April 2018

APRIL 2018 • Nisan • Iyar 5778

Campus of Life is a Big Idea for the Intellectually Curious of Any Age

JCC’S BOOK FAIR is now BOOKFEST! MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM

is exhibiting 70 years of Israeli craft and design for Yom Ha’atzmaut

Learn about

SOUTH CAROLINA’S RICH JEWISH PAST

The Future of Jewish Peoplehood?

San Diego Peoplehood Project

“Sharp and funny” — THE LONDON EVENING STANDARD

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APRIL 11–MAY 6

By Sir Alan Ayckbourn Directed by Geoffrey Sherman Britain’s brilliant comic genius, Sir Alan Ayckbourn penned a fast‑paced and hilariously funny theatrical meal. It stands as a classic modern comedy. Full of clever, razor‑sharp dialogue and impeccable split‑second timing and twists, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES promises to leave you in stitches.

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Shalom Hartman Institute

As Judaism and Jewish identity undergo change, the experiences and challenges of Jewish life differ for Jews in Israel and outside Israel. How can we develop a compelling narrative that holds Jews from different backgrounds, beliefs, and politics together in a meaningful way?

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an evening with groucho APRIL 23 – 24, 7:30PM Award‑winning actor/director Frank Ferrante re‑creates his acclaimed one‑man comedy with music celebrating America’s greatest comedian — Groucho Marx.

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This program is made possible through the generosity of: Alan and Caryn Viterbi • Dan and Emily Einhorn Raymond and Rhona Fink • Laurayne Ratner Julian and Jenny Josephson Steve and Denise Shoemaker • Elaine Chortek Selwyn and Hilary Isakow

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 3

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 7

3/15/18 11:11 AM

April 2018

Nisan/Iyar 5778

37

Yom Ha’atzmaut:

In recognition of Israel’s 70th anniversary, Mingei International Museum and the House of Israel in Balboa Park are collaborating for an exhibition of Israeli craft and design.

BookFest:

30

The Campus of Life Institute, a community centered around learning, is opening this month and will offer luxury living and a full range of classes.

45

JCC’s San Diego Jewish BookFest has been completely reimagined from the old Book Fair. Authors and speakers from Senator Barbara Boxer to the queen of Jewish cuisine, Joan Nathan, will be on tap for advice, debate and a delicious brunch from April 12-22.

8 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

On the Cover:

Yom Ha’atzmaut:

40

Federation’s Celebrate Israel – Israel Fest will be at Liberty Station for the first time this year, and the fête includes singing, dancing, kosher foods, sports and activities – with a focus on the highlights of each region of the country.

DIVORCE-FAMILY LAW Compassionate Yet Aggresive Family Law Experts

San Diego Jewish BookFest is April 12-22 MONTHLY COLUMNS 12 The Starting Line 22 Parenting 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion 60 Advice

37

Around Town 18 Our Town 20 The Scene 62 What's Goin On 61 Synagogue Life

45

In Every Issue 14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 66 Diversions 64 News ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 30 ON THE COVER

Campus of Life Institute opens a new paradigm in living and learning this month.

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 11

FROM THEEDITOR’S EDITOR LETTER

Of course, I’m not going to dignify their disregard for humanity with any sort of discussion of the validity of their claims. They’re not true – obviously.

THE STARTING LINE

by Brie Stimson

editor@sdjewishjournal.com

Decency

A

few days after 17 students and faculty were killed in the horrific Valentine’s Day school shooting in Parkland, Florida, there was more terrible news.

Just as these students were beginning to grieve the loss of 17 friends and mentors, conspiracy theories about the students themselves began to pop up. One video that got millions of views on Youtube alleged student David Hogg wasn’t a student at all but actually a “crisis actor,” which I’m assuming is supposed to be someone who pretends to be a grieving student in front of TV cameras.

Does that even exist?

Another conspiracy theorist’s tweet said: “Start looking for [Jewish] numerology and crisis actors.” Others said the students who became outspoken on gun control after the shooting were coached by liberal activists and that the #Neveragain movement the kids started out of their living rooms in the days after the tragedy was really a George Soros led project. (George Soros seems to get blamed by conspiracy theorists for everything).

A tweet by David Clarke, the former Milwaukee County sheriff and Trump supporter, read, “the well organized event by Florida school students ‘has GEORGE SOROS’ 12 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

FINGERPRINTS all over it.”

Of course, I’m not going to dignify their disregard for humanity with any sort of discussion of the validity of their claims. They’re not true – obviously.

But Parkland isn’t the first shooting to spawn disgusting and heartless conspiracy theories. For years, some people (including Infowars radio host Alex Jones) have claimed that the Sandy Hook shooting was a “hoax” created by gun control activists – because having to lose your six-year-old child isn’t enough. Twenty six and seven-year-olds died in their school that day - as well as six adults.

How can someone be vile enough to suggest it didn’t happen? Grieving parents (obviously) shouldn’t have to listen to people claiming their child was an actor who didn’t even die.

And then there’s the death threats. Sandy Hook parents, the Parkland students and I’m sure survivors from most other shooting tragedies all receive death threats for having the audacity to suggest that maybe we could do something to stop this from happening again.

This column isn’t about gun control – although that deserves many columns (please read Saul Levine’s January 2018 column,

“American Tragedy”). This column is simply about human decency. When a 16-year-old girl loses 17 of her friends, when she has to literally walk over the bloodied bodies of her classmates to get out of her school and to safety, when a student has to text their parents, “If I don’t make it I love you and I appreciated everything you did for me” (that’s a real text from a Parkland student), then any decent human being would conclude they have been through more than any person (let alone a child) should have to go through and they should receive nothing but our empathy, our love and our ear.

I’m not saying people have to agree with everything survivors of shootings have to say and for the purposes of this article I’m not even suggesting legislation has to be changed (that’s a discussion for another column).

What I am saying is that when people go through something more horrific than most of us can ever imagine, we should act like the decent, good human beings we hope to be. If we want a decent world we need to practice decency and empathy – whether we agree with what a survivor is saying or not.

Period. A

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 13

we’re listening let us know what’s on your mind

Dear Editor, It takes a few years of reading your magazine to build up steam to waste my precious few short years left, to write to you again. Reading your magazine, no one would know [what President Trump is doing for Israel and America], as Israel and anti-Semitism is virtually ignored. Your Left Wing/Liberal views are pathetic, even your review of “Hamilton,” a dubious play, you can’t resist getting in a poke at the president. What other purpose than to show your hate for him? Is it so hard for you to say one kind word for all he has achieved under extraordinary political deliberate disruption that has YET TO SHOW ANY EVIDENCE OF MALFEASANCE? Your bias is shameful.

Where is your magazine showing your liberal audience the debacle at last week's “State of the Union” address, with 100 percent of the Democrats ‘sitting on their hands and looking grim, ugly and defiant, whilst the opposition stood up and applauded when Trump spoke about making Jerusalem Israel’s capital. They even ignored him when he stated that black and Hispanic unemployment was the lowest in history and even the ‘Black Caucus’ amongst them could not offer a smile.

What a kick in the teeth for those idiot Jews who voted for and still can’t see the truth in the real Democrat Party.

This was a blatant anti-Semitic act, and shame on your magazine for ‘sitting on its hands.’

God forbid your magazine of Leftism should print anything of importance to Jews and America. You are as far as the ‘man in the moon’ in representing Jews in San

Diego. May I suggest that you eliminate the word “Jewish” from your title and substitute “Social (istic)” instead.

Thank you for listening, Malcolm Lewis Dear Editor, Thanks for “What Jewish History Forgot: Legendary World Changers’ Surprising Jewish Roots.” I love Elvis’ music so his Jewish history was of particular interest, but I was disappointed that only two of Elvis’ Jewish songwriters were cited but not Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper, a second Jewish writing duo who collaborated on many Elvis tunes, most famously the music for Blue Hawaii. My beloved Uncle Roy—who died in 2015 at 96 and also wrote “Red Roses for a Blue Lady,” “Kewpie Doll,” and other perennials—was finally recognized for his Elvis work by an Elvis Fan Club group in Memphis about 10 years before he died and I was able to join him, my Aunt Ruth and other family members for the event and a private tour of Graceland. There under glass in Elvis’ bedroom was the biggest Mogen David I had ever seen. Encrusted with diamonds it stood out even amidst his other not-modest-in-the-least jewels. Asked why would Elvis have a Jewish star—was he secretly Jewish?—the curator answered, “Because Elvis didn’t want to not get into heaven on a technicality.” Now, thanks to Marnie Macauley’s reporting, I know that his relationship to Judaism went deeper. Thanks again for an excellent article!

Best, C.B.S

@SANDIEGOJEWISHJOURNAL

Send us your comments: editor@sdjewishjournal.com 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204, San Diego, CA 92121

Please consider our guidelines for Letters to the Editor prior to submitting your comments: The San Diego Jewish Journal welcomes reader responses to articles. Due to space limitations, responses to articles cannot exceed 200 words and will be edited in coordination with the letter’s author and at the discretion of the editor and publishers.

For readers who wish to submit multiple letters, we require three issue months to pass between published letters so as to make space for more reader responses.

ON THE COVER:

All readers can comment as often as they’d like in the comments section of our website, found at the bottom of every articleon sdjewishjournal. comMagazine articles are republished on the website at the beginning of each issue month.

Campus of Life campus. From L to R: Dr. Ilana De Laney, Dean, Lilian, pilates and creative movement instructor, and Peter, a student.

“Photography courtesy of Andy Marcus Photography” www.andymarcus.smugmug.com.

14 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

Every individual has the power to make a difference and collectively we can change the world.

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info@jcfsandiego.org Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 15

Trump Says He May Attend Jerusalem Embassy Opening Trump said last month that the embassy move from Tel Aviv would take place in May, timed with Israel’s 70th anniversary, following his recognition in December that Jerusalem is the capital. He is also planning to build a new embassy in Jerusalem, which could take up to nine years. In the meantime, the embassy will be housed in a consular building. “This will be remembered by our people through the ages,” Netanyahu said. “Others talked about it. You did it.”

what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com

ADL Hosts San Diego’s First Walk Against Hate Ten years after the first Walk Against Hate started in Philadelphia, the San Diego Anti-Defamation League is planning its own march on April 15. “In San Diego, we are certainly no strangers to people that want to harm our community with messages of hate,” Lindsey Zipkin, associate director of development for ADL San Diego, says.

The walk will raise funds to bring ADL’s anti-bias education programs into more schools. The Walk Against Hate will take place at Liberty Station’s Ingram Plaza on April 15 at 8:30 a.m.

Jews Agree That Farrakhan is Anti-Semitic.

After That, it Gets Complicated The Anti-Defamation League and If NotNow have both unequivocally condemned Louis Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism. Both say that fighting anti-Semitism is a necessary part of the broader struggle against bigotry and oppression. Both seek to build alliances with other minority groups in that fight.

That’s where the agreement ends. Read JTA’s full story on our website.

A Civil Debate in an Uncivil World J.J. Goldberg and Jonathan Tobin, two journalists on opposite sides of the political spectrum, will be at the Lawrence Family JCC on April 18 as part of Book Fest. They will showcase a civil debate on “The Future of Israel’s Soul” – a feat no less amazing than a tight rope act in today’s emotionally charged political landscape. Goldberg, the liberal, is editor-at-large of the Forward, and Tobin, the conservative, is a senior editor of Commentary magazine and a contributor for the National Review. Read SDJJ’s interview with both men online.

16 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 17

Campus Superstars

our TOWN

BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL, PHOTOGRSPHY BY JENNIFER GAMBOA

On March 18th, we enjoyed “Campus SuperStar,” a program benefitting Hillel San Diego, where American Idol meets Broadway! What a beautiful evening of entertainment showcasing the talents of some of San Diego’s next generation. The evening’s program at The Scripps Research Institute was complimented with a lovely reception and silent auction, honoring Robert Lapidus, Robin Madaffer and Jackie Tolley. Some of those enjoying the evening were Mark Berger, Susan Lapidus, Jim Madaffer, Emily & Dan Einhorn, Karen Helrich & Bertram Edelstein, Larry Katz, Shari & Fred Schenk, Lynn Schenk, Elaine Galinson & Herbert Solomon, Terri Bignell, Stefanie & Michael Breslauer, Jessi & Yoni Breziner, Hollie Bierman, Laura Galinson & Jodi Diamond, Stacy & John Halberg, Ellen & Anthony Sacks, Ava & Steven Weitzen, Sandra & Arthur Levinson, Juli Bear, Amy & Michael Stern with Sadie and Julian, Ann Spira, Hilary & Jeff Lieber, Blake Stratton with his mom Kim, Zelda Waxenberg, Shaun & Keri Copans, Mark & Vicki Gordon, Alan & Nancy Nevin and Vivian Schwartz, 6.

Performing “Quel Guardo”, an aria from Don Pasquele, the Campus Superstar winner was Carly Cummings. Thank to chairs, Allison & Daniel Gardenswartz, for putting together such an enjoyable evening along with their committee. Thank you to Hillel President, Emily Jennewein, and Acting Executive Director Rabbi David Singer for their continued leadership.

Mazel Tov to….

Renèe Feinswog, on celebrating her 90th birthday.

Max & Marilyn Levy, on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Helene & David Schlafman, on their 54th wedding anniversary.

Marty & Roz Freedman, on their 60th wedding anniversary.

Ruth & Jim Harris, on their 70th wedding anniversary.

Jeff Silberman from Carleton Management (the presenting sponsor of the event), Rabbi David Singer, Executive Director of UC San Diego Hillel, Carly Cummings, 2018 Campus SuperStar winner and Jazmine Rogers, 2016 Campus SuperStar winner.

18 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

On a special note, we were delighted to attend the Bat Mitzvah of a very special young lady on March 17th. Maytal Lily Lefkowitz became a Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Beth Am. The daughter of Emma & Eric Lefkowitz, sibling of Avi and Orly, and grandchild of Janice & Andrew Barron and Sheila & Mike Lefkowitz. Maytal was given her Hebrew name in honor of Emma’s best friend, Marla Ann Bennett, who we all lost almost 16 year ago.A

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 19

the

BY JACQUELINE BULL | PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUAN CARLO TORRIBIO, TONY AMAT.

2018 Oscars in the Ranch In my opinion, the party begins in the winding rural paths past signs for horse crossings and an orange grove as you make your drive to the estate. Guests literally walk the red carpet and get their photo taken a few times before walking into the house. Models in red dresses smile and wish you a good evening. As soon as you cross the threshold into the house, you are handed a glass of champagne.

A joke that I heard around the party a few times was this was one of the few events that one might see San Diego proper all dressed up. There were many beautiful women in beautiful dresses, but it was nice to see some fetching suits as well.

There was an expansive area by the pool where the majority of the food and drink vendors set up. As the evening grew chillier, the guests outdoors gathered in intimate groups around the heat lamps.

Inside, leather couches and fireplaces made a cozy atmosphere to watch the awards or chat with the person next to you. I was adopted into a few conversations with people from a wide array of passions.

SD Jewish Journal's Jacqueline Bull (center) arriving on the red carpet.

Many different small plates were offered as well as a few different signature cocktails and desserts. The beef sliders with pomegranate and cucumber were a hit. And “The Best Dressed� cocktail won the favor of many guests.

This big party managed to feel intimate with the golden hued lighting and cozy surroundings. And upon leaving, we were handed gift bags of chocolate and cheeky hotel bath salts and lotions.A

Dr. Howard and Barbara Milstein arrive on the red carpet.

20 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

More guests arrive on the red carpet.

APRIL 21 – SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Tues-Sun, 10am– 5pm | Admission $7-10 | mingei.org/Israel Noa Raviv, Ensemble from Hard Copy collection (detail), 2014, mixed media. Collection of the designer.

