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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
contents
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May 2017 • www.lchaimmagazine.com
in this issue... 1000 WORDS
The Israeli couple that ruled a beach for 65 years...............................................................
COVER STORY
Spotlight On! North Coast Rep.......................................................................................................... SENIORS
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NORTH COAST REP
26
18 22
Filling the Geriatric Dentistry Gap in Israel................................................................................. Healthy Living with Deborah Szekely........................................................................................... FOOD
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KOSHEROLOGY: Beer Battered Matzah Ball Gumbo.........................................................
13 28 30
FEATURES Iranian Jewish sculptor recognized by Southern California organization..............
KOSHER GUMBO
Israel at 69: In the Land of Miracles.............................................................................................. United Way's Laurie Coskey is changing the odds for San Diego's children.....
COLUMNS My Comic Relief......................................................................................................................................... Torah: Of the Book...................................................................................................................................
06 08 35 37
JewishMom.com......................................................................................................................................... Humor: Mazel & Mishagoss.................................................................................................................
PUBLISHERS Diane Benaroya & Laurie Miller EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alanna Maya CREATIVE DIRECTOR Laurie Miller
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LAURIE COSKEY
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO, LLC (858) 776-0550 San Diego, CA 92127
ART DEPARTMENT lauriem@lchaimmagazine.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: calendar@lchaimmagazine.com
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CONTRIBUTORS Daniel Bortz, Alex Idov, Stephanie Lewis, Salomon Maya, Mimi Pollack, Sharon Rapoport, Nikki Salvo, Emma Sasson, Eva Trieger, Deborah Vietor, Chana Jenny Weisberg
ADVERTISING & SALES Diane Benaroya (dianeb@lchaimmagazine.com), Sharon Buchsbaum (sharonbux@gmail.com)
Copyright ©2017 L’Chaim San Diego LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator” to: publisher@lchaimmagazine.com Published in San Diego, CA • www.lchaimmagazine.com lchaimmagazine
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RANDOM RANTS l BY SALOMON MAYA
my
comic relief deFUNded "WE SHOULD EMBRACE AND CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO BE A BEACON FOR ARTISTS [IN SAN DIEGO].""
I
t was the summer of 1990. I was a cute, albeit stout newcomer to the theatre scene in San Diego. Blue eyes surrounded by pudgy cheeks showing off a reddish hue as I stepped out of my mothers car. I was 10 years old and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In front of me stood the Casa Del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park, home to Junior Theatre, and I was going to start taking acting classes. It didn’t take long before I was hooked on these acting classes. I was with my own … other artistic people. And wouldn’t you know it … I was pretty damn good. That summer, auditions were being held for Charlotte’s Web. I picked up my big boy pants and auditioned, thinking I would probably get a small role. But two nights later, my mom and I received the call that I was going to play Wilbur the Pig, one of the leads. I later came to
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
hear that the director cast me because I had huge cheeks and resembled a pig. But screw it! I was a leading man now. I attended Junior Theatre for three years. I had a lot of firsts there. I had my first crush and my first broken heart. I had my first onstage blooper. The first time I saw my parents proud of what I had done. I knew I wanted to be an actor. The arts for me isn’t just a place I can surround myself with people who think and talk like me. It’s a security blanket. Theater allows me to escape the ugliness of this world, as well as bathe in its beauty. And now, the Mayor of San Diego in his latest budget plan wishes to cut funding to the arts by a third. Funding that allows local theaters to provide free shows for students, military personnel and much more. I implore if you’re reading this and care, please reach out to your local
councilperson and ask that the Council not cut funding to the arts. I’m an actor today because sometimes I need to escape my own mind and body and encompass another character. People who go see this process and are patrons of the arts in a way are too escaping the reality that surrounds us. In 2016, Mayor Faulconer allowed the Chargers to leave for Los Angeles, now he’s cutting the arts. For what? San Diego is better than that. We should embrace art and continue to strive to be a beacon for artists and the like. They and the people who support them that continue to make this America’s finest city. SALOMON MAYA IS A LOCAL ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SALOMAYA OR EMAIL HIM AT SALOMONM@LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM.
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TORAH l BY RABBI DANIEL BORTZ
of
the book Hospitality in the Desert “JUDAISM IS LIKE MUSIC, IN THAT BOTH HAVE RULES AND STRUCTURE THAT ARE MEANT TO HELP THE ONE EXPERIENCING IT TO TRANSCEND THE VERY STRUCTURE THROUGH FOLLOWING ITS RHYTHM.”
R
ecently I finished my third annual stint at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. We help to run a Shabbat hospitality tent for Jewish attendees with kosher food, challah, kiddush, havdalah, and a safe place for all festivalgoers to hydrate, rest and schmooze. Listen to any teenager or millennial describe it, and you’ll probably come away thinking that Coachella is the most incredible place on earth. But I’m here to tell you the truth: The festival is hell… with moments of heaven. Granted I was camping and not in a hotel which exacerbated these facts: It’s over 100-degrees, dust storms hit your throat and eyes, dehydration is common, the crowds are large, the music doesn't stop all night, and tent camping means sleeping on the ground. But we are taught to learn a lesson from everything we see, as the verse in Proverbs says, “In all your ways, know Him (G-d).” For all of the negatives, here are some moments of inspiration I took from the festival experience (besides for the amazing moments we had in the tent on Shabbat and havdalah with guests so excited to celebrate their Judaism). First, there’s the music. Music, perhaps more than any other single thing on earth, has the power to move and unite people,
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
regardless of background or viewpoint. Judaism is like music, in that both have rules and structure that are meant to help the one experiencing it to transcend the very structure through following its rhythm. The order of praying every day is there to help us develop a sense of gratitude and purpose, tuning in our spiritual receptors. Those who knew the songs and the band’s intention behind it were much more in tune with the music than those who didn’t. To see a crowd of 10’s of thousands jumping together in unison to a DJ and singing the words of an artist they all loved was special. People are like one unit when they connect on a soul level to something that transcends their superficial differences. When Hans Zimmer began playing the Lion King soundtrack, watching a massive crowd of grown men revert to their inner child and put their hands up in unison like Rafiki did with Simba, was pretty cool. Visit the Western Wall for Friday night prayers, and I can promise you it is as intensely unifying and inspirational as any location in Coachella. Song and dance unites us. Be yourself. Yes, Coachella has probably the most cliché, fashion focused to get the perfect “selfie” culture of any festival on earth. But it’s also made up of people who dance
without self-consciousness, dressed in funny outfits and simply enjoying the moment. The giving people. In my experience, especially camping, and perhaps because we’re there purely to give out love and good vibes, I’ve found the community of people there to be the kindest, most giving people. We share and help each other out and host one another. People from all walks of life commiserating about struggles, achievements, and dreams. We all want to live happy, fulfilled lives, and on this one weekend in a secluded environment away from school and work, there are no stresses or competition, just living life. We could do worse than to bring this attitude of giving and openness to our daily lives. And lastly, don’t be like my 19-yearold camping neighbor who was tripping on LSD and panicking when his tent flew away with the wind, hundreds of feet above him. Allow yourself to fully experience the joys and mysteries of life and Judaism; they can get your mind higher than any drug. RABBI DANIEL BORTZ IS THE DIRECTOR OF JTEEN SAN DIEGO, JTEENSD.COM. FOR INFORMATION ON CLASSES, CONTACT HIM AT DANIELBORTZ@GMAIL.COM.
