acting technique derived from the teachings of the great Russian actor/director Konstantin Stanislavski. It was “an American acting technique” that would come to be known as The Method, or Method Acting. Many of the founding members of Group Theatre would go on to acclaim as the Who’s Who of American theater acting and teaching: Clifford Odets, Will Geer, Morris Carnovsky, Sanford Meisner, Marc Blitzstein, Luther Adler, John Garfield, Lee J. Cobb and Howard Da Silva, and others. Most of them were Jewish. Despite its successes and extensive future impact on American theater, by 1940 impending war, the lure of Hollywood, a lack of institutional funding and friction between members of the Group eventually led to its demise. After the war, in 1947, Robert Lewis, Elia Kazan and Cheryl Crawford re-grouped as the Actors Studio, and refined the techniques inspired by Stanislavski and developed in the Group Theatre. Under the leadership of Lee Strasberg, the Group’s Method acting emerged as a lasting force in modern drama. “My main mentor,” says Kurner, referring to her Actors Studio education, “was David Gideon, Lee Strasberg’s protégé. Fran [her ex-husband, Francis Gercke, co-founder of New Village Arts] and I auditioned and were accepted into the first class. There were only 20 of us at first, but 35 graduated in 1997. “We took classes from Ellen Burstyn. In fact, she married us. Arthur Penn [director/ producer] was there, and James Lipton [writer, actor, dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School and, at age 90, still executive producer, writer and host of the Bravo cable tv series, ‘Inside the Actors Studio,’ which de-

buted in 1994]. “Jim [Lipton] did the ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ shows in the same basement room where we had classes. I was there when he interviewed Sally Field, Dennis Hopper, Robert Redford, Jessica Lange, Gene Wilder and Neil Simon. I even got to share a cookie with Paul Newman. “In this environment,” Kurner continues, “I was steeped in the history of the Actors Studio, and I devoted myself to the way David taught the Strasberg Method. For this play, which stems directly from The Group Theater, I’ve run rehearsals using Actors Studio exercises. “That means always basing the work off yourself. Start with yourself, what your natural impulses would be in the dramatic situation, and act on that. Then ask, ‘How is this character different from me?’ And that will help you attain a truthful reflection of life onstage. “Actors have to do the homework and create the world of the play for themselves. Some directors can take away from the actor’s individuality; this approach encourages the actor’s point of view, then allows shaping by the director who has the grand overview of the whole piece. Actors take more responsibility and have more freedom; they’re a very active part of the process from day one. This approach, which is fantastically grounded and real, also helps actors learn their lines quickly and organically. “The Method has gotten a really bad name, and at times, it’s been used as an excuse to misbehave. But at the heart of it, it’s a really outstanding technique. Starting my own theater was inspired by the Group Theatre. It’s a way of working I wanted to share. Why I do what I do is directly related to the Group Theatre and the Actors Studio, which together, represent the moment that AmeriNisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 63

can acting changed, and became really living onstage. And this play is considered to be one of the greats of American theater.” Odets and “Awake and Sing” Clifford Odets was born in 1906 to Russian and Romanian Jewish immigrants; his father’s birth name was Gorodetsky. Young Clifford dropped out of high school to become an actor, and went on to be a founding member of The Group Theatre, where he became the primary playwright. He once said, “My chief influence as a playwright was the Group Theatre acting company and being a member of that company … And you can see the Group Theatre acting technique crept right into the plays.” Odets was widely viewed as the successor to the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill. Odets’ socially relevant dramas were extremely influential, especially during the Great Depression. In his focus on regular folks, on character over plot, the use of humor even in dramatic situations, and the search for meaning in life, he was clearly influenced by the Russian master Anton Chekhov.

Stereotype to Metaphor: The Jew in Contemporary Drama” (1982), ‘Awake and Sing’ was “the earliest quintessential Jewish play outside the Yiddish theater.” “Awake and Sing” was unique in its focus on a Jewish family, its use of colloquial dialogue and street dialect, and Odets’ choice to open the play in the middle of a conversation and situation, with no introductory/expository background. Set in the Bronx, New York, 1933, “Awake and Sing” concerns the extended, impoverished Berger family, all living under one roof.

Joe Paulson and Sandy Campbell.

“All the characters are struggling to find their own version of the American Dream, and still be true to the family. It’s a family of immigrants, working toward what they believe is right. “How relevant is that today, when we’re seeing the same themes again, revealing the cyclical nature of history. Although I chose the play more than a year ago, the political side of the piece has only grown since the election. It’s a play steeped in history, but it completely speaks to the moment.” For this production, the first in San Diego in recent memory, Carlsbad-based New Village Arts is partnering with the Leichtag Foundation and the annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. Leichtag’s Immigrant Artist program is providing a lobby display, and the Festival is offering Surround Events, including talks by Yale Strom and political playwright/UC San Diego professor Allan Havis. In considering her production of “Awake and Sing,” Kurner says “this is yummy material for actors. They get to really delve into these characters. It’s completely an ensemble

