February 2018

FEBRUARY 2018 • Shevat • Adar 5778

San Diego Jewish Film Festival CAMP MOUNTAIN CHAI

Participants Travel To The Dominican Republic This Summer

A Jewish matchmaker talks to SDJJ about finding love this

Valentine’s Day

Care Courage

Where Meets

55

th

Chairs: Pat Wilson & Greg Rose

ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Come together to protect reproductive health care, education, and advocacy at Planned Parenthood’s biggest night of the year. planned.org/dinner events@planned.org

2 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

Tuesday,

April 10

2018

“charming and funny” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

Fact: Students from 16 countries are earning graduate degrees in Israel studies at BGU’s Ben-Gurion Research Institute.

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FEBRUARY 21 – MARCH 18

Through a swirl of nearly missed connections, THIS RANDOM WORLD follows a series of intersecting lives: A mother determined to maintain her independence, a daughter longing for adventure, two sisters seeking common ground, and an internet prank gone awry. Warmly humorous and lyrically bittersweet, this play by Steven Dietz investigates what it is to love, to lose, and be touched by the serendipity of life.

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Group Sales: (858) 481-2155, ext. 202 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 3

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 5

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Don’t miss a special screening of

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2018 FROM 1:30-4:00PM TICKETS: $15 Includes: Film screening, Q&A with the filmmaker, Isaac Artenstein, and a reception at the San Diego History Center afterward. sandiegohistory.org/ends-of-the-earth-f ilm

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 7

February 2018

Cover Story:

Shevat/Adar 5778

31

The San Diego Jewish Film Festival is back with a lineup of everything from romance and film noir to American Socialism and the Bolivian jungle. We take a deeper look at some of the films being screened.

Valentine’s Day:

Jewish matchmaking is still a vibrant business, and if you’re not getting the quality of dates you want, it may be time to consider the benefits of one.

44 Camps: Executive Director Buddy Volt talks about a lifetime of involvement with Camp Mountain Chai.

8 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

58

53

Education: Chabad Hebrew Academy shows what education can be when given the right conditions.

DIVORCE-FAMILY LAW Compassionate Yet Aggresive Family Law Experts

Hillel Campus SuperStars MONTHLY COLUMNS 12 The Starting Line 22 Parenting 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion 61 Advice Around Town 18 Our Town 20 The Scene 62 What's Goin On 66 Synagogue Life In Every Issue 14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 60 Diversions 64 News ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

FILM FEST

32 Review of “An Israeli Love Story”

33 Review of “Between Worlds”

34 Review of “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story”

50

36 Review of “Keep The

• Divorce • Child Custody • Mediation “Hire ThemSupport • Colla Spousal Support • Child Before Your SpousePartnership Does” tive Practice • Domestic •D solution • Divorce • Child Custody • M • Divorce • Child Custody diation • •Spousal • Child Suppo Mediation •Support Spousal Support • Child Support • Collaborative Practice Collaborative Practice • Domestic Partne • Domestic Partnership • Dissolution • Dissolution • Divorce • Child Custody Mediation • Spousal Support • Child Su

Change”

37 Review of “An Act of

Defiance” and “Humor Me”

38 Israeli director David

Ofek speaks to SDJJ about his latest film “In Between”

39 SDSU Artist-in-residence

858.720.1496 or 760.729.0941

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Myra Fleischer

Yale Strom is screening his labor of love, “American Socialist: The Life And Times of Eugene Victor Debs” at the festival

40 Full Screening Schedule 44 CAMPS

Camp Mountain Chai celebrates their 13th year

47 THEATER

North Coast Rep board member and designer, Jay Sarno, talks about his life in the theater and growing up in Caesars Palace

50 FEATURE

Hillel’s Campus SuperStar allows local college talent to step into the spotlight

53 FEATURE Chabad

Hebrew Academy is leading the way in innovative education

949 975 0833

35 Review of “Jungle” Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 9

You some choices, Youare aregoing goingtotohave havetotomake make some choices, but alone. butyou youdon’t don’thave havetotomake makethem them alone.

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www.sdjewishjournal.com February 2018 • Shevat/Adar 5778

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SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 EDITORIAL: editor@sdjewishjournal.com ADVERTISING: marke@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: jableson@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: assistant@sdjewishjournal.com

SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2018 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 11

FROM THEEDITOR’S EDITOR LETTER

THE STARTING LINE

by Brie Stimson

editor@sdjewishjournal.com

It never hurts for any of us to have a reminder that democracy is a participatory sport and we’ll all play better if we understand the rules.

Young, Scrappy and Hungry

I

had the good luck to be able to see “Hamilton” when it first came to San Diego in January. I was intrigued by the phenomenon surrounding the musical, but admittedly, hadn’t given the content of the show much thought. I knew it was about Alexander Hamilton – obviously – I knew people of color had been cast in the main roles of the founding fathers and I knew the story was told mostly through hip-hop and rap. Basically, I knew it was a big deal. I went to the theater that night fully expecting to be entertained, which I was, but I was not expecting to be inspired. I was surprised by how much the musical made me think – about politics, history, our country and what it means to be an American.

“Hamilton” tells the story of an immigrant who loved his country so much he was willing to die for it. And when the Rebels won the Revolution, the founders realized they had to create a government that would last them past New Year’s 1788. Essentially, “Hamilton” is a love letter to democracy. A person might say the show is just pandering to our emotions about patriotism, but that’s missing the point.

12 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

Democracy is not immovable. The Constitution was not written in stone. We have 27 amendments that remind us our country can (and must) change. Freedom is not free, as they say, but neither is democracy. It requires constant attention, devotion, thought, courage and love. Love of one’s country can be going into battle, it can be flying the American flag, but it can also be having the hard discussions about what’s not working.

Hamilton and Washington and Jefferson knew the country they were forming wasn’t perfect and 242 years later it still isn’t. But they had the wisdom to put protections in place to make sure America didn’t have to crawl back to England on its knees before the ink had dried. They created checks and balances with equal power so we couldn’t have a megalomaniac step in as king, and in the very first amendment they gave the people the right to protest the government and the press the right to be critical of the government. (If it wasn’t for the First Amendment, this column might be about which of President Trump’s tweets is the most poetic – my money’s on ‘wires tapped’).

I’m sure no one here needs a civics les-

son, but it never hurts for any of us to have a reminder that democracy is a participatory sport and we’ll all play better if we understand the rules.

I know “Hamilton” isn’t an easy ticket to land if you don’t have $500 to throw away on a night at the theater or Lin-Manuel Miranda’s phone number on speed dial, but that doesn’t excuse us from being present while governing happens. There's always a way to get inspired. There's always a way to be involved.

In the show, Hamilton says he’s “young, scrappy and hungry” just like his country.

Have we changed that much? I’d say America and its citizens are just as scrappy and hungry for democracy as they were 240-some-odd years ago – but as anyone who’s ever worked toward something knows being hungry requires passion and hard work every day. We need to wake up every morning grateful that we get to live in one of the best countries in the world and make sure we’re never afraid to speak up when something needs to be changed.

As “Hamilton” said, “I’m not throwing away my shot.” A

Celebrating a Century of Changing Lives

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 13

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

Dear Editor, I read with interest Pat Launer’s animated description of the serendipitous events that led to Jesse Kornbluth’s writing "The Color of Light" (January 10, 2018). I was already familiar with his play because he had asked me to read a draft of the play script in the summer of 2017. Mr. Kornbluth refers frequently to the irony of a Jewish man writing a play about the atheist artist and the religiously committed Dominican nun. Equally ironic is the fact that some 15 years prior to Mr. Kornbluth’s stage script I, an American Jewish woman, had established a warm and devoted relationship with Soeur Jacques-Marie as I worked on an English translation of her book (Henri Matisse: La Chapelle de Vence, 2001). In this book she recounts her friendship with Matisse and how it led to the creation of what is commonly known as the Matisse Chapel. Our relationship deepened further when subsequently I wrote, directed and produced the film, "A Model for Matisse" (2003), the first visual documentation of the tenderly touching story between young Soeur Jacques and the aging artist and their “shared project,” his Chapel of the Rosary. In the many weeks that Soeur Jacques and I spent together, she asked me as many personal questions as I had a chance to ask her. We became sufficiently close that she surprised me one day by unlocking the weathered trunk that served as her safe. With pride, she showed me a long-hidden watercolor sketch she had done many years before. It

turned out that this sketch, which she explained she had timidly presented to Matisse, served as the inspiration for the stained glass window that he encouraged her to do, promising to help her. Then, with characteristic passion, Matisse adopted the window project himself, which led to his total immersion in designing the entire Chapel of the Rosary, the masterpiece of his life’s work. It was an enormous personal loss when Soeur Jacques died in the fall of 2005.

Barbara F. Freed, Ph.D. Professor Emerita, French Studies Carnegie Mellon University Dear Editor, After celebrating my birthday with my family in Palm Springs, I'm back in San Diego for three months. At the JCC, I picked up a copy of [the] December Jewish Journal. I was impressed by a new format, a bit sleeker and cleaner in appearance, more multiple varied but focused perspectives on Channukah, and an overall revised look. I particularly enjoyed your piece on the art show at Balboa and will definitely see it while I'm here, Riviera [and] Kahlo [are] favourites of mine.

Just wanted to share my views - and wish you a happy, healthy new year. By the way, although you graciously printed that critical letter to the editor regarding your editorial, I totally disagree.

Patricia, San Diego

@SDJEWISHJOURNAL

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 | FEBRUARY 2018

CORRECTIONS In the “Our Town” section in the Jan. 2018 issue of the magazine Emily Bartell’s name was left off of the byline. Several names were misspelled in the article, including Stacey Kasendorf, Bonnie Graff, Randee Friedman and Nellie Dean. San Diego Jewish Journal regrets these errors.

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 15

what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com

Broadway Bound

“Meteor Shower,” a Steve Martin Old Globe world premiere, has hit Broadway in a big way. The play, starring Amy Schumer, Keegan-Michael Key, Laura Benanti and Jeremy Shamos, is about a domestic squabble matched only by an actual fiery meteor shower.

Local Jewish History on Screen

As part of their exhibition “Celebrate San Diego: The History and Heritage of San Diego’s Jewish Community,” the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park is screening “To The Ends of the Earth: A Portrait of Jewish San Diego,” a documentary that shows more than 150 years of Jews in San Diego.

Friend Arrested in Orange County Teen’s Death

Blaze Bernstein, 19, a University of Pennsylvania student whose parents live in Orange County, was found dead in a park in Lake Forest on Jan. 10.

He left his home a week before and was driven to the park by a former high school classmate who was later arrested. The friend, Samuel Woodward, has been tied to Bernstein’s death by DNA evidence, according to Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes. Read the full JTA story online.

FDA Approves Drug for Women With Breast Cancer Caused by BRCA, The ‘Jewish Gene’

Regulators in the United States have approved a drug for women with advanced breast cancer caused by BRCA gene mutations, which disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jewish women.

16 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 17

our TOWN

BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JCC.

Tapestry and “OPTIONS” On January 6th, we attended Tapestry: A Community Celebration of Jewish Learning Under One Roof at the JCC. What a wonderful program of learning. A highlight of our evening was a discussion on “The New American Identity,” facilitated by Rabbi Phil Graubart. Some other 400+ folks in attendance were: Cathy Kamin, Cathy Cozen, Paul & Penny Arenson, Scott & Leslie Lyons, Barbara Brown, Holly & David Hazen, Terry & Barbara London Rakov, Allan & Maxine Endy, Larry & Donna Dawson, Hano & Charlotte Siegel and Seth Krosner.

“OPTIONS,” The Jewish Federation’s Annual Women’s Event, was held on January 21st at the downtown Hyatt. Over 700+ people (some men) were in attendance. Spotted in the crowd were: Jody Roseman, Carolyn Melman, Sheryl Baron, Eliana Krasner, 18, Marlene Holloway, Karen Rund, Jacqueline Jacobs, Susan Pollock, Barb Emdur, Judy Gross, Alyssa Sepinwall, Judi Gottschalk, Marlene Recht, Olivia Okovita, Suzi Feldman, Judy Gumbiner, Cecile Jordan, Chaya Andrusier, Efat Levine, Anna Kaplan, Ann Jaffe, Jessie Elovitz, 17, and Tali Eichner, 15. Honored with the Ann Ratner Award this year was the wonderful Claire Ellman.

Keynote speaker was well known Chef, Michael Solomonov, who wanted to share his deep connection to Israel through his story of loss (a brother who was an IDF soldier) and ultimate triumph through his passion for Israeli cuisine.

Rabbi Wayne Dosick teaching Abraham Joshua Heschel's Radical Amazement.

Mazel Tov to….

Ruth and Marty Weiss on the appointment of their daughter, Rabbi/Doctor Andrea Weiss as Provost of Hebrew Union College.

Todah Rabah to…

Barbara and Mathew Loonin on 61 years of marriage.

Don and Nancy Harrison on celebrating 50 years of marriage.

Rabbi Alyson Solomon – YOGA From Darkness to Light.

Simchas abound, all around in our town…

Jackie Schulze & Jordan Weitzen on the announcement of their wedding engagement. Jordan is the son of Eric and the late Joann Weitzen. Their wedding will be held on May 19th.

On December 28th Sharon Covitt, daughter of Marc & Gail Covitt, and Joel Weiner, son of Larry & Debbie Weiner, were joined together in matrimony. Josh Covitt officiated over their vows at the Prado in Balboa Park.

Emily Ziering, daughter of Robert & and Barbara Ziering and Michael Greene, were married on November 11th at Coasterra.

After an amazing honeymoon is Southeast Asia, they are back at home in Syracuse, NY with their new puppy! A Nancy Handwerger – The Inner Lives of Hebrew Letters.

18 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 19

the

BY BRIE STIMSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB ROSS

The cast of “Hamilton” L TO R: Amber Iman, Ryan Vasquez, Austin Scott, Raven Thomas, Isaiah Johnson, Sabrina Sloan, and Roeya BanuazizI.

The Room Where it Happens:

JFS and LFJCC Donors Do Not Throw Away Their Shot to See “Hamilton” Supporters of Jewish Family Service and the Lawrence Family JCC came together on Saturday, Jan. 13, to raise money for the two nonprofit organizations.

Around 90 donors met in the Presidential Ballroom of the U.S. Grant Hotel downtown to eat a delicious dinner and listen to several speakers that included Michael Hopkins of JFS, Betzy Lynch from the JCC, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and event chairs Liz Nederlander Coden and Daniel Coden.

Joining the speakers was the cast of "Hamilton," who sat onstage during the meal for a question and answer session that included everything from how they got started in acting to what they really think of “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (all good things) to what parts of San Diego they like to visit on their days off. (The actress who plays Peggy is a fan of the zoo).

Coden Family with Mayor Kevin Faulcone

20 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

After the dinner, the donors made their way over to the Civic Theatre for a historic performance.

