May 2025

MAY 2025 | IYAR • SIVAN 5785

THIS ISSUE

Sharing Jewish Stories

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MONDAY, JUNE 2: HEAR THE 10 COMMANDMENTS TUESDAY, JUNE 3: YIZKOR MEMORIAL PRAYER

SHAVUOT Join your local Chabad Jewish Center to re-live the great historical moment when the Ten Commandments were given to 3 million of our ancestors at the foot of Mount Sinai.

It is a great Mitzvah for every Man, Woman, and Child to join together on this auspicious occasion!

Show your Jewish Pride!

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THANK YOU

(From left to right) Michael Hopkins, Michael Flaster, Karen Silberman,

We are full of gratitude for the overwhelming support from our community, which will provide compassionate care and critical services for children, families, and older adults throughout San Diego.

Gala Honorees

Susanna & Michael Flaster Karen & Jeff Silberman With a Special Tribute to

Michael Hopkins, Retiring CEO Gala Honorary Chairs

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Betty Amber • ASC Protection, Inc. • Sarah Bakhiet • Melissa Garfield Bartell & Michael Bartell Li-Rong Lilly Cheng & Koun-Ping Cheng • Congregation Beth Israel of San Diego Linda Fredin & Gary Frost • Gay & Lesbian Fund for San Diego • Bobbie & Jon Gilbert Lisa Braun Glazer & Jeff Glazer • Dr. Rachel & Ryan Goldenhar • Aliza & Marc Guren Shana Hazan & Marc Schaefer • Drs. Karen Helrich & Bertram Edelstein Anessa Karney & Stuart Goldstein • Perla Karney • KPBS • Amy Krause & Paul Needelman Seth Krosner & Phil Johnson • Andrea Ladmer & Robert Silverman • Rabbi Marty & Anita Lawson Manuela & Michael Levinson • Meryl Maneker & Peter Herman • Danielle & Brian Miller Morgan Stanley • Nicole & Rabbi Jason Nevarez • Daniel Pick • Stefanie Schiff & Joel Smith Fern Siegel • Temple Emanu-El • US Bank • Joellyn & Ron Zollman List in formation as of 4/23/25

Contents

PUBLISHERS

Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss

MAY 2025 | IYAR • SIVAN 5785

EDITOR

Susan Edelstein ASSISTANT EDITOR

Makayla Hoppe

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Donna D’Angelo

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Eileen Sondak

28

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Andrea Simantov, Trevor James McNeil, Marnie Macauley, Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort, Galia Miller Sprung, Micah Siva Lisa McGuigan CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Pepe Fainberg

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

24

33

Features 24 Unapologetically Jewish New Plays 26 Sadness, Anger and Various Swirling Emotions 28 No Such Thing as “Lite” When Touring the South 33 San Diegans Giving Back

Columns 12 From the Editor | Walking Around in Someone Else’s Shoes 16 Israeli Lifestyle | The Gift of “We” 18 Literature | The Wouk Agenda 42 Advice | Jews Committed to Jewish Fundraising Committees

Every Issue 14 What’s Up Online 12 Our Town 38 Local Arts 40 Food

Alan Moss | Palm Springs EDITORIAL

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Cover: Illustration by Pepe Fainberg, Jerusalem resident and illustrator, cartoonist and painter. Photographs in illustration courtesy of JFest.

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SUSAN EDELSTEIN

The Storyteller

By Taffy Thomas

Walking Around in Someone Else’s Shoes Our issue this month is about stories. Sharing our stories is as old as language itself; it is integral to the human experience. From prehistoric 30,000-year-old cave paintings to 4,000-year-old epics like Gilgamesh and 2,500-year-old fables like Aesop’s, storytelling is ubiquitous in human history. Those stories taught cooperation and survival skills, transmitted knowledge and helped people to make sense of their world. Storytelling spans cultures and continents and connects the generations. Sharing our stories — what we did, where we went, who we spent time with — whether orally or in writing, helps us to understand how others think and feel and creates empathy; it is the experience of ‘walking around in someone else’s shoes.’ In addition to the contents of this issue, here is a lovely poem by a legendary storyteller for your enjoyment. A

I’m a teller of tales, a spinner of yarns, A weaver of dreams and a liar.

I’ll teach you some stories to tell to your friends, While sitting at home by the fire.

You may not believe everything that I say But there’s one thing I’ll tell you that’s true For my stories were given as presents to me And now they are my gifts to you.

My stories are as old as the mountains and rivers That flow through the land they were born in They were told in the homes of peasants in rags And kings with fine clothes adorning.

There’s no need for silver or gold in great store For a tale becomes richer with telling And as long as each listener has a pair of good ears It matters not where they are dwelling.

A story well told can lift up your hearts And help you forget all your sorrows It can give you the strength and the courage to stand And face all your troubles tomorrow.

For there’s wisdom and wit, beauty and charm There’s laughter and sometimes there’s tears But when the story is over and the spell it is broken You’ll find there’s nothing to fear.

My stories were learned in my grandparents’ home Where their grandparents also had heard them They were given as payment by traveling folk For a warm place to lay down their burdens.

My stories are ageless, they never grow old With each telling they are born anew And when my story is ended, I’ll still be alive

In the tales that I’ve given to you.

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 11

Our Town

by Linda Bennett and Emily Bartell

On March 30, the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture held its annual Day of Learning, titled “Tapestry — A Day of Jewish Learning and Exploration,” in partnership with Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center.

This traditional Day of Learning, celebrating the best in Jewish arts, education and culture from around the world, was very well received by the whole community.

Kudos to Committee Chair Hannah Cohen and her Tapestry Committee. Of particular interest was “An Interfaith Dialogue: Confronting Antisemitism” panel discussion with Temple EmanuEl participant, Rabbi Devorah Marcus, and facilitated by Marie Raftery, discussing the “Power of Volunteerism: Connecting to Community and Enriching Lives.” Enjoying the program with us were Margarita Pinhas, Beth Peisic, Sharon Wax, Liz Coden, Beverly and Dennis Ellman, Francis Lobman, Debbie and Steve Mishek, Sharon Koren, Andrew Wachtman, and Renee Barnow.

Congregation Ohr Shalom held its 20th annual ”Lights of Ohr Shalom” fundraiser on March 23, to the delight of the entire crowd. The evening’s successful live auction was topped off with a spectacular performance by musician Steve Wolff. Rabbi Scott and Jennifer Meltzer, along with the entire planning committee, outdid themselves. Some of those enjoying the evening with us were Sarita and Sammy Zands, Lynn and Ivan Mendelsohn, Marcia and Ray Sachs, Elaine and Mark Smith, Amy and Bill Morris, Sherry Berlin, Morris

12 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

Lazard, Marvin Yudkovitz, Matt Brennan, Ellen Haber, and Naima and Jason Bercovitch.

Mazel Tov to Susan and Richard Ulevitch on the birth of their grandson, Robert Howard Ulevitch. Parents are Stephanie and David Ulevitch.

Mazel Tov to Julie and Lowell Potiker on the birth of their first grandchild, Avery Elise Potiker, born on Feb. 5 in San Diego. Parents are Anne Swenson Potiker and Michael Potiker.

Mazel Tov to Randi Saverese and Edward Saverese on the birth of their second grandchild, Talia Esther Saverese, born on March 12. Happy parents are David and Maya Saverese. Older sibling Joseph is overjoyed.

Mazel Tov to Zachary Wohlwind on becoming a Bar Mitzvah on March 1 in Agora Hills, CA. Zachary’s parents, Jessica and Andrew Wohlwind, along with sister Olivia, were excited to take part in their joyous family occasion. Proud grandparents are Leslie and Joel Mark, Vivian Wohlwind and John Wohlwind (z”l).