“Start with yourself, what your natural impulses would be in the dramatic situation, and act on that.” Continuing the legacy, the work of Odets inspired the next several generations of American playwrights, including Arthur Miller, Paddy Chayefsky, Neil Simon, David Mamet and Jon Robin Baitz (all Jewish). But in the early 1940s, Odets moved to Hollywood and focused his energy on film projects. In New York, he began to be eclipsed by playwrights such as Miller, Tennessee Williams and William Inge. His first produced play was “Waiting for Lefty” (1935), a series of interconnected scenes depicting taxi drivers, and based on an actual union strike. The drama touched on the toll taken by the Depression and anti-Semitism. It has been disparaged as left-wing propaganda by some, but the play remains an icon of the agit-prop (agitation/ propaganda) genre and is widely anthologized. Like all Odets’ plays, “Lefty” deals with the human spirit, and characters’ perseverance in the face of a daunting opponent (often, the capitalist system). “Awake and Sing,” also produced in 1935, is generally regarded as Odets’ masterwork. According to Ellen Schiff, author of “From 64 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Many of the conflicts are inter-generational; some stem from the matriarch’s scheme to manipulate her children’s relationships in order to fulfill her own dreams for the family. Her offspring have different goals, and want to work toward realizing their own dreams. Bessie, the mother, is aggressive and controlling, but underneath all her chutzpah and bravado, she desperately fears that they will lose their home and possessions, just like a neighbor down the street. Other family crises include an unmarried daughter, an unwanted pregnancy, an immigrant boarder, an arranged marriage and a Marxist grandpa. The household may be viewed as a microcosm of society, the idealists clashing with the realists, materialists with the pragmatists. The play also shows how values can become blurred and perceptions can change with experience. Odets comes to Carlsbad “For me,” says Kurner, “the story of the family is so alive. I’m always attracted to plays about people searching for home or a sense of home. I love the richness of this family, the conflict between the generations, and the effort of all of them to try to make something of their life.

piece, which has always been my passion. There’s no one star. There are nine actors, and each stands out in some way, but it takes the whole for the play to work. These performers are at the top of their game, truly collaborating to create a magic experience. “There are some very funny moments. Odets’ use of humor is very effective. He believed that art could help transform the culture. Each character, in searching for a better life, has a different view of what that might look like, and of what we can do to make the world a better place. “There’s a shocking ending, a reflection of taking life into your own hands and deciding between love and what’s ethically and morally right. “I see the play as a reminder to live your life to the fullest. Be grateful for the people around you. Find out what you believe and go for it. In other words, Awake and sing!” A “Awake and Sing” runs at New Village Arts in Carlsbad through April 16. Tickets and information can be found at (760) 433-3245 or newvillagearts.org.

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||| FOOD ||| Tori Avey is an award-winning food writer, recipe developer, and the creator of the popular cooking website toriavey.com. She writes about food history for PBS Food and Parade.com. Follow Tori on Facebook by searching for “Tori Avey” and on Twitter: @toriavey.

in the kitchen WITH

TORI AVEY

BEAUTY SHOTS AND STYLING BY BETHANY NAUERT

IKWTA

here is something so special about pistachios. Growing up, I always felt like they were the “fancy nut.” Turns out I was on to something; some consider them the most “royal” of all nuts. They were first cultivated 3,000 years ago in ancient Persia, where they flourished in the arid and semi-arid high desert climate. They were once considered a food for the wealthy. According to an oft-repeated legend, the 66 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Macaroons Queen of Sheba is said to have confiscated all deliveries of fine pistachios so that she could keep them for herself and her royal court. There’s also an old adage that tells of lovers meeting beneath pistachio trees in the moonlight. If they were fortunate enough to hear the nuts cracking, they considered it a sign of future happiness. I particularly love the significance of pistachios in many Iranian homes, where a cup is always ready to

share with family and friends. In addition to their royal history, pistachios have a distinctive green color and utterly unique flavor that makes them a wonderful addition to many delectable treats. Macaroons, those ubiquitous haystacks of Passover sweetness, seemed like a perfect vehicle to showcase the pistachio in all of its glory. Macaroons originated in Italy in the 1700s,

where they were first made with almond paste. Italian Jews began making their own versions of the treat that same century. Jews appreciated that these chewy cookies contained no grains or leavening, and thus could be enjoyed during the Passover holiday. In many Mediterranean Sephardic Jewish communities, macaroons are still made with almonds like they originally were in Italy. But there is no law that says we can’t use pistachios! American macaroons are most often made with coconut, which provides a nice, chewy base. After experimenting a bit, I found the rich combination of pistachio and coconut to be utterly irresistible.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut flakes 1 ½ cups unroasted, unsalted shelled pistachios ½ cup granulated sugar 1 ½ tbsp potato starch – if not for Passover, you can substitute corn starch 1 ½ tsp rosewater - or substitute vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg white Pinch of of salt 9 oz dark chocolate (use a dairy free chocolate to keep it pareve) Sea salt flakes for garnish

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

Food processor, parchment paper or nonstick silicone baking mat Yield: 26-28 macaroons Total Time: 45 minutes Kosher Key: Pareve

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. In this recipe, you can use either grated fresh coconut or dried coconut flakes. If using dried coconut, rehydrate it by pouring it into a bowl and covering it with warm water. Let

I added rosewater to the mix, inspired by the classic Persian pistachio/rosewater flavor combination. Then (because why stop

the coconut soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Squeeze all the excess liquid out firmly with your fingers. Proceed with recipe. If using fresh coconut, no need to prep it simply proceed with recipe. You can use the pistachios as-is, or skin them using the method on my website, ToriAvey.com. Skinning the pistachios will result in a prettier macaroon that is brighter green in color. Place pistachios into a food processor. Process for a few seconds until the mixture becomes a mixture of fine crumbles. Don’t over-process and let it turn into a paste, it should resemble crumbs. Beat the egg and egg white together in a small bowl. Stir the processed pistachio crumb mixture into the rehydrated coconut along with the sugar, potato starch, rosewater or vanilla, beaten egg and egg white, and salt. Stir with a fork well to combine, making sure all ingredients are evenly dispersed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Place rounded tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced, forming the mounds into rounded haystack-like shapes. They will feel very loose and delicate at first, but will firm up as they bake.

now?) I dipped them in dark chocolate and sprinkled them with sea salt flakes. Whoa. Be still my heart! You may want to skin the pistachio nut meats before you begin with this recipe. Technically you don’t have to skin them, but your macaroons will be a bit less light/fluffy and the color will be a less bright shade of green. Skinning takes some time, but for a special occasion like Passover it is well worth the effort. If you plan a bit in advance, you can skin the nuts a day prior—I recommend watching Netflix while you work. A little extra effort goes a long way here. These macaroons are truly special. Enjoy!