The fundraiser was the brainchild of Liz Nederlander Coden, who said, “I have been a board member at the JCC for the past six years and involved at Jewish Family Service as well. I have been extremely impressed with the outstanding work done by both organizations to help change the lives of people in need from all backgrounds. The funds raised from this event will go to help programs from each organization including scholarship programs, refugee programs and programs giving food, shelter and guidance to homeless families, just to name a few. Dan and I are thrilled with how the event is coming together and are excited to share this incredible evening with all of the donors.” The event raised more than $650,000 for the two organizations. A

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 21

PARENTING

THIS WAY TO EDEN

by Rachael Eden

rachel.s.eden@gmail.com

Let’s face it, helping with homework and managing tantrums are a touch less glamorous than jet setting to different cities as a coach and speaker.

New Year, New Endeavors

T

wo weeks ago, I was on a plane heading for Atlanta where I enthusiastically shared ideas at three different workshops on achieving ‘epic spiritual fitness.’ A month prior to that, I was in Portland as a coach on a Jewish women’s retreat. My young children are fortunate to not only live with loving parents, but also to live near adoring grandparents and an aunt who perhaps loves them most of all (if toys and candy are any measurements of love!). Thanks to our extended family, the kids barely felt my absences during those professional trips including my mental absence in the ramp-up and aftermath.

Let’s face it, helping with homework and managing tantrums are a touch less glamorous than jet setting to different cities as a coach and speaker. The traveling weeks were productive, meaningful, and – honestly – really fun. Spending time in the airport alone was its own vacation that involved going to the bathroom with no witnesses, buying only my favorite snacks and using my time at the gate doing...whatever I wanted!

But of course, Jewish guilt sets in. Why was I getting so much pleasure from these trips? What did that say about me as a wife and mother? Fortunately, nature intervened.

I love connecting deeply with people, but I’m an introvert and began to crave some low-key time at home. That desire for home only kicked in after a month or so, but the 22 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

point is, it did and I had no reason to worry. Actually, over the past couple of weeks since that trip to Atlanta, I can’t get enough of my home life. I’ve read countless books to my kids, cooked many a homemade dinner (okay, heated up many a dinner), and generally re-immersed myself with family.

In fact, this very article that I now type is my first official evidence of emerging out of my familial cocoon. So what happened?

Why the sudden change from professional go-getter to domestic goddess? Why did I gleefully hop into every uber that took me to an airport? Why am I now happy to make pancakes and have a lazy Sunday?

Here’s the deeper truth that may give some of us much needed peace of mind.

Anyone pursuing some level of professional success while still maintaining a personal life is trying to achieve what’s known as ‘work life balance.’ No one knows what normal looks like in this balancing act because there is no normal for anyone. Despite the individuality of work life balance, many judgments are cast when people appear to abandon one area for another. For me, I needed to be “all in” to experience the trips I took and, now, some part of me caught up to missing my children and I’m “all in” at home. Work-life balance isn’t a daily tally of minutes spent; it’s an awareness of where life is shining a light on the area that needs our attention most.

If we can hone that awareness, we may be able to avoid judging ourselves in many areas from health and fitness to religion and spirituality. Instead of feeling bad, let’s consider accepting the various phases of frequency, intensity, and mode in which we accomplish and connect. An encouraging article in the New York Times entitled "The Only Way to Keep Your Resolutions" by David DeSteno discusses the upside of allowing our positive social traits or middot, such as compassion, dignity, and gratitude, to guide our goal attainment rather than aimlessly striving to stick to worthwhile resolutions. When we rely on self-discipline alone, he says, our health suffers. Then, we feel stressed, and more often than not, resolutions fall by the wayside. By using positive social traits as our guide as well as our own intuition and instincts, we innately know when it’s appropriate to focus on family and when it makes sense to focus on work.

There are days we wake up naturally inspired and others that we’ll barely hang on by a thread. There are weeks or months that are career-oriented, and we gravitate to that part of our lives. Then, there are weeks or months that our personal life attracts us because we need it or it needs us. As long as our families, our jobs, and our sense of selves are not on the chopping block, let’s leap into a radical acceptance of what works instead of what someone else defines as normal. A

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov

andreasimantov@gmail.com

Post-surgery both times, the doctors warned me that it would take six weeks to even consider working. Which is why I was back in my studio both times, drugged and defiant, in three.

SAY “AH” Andrea Simantov An Apple a Day and Other Useless Bromides

A

relatively terrifying medical test occurred at an ungodly hour because the hospital owns one MRI scanner.

In the middle of a freezing winter night, testing for potential diagnoses that one does not want to hear uttered is not ideal – and I went alone. My husband, a man who never goes anywhere and never has anything to do if it doesn’t involve me is suddenly obligated to take care of a family matter in London. I survived the sterile tunnel wearing earplugs, singing every word I could remember from the shows “Mame” and “West Side Story” and remembering that there are women who are battling illness every single day, fighting for additional time on this planet. Resisting the near-irrepressible itch to press the panic button, I struggled to feel grateful for receiving First-World medical care for free – because I live in Israel.

Afterwards, however, my stony heart went soft with childish self-pity. And because there was no one on the receiving end of my childishly acting out, I ate.

And ate some more until the post-test activity became a junk-food orgy. Sugar and fat-laden ice cream, chips and cookies were consumed first because, deferring to the laws of kashrut, dairy must be eaten before meat. This bacchanal forespeis was fol-

24 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

lowed with nitrate-laced chicken hot dogs, mustard and sauerkraut. At three o’clock in the morning, these were the more enticing items available at the 24-hour convenience shop, located close to the medical center.

Unrelated to the aforementioned event, two days later I visited the lipid-specialist.

The word ‘lipid’ apparently comes from a Jewish requirement to give every medical professional a little lip as they tell you that it’s amazing you've reached the age of 62 without having a heart attack, “...what with your numbers, just sayin’...” I was prescribed a two-month statin-cocktail (intended to show the government that I have the required discipline to follow a medication regimen) and an application was submitted for enrollment in an experimental program requiring me to drive to Tel Aviv every few weeks for an injection. “You are the right age and your numbers are sufficiently terrible. It’s a pity you haven’t already had a myocardial infarction. We could have gotten you in right away.” Who says Israeli physicians lack bedside manners?

This get-a-grip-on-your-health department does not come naturally to me. For my entire life, I’ve related to personal infirmity as isolated and aberrant. That double-knee replacement thing was – after

recovery and seemingly endless physicaltherapy – surprisingly vague. Why? Because I have photographs that document my running the Jerusalem Marathon twice and videos of performing death-defying stunts for a reality television show. It would take years of recognizing that my inability to join the women’s dancing circle at weddings reflected a dearth of cartilage between the femur and tibia. Post-surgery both times, the doctors warned me that it would take six weeks to even consider working. Which is why I was back in my studio both times, drugged and defiant, in three.

My husband would have to find me face down on the imitation Afghan-carpet to even suggest that I have a flu, which is why I’m truly grateful to our G-d in Heaven that – with the exception of an uneventful lumpectomy, some unmentionable hemorrhoid work, the excising of an unattractive mole and ejecting human beings from my body in a typically female manner – my hospital visits have been few. Hypochondria is the one neurosis I’ve been spared.

Morning walks, gym/pool membership and a mostly vegetarian diet have raised my awareness that ‘attitude’ coupled with ‘action’ should keep me in ‘babe-mode’ for decades to come. A

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EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

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

Our Illusions of Role Models, Heroes and Idols

Y

ou know, those people we looked up to when we were younger, whom we aspired to be like, and possibly now, whom we want our children to emulate?

Some might think that people would agree on who could be role models for us ‘ordinary people,’ that we’d have similar ideas about whose achievements or personalities would make us "ooh and aah.” It turns out it isn’t that simple.

As young children, our first role models are usually our parents, and it takes years for us to see them as people with frailties, despite their impressive qualities. Adolescents and young adults form relationships with admired mentors at school or work. They often idealize their mentor, until the realization sets in that despite some exceptional talents, this role model is an “ordinary” person, with attendant faults. Accepting our parents and mentors – and ourselves – as worthy but flawed can at times be challenging.

Children and adolescents are also drawn to other kinds of role heroes or idols: They 26 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

Extreme fandom can inspire them to post pictures on websites or paste posters on their bedroom walls or school lockers.

Sometimes the adulation borders on intense worship or even fantasied romantic love. might revere athletes in professional sports, or religiously pursue the lives of movie stars, action figures, television or pop music personalities on social media.

Extreme fandom can inspire them to post pictures on websites or paste posters on their bedroom walls or school lockers. Sometimes the adulation borders on intense worship or even fantasied romantic love.

Some adults continue to admire stars in sports, music and the media, casting them as heroic figures or idols. But many are more drawn to achievers in other fields: World leaders, scientists, writers, artists, religious leaders, inventors, composers, philanthropists, musicians, physicians, teachers or judges are likely to be deeply admired.

Other adults are more impressed with laudable personality characteristics for their (or their kids’) role models. They might place people on a pedestal whom they see as decent, respectful, compassionate, empathic, generous, tolerant, humble, responsible and trustworthy.

Still others might seek role models who are successful or strong leaders, or even who are opinionated, selfish, egotistical and narcissistic.

Thus, the choice of a role model is entirely ‘in the eye of the beholder,’ and highly personal: Your chosen idol might be someone I dislike, and my role model might be your scoundrel.

In extreme forms of hero worship, we see deep attachments to a charismatic individual who might represent an intense belief system (“ism”). In research I did years ago, I looked at many ‘true believers,’ zealous followers of leaders of various religious movements and cults.

In the minds of the impressionable young adults, the leaders were close to “perfect,” even attributing to them “super human” abilities and wisdom. (Caveat: The vast ma-

jority became disenchanted in under two years, and saw the leaders for what they were in reality: “Ordinary People.”)

Whether our role models are creative people who contribute to human progress and quality of life, or others who provide us with entertainment and stimulation, to put any outstanding individuals on pedestals of perfection is fraught with the specter of disillusionment.

There are no “perfect people.” Our role models may have impressive characteristics and talents that can sweep us away (at least for a while), but we inevitably learn they have weaknesses and faults.

To read biographies, to know anyone well, or just to live(!), is to learn that people are complicated, just like life itself. At times it feels like a smooth path of pleasure and accomplishment, at others it’s more like a rough trail of sadness and conflict.

Each of us is a metaphor for our species: At our best, we humans are benevolent and inspiring, but we can also be benighted and destructive.

So it is with our role models, heroes and idols. We seem to need these figureheads to give us some stability during challenging or frenetic times. When people have role models to look up to, they feel comforted, at least for a while. But all-encompassing worship of any one person inevitably leads to disappointment.

We can admire and even emulate aspects of accomplished or outstanding people, but hero-worship and attributing to them unrealistic personal traits or powers is a fool’s errand, destined to disappoint.

The subtitle of my last book (“Our Emotional Footprint”), is “Ordinary People and their Extraordinary Lives,” which is about all of us. Each of us “ordinary people” has in all likelihood already been a role model for others. A

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 27

RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacob Rupp

rabbirupp@gmail.com

Have we moved beyond Jewish spirituality?

I

sat on my bed, looking out the window at the willow tree in my front yard.

I was 17. My room was wallpapered with posters of my music icons: Bob Marley over here, Grateful Dead over there.

I made a bold statement aloud but to no one. “I’m not going to believe in G-d anymore.” That’s it. It was over.

But then, I remember hearing a voice that said, “You can’t be sure.”

I was one of the lucky ones. The question for me was at least something to think about, thanks to my parents and my Jewish upbringing in Hebrew school and synagogue.

Fast-forward to a moment when I felt G-d existence wasn’t just true, He was tangible. I sat on a well-worn staircase in the Old City of Jerusalem and knew. I felt it. And like so many others throughout our history, I knew I couldn’t just go back to life as I knew it.

Something, many things, had to change. I had to ‘bottle’ this feeling and take it with me.

In my many dealings with people in my work, I find Jews run the gamut from staunchly ‘atheist’ (which means that spirituality doesn’t play a role in their life and they 28 SDJewishJournal.com | FEBRUARY 2018

haven’t been shown any compelling rational reasons for G-d’s existence), to deeply spiritual but drawing nothing from Jewish spirituality, practice, or philosophy.

There are the Jew-Bu(s), Jews who flock to the Hindu religion because they found their own tradition lacking spirituality. I have a friend who became Christian because he never felt G-d’s love in his Jewish practice. Others flock to the new age thought leaders like Gabby Bernstein (many of whom are Jewish of course) who talk about many principles of Jewish spirituality while completely removing mention of G-d, Torah and Mitzvot.

As people we all need something to believe in. And we all, no matter how skeptical, do believe. In love, in country (depends on which country and whose president), in our icons, sports teams, you name it. Is there a value to Jewish spirituality? Is that something our tradition offers in addition to lox and Bar Mitzvah lessons?

Let’s address the second answer first.

Jacob, our patriarch, makes a stunning remark after he is awoken from his famous dream where he perceives a ladder extending from Heaven to Earth. He says, “This is none other than the gates of heaven!” He’s not talking about there—somewhere up in the clouds – it’s HERE. G-d is HERE. Clearly Jacob has broken through to what is possible in Jewish spiritual practice; the world of the esoteric, the soul and the spiritual had become completely and totally real for him in his life.

So it is possible to feel your life is full of spirituality and that you are deeply loved and connected to the Infinite G-d – knowing life has purpose, that you have purpose and that G-d believes in YOU and with you in all that you do. And that feels amazing.

But does that have to be Jewish? Rabbi Steven Weil made an amazing point on my podcast. Traditionally observant Jews take something for granted that the mass majority of Jews don’t, but should. It is the depth and breadth of what we do.

Depth in the sense that we didn’t just come up with this stuff because its popular. The Torah existed before Instagram. It existed before Dr. Laura, Buddah, Tony Robbins and Socrates. Our spirituality has stood the test of time. And if one studies history well, we are no more sophisticated now that we were then. Our needs are still the same. And if the Torah worldview was never refuted or disproven or shown to be irrelevant, it behooves us to check it before we move on. As my wife told me back in my ‘rebellious’ days, until I understand Judaism I shouldn’t try to reform, conserve, reconstruct, or leave it. First learn

In my many dealings with people in my work, I find Jews run the gamut from staunchly ‘atheist’ (which means that spirituality doesn’t play a role in their life and they haven’t been shown any compelling rational reasons for G-d’s existence), to deeply spiritual but drawing nothing from Jewish spirituality, practice, or philosophy. what it says for yourself!

Secondly, Judaism has breadth. The Torah speaks about how we are all connected. Why pay thousands of dollars to go to a sporting event when you can watch it in your living room? There is a human need for connection and unity. Judaism gives it to us on a silver platter. We aren’t just disjointed people bouncing randomly through eternity. We are responsible for each other, we are connected to each other, and the more we focus on what unites us than divides us, the more we can clue into what’s true and meaningful, instead of defining ourselves by what we aren’t.