Mazel Tov to Gabriel Sapadon on their becoming a Bar Mitzvah on March 22 at Temple EmanuEl in NYC. Happy parents are Rabbi Sara Sapadon and Daniel Sapadon. Proud grandparent, Maureen Yellen Nelson, along with siblings, Ezra, Saul and Talia looked on with pride.

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Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 13

WHAT’S UP

Continue reading these stories at sdjewishjournal.com

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Online

Florida’s Todd Golden Becomes First Jewish Coach to Win March Madness Since 1988

by Ben Sales, JTA News Todd Golden became the first Jewish coach in 37 years to win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as his Florida Gators edged Houston 65-63 in the final on Monday night.

Golden’s championship capped an especially Jewish- and Israeliinflected Final Four. Along with Florida, Duke and Auburn were coached, respectively, by Jon Scheyer and Bruce Pearl, both of whom are Jewish. Houston player Emanuel

Sharp is the son of longtime Maccabi Tel Aviv player Derrick Sharp, and himself played for Israel’s national youth team.

Golden, 39, is also the youngest coach to win it all since the tournament expanded it its current structure in 1985. After playing college ball himself, he played for Maccabi Haifa, an Israeli pro basketball team, for two seasons.

The Passover Seder is a Model for Healing Democracies in Peril

by Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy, JTA News Revolutionaries throughout the ages have drawn strength from the story of Passover. As Michael Walzer brilliantly documents in his book “Exodus and Revolution,” the Israelites leaving Egypt inspired liberation movements and thinkers throughout history, from the French Revolution to the Puritans, and even Marx.

The African-American spiritual “Go Down Moses” and the inscription on the Liberty Bell — “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” quoting Leviticus — are just two well-known invocations of the Exodus as a call to freedom.

‘That’s Simchas Torah’: The Jewish Val Kilmer Moment You Might Have Missed

by Grace Gilson, JTA News When the world got news of Val Kilmer’s passing, many Jews surely thought of the movie star’s iconic turn in the 1998 animated feature “The Prince of Egypt,” a perennial Passover favorite.

But the late actor had a lesser-known Jewish movie moment, centered on

14 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

another holiday, in his 1984 debut film — a Cold War spy spoof titled “Top Secret!” from ZAZ, the Jewish team behind the comedy “Airplane!”

In the movie, Kilmer plays a rockstar who is told the date of a nefarious plot by the movie’s East German antagonists. He replies, “Sunday?

But that’s Simchas Torah.”

Though Kilmer was not Jewish himself, his on-point pronunciation of the relatively obscure fall Jewish holiday — which celebrates the end and beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings — resonated with viewers.

AFTER 77 YEARS, WE’RE STILL FIGHTING FOR A JEWISH STATE.

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ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov | andreasimantov@gmail.com

The Gift of “We” “ In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1 The year was 1986. On an early Friday morning, I stood in line at the kosher bakery, waiting patiently to issue my order for Shabbat challot and, perhaps, a chocolate babka. My toddler daughter, Gabrielle, gripped the hem of my skirt as I directed the clerk along the various shelves and glass enclosures. Five-month-old Yael was tightly swaddled in a denim Snugli, and maneuvering packages and babies was proving difficult.

Gabrielle whined, “I want a Bereshit cookie!”

“A what?” I queried.

“A Bereshit cookie!” she wailed, pointing to a tray of the pillowy black and white, classic East Coast treats.

It took me a New York minute to unravel why she was calling them Bereshit cookies and not the customary moniker, “black & white.”

What my three-year-old was referring to was the fourth line of the Torah’s opening chapter in the Book of Genesis: “And G-d saw the light that it was good, and G-d separated between the light and between the darkness.”

Every religiously observant parent is rarely surprised when their children lift quotes from the holy text since the first

16 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

book of the Torah is intensely covered in song, tale and holiday pageants. I was so nonplussed at the time, I only recalled this incident four decades later.

Today, Gabrielle is the mother of nine children and bakes her own black & white cookies each year in commemoration of the new cycle of Torah reading. I watch in awe as her own children sing the same songs that she and her siblings sang, continuing our legacy by adding another layer to our unfolding Jewish history and, please G-d, ultimate redemption. It is this delicious, cyclical aspect of our lives that brings me so much comfort, especially after

almost 19 months of a brutal war that was imposed upon us with unbridled ferocity. How many men and women have questioned their faith in these months, shakily asking if G-d exists and if so, what is the message that He is trying to impart?

This month, we commemorate Lag B’Omer, when a terrible epidemic felled 24,000 students of the great teacher Rabbi Akiva. These students were brilliant, destined to strengthen Torah study throughout the civilized world, except for one terrible shortcoming in their characters: They did not demonstrate love and respect for one another.

As towering scholars, they should have been role models but were arrogant and dismissive. Hence, tragic consequences befell them.

On Lag B’Omer, we are reminded that we need one another. Each new Torah discovery, read year after year, is unique to those who come upon them.

And consequently, the new “take” or discovery enriches the entire Jewish nation. No Jew by himself, regardless of his respective erudition, natural genius continues on page 20 >>

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LITERATURE

WRITTEN IN FIRE

by Trevor James McNeil

tremcneil1980@gmail.com

The Wouk Agenda

W

e all have our own way of dealing with horrible things.

For Herman Wouk, it was writing. Born in the Bronx in 1915, a year after the start of The Great War, Wouk was witness to some of the best and worst the 20th century had to offer, especially for the Jews, which Wouk unabashedly was, even when it was dangerous to say so.

Wouk was the son of a Jewish immigrant from Belarus, back when it was still in the iron grip of the Soviet Empire. His father, Abraham Issac Wouk, did everything he could to keep his family out of poverty in their new country. A rare example of the American dream somewhat working, the older Wouk went on to start his own relatively successful laundry service. He gave his son a fairly comfortable lower middleclass existence through his childhood.

A bright child, Wouk attended and graduated from an elite private prep school, later entering the Ivy League, earning a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934. While this is where his official academic career ended, Wouk would go on to receive four honorary degrees including a Doctor of Letters from American International College and a Ph.D. from Bar-Ilan University in Israel for his work.

His career in publishing started at Columbia, where he was editor of the humor magazine Jester, the less famous sister publication of the Harvard Lampoon, and penned two of its annual

18 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

On a hot streak, Wouk’s fourth novel, ‘Marjorie Morningstar,’ was published in 1955, four years after ‘The Caine Mutiny.’

shows, showing an early talent for both writing and humor.

After graduating from Columbia, Wouk went into radio, writing scripts for several of the most successful shows of the day, including David Freedman’s “Joke Factory.” Then, when the specter of war got so heavy America could no longer ignore it, Wouk worked for the government, writing advertisements encouraging reluctant Americans to buy war bonds.

When the Japanese Air Force made the severe tactical error of bombing Pearl Harbor, thereby dragging the United States kicking and screaming into the Second World War, Wouk did his duty, joining the U.S. Navy and participating in brutal sea battles in the Pacific Theater.

The experience was educational in ways Wouk hadn’t expected, later saying, “I learned about machinery, I learned about how men behave under pressure, and I learned about Americans.” Wouk left the Navy after the war as a decorated lieutenant, having participated in some of the most intense fighting in the war, including the infamous Battle of Okinawa.

Carrying on his habit of writing when he wasn’t busy thrashing the Axis, Wouk was working on his first novel, “Aurora Dawn: or, The True History of Andrew Reale, Containing A Faithful Account of the Great Riot, Together with the complete text of Michael Wilde’s Oration and Father Stanfield’s Sermon.” It was an intentionally obtuse title for a work of historical fiction that mimics the lengthy and descriptive names often given to books in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Wouk sent the first few chapters to one of his favorite former professors at Columbia, Irwin Edman, who was so impressed with the 29-year-old Wouk’s work that he sent the sample to an editor he knew in New York. Signed to a publishing contract while still onboard a destroyer ship off the coast of Okinawa, the book was published two years later in 1947 to great success and was an official selection of the Book of the Month Club, an unusual honor for a first-time novelist.

