October 2018

October 2018 • Tishrei/Cheshvan 5779

Seniors & Charitable Giving Issue

BETH SHALOM Celebrates 60 Years Donors Reflect on How the Jewish Community Foundation Has Changed Their Lives Residents Test Their Mettle at the Seacrest Games

2 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

360°

LIVING A MODERN EXPRESSION

OF HOME

IS COMING TO LIFE.

Welcome to Wesley Palms, an award-winning retirement community that overlooks Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Nestled in an idyllic parkland setting on Mt. Soledad, you’ll find an open collaboration between yesterday and today. All-new patio homes are designed with cool, clean contemporary lines in a mid-century modern style.

A charming complement for your new casual lifestyle. Now open!

2404 LORING STREET

SAN DIEGO, CA 92109

8 5 8 . 2 74 . 4 1 1 0

We’re an equal opportunity housing provider.

wesleypalms.org

CA License# 374600800

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 3

4 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Let us help you move forward.

We treat the whole you

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Saturday, November 10 - 7pm-10pm Perfect for the wine connoisseur and beginners Learn all about wines and enjoy the tastes!

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WINE, RAFFLE AND MORE!

RSVP by November 5

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Event Sponsored by

RSVP (858) 513-8330 or www.nertamidsd.org/wine Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 5

Family meetups for kids with special needs ages 3 and up every Sunday.

B"H

Affordable membership fees, friendships for life.

Join the hundreds of families & volunteers giving back to the community & learning the power of friendship.

Serving SD's Jewish community with special needs since 2005 with l  ve. www.friendshipcirclesd.org /friendshipcirclesd

6 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

@FC_sandiego

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(858) 487-4879

San Diego Center for Jewish Culture PRESENTS

2018 J E W I S H

Joyce Forum

SHORT

FILM

FESTIVAL

DAVID & DOROTHEA GARFIELD THEATRE Lawrence Family JCC • JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS • 4216 Executive Drive, La Jolla

Sat. Oct 6 & Sun. Oct 7, 2018 Be a part of the first ever international, stand-alone Jewish short film festival • 40 Short films from around the globe • 5 individual programs • Featured guest speakers General Seating • Tickets per program: $15.25 | JCC Member $13.25 | Festival Pass $60

INFORMATION & TICKETS: sdcjc.org PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MURRAY GALINSON SAN DIEGO-ISRAEL INITIATIVE

and Back by popular demand ...

and

e ws r b e som and ms rt fil 5 sho and ht t nig 1 grea and

Mon. Oct 8, 2018 | 7:00 pm WHITE LABS, 9495 CANDIDA ST, SAN DIEGO

ARTS

Lawrence Family Lawrence Family JCCJCC JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS

San Diego Center FOR

SAN DIEGO

INFORMATION & TICKETS: sdcjc.org

SAN DIEGO

General Seating • Tickets: $15.25 | JCC Member $13.25

JEWISH CULTURE

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 7

C

T

October 2018

T Tishrei/Cheshvan 5779

30

CHARITABLE GIVING: Donors reflect on how the Jewish Community Foundation has changed their lives.

35

ON THE COVER: Beth Shalom

celebrates 60 years.

8 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

33

SENIORS: Seacrest gears up for the Seacrest Games, an annual athletic competition for residents.

67

FOOD: Baked squash and cranberries.

55

THEATER: OnStage Playhouse presents

"All My Sons."

MONTHLY COLUMNS

12 The Starting Line 22 Personal Development and Judaism 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion 72 Advice

Around Town

18 Our Town 20 The Scene 68 What's Goin On

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

45 FEATURE One of the JCC's early childhood educators is participating in the Sheva Center Leadership Institute.

47 FEATURE JFS’ CEO

was named to the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ board of directors.

52 BOOKS Review of "The Last Palace."

59 FEATURE What Jewish

History Forgot.

63 TRAVEL First

synagogues of the South.

In Every Issue

14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 66 Diversions 70 News 73 Synagogue Life

FEATURE: Yemin Orde, VWEI's Chief Executive Officer Haim Rubovitch with educators.

49

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 9

You choices, Youare aregoing goingtotohave havetoto make some choices, make some choices,

but alone. them alone. butyou youdon’t don’thave havetotomake make them alone.

Changing can bebe difficult butbut wewe areare with youyou every stepstep of the the way.way. you every step of Changingjobs jobs can difficult with every of way. the

• Retirement Plans Retirement Plans • Life/Disability Insurance Life/Disability Insurance

• Investment Strategies Investment Strategies

You some choices, Youare aregoing goingtotohave havetotomake make some choices, but have alone. butyou youdon’t don’t havetotomake makethem them alone. www.sdjewishjournal.com

October • but Tishrei/Cheshvan 5779 Changing jobs can be2018 difficult wewe areare with youyou every stepstep of the way.way.

Changing jobs can be difficult but with every of the

858-532-7904 858-532-7904

Jeffrey R Liber, CFP®

• Retirement Plans Retirement Plans • Life/Disability Insurance Life/Disability Insurance

PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss • Investment Strategies Investment Strategies

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Brie Stimson ASSISTANT EDITOR • Jacqueline Bull ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan Ableson

858-532-7904 858-532-7904

12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 High Bluff 12531 Dr,High Suite Bluff 400 Dr,400 Suite 400 12531 High Bluff 12531 Dr,High Suite Bluff 400 Dr,400 Suite 400 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 HighDiego, Bluff Dr, Suite 400 Diego, CA 92130 92130 Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 San H Diego, CA San 92130 Diego, San Diego, CA San 92130 Diego, 12531 12531 H igh igh BSan luff DD D rive, rive, SSTE STE 44400 00 San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 12531 12531 HSan High igh BBluff Bluff luff D rive, rive, STE TE 4CA 00 00 92130 12531 12531 HSan High igh BBluff luff DCA D rive, rive, STE STE 44CA 00 00 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 San San D Diego, iego, CCCA A 9858-523-7913 2130 12531 High Bluff Drive, STE 400 12531 High Bluff Drive, STE 400 San San D Diego, iego, CA A 992130 92130 2130 San San D Diego, iego, CCA Bluff A 992130 2130 12531 High Bluff Drive, 12531 High Drive, 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com 858-­‐ 55 77904 www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln San Diego, CAWMG.com 92130 San Diego, CAWMG.com 92130 858-­‐ 5523-­‐ 23-­‐ 904 858-­‐ 5523-­‐ 7WMG.com 904 858-­‐ 23-­‐ 7WMG.com San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com 858-­‐ 23-­‐ 7904 904 858-­‐ 23-­‐ 7904 www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Leorah Gavidor, 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 12531 High Bluff CIMA® Drive, STE 400 12531 High Bluff CIMA® Drive, STE 400 Don Lincoln, CFP®, Don Lincoln, CFP®, Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® www.liberlincolnwmg.com www.liberlincolnwmg.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 12531 High Bluff Dr, Suite 400 www.liberlincolnwmg.com www.liberlincolnwmg.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Judith (Senior Travel Correspondent), Jeffrey Don Lincoln, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey RR R Liber, CFP® San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don CFP®, CIMA® CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, Jeffrey CFP® CFP® Don Don LLincoln, Lincoln, incoln, CCC FP®, FP®, CCIMA® CCFP®, IMA® CFP Fein Managin gLiber, Director-Inves tments Lincoln, CFP, CIMA Don CFP, CIMA Senior Vice Senior Vice Don Don LLincoln, incoln, C FP®, FP®, IMA® CPresident-Investments IMA® Jeffrey Jeffrey RR L iber, LLiber, iber, CFP® CFP® Don Don Lincoln, LLincoln, incoln, CC FP®, FP®, CIMA® CPresident-Investments IMA® San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 Managin gGoldblatt, Director-Inves tments Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments g Director-Inves tments Managin ggD Director-Inves tments Senior Senior VVCA V ice ice PSenior President-­‐ resident-­‐ IInvestments IInvestments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior President-Investments Senior President-Investments Senior Senior V ice ice President-­‐ PVice resident-­‐ nvestments nvestments Managing Managing D irector-­‐ irector-­‐ nvestments Investments Senior Senior VCA V ice ice President-­‐ PVice resident-­‐ ILic nvestments Investments CA Insurance Lic I#0C28496 Patricia Pat Launer, Julia Bernicker, Sharon Rosen Leib, Insurance Lic #0821851 Insurance #0821851 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 Managing Managin Director-Inves Managin Director-Inves tments tments Managing Director-Investments Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments

858-523-7913 858-523-7913 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA CA IInsurance IInsurance LLic Lic ##0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CALic Lic #0821851 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance LicLic #0821851 CA Insurance LicLic #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA nsurance Lic ic #0821851 0821851 CA Insurance LLic ic ##0C28496 0C28496 CA Insurance LInsurance ic #0821851 CA nsurance CA IInsurance nsurance Lic #CFP® 0C28496 CA Insurance #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com CA Insurance Lic Insurance #0C28496 Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Andrea Simantov, Marnie Macauley, Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice President- Investments Managing Director- Investments Senior Vice President- Investments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com

Jeffrey Liber, CFP® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Jeffrey RR R Liber, Jeffrey R Liber, Jeffrey CFP® CFP® Jeffrey Jeffrey R R iber, iber, CCFP® FP® Jeffrey Liber, CFP tments Managin giber, Director-Inves Jeffrey Jeffrey RRR LL iber, LLLiber, CCFP® CFP® FP® Managin gDDirector-Inves Director-Inves tments Managin g Director-Inves tments Managin g tments Managing Managing D irector-­‐ irector-­‐ nvestments nvestments Managing Managing D D irector-­‐ irector-­‐ II#0C28496 nvestments IInvestments CA Insurance Lic Managing Director-Inves Managin gRDirector-Investments Director-Inves tments tments Managing Jeffrey Liber, CFP® CA CA IInsurance nsurance nsurance ic Lic ic ##0C28496 0C28496 CA Lic #0C28496 Jeffrey R Liber, CA CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA IInsurance LLic #0C28496 0C28496 CA IInsurance nsurance LLic ##CFP® 0C28496 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic Insurance #0C28496 Lic #0C28496 #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic Managing DirectorInvestments jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Managing DirectorInvestments jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance #0C28496 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance LicLic #0C28496 Gina Grimmer

CAInsurance Insurance Lic#0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance #0C28496 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lic CA Insurance LicLic #0C28496 Rabbi Jacob Rupp, Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer

Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com

R Liber, CFP® Investments jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Jeffrey Managing Directorjeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer Gina Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant Grimmer Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Managin gaddell Director-Inves tments CA W Insurance Lic #0C28496 Alissa Alissa W addell Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Financial Consultant Grimmer Financial Consultant AVP AVP -­‐

R -­‐

R egistered egistered C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Gina AVP AVP -­‐ R -­‐ R egistered egistered CCC lient lient A ssociate ssociate jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA CA nsurance nsurance ic ic ##O178195 0I18483 Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Lic #O178195 CAFinancial Insurance Lic CA iinsurance LL#O178195 ic #0I18483 0I18483 CA iiInsurance nsurance LLic ##0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate

CAInsurance Insurance Lic#0821851 #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lic Saul Levine, Rachael Eden, Zeebah Aleshi Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Senior Registered Client Associate Zeebah Aleshi Sybil Kaplan, Andrew Breskin, Eva Beim.

Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Registered Client Associate Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi

Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com

Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing Director- Investments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Gina Gina Zeebah AleshiClient Gina Grimmer Senior Registered Associate Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Managin gaddell Director-Inves tments Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA W Insurance Lic #0C28496 Alissa Alissa W addell Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Registered Associate Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer CA Insurance Lic Client #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Registered Registered C C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate Senior Registered Client Associate Patty Dutra Financial Consultant Registered Registered C C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate AVP AVP -­‐ R -­‐ R egistered egistered CC lient lient AA ssociate ssociate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CAzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA CA iinsurance iinsurance LLic Lic #Gil #0178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Lic #O178195 CA Insurance LicClient #0G75099 CAFinancial Insurance Lic CA CA nsurance nsurance Lic ic #0178195 #0178195 0178195 Yesenia CA insurance L#O178195 ic #0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance Lic #0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant Senior Client Associate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Gina Grimmer zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Client Associate

Registered Associate Senior Registered ClientClient Associate Patty Dutra Registered Registered CSenior C lient lient AA ssociate ssociate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CAzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Insurance Lic #0G75099 Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Associate CA Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance LicClient #0G75099 CA CA insurance insurance Lic LInsurance ic #0178195 #0178195 Yesenia Gil Senior Client don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Yesenia GilAssociate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CALicInsurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Registered Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CALicInsurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance #0G75099 CA Insurance CA LicInsurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #0178195 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 Client Associate Client Associate Registered Client Yesenia Gil FluentGil inzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Spanish FluentGil inzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Spanish Yesenia Yesenia CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer Zeebah Zeebah Gina Grimmer zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent inAleshi Spanish Fluent inAleshi Spanish CA insurance Lic #O178195Ableson – SeniorPatty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Account Executive Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Jonathan Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate

gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance CA LicInsurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #0178195 Registered Client Yesenia Gil CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA insurance Lic #O178195 Yesenia Gil Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com

Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Investment Investment and andInsurance InsuranceProducts: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee

Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Financial Consultant Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate

MAY Lose Value Fluent inand Spanish Investment Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors is tradename nameused used byAll Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells FargoisClearing Services, LLC Rights reserved 1016-02995 Wells Fargo Advisors aa trade by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services,LLC LLCAll AllRights Rights reserved reserved 1016-02995 (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, 1016-02995

MAY Lose Value Fluent inand Spanish Investment Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors is tradename nameused used byAll Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells FargoisClearing Services, LLC Rights reserved 1016-02995 Wells Fargo Advisors aa trade by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services,LLC LLCAll AllRights Rights reserved reserved 1016-02995 (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, 1016-02995

in Spanish in Insurance Spanish CA insurance #0178195 Investment Investment and and Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankFluent Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CAFluent Insurance LicLic #O178195

Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate

yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Alan Moss – Palm Springs

in Spanish in Insurance Spanish CA insurance #0178195 Investment Investment and and Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankFluent Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CAFluent Insurance LicLic #O178195

!MAY Lose Value Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish !MAY Lose Value !MAY Lose Value yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Wells Fargo LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Company.

Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC,Associate is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Senior Client Associate Senior Registered Client ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsRegistered Fargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors,LLC. LLC. All Allrights rights reserved. reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com ©2009 WellsFargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors,LLC. LLC.All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) ©2009 Wells ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsFargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors,LLC. LLC.All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL Fluent in Spanish Fluent inGilSpanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent inGilSpanish Yesenia Yesenia CA CA Insurance Lic #0675099 Insurance Lic #0675099 Client Associate Client Associate (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Investment and Insurance offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured MAY NO Bank Investment and Insurance offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured MAY NO Bank Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com Investment InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Bank Guarantee LoseGuarantee Value Investment InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Bank Guarantee LoseGuarantee Value

Larry M. Katz Certified Public Accountant

• Income Tax Preparation • IRS and State Audit Representation • Litigation Support Services • Forensic Accounting Services • Business Consulting Services

5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 11

FROM THE EDITOR

THE STARTING LINE

by Brie Stimson

editor@sdjewishjournal.com

In honor of Sen. John McCain’s life – he lost his battle with brain cancer at the end of August – we are reprinting my column “Courage” from last November. n the news we often see the worst of mankind. Greed, hate, lust and ignorance all have recurring roles on the evening newscast. But I would argue there has also been a lot of courage. Courage isn’t as loud as hate, and it’s not as exciting as lust. It’s not as dramatic as greed, and it may not always be as newsworthy as ignorance. But sometimes it’s the one thing that can help a hurting world.

I’ve seen no end of courage in the news lately. From the mass shooting in Las Vegas to the wildfires in Northern California, there were people who ran toward the danger so that others might escape it.

Sometimes when I get down on my own life and wallow the petty self-pity of a bad day or a missed opportunity, a sweater that got shrunk in the wash or being overcharged for takeout, it does me good to watch these scenes on the news.

No one can ever truly know if they will have courage or if they will be petrified with fear in a crisis, but when I see people who risk their own lives to save others, their heroism and selflessness are almost unimaginable to me. It’s a mitzvah that these people exist among us.

In the mass shooting near the Mandalay Bay hotel on the Las Vegas Strip that killed 58 innocent people and injured hundreds more, there was no shortage of stories of courage. Police and first responders ran into 12 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

In Memoriam an unknown situation with an unknown threat to mitigate the carnage, and there were also civilians, concertgoers, who put themselves in danger to help save other people they didn’t even know. I heard about a man who went to the Route 91 Festival with his wife, and when the gunfire started he used himself as a human shield to save her life at the expense of his own. During Hurricane Harvey in Texas, there were countless stories of regular people taking out boats to rescue their neighbors and strangers. A man in Dominica lost his life futilely trying to save two young children caught in flooding caused by Hurricane Maria. Their parents survived, but the man and the children were swept downstream.

Courage is sometimes as dramatic as these stories, like the last scene of an epic movie, but it can also been subtler. Courage can also be a congressman who receives money from the NRA but speaks up about gun control anyway. It can be a climate change denier rethinking his beliefs after his house is destroyed in a flood. It can be a solider who returns home from war and gets help for his PTSD instead of pretending everything is fine. It can be a woman who confesses she was sexually assaulted when it might be less painful to stay silent.