So to answer the question, unique Jewish spirituality matters. It mattered to my ancestors, it will matter to my progeny, and if I put in the work, it will matter to me. That’s my grown up answer to my 17-year-old self.

But then again, hearing “you can’t be sure G-d doesn’t exist,” also made a lot of sense as well. A

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 29

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JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 31

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

“An Israeli Love Story” Conjures Idealism, Sacrifice of Pre-Israel Palestine

BY MICHAEL FOX

Avrahim Avuv Alush and Adi Bielski.

P

utting aside the contradiction that “An Israeli Love Story” unfolds in the months prior to the founding of the Jewish state, its title is the essence of truth in advertising.

The film treats crucial developments in 1947 and 1948, such as the rising tensions between Arabs and Jews and the smuggling of Jewish refugees from Holocaust-riven Europe into Palestine, largely as background.

The focus, for worse and for better, is the relationship between aspiring actress Margalit Dromi (played by Adi Bielski) and kibbutznik and Palmach member Eli Ben Zvi (Avrahim Avuv Alush, recently seen in “The Women’s Balcony”).

Set in the same era and place as Otto Preminger’s 1960 landmark “Exodus” but decidedly more modest in scale, “An Israeli Love Story” ultimately and movingly conveys both the idealism and the sacrifice

through which the tiny nation was created and built.

After an awkward opening scene that reveals the tragic fate of one of the lovers, veteran director Dan Wolman flashes back— how far back is never clear, but it only feels like a few months—to trace Margalit and Eli’s romance from a random meeting on a bus through her self-absorbed pursuit to their eventual engagement and the misguided violence that interrupts their plans.

The movie was inspired by actress and theater director Pnina Gary’s solo autobiographical play, which she wrote in 2002, but didn’t produce until 2008. Gary’s choice to play her youthful self was Bielski, who went on to perform the piece hundreds of times in the ensuing years and was the natural choice to play Margalit on screen.

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of Bielski’s portrayal of Margalit as a lovestruck teenager who, to give one example, is less interested in assisting the freezing, disoriented European refugees who have landed under cover of darkness than in making an impression on Eli. However, Margalit comes off as callow, and it takes a while for the film to find a satisfying balance between the love affair, Margalit’s ambition to study acting in Tel Aviv and the weightier matters demanding Eli’s attention—the plans for his nascent kibbutz Beit Keshet and the armed defense of Jews.

Although hampered by the production values of a TV movie, “An Israeli Love Story” ultimately achieves a poignant power. En route, it offers a rare glimpse of everyday life in the postwar, pre-state years. A

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“Between Worlds” Contemplates The Gap Between Arabs And Jews

BY MICHAEL FOX

I

sraeli writer-director Miya Hatav’s female-centered feature debut, “Between Worlds,” explores an emotionally volatile situation with exceptional restraint. A sensitive entreaty for people from different worlds who inhabit the same world to embrace their commonalities instead of their differences, the film would have benefited from a bit less control and calculation.

Hatav succinctly creates a tense sense of mystery in the opening reel, as two women rush to the intensive-care wing of a Jerusalem hospital. Our initial impression from their clothes and facial features is that one is Jewish and the other is Arab, but it’s actually the other way around.

This clever reversal gently admonishes

viewers who leapt to conclusions and establishes the movie’s core theme, namely that there’s not much difference between ourselves and “the other.” Firsthand experience, consequently, could dispel our judgments and suspicions.

The first woman to arrive at the hospital wants to see her son who was seriously injured by a terrorist. The motive and identity of the other, younger woman—who manages to stick around by pretending to be another patient’s kin—isn’t revealed initially, though we suspect her connection to the victim is romantic.

“Between Worlds” refers to the comatose man in the middle, who was estranged from his religious family and living with his

girlfriend. It also describes his mother, who became observant when she married but receives little pleasure or comfort from her faith. The title also fits the young woman— the victim’s girlfriend—who made a major sacrifice to be with her Jewish lover.

Most of the action is confined to a couple of hospital rooms, heightening the tension until the inevitable moment when secrets are exposed. In the absence of villains, we root for the characters to choose direct experience over ingrained belief, and compassion over prejudice.

“Between Worlds” is a thought-provoking and touching parable. With a stronger cast, it could have been absolutely wrenching. A

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 33

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

“Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” Explores The Sexual Politics And Anti-Semitism of Old Hollywood

BY MICHAEL FOX

I

n 1933, the Viennese actress Hedy Keisler sparked an international furor by swimming nude in a provocative melodrama called “Ecstasy.” Alas, it was the tragic fate of Hedy Lamarr, as she was renamed when she arrived in Hollywood, to be perpetually judged by her face and figure rather than her intellect.

A splendid study of an extraordinarily complicated and conflicted person, Alexandra Dean’s “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” recounts the actress and inventor’s litany of innovations and achievements alongside her frustrations and failures. The documentary, which screens in the San Diego Jewish Film Festival, is most fascinating when it shifts from Lamarr’s ambivalence toward Hollywood glamor to her wartime invention of a secure communication system.

The beloved daughter of a Jewish banker, Hedy had a comfortable childhood before gravitating to the theater and movies. Fleeing a youthful marriage to a Jewish fascist who made arms for the Nazis, as well as the gathering storm in Europe, she purchased passage on an ocean liner. Aboard ship, she parlayed her bravado and striking good looks into an introduction to MGM executives and, eventually, studio mogul Louis B. Mayer in Los Angeles.

“My grandfather fled the Nazis in a very similar fashion, on a boat where he met someone from Samuel Goldwyn’s shop and ended up in Hollywood and it saved his life,” Dean relates. “He became a very powerful individual, and he did not like having

34 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

Hedy Lamarr

been victimized by the Nazis and he kind of whitewashed that entire episode in his life.

He didn’t think of himself as a victim and he didn’t want to think of his family or his tribe as victims, so being Jewish was a complicated thing for him.”

Dean, a journalist who produced newsmagazine segments for Bill Moyers and PBS and documentaries for Bloomberg as well as written profiles for Businessweek magazine, saw in Lamarr a similar refusal to be defined by her background or circumstances.

“She also had the same kind of complicated relationship with being a woman,” Dean asserts. “She wanted to be Louis B. Mayer, she wanted to be Cecil B. DeMille. She didn’t want to identify as a woman and she didn’t want to identify as a Jew. Of course, it creates a schism in your psyche. It means your roots are cut off from you, and in some ways you are floating in the world rootless.

And what does that do to you? I think if you don’t understand her relationship with being Jewish you don’t understand why she was such a broken person.”

Dean asserts that Lamarr’s Jewishness was directly related to her development of a system for ships to communicate that the Nazis couldn’t break. The actress wasn’t allowed to be open about her identity in her day job because Mayer believed that audiences wouldn’t fantasize—a base but key aspect of moviegoing— about a Jew. At the same time, the Nazis were blowing up ships in the Atlantic with European Jewish children. Oh, and Lamarr’s mother still needed to get to America.

The mother converted to Catholicism in 1938 in Vienna, and Dean had assumed that her motivation was to make it easier to escape the Nazis, then she discovered a letter that Hedy had written saying, “Please do this for me, because I don’t want to be identified as a Jew in Hollywood.”

The psychological effect of Lamarr’s subterfuge mingled with her sorrow for the destruction of European Jewry is difficult to calculate, but it subsequently manifested itself in the insistence to her children that she wasn’t Jewish. In fact, Dean was compelled to confront Lamarr’s offspring with their grandfather’s death certificate, evidence of his burial in a Jewish cemetery and, of course, their grandmother’s conversion papers.

Dean’s greatest challenge in “Bombshell” was conveying Lamarr’s many contradictions: strength and shallowness, altruism and cruelty, desire and despair. The film manages to be surprising and unexpected, yet utterly relevant in its portrayal of a woman stymied in her efforts to win respect on her terms.

“People are very quick to dislike Hedy Lamarr,” Dean says. “It appalled me, and made me extremely sad that people wouldn’t give her any leeway to express herself. So I struggled to give her enough of a leash, in the way that she described herself and interacted with other people, that people would understand her and allow her to be a complicated person but still like her.” A

“"Jungle"”Transports Yossi Ghinsberg's Amazon Ordeal to the Silver Screen

BY MICHAEL FOX.

Thomas Kretschmann as Karl and Danielle Radcliffe as Yossi Ghinsberg.

Y

ossi Ghinsberg is what you might call a larger than life figure. So it’s only just and right that somebody finally made a movie about his life—or at least the harrowing weeks in 1981 in the Bolivian jungle that are his claim to fame.

Ghinsberg published his survival memoir, “Back from Tuichi,” in 1993. In the ensuing years, he started a clinic in Australia for opioid addicts and a design studio in Tel Aviv, was a tech entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, a conservationist in the Amazon and built a career as a motivational speaker for corporate events.

That’s a remarkable list of accomplishments, but they are still overshadowed by his ordeal in the Amazon. “Jungle,” adapted from the memoir and starring Daniel Radcliffe as the redoubtable Israeli, will do nothing to alter that situation when it screens in the San Diego Jewish Film Festival.

“Daniel Radcliffe said, ‘Yossi, I know that on my grave they’re going to write Harry Potter,’” Ghinsberg recounted in the fall in a phone interview from New York. “On my grave, they’re going to write ‘Amazon survivor’ or something like that. I’m okay with that.”

Ghinsberg, who will be represented at SDJFF by director Greg McLean and producer Dana Lustig, doesn’t live in the past, nor does he much care what people think. A popular speaker, he imparts the lessons from the Amazon about innovating and finding a niche—as opposed to the old-school practices of competition and exploitation—to business folks.

“The important thing for me is to draw attention to the Amazon, to the fragility of the Amazon, to the pressures of the Amazon and to the indigenous people that I represent,” Ghinsberg says. “I became a member of the tribe and I have a duty to voice their feelings to the world. Their ancestral land happens to be the richest place on the planet in terms of

biodiversity.”

Ghinsberg was born in Israel to Romanian immigrants who had been spared a measure of Holocaust pain: His father spent five years, the entire war, laboring in a German-run logging camp in Siberia. An unimaginably difficult experience, but better than an extermination camp.

Perhaps because he lived in a small country, Ghinsberg contracted wanderlust at an early age.

“When I was in high school and in the army, I just waited for that moment when I could take off and be that great explorer,” he recalls with a mix of nostalgia and self-deprecation.

Stationed on a boat in quiet Sharm-elSheikh for his military service, Ghinsberg didn’t acquire combat or survival experience.

His service was distinguished by lengthy furloughs when he stayed in the desert, rather than go home, and befriended the Bedouins.

Ghinsberg believes that experience was instrumental, in an indirect way, to his surviving the deprivation, solitude and challenges of nature. In the span of a couple days in Bolivia, for example, he was attacked by termites and fire ants. Mind you, “Jungle” only depicts one of those nightmares.

“In real life there was much, much, much, much more,” Ghinsberg says with a verbal shrug. “Every day there were so many events.

In a lot of movies, you invent things to dramatize, like the real life is not dramatic enough.

In this case, the story is much more dramatic and you need to cut it down.”

That didn’t bother Ghinsberg, who lives with his Australian wife and their children on the continent’s east coast, but he was disappointed that the budget and logistics compelled the production to shoot in Colombia instead of Bolivia.

“Most people can’t tell the difference,” he allows. “I can tell the difference. It’s painful for me; it was my dream to shoot it on location. But it was explained to me that movies are an illusion, and the director preferred to go where he could control the illusion.”

Surprisingly, Ghinsberg is excited about the possibility that “Jungle” will generate a wave of tourism to the rainforest. He explains that the region has transformed from an exploitation-based system to one centered around hospitality.

“Tourism saves the forest, it doesn’t exploit it,” he asserts. “A dead monkey is worth two dollars in the market. But the tourist who comes will pay much more to see a living monkey. Suddenly the monkey generates more money alive than dead.”

Ghinsberg’s connection to the Amazon is ongoing and permanent. However, the release of “Jungle” fulfils—and concludes— his long-standing ambition to have his story adapted into a film. Even in a life as full and busy as Ghinsberg’s, that’s bound to leave a void.

“The next dream is to take it to Broadway as a one-man show where I’m going to be on stage [in front of ] a general audience,” he announces. “A very pure format of storytelling and the other aspect is immersive theater. Virtual reality and audio reality in terms of the design of the space, and 4-D breakthrough audio technology delivering sound into your head—not through the ears.

“I’m already in the second round of meetings in New York with production, with director, with investors,” Ghinsberg effuses.

“There’s always a next dream because if I don’t dream I’m not alive, and I cannot live without a dream.” A

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 35

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Indie Romantic Comedy Heralds ‘Change’ Through Lovers With Autism

BY MICHAEL FOX Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon.

L

ike “Crossing Delancey,” one of her favorite romantic comedies, Rachel Israel’s narrative feature debut “Keep the Change” is a New York love story with a tangible Jewish undercurrent.

The romantic duo readily self-identify as Jewish, but they share another quality that for most people primarily defines them: David (Brandon Polansky) and Sarah (Samantha Elisofon) are on the autism spectrum.

Refreshingly honest and sexually straightforward in its portrayal of the way people with autism interact with each other, with their families and with strangers, “Keep the Change” received two prizes when it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last April.

“A few of the characters are naturally unfiltered in the way they talk about sex, and I thought it was a beautiful and fun aspect of the characters,” Israel explained in a phone interview last summer.

“A lot of depictions of people with autism shy away from sex, and I think it’s important to show that people on the spectrum have sex lives,” she says. “To shy away from it is in some way demeaning or infantilizing.”

Israel spent her childhood in the Princeton, New Jersey area and her adolescence and teenage years in Boca Raton before pursuing her undergraduate degree at the Rhode Island School of Design. She moved to New York for her graduate study in film at Columbia, where she refocused her first screenplay from a drama about David’s

36 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

family to an endearing, awkward and rocky love story between he and Sarah.

Israel set about making a short film, and discovered a community of people with autism at the Manhattan Jewish Community Center on the Upper West Side. She cast Brandon and Samantha, and some five years later asked them to reprise their roles for a feature.

“Brandon’s search for love and companionship and possibly sexual experience, is a defining part of his personality,” Israel says on the phone.

“When I met him I didn’t know he was on the spectrum, and even for a while I didn’t know until he told me. When he told me he had autism, it was an awakening, because I thought of someone like Dustin Hoffman in ‘Rain Man,’ someone who shies away from contact. And that was very much not the way Brandon was.”

His character’s Jewishness is front and center, which may feed into some viewers’ judgment of his ostentatiously wealthy parents (played by Jewish actors Jessica Walter and Tibor Feldman). Sarah’s Jewish identity is much less pronounced but it could be a plus—in theory—in winning David’s parents’ acceptance.

“He is quietly desperate to have a girl, so it wouldn’t have stopped him at all [if Sarah wasn’t Jewish],” Israel says. “But it’s a big thing for many Jewish parents for your kids to stay in the tribe. He thinks that it will please his parents.