His second novel, carrying the comparatively terse title of “City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder,” continues on page 20 >>

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Literature continued was published the following year but wasn’t quite as successful as “Aurora Dawn” partly due to unlucky timing, as it came out the same year as Norman Mailer’s “The Naked and the Dead,” putting the two titles in direct competition.

It took three years for Wouk to publish his third novel, “The Caine Mutiny.” Based on his experiences on a destroyer during WWII, it was a great success, despite his wife’s misgivings, and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was adapted first into a stage play, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” in 1953, and then into a film starring Humphrey Bogart in 1954.

On a hot streak, Wouk’s fourth novel, “Marjorie Morningstar,” was published in 1955, four years after “The Caine Mutiny.” Ostensibly about a woman who wants to become an actress in the 1930s, the narrative also explores Jewish identity as well as antisemitism. The book’s heroine, Marjorie Morgenstern, rises from humble beginnings in a poor Bronx neighborhood to indeed become a famous actress, using the stage name Marjorie Morningstar. Both a cover for her Jewish heritage, which might cause

her trouble, and a rebuke to those whom it might be an issue, ‘Morningstar’ being a direct translation of the German root for ‘Morgenstern.’ As with “The Caine Mutiny,” the book was a success and was later made into a film with Natalie Wood and Gene Kelly.

Working mostly on plays and nonfiction for the rest of the 1950s, including “Nature’s Way” in 1957 and “This Is My God: The Jewish Way of Life” in 1959, his next original novel, “Youngblood Hawke,” was published in 1962. A strong return to the humor writing of his earlier career, Wouk shows a degree of self-awareness in the story of a talented young writer from humble origins in Kentucky who becomes the new darling of the famously fickle New York literary set. Wouk’s follow up, “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” published in 1965, has a similar if inverse theme, following a New Yorker who wants to escape to a Caribbean paradise during a midlife crisis.

Returning to war novels in the early 1970s, it would be nearly six years before his next novel, “ Winds of War,” was published in 1971, followed by “War and Remembrance” seven years later in 1978.

Israeli Lifestyle continued or hard work, can acquire the totality of the Torah. We pray in a quorum for a reason. As stated in Ethics of the Fathers (Pirke Avot), “Who is wise?

One who learns from every person.” It is a prerequisite for connecting fully with Torah and all of Jewish life to first appreciate the contributions of others.

Faith can be fragile and faith can be firm. Each morning we recite a series of blessings. The first and foremost utterance is, “Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, King of the universe, Who gave the heart understanding to distinguish between day and night.” This opening

20 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

section of prayer provides my heart, especially when troubled, clarity, light, and the wisdom to know that I am not — and am never — alone. A

New York-born Andrea Simantov moved to Israel 29 years ago. She is a small-business owner and both a print and media journalist. Her popular podcast, “Pull Up a Chair,” is produced

by Israel News Talk Radio. She can be reached at andrea@israelnewstalkradio.com.

With the war out of his system for a while, Wouk turned his attention to himself again, publishing “Inside, Outside” in 1985. The result of seven years of work, the book follows the fortunes, both good and bad, of four generations of a Russian Jewish family who eventually immigrate to America.

Pivoting to a darker sort of humor, Wouk published “The Hope” in 1993.

Published in the first period of possible peace he had known in his life, even the Cold War at an end by the early 1990s, “The Hope” is a historical novel about the development of the state of Israel from its formation in 1948 to its baptism of blood and fire in the 1960s, ending with the Six-Day War in 1967, which solidified modern Israel as it is known today. It was shortly followed in 1996 with “The Glory,” taking characters from “The Hope” through the Yom Kippur War and into the first attempts at peace.

It would be nearly a decade before Wouk published another novel, surprising the world in 2004 with the delightfully surreal “A Hole In Texas,” about a physicist who finds out their ex only went and discovered the Higgs boson particle.

As Wouk got older, his output became slower, with a nonfiction book on science, “The Language God Talks: On Science and Religion,” in 2010, the novel “The Lawgiver” in 2012, and the memoir “Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author” in 2015. Wouk would prove himself to be stronger than death, as Ted Hughes put it, eventually passing away of definitively old age, 10 days before his 104th birthday in 2019. A Growing up in the far north, Trevor James McNeil had little to do other than read when the temperature went below 40 Celsius, and he developed an affinity for stories of all sorts.

Graduating from the University of Victoria in 2009, he has been reading and writing in a professional capacity since. He lives in a cabin in the woods with his dog, and firmly believes The Smiths would have been better as a trio.

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The View from Mt. Scopus: A Century of Science and Innovation JERUSALEM, APRIL 1925. A crowd gathers on a windswept hillside of Mount Scopus. British statesman Lord Arthur Balfour sits beside poet Chaim Nachman Bialik and philosopher Martin Buber.

They’ve traveled far to witness a dream becoming reality: the inauguration of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As the ceremony reaches its climax, Zionist leader Menachem Ussishkin declares in Hebrew, “May this house on Mount Scopus be a house of science for all nations.” In that moment, the founders’ grand vision—a university that would blend ancient heritage with modern science, serving both the Jewish people and all humanity—takes flight.

Fast-forward 100 years, and the echoes of that inaugural day are alive and well. The View from Mt. Scopus, a new podcast from American Friends of the Hebrew University, captures this spirit by weaving past and present into one narrative. In its first episode, the podcast journeys from 1925 Mount Scopus to modern labs and reveals how the University’s original mission—bridging tradition and innovation—continues to bear fruit, quite literally, in fields and kitchens alike.

“I know of no public event which has given me such delight as the proposal to establish a Hebrew University in Jerusalem,” Albert Einstein wrote in his diary in 1921. That delight was rooted in high hopes, and the Hebrew University has since been turning those hopes into real-world impact. Soon after its founding, the Hebrew University established a Faculty of Agriculture. If the nascent State of Israel was ever to take root, it

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Professor Menachem Moshelion.

Professor Masha Niv.

would have to coax crops out of arid land and conserve every drop of water.

CO₂, the water. We first try to understand what the plants sense. When we understand this, we try to improve the plant or the condition that the plant grows in.” In other words, the greenhouse is built to eavesdrop on the “silent conversation” a plant has with its surroundings. By listening in—via data from dozens of soil moisture probes, climate sensors, and high-precision scales—the team can give each plant exactly what it needs to thrive, no more and no less.

To achieve this tailored care, Professor Moshelion’s team developed a system that essentially puts plants through a stress test. “This is our functional phenotyping system,” he says, pointing to a cluster of instruments attached to a row of pepper plants. “Each plant gets exactly the amount of water and minerals we want it to get, and we get the data back,” Professor Moshelion explains. With a few clicks, his team can dial up a drought, spike the heat, or even

Listening to the Plants

REHOVOT, 2025. The sun filters through what looks like an ordinary greenhouse at Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot.

Rows of plants sit in neat lines, each one attached to sensors and tubes.

This is no simple nursery; it’s a hightech laboratory designed to help crops withstand a changing climate. Here, Professor Menachem Moshelion, an expert in plant molecular physiology, and his team are turning that old “make the desert bloom” ethos into 21st-century science.

“Our lab is focused on understanding how plants respond to their environment,” explains Professor Moshelion.

“Plants are sensing their environment every minute. They sense the light, the

Photo: Yoram Aschheim.

introduce a disease in one corner of the greenhouse—and then watch how each plant reacts in real time.