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L’CHAIM l BY FRANZISKA KNUPPER | jns.org
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
L’CHAIM
A THOUSAND
WORDS
AN ISRAELI COUPLE RULES A BEACH FOR 65 YEARS
W
hen shooting the movie Exodus, Paul Newman was a frequent visitor in Achzivland, and Rina Avivi seems to be proud of it. Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Bar Refaeli also apparently got their summer tans in this remote and idyllic bay situated only a stone's throw away from the Lebanese border and Nahariya, Israel's northernmost city. "I met Sophia when I just moved to Achzivland. She taught me how to make real good spaghetti," recalls the 70-year-old Avivi, who starts laughing. It comes as no surprise that the rich and famous gathered on this little stretch of beach to get a glimpse of this controversial place and its inhabitants. Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the green hills of the Galilee, about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of Acre, lies the empire called Achzivland. Right behind a little blue, metallic gate appear several wooden houses, a wild arrangement of self-made cottages, a hut for passport control, an open-air parliament, boat docks and a museum. Numerous cacti pop out of the dry earth, with the smell of salt and fish sweeping over from the coast. It has been more than 60 years since the fisherman and former soldier Eli Avivi discovered this bay and founded his own micro-state spanning 3.5 acres, limited by the country road on the right and the ocean waves on the left. Of course, the micro-state's national
anthem is the breaking of the waves. The flag shows a topless and jolly mermaid. Strictly speaking, Achzivland is a dictatorship. The president is elected by his own vote. By now, Rina and Eli Avivi are the only citizens. The nation seems to have lost its townspeople over the years. They came and left. But the first lady does not seem to mind. "I've had enough encounters and experiences in my life. Now, I am fine with the ocean," Rina says. Micro-nations like Achzivland are the rural brother of the urban squat. People claim their right over a certain territory of land without the recognition of other states or the permission of a government. They rule it according to their own laws. The motivation of such settlers can be diverse. Some of them wish to live a political or ideological alternative. Others seek to escape property prices and tax laws. For some, it is pure entertainment, while others hope to create a space devoid of the law. For example, the Danish so-called Free State of Christiania in Copenhagen is famously known for its liberal handling of illegal substances; the Dominion of Melchizedek was founded for the cause of bank fraud and money laundering; and the Free Republic Liberland between Serbia and Croatia is home to the Tcheque Party of Free Citizens. There are hundreds of such utopian holds in the world, with fantastical currencies, elections, stamps, border controls
and even their own languages. Sometimes they go unnoticed, and they are often tolerated by the regional authorities. Originally from Munich, Rina Avivi arrived in Israel after the 1948 War of Independence when she was 5-years-old. She prefers not to speak about her family's destiny. "I met Eli when he was still living here all by himself. Nobody cared about this area. He sold fish to the Kibbutz I was living in at that time. To me he was a true Robinson Crusoe," she says. Rina was under 18 when the couple got married. Her older husband had already lived a complete and eventful life. During the British Mandate period in Israel, Eli was part of the Jewish militant underground organization Palmach, and after the founding of the state he served in the navy. He sailed on his own throughout the Mediterranean before discovering the bay of Achziv in 1952 and declaring it his property. He has now grown silent, as his hearing is impaired. Gently, he listens to Rina's tales. The first years on Achziv were peaceful. Everything in the young country of Israel was still developing. The majority of the 2,000 people from the formerly Arab village of Az-Zeeb had already left the stretch of beach during the 1948 war. Eli was all alone in Achziv. Nobody seemed to pay attention to him and his blonde wife. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM
Rina Avivi in Achzivland. PHOTO COURTESY FRANZISKA KNUPPER
But in the 1970s, Israeli authorities sought to build a highway and a national park right on the Avivis' premises. The village's last remains had to go, and only the mosque and the mayor's house are left. The massive mansion in the middle of the estate is the former house of Az-Zeeb's mukhtar (head of the village) and the current museum of Achzivland. Eli stood on the bulldozers demanding them to stop, Rina remembers. "That's when we started to speak about our own country. Our land in Achziv," she says. In 1972, the couple ripped apart their Israeli passports and created new ones. "I designed the emblem all by myself," notes Rina. This protest caused the Avivis to be taken into custody for eight days. But the judges were faced with a curious legal loophole. Quite ironically, there was no Israeli law against the founding of a state or declaring land your own. As a compromise, the Avivis agreed to officially lease the land from the state. From squatters, they had turned into regular renters and state-owners. "Since that day, they have left us alone," says Rina, adjusting her blue sunglasses as two grey, scraggy dogs follow her movements with tired eyes. The only other time the refuge was disturbed was in 1982 during the 12
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
First Lebanon War, when militants used the beach in order to land unnoticed on Israeli lands. "One time they even broke into our house," says Rina. "Luckily, I was prepared. And I think they were so surprised to see a blonde women, barefoot and with a machine gun, that they left immediately." As a result, barbed wire fences and closedcircuit televisions were installed at every corner of the property. Achzivland suddenly had a proper border. The paradise had transformed into a fort. In Israel, you can become a hippie, but not without your gun. Rina points to the sand-colored walls down at the beach, to remains of Phoenician graves. On the day of this reporter's visit, a freshly married Arab couple in tuxedo and wedding dress is took pictures between the ruins. The Avivis's property is a real treasure trove for any archaeologist. Everybody in history has been fighting about this little piece of land: the Canaanites, the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusaders and the pirates — they all settled here, leaving a rich selection of vases, tools, jewelry, inscriptions and busts. Eli is an archaeological enthusiast. All of his life, he dug up Achziv's earth and stored his precious finds in his very own museum — an impressive collection without order,
its content claimed by the state of Israel on several occasions. Rina sighs. She tore a muscle in her knee, she says. The maintenance of the place is becoming too much for her alone. For about three years, Achzivland's destiny has been solely in her hands. She is taking care of bureaucracy, tourists, gardeners, tours and construction workers. During the summer, which is the peak season for visitors, Achzivland can be packed with hikers, tourists, backpackers and other curious souls. But the ambiance of the 1960s and 1970s seems to have vanished. "Most of them are coming with the car and only stay for one night. None of them take part long term," Rina says. The days when Achzivland was a haven for all the strange and stranded characters are over. The long phase of reflection and the time of internal inventory has started, Rina declares. The next big project: writing memoirs and digitalizing all the pictures of visitors Eli has taken over the years. Rina wants to give her husband a place in his own museum, in his own history, she says, with the waves — Achzivland's anthem — rumbling from afar.
FEATURE STORY
Renowned Sculptor Soraya Nazarian Honored by Iranian Jewish Women's Organization of Southern California Nazarian receives Shamsi Hekmat Achievement Award
T
he Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, which is dedicated to the promotion of education as the most important catalyst for societal change, announced that its co-founder and acclaimed sculptor, Soraya Nazarian, received the Shamsi Hekmat Achievement Award, 2017 from the Iranian Jewish Women's Organization of Southern California. "I am truly grateful to have received this recognition from such a prestigious and important organization and congratulate my fellow award recipients," says Nazarian. "My work is so important to me because I express my feelings and vision through each piece. I am honored to be able to donate select pieces to valuable organizations, and to be able to give back through my foundations and initiatives to causes that support education and art." With roots in Iran, the Iranian Jewish Women's Organization of Southern California was founded in 1976 in Los Angeles. Its mission has been to protect the dual identity of the Iranian Jewish community in Los Angeles, as well as to recognize the impact and role of Iranian Jewish women in society. The Shamsi Hekmat Achievement Award recognizes women who are making a significant impact on the Iranian Jewish community. "Soraya is an inspiration to women around the world for her dedication to her art as well as her efforts in supporting her community
through her charitable work," says Sam Nazarian, her son and Founder and CEO of SBE, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates awardwinning venues globally. Nazarian is an Iranian-born, Los Angelesbased artist who is a master in the medium of direct carving in stone. Her work carries themes of motherhood, family, spirituality and Iranian culture. In 1979, Nazarian immigrated to the United States with her husband and four children and began to study sculpting in the late 1980s. In 2000, she co-founded the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation in Los Angeles, California, with her husband Younes Nazarian. In 2003, they established the regional office in Tel Aviv, Israel, under the name of the Ima Foundation. The Foundation is driven by the core belief that the promotion and support of education is the most important catalyst for societal change. The Foundation's charitable giving is focused on supporting educational causes through a multipronged approach. This includes the academic setting, the public policy arena, targeting the community as well as through artistic realm. "Soraya has given so much back through her philanthropic efforts, and emphasizes what our organization stands for," says Shahla Javdan, President of the Iranian Jewish Women's Organization. "We are delighted to
have had the opportunity to honor her." In collaboration with her 2011 retrospective exhibition, Nazarian also launched the Soraya Sarah Nazarian Artists Initiative, a program designed to assist emerging artists with obtaining studio and exhibition space in the Los Angeles area. Nazarian's artwork is held in numerous private collections. Cultural institutions in the United States and Israel have commissioned large-scale sculptures; commissions include Sound (2002) at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance; Reflections (2007) at Sapir College, near Sderot, Israel; Legacy (2009) at the University of Haifa, Israel; Identity (2010) at Saperstein Middle School in Los Angeles; and Wings (2014) at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2011, Strength Revealed, a comprehensive retrospective exhibition of her works was presented at Gallery 817 West Hollywood, Calif. In 2000, Younes and Soraya Nazarian founded the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation in Los Angeles, California, and in 2003, they established the regional office in Tel Aviv, Israel, under the name of the Ima Foundation. The Foundation is driven by the core belief that the promotion and support of education is the most important catalyst for societal change. The Foundation's charitable giving is focused on supporting educational causes through a multipronged approach in academia, public policy, and the arts. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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COVER STORY l BY DEB VIETOR
SPOTLIGHT, ON! DAVID ELLENSTEIN CELEBRATES NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE'S 36 YEARS
N
PHOTO BY AARON RUMLEY
orth Coast Repertory Theatre, (NCR) is a professional equity theatre founded in 1982, currently celebrating its 35th season. For over 30 years, NCR has received critical acclaim from media and audiences alike. NCR has been lauded with numerous Critic’s Pick designations and awards of excellence from the San Diego Union-Tribune and KPBS, as well as several Southern California Media awards. The theatre has evolved into one of the area’s leading performing arts organizations. Recently, NCR received the 2017 Best of Solana Beach Award. Each year, the Solana Beach Award Program identifies companies who have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. Recognition is given to those companies utilizing their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long term value. When asked when he first knew he wanted to be involved in the theatre, David Ellenstein, Creative Director of NCR replied, “As long as I remember being conscious.” Prior to joining the NCR in 2003, Ellenstein served as Artistic Director for the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company (AJTC). Ellenstein’s grandfather, Meyer C. Ellenstein was mayor of Newark, New Jersey, twice; a dentist, lawyer and Golden Gloves boxing champion. Robert Ellenstein, his father was a notable actor of stage plays, TV series and films. Robert appeared in such productions as “North by Northwest,” “The Wild, Wild West,” “Ironside,” and “Mission Impossible,” and held the role of Federation Council President in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.” He was the first actor to play Albert Einstein on television. “I just remember watching my father be bigger than life and having more fun than anyone I’d ever seen. I said, ‘That’s what I want to do and what could be better than that?’” Ellenstein recalls. “My father was a pretty well-known actor, director, teacher, artistic director, and the main mentor for me. He believed in the power of theater to affect
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
COVER STORY NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE DAVID ELLENSTEIN
L’CHAIM MAGAZINE: WHAT ARE SOME AREAS YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH THE THEATRE? DAVID ELLENSTEIN: I like that I get to set the tone for
“
"... PLAYS, WITH THEIR ABILITY TO ELICIT LAUGHTER AND TEARS, PROMOTE DISCUSSIONS THAT ENCOURAGE BROADER PERSPECTIVES AND TOLERANCE OF OTHERS."