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

Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess In Between Featuring author and performer Judy

Batalion

A humorous and insightful account of hoarding, healing, and the effects of the Holocaust on four generations of women.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018 | 11:00am-1:30pm Hyatt Regency La Jolla Event Chairs: Marcia Foster Hazan & Karen Silberman

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 21

PARENTING

After so much adversity and suffering, just when we thought we were liberated, we faced yet another challenge. We couldn’t turn back, bitter and hardened, and fight the same people who had oppressed us for so long.

THIS WAY TO EDEN

by Rachel Eden

rachel.s.eden@gmail.com

Of Pearls & Coffee

I

recently saw a friend wearing classic black loafers with pearls peeking out of the soles.

My friend happens to own a clothing boutique and when I complimented her footwear, she shared that pearls were, in fact, all over the fashion runway this season and would certainly be making appearances in mainstream stores too. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been contemplating pearls so much lately.

To be honest, it’s not their material value or aesthetic beauty that captures my attention, but rather how they’re formed. Any mollusk with a shell can form a pearl, including clams, oysters and marine snails. The process is fascinating: A tiny organism invades the creature and disrupts the cells causing a resilient substance called nacre (mother of pearl) to be secreted. The nacre is somehow both lighter and stronger than concrete! After several years and thousands of layers of nacre, a smooth iridescent gem is formed. The rare pearl is the product of time, consistent effort, and, yes, an (unwelcome) invasion.

In the introduction of Moe Mernick’s book, “The Gift of Stuttering: Confronting Life’s Challenges,” he describes a daughter talking about her difficulties to her mother.

In response, the mother boiled three pots of water and placed carrots in the first pot, eggs in the second and ground coffee beans in the third. Once cooked, she opened each pot’s lid and showed her daughter the contents. The 22 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

carrots had turned very soft, the eggs had hardened under their shell, and the beans had turned into a rich, fragrant liquid. The mother explained that each ingredient had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but reacted differently. The carrot, originally hard and unbending, became soft and weak. The egg, fragile and fluid, hardened. Only the ground coffee beans responded uniquely as it was the one ingredient that transformed the boiling water itself.

The reader is then tasked to introspect, which of these ingredients resonates with me? Am I hard and tough but crumble when faced with challenges? Am I soft and malleable but harden with cynicism or bitterness after experiencing loss or pain? Or am I like the ground coffee beans? Allowing the heat of the water to bring out something far more appealing, aromatic, and flavorful? During Passover, we may consider these reflections as they pertain to our Jewish nation.

As we, the Jewish people, were finally fleeing Egypt, along with our taskmasters and harrowing lifestyle, we were suddenly faced with the Red Sea (Yam Suf ). After so much adversity and suffering, just when we thought we were liberated, we faced yet another challenge. We couldn’t turn back, bitter and hardened, and fight the same people who had oppressed us for so long. We also couldn’t move forward, soft and weak, to a certain death in

the sea either. So what could we do?

Had I been faced with these circumstances, I can imagine myself throwing my hands up and asking, “G-d, what could you possibly want from us now?” Fortunately, a great person who led by example forged the path.

His name was Nachshon ben Aminadav and he answered my rhetorical question with his own response: What should you do when you can’t turn back and are afraid to move forward? You keep going anyway - one step at a time - and that’s what he did. He took one step forward, then another, entered the water and continued walking until the water reached his neck.

Sometimes, it feels as though the water is up to our necks. We don’t know how we’re going to face our current challenge - whether externally or internally generated. The answer is still the same as it was for the Jews facing the Red Sea, the mollusk forming the pearl, and the coffee confronting the boiling pot. We all keep going, no matter the pain or fear or confusion, slowly but surely, with steadfast faith until our proverbial seas split.

When we do this, as a united nation or as individuals, the most gorgeous and rare pearls emerge from our pain. When we do this, we not only transform ourselves, but the waters around us. A

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov

andreasimantov@gmail.com

When Time Leaves a Shadow

T

he Jewish Agency of Boston matched me with a Russian immigrant family after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. The father, Leonid, had been a nuclear physicist in Moscow. His non-Jewish wife, Larissa, was an accountant but in those early American days, she sewed for a tailor in Boston’s North End. Their only child, eight-year-old Ariola, was already reading English and chatting with neighbors in an accented, staccato voice. With large eyes and bowl-shaped haircut, she was a whirlwind of movement, laughter, song and out-loud dreaming. The Yushkins lived in a large, one-bedroom apartment where Ariola got the bedroom while her parents shared a twin mattress on the living room floor. Two folding chairs and a kitchen table completed the home furnishings.

The Yushkins learned at home because Leonid was very ill. My memory is not reliable, but I recall that he was recovering from brain surgery when we met, too frail to attend classes. Thus, three times a week I entered their sad apartment and worked with them on conversational English, always leaving behind several pages of mimeographed homework. Larissa was diligent and eagerly awaited the next lesson. Conversely, Leonid never completed his assignments.

24 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

He spent workless-days riding the bicycle he’d charmingly wheedled from a neighbor’s child, ludicrously small with a banana seat and high handlebars. He’d talk to strangers in parks and at tram-stops. On Saturday mornings, I’d occasionally catch a glimpse of Leonid studying colorful dry-cereal boxes at the local Stop-and-Shop market.

I’d occasionally eat dinner with them. Larissa would boil a huge pot of whole corn ears in their husks and Leonid ceremoniously placed upon the table the day’s treasures of lableless cans he’d selected from a bin at the front of the market. Each can cost five cents. Guessing at the contents, one night we ate corn and Mexican black beans. Another night it was corn and sauerkraut.

But my most memorable meal was corn and cherry pie filling. A massive edition of Alistair Cooke’s picture book, “America,” permanently graced the table.

After moving to New York, I’d occasionally receive a card from the Yushkins, mostly garish Christmas designs with sparkly angels and three-dimensional church steeples that popped up upon opening. Leonid wrote loving, flowery and often unintelligible prose, but the gist was that we were friends.

I hadn’t heard from them for a long time when Larissa called to tell me that Leonid had died, peacefully, and was buried in

New Hampshire. (Why New Hampshire?

Because he’d befriended a farmer who had a tree that Leonid liked and he’d asked to be buried there. The kind farmer said ‘Yes.’) Their friend, Bill, picked me up at the Logan airport and Larissa, Ariola, Bill and I drove to New Hampshire to picnic alongside Leonid’s forever resting place. Nothing marked the grave as Jewish and this made me feel sad.

There was a fair in town and I rode the Ferris wheel and whips with Ariola until she became nauseous. The next morning I returned to New York and other than hearing that Larissa had gotten engaged to an immigrant from Greece, we never spoke again.

Surfing the Internet recently, I discovered an 18-year-old wedding announcement in the New York Times society page for Ariola who was now known as Rio. “The bride is the daughter of Larissa and the late Soviet physicist Leonid Yushkin.” Today Ariola - Rio - is 48 years old and lives in Darien, Connecticut. A realtor, a mother and community leader, Leonid’s daughter is a real American.

In the end, opening cans without labels requires an almost childish faith that everything will, eventually, turn out just fine. A

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 25

EXAMINED LIFE

Tribal animosities have always been part of our history, either between antagonistic countries or enemies within each nation-state.

"Belonging" is Our Blessing, But "Tribalism" is Our Burden

W

e humans are a social species, tribal by nature. We’re given to gathering and communing in familiar groups. “Belonging,” our capacity and need for empathy, compassion and communication, is in our DNA. We are the most evolved of all species on earth, the most intelligent and creative of G-d’s creatures. Our achievements in the arts and sciences and many other endeavors are extraordinary. If we so wished, we could heartily congratulate ourselves on all we have accomplished.

Unfortunately, we tribal humans have a “dark side,” ironically also related to our social relationships: We are as belligerent and brutal as any other animal species. Our species, homo sapiens, is indeed creative and loving, but it is also destructive and hostile.

Tribal animosities have always been part of our history, either between antagonistic countries or enemies within each nationstate. Every country has close-knit tribes or groups who harbor “rational” reasons to praise themselves and hate others, usually based on prejudicial lore rooted in religion, ethnicity, race, economics or politics.

Tribal conflicts on a large scale are replicated in interactions between individuals.

I knew a lovely American couple, she of Serb background, he of Croatian extraction, happily married for over two decades with two children. When war between Serbia and Croatia erupted in the nineties, memories of old painful ethnic conflicts were rekindled in bitter arguments at home, and they divorced two years later.

Similar events have transpired in other 26 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

relationships, mirroring the ingrained hatreds between groups of origin. Cities and countries where antagonistic populations learned to live in cooperative peace often re-descended into tribal violence. Examples abound: Harmony once prevailed in Sarajevo (Serbs and Croats), Belfast (Protestants and Catholics), Baghdad (Shiites and Sunnis), Rwanda (Hutu and Tutsi), Cyprus (Greeks and Turks), Kashmir (Muslims and Hindus).

Even Jews and Arabs have coexisted in peace.

As inspiring as humanity is, it appears that our “natural” propensities to anger, hate and tribalism often dominate our benevolent thoughts and behaviors. In times of social unrest, ethnic and racial biases appear to “trump” (used advisedly) amicability and peace. This is especially so when fueled by inflammatory religious leaders or political demagogues.

A sense of Belonging is a cornerstone of "The Four B's” (including Being, Believing and Benevolence), the criteria we use to evaluate the quality of our lives.

Belonging is the extent to which we feel appreciated, respected and cared for as a member of a group of close people. These groups vary widely and might comprise family, friends, colleagues, teammates, coworkers, congregationalists or platoons.

When we belong in these groups, we share values, rituals and attitudes, we experience feelings of warmth and welcome, and our lives are enriched.

Studies show that a sense of Belonging is related to feelings of well-being and better health. Conversely, loneliness is known to be detrimental to one’s physical and mental

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

by Saul Levine, M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD

slevine@ucsd.edu

health. But while we value the importance of Belonging, dangers lurk when there is an absence of Benevolence. Excessive group cohesiveness and feelings of superiority breed mistrust and dislike of others and can prevent or destroy caring relationships. Estrangement can easily beget prejudice, nativism, and extremism. These are the very hallmarks of zealous Tribalism, which has fueled bloodshed and wars over the millennia.

The recent book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature," by Harvard’s Steven Pinker, is reassuring in its message that humanperpetrated violence has actually diminished in international and civil wars as well as in domestic and family settings. I’m less optimistic, however, in light of the current social climate in the United States and elsewhere.

The combination of tribal enmities and weapons of mass destruction are as dangerous a “perfect storm” as ever existed, because we humans now have the capacity to annihilate ourselves. As the satirical troubadour Tom Lehrer sang years ago, "What Nature doesn't do to us will be done by our fellow man.”

Belonging is a boon to our existence, ennobling our lives, but Tribalism is a bane to our existence, destroying that very ennoblement.

We humans have crucial choices to make: Whether we live together in harmony, with civility, respect and empathy (positive emotional footprint), or whether we choose to live in perpetual animosity and conflict.

Our very survival awaits our decision.A

“Elegant and

Entrancing” – San Diego Union-Tribune

“Charming” - San Diego CityBeat

A

Little Night Music

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Hugh Wheeler

March 7 - April 22

CYGNETTHEATRE.ORG • 619.337.1525 Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 27

RELIGION

Most of us don’t know Holocaust survivors. We grew up in a world removed from the horrors of the Second World War, and most of us looked at it like it was a terrible chapter or story in our long past.

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacob Rupp

rabbirupp@gmail.com

Acting Through the Pain

I

n the past century, two days during this month were set aside for people to remember. Yom HaShoah is to recall the Holocaust and Yom HaZikaron is to recall those who fell in the many Israeli wars. These days are unique in the sense that they were not added by the rabbis, are not ‘halachic’ in the sense that there are no laws we observe on the day, but resonate with many of the Jewish people because of our proximity to those events.

On the other side, there are many days in the Jewish calendar where we fast or observe some of the traditional customs of mourning in commemoration of horrific events that have happened in our history. For those who observe the fasts, it is a challenge to interrupt our lives, to inconvenience ourselves if we must be so blunt, to not eat. But the point isn’t just to suffer; rather we should think about why tragedy befell us, look into our ways and repent.

There is a clear dichotomy then between the modern days of remembrance and the ancient days; for the modern Jew, certainly the modern Israeli, the pain that surrounds the events are clear. I recall vividly when a birthright trip I would be leading would go to Har Herzl, the Israeli military cemetery in Jerusalem. Our birthright group was joined by six or seven young, dynamic Israeli soldiers, who were the same age as the people in the group. At the cemetery, these 28 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

amazing young people who only moments before were so similar to the Americans began to point to graves and hold back tears.

They would say “my friend is buried here,” and “this is my brother’s grave.”

Suddenly, the Americans didn’t feel we could relate. Most of us didn’t have any proximity to death, and if we did, not like this. For Israelis, the reason why we mourn on Yom HaZikaron is up close and personal. For those to whom it’s not up close and personal, we feel distant and removed.

I’d dare say that for Yom HaShoah, the proximity challenge is even greater. Most of us don’t know Holocaust survivors. We grew up in a world removed from the horrors of the Second World War, and most of us looked at it like it was a terrible chapter or story in our long past. We didn’t feel the enormity of the situation, and so its commemoration also becomes a challenge to internalize.

Alas we enter into the twilight zone of being a Jew. On one hand, we are part of one people, one body, one history, and one destiny. The losses of our brethren are our losses. On the other hand, we are people, and we can’t mourn something that we don’t relate to.

The wisdom of fasting, of being forced to change our daily habits, makes it relevant again. There are extra prayers, and a special part of the Torah we read on fast days. But

the theme is the same; distance from G-d and repentance. What is surprising about this selection is that it isn’t sad. It implies (and this is so horrible for us to consider) that our suffering happened because of a national failing. It wasn’t happenstance or on accident. G-d was there. In the gulf between us and Him these tragedies occurred.

And it is within our grasp to fix it, instead of mourning with no ways to repair. Yes, of course, we need to mourn and support those that have lost. But then there’s action; we can create a world where this suffering doesn’t happen anymore. In the messianic visions of our prophets, there is no more Hitler, no more terrorism, no more war.

And the power of the Jewish tradition is that creating this perfect, serene world is within our grasp, not outside of it. It requires us to stop, look into our deeds, and repent. It sounds so far away and ideal. But it demands action. And so often we hear that action is what makes or breaks those people who have faced the darkness by living through the hell of losing those closest to them. Taking action, going out and doing, was their personal salvation so they didn’t get consumed by their tragedy.

Perhaps it is also how we can redeem ourselves and our people, and make our tragedies a springboard to a greater, more peaceful, and tear freeting through the future. A

“When the day comes that we have to give accounting for our deeds, we shall be summoned before the millions who were murdered in the Holocaust.They will want to know, ‘What have you done?’ Some will say they were merchants, others will describe buildings they have built, but I will have the privilege of saying to them ‘I have never forgotten you.’”

-Simon Wiesenthal

Most of us were spared the hell he endured.

But we were not spared the obligation to remember…and to act.

Keep Simon Wiesenthal’s legacy alive.

Please join the Simon Wiesenthal Legacy Society by leaving your bequest or planned gift to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

To join the Simon Wiesenthal Legacy Society or to learn more about it, please contact: Rabbi MeyeR H. May Simon Wiesenthal Center executive Director at 310.772.2424 or rabbimay@wiesenthal.com

international headquarters

1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, California 90035-4709 • www.wiesenthal.com new york

•

florida

•

toronto

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jerusalem

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paris

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buenos aires

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 29

F

Feature: Campus of Life

A BIG IDEA

CAMPUS OF LIFE OPENS IN SAN DIEGO

A

Dr. Ilana De Laney leads a discussion.