Stepping out of Moshelion’s greenhouse, one can’t help but think of those early Mount Scopus pioneers. They probably couldn’t have imagined this scene—plants on life support monitored by computers—but they would recognize the purpose behind it: feeding people; saving crops; and using science to solve urgent problems. It’s exactly what they set out to do in 1925.

The Science of Taste

If agriculture was a priority for Hebrew University’s first generation, today’s researchers are also exploring the frontiers of what food means to us. Enter Professor Masha Niv, a biochemist who teaches at the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and an expert on flavor.

As a young scientist, Professor Niv decided to focus on one of the most puzzling taste sensations: bitterness.

Why bitter? “Because there are 25

different bitter taste receptors in the human body,” she says with a grin.

“When I started my lab in 2007, there was no database of bitter compounds— there was just general knowledge that many molecules taste bitter. So, we built one.” She named it BitterDB. By mapping which chemical structures trigger which of those 25 bitter receptors, the BitterDB project has helped scientists worldwide understand why, say, broccoli rabe tastes sharp or why some people find cilantro unpleasantly soapy.

Beyond scientific curiosity, this research has delicious (and healthy) implications. The food and beverage industry is keenly interested in what Professor Niv calls “bitterness inhibition” and “sweetness enhancement.” In other words, how can we block unpleasant tastes or boost desirable ones? “Imagine medicine that doesn’t taste awful because a ‘bitterness blocker’ was added,” Professor Niv says. On the flip side, understanding the chemistry of sweetness could help address one of the biggest public health

challenges: excess sugar consumption.

“Sugar remains a very attractive taste,” she notes. “If we are able to obtain sweet perception without actually using so much sugar, then it would be better for us.” Such insights could lead to foods that satisfy our sweet tooth with a fraction of the sugar—a boon for weight management and diabetes prevention.

As Hebrew University marks its 100th anniversary, these scenes form a vivid tapestry of a legacy in action.

The University’s founders dreamed of an institution that would generate knowledge and apply it to improve lives.

Did they foresee greenhouses that can “talk” to crops, or databases of flavor compounds that might revolutionize nutrition? Probably not. But they planted the seeds—in some cases, quite literally— for these breakthroughs by creating a place where curiosity meets purpose.

To hear this episode and other fascinating stories from Hebrew University’s past and present, tune in to The View from Mt. Scopus, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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“ It was partly inspired by my own childhood, my own life. The four characters are me and three of my friends...”

— playwright Gwydion Suilebhan

Unapologetically Jewish New Plays | by Makayla Hoppe

T

he 32nd Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival— or JFEST—kicked off in early April with The Whole Megillah, a collection of developing works telling Jewish stories of past and present. The new play festival was conceived in 2019 when Producing Director Becca Myers worked alongside Artistic Director Todd Salovey to take on a new project within JFEST. “Todd and I were sitting together, and we were trying to imagine what my goals were for my future as a producer,” Becca said. “I had been at the San Diego Rep as the NNPN [National New Play Network] Producer in residence, so I was just getting my ground, getting my feet under me in terms of figuring out how to produce. And Todd kind of looked at me, and he said, ‘All right, well, what’s the project that you want to do?’”

24 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

Becca took on the task of discovering and working on new plays by both up-and-coming and established playwrights focusing on Jewish stories.

The plays would be workshopped for a week before being given a reading in front of an audience.

“We need to hear the playwright and we need to hear the words in the actors’ mouths. They need to figure out what’s not quite working yet and resolve those problems so they can get it to a full production shortly after we’ve done the development process,” Becca said.

“The idea is to really shepherd in a new contemporary wave of Jewish plays.”

The Whole Megillah’s lineup for 2025 featured three new works: “The Treehouse” by Gwydion Suilebhan, “Chagall” by Yale Strom and Todd Salovey and “Variations of Crossing the Alps” by Deborah Yarchun. The staged readings

played April 2-6 at The Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

“I get a lot of new plays that come to me from other theaters, from agents and from playwrights directly,” Becca said. “So, every year, I read an immense amount of new Jewish plays...and it’s always exciting when something completely new comes across my desk.”

The Treehouse

By Gwydion Suilebhan Directed by Doug Oliphant Four childhood friends come together as men to sit shiva for a father’s passing.

Family and friendship drama come to the surface when secrets are revealed, issues are addressed and old wounds are healed.

Grief helps the men discuss what they have been holding on to all this time.

FEATURE “ I’ve been curious how my grandmother survived World War II...she was a midwife and she was in the woods, and those two things never made sense.”

— playwright Deborah Yarchun

Variations of Crossing the Alps

Photos courtesy of JFest.

By Deborah Yarchun Directed by Becks Redman

“It was partly inspired by my own childhood, my own life,” said playwright Gwydion Suilebhan. “The four characters are me and three of my friends filtered heavily through the lens of fiction, so there are significant distortions. But the play was born out of my impulse to tell a story that depicted men working their way out of toxic masculinity. It’s a path that’s not easily walked; I wanted to show it. I wanted to see how it can be done.”

Chagall

By Yale Strom & Todd Salovey Original music & lyrics by Yale Strom Directed by Todd Salovey This new musical celebrates the life and art of Marc and Bella Chagall through original music and visuals based on the artists’ work. It tells the story of their journey from Vitebsk and Gordes to America.

“Even though it’s getting tense, they don’t want to leave,” said playwright and composer Yale Strom. “They don’t think it will be as bad—they have been through other difficult times. They love the [European] culture, and everything about America doesn’t really excite them. And to leave, like other artists, it’s not always so easy to pick up; they drag their feet. So, I created a fictionalized story around that.”

The show features 15 original songs that span a range of genres from Jewish Orient to Sondheim and classical. “‘Chagall’ has been workshopped through The Whole Megillah before, so I was familiar with it,” Becca added.

“It’s exciting to talk about the history of a famous painter and to have a new musical with new songs. It’s a cool thing.

I think this story is important. This idea of being a refugee is really relevant right now, so I was excited to explore that a little bit.”

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel immerses herself in her family’s history throughout World War II. During a time with an unknown future, she is displaced from her home and sees the parallels to her grandmother’s state of wandering and searching amidst the Holocaust.

“I’ve been really curious since childhood how my grandmother survived World War II because all she said is that she was a midwife and that she was in the woods, and those two things never made sense,” said playwright Deborah Yarchun. “My grandparents didn’t really talk about their story like a lot of people in their generation who went through that trauma. And as a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I’m wondering, ‘What was the story?’”

The play flips between the two different time periods and shows Rachel’s life interspersed with her grandmother’s escape to Russia.

“It has all of the same elements that a lot of people, I think, feel connected to, and to place it against the landscape of COVID felt really sort of current and brought the story into a modern light of coming to terms with family history,” Becca added.

“A lot of the plays that we develop in The Whole Megillah have gone on to have rich lives beyond, and that’s in part due to helping, developing and providing support,” said Becca. “But there’s something that Todd and I are really excited about that we first talked about six years ago, which is, how do we expand? So, in five years, I hope that The Whole Megillah will be producing a full production of a new play that has been developed through our workshop.” A

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 25

FEATURE

Sadness, Anger and Various Swirling Emotions

by Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort

I

felt as though I had absorbed a body blow when I learned the agonizing information that the Bibas babies were strangled to death by Hamas savages, and their mother’s body was returned to Israel only after Hamas broke another deal.

First Universal Truth: Any deal/ ceasefire with Hamas will last right up until Hamas decides to break it. And Hamas will break it. So, my friends, put no stock in any deal with the barbarians.

Second Universal Truth: Iran is responsible for all of this. The murders.

The hostages. The terror. It is Iran pulling the strings. When will they be held accountable?

Third Universal Truth: One cannot win a war if only on defense. If the enemy

26 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

This story is as old as the Torah.