Opportunities for courage are all around us. Sometimes they’re small and sometimes they involve the ultimate sacrifice, but there is an opportunity everyday to better yourself or to help someone around you.

I recently watched the interview that “60 Minutes” on CBS did with Senator John McCain. It was moving to hear the way he

spoke about his own impending mortality.

“You just have to understand that it’s not that you’re leaving,” McCain told reporter Leslie Stahl. “It’s that you ... stayed. I celebrate what a guy who stood fifth from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy has been able to do. I am so grateful. I –every night when I go to sleep, I am just filled with gratitude.”

McCain was diagnosed last summer with a glioblastoma, which has a very low rate of survival.

Indeed, McCain has been through his fair share of strife, starting from when he was a POW in Vietnam. He turned down early release from the POW camp where he was tortured because he said he didn’t think it was the honorable thing to do as the son of an admiral.

And even today the “maverick” is still going his own way. He recently cast the deciding vote against repealing Obamacare, further complicating his relationship with critic President Trump.

Senator McCain is not a perfect man, as his critics will say. He has made mistakes – so have all the people who went into burning buildings or pulled a person from a house destroyed by an earthquake.

We are all human and capable of great selfishness – and great heroism –seeing the flaws in a hero makes their noble act that much more inspiring.

I believe if a person like John McCain can face his own mortality with calmness and strength than the rest of us can find at least smaller ways to stand up for what is right. A

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 13

let us know what’s on your mind.

San Diego Jewish Journal would like to check in with our readers on how you’re feeling politically for our upcoming November issue. If you would like to submit a one-paragraph opinion on the state of our union, the president, Congress, the midterms, etc. please send it to editor@sdjewishjournal. com with your name (or you can remain anonymous) and what city you live in (San Diego, La Jolla, etc.). 200-word maximum. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15. We will print as many as space will allow in the November issue.

(Submitting a paragraph does not guarantee it will be printed).

We look forward to reading your submissions! – The SDJJ Team Dear Editor, As a journalist, I revere the First Amendment.

Above all, I am grateful that it includes certain limits on our treasured right to free speech; that it encourages civilized discourse, honest and factual reporting, speaking truth to power and all other ways striving to maintain the checks and balances that underline our democracy and protect us from coercive, dictatorial uses of power.

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

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

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

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

14 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

I most appreciate that while not all ‘free speech’ is ‘free,’ since it prohibits incitement—such as hate speech, shouting “Fire!” in a crowded

theatre, etc.— it also protects speech that is unpleasant or even acutely painful for many people to hear or read – such as the abusive rants and shameless lies uttered by the know-nothing conman whose accidental election to U.S. Presidency has put our and the rest of the world’s safety in peril.

So I applaud the SD Jewish Journal for publishing several pro-Trump letters and although reading them upsets me, I am glad the authors of those letters have the right to write them and the SDJJ to publish them.

-Dina Eliash Robinson

@SANDIEGOJEWISHJOURNAL

Corrections In “Our Town” [Sept. 2018] Naomi Shelley’s name was misspelled.

SDJJ regrets this error.

In the Sept. 2018 news piece “Ohr Shalom Synagogue Starts New Women’s Wellness Program” it should be added that, “funds for the Marpeh program were generously granted through the Jewish Women's Foundation, a fund of the Jewish Community Foundation."

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House legislation supports $38 billion aid package for Israel The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure last month that would codify into law the $38 billion defense aid package for Israel over 10 years that was negotiated in the final days of the Obama administration. The U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 gives the defense package the imprimatur of Congress, which would keep any future president from reneging. The $38 billion deal negotiated in 2016 is the most generous ever to Israel.

Israel’s Linoy Ashram wins 2 medals at World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships Linoy Ashram of Israel earned a silver and a bronze medal at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships last month. Ashram, 19, of Tel Aviv, won the silver in the individual hoop final on the second day of the championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The next day she earned the bronze in the ribbons competition.

Netflix film "The Angel" spotlights Egyptian spy who helped Israel The film centers on the enigmatic Egyptian Ashraf Marwan, a confidant of President Anwar Sadat who eventually turned into a spy for Israel. He famously warned the Mossad about the planned Arab surprise attack that started the Yom Kippur War in 1973, preventing what could have been even greater Israeli casualties. The film premiered on Netflix last month.

Kim Kardashian to be face of Israeli sunglasses brand Kim Kardashian will join Israeli model Bar Refaeli as a face of Carolina Lemke, an Israeli sunglasses brand. The American reality TV star will also invest a hefty $30 million in the company, which is partly owned

by Refaeli. The pair will be photographed together for a publicity campaign and Kardashian will visit Israel next March.

16 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

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Ner Tamid Synagogue

12348 Casa Avenida, Poway • (858) 513-8330 nertamidssd.org/shlockrock Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 17

the

BY BRIE STIMSON, PHOTOS BY MELISSA JACOBS.

Jere & Joyce Oren.

Jeffrey & Mayo Strauss.

Seacrest Foundation 211 Club Patron Recognition Party Seacrest Foundation hosted the 211 Club Patron Recognition Party on Aug. 26 at the home of Mayo and Jeffrey Strauss in Solana Beach.

The Evening honored 125 of their contributors to Seacrest Village Retirement Communities and Seacrest at Home. The evening included hors-d’oeuvres on the patio overlooking the Pacific and dinner was served under the stars. The party was catered by Pamplemousse Grille. “The Foundation looks forward to next year’s event, and hope to see everyone there,” the Foundation said.

Lisa & Gary Levine, and Jamie Levine.

L to R: Anne Nagorner, Frank & Lee Goldberg, Suzi & Bernie Feldman.

18 SDJewishJournal.com l October 2018

IF YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED, DO SOMETHING SAN DIEGO WILL NEVER FORGET. HELP END HOMELESSNESS WITH YOUR DONATION. Make your mark on San Diego with a gift to Father Joe’s Villages. Every gift helps men, women and children struggling with homelessness build a brighter future. Planned giving is a smart way to save tax dollars today while serving those in need tomorrow.

Call Dennis Morgan at 619-446-2163 or visit NEIGHBOR.ORG to plan your contribution.

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 19

our TOWN

BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL

American Friends of Hebrew University, 10th Annual Bel Air Affaire

Wow, What a Night!!! American Friends of Hebrew University 10th Annual Bel Air Affaire celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Laying of the Cornerstone of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This Annual LA fundraiser provides student scholarships for Hebrew University and has, in the past several years, raised over $8 million! Generously hosted by Brindell Gottlieb, we were all treated to a magnificent exclusive performance by RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles.

Seen in the audience rockin’ and us were BarbaFOR THE OURrollin’ TOWNwith PHOTOS. ra Lazaroff, Ellen & Mark Genender, May & Richard Ziman, Patty Glaser & Sam Mudie, Sharon & Mark Vidergauz, Bari & Steve Good and Professor Asher Cohen, Hebrew University President. As in past years, Event co-chairs Renae Jacobs-Anson & Dr. David Anson and Helen Jacobs-Lepor & Dr. Norman Lepor put on a spectacular evening!

Book Launch at La Valencia Hotel

We enjoyed the recent book launch at La Valencia Hotel for “Memories of Dragonflies: Simple Lessonzs For Mindful Dying” by Lannette Cornell Bloom. After a brief presentation, Lannette signed copies of her book. During the reception, we were pleased to see Brian & Sunny Golden, Gail & Howard Sachs, Beth Solomon, Ginger & Andrew Dunst (of LA), Lanny Cornell, Joan Schultz, Kendall Dann, Jared & Alana Ziman, Lisa & Dustin Nies with Annika and newly engaged Taylor Arielle Bloom and Drew Melzer.

Mazel Tov to…

Shanna & Adam Lovit, on the birth of their son, Samuel Eli, on July 17th.

Harriett Bolotin on celebrating her 98th birthday.

Leon & Harriett Bolotin, on their upcoming 75th wedding anniversary.

Jane & Herb Lazarow, on their 55th wedding anniversary.

Bonnie & Barry Graff, on their 50th wedding anniversary, Rabbi Marty & Anita Lawson, on their 50th wedding anniversary. A

TOP: L to R Event Co-Chair Helen Jacobs-Lepor, Hebrew University President Asher Cohen, Bel Air Affaire Host Brindell Gottlieb, 2018 Humanitarian Torch of Learning Honorees Hella and Chuck Hershson, Event Co-Chair Renae Jacobs-Anson MIDDLE: L to R AFHU Western Region President Mark Genender, Vice Chair Patricia Glaser, Hebrew University President Asher Cohen, Vice Chair Joyce Brandman, Chairman Richard Ziman BOTTOM: L to R Melissa Bloom, Lannette Cornell Bloom, Annika Nies and Sunny Golden

20 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 21

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDAISM

THIS WAY TO EDEN

by Rachel Eden

rachel.s.eden@gmail.com

There’s No Hebrew Word for Tragedy ouglas Segal, Hollywood writer, producer and director, used to harbor secret fantasies about becoming a widower who “met someone new, experienced the excitement of a blossoming relationship, and had a fresh start in marriage.”

In his recent memoir, “Struck,” Segal recounts that his fantasy became all too real when six years ago, he received a phone call straight out of the movies. His wife, Susan, and their daughter had been hit head-on by a bus that lost control. Susan’s car was crushed and her body was trapped beneath mounds of metal. The Segals’ daughter emerged miraculously unscathed but Susan’s injuries were extensive. She had a broken vertebra that should have rendered her dead or paralyzed, but instead Susan had internal bleeding, brain damage, and broken bones.

Douglas spent the years that followed by his wife’s side, devoted to her care, and supporting her painstakingly slow and to-date incomplete recovery. He explains that his dark thoughts about starting fresh without his wife stemmed from years of taking her and their marriage for granted. He describes that the accident was less of an epiphany and more of a reminder of the deep love (albeit dormant) he had for his wife all along.

Most of us won’t experience a near-death tragedy to wake us out of our depressive states (thankfully!) Many of us, however, will spend adulthood wishing for a fresh start while living each day much like the one before it. We do exert small efforts in renewing our lives though. I remember how 22 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

exciting my first day of school was – from elementary to college – opening my pristine binders, organizers and general supplies.

Color coded, labelled with my name, untouched by pesky note-taking or homework or study outlines. As adults, we attempt to recapture that feeling of a blank slate by acquiring new possessions. In a culture of consumerism, acquisition is an accessible medium to feeling renewed. The more valuable and longer-lasting the acquisition, the stronger our feelings of revitalization. An internal achievement is perhaps the highest level of acquisition and a spiritual channel in feeling renewed. More mundane but satisfying moments include when we’re handed keys to our brand new home, or we sit in a car fresh from the lot, or we take pleasure in a new relationship, we come alive all over again. Without these moments of hitchadshut (renewal) our lives take on a tedious and repetitive rhythm.

Through Sharon’s tragic accident, the Segals were gifted with a renewed appreciation for their lives and blessings. But in an honest confession, when Sharon Segal contemplates the rest of her life, grateful to have one but still suffering from chronic pain and physical limitations, she feels sad at times.

Her accident was indeed tragic. How does she reconcile that with living a life of appreciation and happiness?

In modern Hebrew, the word for tragedy is "tragedia" but there’s actually no Hebraic word for tragedy and that’s because there is no such concept. How is that possible given

the tremendous suffering the Jewish people endured over time? Slavery, persecution, attempted genocide and none of our history can be labelled tragic? Tragedy is a Greek word that is predicated on the Greek narrative of a hero with a flaw that leads to his demise. There is no tragic narrative from a Torah perspective. Humanity, with all its flaws, is wired to navigate through obstacles and rise above them stronger, more compassionate and connected to the Almighty.

All areas of our lives that we don’t control (almost our whole lives) are tailor-made for us. The family member or colleague who we have to work around, our depleting bank account, deteriorating health – the endless possibilities of challenges our lives encompass are staged to make us better, happier and more successful.

Rather than running from our pain, inner demons and enemies, what if we surrender ourselves to the discomfort of addressing them? The process is certainly painful but we will gain genuine renewal of the highest form – a renewal of self. There is no greater kind and we can skip getting hit by a bus in the process. Douglas Segal writes in his memoir two lines that capture how to feel renewed everyday: “Limit the pain and we limit the joy, compressing the lines closer and closer, flatter and flatter. Without the up-and-down spikes of life’s heartaches and elations, like an EKG in flatline, we cease to live.” A

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov

andreasimantov@gmail.com

Autumn Yartzeit s we used to say growing up in suburban New Yawk, “We didn’t know from nothin!” Translated, this means that we’d hadn’t heard of a holiday called Sukkot and never imagined that affluent Jews would erect mini-huts in their manicured gardens for a week of outdoor camping just as the weather was growing colder. Meshugenah Jews? Proof positive.

After the defensive 1973 Yom Kippur War broke out, my avowedly secular father, a real ‘religion-is-the-opiate-of-the-masses’ guy, took to building a sukkah in our very visible corner yard. It was humiliating for my siblings and me. Daddy’s behavior was an amalgam of pride and rage and frequently in the school cafeteria, my classmates questioned his aberrant challenge of the whitebread societal norm. Dad was already a vegetarian and avid jogger before the sixties was out. He was a WWII vet, passionately patriotic, and had been awarded the Purple Heart for valor. But after ‘73, his Jew-mania was front-and-center. “What is your family? Orthodox???” the cheerleaders queried.

More accusation than question, I shrank from the shame of being so ethnic! What was the point of straightening both hair and teeth and wearing penny-loafers if my father sported a Tevye-the-Milkman beard and wore a skullcap?

The oddest part was, he wasn’t Sabbath 24 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

observant. He was not interested in the laws of kashrut nor did he attend synagogue at any time other than the High Holy Days.

And he drove there. My father’s religion was one of defiance and a fury born of the Jewish importance displayed during our imprisonment under Pharaoh, Achashverosh’s Persian reign, the moxie of Antiochus, Hellenic conversions, Inquisition and Crusades, blood-libels, Lithuanian pogroms, the Arab massacre of Hebron in 1929, the unimpeded rise of Hitler and, finally, Jews being beaten on the streets of Ocean Hill/ Brownsville, Brooklyn. My father was one angry-yid and he ultimately morphed into an activist, the words ‘Never Again’ seared into his psyche.

For his children, however, the timing was most socially inconvenient. “Hey, Andie, wasn’t that your father on the news last night getting arrested?” Along with other protesters, he’d chained himself to the fence of the Russian Consulate, demanding the release of Soviet refusniks. Another time Mom was frantic because, decades before the cellphone, he hadn’t come home from work at his regular time because he’d spent the afternoon and evening guarding elderly Jews as they wobbled back and forth between their now fortified, low-income apartments and the corner bodega. Each May 14 he hung a bus-sized Israeli-flag outside of the front

window. We were shlepped to the Salute to Israel Parade where he marched with other grown men wearing speckled camouflage pants and black-leather boots. My face burned crimson.

Always daddy’s little girl, in time I became my father’s daughter. Fulfilling his dream, I moved to Israel, the only Jewish country in the world. I was blessed with six children and often think that each one represents a million of our people who were slaughtered by the Nazis. My girls did National Service and I’ve had sons in the Israeli Army. With the birth of each of my fifteen grandchildren, I weep and remember the lessons of my father.

Most fittingly, he died on the first intermediate day of Sukkot. Obscure and odd like him, the holiday is a humbling recognition of our fragility and reliance on Divine intervention. Material acquisitions might con us in believing that we’re protected from the elements and humanly imposed evil, but dwelling for eight days in a sukkah with stars twinkling between bamboo slats reminds us that we are not in charge.

Last month we implored our G-d in Heaven to shower us with His merciful kindnesses. Sukkot acknowledges that these were not fickle prayers but, rather, represent deepening wisdom and faith.A

Stand with the Land and People of Israel Through a Charitable Gift Annuity

By Matt Bernstein CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer

oday is as good a time as ever to explore the option of supporting Jewish National Fund through our Charitable Gift Annuity program.

As many of our donors already know, JNF runs one of the most successful Charitable Gift Annuity programs. It is because of our generous annuity rates that our donors enjoy the stability of receiving a reliable income along with the knowledge that their gift ultimately supports the land and people of Israel.

Jewish National Fund’s mission is more critical than ever. Our myriad of projects in Israel’s Negev and Galilee have seen a drastic socioeconomic change in the lives of all who call Israel home. Through our Blueprint Negev initiative, Be’er Sheva—the capital city of the Negev—is now the fastest growing city in Israel and attracting hi-tech businesses. Thanks to our Go North initiative, the Galilee’s economy is experiencing an unprecedented boom. These successes are shaping Israel’s destiny for future generations, and it has been made possible through stakeholders like you. Jewish National Fund is taking tangible steps in fighting BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction) and anti-Semitism through our $100 million JNF Boruchin Israel Education and Advocacy Center. Our Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) is working to connect younger generations to the importance of Israel and the Jewish experience in their lives, while giving them a leg up for their college years.

