San Diego Jewish Journal July 2015

JULY 2015 l TAMUZ • AV 5775

JEWcing

for Health Experts and small business owners weigh in on the cold-pressed craze

Living with Mental Illness: pg. 32

Jews and Farming: pg. 46

IDW Publishing Opens Comic Art Gallery: pg. 54

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Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 5

CONTENTS

July 2015

Tamuz/Av 5775

42

COVER STORY: Juicing is all the rage these days. Tina B. Eshel meets with two Jewish proponents of the movement to understand if it’s really about the health benefits, or just another food trend.

32

HEALTH: For San Diegans living with mental illness, a good home is getting harder to find but Chesed Home is working to change this. Natalie Jacobs spoke with two residents about their very personal experiences.

46

FOOD: In the first of a two-part series, Pat Launer goes back to the beginning [of time] to find out what’s so Jewish about farming, with help from farmers at the Encinitas Leichtag Ranch.

54

ART: San Diego’s first comic art gallery opens in Liberty Station with an intimate exhibit of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Plus, Comic-Con! Brie Stimson explores IDW Publishing’s latest venture.

6 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

Income Generation in Retirement Our conversation on retirement income can help you move from “Can I retire?” to “How can I make the most of my retirement?”

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 31 FROM ME TO JEW:

One young Jewish man reconnects with his family heritage in Morocco.

36 HEALTH:

Hadassah launches an ambitious campaign to make sure women know the truth about heart disease.

38 HEALTH:

The Exceptional Minds Studio is creating opportunities for young adults on the autism spectrum to work in Hollywood.

40 HEALTH:

This guy bikes 24 miles into the office and Judaism helps him get there.

41 HEALTH:

64 OP-ED:

50

Become a Jew – couldn’t hurt.

Monthly Columns 10 The Starting Line 20 Parenting 22 Israeli Lifestyle 24 Dating 26 Aging 28 Spirituality 69 Advice

Sweet potato quinoa burgers.

50 FOOD:

Try limonana for a taste of Israeli summer.

52 FOOD:

Israeli restauranteurs try their hand at the San Diego scene.

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Around Town 16 Our Town 18 Event Recap 62 Calendar

“My Jewish abortion.”

49 FOOD:

While most people understand the importance of saving for retirement, the concept of retirement income planning may be less familiar. Retirement income planning is a holistic process to help address key retirement decisions, effectively manage risks, and efficiently provide ongoing income to meet both the clients’ current and long-term retirement needs.

In Every Issue 12 Mailbag 14 What’s Up Online 56 What’s Goin’ On 58 News 61 Diversions 65 Shabbat Sheet

Karynn Chavira

Registered Client Associate-Officer Sr. Client Associate – Se Habla Espanol CA Insurance Lic # 0118483 858-523-7913 858-523-7904 Karynn.chavira@wfadvisors.com Alissa.laclair@wfadvisors.com

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PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Natalie Jacobs ART DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus ASSISTANT EDITOR • Tina B. Eshel ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak ADVERTISING & OFFICE MANAGER • Ronnie Weisberg INTERN • Jackie Cohen

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tori Avey, Betsy Baranov, Linda Bennett, Abby Walker, David Ebenbach, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Michael Fox, Jennifer Garstang, Amanda Kelly, Brie Stimson, Pat Launer, Curt Leviant, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Jon Schwartz, Dave Good, Marnie McCauley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS Vincent Andrunas, Ediz Benaroya, Pepe Fainberg, Steve Greenberg, Pat Krause, Paul Ross (Senior Travel Photographer), Angela Sissa, Daniella DeVarney ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Nancy Segal (Account Executive), Alan Moss (Palm Springs) SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 EDITORIAL: editor@sdjewishjournal.com ADVERTISING: sales@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: publisher@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: calendar@sdjewishjournal.com SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2015 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 9

THE STARTING LINE by Natalie Jacobs

EDITOR’S LETTER editor@sdjewishjournal.com

Running the Emotional Gamut

T

his issue is one of my favorites yet, and it’s so Jewish I can’t even believe it. (July 2015 also happens to be my one-year anniversary as editor of the Journal – happy anniversary to me, and thank you for sticking around!) The greatest thing is, this issue is mostly about the incredible, important, and timely things that all kinds of Jewish people do on a daily basis. To simply call it tikkun olam would be missing some of the point. I don’t believe that Jews are juicing and building organic farms and creating homes for the mentally ill and schools for the austic because of a commandment learned in Hebrew school. I believe there’s something about these people and so many like them that makes it impossible to see a problem and not work their butts off to make it better. Allow us to introduce you to just a few of these people – Jewish people – who are leading by extraordinary example.

In our cover story, “A JEWcing Revolution,” Tina B. Eshel digs into the cold-pressed craze and how maximizing intake of nutrients will lead to countless health benefits. She checks in with two people who truly think of food as medicine – it’s changing their lives and maybe even making a dent in one or two environmental issues while they’re at it. You’ve seen the $5 drinks in your gourmet grocery stores and you’ve walked past the trendy juice bars. After this article, you may finally understand what all the fuss is about. From there, we take a trip to the Leichtag Farm up in Encinitas to further investigate the local farming movement from a historical perspective. In the

Food Trends:

Just like hashtags and skinny jeans, food can be trendy too. Here are the top five products that Food Business News says are all the rage these days:

10 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

first of a two-part series, Pat Launer goes back to Biblical times to understand why “Jewish” and “farmer” is not an oxymoron, despite what you may have heard. She tried one of the farm’s justripened strawberries on her tour and she told me it was the best strawberry she’d ever eaten in her entire life. That’s what we should be able to say about everything we eat.

In the health section, we take a look at mental illness, how it manifests in different people and what it’s like to live with these challenges. Rates of mental illness stay pretty steady throughout the country, but San Diegans who struggle with mental health issues are finding it increasingly difficult to secure stable housing. The number of licensed board and care facilities continues to dwindle, and independent living options are always a gamble, because they’re unregulated and easily manipulated to the owner’s advantage.

Chesed Home was created as a Jewish answer to this housing problem, and almost a year into operation, residents report that the Escondido houses are better than any living situation they’ve ever had. Though their stories are very personal and incredibly difficult to relay to a stranger, two residents were willing to speak with me about their experiences living with mental illness. I’m grateful to these brave individuals because sharing these stories is an important step in reducing the negativity and misunderstandings that surround mental illness.

Also in the health section, Tina interviewed a young person with autism who worked on

1. Hemp – even though, curiously, it’s still illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. 2. Milk alternatives – coconut, almond, soy, even protein-infused milks. Just be sure to limit your soy intake.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” in Hollywood. His job was created as part of Exceptional Minds, a vocational program for young adults on the autism spectrum. The nonprofit teaches small numbers of students to utilize their unique skillsets in a variety of jobs. Rounding out the health section is a big warning about heart disease in women. Turns out, symptoms of heart attack are different for women than men, and science is just starting to figure this out.

And then there’s an inspiring story about one man’s quest to conquer a 24-mile bike commute and how Judaism encourages him along the way.

Plus there’s a moving personal tale about another young man who recently re-connected with his Jewish Moroccan heritage, to the delight of his last living grandparent. I’m hoping to make this new “From Me to Jew” section a regular place for first-person narratives about unconvering Jewish connections in various aspects of your lives, so please get in touch if you have a story you would like to share!

See how Jewish and wonderful this issue is? Fair warning, one or two of the stories may be a little intense, but there’s also some good beach reading tucked into these pages. Be sure to take us along on your summer adventures (hopefully you’ve got something fun lined up?). A

3. Powdered food – not just for spices anymore.

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we’re listening let us know what’s on your mind QUESTIONING POPE Dear Editor: Has Pope Francis outsmarted himself?

He may wish to use Palestinian leader Mohammed Abbas as a cat’s paw to enforce Vatican claims to Jerusalem against Israel, but reality-minded Catholics and all intelligent Christians may have already concluded that Abbas seeks to play Pope Francis for a fool.

Embezzling nearly one hundred million dollars, Abbas can hardly claim clean hands. This blind moneygrab coincides with Abbas’ equally blind failure to protect Palestinian Christians. Has Abbas raised his voice, even once, to protest the ongoing destruction of Middle Eastern Christianity? Embracing Hamas, an internationally condemned terrorist organization, Abbas implicitly endorses their devastation of Palestinian Christians.

Harley Henning San Diego, CA

CORRECTIONS In the June issue, Valerie and Harry Cooper were misidentified as Pam and Gregg Marks in “The Scene.” Also in the June issue, a few details about The Old Globe were incorrectly noted. Those updates have been made in the online version of the story. Also online, details have been added to the May 2015 story “Opting for the Scenic Route” to clarify some of the offerings at the Seacrest Village Nellie Cohn Residence. The SDJJ regrets these errors.

@SDJEWISHJOURNAL

CONGRATULATIONS TO US! We’re honored to announce that the American Jewish Press Association has recognized the San Diego Jewish Journal with a 2015 Rockower Award for our September 2014 cover. Thanks to the AJPA and to you, dear readers, for all of your support. Here’s hoping for another strong showing next year!

SEPTEMBER 2014

l ELUL 5774•TISHRE

SAN DIEGO’S LON

E SOLDIERS Current and past soldiers explain why they felt called to serve Israel

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

12 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

HIGH

HOLIDAYS Our annual list of services and more sweet stories for the new year

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what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com AMY WINEHOUSE

Read a review of the documentary “Amy,” which chronicles the life of the troubled Jewish songstress through home movies and interviews with her closest friends. The movie will be out in theaters July 10.

ANDREW VITERBI

EVENTS

Qualcomm co-founder believes electrical engineering is sustaining Israel’s status as a technology powerhouse.

Get details on Congregation Beth El’s community Shabbat, House of Israel open Sundays and more in our July events calendar.

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

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Hear about all our web exclusives first: Like us on Facebook.com/ sandiegojewishjournal and follow us on Twitter @sdjewishjournal.

14 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

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our

TOWN LINDA BENNETT, BETSY BARANOV AND EMILY BARTELL. PHOTOS BY MELISSA JACOBS

Beth Israel’s Gala

In May we attended Congregation Beth Israel’s Gala Event at the UTC synagogue. The evening’s festivities were filled with delicious offerings including a fantastic performance by comedian and actor, Paul Reiser.