30 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

new and exciting vision is developing in San Diego.

Campus of Life, an intentional community of learners that engages the whole person, is bringing dynamic resources to our area. Dr. Ilana De Laney, the dean, and Craig Saloner, Campus of Life’s board member, describe this innovative program as a place where people of all ages and backgrounds live, learn and grow together.

"The whole idea was to create a new paradigm in living," Saloner told the San Diego Jewish Journal from the fourthfloor balcony of one of the luxury residences in the new development. "This idea of creating community in the middle of beautiful San Diego, which has been nearly a decade in the making, (and a brainchild of Saloner and Rabbi Josef Fradkin of Chabad Hebrew Academy) is to build a community centered around education and learning. It would differ from the college lifestyle in that the students are intergenerational and classes would be scheduled around work, family needs and other obligations that sometimes make getting an education more difficult."

"A community is always built around something, a religious community or a sporting community, and we thought how amazing to build a community around learning and education," Saloner continued. "As part of your residence here you will have access to a broad range of classes on campus, where you live."

The developers purchased the property from Chabad Hebrew Academy and, although the campus is not Jewish affiliated, plenty of Jewish classes should be offered.

"What we’re really looking for is a demographic that’s interested in learning and is interested in creating a lifestyle around learning," Saloner said. "The Jewish community is a huge demographic for us and our proximity to [a nationally acclaimed Jewish Day School & Early Childhood center], so there are going to be Jewish Courses offered ... we feel like the Jewish de-

From L: Katey Lindley, Director of Caring Community and Ilisa Goldman from the Rooted in Place Landscape, Architecture Consulting enjoy a lunch and learn at Campus of Life

The curriculum has both traditional and experiential classes: everything from workshops on relationships,communication and spiritual studies, to yoga and clubs -bridging high level academics through experiential learning. mographic is perfect because they love learning." Saloner said they are calling it the Campus of Life because it is a place where you live, learn and grow. The curriculum has both traditional and experiential classes: everything from workshops on relationships, communication and spiritual studies, to yoga and clubs (i.e, book and running). "We aim to bridge high level academics through experiential learning, thereby creating a new stage in the evolution of lifelong learning," said Ilana De Laney.

"Campus of Life is committed to creating a community of good where members take an active role in making the world a better place.

We encourage our students not only to learn but also to volunteer and to lead life at Maslow’s highest level of personal growth - self actualization." She said it is like a contemporary kibbutz with all of the amenities life has to offer.

The 84-unit one, two and three bedroom residences at Campus of Life start at around $2,100 a month for Campus of Life members.

"You can come here and you can actually get real quality education," Saloner said. Eighty-four units will be finished by phase one and when construction is finished there will be a total of 228 residences.

De Laney said she is excited they will be offering both indoor and outdoor classes, which includes hiking. "Learning about San Diego and the environment through hiking is amazing," she said. "You don’t only sit and study about the environment, but also go out in nature and take advantage of everything this city offers us."

In one of their art history classes students might have a couple of sessions in a classroom, "but then we’re going to meet in Balboa Park and go to the different museums and continue engaging with art in real life."

"You’re not coming back to college," Saloner said. "What you’re doing is coming back to interactive experiences."

"In truth, it’s a little bit of an experiment because in all of the models that we’ve studied there’s definitely a lot of communities connected to universities," but, he said, there are very few that are so multi-generational."

"And we think it’s exciting and it will help for you to meet your neighbors. Because if I’m in the same cooking class as my neighbor and we meet – all of a sudden we’re sharing recipes and we’re creating community."

Saloner lives in a nine-acre eco village in North County, and said he’s taken a lot of the concepts from the community, such as how to create intimate connection and shared experiences through collaborative learning. "We’re now doing that in an urban setting, which is really something unique."

Campus of Life has gotten accolades from various San Diego institutions, including Alliant University, Seacrest Village Retirement Communities and Congregation Beth Israel who call the project "innovative," "creative" and "holistic." The campus is in the process of accreditation and will be able to offer course units. Saloner said the idea is to help people find their potential. "It’s almost like how do we light a spark in people?" he said. "If you want to climb Machu Picchu, let’s give you nutrition [and fitness programs that will help you achieve this goal], let’s teach you about the history of the Incas, let’s get you into breath work and mindfulness and meditation." People not living on the campus will likely be allowed to take classes as well.

While the project is still a work in progress, student residents will be able to move in by the beginning of April and classes will also be available.

"We think there’s a real need for it," Saloner said. "As social media becomes more and more prevalent, we become more and more isolated.

Campus of Life strives to offer adult learners the opportunity to become acquainted with their fellow learners through experiential opportunities, social activities and programs. The campus and its surroundings are where people meet, find common interests and establish lifelong friendships with fellow students, teachers and mentors.

For more information please visit www.campusoflife.com A

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 31

AGES 4 – 8 One-Week, Half-Day (morning) Wonder Woman’s Superhero Slam . . . . . . . . June 18 – June 22 Monster Mashup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 9 – July 13 A Princess Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 23 – July 27 AGES 8 – 12 Two-Week, Full-Day Annie Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 18 – June 29 Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon Kids . . . . July 9 – July 20 The Music Man Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 23 – August 3 AGES 12 – 19 Two-Week, Full-Day

Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . June 18 – June 29 The Many Disguises of Robin Hood . . . . . . . . July 9 – July 20 Disney’s Mulan Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 23 – August 3

More details on the website . Register for camps on the website or by calling the Box Office, (858) 481-1055 .

Questions? Contact Benjamin Cole, (858) 481-2155, ext . 216 .

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Theater: The Wanderers

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WORLD PREMIERE: The Wanderers Are Finding Themselves at the Old Globe | BY PAT LAUNER | The cast and author of “The Wanderers” (L-R) Ali Rose Dachis, Dave Klasko, Anna Ziegler, Janie Brookshire, Daniel Eric Gold, Michelle Beck

young Orthodox couple walks into a play. They’re about to embark on an arranged marriage. But the road will be rocky, and one of them will stray from the Hasidic path.

Meanwhile, two celebrities – a famous actor and a movie star – are in the throes of a dangerously flirtatious, extramarital, electronic epistolary relationship.

They may not exist in the same timeframe, but their lives, their love and their link form the crux of Anna Ziegler’s new play, “The Wanderers,” having its world premiere at The Old Globe, which commissioned the work.

When Anna’s thought-provoking tennis drama, “The Last Match,” was produced at the Globe in 2016, the theater’s artistic director, Barry Edelstein, was anxious to invite her back. And she was eager to work with him (he hadn’t directed her prior effort here).

The time has arrived. And the two have

A

become members in a mutual admiration society.

“She’s very, very smart,” Barry says of Anna. “She’s a thinker, a really good writer and a prose stylist. It’s common, in contemporary theater, to write inarticulate characters, and subjects that are hard to communicate. She creates characters who are erudite and articulate, and so much fun to have around. In her writing, she’s fast, smart and very un-precious. She’s also a wonderful collaborator.”

Anna has worked closely with Barry in shaping this play over the past two years, including presenting it at the Globe’s Powers New Voices Festival last year, and staging a workshop in New York.

She finds Barry to be “deeply thoughtful, an absolutely sensitive reader of plays and thinker about the world.”

Something else they have in common: a borough.

The Brooklyn Connection Ziegler lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young sons, just blocks away from where she grew up. Edelstein spent five years in Williamsburg before moving to San Diego.

Both lived in close proximity to Brooklyn’s enormous Hasidic community, one of the biggest Orthodox Jewish communities outside of Israel and one of the largest concentrations of Jews in the United States.

So they share a familiarity with that kind of zealous commitment: the closeness and insularity of the community and the stringent, strictly enforced rules that comprise the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle.

“That world has always been of tremendous interest to me,” Barry says. “They live a life that’s extreme: both beautiful and restrictive. They’re extremely sealed off. I once mentioned to a Hasidic man I know that I worked on Shakespeare plays, and he had no idea what I was talking about.”

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 33

“For a long time,” says Anna, “I’ve wanted to write about arranged marriages. The concept always fascinated me. Surprisingly, a lot of those marriages really work. There’s nothing clear-cut about marriage or love. There’s no single formula that makes it work.”

Her new play concerns love and marriage in disparate situations. The focus is on two separate couples and their separate stories, which captivate both writer and director.

Before rehearsals began, I talked to them both, individually, but their comments about the play and its subject matter were remarkably similar.

“Both stories are really, really interesting,” says Barry. “A good part of our development process was figuring out how they relate. It’s hard to talk about a play that has a twist. We don’t want to spoil it for anyone.”

“Initially,” Anna confesses, “I didn’t know how these two couples connected. They seemed so different. The celebrity couple’s online interactions are loosely based on the New York Times-published email correspondence between Natalie Portman and Jonathan Safran Foer in the summer of 2016.”

They’re both Jewish luminaries: Portman an Israeli-born actor, Foer an American novelist.

“Their conversation was superficially about the movie she was making about Israel,” Anna continues. “But they seemed to be trying to impress each other. They were flirting intellectually. Most of the people who read the letters felt they revealed something a little uncomfortable.

“So that’s my other strand: the Jewish novelist becomes obsessed with the [non-Jewish] actress, who’s a fan of his, and that leads to a growing relationship, although they’re both married to other people. They’re equally taken with the idea of being in contact.

They participate in flirtatious intellectual banter.”

In the play, Abe, the novelist, is “essentially the main character.”

“He was really fun to write,” says Anna.

“He’s a classic neurotic Jewish intellectual – self-deprecating in the vein of Philip Roth, whose name courses through the play. He’s trying to explain himself. His wife, Sophie, also a writer, is trying to get away from herself.”

There’s something of a love triangle among Sophie, Abe and the actress, Julia.

“Abe is a deliciously terrible character,” says Anna. “He’s incredibly selfish. The challenge for the actor playing him is that he has to be likable. I like him, though I think 34 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

“For a long time,” says Anna, “I’ve wanted to write about arranged marriages. The concept always fascinated me.

Surprisingly, a lot of those marriages really work.

There’s nothing clear-cut about marriage or love. There’s no single formula that makes it work.”

he’s flawed. I think if we do it right and act it sensitively, he won’t seem like a stereotype.

I’m certainly playing with a [novelist Philip] Roth kind of character.

“There’s a through-line of inherited trauma in the play,” Anna adds, “with their relationships and their parents. These characters are haunted by the Holocaust, in such a way that they never feel comfortable or at home.”

Embedded in the drama is the question of how trauma works its way through generations.

These two couples live in different time periods. The lives of the newlyweds start in the late 1970s, when she’s 27 and he’s 30 years old. The play follows them for 20 years. We view the relationship of the contemporary trio, who are in their mid-late 30s, over the course of 18 months.

Anna sees “a sense of innocence and youthfulness in the younger couple. At the very beginning of the play, they’re telling us about their wedding and what led up to it.

We see part of the wedding night.”

She’s using some Yiddish in the script, and there will be a Hasidic consultant, to help get the clothes, the language and all the other cultural elements just right.

“What’s interesting about these characters,” says Anna, “is that they don’t hide anything. They’re unfiltered. There’s a bravado and an honesty in that – saying just what they think. For some, that’s off-putting. But I find it quite entertaining and refreshing.

They’re all so deeply confident and love their use of language. But, of course, underlying that is a deep insecurity.

“The play is not about gender roles,” she asserts. “But I think the portrait of Esther presents a very strong, complicated person.

In this relationship, Esther has more power than her husband, Schmuli, and that’s problematic. It gets them in trouble. Part of the problem is that he feels emasculated.

“Abe’s wife, Sophie, feels an unfair burden in her marriage. She’s in the difficult position of having married a difficult person. It doesn’t make her life easy. As an artist, she’s both drawn to him and repelled by him.

Also, he’s much more successful and famous than she.”

The Electronic Conundrum One of the challenges of staging this play, which will be presented in the round in the White Theatre, is how to present the electronic interactions.

“We have to find a way to do it dynamically,” says Anna. “We’ll probably establish

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OLD GLOBE

Director Barry Edelstein with author Anna Ziegler.

some convention, and then move on to represent how they feel writing to each other. It should feel like they’re in the same room. It should be quite intimate.”

“A lot of writers are now creating material that takes place in cyberspace,” says Barry.

“For many people in real life, that’s their entire relationship. In this play, passages of the story that are in email, IM and text will quickly start to sound as naturalistic as regular conversation. It’s up to me and the designers to figure out how to make that happen, to allow the actors to make contact with each other.

“Sometimes the characters will be facing each other,” Barry reveals. “Sometimes their messages may be projected onto the floor or onto some furniture. It’s not narrative information, just a kind of texture to suggest that these are people who live in a world of words. Snow is also a big image in the play.

We’ve got to somehow make words into snowflakes.”

Thematic Considerations “Anna’s theme,” says Barry, “which was also in ‘The Last Match,’ is the question of why people can’t be okay with the life they have.

Both plays are peopled by individuals who are not content in their own skin. They’re looking for more. They live highly articulate and highly examined lives.

“These are not midlife crises,” he continues. “They’re young people, saying ‘There must be something more.’ I really relate to that idea of always looking for the next thing. It can be toxic, preventing people from being content.”

As Anna puts it, “The play is about a kind of restlessness we all have. These couples live in very different worlds, but they all suffer from the same restlessness. It’s hard for them

to find contentment, let alone happiness.

“The young wife, Esther, is not comfortable in the Hasidic community,” Anna continues. “She longs for certain freedoms, a different function in her marriage. She’s trying to stick to the letter of the law, but she’s chafing against it.

“Both couples are on a kind of quest for meaning. Esther looks for it in books. She illicitly reads books she’s not supposed to read. In the modern-day story, the quest involves the interrelationships of the writer, his wife and the actress.”

As is typically the case in Anna’s plays, there’s humor.

“There’s a certain humor to be found in clashes of personality,” she admits.

And what will the audience come away with?

Anna thinks “a number of things will be discussion-worthy. Questions about the Hasidic community, for instance. That kind of restriction can be seen as positive or negative. There’s something beautiful about that kind of order and meaning in your life.

“Another question is what it takes to love someone. In one case, someone very actively leaves the relationship. And in the other, there’s a kind of passive departure. That poses the question of the relative merits of these approaches.

“And I hope the play makes audiences think about their own relationship, and what baggage they bring to the relationship from relationships they observed growing up.”

In the original Portman/Foer electronic correspondence, the actress wrote: “I realized how much Judaism for me was connected to yearning, to wanting what you don’t have ... I have that longing, yearning, ‘it’s-better-

over-there’ tendency … [As Jews], we’re always in the midst of replacing one fulfilled desire with a new desire, accepting a new piece of knowledge with another question.”

But Barry feels strongly that the play is not just for or about Jews.

“In theater,” he explains, “the more specific something is, the more universal it becomes.

“Every religion has fundamentalist sects, which have a certain purity of beliefs and practices, but the downside of extremism.

“And, like Natalie Portman and Jonathan Safran Foer, we all have these intense connections with other people. And we’re all trying to figure out how to be happy with the life we have.”

A 2015 profile of Anna in the New York Times suggested that “[all] her plays explore ethical issues of one kind or another, the duties we owe to ourselves and to each other.

They are filled with characters … who are trying to behave well and only sometimes succeeding.”

As one character in an early play of hers puts it, “Nothing and no one is just one thing.”

Anna admits to believing that “most people are sort of well-intentioned. They’re all coming at the world in the best way. And yet, enormous mistakes occur anyway, and we have to live our lives knowing that. I have a lot of sympathy for each of my characters.

They’re all really trying to do their best.”