So how does this work? A Jewish National Fund Charitable Gift Annuity is a simple agreement that offers our donors a lifetime of income in exchange for their gift. In addition to the income, there are valuable tax advantages such as tax-fee income, an income tax deduction, and the avoidance of lump sum capital gains taxes if the donation is made with long-term

appreciated stocks or mutual funds. Our annuities can be structured to cover one or two lives and can be designed to act like a supplemental retirement plan by deferring income for a number of years.

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Compared to investment rates found in commercial markets, Jewish National Fund’s rates are very competitive. The rates for a two-life annuity are lower than those listed here but are still very attractive. And, just as important, when the gift annuity ends, the remaining dollars help make a major impact on Jewish National Fund’s mission and ensures that your legacy lives on in Israel.

To receive information, including a detailed illustration on how a Jewish National Fund Charitable Gift Annuity might benefit you, please call 800.562.7526 to speak with any of our Planned Giving specialists. You can also reach us via email at plannedgiving@jnf.org or visit jnflegacy.org.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 25

EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

by Saul Levine, M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD slevine@ucsd.edu

Donald Trump and The Dalai Lama hile they are two remarkably different men, “The Donald (Trump)” and “The Dalai (Lama)” are both immersed in international fame as well as controversy. Frequently seen on television, newspapers and social media, they each have the distinction of being vigorously admired and criticized. They are revered by millions of devoted followers and reviled by millions of impassioned haters.

Mr. Trump obviously has many dedicated acolytes in the United States who elected him president (notwithstanding the Electoral College imbroglio), but he has many admirers in other countries as well. His strong supporters tend to be politically and socially conservative voters who find authoritarian leaders appealing. His many angry detractors at home and abroad tend to harbor more liberal or progressive views.

Similarly, the Dalai Lama is adulated and denigrated. He is loved in Tibet, where he was born and anointed as the “Chosen Leader,” and where he remained until exiled

by China. He has many devotees in China and India, where he now lives, and he’s admired by legions of people throughout the world. He also has severe critics and is seen by the Chinese government and many citizens as a traitor. He has been criticized by 26 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

conservatives for his “naïve and dangerous” messages of respect for all humanity.

The differences between Donald Trump and the Dalai Lama can be a metaphor for the intense polarization we are witnessing throughout the world, as rigid perspectives and beliefs comprise close-minded opposing “camps.” This social disharmony breeds civic rancor and paralysis of the political process. But politics aside, if we look at the personalities of these men, polarization prevails.

Donald Trump is known worldwide by virtue of his status as president of the USA and his larger-than-life personality.

Countless reporting and opinion pieces are churned out daily, in which he is either vilified or praised.

His personality projects assertiveness, brashness, competition, individualism, impulsivity, aggression and turmoil.

The Dalai Lama is renowned on the world stage via frequent appearances in media interviews and presentations, his prolific and popular speeches and writings, and the many articles about him in the press, magazines and journals.

The personality projected by the Dalai Lama over the years has been one of tolerance, respect, cooperation, empathy, com-

passion, contemplation and inner peace.

For purposes of this column, I selected these two famous men from entirely different backgrounds and spheres of influence.

One stems from deep roots in business and politics, the other from a profound religious and spiritual tradition. One was elected, the other anointed. Leading a country and a religious movement obviously entail widely disparate responsibilities and skills.

The personality types and behaviors of these men could not be more different. Yet they are both either placed on pedestals of admiration, or held as targets of derision.

Both would like to change the world for (their conception of ) the better and both are revered and reviled.

Having recounted some of their dramatic differences, I have salient questions for you to ponder: Which of these famous individuals are you more drawn to?

With whom would you most like to be identified or associated with?

Do you see personal characteristics in either which you admire?

Are there personal features of each which you abhor?

Finally, which of these men would you like your own children to emulate? A

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 27

RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacub Rupp

rabbirupp@gmail.com

hy do some people start a religion?” my son asked me one day while we were driving.

“To get other people to listen to them,” I replied after a few seconds of thought.

Citing the particular religion and religious leader we had been discussing, my son asked, “But who cares if people listen to them if they are old and going to die anyway?”

This was too good of an opportunity to miss. As a parent, there is always the fun challenge of taking complex concepts and breaking them down into bite size pieces for very young and impressionable minds. Like the time I had to figure out how to explain politics, democracy and taxes to my then fiveyear-old daughter.

So, how do you explain our desire to create a posthumous legacy to a seven-year-old?

It actually wasn’t as hard as I thought. At that time, I was still smarting from reading my teenage religious musings I had recently come across in the shrine to my scholastic accomplishments that my mom keeps at her house. There amongst all my awards, letters of recommendations, old report cards and projects, I found a few high school writing samples that made me stop in my tracks.

In many ways, reading my old writing was like finding the insect stuck in amber that served as the foundation for the debacle of "Jurassic Park" (does anyone remember that movie anymore?). Here, laid out in front of me and preserved for all time is a sample of my tenth and eleventh grade mind. And also, similar to "Jurassic Park," I wondered if perhaps my writing shouldn’t have survived the many eons since high school. The words 28 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Speaking Philosophy with a Seven-Year-Old seem to contain so many secrets and foundations for the beliefs I would develop later in life.

One essay I had written was a many page diatribe about my awakening Jewish awareness and my philosophic and dogmatic opinions. I had “found” myself before I became orthodox. What did I believe?

One of the main principles that I had been raised with is the notion that Jews don’t believe in/don’t claim to know about the afterlife. I was under the impression we only focused on making the world a better place.

Of course, making the world a better place isn’t simple, possible, or even objectively good. The notion of making the world a better place, when based on an individual’s moral code, has given rise to such catastrophes as fascism, communism and other social experiments that left millions of graves in their wakes.

As a teen I falsely assumed, as do most young people, that most people are “good” (which of course was good according to my upper middle class, postmodern, liberal definition).

In college, I was shocked to learn that for thousands of years we Jews have not only believed in an afterlife, but see it as our primary existence. As it says in the Ethics of the Fathers, “this physical existence is nothing but a preparation for our true spiritual existence that occurs after we leave our physical bodies.”

Just like without tests, grades and exit exams our scholastic performance can’t be measured, after we die G-d considers our actions against the truth and our potential and

rewards us accordingly. The Talmud explains that this world is the world of preparation, the next world is Shabbat where we eat the fruits of our labor but cannot create anew.

This fundamental truth, which is deeply planted in the human sub or not so sub conscious is what fuels all our higher-level actions. We want to be more than ourselves.

Even in sports, fashion and art—human expressions that are fundamentally rooted in physicality and time, the fan/spectator/artist/ practitioner seeks to create greater meaning for themselves. To create a piece of art that lasts forever. To create a sports dynasty. I even heard one of the executives of the UFC (the mixed martial arts league) explain that man’s essence is his ability to fight and we are simply another chain in the transmission that was first formalized by the ancient Greeks.

Sounds like Passover to me!

So that’s what I told my son. I said that just like when we do mitzvos to build our world to come, all people want to live for eternity because it’s how we are wired.

My son thought for a moment. Then he said, “Well, how stupid would this person feel if he knew how many bad things his religion caused.”

So it’s not such a tough concept for a seven-year-old after all. We all want to create a legacy, but we mortals suffer from a lack of clarity as to what choices will ultimately be the best for our benefit now and in the hereafter.

“We are lucky we’re Jewish,” I told my son, “because G-d told us what to do so we didn’t have to make mistakes. Now we just need to live up to what we are supposed to do.” A

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 29

CHARITABLE GIVING: JCF

Judaism Matters Exploring the “Roads and Bridges” of the Jewish Community | BY BRIE STIMSON |

These professionals have completed JCF’s 2018 Trusted Charitable Advisor Program.

I

think of JCF as the infrastructure of the Jewish community, like the bridges and the roads that make it possible for the rest of the community to do the great work that it does,” President and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) Beth Sirull tells me over coffee in her office one morning. “We manage financial resources, assets for over 70 local non profits, including 35 Jewish organizations in the city and provide stewardship and investment management for their endowments and operating reserves ... that enable them to be on sound footing.”

She says they also provide support services to organizations, including the Create a Jewish Legacy program and fundraising efforts to build endowments. “We’re about ensuring that there’s a vibrant Jewish future in San Diego in perpetuity,” she adds.

Leo Spiegel has been on the board for more than 20 years. “I really feel like, no pun intended, JCF is the foundation of the Jewish community,” he says. “I feel blessed to be part of it. I think we provide a really critical role and we are partners to all of the organizations in town.”

JCF also runs a series of programs designed to develop leadership and increase philanthropy in the city like the Jewish 30 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Women’s Foundation and the Jewish Teen Foundation.

Jennifer Levitt has been involved with the Jewish Women’s Foundation for many years and was chair for two years. She is also a JCF board member. She says when she first became associated with JCF, she hadn’t really been involved with community work or the Jewish community in a particularly meaningful way. “It was through my experience at Jewish Women’s Foundation that I found a way to connect issues that I’m personally passionate about like fostering philanthropy among women [and] positioning women’s experience at the forefront of defining what important issues are for the Jewish community,” she says.

Joyce Axelrod was also a past chair of the Women’s Foundation. “About 10 years ago I decided that I wanted to have a donor-advised fund and I worked with the wonderful people at the Jewish Community Foundation,” she tells me. Joyce says she recently decided to update her legacy plan to include a particular organization she was able to visit as facilitated by JCF. “Last week, I said, ‘Sharleen, I’ve been on several visitations that you offer to fund holders to visit other nonprofit entities because you want to make our community more aware of organizations

that one can support.' I recall the year before last I went with the Jewish Community Foundation to [Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility] where we saw how inmates were given the opportunity to train black labs and other breeds of dogs,” Joyce begins.

She tells me the dogs would eventually go to veterans and children with autism through POOCH, a nonprofit. “One of the inmates got up ... he had been in prison for a long time and he said to us in regard to being able to live and to train a dog, he says it’s the first time in 23 years that he’s able to pet a dog.”

She says she was so smitten with the program that she has decided to redo her legacy plan to include the organization.

Joyce says through the Jewish Community Foundation she has also been able to visit organizations like the Salk Institute, The San Diego Opera and she has attended conferences on human trafficking. “So many people don’t think of these places that you might have an interest in leaving a legacy for, and I just really appreciate that the Jewish Community Foundation is able to offer this to us.”

Jennifer tells me her involvement with the JCF has served as a foundation for her work with other nonprofits. “I really feel like my early experiences at Jewish Community

Jewish Teen Foundation at the 2018 check presentation ceremony.

Foundation were very informative in terms of what I would go on to do in the community in the next several years and that work has been extremely meaningful and very profound in terms of defining who I am, what makes my life meaningful, how I give back to the community,” she says.

A donor who wished to remain anonymous explains how JCF helped them connect to important issues. “ I am now very involved with human trafficking issues in San Diego all because I became better informed on the subject at a brunch they hosted earlier this year,” the donor says. “And I went to Morocco with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) after I met Gideon at one of their briefings and have been invited to the JDC board meeting in New York in December.”

The Jewish Teen Foundation teaches the next generation about philanthropy and how to be an effective giver. “The teens come together in a real business setting, and they really learn how to build consensus and develop a process for taking in proposals and evaluating and deciding where to give their funds, which trains them in analysis and leadership and skills that will be really good for them career wise,” Beth explains to me during our morning chat.

TOP L to R: Beth Sirull, Leo Spiegel. BOTTOM L to R: Jennifer Levitt, Joyce Axelrod.

JCF also runs something called the Trusted Charitable Advisor Program, “which actually works with wealth advisors, attorneys, accountants and the like to help them work with their clients around philanthropy so that they’re educated.” Beth says it’s all about bringing more resources into the community to help it thrive.

She explains donor-advised funds, another offering at JCF, as a philanthropic account a donor can set up at the JCF, and from which they can do all their charitable giving and have options of investing those funds at the same time to further their philanthropic dollars. The JCF will share ideas on grantmaking, depending on what’s important to the donor. “That’s our job. We help them decide what matters to them,” Beth says.

“Sometimes they know what they care about and sometimes it’s really a conversation on what’s most important and ‘what do I want to support?’” Donors can also create an endowment, which will go on in perpetuity.

Leo calls the JCF the neutral “broker” between the donor and the nonprofit; they don’t favor one nonprofit over another. He tells me the organization is deeply personal for him. “My father was a Holocaust survivor; one of the things that’s really important to me is Jewish continuity. I want San Diego

to have a vibrant Jewish community, and I want Judaism to be relevant to my kids who are in their 20s and I have one teenager left.

And I really want to see us continue to be a really strong, proud and giving people ..., and I think all of that is embodied in really what the Foundation’s mission is all about.”

Jennifer summarizes how she feels about the JCF. “It’s a wonderful venue for making the world a better place with a community who shares your values and also a wonderful venue for exploring community issues that are important to you through the lens of Jewish values.”

Beth tells me the JCF has two core beliefs.

“We believe in the power of every individual to make a difference and that collectively we can change the world. And our job is to help all of our donors create the change in the world to make the difference that they want to make.”

“And the second core belief is that we believe in the innate value of Jewish tradition and living Jewish values in the present and ensuring a vibrant Jewish future,” she says.

“Judaism matters. It matters to the Jewish community. It matters to the world. And we are committed to perpetuating it. Those are the pillars of our existence. That’s why we get out of bed in the morning.” A Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 31

32 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

SENIORS: Seacrest

The Seacrest Olympics | BY JACQUELINE BULL |

Spectators at the Seacrest Olympics.

T

he Seacrest Olympics or Seacrest Games in non-Olympic years is an annual sporting competition of the residents of Seacrest Village. Lori Officer, Senior Fitness Program Coordinator of Seacrest in Encinitas, works with the residents on their day-to-day fitness as well as coordinates and emcees the games.

“It’s evolved over the years. It’s changed as I’ve added staff and had more help with it.

And every year it’s just a little different depending on who takes part in it,” Lori said.

The games have existed for more than 10 years. In the past, Lori would try to coincide it with Active Aging Week, which is sponsored by the International Council on Active Aging. This proved to be a challenge, since Active Aging Week often would overlap with the High Holidays. This coupled with recent years having a very hot August or early September, has prompted the move into the fall.

The games consist of three different events with separate categories for the assisted and independent living communities and men and women. (Some years they have coed events).

“People can compete in one, two or three of them and while they are not competing, they get pom-poms and noise makers and can be cheerleaders. If they are not comfortable competing at all, they can come for support and be cheerleaders and have signs

and blow on those kazoo things and make a lot of noise,” she said.

The events are switched up every year, but they typically start with distance throw. Athletes test their skills throwing bean bags on a putting green from a starting line. They get three trials and are counted by their furthest one.

An event they had last year was a curl and press where residents, either sitting or standing, could do a bicep curl, press overhead and see how many reps they could complete.

“We have also done one called ‘Walk the Line.’ I measure out an 8-inch width almost like a balance beam [and] we tape it on the concrete. If they have a walker, they can use the walker or the cane, but their feet have to stay in that 8-inch distance. Once their feet go over the tape, they are disqualified, so they get one full minute to walk as far as they can without stepping outside the tape,” she said.

Many residents tell Lori that they outperformed their own expectations of themselves. And while the competition doesn’t push intense training and preparation, tracking progress and seeing improvements in fitness is something she notes as a motivator to keep coming back.

“Sometimes it brings people out who don’t have a habit of coming to fitness – I love that aspect ... These events usually bring out everybody and then they kind of have a

feeling of comradery – they cheer each other on ... And just the fun aspect, people laughing, not being overly concerned about anything in that moment,” she said.

The games also provide a great social event. Residents who have friends in both the independent and assisted living buildings get a chance to catch up and reconnect.

Making the games fun for the residents is the primary focus. They have an opening ceremony with the national anthem, Lori emcees and introduces the residents before each event, (“It’s kind of like a comedy show”) having the residents cheerlead throughout and ending with an informal medal ceremony all are done with just having a fun and enjoyable event in mind.

“What I do here and what I encourage our staff and even our residents to do with fitness is have fun with it. Some people, you know, they feel that fitness is something they have to do, but I really encourage the residents to find something that they like to do. Our staff is so diverse in background and knowledge that we could find something for just about anybody, so we really encourage the fun aspect and I think that is where you keep people. And I think the residents who come the most – some of them tell me that this is their favorite place on campus and this is the most comfortable place on campus because they can come there everyday if they want to,” she said. A Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 33

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

-Simon Wiesenthal

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Keep Simon Wiesenthal’s legacy alive.

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CHARITABLE GIVING: Beth Shalom

Beth Shalom was declared a historic site in 2016.

Hamish

Beth Shalom Celebrates 60 Years | BY BRIE STIMSON |

T

he word Beth Shalom’s rabbi likes to use to describe their temple is “hamish.” It’s a Yiddish word that means homelike.

“It’s an atmosphere where everybody belongs,” Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel says.

The Chula Vista synagogue isn’t as large as some of the others in town, but they make up for it in fellowship, inclusivity and history.

And with the 60th anniversary this year, there’s a lot of history.

The temple was purchased on June 24, 1958 from St. John’s Episcopal Church by Samuel Vener, the temple’s co-founder and first president, who also helped construct the Chula Vista waterfront.

The church was first built in 1924, and af-

ter Beth Sholom (now Beth Shalom) bought the building, co-founder Sam Moskowitz transformed the plaster walls in the sanctuary into wood paneling and built the ark and the bimah in use today.