Antisemitism has evolved and endured through the millennia. gets to choose when, where and how to attack, Israeli security will eventually fail and Israelis (and Jews worldwide) will suffer, G-d forbid. If the political leaders in Iran are not held to account for their crimes against humanity, this will never

stop. If Hamas, Hizbollah, Iranians and Huthis are not neutralized the suffering for everyone — most especially the Palestinians — will never end.

Fourth Universal Truth: We must be grateful for the miraculous salvation enjoyed by our people when the bus bombs didn’t go off as planned. That was an epic set of miracles. We must be grateful for the true friends Israel does have, most prominently here in the US. Reading about the atrocities breaks my heart and stokes fury in my mind. It is all I can do to function. At any moment, I am overcome with profound anger and sadness. My first inclination is to ‘bury my head in the sand’ and not read about what is going on. But then I realize that it is my responsibility to remain informed,

2025 SDJT Summer Jewish Journal.pdf

if only so I can respond when another false allegation is leveled against Israel. It hurts to remain informed, but the alternative is not a viable option.

How do I balance the need to function, enjoy the blessings in life, and create light in this world, while at the same time mourning the innocent victims?

I don’t know.

We are experiencing a profound and ongoing attack against Jews. The antisemitism seems to be growing. The moral confusion in the world, where the victims are blamed, is growing. How does one deal with someone who would strangle an infant with his own hands, or who decapitates and puts babies in ovens? How does one deal with a population that celebrates the barbarity and that hates Jews more than loving its own lives? How does one deal with a legacy media that continues to serve as a propaganda machine for these modern-day Nazis, as it sanitizes the atrocities by under-reporting and tries its best to make Israel look like the aggressor by not contextualizing the story? How does one undo decades of false narratives being promulgated by professors to impressionable youth in even the most prestigious universities?

I don’t know.

What I do know is that we are all soldiers in this existential war. We must be united and stand together. We must be armed with the knowledge necessary to defend Israel against the haters and/or those who are ignorant and are allowing themselves to be useful idiots. We must go on the offensive, if not with physical weapons, then with our spiritual weapons.

This story is as old as the Torah. Antisemitism has evolved and endured through the millennia. The antisemites never seem to learn. Some don’t even know that they are antisemites. They are truly pathetic, miserable miscreants. What purpose do they have? Why do they hate us so?

I don’t know.

I am fiercely proud of my people. While dealing with the hate and violence of the enemy, we remain human and humane. We join together to comfort those most dramatically hurt by the enemy, as the family we are.

It is my opinion that we must give all of the support we can, physical and moral, to those on the front lines of protecting our people. When we hear the inevitable libels, we must be ready to respond. Better yet, we must take the initiative, and put our enemies on their proverbial heels.

Bring our light into their darkness and watch as they dissipate into nothingness.

May the Almighty grant us the strength to do what must be done. May the Almighty comfort us among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. A

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Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort co-directs, with his wife Rebbetzin Nechama Eilfort, Coastal Chabads, Chabad at La Costa, Encinitas, and Carlsbad North. Rabbi Eilfort welcomes and encourages readers’ comments and questions sent to his personal email: rabbie@chabadatlacosta.com.

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 27

FEATURE

No Such Thing as Lite” When Touring the South

by Galia Miller Sprung

M

y first year in college, a long time ago, my sorority had a party with a fraternity. It was called the Gaza Strip Party. What possessed us to choose that name? Was this a party with a non-Jewish fraternity, showing how Jews and non-Jews could party together? Or was it a friendly competition of sorts? Drinking, maybe.

Why Gaza? It was still under Egyptian control.

By the time I made Aliya over three years later, the news was full of reports of terrorist attacks and Ariel Sharon’s mission to rid Gaza of terrorists. But I was troubled, haunted even, by our Gaza Strip party. We used the Gaza Strip as a draw for a rousing, noisy party, with drinking and dancing, yet Gaza was a place of conflict, of terror even then.

Terrorists (called Fedayeen then) were raiding into Israel, killing civilians. We were making a joke out of a place that embodied terror and death. What were we thinking back then? I like to think we were trying for friendship between Arabs and Jews. We sorority girls dressed up in what we considered Arab attire (was it a Purim party?) I went as a belly dancer. I don’t associate belly dancers with Gaza, but that’s what we did back then.

28 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

In the years following the Six Day War, Gaza opened up in both directions.

Israelis drove there to shop. Settlements were established. Gazans drove freely back and forth into Israel “proper” to work and play.

I even lived near Gaza on Kibbutz Yad Mordechai from 1982-86.

One day, I walked with a kibbutz friend across the sand dunes to Moshav Netiv HaAsara. While strolling around the moshav, my friend gestured nonchalantly with her hand: “That’s Gaza.”

“There? Across the sand?” I asked not really seeing a sign, fence or boundary.

“Yes,” she answered. “It’s just a half mile away.”

But we weren’t worried. We weren’t afraid. It was almost just a curiosity.

Well, I was afraid of Gazan drivers. In the morning, the two-lane road to Tel Aviv was filled with overloaded cars from Gaza, speeding and passing with no concern for their own safety, let alone other drivers.

RIGHT: The memorial in Sederot where the police station had been.

LOWER LEFT: Haim and Sima Koren next to the memorial for their son-inlaw, Gilad Elmaliach.

Photos courtesy Galia Miller Sprung.

Afternoons consisted of more wild driving.

That same road today is a main four-lane highway, famous now for funeral processions of returned hostages, like the Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.

I witnessed that horrific procession.

It wasn’t planned. I was on a tour of the Gaza Envelope — a true misnomer — the communities within 4.5 miles of the Southern border. This was going to be a “lite” tour, I had thought. We weren’t going to the Nova memorial site or Tkuma where the burned-out cars sit.

I have been there a few times. It is pure horror. It’s looking into cars knowing someone you knew was burned to death there. No, this tour would focus on different areas of the south. It would be less stressful, less dramatic.

I soon realized that there is no such thing as a lite tour.

While driving south, we found ourselves in gridlock. We needed to turn left onto that same highway the Gazans had used to play Russian Roulette in my day. Our groans of annoyance quickly vanished as the scene came into focus.

Waiting. It was the day of the burial of the Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas. The funeral procession route was publicized, and thousands of Israelis lined every street and highway from Rishon LeTzion to the cemetery in Zohar near the Bibas home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

The funeral procession should have passed this intersection over an hour before, but that didn’t affect the crowds.

Although we couldn’t get off the bus to stand along the road, we watched, unable to hold back tears. I looked at each passing vehicle, sick at what was inside one of them.

They passed by, and we turned south not far behind the procession. For miles, the road was filled with people slowly walking back to the cars they had left

along the highway in fields and on side roads, just to be present for those few seconds to show their love and support.

No, this would not be a lite tour of the South.

At the site of the original Kibbutz Nitzanim, we heard stories of the takeover of the kibbutz by Egyptian forces during the War of Independence.

Has nothing changed? The kibbutz was attacked, the army didn’t show up, brave defenders were shot dead while waving white flags. There were 105 members taken captive. The similarities pushed me further into a growing depression. All I could think of was Kibbutz Nir Oz and the killing or kidnapping of a quarter of its members. The army only arrived after all the terrorists had left.

In Sderot, we wept while watching a short documentary. We heard testimonies from police and residents.

We heard about the six-year-old girl who saw her parents killed in front of her while she protected her baby sister by hiding her under cushions in the back seat of the car. All of this in front continues on next page >>

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 29

No Such Thing continued

of a place that should have given her the most protection: the police station. When a soldier found her, she asked, “Are you the police of Israel?” Her poignant question is engraved on one of the 18 “Pillars of Eternity” at the memorial where the Sderot police station once stood and where 20 police officers were killed. You can hear a recording of her hopeful question emanating from embedded speakers.