As for the significance of her title, “The Wanderers,” Anna says, “I think it will be self-evident.” A The world premiere, “The Wanderers,” runs from April 6 – May 6 at The Old Globe.

For tickets and information: 619-234-5623; theoldglobe.org.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 35

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Ohr Shalom to Honor Dr. Ray Sachs at Annual Fundraising Dinner

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On Sunday, April 29th, at 5 pm, congregants and friends of Ohr Shalom Synagogue will gather at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel, Downtown, to celebrate the accomplishments of its outgoing President, Dr. Ray Sachs at the synagogue’s annual dinner and fundraiser, called Lights of Ohr Shalom.

Dr. Sachs, who has held that office since July 2012, has done a job well worth celebrating.

Through judicious fundraising, he led a successful effort that totally retired the debt remaining from the 2009-2011 renovation of the former Beth Israel building at Third and Laurel in Bankers Hill to create the modern facility that Ohr Shalom currently enjoys. Under Dr. Sachs’ leadership, the synagogue also greatly has expanded programming in the areas of Jewish worship and adult education, and it has created and funded a highly-successful Student Rabbinic Internship program in cooperation with the American Jewish University, Los Angeles.

A native of Chicago, Dr. Sachs came to San Diego as a Naval Medical Officer in 1975. He practiced as an orthopedic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente from 1982 to 2010, when he retired. In addition to Ohr Shalom, Dr. Sachs has numerous pro-social interests and participates in semi-annual medical services trips to remote areas of South and Central America. He is married to Marcia Sachs and they have three children: Jennifer Smith, a physician in St. Louis, Andy, an attorney in Seattle, and Ben, a Lecturer in Philosophy at St. Andrews University, Scotland.

Tickets for Lights of Ohr Shalom are on sale now at $150 each. The evening will include cocktails, dinner, and opportunity drawings. Please contact the synagogue office at 619-231-1456 or email office@ohrshalom.org.

Feature: Mingei

F

Peering into the Heart of Israel | JACQUELINE BULL |

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or the 70th anniversary of Israel’s statehood, Mingei International Museum is hosting its first ever Israel exhibit. SDJJ got a sneak peek with the museum director Rob Sidner before the public opening April 21.

I was whisked to the upstairs of the museum and shown a royal blue Tiffany window that marks the entrance to the chic office space. The office was decorated in cool tones of natural wood, minimalist furniture and lined with photos of art from around the world. I was warmly introduced to Rob Sidner who smiled at me, wearing a smart tweed suit with a blue pocket square.

The exhibition is called “Israel 70 Years of Craft & Design” and features many things under the craft and design umbrella like contemporary textiles, traditional Judaica, and also industri-

al design objects like clocks and thumb drives.

“I don’t have any first-hand experience with Israel, and I think I’ve been really surprised by the richness and the diversity of the craft and design that is there,” Rob said. Showcasing the diversity of the artists in Israel comes through the broad range of the objects they are displaying; the objects range vastly in age, medium and message.

The first object that we looked at was “Holy Land Views-Kotel-A Wall Hanging.”

“I just love it. It looks like a little bit like WPA in our country, which would have been a little earlier, but it is very much out of arts and crafts and looks like Works Progress Administration during the depression. This has a feeling of that for me. It’s a Ensemble from Noa Raviv collection, 2014.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 37

“Holy Land Views” Kotel Wall Hanging, 1890.

Spring Heel Shoes” Neta Sorek, 2015.

The museum regularly shows individual cultures’ past and present and he added a show on Israel was immediately intriguing to him and the museum. wonderful piece. It looks like it is appealing to old traditions, medieval Jerusalem. It looks like the Bayeux Tapestry from 1066 in France that was maybe made in England that tells the story of the Battle of Hastings. There are some of the same colors and same feeling, too.”

The second object was “Spring Heel Shoes” that are 3D printed with nylon photopolymer.

“These are wild, really wonderful. Elegant and kooky at the same time. They look quite stylish, they look like they might give a lot like trampoline shoes,” he said.

The next object was a dress that might match those 3D printed shoes. It is from the artist Noa Raviv - pleated silk and white tulle with an laser-cut black polyester adhesive applique.

“I love this piece. Isn’t that stunning? We won’t have the model unfortunately. The orange socks are great too, aren’t they? It is really magnificent bit of couture, pretty complicated. Very terrific design, terrific design, terrific craft, great piece.”

The exhibition came about as a collaboration with the House of Israel. The museum regularly shows individual cultures’ past and present and he added a show on Israel was immediately intriguing to him and the museum.

38 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

“And that also thrills us that we, as an art museum, are able to show and reveal … a country and a richness of tradition and vitality that may be unknown. That’s thrilling for this museum to be able to do that; we constantly are trying to show the best of cultures and the best of our creativity as human beings all over the world,” he said.

He explained that they like to dig deep and move past our first impressions or biases of places and focus on the human element of the culture. They have often done shows about countries or cultures that were politically unpopular at the time. The museum even put on a Palestinian show a couple years ago.

“Others might say today why are you doing an Israel show? Because it is an important place of creativity. We want to show it. We could do Iran, we could do a whole thing connected to Islam, to precisely to get beyond of what often becomes way too narrow a point of view or focus. That is the privilege that this museum has always to try to show what is best and most creative,” he said.

To further elaborate he said, “We are able to show something that goes to the very heart of what it is most basic and most enriching about a country and going to its folk art and its craft and its design to the real heart of the creativity of the country.” A

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Feature: Hillel Basketball

Basketball and Beyond: The 8th Annual National Hillel Basketball Tournament | BY LEERON CARMI |

W

here March Madness ends another madness begins, and, no, I am not referring to Pesach cleaning. On the weekend of April 19-22 the University of Maryland (UMD) will be hosting the 8th annual National Hillel Basketball Tournament (NHBT). Beginning in the early fall semester, a board comprised of 24 UMD students is hard at work to plan this featured Jewish event of the year. Hillel international is the world's largest Jewish campus organizations, active in over 550 colleges and universities across North America and 56 countries abroad. The camaraderie Jewish enthusiasm of the tournament embodies Hillel's vision of "a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel."

The tournament is one of the largest Hillel gatherings in the world, attracting participating schools and visitors from across the US and bringing them together to spend a weekend full of lively competition, exciting events, and vibrant Judaism. Last year’s tournament attracted over 1,500 participants, including over 400 players as well as fans and visitors from all across the country. This year’s tournament is on track to match, if not surpass, those impressive numbers. Teams come from all across the country including The University of Kansas, Harvard, Miami University, University of Texas at Austin, Johns Hopkins and many more.

The competition is serious and intense, with motivated players competing for the holy grail of Jewish Basketball, the 'Kiddush Cup.’ This year, all preliminary games will take place in five different courts at UMD’s state of the art Xfinity Center, the official home for the school’s NCAA (Division I) basketball team, the Maryland Terps. In an exciting new addition to Saturday night activities, Gift of Life will be introducing a bone marrow donor to their recipient for the first time in an effort to raise awareness about bone marrow registration. After a night of lively and competitive games, the final teams will compete in the women’s and men’s championships on Sunday morning, with an 42 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

awards ceremony to follow.

The competition is exhilarating for both players and sports enthusiasts alike, but NHBT goes beyond just basketball. Attracting Jews from all different backgrounds,

NHBT fosters the perfect climate for young Jewish students to share different perspectives and meet new friends from across the country.

Joshua Blustein, a double major in Economics and International Studies with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management at Johns Hopkins University, was a first-time team captain in last year’s tournament. When asked about the impact the tournament had on players’ Jewish involvement on campus after the tournament, Blustein stated, “I was very involved in Hillel and was the treasurer of the Jewish students association, but some of the players had little to no involvement to Hillel. For those who were not very involved with Hillel, the tournament had tremendous success. Aside from befriending active Hillel students, some who had rarely, if ever, come

to Hillel events … had [developed] an overall heightened feeling of comfortability in the Hillel building and with Jewish events on campus. Their pride and affiliation with being Jewish was very much impacted. All of our players increased their involvement in Jewish life in concrete ways after just one tournament. Maybe Johns Hopkins was unique. I like to think not. The lasting impact of NHBT on their Jewish journeys? It has just begun.”

The highlight of the weekend is unarguably the marquee Friday night Shabbat dinner, where students gather to celebrate their Judaism and meet new people. With over seven hundred attendees at last year’s dinner, we will be hosting the dinner this year in an even larger space on campus to accommodate for the growing number of visitors.

The Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Center for Jewish Life serves as the Jewish home base throughout the weekend, offering orthodox and conservative prayer services and kosher dining options.

The NHBT board works tirelessly to plan exciting events that engage players and visitors alike, such as skills contests, concerts, and speakers. This year, we are honored to have David Blu, a former Maccabi Tel Aviv player, join us for the weekend to share some of his experiences on the court and beyond.

All of these exciting events and activities would not be possible without our generous sponsors, including the Leader Family Foundation, the Levenson Family Foundation, Under Armour, PepsiCo, AEPi, Gift of Life, Masa Israel, Onward Israel, Hebrew Union College and The Domain.

The NHBT board and UMD students look forward to meeting all participating teams and visitors this upcoming April and cannot wait to share in the excitement this of this year’s tournament. Follow us on Facebook at National Hillel Basketball Tournament and find out more on our website at hilleltournament.org! A Leeron Carmi is a PR writer for the National Hillel Basketball Tournament, 2018.

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 43

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Book Fair Intro

Festival of Ideas

JCC’s Book Fair Becomes BookFest 2018 | BY BRIE STIMSON |

“The publishing industry has changed so much in recent years,” Brian Garrick, director of cultural arts programs and festivals at the Center for Jewish Culture (CJC), mused as we began talking about the Lawrence Family JCC’s upcoming BookFest. “The habits of readers has really changed as well and so has the media that people are using to get information these days.”

For these reasons the CJC decided to change the long running Book Fair into a book festival that was less focused on new releases and more on hearing from authors, radio hosts, podcasters, journalists and thinkers – who may or may not have a freshly printed hardback.

“So we’re sort of asking ourselves in this ... changing landscape in which information is deployed and delivered, how can we have something called a book fest that is ... keeping up with the times,” Garrick added. “I think this is our attempt to do that. And I think we are trying to bring in some figures which have a diversity to them.”

For example, author Davy Rothbart, who is a contributor to “This American Life,” a filmmaker and publisher and editor of FOUND magazine, will meet for an evening of funny and sweet stories about himself and the people he’s met through his magazine. “People may know Davy Rothbart from the radio or his podcast or from an article in Vanity Fair but didn’t know he had a book,” Garrick explained.

“We have Joan Nathan coming, who’s the Jewish queen of American cooking, and we’re having a brunch with her. But it’s not your typical, you know, bagels and lox,” Garrick told me. “We’re mixing it up because her book is about Jewish cooking around the world. So we’re looking at food throughout the diaspora. So it’s not just going to be that traditional kind of Ashkenazi appetizing fare that many of us are accustomed to ... I think it will really be an opportunity for the community to break bread and have some interesting conversations together.”

The festival program will open with professor Tal Ben-Shahar giving a talk on positive psychology and the science of happiness.

“Here’s someone who ... taught at Harvard for many years and kind of stepped out of academia to take his message to a larger group,” Garrick said. “He’s going to be giving tools that can actually make us happier ... I don’t know if that kind of thing was in our programming in the past.” Ben-Shahar’s positive psychology class

was one of the most popular at Harvard, according to the JCC. Rabbi Irwin Kula, who’s giving a talk called Beyond The Tribe: Judaism as a Path of Human Flourishing, also doesn’t have a new book out. “They don’t necessarily care that he doesn’t have a brand new book ... His book that he came out with four years ago still has relevance – that’s what I think people are caring about,” he said.

Garrick is especially excited about Barbara Boxer’s appearance.

“She’s a legendary figure in California politics,” he said. “She just retired, but I think given our political climate, which is quite divisive right now, we need to be able to hear from people who have that kind of longitudinal viewpoint to be able to help us understand where we’ve come from and where we’re going.” He said it’s “another opportunity to have an intimate conversation with someone who’s influenced our lives whether we know it or not in profound ways over the course of her tenure.”

On Yom Ha’atzmaut, the festival will host a debate between a liberal and conservative about “the future of Israel’s soul.”

“It is framed as a civil debate between J.J. Goldberg who’s the editor-at-large of the Forward newspaper and Jonathan Tobin who’s one of the online editors for Commentary magazine, and he writes for National Review,” Garrick explained. “It’s wonderful to see how we could have a constructive conversation between two people who are diametrically opposed.” Goldberg and Tobin have been hosting similar debates throughout the country. “They’ve become such good friends,” Garrick commented. “They come and do this and they go out to dinner afterwards ... I kind of see this in some ways as somewhat of a healing program.”

Garrick said instead of mainly selling physical books (which they still plan to) they are focusing more on helping readers download the book online and having the proceeds go to the CJC, similar to Amazon Smile.

The festival will also include author Dara Horn, a live performance of the radio show Selected Shorts, scholar Rabbi Michael Berenbaum and “speed dating” with local authors.

“People don’t need someone who has a new book. They want to hear ideas that are relevant and current,” Garrick added. “I think they’re interested in people who can pivot within all the changes ... and it doesn’t matter what the medium happens to be.” A

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 45

Book Fair: Michael Berenbaum

Not Your Father’s Anti-Semitism

Holocaust Scholar Rabbi Michael Berenbaum | BY EVA BEIM |

A

nti-Semitism has again risen to the fore of conversation, and for some, the concern is valid, while others hold it is exaggerated and damaging. According to American author, professor and leading Holocaust scholar, Michael Berenbaum, “that’s only half true. Less people hate Jews today than ever before. There is not a growth in anti-Semitism.”

However, the hatred that does exist is fueled by technology and social media, thus, the public is more aware of the disparaging rhetoric via the Internet.

“If we had thought that 20 years ago people would be deeply interested in the question of anti-Semitism in 2018, we would not have believed it,” he said. “We lived in a generation in which it looked like anti-Semitism would not define the future.”

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I spoke with Mr. Berenbaum in a phone interview in which we discussed today’s anti-Semitism versus that of the past.

“In 1993, communism had collapsed, apartheid failed, and it looked like anti Semitism was going to be a thing of the past,” he explained, and also made reference to the hopeful anticipation of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Anti-Semitism is a worldwide phenomenon now,” stated Mr. Berenbaum, who is also a rabbi, renowned lecturer and filmmaker. “I’m going to argue a contradiction, which will not make me popular with the audience,” he said, referring to his upcoming appearance at the San Diego Jewish BookFest this April.

“There are not more anti-Semites than yesterday, or

ten or 20 years ago, but there is an expression of hatred which is on the increase,” he claims, “because people feel free to express the hatred they feel, and the Internet magnifies their expression.”

It is this expression that echoes the oft-cited concern that the Internet has provided such pervasive anonymity, that it veils certain civility in a decent society; ergo, the hatred spewed is more powerful, according to Mr. Berenbaum. He sited an example of a serious hashtag seen recently, ‘kill the Jews, kill the Jews,’ saying, “today this is regarded as permissible, whereas before this never would have been permissible in civil society.”

Jews now find they have problems with the extreme left and the extreme right, he stated, which “becomes a tremen-

dous problem in our world.

The left will turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism because they are anti-Israel. They even tolerate the extreme Louis Farrakhan.”

Another example is the popular Women’s movement, whom he said won’t defy the hatred lobbed against Israel. One of its leaders and event organizers, Linda Sarsour, is a devout Muslim who had family members who were jailed in Israel for ties to Hamas. She is an outspoken critic of Israel and supporter of the BDS movement. (The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is the anti-Israel group inspired by Hamas, which uses various forms of public protest, economic pressure and lawsuits to advance their agenda of permanently destroying Israel as a Jewish nation-state). Sarsour helped spearhead the Women’s March

on January 21, 2017, after President Trump was elected.

