San Diego Jewish Journal February 2019 by San Diego Jewish Journal

February 2019

Shevat / Adar 5779

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2019

Camp Hess Kramer and Gilding Hilltop Recover From the Devastation of the Woolsey Fire

2 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

“Hysterical” — NEW YORK POST

NOW – FEBRUARY 10

“A tense tale of wartime intrigue and romance” — THE NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC’S PICK WEST COAST PREMIERE

FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 17

DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS The Isle of Guernsey — 1943. A mysterious, handsome man washes up on shore and four British women decide to protect him. This award-winning play presents the dramatic tale of a family under Nazi occupation. GABRIEL explores the perils of survival through mystical beliefs and loyalty. A powerful wartime drama brimming with suspense and intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE northcoastrep.org Box Office: (858) 481-1055 | Group Sales: (858) 481-2155, ext. 202

HUMANISTIC JEWISH CLERGY Meaningful Ceremonies for Cultural Jews

Madrikha Beverly Zarnow

858-549-3088

madrikhabeverly@kahalam.org

Baby-namings, Weddings/Commitment, Memorial/Funeral, and Personalized Bar/ Bat Mitzvah Education

WHEN YOU NEED A RABBI Congregation B'nai Tikvah, Carlsbad

CALL RABBI BEN LEINOW

Ben Leinow Rabbi, PhD

“A RABBI WHO CARES”

Counseling & Ceremonies for:

Weddings (for all couples) Baby's Naming and Funerals CELL: 619.992.2367 760.727.5333 email: myrabbiben@gmail.com. MFT Lic #11820

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 3

B"H

10 Point Mitzvah Campaign Ahavat Yisroel Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the basis of the entire Torah.

Mezuza Affix a Kosher, handwritten Mezuza on your doorpost. It offers divine protection.

Family Purity Observie the laws of Mikvah and family purity. It adds a holy dimension to marriage and enhances intimacy.

Tefillin Jewish men should put on tefillin every day except Shabbat and Holy Days. It symbolically binds you with the Almighty.

4 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Holy Jewish Books Fill your home with Jewish books. This transforms it into a more sacred environment.

Kashrut Observe the Jewish dietary laws. this transforms of the mundane act of eating into an act of holiness.

Shabbat Candles Jewish women and girls should light candles before sunset on Friday. This ushers the serenity of Shabbat into the Home.

Tzedakah Give Tzedakah (charity) daily, except Shabbat. It is our duty to help those less fortunate than us.

Jewish Education Provide a Jewish education for every Jewish child. This will insure the future of our people.

Torah Study Study Torah every day. This connects us to Gd and enlightens us as to how to live our lives.

Join the campaign by finding a Chabad Center near you Scripps Ranch (Chabad S. Diego HQ), Bonita, Carlsbad North, Carmel Valley, Chula Vista, Coronado, Downtown, East County, Encinitas, La Costa, La Jolla, Oceanside/Vista, Pacific Beach, Poway, Rancho S. Fe, S. Marcos, SDSU, UCSD, University City

Please join us as we honor

Rabbi Dr. Yehuda and Dr. Virginia Shabatay

For their Dedication, Commitment and Support of The San Diego Jewish Community

Scholar and teacher, Yehuda Shabatay has been an invaluable presence in San Diego for over forty years. A Holocaust survivor, Dr. Shabatay has published numerous articles on Judaism, Jewish history and literature, and has taught courses nationally and locally at San Diego State University and Palomar College. Dr. Virginia Shabatay, a Heschel and Buber scholar, has taught literature on social ethics, racism and injustice at San Diego State University, Grossmont and Palomar colleges, and has co-authored four psychology texts and published several articles. Please join us in honoring the Shabatays at our Annual Gala Fundraiser

March 16, Doors Open at 6:00pm

Ner Tamid aNNual Gala

daNCiNG THrOuGH THe deCadeS marCH 16 - dOOrS OpeN aT 6pm COST: $150 pp Table: $1600

Tickets can be purchased at nertamidsd.org/2019gala Or 858-513-8330 Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 5

Y O U

A R E

C O R D I A L L Y

I N V I T E D

T O

‫ב״ה‬

A Monthly Kosher Experience Presented by the Friendship Circle!

Sunday, February 10th 5:00 - 7:00pm 16934 Chabad Way, Poway CA 92064

DINE AS A GUEST

JOIN THE STAFF

Make a reservation for our 3-course prix fixe buffet! Menu includes: beverages, appetizers, entrees & dessert for $18 per person. RSVP by February 6th (price increases to $25). Reservations are required.

Calling all ambitious workers with special needs ages 16+! Learn new hospitality & customer service skills! Join the staff as a chef, se rver or host . No experience necessary, we will provide all training!

Reserve online: www.friendshipcirclesd.org/dans-place

Friendship Circle: Building a welcoming community for ALL abilities. /friendshipcirclesd

6 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

@FC_sandiego

@friendshipcirclesd

(858) 487-4879

A Night to Honor & Celebrate

Let us help you move forward. Making critically important family decisions in the aftermath of emotional life changes can be extremely difficult. Our dedicated family law attorneys can help you navigate the complex divorce process with clarity.

Sunday, March 3rd, 5:30 p.m.

Everyone is invited to join us for an evening celebrating Seth Krosner and Phil Johnson for their dedication and commitment to Tifereth Israel Synagogue, the San Diego Jewish Community, and Israel. The evening will be filled with entertainment, highlighting some of San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest performers, as well as delicious food and drink. A fantastic auction will take place featuring exciting travel adventures, two tickets to see Paul McCartney live in concert (12th row from the stage), two Opening Day tickets to the Padres including box seats, and much more! All tickets receive one or more opportunity drawing tickets for our exciting Las Vegas Get-a-Way for Two!

Founder Myra Chack Fleischer

Divorce, high conflict child custody, alternative dispute resolution, and more.

Call 858-720-8250 or visit frfamilylaw.com for more information.

Your Divorce Experts

NINE-TEN February Ad.pdf 1 01/14/2019 12:15:14 PM

Make your reservations by February 15th

Visit our website (tiferethisrael.com/events/gala2019) or call the office at 619 697-6001 for more details and reservations. 6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard San Diego, CA 92119 â&#x20AC;˘ 619 697-6001

www.tiferethisrael.com

Todd S. Frank, CLU

4275 Executive Square Suite 400 La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 202-2366 Direct (858) 922-1415 Cell tfrank@financialguide.com Life Insurance. Disability Income Insurance. Long Term Care Insurance.

Insurance Representative of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001, and its affiliated US insurance companies. Registered Representative of and securities offered through MML Investors Services,

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 7

February 2019 Shevat/Adar 5779

CONTENTS

The cast of "Who Will Write Our History."

IN THIS ISSUE

The cast of "Light of Hope."

page 30 The Jewish Film Festival is back and we've got your guide to what's playing, including reviews and interviews for nearly a dozen films.

page 45 Camp Hess Kramer and Gilding Hilltop Camp in Malibu were 90 percent destroyed in the Woolsey Fire, but that's not stopping them. 8 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

page 49 North Coast Repertory Theatre presents "Gabriel."

page 54 A Jewish take on Valentine's Day.

page 57 Judith Gottesman explains the benefits of Jewish matchmaking. MONTHLY COLUMNS

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

34 FILM FEST Review of

"The Unorthodox."

35 FILM FEST Review of

"Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds: The Conductor Zubin Mehta." 36 FILM FEST Full Screening Schedule.

38 FILM FEST Interview

with the director of "Who Will Write Our History."

18 Our Town 60 What's Goin On

39 FILM FEST Interview with

IN EVERY ISSUE

with the directors of "Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel."

14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 59 Food 62 News 58 Diversions 64 Advice 65 Synagogue Life ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

31 FILM FEST Review of "The Light of Hope."

32 FILM FEST Review of

the director of "93Queen."

41 FILM FEST Interview

42 FILM FEST Interview with the director of "Carl Laemmle."

44 FILM FEST Review of "The N°5 War." 52 FEATURE JFS receives a grant from the USS Midway Foundation to help military families.

55 FEATURE What Jewish History Forgot.

"Prosecuting Evil."

33 FILM FEST Review of "Redemption."

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 9

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Jeffrey R Liber, Liber, CFP® Investments jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Consultant Managing DirectorJeffrey R CFP® jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer Financial Managing DirectorInvestments Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer Gina Gina Grimmer Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Financial Consultant Grimmer Managin Director-Inves tments CA Insurance LicLic #0C28496 Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Managin ggaddell Director-Inves tments CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 Financial Consultant Alissa Alissa W W addell CA Insurance #O178195 Gina Grimmer Grimmer Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Financial Consultant Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant AVP AVP -‐ R -‐ R egistered egistered C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Gina Gina Grimmer Financial CAInsurance #O178195 Financial Consultant AVP AVP -‐Insurance Grimmer R -‐ Consultant R egistered egistered CCC C lient lient A ssociate ssociate jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA LicLic #0C28496 CA AVP AVP -‐ R -‐ R egistered egistered C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Insurance Lic #0C28496 #O178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA CA i nsurance i nsurance L ic L ic # 0I18483 # 0I18483 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 om Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA i nsurance L ic # 0I18483 CA i nsurance L ic # 0I18483 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic CA insurance L#O178195 ic #0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance Lic #0I18483 Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Insurance Lic Insurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate CA Insurance Lic #0178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Lic Insurance #O178195 Lic #O178195 Registered Client

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

www.sdjewishjournal.com

February 2019 • Shevat/Adar 5779

Retirement Plans Retirement Plans •• Retirement Plans Retirement Plans 12531 High Bluff Dr Suite 400 San Diego, CA 92130 Life/Disability Insurance Life/Disability Insurance •• Life/Disability Insurance Life/Disability Insurance 858-523-7936 • www.LiberLincolnWMG.com Investment Strategies • Investment Strategies Investment Strategies PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss  Investment Strategies

Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 858-532-7904 858-532-7904 Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com 858-532-7904 858-532-7904 Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Brie Stimson ASSISTANT EDITOR • Jacqueline Bull ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORJeffrey • Eileen Sondak R Liber, CFP® CREATIVE DIRECTOR • DerekManaging BerghausDirector- Investments CAAbleson Insurance Lic #0C28496 OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan 858-532-7904 858-532-7904 Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com 858-532-7904 858-532-7904

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Drive, 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Leorah www.LiberLincoln Gavidor, Emily Gould, San San D D iego, iego, C A 9Bluff 2130 12531 High Bluff Drive, 12531 High Bluff Drive, San San D D iego, iego, CA C A A 9992130 99 2130 2130 San San D D iego, iego, C A A 99WMG.com 99 2130 2130 12531 High Bluff Drive, 12531 High Drive, STE 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 858-‐ 23-‐ 904 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com San Diego, CAWMG.com 92130 San Diego, CAWMG.com 92130 858-‐ 23-‐ 904 858-‐ 23-‐ 904 858-‐ 555523-‐ 23-‐ 7WMG.com 904 858-‐ 555 7777WMG.com 904 San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com WMG.com 858-‐ 23-‐ 7 904 858-‐ 5 23-‐ 7 904 San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 858-‐ 5 23-‐ 904 858-‐ 555 23-‐ 77WMG.com 904 858-‐ 23-‐ 7 904 San Diego, CA 92130 San Diego, CA 92130 www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com WMG.com www.LiberLincoln www.LiberLincoln WMG.com 858-‐ 23-‐ 7 904 858-‐ 23-‐ 7 904 Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Paul Ross (Senior Travel www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 12531 High Bluff CIMA® Drive, STE STE 400 400 12531 High Bluff CIMA® Drive, STE STE 400 400 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R R Liber, Liber, CFP® 12531 High Bluff Drive, 12531 High Bluff Drive, Don Lincoln, CFP®, Don Lincoln, CFP®, Jeffrey CFP® Photographer), Patricia Goldblatt, Pat Launer, 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President-Investments Senior President-Investments Senior President-Investments Managin g Director-Inves Managin g Director-Inves tments tments Managing Director-Investments Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Senior V V ice ice P resident-‐ P resident-‐ nvestments nvestments Managing Managing D D irector-‐ irector-‐ I nvestments I Senior Senior V V ice ice P resident-‐ P resident-‐ I nvestments I Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments CA Lic CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Insurance #0821851 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 858-523-7913 858-523-7913 Managin g Director-Inves Managin Director-Inves tments tments Managing Director-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey RLic Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Senior Vice Senior Vice Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments CA Insurance 858-523-7913 CA CA nsurance nsurance ic ic 0821851 0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic President-Investments #0821851 CA Insurance Lic President-Investments #0821851 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA Lic #0C28496 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® #0C28496 CA Insurance LicLic #0821851 CA Insurance LicLic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA nsurance ic 0821851 CA nsurance ic 0C28496 CA nsurance ic 0821851 CA nsurance ic 0821851 CA IInsurance nsurance ic 0C28496 CA nsurance ic 0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA CA IIIInsurance IIIInsurance LLLL858-523-7913 ic LLic ####0821851 ##0821851 0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Lic #0821851 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA Insurance CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA nsurance LLic ic ##Lic 0821851 CA II#0C28496 nsurance LLLic ic ###0C28496 0C28496 CA IIInsurance nsurance LLInsurance ic ##Lic 0821851 CA nsurance CA IManaging nsurance LLRabbi ic ##Lic 0C28496 CA IInsurance LLVice ic ##0821851 Jacob Rupp, Saul Levine, Rachael Eden, don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com CA Insurance Insurance Lic Insurance #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Lic #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 Senior Vice PresidentInvestments DirectorInvestments Senior PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com CA Lic Insurance #0C28496 Lic#0C28496 #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Michelle Hasten don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Patty Dutra Patty Dutra Gina Grimmer don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Don CFP®, CIMA® Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lincoln, Insurance Lic #0821851

Jeffrey R Liber, Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance LicCFP® #0C28496

Sybil Kaplan. Don CFP®, CIMA® Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lincoln, Insurance Lic #0821851

CAZeebah Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 #0C28496 CAZeebah Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com Aleshi Aleshi Gina Grimmer CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Senior Client Associate Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, Liber, CFP® Investments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Client Associate Senior Client Associate Financial Consultant Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorSenior Vice PresidentInvestments Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R CFP® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Gina Gina Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Gina Grimmer Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Managin g Director-Inves tments Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments CA Insurance License #0I83194 Managin g Director-Inves tments Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Registered Client Associate Registered Client Associate CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance LicLic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Financial Consultant Alissa Alissa W W addell addell 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments CA Insurance #O178195 Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Registered Registered C C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Patty Dutra Patty Dutra Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Grimmer CA Lic#0821851 #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic#0821851 #0G75099 CAInsurance Lic #O178195 Registered Client Associate Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Registered Registered CSenior C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Registered Registered CSenior C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Gina AVP AVP -‐Insurance Grimmer R -‐ Consultant R egistered egistered CC C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Registered Registered CInsurance C lient lient AA ssociate ssociate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Patty Dutra Patty Dutra Financial don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lic #0C28496 ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic Registered Registered C C lient lient A ssociate ssociate Registered Registered C C lient lient A ssociate ssociate AVP AVP -‐ R -‐ R egistered egistered C lient lient A ssociate ssociate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 #O178195 CA CA nsurance nsurance ic ic #Gil 0178195 #0178195 0178195 zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance LicLic #0G75099 CA Insurance LicLic #0G75099 CA Lic #O178195 Michelle.Hasten@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA Insurance #0G75099 CA Insurance #0G75099 CAFinancial Insurance Lic #O178195 Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA CA nsurance nsurance ic ic 0178195 CA CA nsurance nsurance ic ic 0178195 0178195 Yesenia Yesenia Gil CA CA iiiinsurance iiiinsurance LLLLic LLic ic #Gil #Associate CA nsurance ic 0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance ic 0I18483 zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Grimmer Financial Consultant Client Client Associate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic CA CA nsurance nsurance LLGil ic ##0178195 0178195 ##0178195 0178195 CA CA iinsurance iinsurance LLic LLGil ic ##Associate 0178195 ##0178195 Yesenia Yesenia Gil CA iinsurance LL#O178195 ic ##0I18483 CA iGina nsurance LLic ##0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant Senior Client Associate Senior Client don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Yesenia Gina Grimmer

zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com

zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Jonathan Ableson – SeniorEugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Account Executive zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Insurance LicInsurance #0G75099 eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com 858-523-7904 zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA Lic CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 Client Associate 858-523-7904 Client FluentAssociate in Spanish Yesenia Gil Zeebah Aleshi Fluent in Spanish Yesenia Gil – Palm Springs zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Zeebah Aleshi Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com

gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Gina GrimmerClient zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Registered Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Insurance LicInsurance #0G75099 CA Insurance Insurance CA Lic Insurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Registered Client Associate Insurance Lic #0178195 zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com 858-523-7904 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA Lic CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Lic Insurance #O178195 Lic #O178195 Client Associate Registered Client

CA Insurance Lic #0178195 858-523-7904 Client Registered Client Yesenia Gil FluentAssociate in Spanish Yesenia Gil CA insurance LicAssociate #O178195 Gina Grimmer Yesenia Gil Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Fluent in Spanish Yesenia Gil Alan Moss CA insurance #O178195 Gina Grimmer zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish CA insurance LicLic #O178195 Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Lic zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish CA insurance #O178195 Client Associate Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Yesenia Gil Gil Yesenia

yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Financial Consultant Yesenia Yesenia Gil Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Investment Investment and and Insurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankSenior Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee inRegistered Spanish Fluent in Spanish CAGil insurance Lic #0178195 Client Associate Investment Investment and andInsurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankFluent Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Investment Investment and andInsurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Fluent in Spanish in Spanish CA insurance #0178195 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CAFluent Insurance LicLic #O178195

eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Financial Consultant Yesenia Yesenia Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent inGil Spanish CAGil insurance Lic #0178195 Client Associate