Place the macaroons in the oven and let them bake for 30 minutes, until the bases of the haystacks turn light golden brown. Don’t overbake or the macaroons will become dry. Remove the macaroons from the oven. Allow the macaroons to cool directly on the baking sheet. Do not try to remove them before they’ll cool; when hot, they are delicate, but they become firmer as they cool. Melt 9 oz dark chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler. If using the microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 15 second bursts at 50 percent power until the chocolate becomes smooth. Grasp each macaroon at the top and dip the top into the melted chocolate, twisting it into the chocolate and coating it about ¼ inch up the sides. Place back on the baking sheet. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top of each macaroon. Allow chocolate to dry completely. I like to store these macaroons in the refrigerator for best shelf life. If kept in a sealed container too long the internal moisture from the macaroons will “melt” the sea salt, so if you’re planning on keeping them sealed for a longer period of time, you may wish to skip the sea salt entirely. A Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 67

||| FOOD |||

Hot off the Kosher Grill San Diego Jewish Food Festival aims to reduce waste and increase community with this year’s gathering BY BRIE STIMSON ith the sixth annual San Diego Jewish Food Festival, organizers have decided to give back. Temple Adat Shalom, which hosts the festival, has partnered with Interfaith Community Services to donate what they hope will be 15,000 pounds of food during the event. “We will be doing a food drive in conjunction with the food festival,” event chairman Rich Stern tells the Jewish Journal. “People who are attending the festival will be encouraged to bring canned foods and toiletries.” He says the food bank gets fewer donations in the spring and summer months. “There’s always a lot of donations at Thanksgiving time and the Christmas holiday time, but during the middle of the year their donations drop down so our plan is to restock it.” The proceeds from the festival benefit the synagogue. Stern says now that Adat Shalom has done this festival a few times, they are hoping to hone in on what people like. “We have five years of experience and we know what was popular during those five previous festivals,” he explains. “The items that weren’t so popular we took off the menu. We want to focus on the things that people really enjoy and we know if there’s a lot of it left over at the end of the festival that’s probably not a winner. So we diligently went through and changed the menu or eliminated the items that weren’t as popular and we kept and added to the menu items that people really like – the deli for example. We have lean corned beef that we get from the East Coast, we have pastrami and we have chopped liver and we provide combinations for those on fresh rye bread. The meat is sliced that day; it’s prepared and served right as it’s ordered.” This year, Adat Shalom has a kosher grill, live music, Israeli dancing, a beer and wine garden and a shopping bazaar as well as foods like falafel, couscous, pomegranate chicken and pastrami made in the social hall. There

will also be cooking demonstrations by Deborah Scott of the Cohn Restaurant group and Ron Oliver, Chef de Cuisine at The Marine Room. The kosher grill has a completely self-contained kitchen. “We prepare everything according to kashrut guidelines and rules, we buy kosher meat, beef from a kosher butcher in Los Angeles … People really liked the fact that they had a kosher meat option at the Jewish Food Festival. While we don’t serve anything that would be considered not kosher, per se, like shellfish and things like pork, this is a true kosher meat option that is separate from everything else.” The festival, Stern says, runs the gamut from kosher to vegetarian to more traditional meals like chicken or kosher beef. They will be doing tastings of red and white Israeli wines, most notably Mount Herman wine from Galilee. “We’ll have a lot of information about Israeli wine because it seems to be one of the up-and-coming wine areas throughout the world. They have an ideal climate … for it so we’re going to offer up additional information about Israeli wines.” Preparation for the festival starts nearly a year in advance. A dedicated cooking committee is responsible for all the recipes and preparation of the food, and another committee does ticketing, which has seen a surge in online sales. Each year has a theme, and this year Adat Shalom wants to remind people that you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the festival. “You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy deli food,” Stern says. “Think of all the foods that are pretty ubiquitous now when their origins, when I was growing up … you only found them in a deli. Like bagels, lox and cream cheese, I mean that was a food that in the past in my dad’s generation you couldn’t find any place else. You couldn’t find that in the grocery store. Well now it’s ubiquitous

and the same is true with … corned beef sandwiches or pastrami. And the food festival wants to make sure people understand that there’s a lot more to Jewish food than just corned beef pastrami and maybe a bagel, so we go to great lengths to try to accommodate different palettes.” A For more information and Food Festival tickets, visit adatshalom.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY JEWISH FOOD FESTIVAL

68 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Nisan â&#x20AC;¢ Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 69

? GOIN '?ON ?? WHAT'S BY EILEEN SONDAK PHOTO COURTESY SDMA

San Diego History Center

The San Diego History Center is celebrating “The History & Heritage of the San Diego Jewish Community” in its new year-long exhibition. Showing in conjunction with that massive show is a look at three local Jewish artists from San Diego’s history with “Art and Heritage: Maurice Braun, Belle Baranceanu and Harry Sternberg.” Also on display is “Irving Gill: New Architecture for a Great Country.”

Fleet Science Center

The Fleet Science Center will debut a new show on the monster screen – “Dream Big: Engineering our World” is a first-of-its-kind film that will transform the way we think about engineering. Continuing are the Fleet’s two new exhibitions “Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery” and “So Moved: The Art and Science of Motion.”