The first day of services in 1958 was standing room only, and the synagogue hopes to one day restore the stunning raftered ceiling visible in the photos. Beth Shalom President Arlene LaGary says that membership was at a high point in the 1950s. “A lot of families, and a lot of them were Holocaust survivors, military,” but over the years membership dwindled.

“Before 1958, you wouldn’t see that many Jews in Chula Vista, the only real synagogue

around was the one that is there today, Ohr Shalom,” synagogue member Steve Goldkrantz adds. Beth Israel was also located on 2nd and Beech in downtown until 1926.

“Jews were not allowed to own land in North County,” he says. Many of the congregants were post-WWII immigrants, coming from places like Russia, Germany, Italy – and many came to the U.S. through Mexico.

“Initially though in 1957, they started as an informal group and it was just the Chula Vista Jewish Center and they would meet in Sam Vener’s house and people’s garages, kind of like Apple,” Steve jokes. After they bought the synagogue, they were originally in the social hall before moving into the sanctuary.

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 35

“It’s interesting cause you have a combination of the old and new, but the newer stuff is from 1967,” he says. The sanctuary’s Torah table and wood paneling along the walls are both from 1958.

Now, 60 years later, the congregation has grown to approximately 60 families. “We’re trying very much to grow,” Arlene says. They add new congregants when people moving into the community or even when people finding them online.

“It’s a smallish congregation, but each and every one is very, very special, and maybe they came here looking for something the way I did,” Jeanne Silverstein, a member who informally runs the synagogue’s kitchen, remarks.

Jeanne was living in Kansas about 10 years ago when her son asked her to move to Chula Vista to live closer to him following a death in the family. “So I moved here, knew nothing about Chula Vista or what part of town I was in,” she says. “And I thought I had retired and I thought ‘boy, this is great, yeah, I’m going to read all the books I never did’ and etc. and etc., and then it hit me there must be something more to life.” Her niece asked her if she had considered joining a synagogue. She went online and looked up temples in Chula Vista. “I came here for a Friday and a Saturday and immediately had family and friends,” she tells me. Five years later, she’s practically taken over the kitchen.

She now comes every Friday and Saturday. “I have to come see my family and take care of them,” she smiles.

Jeanne tells me one of the things they love about the temple is that they hold many events in the social hall. “The bar mitzvahs are here, the bat mitzvahs are here and the whole congregation comes,” she says. “We’re family and we get to celebrate with family.”

36 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

This year, Beth Shalom will hold their 60th Anniversary Celebration at Elijah’s Banquet Hall on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Dr. Joellyn Zollman will be the guest speaker, there will be “A Walk Through Time” video presentation, chronicling Beth Shalom’s six-decade history, they will honor their Circle of Benefactors, the Chula Vista Art Guild will display and sell their paintings

and Yale Strom & Hot P’Stromi will play some klezmer favorites. They are also hoping to raise some money during the celebration to take care of necessary updates to the synagogue. Arlene says they hope to be able to get a new roof in the social hall and air conditioning. Eventually, as mentioned before, they would like to uncover the wooden rafters in the sanctuary’s ceiling. The building was designated as a historical site in 2016.

But all of the updates are meaningless without the people who fill the synagogue.

Rabbi Samuel stresses inclusivity as a core value, which even crosses religious lines. “One of the things that we emphasize as very important is Christian-Jewish relations,” he tells me. They often rent the social hall out on Sundays to church groups.

As far as the congregation, the rabbi says everyone relates as they are – as family. “I think that’s a very rare gift that we bring the San Diego Jewish community, one we can all be very proud of.” He also empathizes the importance of being real. “You have to be real towards each other and you have to be real with ourselves.” He adds, “The attitude is when the congregant is ready, the synagogue shall appear.”

As I wave goodbye and walk to my car (following an invitation to join the congregation in a movie and a warning to drive safely on the busy roads) I’m left thinking about the synagogue. Beth Shalom is a building made of wood and plaster. It needs a new roof in the social hall, air-conditioning and the sanctuary’s ceiling should be restored. But Beth Shalom is more than a building. It’s made of each family who attends services; it’s made of the memories of six decades of bar and bat mitzvahs; it’s made of a hand held in a time of need and a hug in a time of congratulations; it’s made of the hopes and dreams of the co-founders of the synagogue and the first congregants, including the immigrants who made their way across the world in a perilous time to find a place they could worship; it’s made of each person who leaves the place better than they found it or who was bettered for being there. And that is something worth celebrating.

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FEATURE: Shabbat San Diego

Finding Where You Belong Shabbat San Diego extends into a week of activities with Jewish Xperience week

PHOTOS BY ALON DAVID PHOTOGRAPHY

| BY JACQUELINE BULL |

Challah bake

S

habbat San Diego is a unique project in that its external goals are present in the internal structure of the organization. In other words, it lives by the messages it preaches. One of the goals of Shabbat San Diego is to build bridges between separate Jewish organizations for the Jews that attend the communitywide Shabbat and that sentiment is present at the highest levels. The three people that Program Coordinator for Shabbat San Diego Simone Abelsohn suggested be interviewed this year are all part of some of the biggest and most influential Jewish organizations in town: the JCC, JCF and the Jewish Federation. So Shabbat San Diego talks about building bridges within the community, and walks that by having the advisory and steering committee come from different corners of the community.

Shabbat San Diego is heading into its Wood Anniversary, the 5th year, and for some cultures this marks the anniversary where a

38 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

couple is no longer considered a newlywed.

Time to enjoy some fine wood crafted furniture and settle into a routine? I didn’t think so either. Shabbat San Diego is taking on its most ambitious year yet by extending the festivities into an entire week called Jewish Xperience week that will begin on the preceding Sunday and last until the Sunday after the Global Shabbat experience (Oct. 21-28).

The Xperience week features a whopping 59 events outside of the main affairs of the challah bakes and the Unity Havdalah concert.

“Jewish Xperience week is like Restaurant Week – get a taste of the Jewish community and that’s what this has all been about,” said Darren Schwartz, Chief Program Officer for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County.

“Shabbat San Diego has been successful in getting a majority of our community out, so let’s make sure to pack the week going into Shabbat San Diego with a ton of opportunities that are going to challenge people’s as-

sumptions about the different ways they can engage in the Jewish community.”

Darren is part of the advisory board for Shabbat San Diego and this dovetails with his professional capacity. “I’m spending most of my day everyday working with other organizations and talking about central issues that we all care about – things like connecting young families to Jewish life and making sure vulnerable seniors are cared for,” he said.

The events of Jewish Xperience week are geared towards the two groups of people that are already active in the community and those who haven’t found their niche yet. For the first group, the events show opportunities for involvement outside of their purview and invite them to explore further. For the second group, the events offer a diverse variety of activities for them to pick and choose experiences that feel good to them.

“It’s an experiential and non-traditional way to connect to Jewish life,” Sharleen Wol-

lach (Vice President, Operations of Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, and a member of the advisory board and steering committee of Shabbat San Diego) said.

“Where I think of the holidays as being centered around ritual and tradition, I think the Jewish Xperience Week is experiential and experimental. You can’t really change too much about the Rosh Hashanah service or the Yom Kippur service, but you can change the way an event looks, you can do Shabbat at the beach with yoga,” Sharleen said.

“One of our missions is to make sure that our next generation ... whose parents have been traditionally connected, might consider being non-traditionally connected in other ways [and] reach out to some of these opportunities to give that a shot,” Sharleen said.

Those who don’t find a meaningful connection in ritual may feel excluded from the Jewish experience at large.

Having the week in October, after the High Holidays, builds on that momentum of having the thought of being Jewish and expressing that at the forefront of the mind. And it offers either a confirmation or counterpoint to those rituals, depending on whether the individual attends more traditional or more out of the box events.

“And this allows them to explore one week out of the year when there is going to be 50 events, that they can really have choice on what they can do. They can see a film, they can be part of a discussion series, they can do community service, they can go to somebody’s home for dinner, the opportunities are just endless in this particular week and we are hoping that it will spark interest for the rest of the year,” Darren said.

The events are held all throughout San Diego and have all ages events and ones catered to specific age groups.

An event that both Darren and Betzy Lynch, CEO of the JCC, highlighted is the “Little Mensches.” This program (part of Shalom Baby) held at the JCC teaches children ages four-eight about giving back to seniors and allows children nine and over to take on “helper” responsibilities. There will be arts and crafts and bingo that they can do with the seniors.

The events range from light-hearted mu-

sic, meditation and yoga events to discussion series on organ donation or Jewish ethics and the refugee crisis.

“This is the biggest menu that you will ever get,” Sharleen said.

Sharleen, Darren and Betzy all expressed a sincere invitation for all to come and check out some events and see what the San Diego Jewish community has to offer.

“I hope they walk away with a couple of things – which is understanding the expression of being Jewish can happen in so many different ways and that this week where all the Jewish organizations and even individuals who are contributing to the experience are taking off the hat of our individual purview to create something really special for the community at large. That I hope that they see the power and the idea of us functioning in a community mindset rather than in an individual organizational mindset,” Betzy said.

“I think it is time to show that Jewish life is more than just Judaism. Judaism is our religion, being Jewish is our life. And we want people to feel Jewish.” Sharleen said. “For people who otherwise have not had an opportunity to connect with Jewish life in any form or fashion, take this opportunity to connect in way that feels good for them. It’s not about a religion, it’s about a value system and a way of life.”

Darren expressed, “I think part of why Judaism has been successful is that we continue to re-envision what it means to connect with each other and to connect with a higher power. And the concern about doing things Jewishly is not a will they or won’t they, it’s how will they?”

“From my perspective, the idea of this ancient construct being so relevant in the time when we need the separation between

Challah bake

Havdalah

the things that we create in our regular work week and having the time and space to be able to sort of reboot our life experience while a very, very ancient tradition and ritual is so applicable in our contemporary culture and even probably more than it ever was before.

The value of highlighting that is a function of the Jewish experience is incredible and is a gift to our community and we are so lucky to be a part of it,” Betzy said. Go to page 73 for a listing of select events.A Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 39

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Chateau La Jolla At 70, most would abandon fulfilling a dream, but not Vera she went back to school and received her Pharmacy Technician’s license at age 72. She was always fascinated by medicine and aware she wouldn’t be practicing after she received it. When asked, “Why now?” Her response was, “I wanted it”.

Her father was an uneducated Bootlegger and struggling immigrant business owner desperately trying to provide for his family of 7 during The Great Depression. They lived in a dwelling that stood just above whatever bar he owned at that given time. Vera wanted to break free of the negative and addictive influences surrounding her. She found her great escape through volunteering.

Her first encounter with what would become her life passion was at the V.A. hospital in Long Beach, California assisting wounded veterans. The second was with The Red Cross. Vera, to date, has donated 70 plus years of selflessness, being honored by both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama receiving “The President’s Volunteer Service Award” for over 2,000 service hours served. At 93, her close friends call her “the leader of the pack” which she has clearly demonstrated in the choices she has made throughout her life.

Today, Vera lives in La Jolla, has 2 children, 4 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter. At 93, she embodies the same kindness and compassion that she has always lead her life with.

40 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

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Beethoven Symphony No. 7 Joyce Yang, one of the most acclaimed pianists of her generation, returns to Copley Symphony Hall to perform music of Edvard Grieg as the first concert in her two-week residency on our Jacobs Masterworks opening. Ludwig van Beethoven’s immortal Seventh Symphony concludes the program.

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 41

FEATURE: StandWithUs

StandWithUs San Diego Launches Into the School Year With New Staff, High School Interns and College Fellows

T

he StandWithUs (SWU) San Diego Emerson Fellows and StandWithUs High School Interns completed their respective August training conferences and are eager to utilize their new skills and knowledge to inspire and educate their peers about Israel and confront anti-Israel rhetoric.

Sara Miller continues to lead as director of SWU SD. Yael Steinberg joined as Associate Director after completing a Masters in non-profit organizations from Hebrew University.

Charline Delkhah who served as president of “Aggies for Israel” at UC Davis, is the new Southwest Campus Coordinator. Kate Chavez, the new Southwest High School Coordinator taught English to students in Bat Yam, Israel last year.

Founded in 2007, the SWU Emerson Fellowship selects and trains 90 student leaders from 90 universities throughout North America. Fellows run dynamic programs that bring Israel’s message to their campuses and also combat BDS campaigns.

Last year’s Emerson’s countered the anti-Israel “Apartheid Wall” and helped pass an anti-Semitism resolution through the student government at SDSU and hosted SWU’s “Israeli Soldiers Tour” at UCSD. The 2018-19 UCSD Emerson is Adam Taryle. VP of Israeli Culture for Tritons for Israel (TFI), Adam comments that, “before the conference, I had plenty of ideas but not many tools to actualize them. Now I am confident that my team (TFI) will be able to implement an effective strategy; we are already talking and planning events.”

SDSU’s new Emerson Dana Elazar is also VP of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and President of Mishelanu. Dana felt, “that a piece of me was missing” when her family left Israel at age eight. “StandWithUs has helped me gain those bits and pieces back through

42 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Charline and the SD Emersons

educating about Israel and spreading the love I have throughout my campus.”

StandWithUs recognized that Israel education had to begin sooner than college and in 2012 they created the StandWithUs High School Internship.

The year-long program prepares students for the challenges they may face in college and the community regarding Israel. Students begin Israel clubs in their school, bring educational programming and write articles. Last year’s intern Trevor Lyons will share his experiences with the Israel club at Canyon Crest Academy at SWU SD’s annual gala on October 14.

The 2018-19 interns are: Dekel Galor, Canyon Crest Academy; Nathan Pupko Ginsberg, Torrey Pines High School and Raphael Shpitalnik, Southern California Yeshiva.

Raphael just took the #15SecondChallenge – what can you do in 15 seconds – the time Israelis living in the south have to find shelter after rockets are fired at them.

He is also “a religious Jew and the SWU internship is helping my goal of furthering my knowledge about Israel.”

Dekel became an intern “to have the tools

to be able to defend the truth in my community. I am passionate about bringing peace and stopping violence.” Nathan recognizes that “there is a trend towards anti-Semitism, hatred towards Israel and misinformation about the situation. I want to combat this by creating events and activities that educate and inspire people while defending and protecting Israel. I am most excited about being able to be a Pro-Israel advocate in an Anti-Zionist world.”

At the training conferences for both programs held in Los Angeles, students learned leadership and debate skills, how to run programs and form coalitions with other groups, and how to utilize SWU’s various programs, including legal and conventional and social media. There were sessions on understanding and countering BDS campaigns and how to determine when legitimate criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism. They were instructed on Israel’s history, strategic issues and received a Mideast update.

For more information, contact: saram@standwithus.com and yaels@standwithus.com or call the SWU SD office, 858-598-8220. A

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44 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF LFJCC

FEATURE: JCC Preschool

An Alliance of Teachers | BY JACQUELINE BULL |

JCC's

a c r o s s N o r t h America are bringing early childhood educators together with the Sheva Center Leadership Institute. Thirty-one educators have been accepted into the three-year institute, one of which is from our very own Lawrence Family JCC. Jennifer Metzler is one of the 31 fellows that will take part in retreats, international study tours, and monthly seminars for professional and personal development.

When Jennifer first moved to San Diego, she attended “Mommy And Me” classes at the JCC and got involved with the preschool as a parent.

“As I got more and more involved in the school, our director at the time, Alma Hadash Geiger, she looked at me and said, ‘Have you thought about going back to work and what do you think about working here?’” she said.

Jennifer started working two days a week in the office and then was asked to take on the parent child classes. Jennifer recalls going the director, Alma, and saying it was too difficult and that she didn’t think she could do it. Alma asked her to finish out the rest of the year and then reassess.

“And by the end of the year, I came back

Jennifer Meltzer with the kids. P Jennifer Meltzer with the kids. P

and said, ‘OK. I love it. I’ll keep doing it.’

And I think I’m heading into my 9th year teaching,” she said.

At the institute there is a variety of early childhood educators such as directors, teacher mentors and people that work with curriculum in addition to teachers.

“They told us when we first got there that there were three goals of the institute.

The first is that they want us to be there for ourselves to personally grow. The second is that they wanted us to take what we were getting and bring it back home – and that is something that I look forward to doing over the next three years. And the third was for us to become advocates for the work that we do with children.”

Jennifer explained that the fellows all bonded as a group and that in addition to the monthly seminars and the trips with the institute, the fellows keep in touch daily with a text message group.

“So we’re still intimately connected with one another. Whether it is congratulating one of our fellows who just had a baby, another fellow who just got married, or it is about ‘I’m struggling with this in my classroom and how would you deal with this situation’ or …. ‘What are some videos or things that you’ve watched that have been motivating and talk about positive leader-

ship.’ It has just been this wonderful, supportive ongoing conversation.”

The idea of community, shared experience and connecting one on one is a value present in many levels in the fellowship.

This idea is present in both the institute's structure and its mission.

That starts with the group setting of having 31 fellows, visiting and working with other schools incorporating the Sheva framework and then empowering the people that they work with at their individual JCC’s.

“What is wonderful is that Sheva is not a curriculum in and of itself. It’s really bringing universal values through a Jewish lens. In a lot of ways the things that we talk about are things that my school is doing, it is just bringing the intentionality to it and the mindfulness. And really utilizing what we call Jewish lenses and using them as we look at the work that we do and again making them a part of our everyday language,” she said.