Among those enjoying the evening were Lou and Estelle Dunst, Julie and George Bronstein, Mitch and Elizabeth Siegler, Nancy and Dean Abelon, Pauline Foster, Elliott and Diane Feuerstein, Mary Ann and George Scher, Ron and Anne Simon, Emily and Chris Jennewein, and Carol and Ron Fox. We noticed great attendance for the 22nd Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival (not pictured). As always, an exciting part of the festival was the Annual Klezmer Summit: “L’Dor V’Dor.” In its 14th year, the evening’s entertainment included international violinist Rachel Barton Pine, San Diego’s own Yale Strom with Hot Pstromi, and the wonderful San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir. Some listening along were Edith Koppel and Elio Schaechter, Geri Sander, Al and Marsha Korobkin, Vivien and Jeff Ressler, Avra and Barry Kassar, Leeann Knetzer, Maty and Bernardo Bicas, Robin and Carla Fishel, Rhonda Schwartz, Bob and Joyce Blumberg, and Nadine and Edward Buchner.

Finally, we spent some time in Israel in late spring where we attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s 78th International Board of Governors meeting. We heard many wonderful speakers including Shimon Peres, Reuven Rivlin, and journalist/author/founding editor of The Times of Israel, David Horovitz.

Birthdays...

Happy 101st birthday to Eve Gerstle!

Happy 91st birthday to Diana Hahn!

Happy 90th birthday to Norma Peskin!

Happy 89th birthday to Bill Fox! Welcome to Ava Orchard Kasendorf, born April 8 to happy parents Alex and Christina Kasendorf of Valley Village, Calif., and proud San Diego Grandparents are Stacey Kasendorf and BJ Brose. Siblings, Noah (7) and Sam (5) are ecstatic about their new baby sister.

From the top down: Comedian/actor Paul Reiser • April Fink, Molly Schneider, Cindy Polger, Meg Mandel • Joanne and Ken Gimbel • Brad and Karen Shuman, Sara and Marc Stein • LEFT: Columnist Linda Bennett (center), at the Hebrew University of Jersulaem in June.

16 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

San Diego Jewish Academy Class of 2015, By the Numbers

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Number of students in SDJA’s class of 2015

244

Number of college acceptance letters received

100

Percentage of the class of 2015 accepted to a 4-year college or university

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the SCENE

BY EILEEN SONDAK l NSONDAK@GMAIL.COM PHOTOS BY DANIELLA DEVARNEY AND DEREK BERGHAUS

North Coast Rep’s Gala

Supporters of North Coast Repertory Theatre gathered this spring at the lovely Del Mar Country Club for a fundraising gala that featured entertainment by the multi-talented showman Ben Vereen. The event celebrated the theater’s 33rd anniversary and netted $350,000 for the nonprofit.

Ken Baca was honorary chair of a huge committee that included Lee and Frank Goldberg, Leonard Hirsch, Sharon and Richard Leib, Sheila and Jeff Lipinsky, Sharon and Jerome Stein, Nanci Weiss, and Arthur and Molli Wagner. Jeri and Richard Rovsek chaired the successful event.

Of course, the highlight of the evening came when the legendary songand-dance man took to the stage. Vereen brought down the house with his consummate artistry, and sent supporters home on a very high note.

Above: Marilyn Tedesco and Tina Sinner • Jonathan McMurty, David Ellenstein and Susan Ulivitch (Photos by Daniella DeVarney).

Partner with a Player

The San Diego Symphony honored its loyal donors with a dinner and concert recently. Dubbed “Partner with a Player,” the event offered benefactors an opportunity to sit onstage with the musicians they support, and to enjoy a special celebration performance.

The guest list was a who’s who of classical music aficionados, such as Helene and George Gould, Judith Harris and Robert Singer, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Warren and Karen Kessler, Barbara and Harry Markowitz, Stephen Silverman, Phyllis and David Snyder, Herb Solomon and Elaine Galinson, and Melvin and Isabelle Wasserman.

Above: Sharon and Jerry Stein • Sheila and Jeffrey Lipinsky • Dr. Jeff and Carol Chang (photos by Daniella DeVarney) Right, clockwise: Judith Harris and Dr. Robert Singer • Herb Solomon and Elaine Galinson • Joan and Irwin Jacobs (photos by Derek Berghaus).

18 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

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Senior Living in the Jewish tradition Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 19

MUSINGS FROM MAMA

by Sharon Rosen Leib

PARENTING srleib@roadrunner.com

Last Daughter Driving

F

reedom’s just another word for no one left to drive around. For Youngest Daughter, it’s THE word for hitting 16 and having a driver’s license and a set of wheels. Although the scraped-up, boxy 2006 Volkswagen Jetta handed down from her two older sisters falls far below her standards (warped by the outrageous number of BMWs in her high school parking lot) she hasn’t complained much about driving a beater.

The joy of not being shackled to her parents for rides to friends’ houses eclipses her concerns about image/status.

After two decades of carpooling kids, I feel liberated and relieved too. No more jumping up from my desk in the midst of crafting a sentence to race to school only to sit in a line of oversized vehicles jockeying for position on a crammed quarter-acre of asphalt. No more waiting for the laggard kid in the carpool and worrying whether he or she is immobilized by a sportsrelated concussion or just forgot to mention an orthodontist appointment. And most happily of all, not being griped at by my daughters for being late getting them to sports practice (resulting in them having to run extra laps) or picking them up from school (“All the other mothers are always on time!”). Alas, such are the indignities both parents and kids suffer during the carpool years.

I also feel a bit sad. One of my primary parental functions dissipated into the morning fog the moment Youngest Daughter turned the key and drove to school for the first time. And there’s also the worry factor eating away at me for the moment, since it takes most kids a year to become proficient drivers. Will she observe the speed limit, wear a seatbelt, refrain from checking her smartphone, find her way and drive defensively? Technological advances like multiple airbags and navigation apps help me breathe easier. I love the disembodied smartphone voice telling her where to go. She inherited my lame sense of direction and needs the help.

Nostalgia shadows my newfound freedom.

Carpooling definitely had its ups. The break between school ending and Hebrew school starting afforded ample time for snacking and schmoozing. I’d take the kids to their favorite après-school dining emporiums and we’d chat while munching on Bongiorno’s pizza, Pat & 20 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

No more jumping up from my desk in the midst of crafting a sentence to race to school only to sit in a line of oversized vehicles jockeying for position on a crammed quarter-acre of asphalt.

Oscars bread sticks and Cardiff Creamery ice cream. Sometimes I’d bring snacks and a blanket and we’d lounge on the school lawn. Those were the halcyon, pre-smartphone days when the kids engaged in conversation and were young enough not to be embarrassed to be seen talking to me.

I played NPR on the car radio so the kids and I could learn together during our peregrinations.

The news inspired dialogue about topics ranging from climate change to film criticism. My most memorable carpool moment occurred while driving Youngest Daughter and three neighborhood boys home one day during their freshman year. NPR was running a story on the importance of teenaged boys getting the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine, including a graphic description of male genital warts. The boys quieted down and listened in rapt horror.

My daughter looked mortified. I contemplated switching the station to pop music but figured the guys were taking in some important information.

After I dropped the last boy off, she berated me for not changing the channel.

“Mom, that was SO EMBARRASSING!” “They seemed interested and we all learned something,” I replied.

That’s what makes carpooling meaningful: we spend time together sharing cramped quarters, we listen, we learn, we try to use good manners and get along. Ultimately, we grow up together, paving the road to maturity and hard-won freedom. A

Summer Road Trip!

Summer is the perfect time for a road trip. Local San Diegan and syndicated driving columnist Jack Brandais wants to help you get the most out of your joyrides. He’s created “Joyride Guru,” a series of e-books for the road less traveled. He covers all regions of San Diego, and goes into beautiful detail about the ride itself, the turns of the road, the views from the car window.

They’re for driving enthusiasts with some time to spare. Check ‘em out at joyrideguru.com.

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Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 21

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE andreasimantov@gmail.com

Aging Angers

I

’ve been working on this anger thing for a long time and for the most part it seems under control. Israel is located in a tense global neighborhood and my part of Jerusalem lies between two infamous Arab villages, best known for perpetrating some of the more heinous attacks in recent years: bulldozers and rogue sedans being the preferred weapons of choice. Still, we shop together, sit in the same medical clinics, pick up packages at the same local post office and drink coffee side-by-side in the corner cafes. Lugging about all of that fear, anger and suspicion is too tiring. And it weighs a lot. Standing at the cusp of my 60th birthday, it occurs to me that I’d better conserve some energy as it will probably be needed for the next regional conflict.

Which is why I surprised myself with two recent unbridled outbursts, very much NOT in keeping with my new keep-it-cool persona and having nothing to do with Jews and Arabs.

Episode number one involved someone sending me a short video clip of a 60-yearold woman “killing it” to the hip hop song “Uptown Funk.” Silver haired, squat and thick in the middle as many younger seniors tend to be, she tore-up the dance floor with a group of her students. Yeah, she was good. But I know a lot of people my age, men and women, who are

22 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

great dancers and/or athletes. Nevertheless, the posted comments were so blatantly patronizing, congratulating another long-toothed geezer for doing the impossible. Which is what really got my blood boiling. It wasn’t impossible. It was dancing and it happens all the time. I felt offended that people were acting like this was some sort of anomaly.

The next day, I sat in a programming meeting to discuss the creation of a Young Professionals division of my organization. Most of our administrative staff are older than 50 and the actual membership is comprised of senior citizens. Thus, a growing interest in bringing in “young blood.”

The newly appointed head of the Young Division used phrases like, “Young people prefer...” and “Our crowd would/wouldn’t/ doesn’t/always...” etc. Speaking very slowly and loud, she carefully enunciated her words lest our ear-horns miss the gist of her condescending presentation. My co-workers are fun, proactive and passionate, not for “old” people, for any people. Through the corner of my eye, I watched these successful marketers and programming specialists control their tempers while a 30-yearold neophyte patiently explained the steps needed to ensure a successful beer and pretzel pub night.

With apologies to the novelist John Irving

Lugging about all of that fear, anger and suspicion is too tiring. And it weighs a lot. Standing at the cusp of my 60th birthday it occurs to me that I’d better conserve some energy as it will probably be needed for the next regional conflict. as I steal the best line from one of his more uncomfortable novels, “My dear boy, please don’t put a label on me – don’t make me a category before you get to know me!”

As my anger has subsided, I can now clearly say: Getting older does not make one a clown or obsolete. Age offers blessed opportunity-afteropportunity to soar in whatever manner one’s health and attitude permits. And don’t you forget it! A

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Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 23

PLAYING WITH MATCHES by Jennifer Garstang

DATING jenscy@gmail.com

Can Men and Women be Friends?