Already weighed down with images and stories from the documentary, we crossed the street to a nearby yeshiva, where our hearts continued to break. The yeshiva was included in the tour to honor the son-in-law of one of the couples on the tour.

Master Sgt. Gilad Elmaliach, a graduate of this yeshiva, fell in Lebanon. In the courtyard, we listened while two of Gilad’s friends shared stories about him. Gilad’s widow, Shir, is now raising their five children without their father. As we gasped and mumbled words of sorrow and pity on hearing this, Shir’s mother stopped us short. She told us what Shir had said at the shiva for Gilad: “Don’t pity us. We have strength.”

Shir’s parents Haim and Sima Koren stood next to the memorial plaque with Gilad’s picture and cellphones clicked.

I remember when he was killed. Who can forget news reports of 24 soldiers being killed in battle over a one-week period, leaving 56 children without their fathers? I stood on the fivestory-high observation deck of the yeshiva building looking at Gaza less than a mile away, trying to visualize Oct. 7, but my mind refused to go there. I needed some of Shir’s strength.

We had heard earlier during the film at the memorial how the fierce battle the police raged against the terrorists prevented their finding the yeshiva with its hundreds of students, both men and women. What a miracle. There could

30 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

have been another massacre. I wasn’t alone in my thoughts.

I felt the initial fear of what could have been and then the relief of those around me.

Just a short time later, while listening to stories at the Yishiva, we heard how armed graduates, visiting for the Sukkot holiday, protected the Yishiva and helped the police fight the terrorists! One of the soldiers succeeded in killing terrorists.

Competing parallel narratives in search of glory? Not at all. These narratives only emphasize the determination and character of soldiers, police and civilians in protecting others.

Who cares how it’s told?

As we headed back to the main street, we were tantalized by the aroma of freshly baked bread. We were drawn towards a humus place across the street, but our guide said those frustrating words: “No time!” We missed a mitzvah. The restaurant had just reopened. It is owned by the son of hostage survivor Keith Siegal, who just two days before had left the hospital and finally returned to his kibbutz, three weeks after being released from the horrors of Gaza. Maybe I could run over, get a pita and falafel and rush back to the group. But one glance at the lines at the humus stand thwarted my plans.

It was back to the bus and on to the next venue in the Gaza Envelope.

That phrase again: Gaza Envelope. Back in my freshman year of college, I never thought I’d move to Israel, let alone live a few miles from the namesake of our “party.” But I did. When I moved to Yad Mordechai in 1982, the area wasn’t called the Gaza Envelope because Israel still controlled Gaza. Use of the term started after the Disengagement, when Israel unilaterally withdrew all communities from Gaza and control was handed to the Palestinian Authority. Now these communities like Yad Mordechai were again on the border. They are there to protect Israel, not the Gaza Strip and especially today after Oct. 7, it’s just the wrong word. So, I did a first for me. I asked AI for help in finding a better term for those communities located within 4.5 miles of the border with Gaza. This is what it gave me: “Gaza Border Communities”: Highlights the residential aspect of the area. “Southern Border Zone”: A more neutral, geographical term. “Gaza Periphery”: Often used in English to describe the surrounding area. “Resilience Zone”: Emphasizes the strength and adaptability of the communities living there.

No one is asking me, but there can be no reference to the word Gaza when defining the communities in the south. My preference is “Resilience Zone.” I thought I knew how strong and resilient the residents of these communities are, but they are much more than I thought possible. A

Galia Miller Sprung moved to Israel from Palm Springs, California in 1970 to become a pioneer farmer and was a founding member of a moshav in the Jordan Rift Valley. Today she is a retired high school teacher, a writer and editor. She lives with her husband in Tzufim.

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Rose Kipperman – San Diego Edith Palkowitz – San Diego Leonid Tsank – La Mesa Karen Welland – San Diego Sheldon Silber – La Jolla Helen Krugman – San Diego Lauren Wilson – La Mesa Jack Ezroj – Mission Viejo, CA Sofia Petrovsky – Fountain Valley, CA Miriam Wazeter – San Diego Sulamita Zacks – Omaha, NB Rosalyn Allina – La Mesa James Allina – La Mesa Michel Ohayon – San Diego

May their memory be a blessing.

Charlotte Marx – Encinitas Martin Mass – Valley Center Paul Davis – Solana Beach Rhoda Eblowitz – Oceanside Lee Amos – San Diego Christa Mandel – San Diego Karen Rund – Encinitas Raphael Silverman – San Diego Shayne Mejia – San Diego Maria Klyusner – San Marcos Boris Gorenberg – San Diego Edmund Schloss – Cardiff by the Sea

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32 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

FEATURE

San Diegans Giving Back

T

here are many people and organizations in San Diego that are engaged in the business of giving. They give to others and to their communities because it’s what they do. We appreciate them all, as do the beneficiaries of their good deeds.

Among the most deserving of our attention and support are our children, veterans and the Israel Defense Forces. This story will highlight the work of ArtReach,

which provides art experiences and education to San Diego public school students on site and within ArtReach’s neighborhood studio; Workshops for Warriors, which provides training to veterans and creates excellent career opportunities and opens doors across the country; and San Diego Jewish Academy student Marjorie Esses has found a way to honor the fallen soldiers of the IDF. continue reading >>

ArtReach

ArtReach has completed 40 murals, engaging kids and communities in designing large collaborative works that reflected their vision and transformed their space.

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ArtReach has been in action since 2008 with the mission to bring free visual arts education to San Diego’s public school students, and was a direct result of the drastic cuts to the state’s education budget, which eliminated virtually all arts classes. What a bleak picture is painted by schools without art. All children need and deserve the experience of creating something concrete from their abstract imaginings and visualizations of the world around them. Art has the power to transform a child’s world, inspire, spark creativity, encourage expressive outlets, build confidence and mine new potential.

When ArtReach began, it served students in kindergarten through grade six, and now reaches kids from TK all the way through 12th grade. Since 2019, the Mural Program has allowed kids in the community to design 40 murals at schools, libraries, recreation centers and other public places; the large collaborative works reflected their vision and transformed their space.

Each mural is celebrated with a gathering, dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. These murals not only beautify a school or center, they also instill pride and a sense of belonging that lasts long after the project’s completion, a testimony to the power of collaborative creation. These public murals are on display all over the city; check out Art Crawl. ArtReach also shows its students’ creations at various Art Walks throughout the county, including Little Italy, Liberty Station and Carlsbad.

In 2024, ArtReach opened its brand new 6,000 sq. ft. studio in the middle of Hillcrest and started a “creative wonderland” of community programs and neighborhood workshops that have reached more than 2,100 budding artists in its first year and became the recipient of a $5.2 million grant from the Prebys Foundation. The studio conducts a wide range of classes and summer camps and is the showcase for its own mural titled “Ignite Creativity,” which was painted by 200 community members over the course of three weeks and was dedicated last September. This joyful, colorful mural celebrates the vibrant history of Hillcrest and evokes the essence of ArtReach.

Thank you, ArtReach, for enriching young minds and beautifying San Diego.

FEATURE

Workshops for Warriors Founded in 2008 by Hernan Luis y Prado, Workshops for Warriors (WFW) is dedicated to our veterans and ensuring them a successful transition to civilian careers. It is also dedicated to rebuilding American manufacturing, and to that end, WFW provides veterans with expert training in accredited four-month courses in 10 fields in skilled manufacturing. Graduates earn nationally recognized credentials, which means they can live anywhere in the country, and their credentials are recognized. The credentials are also stackable, meaning one can earn many, thereby increasing skills, prospects and earnings. A crucial part of WFW’s program is to support all the way to job placement. It is no surprise that graduates are working in every state.

Since its inception, WFW has trained more than 1,400 vets and has awarded more than 18,000 credentials in advanced manufacturing.