“
the world in a positive way. He understood that plays, with their ability to elicit laughter and tears, promote discussions that encourage broader perspectives and tolerance of others. Ultimately, theater is about community and about the way we treat each other.” Born and raised in New York City, Ellenstein moved to West Los Angeles, then to San Diego 14 years ago when he accepted the position as Artistic Director. His wife Denise, and sons, Jamie, 14; and Will, 12; enjoy living in San Diego and he describes both boys as smart and creative. Over the years, Ellenstein has enjoyed playing many roles. Some of his favorite roles as an actor include: Max Prince in Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Matt in Talley’s Folly at NCR, title roles in Hamlet at Los Angeles Theatre Center and Los Angeles Repertory Company, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Moonlight Stage, directed by Kathy Brombacher, founder of the Moonlight Theatre, for whom he has great respect. Other impressive credits include: Richard III at California Shakespeare Festival, Einstein in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Laguna Playhouse, Calisto in The Illusion, and Harker in Dracula at the Arizona Theatre Company, Jonathan in Sight Unseen at NCR and Portland Repertory Theatre. A veteran of over 250 theatrical productions, directorial favorites include: Travels With My Aunt, The Illusion, Hedda Gabler, Way Downriver, William Faulkner’s Old Man, Freud’s Last Session, (San Diego Premiere), Faded Glory, (World Premiere), Mandate Memories, (World Premiere), My Name is Asher Lev, The Tempest, and A Shayna Maidel, Tuesdays With Morrie. Others include: Coconut Grove Playhouse – Sonia Flew, starring Lucy Arnaz. Halpern and Johnson, starring Hal Linden and Brian Murray. Papermill Playhouse – The Chosen, starring Theodore Bikel and John Lloyd Young to name a few. Film and television credits include over 3 dozen roles, including: Star Trek IV, The Practice, Foul Play, Cristine Cromwell, Renegade, Eight is Enough, and General Hospital. We spoke with Ellenstein about his life’s work in the theatre and his vision for the future of NCR.
PHOTO COURTESY NORTH COAST REPERTORY
STARRING AT THE NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE
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COVER STORY
MENSCHES OF SAN DIEGO inclusivity. It is not a commercial theatre, it’s a professional theatre for the community. I enjoy very much working with the staff, the trustees, and the audience. I go out of my way to see the actors are treated well and not disrespected or taken advantage of. I really try to make the working conditions best for the artists who are here. I know as an actor, when the conditions aren’t right, it’s no fun. L’CHAIM: WHAT CHALLENGES YOU MOST REGARDING AUDIENCES? ELLENSTEIN: Finding new audiences remains a real challenge as it does
in the [rest of the] theater world, but I’m not pessimistic about it. Young people have never been the majority of the audience, it has always been the older people who have had the disposable income and the time. L’CHAIM: REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW THEATRE, WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US? ELLENSTEIN: After 35 years, NCR deserves a new theatre with a vibrant
arts-going community where actors can thrive. We are exploring our options of building a new state of the art theater as the venue holds us back. We recently signed an agreement with the City of Encinitas and the City Council. L’CHAIM: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO KNOW ABOUT NCR? ELLENSTEIN: We put on top productions in an intimate setting, eclectic
plays from all genres. People will be impressed and enjoy the experience.
Currently running is Travels With My Aunt, a New York Times Critics Pick hailed as a “triumph of theatrical style.” A Graham Greene novel, adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, the play directed by Ellenstein and includes humor, madness and mayhem; executed with the epitome of style, creativity and precision. Next up is The Spitfire Grill, running May 31-June 25. Then, NCR’s Season 35 concludes with a second San Diego premiere, an uproarious backstage farce, At This Evening’s Performance, July 12-August 6. Season 36 brings an impressive list of productions including: Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers, directed by Christopher Williams, running September 6-October 1. The end of the season features The Soul of Gershwin: The Musical Journey of an American Klezmer, from July 11- August 5, 2018, with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. North Coast Repertory Theatre is located in the Lomas Santa Fe Plaza, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D, Solana Beach, Ca. Learn more at northcoastrep.org or call the box office at 858-481-1055. DEBORAH VIETOR IS A FREELANCE WRITER AND POET. SHE ENJOYS WRITING FEATURE ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS L’CHAIM MAGAZINE AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE SAN DIEGO POETRY ANNUAL. FORMER ART DIRECTOR FOR THE LA JOLLA ART AND WINE FESTIVAL, DEBORAH BELONGS TO B’NAI TIKVAH SYNAGOGUE IN CARLSBAD AND IS INVOLVED IN THE SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY. SHE LIVES IN CARLSBAD WITH HER HUSBAND, JON VIETOR, AN ABSTRACT MODERN ARTIST. 16
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
JODIE & MATT GRABER Matt and I moved to San Diego in 2015. In both our professional and personal lives, we're involved with many organizations in an attempt to “lay down roots”, give back to our community and make a difference. I’m the Sr. Development Manager for the Men’s Campaign at the Jewish Federation and Matt is the Director of Marketing & Communications for the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Since arriving in San Diego, we’re particularly proud of a couple of our accomplishments: I led the charge in coordinating the sold out fundraising and donor re-engagement success, which was the REP’s Ruby Reunion and Matt has broken a number of box office records, including Hershey Felder’s World Premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky. Additionally, we’ve joined Ohr Shalom and I’ve joined the board for Diversionary, the only LGBT theatre in our community. We are committed to making San Diego better and have found the community to be incredibly warm and welcoming. This is especially important since we’re an inter-faith couple. Additionally, we’ve recently applied for Honeymoon Israel and hope to be accepted since this is the last year we’ll qualify and Matt has never been to Israel. Wish us luck. To learn more lchaimmagazine.com/chaifiveprojects #MENCHESOFSANDIEGO
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JCOMPANY PRESENTS RAGTIME – THE MUSICAL Teens tackle immigration by taking to the stage
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t’s the dawn of America in the 20th Century and it feels as if anything is possible and everything is changing. It’s against this backdrop that JCompany Youth Theatre presents its epic version of Ragtime, the Tony-award winning musical about the immigrant experience of the early 1900’s. Directed by esteemed Artistic Director, Joey Landwehr, Ragtime will be presented with a full 24-piece orchestra at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, May 12-21. Based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime interweaves the stories of three diverse New York communities, represented by an African-American ragtime musician in Harlem, an upper-class Protestant family in the affluent suburb of New Rochelle, and a family of Eastern-European Jewish immigrants residing in the Lower East Side. Through imaginative storylines, the play blends fiction with historical events, utilizing characters such as Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman and Harry Houdini as vehicles through which the main characters intersect. One hundred years later, who could have imagined that immigration would again be the topic du jour, making the final production of JCompany’s 24th Season as timely as ever. Director Joey Landwehr admits that he has wanted to bring Ragtime to the JCC stage since he began working with JCompany over ten years ago. “I think now is the perfect time,” he explains. “This is one of the most complex, complicated and significant stories ever created. There are so many aspects and themes to this story that resonate with every generation. This is not just history. In today’s political and social climate we need to fully understand that racial and ethnic divides aren’t just a thing of the past.” A truly unique and powerful portrait of America, Ragtime is sure to inspire audiences who, according to its proud director, will be treated to some of the finest vocal talent in San Diego today.