I

t’s been called the thesis that launched a thousand sitcoms: men and women can’t be friends because one of the two always wants something “more.” This theory – popularized by some of our fellow Jews in the 1989 rom-com “When Harry Met Sally” (thanks guys) – has permeated pop culture and our collective worldview for way too long. In real life, this hard-andfast rule may not be as deeply inscribed in the stone tablets as we have come to believe.

“What are you talking about?!” you cry.

“Attraction is inevitable!”

True. For most of us, attraction is hard-wired.

We’re gonna have feelings, even for people we don’t want to be with. The question is not will we feel attraction but will that attraction destroy our friendships?

It certainly can get in the way. A close college friend and I no longer keep in touch, mostly because mutual attraction made things too awkward. But honestly, it doesn’t have to. Just last year, I was the maid of honor at my two best friends’ wedding.

The groom happened to be my first big high-school crush (and I’m talking that painful, angsty, teenlove-song-inducing crush). In my toast to them, I bemoaned the fact that I hadn’t called “dibs” on him when I had the chance, we shared a laugh, and then I had a wonderful evening dancing with my own boyfriend/love-of-my-life.

Remaining friends despite attraction is complicated, but it is possible if you follow some basic guidelines.

First off, you have to be real with yourself. Don’t kid yourself about your motivations. For instance, if you mainly want to hang out with someone because you find them physically attractive, don’t confuse that with friendship. On the flip side, if someone is clearly attracted to you, don’t pretend you think he’s “just being friendly.” Most 24 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

importantly, keep in mind that there’s a reason many Orthodox forbid physical contact between unmarried men and women: because we have hormones. The right situation (holding hands, extended eye contact, a little alcohol) can literally change our brain chemistry, making us prone to romantic decisions we’ll later regret. So, while you don’t necessarily have to cut off all physical contact with the opposite sex, do avoid potential romantic situations if you don’t want romantic things to happen.

Next, you have to be real with the people in your life. That means sharing how you feel and respecting their feelings as well. My former-crush is well aware of how I felt, and yes, he has heard the song I wrote for him (as has his wife, and his little sister, and probably some of his cousins). If you have a significant other, you need to make sure he or she is comfortable with your friendships, too.

My boyfriend knows all about my former crush, and joins my friends in teasing me about it! He also knows he comes first in my life, and that he can feel completely confident in our relationship.

Keep in mind, being real doesn’t mean you have to reveal the depths of your soul in a long, serious, painful confession. Most of my conversations about this kind of thing have been a little awkward, but very amusing. Just don’t let attraction become some deep, dark secret. Because that will put a strain on any friendship.

Bottom line: Men and women can be friends, and while overcoming unwanted attraction isn’t easy, it can be worth it. Over the last decade, my former-crush, his wife, and I have supported each other through some of the best and worst parts of our lives. I may no longer have an angsty, teenlove-song-inducing crush, but if you ask if we love each other, our answer is an un-ironic, un-romantic “yes.” A

What Will Your Legacy Be? The Jewish Community Foundation’s tips to simplify your charitable legacy: Name your favorite nonprofit as beneficiary of your life insurance.

• Gift an existing or new policy.

• Receive an income tax and estate tax deduction.

• Make annual gifts to cover the premiums and receive additional income tax deductions.

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To learn more about creating your legacy, contact Elise S. Wald, JD, LLM, Charitable Planning Officer at 858-279-2740 or elise@ jcfsandiego.org.

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S

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OLDER, WISER, BETTER by Jon Schwartz

AGING jonaschwartz@hotmail.com

Of Memories and Mentorship

I

t was an hour before I would finish with 6th grade.

My classmates and I were walking around the room signing one another’s yearbooks. That year, my signature line in my peers’ yearbook was, “Have a cool summer,” which I thought was such a clever play on the reality of Orange County summers – very hot. I remember that last hour of that 6th grade year so vividly, perhaps because I was excited to start summer break. Camp, a later bedtime, watching tv and the idea of not being in school for three months were almost too much to bear during those last long 60 minutes. In fact, when the school bell rang, and I was officially on summer break, I remember running out of the classroom and putting my hands in the air for at least a minute, pumping my fists of joy.

Thinking back on it now, I can’t really believe I had that reaction but I guess that’s to be expected of a prepubescent boy with something to look forward to.

Nearly 20 years later, I look back and find many other significant moments that bring me the same kind of fist-pumping excitement. Getting into college, high school graduation, finding work, getting promoted, dating, and falling in love. As I approach 30, I am looking forward to the thought of getting married, raising children, pursuing career aspirations, retirement, traveling the world, getting a hole-in-one, and meeting my future grandchildren. I have experiences to look forward to, just like I did that final school day in 6th grade.

For now, it’s easy to remain optimistic, idealistic, and working toward expanded knowledge and personal growth. However, what happens once all of these major events are in the past? Will I still have the same drive as I do now, without something “significant” in the future to look forward to?

Unfortunately, all too often, it seems once we accomplish and move beyond major societal milestones we begin to feel lacking. Add to that, as we age, mobility becomes more of a challenge, energy begins to diminish, speed, creativity and focus may 26 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

decline. This can make it more difficult and less meaningful to participate in and look forward to something, even small, that we may have pumped our arms in excitement about in the past. If there is less to look forward to, and more barriers for an aging individual to participate in activities that they once found exciting, then what is the point of growing old?

There is one major theme that does not get talked about enough: mentorship. Wikipedia defines mentorship as, “a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.”

Perhaps mentorship is one of the most influential aspects of life, where a more experienced (older) person can participate, while contributing in the most meaningful ways. As a community, we need to create more opportunities for our elders to mentor.

Whether our mentors sit on a for-profit company’s board, volunteer for nonprofit programs, or help build community up in any other way, we must tap into their talent and ask for guidance and advice!

From my school days, I can also remember first learning to write. My penmanship was the worst in the class. I later found out that my teacher had called my mom to say my penmanship was the worst she had ever seen. To help, my teacher brought in a tutor, a retired teacher who must have been around 85 years old, to work with me after class. I remember her being so sweet and patient. Today, my penmanship is still not the greatest but with her help, I improved and she gave me the confidence to write. I think she did this for herself as much as for me. Looking back on it now, I’m pretty sure she looked forward to this opportunity to stay involved and helpful by continuing to share her skills with one small part of the world – me! Aging is inevtiable, but leaving a legacy filled with mentorship should give us all something to look forward to. A

Save the Date:

Save the date for the 4 Annual StandWithUs Festival of Lights Gala.

To be held on Dec. 6 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, the event will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens as the evening’s keynote speaker. Stay tuned for registration details. th

Congregation Beth Am Choir & Congregation Bnai Shalom Kathy Robbins will lead services on B’nai Shalom’s patio on Friday, July 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm. Come and enjoy musical services under the “stars and meet our warm and friendly congregation. There will be a scrumptious Oneg hosted by B’nai Shalom.

Commemorate and Honor Tis ha B’Av with Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi on Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 2 pm on the B’nai Shalom patio. Listen to the Kin ot (poems) put to music and composed by Yale Strom . Yale will lead us from sorrow to joy through his music.

Come schmooze with B’nai Sh alom’s Rabbi Silverman and members and enjoy some ligh refreshments. Donation $12 in t advance / $15 at the door.

Please RSVP to Joyce Spiege l by July 23, 2015. at (760) 944 -5774.

Checks should be made out to Congregation B’nai Shalom .

Congregation Beth Am Choir on Sunday, August 9, 2015 at 2 pm. Please join us on B’nai Shalom’s patio to hear a taste of Jewish music for all ages.

Bri ng a friend or come alone and meet and socialize with Co ngregation B’nai Shalom’s me mbers. Wine and cheese will be served. Donation $10 in adv ance / $12 at the door to Irene Neimark.

Please RSVP Irene at 858-48 1-7263 no later than August 4, 2015 Checks should be made out to Congregation B’nai Shalom .

Congregation Bnai Shalom, 20

3 E. Broadway, Vista CA 9208

4

Make your High Holiday Reservations early this year with B’nai Shalom. Services are lead by our Rabbi Silverman and our Cantor Vladimir Staerman. Our High Holiday tickets will be only $125.00 which includes the first year membership and privileges for new members only.

B’nai Shalom is the only affiliated conservative synagogue in the Tri-City coastal and inland area.

Please visit our Website at www.bnaishalomsd.org

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 27

THE ARTIST’S TORAH by David Ebenbach

SPIRITUALITY ebenbach@netzero.com

From Destruction

A

s we enter the final book of the Torah, there’s a sense of excitement and possibility; G-d has been helping the Israelites figure out how to set up a society in the promised land, while laying out logistical details and plans for the future. Things are looking up.

Yet we readers have the advantage of hindsight, and we know that the Israelites’ plans are ultimately going to fall apart.

This month is our reminder, if we need one; the holiday Tisha B’Av commemorates destruction.

Specifically, it commemorates the destruction (twice) of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem – the Temple that was intended to be the center of Israelite society, a society that was unthinkable without that center – and it’s also supposed to be the anniversary of a number of subsequent tragedies for the Jewish people, including the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and, for some, the Holocaust itself. We have this holiday so that we don’t forget the cataclysms that have too often upended Jewish history.

Yet ours is not, ultimately, a story of destruction, and the Torah knows it. This month’s portions show us that loss is not an ending but the place from which we continue. By this point in our annual Torah readings, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) Aaron has died, but in these portions we see his successor, Eleazar, actively taking on the spiritual leadership of the people. In these pages, Moses is reminded of his impending death, but is also told that Joshua will succeed him. The Torah, as always, walks a fine line, on the one hand emphasizing the importance of each individual person and moment – witness the detailed genealogy in Numbers Chapter 26 or the play-byplay summary of the Israelites’ journey in Chapter 33 – and on the other hand assuring us that not 28 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

Ours is not, ultimately, a story of destruction, and the Torah knows it. This month’s portions show us that loss is not an ending but the place from which we continue. everything rests on one soul or one experience.

There will, after all, be others.

Even when we lost the Temple, which ended our ability to make the traditional sacrifices that were the foundation of Temple Judaism (some of which are described in this month’s Torah portions), we did not lose Judaism. Instead, Judaism transformed, so that in our time, we fulfill our spiritual duties not at the altar but in our communities, our synagogues, our homes.