Mr. Berenbaum cited another group with anti-Israel stances: Black Lives Matter. He said he would have supported them, had they not been an institution that openly hates Israel and describes it as an apartheid state. It was also stated in their platform, as reported by The Washington Post, August 5, 2016, that they were opposed to any U.S. support of Israel, since the U.S. is “complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people.”

“And the extreme right is equally dangerous,” Mr. Berenbaum emphasized. “Safety is always found in the moderate.

Polarization in any way is bad for the Jews and society historically. Where there has been a pluralistic multi-cultural society there has been a tendency towards moderation.”

He grew up in a generation where there was a glass ceiling for Jews in all aspects of society. He recounted when Henry Rosovsky, a refugee, was offered the presidency of Yale in 1977. His wife - who was Israeli - said, ‘you must take the position because you’ll be the first Jewish president of Yale.’

He responded to his wife saying ‘it will happen, there will be a Jewish president, and I’ll be the first to turn it down.’

Now Mr. Berenbaum believes the Jewish community is as strong as its been since the period of Solomon. “But as wise as he was,” he said, “his regime was unstable, and it did not last beyond himself.”

In Europe, there is legitimate concern over anti-Semitism and Mr. Berenbaum explains it this way, “there is anti Semitism from Europe and in Europe from Muslim elements of Europe’s society. France believes

that if you’re a Frenchman who has French values you are accepted as an integral part of your society. If a non-European or a multi-generational person from a more divisive country or background is angered about Israel, they then believe it’s acceptable to assault (or kill) their Jewish neighbors in France.”

When the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls in 2015 said, “France without its Jews is not France,” Mr. Berenbaum said no Frenchman would have accepted that statement 70 years ago. And he maintained that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made a mistake when he said ‘don’t worry, come to Israel, we’ll protect you.’ But Mr. Berenbaum felt separating the Jewish Frenchman from France was not the appropriate thing to say at the time.

Valls had made this statement before the terror attack at the kosher HyperCacher market, and at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. The French prime minister called for a millions-strong march against the terror a day after an Islamist gunman killed four men and held several

more people hostage before being killed by police.

“Instead of telling the French to come to Israel, Bibi should have supported and encouraged a march by presidents and prime ministers protesting anti-Semitism,” Mr. Berenbaum said. “Europeans don’t have to accept everything about Israel, or even like Israel,” however they need to have a vigorous showing against anti-Semitism.

The attacks re-ignited the issue of increased Jewish immigration to Israel from France and elsewhere in Europe.

At the time, Jewish Agency head, Natan Sharansky, predicted a possible 250,000 French Jews would move to Israel over the next two decades.

When asked what he predicts could happen in Europe, Mr. Berenbaum said, “It’s still a struggle,” and is uncertain what will come of it. He used the proverbial canary in the coalmine analogy for the Jews of Europe. “You know what happens to the canary, they lose oxygen first.”

He raised a compelling point that conceptually many Jews can relate to; “Jews are perceived in a way that we do not perceive ourselves. Jews

are perceived as a privileged part of the white majority and we perceive ourselves as a minority. And Israel is perceived as a military superpower and a global economic force, but we perceive Israel as the victim.”

“We are, in reality, agents of and beneficiaries of globalization. It’s not your father’s anti-Semitism,” Mr. Berenbaum said. “We now have resources that no Jewish community has ever had. And consequently we have to understand those resources, and that’s a very different world we live in.”

In speaking about his upcoming talk in San Diego, Mr. Berenbaum, whom has written prolifically about the Holocaust and has some of the most referenced books on the subject, said he also plans to discuss the difference between anti-Semitism and legitimate criticism of Israel, asserting the importance of distinguishing the difference.

“I’m going to anger everybody, because I’m arguing something that is intellectually important and historically informed.

“There is not a growth in anti-Semitism. There are not more anti- Semites than yesterday or 10 or 20 years ago. But because we live in a climate that says it’s okay to express your hatred, it’s more powerful because of the Internet. And we Jews have to become more sophisticated in how we understand it.”

He shared one example he said illustrates this problem today. “Fine scholars have written about anti-Semitism without even a chapter about the Internet…but the tools of yesterday are not the tools of tomorrow.” A Michael Berenbaum will speak at Bookfair at the Lawrence Family JCC at 2 p.m. on April 19.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 47

Book Fair: King Solomon's Table

“King Solomon’s Table” Delivers | BY RABBI JACOB RUPP |

M

ultiple James Beard Award winning “queen of American Jewish Cooking” chef and author Joan Nathan brings us a cookbook that is unlike any you’ve read before. Unlike the stale recipe-and-photo spreads that we have become used to, Nathan takes us literally around the world and through Jewish history to bring us culinary delights that span the entirety of the Jewish experience.

Aptly named “King Solomon’s Table” after the great king of Ancient Israel who sought to bridge the many cultures of the world in his day, Joan Nathan recounts her international travels to uncover the roots and history behind the food we know as “Jewish cuisine.” In her fascinating introduction, she points out how Jews have literally blended and evolved ancient cuisine from Babylon and Israel into the cultures and locales where they traveled, traded, and were exiled to over our

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multi-thousand year history.

What is so exciting is that this book isn’t just a history or geography lesson, but a story. We travel with Nathan, learn from the scholars and teachers she learned from, and taste the food. She tracks the food from its origins in the fertile cresent and India, to Europe, and as far as China. She demonstrates how each stop on the map created changes and development in Jewish food that was unique to the cultures that cooked them.

We read about the history of empandas in Spain and Latin America, and the many variations of stuffed cabbage and corned beef that developed as the formerly Mediterranean cuisine of the Jews became adapted to the world of Ashkenaz (France and Germany).

She even includes a discussion of the some of the moral issues surrounding food that the rabbinic authorities addressed, like the legal permissibility of

force-feeding geese to produce foie gras while causing animals to suffer.

What we are left with, after our tour around the world and through history, is an incredibly diverse amount of food that can be considered “Jewish cuisine” both in terms of culture and history, and the necessary changes that had to be made to dishes in order for them to adhere to the laws of kashrut. To dispel a popular notion, “kosher” food doesn’t need to be blessed by a rabbi, but rather is prepared according to laws that were both oral and written, passed down through the generations.

The cookbook itself is stunning in its variety; on one page you’ll have the traditional North African/Mediterranean dish shakshuka, followed by the Ashkenazi pesach favorite matza brei. And not to be boxed into the ancient debate if the dish should be sweet or savory, she provides recipes for both, and goes as far as to suggest

even adding such off-the-wall toppings as smoked salmon and avocado or a diced unpeeled apple.

What makes this book so challenging is the scope and variety of the food. It baffles the mind as you salivate over the beautiful full-page color photos of dishes across the world. This isn’t a typical cookbook in the same way a typical vacation doesn’t start you in Los Angeles, and leave you in New York by flying west and stopping at hundreds of cities along the way. But the book is refreshing in that sense; you’re not just getting ideas of what to put on your dinner or Shabbat table; you’re also learning history (like the history of the chicken!) and geography. In the end, the book is, in a very beautiful way, like the Jewish people – breathtaking, diverse, infinitely complex and full of surprises! A

Book Fair: Davy Rothbart

Being True to Your Idiot Heart | JACQUELINE BULL |

D

avy Rothbart and I are both Michigan to California transplants. In fact, our hometowns (Ann Arbor and Brighton) are only 30 minutes apart and I actually lived in his hometown for a spell. I might lose some Michigan credibility by comparing the two, as the suburban area of Brighton is a far cry from the sophisticated (or uppity depending on who you ask) college town of Ann Arbor.

I mention this because when we speak over the phone for the interview, he is back in his hometown in Michigan, talking to me in between moments with the doctor at the hospital with his dad. I’m actually conducting the interview from my downtown apartment, trying to stymy a cold before family from Michigan is due to visit me in California. And I’m caught in this moment with him where the lines between the Midwest and the West Coast are all

blurred and overlapping and I get a little swept away.

Davy Rothbart is the creator of Found Magazine, author of the essay collection “My Heart Is An Idiot,” a contributor of “This American Life” and a documentarian. He is one of the authors being featured in the San Diego Jewish BookFest and is planning on doing a “rowdy energetic reading.”

The show will feature snippets from many different pieces of his career. They come from a wide array of mediums, but all center around nonfiction.

Davy offers up an explanation, “Truth is far far stranger than fiction. The stuff you can find once you start looking for stuff on the ground or the real stories that you hear from real people those are the kinds of things that captivate me.”

The ethos of authenticity, honesty and a certain amount of rawness or uncensored quality that he enjoys in the found

items for the magazine are also present in his writing and the writing of others he reads and is inspired by.

“I tend to like storytellers that don’t necessarily inflate their prose, just tell the stories in a spoken voice, so it feels just like a friend who is sharing great stories with you,” he said.

His appreciation of honesty looks more like a commitment when you consider the first essay of “My Heart.” The piece is called “The Bigger and the Deafer” and it tells about Davy growing up with a deaf mother and how he and his brother take advantage of her deafness by feigning bogus calls to their house phone, getting extra snacks at the grocery store, but also to create fictional parents for their friends as alibis for sneaking out. Predictably, the reader is quite appalled by his child self and Davy, the adult writer, doesn’t attempt to frame the story in a way that gives ex-

cuses tries to make his young self seem justified.

“I guess I try to be really honest about my mistakes,” he said. “’My Heart is An Idiot’ and a lot of my other writing is just a person - it’s me - trying to tell honest stories about my own life and not sugar coating any of it. And I think they are relatable in that way. I appreciate writers who are completely honest about their experiences – no matter how strange, weird, off putting, or wild they might be – so I just tried to do the same with these stories. Some of the essays are about crazy characters and sometimes I’m the crazy one doing crazy stuff and I think that is okay ... I try not to make myself the hero of any story. I think over the course of the book, my persona becomes slightly more forgivable.” A The reading will be April 19 at Green Flash Brewing Co. Visit sdcjc.org for tickets or to be directed to some of his work.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 49

Book Fair: Yearnings Review

The Seven Yearnings of Highly Human People | BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB |

I

rwin Kula is a rabbi for our times. His book “Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life,” first published in 2006, remains exceptionally relevant in our turbulent, chaotic Trump era. Hard to believe he wrote it a dozen years ago – proof that yearning endures.

A seventh generation rabbi, Kula, 60, serves as co-president of Clal, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, an organization “committed to making Jewish a public good.” Rabbi Kula has worked with leaders from the Dalai Lama to Queen Noor and organizations around the world inspiring people to live with greater passion, purpose, creativity and compassion. For many years, Newsweek has listed him as one of America’s “most influential rabbis.”

His book describes seven basic yearnings shared by all humans - regardless of religion, nationality, ethnicity, tribe or political orientation. He defines these as truth, meaning, “the way,” love, creativity, happiness and transcendence. Kula uses his broad rabbinical educa-

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tion and experience to explore these yearnings through the lens of Old Testament stories and ancient Jewish wisdom.

This approach yields spiritual insights accessible to all – although most easily understood

by Jews with prior knowledge of the sacred texts he references.

Rabbi Kula keeps his writing refreshingly honest. He avoids coming off as holier or more spiritually enlightened than thou by revealing his own personal messiness. He shares how he dropped acid as a teen, upset his wife and closest friends by being chronically late, yelled at his teenage daughter for invading his space and flirted with an attractive younger woman.

Too much information? Some readers might think so. But I distrust spiritual leaders who represent themselves as moral paragons. Kula’s bracing honesty makes him relatable and an ideal spiritual leader – especially for his fellow Baby Boomers.

In these Trumpian times, Kula’s first chapter on Truth deserves our undivided attention.

He writes, “Anyone can find a partial truth, no matter how

small, in an opposing position ... At the very least, every person has the right to be heard.”

Sadly, many of my highly educated, liberal Baby Boomer peers would rather take a frigid shower than dine with someone who voted for Trump. How are we ever going to ease the partisan pressure threatening to explode our democratic values if we refuse to break bread with people on the opposite end of the political spectrum? As Kula says, every one (even gun-loving NRA devotees) deserves to be heard. We all yearn to be understood. By following Kula’s advice, we can avert irreversible alienation by opening our ears (the windows to our brains), dropping our arrogance and listening to opposing viewpoints.

In his chapter on Meaning, Kula reasons that disagreement is a gift. “Wouldn’t life be richer if ... [r]ather than dividing us, arguments would be about finding connection?” he writes.

This inspired me to wish for a world where NRA supporters and hippie peaceniks like me could bond over how much we all love our children rather than

debate the legitimacy of AR-15 assault rifles.

I felt validated reading The Way section. Kula writes, “There’s no more humbling experience than parenting. The times of not-knowing far outweigh the certainties.” Amen, brother Kula. He acknowledges what many parents don’t want to admit to their kids – we don’t really know what we’re doing.

Some of my other favorite nuggets: “forgiveness is rarely achievable in some fairy tale way;” “creativity demands that we have high tolerance for failure;” and “Blessing is a gratitude practice – when we pause to recognize the gifts we’ve been given, it’s amazing how much happier we are.” I could go on, but I encourage you to read Kula’s book and discover what speaks to you. I guarantee something will. He’s got plenty of wisdom and insights about love, sex, death, work and rest to enlighten and inspire even the most jaded and dejected readers. A Rabbi Irwin Kula will hold a lecture and book signing at the JCC on April 15.

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www.israelguidedog.org Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 51

Book Fair: Eternal Life Review

“Eternal Life: A Novel” | BY LEORAH GAVIDOR |

“#

EternalLife: the more you live, the less you learn.” This Twitter post by one of her characters seems to be the central theme of Dara Horn’s new novel, Eternal Life. The story is of Rachel, a young mother who trades her mortality for the life of her infant during Roman times in Jerusalem.

Rachel strikes a deal with the high priest — who also happens to be the father of her illicit lover, (who is the father of her child, though she is married to another man.) The book spans time from 2,000 years ago to now, alive with details of daily life in ancient times as vivid as the present.

In an early scene, Rachel, daughter of a scribe, is delivering scrolls to the temple. When she meets Elazar, the man who will change her life, Horn brings the reader into the moment, transporting us instantly to Rachel’s world.

“The priest was silent for a moment. She looked down at his feet, clean hairy skin beside her dirty toes.”

The comparison grounds the scene in the time and place in

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which it’s set, yet transcends the ages with the humanity of the gesture: ancient times or modern, people look intently at their feet when they are uncertain what to do.

This is Horn’s strength: poignancy rendered from mundane detail. The minutiae are what matter.

In a scene set in current times, Rachel’s adult son Rocky and his girlfriend Meirav make smoothies in her kitchen while she leans in the doorway. Of course they are oblivious to her plight. Rocky doubts the virtues of the smoothie, claiming that “pre-masticating” the ingredients is like “outsourcing your stomach’s job to a machine.” He opines that it encourages giving up one’s bodily functions until there’s nothing left to do but die.

“Enjoy the taste of mortality,” Rocky chides sarcastically as his girlfriend sips her concoction.

Little do they know how agonizing a moment it is for Rachel, who longs for her own death.

The forbidden love story between young Rachel and Elazar is exhilarating at first: they meet clandestinely in a water tunnel at the city’s wall, where they con-

tinue to see each other after each obliges an arranged marriage to someone else. Many years later, after the son they saved has lived a long life and died, and the temple is destroyed, and each of them has had other spouses and children, they find each other again. But they cannot conceive a child together, and Rachel becomes restless after decades with no children. Her ungratefulness, for the lives she has brought into the world and Elazar’s devotion to her, is exasperating.