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

yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com

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

Investment Investment and and Insurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankCA Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Investment Investment and andInsurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankCA Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee !MAY Lose Value Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Insurance Lic #0G75099 Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 !MAY Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish !MAY Lose Value !MAY Lose Value Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Gil Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Gil Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish !MAY Lose Value !MAY Lose Value Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Yesenia Gil Yesenia Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Michelle Michelle Wells Fargo non-bank Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered registered broker-dealer broker-dealer and and aa separate separate non-bankaffiliate affiliateof ofWells WellsFargo Fargo&& Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish Fluent in Hasten Spanish Fluent in Hasten Spanish zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo LLC, non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Wells Fargo LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Company. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC,Member MemberSIPC, SIPC,isisaaregistered registeredbroker-dealer broker-dealer and and aa separate separate Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Company. Wells Fargo SIPC, is a registered Company. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member registered broker-dealer broker-dealer and and aa separate separatenon-bank non-bankaffiliate affiliateof ofWells WellsFargo Fargo&&Company. Company. Client Associate Company. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC,Associate is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Client Associate Associate Client Associate Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Company. Company. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo Client Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate ©2009 ©2009 Wells Wells Fargo Fargo Advisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC. All All rights rights reserved. reserved. 88580 88580 –v1 –v1 -0312-2590 -0312-2590 (e7460) (e7460) Senior Associate Senior Associate Wells Member ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsClient Allrights rightsreserved. reserved. 88580 88580 –v1 -0312-2590 -0312-2590 (e7460) yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com (858) 638-9818 •-0312-2590 fax: (858) ©2009 ©2009 Wells Wells Fargo Fargo Advisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC.All reserved. 88580 88580–v1 –v1 –v1 -0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) (e7460) ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsClient Fargo Fargo Advisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC.All Allrights rights reserved. reserved. 88580 88580–v1 –v1 -0312-2590 -0312-2590 (e7460) (e7460) yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com tradeinname used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, FargoSIPC. Advisors is aFluent tradeinname used by Wells Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC. & Company. yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com 638-9801 WellsFargo Fargo Advisors, LLC.All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved. 88580–v1 –v1 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) Wells Advisors, LLC. 88580 -0312-2590 ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsFargo Fargo Advisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC.Fargo All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved. 88580 88580–v1 –v1 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com ©2009 ©2009 Fluent Spanish Fluent in Spanish Spanish Fluent in Spanish Yesenia GilSpanish Yesenia GilSpanish CA Insurance Lic #0183194 #0675099 CA Insurance Lic #0183194 #0675099 Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil CA CA Insurance Lic Insurance Lic 5665 Insurance Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Associate Investment Insurance Products offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured NO NO Bank Bank Guarantee Investment Products offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured NO NO Bank Bank Guarantee Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com Investment and Insurance InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Insured Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Insured Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Investment offered through affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured Guarantee Investment offered through affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured Guarantee Michelle.Hasten@wfadvisors.com Michelle.Hasten@wfadvisors.com Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value

MAY Lose Value Fluent in Spanish

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

Wells Fargo Fargo Advisors Advisors is is aa trade trade name name used used by by Wells Wells Fargo Fargo Clearing Clearing Services, Services, LLC, LLC, Member Member SIPC. SIPC. Wells

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MAY Lose Value Fluent in Spanish

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FROM THE EDITOR

THE STARTING LINE by Brie Stimson editor@sdjewishjournal.com

The Loudest Person in the Room ometimes, it feels like there are a lot of people shouting in a room but nobody is listening. Every person is turning red screaming at each other but it doesn’t really matter because none of it is being taken in. And it’s only gotten worse. Now that bias has its own separate cable channels on the left and the right, one can conveniently watch only what they believe, only what matters to them, only what fits their life narrative. And the issue with these cable channels, radio shows, internet sites, Twitter accounts and dare I say even magazines is that not only are they sometimes biased but, sadly, in some cases, they bend the truth to try to get their point across. So there are whole segments of people in this country who are being misinformed by untruths being spread for their own dark purposes. On his former liberal-leaning mock-right wing political show, Stephen Colbert used to call this “truthiness.” Certainly this isn’t entirely to blame for all the shouting and not listening. And I want to be clear that I am not saying most networks, publications or journalists are deeply biased in their reporting and I cer12 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Is this what it’s come to? We’re buying tickets to see the amazing marvel of people who can talk about politics without killing each other? tainly don’t want to feed into the profoundly flawed “fake news” narrative. It is true that we are all biased – this editor included. Just try to go through the day without feeling biased about something. It’s impossible. Each of us comes from a background that forms the way we think and feel about the world around us, and it’s simply unrealistic to suggest we can live our lives as robots with no opinions about the world. I deal with bias in my personal life and it certainly bleeds into my writing – but I try to back up my writing with facts or make

it clear (especially in my column) that I am stating my opinion, which I try again to back up by facts. (When I’m writing a feature story based on an interview, I do my best to avoid editorializing). Do our inherent biases mean we can’t have civil discourse anymore? I did two interviews last year with a liberal journalist and a conservative journalist who tour around the country having civil debates in front of audiences. Both men are good friends and they usually go out for dinner afterwards. Is this what it’s come to? We’re buying tickets to see the amazing marvel of people who can talk about politics without killing each other? Most of us aren’t the enemy and most of us aren’t spewing hate, which means most of us have something of value to say. I may not agree with you and you may not agree with me, but we might learn a little something from each other. I don’t claim there’s anything especially profound in this little essay I’m writing – certainly nothing that hasn’t been said before (although it may not have been taken in). I simply suggest the next time you’re in a loud room, take just a moment and listen. A

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let us know what’s on your mind.

Dear Editor, Props to Rabbi Jacob Rupp for resisting the urge to curate his life in order to appeal to our Facebook nation. How can we hope to emulate our religious leaders if the bar is set so high as to make the attempt seem futile? But if we can see them face the same struggles that we do, the same questions and searching and shortfalls, we can at least try to understand the tenets of our religion that are so beautiful and make our best attempts to be part of that beauty. Cindy Cherwin Carlsbad

In Praise of Patricia Goldblatt Her Review of “4321” can stand alone as a thoughtful inquiry into today’s Jewishness. She examines not only what the author wrote but what he might have said about our shared experience. And she writes beautifully. Ronald Mankoff La Jolla

Corrections In “Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices” [Jan. 2019] Zalman Shneour’s name was misspelled.

@SANDIEGOJEWISHJOURNAL

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

Please consider our guidelines for Letters to the Editor prior to submitting your comments: The San Diego Jewish Journal welcomes reader responses to articles. Due to space limitations, responses to articles cannot exceed 200 words and will be edited in coordination with the letter’s author and at the discretion of the editor and publishers. For readers who wish to submit multiple letters, we require three issue months to pass between published letters so as to make space for more reader responses. 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 2019

On The Cover: Page 30: Still from "Who Will Write Our History." Photo Credit Anna Wloch.

SDJJ regrets this error.

online @sdjewishjournal.com

Nazi Hunters Win Jewish National Book Award Serge and Beate Klarsfeld, two prominent French Nazi hunters, won the Jewish Book Council’s top national book award last month. “Hunting the Truth: Memoirs of Serge and Beate Klarsfeld” includes first person accounts of the couple’s 50-plus years of pursuing Nazi war criminals. The Jewish Book Council noted that the Klarsfelds were hesitant at first to work on an autobiography, saying they lacked “talent for storytelling,” but were pleased with the final product. Read the JTA story on our website to find out who won in the other categories.

Jewish Things to Know About Kamala Harris Junior Senator Kamala Harris of California, who was previously our state’s attorney general, has announced her plans to run for president in 2020. Harris has Indian and a Jamaican parents and more than one Jewish link.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Says State Will Sanction Airbnb for Delisting Jewish West Bank Settlements Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last month his state would take action against Airbnb for its decision to remove listings of rooms and homes for rent in West Bank Jewish settlements. Airbnb announced in November that it would remove the listings of some 200 apartments and homes for rent in the settlements, but not in Palestinian communities.

Amazon Buying Israeli Startup CloudEndure for $250 Million Amazon announced last month it was buying the Israeli startup company CloudEndure for an estimated $250 million. Through its subsidiary AWS, Amazon is the world’s biggest supplier of cloud services. CloudEndure, a cloud computing company founded six years ago, creates business software for disaster recovery, backup and live migration in the event of a system crash. It places data on multiple clouds operated by providers, including Amazon.

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our TOWN BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL

AIPAC Annual Dinner

AIPAC held its annual dinner on January 13th at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Attended by over 600 people, this was a truly informative evening, offering the most up-to-date data on the current state of affairs in Israel. Interviewed by AIPAC San Diego Director, Nicole Bernstein, the keynote address was given by Dr. Ronen Bergman. He is a New York Times best-selling author and military affairs journalist. Some of those we spotted enjoying the evening were Rep. Scott Peters, Steve & Congresswoman Susan Davis, Council Member Barbara Bry & Neil Senturia, Assemblyman Todd Gloria, Ammar Campa-Najjar, SD Unified School Board President Kevin Beiser, Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Nasimi Aghayev, Becky & Jerry Gumpel, Caron Feder, Karen Fox, Joanna Zeiger, Rabbi & Debbie Kornberg, Garry Rotto, Wolf Bielas, Stacy Rosenberg, Elan Bark, Andrew Chotiner, Paul Segal, Sasha Manevich, Rabbi Scott & Jennifer Meltzer, Michael Jesser, Rabbi Devorah Marcus, Naji Naijar, Marilyn & Stan Smiedt, Sara Jacobs, Eric Wittgrove, Sharon Dreebin & Gerald Unhold, Paul & Nellie Dean and Perri Wittgrove.

Sandra Bernhard

We had a fun evening seeing Sandra Bernhard performing “Sandemonium” at the LFJCC. Also enjoying the performance were Hano & Charlotte Siegel, Linda Platt, Larry & Barbara Sherman, Jain Malkin & Gary Watson, Nate & Susan Harrison, Andy Oster, Linda Roux & Michael Kalichman, Danielle & Brian Miller, Jordan & Susan Levin, Andy & Sonia Israel, Ellis & Bonnie Diamond and Sandra’s Coronado Cousin, Lois Richmond.

“Jews of Color: A Renaissance”

It was standing room only when we attended a truly eye opening presentation in the Gotthelf Gallery of the LFJCC for an art exhibit by Scattered Among the Nations. The presentation was a fascinating lecture by photographer Bryan Schwartz. His unique photographs and interviews document today’s most isolated Jewish communities. This exhibit, Jews of Color: A Renaissance, runs through February 28th. Seen in the overflowing crowd that night were Stephanie & Stephen Steinberg, Rosie Jacobson, Yvonne Lazar, Jeff & Fern Hall, Renee Barnow, Bob Silverman & Andye Ladmer, Samy & Sarita Zands, Roni Breite and Geri & Dor Schaevel, Victor & Nehama Moreno and Bill and Sharon Goldschneider.

Yom Huledets Sameach to…

Amnon Ben Yehuda celebrating his 89th birthday. Sam Weiss celebrated his 105th birthday with a small group of family in early January. 18 SDJewishJournal.com l February 2019

TOP: AIPAC Annual Dinner . BOTTOM: Sandra Bernhard performing at the JCC.

Mazel Tov to…

Bruce & Carol Heilbrunn on the birth of their first grandchild, Aria Orit Norton, great-niece of Judy Faitek. Aria is the daughter of Sarah and Matt Norton. Madeline & Warren Gershwin on the marriage of their daughter Rachel to Alejandro Cano. Chuck & Amy Spielman on the marriage of their daughter, Laura to Chris Morris. Sadie Pearl Stern was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on January 5th at Congregation Beth Israel. It was with great pride that we attended this beautiful cycle of life celebration. A lovely reception was held at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine. Sadie is the daughter of Amy & Michael Stern, granddaughter of Carol & Ron Fox, Henry and Sophie Haimsohn and Janice & Louis Stern (from New Orleans), sister to Julian and a fourth generation member of Congregation Beth Israel. A TOP: Members gathered to hear Sandra Bernhard. BOTTOM: Jews of Color: a Renaissance art exhibit at the JCC.

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDAISM

THIS WAY TO EDEN by Rachel Eden rachel.s.eden@gmail.com

The French, the Dreamers & the Newlyweds hat place does romance have in your life? Push past the red roses and baby’s breath, the chocolates in a heart shaped box and even the diamond tennis bracelet. Romance isn’t reserved for just the French, the dreamers or the newlyweds. Romance, as defined by Google, is the feeling of excitement or mystery associated with love. Romance can refer to many different types of relationships, including a connection with G-d, our Judaism or with our individual lives. Ideally, our lives should be exploding with romance. Who among us wouldn’t want to feel excited with our jobs and in love with our hobbies? Adulthood lulls its inhabitants into a sleepy sort of existence: day after day battling with traffic, paying bills, running errands. Even the most inspiring activity takes on a humdrum overtone if we don’t infuse it with a sense of renewal – or according to our definition of romance – excitement or mystery. Pondering romance with this broader lens sparked a general evaluation of my year. I realized, with some exceptions, I spent the majority of the year feeling uninspired after years of living with zest and enthusiasm. I felt uninspired despite giving and attending Judaic classes, engaging in deep conversations with lofty individuals and participating in spiritual activities on a regular basis. Romance with life seemed outside of the realm of possibility no matter how hard I tried. I began to feel despondent. Sometimes, no matter how many resourc22 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

es or energy we invest, we can’t have what we want. People work hard and don’t make enough money to pay their bills or go on blind dates everyday and never find love. Effort and reward don’t always go hand-inhand. The great sage, Rabbi Tarfon, assures us, “it’s not your responsibility to finish the work but neither are you free to desist from it” (Ethics of the Fathers 2:16). We must make our efforts and then let go of anxiety to control the outcome. So, I made up my mind to surrender. I began to follow Rabbi Tarfon’s advice and accept the possibility that inspiration might not be in my best interest and wouldn’t necessarily come. I still invested time and energy in inspired living and remained open to the possibility that I would once again feel inspired. But if inspiration wasn’t meant for me, then I was prepared to surrender to that experience. Day in, day out, choice after choice, I persisted with this new, open attitude while continuing to make an effort and pray for inspiration. Then, it happened. This past Shabbat, I did what I always do: prayed in synagogue, played with the children and ate food in the company of friends. The day was challenging for lots of small reasons. The children seemed to have more energy than I knew what to do with, my conversations felt halted and unnatural, my prayers felt flat and lackluster. No matter, I surrendered to those moments. Then, that night, Saturday night, a wave of peace washed over me. I suddenly felt connected with myself, my decisions and energized to

work hard. I felt inspired! The feeling was a pure gift and I’m grateful to finally receive it. As much as I know I can’t control any outcomes, I am more determined than ever to saturate my life with romance in an effort to maintain my inspired living. The question is: How? Perhaps we glossed over the French, the dreamers, and the newlyweds too quickly in the beginning. Maybe they had the answers all along. Following their lead, we have to become intimate with our lives, savor each moment and appreciate who or what is in front of us. Instead of cursing the traffic, perhaps we can fill it with music or some sacred silence. When we’re paying the bills, maybe we should spend a minute giving thanks for the money to pay for our needs and, more often, our wants. When we run our errands, we can smile at the employees in the dry cleaner and compliment their hard work. We can stop to give a dollar to someone less fortunate. We can breathe in the fresh air as we make our way to the next appointment. Every authentic attempt at enjoying our lives and making the most of each moment is a choice to feel romantically about our lives. Surely there is no better way to live than to be in love with living. In the words of Carlyn Gold Heilbrun, “Romance is the glamour that turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.” Let’s resolve to spend this month of romance on what’s most important. Let’s fall in love with our lives and turn our daily dust into gold. A

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov andreasimantov@gmail.com

Resolutions ne recent wet and miserable Wednesday, five sibling grandchildren tramped into my no-biggerthan-a-breadbox apartment for Grandma Day. Because they live in South Africa, this should have been fulfillment of a dream. Nevertheless, I grew insecure and consequently did what Jewish women have done for 6,000 years in the face of uncertainty: I made chicken soup and a double batter of kneidlach (matzoh balls). Feeling a little rusty in the nurturing department, I entered full manic-mode the night before, revisiting kid-friendly menus, checking the insides of dust-covered puzzle boxes to ensure there weren’t pieces missing, soaking paint-crusted craft brushes, organizing mismatched Rummikub tiles into respective sets and nearly breaking a leg as I climbed over never-used Passover dishes to reach a suitcase filled with English story books published before 1994. In the morning, I disassembled a valuable and wobbly hand-carved chair from Malawi and hid it under the bed. Wrapped in layers of woolen-wear, I dove headfirst into the maelstrom and picked up the children. The three girls and two boys were uncharacteristically quiet in the car, clearly on guard for signs of ineptitude. Anxious for approval, I detoured to the local mini-mart and purchased 100 shekels worth of cookies, candies and other nosh. Items their mother never saw darken the doorway of her own childhood home. In keeping with their religious upbringing, I knew what they were and weren’t permitted to watch on Netflix. But who needed television anyway? I had painstakingly created a veritable world of Disney in my East Jerusalem home and certainly we’d enjoy a memorable, educational and love-filled day to rival any. As instructed, they dumped their jackets, 24 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

gloves and hats on the floor behind my office chair. I opened the introductory plenum. “Grandma has only two rules: number one: No eating anywhere in the house except for the kitchen and two: The toilet is not a ‘suggestion’ but, rather, the destination.” They thought that rule #2 was a riot and although unfamiliar with the concept, they “aimed to please.” Rule #1, however, went into five sets of left ears and exited through the respective right ones as they were uttered. Popcorn and wafer crumbs would be found for days and days, mostly in my bed. Which of the available activities garnered the most votes? Let it suffice to say that the books were never looked at, Rummikub stayed in the bag and puzzles and paints grew moldy. Lying under blankets with five tykes, I watched “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “The Truman Show,” “Annie,” “Matilda,” Leslie Ann Warren and Pat Carroll in “Cinderella” and a once-adorable Johnny Depp in “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.” The dark day turned from gray to inky and we emerged from bed only to paint our nails, play with make-up, use a curling iron and hair gel. Upon his return from work, my husband discovered us in the dark, eyes-glazed, muscles almost atrophied. The children ate dinner with him (soup and matzoh balls), and answered questions in monosyllables. One boy left the table to play piano, banging out a non-stirring rendition of the first seven bars Fur Elise. Six times. I shouted, “STOP!” and all put on

Lying under blankets with five tykes, I watched “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone,” “The Truman Show,” “Annie,” “Matilda,” Leslie Ann Warren and Pat Carroll in “Cinderella” and a once-adorable Johnny Depp in “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.” coats and marched to the car. After 10 hours and a lifetime together, they were home. This morning, my daughter told me they had the “best day ever” and asked when I might take them again. Having faced my demons, I’ve prepaid for a day at the Science Museum in the hope of undoing the damage they may have suffered by hanging-out with a recalcitrant, near-criminal like me. A

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EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT by Saul Levine, M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD and HannaMei Levine slevine@ucsd.edu