Headquartered here in San Diego, WFW has created the only advanced manufacturing training pipeline for veterans in the country, and their ultimate goal is to reproduce their model throughout the U.S. To meet the Founder and CEO of Workshops for Warriors, Hernan Luis y Prado, is to understand the success of WFW. Hernan is an energetic and charismatic leader who served 15 years in the U.S. Navy as Hospital Corpsman, then Surface Warfare Officer, and saw three combat tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the Navy Surface Warfare Officer School and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and other service awards. In civilian life, Hernan is the recipient of many accolades and awards for his work on behalf of veterans, from President

Obama’s Champion of Change Award in 2012 to San Diego Business Journal’s CEO of the Year twice, most recently in 2024. He was asked to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and was the TEDx San Diego featured speaker in the military category.

Hernan is currently focused on improving WFW’s capacity and longterm impact by expanding its program with a new 25,000 sq. ft. educational facility. This expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will allow WFW to increase the number of veterans certified each year to over 800.

It is fitting that WFW’s annual fundraising gala will be held this year on May 31 on the USS Midway.

SDJA’s Marjorie Esses For her Lions Incubator school project, San Diego Jewish Academy 10th grader Marjorie Esses was moved to honor the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces killed since Oct. 7. Marjorie designs and sells hoodie sweatshirts embroidered with the names of fallen soldiers on the left arm of the hoodie — the same arm that Jews wrap tefillin around as part of their prayer ritual, symbolic of the connection to one’s heart.

Marjorie calls her project Zichrono Livracha, meaning “of blessed memory.”

In addition to the embroidered name on the left sleeve, the thread color reflects the soldier’s unit, and on the back of the hoodie, the Hebrew word “ ” is embroidered as a powerful reminder that these soldiers gave their lives for freedom. This symbol stands as a testament to their sacrifice and a call to honor their memory by living fully and upholding Jewish identity. continues on next page >>

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 35

San Diegans continued “ Our Israeli soldiers are especially dear to me because my brother is also a soldier.”

“I wanted to do something to honor the memories of our fallen heroes,” said Marjorie. “Each hoodie carries a unique story, celebrating the life and service of one who fell bravely in battle.”

Proceeds from the sale of these hoodies support the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF).

The Lions Incubator is a year-long, self-directed fellowship for students to turn ideas into real-world ventures. The program empowers students to take initiative, work independently and build innovative products or services with the support of a strong network of mentors, advisors and alumni. Students refine their ideas, develop prototypes and create sustainable business models.

S A N

H

A OO YL

“We are extremely proud and moved

by Marjorie’s project to honor these young soldiers and to deepen our community’s connection to Israel,” said Adam Borek, head of the Center

WE VOTED!

E A respectful B and KIND R vote for & by KIDS! E FUTURE W JEWISH DHCS LEADERSHIP

D I E G O

Marjorie discusses her project with Zvi Weiss, Head of School at SDJA.

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Local Arts

BY EILEEN SONDAK

SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE juniortheatre.com San Diego Junior Theatre is presenting “James and the Giant Peach,” a musical adaptation of the popular children’s tale by Roald Dahl.

The story is about a whimsical and adventurous journey of a young boy.

The delightful show will entertain audiences of all ages through May 11.

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE northcoastrep.org North Coast Repertory Theatre is taking on “Peril in the Alps,” based in part on an Agatha Christie mystery. This world premiere is a comic mystery spotlighting the iconic Hercule Poirot in a sequel to the popular “Murder on the Links,” produced at NCRT. This time, it would seem the wily detective has met his match, as he attempts to unravel a mystery with eccentric characters and diabolical suspects, against a backdrop of the snow-capped mountains. If you’d like to go along for the thrilling ride, the show has been extended through May 25.

38 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

NORTH COAST REP: “Peril in the Alps.” Photo by Aaron Rumley.

BROADWAY SAN DIEGO

THE OLD GLOBE THEATRE

broadwaysd.com

theoldglobe.org

Broadway San Diego has two shows on tap for May. It starts with “Hamilton,” one of the hottest shows ever to hit the Great White Way. This blockbuster musical, which uses a blend of hip-hop, jazz and other styles of music to tell the story of our founding fathers, will captivate local audiences at the Civic Theatre May 6-18. The show has earned multiple awards, including the coveted Pulitzer Prize for drama. If you’re hoping to snag seats for this musical masterpiece, don’t waste any time.

The Old Globe’s White Theatre is featuring another world premiere, “House of India,” from May 10 through June 1. The show takes us into the world of a failing restaurant in a Cleveland strip mall. The cook floats the idea of bringing trendy fusion dishes into the menu instead of the traditional standards. However, other insiders have their own ideas for bringing the restaurant back to life.

This version of the American dream serves up enough entertainment to warm your heart.

“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” will follow “Hamilton” at the Civic on May 27, where it will sing up a storm through June 1. Fans of the popular singer won’t want to miss this tribute to a genuine pop icon and international superstar. The show was created in collaboration with the man himself, and features classics such as “America” and “Sweet Caroline.”

The Globe’s Shiley Stage will be showing its San Diego premiere of “One of the Good Ones,” a funny and heartwarming comedy about cultural differences and how they complicate relationships. This laugh-out-loud work will tickle local funny bones from May 24 through June 22.

LA JOLLA MUSIC SOCIETY

BIRCH AQUARIUM: “Living Seas” exhibit opens May 22.

theconrad.org La Jolla Music Society continues its eclectic season on May 10 with Lucky Deaz as part of the Kids Series. Organist Cameron Carpenter comes our way on May 16-17, and on the 18th, the Jazz Series features Marsalis Wynton accompanying a silent movie. Look for cellist Sheki Kanneh-Mason and pianist Isala Kanneh-Mason to round out the month on May 31.

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

BIRCH AQUARIUM

lajollaplayhouse.org

Birch Aquarium’s “Living Seas” exhibition sails into town on May 22.

The new exhibit — an immersive experience designed to wow visitors — takes you on an unforgettable voyage through the Pacific Ocean. This new arrival represents the largest capital improvement to the facility since 1992.

La Jolla Playhouse will launch its season with “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” on May 17. The show takes place in a Harlem shop where African hair braiders work their magic on the heads of neighborhood women.

The show — which blends humor with drama — is a celebration of community and the indomitable spirit of women. You can see this play (a coproduction with several distinguished theater troupes) through June 15.

aquarium.ucsd.edu

THE NEW CHILDREN’S MUSEUM thinkplaycreate.org

LA JOLLA MUSIC SOCIETY: Organist and composer Cameron Carpenter.

The New Children’s Museum just celebrated the opening of “Artopia,” a new art studio space designed to encourage kids to think, play and create. Sounds like the perfect way for the small-fry set to expand their horizons.

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 39

40 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

Food Smoked Salmon “Cobb” Salad with Tahini Ranch Dressing

by Micah Siva SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 3 cups mixed greens • 1, 175-200g filet hot smoked salmon, flaked • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • ½ cup sliced steamed beets • ½ English cucumber, sliced into half moons • ⅓ cup corn, canned or frozen, thawed • ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives • ¼ cup (2 oz) feta cheese, crumbled • 1 green onion, thinly sliced sliced Dressing: • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (full fat is best) • ¼ cup buttermilk • 2 tbsp. lemon juice • 1 tbsp. tahini • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley • 1 tbsp. finely chopped dill • 1 tbsp. finely chopped chives • Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION Make the Dressing: 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice and tahini.

2. Add chopped garlic, parsley, dill, chives.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Thin with 1 to 2 tbsp. water, if necessary.

Set aside.

Make the Salad: 1. In a large bowl, combine the flaked salmon, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, cucumber, corn, olives, feta cheese and onion.