“But more than that, for himself he wants some traditional things for his life.

He wants a permanent loving relationship. I think he thinks that should be marriage. He very much wants the things that he’s seen his peers from childhood acquire, and he doesn’t understand why he shouldn’t have them.”

Audiences will probably conflate Brandon and Samantha with David and Sarah even more than they typically do with actors and the characters they play. In reality, David and Sarah are fictional versions of the real people.

“We wrote it in collaboration with the cast, but they are playing fictional characters,” Israel emphasizes. “They are not playing themselves. We’ve created characters that had some of their tendencies, while other things were different. They could definitely draw upon who they were to inform their characters.”

After Tribeca, Israel screened “Keep the Change” at the Los Angeles Film Festival and at Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, where it won two more prizes. Her grandfather, a financial supporter of the film who escaped Czechoslovakia at 14 on one of the kindertransports organized by Sir Nicholas Winton, attended the festival with Israel and the film.

All in all, Israel devoted six years to “Keep the Change,” from screenplay to the short film to the feature-length version. She’s eager to embark on a new feature, and primed to explore new territory.

“The simple answer is there’s not a sequel right now,” she says. “I don’t think the next chapter is a simple one for these characters.” A

Defender and Advocate “An Act of Defiance” tells the story of a Jewish attorney who fought against South Africa’s apartheid regime

BY MICHAEL FOX

B

ram Fischer is one of the great Jewish heroes of the 20th Century, yet he is not widely remembered outside his native South Africa. The crackling moral thriller “An Act of Defiance,” which recreates the attorney’s gutsy exploits during the Rivonia Trial in the early 1960s, brilliantly revives his legacy.

From the outset, the film defines Fischer (played with verve and intelligence by Peter Paul Muller) less by his considerable legal skills and reputation than by the company he keeps: He is a strategist and ally of Nelson Mandela and the other leaders (several of them Jewish) covertly plotting against the apartheid regime. In fact, Fischer is supposed to be at the meeting where the police bust in and arrest the activists.

Free and available to represent the accused against charges of sabotage, Fischer is more than their defender and advocate: He’s an ac-

tive member of the resistance whose actions—epitomized by a tense, protracted sequence in which he smuggles key documents out of a government building, inadvertently placing his family in danger—express his commitment and courage even more than his legal challenges and parries.

Fischer’s extracurricular activities have the effect of pushing “An Act of Defiance” out of the realm of courtroom drama and into a full-bore thriller. That said, the film never loses sight of the plight of the Rivonia defendants, who face death sentences if convicted.

Dutch director Jean van de Velde fills the cast with South African actors such as Antoinette Louw, who imbues Molly Fischer with backbone, wit and warmth to match her husband. Along with its other attributes, “An Act of Defiance” is a moving love story. A

Aging (Somewhat) Gracefully “Humor Me” is a smart comedy about real people Elliot Gould and Jemaine Clement.

S

am Hoffman’s resoundingly funny debut feature, “Humor Me,” imagines a well-appointed New Jersey retirement community as the setting for mid-life rejuvenation and resurrection. Neatly avoiding or flipping every cliché about seniors (cute, crotchety or flirtatious), the adult son – aging father dynamic and the theater, “Humor Me” is a warm-hearted, perfectly executed fable.

When his wife takes their young son and leaves him for a billionaire, talented-but-blocked playwright, Nate Kroll (New Zealand actor Jemaine Clement), has to move out of their Manhattan brownstone and into the guest bedroom at his dad’s town house at Cranberry Bog. Bob (a note-perfect turn by Elliot Gould), is an inveterate joke teller, but his repertoire doesn’t work on a 40-year-old failed artist.

“Life’s going to happen, son, whether you smile or not,” he declares, a philosophy that the audience can embrace more easily than Nate.

If it contains a bit of Jewish fatalism, well, that’s Elliot Gould’s voice.

So Bob’s jokes, which are consistently risqué and constructed with an

BY MICHAEL FOX ironic twist, have a faint air of the Borscht Belt about them. (It’s not a coincidence that Hoffman produced and directed the web series “Old Jews Telling Jokes.”)

There’s not a single stupid character in Humor Me, including Nate’s bland, successful brother (Erich Bergen), and this generosity of spirit means we’re always laughing with Nate’s foils, not at them. It helps immeasurably that Hoffman (best known for producing the TV show “Madame Secretary”) assembled a veteran cast (Annie Potts as Bob’s girlfriend, Le Clanché du Rand as a flirtatious senior, Bebe Neuwirth as a theatre heavyweight) who nails every last punch line and reaction shot.

“Humor Me” plays out the way we hope and expect it will, which is to say it delivers on its implicit promises. En route, it provides lots of smiles and several belly laughs. Even Nate, who’s well aware that he’s earned every joke that he’s the butt of, gets his share of one-liners.

There’s plenty to go around, you see. A Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 37

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Intrigue of

The Human Condition Israeli Filmmaker and Visiting Professor David Ofek Talks to SDJJ

BY BRIE STIMSON

C

uriosity. That has drawn Israeli documentary filmmaker David Ofek to all of his projects over the last two decades.

With the efforts of the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative, the director has been teaching screenwriting since last fall as a Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist at San Diego State University.

He was also in town for the San Diego premiere of his documentary “In Between” at the JCC Film Festival in November and three other screenings at Leichtag’s Moishe House, UCLA and UC San Marcos.

“Curiosity ... is what I also try to teach my students – to be curious – and to have a question that’s really interesting. Like in the couple in ‘In Between’ and will they stay together or how can they stay together and in ‘No. 17,’ of course, how come nobody came to identify this body,” Ofek told me.

We spoke over the phone one morning before his flight back to Israel.

“I got an offer from Israel to come to San Diego and teach screenwriting and of course I was very, very happy and very excited, and I immediately agreed. And for me it was a big opportunity,” he explained from New York.

“I arrived in San Diego this past semester after a friend of mine called Nir Bergman who did the first half and I did the second half of the semester where I teach writing and documentary filmmaking, and I think it is very powerful for the students and very powerful for me as well to teach and also to get to know San Diego.”

The documentary “In Between” follows 38 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

an Israeli couple with two children who are separated by religious differences. Soon after the birth of their second child the husband decides to become Orthodox.

“The documentary … follows the struggles of one family and a couple. Although the distances are getting bigger and bigger and the gap between them is getting bigger and bigger because she’s secular and he’s ultra religious, … it really shows how a couple manages to stay a couple … but I think it’s a very positive message,” he said.

Ofek also spoke about “No. 17,” a documentary that screened at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival in 2003. The documentary surrounds the identification of 17 people killed in a 2002 bus bombing in Megiddo, Israel. While 16 of the victims were identified, the 17th body was never claimed, “so there was an inquiry … trying to give number 17 a name,” he explained. The film is documented in real time over a period of six months. It won the Israeli Oscar as well as other awards around the world and was broadcast on the Sundance channel.

Ofek began studying at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem shortly after getting out of the army.

“I started in the Jerusalem Film School when I was 20,” he said. “From there, really, I started to work on documentaries and then fiction from 1993 until now – almost 25 years.”

He told me filmmaking has always been his dream. “This is really what I wanted to do when I was growing up,” he remem-

bered. “As a kid, I went to see the cinema, [which] showed a lot of good films, so it was really part of what I wanted to do ... [It] was such a good opportunity to hear and meet other stories.”

His last project was an Israeli TV series called “Killing Grandma,” which won best comedy at the Israeli Oscars.

“It’s about a very poor family that the grandma controls them, and they sit on land that’s worth millions … and they decide to kill her. So that’s a fiction and it’s a black comedy,” he explained.

Ofek’s also working on a project called “House Call.” “I’m doing a documentary about people who want to die at home and their families and what it means to not die at the hospital but at home,” he said about the film.

Ofek, who said he’s always working on more than one project at a time, told me he hopes to come back to San Diego soon.

“I was so happy and overjoyed and [I] just really [had] the best time, and of course I think my kids, who were here for two months, I think they’ll come back [to] a place that was really an amazing experience for them, so I do hope to come. And if I have a film that will present in San Diego I will be really, really happy to participate.” A “In Between” will screen at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival. For times and locations check our festival schedule.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

American Socialists

Filmmaker Yale Strom on His Subject Eugene Victor Debs

BY BRIE STIMSON

Y

ale Strom, an artist-in-residence at San Diego State University, is a man of many talents. He is a violinist, composer, writer, photographer, and playwright and has a klezmer band called Hot Pstromi.

His latest documentary, “American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs,” was a labor of love that took six years to make.

The interview has been edited for space.

San Diego Jewish Journal: Can you tell me a bit about “American Socialist”?

Yale Strom: The film is about Eugene Victor Debs ... He was famous in many ways. One was that the created the American Railway Union ... He was a union man, he was a labor organizer and then eventually he co-founded, with Jewish immigrant Victor Berger (who was then in the U.S. House of Representatives), the Socialist Party of Amer-

ica ... He [ran] for president five times, every time getting more and more votes until one time he even got six percent of the vote cast in the United States.

And he championed causes for the working men and women. From 1900 until he passed away (1926) in the progressive era.

And then the ideals that he championed and lectured and ran on over those two and a half decades were programs that became law in the Roosevelt administration during the New Deal years. So he sort of already planted those ideas: eight-hour days, child labor laws, health care, safety on the job, championing women’s rights for voting – and eventually they did get to vote and they voted for him.

He wanted to see a more equitable society so the one percent don’t own 90 percent of all the wealth and the rest just get the crumbs, so to speak. And so it’s a film about him and

that era, but also it connects us to today and how we as Americans are grappling with some of the same issues and problems.

Nearly 16 million people voted for Bernie Sanders. There is a movement in the United States that [believes] this progressive politics is not some terrible thing leaking in from the Soviet Union. It’s looking at it in a more holistic, fairer way and so I’m hoping this at least creates and starts a discussion ...

As my wife put so well, she said Bernie Sanders inspired a generation – who inspired Senator Bernie Sanders? And in fact, it was Debs. When he was a mayor when he was in Burlington, Vermont, he had a poster of Debs in his office ... So it’s history, but it also touches our lives today. Of course, if you don’t know history you’re doomed to repeat it, but also if you don’t know history we can’t learn from the positive things in the past and Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 39

Avraham Aviv Alush and Adi Bielski in "An Israeli Love Story".

Niels Schneider in "Dark Diamond".

THURSDAY, FEB. 8 7 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”

FRIDAY, FEB. 9

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

10:30 a.m.; JCC “Heather Booth: Changing the World” 1:30 p.m.; JCC “House of Z”

SATURDAY, FEB. 10 6:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Dark Diamond” 7 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema” 9:25 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Home Port”

SUNDAY, FEB. 11 10:30a.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Drawing Against Oblivion” 10:30p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Tracking Edith” 11 a.m.; Edwards San Marcos “American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs” 11 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Maestro, In Search of the Last Music”

2 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Heather Booth: Changing the World” 4 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “House of Z” 4:30 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Future 38” 4:30p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Invisibles” 5 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “An Act of Defiance” 6:50 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Paradise” 7:05 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Shelter” 7:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Home Port” 8:15 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “A Bag of Marbles”

MONDAY, FEB. 12 7:30 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Between Worlds”

TUESDAY, FEB. 13 10:30 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema” 11 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Drawing Against Oblivion” 11 a.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Singing Abortionist”

1 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Harmonia”

1:20 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Young Karl Marx”

1:30p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “An Israeli Love Story”

1:50 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Paradise”

2 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Young Karl Marx” 40 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

Shmil Ben Ari and Yoram Hattab in "Home

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

Port".

Avi Koshner and Efrat Ben Zur in "Ewa".

Daniel Ratcliff in "Jungle".

4:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Harmonia”

8 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Dark Diamond”

5 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs”

8 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Testament”

5 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Our Father” 6 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Love All You Have Left”

THURSDAY, FEB. 15

FRIDAY, FEB. 16 10:30 p.m.; JCC “Letters from Baghdad” 1:30 p.m.; JCC “In Between”

10:30 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Maestro: In Search of the Last Music”

SATURDAY, FEB. 17

7:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Dark Diamond”

11 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait”

6:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Shelter”

8 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “A Bag of Marbles”

1:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Keep the Change”

8 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “To the Ends of the Earth The Jews of San Diego: A Portrait of Jewish San Diego”

7 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Robert Shaw: Man of Many Voices”

2 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Moritz Daniel Oppenheim”

7 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “The Testament”

4:30 .m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “An Act of Defiance”

9:20 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Ewa”

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 10:30 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Lives Well Lived” 11 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Future 38” 1:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Tracking Edith” 2 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “An Israeli Love Story” 4:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait” 5 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Keep the Change” 5 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “To The Ends of the Earth” A Portrait of Jewish San Diego” 7:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Let Yourself Go”

5 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Between Worlds” 5 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “The Invisibles” 6:30 p.m.; The Lot-La Jolla “Humor Me”

6:30 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Humor Me”

SUNDAY, FEB. 18 10:30 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “In Between” 11 a.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Letters from Baghdad”

7:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “A Bag of Marbles”

1:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Robert Shaw: Man of Many Voices”

8 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Fritz Lang”

2 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Our Father”

8 p.m.; The Lot-La Jolla “Humor Me”

4:30 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story”

8 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”

5 p.m.; Edwards Mira Mesa Stad.18 “Ewa” 5:30 p.m.; Wavelength Brewing Company “Brews and Views”

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 41

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

"if you don’t know history you’re doomed to repeat it, but also if you don’t know history we can’t learn from the positive things in the past and apply it to ourselves today."

Eugene Debs in prison.

apply it to ourselves today.

SDJJ: What was the inspiration to make the film?

YS: When I was a kid about 14 or 15, my father had a biography of Debs and he used to quote Debs quite a bit ... so I read a little bit about him and I put it back and said “okay, it’s kind of interesting but not so interesting. Whatever,” but I was aware of him, and then over the years, reading and studying and teaching history courses and discussing it with my father and other progressives. So I was always aware of him.

But really what made me decide to make a film was in 2007, Elizabeth Schwartz, the executive producer and cowriter, my wife, we’re sitting down and we’re watching the news like many people and then-Senator Obama is running for president against ... Senator John McCain, and at many of [McCain’s] rallies 42 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

the opposition were yelling things [like] “oh, you’re a socialist” they had signs that said “go back to Russia,” “communist,” “socialist,” and I’m looking at it and thinking “you’re an idiot because he’s not a communist, and he’s not a socialist. He’s a liberal – I won’t even use the word progressive, who had good ideas, does have good ideas, but his economics were not at all coming from a socialist point of view ... So that was kind of the impetus.