“It isn’t because of the children,” Rachel tells Elazar one night next to the Euphrates as she prepares to leave him. Elazar doesn’t trust that statement; her subsequent actions prove him right.

She goes on to burn herself alive — that’s how she starts over — and in the next “version,” as she calls it, has more children with another husband, and so on. Rachel’s constant need to have children seems selfish: though she has lived for centuries and had dozens of children, she repeats motherhood because she wants to see things grow and change. The author does not address the entitlement of her

character to bring new children into the world that she must deceive in order to protect her secrets.

At one point, in the novel’s present time, Rachel does reflect on the constant mistakes of motherhood.

“Why did thousands of years of being a mother do absolutely nothing to help her avoid these mistakes?” Rachel wonders after she inadvertently reveals her son’s whereabouts to someone she finds suspicious. But, frustratingly, like many mortals (including myself), her introspection doesn’t lead to change. She wants to begin anew without lying, she thinks to herself when meeting yet another man who will be her husband, yet she sits on the couch in their apartment and searches her phone for signs of Elazar on social media while her husband runs errands and her baby nurses. Rachel is doomed to repeat her mistakes. A Author Dara Horn will hold a reading and signing of “Eternal Life: A Novel” at the JCC on April 17.

Community Holocaust Commemoration 2018 Community Holocaust Commemoration

80 Years: from Kristallnacht to Charlottesville How History Emboldens Us to Act

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Friendship Walk (9:00am), Beer Garden, Shesh Besh Competitionn, Krav Maga, Henna Artist, Face Painting, Kids Inflatables, Israeli Music, Israeli Dancing, Kosher Food, Community Booths, Artisan Booths

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 53

Feature: South Carolina

PHOTOS BY PAUL ROSS

F

Jewish South Carolina: A Tale of Two Cities | BY JUDITH FEIN |

T

he extraordinary thing about South Carolina’s original constitution is that it was written by the English Enlightenment philosopher John Locke, and guaranteed religious freedom. The document, never formally adopted, was nonetheless adhered to. “And there’s more,” said Anita Moise Rosenberg, as my husband and I sat in the Social Hall of the Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (known as KKBE) synagogue in Charleston. “Any seven people – people, not just men – could hold a religious meeting and not be disturbed. They could constitute a religion.”

“And by 1720, this was one of the first places in the world where Jews could vote,” chimed in Randi Serrins.

The infectious knowledge, humor and warmth of the two women volunteer docents make their KKBE tour a mandatory stop in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s not just the straight-on

54 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

history of the synagogue that’s fascinating, but also the quirky Jewish Charleston tales in the margin. Want some multi-cultural history? Try this: In 1695, a Spanish speaking Jew acted as translator for the colonial Governor in negotiations with the Indians. Jewish business skills?

In 1762, Moses Lindo was the first Jew with a major position as Inspector of Indigo (also, at a later date, he was one of three Jews responsible for getting Brown University to change their admittance policy to accept Jews). Wealth? From 1800-1820, one of every four Jews in America lived in Charleston; it was the largest and wealthiest Jewish population in North America. What about the women? In 1819, Penina Moise was America’s first published Jewish woman poet and hymnist. Something not to be proud of? 83 percent of Jews owned slaves.

The story of KKBE spans more than 250 years, and it in-

Charleston’s Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue (referred to as KKBE) stands in classic Southern columned style.

cludes ongoing schisms and then reintegration and then defections and merging and court cases between the Orthodox and Reform Jews. The Reverend Poznanski, who supported having music in the Service, was actually the first Reform clergyman in America.

The Orthodox strongly opposed it. And besides human problems, there was a devastating fire, destruction by Yankee troops in the Civil War and then an earthquake.

One of the big surprises of the tour was learning that Luis

de Torres, Anita’s ancestor, came to America with Columbus, and her relatives just kept coming. “We’ve all been marrying our cousins forever,” she said.

Anita and Randi show visitors the history of Jews and KKBE in Charleston that was painted on murals by William Halsey; it hangs prominently in the social hall. And Randi names the two slaves who helped to build the synagogue: Kit and George. (“They were very skilled carpenters.”) She also points to the image of Francis Salvador, who,

Although businesses change over time, some things –such as this vintage street clock—remain as a testament to Columbia, South Carolina’s preservation of history.

in 1775, was the first Jew elected to public office anywhere in the world. “During the Revolutionary War, he got word that the Tories were fueling the Cherokee with alcohol and ammunition and guns in support of England, and the Cherokee were preparing to attack. Salvador rode for hours to warn the villagers about the imminent danger. He was scalped and killed and no one knows where he was buried. He was the Jewish Paul Revere, and the first professed Jew to die in the Revolutionary War,” Randi explained.

We strolled into the elegant sanctuary, where we learned about the conflict between those who wanted an open ark and others who insisted it be closed: the brilliant compromise was that wooden doors were used for when it was open, and leaded glass doors for when the ark was closed. And the synagogue museum has treasures like a diorama of Francis Salvador’s story, the poems of Penina Moise that were made into hymnals, a sketch of Jefferson Davis’s cabinet with KKBE member Judah P. Benjamin on the left, and a $2 Confederate bill with the latter’s likeness on it.

Then we jumped into a car with Randi and Anita, stopping along the way to look at Penina Moise’s house. She never married, lived in poverty, had a salon in her house for society girls and taught them classic literature by memory. She went blind in mid-life and composed poetry she never wrote down. “I own a chair of hers,” Anita said. “People brought their babies for her to hold in this chair, hoping they would be imbued with her character.”

After hearing Penina’s tale, we

headed for the Coming Street Cemetery, which is the oldest extant Jewish cemetery in the South. “It’s not our primary cemetery, but it is still an active burial ground. “Almost every person buried here is a relative of mine,” Anita commented.

As we walked along, Anita told us the story of Grace Peixotto, who infamously ran a brothel near the synagogue when her father was the leader. “It’s rumored that at her funeral there were more carriages than at John C. Calhoun’s. Her clients sent their carriages because they couldn’t be seen attending her funeral.” One part of the cemetery symbolizes the ongoing conflicts between the Orthodox and the Reform in the past. The breakaway Orthodox synagogue, Shearith Israel, built a 12-foot wall to separate them from the Reform, even in death. And don’t be surprised if you see the word “consort” on a tomb; according to Randi, it means a woman who dies before

her husband. And the word “relict” means a woman who was a widow.

Randi and Anita know each inch of the cemetery and have done extensive research on the known and unknown deceased.

They even found 19 bodies through ground-penetrating radar a few years ago. Nine of the interred are Revolutionary War soldiers and six fought in the War of 1812. I don’t want to be a spoiler about the Jewish ghost or the unusual tabletop and box tombs; for that you’ll have to take the tour.

Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, is a two-hour drive from Charleston, and in Memorial Park I visited a very striking Holocaust Monument.

Engraved on a central, gray,

granite stone is a map of concentration camps in Latvia, Germany, Poland, Hungary and France where the Final Solution was carried out. On black side panels is a timeline that begins in 1920 when the Nazi party met in Munich, to l946, when Jewish leaders were tortured and murdered near Krakow and Lodz. The text says that pogroms erupted in Poland, and 100,000 Jews left the homeland.

Next to the monument is a low, gray, granite bench inscribed with the words, “Do not take your families for granted, keep them close to you. No matter how we feel today, what we went through can happen again. We must never forget.” These are the words of Cela Miller, a survivor.

Two other benches have powerful quotes from other survivors, and a fourth bears the words of T. Moffatt Burriss, a liberator: “We were prepared for everything, immune to shock ... but it didn’t prepare us for what we

Many Jewish businesses have, at one time or another, been located on Main Street in downtown Columbia, South Carolina.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 55

Charleston’s still active Coming Street Cemetery is the burial site of Jewish community leaders and soldiers dating back to the Revolutionary War. or" Nina and Shlomo sitting.

found at Wobbelin, Germany at the concentration camp.” On the back of the monument is a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe, who went to see evidence of the Nazis first hand, in case in the future, “there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely as ‘propaganda.’” And close by is a sobering list of South Carolina liberators and Holocaust victims.

If this isn’t all chilling enough, the monument is incised with images of Jews getting off cattle cars, standing behind barbed wire, and a crematory oven with the words: “May God remember them for good with all the righteous of the world.”

The feeling was very different at an upbeat Jewish Walking tour led by Katharine Allen, the Research and Archives Manager at Historic Columbia. She was full of information about the impact Jews had on the capital city – like the fact that by 1850, the city had its second Jewish may-

or, which is great, and that the father of the second mayor was an auctioneer who sold, among other things, slaves, which is the opposite of great.

We walked along Main Street (formerly Richardson Street) and she pointed out where Gergel’s Men’s Shop – owned by Joseph Gergel, who fled Russia and started out as a peddler – flourished in the 1940s and early ‘50s.

Today Joseph’s grandson Richard Gergel is a Federal judge in Charleston and he has a passion for Civil Rights history. Farther down the street, Katharine said the historic Arcade Mall used to be a restaurant owned by Ben David, and she also informed us that during the antebellum period in Columbia, the Jews were mostly Sephardic and came from Portugal; from the l880s to the 1920s, most of the Jews were Ashkenazi. “The 1600 block on Main is the Jewish block,” Katharine told us as we continued walking, although “Kings is the only Jewish shop that is still

owned by Jews. Today Jews are doctors, lawyers, educators and not shop owners.” The Jewish Columbia Heritage Committee interviewed more than 50 members of the Jewish community to get information on Jewish stores and Jewish history.

Katharine said there are two synagogues in Columbia today (Tree of Life, which is Reform, and Beth Shalom, which is Orthodox), and when we arrived at Washington Street, between Park and Main, she said the area mostly housed African American businesses during the Jim Crow era. “Jewish businesses were known for catering to African Americans.

Orthodox Jews lived here too, because they had to walk to the old House of Peace synagogue which used to be on Park Street.”

I was relieved and proud to hear that although Jews owned slaves, later, they were also active in the Civil Rights movement.

I was wondering if there was any place to connect physical-

ly to the Jews who used to own shops and trade on Main Street, and I found it an hour later at the Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery. Do you remember the classic film “Singing in the Rain?” It was co-choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen; the Donen family’s burial plot is in the cemetery.

Stanley was born Jewish, but became an atheist early on because he felt isolated as a Jew in Columbia, where he was bullied by anti-Semitic kids. He sought refuge in the local movie theatre, where, happily, his lifelong passion for film was ignited.

What intrigued me about the cemetery was that it is the final resting place for the Jews I heard about on the walking tour – the mayor, the shop owners, the auctioneer. They become much more than names, they lived, loved, worked, fought, laughed, worshipped, suffered, thrived and brought an injection of vibrant culture to the city. A

If You Go: The KKBE synagogue tour is $10, the Cemetery Tour is $18 and a combination tour is $25. All tour arrangements for Coming Street Cemetery are made through the Temple office at: kkbe.org.

There are three other synagogues and a Chabad Center in Charleston. To learn about Charleston: charlestoncvb.com.

For public private, and web based tours of Jewish Columbia: historiccolumbia.org.

Historic Columbia can arrange group tours and bus tours for l0 or more: 803-252-1770 x 23 or reservations@historiccolumbia.org.

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For foodies, Kugels & Collards is a fascinating blog with Jewish recipes and stories from Columbia. It is part of the Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative: kugelsandcollards.org/about-1/ To learn about Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative: historiccolumbia.org/CJHI Judith Fein, a former resident of San Diego, is an award-winning international travel journalist and speaker. Her website is: www.GlobalAdventure.us.

At Hebrew Day School, Everyone Counts

By Rabbi Simcha Weiser

Soille Hebrew Day students enjoy reading about themselves and their classmates on the special bulletin board set up on March 14 as part of the #everyonecounts program. This innovative approach to building school community is typical of Hebrew Day's efforts to build good character and enhance every student's experience.

W

ednesday, March 14 marked the month anniversary of the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 students and teachers lost their lives. Students across the nation organized ‘Walk Outs’ to protest events and support various legal measures.

One of the beautiful ideas circulating as an alternative to political action and protest was titled 'Walk Up' in which students were instructed to walk up to 17 people they did not know and introduce themselves. The concept is to teach all involved the importance of everyone around them, and the value of living in relationship with others.

We all know the song lyric ‘Sometimes you wanna go where everyone knows your name.’ At Soille Hebrew Day School, students, teachers, and staff all interact with one another within an inclusive and caring setting, secure that others have their best interest in mind. The school community works hard to build unity and trust, and whenever tensions or disputes arise, all involved set to the task of peacemaking and reconnecting in a positive way. In keeping with Hebrew Day School’s culture, a special activity took place that day to engage all students in grades 4 through 8 titled #everyonecounts.

Each student was randomly given a note card with the name of a schoolmate written across the top. Their assignment on March 14th was to consider the person whose name was on the card given to them, and to write a positive quality (not physical, but personal) about this schoolmate, and to substantiate this view with a story or example. These notes were then mounted on a bulletin board to be displayed in the ‘Huskie Hangout’ – the area upstairs used for informal and group learning.

Rather than addressing various political agendas, at Soille Hebrew Day meaningful social connections among the students were reinforced, as a healthy and appropriate response to the Florida tragedy. This added mutuality and support for one another would give honor to the memories of the children and teachers who were killed in Florida.

Students grew from the program. “I knew it would make my classmate feel good and important,” said Rebecca Leeman, grade 5. “I enjoyed writing nice things.”

Jack Licha, grade 6 said, “I had to ask friends what they liked the most. It was fun learning more about someone I see every day.”

Lorenzo Sansone felt that by writing about a classmate he was reminded how much each person matters. Lorenzo said “I was happy to let him know how happy I am to be his friend.”

Throughout the afternoon students gathered to read the note about themselves, and other notes about classmates. There was a buzz of interest and affirmation.

At this time when families gather and communities unite to celebrate Passover, it is important to recognize that in conjunction with an authentic, text based program of Judaic studies, active efforts take place every school day at Soille Hebrew Day to refine and uplift social interactions.

Soille Hebrew Day is currently enrolling students for the 2018 – 2019 school year into its Blue Ribbon program of general and Judaic studies, preschool and K - 8.

Hebrew Day actively partners with parents to give children the enrichment and gift of a future informed by Jewish wisdom. To enroll your child, please contact Beth Licha, Director of Admissions, at blicha@ hebrewday.org or call 858-279-3300. A

For Additional Information, please contact Rabbi Simcha Weiser, Head of School www.hebrewday.org rabbiweiser@hebrewday.org Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 57

IKWTA

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE PARFAITS

T

hroughout history, cheesecake has taken many different forms.

The ancient Greeks made the earliest known version around the fifth century BC, and consisted of fresh cheese pounded smooth with flour and honey and cooked on an earthenware griddle. In late medieval Europe, cheesecake appeared in tart form with a pastry base. The first English cookbook, The Forme of Cury, a collection of medieval English recipes compiled by the cooks of King Richard II, included two cheese tarts. One called “Sambocade” contained egg whites, curd cheese, rosewater, and elderflowers. The other “Tart de Bry” was made with ruayn (a semi-soft autumn cows’ cheese) and egg yolks flavored with ground ginger. For the next five centuries, almost every English cookbook that followed contained at least one cheesecake recipe.

Eventually the concept of chocolate was introduced to cheesecake, because who doesn’t love chocolate? The Mayans were the first to recognize the powers of chocolate; they believed that the cacao bean held sacred energy. The beans were used during rituals related to birth,

58 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

marriage and death. They were most often ground and mixed with spices and chilies to create frothy drinks.