Broadway-San Diego

There’s definitely nothing up the sleeves of “The Naked Magicians,” an R-rated magic show that promises humor and mayhem, along with the tricks. These naughty prestidigitators are coming to the Balboa Theatre on April 1, compliments of Broadway-San Diego. San Diego Museum of Art Then the theater will unveil “Finding Neverland,” a new Broadway The San Diego Museum of Art’s 36th annual “Art Alive” show is ready musical based on one of the world’s most beloved characters, Peter to bloom. This signature event, slated for April 27-30, will feature Pan. This magical adventure will sprinkle fairy dust on the Civic Theflora and fauna interpretations of more than 100 of the museum’s atre April 4-9. permanent works of art, designed by leading floral artists. The weekend celebration includes the popular kick-off party dubbed “Bloom Bash,” featuring culinary delights, music, and dancing – along with the opportunity to view the ephemeral artworks on display. The Art Museum also has two new exhibitions. “Richard Deacon: What You See is What You Get” just opened, and “Modern Japan: Prints from the Taisho Era” will open on April 7. The Deacon show is the first major survey of the artist’s work and includes 40 pieces. It will be on view through July 25. The Japanese exhibit encompasses work from 1912-26 and includes some very rare prints. You have until Aug. 13 to check them out. PHOTO BY KEN JACQUES

Floral interpretation of “Zurbaran St. Francis in Prayer in a Grotto” from last year’s “Art Alive.”

Museum of Contemporary Art

The MCA’s downtown location continues to showcase innovative events while the La Jolla location is closed for renovations. Its monthly first-Thursday party continues to bring down the house, as does Jennifer Steinkamp’s “Madame Curie” – a digital video animation inspired by the artist’s research into atomic energy – through Aug. 27. “Dimensions of Black: A Collaboration with the San Diego African American Museum of Art” is also on view downtown through next January, and “Tristano di Robilant,” sculptures balancing geometric forms with delicate light and color, will stay on through April 30.

70 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

Eileen Bowman, Sean Murray and company in Cygnet Theatre’s “On the 20th Century” now showing until April 30.

Cygnet Theatre

Cygnet Theatre turns the spotlight on the San Diego premiere of “On the 20th Century,” a madcap musical comedy with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman. The show has a cast of colorful characters and will be ensconced at Cygnet’s Old Town Theatre through April 30.

The Old Globe Theatre

PHOTO BY JIM COX

North Coast Repertory Theatre

North Coast Repertory Theatre is highlighting another odyssey, “Travels with My Aunt,” adapted from a story by Graham Greene. David Ellenstein directs this critically-acclaimed play about an eccentric aunt and her bourgeois nephew. Four actors take on more than 20 roles in this off-beat adventure, and it sounds like a trip worth taking. You can come along for the ride April 12 through May 7.

Rag Lady Productions

Albert Jones appears as Ira Aldridge in The Old Globe production of “Red Velvet” running through April 30.

The Old Globe Theatre

The Old Globe (in association with Moxie Theater) will bring “Skeleton Crew” to its White stage April 8 through May 7. The play, directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, takes place in 2008 in an auto plant in Detroit. The dramatic work explores a moral dilemma and has been described as “in the tradition of Arthur Miller” – high praise indeed! In the meantime, the Globe’s Main Stage is showcasing “Red Velvet,” a drama that brings history to life with exuberance. The play harks back to the 1800s, when the first black actor portrayed Othello on the London stage. This multi-award-winning play transforms that true story into a fascinating tale about a pivotal figure in theatrical history. The show will be on the boards through April 30.

Rag Lady Productions continues its staging of “The Geeze and Me,” a funny, irreverent, and poignant musical about surviving aging. An eclectic blend of songs ranging from pop to blues to corner street doowop, accompanied by electric choreography and state of the art projections round out the performance. The show continues at the 10th Avenue Arts Center through April 29.

San Diego Symphony

The San Diego Symphony will kick off the month April 1-2 with “Russia and Paris,” a four-piece program that includes works by Debussy, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and Ravel. Fabien Gabel will conduct and Jeff Thayer will perform Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto. “Viva La France” – a performance of chamber works – is set for April 4. There are two movies coming up, compliments of the Symphony. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) will be performed with the orchestra on April 15, and a silent film, “The Freshman” (also “1939”), will screen April 30, accompanied by the organ. “Big Band Bash with the Jazz” will come to Symphony Hall on April 29. Another family concert will move into Symphony Hall on April 23. Lamb’s Players Theatre This one focuses on Dr. Seuss’ “The Sneetches,” a storybook concert The Lamb’s Players continues to showcase two of its brightest stars – about the power of once upon a time. The music is inspired by favorRobert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth – in “Shadowlands.” The ite fairy tales, and as usual, there will be pre-concert activities for the play recounts the story of C.S. Lewis and the Jewish woman who stole small-fry set. his heart. “Shadowlands” will wind down on April 9. The Lamb’s will follow “Shadowlands” with a San Diego premiere of “Silent Sky.” The show, penned by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Robert Smyth, takes its inspiration from an early 20th century female astronomer who succeeded in the world of science, despite societal limitations and few opportunities for women in the field. This fascinating work will reside at the Lamb’s Coronado home April 21-May 28.

San Diego Repertory Theatre

San Diego Repertory Theatre is presenting the world premiere of “Into the Beautiful North.” The show (which takes audiences on a 1,000mile road trip from the Mexican coast to the Bahia Hotel in Mission Bay) is a satire that strives to remind us “dreams know no boarders.” The comedy runs through April 23.

La Jolla Music Society

La Jolla Music Society will bring “Black Grace” to the Spreckels Theatre on April 8, as part of its Dance Series. The Emerson String Quartet will perform at the La Jolla Presbyterian Church, courtesy of the Music Society, on April 22. Pianist Nikolay Khozyainov will tickle the ivories at the TSRI Auditorium on April 29.