I said I’m going to make a film about someone who really was a socialist who stood up for the working man ... really gave his jacket off to workers. He would go to rallies, [and if ] there was a miner that didn’t have a coat or something, many times he gave his suit jacket or coat. [I thought, this is an important figure in] American history and there needs to be a film about this man who’s not just a footnote ... Union people who are organizers, they know [him]. Of course there are a lot

of union members in the United States who don’t know who he is. But that was the impetus, to show these people who are yelling these epithets that you guys don’t really know what you’re talking about. Senator Obama was not even close to being a socialist and this is what socialist principles are.

SDJJ: That’s a loaded word – socialist.

Why did you decide to use it in the title?

YS: We decided to call it that title because it is loaded ... because we wanted to [use] the word ...There’s nothing wrong with the word social and we want to be social. When we’re little our parents take us to preschool at two, three years old, the first thing we should be learning is how to be social with other children.

It’s about being fairer so the workers ... [so they] can earn a decent living ... They also should not have to work 50, 60 hours a week

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SDJFF

and not be there for their kids because they can’t make ends meet while the owner of these huge corporations makes a $5 million, $10 million, $15 million salary ... Greed is rampant. To be greedy is something we should not be proud of, and so the answer is about making it a more equitable society ...

The other thing that was interesting, too, is he was a rather religious man ... In fact, some of the strongest supporters among Christians were Evangelical Christians, protestants, Pentecostals. And so in Oklahoma, in Kansas, in Nebraska, in Texas, in places that we consider deep red states still, because these were tenant farmers, poor farmers, day laborers, and [Debs] said “yes, I want to preach the true gospel of Jesus and the prophets” and all the people that the Bible said wanted to be more fair and equitable, you know, throw out the people who are cheating and taking everything for themselves and just giving you a few crumbs and that’s why there’s a sect called Christian Socialism. So this is a loaded title on purpose.

The Soviet Union was not a communist state. It was fascist. I mean, yes, you could say they controlled the means of production ... but so did Nazi Germany. In a true Socialist society you allow opposition, there is opposi-

tion ... You allow demonstration.

SDJJ: Could he have won today?

YS: That is a good question. That is a great question, and you know what, I’m going to say possibly. Listen, no one would have thought that Bernie Sanders would have gotten as far as he did. [Debs] was a great speaker and he never talked down to people. He could talk to the homeless and to the kings and queens. He could relate to the working man ... I definitely believe he could win a senate seat, maybe a governor seat and maybe even run for president and maybe win.

Things have changed. And the word socialism – they did a survey in 2015-2016 – and it said something like millennials, and it was over 50 percent, they said, “yeah, we’d be interested in a socialist candidate.”

SDJJ: What would Debs have thought about what’s going on politically now?

YS: He would have been disheartened, he would have railed against it, he would have just said it’s the same old same old. They’re trying to pull the wool over your eyes, ... but he would not give up.

SDJJ: What can we learn from him?

YS: We have to learn not to give up [and] there’s strength in working together ... We start locally ... I can hold rallies, I can hold fundraising ... One by one you start getting people in there who care about others, who see society in a more holistic way who want to be fairer. America’s going to stay a capitalist system, but there are graduations of capitalism where you can create a safety net and be more humane and don’t let greed run everything.

SDJJ: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

YS: Many of the rallies, the strikes that he would go to, particularly in the Midwest and the East Coast, Boston and New Jersey and New York and Detroit and Baltimore Philadelphia, many of them were predominately Jewish: the cigar union, the textile union, where the membership was largely Jewish and so there’s strong historical connection between progressivism and Judaism ... Jews are involved in progressive politics, in unions and are trying to make things better not just for themselves, but trying to make things better for all humans ... It’s the right thing to do . It’s the Torah thing to do. A Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 43

Camp Mountain Chai

Coming of Age A Life at Camp Mountain Chai

BY BUDDY VOLT

"I am still in touch with many camp friends and counselors I’ve known since I was nine years old.

I couldn’t imagine them not being a part of my life today."

44 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

T

his past September, I stepped into the role of Executive Director of Camp Mountain Chai. After six years on the camp’s board of directors and more than 35 years in business in the private sector, this once in a lifetime opportunity to combine my passion for Jewish overnight camping with my business experience was a dream come true.

My own involvement in the Jewish community can be traced back to my summers spent as a camper, counselor, song leader and cook (so I could be there just one more summer). I am still in touch with many camp friends and counselors I’ve known since I was nine years old. I couldn’t imagine them not being a part of my life today. To say that camp informed and continues to inform my life cannot be overstated. It created a foundation of Jewish values and experience that I have been building on for over 50 years.

Camp Mountain Chai plays a pivotal role in creating and reinforcing Jewish identity for children in Southern California. Campers experience Judaism daily at mealtimes, in their cabins, during activities and of course, on Shabbat. They are surrounded by Jewish role models in the staff, counselors and visiting clergy.

The friendships and connections they make will stay with them forever, and will form the basis of their own Jewish practice in the years to come. This nurturing of Jewish values and connections is a responsibility that we treat with great respect and importance. Our senior staff, led by our camp director, Dan Baer, are planning for a very special summer which will mark our 13th year, our B’nai Mitzvah. We will be initiating some new programs and have broadened the scope of others to improve the campers’ experience and make camp more accessible to younger children.

Rishonim (“First Ones”) – In response to the many requests we have received from parents, we are offering two oneweek sessions for first-time campers entering 2nd through 4th grades: July 9th – 15th and July 16th – 22nd. Rishonim will be a great introduction to sleep-away camp, and we have hired

counselors specifically trained to support our newest campers during their first experience with sleep-away camp. These new sessions will introduce campers to all things Camp Mountain Chai, but in a shorter time frame.

Kavanah – We are kicking our Kavanah 11th grade program up a notch this year! Campers will travel to the Dominican Republic for nearly three weeks and then return to Camp Mountain Chai for four days, culminating with Shabbat. This three-and-a-half-week service-learning program will provide our teens with opportunities to explore Dominican society in a series of educational service projects. They will learn about the history of Jewish Dominican life and meet community leaders. They will be participating in meaningful volunteer opportunities, including running a day camp for local youth. They will also spend time experiencing the island’s natural richness with adventures in the lush highlands, along the beach and out at sea. Teens will earn 50 community service hours for their participation. In addition, volunteer grants are available to all Kavanah participants through our partnership with the Jewish Teen Initiative (SDJewishTeens.org).

Arts – We are very excited to announce a new program to create a camp-wide art installation project. Karen Deicas DePodesta, one of our own camp parents, is overseeing a group who will develop this project, which will then be created by our campers. Karen is an award-winning artist who has shown her work in galleries, museums and fine art fairs all across the globe. This program is currently in the planning stages; watch for further updates this spring!

I am very excited about this summer and look forward to meeting our new and returning campers. I can’t wait to see them create their own foundation from which they will build their Jewish lives.

Buddy can be emailed at: Buddy@campmountainchai.com.

His number is 858 -499-1330.

Visit Camp Mountain Chai’s website for more information: www.campmountainchai.com.

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 45

FEATURE

Sex Trafficking

San Diego Nonprofits on Frontline of Child Sex Trafficking Prevention

BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB

T

he FBI ranks San Diego County in the United States’ top 13 locations for child sex trafficking. Law enforcement defines trafficking as modern-day slavery involving the use of force, fraud or coercion to ensnare and exploit victims in the commercial sex trade. The United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) Optimus Foundation recently funded the creation of the San Diego Trafficking Prevention Collective combining local education and advocacy services to decrease the number of children trafficked in San Diego.

A Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) San Diego donor education event in January highlighted the Collective’s work. “The eradication and prevention of slavery is at the heart of the Jewish experience from the time of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. Jewish commentary emphasizes the importance of ensuring no human being is subject to slavery,” said JCF President and CEO Beth Sirull.

The Collective consists of three cutting-edge anti-trafficking programs: PROTECT (PRevention Organized To Educate Children on Trafficking), run by 3Strands Global, a Sacramento, California-based non-profit; kNOw MORE!, an awareness and prevention curriculum for middle school and high school children in diverse San Diego communities, run by Point Loma Nazarene University’s (PLNU) Center for Justice and Reconciliation; and Girls Only! And Boys Rise!, programs formulated by Project Concern International, a San Diego non-profit.

46 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

With support from UBS and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, these groups are coordinating their efforts to reach 400,000 children across San Diego County over the next three years.

“San Diego’s inspiring work on this issue puts the county at the frontline of combatting child sex trafficking. The big, bold efforts to make a difference here will set an example around the globe,” said Sally Faiz, UBS Optimus Foundation’s Program Director for Global Child Protection based in London, England.

Why pilot the program in San Diego? Professor Jamie Gates, director of PLNU’s Center for Justice and Reconciliation explained his research team conducted focus groups at 20 San Diego County high schools. All 20 schools presented evidence of sex trafficking recruitment. He estimated 3,000 to 8,000 child victims, with an average age of 16, have been targeted for recruitment. “The victims are from all over the map – both high and low income neighborhoods. They are often recruited through Internet social networks by men who pose as teenagers or offer them modeling opportunities,” Professor Gates said. Accordingly, sex trafficking buyers and sellers range ethnically and economically across the county.

“San Diego has a high rate of trafficking because its internal markets are high in three arenas – conventions, tourism and the military. These provide anonymous spaces for people to exploit children,” Professor Gates

said. “Many people assume that San Diego’s high rate is due to its location on the border.

But 80 percent of the victims are domestic U.S. women and girls.” He believes early intervention through education is the best form of prevention.

The kNOw MORE! Program devised at PLNU uses interactive role-playing and dramatic reenactments to educate San Diego County middle and high school students about what sex trafficking recruitment looks like and how it can be prevented. “We want to educate kids to disrupt this crime from happening,” said Ashlie Bryant of 3Strands Global, a lead architect of the PROTECT program’s mission to educate over 300,000 California students and teachers how to recognize and prevent sex trafficking. “San Diego County has a unique leadership position to make a name for itself all over the United States in terms of prevention,” she said.

JCF San Diego CEO Sirull announced that all grants to the Trafficking Prevention Collective will be matched with a 20 percent donation from UBS Optimus Foundation because of the two organizations’ close relationship. A Resources: The Washington D.C.-based national trafficking hotline offers 24-hour confidential help at 1-888-373-7888. Other human trafficking and awareness tips can be accessed at www.protectnow.org.

Jay Sarno

THEATER

Jay Sarno:

San Diego Theater’s Mr. Fixit.

AKA Mr. Theater, San Diego

BY PAT LAUNER

Jay Sarno, left, with his son, Ray (right) and photo of his father, Jay Sarno, founder of Caesars Palace, at the hotel in 2014.

T

he local prince of theater grew up in Caesars Palace.

Jay Sarno spent some of his formative years in the massive, ornate Las Vegas hotel, which was owned by his father.

His experiences there gave him a leg up in the world of entertainment and electronics.

That was the foundation that helped create the Angel of local theater he is today (in theater parlance, an Angel is an investor/ supporter, and Jay is much, much more than that).

He spent the first seven years of his life in suburban Atlanta, where his father, a hotel

developer, owned a hotel (plus properties in Dallas and Palo Alto).

The planning for the Palace began in 1962, and the Sarno family moved to Vegas three years later. During their first weeks, the Sarnos lived at The Dunes Hotel, since their house wasn’t ready. “From there,” Jay recalls, “I could watch Caesars being built.

“My father thought big,” Jay continues.

“He was fascinated by the decadent, indulgent images of ancient Rome in the movies.

He wanted an immersive experience. He’s considered the father of the modern theme casino, which is to say, the public perception

of Las Vegas.

“Before him, hotels might have had a loose theme, but Caesars had everything custom-made to reinforce his idea, including every object: matches, stationery, uniforms. Nothing about the place was ‘catalog.’ That was the leap Caesars made. He used marble, gold interior accents, statuary.

He didn’t believe in marketing studies; he just did what he wanted to do.”

He designed the hotel so that, in order to take advantage of any of its amenities, a visitor had to pass through the casino first. This made the hotel so profitable that three years Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 47

“I don’t charge for any of it,” he says. “Theaters are what you give money to, not take money from. I’m trying to support the arts.” after it opened, Sarno and his business partners sold it for $60 million dollars (which was a heap of money in 1969).

Then, Sarno also opened Circus Circus, one of Las Vegas’ first family-oriented venues; amid the circus acts, he would enter, dressed as a ringmaster, and attend to children personally. He designed the place so that kids could spend money having fun at the circus, while their parents were spending in the casino. Jay recalls riding Tanya, the elephant, around the circus area.

By the time Jay was 16, his parents were divorced. In his late years, his father turned to teaching would-be hotel owners how to manage the business. Jay would go on to building and teaching in his own way. But he was never interested in gambling (“I spent too much time on the inside”).

Laying the Groundwork Jay’s paternal grandparents were Polish. His grandfather was afraid he would get conscripted into the Czar’s army, so he fled in 1911. He got a job as a carpenter in Missouri. Jay only met his grandfather once (“he died when I was 10”). He never met his paternal grandmother, who died not long after he was born. But he sees his family ethic as emblematic of Jewish immigrants: “take care of each other and work hard. They were interested in committing their kids to cultural adaptation and thriving.”

Growing up, his family was “vaguely non-religious, but very culturally Jewish in our social group and style.”

He attended Hebrew school for two years, at Temple Beth Sholom, the first Jewish congregation in southern Nevada, and the only Temple in Vegas at the time. He didn’t stay on for his bar mitzvah: “Hebrew school didn’t teach science and math, so I never saw it as something that would help me get into college.”

Jay and his three siblings were primarily raised by his mother, a socialite who “would be on the cover of a magazine, all dressed up, organizing charity balls. When she was younger, she ran a charm school. But at home, we didn’t have full-time help; we kids 48 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

had to do chores, even paint our own rooms. I checked the oil on her Rolls Royce – which she, amazingly, lent me to take to high school! She was fun; she would dress in a chauffeur’s uniform to pick people up at the airport.”

Family houseguests or The Sarno Family- It was taken in August 1966, at the friends included Jimmy Hoffa Caesars Palace opening Dad, Mom (Joyce), Jay "Junior" and Ed Sullivan (‘Uncle Jim’ (age 8), September (6), Freddie (4), Heidi (3 months). and ‘Uncle Ed’ to Jay). He considered Frank Sinatra to be “a singer who works for the casino. You had to be 21 to gamble, but my dad.” Big Borscht Belt “A-list acts,” like not 21 to invent the machines.”

Rodney Dangerfield, Alan King and Milton Jay spent one year at the University of Berle, played Caesars.

Southern California, before he went to “A kid could grow up very seduced by that work in Las Vegas. Later, he put in a year life,” Jay admits, “and very non-functional. at Harvey Mudd College, the science, math “My father kept getting in trouble with and engineering campus of the Claremont the gaming and licensing folks. He wound Colleges. up leasing it out, and then sold it in 1983.