These drinks would be considered very bitter in comparison to our beloved modern chocolate drinks, but during the Classic era they were treasured. In Mayan burial tombs, archaeologists have discovered vases painted with depictions of gods fighting over cacao beans. A cacao tree even plays a central role in the Mayan creation story!

While I do love a classic creamy cheesecake with a nice crisp crust, sometimes it’s a little tricky to make for a crowd. Over the years I’ve taken to making cheesecake “parfaits,” which combine all the elements of a cheesecake layered in individual glasses for a lovely presentation. For these irresistible Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits, I’ve melted dark chocolate into a ricotta cheesecake mixture, then layered it with Grand Marnier-infused cherries, cookie crumbles and fresh whipped cream. I can only imagine how our ancient ancestors might have celebrated with such a decadent treat!

PHOTOS BY TORI AVEY

in the kitchen WITH TORI AVEY

INSTRUCTIONS: In a medium saucepan combine the cherries, 1/4 cup sugar and Grand Marnier over medium heat and mix to combine. Stir and cook until the cherries are hot and bubbly.

In a separate dish, whisk together the cornstarch and lemon juice. Add cornstarch mixture to the cherries and cook for 2 additional minutes, stirring until the mixture is nice and thick. Remove from heat and transfer the cherries to a bowl. Refrigerate until the mixture is chilled and thick.

In a double-boiler combine chocolate chips, 3 tbsp sugar, milk and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly until the mixture is smooth. Combine ricotta, Greek yogurt and vanilla in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl and whip until thoroughly mixed. While the chocolate mixture is warm, but not hot, slowly pour it into the cheese mixture while whisking. Beat until everything is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Crush the chocolate cookies in a food processor or place them in a plastic storage bag and crush with a rolling pin.

In a medium mixing bowl, whip together heavy cream and 1 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form.

TO ASSEMBLE: Place 2 tbsp of the cookies in the bottom of 8 parfait cups. Evenly distribute the chocolate cheesecake mixture between the cups. Add an additional 2 tbsp layer of the crushed cookies to each parfait. Evenly distribute the chilled cherry mixture between the cups. Divide the whipped cream evenly between the 8 cups to top the parfaits. Garnish each parfait with chocolate shavings or sliced almonds. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving, up to overnight. Make sure you top with heavy whipping cream rather than bottled whipped cream, which will deflate over time.

This dessert can be made ahead. Simply make the cherry filling, whipped cream and chocolate cheesecake mixture and crush the cookies. Store these elements separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the parfaits just before serving to keep the cookies from becoming soggy.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 lbs frozen pitted sweet cherries 1/2 cup sugar, divided 1/4 cup Grand Marnier (you may substitute 1/4 cup water) 1 tsp cornstarch 1 tbsp lemon juice 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips 3 tbsp whole or lowfat milk Pinch of salt 8 oz ricotta cheese (1/2 cup) 4 oz Greek yogurt (1/4 cup) 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2 cups chocolate cookies, crushed 1/2 cup shaved dark chocolate or toasted slivered almonds for topping (optional) You will also need: double boiler, stand mixer or hand mixer, mixing bowls, food processor or plastic storage bag and rolling pin, 8 parfait cups Total Time: 30 min Servings: 8 Kosher Key: Dairy

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.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 59

ADVICE

THE LOST ART OF LETTERS ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley

editor@sdjewishjournal.com

S

halom, San Diegans: Books? Newspapers? Whole words? These are going the way of fish forks and white gloves. I’m devastated and insulted – as a writer and a Boomer. Tech and science are good things. They also produce profound changes in our hard wiring and our culture that may be less good. For those of you who may be thinking “old broad get with it,” as a purveyor of human nature for almost a half century, I’m tired of looking at people staring at their palms. I’m affronted by millennials who can’t write a sentence beyond #BESTOFME. I’m acrimonious over digital world abbreviations that could confound The Department of Homeland Security.

I’m livid over Twitterers who are furious at the recent “longwinded” policy of allowing humans a whole 200 and something characters. I am deeply aggrieved at the loss of beauty. If you agree, read on. If you disagree … read on.

“Fräulein Felice! I answer one of your letters, then lie in bed in apparent calm, but my heart beats through my entire body and is conscious only of you. I belong to you and that is not strong enough.”

This is an excerpt of a letter written by the Jewish Franz Kafka to the love of his life, his fiancée, Felice Bauer with whom he tragically parted, as he was ill with tuberculosis.

This particular letter, one of many, was written on November 11, 1912.

Flash forward 50 years and translate in digital-speak: URMG4EVA, Franz (“You are my girl forever” for those who don’t read “text.”)

Clean. Simple. No annoying adjectives, punctuation ... words. Of course, if you’re a romantic, you could always print it out to show your grandkids; that is unless it acci60 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

dentally winds up in your Spam folder.

Now, this is not just some rant from those of us who long for the days when women wore white gloves to pour a proper Lipton’s.

Nor is it the end of civilization. It is, however, a serious downturn in what passes for culture, booked drama, history … and yes, our human and personal legacy.

Today, in our attention deficit digital world, 80 million millennials have a mission: to shorten. Who has time to text a whole word or think of more than three adjectives beyond: “Really!” “Awesome,” and “Amazing. Totally!”

True, email is a marvel hurling bits of sparkless, soulless binary code around the world in an instant. It can also disappear in an instant into the ether … or to 1,500,000 other people with whom you unfortunately share a last name and middle initial.

But a letter with the feel of the pen scratching against paper, the smell of ink, the distinctive hand-writing is a creative endeavor, whether it’s a simple “thanks for being there … you were a joy,” a bar mitzvah letter from Uncle Avram in Tel Aviv, or a missive from a soldier fighting terrorism, in fear and longing for connection. The letter opens windows, and not the kind sold by Microsoft.

This is the stuff you put in that shoebox for safe keeping; the stuff, battered and yellowed, that you take out during the joys and the hard times; and what you grab when the oven blows up, so that your descendants will know and feel who you are; and who they are.

Picture it. A wife during war, waiting to hear from her husband, lover, or son who is fighting in some dank hole thousands of miles away. There she is, waiting for her lifeline; waiting for the post daily for news, any news. And there are the soldiers recounting, Jewish and otherwise … some saying goodbye.

Civil War Historical Document: Sullivan Ballou Letter, July 14, 1861, Camp Clark, Washington. [Excerpted] “My very dear Sarah: My love for you is deathless, it binds me with mighty cables

that nothing but Omnipotence could break; Never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. If there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, my spirit passing by.”

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the first Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861.

There are the letters that have informed the world and supported We Jews.

On August 17, 1790, Moses Seixas, warden of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, penned an epistle to George Washington. His letter expressed the Jewish community’s esteem for the first president, expressed its pleasure that the G-d of Israel, who had protected King David, had also protected General Washington. While the rest of world Jewry lived under despotic rule, as American citizens, members of the congregation, were part of a great experiment: to ensure their “invaluable rights as free citizens.”

President Washington replied with these immortal words that are the foundation of U.S. religious freedom: “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.” He signed it simply “G. Washington.”

True, these days spreading the word doesn’t require the pony express. It would go viral in an instant. But the letters, written in their own hand can’t be captured in a tweet any more than those I’ve sent and received from loved ones, now gone, or those written by pen pals that have lasted through marriages, births, wars … until death.

Will this generation be the last to write letters crafted by hand with writing that carries emotions rather than emoticons?

Perhaps my dear Jewish Young Adults, the next time you’re sitting in a Starbucks, give it a try. And I promise, you will feel the joy and the sounds of scratching pen onto paper … and the beauty of choosing intimacy over expediency. A

SYNAGOGUE LIFE

EVENTS TRIBE Storytelling Shabbat Potluck with Beth Israel April 6, 6 p.m., Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, CA, 92122 Bring a vegetarian, Passover-friendly item to pass and if you’re in the storytelling mood, a short story with the topic of freedom. Visit cbisd.org for more information The Butterfly Project with Tifereth Israel April 8, 10 a.m., Tifereth Israel, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd, San Diego, CA. The Butterfly Project is a movement to have a painted ceramic butterfly to correspond to every child killed in the Holocaust. This event will have a screening of the documentary and have participants paint the ceramic butterflies. Visit tiferethisrael.com for more information Musical Chairs: A Progressive Shabbat Dinner with Beth Israel April 20, 6 p.m., Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, CA, 92122 An Erev Shabbat service followed by a meet and mingle progressive dinner. Cost is $7-$18, visit cbisd.org for more information.

An Evening with Songwriter Jack Tempchin with Temple Adat Shalom April 21, 7:30 p.m., Temple Adat Shalom, 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA, 92064 Jack Tempchin, songwriter for The Eagles, will perform and tell some stories behind the songs.

Visit adatshalom.com for tickets and more information. *Interested in having your event featured?

Contact assistant@sdjewishjournal.com. Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issue.

LGBT Panel Discussion & Conversation with Beth El April 24, 9:30 a.m., Beth El, 8660 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037.

This community-wide event will discuss the needs and engaging LGBT people in the Jewish community. Visit cbe.org for more information.

Lunafest with Temple Etz Rimon May 2, 6:30 p.m., 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad, CA, 92011 Lunafest is a traveling film festival of short films made by and for women. The tickets are $18-$20. Visit templeetzrimon.org for more information.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 61

Cygnet Theatre

Cygnet Theatre has a treat in store for aficionados of Stephen Sondheim’s work. The company (directed by Sean Murray) is staging “A Little Night Music” on its Old Town stage through April 22. This little gem was one of the first successes for Cygnet and it promises to be a delightful addition to this month’s local theater scene.

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WHAT'S

BY EILEEN SONDAK

Old Globe

The Old Globe’s production of “American Mariachi” continues to spice things up on the Main Stage with its high-energy mariachi music.

This heartwarming and hilarious world premiere comedy is about an all-girl mariachi band back in the 1970s.

With infectious live music to propel the plot, this vibrant comedy should be a lot of fun. You can experience its magic until April 29.

The Globe’s sister stage, the White Theatre, will get into the act on April 6, when Anna Ziegler’s “The Wanderers” makes its welcome debut. This Globe-commissioned world premiere revolves around a pair of shy young Orthodox Jews embarking on an arranged marriage – despite knowing very little about each other. Another important element in the clever plot is a pair of high-profile celebrities involved in a dangerously flirtatious correspondence – despite being married to other people. The playwright draws audiences into the hidden connections between these disparate people and weaves a web of intrigue as she explores modern love in this new dramatic work. “The Wanderers” will be sharing its funny and mysterious insights through May 6.

Coronado Playhouse

Coronado Playhouse is tackling “King Charles III,” described as “a family feud of majestic proportions.” This unique fable about the English royals suggests that Prince Charles (after waiting a lifetime for Queen Elizabeth to die) is finally preparing to ascend to the throne. According to this play, Prince William, his wife Kate, and Prince Harry might have something to say about that. The fascinating piece will be performed through April 22, if you care to join in on the speculation.

62 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

California Ballet

California Ballet is preparing to dance a weekend of “The Great Gatsby” – based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel – April 6 – 8. This balletic version of the story, choreographed by Septime Webre, will be performed at the Civic Theater.

San Diego Symphony

The San Diego Symphony starts off the month on April 6 & 7, with “Elgar Cello Concerto,” conducted by Cristian Macelru. Andrei Ionita will perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto on this eclectic concert, which includes works by Debussy, Enesco, and others. On April 10, Ionita will perform at TSRI, followed on April 13 – 14 by Jeffrey Kahane (conducting and performing works by Mozart, Barber, and Schumann).

“Beyond the Score: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, K. 595” is set for April 15, with Kahane conducting and performing on the keyboard. Jahja Ling returns to the symphony April 20 – 22, along with pianist Behzod Abduraimov for a concert that features works by Bernstein, Rachmaninonoff, and Shostakovich. “Guitarist/singer Marc Broussard and Friends” is slated for April 27 (without the orchestra).

Jazz at the Jacobs will bring “Kind of Blue – in Concert” to Symphony Hall on April 28.

Broadway-San Diego

Broadway-San Diego’s imported production of “Love Never Dies” (a follow-up of “The Phantom of the Opera”) will complete its brief run at the Civic Theater on April 1.

North Coast Rep

North Coast Repertory Theater will give local audiences a chance to savor a contemporary classic by comic genius, Alan Ayckbourn, April 11 through May 6. “How the Other Half Loves” is a high-octane romp that juggles three very different marriages and turns them into a game of mixed doubles – involving sex, jealousy and crafty stagecraft. The razor-sharp dialogue and split-second timing guarantee a scintillating theatrical experience. NCR will put the spotlight on Frank Ferrante in “An Evening with Groucho” April 23 – 24.

San Diego Rep

San Diego Repertory Theater’s production of “Beachtown” continues on its Lyceum Space through April 15. This interactive event invites audiences to voice their opinion, debate vigorously, and vote proudly at a one-of-a-kind theatrical event – based on the premise of deciding what will go into a Time Capsule in the town of Beachtown. Sam Woodhouse is directing this unique piece.

La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Music Society starts the music playing on April 8 with pianist Daniela Liebman performing works by Beethoven and others at TSRI. “Schubert’s Swan Song II” (curated by Inon Barnatan) will be on tap for April 14 at Jacobs Qualcomm Hall. The Joey Alexander Trio is slated to perform original compositions and jazz classics at the Balboa Theater on April 28 to round out the month.

San Diego Musical Theatre

San Diego Musical Theatre will be reviving the musical classic, “South Pacific,” for a run at the troupe’s permanent home – the Horton Grand -- April 27 through May 27.

Lambs Player’s Theatre

The Lamb’s Players will take on the farcical merriment of “Noises Off,” a British comedy that proves anything can go wrong when you’re trying to put on a play – and that goes for both sides of the curtain. You can laugh at the misfortunes of these players April 6 through May 20 at the Lamb’s Coronado home.

San Diego Museum of Art

The Museum of Art is ready to show off its annual “Art Alive” exhibition April 26 – 29. This signature fundraiser for the museum challenges floral designers to interpret more than 100 works of art from the museum’s collection in flora and fauna. “Art Alive” is always popular with supporters of the museum and floral enthusiasts alike.

On April 27, the museum will open “Nancy Lorenz: Moon Gold,” a solo exhibition of the work of this New York-based artist. The exhibition will feature 85 pieces, including sculptures, paintings, and others that reflect the artist’s East meets West oeuvre.

The art museum has opened its vaults for “Visible Vaults,” a collection of 300 pieces, including works by Andy Warhol, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec and other great artists. This treasure trove will be on view through Nov. 12.

Birch Aquarium

Birch Aquarium is featuring “Hall of Fishes,” which is unlike any other exhibition in the history of the aquarium. It also serves as a working laboratory. Birch also has an installation on light by scientist Michael Latz, and an exhibition that helps you understand Scripps’ expeditions to discover and protect the planet. “Expedition at Sea” immerses you in the experience of life and work aboard the Sally Ride research vessel. It includes a 33-foot long projected triptych and hands-on learning opportunities. The newest exhibition at the Birch is “Research in Action: 100 Island Challenge,” an exhibit that explores the way reefs are adapting to our rapidly changing planet.

Reuben Fleet Science Center The Reuben Fleet Science Center will be showing three films: “Dream Big: Engineering our World” – a first-of-its-kind film that will transform the way we think about engineering; “Islands of the Lemurs,” an up-close-and-personal look at some fascinating creatures; and “Aircraft Carriers: Guardians of the Seas.”

The Fleet is offering “Dream, Design, Build” – an exhibition that explores the Fleet’s collection of interactive engineering activities (and will remain on permanent display), and “Myth Busters: The Explosive Exhibit” – a hands-on, family-friendly experience that combines popular scientific facts with innovative displays. Also on display is “Taping Shape 2.0,” which uses hundreds of rolls of packing tape to create a world of translucent spaces and tunnels. The museum has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Tinkering Studio” (which has evolved into “Studio X”), “Block Busters,” and “Origins in Space.”