Intimacy and the Internet: Dating Via Computer n this high-tech and sometimes frenetic world, many people are lonely, longing for meaningful connections with others. Dating was always a way of overcoming loneliness by facilitating meetings and relationships. We all recall our own dating experiences, which we either enjoyed (warm or amorous) or endured (uncomfortable or embarrassing). But that venerable ‘pas de deux’ ritual has changed dramatically over the past two decades. While people still engage in traditional dating, the new dominant norm is online dating (cyber-courting), which provides (or promises) innumerable opportunities to meet desired and desirable partners. There are now millions of online daters worldwide ranging vastly in age. We know that communication-by-computer is no substitute for face-to-face conversations. Nuances and meanings, even facial expressions via Skype, are often “lost in translation.” While the internet has facilitated business transactions, it has diminished meaningful discussions and “I-Thou” relationships. Nowadays, one might chat online with the “entire world,” yet have few intimate bonds. Dating, once a fairly straightforward experience, has become something akin to sailing an unwieldy boat in uncharted rough waters. While positive anticipation and excitement are still experienced, there are now more unknown scenarios, sometimes fraught with warnings and fears. There is a degree of vulnerability and loneliness, which underlies much of online dating. It attracts people with varied motivations to widely diverse sites, all seeking to fulfill their urges, dreams or hopes. The sites can focus on romance, sexual encounters (“hookups”), platonic companionship, intimate partner26 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

ships, marriage, serious discussions, unusual fetishes, gender-specificities, long-term relationships with or without monogamy, and specific age, ethnic and racial preferences. (Examples include Tinder, Match, Bumble, Zoosk, Elite Singles, eHarmony, Black People Meet, J-Date, Asia Meets, Single Parent). Some decry online dating because of the inherent anonymity of the internet. They cite contributions to immorality, or reports of harm perpetrated by putative partners. While these may occur, they are thankfully a miniscule proportion of the immense numbers who utilize these sites. Risks are not confined to online dating: There are dangers of exploitation in traditional dating as well. Meeting at a bar under the influence of alcohol is not exactly a reliable screening tool! What is salient for all participants is exercising caution and vigilance. Preliminary steps should involve familiarization with the dating site, including reputation, reliability and history, as well as with the dating “applicant.” Screening phone discussions provide answers to pertinent questions, and preliminary meetings serve purposes of attraction, comfort and safety. People seeking to stop this trend are too late, as that train has already left the station: 60 percent of millennials used dating apps and sites in the last year, and more than a third of the weddings in this country are between people who met via the internet, according to the New York Times. Similar trends prevail in many other countries. Future research will determine whether there are any substantive differences in the quality and longevity of these relationships compared to traditional dating. Online dating does offer some advantages, the most persuasive being that so many

recently married couples were introduced via the internet. Cyber-dating has also opened up the “pool” of participants, enabling people of diverse backgrounds and cultures to meet and match. It has facilitated those with social anxieties to meet people online slowly and carefully, and it has fostered those with special interests to meet others with similar pursuits. Internet screens can be both a salve and a scourge in our lives. Our tablets, computers and especially our phones are omnipresent and tantalizingly accessible, literally and figuratively at our fingertips. Look around you. Most people have their phones out, like an amulet or a talisman. Or better yet, look in the mirror! Dating is obviously a healthy and important social activity. Online daters need to be educated about strategies to ensure safety as well as enjoyment, and the internet’s myriad dating sites should be much better regulated. As long as daters and internet sites are responsible, dating will be enjoyable and enhancing to the vast majority of participants. Cyber dating will no doubt continue to expand and thrive, as will the use of the internet for other social purposes. Increasing loneliness with attendant sadness and alienation will also challenge many people. Long-term relationships are both a powerful antidote to loneliness and contribute immensely to one’s quality of life and personal fulfillment. The ultimate irony may be that the internet, which contributed to “techno-loneliness,” is now being utilized in online dating as a remedy. A * The author thanks Ms. HannaMei Levine for her help and wisdom in writing this column.

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RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL by Rabbi Jacob Rupp rabbirupp@gmail.com

Sometimes, the Windows are Dirty ake a decision. Now. How often do we feel forced to act? That we must immediately get in tune with what’s going on around us? When we are in response/reaction mode all the time it’s difficult to live the types of lives we want and be the people we know we can be. A very common theme in comedies, novels, or real-life stories is how the protagonist operates under one set of assumptions when in reality they should be operating under another. We can be thrilled/laugh at this because we relate to it; very often had we known all the facts our lives would have turned out much differently. Imagine you knew that had you gone for the promotion, your boss would have said yes. Or had you not checked your text messages while driving you would have seen the person slam on their brakes in front of you. Or that your kids would turn out better if you didn’t yell at them so much, or that they actually needed you to set boundaries that you didn’t. The world hardly is; it is how we perceive it to be. We by nature must act with limited knowledge, and the speed of the world oftentimes makes the ‘making sure we get the facts straight’ a luxury instead of a necessity. We then become comfortable acting on our impulses, and oftentimes tragedy or hilarity ensues. Besides a lack of information, our ability to process the information we do get also runs the risk of being highly skewed. If we are tired, depressed, frustrated, happy, enthusiastic, grateful, etc. we literally see and process the things in our lives differently. I would feel remiss not to mention the famous quote of Viktor Frankl (c’mon, if I have to tell you who he is this would hardly be the San Diego Jewish Journal) “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” 28 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Besides a lack of information, our ability to process the information we do get also runs the risk of being highly skewed. If we are tired, depressed, frustrated, happy, enthusiastic, grateful, etc. we literally see and process the things in our lives differently. Enter into the picture the multiple disciplines of changing our perception, be it through the character development work of the ethical Jewish writings, therapy, medicine, plant-based solutions…the list goes on. But the underlying assumption is very important; rather than the world being messed up, oftentimes it’s us who are the problem. Our sages teach that the eyes are the windows to the soul. But sometimes our windows are dirty. And in the fast-paced social media world of today, it’s very hard to keep that in mind. To take the time not only to try to process the information we are receiving and figure out how to respond, but to also be able to check in with ourselves to see how our perception of events, and how we are feeling inside, might potentially change the facts of the case. As one who doesn’t enjoy falling on the

sword of his ego but is willing to in order to make a point, let’s look at life in the Rupp house. As the proud father of four children, all of whom have wonderful and lively personalities, getting things done around the house is difficult. I carry a mental checklist of things that have to be done, and should you give me five minutes of quiet time, I will populate that list with a thousand items. Now the problem arises when I even start to think about getting those things done when my kids are home. Young children running around you and shouting (that’s just how they talk) isn’t conducive for work. No one would suggest it is. And when I observe my kids, I find myself getting frustrated. Like if I need to get my phone fixed at the Apple Store and my wife is busy, I’ll bring the kids and think, “Hey, maybe this will work!” And when it doesn’t, I get frustrated. My wife is quick to remind me— ‘Hey, the kids are home!’ meaning I have to dispense with my expectation of doing quiet or focused work while they are around. All of these factors seem trite and obvious, but the net result has produced years of frustration, and more importantly, wasted time with my kids and created a lack of appreciation within me for the amazing gifts that I have been given. My windows get dirty; I feel like I am only productive if I am doing focused and creative work, and when I am looking through those lenses I create stress and frustration for myself and my family. Practical advice? Sometimes awareness is all we need. The world doesn’t have to be frustrating, mean, joyful or meaningful. But sometimes we’d like it to be. And when we don’t feel that the world is the way we want, instead of assuming it is or it isn’t, we should take time to check in with ourselves. Sometimes we might find our windows, our ability to perceive, is the problem, and nothing else. And good news is that we might not be able to change the world, but we can change ourselves. A

FILM FESTIVAL

Filming "Who Will Write Our History."

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FILM FESTIVAL

Courage and Compassion Ignite 'The Light of Hope' BY MICHAEL FOX

he Light of Hope” opens on the steps of a crowded house in sunny Southern France with the announcement that a woman is going into labor. The frenetic scene is buoyed by a breezy melody, signaling that the delivery will culminate with a healthy new arrival. The year is 1942, but joy and relief prevail today. Welcome to Maternité Suisse, a cheerful manse that 29-year-old Elisabeth Eidenbenz runs under the auspices of the Swiss Red Cross. She had originally volunteered some years earlier to care for children during the Spanish Civil War then was forced to flee into France. There she converted a chateau into a home for Spanish refugees and their little ones and for French Jews from the nearby refugee camp at Rivesaltes to give birth and recuperate. But the war is never far away and “The Light of Hope” starts as the Nazi occupation is shifting into another gear. Eidenbenz is informed that her supplies are going to be cut off and the time will come when she is pressured to close altogether. Eidenbenz is not the kind of person who takes orders, though, especially when they are cruel and capricious. A Swiss-Spanish coproduction, “The Light of Hope” won the Gaudi Award for Catalonia’s best film for TV of 2017. Boast-

ing the production values of a big-screen film, with a radiant cast, topnotch screenplay and great costumes, it’s an absorbing and rewarding movie from start to finish. Veteran Spanish director Silvia Quer and writer Margarita Melgar have drawn on actual events and Eidenbenz’s heroic work to tell a powerful story of determined people refusing to bend or cower to the forces of evil. Elisabeth (a fresh-faced Noémie Schmidt) and Victoria (Nausicaa Bonnin) juggle a nonstop array of challenges, from welcoming a shy Spanish girl who smuggled herself out of the camp to charming a French couple who’ve come to shelter a Jewish newborn and are presented with twins instead. While every action that Elisabeth takes is in the service of protecting lives, Victoria has joined a plot to assassinate a local official. Two principled women with irreconcilable approaches to dealing with fascists, yet Margarita Meiger’s intricate screenplay succeeds in binding Victoria and Elisabeth together to the end. Mind you, Elisabeth can play a good game of dirty pool. She takes a camera to Rivesaltes with the idea of documenting the awful conditions and exposing the authorities. To her horror, she arrives amidst a deportation of Jewish families and surreptitiously shoots a slew of revelatory photographs.

Meanwhile, the shy Spanish girl has become best friends with the two young boys in the house. Their games and antics are heartwarming evidence of Elisabeth’s ability to insulate children from ugly reality. But a time will come when they step in to help someone elude the Nazis in a satisfying plot twist. “The Light of Hope” is an unusual Holocaust-informed movie in that it unfolds in a world almost exclusively of women and children. The husbands are out of the picture, in Rivesaltes, awaiting their wives and infants. The only men with significant parts are the local commissioner, who feels powerless to do anything except follow the occupiers’ orders, and a womanizing doctor whose carefree attitude proves to be a smokescreen. In his defense, in an occupied country everyone must conceal their secrets. “The Light of Hope” makes no mention during the credit roll that Yad Vashem recognized Elisabeth Eidenbenz as Righteous Among the Nations in 2001. Instead, the filmmakers choose to remind us of the current refugee crises. ‘Don’t just applaud Elisabeth Eidenbenz as a great heroine of the past,’ they seem to be admonishing us. ‘Do something today to help a vulnerable stranger.’ A

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FILM FESTIVAL

Ben Ferencz Shines the Light of Law in ‘Prosecuting Evil’ BY MICHAEL FOX

ame a more formidable and impressive man than Benjamin Ferencz. I can wait. Who is Ben Ferencz, you say? For starters, he was the lead prosecutor in the Nuremberg trial of 24 officers who led the Einsatzgruppen (mobile SS extermination squads) that murdered more than a million Jews and other “enemies of the state” in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. Just 27 when he tried the case, Ferencz obtained a full slate of convictions including death sentences for chief defendant Otto Ohlendorf and several other commanders. Younger generations encountered the lifelong human-rights lawyer in Edet Belzberg’s 2014 documentary “Watchers of the Sky.” This ambitious film connected the forgotten Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who originated the word “genocide” and tirelessly lobbied for the United Nations to adopt a legal framework for punishing mass murder, with Ferencz and other contemporary international law activists. The achievement of “Watchers of the Sky,” which can be streamed for free on Kanopy and for a minimal charge via Amazon Prime, is that it links the Holocaust with the pursuit of justice for contemporary genocides. The legendary attorney finally gets the spotlight to himself in the feature-length documentary “Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz.” Simply sitting in a chair, recounting his life story in a pin-striped suit with red pocket square, this nonagenarian commands our attention. 32 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Canadian director Barry Avrich, whose credits include “The Last Mogul,” a documentary about the late Hollywood agent and macher Lew Wasserman, takes the conservative route of assembling archival photos and footage and a couple interview subjects to augment his subject’s testimony. It’s not a bad strategy when you have such a riveting figure. Ferencz was born in Romania in 1920 and his family emigrated to the United States within the year. A straight-shooting product of Hell’s Kitchen and City College of New York, he augmented his Yiddish and English with the French that he taught himself from Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux movies at the local cinema. Ferencz was interested in juvenile delinquency and crime prevention, and did so well on his criminal law exams that Harvard Law School gave him a full scholarship. He found a government program that paid him a stipend as the assistant to a criminology professor who, when World War II began, started researching and writing about war crimes. We infer that Ferencz had uncommon intelligence and initiative and his frustration after Pearl Harbor at the Army’s inability— because of his diminutive size—to see a use for his exceptional skills is palpable. His time finally came when he was appointed a war crimes investigator with carte blanche to enter the concentration camps and collect evidence. Ferencz recounts this dramatic and pivotal period in his life with incredible recall and,

on occasion, welling emotion that forces him to pause. The camps are as vivid to him as they were 70-plus years ago and he succeeds in putting us there with him. His training and experience brought him to the attention of Telford Taylor, the assistant (and eventual successor) to chief counsel and prosecutor of the Nazi high command, Robert Jackson. Ferencz was instrumental in the dozen trials (including the Einsatzgruppen trial he spearheaded) that followed. He stayed in Germany with his wife and children to spearhead the reclamation of Jewish property for a non-governmental organization. How Ferencz persuaded the German government to agree to maintain Jewish cemeteries in perpetuity is one of the film’s emotional peaks. Upon his return to the States, Ferencz reunited with Taylor and took cases in the areas of civil rights and human rights law before those terms were invented. If it’s still unclear what kind of man we’re talking about, one son recalls that his dad began every dinner for years with the question, “What have you done for mankind today?” Ferencz went on to play a pivotal role, across three-plus decades, in establishing the International Criminal Court at The Hague (in 2002). It is both a kind of fulfilment of Raphael Lemkin’s dream and a manifestation of Ferencz’s philosophy for ending bloodshed. “The only way out of this,” he declares, “is law, not war.” A

FILM FESTIVAL

‘Redemption’ Lies Between Rock (‘n’ Roll) and a Hard Place Moshe Folkenflik as Moshe in "Redemption."

t’s easy to imagine a Hollywood remake of “Redemption,” an unexpected Israeli drama about a 40-something widower who reunites his old rock band in order to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatments. It writes itself: A buddy comedy in which the guys dredge up old grudges, rediscover their affection for each other, confront commitment and mortality and are saved by rock ‘n’ roll, one more time, from lives of quiet desperation. Sentimental, uplifting and a box office smash. (You can thank me with an executive producer credit and one percent of the gross.) But that’s not this movie. Yossi Madmoni and Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov’s “Redemption” is, at its core, a study of a midlife crisis. Hanging on by a thread, Menachem (or Menny, as his bandmates call him) reaches into his past for help. But how often does the road back lead to a path to the future? “Redemption” is smart and compelling, and determined to earn every iota of any feel-good resolution. Its pleasures include a batch of excellent songs that leaven the erstwhile hero’s existential journey. But the movie’s female characters aren’t developed, and Menny is often taciturn or flat-out opaque. He’s a complicated character and the filmmakers expect you to grapple with him during as well as after the movie. Menny (Moshe Folkenflik) is a stoic, unassuming man who works in a grocery store

BY MICHAEL FOX

and became religious around 15 years ago. Like the dogged, well-meaning protagonist of 2017’s Brooklyn-set “Menashe,” he’s an unmarried shlob devoted completely to his lone child. When Geula (Emily Granin) slips off her wig to reveal her shaved head, we realize that she’s ill. In a brilliant bit of parallel visual storytelling, the next shot is of Menny donning a cap over his yarmulke. Father and daughter both have secrets that only certain people are allowed to know. Much later we realize that the film’s central theme and conflict—the difficulty of wearing two hats, secular and religious—was expressed literally in that single, fleeting image of Menny. For now, though, he simply wants to look inconspicuous when he meets his former guitarist, Avi, in a nightclub. Partly out of past friendship and partly out of guilt, Menny’s former cohorts agree to reunite and start playing Hassidic weddings. It’s clear from the first gig that they enjoy playing together, and their motivations proceed to move beyond either obligation or money. High Beams, as the band is called, cheerfully plays its hits to revelers who don’t know or care that Menny stopped writing years ago. Bob Dylan is name-checked, which isn’t noteworthy in a movie about musicians. But perhaps we’re supposed to recall his Christian period, when he was inspired—unlike

Menny—to write songs that combined faith and rock ‘n’ roll. Now, Menny is a commanding vocalist and an intense performer, and the excitement of making people dance is a lot more fun than punching a clock. But his enjoyment is mitigated by the pressure of his day job, Geula’s treatment schedule and the enigmatic babysitter who lives upstairs (Avigail Kovari). Above all, Menny’s fearful of losing whatever he has established—a moral toehold, or self-protective distance—via religious practice. But something’s got to give, because he’s plainly unhappy. It’s hard to say what he grieves more, the wife he lost to cancer or the emptiness where there should be meaning (and which he was seeking 15 years ago). Like its protagonist, “Redemption” leaves a lot unsaid that we have to interpret. For example, Menny makes his secular bandmates wear tzitzit under their shirts to pretend that they are Hasidim. This act of calculated deceit by an observant man is never questioned, presumably because Menny’s share of the earnings is going to (hopefully) cure Geula. The road to redemption often requires a breakdown and a breakthrough, and “Redemption” conforms to that expectation. It’s helpful to know that the Hebrew word for “redemption” is Geula. A