Along the coastline in Malibu, California and for more than 60 years memorable summers, Camp Hess Kramer and Gindling Hilltop Camps have been providing a dynamic and fun environment where campers and staff become part of a community. It is a transformative place where lifelong friendships form, children can feel equal and included, supported and cared for, connected and challenged, and campers develop a better understanding of their Jewish background while giving them a summer they will never forget. Campers step off the bus among the spectacular hills and canyons of the Malibu coast and are immediately embraced by our camp family. In this matchless setting, they are offered a wealth of programming options—top-notch sports, theatre, music, dance, swimming, arts and crafts, social, spiritual and educational activities, all designed to create a magical environment in which campers can stretch their limits, build meaningful relationships, develop a profound connection to Judaism and have the time of their lives. The experience is nothing short of transformative. Many of members of the camp staff grew up at the camps, and everyone is deeply committed to each child's experience and inclusion in the camp community. Every year, the staff includes a significant number from Israel to expand the camp's and campers' perspectives and enhance the culture. Camp Director Doug Lynn and the entire staff understand the privilege and responsibility of being a positive Jewish role model. Several times during the session there are special events incorporated into the camp schedule. The intention behind all activities is to encourage community, personal and skills development. An experienced and well-trained staff ensures the success of the diverse activities. A great part of camp is Maccabiah Day at Camp Hess Kramer and Pioneer Day at Gindling Hilltop Camp that provide an opportunity for a camp-wide athletic, artistic and general spirit competition. The camps divide into four teams for a day of incredible energy and fun, including a full camp relay, song competitions, athletic competitions and tug of war. Make this summer different at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps. For more information visit wbtcamps.com
Show and Ticket Information: RAGTIME – THE MUSICAL May 12-21 • David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla JCC Box Office: 858-362-1348 or online at sdcjc.org/jc/ Ticket Cost: $19; Students and JCC Members, $17. Group rates available. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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SENIORS
BY MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN | JNS.ORG
FILLING ISRAEL'S
GERIATRIC DENTISTRY GAP In the clinic and on the move with Yad Sarah One of Yad Sarah’s vans, which provide mobile dental clinics in three cities in Israel. PHOTO COURTESY YAD SARAH
C
haya Sela is an 81-year-old Holocaust survivor. A volunteer at the Yad Vashem World Center for Holocaust Research, Documentation, Education and Commemoration, she tells her story to visitors from all over the world. Sela spent four years hiding in a horse stable in Briennon, France, surviving solely on the 18
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kindness of a local priest and a handful of Catholic villagers. She wore rags and survived on scraps of food her father could scrounge. Finally, her family came to Israel in 1945. The deprivation Sela suffered during her younger years led her to suffer from various ailments, including problems with her teeth. During her first years in Israel, dentists tried
to save them, but eventually they were all extracted. As Sela aged, much of the dental work — dentures in place of her upper teeth, implants, and a bridge at her lower teeth — had to be redone. On a limited pensioner’s budget, she turned to Yad Sarah’s geriatric dental clinic. A series of weekly appointments restored Sela’s mouth — and the ability for
“The Yad Sarah geriatric dental clinic in Jerusalem sees roughly 115 elderly patients per week, many of them Holocaust survivors, according to the clinic’s director, Dr. Tamar Kartin Gabbai.” her to use it to deliver her lectures at Yad Vashem. Sela’s story is not atypical. The Yad Sarah geriatric dental clinic in Jerusalem sees roughly 115 elderly patients per week, many of them Holocaust survivors, according to the clinic’s director, Dr. Tamar Kartin Gabbai. Similar to the situation in the United States, where Medicare — which covers medical care for people 65 and older — doesn’t include routine dental care, the Israeli government’s health fund also has an extremely limited dental policy. Most seniors lived on limited or fixed budgets, making
expending funds for dental care difficult. According to a 2015 study by the American Dental Association, a fifth of people age 75 and older haven’t seen a dentist in the past five years. Further, many elderly patients are at risk for complications when undergoing dental work, explains Dr. Albert Zickmann, a Chicago-based oral and maxillofacial surgeon. For example, patients with diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, as well as those who are taking multiple medications, may be negatively impacted by anesthesia or the stress of undergoing a dental procedure. At the same time, many chronic illnesses and medications can worsen oral health. Patients with dementia might experience anxiety, Zickmann says. Others are not mobile enough to get to a dental office. “Beside the physical pain and discomfort, when people get older, one of the only few pleasures they have in life are eating or communicating with others,” says Zickmann. “There appears to be a correlation between oral health and one’s lifespan, but moreover, quality of life is tremendously important [for seniors], and this is certainly negatively impacted by poor oral health.” Zickmann became a donor to Yad Sarah in order to help fund the organization’s mobile dental clinic. Three vans — one each in Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, and Kiryat Motzkin — allow patients to receive treatment, including minor procedures, without ever leaving their home. Yad Sarah’s Gabbai says this helps not only the elderly, but also their caregivers, who might otherwise be tasked with taking the seniors to and from dental visits. The Yad Sarah clinic and its vans are run
almost entirely by volunteers. Aside from Gabbai, herself a dental specialist trained in treating the elderly, there are 17 volunteer dentists as well as multiple hygienists and assistants. New dentists can enter a threeyear volunteer program and internship that trains them in how to treat elderly patients. They leave the program with a certification in that specialty. The Rosenbojm-Komor Foundation, which is dedicated to social service support in Israel, recently donated $500,000 to Yad Sarah for its geriatric clinic. Paul Komor, the foundation’s president, says he spent a day visiting the organization and was thoroughly impressed by the staff’s professionalism, dedication, and commitment. But he was also struck by the pressing need for the services. Some patients, depending on the severity of their dental issues, needed to wait up to a month to receive treatment. “With a toothache, you don’t want to wait a month,” says Komor. “You don’t want to wait a day.” Komor says he hopes his gift will enable Yad Sarah to expand its services. Gabbai says the team is considering the establishment of an additional clinic, in central Israel, as well as planning to upgrade its equipment and other amenities. In a note from Holocaust survivor Sela to the clinic, she writes, “Thank you…for the excellent and dedicated treatment you gave me… Every time I came for an appointment, I felt at home and was received warmly. I always knew I was getting the best possible treatment.”