Mingei

Mingei International Museum is ready to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel by teaming up with the House of Israel in Balboa Park to showcase a retrospective exhibition of the nation’s diverse and lively craft and design. More than 80 artists will be highlighted in this show, set to open on April 21. You have until Sept.

3 to examine this exciting collection. Mingei is featuring “Weaving a Path – Navajo Women and the Feminine Ethos” through May 28.

The exhibition includes rugs and blankets. Mingei recently unveiled Voluminous Art – Treasures from San Diego’s University Libraries.”

This collaboration will feature masterworks of book arts, and will remain at the museum through Sept. 3.

San Diego History Center

The San Diego History Center is celebrating “The History & Heritage of the San Diego Jewish Community” in its current exhibition, ensconced through May. Also on display is “Irving Gill: New Architecture for a Great Country,” and “Art and Heritage: Maurice Braun, Belle Baranceanu, and Harry Sternberg.” The History Center is featuring the African-American Fine Art Exhibition, “Legacy in Black.”

This show – ensconced through April 15 -- will turn the spotlight on the work of eight African-American artists.

The History Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Placed Promises,” chronicles the history of the San Diego region – and the America’s Cup Exhibition, highlights the sailing race held in San Diego three times since 1988.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 63

the news Israelis in the Grand Tour Israel Cycling Academy, the country’s only professional cycling team, made waves with an aggressive performance at the Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy. This performance is a good sign for Giro d’Italia, one of the three prestigious Grand Tour races, which will be the first time an Israeli team has competed in a Grand Tour event.

The race will start in Jerusalem on May 4th.

Glenner Alzheimer’s Centers to Open Town Square in Chula Vista The George Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers plans to open their much-anticipated Town Square this month. The innovative adult day center in Chula Vista is the first immersive reminiscence therapy adult day center for people with dementia in the country.

Built to look like a small town in the 50s and 60s – including a diner, library, museum and movie theater – the center helps those with dementia and Alzheimer’s by surrounding them in a time when their memories were strongest. Glenner Center also has locations in Hillcrest and Encinitas. Go to glenner.org to find info for a loved one.

Jewish Camp for Adults

Trybal Gatherings, a leading provider of Jewish camp experiences for young adults, is offering three new camps this year after launching a series of four-day all-inclusive getaways at camps across the country in 2017. The camps are mainly for adults in their 20s and 30s. “We are thrilled to bring young adults back to Jewish summer camp—some returning after years and some coming for the first time,” says Carine Warsawski, founder of Trybal Gatherings. Registration is now open. The closest camp will be in Malibu at Gindling Hilltop Camp on Sept. 21-24.

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Little Italy ArtWalk

The Mission Federal ArtWalk is returning for its 34th year, April 28-29. The art walk will transform 17 blocks of Little Italy with over 350 artists. The artists range from local to international, emerging to established. The festival will feature many mediums including painting, sculpture, glass work, photography, jewelry and spoken word performances. This year, there will be an interactive project where attendees can create an abstract painting.

Up, Up & Away Father Joe’s Villages is having their 34th Annual Children’s Charity Gala, “Up, Up & Away.” The gala will be held on May 5 at the U.S. Grant Hotel. The event will have a dinner, drinks, auctions and live music and dancing. Father Joe’s Villages is a major component in helping families that struggle with homelessness in San Diego; they provide childcare, housing and job training.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS FOR JEWISH SENIORS Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post-185 Contact Jerome Klein at (858) 521-8694 April 8, 10 a.m.

Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings April 8, 11 a.m.

North County Jewish Seniors Club at theOceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 April 15, 12:30 p.m.

Butterfly Exhibit at San Diego Zoo Safari Park Thousands of butterflies have taken up residence at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The butterflies will stick around until April 15. The Butterfly Jungle will have 30 species of butterflies sharing the rainforest habitat with bright flowers and exotic birds. At the event, there will also be education on how to help the populations of butterflies around the world and at home in San Diego. Admission to the Butterfly Jungle is included in the Safari Park ticket, there are also special reservations available.

JFS College Avenue Center at Temple Emanu-El Contact Elissa Landsman (858) 637-3273 April 20, 12:30 p.m. Dive into a night of dancing and revelry with this senior prom. There will be refreshments, prize drawings and live entertainment with Tony Davis and his band.

The Genesis Prize Foundation Awards HIAS $100,000 Challenge Grant to Advance Refugee Protection

Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 April 27, 12 p.m. Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? Price is $3-$6.

Last month in New York, The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) announced a $100,000 challenge grant to HIAS, a global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees. The gift, which HIAS says will be matched dollar for dollar from Passover donations, will help local faith leaders in communities across the country advocate for immigrants and refugees. The gift comes just weeks after HIAS, along with four other NGOs, received initial grants from GPF totaling $1 million. “The current refugee crisis is one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of our time. Given its track record of providing support to and advocating on behalf of refugees, HIAS is well positioned to improve the lives of tens of thousands of individuals seeking a new destiny, free of turmoil and uncertainty. We are proud to support such a critical mission,” Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, said. Launched in 2013, The Genesis Prize is a global award created to celebrate Jewish achievement and contribution to humanity.

On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 April 29, 11 a.m. The San Diego Museum of Art will be blooming with color in the living exhibit Art Alive. There will be over a hundred masterworks of floral design in the 38th year of this event. Registration is Apr. 20, cost is $36.

JFit Fest at JCC The Lawrence Family JCC is hosting a free day of fitness at the Jacobs Family Campus on April 15. The JCC will be revealing the long awaited state-of-the-art improvements to the Qualcomm Sports, Fitness &Aquatics Complex. Participants can try Zumba, spin, Pilates, yoga, and meditation, among other classes. Guests can also meet with fitness experts and personal trainers. There will be chair massages and complimentary childcare with reservations. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 65

Diversions Daniel Bruhl talks about playing – surprise – a German bad guy in

“7 Days in Entebbe” | BY BEN SALES, JTA NEWS |

In “7 Days in Entebbe,” which hit theaters in mid-March, Daniel Bruhl plays a German leftist terrorist tortured by the fact that he’s hijacking a plane full of Jews and taking them prisoner.

The movie, about the 1976 Israeli rescue operation that freed the mainly Jewish and Israeli hostages of a hijacked plane in Uganda, focuses on the conflicted experiences of the two Germans – played by Bruhl and Rosamund Pike — who allied with Palestinian terrorists to hijack the Paris-bound plane. Even as they hold Jews at gunpoint, the two insist they are “humanitarian” activists fighting against fascism. But the parallels to their German forebears are clear.

“Germans killing Jews,” an associate of his says. “Ever thought about that?” At another point, Bruhl’s character, Wilfred Bose, insists, “I’m no Nazi.”

Bruhl, 39, who was born in Spain and grew up in Germany, had his breakout role in the 2003 film “Goodbye, Lenin!” about East Germany at the end of the Cold War, and met American audiences six years later playing a Nazi war hero in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.” Although he has played the Gilded Age criminal psychologist Lazlo Kreizler in the TNT series “The Alienist” and an investigative journalist who recovers World War II-era art in “Woman in Gold,” in five different films he has been called on to play Nazis, a civil servant under the Nazis or a supervillain from a Nazi family.

The multiplicity of such roles, Bruhl said, is a natural consequence of being a German actor in an industry that keeps churning out World War II movies. But it also has to do with his interest in historical events. In addition to films about World War II, the Entebbe raid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bruhl was in “The Carpenter’s Pencil,” about the Spanish Civil War, as well as dramas set in Franco’s Spain and 1970s Chile. His mother is Spanish.

66 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

In “Entebbe,” he plays a German bad guy grappling with his country’s recent history. And in an interview with JTA, Bruhl made clear that he doesn’t want such roles to define him.

“I’ve done so many different things,” he said. “Looking back, there’s a body of work which is very diverse. Fortunately, I can say I’ve done many different things. I wouldn’t have liked to be typecast and limited to that. When I decided to take these parts it was always out of an interest in period projects, in history.”

“I’m always interested in history,” he added. “It’s important to read about history, to analyze history, to also understand where we are right now. I’m not Swedish or Finnish, or I’m not from India, so being a German-Spanish actor, of course I’m participating in projects that deal with the history of my countries… I want to understand where I come from. This is what drives me.”

For “Entebbe,” Bruhl read up on the German far-left activists of the 1960s and 1970s, including Revolutionary Cells, the urban terrorist group that conducted the Entebbe hijacking. He also met with survivors of the raid. The period when the hijacking happened resonates for Bruhl, who was born two years later and heard his parents talking about the leftist groups.

“I just wanted to go back in time and dig a little bit further and get into the mindset of a person who was taking the decision to not only be politically active, but to go that extra step and be a radical and join a mission in which a left-wing German terrorist is hijacking a plane with Jewish passengers,” he said. “It’s still so unbelievable.

That made me curious to do some more research.”

“7 Days in Entebbe,” directed by Brazilian José Padilha, departs from the traditional narrative of Entebbe that’s been enshrined in Israeli lore. “Operation Thunderbolt,” the 1977 movie about the operation, tells a heroic saga starring Israeli soldiers. In that movie, and in the Israeli popular imagination, the hero is Yoni Netanyahu, the brother of the current Israeli prime minister, who was killed in the raid.

But “Entebbe” alternates mainly between the hijackers and an Israeli political drama centered on Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, who at the time were prime minister and defense minister, respectively. Much of the dialogue between Peres and Rabin, who is played

by Israeli A-lister Lior Ashkenazi, is a heavy-handed discourse – performed in heavily accented English – on the need to negotiate for peace. The end credits trace the two men’s lives after 1976 and note that the peace process is inactive now – as if to draw a comparison between a hostage negotiation with a terror group and final-status talks between two recognized governments.

The movie is most engaging as it explores the dilemmas of the Bruhl and Pike characters, whose dynamic – conflicted man and zealous woman on a violent ideological mission – is familiar to any fan of “The Americans.” The movie humanizes them, telling their backstories, showing how they were trained and, ultimately, how they break down during the escalating hostage crisis. But it’s hardly ambiguous in judging them: They are villains in this story.

For Bruhl, that’s not a problem. As with much of his work, it’s another way to delve into history, however messy it may be.

“That ongoing conflict is important, especially for younger generations, to take a step back, and look at the ’70s, look at the situation back then,” he said. “It can help you understand the current situation a little bit better, to remind yourself of the positions of what historically, politically was behind such a mission. … To not show an easy black-and-white picture of the conflict.”

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Nisan • Iyar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 67

Cantor Deborah Davis

EVENTS

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

Design Decor Production

Let us work together to create a wedding ceremony that reflects the joy of your special day.

Mitzvah Event Productions

As Humanistic Jewish clergy I focus on each couple’s uniqueness and their love for each other. I welcome Jewish, interfaith and same-sex couples. I also perform all life-cycle ceremonies.

For further information please contact

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The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition.

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Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble

provide your wedding or Bar/Bat Mitzvah with lively, authentic music. Tradition has never been so much fun!

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JEWISH COMMUNITY Welcoming babies and families to San Diego’s Jewish Community ARE YOU EXPECTING A BABY OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS? Shalom Baby is an innovative program designed for San Diego families to celebrate the arrival of their Jewish newborns to affiliated, non-affiliated and inter-married families as a welcome to the San Diego Jewish Community.

To receive your Shalom BaBy BaSkeT and for informaTion conTacT: San Diego .............. Judy Nemzer • 858.362.1352 • shalombaby@lfjcc.org North County......... Vivien Dean • 858.357.7863 • shalombabyncounty@lfjcc.org www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby • www.facebook.com/shalombabypjlibrarysandiego

For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

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70 SDJewishJournal.com | APRIL 2018

JOIN US IN MAY AS WE CELEBRATE Photo Credit: Paul de Hueck, courtesy the Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc.

Leonard Bernstein at 100 is the worldwide celebration of the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, the composer, conductor, educator, musician, cultural ambassador and humanitarian.

MAY 4, 6

DANCES, SUITES AND SERENADES

MAY 8

BERNSTEIN AND BEETHOVEN WITH ORLI SHAHAM

#BernsteinAt100

MAY 11–13

MAY 25–27

BARBER, BERNSTEIN, BEETHOVEN

SEASON FINALE WITH EDO DE WAART

Tickets & Information

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Blithe Spirit

All in the Timing

SEP 5 – 30, 2018

APR 10 – MAY 5, 2019

The beloved smash hit of the London and Broadway stages conjures its way to North Coast Rep for a spirited and hilarious evening in Noël Coward’s BLITHE SPIRIT. A socialite novelist, an eccentric medium, an unforgiving ex-wife and a shrewish spouse create supernatural hijinks in this world-class comedy. You are summoned for an otherworldly evening of theatre overflowing with wit, sophistication and effervescent fun.

Wit, intellect, satire and just plain fun! Off Broadway’s hit, ALL IN THE TIMING is a sextet of one-act comedies by playwright David Ives, which uses inspired language and wordplay to examine various attempts at relationships and communication with comical results. It will push your smart buttons and tease your brain as Ives spins hilarity out of words. Join us for laughter and an experience that will tickle your heart.

Holmes & Watson

A Walk in the Woods

OCT 17 – NOV 11, 2018

MAY 29 – JUN 23, 2019

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher has conceived a masterful scenario in which three men claim to be the missing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is called upon to do some sleuthing. Prepare yourself for a fast-paced, thrilling, suspenseful story that will keep you guessing. This West Coast premiere is a very worthy addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon and will challenge the most astute mystery buff.

With world tensions escalating, Lee Blessing’s play, A WALK IN THE WOODS, is especially relevant today. Set in the midst of the Cold War, A U.S. and Soviet arms negotiator agree to meet informally. Their revealing and absorbing conversations, laced with humor, evolve through debate and discord, exploring unexpected and uncharted territory. For those yearning for a more enlightened world, this play gives us much to think about.

By David Ives Directed by David Ellenstein

By Noël Coward Directed by Rosina Reynolds

WEST COAST PREMIERE

By Lee Blessing Directed by Richard Baird

By Jeffrey Hatcher Directed by David Ellenstein

Moon Over Buffalo JAN 9 – FEB 3, 2019

By Ken Ludwig Directed by Matthew Wiener Comic genius Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor), a master of old-fashioned knockabout farces, created MOON OVER BUFFALO. This is a laugh-a-minute show within a show, with everyone in the wrong costumes and reading the wrong lines.

An evening of mayhem filled with comic inventions and running gags, this is a wild and wacky comedy. Be prepared to leave the theatre exhausted from laughter.

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Gabriel FEB 20 – MAR 17, 2019

By Moira Buffini Directed by Christopher Williams The Isle of Guernsey — 1943. A mysterious, handsome man washes up on shore and four British women decide to protect him. This award-winning play presents the dramatic tale of a family under Nazi occupation. GABRIEL explores the perils of survival with mystical beliefs and loyalty.

A powerful wartime drama brimming with suspense and intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

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WORLD PREMIERE

Another Roll of the Dice JUL 10 - AUG 4, 2019

Book by Mark Saltzman Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser Based on the stories by Damon Runyon Directed by Larry Sousa The World Premiere of ANOTHER ROLL OF THE DICE reunites songwriter Frank Loesser and author Damon Runyon, the creators of the legendary Broadway musical Guys and Dolls. In “Dice,” three classic Runyon stories are intertwined with hits from the Frank Loesser songbook, including “Heart and Soul,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “Two Sleepy People,” and “Let’s Get Lost,” performed by iconic Runyonesque characters. Don’t gamble on losing out on this sure-fire winner destined for many future productions.

Shows subject to change.

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