San Diego Opera

SDO will end its season on a high note when “La Traviata” takes over the Civic Theatre for a four-performance run April 22-30. This version of the Verdi masterpiece is set in the roarin’ ’20s, and will feature company debuts of soprano Corinne Winters as Violetta and Jesus Garcia as Alfredo. David Agler will conduct the orchestra.

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PHOTO COURTESY JEWISH FEDERATION FACEBOOK

news

Israeli Artists Speak at College Campuses In a two-day, multi-campus event, the Murray Galinson San Diego Israel Initiative will host a symposium on Israeli film and television. Dana Ivgy, an actress serving as artist in residentce at SDSU, will be joined on the panel by Nitzvan Gilady, director, writer and producer; Elite Zexer who’s film “Sand Storm” was Israel’s submission to this year’s Oscars; and Gidi Raff who is best known for his series “Prisoners of War” (the foundation for the U.S. hit “Homeland”). Drawing on their own works, the panelists will focus the conversation around how their art forms address diversity among social groups, identities and conflicts. The panel will speak at 7 p.m. in the SDSU Conrad Prebys Theatre on April 18 and again at 6:30 p.m. in the UCSD Hojel Auditorium. The events are free but reservation is required. Visit leichtag.org/mgsdii for details.

A highlight from last year’s Holocaust Commemoration event.

Holocaust Memorial Commemoration Event Continues Despite Bomb Threats On April 23 it is expected that more than 500 San Diegans will gather for Yom HaShoah at the Lawrence Family JCC. Many similar events will be happening around the country on this day and in other local synagogues, which have seen upticks in hate crimes since January – San Diego’s JCC has received four bomb threats so far. This year’s theme, “Memory and Morality – Countering Indifference” pays homage to the late Elie Wiesel who said “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” Roberta Grossman, producer and director of the forthcoming feature documentary “Who Will Write Our History” will be the keynote speaker. The Jewish Federation of San Diego County is hosting the annual event and says it will work with ADL, local police and other authorities to ensure the safety of participants and expects heightened security this year. “Memory and Morality” is April 23 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the JCC. Visit jewishinsandiego. org/yom-hashoah for details.

WJC Applauds Amazon for Removing Holocaust-Denying Titles from U.S. Site Jewish groups have been flagging Holocaust-denying books for removal on Amazon for years and in early March, after hate crimes against Jews have been perpetrated at growing rates across the country, the World Jewish Congress celebrated a small victory. “On behalf of the more than 100 Jewish communities affiliated with the World Jewish Congress,” WJC CEO Robert Singer wrote in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, “I want to thank you and the staff at Amazon for removing the three Holocaust-denial books that my organization brought to your attention in a series of recent letters, and again in my article in the Los Angeles Times earlier this month.” In countries where Holocaust denial is illegal, it has been easier for Amazon to remove titles. A Jewish newspaper in Great Britain noted that Amazon UK also removed four books that questioned or denied the Holocaust, after previously refusing to remove the titles. “It is encouraging to know,” writes Singer, “that Amazon is endeavouring to enforce its own standards and guidelines prohibiting the sale of material that ‘promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance.’” 72 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

PHOTO COURTESY “THE LIGHT ONCE CAPTURED” FILMMAKERS.

HIAS Offers Q&A on Refugees In March, Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, spoke to a room full of San Diegans at Temple Emanu-El flanked by local leaders of Jewish organizations, lawyers, and a recent refugee from Iraq. His organization is making an effort to encourage fact-based discussions and provided this Q&A to the Journal as one place to start.

Behind-the-scenes with “The Light Once Captured” film showcased in last year’s GI Film Festival.

Local Film Festival Seeks Student and Professional Film Submissions Film Consortium San Diego is seeking entries from student and professional filmmakers for its third annual GI Film Festival. Veterans and active duty military are invited to submit, as are student and professional filmmakers with no military background, however films must have a military theme and be based in San Diego or Imperial counties. “Festival organizers hope to see submissions which reflect a wide range of military experiences,” organizers said in a press release, “including stories from people of different ethnicities, races, genders, economic backgrounds as well as individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+. These perspectives are often underrepresented yet play an important role in U.S. military history and culture.” Selected films will be featured in the Local Film Showcase at the festival Oct. 18-22. For submission criteria and categories, visit gifilmfestivalsd.org. The deadline to submit films is May 15.

Jewish War Veterans Ask Government for Help in Fighting Anti-Semitism Less than a week after a man was arrested in St. Louis in connection with a handful of the bomb threats that have been issued to Jewish Community Centers and other Jewish organizations across the country, the San Diego JCC and others received more threats and were forced to evacuate for a fourth time this year. Although the FBI has said it is investigating this latest rash of anti-Semitism, many Jewish groups are unsatisfied with the progress. Early in March, every U.S. Senator signed on to a letter issued to the Attorney General and the Directors of Homeland Security and FBI calling for “swift action” to end the bomb threats. The Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. are calling on citizens to contact their local officials and the president to “demand more action, more communication and more funding.” The group also pointed to bill H.R. 6421, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016, noting that individuals could contact their elected officials to urge passage of that bill. The group is offering a letter template that can be found at jwv.org.