The development of Rabbinic Judaism after the loss of Temple Judaism is a tremendous story of vision and resilience. In fact, here’s the real truth: the vibrant Judaism that we practice today exists not in spite of destruction but because of it.

During Tisha B’Av we stand again in the rubble of our past disasters. We face the history of loss and the inevitability of future loss. But we also might remind ourselves that the world doesn’t depend on everything working according to plan.

It never has, and it never will. We also might take a closer look at the debris around us, which will of course become the bedrock for whatever we’re going to create next. A

 This

month’s Torah portions

July 4: Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9) July 11: Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1) July 18: Mattot/Massei (Numbers 30:2-36:13) July 25: Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22)

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FROM ME TO

JEW Reconnecting with Morocco

BY DOR ASHUR

I

n 1948, with the birth of the Jewish state, my father’s parents and 263,000 other hopeful Jews, gathered their belongings and left their homes in Morocco for a better life in Israel. As the government forbade aliyah at the time, my grandfather bid his parents farewell and escaped Fez undercover and alone. My grandmother and her family traveled under a fake medical visa from Fez to Ushta, in northern Morocco, and then to Algiers, where they camped in a park for a month awaiting their boat to Marseilles.

Both grandparents, sporting fake German names despite their olive skin, were packed like sardines for eight seasick days aboard The Panyork to Haifa, where their excitement at arriving in Israel and receiving fresh bread was quickly dampened by the harsh living conditions.

After meeting my grandfather through a family friend, raising three sons and working as a bus driver for the army and as a bank teller, my grandmother is now retired and lives in Haifa. My grandfather, a carpenter, passed away from pancreatic cancer several years ago.

I have never self-identified as Moroccan.

Maybe growing up as Jewish Israeli American has created a sufficient multiple personality disorder, or possibly associating with an Arabic country feels antithetical, but that half of my history has always seemed too distant to breach my individuality. After all, Morocco was a yet unseen country, whose citizens speak two foreign languages, which is insulated from my history by a two generation gap.

I remember laughing along contagiously at the incomprehensible Moroccan Arabic jokes while my family played cards at my grandparents’ kitchen table, and how my father teasingly called my little brother “Morrocai” during his childhood tantrums, but those experiences were always adjunct and tangential.

As such, although I love both the anticipation and adventure of travel, the notion of visiting faroff treacherous Morocco was always too unfeasible and outrageous to top my destination bucket list.

Upon receiving an advertisement for the Joint Distribution Committee’s “JDC Entwine - Inside Jewish Morocco” trip for young professionals, however, the honor of being the first family member to return to the kingdom of Morocco quickly dissolved any hesitations or apprehensions.

After flying nearly 6,000 miles, the views during the descent into Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco, were shockingly indiscriminate. Aground, I logically accepted, but remained surprised, that the generic ’80s European style airport and freeways appeared remarkably nondescript as well. After lunch at Casablanca’s Jewish Museum (the only one of its kind in an Arab nation) my tide of curiosity drowned my jet lag as I glued my wide-eyed face to the bus window to soak in and internalize that dirt and water on the road to Fez. For our first dinner in Morocco, we feasted on delicious lamb, salads and fresh bread in a wonderfully ornate palace, while belly dancers and fire breathers performed on stage and the wine slowly stoked my immersion. Stuffed and satiated, the performers yanked a fellow female traveler and me from our seats, and to the back of the restaurant, where I was dressed in a long gold and white robe and a fez hat, and she was adorned in umpteen layers of cloth, jewelry and head pieces. In a grand celebration of the trip’s commencement, we were paraded through the crowd and on stage, danced to the music of the mandolins and drums, and may have accidentally gotten married.

I remember my elation at receiving the coveted acceptance email, and my grandmother’s joy when she learned that I would be the first to visit Fez. Plus, I’d be stopping at the Jewish cemetery – an amazing opportunity to visit my family’s gravesites.

Fueled by vivid excitement, I spent many hours preparing for our second day’s excursion to Mellah, the Jewish quarter in Fez where my family used to live. I emailed my great grandparents’ names to our trip organizers, hoping that coordination would increase the odds of finding my family’s history and gravesites. I ordered Yahrzeit candles on Amazon, nabbed a box of matches and packed my favorite kippah. I recorded pages of recollected family stories over Skype as my uncle navigated my grandmother through Google Satellite images in search of recognizable intersections or street names. Unfortunately, childhood memories are difficult to conjure from a birds-eye-view. For those wishing to garner infinite grandchild mensch points, help your grandparent recall his or her childhood.

At the cemetery, the friendly elderly

groundskeeper ushered me away from the group’s tour and into a small white van for a ride to his worn and cluttered workshop 500 feet away. He dislodged two thick black binders and we flipped through the reams of typed dates, ages, coordinates and names in search of Ashash and Ruini.

I leaned closely over the tidy alphabetized books. We walked to the nearby sector, listed to contain my great grandmother’s grave, where we found the words Ester Ruini hidden in the middle of a headstone’s inscription paragraph. I lit a candle, placed it on her grave and joined his soft mumbled Yahrzeit prayer.

Although my great grandfather’s gravesite was a bit harder to find, overall, the amazing experience of finding my roots and history was so fatefully and remarkably easy.

The rest of the trip was a tagine and teaintoxicated, hyper-immersive, educational and awe inspiring look into the landmarks, politics, organization and aid of the Jewish communities and Moroccan culture in Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakesh. We witnessed the strong brotherly ties between Arab and Jewish high school students, we were dressed in robes and ferried by horse-drawn carriages to a Shabbat dinner in a former palace, and we drank tea at the historic home of the U.S. consul general, who asports a tongue stud and an ankle tattoo.

Back home in San Diego, able to see the forest for the trees, I can now understand that truly meaningful and illuminating travel opportunities to rekindle even disjointed appreciation and understanding of family history, are feasible, important, and incredibly rewarding. A Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 31

HEALTH

Living with Mental Illness San Diegans find comfort and support in Jewish home

BY NATALIE JACOBS

A

t the dead end of a long street that runs perpendicular to the I-15 in Escondido, down a freshly paved driveway rest two identical buildings. Their newness sticks out, as does their purpose, though you can’t see that from the street. The buildings are collectively called Chesed Home – the Hebrew word chesed is often translated as “loving kindness” – and their mission is to provide a safe and supportive home for San Diegans living with mental illness, particularly but not exclusively Jews.

“It was nothing but a conversation around my dinner table,” Devorah Shore, whose son has schizophrenia, says about the beginnings of Chesed Home.

The first residents, of which there were three, moved into the condostyle building closest to the street in August of 2013. This licensed board and care facility has room for six residents and is now at capacity. Meals are included in the $4,000 per month rent, as well as a house manager and a program director who is a licensed social worker. She provides on-site case management catered to the individual plans of each resident. The second building, $2,000 per month, is an independent living facility also for six residents that includes only a licensed clinical social worker provided by Jewish Family Service.

Shore and a small but devoted team – mostly parents of grown children living with schizophrenia – created the nonprofit Hope Village to provide housing solutions for people with mental illness, primarily the brain disorder commonly associated with hearing voices and intense paranoia.

But schizophrenia, as with all mental illness, has a spectrum of symptoms.

32 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

Chesed Home, the first of what Hope Village thinks will be many projects, is working to create an environment that is suitable for all people living on this spectrum.

Stephen, 28, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy, moved into Chesed Home’s licensed board and care house in January after experiencing a psychotic break. He was living alone in Hillcrest and working to start his own business when he invited a new friend to live with him.

“We hung out and we became friends but he also had all these crazy ideas about government conspiracies and stuff like that,” Stephen says.

After spending a lot of time with this new friend, Stephen came to believe that the government was coming after him. On Thanksgiving Day in 2014, he ran out of his house, terrified, and called his mom.

“Basically I ended up thinking that this guy was maybe part of the government,” he says. “But I didn’t know if he was good or bad. So I wanted my mom to hire a private investigator to investigate him. … She basically told me to get out of [her] house,” he continues, paraphrasing the conversation that took place once he arrived at his mom’s house that Thanksgiving.

“I was literally scared but she was just being rational about it more than being caring about the fact that I was scared. I’m not saying she was right or wrong, but she was just like ‘go home.’

“I was really hysteric,” he adds. “I wasn’t crazy but I was crying, I was very scared.”

Stephen’s cousin, mom and brother came back to the house with him to kick out his friend. When everyone was gone, Stephen boarded up all the

doors. He put chairs and tables in front of the boards to keep them from moving. He lived that way for about a week.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in four people will have a “mental health challenge” at some point in his or her lifetime. For San Diego, explains NAMI San Diego CEO Shannon Jaccard, that’s an estimated 750,000 people, enough to fill up Qualcomm Stadium 10 times. For schizophrenia specifically,

“It’s hard for mentally ill people to be wanted in society because we act weird” Lauren says. “Everybody acts weird, come on.

It’s like why do you judge me when I’m just like you?”

national reports show that one in 17 people in the U.S. have this diagnosis. Symptoms, which typically begin to appear in the teen years or early twenties, include hallucinations and delusions, confused speech and emotional flatness.

Hospitalization often accompanies the onset of severe symptoms, and anti-psychotic medications are used to correct the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. It is very possible to manage the symptoms of the illness though. NAMI notes that people who attend “structured psychosocial rehabilitation programs and continue with their medical treatment manage their illness best.”

But stable living conditions can be difficult to maintain, and NAMI’s Jaccard notes that housing in San Diego is particularly difficult.

“The number of board and care [facilities] in San Diego are actually dwindling,” she says.

The county resource and information hotline 2-1-1 holds the most up-to-date list of all board and care facilities in San Diego. On June 10, that list showed 65 homes with a total of 36 available beds.

“With the board and care, there’s some oversight ensuring that they’re providing somewhat good quality housing,” Jaccard says. “But independent livings are completely...there’s no oversight at all.

Yet they can charge as much as a board and care.”

San Diego County’s Behavioral Health Services agency reports that 30 percent of homeless people in San Diego suffer from serious mental health issues. In their three-year program and expenditure plan, the County emphasizes “home is where recovery begins” before outlining an estimated $33 million in state and federal funds for housing projects through 2017. With money from the Mental Health Services Act, the County says there are 15 housing projects underway. If all are successfully completed, the report notes, there will be new housing options for a few hundred more people with mental illness, but the details stop there.

Part of that money, Jaccard explains, is being used to build North County’s first crisis housing center. Once residents term out of the two-week crisis program, they’re on their own for housing.

Chesed Home, although licensed through the County, operates independently and maintains a fairly low profile in the community. None of the money from the Mental Health Services Act is allotted for Chesed Home or other projects like it.