Having a common language helps to unify the educators and staff at each school, but also as a network of centers.

“You don’t feel isolated in your own school – the work that we are doing is shared, the ideas are shared and the connections are shared,” she said. A

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 45

Mensches on a Mission Joe and Sima Oppenheimer were living independently in their Carmel Valley home. As is common for seniors, they began facing some challenges that come with aging. Joe was no longer driving while Sima was finding it more difficult to cook and keep up with the home.

They decided a move into a senior community was the solution. The idea of going through a lifetime of belongings and moving into a smaller space was overwhelming. Enter Silver Linings Transitions, a move management company specializing in senior moves. The company, owned by Jami Shapiro, handled the entire process: sorting and selling belongings, arranging for donations, packing, unpacking, organizing and decorating. Even their bookshelves were photographed and re-created in their new home.

Best of all, these services were free because Joe and Sima used Jami’s

Realtor partner Bryan Devore of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty to help them with the sale of their home.

The Oppenheimers were the stars of the new reality TV show Senior Savers. The show, airing on channel 4SD and on social media, chronicled their journey and showed how simple the transition to senior living can be. It also presented some of the resources available for seniors, whether they choose to move or remain in their homes.

and perhaps be featured on an upcoming episode. Call (866) 2360810 or visit www.SeniorSavers.tv.

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46 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

FEATURE: Michael Hopkins

‘So What Does This Mean?’

JFS’ CEO Named to the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Board of Directors

J

ewish Family Service CEO Michael Hopkins spends a lot of his day asking questions: ‘So what now?’ ‘So what does that mean?’ ‘What are we going to do about it?’ ‘So how does that make you feel?’

“I was just talking to a colleague about asking the question ‘so what?’ like when somebody says something – ‘So, what does that mean?’ I think I’ve learned enough to ask good questions,” Michael tells me. He has been CEO of JFS since 2012, adding to his more than 35 years of working with Jewish communities across the county.

And now, he’s taking on a new challenge.

Michael was named to the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ board of directors. The board, conceived in May 2017, is the result of the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies and the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services joining forces. The board represents hundreds of Jewish agencies across the country.

“There was this realization that the face of Jewish agencies are changing,” Michael explains. “Many of the members [like JFS] are almost like legacy agencies within Jewish life and then there are a lot of other smaller startups that are struggling to connect, affiliate, that could maybe learn from legacy agencies, and so the branding and the name reflects this understanding that it’s not just around vocational service agencies and it’s

| BY BRIE STIMSON | not just around Jewish family services.”

The network’s first conference was held in Chicago last spring, and Michael has been asked to chair their next conference that takes place in Atlanta next March.

“San Diego has under Jill’s [Borg Spitzer] tenure and for a really long time been a leader in our field,” Michael says of JFS. “We’re bigger than we probably should be for the size of our community; we’re impactful in a number of different areas.”

JFS is celebrating their centennial this year, and the agency still maintains its original focus and values. They are still dedicated to immigration and refugees, homelessness, food insecurity and helping people find jobs.

They have also adapted with the times and offer services not talked about in 1918, like domestic violence and addiction support.

Michael says since it's relatively new, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ is still finding its brand. “So that it really provides added value to the members, we’re tasked at providing meaningful services,” he said.

“Anytime you get bigger and you get more diverse, it becomes harder to actually figure out what the customer wants, and so we’re tasked with trying to figure out what services as an umbrella organization – to a group of diverse organizations around the country – we can provide,” he says. “And the field is everything from agencies that have budgets of $100,000 to agencies that

have budgets of probably greater than $15 million.”

It can be a challenge, he adds, to find the common ground between a one-year-old agency and one that’s more than 100 years old, but he says that even legacy agencies can learn from startups.

“I like to think that I’m leading a learning organization, that we have a culture of learning – and learning at all different levels,” he says. “On a personal level, I hate kind of reinventing the wheel, and so if someone else around the country has figured out a better way to address homelessness or a more efficient and effective way to distribute meals or provide transportation to seniors, that if we can learn from somebody else doing like work, then we’re better for that.”

Michael believes being willing to learn as an organization is as important as being clever. “Five years ago, one of most essential components of the strategic planning process that we were involved in was this concept of learning journeys where we literally went out and visited 20 different organizations that had nothing to do with JFS, but they were just best in their class around different issues,” he explains. “I’m continually working to have it just be part of our culture ... This is an extension of not only being of service to others, but when you’re in service to others, you’re in service to yourself.” A

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 47

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Ner Tamid Synagogue Corks and Community: An Evening to Sip, Sample and Schmooze (Sept. 24, 2018-Poway, CA) Ner Tamid Synagogue in Poway, is hosting Corks and Community, an event open to the entire community on Saturday, November 10th at 7pm. A master sommelier will be on hand to offer tastes to connoisseurs and teach beginners Learn the subtle differences between varietals and enjoy an evening of wine, games and schmoozing.

Ticket prices for Corks and Community are $20 each or $36 per couple; tickets at the door are $25 per person. To purchase tickets, register online at nertamidsd.org/wine or call the synagogue office at 858-513-8330. Must be 21 and over to attend.

The evening is sponsored by Barons Market, a family-owned and operated neighborhood market since 1993, with nine San Diego County locations, including Alpine, Temecula, Menifee and Wildomar.

Ner Tamid is an inclusive conservative synagogue dedicated to the mission of connecting Jews to Torah and to each other through education, prayer and Tikkun Olam (actions that “heal the world”). They are located at 12348 Casa Avenida in Poway.

For more information please contact Debbi Gourley at 916715-0653 or debbigourley18@gmail.com.

12348

CHARITABLE GIVING: Yemin Orde

Empowering Educators Across Israel | BY LIANNE GOLDSMITH | Yemin Orde, VWEI's Chief Executive Officer Haim Rubovitch with educators.

n a bright and cloudless afternoon in June 2018, 117 graduates of Yemin Orde High School proudly stood to accept graduation certificates in anticipation of the next hopeful chapters of their lives.

Such an accomplishment might seem typical for American teens during annual high school graduation rituals. However, for these young adults who have called Yemin Orde Youth Village home for the past several years, their achievement is nothing short of a miracle.

Yemin Orde Youth Village, located atop the coastal mountain range of Mt. Carmel in northern Israel, is home, school and safe haven to 430 at-risk and immigrant youth from Ethiopia, the Former Soviet Union, France, Brazil and native Israelis. Most of Yemin Orde’s teens are first or second generation Israelis and are from Israel’s lowest socio-economic sectors. They have suffered trauma from destructive childhoods framed by elements such as extreme poverty, family dysfunction, abandonment, loss and violence.

Yet, at Yemin Orde, with the help of dedicated staff and a highly successful and innovative educational methodology, called the Village Way, the hearts and minds of these youth heal, and they embrace hope for their future as citizens of Israel.

Yemin Orde’s remarkable success at transforming the lives of Israel’s at-risk youth provided a paradigm shift in the educational philosophy for Israel’s growing population of underserved youth. In 2006, Israel’s Ministry of Education urged Yemin Orde educators to create a blueprint to expand the Village Way methodology to other youth villages and schools nationwide. Village Way Educational Initiatives (VWEI) launched with this mission in mind.

Today, VWEI serves as Israel’s national resource center for the Village Way methodology. The Village Way Educational Institute is similar to U.S.-based “think tanks,” generates and disseminates customized educational frameworks to 44 partner educational communities, which includes youth villages, residential therapeutic communities and

public high schools with large populations of at-risk youth, including schools in Arab communities.

Since 2006, VWEI has impacted 14,200 youth and 1,775 educators in Israel. By 2021, VWEI hopes to partner with 61 educational communities and impact 25,000 youth and 2,550 educators. San Diego’s San Pasqual Academy, the first residential education campus in the U.S. to serve only foster youth, has successfully integrated elements of the Village Way methodology into its curriculum.

“Our impact in enhancing the spiritual well-being and leadership potential of at-risk youth from poverty-stricken families and dysfunctional homes is broader and more profound than I dreamed it would be. In just 12 years, we have reached more of Israel’s atrisk youth than ever thought possible,” said Haim Rubovitch, Chief Executive Officer, VWEI. Rubovitch entered the educational management field after serving for 26 years as a high-level executive in the Israeli Security Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 49

L to R: VWEI students on bicycles. Teacher, student.

Agency (Shin Bet). After a career safeguarding Israel and working in high-risk and culturally diverse communities, Rubovitch says the Village Way methodology offers a proven and successful path to secure Israel’s future and to close its achievement gap between ethnicities, religions and social classes.

“In my previous career, I learned that, while defense organizations are critical for our existence, our security depends first and foremost on the moral quality of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

Our existence depends on our human quality in all aspects of life and work. We cannot achieve this without proper education and educational frameworks that lead the way,” Rubovitch said.

Nofar Desta.

A Long Walk to Freedom And a Future Studies prove the efficacy of the Village Way methodology in educational environments.

Graduates of Village Way communities, such as Yemin Orde Youth Village, indicate positive views toward volunteering, belonging to the State of Israel, participating in community advocacy, and believing in themselves and their ability to succeed.

50 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Haifa attorney, Nofar Getanech Desta, a graduate of Yemin Orde Youth Village, arrived in Israel as a youth, wracked with insecurity and fear from her traumatic childhood experiences walking with her family across Ethiopia’s deserts to its capital, in order to obtain government permission to emigrate.

At 14 years old, Nofar arrived at Yemin Orde angry and discouraged by the complexities of her new homeland where everything, from language and school to friends and her family life, seemed difficult and out of control.

“I knew from the start that I made the right decision to come to Yemin Orde,” Nofar said. “It wasn’t just another boarding school for me – it was home.”

Thanks to Yemin Orde’s exemplary therapeutic support and educational teams, its caring community and its excellent activities and academic programs, Nofar developed self-esteem, leadership skills and learned to embrace hope and dream of a bright future in Israel.

In 2014, after serving three years as a combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, Nofar attended college in Tel Aviv and studied law. Today, she serves as an attorney in the Haifa District Attorney’s office and works to safeguard justice in Israel.

Village Way Empowers Educators and Students As Israel’s at-risk and immigrant youth population continues to grow, it becomes vital for its educators to embrace a new educational model in order to better teach and connect to young underserved segments of society.

With the help of the Educational Institute’s cadre of professionals, educators develop an understanding of what it means to be a more professional, meaningful and au-

thentic educator. They note improvements in their ability to deal with daily challenges in their work, develop stronger relationships with their students and see their at-risk youth achieve better outcomes in school and later in life.

“The Village Way concept increases my knowledge, gives me strategies on how to approach and treat teachers as a group and how to behave with parents and students.

Knowledge is power!” said an educator at a VWEI partner high school. “The Village Way methodology is a discipline that gives you a lot of strength when you work with children in a school like ours. The entire concept when implemented today is a source of strength.”

In addition to partnerships with educational communities in Israel, the Village Way Educational Institute has introduced the Village Way methodology in academic settings, including full-semester courses in the education departments at Israel’s Oranim Teacher’s College and the prestigious Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

“It is amazing to see the external and internal changes that many of these school communities have made through implementing the Village Way methodology, helping the youth they work with go on to improved lives. I believe that in the future, the Village Way will find a place in the wider world of education as a whole,” Rubovitich said.

Haim Rubovitch will visit San Diego in November 2018 to discuss his years in Israel’s security agency and how closing his country’s education achievement gap places him, again, on his country’s front line of defense.

For more information on VWEI and the Village Way methodology, visit yeminorde.org or contact Lianne Goldsmith, Director, Western Region, Friends of Yemin Orde, at lianne@ yeminorde.org or 310-383-2190. A

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Palace

How Prague’s Jewish Palace Survived the 20th Century | BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB |

J

ust after World War I, a tremendously wealthy Czech Jewish banker/investor named Otto Petschek possessed the audacity, optimism and ego to build a sumptuous palace in Prague for his family. His obsessive and financially ruinous zeal to construct an architectural masterpiece proved to be his creation’s saving grace.

As Czechoslovakia suffered violent regime changes, the palace endured. A succession of powerful residents fell under its spell, determined to preserve it for future generations to admire. One of these recent residents, Norman Eisen, whom President Obama appointed to serve as United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2014, became fascinated with the lives and times of his palace predecessors. His curiosity, personal family history and belief in democratic ideals inspired him to write his first book, “The Last Palace: Europe’s Turbulent Century in Five Lives and One Legendary House.”

Petschek’s palace and its residents provided Eisen with rich historical material to craft a compelling work of narrative non-fiction and he does just that. Eisen took the time to do extensive research. He deployed Czech and German researchers to comb archives for primary source material, petitioned to declassify relevant State Department files and, most importantly, personally interviewed descendants of the palace’s residents. Eisen also interjected the story of his mother Frieda Grunfeld Eisen, a Czech Holocaust survivor, throughout the book. The combined personal stories, reminiscences and photographs humanize Czechoslovakia’s complex twentieth-century history.

Eisen recounts how his proud Jewish mother told people, “They took us out of there on a cattle car and my son returned on Air Force One!” After Eisen arrived at the 52 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Petschek palace, which post-World War II became the U.S. Ambassador’s residence, he encountered a shocking reminder of its second resident, German Wehrmacht Officer Rudolf Toussaint.

After the Petscheks fled the palace in 1938 to avoid Hitler’s march eastward, Toussaint moved in. His men inventoried and labeled the home’s valuable antiques with the Third Reich’s emblem, the stylized eagle and swastika. When Eisen discovered the emblem, his mother’s past horrors leapt into the present.

To Eisen’s credit, he avoids portraying Toussaint as a one-dimensional Nazi. Toussaint emerges as a cultured, complex protagonist who disliked Hitler and disrespected the Third Reich’s military aims. He strove to be an officer and a gentleman. However, as World War II progressed, the Nazi regime’s indiscriminate violence and anti-Semitism chipped away at Toussaint’s elevated code of conduct. He bore the Nazi stain but nonetheless managed to save the palace and Prague from destruction.

To the victor went the spoils. The United States’ post-war emissary to Prague, Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt, moved into the palace in 1945. A highly-assimilated and successful Jewish lawyer, he felt an affinity to Prague’s Jewish palace and developed a strategy to transfer ownership permanently to the United States. He relished his tenure in the elegant residence, until the Soviets invaded Prague in 1948 and the Iron Curtain descended on Czechoslovakia. Steinhardt and his family fled the increasingly brutal Communist regime, but the palace remained official U.S. property.

Eisen skips the narrative forward to document the history of both communism’s fall and the palace’s most famous resident, Shirley Temple Black. As the child-star

box-office-bonanza of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Shirley lifted America’s spirits during the Great Depression. Fifty years later, she deployed her celebrity and diplomatic skills to aid and abet the Velvet Revolution that restored democracy to Czechoslovakia and propelled playwright Vaclav Havel to the Czech Republic’s presidency. Shirley emerges as a woman of substance and valor.

By highlighting both Shirley and his mother’s intellectual fortitude, high ethical standards and courageous survival skills, Eisen’s book proves to be the work of an enlightened feminist. (As the mother of three daughters, I appreciate his portrayal of strong female protagonists.)

My only minor quibble with “The Last Palace” is Eisen’s tendency to ascribe conjectural motives/thoughts/feelings to historical figures. These speculations distracted from the actual facts and seemed unnecessary in light of the compelling primary sources and oral history he worked so hard to gather.

If I were a book-betting woman, I’d put money on Eisen winning a literary award or two for “The Last Palace” – it’s that good.

Eisen appears at the Lawrence Family JCC on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. to discuss his work. Tickets are available for purchase at the LFJCC box office, by phone 858-362-1348 or online www.sdcjc.org. A

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54 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

THEATER: OnStage Playhouse

Fathers,Sons and Arthur Miller: " ALL MY SONS " at Onstage Playhouse | BY PAT LAUNER |

A

rthur Miller’s first play on Broadway, “The Man Who Had All the Luck,” was a flop. It lasted for only four performances. He vowed that his next effort would be his final attempt at writing a commercially successful play. If that one couldn’t find an audience, he said, he’d “find some other line of work.”

Fortunately for theater history, “All My Sons” was a winner. The drama ran for 328 performances, won a Tony Award for Best Author in 1947, and established Miller as a leading voice in the American theater.

The play was inspired by a true story, brought to Miller’s attention by the mother of his then-wife, Mary Grace Slattery (first of his three spouses). She showed him a newspaper article about an Ohio-based company, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, that from 1941-1943, conspired with Army inspection officers to approve defective

aircraft engines intended for military use.

Ultimately, several Wright aircraft assembly workers informed on the company and later testified before Congress. In 1944, three Army Air Force officers were convicted of neglect of duty.

In Miller’s family drama, the patriarch, Joe Keller, permits defective parts to remain in warplanes that subsequently crash during World War II and result in the death of 21 pilots. Not only does Joe fail to take responsibility, he allows his business partner to take the fall and serve the prison term.

Joe insists that he never believed the cracked aircraft engine cylinder heads would be installed, and he didn’t admit his mistake because it would have driven him out of business at age 61, leaving him with no chance to “make something” of himself and for his family, his professed highest priority in life. Gradually, as the

screws tighten and the suspense escalates, Joe’s negligence is exposed through his son’s questioning of his humanity.