“But by then,” he says, “I was so used to He died 11 months later, at age 63. He was working, I couldn’t fit myself back into aca compulsive and destructive gambler. He ademia.” probably earned $60-80 million dollars – He came to San Diego to work as an enbut he died broke.” gineer, designing marine navigation equipIn our family, we had the full range of ment. Then he got a contract to design vidoutcomes.” eo poker boards. He was the chief engineer; Jay, clearly, had one of the positive out- then he and the boss went into the business. comes.

In addition to designing, making and fix“I, like my mom, was very grounded,” ing things, Jay always had two other loves: he says. “I wanted to take things apart and trains (he loves to see them and ride them) put them back together. I still do. At the ho- and theater. tel, I learned all about lighting and sound, “We went to the theater as kids,” he says wires, mics, gels, dimmers. I learned how to of his childhood. “At Caesars, or at the run the pool pump and fix the equipment. Union Plaza Hotel, where the set designer When I was 10, I was repairing the inflat- was Marty Burnett.” able pool rafts.”

Ironically, years later, they would both In high school, he was technical director find themselves at North Coast Repertory for the theater program. At the same time, Theatre, where Marty has been the resident he was doing electrical design for an au- scenic designer for decades. dio-visual company. Then he went to work Shortly after North Coast Rep was foundfor a gaming company that was creating ed, in 1982, Jay started volunteering for the gambling machinery. When the first elec- theater. He was hired to make the electrical tronic ‘21’ game was being developed, Jay work code-legal. Soon after, he joined the designed some of the electronic parts. board. Julie, his wife of 29 years, became a “They put five machines I’d built into The board member several years later.

Dunes Hotel,” he recalls. “But I couldn’t go When they got married, it was on the look at them; I wasn’t old enough to get into stage of North Coast Rep.

A Couple of Theater-Lovers Both continued active involvement with the theater company. Jay was president of the board for a while, but took time off to raise his family (their son Ray, now 27, and Julie’s son Charles, now 37), and to start a business.

Jay designed and built most of the technical aspects of the theater, including the lighting and sound systems and electrical equipment. He came back on the board about 16 years ago, and became “a sort of perpetual vice president.”

Julie had worked at the Thoroughbred Club of the Del Mar Racetrack. She started as society publicist, then department head.

She’s known for creating the Hat Contest, which is now a signature Opening Day event at the track. She ran the contest for years, and remains a judge.

Four years ago, she signed on for a fulltime job at North Coast Rep, as Director of Development.

“Once we were married,” says Jay, “theater became an obsession for both of us.”

They are currently subscribers and/or donors to a dozen local theaters. Jay has provided technical support for Moxie Theatre

and New Village Arts, and has designed special projects for Cygnet Theatre, including a train that went across the stage, and a flying saucer that soared above it.

Over the years, he began to consider another side of the theater equation: boards of directors: “I realized that new board members had no experience with non-profit organizations.”

So, he developed a new member orientation project at North Coast, and it became what he calls “Board 101.” He has presented his program to six other local theaters, and has been asked to run several board retreats.

Overall, he estimates that he spends 10-15 hours a week working for local theaters. It’s a labor of love.

“I don’t charge for any of it,” he says.

“Theaters are what you give money to, not take money from. I’m trying to support the arts.”

He still makes time to run his business (with a partner): Crescent Design, which builds specialized testing equipment for medical devices.

Julie helps many small theaters, and she works with, and chairs events for, at least a dozen charities, as well as raising funds

for 10 museums in Balboa Park, as a board member of Patrons of the Prado.

What is it about theater that attracts and compels them?

“It’s my favorite kind of storytelling,” says Jay. “And I love the people. They’re generally bright, socially conscious, highly committed to justice, with their eyes open to the world.

They’re hard workers, and they know they’ll be judged by the quality of the work. I like hanging out with them and being part of their world.”

Several times a year, Julie and Jay house actors who are brought in to perform at North Coast Rep. They make parties for the cast, crew and designers before every opening.

Their giving is funneled through a donor-advised fund at the Jewish Community Foundation.

“We’re nowhere near some others in terms of money given,” Jay says. “But we’re sufficiently generous to be regularly audited by the IRS.” They are certainly the go-to couple for many aspects of the arts. You could call them Mr. and Mrs. Theater San Diego. 

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 49

SDJJ 0218 34_59.indd 49

1/25/18 12:45 PM

Hillel Campus Superstars

Photo By Melissa Jacobs

FEATURE

Hillel SuperStars

Jazmine Rogers won Campus SuperStar in 2016.

A Night of Entertainment and Competition Campus SuperStar Shines Bright JACQUELINE BULL

I

t’s a good time for Hillel San Diego. A new center was approved for UC San Diego (to be called the Glickman Hillel Center) and they are bringing back Campus SuperStar after a year of hiatus.

Campus Superstar, Hillel’s singing competition for college students in San Diego County, has its semi finals in February, and the finale March 18 at Scripps Auditorium.

This year they are adding online voting to select the winner from the finalists the judges select. Whether it be online, or in person to experience a night of entertainment and competition, representatives from Hillel are passionate that you will walk away feeling good.

Campus Superstar originally started in an Atlanta Hillel and the idea caught on to Hillel’s across the country and to San Diego.

“We were so excited about the idea to be able to showcase what Hillel is all about.

It’s about inspiring young people to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel. And doing so in a way that brings that community together for a 50 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

fun evening... [And] showcasing college students performing and bringing their own passions and interests to the stage,” Rabbi David Singer, Acting Executive Director of Hillel San Diego, said.

Helping the students perform their best and making the show as fun and polished as possible is where Cris O'Bryon, the Musical Director, comes in. “I get to direct a bunch of different projects and they are usually a one-off sort of event. . .When there is an annual event, there is a lot more energy built up … All the energy that we put into building the show, getting all the pieces in place and then having it all culminate in one night is very exciting,” he said.

Cris is involved in the entire process from auditions, selecting musicians, guiding and coaching the singers and coordinating the group numbers for the finale. He works with the finalists individually to help them present their singing to a live audience. “I like people doing excellent work and, you know, helping to bring out their best,” he adds.

“This is a top notch performance,” Cris concludes. David, as he introduces himself, adds, “This is a fun evening, it’s an exciting evening and just a night that all of our attendees will leave Scripps Auditorium feeling really good about themselves, feeling great about the students who performed and their talents, feeling great about the students they’ve heard from who Hillel has impacted directly in their college careers and feeling great about the fact that they’ve been able to give back to Hillel.”

And for those attendees that are looking for reassurance in the position of Judaism with younger generations lives, David thinks they can feel good about that, too.

“I can attest the younger generations that we impact and work with everyday at UCSD and San Diego State, among them Jewish culture and tradition and Jewish life in general is thriving,” he said, “The entire community should have a lot of confidence for the future generations. That’s really the essence of what Hillel’s work is all about.” A

YES! Shalom Temple Beth THERE IS A SYNAGOGUE IN CHULA VISTA TEMPLE SHALOM Vista OF CHULA VISTA ofBETH Chula EST. 1958 -- A PLACE TO CALL HOME Received Historic Site Designation February 17, 2016 from the City of Chula Vista

SAVE THE DATE

60th Anniversary Celebration "A Walk Through Time" Sunday, October 21, 2018 | 4:00 pm Selichot Services Yale Strom TheWith Banquet Hall

at Elijah's

Join Us For High Holy Days Services 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

Rosh Hashanah Dinner www.bethshalomtemple.com for schedule To Reserve: Arlene 858-344-5632

Dinner & Entertainment Yale Strom & Hot P'Stromi TEMPLE BETH SHALOM (619)420-6040 "A Walk Through Time" Presentation 208 Madrona Street • Chula Vista www.bethshalomtemple.com Showcasing Andrew J. Roth Pottery Join our Circle of Benefactors

Underwriting Opportunities Available Support Our Next 60 years Contact: Dr. Stephanie Rendino

619-788-6938

srendino1@gmail.com www.bethshalomtemple.com

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 51

Restaurant Review

Carnivore Deli

L

BY EILEEN SONDAK

ooking for a great Jewish deli in the downtown area? Head straight for Carnivore Deli, across the street from the train station.

This little gem is just a small, no-frills corner eatery, but it boasts some of the best basic deli sandwiches in town. Although the selection is a lot smaller than what you find on typical Jewish deli menus, you can order right at the counter, without waiting for table service.

The interior is comfortable and unpretentious – with a few tables and counter-style bar seating. New Yorkers will notice an homage to the Empire State Building in the restaurant’s brick wall and marble counter. A sidewalk patio offers pleasant alfresco dining.

Owner Brian Ball is especially proud of his pastrami sandwiches, so check those out to satisfy your inner carnivore. Other deli delights include corned beef, chopped liver, tongue, hard or soft salami and oven-roasted turkey breast. Sandwiches are available in he-man sized portions, but if you’re trying to eat light, you can opt for the half-sandwiches – which are more than enough for most diners. For $13.95, you can get a half sandwich, bowl of soup or salad, 20-oz. drink, deli side and a pickle.

You can build your own sandwich (and they all come with pickle, and a deli side of your choice). We loved the pastrami with Swiss and deli mustard on rye bread ($11.95) and the turkey with cranberry sauce and Swiss on delicious cranberry-orange walnut bread ($11.95).

You can’t go wrong with one of the specialty sandwiches, such as “The Boss” ($12.95 for a huge mix of corned beef, pastrami, Swiss and Russian dressing on rye), or the Philly Cheese Steak with onions, peppers, mushroom and cheese on a ciabatta ($12.95).

52 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

If you appreciate a good tuna salad sandwich, you’ll want to try this one, made with Albacore tuna, red onion, celery, relish and Hellmann’s mayo ($11.45). The crab melts ($15.95) are another good bet, as are the chicken salad sandwiches ($11.45).

There are no ho-hum sides at Carnivore’s. The potato salad is a winner, and we particularly loved the beet salad and the tasty cucumber salad. You can take them home by the pint or half-pint as well.

Of course, what would a Jewish deli be without some good homemade soups? Carnivore doesn’t disappoint in this department either. They serve matzah ball soup, split pea, chicken noodle and a soup of the day. Several salads --including Greek salad ($10.95), chef salad ($11.95) and the specialty Carnivore salad ($13.95) are always available.

Breakfast lovers can choose from a few lox dishes, including our favorite the lox crostini ($10.95) which features lox, cream cheese, walnuts, and sliced avocado on toasted challah, or indulge in the Big Apple ($8.95) made with pastrami, fried egg and cheddar on your choice of bread. The morning special is just $5.95 and includes bagel, cream cheese, coffee and a side of fruit.

Along with a variety of fountain drinks ($2.50), coffee ($2.50), fresh squeezed juice ($3.25), and hot or iced tea ($2.50), you can enjoy specialty bottled drinks, such as Dr. Brown’s celery tonic ($3.25).

If you hunger for a quick and satisfying breakfast or lunch, you’ll love Carnivore. The informal restaurant is tucked into the corner of B Street, and features reasonable prices and quality food. A

Chabad Hebrew Academy

FEATURE

Checking in With Chabad Hebrew Academy

BY JACQUELINE BULL

W

Kids playing on the jungle gym at the Chabad Hebrew Academy.

hen I spoke to Rabbi Josef Fradkin, Head of School at Chabad Hebrew Academy (CHA), on the phone, winter break had just ended and the halls of CHA were full of kids again. “I heard some awesome anecdotes from kids this morning – there is nothing better. Over the break, being in the office and not having any kids running around here, it is not as fun,” Rabbi Fradkin said.

Bringing in the fun to capture the interest and engage the students is a big part of what they do there. CHA has a big focus on applied and experiential learning, so many different innovative projects are included in the curriculum. Many of these projects have a STEM slant; they have an aquaponics system, 3D printer, and have monitoring software for the solar panels powering the school.

“All of these things are to try to connect and create ways for the kids to actually apply and see how things work together,” Rabbi Fradkin said.

The broader idea of ‘making connections’ gets interpreted into a theme for all of the projects and curriculum to fall under. The theme and the programs are decided on and thought out by their leadership committee, which consists of the school’s strongest teachers. This year’s theme is ‘Building Bridges.’

One of these programs is called Biztown, a simulated city where the students plan everything out and run it themselves. “It is part of our theme that all studies [have] to build bridges and apply it to actual life… They get a loan from the bank, they start a business, and the businesses are sponsored by major San Diego corporations,” Rabbi Fradkin said. “There is a brand new part of it called Finance Park that is for high school students and upper middle school. And we’re the first middle school to really try it ... [It’s an] exciting time for kids to not only learn about not just math that they are learning everyday Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 53

in class, but applying it how it works in real life,” he adds.

Building Bridges means making connections from concept to application, but the idea goes further than just things under the STEM umbrella.

“It is about making connections, not just amongst STEM activities (which are so much a part of what we do), but connecting that to the arts or connecting that to character building, through mindfulness to the community, through reaching out with programs like Rady Children’s hospital, it is really all about making connections,” Principal Liz Earne said.

Another program they are implementing is Random Acts of Kindness week. “Each day of the week is focused on a Jewish value, so we are doing gemilut hasadim, acts of kindness, we are including bikkur holim, visiting the sick. Every student in the school is creating a pet rock for children who are undergoing chemotherapy at Rady Children’s Hospital. And they are partnering with the PTO that will take the rocks and create care packages for the kids and deliver them. Some of the other themes that they are doing are taking care of the environment, showing kindness to yourself. And these are all activities that the teachers have come up with that are teaching the kids about being

54 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

Kids Constructing their wall of the CHA Steam Sukkah.

kind spontaneously and sporadically and to make that part of who you are and what you do everyday,” the principal said.

They are also bringing the idea of mindfulness into the curriculum. Over the planning in summer, they trained the teachers to use it in the classroom and are now going to teach it to students.

“Mindfulness really connects to Judaism because of kavanah, everything that we do

has a purpose. And we have these fantastic, dynamic leaders who are using our school as a pilot for this to really help get this mindfulness in education going. And we have just been so pleased to see the results of the way the teachers are using it in the classroom and now we are going to be training the kids over the next 2-3 months,” Rabbi Fradkin said.

CHA seems like an idyllic example of what education can be when given the right conditions. The whole Pre K-8 school has 330 students with a 7:1 child to teacher ratio and the teachers have a significant involvement in the curriculum and programs under their planning committee.

People from other schools often tour CHA to learn and use as a model or example.

Rabbi Fradkin explains it simply as kids first and authenticity. “We all want individual growth for our students and every child here is our top priority. If you care about every child as if they’re your own, you’ll do everything. When you come in the morning, there is loud popping music, the kids are dancing, it’s fun. Kids are happy to come to school....The more engagement you have with kids, the more they are going to learn,” he said. A

Berlin

TRAVEL

A Jew in Berlin

BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe across from The Reichstag.

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 55

"Finally when I headed to Dachau back then and observed how sanitized the camp had become in spite of the twisted sculptures at the entrance, I listened to a few Americans demure,� It wasn't so bad� And I knew it was time to leave."