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SENIORS
BY MIMI POLLACK
AGING SUCCESSFULLY Deborah Szekely's zest for life is embodied at Rancho La Puerta
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ow does one age successfully? Common wisdom says to eat well, exercise, stay positive, and be part of a community. Of course, it also helps to have good genes. In the case of Deborah Szekely, who will be 95 on May 3, all of the above statements are true. Her whole life has been about healthy living and community. In 1940, Deborah and her late husband, Edmond Szekely [the professor], founded Rancho La Puerta, across the border from San Diego in Tecate, Mexico. Deborah was just 18 at the time, but already had healthy eating habits in place as her mother had been the vice president of the Vegetarian Society in New York. After she married the professor, they continued following a healthy lifestyle, and opening Rancho la Puerta was their mutual dream of sharing that lifestyle with others. Today the ranch is a world-renowned spa that is known for its delicious food, plethora of mind and body classes, and beautiful surroundings that inspire guests to walk everywhere. Although she no longer lives at the ranch, Szekely still goes there once a week and talks about her life and lifestyle, and why she has thrived for so long. She understands the importance of eating well, following a fresh and simple diet, mostly plant based and organic. She walks and does daily
“The owner of the world-renowned spa has spent her life focusing on healthful habits.” yoga and takes Pilates classes. She has a young at heart philosophy and believes that life after 60 is the beginning of emancipation, freedom, opportunity and choice. She also believes in giving back and is very philanthropic, donating to various charities. She was one of the sponsors of “Into the Beautiful North,” a recent production at the SD Repertory Theater. She also founded The New Americans Museum in Liberty Station. Finally, at one of her weekly lectures, a guest at Rancho La Puerta asked her, “What are the three most important things in life that 22
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
you have learned?” She answered, “There are five. First: supportive friends and community. Second: a pleasant, agreeable, and protected environment. Third: organic, honest food, mostly plants. Fourth: oxygen for the brain, body and spirit. This can be summed up in two words: Keep Moving! And finally, none of the first four are valuable without faith and peace of mind.” Indeed, wise words to heed from someone who has lived 95 incredible years, and is still going strong.
Avalon Hospice Avalon Hospice &&Palliative Care Care Palliative Comfort & Care In The Last Phase & of Life Comfort Care In The
Each patient’s care Phase plan is individually Last of Life tailored to meet his or her needs and the needs of the family. Each patient’s care plan is individually tailored to meet his or her needs and the needs • Dedicated Medical Directors of the family. • Registered Nurses • Social Work Services • Dedicated Medical Directors • Home Health Aide Services • Registered Nurses • Transitional CareWork Services • Social Services • Home Health Aide Services • Transitional Care Services For more information please call:
(858) 751-0315
For more information please call: www.avalonhospice.com (858) 751-0315 JCAHO Accredited www.avalonhospice.com JCAHO Accredited
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ADVERTORIAL
educating and preparing for end of life care By Faye Girsh
JEWISH THOUGHT, LIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS, IS ALL OVER THE MAP IN ITS THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO ACHIEVE PEACE. Orthodox doctrine, like strict Catholic or Islamic thought, decrees that everything must be done to preserve life. The belief that only God can take a life is at the core of most religions. Suffering at the end of life, they argue, brings one closer to God. Some orthodox Jewish writing says that prayer is the only way to stop the suffering.
I remember when an orthodox Jewish doctor in town brought the Chief Rabbi from Los Angeles to speak to a meeting
of the San Diego Medical Society. The Rabbi insisted that no doctor should ever follow directions in a Living Will that indicate stopping treatment. That wish, he said, should always be disregarded and all treatment available to keep a person
alive be instituted. Not surprisingly, most of the audience left. Doctors nowadays follow their patient’s wishes when they are in accordance with secular law. They also understand that quality of life often takes precedence over how long one can live. Conservative Jewish doctrine too permits that balance to be weighed in end of life decision making.
As the great Jewish philosopher, Woody Allen, said, “I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be around when it
happens.” That brings us to the realities of modern dying. We are fortunate to live in an age and a place where the miracles of modern medicine enable us to survive some of the deadliest illnesses and conditions. Our life expectancy is, statistically, 79, but celebrations of 100 birthdays are not uncommon. But some say we may have extended living but we have also prolonged
dying. Our risk, for instance, of dementia increases with age, as does many of the disabling other neurological diseases, lung
diseases, cancers, etc. that might have ended our lives earlier. Most of us have seen deaths that are prolonged and agonizing — situations that we would never want to be in. Many have cared for loved ones in those straits.
ADVERTORIAL
The Hemlock Society of San Diego, now in its 30th year, educates our community about achieving a peaceful death. So often dying people lose control, choice and dignity at the end of life. The Hemlock Society believes people should die consistent with their own values and beliefs, peacefully and without violence and in the company of their loved ones. This is not easy to achieve, even with all the legal changes that have occurred in the past 30 years. Though these are a bit complicated, here are the choices available now. Advance Directive This is your Living Will, in which you can state your preferences for the medical treatments you would want or not (depending, of course, on your prognosis and quality of life) and your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. This is the very important person you designate to make your medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. Many legal versions can be downloaded and copied. POLST (Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) This directive is meant primarily for people with a year or less to live. It is a legal document that must be signed by your physician. It is on bright pink stock and designed to follow you in the hospital or care center and allows you to say if you want CPR and other kinds of treatment. It also can be downloaded. Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order This is also a legal document that must be signed by your doctor. If your heart stops or your airways are blocked it allows the Emergency Team to not administer CPR. A copy of the order can be sent to order a medallion or bracelet that indicates that you are DNR. Many people have their directives on their refrigerator which is okay if you are home-bound but would not help if you are not in your home when your heart stops. Stopping or Refusing Treatment In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that every American has the right to refuse unwanted treatment, even if it should lead to death. You can stop or refuse dialysis, chemotherapy, artificial feeding or breathing, amputations, etc. Or your health care agent can make that
UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL CANNABIS A Panel of Experts May 21 • 1:30pm at the Scottish Rite Event Center 1895 Camino Del Rio S, SD 92108
619.233.4418 HemlockSocietySanDiego.org CHOICE, DIGNITY & CONTROL AT THE END OF LIFE
A non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(4) independent organization)
request for you. Hospice and Palliative Care These organizations, some for profit and some non-profit, will provide comfort care and symptom relief for people with a six-month prognosis. Hospice care is usually done in your home and is not a substitute for home health care since it is provided just a few hours a week. It cannot relieve all symptoms experienced when dying. Medicare pays for hospice in most cases. Hospice neither hastens or prolongs death. It is a good way for most people to die but will not make death come any faster. End of Life Option Act (EOLOA) This law permits a doctor to prescribe lethal medications a dying patient can take to have a peaceful death. It is for adult, California residents, who are mentally competent and expected to live six months or less. Two doctors must sign off on the patient’s first request then there is a 15-day waiting period during which another verbal and one written, notarized request is made. The doctor can then prescribe medications that, if ingested, will produce sleep and death peacefully. The cause of death is the underlying disease. It is not suicide for insurance or any other purpose. Final Exit Network (FEN) This national not-for-profit all-volunteer organization provides Exit Guides to its members who are suffering from a severe chronic illness or early Alzheimer’s and are considering a hastened death. Following appropriate documentation and phone interviews, Guides come to the home (anywhere in the country) and advise members on what they would need to die peacefully. They are also present in the home if the member chooses to use the method. Guides provide only information and support; the person must be able to do it themselves. It is a non-medical procedure, generally using inert gas. There is no charge for any of these services. All of the above are methods that are legal in California. Currently there is no “peaceful pill” that can make ending suffering an easy process. Since we are going to face death inevitably it is helpful to know what our options are, what is acceptable to us and our loved ones, and how to access them. One person dying a slow and agonizing death remarked, “I didn’t know dying is this hard.” It can be. Know your choices and discuss them with the people who care about you. As we Hemlockers wish for ourselves and others: Good life, good death. Faye Girsh is the President of the Hemlock Society of San Diego and Past President of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies. She has a doctorate from Harvard and practiced Clinical and Forensic Psychology in San Diego for 18 years. The Hemlock Society is a not-for-profit membership organization with monthly free, public meetings including a Right to Die Film Series. Visit hemlocksocietysandiego.org for more information.
FOOD
KOSHEROLOGY Beer Battered Matzah Ball Gumbo STORY & PHOTOS BY ALEX THE KOSHEROLOGIST KOSHEROLOGY.COM
The consistency of a gumbo is between that of a soup and a stew and is typically served with boiled rice - or in this case, with beer battered matzah balls.