Partly because Miller’s story criticized and disparaged The American Dream, he became a suspect during the Red-baiting McCarthy era. When called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Miller refused to “name names” of ostensible Communist sympathizers. His “All My Sons” director, Elia Kazan, acceded to HUAC in 1952, denouncing seven writers, including Miller. This effectively ended the careers of such (Jewish) talents as actor Morris Carnovsky and playwright Clifford Odets.

Kazan’s act ended his relationship with Miller. They didn’t speak for 12 years (though they would later collaborate again). In several subsequent works, Miller (“The Crucible,” “A View from the

Allison McDonald and Aaron Lugo rehearse with director James P. David Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 55

Bridge”) and Kazan (“On the Waterfront,” using a script originally written by Miller) took potshots at each other, alluding to the HUAC hearings and justifying their own decisions. It was Marilyn Monroe, with whom both men had affairs (and Miller later married), who reunited the two men.

Many consider Miller to be "the conscience of the country." His plays have a strong moral core and often condemn those who act solely in self-interest, at the expense of others.

So it is in “All My Sons,” which is being produced at OnStage Playhouse, an intimate, 60-seat community theatre in Chula Vista, under the direction of James P. Darvas.

Why This? Why Now? “I chose this play,” says Darvas, who is managing director at OnStage, “because I saw it as a bookend to my production last year at OnStage, ‘Piece of My Heart,’ which chronicled the effect of war on women. ‘All My Sons’ is about the effect of war on men, the price they pay to achieve the American Dream, the moral and emotional scars of war and the struggle for moral conscience.

“The play is so frighteningly current now,” he continues. “Certain people think they have more right to the American Dream than others right now. Those people have a new voice, and they’re speaking loudly.

“The other relevant issue is military and government contracts, and how this fami56 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

ly has gotten entangled. Greed plays a very large role in our government, and also in the choices made by Joe and his wife, Kate.

Miller was criticized for his views in the play; we’re supposed to say the American Dream is attainable for anyone who works hard.”

Darvas says he was “enthralled by this story. It looks like it’s about pursuing the American Dream, and the notion that family is everything. But Joe’s choices end up destroying his family. What’s the line between allegiance to our family and to our goals and morals? Is his success worth the 21 families who lost a child? I think a lot of people in this country would say it is. It’s a selfish outlook: ‘my happiness and the happiness of my family are the most important thing.’ There’s something inherently wrong with that standpoint. I don’t know how to fix it. My role is to tell the stories and help enhance empathy.

“The perspective I’m pulling out is more focused on the matriarch, her husband’s alliances, and the choices they made together. That was what spoke to me. It’s a 100 percent departure from productions that view her as the dutiful wife.”

In the play, Kate desperately holds onto the hope that her son, missing in action for three years, will come home.

“In my very humble opinion,” says Darvas, “it’s very obvious she knows he’s not coming home. But if he doesn’t, she knows

it’s her husband’s fault. She even says to her other son, ‘If you don’t believe he’s coming back, then your father killed him.’

“She’s choosing this perspective, and she was a part of the initial decision. In my discussions with the actors, we all agreed that when Joe’s partner called to say defective parts were being produced, and Joe said to send them through, he had talked to Kate about the issue. If she’s part of that decision, it makes the show more dimensional.

“I don’t believe she thought that sending those parts would result in 21 pilots being killed. But it was only a hairline fracture, and those parts were worth $40,000 to the family. I don’t think Joe knew what the result would be either, but he threw his partner under the bus when the disaster came to light.

“If you do something that ends in catastrophe, how do you deal with that?

How do you carry on? I think if people understand Kate and Joe’s relationship, and the choices they made together, it will inspire some empathy in the audience.”

Darvas, who has spent most of his theater time as an actor before transitioning into directing, grew up, like the characters, in small-town Ohio. He knows the setting well.

OnStage Honors At OnStage, Darvas works in partnership with artistic director Teri Brown; together, they have expanded the scope of the the-

David with Mark Solz who plays Joe. ater, from an all-volunteer operation to offering stipends to directors, music directors and musicians. The plan is to start paying actors, stage managers and tech crew soon.

In recognition of their three decades of bringing challenging theater to South Bay, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle honored OnStage Playhouse with the 2017 Don Braunagel Award for Outstanding Small Theatre.

“That was a humongous catalyst for change for us,” says Darvas. “It’s imperative that we take the award seriously and live up to the level of quality it suggests.

We’re going for quality over quantity, which means we might reduce the season to five rather than six shows. Our long-term goal is to be a semi-professional theatre. ” Darvas, Brown and their board are all, according to Darvas, “on board to go bigger, do more provocative work and push the envelope. And one of my missions is to have more connection to the community.”

Last May, Darvas initiated Community Conversations, a program that filled the theater with 32 high school students and 31 members of the community. They watched a free reading of a topical play – “26 Pebbles,” about the Sandy Hook school shooting.

“It was crazy-wonderful,” Darvas reports, “to have an 80-year-old in conversation with a 14-year-old about gun control.

High school students have a very different

perspective on hot-button issues. It’s great to watch them learn from each other.”

The next Community Conversation will center on immigration, with a reading of “Dreamers in America: The DACA Story.”

Another successful OnStage program is the Charles K. Nichols Theater Intern Program, assisted by a grant from the Chula Vista Office of Arts and Culture. The free program is available to high school/first year college students, who are given the opportunity to attend the theater’s production meetings, design/performance workshops and productions at other theaters. Participants also learn to write/ perform/produce their own theatrical work.

“The original mission of the theater was to do risky productions in addition to classic works,” says Brown, who has been OnStage’s artistic director for 15 years. “I have continued maintaining that original intent: producing high-quality shows that push boundaries and make people think.

“In the past five years, one of my goals has been to do more LatinX theater,” says Brown, “and productions that will appeal to people in their 30s and 40s – and even high school and college students. That’s the future of theater. Up 'till now, despite the fact that the local community is 60 percent Latino, our primary patron base, like most theaters, has been white, middle age, middle class and mostly from outside Chula Vista.

“To maintain diversity and balance in our season,” Brown continues, “since day one, I’ve reached out to directors to see what they might be interested in directing. I asked for comedies, dramas or musicals. That in itself was somewhat controversial. My first season, someone wanted to direct the musical ‘Godspell.’ But the board said, ‘No Musicals!’ I said, ‘Please take a chance.’ And the show sold out like nobody’s business.”

Other successful – and controversial – musicals in recent years include “Spring Awakening” and “Heathers: The Musical,” which was extended repeatedly for an unprecedented 8-week run.

“We are ridiculously thankful to the Critics Circle for their support” says Brown. “That was a gift; I never thought in a million years they’d give that Braunagel Award to a community theater. I was stunned; I still am. It’s such a fantastic honor. We’re on the precipice. They had faith in us; now we have to have faith in ourselves. We have some new faces and fresh perspectives on the board, and that will help us take the next big leap.”

Arthur Miller’s “ALL MY SONS” runs at OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista, from September 21 to October 13.

Tickets and information: 619-422-RSVP (422-7787); onstageplayhouse.org. A

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 57

Celebrate home, celebrate Seacrest!

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FEATURE: What Jewish History Forgot

What Jewish History Forgot | MARNIE MACAULEY |

‘PULL UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE’: WE CAME, WE SAW, WE INVENTED, WHO KNEW? During the Yom Kippur war in 1973 a gentile named William Aiken wrote a letter to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph that was published in 250 dailies. He wrote (excerpted): “Bumper stickers read ‘Jews go home, pack your belongings and go. We do not want Jews. We want oil. But before you leave, do us a favor?! Could you leave behind the vaccine formula of Dr. Jonas Salk before you go?! Will you leave behind the capability in politics, your good literature and your tasty food? Please have pity on us. Remember it was from you that we learned the secret of how to develop great men as Einstein and Steinmetz. We owe you for the atomic bomb, research satellites and perhaps we owe you our very existence. I’m not sure I could live a secure life in a land in which you are not found. If at any time you will have to leave, love will leave with you. Democracy will leave with you – If you pass by my house, please slow down and honk ... because I’m going with you.”

Einstein, Salk, Freud. They got there/did that, first. Then they named it, and claimed it. But what of the thousands of brainstorms that have been mis-credited – what is the real story versus the historical “record?”

OY, HAVE I GOT GAS! When you’re talking gas, who better to check with than Jews?

Experts on all kinds of natural gas – of course petroleum wasn’t discovered by an Arab or a Texan. The credit properly goes to Austrian Jew, Abraham Shreiner, an amateur scientist who found one could use petroleum to light the world! (And no, I’m not guessing whether matches were or were not involved.) In 1853, he built a distillation plant, a year before US-ians “discovered” it.

And while we’re on the subject …

THE SHELL GAME Do you know the creative meaning behind Marcus Samuel’s (1853–1927) “Shell” Oil? In 1878, Marcus Samuel ran his father’s London curio shop featuring ... sea shells. Marcus kicked things up a notch to an import-export business, and handling consignments of kerosene. He continued “notching,” and in 1892, operated tankers to the Far East. What to name the Big Biz to honor papa’s passion for the place? “Curio?” Scary. Ah, but papa’s beloved imported shells, so, in 1897 he formed the “Shell” Transport and Trading Company! During the next decade he had worldwide contracts for petroleum supplies. In 1898, he was knighted, and later became the first Viscount Bearsted, which I guess beats the Viscount of Cockles.

WRONG NUMBER! In 1861, 15 years before Bell patented his “phone,” Johann Philipp Reis, a German Jew, exhibited his own to scientists in

Europe. OK, true, it sounded a bit like Donald Duck with a lisp, but did it he did! Finally, in 1878, European scientists dedicated a monument to Reis, two years after Bell received his first patent.

German textbooks credited Reis (until the 1930s, when the Nazis purged “Jews” from German lit.). In 1961, however, the Germans issued a postal stamp in honor of: “First telephone by Philipp Reis from 1861.”

SCHWARZ VS. ZEPPELIN Who and which created the first airship? Is the name correct or is it a count’s chutzpah? As I first heard the story, the zeppelin should have been called the “Schwarzian,” for Zagreb Jew, David Schwarz (1852-1897) who invented and built a prototype in 1892. When the German government finally OKed the thing, Schwarz dropped dead, some say from shock. Afterward, it’s alleged that Count Zeppelin bought the patents from Mrs. Schwarz --and took the credit. The emmes? Some accounts note Count Zeppelin’s long-held interest in rigid metal airships and once he got the rights to purchase aluminum he was off and “zeppelin-ing.” To this day, the “truth” remains “up in the air.”

CHARLES WHO? Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Charles A. Lindbergh? Now, Charles A. Levine? The 30-year-old entrepreneur who entered the “Fly me First” competition and lost to Lindbergh (who flew solo, non-stop across the Atlantic in 1927) announced the very next day that his plane would fly faster and further! Only two weeks later, Levine’s pilot, Chamberlin, landed in a German field in 42 hours. Lindbergh’s distance and speed record was smashed

by Levine’s craft! And, along for the ride, he became the world’s first trans-Atlantic air passenger! A

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 59

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TRAVEL:

First Synagogues of the South | BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT |

W

hen I traveled with my aunt and uncle in Europe, I noticed they always searched out synagogues. I found this rather strange as neither one was an observant religious shul-goer. He, a World Federalist, she, a Voice of Women (VOW) member, had humanistic leanings, rather than specific Jewish ones. Yet, culturally, they seemed to be concerned with yiddishkeit and ancestral roots. Interesting, as he was the son of a British ha’sun (cantor) and her mother, a community leader in raising money for Jewish causes, even sold bricks to build the old Mount Sinai Hospital on Yorkville in Toronto. Besides just historical, their fascination had to do with discovering Jewish migration, and as I am now past their ages when I accompanied them so many years ago barely out of my teens, I find myself emulating their search, comprehending their motivation and wanting to piece together my own identity as a Jew. We are in Charleston and my American cousin suggests we make our way to Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE), the oldest synagogue, as well as the founding Reform Jewish Congregation in the United States. He tells me his son Josh was bar mitzvahed in this unique landmark. So although we are only in Charleston for a day and a half, we decide the synagogue is first on our list of “what to see.”

Fortunately our hotel, the Dewberry, is close to Calhoun and remarkably the Synagogue on Hasell Street is fewer than two blocks walking. The outside of the building is indeed impressive with its huge menorahs and its colonnade of massive white pillars.

There is a large marble tablet above the doors that proclaims the Sh’ma (Deuteronomy 6:4) and we ring to be let in. Larry opens the door

for us. He is about to dash off, as he is a member, not a tour guide, running some errands.

Although he obviously has business to attend to, he kindly locates a key to the sanctuary so we can spend a few minutes there.

He provides us with a pamphlet that answers some of our queries, stating the first reference to a Jew in the English settlement of Charleston occurred in 1695. By 1749, a sufficient number of Jews attracted by freedoms of religion who had come to South Carolina, previously gathering to pray in one another’s homes, organized Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim and within fifteen years, the building is erected. Most likely survivors of the Spanish Inquisition, this Sephardic Orthodox Congregation in 1824 petitioned to change the liturgy to a briefer Hebrew version.

The more progressive element of the congregation who had wanted but were denied an English service (also in 1824) eventually persuaded the rest of their group to install an organ: this was the first time a synagogue had introduced instrumental music into worship.

In 1973, KKBE joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, now the Union for Reform Judaism.

The design and construction of the present synagogue emulates the form of a Greek temple and is consistent with other religious architecture in Charleston circa 1830, coinciding with the beginning of the Reform Judaism movement that had its roots in Germany. In 1790, President George Washington had congratulated the congregants and wrote, “may the same temporal and eternal blessing which you implore for me, rest upon your Congregation.”

According to Larry’s pamphlet, the great Charleston fire of 1838 destroyed the first

Charleston synagogue.

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 63

cupolated Georgian synagogue building, but was replaced in 1840 on the original site of the first.

The second great Charleston fire occurred in 1861. The synagogue was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1980.

Standing in the grand, airy sanctuary, we note the white cupola above our heads. Two-tiered, the original separating women, with that impressive organ and beautiful bimah, the feeling of the sanctuary is light-filled and awe-inspiring. The ark is crafted from Santo Domingo mahogany. Above it are carved these words, “Know Before Whom Thou Standest.” Two Corinthian columns stand at each side of the ark, continuing the underlying Greek theme.

Beautiful glass windows represent symbols from the Bible and date from 1886.

In the Barbara Pearlstine social hall, Larry points out several works of art by a wellknown Charleston artist William Halsey, son of a congregant. The mural depicts the city’s destroying fire along with two menorahs, one with six and one with seven branches, to represent the synagogue’s original orthodox status and now the present day reform one.

A second Halsey mural portrays the Revolutionary patriot and legislator Francis Salvador who hailed from England, arriving in South Carolina in 1773. Salvador was the well-educated son of an aristocratic Sephardic family.

The Marrano name of “Salvador” was taken in response to the Inquisition, which either tortured and murdered Jews or forced their conversion, although many practiced in hiding.

A diorama also illustrates Salvador’s scalping and demise on horseback by Cherokee Indians. More than 20 members of the con-

64 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Fortunately, the former Portuguese-conversion Jews regain their security and freedoms in Savannah when the Spanish are unsuccessful in their takeover.

We sit in the sanctuary as Jules narrates the historical background. Our eyes search out the original Gothic chairs, indeed, the Gothic revival architecture layout is reminiscent of stately churches, its ceilings pointed and arching many, many feet above our heads.

The supporting columns are also in the Corinthian style, melding Charleston synagogue. with the pointed arches of the Gothic style. The stained glass gregation fought in the American Revolution. windows, as well, feature symbols Larry is obviously very proud of these art- associated with Judaism such as the spread works that proclaim the early congregants’ fingers of the Kohenim, olives, menorahs, an contribution to the country: Francis Sal- ark, a lion, a crown with entwined grapevines vador as the first identified Jew to be elect- as backdrop: no human bodies as dictated in ed to an American legislative body and the the Ten Commandments. At the very back, first to die for the cause of American liberty. two more windows coalesce in the Art NouAnother wall steel sculpture, again by a syna- veau style contributing to the softened light gogue member, Willard Hirsch, interprets the created by the other windows. prophets of consolation and admonition.

Jules takes us to the ark and opens its doors.