2. Drizzle the dressing overtop and enjoy!

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 41

ADVICE

ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley

marniemacauley@gmail.com

Jews Committed to Jewish Fundraising Committees My darling San Diegans: This month, after loudly challenging my bank, my cable carrier and my landlord each to a duel, I decided to have a little quiet fun with you, my pals in San Diego. Humor, trust me, works better than Valium. That said, on our topic, from the time Adam said “Oy” to Eve over the fruit business, Jews have pledged to pledge. Yes. We are ardent fundraisers. The truth? We’re always raising something. And funds? For Israel, Jews, buildings (think shuls), hospitals and old-age homes, especially those that have Hebrew in their names. We see a cause, jump in, and not always just for the big banquet in our honor. Good Jews write checks, host events, sponsor, add wings and attend galas in their honor.

The big “but” I have is the committee part. When an organization wants to fundraise, there has to be a committee.

Boomer Jews love committees. In the days before Gen Z and Covid distancing, they were status events, proving the old joke, “two Jews, three opinions.”

Multiply that by say, 17 Jews, and the opinions exponentially grow to 150.

That said, every Jewish committee includes:

Jews Committed to Jewish Committees. (Usually Boomers) Back in the day, these Jews-bycommittee could put on a show to revive

42 | SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM May 2025

the Dead Sea should it be important to Israel. Eager, passionate, bright with ideas — they had three goals: 1. to accomplish a noble mission; 2. To maybe earn at least a brunch in appreciation; and 3. to keep as much of the planning details from their beloved rabbi as possible.

This is not a job for the faint-hearted, or a Gentile.

For one thing, screaming is sometimes involved. Curses on heads have been known to come up. Debating for an hour whether chicken soup or barley will be served can lead to a string of “Fehs,” “Poohs,” and “May you’s” involving boils.

After being on a number of Jewish committees in my life, I’ve observed certain types of characters who always show up — no matter what. So here’s my list of Boomer Jews Committed to Jewish Committees:

Macher-Macher Man (MMM) The president of the congregation, macher-macher man is not to be fooled with. (Believe me, the rabbi tried and almost lost his tzitzit.) Growing up, our MMM crowned himself King of Jewish Queens (the county). When we put on our shul’s production of ‘Fiddler’ to raise money for the building fund, was there any doubt who’d play Tevye? With a voice like sandpaper and a dance repertoire

that consisted solely of the cha cha, he was Tevye like I’m Bar Refaeli. The MMM is the CEO, CFO and TFW (The Final Word). Bowing was encouraged.

Macher-Mavin (MM) Him (or her) you can spot right away by the name: Phredrik or Phryda. In Boomer days, the MM was the one who did two weeks of stand-up in the Catskills, a faux-neo painting for the shul, self-published a book of ZenJewish poetry, or directed “I’m a Little Jewish Teapot” for the day school. All of which makes this MM “the expert,” whose face twists at every suggestion from “a commoner,” thereby scaring the committee with an attitude we don’t know from: menacing silence as we all wait for “the verdict.” Today, via Zoom, the MM did a comedy podcast and a Youtube of “Teapot.” Phredrik or Phryda.

The “SHA” Lady Right to the left of the MM you’ll find the “SHA!” lady, an MM appointed position.

It’s her job to “sha” anyone who should mumble, yawn, clear a throat, hiccup or yawn. A human VU meter, she can pick up the extraneous sound within a 50-mile radius of the MM. No decibel shall interrupt the macher. Should such extraneous sounds be allowed, it could, G-d forbid, lead to an extraneous joke, which might sabotage the MM’s

extraneous anecdote during the serious work of the building committee — finding a free cookie vender during the construction.

The Cookie Lady Chosen by the “SHA” Lady, not only must the Cookie Lady be a gantseh balaboosteh, but she must have the strength to shlep, then guard the snack table with the determination of a Navy seal. Now, it may not seem like much, but shlepping and guarding pound cakes, babkas (cinnamon and chocolate), black and whites, rugelach, prunes, raisons, nuts, hummus, pita, tahini, knishes, kugel, juices, plus plastic knives, forks, spoons, cake plates, then napkins, baggies, aluminum foil is a task she performs in her colossal Chevy van, leased for these occasions. (She also needs it for the leftovers.) Should someone approach a cookie before the MM has finished showing his films of Israel, he or she will be forced to surrender it to the SEO (Snack Enforcement Officer) in shame with a written apology.

The SEO The Snack Enforcement Officer. (See above.)

The Screamer of Consciousness This one suffers from TMIS (Too Many Ideas Syndrome) and hails you with 50 ideas in 30 seconds, in no special order and by no special subject. He figures, “I’m gifted; if they can’t follow, they’re shmegegges.” This, while the rest are sitting with a frozen look of confusion, thinking: “Salsa dancing?!

I thought we were talking about a silent auction?” “That was five seconds ago. Now he’s suggesting we mime ‘Fiddler!’”

After Idea 48, the whole committee is so farmisht, crossscreaming is involved at which the SHA Lady jumps into action with” SHAAAAAAA!” and threatens cookie cut-offs.

Perhaps it’s our unique process of rachmones and sachel: We often have to make a tumult to solve one.

G-d bless them all.

A tour bus with 25 Hadassah ladies aboard turned over and all were dispatched to heaven. On their arrival, the admitting angel told them that the computers were down, so they would just have to wait. At that moment, G-d intervened and said that he would speak to Satan to see if they could be temporarily housed in his domain. All went down to their temporary quarters.

A few hours later, G-d received an urgent call from Satan: “Take these Hadassah ladies out of here, already!”

“What’s the problem?” G-d asked.

Satan replied, “They’re ruining my set-up. Only a few hours and already they raised $100,000 for an air conditioning system!” A Marnie Macauley, MS, Columbia University – Creator of Strategic Relationship Thinking (an innovative way to solve problems), writer, editor, author, lecturer, clinician, and administrator – is a straightshooter, with a distinctive voice and take on the world in her columns, features and books. She has been nominated for both an Emmy and a Writers Guild award.

The Man from the Land of Luftmensch This dreamer, who never wakes up, has terrific suggestions — if only the committee had the budget, the know-how, the crew, the scenery, the talent, and the brotherhood with Tom Hanks or Steven Spielberg. You’re talking places to hold the event; he suggests Sinai — the mountain. You’re talking staging, he had a friend who, in 1968, did the lighting for the road company of “Hair.” Bettah, his cousin’s wife, knew Barbra Streisand’s hairdresser. Would it hurt to ask if she’d sing “Sunrise, Sunset?” The man could be a hit, if only his friends would return a phone call (or he remembered to make one).

And this is just a sampling. Yet somehow, a building emerges from this clusterchutzpah fundraising committee.

More, Jewish committees are one of Earth’s more powerful forces. They were and still are. They build cities, raise funds for Israel, keep shuls going, and frankly, could’ve found Bin Laden 1-2-3... had anyone bothered to ask a Jewish woman.

Iyar–Sivan 5785 SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM | 43

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A World Premiere Agatha Christie Comedic Mystery!

“A truly must-see show. Epic and beautifully written.”

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EXTENDED TO MAY 25 Written & Directed by Steven Dietz

JUNE 4-29

Written by Noah Haidle | Directed by David Ellenstein

northcoastrep.org box office: 858-481-1055 | group sales: 858-481-2155, x202

scan for full season lineup

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Alex Edelman: JFest What Are You There’s a Place for Us:

Going To Do June 16 & 17

A Celebration of Jewish Broadway Composers June 29 & 30

The 32nd Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival Celebrating the Very Best of Jewish Music & Art in San Diego!

Perla Batalla

The House of Cohen – A Tribute to Leonard Cohen June 18

The 16th Women of Valor June 5 & 8

EXPLORE THE FULL LINE-UP AT SDJFEST.ORG MAY 21 – JUNE 30 | TICKETS ON SALE NOW