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FILM FESTIVAL

BY MICHAEL FOX

ccording to the old saw, “All politics is local.” To Ultra-Orthodox widower Yaakov Cohen, it’s not just local: It’s personal. Furious that his daughter has been expelled from an exclusive Jerusalem yeshiva on false pretenses, and convinced that the Ashkenazi institution discriminates against Sephardim, Yaakov embarks on a campaign to shift the imbalance of power. You could call it a crusade. Yaakov, who owns a small printing business, would describe it as a David vs. Goliath story, steeped as he is in the Torah. Israeli writer-director Eliran Malka’s terrifically entertaining debut feature, “The Unorthodox,” recounts the founding of the Sephardic Torah Guardians (Shas) political party in the run-up to the 1983 municipal election with the wit and brio of a heist film. Its underdog hero is an irresistible blend of charm, idealism and pragmatism that, poignantly, can only carry him so far. “The Unorthodox” presents the Agudat Yisrael party of Ashkenazi Jews from Europe as controlling the power and purse strings in the ultra-Orthodox community. Yaakov preaches Sephardic self-determination, but his main goal is to get a bigger chunk of the budget to improve yeshivas and other facilities. 34 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Beyond this initial impetus to start a Sephardic-centric party, Malka (who created the hit Israeli TV show “Shababnikim”) isn’t interested in getting into the weeds of policy and platforms. The motor that propels his film is the nitty gritty of running a campaign: Which rabbi to cultivate for an endorsement, how many vans with posters and loudspeakers to put on the street, where to get the money. Yaakov (the bearish, twinkly-eyed Shuli Rand, onscreen for the first time since 2004’s “Ushpizin”) is aided and abetted by a pair of sidekicks: Reb Moshe (Yaacov Cohen) knows which ultra-Orthodox rabbis have the most influence, while shochet and mohel Vigal Yakin (Yoav Levi) brings a zeal for the cause that sometimes crosses the bounds of legality. “We’ll make the Black Panthers look like pink pussycats compared to us,” Vigal proclaims at the outset of their quixotic venture. It’s a laugh line, of course, because there’s nothing remotely intimidating about these three guys. But he’s also underlining the minority status of the Sephardim and their powerlessness. Much later, Vigal supplies another key pop culture reference. Running some errand in the car with Yaakov, he puts on the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love.” Yaakov

gently points out that the song is inappropriate for religious Jews, but he can’t help laughing that a group calls itself the "Beechies." As the trio build support and momentum, Yaakov stands before his mirror imagining the deeply gracious interviews and speeches he’ll give following Shas’s upset victory. His vanity isn’t presented as a flaw or failing but as an impulse that every viewer will identify with. Although religious faith is omnipresent in “The Unorthodox”—whether it’s belief in G-d or ritual observance or the ubiquitous yarmulkes and payess in archival photos— it’s not the quality that ultimately defines Yaakov. That would be integrity. His ethos is reflected in the declaration, “We’re a party of the people, not of offices and neckties.” It comes to the fore, however, when Yaakov is forced to choose between personal reward and the party’s larger success. Then we discover how deep his love is. My lone quibble with “The Unorthodox” is that I wish the well-etched female characters, Yaakov’s confident daughter and his outspoken sister, were given more to do. Then again, the world in which this deeply satisfying film takes place is a patriarchy. A

FILM FESTIVAL

Humming Along with Zubin Mehta’s 'Good Thoughts' 'Good Thoughts' was shot in the months leading up to Mehta's 80th birthday.

s he approaches his 83rd birthday, and in the midst of a farewell tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta is as beloved as any figure in classical music. His ardor for creating art with top-tier musicians remains undimmed, even as his imperiousness has mellowed. Bettina Ehrhardt’s up-close and quasi-personal documentary, “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds: The Conductor Zubin Mehta,” reveals a kinder, gentler man who is at home anywhere in the world. Shot in the months preceding his 80th birthday, it gives fans exactly what they expect: A backstage pass and a front-row seat to concerts around the globe, from Mahler in Berlin to Brahms in Tel Aviv, Bartok in Los Angeles to Beethoven in Mumbai. Moviegoers steeped in classical music’s finer points will particularly appreciate the principals and soloists at top orchestras attesting to Mehta’s ability to extract their best performances. Everyone else, however, will be diverted but not entranced by a film that is as innocuous as its title. The fact is the drama in Mehta’s life lies in the past. Even as he recalls and recounts all the important touchstones in a career spanning more than half a century as one of

BY MICHAEL FOX

the world’s most famous conductors, “Good Thoughts” isn’t interested in dwelling on the controversies. In 1981, the year Mehta was appointed the Israel Philharmonic’s music director for life after a dozen years as its “music advisor,” he conducted a Wagner composition. The grainy archival footage of concertgoers on their feet jeering, with a few directly confronting the musicians, is still disturbing. Mehta asserts that he made a purely musical decision based on Wagner’s importance and influence. The filmmaker, to her credit, interviews orchestra members who remember how traumatic Wagner’s music—associated so closely with the Third Reich—was for the Holocaust survivors in the audience. To be sure, the globe-trotting “Good Thoughts” isn’t remotely a political film except in the sense that Mehta is an artist who effortlessly crosses borders and, therefore, is a citizen of the world. (He and his wife, Nancy, maintain homes in Los Angeles and Florence, along with an apartment in Tel Aviv). The viewer comes away with the conviction that Mehta’s true north is always the score and its performance. “It’s an orchestra made to measure for me,” he says about the Israel Philharmonic. “Right in line with my ideas, both musically

and in its sound quality.” At the same time, the Mumbai-born, Vienna-educated conductor is deeply in touch with the real world. A passage of Mehta conducting and Itzhak Stern performing in February, 1991 for a Tel Aviv audience wearing gas masks during the first Gulf War provides “Good Thoughts” with its most shocking moments. In 2010, Mehta took the Israel Philharmonic to the Gaza border for a charity concert for Gilad Shalit, the soldier eventually swapped for Palestinian prisoners. We infer that Mehta views world-class classical music, above all, as a gift to be shared and common cultural ground to be celebrated. “Good Thoughts” was completed in 2016, prior to the conductor’s 80th birthday and before he spent a year receiving cancer treatment. (And well before his recent hip surgery, obviously). Although he plainly commands the respect of his musical collaborators and still holds the camera’s gaze, he’s not the dynamic figure with the shock of black hair and laser-focus intensity we see in vintage clips. Inevitably, perhaps, Mehta has become ObiWan Conductor. A

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FILM FESTIVAL LISTINGS

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6 6 p.m.; JCC “From Cairo to the Cloud: The World of The Cairo Geniza”

THURSDAY, FEB. 7 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story”

FRIDAY, FEB. 8 11 a.m.; JCC “The N°5 War” 1:30 p.m.; JCC “Working Woman”

SATURDAY, FEB. 9 7 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Light of Hope” 7 p.m.; Museum of Photographic Arts “The Price of Everything” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Rescue Bus 300” 7:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Simon & Théodore” 7:30 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “The 90 Minute War”

SUNDAY, FEB. 10 10:30 a.m.; Museum of Photographic

36 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Arts “The N°5 War” 1 p.m.; Museum of Photographic Arts “Carl Laemmle” 1 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel” 1 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Unorthodox” 1:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Across the Waters” 1:30 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Ceased to Be” 4 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “The Cakemaker” 4 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Far From the Tree” 4 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Light of Hope” 4 p.m.; Museum of Photographic Arts “Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable” 4:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Anthrax” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Echo” 7 p.m.; Museum of Photographic Arts

“Hitler versus Picasso and the Others” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Price of Everything” 7 p.m.; Edwards San Marcos “Rescue Bus 300”

MONDAY, FEB. 11 1:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Wajib” 2 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Rescue Bus 300” 4 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Impure” 4:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable” 5 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The 90 Minute War” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Cakemaker” 7:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Fractures” 8 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz”

TUESDAY, FEB. 12 1:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Scaffolding” 2 p.m.; Clairemont Reading Cinemas 14 “Echo” 4 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Inside the Mossad” 4:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “93Queen” 5 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Anthrax” 6 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel” 7:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Cousin” 8 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Working Woman”

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13 1 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Ceased to Be” 1:15 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Cousin” 3:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Hitler versus Picasso and the Others” 3:45 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14

“The Twinning Reaction” 4 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Fractures” 6:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Who Will Write Our History” 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14

“Simon & Théodore”

“It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story”

SUNDAY, FEB. 17

THURSDAY, FEB. 14 1:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Impure” 2 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz” 4:15 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Across the Waters” 5 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Far From the Tree” 7:15 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Wajib” 8 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Redemption”

FRIDAY, FEB. 15 11 a.m.; JCC “The Twinning Reaction” 1:30 p.m.; JCC

SATURDAY, FEB. 16 7 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The 90 Minute War” 7:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “The Unorthodox” 1 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Scaffolding” 1:15 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “93Queen” 1:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Carl Laemmle” 4 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Redemption” 4:15 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Far From the Tree” 4:30 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Inside the Mossad” 5 p.m.; Project Bar and Grill “Brews and Views” 7:45 p.m.; Clairemont Reading 14 “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds: The Conductor Zubin Mehta”

"Who Will Write Our History" actor Jowita Budnik. Photo by Simon Weekes.

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FILM FESTIVAL

Ghetto Archive Wrote a ‘History’ and Honored a Civilization BY MICHAEL FOX

oberta Grossman was puzzled. Why was the story of Anne Frank universally known and that of Hannah Senesh, a young Hungarian-Jewish poet who bravely sacrificed her life to rescue Jews, almost unknown? “Because of the movie,” explained Judith Baumel-Schwartz, a scholar Grossman interviewed for her revelatory 2009 documentary, “Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh.” (The movie, of course, was “The Diary of Anne Frank.”) Grossman understood very well, because she’d embarked on her documentary precisely to convey Senesh’s remarkable story to a wider audience. The same impulse drives her new Holocaust-era film, “Who Will Write Our History,” based on Samuel Kassow’s 2007 book. “The path to historical knowledge in our time is through the cineplex,” Grossman says, “or the link or the streaming service.” “Who Will Write Our History” honors and brings to life the men and women in the Warsaw Ghetto who wrote, compiled and concealed from 1940 to 1943, the papers that comprise the stunning Oyneg Shabbes archive at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. “When Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum started the Oyneg Shabbes, the goal was to collect documentation, primary documents and eyewitness testimony,” Grossman says. “They assumed that most of them would survive as exiles or whatever, like the big pogroms that had happened in the past. They or other 38 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

"Who Will Write Our History" honors the heroes of the Warsaw ghetto who wrote, compiled and concealed the papers that comprise the stunning Oyneg Shabbes achive at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw.

historians would have this material in order to write the history of the war from the Jewish point of view. As time passed, and they realized what was going on, they acquired the goal to provide documentation to bring the killers to justice after the war.” Ringelblum and his cohorts couldn’t have known that the Nazis were keeping such detailed records that they’d be used to successfully prosecute the Nuremberg trials. Nor could they have imagined that few people were interested in hearing from survivors until the all-important decision to include eyewitness testimony in the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann. “Who Will Write Our History,” therefore, focuses on Ringelblum and his correspondents’ real-time commitment to documenting grim reality. “The intentional theme of the film is about the ethical choices that people make on a daily basis,” Grossman says. “It’s not to judge the choices so much as to look at what the choices they made were. I don’t think you and I know what we would do under similar circumstances, so it’s not a matter of judging. It’s just being amazed at how amazing these people were.” Grossman, who describes “Who Will Write Our History” as a hybrid rather than a documentary, is singularly adept at using reenactments to translate facts and anecdotes into riveting drama. The production design team worked with a Polish scholar for six months to insure the accuracy of everything from pens to clothes before Grossman arrived

to start filming. She went as far as to suggest, in our interview before the world premiere of “Who Will Write Our History” at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival last summer, that her reenactments were more trustworthy than actual extant film of the Warsaw Ghetto. “To think of the archival footage as somehow more authentic than what was recreated from the stories that were told by the characters and their writings, I would argue with,” she says. “Because it was propaganda footage and photographs shot by the Nazis.” She is absolutely correct that what moviegoers will take away from the film is the deepest respect and regard for the diligent Jews who established the archive. “What’s so remarkable about the members of Oyneg Shabbes—really, anybody who hung on to any form of sanity—was that they realized they were using the only thing they could, which was their sense of morality, their sense of culture, their sense of who they were, their sense of their place in human history and the idea of art and music and writing and culture as being the highest form of human endeavor,” Grossman declares. “Continuing to create that in these horrible circumstances was their form of resistance against this very, very dark anti-humanist force. It really was a philosophical battle between what I would think of as the best in human nature and what I would think of as the worst in human nature.” A

FILM FESTIVAL

Feminism is Not One Size Fits All An interview With the Director of '93Queen' Ruchie Freier, who leads the Ezras Nashim ambulance corps, at an event.

Paula Eiselt: The film is ... a story about women’s empowerment in a neighborhood you least expect to find it and more elaborately it’s a story about a group of Hasidic women who started the first all-female ambulance corps in the U.S. And the leader of that group called Ezras Nashim is Ruchie Freier, who also, over the course of the film, becomes the first Hasidic woman elected into public office in the U.S. San Diego Jewish Journal: Oh wow. PE: Yeah. Spoiler. The story of the film is the ups and downs of how these women led by Ruchie formed and launched this ambulance corps [in Borough Park, Brooklyn], despite a lot of opposition from the all-male corps called Hatzolah. As well as some community leaders and how the women themselves react to stepping out of traditional roles to launch this groundbreaking effort. SDJJ: How did you get involved? PE: I found the story about six years ago. I was perusing this online Orthodox website ... and I came across a group of Hasidic women who were starting this ambulance corps because the existing corps, Hatzolah, did not allow women. So as I read that, two things immediately struck me. The first was that Hatzolah did not allow women. I grew up

INTERVIEW BY BRIE STIMSON

... with Hatzolah, this Orthodox ambulance corps and it never occurred to me that women were excluded. I didn’t notice. So I was really disappointed with myself and just shocked that women were actively banned from serving. And the second thing that struck me was that here was a group of Hasidic women who were not taking no for an answer who were saying ‘if you don’t let us in, we’re going to do our own thing’ and that was really extraordinary to me. I had never seen Hasidic women take such a stand against the establishment in the community. SDJJ: How is this story relevant? Do you see it fitting into the #MeToo movement in any way? PE: Yes, I call it like a Hasidic variation of the #MeToo movement. And what I mean by that is ... this is part of a universal story of women’s empowerment and feminism that is erupting stronger than ever all over the world. These are women who are creating space for themselves in a place where there was no space for them. It doesn’t come from outsiders telling them they’re backwards, it comes from a self realization that it’s their responsibility to clean this up ... So I do very much see this as a part of the national/international progressive movements of change and feminism.

SDJJ: Besides the symbolic reasons for creating Ezras Nashim, I would imagine there are practical ones as well. PE: Totally ... There’s a real need for this because in a community that is so segregated by gender, these women don’t interact with any men outside their family ... So it could be as many as 10 men, at least several, that they know coming into their home and seeing them in very compromised positions. And women have been left very traumatized by that .... especially in birth and other really personal and revealing situations to the point that there’s actually – women have died because they were so embarrassed and hesitant to call for help that they waited. And it was too late. So having this goes actually across culture and religion. There are many women worldwide who would rather have a female provider, whether it’s another cultural thing, whether it’s just common comfort that they want a woman, whether these women have been traumatized by rape or domestic violence, just don’t feel comfortable with a man. There’s lots of reasons why women will call another woman more readily than a man but especially in the Hasidic community. SDJJ: A women’s division seems like such an obvious solution. PE: That’s what everyone says, like it’s a

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 39

FILM FESTIVAL

Hadassah Wedding.

no-brainer. If it’s so segregated why don’t they have separate EMS, and really these women have been trying. The original founders have been trying to get in for 30 years. When Hatzolah was first founded, there was supposed to be a women’s division that was part of it and 300 women were trained and at the last minute the Rabbis came out and said no women, you can’t do this. And they’ve been quietly trying for decades to get in and it wasn’t until Ruchie Freier made one last attempt to get in, really tried. And when the door was shut in her face, she said she’s not going to leave it like this. So what it comes down to, I believe, is it's power. Hatzolah is an outlet for a lot of men in the community. They’re looked upon as heroes because they are. They save lives; there’s a lot of clout. And once you have women going into that space it becomes a lot less cool. They want to keep it male for just really misogynistic reasons. There is no logical reason for it. SDJJ: Has Hatzolah ever had to answer for why they won’t allow women? PE: There’s never a straight answer ... The most common one is women aren’t capable, That’s what it is. They’re not able, they’re not fast, Ruchie was told she’ll have blood on her hands if women serve because they won’t be able to respond to calls fast enough. So you have the range there. SDJJ: Was it difficult making the film? PE: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. So it took over five years to make. I shot the bulk of it myself because that was the way to make everyone comfortable and gain access to the community and the way I did gain access was that I’m Orthodox, I grew up in an Orthodox commu40 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Freier on a street in Borough Park, Brooklyn.

nity so I understand, to an extent, a lot of the modesty traditions and promised to uphold those and shot in a way that was dignified for the women. Ruchie and the women said they weren’t happy with the way media portrays their community, so I said, ‘If you don’t like it, you have to give them something else. You have to give them another story and I’m going to tell the story from within. It’s from your voice, you have the platform. You tell us the story rather than having media tell it for you from an outsider perspective.’ So I really sought to make a film from within about change from within, but it was really, really difficult on many levels. I had to convince a community that is very skeptical of media to let me in. That was, like I said, really, really not easy. I am a filmmaker that happens to be Orthodox, but I went to NYU film school. This is my profession and the Hassidic community is not on the top of the list ... so to convince the film industry ... to support this film about empowered Hasidic women who don’t leave at the end was very challenging and in a way I wasn’t pleasing anyone. I wasn’t in the Hasidic community ... and I was ... pointing to flaws in Hatzolah, which was not a popular thing to do because they’re the crown jewel ... But, in the end, I stuck to the story, to my vision and I’m really proud ... They had support from every major film institution: Sundance, Tribeca, all of them. PBS came on as a co-producer and everyone really saw the story for the amazing story that it is and thankfully Ruchie and all the women are thrilled with how it came out. It shows a really honest portrayal of the story. It doesn’t glorify anything and it doesn’t demonize. It’s what it is. SDJJ: What do you hope audiences take from the film?