Why should I care about this as a Jew? The Jewish people has been a refugee people since biblical times. In the United States, we know the devastating consequences of turning away refugees. Less than a century ago, refugees fleeing the Holocaust were marked as security threats to the U.S., denied entry, and sent back to Europe to be brutally murdered. Furthermore, the value of welcoming, protecting, and loving the stranger appears in the Torah 36 times according to the Talmud. Why does the United States need to welcome refugees? Can’t other countries do it? When the U.S. welcomes refugees, the rest of the nations of the world follow suit. Other countries are also doing their part. Millions of refugees first flee to and make a life in the countries closest to them. For example, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have all taken in millions of Syrian refugees. Aren’t refugees a drain on our economy? Who is going to pay for helping them? Refugees pay taxes, get jobs and start businesses; they contribute much more to our economy than they take from it. According to one study, in Cleveland, local refugee services agencies spent about $4.8 million in 2012 to help refugees get established, but the boon to the economy generated by those refugees weighed in at about $48 million, roughly 10 times the initial resettlement costs. But aren’t many of these refugees anti-Semitic? Many refugees arriving in the United States have never met Jews before. The welcome they receive from Jewish organizations, individuals, and congregations combats anti-Semitism that may exist, breaks down their assumptions and helps them more quickly become part of the diverse fabric of this country. Additionally, all refugees resettled in the U.S. receive mandatory cultural orientation helping them embrace their new multi-faith, multi-ethnic nation. Finally, we should not be a people who withhold refuge based on religion.

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 73

DIVERSIONS Archival photo of Jews digging a trench during the Holocaust.

“Holocaust Escape Tunnel” FROM NOVA PBS PHOTO COURTESY NOVA, PBS

nce known as the Jerusalem of the North, Vilna was a thriving epicenter of Jewish culture and learning before the Nazis invaded more than 70 years ago. Ten days after the invasion in June of 1941, the Nazis brought the first groups of Jews to the Ponar Forest, where they lined them up and shot them. Eventually, with the help of a Lithuanian riflery unit, they killed 70,000 Jews, along with 30,000 other suspected undesirables. Historians now generally agree that the use of bullets to annihilate Vilna’s Jews in Ponar Forest was part of a critical tipping point that convinced the Nazis that genocide was actually possible and led to the industrial scale extermination in the concentration camps that followed. “This Holocaust by bullets, as it’s called, is by far the most important part of the Holocaust,” said Timothy Snyder, Professor of History, Yale University. “It’s how it starts. It’s how half of the victims die. But it’s also the decisive moment when it is realized that something like this is possible.” In June 2016, the PBS science series NOVA produced by WGBH Boston joined an international team of archeologists on an expedition to locate the last traces of a vanished people: the Jews of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, known in colloquial Yiddish as Vilna. In the process, they made an extraordinary find: a hidden escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners at the Ponar death pits. In a powerful new film, “Holocaust Escape Tunnel,” NOVA reveals the dramatic discovery and shares incredible stories from the descendants of this unique group of Holocaust survivors. The documentary takes viewers on a scientific quest to unveil the secret history of Vilna and shed light on a nearly forgotten chapter of the Holocaust. On April 15, 1944, the last night of Passover, the shackled pris-

74 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

oners attempted an audacious escape through the narrow, 100-footlong tunnel. Right below the feet of their Nazi jailors, 12 of them made it out, and 11 survived the war to share their horrific tale among themselves and their families. Until now, only the entrance of the tunnel had been located, found by Lithuanian archeologists in 2004 within the burial pit where the prisoners had been housed. NOVA interviewed more than a half-dozen descendants of the 11 Holocaust survivors whose fathers escaped the Ponar killing pits—including Abe Gol, son of Schlomo Gol, and Hana Amir, daughter of Motke Zaidel, the youngest of the 80 Jewish prisoners. NOVA also spoke with Nikita Farber, the grandson of Yuli Farber, the engineer who helped design the escape tunnel. Viewers also meet several Holocaust survivors who lived in Vilna, such as internationally known artist Samuel Bak and Esia Friedman, who vividly recollect life in the beautiful city before the war, while also sharing brutal accounts of the unspeakable horrors and dangers in Vilna’s ghettos, where the city’s remaining Jews were forced after the Nazi invasion. Led by Dr. Richard Freund, Professor of Jewish History, University of Hartford, and Dr. Jon Seligman, of the Antiquities Authority of Israel, the team used non-invasive archeological identification methods and sub-surface geophysical mapping technology—including drone technology, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Lidar and advanced software analysis in order to protect the sanctity of the resting places at the massacre site. “Holocaust Escape Tunnel” premieres on Wednesday, April 19. Check local listings for timing. A

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Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 75

Ohr Shalom’s Family Tree A brief history of a storied synagogue

n the corner of Third and Laurel in Bankers Hill, Temple Ohr Shalom is a testament to classic Moorish box design. Built in 1925, the synagogue was originally owned by Beth Israel, but the synagogue eventually bought land in La Jolla and decided to move. “A developer bought this entire block and was I think at one point was just planning to tear it down,” says Lynn Mendelsohn, the congregation’s vice president for programming. “There was a large group of people, some of them property attorneys, who got the building designated as a historical landmark so they couldn’t tear it down.” The developer built on the other side, but left the synagogue untouched. The origin of Ohr Shalom deserves its own family tree. It was a result of a merge between two separate congregations. Beth Tefilah in North Park and then the College Area was founded in 1962 and Or El, founded by Spanish-speaking immigrants in the 1980s who eventually started Temple Adat Ami in 1991. In 1998, the two synagogues merged and formed Ohr Shalom. Mendelsohn remembers “the wedding” as congregants call it. “They actually had a wedding with a party … and they had a young man and a young woman who were the bride and groom representing the merger of the two. It was a symbolic wedding marrying the Adat Ami group, the people in the Jewish community in Mexico, with the Beth Tefilah group who had been in San Diego.” Ohr Shalom moved into the building around the year 2000 and in 2009 they raised $4.75 million for a full renovation, which they paid off last year. This year the congregation chose to honor 76 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