Back at the end of 2014, when about a week had passed in his boarded-up apartment, Stephen got a call from his former roommate, the supposed government operative. He was going back to Texas. Stephen agreed to take him to the airport.

“It was like a frame of mind,” Stephen says of the decision to see the guy again. “It was like don’t just run away. It was like keep your enemies close.

I wanted to keep getting a feel for him.”

The two continue to keep in touch, but Stephen isn’t convinced that he was wrong about the friend being in on a scheme to bring down Stephen and his business.

“I’m not sold on it. Do you know what I mean?” Stephen says. “I’m not going to sit here and say for sure not, and I know that probably sounds crazy, but that’s not something I worry about [anymore]. It doesn’t affect my day-to-day life. I’m not talking to him investigating anymore,

we just talk.”

Stephen also doesn’t foresee another psychotic break in his future.

“I saw that as very situational,” he says. “Just a lot of things coming together at a certain time.”

He came to Chesed Home at the request of his brother, whose wife is working with the organization while she becomes a licensed social worker.

“When I first met Shelle [Wisdom-Lazar, program director and licensed clinical social worker at Chesed Home] I wasn’t saying for sure I was going to stay here. … But then when I met Shelle and I told her my plan [to save enough money to start the business without needing to ask a family member for a loan] and she was on board with it, [I knew Chesed Home] was a place where it works with you and the plan that you want to do for your life as long as they agree it’s a good idea.”

Although he does not have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, before his psychotic break, Stephen had lifelong struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder, gambling addiction, depression and alcohol abuse. He stayed in a couple sober living facilities in his early 20s, after attending what he calls “emotional growth boarding school” in his teen years, but Chesed Home is different, he says.

“It’s really good here. I know a lot of places like this, it’s like the staff will try to impose...they’re power trippers. What I’m saying is that everyone here can have their own plan and go for what they want and have support.”

Wisdom-Lazar, who has been sitting with us during our interview, adds: “We do want to address some of the mental illness stuff as well.

We’re not really doing a lot with that – he’s not required to be in therapy or participate in some program for his mental health – but we’re in the milieu, coaching him on organizational things.

Because he’s very creative and very bright …

There’s been this shooting himself in the foot with some impulsivity issues and lack of planning ability.”

Step one of Stephen’s plan was to get a high paying job so he could start saving money to put Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 33

If you or a loved one is in need of mental health resources in San Diego, visit up2sd.org, sandiegocounty.gov, or namisandiego.org.

Mental Health Facts IN AMERICA

Fact: Nearly 44 million adults experience mental illness in a given year.

1

1 in every 5 adults in America experience a mental illness.

Nearly 1 in 25 (approximately 13.6 million) adults in America live with a serious mental illness.

One-half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; three-quarters by the age of 24.

Prevalence of Mental Illness by Diagnosis

1.1%

2.6%

1 in 100 (2.4 million) American adults live with schizophrenia.1

2.6% (6.1 million) of American adults live with bipolar disorder.1

6.9%

18.1%

6.9% (16 milion) of American adults live with major depression. 1

18.1% (42 million) of American adults live with anxiety disorders. 1

Consequences

Mental Illness

Addiction

Impact

8.4m

1st

Approximately 8.4 million adults have co-occuring mental health and addiction disorders.1

26%

Approximately 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness.1

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease.1

-$193b

$

Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earning every year.3

24%

90%

Approximately 24% of state prisoners have “a recent history of a mental health condition”.2

90% of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.3

Just over 50% of youth ages 8-15 with a mental illness received mental health services in the previous year.1

Hispanic Americans

50%

Asian Americans

60% Only approximately 60% of adults with a serious mental illness received mental health services in the previous year.1

Whites

Treatment in America Africcan Americans

back into his business. At the time of our interview, Stephen was expecting to hear back from a dealership about a job as a car salesman. It was looking good, so long as everything was cleared from his DUI back in 2010.

Lauren, 23, whose name has also been changed, has lived in other board and care facilities throughout San Diego.

“My last placement was pretty horrific,” she says.

She tells me she’s diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, characterized by the hallucinations and/or delusions associated with schizophrenia along with symptoms of mood disorders such as mania and depression.

“It’s worse than schizophrenia, basically,” she says. “But I don’t see things, I don’t hear things, I don’t do that, I just have delusions.”

She says she had her first psychotic break at 14.

“If I’m experiencing...”

“Ah shit!” Stephen screams in the background. The tv blasts.

Lauren rolls her eyes. “Living with boys,” she says under her breath.

I ask what happened.

“Nothing,” she says with a smirk, “he’s just watching soccer.”

She is the only female in the licensed board and care house. Next door, in the independent home, there is also one female, but the two houses don’t have much interaction with each other. In this house, though, Lauren and Stephen both say everyone is close and supportive of one another.

“I love hanging out with them,” Lauren says. “They help me, and I help them. We support each other and we’re all friends. We all know what’s going on in our lives.”

She says it was different when she first got to Chesed Home. She had developed post traumatic stress disorder from her previous placement and was timid in the new environment, but after a year here, she has come out of her shell.

“It’s hard for mentally ill people to be wanted in society because we act weird” she says. “Everybody acts weird, come on. It’s like why do you judge me when I’m just like you?”

A man wearing a yarmulke eats quietly next to us at the dining table.

He nods to himself as Lauren says this. He doesn’t want to talk to me, but Lauren assures me that he’s very funny when he’s in the right mood.

“Those who are most psychotic aren’t talking,” Wisdom-Lazar says privately. She means to me. In the case of one resident in the independent home, he suffers from anosognosia, which means that he doesn’t believe he has a mental illness. Others would have trouble trusting me, a stranger, with their stories, Wisdom-Lazar explains.

The ultimate goal of Chesed Home is to move residents on from the licensed board and care home into the independent living house and then onto their own apartments. To date, three residents have made that transition between houses, and one has moved on to her own apartment. There are no limits on length of stay at either home, and plans are individualized to each resident. To continue their work and expand opportunities to provide scholarships, Hope Village has just launched a capital campaign. Learn more about what they do at chesedhome.org. A

African American & Hispanic Americans used mental health services at about 1/2 the rate of whites in the past year and Asian Americans at about 1/3 the rate.1

Ways to Get Help

Talk with your doctor

Connect with other individuals and families

Learn more about mental illness

Visit NAMI.org

1 This document cites statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health. www.nimh.nih.gov 2 Statistics provided by Department of Justice.

3 American Journal of Psychiatry and U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999.

Follow Us! facebook.com/officialNAMI twitter.com/NAMIcommunicate

34 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

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HEALTH

Every Beat Counts Hadassah takes on women’s heart health

BY TINA B. ESHEL

W

hat if that pain in your neck or jaw or stomach isn’t a symptom of the flu? What if that sudden outbreak of sweat isn’t from another hot flash? And that fatigue and shortness of breath, could they be lingering because of something other than spending too much time on the couch? The answer to the latter is yes, and, it turns out, each of these common symptoms can be signs of heart attack in women.

Surprised? You’re not alone. Breast cancer may be the boogieman that worries most women (and it’s no small matter that one in 31 women die from breast cancer each year), but it’s not the number one killer of women worldwide. That dubious title goes heart disease, which is the cause of death for one in three women in the United States.

Hadassah, the Women Zionists Organization of America, wants women, especially Jewish and younger women, to answer the wake up call and become advocates for their own health.

Heart disease is a killer with symptoms that are different in women than men. Hadassah’s new global education campaign aims to teach women these facts and empower them to be their own best “Heart Healthy Advocate.”

I spoke with Deena Feinman, San Diego’s Hadassah director, and Audrey Levine, president of the local chapter, on the phone about this new effort and Hadassah’s upcoming luncheon and program called, “Girlfriend’s Take Heart! A

36 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

Women’s Heart Health Program.” Foodies take note – Chef Palma Bellighieri of Rancho La Puerta is preparing the menu.

Until recently, researchers and academics erroneously assumed that what was true for men and heart health also held true for women. That notion has been turned upside down in recent years and science is scrambling for information specific to heart health and risk factors for women. So far, what we know is we still have a lot to learn about heart disease in women.

“It’s not just a medical issue,” Feinman says, “it’s a political issue.”

Fortunately, this is changing, she explains. With members in every congressional district in the country, Hadassah is advocating for legislation to fund gender-balanced medical research.

“On the political front, both in Israel and the United States, there’s a movement to secure funding and treat the disease [in women] as the crisis that it is,” Feinman says.

“It’s incredibly motivating to be part of the program,” Levine adds. Her advice to women is simple: you have to advocate for yourself.

“Doctors may not recognize certain symptoms and associate them with heart disease. Don’t just accept the answer [and think] you are ok if you are feeling something,” she continues.

The message from Hadassah’s new global information campaign is one part educational and one part proactive – Every Beat and Every Step Counts. By signing up online at Hadassah. org, women can get the facts about cardiovascular disease (did you know that 82 percent is preventable?) and become part of the global walking program (10,000 steps a day may keep the heart attacks at bay).

Leading by example, women’s heart health is taking center stage at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem thanks to a generous donation from Irene Pollin. Pollin, who’s daughter died at age 16 from a heart defect, donated $10 million to several hospitals around the world – including Hadassah in Israel and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Her donation established the Linda Joy Pollin Women’s Heart Health Programs in support of women’s heart research and education.

San Diegans can join the charge on Oct. 18 with “Girlfriends Take Heart! A Women’s Heart Health Program.” Hadassah expects 175200 women to attend the luncheon at AMN Healthcare in Carmel Valley. Dr. Christina Adams of Scripps Health will join Chef Palma Bellighieri of Rancho La Puerta and a panel discussion with two members of Hadassah, one the survivor of a heart-transplant, the other a survivor of triple bypass surgery (both women are younger than 50).

The lunch menu is a secret for now, but Chef Bellighieri did reveal she’s working on recipes that include “soup, salad and something sweet.”

She credits her Sicilian father for giving “me the taste” and her Israeli husband for “inspiring her to discover how food can heal people.”

Bellighieri wants to inspire the women who attend the event to “think outside the box and be creative with food, minimize salt and sugar, and substitute with herbs to enhance the flavors.

“I hope they feel good about themselves, enjoy what they eat and transmit that to their children,” she adds.

When you think of heart issues, you think of older women (and men), Levine says. The fact is, heart disease can kill young people, even people who are fit and healthy.

“That’s the kind of information motivating me to educate people,” Levine notes.