We journey on to Savannah, Georgia, and The congregation is very proud of their Towe are privileged to spend more than an hour rahs. Our docent highlights The Slany Toat Congregation Mickve Israel dating from rah, one of 1,564 Czech Memorial Torahs 1773. Here the chief docent, Jules, relates confiscated and saved in Prague during the the origins of the synagogue. He narrates Nazi occupation, 1939-1945. Before World the story that dates back to the Inquisition War II, there were about 350 synagogues in in Portugal of Dr. Samuel Nunez in 1733, the Czech Republic. On Kristallnacht, Nowho, ministering to the king, hides his Jew- vember 9, 1938, the Nazis destroyed 50 synaish background. When it is revealed he is still gogues along the Sudetenland border region. practicing his Jewish faith and traditions in Creating a storehouse of goods confiscated private, Nunez arranges for a day at the shore during World War II in Prague, the Nazis colto be the means of escape to London. He, lected artifacts. Although believed that Hitler his family and friends are welcomed by the was intending a museum to the extinct race Bevis Marks Congregation in England. Later, of Jews, Leo Pavlat in a journal article says the 41 Jews, both Sephardic and Ashkenazi from museum’s collection had been in place from German shtetls, arrive by ship, the William 1906 and in 1939, all ready holding 760 and Sarah, to the Georgian items representative of Prague and Bohemia. colony. These Jewish settlers Yet the narrative goes that in 1942, several brought with them a safer To- prominent Prague Jews persuaded the Nazis rah, one of the oldest Torah to allow artifacts from abandoned and descrolls in existence in Amer- stroyed synagogues to be stored in Prague, ica, as well as a circumcision where a museum would be opened. Of kit. the more than 100,000 artifacts, there were In 1741, the War of Jenkins 1,800 Torah scrolls, labeled, indexed and givEar causes the congregants to en a provenance. According to the narrative, worry that the Spanish might all of the Jews who participated in this project reclaim Britain’s outpost here. would be deported to Terezin or Auschwitz, with only two surviving. One Torah collectCharle Circumcision kit ed during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslothat arrived from England vakia is now on permanent loan at Congregain Savannah in the 1660’s tion Mikve Israel and used weekly at services. with The Torah is inscribed with its provenance, the first Jewish arrivals.

“This Scroll came from Slany and was writ-

ten in 1890.” It came to Savannah in 1968.

A condition for custodianship of a Czech Torah is that it must be maintained in perfect condition, used regularly and returned if a synagogue is re-established in that town. In 1458, Jews were officially expelled from Slany, more Jews removed during WWII and unfortunately in the present day population of about 15,000, no Jew remains.

The synagogue in Savannah.

Jules turns on a tape, and we listen to Hebrew chanting. I’m caught off guard and feel tears collect in my eyes. Later, my husband contributes that he thinks it is the synagogue that unites Jews, perhaps more than Israel, for in these places we all sing the same songs, have studied the same ancient prayers, stand before the ark, familiar and welcomed by our traditions, uniting us as Jews. He is moved as well. I concur that we both feel we are a continuing strand that has unwound across continents, yet part of a tapestry that persists in holding us together – no matter where on earth we might find a welcoming synagogue: a living legacy that rekindles our proud sense of being Jewish.

Upstairs in the museum, there are the two deerskin Torahs described by Jules in that journey by the intrepid Dr. Nunez. Here too are reproductions of letters to the congregation by every American president, beginning with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe on to Roosevelt, Obama, etc.

In 1997, a recipe for charoset, a Passover mixture of fruits and nuts essential to the reading of the Haggadah was found from the congregation, dating to 1794.

We have a plane to catch but notice more people are arriving, drawn to this synagogue, as if to rekindle and nourish their Jewish souls, a symbolic coming home and coming together of Jews spread across the diaspora. A

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Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 65

DIVERSIONS: “Operation Finale”

Ben Kingsley carried a photo of Elie Wiesel with him while filming ‘Operation Finale’ | BY NAOMI PFEFFERMAN | JTA NEWS |

Ben Kingsley as Adolf Eichmann in “Operation Finale.”

A

sk Ben Kingsley about why he was keen to portray Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann in the new film “Operation Finale” and he describes the traumatic childhood incident in which he first learned about the Holocaust.

The 74-year-old British actor was then in grammar school and at home alone when he turned on a documentary about the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

“I remember my heart stopped beating for a while,” Kingsley, who is not Jewish but believes he may have some Jewish relatives on his mother’s side, said in a telephone interview. “I nearly passed out. And I have been indelibly connected to the Holocaust ever since.”

His connection was even more enhanced when he asked his grandmother about the atrocities, and she said that “Hitler was right” to have killed Jews.

“I went into deep shock and was unable to counter her,” Kingsley said.

“But something must have clicked in my innermost soul that said ‘Grandmother, I will make you eat your words. I will pay you back for that. You have not distorted or poisoned my mind.’”

Kingsley went on to portray the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in the HBO film “Murderers Among Us”; the Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern in “Schindler’s List”; and Anne Frank’s father in a 2001 ABC miniseries. He also won an Academy Award for his turn as the titular Indian independence leader in 1982’s “Gandhi.”

During research for his Shoah-themed films, Kingsley became close friends with Holocaust survivor, activist and author Elie Wiesel. Not long before Wiesel’s death in 2016, the actor vowed to him that “the next time I walk onto a film set that is appropriate to your story, I will dedicate my performance to you.”

66 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

So when Kingsley was offered the Eichmann role in “Operation Finale” after Wiesel’s death — a film that focuses on the Holocaust architect’s capture — the actor jumped at the chance. Just as he famously carried a picture of Anne Frank during the filming of “Schindler’s List,” he carried a photo of Wiesel during the filming of “Operation Finale. “[E]very day as promised, I looked at a picture of Elie that I carried in my pocket and said ‘I’m doing this for you,’” Kingsley said “Operation Finale” tells the story of Peter Malkin and other Mossad agents who covertly hunted and captured Eichmann hiding in Argentina and brought him to Israel for trial in 1961, where he was ultimately executed. The heart of the story is the cat-and-mouse game between Malkin (played by Oscar Isaac) and Eichmann, both of whom were master manipulators, according to the film’s director, Chris Weitz (“About a Boy” and “A Better Life”).

“Each one is trying to convince the other of something,” Weitz said in a telephone interview. “Malkin wanted to convince Eichmann to sign a paper indicating that he was willing to go to trial in Jerusalem. And Eichmann is trying out various defenses that he will eventually use in Israeli court. So in that regard there is the subterfuge of the escaped war criminal and also the subterfuge of the spy as he’s trying to turn a source.”

As for Eichmann, Weitz said, “I think the evidence shows a very chameleon-like figure who is constantly trying to serve his own ends and ambitions.”

Kingsley unabashedly sees his character as evil.

“What other adjective can you use?” he asked. “Not only did he commit these crimes as an architect of the Final Solution, he went to his grave proud of what he had done – utterly unrepentant.”

Yet Kingsley said he chose not to portray Eichmann as “a B-movie, cartoony, comic strip villain.”

“That would have done a terrible disservice to the victims and the survivors I know and love,” he said. “It’s important for us to accept, to stomach and to swallow that the Nazis were men and women – ‘normal’ people. Twisted people, but they didn’t come from Mars.”

Weitz, 48, had his own personal connection to the material. His father, the fashion designer John Weitz, escaped Nazi Germany in 1933 at the age of 10. Nine years later he arrived in the United States and later became a spy for the OSS, the precursor of the CIA. He interrogated Nazi war criminals and helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, “which forever changed him,” his son said.

The filmmaker grew up with his father’s war stories and ultimately helped the patriarch write multiple books about Nazi war criminals.

As research for the film, both Weitz and Kingsley relied in part on the expertise of former Mossad agent Avner Abraham, who has curated a now-touring exhibition about Eichmann. Weitz eschewed photographing the famed glass booth in which Eichmann spent his trial – a part of the exhibition – because he feared that might be “blasphemous.”

The director also said he had “endless trepidations” about depicting images of the Holocaust, and so chose to do so through the lens of the Mossad agents’ memories.

“The agents’ memoirs indicate that they all found it deeply unsettling to be so near the person who had taken part in the murder of their families,” Weitz said. “Some of them were disappointed that all this evil could have the face of this rather unprepossessing man, which felt terribly out of scale to all the damage that had been done.”

“Operation Finale” is currently in theaters. A

FOOD: Sybil Kaplan

FRUITS FOR FALL

by Sybil Kaplan

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author, compiler/editor of 9 kosher cookbooks and food writer for North American Jewish publications, who lives in Jerusalem where she leads weekly walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.

I confess. I haven’t fixed Butternut Squash recently because, living in Israel, I haven’t seen it recently or maybe not at all. But when my editor chose it from a list of fall fruits and vegetables, I found these recipes.

Yes, Butternut Squash, with its tan to yellow skin, orange flesh and seeds in the bottom (when cut in half), is – technically a fruit. Its sweet, nutty taste is similar to a pumpkin, and it is said to be a rich source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, zinc, protein, folate and potassium, among many others.

Butternut Squash BAKED SQUASH AND CRANBERRIES

6 SERVINGS 1 2-pound butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, clean inside and seeds removed 4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, salt to taste and nutmeg 1 cup fresh cranberries or 1 cup dry, reconstituted in water for an hour cranberries* 1/3 cup sugar 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 2. Peel squash and cut into ¾-inch slices in the shape of half moons.

3. Butter a baking pan and line with squash slices side by side.

4. Season with salt, a dab of butter or margarine and nutmeg.

5. Toss cranberries in a bowl with sugar and spread around squash.

6. Bake in preheated 425 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until squash is golden brown.

Toss gentlly and serve. *I was glad to know you could use dry cranberries because that is all we have in Israel, no fresh ones.

SAUTÉED CRANBERRIES, SQUASH AND APPLES 8 SERVINGS 1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, cut in half and cleaned of seeds 2 peeled, cored and ¾-inch cubed apples 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine 2 cups fresh cranberries Pinch of salt Juice of 1 lemon, grated peel of 2 lemons 1 tsp. honey

1. Melt butter or margarine in a nonstick pan. Add squash and cranberries and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Season with salt, add apples, lemon juice and grated lemon peel. Sauté 5 to 7 minutes, until both are golden and soft to the touch. Add honey.

3. Cool and toss occasionally until golden brown and done. Serve hot.

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 67

what’s goin’on? | BY EILEEN SONDAK |

The San Diego Symphony is poised to launch a brand new season on Oct. 4, with piano virtuoso Lang Lang performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor. Maestro Edo De Waart will conduct. This concert is part of the Symphony’s annual gala and includes a cocktail reception, dinner and auction before the performance and a rollicking after party at the University Club following the show. The program features works by Berlioz and Respighi. De Waart returns to the podium on Oct. 6 - 7, with Joyce Yang on the keyboard for a concert that features Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, and Ippolito’s Nocturne.

The season continues Oct. 12 – 14, with de Waart and Yang together again for Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Bates’ Garages of the Valley, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. The Science of Sound (the first family concert of the season) is slated for Oct. 21. It features hands-on, pre-concert activities for the kids, and will be conducted by Sameer Patel. Marinsky Orchestra teams up with the San Diego Symphony on Oct. 24 for a rare joint performance conducted by Valery Gergiev. It marks the first time the Marinsky joins forces with an American orchestra. The Symphony’s Jazz at the Jacobs series begins on Oct. 27, with an evening with modern jazz guitar great Pat Metheny. The orchestra will not be part of this exciting performance. On Oct. 30, Conrad Tao Plays Mozart will conclude the month with a performance of chamber music.

The La Jolla Playhouse is featuring “Hundred Days,” a musical directed by Anne Kaufman, through Oct. 21 at the Mandell Weiss Forum. The show, dubbed a “luminous musical memoir,” is an autobiographical work performed by husbandand-wife team Abigail and Shaun Bengson.

This unusual play tackles the basic question of making the most of the time you have.

68 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Broadway-San Diego will bring “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” to the Civic Theatre for a weeklong run Oct. 2 – 7.

The show was so popular on its premiere engagement, it’s back for a highly-anticipated return. Fans of “Wicked” will have another chance to see the hit musical during its three-week stay at the Civic, Oct. 31 through Nov. 25.

The Old Globe’s world premiere of “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” a musical comedy inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News, is going strong on the Globe’s Main Stage through Oct. 21. Jonathan Abrams wrote the book for the show, directed by Gordon Greenberg. The plot focuses on holding onto your dreams and cherishing the thrill of rock ‘n’ roll – and it’s being described as heartwarming and hilarious. The Globe’s Theater Program is performing Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” Oct. 20 – 28 at the White Theater. The intimate environment offers a close-up look at the machinations of this powerful play.

North Coast Repertory Theatre will give Sherlock Holmes fans a thrill with “Holmes & Watson,” a mystery full of surprising plot twists and turns. The West Coast premiere of this who-dun-it will occupy NCR’s Solana Beach home Oct. 17 through Nov. 11. David Ellenstein directs.

San Diego Repertory Theatre will present “Actually” – a funny, heartfelt, and provocative play by Anna Ziegler – Oct. 11 through Nov. 4. This well-crafted new work is an intricate and psychologically complex jigsaw puzzle that leaves it to the audience to unravel the truth about two Princeton freshmen and their encounter at a wild college party.

San Diego Musical Theatre is staging the new Mel Brooks musical, “Young Frankenstein’’ – the perfect choice for the month of Halloween. You can see the dark musical comedy at the Horton Grand Theater through Oct. 28.

Coronado Playhouse will take on the Bard’s “Macbeth,” Oct. 5 – 28. This masterpiece is part of the Playhouse’s annual free classic series, so snare a ticket and enjoy the unsavory world depicted in this Shakespearean tragedy.

Moxie is ready to unveil “Fade,” a co-production with TuYo Theater. The show is about writing for TV, something the playwright knows from her own experience. You can check out “Fade” Oct. 14 through Nov. 11.

Cygnet Theatre will deliver “Hir” for a month-long run at its Old Town Theater Oct. 3 – 28. This dark and disorienting black comedy focuses on a household in revolt.

The Lamb’s Players will present the Southern California premiere of a new musical Oct. 5 through Nov. 18. “Persuasion” is based on Jane Austen’s masterwork, and features lavish period costumes. The show will be directed by Robert Smyth.

Capitol Steps will deliver its irreverent brand of political satire in a musical spoof at the Spreckels Theatre on Oct. 27.

City Ballet will perform at the company’s 26th annual fundraising gala, planned for Oct. 13 at the Hotel del Coronado.

Mario Lopez will be master of ceremonies of the black-tie event.

Oceanside Theatre will launch its season with “Deathtrap,” a mystery by Ira Levin, on Oct. 5. The suspense will continue through Oct. 21.

San Diego Junior Theatre will be performing “Sleepy Hollow: A Musical Tale” Oct. 19 – 28. The show is about modern day kids on Halloween.

JCompany’s 26th season will kick off on Oct. 19 with “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” a new musical based on the Hugo masterpiece. The show has songs from the Disney film, and will be directed by Joey Landwehr. You can catch it at the La Jolla JCC through Nov. 4.

The Welk Theatre is back in business and getting set to deliver a jaunty musical comedy – the live version of the popular film, “Mama Mia.” The show will be performed on weekends through Feb. 24. A sit-down dinner is available prior to the performance. On Wednesday evenings, through Oct. 31, the Welk will present the Alley Cats.

The San Diego Museum of Art is ready to showcase “Tim Shaw’s Beyond Reason,” an exhibition dealing with themes of global terrorism, free speech, abuse of power, and artificial intelligence. This new show will open on Oct. 20. Also on view is work by Mexican sculptor Javier Marin. The museum has opened its vaults for “Visible Vaults,” a collection of 300 pieces, including works by Andy Warhol, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec and other great artists. This fascinating exhibition will be on view through Nov. 12.

The Timken Museum is highlighting “Rococo Rivals & Revivals,” an exhibition that explores the style that flourished in the 18th century. The show, ensconced through Dec. 30, includes important works borrowed from around the country.

The San Diego Automotive Museum is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a retrospective exhibit running from Oct. 12 through Jan. 27. It will feature vehicles that have been on display since its opening in 1988. On Oct. 20, the museum will hold a fundraising gala on the premises.

Birch Aquarium is featuring “Hall of Fishes,” which also serves as a working laboratory. Birch has an installation on light by scientist Michael Latz, and another exhibition that helps you understand Scripps’ expeditions to discover and protect the planet. “Expedition at Sea” includes a 33-foot long projected triptych and hands-on learning opportunities.

The newest exhibition at the Birch is “Research in Action: 100 Island Challenge,” an exhibit that explores the way reefs are adapting to our rapidly changing planet. Also on display is “Oddities: Hidden Heroes of the Scripps Collection,” a comic book-inspired exhibit that highlights amazing adaptations of ocean species.

The Reuben Fleet Science Center will be showing three films: “Great Barrier Reef,” Pandas,” and “Aircraft Carriers: Guardians of the Seas.” Also at the Fleet is the “Renegade Science Project,” which takes visitors through the park for a 90-minute exploration. The Fleet is offering “Dream, Design, Build” – an exhibition that explores the Fleet’s collection of interactive engineering activities (and will remain on permanent display), and “Myth Busters: The Explosive Exhibit” – a hands-on, family-friendly experience that combines popular scientific facts with innovative displays. “Taping Shape 2.0,” which uses hundreds of rolls of packing tape to create a world of translucent spaces and tunnels, is also on view. The museum has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Tinkering Studio” (which has evolved into “Studio X”), “Block Busters” and “Origins in Space.”

The Natural History Museum recently added “Escape the Nat” – an escape room experience that dares you to solve puzzles and save the world. “The Backyard” – a new gallery for the 5-and-under set – and “Backyard Wilderness” (a 3-D film) are also on tap. The NAT is featuring “Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary people: A History of Citizen Science.” Among the items on view in this exhibition are rare books, art and historical documents.