all of the past presidents of all the congregations for their annual Lights of Ohr Shalom event in April. “Ohr Shalom means light of peace,” Mendelsohn explains. “We want to celebrate the fact that we made it all this way and that we all still love each other. And all of those people have been instrumental – those are the 14 who are still living. There are 13 who have passed away and we’re inviting family members of theirs to come have a little memorial at the event.” The diverse congregation has about 350 member units who are deeply committed to Ohr Shalom. “I think it’s the people,” Mendelsohn says. “Two things – the rabbi and the people. [Rabbi Meltzer’s] a real character. He’s a very, very knowledgeable, bright man and so he always has something new and interesting to say so whatever he’s doing is a draw.” Mendelsohn says her son likes to tease her that she and her husband are the only people he knows that actually moved so they could walk to services. “We lived in the College Area and my husband’s whole family is Orthodox and so we belonged to an Orthodox synagogue,” she explains. “As our kids and the other kids got older and went to college we were looking around for a place to go and we chanced upon Ohr Shalom one morning … We came in and we just liked the feeling, and so we used to come and stay in a hotel here once a month so we could come to Shabbat services, but two and a half years ago we moved so we could come here. We just loved the people, we loved the place, we love the rabbis so we just came and stayed.” “There’s a lot of memories,” Administrative Director Debbie Suissa says. “I mean I’ve

BY BRIE STIMSON

been here 25 years with the congregation … What made me stay is loving to work with all the people – it being a family more than just a job – especially having come from a small place and I was relatively new in San Diego so I really did find my family here.” Ohr Shalom lost an important member of their congregation in September 2015. Lou Dunst, a Holocaust survivor, advocate and educator, was a founding member of Beth Tefilah. By the end of WWII, retells Mendelsohn, barely more than skin and bone, Dunst was thrown on a pile of corpses. His brother shouted to an American soldier on a tank that Dusnt was his brother and he was still alive. After Dunst moved to the U.S. with nothing he eventually invested in real estate and became very wealthy, but he never spoke about the War and most people didn’t know he was a survivor. “When all the Holocaust deniers starting coming out, it’s only then that he started actually talking,” Mendelsohn says. Dunst made a contribution to have two art pieces installed in the sanctuary in honor of two of his best friends who had come from Adat Ami. A professional artist was commissioned from Chicago, and the pieces, a Pillar of Cloud on the left side of the Holy Ark and a Pillar of Fire on the right side, were installed and dedicated just after Dunst’s death. He was 89. Dunst’s seat in the sixth row on the aisle stays empty every Saturday morning. His best friend sits in the next seat and drapes Dunst’s tallit over the chair, showing that in a tightly knit congregation like Ohr Shalom even death can’t separate family. A Find details on the Lights of Ohr Shalom gala at ohrshalom.org.

SYNAGOGUE LIFE COMMUNITY First Chapter Book Club with Kahal Am April 2, 2 p.m. The meeting will take place at a member’s home. To R.S.V.P. go to kahalam.org or call (858) 549-3088. Trip to Kosher Ralphs with Beth Sholom April 2, 10 a.m., 26790 Ynez Ct. Suite B, Temecula, CA 92591 Temple Beth Sholom will travel to the kosher Ralph’s in La Jolla to get necessary items for Passover. Go to tbstemecula.org for more info. Campfire Shabbat at Beth Am April 7, 7 p.m., 5050 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego, CA, 92130 Musical service led by Rabbi David Kornberg and Ephron Rosenzweig. Go to betham.com for more information. Karaoke Night at Beth Israel April 8, 5 p.m., 9001 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92122 Come sing the night away with your favorite people singing your favorite song! Go to Cbisd.org for more information. Pastries and Painting with Temple Adat Shalom April 9, 2 p.m., Rancho Penasquitos Join us for a some sweet treats and a painting class. For more information or to register go to adatshalom.com or call (858) 451-1200. Temple Solel Gala May 6, 6 p.m., 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff, CA 92007 A Midsummer Night’s Dream fundraiser for Temple Solel with live auction, cocktail hour and dinner. Details at templesolel.net/gala2017. Temple Emanu-El Gala May 6, 5:30 p.m., 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, CA 92120 Cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner, dancing and live auction to raise funds for the synagogue. Red carpet attire, 21+ only. Go to teesd.org for more information.

SPEAKERS Operation Thunderbolt: The Raid of Entebbe with Sasson (Sassy) Reuven at Temple Solel April 22, 7 p.m. 3575 Manchester Ave. Cardiff-By-The-Sea CA, 92007 Hear the firsthand account of Operation Thunderbolt: The Raid on Entebbe, as told by Sassy Reuven, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force who participated in the counter-terrorist hostage rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. Go to templesolel.net to register. “FDR, the Jews and the Holocaust: Context and Perspective” at Temple Isaiah April 25, 7 p.m. 332 W. Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 This lecture will be presented by Ira Helf and Larry Fechter in observance of Holocaust remembrance. R.S.V.P. at templeisaiahps.com or call (760) 325-2281. *Interested in having your event featured? Contact assistant@sdjewishjournal.com. Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issue.