56 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

The Reichstag

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 57

VALENTINES

Matchmaker, Matchmaker …

Matchmaker, Matchmaker Finding Love This Valentine’s Day

BY JUDITH GOTTESMAN, MSW, FOUNDER OF SOUL MATES UNLIMITED

A

day commemorating the martyrdom of a Roman saint—St. Valentine— sure doesn’t sound like a very Jewish holiday to me, but as a professional matchmaker I believe it’s always nice to have an excuse to celebrate love.

What? You thought Jewish matchmakers went out of style with Hello, Dolly!?

Actually the idea of matchmaking is more relevant than ever in this era of insta-dates via Tinder, OKCupid and JDate. You see, as technology has made it easier and easier to meet potential matches for a date on a Saturday night, it hasn’t had the same effect when it comes to meeting those of like mind and values—qualities that are essential when really looking for a soul mate.

Don’t get me wrong. We all know happily married couples who met online. I’m just saying that you may have to go on a lot of dates before you hit the jackpot of someone who shares your values, goals and lifestyle, and who is serious about a relationship with you right now.

I tell all of my clients to use every tool at their disposal to find The One. That includes using my services, which focus on very few dates but (I hope) high-quality ones that have been vetted by me; online dating

58 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

for a more general approach; and meeting people through natural social channels (via friends, hobbies, work and more).

Different people will naturally gravitate more to some approaches. For example, as people get more advanced in their careers and successful, they naturally have less and less time to spend viewing online dating sites and meeting new friends. In this case, they may find it beneficial to use a matchmaker to consider potential matches.

My perspective on love was heavily influenced by my father, Rabbi Aaron Gottesman, who before his death in 2005, was married to my mother for 36 years and who counseled hundreds of couples before marriage. As a hopeless romantic, I was curious about his work and often asked him about love and what makes a good relationship.

Later on, while living in Israel on my own, I learned about Tu B'Av, the Jewish holiday of love, which, like Valentine’s Day, has its roots in nature’s harvest cycles.

Why use a matchmaker specializing in the Jewish community if you’re not religious?

Well, if you believe that shared values, goals and lifestyle are the three most important things in assuring a long-term harmonious match, after the initial physical attraction

and connection is made, then it is beneficial to think about what a Jewish matchmaker could add to this mix. Do you believe that being Jewish is, either culturally or spiritually, an essential part of what makes you who you are? Do you believe that being Jewish affects your values or your worldview? Have you been told you have a “Jewish” sense of humor? If so, you may want to consider a Jewish matchmaker this Valentine’s Day. Who knows, if you think of Valentine’s Day as the beginning of nature’s spring planting season, maybe you can reap a happy and loving relationship by the time Tu B'Av rolls around at the late summer harvest.

So here’s to a fruitful Valentine’s Day! And to an even better Tu B'Av! A Judith Gottesman is a rabbi’s daughter and San Diego native who received her undergraduate degree in psychology from U.C. Berkeley as well as her master’s in social work from Yeshiva University in New York. She loves bringing love into people’s lives via her matchmaking company Soul Mates Unlimited. Contact her at info@soulmatesunlimited.com or 510-418-8813 for more information.

FOOD

Introducing Lianne Goldsmith

KITCHEN PERI PERI

with Lianne Goldsmith www.kitchenperiperi.com

YEMENITE MEAT SOUP INGREDIENTS:

I grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe, where I inherited my love of cooking from my mother, Vivi. I immigrated to America in 1989 with my mom’s handmade cookbook in hand and set about creating a family and enthusiastically feeding them and everyone else in the orbit of our home. In 2014, I started a small catering company called Kitchen Peri Peri, and have been fortunate to cook delicious meals for a growing clientele that includes Snapchat, Mayor Eric Garcetti and First Lady Amy Wakeland and the Los Angeles City Council.

My mother Viv’s kitchen was gastronomy central - a culinary sanctuary where she created mouthwatering delectables inspired by diverse cultures. Here, she baked, braised and brought hearty conversations to all who passed through in search of a taste of what was to come. In my own kitchen I often find myself concocting recipes inspired by these childhood memories. It’s probably no surprise that many of mom’s unique meals remain favorites to this day; Huge butter beans braised for hours in thick fresh tomato sauce and herbs; rich marrow bone and beef soup; curried chutney fish balls to mention a few.

As we move through winter, I’ve chosen to share the recipe for a Yemenite Meat soup, one of my Husband Alon’s favorites.

Lianne can be found at: www.kitchenperiperi.com www.facebook.com/KitchenPeriPeri www.instagram.com/kitchenperiperi.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 3-4 pounds organic beef shanks with marrow bones 1 large onion, peeled , diced 3 cloves garlic 5 large ripe tomatoes 3 tablespoons tomato paste 6 baby carrots 2 heaped tablespoons better than bouillon vegetable base.

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters 6 cups boiling water

YEMENITE HAWAYEJ SPICE BLEND: 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS: Heat the oil in a heavy based 6-quart soup pot Add beef shanks and braise till browned Add the spices, garlic, onions and stir for five minutes Add tomato paste and stir for five minutes Add the vegetable base to the boiling water, stir and add to the browned beef shanks Add baby carrots and chopped potatoes Cover the pot and simmer on a low flame for an hour Add salt to taste If you enjoy eating the bone marrow, toast thick chunks of fresh multigrain bread. Smear the marrow on the toast, sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy it with your Yemenite soup.

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 59

PHOTO BY PAT KRAUSE

Gal Gadot, Israel’s Power Thespian

BY PAMELA PRICE

‘,

Gal Gadot with Harold Matzner, the Chairman of the Board for the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.

G

al Gadot, well established now as Wonder Woman, swept into Palm Springs for the 29th Annual Palm Springs Film Festival (PSIFF) Awards Gala on January 2nd for her Red Carpet reception – followed by being honored with the Rising Star Award by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman’s director, who stirred the audience with her words of praise for this Israeli actress who knows no bounds. Gal stands out and not just because she is 5 foot 10. She fit in perfectly with this year’s festival from start to finish.

Harold Matzner, Chairman of the Board of the PSIFF proudly announced to more than 2,400 dinner guests that this year’s festival would screen 180 films from 77 countries with 433 screenings. One of the three largest film festivals in North America, this year’s attendance was more than 130,000. This year’s awards gala underwriters were Arlene Schnitzer, her son, Jordan Schnitzer and Helene Galen.

Gadot was a big part of this year’s event. She was seen on January 3rd at Variety’s intimate brunch held, once again, at The Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. The morning after the Awards Gala, the intrepid director of “Wonder Woman,” Patty Jenkins, was on the Red Carpet with Gal Gadot. Variety refers to this mélange of “Ten Directors to Watch” as the Creative Impact Awards, which lauds director, writer and actor in kudos contention with its own honors.” Gadot clearly stole the show at this 60 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

invitation-only event.

Born in Petah Tikva, Israel in 1985, Gadot grew up to be Miss Israel (2004) followed by two years as a soldier with the Israel Defense Forces, specializing in combat training. The star truly wowed this year’s Festival audience. Mr. Matzner, Festival Chairman, said of the film, “Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman showed us a strong, capable, poised, compassionate character and her performance has been universally praised, resonating with audiences everywhere. She plays the immortal warrior so well and the themes are especially apt for today, empowering all types of people, men and women, young and old, the world over.”

Wonder Woman was recently named one of the ten best movies of the year by the American Film Institute (AFI). Financially, Gadot’s award-winning performance has resulted in the film generating in excess of $1.4 billion, making her the highest grossing actress of 2017. “Gadot’s [deep dive] into the Wonder Woman character’s origins and her heroic fight for peace during the war to end all wars rivets audiences to the story of a woman with courage to accept her true destiny and inspire change in all those around her” was how Gadot was described as the recipient of the Rising Star Award. Gal is married to Yaron Varsano, a real estate developer, and they have two daughters. A

ADVISE

ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley

editor@sdjewishjournal.com

The Valentine’s Day Massacre: The Gifts That Keep Us Kvetching

S

halom, San Diegans: Today, I’m taking a risk. I’m taking on, or rather kvetching about a technically “goyishe” holiday that has become part of mainstream American culture; Valentine’s Day, or as I call it “VD” for Very Depressing. Simply, I loathe love by hype and hand grenade. For example, just yesterday I saw a pop-up ad displaying a classy small, velvet box from a store no doubt frequented by Paris Hilton.

A voice, halfway between James Earl Jones and Ben Gurion, said: “Real Men Give Diamonds. It means never having to say ‘You’re Sorry’– again.”

As Jewish women, anti-Semitic stereotypes to the contrary, we are the least spoiled around “holiday” gift-giving. After all, what Jewess on Hanukkah expects even one night of a diamond in the shape of a latke?

It’s also no doubt why our Jewish sages

in their wisdom, created holidays that keep us too busy praying, eating, or starving, to wander around Saks or surf eBay. Yet, we go secular and boing! Gifts and cards take on magical meaning. Our expectations swell. For me, a Boomer, it started at age five when that witch of a kindergarten teacher chirped how much fun it would be for the class to bring in cards. And I was always the one who got two: One from the class nerd, and that cut-out job from the teacher, under duress from AFT. There you go. A “loser in love” before you’ve cut your permanent teeth. And mamalas, it’s downhill from there.

We want the men in our lives to bring home more than a bag of rock-hard kosher caramels to show he “cares.”

Equating gifts with love on this one day has more minefields than Angola. Forgive the political incorrectness, but males and females often differ in their view of and ability to “gift.”

The female thinks, “if he loves me he should know what I like” built on the false notion that what he gives us represents how he loves me. This is a foul lie! And a source of potential disaster.

When we moan, the male thinks, “Why bother? Nothing makes her happy anyway.”

This false assumption can wear down a relationship like a poppy seed under a molar.

So … for those MOTs “celebrating” read ahead for strategies to emerge from this day of “love” unscathed.

Getting It: Your Personal V-Day Strategies Ladies First …

Think motive – his! Don’t confuse rotten gifts with rotten love. Ask yourself, even when he bought you those oven mitts that light up, was his intention to make me happy? You bet. He wants you to see inside a hot oven so you don’t burn your fingerlekhs.

Are we wowed? No. Was he thinking about us? Yes. Separate his intention from his taste.

Most men are not guilty of not caring.

Pardon my lack of PC, but in my vast experience with the matter, I’ve found that the average male is Genetically Shopping-Challenged, which is why they love stores named either “‘R Us,” “Depot,” “City” as in Perfumes ’R Us, or Godiva City. This way, even if they forget what they came for, they won’t get confused.

the elevator. White cotton. Medium. Go at three. Tomorrow. Ask for salesperson #12987. She’s waiting for you.” Now, that may be a bit extreme – on second thought – I mentioned to my late husband that I loved apricot roses and sweet notes. I got red roses, signed from “your pal.” (“There was a mixup at the florist,” he explained.)

Appreciate his attempts, no matter how ... strange. Admit it. How many times has a man tried and we acted like we just choked on curdled sour cream? The prune face does not inspire creativity in men. It just makes them feel they’ve failed, and from this unspoken reaction, big anger arises. Always praise the effort in proportion and in specific terms. “David, I loved the 50 pairs of knee-high stockings. Wow you must have really thought about that.” Then you can go shake your head – or laugh it off.

To You Boychicks …

Notice! Notice! Notice what pleases her.

If your mission is to make her happy then don’t get her something: a) you’d like; b) is a generic one-size-fits-no-one. When she mentions things she wants, note it down in your Smart phone. Look around. If she has one she might like two (perfume, not heating pads.)

Make the attempt to please her. Confused?

Enlist her mother, bff, or your daughter to help you out. You asked directions! What a mensch! They’ll jump to the task.

Wrap it well. Wrapping is to gifts as “location location location” is to real estate. Professional shoppers and small children know this. Tossing a fine bottle of perfume into a plastic shopping bag is a gift-killer. Not handy with tape? Go to a pal or pro.

Use words! Not all of us can afford even small bling these days. Know this; most women are more “wowed” with words and effort than bling. Trust me. One “I cherish you” attached to an apricot rose not only beats a box of rock-hard caramels and a cutout card job from a Thrifty Mart – but maybe even a small but perfect diamond.

Most important for all: Gift your mate daily… with a wink, a special loving signal, a note, a small surprise. We Jews are duty-bound to celebrate our mates the other 364 days. And isn’t that what loving is supposed to be about? A

Partner your mate. They aren’t mind-readers. Be specific. “Third floor. Glove department. Second case from the left facing Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 61

? GOIN '?ON ??

WHAT'S

BY EILEEN SONDAK

Balboa Theatre

“Abba Mania” comes to the Balboa Theatre on Feb. 22 for a onenight stand featuring all their hit songs.

Coronado Playhouse

Coronado Playhouse continues to present “The Addams Family,” a musical comedy delight that appeals to the whole family. The show will be ensconced at the Playhouse through Feb. 25.

Cygnet Theatre

Cygnet Theatre is showing off the West Coast premiere of “The Last Wife” through Feb. 11 at its Old Town home. The play is a funny and powerful contemporary examination of the relationship of Henry VIII and his last wife, Katherine Parr. This window into the sexual politics of the day involves Henry’s children in the palace intrigue – and it sounds fascinating.

La Jolla Music Society

La Jolla Music Society will present violinist Paul Huang at TSRI on Feb. 25. Helen Huang will provide piano accompaniment for the five-piece program (which includes works by Dvorak, Prokofiev, and Saint-Saens).

La Jolla Playhouse

The La Jolla Playhouse will unveil a timely new work, titled “The Cake,” on Feb. 6 at the Potiker Theater. The play, which runs through March 4, depicts both sides of a challenging national issue – one that argues religious freedom against human rights.

Lamb’s Players Theatre

The Lamb’s Players will bring an exciting San Diego premiere to its Coronado stage Feb. 16 through March 25. “Camping with Henry & Tom” is about a camping trip that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison took in 1921 – with the President of the United States.

The play is funny, suspenseful, and relevant. It was penned by the author of “Freud’s Last Session,” so it should be fascinating.

North Coast Rep

North Coast Repertory Theater will wind down its run of the madcap adventure, “Around the World in 80 Days,” adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne, on Feb. 4. The high-voltage comedy follows its hero in a great race – circling the globe amidst stampeding elephants, runaway trains, and all manner of comic 62 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

The Old Globe

The Old Globe’s White Theater goes into high gear on Feb. 10, when Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” makes a welcome return to San Diego. This new translation (commissioned by the Globe and directed by Richard Nelson), promises to be an exhilarating portrayal of the classic tale about a celebrated professor and the niece who struggles to care for his estate. This brilliant work is a must-see for serious theatergoers, and you have until March Helen Cespedes appears as Cecily Cardew and Christian Conn 11 to make that happen. as Algernon Moncrieff in “The The Globe’s Main Stage conImportance of Being Earnest.” tinues to showcase another classic -- “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a diabolically clever comedy by Oscar Wilde. The play is rich in whimsical wordplay and hilarious situations guaranteed to keep audiences in stitches. If flighty ingenues, scheming bachelors, and British dowagers are your cup of tea, “Earnest” will fill the bill. It has been called “the most perfect comedy in the English language,” and it’s hard to dispute that claim. The show will run through March 4.