Feinman agrees. One of the most important changes she’s made in her personal life is to walk 10,000 steps and become part of a virtual walking team. The Every Step Counts program has “made me conscious of something I knew on an intellectual level that I hadn’t implemented in my daily life.” A Register for the Oct. 18 event and learn more about Hadassah’s initiative at Hadassah.org. Chef Palma Bellighieri can be reached at ChefPalma.com.

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HEALTH

“Avengers” Meets Autism Superheroes Exceptional Minds Studio creates cause to applaud young adults on the spectrum

Students at Exceptional Minds are taught to work with leading technologies for the film industry, in small classrooms and through specialized programs.

T

he summer blockbuster movie “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is bursting with superheroes and not all of them are seen on screen. Four young people with autism, including a young man named Eli Katz, were part of the visual effects crew that brought the superpowers of Iron Man, Thor and the other Marvel Comics superheroes to the big screen thanks to a specialized vocational school.

Founded in 2011, Exceptional Minds is a Sherman Oaks, Calif., based nonprofit school and working studio created to prepare young adults with autism for careers in digital animation and visual effects. The first and only school of its kind, Exceptional Minds is one solution to the problem of high unemployment and social isolation typical of young adults with Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as they age out of the public school system.

Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States – rates of ASD are up 300 percent since 2002 – and today, more than three million Americans are deemed “on the spectrum.” With lifetime care costs per

38 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY EXCEPTIONAL MINDS

BY TINA B. ESHEL

person in the millions and 90 percent of adults with autism unemployed or underemployed, the need for Exceptional Minds and other unique operations like it couldn’t be more clear. To paraphrase their press release, this population is on the edge of a social and economic crisis.

Exceptional Minds is the brainchild of current and former movie-business professionals, including Yudi Bennett, who, prior to co-founding the school and studio, was one of Hollywood’s first female assistant directors and recipient of three Directors Guild of America Awards. Bennett’s son Noah, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, is the reason behind her decision to help launch the program. He’s a second-year student in the certificate program, which lasts three years. Each of the people involved in founding the school also have children on the autism spectrum.

Bennett is the daughter of a rabbi who grew up in what she describes as a “Conservadox home,” where the “idea of tikkun olam was very relevant.” Her father was a Talmud scholar and social action is in her blood.

“When you talk about Jewish values, they’re just part of your DNA.” Bennett describes herself as an out-of-the-box thinker. When it came to creating the school, she says, “We looked for a model to follow,” but couldn’t find one.

“We had to recreate the wheel. Now we have created a replication model [as well],” which means that Exceptional Minds is a program that can be established in other communities. The demand is certainly there.

The program gets far more applications than space allows; currently, they can accept 10 students per year for the three-year program. Their full-time, three-year vocational program offers a crucial bridge between high school and meaningful employment by building on the strengths of this population.

They also offer private tutoring and summer programs for teens with autism interested in exploring careers in the digital arts.

Exceptional Minds provides customized instruction in visual effects, digital animation and work-readiness to prepare their students for lifelong careers. What makes the program different is that beyond training, they help

The Exceptional Minds crew got invited to a premiere screening of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” for their work on the film.

graduates find solid employment, particularly in the field of post-production.

Students obtain software certifications considered the industry standard of competency, and develop skills through paid contract work.

Given the background of those involved in creating the program – Bennett isn’t the only one with a background in the entertainment industry – they’ve been able to provide students with work experience on several high-profile projects, including such movies as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “American Hustle” and “Lawless.”

Eli Katz is an Exceptional Minds graduate. We spoke over the phone, and despite his reticence to speak to a stranger, he did describe his experience as rewarding on several fronts.

“First thing is, to see a finished work that you did outside of the studio,” he says.

Second, having a paycheck is pretty awesome, he confesses, as was being able to go to the exclusive cast and crew screening of “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Up next for Katz is work on another Marvel Studios film. The name hasn’t been released yet, but Katz and Bennett explained that Marvel Studios liked their studio’s work so much, they “hired us for another film.”

The high quality of work from Exceptional Minds students and graduates is linked to the autism diagnosis: because of the way minds of those on the spectrum function, they notice things that the neural-typical mind may not.

“It’s this amazing ability to see the slightest detail that’s out of place in a film and at the same time, be able to track what is going on overall,” Josh Dagg, a supervisor and instructor at Exceptional Minds, says. “It’s a rare and critical skill in visual effects, and this is what makes this population so perfect for this field.”

Dagg worked with the Exceptional Minds team of young adults with autism on the “Avengers: Age of Ultron” project as well as previous films.

Exceptional Minds develops working professionals. For those graduates who don’t get hired by a studio, they can look forward to contract work through the Exceptional Minds Studio. The majority of graduates are working, Bennett says. The studio is located in the same facility as the school and provides services on a per-project basis by the program’s skilled professionals who have already completed the three-year certification program.

Instructors work alongside students in the studios.

These successes are exceptional for a school that’s only been operating for four years. Already, they’ve tripled in size and have graduated 160 students in their 13 years.

The Exceptional Minds philosophy is simple: give the students lifelong problem solving and the social skills necessary for them to become selfsufficient, productive members of society. The program embraces personcentered learning, and incorporates individual strengths and interests. The school is dedicated to maintaining a very low student to teacher ratio of four to one, to ensure that individual needs are met. Students from all walks of life are welcome; they recognize that autism has no economic boundaries.

Summer programs are underway for children ages 12 and older with techy titles like Cartoon Time, AE Animation, 2-D Gaming, Digital Painting and Flash Animation. Each two-week course is $1,200, and school tours are available for those who want to see what the school and studio can offer.

What about the name, though? That was one of the first things they did, Bennett says. “It’s a name that expresses who these young adults are.” A To learn more, visit exceptionalmindsstudio.org.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 39

HEALTH

Biking to Work and the Struggle to Live in Accordance with Your Own Values One Jewish guy’s 24-mile challenge

BY NATALIE JACOBS

B

ike to Work Day may be over, but dedicated San Diegans are pedaling to make that a real habit. For some, they bike out of a passion for environmental issues and a discomfort with our reliance on fossil fuels. For others, bike commuting is a way to increase physical activity during a long work-week. For Devon Lantry, a public relations professional at Mixte Communications, it’s about aligning his lifestyle with his beliefs. He lives in La Jolla and has been making the 24-mile round-trip trek to Ocean Beach for just a couple months. He averages two to three days per week, but he’s already starting to feel the effects. I checked in to see how this came about, and how he’s doing with the challenge.

San Diego Jewish Journal:

DL: Four. But we’re only six people

Are there a lot of hills?

in the office.

SDJJ: What kind of bike do you ride?

DL: It is a...I don’t know, a commuter bike that my dad bought and never rode. I kind of stole it from him.

SDJJ: So you didn’t have to go buy a new fancy bike to do this?

DL: Nope.

SDJJ: Now that you’ve been biking to work, do you still drive?

DL: I still drive, but the more I bike the more annoying it is to drive. Especially looking for parking.

It feels stuffy and closed-in and uncomfortable.

SDJJ: And your dog accompanies you?

DL: Oh yeah, his name is Glen.

He is a chiweenie. So before I started biking, Jamie, the CEO of Mixte really loves dogs and she really works hard to make her space a place that people can be comfortable and creative in. So she loves having dogs, we have dog bowls, we have dog toys.

So I was always bringing my dog in.

I think the first time I biked I didn’t bring him, and then I got a bike trailer and he’s gone with me ever since.

SDJJ: Ok see, when I heard that, I imagined him running beside you...

DL: No, no, no, he rides in a little chariot behind me.

SDJJ: Do you ever think about

TOP: Devon Lantry with his commuter bike. MIDDLE: Jamie Hampton, CEO of Mixte Communications, leads by example. BOTTOM: Bikes!

PHOTOS COURTESY MIXTE COMMUNICATIONS

Devon Lantry: There is – I

40 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

measured it on Google Maps – something like 347 feet up. On the way there it’s all down hill, on the way back it’s all up hill.

SDJJ: How long does it take you?

DL: About an hour and 10 minutes.

SDJJ: Do you change or shower when you get to work?

DL: Mixte is pretty understanding.

It kind of built the office around bike commuting so I change but I don’t shower and everyone has just kind of accepted that it’s OK to be a little bit sweaty.

SDJJ: How come you started doing this? You mentioned that Mixte is all about biking to work, did you feel pressured into it?

DL: I didn’t feel pressured, more like, I guess – beforehand, I never really even thought about it. I’m an environmentalist but I never really thought about being a bike commuter. Every day, people coming in on the bikes, talking about the ride, it started to wear me down a little bit. All of the sudden I had a really strong desire to try it out. It was just kind of breathing in all of the bike ideas all day. [Editor’s note: Mixte is also the name of a type of bike frame. Coincidence?]

SDJJ: How many people in the office actually do bike to work?

going on longer bike journeys?

DL: No, absolutely not. This is the longest I’ll do. I’m thinking about moving closer just to cut it down a little bit.

SDJJ: Do you have any advice for people who are considering this?

DL: My advice would be to tell everyone you know that you’re going to do it and promise to provide evidence. So when you’re running late in the morning and you forgot to do five things and you just want to drive, you won’t. Otherwise, you’ll never do it.

SDJJ: I’m wondering if there is anything about your Jewishness that connects you to this?

DL: I would say that more than anything Judaism reminds me...being Jewish reminds me to live within my values. So when I’m biking and I’m tired and sweaty or I’m late and I don’t want to do it, if I didn’t have that constant reminder that I should be living in agreement with what I believe everyone else should do, I wouldn’t enjoy it and I wouldn’t do it.

It kind of takes the edge off of doing the right thing. A To learn more about bike routes and commute resources, check out sdbikecommuter.com, sdbikecoalition.org, and bikesd.org.

HEALTH

My Jewish Abortion How one Jewish organization helped a young girl thorugh a difficult time.

BY SARAH TUTTLE-SINGER, KVELLER VIA JTA

I

t’s no secret why frightened looking girls walk into the social worker’s office on the second floor of the Student Health Center at UC Berkeley.

And while I sat there, vaguely nauseous and needing to pee (for the third time that hour) I avoided eye contact with the students walking by.

After all, Nice Jewish Girls don’t get knocked up freshman year of college.

The social worker had a warm smile and a firm handshake. She was short and petite with closecropped curly hair and kind eyes. She reminded me of my mom, and I tried not to let that bother me.

“So,” she said once we were seated across from each other. “You’re pregnant.”