PE: I hope they do see this community in another light, in a more human way on a more basic level, especially the women – that these are people, despite what stories come out of this community. These are regular people who wake up every day. This is what they’re born into and they’re just getting by like everyone else. So I hope it humanizes it to that extent, and I also hope that people see the efforts and the accomplishment of the women as part of the larger story of feminism and that feminism is not a one size fits all ... What feminism looks like in Borough Park is not going to look the same way that feminism looks like in Manhattan or San Diego or wherever else. It morphs. It evolves. This is what it looks like there, and that change is slow, but we need to embrace small steps and embrace this if we want to see greater change. So these are really the main things and, of course, to be inspired by not giving up. Ruchie and these women, they persevered. If you persevere, you will get where you need to go. SDJJ: Is Ezras Nashim more accepted now? PE: They’re getting known and more accepted. They’re actually on their wait to getting their first ambulance, which was really nice. The film really helped with that. We had impact screenings for members of FDNY and for different hospitals in Brooklyn who were not helping them because Hatzolah was blocking anyone to help. They are doing really well and expanding to other communities. So I think it is more accepted. Once they get this ambulance it will be a big step, but it’s now gone from this little story in Borough Park to a global platform. A

FILM FESTIVAL

'Heading Home: ' BY JACQUELINE BULL

eading Home: The Tale of Team Israel” is a documentary about baseball, Israel and home. Dan Miller, Jonathan Mayo and Jeremy Newberger all attended the same Jewish sleepaway camp in the ‘80’s. Jonathan would become a reporter for Major League Baseball and Dan and Jeremy would become directors for documentary films. “Since Jewish sleepaway camp, we’ve been looking for a way to work with Jonathan and he kept coming to us with ideas. And one of his ideas was to take a group of Jewish major leaguers on a Birthright trip. We went out one spring training to Florida and Arizona and interviewed as many of the Jewish players that Jon was connected to ... Of course he had a particular hobby of mentally collecting who is a Jew [laughs] in the players that he interviews,” Jeremy Newberger said. “We put together a sizzle reel to try and make a film where we got them on a Birthright trip to Israel and we couldn’t get the funding to get them to Israel. So we shelved it. And lo and behold a group of these same guys ended up drafted onto Team Israel and qualified in the Brooklyn qualifiers. That’s when all of a sudden our phone was ringing off the hook, we had funding, we had

interest, we had an airplane to Israel ... so that sort of kickstarted us into the project,” he said. This Team Israel would compete for the World Baseball Classic, an international tournament where the top 16 teams compete in different venues around the world for the title. “We lucked into this amazing Cinderella underdog sports story because Team Israel defied expectations,” he said. In a country with very few baseball diamonds, it was a huge shock that they could even qualify. Team Israel was primarily comprised of American Jews who had been in and out and around the Minor and Major Leagues. “The whole point of the game is to head home. And we were sort of faced with the story of American Jews because the majority of Team Israel was American Jews – diaspora Jews – and they were playing in the World Baseball Classic representing a country that they did not grow up in ... The idea of heading home kind of speaks to these guys and their journey to connect with a country that they had to represent on the world stage,” he said. And going back and having the team and

their wives, girlfriends or family members see Israel for the first time is a significant portion of the film. They see Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the markets, the Dead Sea and the Wall. And they met with young Israeli baseball fans to play for them, meet with them and sign autographs. “One of the things that connects my fellow directors and I is baseball. When we were young, our dads would take us to see ball games. My dad used to take me to see the New York Mets. We lived on Long Island. I think he would only take me to see the Mets because he was afraid to park in the Bronx to see the Yankees [laughs]. So we ended up Mets fans. I remember fondly – my dad has since passed – he would buy me a program and I would keep track of the strikes and fouls. It was a great way to connect with my dad. And I think some of the appeal of baseball to Jews in general is that sort of generational connection that is fostered in our holidays and our religion,” he said. And in regards to how far Team Israel makes it in the World Baseball Classic, you’ll have to go watch it to find out. A

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 41

FILM FESTIVAL

True Jewish-American Hero A Conversation with the Director of 'Carl Laemmle' BY BRIE STIMSON

obody knows about this guy. When they learn about him, they’re like they can’t believe how did this guy slip through the cracks of history?” James Freedman asks rhetorically as he describes his documentary of filmmaker Carl Laemmle. Of course, Laemmle didn’t completely slip through the cracks of history as James admits. He is known as the founder of Universal Studios, the Laemmle Theatres still stand in Hollywood and classic movie fans can see his name attached to black and white classics like “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” But the more remarkable parts of his story have been swept under the rug of history and that’s where James’ documentary comes in. Laemmle was a Jewish German immigrant who came to the United States at 17, but he didn’t enter the film business until he was almost 40. “He was actually working in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and he went down to Chicago to open a 5 and 10 cent store like a Woolworth’s and when he got there he saw this long line of people around the corner,” James tells me. Laemmle had stumbled across his first Nickelodeon and “instantly he completely decided to go into that business.” Within a couple of years he had become the largest distributor of films in the country and soon went into making his own movies as well as founding Universal. One of the lesser-known aspects of Laemmle’s life was how he saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi Germany. “He was sounding the alarm about Hitler in the early 1930s when the other Jewish moguls were ignoring Hitler,” James says. “When Hitler came to power, Laemmle literally tried to evacuate every Jew in his hometown and then that led to him evacuating and saving friends and family and distant relatives and finally strangers – everyone he could until he died in 1939.” At the time, James explains, the U.S. government was very anti-Semitic and the American people didn’t want more Jews coming into the country. The country was also in the midst of the Great Depression and the government didn’t want immigrants taking the few scarce jobs available. “So you had to tell the U.S. government, so the person wouldn’t become a public charge, you had to support them, you had to give them a place to live or find them a job.” As a joke, Laemmle was called Uncle Carl and was well known for nepotism in hiring family and friends to work for Universal, but, in truth, it was the only way he could get people safely into the United States. Eventually the government started turning down Laemmle’s affidavits for the immigrants he was sponsoring “because they said ‘you’re bringing in too many Jews into the country for one individual.’ So he then tried to get his family to do it and they stopped them and then – I have a guy on camera saying he was in the last 50 families he was 42 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Carl Laemmle.

allowed to bring over.” Eventually, Laemmle started getting other people – Jews and gentiles alike – to write affidavits. After Laemmle lost Universal in 1936, “he devoted the last three years of his life to getting as many Jews over as he could. So, at one point, he put a million dollars in escrow in a Swiss bank account for people to be able to prove to the United States that they were being taken care of.” In total, Laemmle saved more than 300 families from Nazi Germany. Laemmle also successfully took on Thomas Edison in what was called the Trust Wars. “It was the ultimate David vs. Goliath battle,” James says. At the time, Edison was the most famous inventor in the country. He had invented the light bulb, the phonograph and he had someone working for him who invented a film camera, which he patented even though others had created and were using the same technology. Because Edison had patented the technology, he was requiring theaters to pay him $2 a week for the right to rent their films, which added up to $20 million in today’s money, James says. “Laemmle finally said ‘I’m not paying this fee. No one can tell me I can’t make movies,” James explains. “You couldn’t buy film. Edison would just sue with patent lawsuits. He sued Laemmle 289 times and Laemmle won every single lawsuit and he basically made Edison quit the business entirely. And the Trust Wars changed the film business.” If Edison was suing Laemmle, James explains, Laemmle would do things like steal away one of Edison’s stars. “Back then they were never given billing. No one knew who they were. They just said ‘oh she’s the girl with the golden curls, I want to see her movie.’ Well Laemmle gave them star billing so people knew who Mary Pickford was and all of a sudden that changed the film business. Now you were going to see a star.” “Or if Laemmle and independents were having a conference in Ohio and the Edison trust refused to let them show their films in the theaters, Laemmle would show his film on a raft on the Ohio River and attract massive crowds. He was just always figuring out a way. ‘It can be done’ was his motto and he used that same ‘It can be done’ spirit to take on the U.S. government to save all these German refugees.” James made the documentary on a shoestring budget for which he put up most of his own money, not taking a salary for about three years. He also received a grant from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation. And raised some money from a nonprofit. He had just finished his first feature with HBO, which Martin Scorsese produced and he started looking for a new subject. “I came across this article on this little German immigrant Carl

Laemmle who fought Thomas Edison in the Trust Wars,” James says. “I’d been a writer in Hollywood for many years – I knew nothing about this story. I go, ‘this is fascinating,’ so I Googled him again and I came up with another article about how Laemmle hired all these women directors in the 1910s and 20s and at one time made Lois Weber the highest paid director on his lot. And that’s such in the zeitgeist today of what’s going on. He was doing it back then. Then I read another article on how Laemmle took on the Hollywood censors to make “Imitation of Life,” a film, which, in part, was about being black in America in the 1930s. This film was made in 1934; you’re talking about five years before “Gone With the Wind.” And then, of course, I was completely blown away when I read about him taking on the U.S. government to save hundreds of Jewish refugee families from Nazi Germany and I started telling my friends about this guy. And no one had really heard of him.” James says one of the hardest parts to cut out of the documentary for time was Laemmle’s efforts to save the Jewish refugees on the SS St. Louis, which became known as the Voyage of the Damned. The ship of immigrants was told they could land in Cuba, but when they arrived they weren’t allowed in. Laemmle had worked in Cuba and tried, with no avail, to pull some strings. The ship then tried to come to the U.S. but was refused. Laemmle turned to the American president for help. “He sent this telegram to FDR, pleading with him to let these Jews in, basically saying ‘my power as compared to yours is that of a child,’” James tells me. “'I need someone like you with the power of the presidency to help these poor, unfortunate people.’ And he was turned down,” James explains. Roosevelt knew Jewish immigration was unpopular among the American people,“and sadly the ship was forced to return to Europe and many of those passengers ended up dying in Holocaust. But I love the fact that he tried.” “I realized this guy is a true Jewish American hero. He’s a true American Hero,” James tells me emphatically of his subject near the end of our conversation. “And I said the world’s going to love to hear this story. Especially today when there’s so much going on in the world that is – we live in very difficult times – and it’s reassuring to know that there are and there always were people who care about humanity, who overcame great obstacles to save people less fortunate than themselves, and I’m honored to tell this guy’s story.”A San Diego Jewish Film Festival attendees can see “Carl Laemmle” at the Museum of Photographic Arts on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. or at the Clairemont Reading Cinemas 14 Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m.

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 43

FILM FESTIVAL

Chanel No. 5 and World War II BY JACQUELINE BULL

oco Chanel is lauded as one of the key fashion designers in ushering in modernity in the 1920s. Her designs were sleek, elegant, uncumbersome and, to some, radical by making corset-free the more fashionable and prefered choice of the day. Her “little black dress” has often been credited as empowering the working class to reclaim the elegance of a simple black uniform. Fashion has always been political. Her most enduring legacy will likely be her fragrance, Chanel No. 5. And this is where the documentary “The N°5 War” comes in. The film, by French documentarian Stéphane Benhamou, is told with animation, voice over, interviews with experts and historians and archival images and footage, creating the effect of a collage. The documentary starts as an overview – almost a trailer of itself – stating that this iconic perfume is a character in a drama spanning from the 20s and 40s and includes high ranking Nazi officials, French high society and American and German spies. The documentary doesn’t start at the beginning of Coco’s life, as a documentary about her life might, but at the first idea of creating a fragrance, thus we understand that the main protagonist of the story is indeed the perfume, not Coco. This mirrors one of the source materials, a biography, “The Secret Of Chanel No. 5” written by Tilar J. Mazzeo. (Mazzeo appears in interviews for the documentary). In “The Secret Of Chanel No. 5,” the book doesn’t digress much to Coco’s life before or after the perfume. 44 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

At a party, Coco is suggested that she should make her own signature fragrance. She explains her disdain for the perfumes of the day and their fussy bottles. In the end, she pursues it and aims to make an artistic creation of multiple scents synthesized into one perfume. At the time, that was fairly unheard of when most perfumes were strongly of one flower, sometimes rose, jasmine or lily of the valley. Chanel No.5 is developed in small batches and sold in her fashion houses. Coco then wants to have the perfume sold in the department store that was popular with Parisian women, La Galerie Lafayette. The founder Theophile Bader, doesn’t think their current production would be able to keep up with demand and recommends the Wertheimer brothers, his business partners. They invested widely in aeronautics, horses and luxury goods and their family had owned the perfume and cosmetics company Bourjois for many years. They agree to be partners in 1924 and widescale production of the perfume begins. In 1929, it becomes the world’s bestselling perfume. Now, this could have been the end of the story, but Chanel becomes dissatisfied with the partnership with her portion of ownership and how her image and identity became marketing tools. The board of directors then votes her out of the presidency of the company and sets things into motion. Her business partners, The Wertheimer’s, happen to be Jewish. And in a few years Nazi occupation of France will begin and later the

“aryanization” of economics. The documentary follows both Chanel’s and the Wertheimer’s wartime activities and Chanel No.5. Neither Chanel or the Wertheimer’s are painted by the documentary as either heros or villians and simply follows the winding path that the perfume and the company take. The documentary fits in with the genre of wartime narratives that rely on expert testimony rather than re-enactment or tipping towards historical fiction (though what has been uncovered is quite compelling and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the rights picked up for a live action retelling). That means the audience gets less human connection with the cast of characters and puts the focus on the known events. And the archival video footage as a way into the mindset and aesthetic of the time. The audience is left with their own questions about Chanel, her legacy and all that happened to keep the perfume in production. Will this documentary change public opinion about Coco Chanel? Will this documentary affect how people see the perfume, the bags and the clothes? Will this documentary position a solely French story into a Jewish one? A And P.S. for those wanting additional information after seeing the documentary, read up about the current management and ownership of the Chanel brand.

FEATURE: Camps

It’s Not Just Where We are That Makes Us A Malibu Jewish Camp’s Resilience After Fire Devastation BY BRIE STIMSON

ids attending Camp Hess Kramer and Gindling Hilltop Camp have run on the same trails, shot at the same archery targets and looked out at the same Malibu waters since 1952. The camp actually rented from a local church before that, but they soon decided they wanted their own dedicated Jewish space. “That’s when they were gifted the property that we have and it’s been there ever since and serving the greater community as well,” says camp Director Seth Toybes. He says the camp was a home to the early days of the Chicano movement and has always been a welcome place for minorities. “Our camps have always opened themselves up to that – just sort of dedicated to helping kids grow and learn and become healthy, contributing members of society and learn how to be good Jews. And take care of one another.” The Woolsey Fire burned about 90 percent of the camps on the day it swept through in mid-November. “Both Hilltop and Kramer were destroyed,” Seth says. “There’s a few

remaining buildings standing here and there but pretty much, completely gone.” An LA County outdoor science school was renting the site just before the fire hit. “We were notified by the fire department Thursday before the fire sort of swept through camp Thursday evening and we evacuated,” he says. “We evacuated all of those kids and we evacuated all of our staff and got out of there. By Friday, news was kind of coming in that things had started burning on camp and so we started taking it from there.” Seth says their winter camp, which was set to start about a week after the fire, had to be cancelled, but Hess Kramer and Gindling Hilltop camps are still on schedule for next summer. “We are going to be open for the summer,” Seth says. “Not at that site. We’re looking, searching all over right now, trying to nail down a site that we can use for the summer and while we sort of begin the recovery process.” “If you have any hesitation,” he adds of potential parents and campers, “the strength of

our community to me is a testament to how wonderful camp is and wherever we’re going to be it’s going to be a blast and it’s going to be amazing and so I hope to see you this summer.” Both camps are currently registering campers for this summer and the hashtags #KramerNeverStops and #HilltopNeverStops have been circulating on social media to remind people that nothing, not even a fire, will prevent camp from happening. “We’re going to have camp and we’re excited about it and we can’t wait to see people there,” Seth says. While they are staying positive, the reality is that recovery and rebuilding will be a years-long process. “How long it will take is really hard to say at this point because there’s so many government agencies involved and insurance and all sorts of things,” Seth explains. “I would suspect it will be more than a summer. The hope is that we will be able to remain where we are and rebuild the site, but we don’t have a timeframe yet, it’s just too early.” Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 45

A camper is supported by her peers as she completes the ropes challenge course.

Seth says they are working with the State of California and the federal government as they start recovering. “It’s still a pretty hazardous place right now and there’s a lot of wreckage and ash and things like that.” He adds that donating “is probably the most helpful right now.” There were several people who lived on the site who were displaced and are homeless. He says the camp secured temporary housing for those people and are working to find permanent housing, and any donations sent to the

fund will go toward helping those displaced. “If they want to get involved, they can keep in touch basically because we’re updating stuff on our Facebook page regularly and we’re sending out messaging. We are just sort of engaging the community that way. We do have a passive campaign if people would like to donate, but we haven’t started our larger campaign to sort of work to reenvision the camps yet.” Wildfires in California have been getting progressively worse and more frequent in the last few years, and the Woolsey Fire was the most devastating in modern history, burning 96,949 acres and killing three people. Seth says they have always been concerned about wildfires, but nothing has ever come as close as what happened last November. “There was some fire that had sort of touched the camp just barely in the early 90s, I believe, and there have been several other instances where things have gotten close, but nothing remotely as catastrophic as what we experienced last month.” Although the damage was indeed catastrophic, Seth sees what happened as a learning opportunity and a time to feel grateful. “The initial outpouring was just sadness and kind of shock, but it really, really quickly

An unforgettable story of love, family and the healing power of food. 사랑과 가족, 그리고 음식을 통해 치유하는 잊을 수 없는 스토리

turned to being warm and supportive and uplifting,” Seth tells me. “Myself and the rest of our fulltime team, we’re working around the clock and still sort of are to talk with our community and be involved and be as empathetic as possible to where they’re at and what they’re feeling and also begin to start thinking about like, thank G-d they were just buildings. And while it’s a hard loss, we’re very thankful that no one was injured. So we’re thankful for the place and how do we move forward and because ultimately it’s our community, it’s not just where we are that makes us.” “It’s also, for us, been a really tremendous learning opportunity because our campers especially – most of them haven’t experienced loss in their life – and what a unique learning opportunity that they’ll get to experience loss but, thankfully not have to lose a person, so they can sort of understand and live in those moments and struggle a little bit, but also learn how to be stronger from the other side and how to wrestle with those feelings and put things in perspective that, like I said, we lost buildings but we still have each other. And what a blessing that is.” A To donate go to wbtcamps.org/recovery.

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THEATER: "Gabriel"

'GABRIEL' Blows a Horn at North Coast Repertory Theatre BY PAT LAUNER

naked man washes up on a beach. When he regains consciousness, he has no memory of where he’s from or where he was headed. That’s just one of the surprises in “Gabriel,” a story of moral borderlines by English playwright Moira Buffini, which is having its West Coast premiere at North Coast Repertory Theatre. The time is 1943. The Nazis have occupied Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands that are British Crown Dependencies. Four women are trying to hold onto their ancestral home. At considerable peril, they decide to harbor the stranger and nurse him back to health. What ensues is a bit of magic, coupled with pranks, love, resentment, revenge and terror. “Each of these women is fighting, in her own way, to survive in a ‘man’s world,’” says North Coast Rep associate artistic director Christopher Williams, who helms the production. “They have lost the male figures in their lives, their so-called ‘protectors.’ Each is longing for some connection.” The women dealing with the occupying Nazi officer, Von Pfunz, are: Jeanne, an attractive widow who has become a collaborator; Estelle, her wily 10-year-old daughter; Lily, her daughter-in-law; and Lake, their long-time housekeeper.