San Diego Ballet

San Diego Ballet will perform “Ritmos Latinos” at the Lyceum Theater Feb. 16 – 18. This world premiere, written and performed by jazz icon Gilbert Castellanos and local Latin jazz musicians, will headline a program that includes “Noche de Ronda.”

San Diego Opera

The San Diego Opera will be back at the Civic Theater Feb. 24 through March 7, with a production of Puccini’s “Turandot,” a masterpiece that embodies everything an opera-buff could hope to expect from this rich and vibrant artform.

Soprano Lise Lindstrom sings the title role of “Turandot” at San Diego Opera.

Photo by Aaron Rumley

obstacles. Following on Feb. 21, is the West Coast premiere of Steven Dietz’s “This Random World,” a comedy that explores what it is to love, to lose, and be touched by the serendipity of life. Will Vought, Omri Schein, Richard Baird & Lovlee David Ellenstein Carroll in “Around the World in 80 Days.” directs this humorous and bittersweet play, which will stay on at NCR’s Solana Beach home through March 18.

San Diego Rep

San Diego Repertory Theater’s Lyceum Space continues to highlight “Vietgone,” the story of a pair who flee from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Described as a “raucous comedy,” the play is a unique love story told through the eyes of a contemporary, pop culture-loving young American. Be warned, the play contains explicit language. It will stay on through Feb. 18.

San Diego Symphony

The San Diego Symphony’s “It’s About Time” Festival will play on through Feb. 11, with a mix of events hosted by some of San Diego’s top performing organizations. “Zukerman Plays Tchaikovsky” is slated for Feb. 2 – 3, with the celebrated artist conducting three Tchaikovsky works and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (Italian). Zukerman will perform the violin solo from Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as well. Sameer Patel will take to the podium on Feb. 9 to lead the orchestra in “Beyond the Score: Isle of the Dead.” This multi-media concert presentation is based on Rachmaninoff ’s most famous tone poem.

“Preludes and Premiere” is next on the roster for the Symphony, with Maestro Patel conducting and Anne Akiko Meyers on the violin. This concert, slated for Feb. 10 – 11, features works by Liszt and Sibelius, and the world premiere of Schoenberg’s Violin Concerto.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in concert is coming to Symphony Hall as part of the Fox Film Series. The Chamber Music Series continues on Feb. 13 with “The World of Wu Man” at TSRI, followed on Feb. 24 by “Affinity: A Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson Tribute” at Symphony Hall. This concert (performed without the Symphony Orchestra) catches the spirit of that fruitful collaboration. Maestro Patel returns on Feb. 25 to conduct “Beat Quest! A Musical Journey Through Rhythm, Time, and Place.” The musical mix includes jazz, opera and symphonic music.

Vantage Theatre

Vantage Theatre is staging a new play, “The Color of Light.” The show, by Jesse Kornbluth, focuses on the life of artist Matisse. You can see this artistic achievement through Feb. 13.

Birch Aquarium

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

Mingei International Museum

Mingei International Museum is showcasing “Kantha -- Recycled and Embroidered Textiles of Bengal,” through March 25. Also on exhibit is “Art of the Americas – Meso-American, Pre-Columbian Art from Mingei’s Permanent Collection.” That show will stick around through Feb. 18. “Weaving a Path – Navajo Women and the Feminine Ethos” will be on display through May 28. The exhibition includes rugs and blankets.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla is closed for renovation and expansion, but the downtown facility is featuring “Memories of Underdevelopment” through Feb. 4.

Reuben Fleet Science Center

The Reuben Fleet Science Center will be showing three films: “Dream Big: Engineering our World” -- a first-of-its-kind film that will transform the way we think about engineering; “Islands of the Lemurs,” an up-close-and-personal look at some fascinating creatures; and “A Beautiful Planet,” an astronaut’s view of Earth.

The Fleet has two special exhibitions: “Dream, Design, Build” and “Myth Busters: The Explosive Exhibition.” “Dream…” explores the Fleet’s collection of interactive engineering activities (and will remain on permanent display), and “Myth Busters” is a hands-on, family-friendly experience that combines popular scientific facts with innovative displays. The museum has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Tinkering Studio,” “Block Busters,” and “Origins in Space.”

Torah Procession. Passover 1958.

San Diego History Center

The San Diego History Center is celebrating “The History & Heritage of the San Diego Jewish Community” in its current exhibition. Also on display is “Irving Gill: New Architecture for a Great Country,” and “Art and Heritage: Maurice Braun, Belle Baranceanu and Harry Sternberg.” The History Center is featuring the African-American Fine Art Exhibition, “Legacy in Black.” This show – ensconced through April 15 – will turn the spotlight on the work of eight African-American artists.

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

San Diego Museum of Art

The Museum of Art has opened its vaults to show off a treasure trove of artwork usually kept under lock and key. “Visible Vaults,” a collection of 300 pieces, including works by Andy Warhol, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec and other great artists, will be on view through Nov. 12. Also on display at the Art Museum is “Modern Masters from Latin America: The Perez Simon Collection.” This show features 100 works by seminal figures, including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Fernando Botero. These striking artworks will be on view through March 11.

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 63

the news Athena Fund Distributes iPads to Special Ed Teachers in Israel The Athena Fund is a nonprofit organization for teachers in Israel.

In 2017, they distributed iPads to approximately 3,000 special education teachers and Kindergarten teachers. The iPad helps teachers communicate better with their students and helps improve the learning experience. Teachers can prepare special programs with the tablets and students can continue using them for schoolwork at home.

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies Opens Registration for Inaugural Conference The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) is having their first conference with the theme “Unifying the Human Service Voice.” The NJHSA unites Jewish human service organizations in the U.S., Canada and Israel. The conference will be held April 29-May 1 in Chicago, IL. The network is a membership association of more than 100 nonprofits. To register or learn more, visit networkjhsa.org.

American Technion Society Researchers Have Significantly Improved the Process of Hydrogen Production Scientists have been researching better ways of producing hydrogen for hydrogen fuel for many years.

Researchers of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a catalyst to significantly improve the efficiency of water oxidation for hydrogen fuel. This discovery comes from using the principles of biomimicry to emulate how photosynthesis works in nature.

64 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

San Diego State University School of Music and Dance and San Diego Opera Announce Shared Position The San Diego Opera and the SDSU School of Music and Dance have announced a new shared position, “Director of the Opera.”

This position is a faculty position at SDSU and the assistant director of the San Diego Opera’s mainstage productions. This partnership further develops their relationship and hopes to strengthen opera in San Diego.

Former Director of Dartmouth Cancer Center to Head Israel Cancer Research Fund The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) has named Dr. Mark Israel, the new national executive director. Dr. Israel is a pediatric oncologist and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Molecular and Systems Biology. He served as the Director of Dartmouth’s Cancer Center for 15 years.

Cantor to be Guest of Beth Israel Men’s Club Cantor Emeritus Sheldon Merel will join Beth Israel’s Men Club for their February 22 Dinner Forum.

He will share with the club “His Life Beyond the Pulpit with Slides, Videos, Sculpting, Music and Anecdotes.” He has been with Beth Israel since 1979. The program is open to the entire San Diego community. Visit cbisd.org for more information or to register for the event.

Jewish Family Service Honors Two Employees Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is recognizing two “Employees of the Year” – Sara Schwartz and Crystal Chouinard.

The Henrietta Rubenstein Staff Development Award, which is named after a prior JFS executive director, highlights exceptional employees who exhibit excellence and leadership. Schwartz is a database and training manager and Chouinard is an advancement services specialist.

Honeymoon Israel and JScreen Helps Couples Access Genetic Testing Honeymoon Israel and JScreen announced a national partnership last month to give young couples access to genetic screening that will help them plan ahead for healthy families. Honeymoon Israel provides group trips to Israel for couples with at least one Jewish partner and currently runs trips from 16 cities across North America. JScreen is a national non-profit community-based public health initiative dedicated to education and carrier screening for Jewish and other genetic diseases. The partnership includes a voucher to help subsidize the cost of screening, along with other resources and information for couples.

“We are very excited to partner with Honeymoon Israel and support young couples who are at the stage in life when they are thinking about having children and creating families,” says Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid, Executive Director of JScreen. “In particular, this partnership will help us offer screening to more interfaith couples and couples who have been less affiliated with Jewish life. Many couples may not realize they are at risk for carrying certain disease genes, regardless of their religious or faith backgrounds.

We have a responsibility to make sure that as many people as possible are well-informed about their risks and the importance of testing.”

Participants on Honeymoon Israel trips will receive a coupon code to help subsidize the cost of screening, to use before or after they return home from their Israel experience.

Honeymoon Israel and JScreen will also work together to provide information to young couples who do not qualify for a trip.

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

Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings Feb. 10, 11 a.m.

JFS Balboa Ave. Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Feb. 14, 10 a.m. Celebrate friendship with games, exercise, lunch and entertainment.

Cost is $27.

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

On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 Feb 18, 1 p.m. Take a day trip to the Old Globe Theatre with a showing of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Oscar Wilde’s silly and smart comedy with clever wordplay and the absurd situations that come from living a double life. Cost is $75 and the registration date is February 5.

JFS College Avenue Center at Temple Emanu-El Contact Elissa Landsman (858) 637-3273 Feb. 22, 12:45 p.m. Cinephiles, get ready for this year’s Oscars. Dr. Lawrence Baron, Professor Emeritus from San Diego State University, will be in attendance to discuss and review the nominees and predict the winners.

Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 Feb. 23, 10 a.m. Enjoy a free seminar, the Senior Scam Stopper Seminar. The event is limited to the first 50 R.S.V.P.s.

2018 Maccabi Games Appoints New Head Coach for Girls Basketball The Maccabi Games are an international Jewish multi-sport event. It’s the third-largest sporting event in the world. Karen Gordon has been appointed as the head coach for the USA Youth Girls Basketball team. Gordon has been participating in the JCC Maccabi games for over 30 years and has been a coach for many youth teams in Detroit. The 2018 Maccabi games will take place in Israel in late July.

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 65

SYNAGOGUE LIFE

EVENTS USY Mall Crawl Scavenger Hunt with Beth El Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m., Beth El, 8660 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037.

Enjoy a night of mystery and dessert at the UTC mall.

Cost is $10-$20: visit cbe.org for more information.

Passover Seder Workshop with Tifereth Israel Feb. 4, 10 a.m., Tifereth Israel, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd, San Diego, CA. Answering questions about the most widely celebrated (and intimidating to host) Jewish holiday. Leave feeling confident hosting your own Seder. Visit tiferethisrael. com for more information.

Men’s Club Brunch with Temple Adat Shalom Feb. 11, 9:45 a.m., Temple Adat Shalom, 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA, 92064 There will be a brunch, socializing and a guest speaker.

Visit adatshalom.com for more information.

Sisterhood Luna Fest with Temple Solel Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m., Temple Solel, 3575 Manchester Ave, Cardiff, CA 92007 Lunafest is a traveling film festival of award-winning short films for and by women. Tickets are $20, visit templesolel.net for more information.

Hamantaschen Bake with Beth Israel Feb. 26, 6 p.m., Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, CA, 92122 Shabbat San Diego and Beth Israel invite all for a delicious evening of making traditional hamantaschen cookies for Purim. Visit cbisd.org for more information.

Potluck Purim With Jewish Collaborative of San Diego March 2, 6 p.m., 7805 Centella Street, Carlsbad, CA 92009 Join us for a fun evening filled with Purim, Potluck, People and Purim shpiel.

Go to JCoSD.com for more information.

*Interested in having your event featured?

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

66 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018

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Wilbur Horwitz - San Diego, CA 10/26/1920 - 10/07/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Lynn Greenstein & Son - Gary Horowitz

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Jack Frank - Poway, CA 11/01/1931 - 10/24/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Sherrie Frank & Sons- Benjamin, Jeffrey & Garry Frank

Marvin Cohen - San Diego, CA 05/09/1933 - 10/07/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Tamy Vener & Son - Marc Cohen

Erna Frank - National City, CA 09/18/1925 - 10/14/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Karen Bare, Son - Larry Frank, 3 Grandchildren & 4 Great-Grandchildren

Paula Mandell - La Jolla, CA 11/24/1929 - 10/25/2017 Survivors: Husband - Jerome Mandell, Daughters- Janet Marino & Kathy Ruppert, Sons - Mark & Andy Mandell, 8 Grandchildren & 4 Great-Grandchildren

Jean Gallenson - El Cajon, CA 10/07/1957 - 10/08/2017 Survivors: Husband - Jerry Gasllenson, Daughters - Jessica Nitzan & Melanie Webb, Son - Dennis Glennon & 1 Grandchild Rena Sherman - San Diego, CA 03/27/1927 - 10/10/2017 Survivors: Daughters - Lisa Robinson & Nina Lopatin & 2 Grandchildren

Morris Liebermensch - San Diego, CA 09/16/1928 - 10/15/2017 Survivors: Wife - Zita Liebermensch, Daughter - Shari Jacobson, Sons Lawrence & Steven Liebermensch & 7 Grandchildren Edith Eichenbaum - Poway, CA 07/11/1917 - 10/16/2017 Survivors: Son - Jerry Eichenbaum

Harry Felzer - Encinitas, CA 04/23/1921 - 10/10/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Ann Sussman, Son - Michael Felzer & 4 Grandchildren

Lillian Mallen - San Diego, CA 11/11/1920 - 10/23/2017 Survivors: Son - Rick Slaughter, 3 Grandchildren & 5 Great-Grandchildren

Rhoda Lavinsky - Rancho Santa Fe, CA 08/22/1927- 10/11/2017 Survivors: Husband - Elliot Lavinsky, & Daughters - Lois Miller, Shelly Sulit & Vicky King

Joel Bercuson - San Diego, CA 07/11/1944 - 09/13/2017 Survivors: Sister - Marsha Bercuson & Brother - Alan Bercuson

Frances Appel - La Jolla, CA 02/10/1928 - 10/27/2017 Survivors: Niece - Michelle Silber Cohen Martin Krishel - Laguna Woods, CA 10/15/1931 - 10/28/2017 Survivors: Wife - Micky Krishel, Daughter - Debbie Kushner & Sons - Daniel & Scott Krishel Sheila Dewoskin - Bonita, CA 10/29/1938 - 10/29/2017 Survivors: Sisters - Lynne Covarrubias & Gail Halinka Beverly Schmier - La Jolla, CA 03/01/1923 - 10/29/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Sara Aftergood & Sons- Michael & Kenneth Schmier

Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 67

Cantor Deborah Davis

EVENTS

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

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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.

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

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

For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

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Shevat • Adar 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 69

presents A JEWISH JOKE sponsored by Karen and Jeff Silberman

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70 SDJewishJournal.com l FEBRUARY 2018