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FOOD
A
n example of what can be done with simple ingredients, Gumbos are a native American dish-born of the meeting of French, Spanish, German, African, and Choctaw cuisines in New Orleans' kitchens. Gumbo derives its name from a corruption of the African Bantu word for okra, the vegetable with which gumbo is traditionally thickened. The consistency of a gumbo is between that of a soup and a stew and is typically served with boiled riceor in this case, with beer battered matzah balls. This kosher sausage and chicken gumbo is inspired by and adapted from the book 'Matzoh Ball Gumbo' by Marcie Cohen Ferris. As this is a kosher version of gumbo, pork is omitted from the recipe, and a kosher version of sausage is used. I recommend using either Jack's Gourmet Spicy Southwestern style Beef sausage or their Cajun style Andouille turkey sausage (or both.) Visit Jack's Gourmet's website (jacks-gourmet-v2.myshopify.com) to shop their selection of kosher-certified gourmet sausages. BEER BATTERED MATZAH BALLS Meat • Serves 10-12 Ingredients 1 (5 oz.) package matzah ball mix (or use your favorite recipe) Eggs and oil, according to mix/recipe 1 (4 oz.) package of Jack's Gourmet Facon (optional) 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 1/2 cup (12 oz.) lager, or beer of your choice Vegetable oil, for frying Directions 1. Fry the facon for 4-6 minutes, until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and let cool. Crumble the facon into small pieces, ensuring to remove the gristle from the center of the beef. Reserve Fat/drippings. 2. Prepare the matzah ball mix according to package instruction and add crumbled facon. Cook according to package instructions. Once cooked, allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,
paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the beer until the mixture is well combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. In a large pot, heat approximately 2-3 cups of oil. Remove the matzah balls from the refrigerator. Gently dip the matzah balls into the beer batter and carefully drop the battered matzah balls into the oil, one at a time. Allow the matzah balls to fry for 10-15 seconds on each side. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside. Reheat before serving. GUMBO One of the keys to a successful gumbo is the roux-a mixture of equal parts fat and flour that serves as a thickener for the stew. This recipe uses a dark roux. Among Louisianan cooks there is a saying " Don't turn your back on your spouse or your roux." Keep your eye on your roux, as burning the roux even slightly will ruin the flavor of the gumbo. To make the roux, you will need the reserved facon fat, plus enough vegetable oil to make 1/2 cup fat; and 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour. In a saucepan, combine the fat and flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 18-20 minutes, until a dark caramel/ peanut-butter color and the roux is thick and emits a strong nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside. Ingredients 1 lb. fresh or frozen okra, cut/sliced 1 (10 oz.) package Jack's Southwestern Style Beef Sausage or Andouille Turkey Sausage 2-3 lb. de-boned chicken thighs or breasts, cut into rough 2" chunks 4-6 garlic cloves, minced 1 lg. yellow onion, chopped 2 lg. stalk celery, chopped 1 lg. green bell pepper, chopped 1 med. red bell pepper, chopped 1 med. yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, un-drained 1 (14.5 oz.) can kernel corn, drained 3 tbs. tomato paste 4 cups chicken broth 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp. cayenne pepper Roux Olive Oil
Directions 1. In a large skillet, heat 3-4 TBS. olive oil over medium heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned-about 8-12 minutes. Transfer to a large soup-pot. 2. Heat 2 TBS. olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often, until brownedabout 7-8 minutes. Transfer to the soup pot. 3. Season the chicken with 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Add 1 TBS. olive oil to the sausage drippings in the skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook the chicken until lightly browned-about 2-5 minutes. Transfer to the soup pot. 4. Add the onion, garlic, bell-peppers, and celery to the pan and cook, stirring often, until tender-about 6-8 minutes. 5. Transfer to the soup-pot and add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, thyme, and seasonings. 6. Bring to medium-high heat and whisk in the roux, until well blended. Gradually add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes. 7. Serve with Beer Battered Matzah Balls and/or over a bed of boiled rice. Note: Gumbo gathers flavor with time and taste best day following preparation. BORN AND BRED IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH, ALEX ‘THE KOSHEROLOGIST’ IDOV, WAS RAISED ON COLLARD GREENS STEWED WITH SMOKED TURKEY LEG (IN PLACE OF HAM HOCKS), BLACKEYED-PEAS, AND BRUNSWICK STEW. HE BOASTS BEING A 4TH GENERATION JEWISH SOUTHERNER, WITH ONE OF HIS GREAT-GRANDMOTHER’S BORN IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA IN 1888. HIS OTHER GREAT-GRANDPARENTS HAILED FROM RUSSIA, POLAND, AND FRANCEINSPIRING MUCH OF HIS COOKING WITH THE CUISINES OF HIS HERITAGE. ALEX’S CULINARY REPERTOIRE GOES BEYOND TRADITIONAL JEWISH AND SOUTHERN FARE, AS HE REVISITS AND REINVENTS THE CUISINES OF HIS ANCESTORS. ALEX HOLDS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN CULINARY SUSTAINABILITY AND HOSPITALITY FROM THE KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY MICHAEL A. LEVEN SCHOOL OF CULINARY SUSTAINABILITY AND HOSPITALITY AND WORKS AS A FREELANCE FOOD WRITER. FIND MORE RECIPES AT KOSHEROLOGY.COM
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FEATURE STORY l BY JACOB KAMARAS | jns.org
Five of Israel's latest miracles leading up to its birthday
W
ISRAEL AT 69
ith its forces vastly outnumbered by Arab armies, Israel’s victory in the 1948 War of Independence was widely considered a modern-day miracle. The Jewish state shocked the world again in 1967 by significantly expanding its borders and reunifying Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. In 2017, the perceived miracles keep coming. Ahead of the 69th Israeli Independence Day (Yom Haatzmaut), we recount five of Israel’s latest crowning achievements. BASEBALL FEVER Team Israel far surpassed expectations at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, starting the international tournament with a four-game winning streak — including victories over baseball powerhouses South Korea, Taiwan and Cuba — before losses to the Netherlands and Japan ended its run. Israel’s squad, comprised of Jewish Americans who are eligible for Israeli citizenship, garnered significant attention from major mainstream
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media outlets. ESPN ran a feature article dubbing Israel’s the “Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC,” given its current underdog story. The New York Times ran with the headline, “With Mirth and a Mensch, Israel Upsets South Korea in WBC,” referring to the team’s mascot, the popular plush Hanukkah toy Mensch on a Bench. A ‘NEW SHERIFF’ AT THE UN Israel has experienced decades of bias and disproportionate criticism from the United Nations, but the nascent Trump administration — under the leadership of Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley — is vowing to chart a new course for the world body’s culture on the Jewish state. During her speech at March’s AIPAC policy conference, Haley described herself as the U.N.’s “new sheriff in town” and declared “the days of Israel-bashing are over.” Haley, who in April assumed the U.N. Security Council’s rotating monthly
FEATURE STORY
Cody Decker, a member of Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), poses with the Israeli team’s mascot — the Hanukkah toy Mensch on a Bench — at a WBC press conference in March. PHOTO COURTESY CODY DECKER VIA TWITTER
presidency, has promised to refocus the council away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “The incredibly destructive nature of Iranian and Hezbollah activities throughout the Middle East demands much more of our attention. It should become this council’s priority in the region,” she said April 20. START-UP NATION’S $15 BILLION BOMBSHELL In the latest and largest coup for Israel’s “start-up nation” reputation, the American high-tech giant Intel in March agreed to buy Israeli vision technology developer Mobileye for $15.3 billion. Intel hopes the acquisition helps it rise to the forefront of the rapidly expanding self-driving car market. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Intel-Mobileye deal would lead to the creation of “thousands of additional jobs” in Israel. ECONOMY ‘DEFYING GRAVITY’ A nearly nonexistent inflation rate and low unemployment helped propel Israel to the No. 3 spot on a list of the world’s most stable and promising economies for 2016, published by the Bloomberg financial news agency this month. Also this month, a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch deemed the Israeli economy “on a robust recovery path with growth rates running at 3 to 4 percent levels,” noting that the Bank of Israel was “defying gravity” by checking the appreciation of the shekel against the dollar. TOURISM The number of foreign tourists visiting Israel, meanwhile, reached an all-time high of 739,000 in the first quarter of 2017. Israeli Tourism Ministry officials hope 2013’s record number of 3.54 million tourists visiting Israel will be surpassed this year.