Williams thinks each character represents an approach to life and survival. “Jeanne owns the estate the Germans have taken over. She fraternizes with them to save her family from more hardship. She’s desperately seeking love and has a need to be desired. She has lost her husband, her son and her lover [the previous occupying Nazi officer]. She thinks Lily’s Jewishness puts them all in danger. Jeanne represents the physical, visceral appetite, the hunger. She debases herself in the eyes of the other characters and perhaps even her own. But this is how she tries to protect her daughter and survive with the cards she’s been dealt.” That precocious daughter, Estelle, “a little spitfire, represents the young rebellion; innocence turned strength. She speaks an incantation, hoping to bring destruction to Von Pfunz and the Nazis. This is her means of survival. She prays for a savior and paves the way for the light to destroy the darkness. She has lost her brother, her savior, Miles. She believes her prayer has brought this stranger.” Lily, the ingénue who develops a mutual attraction with the stranger, “represents the passion, romance and soul of love. She’s a Cockney Jew, most likely brought from mainland England to Guernsey by her husband, Miles, Jeanne’s son. Miles, an RAF

pilot, is lost and presumed dead. There were some Jews on Guernsey before World War II, but not many. After the Germans occupied the island, identification cards were implemented, similarly to other European countries. Lily is trapped on the island and trapped within the household. Without an ID card, there is no way off the island. The Nazi SS officer doesn’t know that she’s Jewish. But the secret isn’t that she’s Jewish. The big surprise is how Von Pfunz learns that she’s Jewish. She craves freedom, and speaks about flying above the clouds, away from this place.” Williams notes “the many references to flying throughout the play, which makes sense, given the ‘angel’ motif.” The housekeeper, Lake, who is fiercely loyal to the family, “represents the majority of the populace – the pragmatic side. She has her class and racial prejudices. The most fearful of the women, she tries to keep her head down and play by the rules, as much as possible; she deals in the black market to help keep the fire burning at home. But her motivations are self-preservation more than preserving the people being persecuted.” Von Pfunz, who presents himself as patient, reasonable and poetic, “represents the tyranny of oppression, the darkness – but not in a typical form. He is not the overShevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 49

bearing, hard-nosed Nazi officer we’re accustomed to seeing. He has his own needs and desires. While they remain deeply shrouded, there is a humanity to him. He’s gregarious, fun, even charming. All the rest is seething underneath – and the scary revelations ultimately come out.” Then there’s the mysterious, handsome stranger. Estelle names him Gabriel, which is Hebrew for “G-d is my strength.” In the Old Testament, Gabriel is an angel, the messenger of G-d, who first appears in the Book of Daniel. Gabriel is one of the few Biblical figures revered in more than one religious tradition: Judaism, Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. In the Qur’an, he’s called the ‘angel of truth.’ “In the play,” says Williams, “Gabriel arrives to shine light on the darkness. But who is he really? His memory only consists of a recollection of bright light, and the feeling of falling, which, of course, adds to the angelic theme. Has Estelle actually conjured him? Is he here with a message from G-d? There are only questions in the text, no answers. But Gabriel ignites and stokes the needs and desires of each of the women. He becomes the conduit. “The whole play is shrouded in mystery. Moira Buffini has created deeply moving characters, all clinging to what they have left in one hand, while stretching toward their desires and needs with the other.”

The Playwright… and Earlier Productions After “Gabriel’s” London premiere at Soho Theatre in 1997, Buffini won the LWT Plays on Stage Award and the Meyer-Whitworth Award for new British playwrights. Born in England to Irish parents, she has won acclaim for her acting and her writing. In 1999, her play “Silence” earned the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a woman. Other works have been staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre (“Dinner” transferred to the West End and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Comedy – the London equivalent of a Tony Award). Buffini is a founding member of the Monsterists, a group of playwrights who promote new work in the British theater. In 2010, “Gabriel” was produced Off Broadway by the Atlantic Theatre Company. New York Times critic Charles Isherwood considered it to be “riveting watching 50 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

… The thoughtful writing steers clear of melodramatic cliché, grounding the play’s events in emotional truth and complex characters … The most engrossing relationship is the deeply layered mixture of attraction and repulsion between Jeanne and the German officer.” He admired the work’s “sheer polish, narrative dash and dramatic brio.” In a 2017 London revival, The Telegraph said the work “affords the spectacle of anti-German beastliness of a highly entertaining sort … Guernsey was somewhat cocooned from the worst horrors [of the war], although the grisly treatment of prisoners of war on the island is alluded to. In this Anglo-Teutonic no-man’s land.” He particularly admired Jeanne, “the resistance-fighter whose weapon is her wit, double-bluffing to the hilt, her hatred cloaked beneath insouciant disdain like some undercover agent.” He called it “a rewarding, haunting evening.” Williams is the perfect person to bring this creation to San Diego audiences. He’s already familiar with the play, having directed the 2017 reading at North Coast Rep, which was so well received, a full-scale production was scheduled. Williams considers himself a “big World War II buff.” He spent 10 years studying the war and producing a movie about it. He also created the movie’s artwork and promotional posters. The 2014 film, “Walking with the Enemy,” which starred Ben Kingsley and was shot in Romania and Hungary, concerned a young Jewish man who dressed as a Nazi officer in Budapest. He “looked Aryan, spoke German fluently, and stole a Nazi uniform. I played his sidekick, who was also Jewish,” says Williams. That wasn’t his first time portraying a Jewish character. While Williams was still living in Phoenix (he moved to San Diego in 2005), David Ellenstein cast him as one of the Rabbis’ sons in “The Chosen,” at the Arizona Jewish Theatre, and then again at North Coast Rep. He gave an outstanding, thoroughly convincing performance. “Most of my acting career has been Jewish characters and Shakespeare,” Williams says. “As a result, I can speak a little Yiddish and Hebrew. I know some of the prayers. I definitely have the look, but I also connect to these characters and these stories. Despite my Catholic upbringing, they called me “Jewboy” in Phoenix. Any time there was a Jewish role, nine out of 10 times, I got the

job. “Through theater, I learned about the Jewish culture. I was interested in survivors, and guys in the military, and regular citizens. All my study gave me a deeper and deeper appreciation. I always try for accuracy, as with the Nazi uniforms in Guernsey, which were not the same as elsewhere. “I’m a history nerd,” he confesses. “Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt. I’m also a huge mythology person. I love math and science. I have a wide range of interests. Fortunately for me, theater is an artform that encompasses dance, music, speech, poetry, visual art, math and science. That’s why I love it so much.”

Moral Conundrums In this play, Williams says, there’s a good deal about morality. “Who’s telling lies and what comes of them? Who’s doing the right thing – and what is the right thing? The Nazis are in power; they could kill anyone at any time. Do you fight them, and if so, how? The big question remains: Who is Gabriel, where did he come from, and why is he there? Is he a missing SS soldier? An RAF pilot, like Miles? An RAF plane recently went down on the island. Is he Miles in another form, as Estelle thinks, come back as an angel to defeat the Nazis? The question is open for the audience to decide. “The play’s title is ‘Gabriel,’” Williams continues, “but it really centers on the women. Gabriel is something of an angelic person; he’s the one who brings light to Lily, and hope to the others.” As Yvonne Korshak put it in “LetsTalkOffBroadway.com,” after seeing the 2010 production, “Buffini, a daring and almost shockingly inventive playwright, derives suspenseful plot turns from these characters thrust into a dangerously close situation … The language of the play is filled with images of flickering light. Is Gabriel a starry messenger or a fugitive from the flames of Hell? Since the young girl’s name, Estelle, means star, does that throw the balance toward hope?” You’ll just have to see the North Coast Rep production and find your own answers to these searing dramatic questions. A “Gabriel” runs from Feb. 20-March 17 at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. Tickets and information: 858-4811055; northcoastrep.org.

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FEATURE: USS Midway Foundation Grant

The Need is True

JFS to Help More Military Families With $10,000 Grant BY BRIE STIMSON

ewish Family Service’s Hand Up Food Pantry just got its own hand up recently. Near the end of last year the USS Midway Foundation chose JFS for a $10,000 grant to support the work they do with military families. “It aligns with what we’re already doing and it’s going to be helping continue with our programs. It’s going to primarily support the Hand Up Food Pantry, which is the program that distributes food to active duty military families in San Diego County,” Sasha Escue, director of nutritional services at JFS told me just a few weeks after they’d been offered the grant. She said she was excited about it because they’ve seen what the grant has done for some of the food pantry’s partners like the San Diego Food Bank and Support the Enlisted Project (STEP), which helps military families gain financial self-sufficiency. Twice a month the food pantry holds offsite distributions on Murphy Canyon near a military housing complex and another at Camp Pendleton. “We’re trying to meet the military members where they are so it’s easy to access and provide them with some food staples, which they can use to help support their families,” Sasha said. The pantry has everything from frozen meat and fresh produce to bread and Starbucks sandwiches and pastries. “Items like that are all incorporated into our pantry so whatever’s available at the time is what we bring, but the nutritious non-perishables are always standard, the fresh pro-

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USS Midway Museum’s Dan Beintema, Sasha Escue, director of nutritional services at JFS and Michael Hopkins, CEO of JFS.

duce is always standard, and then we do diapers,” Sasha said. Diapers, she explained, are extremely helpful for many of the military families that use their services. “The majority of the people that access these food services are families and they have on average three children per family so being able to give them diapers to help supplement them, has been really beneficial.” Sasha said food insecurity is a taboo subject to talk about within the military community. “It’s something that they don’t want to talk about because they’re in the military and they feel like they should have enough, but just with the high cost of living in San Diego they’ve really had to struggle,” Sasha said. She explained that many of their clients were relocated by the military from areas with a lower cost of living. “The need is true.” “They’ve been relocated from their friends and their family, they’re from out of state, they might have been living in an area where the cost of living was much lower, so upon arrival here in San Diego, our cost of living is much higher, we have a housing shortage, there’s just a multitude that goes into effect for them to be relocated here,” Sasha said. “Making ends meet – putting food on [the table] or diapers for their children is just something that’s a little bit more out of reach for these individuals.” Sasha explained that the premise of the food pantry is a “hand up” not a “hand out,” meaning they want to help clients reach self-sufficiency. “That’s why we partner with

some of these other organizations that were also awarded the grant from the USS Midway Foundation,” Sasha said. “We work with STEP, which does counseling and financial case management. They do a lot of emergency work ... There’s this vast network that are kind of a safety net, so that these individuals don’t fall into the dire needs of having to lose their home or their vehicle or something, so we’re really happy to partner with them and provide the services that these military families need, so I’m really excited about it.” She emphatically said they are always in need of more volunteers. “Our distributions wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have the support of our volunteers. Each distribution that we do with the military – there’s about 25 to 35 volunteers who come out and so we have one or two staff members and the rest are volunteers,” she explained. “The amount of volunteers that are working towards helping military families and giving back to the families that have supported the country as a whole is really inspiring, so we want to continue to encourage volunteers to join Jewish Family Service and the good work that we do.” I asked Sasha why she believes it’s important to help military families specifically. “San Diego is such an active military community, and they do so much for our country and for our city of San Diego,” Sasha told me. “I feel like it’s a basic right and a basic need and something that we feel strongly towards that we should be giving back to those that give so much to us.” A

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FEATURE: Valentine’s Day

With the Toil Goes the Reward

A Jewish Take on Valentine’s Day BY RABBI JACOB RUPP

s there a Jewish way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? In the highly assimilated state of the Jewish world, the fact that most Jews would even stop to think about the appropriateness of celebrating a holiday named after a Christian saint is a big accomplishment! But go on, ask the question. Do Jews need a Christian holiday (SAINT Valentine’s Day) to rekindle desire? Ask the follow up, even more Jewish question—do we need to spend money to show love? I’d venture the say perhaps and yes. Who is your “valentine?” Besides bringing up some PTSD from our middle school days, sometimes we forget we are married to someone. Sure, we know our spouses, but do we really know them? Or is it the kind of thing that once you’ve gotten into the relationship, you start to take them for granted? Start by considering whom you are with. Have they changed over the course of the time you have been together? Have you given them the space and freedom to express themselves? Do you express yourself? The challenge for so many of us is that we don’t create “safe spaces” for expression. We know how our beloved will respond and we tailor ourselves around them, or we expect them to be either explicitly or implicitly who they always were in order to create “peace in the home.” But shalom bayit, or peace in the home, isn’t for the faint of heart or those of us who don’t feel comfortable with ourselves or who their spouses might be. While you may only get married once, committing to your partner 54 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

is a daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes by the minute experience. It means reaffirming your love, your care and your appreciation for your spouse. It also means thinking about what makes your spouse comfortable above all, even when that means perhaps not going to a business dinner with that colleague of the opposite sex, or leaving your kids home with your spouse while you go take a pleasure trip with an old roommate. Now of course, this doesn’t mean you should never have fun, be yourself, or never have fun without your spouse. Rather it’s a mindset and a path in life. Oftentimes if your partner is upset, it’s because you haven’t done enough to show them love, appreciation or admiration. You need to start recognizing them. Being there for them. And no, it’s never too late to start again (or even for the first time). If you mess up your healthy eating plan during one meal, it doesn’t mean the rest of the day, week, or life is beyond help. When you focus on who your beloved is, and how to make them happy, comfortable and successful (yes, even if you don’t get that back immediately from them), you would be shocked to see how happy they become and how much easier it becomes to communicate. Rather than looking to win, look to understand. Look to listen. There were times when my wife would ask, “Do you love me?” To which I would respond “yes,” or “of course.” But in my mind, I would think, “Isn’t this obvious? Like I married you, I work to provide for our family, I try to be a good dad, etc., etc., etc.” But this dialogue suggests that I was (am) someone who isn’t looking to communicate or to lis-

ten. I should have heard that I should tell my wife I love her MORE. I should act in more loving ways MORE. The Jewish way in love and marriage is the idea that our partners are our mirrors. G-d tailor picks our relationships for us for the sake of making us better. If our partner is anxious, it’s our job to work on being more comforting. If our partner gets irritable, it’s our job to learn how to communicate in a less annoying way. In no way does this idea take away from our personal responsibility to be calm, happy and perfect. And it’s not up to our spouse to fix any of our problems; rather our relationships are tools to help us become more giving, more happy, better people of G-d. Not, by the way, to take for ourselves. And what about buying gifts for your beloved? There is a notion that Valentine’s Day is just a commercial opportunity. Could something like love be concretized into something like a gift? A trinket? A flower? You’re darn tootin’! While buying things is no substitute for actually caring and being a good person/ husband/wife, it definitely makes your spouse feel like you thought about them, care for them and value them. So worst case scenario, think about your beloved once a year. Buy them something nice once a year. If it’s on Feb 14, OK—but that isn’t so Jewish. Valentine’s day, like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day aren’t once a year opportunities. They are usually weekly, daily or even by the minute chances to get closer to our loved once and become better versions of ourselves. A

FEATURE: WJHF

Part Two

WHAT JEWISH HISTORY FORGOT: A TRIBUTE TO THE JEWISH WOMAN Regina Jones.

BY MARNIE MACAULAY

n our last issue, we looked at a small sampling of remarkable Jewish women who used their special talents and skill to change the world around them in a young America. Most of us have heard of Barbara Walters, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, playwright Wendy Wasserstein, Molly Goldberg (Gertrude Berg), and of course, Streisand and Midler, but what of Belle Moskowitz, the real power behind a New York governor or Ruth Cohen Frisch, the rebbetzin who tamed her rough and tumble rabbi husband? In this issue we look at Soldiers, Yentls, and Scholars. Here is a tiny sampling.

GROUND-BREAKERS: SOLDIERS, YENTLS & SCHOLARS Jewish women have contributed to the U.S. military since the Civil War, when Phoebe Yates Levy offered her nursing skills and became one of the first women to break into the previously all-male field of nursing. According to the Jewish Chaplains Association, there are only 28 active-duty Jewish chaplains and 57 reservists. RABBI CHANA TIMONER: Rabbi Chana Timoner, who became the first Jewish full-time army chaplain, came from a military tradition. The New York Times reported that her mother joined the Canadian Army in 1940 to join the fight against the Nazis. Timoner was born in the early 1950s. She married at 18 and then graduated from Southern Connecticut State University, while raising two children who were teenagers when she enrolled in rabbinical school. Timoner was ordained in 1989, then continued at the New York Theologi-

cal Seminary, studying for her doctorate. Timoner was 39 when she began her army career at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, officiating at all life-cycle events. She also organized donations to agencies and those in need on the base and ran the army’s largest Jewish religious school. She served in Korea, where she was stationed with an aviation attack regiment near the demilitarized zone. It was there when she was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus. There was an empty seat at MIT in the 2003 commencement ceremonies when her son, Samson J. Timoner received his PhD. She died in 1998 at age 46, but the family still felt her loving presence: “We know she’s here in spirit,” they said.