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 77

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Surviving Work I think it’s a crime against 18-year-olds to decide what they want to be before who they want to be (especially if it’s “us” who are “deciding”). While there’s often mega discussion of the “what,” there’s little training for the “how” to survive on the job. The work place, much like a family (to quote the late legend Mary Tyler Moore) is where you put your soul on the line daily. The problems and issues that arise can result in a life of stress that doesn’t end on a time clock. They may know their job, but where do they learn how to manage their careers, the stress of workplace, and fighting back against workplace injustice? SANDBAGGING BOSS Dear Marnie: I work in the executive office of a medium-size franchise company. My direct boss is lazy, incompetent, and gives me “orders” that make me the bad guy when things she told me to do go wrong. I love my job, and more, was raised to treat others with respect. No one can stand her except one of the executives. My family including my husband says “forgiveness not revenge” is the Jewish way. No one understands. Any brilliant suggestions here? – Miserable MARNIE SAYS: First, a little clarity. While We Jews certainly believe in “forgiveness,” if we had “turned the other cheek” (a Christian principle) … we’d be passing “under” not “over” this holiday. Forgiveness in Judaism is not automatic. We’re not talking “revenge” here but fighting back against injustice. Which brings us to your boss who is so slick, so snaky, she could swallow you whole – and blame you for giving her indigestion. “Come on down” and play “The Memo Game!” Here’s how it works: Request a meeting. Ask her to refine your job description. Add positives she hasn’t let you do, e.g. “motivate,” “create a positive staff corporate view.” When she orders you to low-blow an employee or do some other cover-her-Tuchala, memo/email/message her! (With an FYI to the VP if you have the guts.) Be warned. The little Sidewinder will de80 SDJewishJournal.com l April 2017

velop a truly astounding case of the rattles because you’ve waved the one stick she fears most: Accountability. Plus, she may be “doing” more than power lunches with the VP. Meanwhile, your artful memos may attract someone “up there” who’ll catch her slithering. If not, take your power lunches with people who can network you into a corporation without a “manage-by-fang” policy. DOWN-SLUMPED Dear Marnie: I have been at my job for five years at a Jewish nonprofit. If you ask any of my co- workers they’ll tell you I’m a good worker and I think my boss feels the same way, yet, I always get the rotten end of the deal. When someone’s hours have to change, it’s mine. Ditto with days off. I’d like to move up to a higher position, but so far, no luck. It’s getting harder and harder to get up in the morning to go to work. What do you think I should do? – Frustrated MARNIE SAYS: And such is the reward for excellence. More work, admiration, and a mazel tov because you, mamala are such an agreeable soul, you’ve become everyone’s Plan B. Now, hear that high-pitched wail? Trust me. No one over voting age has ever whined his way to success. Ok, maybe “The Nanny,” Melissa Rivers, and a Beverly Hills housewife. But they had either talent, a rel-

ative, or lips the size of blowfish. If you’re always getting the “rotten end,” you have far superior sides to show. Get the info by looking at the history. Who do they promote? How often? Is this “use and you lose” a pattern? Also consider politics – who’s really running the show? Consider creating your own opportunity at work. Create a better idea for your non-profit, which of course includes an upgrade for you – and a pat on the head for the organization. Get with the boss and whip out your brief but tantalizing proposal. But fair lady, idea or not, do discuss your situation calmly with your superior(s). I’d start with … “I’m flattered I’m asked to scrub the floors (you fill it in). I would like to talk about moving up in the organization and where I stand?” Nicely. Well, what did they say? If you get a “no” or even a “maybe” said with darting eyes and no timeline before you can cash in your IRA, get a new pair of walking shoes! Check nonprofits you’d like to work for. There are millions of them. Even if they don’t have a current opening, try to get a human intro. Research want-ads. Make your resume a thing of beauty. Get a headhunter. Call your connections, for example, former employees you trust. Get going, mamala. According to my watch, your coffee break is over and your Big Project is about to begin. A

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SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY OBITUARIES ALL SERVICES ALREADY HELD

Sanford Eisenman- San Diego, CA 02/25/1930 -12/30/2016 Survivors: Daughter - Barbara Eisenman Rachel Joseph- San Diego, CA 08/30/1967 - 01/02/2017 Survivors: Mother - Sandra Frank, Husband - Michael Joseph, Daughter - Juliette Joseph & Son Blake Joseph Joseph Gateno- San Diego, CA 08/24/1925 - 01/03/2017 Survivors: Sons - Leon, David & Victor Gateno Ilya Borukhov- Santee, CA 06/22/1940 - 01/06/2017 Survivors: Wife - Mariya Borukhov Solomon Arya- San Diego , CA 12/31/1937- 01/06/2017 Survivors: Wife- Rosa Arya , Daughter - Freidel Arya, & Sons Kadesh, Moshe & Israel Arya Gale Kloeffler- Poway, CA 12/09/1927- 01/09/2017 Survivors: Wife- Yasmin Kloeffler, Daughters - Michal Kloeffler-

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Robert Gordon - La Mesa, CA 09/27/1924 - 01/18/2017 Survivors: Wife - Rhoda Gordon & Daughter - Bonnie Wakefield

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Irene Kelbert - La Mesa, CA 12/02/1936 - 01/20/2017 Survivors: Husband - Felix Kelbert & Daughter - Elizabeth Belinsky George Chazan - Chula Vista, CA 02/02/1933 - 01/20/2017 Survivors: Wife - Celia Chazan, Daughter - Linda Rosenthal & Son - Jacob Chazan Karen Kadens - San Diego, CA 03/28/1951 - 01/21/2017 Survivors: Brother- Mark Kadens Marvin Berger - Encinitas , CA 10/22/1929 - 01/23/2017 Survivors: Wife - Muriel Berger , Daughter- Susan Stockdale & 2 Grandchildren

Arlene Kaye- San Diego , CA 07/02/1947 - 01/29/2017 Survivors: Son - Jonathan Kaye Rosalie Sturtz - Escondido, CA 12/04/1941 - 01/29/2017 Survivors: Nephew- Wayne Padover Susanne Geshekter Smith - San Diego, CA 01/03/1946 - 01/30/2017 Survivors: Husband - Robert Smith , Sons- Marc & Eric Geshekter & Matthew Smith & 4 Grandchildren

Nisan • Iyar 5777 | SDJewishJournal.com 81

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