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FEATURE STORY
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FEATURE STORY
CHANGING THE ODDS FOR SAN DIEGO CHILDREN
With Laurie Coskey at the helm of the United Way of San Diego, anything is possible by Sharon Rapoport
“I felt my legs were praying,” said Abraham Joshua Heschel about marching in Selma. It’s no coincidence that this is one of Laurie Coskey’s favorite quotes. From the time she was a rabbinic student who started a food donation program, to her current position as CEO and President of United Way of San Diego, Coskey’s 25-year career has focused on supporting the needs of those who are disenfranchised, exploited or whose poverty has kept from fulfilling dreams and opportunities. “It´s a very ‘Rabbi’ thing to do,” she says, referring to her job. We had the opportunity to talk with this formidable woman, whose disarming poise and laser-like intelligence leaves no doubt about her capability of changing the odds for San Diego’s children. L’CHAIM MAGAZINE: UNITED WAY’S FIRST ANNUAL CHANGING THE ODDS COMMUNITY BREAKFAST WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON THE DAY THIS MAGAZINE COMES OUT -MAY 10. TELL US ABOUT IT. LAURIE COSKEY: United Way is 96 years
old and in recent memory we have not held a large community gathering. This event will be the first time we have all our stakeholders together from our collaborators, the businesses who support us, and our friends. We are expecting 700 people. Our keynote speaker will be Liz Murray, whose life is a testimony of resilience and the importance of education.
L'CHAIM: YOU WROTE YOUR DOCTORAL DISSERTATION ON THE UNITED WAY; DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO WORK THERE? LC: No, I didn't. But always knew that I
wanted to work with families and children, which has always been the focus of my career -Tikkun Olam. I was also impressed that this organization made a turn in April 2014, saying that our focus is now going to be toward children and stability, and towards changing the odds for children in San Diego County, which is why [I decided to work here]. L’CHAIM: WHAT DO YOU “CHANGING THE ODDS”? LC: Every child is loved. And
MEAN
BY
every parent wants the best for their children. But not all children have the best, and not all children have access to the best. All children should have dreams and should be able to create their dreams out of things they have seen. That’s not just children who live in homes where parents have the time, but also in homes where parents have two or three jobs, or where parents are stressed or there is a lot to going on in the family that children can’t understand. We believe we can provide children the support they need outside the classroom so that they can succeed in the classroom. So, that is the basic premise. It is our goal to move the dial on that. L’CHAIM: WHO ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF YOUR WORK?
LC: Much of our work focuses on children …
who need a village to support them to follow their dreams. It ends up being mostly low-income children, whose [homes] may be full of love, but not so full of the opportunities that their counterparts in higher income families have. United Way often functions as the backbone to large collaboratives. One of them is the California Career Pathways Trust Grant, a trust of $13 million that was given to San Diego regionally for work with school districts and community colleges. The goal is to expose high-school students to the possibilities of careers in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and information and communication technologies. This is done through a portal that businesses and schools can participate in. For example, if you [the professional] wanted to tell students about working in the clean-tech industry, you could sign up and go to a school to tell students about your work, or you could have students job-shadow you. Or if you were really committed, you would hire an intern in the summer. L’CHAIM: WHAT ABOUT YOUNGER CHILDREN? LC: The other thing that we do, especially
for younger children in elementary school, is that we work to help them in the family stability area. For example, when they’ve been absent a lot, why are they missing school? What is going on in the family? Is it possible that the family doesn’t have transportation or WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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FEATURE STORY
"The [people that we help today] come to us because they want to give their children a better life; the same reason my grandparents came here in 1910." they are couch-surfing and do not have a permanent place to stay? I recently heard of a woman whose child missed the third day of school, because the mother had to choose between doing the laundry or buying food. So, this woman needed help with having her clothes washed; and now there are schools that have laundry centers in their facilities. So, we are trying to find out what those barriers [to attendance] are and how to solve them. L’CHAIM: THE NUMBERS ON HOMELESSNESS IN SAN DIEGO JUST CAME OUT. SOME SOURCES TALK ABOUT A 30% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR; OTHERS SAY IT’S 60%. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT MANY OF THESE CHILDREN ARE SLIPPING INTO HOMELESSNESS? LC: Yes, and all the school districts have different definitions of what
homelessness is. There is a big concern in all San Diego school districts about children who may be sleeping in cars or don´t have a regular place to stay, so, they don’t have the freshness of mind to learn.
L’CHAIM: WHAT COULD WE AS INDIVIDUALS, AND AS MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY BE DOING TO HELP? LC: It is very important for all of us to recognize how fortunate we
are in the lives that we can provide to our children. We come from a tradition that is very child-focused. We teach our children; it’s what we are obligated to do and we will give our children extraordinary opportunities But not every parent can do that. The [people that we help today come to us because] they want to give their children a better life; the same reason my grandparents came here in 1910. I really see that we are obligated to give outside the Jewish community and help those and give them the hand we once needed. People can volunteer in many ways: they can volunteer to read to children; they can lead and mentor children; there’s so much Jewish communities can do. United Way does not necessarily do all these things, but we can put them in touch with organizations who do. To learn more about United Way of San Diego and how you can help San Diego's children thrive, visit uwsd.org. 32
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
NEW WORK BY ISRAELI-BORN COMPOSER ART OF ÉLAN’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON If you haven’t heard of young Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman yet, you will very soon. His star is on the rise. Dorman writes music of intricate craftsmanship and rigorous technique, expressed with a soulful and singular voice. A native of Israel, Dorman draws on a variety of cultural and historical influences in composing, resulting in music that affects an emotional impact while exploring new territories. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is the current music director of City Music Cleveland Chamber Orchestra. His music is championed by conductors across the county including Zubin Mehta. On June 17, Art of Élan supporters and friends will gather to celebrate a decade of pioneering unique chamber music events and bringing the excitement of classical music to diverse audience. The celebration at Qualcomm Hall will feature the return of Art of Élan co-founder Demarre McGill and the Myriad Trio performing the world premiere of an Art of Élan commissioned work by Dorman himself. Honorary Chairs for this one-nightonly event are Joyce and Ted Strauss Ten years ago, two young San Diego Symphony musicians, Kate Hatmaker and Demarre McGill, had an idea for a way to expose new audiences to the excitement of classical music. Based on the idea of innovative, “mixtape” programming that would combine both new and old works, Art of Élan created a model of short, one-hour concerts in unique venues, providing for a more personalized and human approach to connecting with concertgoers, and proving that classical music does still have relevance, given the right context. Add to that a commitment to commissioning new work and you have a model of an innovative and unique chamber music organization.
EVENT INFORMATION
Illuminating Music: Celebrating 10 Years of Innovation in Classical Music Saturday, June 17 6:30 p.m., VIP Champagne Reception 7:30 p.m., Concert Program 9 p.m., Reception open to all attendees Qualcomm Hall 5775 Morehouse Drive • San Diego, CA 92121 artofelan.org
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
TERRA VITA
310.696.9288
FAMILY
JEWISHMOM.COM TAKING MY SON TO GAN ON YOM HASHOAH
BY CHANA J E N N Y WE I S B E RG
W
e have a garden full of beautiful, colorful flowers. But the resident of our garden that’s been getting the most attention recently is our strawberry. Yes, I meant to write that in the singular. Just one. A single strawberry. At first it was white, and then it started getting embarrassed from all the attention and began to blush, and now it’s red. Red! Every day, my husband and I stand by the strawberry he planted with the kids and look at it, debating whether to pick it now or to give it another day to get even redder. We even share photos of it with family members around the world. This morning, walking hand-in-hand with my 4-year-old Yaakov by our garden on the way to Gan, I realized that he is like that strawberry. That singular strawberry. Watched. Nurtured. Treasured. I thought of how sometimes I go to the market and see mountains of strawberries for sale. But every child, for that child’s parent, is always that single strawberry. Like the one growing under our kitchen window. This morning, on the way to Gan, I told Yaakov that today is Yom HaShoah. “This morning you will hear a siren,” I told him, “and when we hear the siren we all remember the many Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.” And through a choked throat I tried, as best I could, to respond to everything Yaakov wanted to know: “Eema, who were the Nazis?” “Eema, and then Hashem made a miracle, right? And some Jews were saved?” “Eema, like Aharon’s 2 sons, who died. The rabbi told us in Gan.”
And then Yaakov said: “Eema, afterwards we made a war against the Nazis! Right?” And I thought about that one. How after the war, we Jews didn’t go to war against the Nazis; these people who took each precious Jew – man, woman, boy, girl – and turned us into a swarming mountain of suffering and death. We didn’t pick up weapons and take revenge against the nation that had murdered 6 million members of Am Yisrael. But looking down at my Yaakov, at my child in his kippah, curly blond peyos, tsitsiot down to the knees … in this singular, precious, treasured Jewish child I felt our never-taken revenge, I felt our victory.