EARLY YENTLS Rashi, the great 12th-century French rabbi, had three daughters who were highly educated, assisted in the publication of their father’s works and it is also believed rendered legal decisions in his absence. In the 16th century, Miriam, a descendent of Rashi, and the mother of Rabbi Solomon Luria, lectured at a seminary from behind an opaque screen. REGINA JONES: Louise Scodie wrote an article about Regina Jones titled “A Forgotten Pioneer of Faith.” Regina was born in 1902 in Berlin and attended the city’s center for Jewish studies. She qualified as a religion teacher, but she was determined to become a rabbi. She encountered the predictable opposition until Rabbi Max Dienemann in Offenbach ordained her in 1935, thus making the

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33-year-old the first female rabbi in history. Jones gave sermons and performed pastoral duties working among Berlin’s Jewish community—a role she continued after she was deported to the Czech Ghetto, Theriesenstadt, in November 1942. She was murdered at age 42 in Auschwitz on Dec. 12, 1944. Though Regina never stopped challenging the rabbinical patriarchy, her place in Judaic history was largely swept aside. PAULA ACKERMAN: On December 12, 1950, Paula Ackerman became the interim “spiritual leader” of Temple Beth Israel in Meridian, Mississippi, after her husband (the congregation’s rabbi) died. Although she lacked official ordination, the state of Mississippi permitted her to perform marriages. She was allowed to act as a “rabbi” as result of a ruling in Reform Judaism. She was born Paula Herskovitz and married Rabbi William Ackerman in 1919. As a rebbitzin, she taught in the Hebrew school, worked with the sisterhood, and even took her husband’s place on the pulpit whenever he was absent or ill. After her husband died, 57-year-old Paula was asked to fill in until the synagogue could get another rabbi. Ackerman saw the challenge as opening doors for women to train for congregational leadership. She steered Beth Israel for the next three years. In 1962, when the rabbi of Ackerman’s childhood synagogue in Pensacola, Florida, suddenly quit she agreed to return to hold that congregation together as well. RUTH COHEN FRISCH: Perhaps one of the most fascinating rebbetzins (and G-d knows, patient) was the beloved Ruth Cohen Frisch, daughter of Galveston’s popular Rabbi Henry Cohen. Oy, did she get her “spirited” husband, radical Rabbi Ephraim Frisch, out of tsouris more than once after he took the pulpit at San Antonio’s Temple Beth-El in 1923. The rabbi was an avid New Dealer and friend of Clarence Darrow and Diego Rivera; sometimes he went a bissel overboard, for example, when he blessed the hogs at the Stock Show on radio. Rabbi Frisch’s views also got him into hot water when he chastised San Antonio’s wealthy for ignoring problems in the Mexican barrio; criticized congregants who fought unionization; and ridiculed legislators who sought to ban evolution from being taught in the schools. His rebbetzin, Ruth, while also progressive, used her wit, warmth, and persuasiveness to smooth her husband’s rough and tumble edges. She held classes for youngsters, steering a number of children into the arts. In 1942, when she died from Hodgkin’s disease, her husband sunk into depression and retired—with the help of his congregation. “If a turtle stays in one place, he is very safe. But if he wants to move, he has to stick his neck out. You have to take a risk if you believe in something.”—Dr. Ruth Westheimer

GROUND-BREAKERS! (A small sampling)

DR. RUTH GRUBER (“Mother Ruth”): Reader’s Digest saluted her as “America’s Schindler.” During World War II when much of the world turned its back on the Jews of Eastern Europe, the Brooklyn-born Ruth Gruber fought to make a difference and did. Gruber was born in 1911 and earned her PhD at age 20. In 1944, while she was working for the secretary of the interior, Harold L. Ickes, President Roosevelt sent Gruber on a covert mission to escort 1,000 World War II refugees to America. During the mission, she was hunted by the Nazis as a spy. Afterward, she wrote her book “Haven”

56 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

about her experiences—which became a television movie in 2000. Dr. Alex Margulies, who helped develop the CAT-scan and MRI, was among those rescued. The refugees were given sanctuary on an old army base in Oswego, New York. They were considered “guests” to be sent back to their homelands after the war, although Gruber succeeded in her efforts to allow them to remain. As the quotas remained unchanged, the refugees were just subtracted from that year’s quota. Following the war, Gruber shined global attention on Jewish migration to Palestine and the growth of Israel. The Pulitzer Prize-winner continued to write and advocate for Jews. She became a worldwide symbol of Jewish rescue from oppression. BELLE MOSKOWITZ: One of the most interesting politicos was New Yorker Belle Moskowitz, who was born in 1877. She used her natural savvy to move in heavy political arenas. A devout social reformer, Belle used her knowledge of Tammany Hall to coerce legislation to clean up “dancing academies” (read: houses of prostitution). After marrying community leader, Henry Moskowitz, the couple arbitrated strikes in the garment industry. Belle also held high positions on the governor’s Labor Board and the New York Port Authority, but her most famous role was that of left and right hand to New York governor, Al Smith. Smith rarely made an important decision without “Mrs. M’s” advice, as he often noted, she had the greatest brain of anyone he knew. ROSALYN SUSSMAN YALOW: Rosalyn Sussman Yalow was born in the Bronx on July 19, 1921, to German and American Jews. After graduating from Hunter College, she accepted a teaching fellowship in physics at the University of Illinois. She became the only female in the College of Engineering, and in 1945, she was the second woman to receive a PhD in physics. She met and married Aaron Yalow, a fellow physics student and the son of a rabbi in 1943. After World War II, the Veterans Administration began research into radioactive substances in treatment and disease. In 1950, Rosalyn was named assistant chief of the Bronx V.A. Hospital’s radioisotope service. In 1977, she became the first American woman to receive the sole Nobel Prize in Medicine for development of radioimmunoassay (RIA). This allowed doctors to diagnose conditions such as diabetes, hepatitis and to determine effective dosages of antibiotics. In Fred A. Bernstein’s “The Jewish Mothers’ Hall of Fame,” Clara Sussman related her pride in her daughter. “[Rosalyn] wanted me to go [to the Nobel ceremony] in the worst way, but I was 92. I didn’t want to spoil her fun. I was at my doctor’s and he said to everyone, ‘This is the Nobel Prize winner’s mother,’ and they all applauded.” This series is a small sampling of the thousands who deserve inclusion and the millions of unsung Jewish women who have taken on as much as shoulders can bear and then some. In the end, our truth is visual. I see an image of a very rare, precious tapestry. Through thousands of years, the tapestry reflects our intricacy, complexity and vibrance. We see the patterns of laughter, wisdom, tears, outrage, tzedakah, courage, involvement; the extraordinary contributions of Jewish women to our culture and to humanity. And let us pray our descendants will add to our majestic tapestry in their own unique way. After all, what right does one stitch have to ignore the design? A

FEATURE: Valentine’s Day

The Benefits of a Dating Coach & Matchmaker BY JUDITH GOTTESMAN, MSW Matchmaker and Dating Coach

ecently, national newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Huffington Post have been writing feature stories on the benefits of investing in a dating coach and matchmaker at any age. This Valentine’s coincides with the 10-year anniversary of starting my business. In the past decade, I have become the main matchmaker for the West Coast Jewish community and a dating coach for the general public, nationwide. I started doing this work informally as a teenager in college 30 years ago since I had a talent for it, and I liked to help people. I became a professional matchmaker and dating coach in 2009 so I could help many more people. People have no hesitation hiring a personal trainer or a real estate agent, so why not someone to help with love? Finding the right person to marry may be the single most important thing you do and the most crucial decision you make in your life, with lifelong lasting impact. Online dating may provide the endless opportunity to meet numerous people, but many of my clients get burnt out by the task and also because they aren’t forging those deep relationships or finding true love. And, many of my clients are high profile members of the Jewish community and do not do online dating at all. I provide the human component because when it comes to matters of the heart, people want a personal touch, and you can’t get more personal than love. Some people have never been married, while others are divorced or widowed. For those getting back into the dating world in their 40s or 50s, maybe they got married when they were 25, so it’s a totally new experience now. The rules of dating have

changed and it’s not how it used to be. I help them navigate the changes. Internet dating is really impersonal and anonymous, and people often create works of fiction in their profiles. And, not only do you have to get noticed, you want to attract the right people. With me, you get your own personal dating coach to help you through the dating process, including help with profiles and what dating sites to use. As a matchmaker, you get an advocate to encourage people to meet you! For example, I had a new client who wanted to date younger women. I had a female client, and I knew she and he were a perfect match, but she was a year older so I had to really push him to meet her. He never would have dated someone his own age if not for my encouragement. She wouldn’t have even come up in his dating site online searches since he screened out her age. I believed strongly they were a soulmate match so I pushed and pushed for him to meet her. Once they met, they hit it off right away and now they are happily married. Senior daters can have different priorities than my younger clients. Most of my clients in their 20s and 30s have never been married and most want children. Most of my senior clients are divorced or widowed. Some have grown children and grandkids they want to spend time with, while others are on their own. They generally want to find someone who is healthy because they lost a spouse who was ill and they don’t want go through that again. Lifestyle compatibility for seniors is about more than just health, of course. It can be about money for some or whether or not people are still up for adventure and travel.

Some individuals don’t want a partner who can’t keep up with their lifestyle. If they’re not retired, they usually want to be with someone who is also not retired. They want someone who has an active, productive life as well. That can be tricky because some people retire early and others never want to retire. Sometimes parents or grandparents have paid for my services as a gift for their family members. I try to help everyone, from the low-income to the wealthy. I am not a dating service and set people up with as few people as possible, waiting for the right match, a genuine potential match to come along. For me, matchmaking is not about numbers, but people. In all my years of experience in the nonprofit world, it seemed to me that whatever challenges people faced – money, health problems, etc. – finding love seemed to help more than anything. I feel strongly helping people find love is the best kind of social work I can do. It’s hard to find love, no matter what your religion is, and it’s even harder for a small minority group. There are successful intermarriages, but religion can be a complicating factor. It’s nice to share values and religious practices and Jewish identity matters. I have two books on finding love and dating tips coming out soon. In the meantime, you can watch my series of dating tips and horror story videos. There are more dating tips in my radio interviews and articles on my website. Wherever you are in your dating process, I’d be happy to help in your search for love! A To learn more on my date coaching packages and Jewish matchmaking, check out my site: www.SoulMatesUnlimited.com. A Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 57

DIVERSIONS: Broad City

COMEDY CENTRAL’S ‘BROAD CITY’ AIRING FINAL SEASON BY BRIE STIMSON

58 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Abbi Jacobson (L) and Ilana Glazer (R) created “Broad City” in 2009.

road City,” the irreverent, feminist, millennial Comedy Central hit had the premiere for its fifth and final season at the end of last month. The series focuses on fictionalized versions of Jewish creators Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson who are late-20s to early 30-something best friends and roommates in New York. Over the seasons, the offbeat comedy has attracted celebrity guest stars like Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Kelly Ripa, Vanessa Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Alan Alda, Tony Danza and even Hillary Clinton. The unabashedly crude comedy also celebrates (and makes fun of) the creators’ Judaism. In the episode “Jews on a Plane,” for example, Ilana and Abbi take advantage of Birthright (thinly veiled as something called Birthmark) to get a free trip to Israel only to discover everyone else on the plane is focused on the “reproductive future” of Judaism. In the episode “Florida,” the girls travel south to clean out Ilana’s grandmother’s apartment. They start acting like retirees – and meet Fran Drescher. In another episode they chronicle the struggles of fasting for Yom Kippur, saying, “we’ve got four hours until the sunset. We can do this, we carbo-loaded last night!” In a January interview with the New York Times, the creators said they were ready for the series to end. “Season four really took it out of me,” Ilana said in the interview. “We couldn’t do another one after five. Couldn’t do it.” Ilana and Abbi said they cried while collaborating on the season finale. “And then we were laughing at ourselves crying,” Ilana joked, “because sometimes we’re like dudes and we don’t want to cry.” “It’s like your first love,” Ilana added of the show. “You’re like, I’m going to be with this person forever! And then its like, no, I’m not. But I’m going to learn from this forever. We both need some space from this universe that we’ve lived in. We started the web series in 2009. At 31, that’s like a third of my life. It’s the longest relationship either one of us has had.” A

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

Coming from the Midwest where we love barbecue ribs, I learned to like short ribs as well, the cut of beef from brisket, chuck, plate or rib of beef cattle. In other words, short ribs only contain a portion of each long beef rib. Not only are they popular in Jewish cooking, but they are also popular in Chinese and Korean. I find they make a hearty entrée, especially in cold winter. Here are two of my favorite ways to make them.

Oven-Barbecued Short ribs INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds of short ribs 3 T. canola or olive oil 2 large chopped onions 4 minced garlic cloves 4 cups crushed tomatoes 2 cups water 2 t. beef powder 1/3 cup cider vinegar ¼ cup brown sugar

3 T. Worcestershire sauce 2 T. Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste ½ t. chili powder ½ t. sweet paprika ½ t. turmeric parsley flakes 1 pound cubed potatoes 1 pound cut carrots

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the broiler, arrange ribs in a roasting pan and brown each side for 5 minutes. 2. Change oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in an oven-proof pan. Add onions and garlic and cook 10 minutes. Add ribs and drippings. 3. Stir in tomatoes, water, beef soup powder, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, chili powder, sweet paprika, turmeric and parsley. Bring to a boil. 4. Cover and place in preheated oven. Bake until tender, about 2 hours. 5. Add potatoes and carrots. Cover and continue baking 45 minutes.

ASIAN FLAVORED BEEF SHORT RIBS 6 servings Adapted from a Bon Appétit magazine recipe INGREDIENTS: 2 cups coarsely chopped onions 1 cup beef broth (or beef bouillon and water) 12 beef short ribs 3 T. hoisin sauce * 2 T. soy sauce 1 T. balsamic vinegar 1 T. sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:

*A substitute for hoisin sauce 2 T. soy sauce 1 T. peanut butter 1 ½ t. honey 1 t. white vinegar dash garlic powder 1 t. sesame oil 10 drops of hot sauce dash pepper

1. Combine onions and broth in a large pot. 2. Place ribs in a large bowl. Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Toss to coat. Transfer with juice to pot. Cook until tender (at least 2 hours). Serve with rice on the side.

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 59

what’s goin’on?

| By Eileen Sondak |

“Diana” has been extended through April 7. The La Jolla Playhouse will unveil its world premiere of the musical “Diana,” on Feb. 19, under the direction of Christopher Ashley. The story of this fairytale princess and her troubled marriage features a contemporary score by Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist David Bryan. “Diana” will captivate audiences through April 7, with its emotionally charged plot and strong production values.

San Diego Opera presents Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” works by Janacek, Bartok and Brahms. The concert will be repeated on Feb. 16 and 17.

Broadway-San Diego is ready to charm the whole family with Disney’s “Aladdin,” the hit Broadway musical. The stunning production uses beauty, magic and spectacle to tell the ageold tale, and songs by award-winning Alan Menken to propel the plot. You can see it at the Civic Theatre Feb. 20 through The San Diego Opera is gearing up for a production of Verdi’s March 3. “Rigoletto,” coming to the Civic Theater Feb. 2-10. The dra- North Coast Repertory Theatre turned up the volume with matic opera pits a lecherous Duke against his hunchback “Moon Over Buffalo,” a virtual laugh machine by comic gejester – when the jokes go too far for comfort. Corruption nius Ken Ludwig. Sadly, this old-fashioned farce will end on and arrogance are at the heart of this powerful piece, and Feb. 10. However, on Feb. 20, NCR will be focusing on the the music features one of the most memorable quartets in West Coast premiere of “Gabriel,” a haunting tale of warthe repertory. The Opera Lover’s Ball – honoring philanthro- time drama that promises to keep audiences on the edge of pists Frank and Lee Goldberg – will take place on Feb. 23 their seats. This award-winning off-Broadway play will run at the US Grant Hotel. through March 17 at the troupe’s Solana Beach home. The Old Globe will continue to run “Familiar” on the Main Stage through March 3. “Familiar” is an engrossing black comedy that promises subtlety and insights. The play takes a heartwarming look at tradition and marriage – and what it means to be an American family. The Globe’s sister stage, the White Theater, will present the West Coast premiere of “Tiny Beautiful Things” Feb. 9 through March 10. Based on a bestseller, the play follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist and the many real-life readers who pour their hearts out to her. The dramatic work is uplifting and charged with emotion, but it’s not recommended for children.

San Diego Repertory Theatre will continue its staging of “Aubergine,” a play about love, family and the healing power of food through Feb. 17. The story revolves around a Korean-American chef and his efforts to connect intergenerational members of his family. Todd Salovey directed the heartwarming show, ensconced at the Lyceum Theatre. Hershey Felder makes a welcome return to the Rep for his one-man show, “Beethoven,” in which Felder takes on the persona and performs the music of one of the greatest composers in history. This time, Felder inhabits two additional characters as well. That very special production is slated for the Lyceum Stage Feb. 21 through March 24, and judging by his past The San Diego Symphony continues its first season under hits, this one is not to be missed! the new music director with “A Young Person’s Guide to the Cygnet Theatre is showing off a rafter-raising production of Orchestra” on Feb. 3. This family-friendly introduction to the “Marie and Rosetta,” a play that chronicles Sister Rosetorchestra features pre-concert activities as well. “Jurassic ta Tharpe’s first rehearsal with her young protegee, Marie Park in Concert,” a thrilling sic-fi adventure film accompa- Knight. It’s a story about one of the great duos in musical nied by the orchestra, follows on Feb. 9, as part of the Fox history. The show – at Cygnet’s Old Town Theatre through Theater Film Series. “Augustin Hadelich Returns” on Feb. Feb. 16 – is a soaring musical experience that abounds with 15 with Cristian Macelaru on the podium conducting a four- guitar playing and gospel music. Following right on its heels piece program that includes Dvorak’s Violin Concerto and

60 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Arusi-Santi and Roxane-Carrasco in “Moon Over Buffalo.” is “The Finish Line,” a newly commissioned work in Old Town Feb. 17-18. The Lamb’s Players will ring in its 25th anniversary season in Coronado with a cabaret celebration worthy of its proud history. Titled “A Jewel in the Crown City,” the show will take audiences down memory lane through its 25 years in the community. You can experience this musical journey through Feb. 17. La Jolla Music Society has a busy month, starting on Feb. 8 with the Danish String Quartet performing at TSRI Auditorium. An Evening of Nordic Folk Music will follow at TSRI on Feb. 9, and Sunday Skal will be on tap at basilelE Gallery. The action moves to the Balboa Theater for Jazz in the Key of Ellison on Feb. 16, and Sir Andras Schiff on the 22nd. The Museum of Art is featuring “Tim Shaw’s Beyond Reason,” an exhibition dealing with themes of global terrorism, free speech, abuse of power and artificial intelligence. Shaw’s work will be on exhibit through Feb. 24. Also on view is work by Mexican sculptor Javier Marin. Birch Aquarium is highlighting “Hall of Fishes,” which also serves as a working laboratory. Birch has an installation on light by scientist Michael Latz, and another exhibition that helps you understand Scripps’ expeditions to discover and protect the planet. “Expedition at Sea” includes a 33-foot long projected triptych and hands-on learning opportunities. The newest exhibition at the Birch is “Research in Action: 100 Island Challenge,” an exhibit that explores the way reefs are adapting to our rapidly changing planet. Also on display is “Oddities: Hidden Heroes of the Scripps Collection,” a comic book-inspired exhibit that highlights amazing adaptations of ocean species. In addition, Birch will feature visits to a local tide pool (through March) and Whale Watching Cruises (through mid-April).

The Fleet is showing “Great Barrier Reef.” The Reuben Fleet Science Center will be showing four films: “Great Barrier Reef,” Pandas” and a special addition: “Volcanoes,” which examines the contribution of volcanoes to the wildlife ecosystem and their impact on humans. Also at the Fleet is the “Renegade Science Project,” which escorts visitors through the park for a 90-minute exploration. The Fleet is offering “Dream, Design, Build” – an exhibition that explores the museum’s collection of interactive engineering activities (and will remain on permanent display), and “Taping Shape 2.0,” which uses hundreds of rolls of packing tape to create a world of translucent spaces and tunnels. The Fleet has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Studio X”, “Block Busters” and “Origins in Space.” The newest is “It’s Electric,” an interactive show that explores the fundamentals of electricity. The Natural History Museum added “Escape the Nat” – an escape room experience that dares you to solve puzzles and save the world. “The Backyard” – a gallery for the 5-and-under set – and “Backyard Wilderness” (a 3-D film) are also on view. “Hidden Gems” is the newest exhibition at the NAT. “Coast to Cactus in California,” and “Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage” – a display of specimens from around the world – are also worth checking out. “Unshelved” will be at the Nat for the next two years. The Nat has two new 3-D films: “Wonders of the Arctic” and National Parks Adventures. The museum also offers “Fossil Mysteries,” “Water: A California Story” and “Skulls.” The San Diego History Center is featuring the first exhibition in Balboa Park exploring San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community. The History Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Placed Promises,” chronicles the history of the San Diego region – and the America’s Cup Exhibition, highlights the sailing race held in San Diego three times since 1988. A retrospective of the artwork of living San Diego legend Bob Matheny is on display through March 24.A

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 61

the news

Nearly 400 dancers practiced a new kind of Israeli folk dance called YeahBit at the three-day Camp Machola in Mission Valley last month.