“Yes.” “These things happen,” she said, “and it’s my job to make sure that you have all the resources you can to make your decision.”

“I’ve already made my decision.”

“And?” she asked, her face as neutral as the beige walls. On her wide wooden desk, she had one of those small water garden fountain thingies, and the sound of trickling water rattled the stillness between our sentences. Not very Zen. I had read somewhere that the sound of flowing water is supposed to make people feel calm in the face of chaos, but it just made my bladder spasm instead.

“I’m not ready to have a baby.”

“Have you spoken with the father?”

“No.” “Any reason not to?”

(Aside from the fact that I wasn’t really sure who the father was…) “No. There’s just no reason to involve him. Why mess him his finals schedule, you know?” I could feel my smile, shaky and lopsided, slide off my face.

“Ok. Well, we’re here to support any decision you make,” she said, reaching for a stack of brochures to her right on the desk. “Here is a list of outside doctors you can contact,” she added as I took the pamphlet. “Do you have SHIPP insurance?” she asked, referring to the student health insurance plan that most students opt into when they enroll each semester.

I nodded.

“Good. That that will cover some of the cost, but you will need to come up with around $250.”

I gulped.

“It’s actually quite reasonable,” she said when she saw my baleful expression.

I had no idea what the going rate was, but $250 seemed like a staggering figure.

Immediately after my parents and I had unloaded all of my boxes into my dorm room on the August afternoon I had moved to Berkeley, the three of us had walked down to the Campus Credit Union office where they opened a checking account for me. On the first of every month, I would race down to the mail room, eagerly awaiting the long thin envelope addressed to me in my mom’s loopy script. I’d ignore the long letter and the pictures of the garden or the cats that she’d always include, and gleefully stuff the check for $100 into my back pocket as I skipped along Durant Avenue to the Campus Credit Union.

My parents figured since I was on a flex meal plan, and my housing arrangements were already taken care of, that $100 a month would be more than enough for extra expenses like a good book or a dinner at Thai House.

“And you might even save some money!” my mom had said with a hopeful smile.

At that moment, I had a grand total of $12.97 to tide me over until December 1.

And I knew asking my parents for money would break their hearts.

“Hypothetically speaking, what if someone doesn’t have enough money?” I asked.

The social worker looked at me, her eyes alighting on the silver Jewish star necklace I was wearing.

“Are you Jewish?”

I nodded. My face flushed, and I looked down at my shaking hands. I taught Hebrew school at my synagogue. I received the Rabbi’s Scholarship for Outstanding Work in the Jewish Community. I kept kosher. And I was 19 and pregnant.

“Ok that’s good, because there is a philanthropic Jewish women’s group that offers a scholarship of $250 to help cover costs. Would you be interested in that sort of thing?”

I wondered if I would have to write an essay or give them my SAT scores or show them my Bat Mitzvah certificate.

“How would I qualify?”

“By being pregnant, and by not wanting to be pregnant. And by being Jewish,” she replied. “Look, I’ll contact the president of the organization, and I

can have a check made out to you by the end of the week. Sound good?”

It sounded great. And not because I had found a way to finance my abortion. But because for the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I realized that I wasn’t the first–nor would I be the last–knocked up Nice Jewish Girl.

Look. I know that some of you will not agree with my decision. In fact, some of you will be sickened by it. But I did what many other 19-yearold girls would do: I chose to stay in school. I chose to teach Hebrew on Sundays and Wednesdays.

I chose parties at Hillel and ZBT and dating and weekends with friends. And I chose not to bring an unwanted child into the world. And there are a thousand different reasons why I do not regret my decision to have an abortion freshman year, and I am grateful that I was able to make that choice in a safe way.

And I am grateful that my body healed quickly, and my heart… eventually.

And I am grateful that there were other Jewish women out there who understand that when you’re young and scared, you need help. A Sarah Tuttle-Singer is currently living in Israel, raising two kids, and navigating through a separation.

This article was originally published on Kveller. It was republished with permission through the Jewish Journal’s subscription to JTA.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 41

FOOD

A JEWcing Revolution

The food-as-medicine concept is big business. Are we getting a raw deal?

BY TINA B. ESHEL

J

uicing. It seems like everyone is doing it these days, and if you’ve been thinking about jumping on the cold-pressed bandwagon, chances are you’ve heard that it can help you detox and lose those pesky pounds that just won’t to let go of your mid section.

Drinking your share of kale blended with something sweet and delicious like pineapple is definitely more appealing than injesting a heaping plate of steamed greens and a shot of vitamins three times a day.

Though it’s trendy now, I grew up in a juicing household. My mom would buy farm-sized bags of carrots (seriously mom, I’d complain in silence, I am not a horse!). On the good-tasting juice days, she’d use carrots and apples to make a big pulpy orange mess and insist we drink up. On the bad days, our mashed vegetables were dark green and the flavors strongly bitter.

After a childhood of vegetarianism and juicing, you’d think I was first to buy a juicer a few years back when the Vitamix was all over late-night television.

(Confession: I do have a juicer now, but it sits unused in the dark recesses of my kitchen cabinets). Even still, I can appreciate that my mom was food-cool back when

42 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

kale was just a garnish used at chain restaurants.

These days, you don’t need to spew vegetable bits all over your kitchen to drink your vegetables. Take a walk down the refrigerated aisle at any grocery store with an organic section and the options will overwhelm. Or stroll through the business districts of many San Diego neighborhoods and you’re bound to see more than one juice bar. If my mom’s been hip to this for decades, why the sudden attention? To get the skinny, I asked some pioneering JEWcers for their perspective.

Good for you, good for the earth Eileen Kurlander, a private holistic health concierge and family coach and president of the North County Holistic Chamber of Commerce, says the JEWcing revolution is good for you and good for the planet.

“We have enough food to feed the entire world,” she explains. So why is hunger and food scarcity such a huge issue? The problem, Kurlander argues, isn’t one of production but of distribution. Sometimes produce in the field is left to spoil for reasons as strange as it doesn’t “look” right, she gives as one example.

Feeling reJEWvenated yet?

The smoothie revolution, the juice revolution, the blend revolution: Call it what you want, it’s upon us now and business is booming. Turning to food to help cure disease means going beyond the standard five servings of fruits and vegetables per day recommended by the Food and Drug Administration for healthy body functioning.

In 2013, Barron’s Business Journal started looking into this trend.

“Juicing, as a meal replacement or mere refreshment, has become a $5 billion business,

Juice Crafters offers bottled juices for everyday drinking and specialized cleanses.

BOTTOM LEFT: The chain also carries acai bowls.

and is projected to grow by four percent to eight percent a year,” one article asserts. “While juice fasts, or cleanses, have long been used to shed unwanted pounds, the latest craze is best viewed as part of a national move, especially among people in their 20s and 30s, toward healthier eating and greater consumption of raw and organic produce – in this case, conveniently packaged and easily quaffed on the run.”

At the time of the article, it was estimated that 6,200 juice bars doted the U.S. landscape.

Based on the appearance of new juice bars in San Diego in the past two years, it’s a safe bet that this number continues to grow.

Keep in mind, not all juicing is created equal. When something is called “cold-pressed” it means that it was juiced by a machine that extracts the liquid through pressure exerted by a hydraulic press. Flash pastuerization or high pressure processing – which involve either heating a perishable food to kill micro-organisms or high pressure minus the heat to do the same – extend shelf life. But heating fruits and vegetables removes some of the food’s natural nurtients and enzymes.

Consuming raw foods, made more delicious when blended into a vegetable cocktail, keeps all of the nutrients intact, allowing your body to absorb more of what it needs. Turns out, when my mom was juicing those carrots, each eight-ounce glass was the equivalent of approximately 1.25 lbs for fresh vegetables. Imagine telling someone to eat five cups of carrots and you get the picture; done right, juicing packs a nutritional punch. (I also learned that my mom could have made the juice sweeter if she’d peeled the carrots first…but I digress).

Worried about too much sugar with all that

juice? That’s a real concern if you’re gulping down a pasteurized fruit drink from the grocery isle, or to-remain-unnamed national juice chains, but a sugar-overload is a lot less likely when your juice is cold-pressed and includes a blend of lowglycemic vegetables.

Raw, real, and powerful Let’s say you’re feeling run down, fatigued or sluggish. Your sleep is a mess and maybe you are looking older than your years and just plain weary. Could these be signs of inflammation, the precursor to major diseases such as heart failure, cancer and more? You may be ripe for more than just a juice to replace the occasional meal. Juice cleanses are where it’s at for those who believe in the rejuvenating power of the cold-press.

Some of the results being touted from juicing and juice cleanses: Increased energy, weight loss, improved immune system function, clearer skin, feeling leaner and lighter and improved brain function.

Food-as-medicine is what inspired Carol Roizen to start juicing. What began as a means to help her daughter recover from a debilitating medical condition has now turned into a profitable and socially conscious business venture called Juice Crafters. With locations in La Jolla, Hillcrest and Little Italy, Juice Crafters specializes in cold-pressed, organic smoothies and juices to detox and cleanse.

Curious about the fuss, I went to the La Jolla location on a Monday just before lunchtime and the place was hopping.

Juice Crafters is a family business that was started in Los Angeles by Roizen’s Israeli cousins.

Their first location opened in Brentwood, Calif., in 2012. They now have a dozen locations, Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 43

PHOTOS COURTESY JUICE CRAFTERS

I could understand this dilemma. Just a week earlier I visited my mom, who has been an urban farmer for 20 years, and noticed that her peach tree had a prolific amount of delicious but everso-tiny peaches. I remarked that I’d never seen a peach so small at a grocery store. If mom were an industrial farmer, her itty-bitty peaches, though cute, would offer zero profit.

“With an estimated 40 percent spoilage from produce that never makes it to the stores, to what is thrown out from our fridge, we are wasting a lot of food,” Kurlander says.

For her part, Kurlander began juicing in the early 1990s, but these days, she’s more of a blender. Apparently, there’s a difference.

“With juicing, you are extracting the liquid and the nutrients. With blending, you are releasing the moisture, however, maintaining the nutrients. The entire value of the nutrients, from the plant,” she says.

To address the food spoilage problem, and injest maximum nutrients per serving, Kurlander uses a product called Blendfresh, a powdered whole food supplement that she adds to juices, smoothies or blends.

“It’s made from the entire field,” Kurlander says, “not just the pretty stuff that makes it to the grocery stores. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s tasty and I know I’m getting all my servings of fruits and vegetables every day.” Her teenage kids love it too, she adds.

including the three in San Diego. The three San Diego locations were all opened within two months of each other, starting September, 2014. The La Jolla store is the most recent, and it opened it’s doors last November.