Also on display is “Coast to Cactus in California.” “Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage” – a display of specimens from around the world – is another popular exhibition. It will be ensconced at the NAT for the next two years. Check out “Oceans 3-D: Our Blue Planet” (a global odyssey to discover the largest habitat on Earth) and “Ocean Oasis.” The Nat also offers “Fossil Mysteries,” “Water: A California Story” and “Skulls.”

Mingei International Museum is closed for renovation, but on Oct. 5, the gift shop and café will open at Liberty Station, where it will remain until the museum reopens.

The San Diego History Center is featuring the first exhibition in Balboa Park exploring San Diego’s LBGTQ+ community. The History Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Placed Promises,” chronicles the history of the San Diego region – and the America’s Cup Exhibition, highlights the sailing race held in San Diego three times since 1988.A

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 69

the news

University of Haifa Hosts Former US Naval Chief at Maritime Strategy Workshop Jewish Movie Filmed in San Diego Premiering at SDiFF This Month “The Samuel Project,” a movie about a teenager who gets to know his grandfather through a school art project, will be shown as part of the San Diego International Film Festival this month. Eli’s (Ryan Ochoa) grandfather (Hal Lindon) is a Jewish dry cleaner who was saved from Nazi capture as a boy. “The Samuel Project” was shot in San Diego and highlights local landmarks like the downtown skyline and Balboa Park. The “Samuel Project” will make its San Diego premiere on Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. at Horton Plaza. Check sdiff.com for the most up-to-date information.

Women of Reform Judaism Convention Meeting in San Diego Women of Reform Judaism’s (WRJ) Pacific District is hosting the 2018 Pacific District Convention in San Diego from October 18-21.

The convention is a gathering of women from the Pacific District to discuss pressing challenges facing the Jewish community in the 21st Century and to advance women’s leadership.

Attendees will hear from Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, editor of “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary” and from Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, executive director of WRJ North America.

The Pacific District comprises the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, El Paso, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.

WRJ was founded in 1913 and represents hundreds of women’s groups.

The convention is held every two years.

70 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

The University of Haifa hosted leading American security experts and former U.S. defense officials representing the Hudson Institute think tank last summer for a high-level workshop on topics, including naval warfare, the geopolitics of natural gas, and American and Israeli capabilities in dealing with the Mideast region’s evolving challenges.

The visiting delegation of senior researchers from the Washington, DC-based Hudson Institute’s Center for Future Security Studies featured Adm. Gary Roughead, the 29th U.S. chief of naval operations from September 2007 to September 2011, as well as Douglas J. Feith, who served as U.S. under secretary of defense for policy from July 2001 to August 2005. Roughead and Feith held a workshop with Prof. Shaul Horev, head of HMS and the immediate past leader of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Ami Ayalon, chairman of the HMS Executive Committee.

“The purpose of this week’s workshop was to jointly study and evaluate what we expect to be the nature of naval warfare in the region in the coming decades, and to examine ways in which the governments of the United States and Israel can cooperate in dealing with maritime security challenges,” said Horev.

San Diego Jewish Academy Hires New Director of Security and Safety San Diego Jewish Academy is hiring a former FBI special agent as director of security and safety.

Gabriel Ramirez worked at the FBI for 27 years, specializing in complex criminal investigations, including work in Colombia and Ecuador. He has also led white-collar investigations, and attained indictments against 11 leaders of a major Mexican drug cartel.

Throughout his career, Ramirez also spent considerable time mentoring local youth. “Gabe’s long-standing commitment to our community and our youth make him the perfect fit to help keep our school safe,” said Chaim Heller, Head of School at San Diego Jewish Academy. “More impressive than his resume, Gabe’s core values align perfectly with our school and our community. He has tremendous sensitivity and interpersonal skills – and we are lucky and pleased that he has joined the leadership at SDJA.”

Kosher-Soul Chef Hosts Shabbat Dinner at JCC Hungry for a little more? As part of the Center for Jewish Culture’s inaugural Arts & Ideas season Chef Michael Twitty will cook up a Shabbat dinner with an Antebellum and kosher/soul twist. Twitty won the 2018 James Beard Foundation’s Book of the Year Award for his book “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American Culinary History in the Old South.” A book signing will follow. The dinner will be on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the rehearsal room of the LFJCC.

ADL Holds Torch of Liberty Award Dinner Nov. 27 The Anti-Defamation League in San Diego (ADL) will hold their Torch of Liberty Award Dinner on Nov. 27 at the Hyatt regency La Jolla at Aventine. This year’s dinner honors Torch of Liberty Award Honoree Lorne Polger for his commitment to fighting anti-Semitism.

Polger has been active with ADL for three decades, including his current position as national commissioner, and he has previously chaired the board of directors, executive committee and civil rights committee in the San Diego Region. Christian Picciolini, a former violent extremist turned anti-hate activist, will be the keynote speaker. He is the founder of Goldmill Group, a digital media and counter-extremism consulting firm.

World Champion Boxer to Teach Fitness Class at JCC Retired World Boxing champion Paul Vaden will be teaching a new fitness class at the LFJCC, starting Oct. 9 for adults, Oct. 13 for youth (10-14). Vaden is the only native San Diegan to win a professional World Boxing Championship and has been inducted into three different Boxing Halls of Fame.

Boxing offers both a physical and psychological nourishment, according to Vaden. Vaden is also a public speaker, author and documentary filmmaker.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS FOR JEWISH SENIORS Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post185 Contact Jerome Klein at (858) 521-8694 Oct. 14, 10 a.m.

Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings Oct. 14, 11 a.m.

North County Jewish Seniors Club at the Oceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 Oct. 21, 12:30 p.m.

JFS Balboa Ave. Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Oct. 25, 10 a.m. Be part of the International Shabbat Project and celebrate Shabbat with JFS. Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 Oct. 26, 4 p.m. Early Bird Shabbat Dinner to participate in Shabbat San Diego. RSVP by Oct. 19. Price is $16-$20.

On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 Oct. 28, 1 p.m. Enjoy a matinee of “Young Frankenstein” at the Horton Grand Theatre.

Registration is required and cost is $75.

For more information on pricing and times, visit lfjcc.org/champ or contact Robyn Cohen at 858-362-1340.

“The Scent of Heat” is an Israeli Love Story by a Local Author “The Scent of Heat,” a newly released novel written by E.P. Sery, is an Israeli love story about a teenage girl serving her country in the 1950s. The main character, Ariella Paz, dreams of moving to the United States, although her family needs her desperately. That’s when everything changes. “The Scent of Heat” is available on Amazon and other sellers. Sery lives in San Diego.

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 71

ADVICE

ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley

asksadie@aol.com

s this is our Senior Edition, I did some hard thinking. I also did some hard looking. Some famous female once said we Boomers should stand naked and proud as we look in a mirror. (I read she also talks to her Metamucil). How can one feel 25 with a face that looks like a relief map of Bulgaria, arms that are so crepey we could flap our way to Tel Aviv and a back that groans at the sight of a curb?

Face it. Our “Golden” years come with a little tarnish, not the least of which are total strangers asking if we need a Hoveround – and most of all, our adult children asking us insulting questions.

To be fair, it’s payback for all the times we Jewish mothers asked them questions such as: “So, who are you seeing?”

“So, is it serious?”

“So, what’s the next step?”

“So, did you get it in writing?”

So, for this issue, I’ve decided to kvetch a little, but The Art of the Kvetch should always involve a little humor. Let’s laugh a little.

Today I bring you questions you should never ask a Jewish Boomer if you want a place in the will instead of a klop in the head. Here’s a sampling. And G-d willing, may you not be asked these in 20 years by your little millennial, Jedia-Malka Matzoballenberger.

Don’t Ask Jewish Boomers This!

“Was that really you in that photo of Cousin David’s bris? How long ago was that taken?!”

72 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

JOOMERS: QUESTIONS OUR CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER ASK US...

True, we Joomers, at 22, may have been adorable (and firm). But we need to infer our kinder is wondering how we went from this, to pelican arms, a face like bubble wrap never mind the extra 30 pounds? But mama nature has imbued us with BD (Boomer Denial). We still think we can pass for 38– in a power failure. Such a question will throw us into mutant chaos. But, do we want to shame them? Of course not. Better to ask: “Well how old DO I look?” “How old do your friends think I look?” “How old would I look with make-up, a tummy sucker-inner, and a wig – if it’s dark out?” This will send them running. You can also add: “That photo was taken before you were born. I turned gray after the Caesarian.” Should this not work, enlarge then hang that photo of your daughter during her baby-fat -Proactiv years over your mantel.

“Why are you shlepping junk like 200 albums of “The Barry Sisters Sing Yiddish,” your old books, eight tracks and collections if you’re downsizing?!”

Mamalas, suggest that if they quit staring at their palms for two seconds, maybe we’ll give up the Barry Sisters 78 rpm, our “How to Survive a Nuclear War” film, our “MAKE LOVE NOT WAR” buttons, or our original copy of “Catcher in the Rye.” Better to use the basic tone of voice and say: “Darling, I hear the Barry Sisters are making a come-back in Tel Aviv, and our buttons are

listed in a rare Jewish collectible site, so our financial advisor (Cousin Jacob) told us to hold on and by 2042 you’ll be a billionaire.

However, if you still want me to junk them, who am I to say?” They’ll build a vault for your Howdy Doody thermos.

“Did you forget to turn the computer “ON” again?”

No! We didn’t. “On” we know. The problem darlings, is what to do after it’s “on.”

Should you utter such an insult, be prepared to say: “Just because we open urgent emails from people named Visakhapatmed with the important news that our fifth cousins, the Menschenwassers, left us 33 million rubles, or the machine types gibberish just because we have a few dozen thingies up … is no reason for a fancy laptop to explode.”

Meanwhile, my old Remington with the ribbon, carbon paper and White-Out, never blew up, crashed, shut down, sent me treif like Spam, didn’t need a whole valley in Silicon to fix –and more, to type a letter, I didn’t need a rodent! And for your information, the other night on the Pyramid game a millennial had to name “Famous Astronauts.”

She mentioned a baseball player. Picture it!

An entire nation of Boomer Jews screaming: MARTIN FETTMAN. (OK, Neil Armstrong.) In our lifetimes, we’ve learned “obsolete” things, such as how to write a word more than three letters, how to read a book that doesn’t come with an “e-” before it, how to research or make a friend without clicking on a scary multi-national corporation

that knows more about our X-Rays than we do and can sell them to foreign dictators!” If this only convinces them we’re leaking too many brain cells to take in new information, much better to say: “Mammal, I’ll learn what a modem is, when you learn to name the presidents backward to Truman – no clicking or Goggling. So now, you tell me who’s ignorant.”

“If you won’t get the Medic Alert system what about the Clapper?”

OK, true. Things on us are falling, breaking and plaque-ing. We may trip a little, think you’re getting taller, spit on moles that aren’t there, take an hour to make it to the mailbox, start conversations with “Guess who died?” But such a question suggests if we dialed you, you aren’t coming. And the clapper? Have you seen the infomercial? The woman is older than Abraham. That’s how they think of us? A 105-year-old with three strands of hair, chaloshing, clinging to the garbage bin and clapping? This is not a compliment, mamalas. Calmly inform them you’re too weak to “clap” after all the clapping you did during their 1,000 school productions like “David and Goliath” when they played the slingshot. Add, “If you really cared, you’d call every five hours just to say hello.” If we answer, you’ll know we’re not clapping or screaming to strangers, “OY VEY! HELP, I CAN’T GET UP.”

“You always think you’re having a coronary!

Have you ever thought it might be indigestion?”

This is a bad question. Why? They’re in software. They know if it’s the real thing this time? They’ll only show up for the reading of the will? Should you be asked this question by your children: Step One. Immediately switch to “Johnny.” Who’s Johnny? The lovely young man you met at the market who lost his poor mother under mysterious circumstances and has now “adopted” you. You cook for him and he runs all your errands and looks in on you daily. Step two: Use the basic tone of voice when asking “What was the name of your friend … who drew up my will?” Trust me darlings, where there’s a will, there’s a way to get your kinder to come daily to take your pulse. A

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A wide variety of music selections, including the most popular, your favorites, Jewish music, Hora dancing and popular Israeli dancing or simply play background music- I will manage the crowd and play the right songs at the right time ensuring your guests have a great time.

Contact: Dalya Dallal www.dancewithdalya.com dalyadallal@yahoo.com

SYNAGOGUE LIFE

EVENTS Shabbat San Diego has mobilized practically all the synagogues and organizations in our community to come together for one Shabbat and has extended that celebration in a full week of activities. Check out page 38 for our full coverage on Shabbat San Diego and Jewish Xperience week. To register for these events or learn more, visit shabbatsandiego.org.

Celebrate Chai For ChaiSouthAfrica Oct. 21, 3 p.m., Private Residence in La Jolla, Register for Address Celebrate 18 years of ChaiSouthAfrica supporting the most vulnerable citizens in Southern Africa with tea and a presentation.

Cooking Class and Shabbat Learning with Chabad of Poway Oct. 21, 6 p.m., 16934 Chabad Way, Poway, CA, 92064 Friendship Circle’s Men’s Club hosts this event to learn how to cook a Shabbat classic: matzo ball chicken soup. Also get a crash course in Shabbos 101 with Rabbi Goldstein.

Havdalah at Glowzone North County Oct. 28, 11 a.m., 1390 Engineer St., Vista, CA, 92081 Pop in for a Family Havdalah Party. Participants can craft their own spice sachet and braided candle. Discounted passes to Glowzone for $13 for one hour of all attractions.

Above the Stars: Judaism and Astronomy with San Diego Jewish Academy Oct. 23, 7 p.m., 11860 Carmel Creek Rd., San Diego, CA, 92130 Learn about the intersection of Judaism and Astronomy and the role of stars and constellations in Jewish thought. Weather permitting, attendees will also do some stargazing with a telescope.

5 Ways Shabbat Can Improve Your Life with Chabad of Oceanside Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., 1930 Sunset Dr., Vista, CA, 92081 Attend a lively discussion for people of all backgrounds about the different ways that Shabbat can improve one’s well being, spiritual and mental health. *Interested in having your event featured?

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

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 73

74 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

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On behalf of AM Israel Mortuary, We extend our condolences to the families of all those who have recently passed. The families of those listed above would like to inform the community of their passing.

5/24/17 8:53 A

AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 40 years.

(619) 583-8850

Members of the JFDA- Jewish funeral directors of America, KAVOD - (Independent/Family owned Jewish funeral directors) Consumer Affairs Funeral and Cemetery division

6316 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego For a list of currents services and additional info:

www.amisraelmortuary.com CA, Lic. #FD-1320

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 75

Cantor Deborah Davis

EVENTS

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

Design Decor Production

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

Mitzvah Event Productions

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

For further information please contact

Deborah Davis • 619.275.1539

LYDIA KRASNER 619.548.3485 www.MitzvahEvent.com

member of

lydia@mitzvahevent.com

The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition.

www.deborahjdavis.com

JEWISH COMMUNITY

Let the award-winning

Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble

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

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

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

For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, Mandell Weiss Eastgate City Park, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-1348

JUDY NEMZER Shalom Baby/PJ Library Coordinator l

Direct Line: (858) 362-1352 E-mail: littlemensches@gmail.com

Fabrics for Fashion and Home

Visit our Giant Store & Warehouse 907 Plaza Blvd. • National City

619- 477- 3749

9 locations in SD County Family Owned and Operated since 1953

HEALTH

76 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby/littlemensches l

Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS 4126 Executive Drive • La Jolla, CA 92037-1348

RESTAURANTS | CATERING

FINANCE

KORNFELD AND LEVY Certified Public Accountants 2067 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 Bankers Hill

Serving Cuban-American Food Est. 1976

NOWNOW SERVING BREAKFAST, AND DINNER SERVING LUNCH LUNCH AND DINNER

p: 619.563.8000 f: 619.704.0206 gkornfeld@kornfeldandlevy.com

Open Daily: Daily: 811am am–10 pm Open - 10pm PALM SPRINGS (760) 325-2127

Gary Kornfeld Certified Public Accountant

1596 N. Palm Canyon Drive • Palm Springs, CA 92262

REAL ESTATE

Coldwell Banker Royal Realty

Raul Ontiveros REALTOR Bre: 01498610

861 Anchorage Place Chula Vista, CA 91914

619 981 4704

raulontiveros68@gmail.com www.coldwellbankerroyalrealty.com

Consider us for all of your Life Cycle events!

• Bar/Bat Mitzvah • ShaBBat Dinner • KiDDuSh • BriS • BaBy naMing • WeDDing

ADVERTISING/GRAPHICS

Our cOMBineD lOve Of fOOD anD unDerStanDing Of JeWiSh cuStOMS, traDitiOnS anD the laWS Of KaShrut allOW uS tO help yOu create the perfect event.

960 Turquoise Street • San Diego, CA 92109

derek berghaus advertising

(858) 488-1725 • www.frenchgourmet.com

C 858-598-7304 w www.dbdesign.com @ derek.berghaus@yahoo.com | print | digital | social media | Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 77

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Addiction

: jcoprograms@gmail.com

Please join us for services at 6:00pm

y. The family it t n e id r e d n e G .

minefield.

HIR

By Taylor Mac

Oct. 3 – Oct. 28, 2018

Tickets: 619.337.1525 www.cygnettheatre.org 78 SDJewishJournal.com | October 2018

Tishrei • Cheshvan 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 79