Jewish Teen Initiative to Hold Workshop for Jewish Educators The Jewish Teen Initiative will hold a workshop for educators on Feb. 20 at the JCC. “Sexuality, Identity and Religion – Tools for Jewish Educators for Supporting Healthy Teens” will be led by Rabbi Tamara Cohen and Alisha Pedowitz from Moving Traditions. Moving Traditions fosters self-discovery in teens, challenges sexism and hopes to inspire a commitment to Jewish life and learning. The workshop will discuss self-esteem, body image, friendship, romance and academic stress among other topics while relating it to Jewish wisdom. The Jewish Teen Initiative convenes collaborative meetings every other month for Jewish teen educators. Go to motivsandiego.org to R.S.V.P.

Ner Tamid Synagogue Announces New Preschool Program Ner Tamid Synagogue is now connecting the youngest Jews to Torah through their new preschool program: First Taste of Torah. Preschoolers aged three to five years old will learn Hebrew and Jewish history through songs and stories once a month from January through April. The program is free and synagogue membership is not required. Cantor Bromberg, spiritual leader of Ner Tamid Synagogue, leads the sessions and invites all Jewish families to attend. “We are offering this program,” says Ner Tamid president Marisa Connell, “to reach out to Jewish families with young children. Preschool years are a time when children are eager to learn new things, and they learn best while having fun.” Although the January session is over, the rest of the sessions are still available. Sessions are Sundays at 9:15-10:45am February 10, March 10 and April 7. To enroll contact Ner Tamid Synagogue at 858-513-8330 or online at www.nertamid.org.

62 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

Ohr Shalom Holds Programming for Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month This month, Ohr Shalom Synagogue will join Jewish communities across the country to foster inclusion for people with disabilities. Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) was established in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium and is observed each February. Ohr Shalom has already improved accessibility, including a stair lift that provides access to the bimah, an outside ramp and a mobility-friendly social hall and restroom facilitates. During the weekend of Feb. 7-10, Elana Naftalin-Kelman, the Tikvah Director at Camp Ramah, will join the congregation on Friday and Saturday and give a Davar Torah. Tikvah is the Camp Ramah program for campers and young adults with disabilities and also runs a camp for families that have kids with special needs. On Sunday, Dr. Suzanne Stolz, an Assistant Professor at USD, will talk about the language we use to talk and think about disability in our society. The evening is capped with Movie Night, featuring “Wonder,” a true story about a 5th grade boy with facial differences. During the second weekend of programming, February 22-24, the congregation will host Anastasia Bacigalupo. Ms. Bacigalupo has been active in the field of Disability Rights for over 15 years. She is the founder of Trajectory Consultant Group and was, until recently, the director of the Disability Community Resource Center in Los Angeles. Her interest is in creating the awareness that everyone is either a person with a current disability or someone that will develop a disability with age. On Friday after services, she will speak on the subject of the stigma associated with aging and disability. She will also participate in Saturday services and will be part of an evening panel discussion about the significance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The panel will also include elected officials discussing current issues and legislation around the ADA. The Religious School events include a special guest program for the younger kids, a speaker for the Madrichim and a screening for the older students of “Praying with Lior,” a documentary about a boy with Down Syndrome preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. February’s Readings with the Rabbi features “This is Not a Love Story,” a true story of autism within New York’s Chasidic community. Additionally, Noah Homes will be bringing us Dementia Escape, a program that provides the opportunity to experience the daily life struggles of dementia through a hands-on virtual tour.

Holocaust Survivor and Scholars, Rabbi Dr. Yehuda and Dr. Virginia Shabatay to Be Honored by Ner Tamid Synagogue Rabbi Dr. Yehuda and Dr. Virginia Shabatay, longtime San Diego educators, are being honored by Ner Tamid Synagogue for their decades of commitment to the synagogue and to the greater San Diego community. Scholar and educator, Yehuda Shabatay escaped the Nazis as a teenager in Budapest, Hungary. After later becoming a rabbi, he earned his Master of Law degree in Jerusalem. Later, he became assistant minister for the Manchester Congregation of British Jews in England, and then emigrated to the United States in 1960. He received his doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and has dedicated his life to education. He taught in New York, Toledo, Philadelphia, Portland and San Diego, where he served as director of the Bureau of Jewish Education for many years and created educational programs for students throughout the county. At San Diego State University and Palomar College he taught courses on the Bible and New Testament as history and literature – not as theology. Shabatay’s lessons were so popular that the number of students attending and auditing outnumbered class capacity. He was twice voted favorite instructor in the Religious Studies department at SDSU. Dr. Virginia Shabatay, an Abraham Heschel and Martin Buber scholar, has taught literature on social ethics, racism and injustice at San Diego State University, Grossmont and Palomar colleges, has co-authored four college psychology textbook readers and has published numerous articles. “The Shabatays have been an integral part of the entire San Diego community for decades,” says Ner Tamid Synagogue President Marisa Connell. “And we are fortunate to have them as members of our congregation. Honoring them at our annual gala is just a small way for us to give back for their decades of service and inspiration.” The Shabatays are being honored on March 16th at 6 p.m. at the Ner Tamid Synagogue: 12348 Casa Avenida in Poway. Tickets for the Gala can be purchased and contributions made at nertmidsd.org or by calling 858-513-8330.

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. North County Jewish Seniors Club at the Oceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 Feb. 17, 12:30 p.m. On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 Feb 17. 20, 1 p.m. “Collage 2019: Dream Big” is the best dance show in San Diego, according to the Bravo Awards. Theatrical costumes, set pieces, lighting and captivating dancers will be at the Casa del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park. Cost is $25. Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m. Middle East Update with Dan Schwimmer RSVP by Feb. 15. Price is $4-$6.

Nonprofit to Distribute Dresses to Low-Income Girls in San Diego The Believe in Yourself Project, a nonprofit that provides new dresses to low-income girls around the country, will be in San Diego this month to distribute dresses to local children. The dresses are a reward for goals the girls set for themselves early last year. Each girl receives her first dress based on need along with her promise to achieve a goal (the first San Diego donation and goal setting event was in February of 2018) and from there they are entered into a system where they are tracked to see their progress, whether towards improving their academics or pursuing an extracurricular interests such as music, dance, sports, etc. and Believe in Yourself provides the girls dresses for any upcoming events they have during the school year. Believe in Yourself is also part of a broader initiative. The charity brings in mentors and speakers to motivate the girls. These mentors also provide tips if the girls are experiencing a negative body image or bullying of any kind and they counsel the girls to help them achieve their dreams and goals. The organization also works to reduce cyber bullying. At the San Diego event, the girls will set new goals for 2019.

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 63

ADVICE

ASK MARNIE by Marnie Macauley asksadie@aol.com

LOVE AND STUFF halom, San Diegans: Love! We all want it. We all need it. Love is the big pay-off for a life filled with overdrafts, mortgages, kinder and silent suffering. Love is also elusive. We often talk ourselves into “love” out of need, perspiration and ignoring our most precious informed intuition. We will bend ourselves into pretzels to please. We will “fix” the happily “unfixed.” And fail, blaming ourselves. We will rationalize our fears: “I don’t want to wind up knitting tea cozies,” “I’m not perfect either,” “My biological clock sounds like Big Ben,” and we say: “But I looove him/her.” The more intelligent, the greater the internal debate. So, is a prospect gold or aluminum foil? And how do we find a decent one? Let’s look.

WHERE ARE ALL THE GOOD MEN HIDING? DEAR MARNIE: I am a 29-year-old woman who can’t seem to find love. I’m educated, have a successful job and am unable to find a man. I know it may be because I’m a little overweight. My family and most of my friends are in a relationship or married and keep pushing me. I’ve tried Jewish dating sites. They’re expensive and they suck. Besides, I’d like to actually see the guy before wasting my time. Do you: A) have any suggestions on how to find a loving man to call my own or B) Is there a Jewish monastery? -Want Love, Los Angeles MARNIE SAYS: Well, as to your “monas64 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

tery” query, after careful consultation with my rabbi, we made a definitive decision to break for bagels. Besides, any woman with your panache, your humor, your fire can win the heart of a suitable prospect even with a little extra poundage. So, for you, I’ll tackle the hows and wheres of man hunting. (You can deal with the whys).

GETTING IT! YOUR PERSONAL STRATEGY: THE HOWS: Prepare like the mighty hunter rousting out bison. OK, put on the shades and move off the sofa. You won’t find him if you’re slicing up melon balls or, yes, wasting precious time writing to a quirky advice columnist. Network! Make your nosy pals produce. Surely their guys know other guys you’d want to know. The Wheres: If you want filet, you don’t go to Hummus ‘R’ Us. Location! Location! Location! 1. The park. Who do you think those creatures are, fumbling footballs in the mud? Jog over, angel. Ditto for sporting events. 2. Gourmet delis. Not pickle places, “pate” places. Single men survive on these joints even more than on Little Debbies. 3. The street. Walk a dog (not a poodle) if you’re a female, I suggest a beast capable of hauling back a space shuttle. 4. Stores. Browse! Marnie suggests Imported car dealers, auto supplies and hardware. The only thing men crave more than a soft shoul-

der is soft leather or a 96 head widget screwdriver. Pick up something pointy and ask a ringless male what the doohinky does. 5. Space and science museums. Make eye contact with a fellow gazer. At least you’ll weigh less on Mercury. (Or am I wrong?) 6. Amusement parks on Sundays. This is cotton candy Daddy Day for the non-custodial pop who may be desperate for something sweet, as his tot Tilt A Whirls. 7. Try Jewish meet-ups and single shul nights. You never know who’s looking for more than religion and the Kiddish. 8. Do what YOU love to do. if your passion is bird watching, go, look up – and aroun If you adore cooking, take a continuing ed course in cooking kosher and see if there’s a cute chef sizzling next to you. At least you’ll make a friend and enjoy! (Note: Do not take automotive repair. You’ll be sitting next to 50 women!) Finally, lose weight. Not for them but for you, so you can stop making excuses. In the end, finding love has less to do with being in the right places, than being in the “right” place within you. Whether it’s weight, height, a pimple, we often “but but” our way into “I can’t” and doom ourselves into endless nights of Haagen-Daz and “Thelma & Louise.” If that’s what’s going on be straight up with you. And deal with it. And I promise, once you’re OK with you, you’ll have more dates than Dromedary could pack in a lifetime. A

SYNAGOGUE LIFE

THROWING A SIMCHA? WE CATER ANY EVENT! • BAR/BAT MITZVAH PARTIES • WEDDINGS • GRADUATION PARTIES • CORPORATE EVENTS • 30-5,000 PEOPLE • KOSHER PLATTERS • BARUCHA LUNCHEONS

EVENTS Taste of Shabbat with Tifereth Israel

ALWAYS COOKED FRESH ON-SITE! • Rotisserie Free Range Chicken • Kosher Slow-Cooked Brisket • Whole Rotisserie Lamb • Grilled Salmon & Mahi Mahi • Choice cut Roast Beef • Rotisserie Marinated Turkey • Shabbat Luncheons

Feb. 9, 10 a.m., Tifereth Israel, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd., San Diego, CA An abbreviated service with a focus on shared learning and being involved with the service. Visit tiferethisrael.com for more information.

The Men’s Club with Chabad of Chula Vista

Feb. 10, 9 a.m., 1910 Harris Mill Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91913 Bagels, Lox and Tefillin after a short morning service. Visit jewishchulavista.co for more info.

A Monthly Kosher Experience with The Friendship Circle Feb. 10, 5 p.m., 16934 Chabad Way, Poway, CA 92064 Make a reservation for the 3-course kosher buffet for the monthly gathering at Dan’s Place. Visit friendshipcirclesd.org/dans-place for more information.

858-578-8891

Minimum 50 people. Food only 03/31/2016 Exp. 02/28/2019

7313 Carroll Road • 92121 www.rotisserieaffair.com

Just Sold Lisa represented the Seller

Lunafest with Temple Solel

Feb. 12, 6 p.m., 16934 Chabad Way, Poway, CA 92064 An evening of nine award-winning short films by, for and about women. The cost is $20 and includes refreshments. Proceeds benefit Temple Solel Building Fund and Breast Cancer Fund. Visit templesolel.net for more information or to register.

Magnificent Del Sur Estate

(858)243-3317 is responsible the accuracy of advertising copy. Please proofread carefully and note any corrections. DayTimersAdvertiser Speaker Seriesforwith Beth Israel

Lisa@LisaOrlansky.com

Feb. 21,1 p.m., Beth Israel,REPRESENTATIVE 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San CONTACT YOUR WITH APPROVAL OR www.LisaOrlansky.com CHANGES. Diego, CA, 92122 If Approval is not received by the published art deadline, the previous month’s ad will run. Dr. Jamie Corroon will discuss the medical use of cannabis. Dr. Corroon is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, researcher and industry consultant. Visit cbisd.org for more information.

Call for details. Lisa represents Buyers and Sellers throughout San Diego County!

Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CaDRE#01333258.

Safrai Gallery Art Show & Sale with Temple Adat Shalom

Feb. 24, 9 a.m., Temple Adat Shalom, 15905 Pomerado Rd., Poway, CA 92064 The Safrai Gallery in Jerusalem has sent Temple Adat Shalom over 1,400 pieces of art by Israeli artists to view or purchase. Admission is free, visit adatshalom.com for more information and opportunity drawing.

Consider us for all of your Life Cycle events!

*Interested in having your event featured?

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

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

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

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(858) 488-1725 • www.frenchgourmet.com Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 65

Planning a walk downPlanning the aisle? a walk

Start with a walk down ours! down the aisle? We’ve gathered nearly 300

of San Diego’s top wedding professionals for you to meet all in one place, oneours! day. Start with a walkon down We’ve gathered 300 Win prizes, samplenearly catering, of San Diego’s top wedding and get inspired by the largest professionals for you to meet bridalallfashion show around. in one place, on one day. Win prizes, sample catering, and get inspired by the largest bridal fashion show around. Experience San San Diego’s Experience Diego’s Bridal Show #1#1Bridal Show January 13th Sunday, March 24th San Diego Convention Center 10am-4pm Tickets available online at Del Mar Fairgrounds bridalbazaar.com. Use promo code ‘MAZELTOV’ for $5 off.

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BAGELS & SANDWICHES SO GOOD THEY’RE TO LIVE FOR!

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12/7/2018 11:09:51 AM

We Do CaTeRiNG

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BOARS HEAD HEADQUARTERS All sandwiches made with boars head meat & cheese

SidNY’s Deli 858-674-1090 11981 Bernardo Plaza Dr. Rancho Bernardo Von’s Shopping Center OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK AT 7AM

66 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 38 years.

✡

Proudly Serving Jewish Families For Over 38 Years.

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Family Owned and Operated for Three Generations.

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Serving all Jewish Families, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform.

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Affiliated or Unaffiliated with a Synagogue.

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We can assist with At-need or Pre-need funeral planning. Purchasing cemetery plots or burial arrangements anywhere.

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We are here to help, call or email with any questions.

Michael S. Duffy, D.O.Medical Director 858-263-9700 At Pacific Bay Recovery, we specialize in compassionate treatment and personalized rehabilitation for individuals struggling from substance abuse disorders and/or chronic pain. With our assistance, you can take back your life!

(619) 583-8850

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

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

www.pacificbayrecovery.com

CA, Lic. #FD-1320

Serving Southern California

1501 Fifth Ave., Ste. 201, San Diego, Ca. 92101

Lic # 370136AP.

May their memory be a blessing.

Pacific Bay Recovery_0417_.25.indd 1

Frederick Schriber - San Diego Ira Lieberman- Rancho Santa Fe Eileen Mehlman - Encinitas Hedwig Sonabend - San Diego Samuel Cassius - Phoenix, AZ Victor Vaisbort - Las Vegas, NV Efrem Fudim - Poway Manuel Rosen - Bend, OR Alan Nahum - La Jolla

Joseph Fisher - San Diego Shirley Gilbert - Encinitas Alex Rosenberg - San Diego David Oliver - San Diego Robert Metz - San Diego Lotti Blumenthal - San Diego Isabelle Cohen - Lemon Grove Lucille Fraitag - San Diego Shimshon Norani - San Diego

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

5/24/17 8:53 A

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

(619) 583-8850

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

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

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

Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 67

JEWISH COMMUNITY

EVENTS

Cantor Deborah Davis

Welcoming babies and families to San Diego’s Jewish Community

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

ARE YOU EXPECTING A BABY OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS?

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

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.

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

Deborah Davis • 619.275.1539

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

www.deborahjdavis.com

JESSICA FINK JUDY NEMZER VIVIEN DEAN l

Design Decor Production

Direct Line: (858) 362-1352 E-mail: littlemensches@gmail.com www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby/littlemensches

Mitzvah Event Productions

LYDIA KRASNER 619.548.3485 www.MitzvahEvent.com

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

member of

lydia@mitzvahevent.com

The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition. Let the award-winning

Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble

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

SINGLES For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

ARE YOU THE ONE FOR ME? ME: Young-at-heart, unpretentious, playful, educated, financially secure woman looking for LTR. I am trilingual, fascinated by other cultures and languages, love the arts: politically liberal. 69, 5’7”, trim and fit.

Fabrics for Fashion and Home

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

619- 477- 3749

9 locations in SD County Family Owned and Operated since 1953

68 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

YOU: Financially secure, emotionally intelligent, good communicator, sense of humor, San Diego County resident, healthy lifestyle, 62 – 75. Brings out the best in me (and I in you). Give yourself a gift for 2019 and let’s connect! Tell me about yourself. C/O BOX M, SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121.

FINANCE

RESTAURANTS | CATERING

Serving Cuban-American Food Est. 1976

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

KORNFELD AND LEVY

HEALTH

Certified Public Accountants

Rafael James Psychotherapist

2067 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92101

Bringing Sensitivity to the Mental Health Needs of the Jewish Community

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p: 619.563.8000 f: 619.704.0206

Depression Anxiety Couples Therapy

gkornfeld@kornfeldandlevy.com

Gary Kornfeld Certified Public Accountant Call for a free consultation

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Raul Ontiveros REALTOR Bre: 01498610

861 Anchorage Place Chula Vista, CA 91914

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raulontiveros68@gmail.com www.coldwellbankerroyalrealty.com

ADVERTISING/GRAPHICS

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Shevat / Adar 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 69

Stay active, pursue your passions, and Jolla. We support a vibrant coastal living community with a stimulating environment time you are in the neighborhood, stop by and see for yourself.

redefine aging

CHATEAU LA JOLLA a vibrant coastal living community

a vibrant coastal living community

70 SDJewishJournal.com | February 2019

233 Prospect Street La Jolla, CA 92037 | 858.459.4451 | chateaulajollainn.com