CHANA JENNY WEISBERG, THE CREATOR OF JEWISHMOM.COM, IS A STAY-HOME MOTHER OF 8 CHILDREN LIVING IN JERUSALEM WITH HER HUSBAND, RABBI JOSHUA WEISBERG. ORIGINALLY FROM BALTIMORE, CHANA JENNY HAS DEVOTED HER NON-MOM TIME OVER THE PAST DECADE TO PROVIDING INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHER JEWISH MOMS THROUGH HER POPULAR BOOKS EXPECTING MIRACLES AND ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME.
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50 YEARS LATER
AMMUNITION HILL HERO RECALLS KEY BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM
J
erusalem Day Commemoration Ceremony to highlight JNFUSA missions. “I was really scared,” recalls Jacob Haimovitch, better known as Yaki Hetz, as he ponders the heroic role he was thrust into during the Battle for Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. “It all happened so quickly.” Hetz was just a 21-year-old private when he and his comrades in Motta Gur’s 55th Paratroopers Brigade’s 66th Regiment attacked the strategic site from the west at 2:30 a.m. on June 6, 1967 and came under unexpectedly intense Jordanian resistance. When his platoon’s bazookaman and then its commander were hit by Jordanian fire, he swiftly took command and led his men into the dark trench. “Although I was a simple soldier, I knew we couldn’t lose the momentum of the battle,” he says, sitting at the entrance to the Ammunition Hill National Heritage & Memorial Site. “My friends told me afterwards that I actually shouted, “Aharai!” [Follow me] and then shot two bullets in the air.” Hetz administered first aid to one of his soldiers, then shot two Jordanian soldiers as he and his men proceeded to move through the trench under heavy fire. They eventually blew up the main Jordanian bunker with hand grenades and took control of the Hill. Thirty-six Israeli soldiers and 71 Jordanians were killed in the bloody battle that ended at 6:30 a.m. the next morning. Hetz received an IDF Medal of Courage for his leadership role in a key battle to reunite Jerusalem. He went on to receive an IDF Southern Command citation for his heroism in the Battle for the Chinese Farm during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Asked what he had learned in the past 50 years, Hetz pauses and says: “I am very much for peace, but we must first of all be strong. If we’re not strong, our enemies will slaughter us. Our strength is in our spirit. The Jordanians were better soldiers from a professional point of view, and they had better weapons. But we won because of our fighting spirit. We have to pass this spirit on from generation to generation. That’s the most important thing, and it’s why I still come here regularly to guide groups and tell my story.” In honor of the battle's 50th anniversary, JNF-USA has partnered with the Ammunition Hill National Heritage & Memorial Site and the Israeli government in three major projects: the Commemoration Hall for the 182 soldiers who fell in the Battle for Jerusalem, the JNF Ammunition Hill Museum and the restoration of the battle ground. 36
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
Yoel Rosby, Jewish National Fund’s Ammunition Hill Liaison who made aliya from Chicago 18 years ago, says that the hundreds of delegates participating in JNF-USA’s 50th Anniversary of Jerusalem’s Reunification Mission will gather for the national ceremony marking 50 years since the liberation of Jerusalem at Ammunition Hill on Jerusalem Day, May 24. “In the afternoon, government and JNF officials will be cutting the ribbon for our brand new visitors’ site and museum in the original bunker that the Jordanians used, and will visit the battleground, which has been completely restored and made wheelchair accessible, thanks to the Russ family,” says Rosby. “For the past 10 years, Larry Russ and his family from Beverly Hills, California have been true believers and advocates for JNF, Ammunition Hill and the Jewish people. They built the theater where we receive all our visitors, and they created the movie on the Battle for Jerusalem that we show all our visitors. Since it was made three years ago, some 800,000 people have seen it.” That night, the JNF delegations will be among 4,000 people on Ammunition Hill in the Commemoration Ceremony to celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem. Among those attending will be President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and several cabinet ministers and members of Knesset. To join one of JNF-USA’s four missions, you can register at jnf.org/50thjlm-mission or contact JNF San Diego Director James Kimmey at jkimmey@jnf.org or 858.824.9178 x988. This article originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post.
BY STEPHANIE LEWIS l HUMOR
mazel
& mishagoss Jews News to Amuse MOTHER’S DAY CHEESE PLATTERS OSTENSIBLY CONTAIN DISGUISED LEFTOVER MATZO The alleged trays were spotted in a private home on a buffet with other appetizers, none of which appeared particularly healthy looking. Invited guest Solomon Kaufman was quoted as saying; “They could have pulled it off better. It’s easy to identify Matzo with cubes of Swiss or cheddar slapped on top. The trick is to shmear chopped liver or cream-cheese all over, tucking the whole thing nonchalantly between Ritz crackers and Wheat Thins.” Unnamed witnesses also suspected concealed horseradish, but those dangerous accusations remain unconfirmed. To the horror of female onlookers, (who fantasized a relaxing day without fussing in the kitchen) the entire sit-down affair utilized many surplus Passover items, cleverly camouflaged as a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch. Homeowner Ruth Bergman was overheard lamenting, “It’s the last time we trust husbands to entertain.” OPTOMETRISTS DISPENSING JEWISH LENSES WITH PRESCRIPTIONS In what can only be described as an astonishing development few saw coming, and which can only be recognized as ingenious in retrospect (after all, hindsight is 20/20!) – select individuals now have opportunities to view life thru an actual Jewish Lens. No
longer just a metaphoric phrase applied to college courses, (like Ethics 101) or parenting classes at the JCC, (“Raising Teens Through a Jewish Lens”) rabbinical prescriptions now offer alternative options to seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. All eyes focus on prominent Tel Aviv inventor named I. Seymour who announced contact (Jewish) lenses will also be manufactured. Clearly the Israelis are visionaries, and also optimists who have a “glasses are half full” attitude. JEWISH CALENDARS OFFER DISTINCT ADVANTAGES In a startling discovery, researchers followed calendar habits of twenty Jewish families, half using secular calendars and half implementing both Jewish calendars AND secular calendars. Families were instructed to hang them in prominent spots in the kitchen, but away from chocolate rugelach as that invalidates results. The following observations were documented: Mothers used Hebrew calendars to foresee in advance Jewish holidays, affording them ample time to conspire adult children back home utilizing guilt. Jewish calendars starting in September and ending in August, assist families to decline invitations during that frazzled time of year, (Thanksgiving through New Years) by simply stating, “Sorry, our Jewish calendar doesn’t go that far.” People eventually left them alone.
Most families wrote appointments they weren’t thrilled keeping (doctors/dentists/ DMV registrations/tax accountants/ gym workouts, etc.) on secular calendars but consulted Jewish calendars (probably because yummy recipes are printed above each month) to confirm the day’s agenda. Thus missed appointments could be justified, “Oy! We wrote it on our ‘other’ calendar and never transferred it to our ‘main’ calendar. Note: Not one orthodontist or back surgeon ever inquired, “What do you mean “main” calendar?” Being Jewish as well, they utilized similar calendar strategies. WOMAN CAUGHT WRITING NARISHKEIT FOR NEWS STORIES In Carlsbad, a relatively unknown Jewish female author was charged with writing a bunch of mishagoss and disguising it as important bulletins to gain literary accolades in L’CHAIM magazine. “Nu? She fancies herself to be The Jewish Onion or something? Onions make you cry and our culture doesn’t need more weeping,” stated L’Chaim publisher. “We already have Jewish moms bringing tears to our eyes. Happy Mother’s Day!” STEPHANIE D. LEWIS IS A REGULAR WRITER FOR THE COMEDY SECTION OF THE HUFFINGTON POST. SHE PENS A HUMOR BLOG AT ONCEUPONYOURPRIME. COM AND YOU CAN FOLLOW HER @MISSMENOPAUSE. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
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CABARET THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017 AT 7 PM
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POPULAR JEWISH & ISRAELI SONGS CANTORIAL FAVORITES - MUSICAL THEATER SELECTIONS Special Guests: Shirenu Chorus of Cong. Beth El and Hillel Katzeff Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center | 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
Proceeds benefit the “HINENI: Jewish Music & Prayers for the Homebound” project.* General Admission: $36 at the door/$30 advance • Students/Military: $24 at the door/$18 advance Group Rates Available Angel Sponsorship: $180 includes 2 tickets, preferred seating, acknowledgement in program
TO PURCHASE TICKETS: WWW.HAZZANIT.COM/CABARET QUESTIONS: CHERI WEISS (858) 829-8178 *“HINENI: Jewish Music & Prayers for the Homebound” is fiscally sponsored by Tarbuton, a CA 501 c3.
DIANE BENAROYA