“Our family has been in the food business for a long time,” Roizen explains. “When we moved to San Diego, [my cousins] said, ‘we only want to work with family, so lets expand the family business.’”

Roizen, who was raised in Mexico City, moved to San Diego with her family about three years ago. Upon arriving here, the family joined Ohr Shalom synagogue and enrolled their daughter, who’s health has improved, at the Jewish Academy.

As far as her daughter’s specific health problems, Roizen was sparse on details, but she did share that her daughter had a serious iron deficiency.

When she started researching her daughter’s symptoms, she discovered that many people have seen their health improve after strict juicing regimens.

Originally a lawyer, Roizen says she “got really passionate about” health and wellness through the process of learning to help her daughter and the rest of her family make better food choices. She studied to get a healthcoaching certificate and switched careers.

“I just felt it was my purpose to, like, spread my knowledge to everyone because I felt I really made a difference on [my daughter’s] recovery,” she says. “I was very passionate about spreading the word about what’s going on and the difference we can make through food. If we eat the proper foods, we will be healthier, and if we don’t, we won’t.”

Juice Crafters has raised the juice bar quite high. Compared to your standard juice chain, where you’ll see lots of frozen fruit, ice cream or yogurt options, Juice Crafters sticks with the raw and real basics.

“Everything we do is fresh. We do organic greens and we do pesticidefree fruits so I think it’s all about the quality of what we serve. Nothing is artificial. Everything is just fresh food. That’s why the taste is so good. Just real food!” Roizen enthuses.

The smoothie I enjoyed was called the Crunchy Monkey. I never expected raw dates, cocoa nubs, goji berries, walnuts, almond milk, cacao powder, cinnnamon and vanilla to taste so, well, tasty.

The Juice Crafters menu is updated frequently so you can expect to see some unique ingredients like maca root, bee pollen, royal jelly, and chia seeds blended with cilantro, celery, ginger, arugula, cucumbers, lemon, and kale in rotating combinations. The options are endless.

“Food that comes from nature is perfect,” Roizen adds, “so we don’t need to add anything to it.”

“I like to think that we’ve started a health revolution,” she adds. “We want to bring new options to people who are used to the standard American diet, so they can experience eating in this way. It’s not only about the quality of the food, but the taste.”

I laugh at this. In the health aspect, she’s echoing my mother’s words from many moons ago, but we sure have come a long way in the taste department.

“People deserve unprocessed, real food … they will feel more energetic.

Their skin will look better, their hair will look better … everything functions better because you’ve fed high quality food to your body,” Roizen concludes.

Amen to that.A Find all Juice Crafters locations at juicecrafters.com. Learn more about Blendfresh at blendfresh.com.

44 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

“Juicing, as a meal replacement or mere refreshment, has become a $5 billion business, and is projected to grow by four percent to eight percent a year,” according to Baron’s Business Journal.

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FOOD

Jews and Farming: Almost literally a match made in heaven

BY PAT LAUNER

46 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

Daron Joffe BOTTOM: Fresh flowers on the Leichtag Ranch

PHOTOS COURTESY LEICHTAG FOUNDATION

I

n Biblical times, the Jews were shepherds. To be a farmer was a curse, as embodied in the story of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. Abel was a shepherd; his murderous older brother was a crop farmer.

“A shepherd was cherished,” says Rabbi Andy Kastner, director of educational leadership and innovation for the Leichtag Foundation.

“A shepherd was a seeker willing to journey. Someone who takes care of the flock.”

From the interpretive rabbinical perspective, says the young, articulate Kastner, the role of the shepherd was important in getting the Jewish people to be farmers, people tied to a place.

“The Torah is geared toward getting us to journey, to become farmers,” he says, “stewards of the Promised Land. The whole Jewish enterprise was a connection to the land. Shepherding was a

steppingstone in a developmental process.”

“Going back even further,” says Kastner’s colleague, Daron Joffe, the energetic director of agricultural innovation and development at Leichtag, “Adam and Eve were stewards of their dominion. The words Adam and adamah, human and earth, even have the same root. Connection to the land. It’s part of our history. Judaism and farming are so interconnected. But we’ve grown separated from the land over time.”

The Bible tells us that Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to “till and tend.” The Hebrew word for “tend” is used in Jewish law to imply a legal sense of guardianship. Part of our obligation is to keep the earth in good condition for the benefit of future generations.

“Shomrei adamah,” Joffe says, “guardians of the earth.”

Major Jewish festivals are centered around agriculture. Sukkot, for example, was linked to the actual harvest, and sharing the bounty with those less fortunate. Lunar cycles are important to farmers, and many holidays begin at the full moon.

“It’s hard to connect to those rhythms these days,” Joffe says.

“Through the Diaspora, we lost touch with the land. My great great grandparents lived in agricultural communities.”

But that connection to the land has been lost across the intervening generations.

How ya gonna keep ’em down on the farm?

Up until World War II, nearly everyone knew how to grow food.

From 1880-1920, Jewish immigrants came to America and began farming. The Jewish Agricultural Society in America was formed in 1900 to support this movement, providing loans and education to new arrivals. It even published a magazine in Yiddish and English called “The Jewish Farmer.” With the Society’s support, and the opportunity to own land in America (a privilege often not afforded to the immigrants from Europe), these farmers had the chance to build on Judaism’s ancient agricultural heritage.

In 1938, Time magazine reported that there were nearly 100,000 Jewish farmers working in the United States. But the war changed American culture. Wartime chemicals and engineering innovations gave rise to the industrial farming movement. The booming business sector provided jobs for returning servicemen in cities and factories.

Women increasingly entered the workforce, and convenience foods started to become the centerpiece on dinner tables.

As the years went by and farming in America declined, Jewish farms became increasingly difficult to sustain. The Jewish Agricultural Society shut down in 1972, and soon the once-vibrant Jewish farming communities were gone. By the late 20th century, farming – aside from the familiar Israeli kibbutzim – seemed antithetical to Jewish American identity.

In 2003, the online news site Slate ran an article called “Why Jews Don’t Farm,” suggesting that Jews’ preoccupation with literacy and education had elevated them above manual labor toward more academic pursuits.

But the recent trend toward local and organic foods and farmto-table cuisine has helped fuel a resurgence in Jewish farming.

Yet another generation of idealistic young Jews has come onto the agricultural scene. For many of the founders of the new Jewish farms and food justice organizations, the production, distribution and consumption of food is a sacred act, bound up in Jewish ritual and theology. They are using their farms and cooperatives to teach Jewish values, both ancient and modern, in addition to sustainable farming.

They are not farmers who just happen to be Jews. They are Jewish farmers, working the land according to agricultural laws set down in the Talmud, trying to promote the importance of growing one’s own food within the greater Jewish community.

“It’s a movement,” Kastner says, “that has developed in North America over the past 10 years. There are farms associated with synagogues and other Jewish organizations across the U.S.” And now the movement has come to San Diego full force, at The Ranch in Encinitas, a Leichtag Foundation project which is becoming a thriving nexus of community and cultural life.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 47

The Leichtag Foundation, Farm and Ranch On the property is the Leichtag Farm whose impassioned devotees are trying to “live our traditions and history,” as Joffe puts it, “expressing our values through farming.”

This fits perfectly with the Leichtag Foundation’s mission of “igniting and inspiring vibrant Jewish life, advancing self-sufficiency and stimulating social entrepreneurship in coastal North San Diego County and Jerusalem.”

Something new and enticing is certainly needed for Jewish life in the area. According to the Foundation’s recent study of the Jewish community of North County, less than 10 percent are affiliated with Jewish institutions.

More than 75 percent are in interfaith marriages.

“We’re creating another way for people to

Leichtag Farm and its expansive community programs. But before we get to the details of the project, let’s meet the keepers and planners of this wonderful local Jewish community resource.

connect with Judaism,” Rabbi Kastner says, “resonating with Jewish values, being inclusive but not too Jewish to turn non-affiliated people away, using agriculture and food as a social justice platform.”

In March 2014, a report on Jewish Outdoor, Food and Environmental Education (JOFEE) was released, highlighting the growing movement of Jewish experiences in these areas. The report noted that young adults in particular were attracted to these experiences as a way to engage in Jewish life and learning.

On the heels of that report, the Leichtag Foundation convened a meeting of Jewish farmers from North America and Israel to share best practices and discuss emerging opportunities in the growing field of Jewish community farming.

The gathering, known as the Jewish Community Farmer Advisory Committee, was attended by individuals representing twelve organizations. The breadth of geographic representation gave evidence of a thriving Jewish farming movement.

Next month, in part two of this series, you’ll learn all about the exciting activities at the

along with our ancient agricultural roots. It’s so core to our narrative as Jews, being grounded, connected to the community through a sense of place and the changes of the season. I was part of this movement that was developing. It gave me license to make ancient practices come alive.”

Daron Joffe, or Farmer D (as his mother dubbed him years ago), grew up in Atlanta, though he spent his first three years in Johannesburg, South Africa. He started high school in Israel, where he reconnected with his Jewish roots.

“I had a really strong connection to the land,” Joffe says. “And that sparked my interest in agriculture.”

He finished high school in Atlanta and went to the University of Wisconsin, where he “got really interested in farming, and fell down the rabbit hole of biodynamic farming, with a focus on community-supported agriculture.”

Biodynamic agriculture is a type of organic farming, a closed-loop sustainable approach that focuses on growing plants, feeding animals, making compost and replenishing the soil.

Repeating this cycle creates a regenerative process that, over time, improves the fertility of the farm, rather than depleting it.

48 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

The rabbi and the farmer In addition to being a rabbi, Andy Kastner is a cook, a gardener and a shochet (specially trained in the slaughtering of animals in accordance with Jewish law), who spent six years in Open Orthodox yeshivas in Jerusalem and New York. “Open Orthodox,” he explains, means “traditionally trained rabbis with a philosophical openness.”

“I realized I wasn’t designed to be a pulpit rabbi,” he says. “I started to experiment with experiences and program models that went

Rabbi Andy Kastner BOTTOM: Strawberries ripen on the Farm just in time for summer

In lieu of completing his college education (he dropped out of two university programs), Joffe apprenticed on biodynamic farms, attended sustainable agriculture conferences, read books and talked to many farmers.

“While I learned about the source of food,” he says, “I also came to discover the soul of food.

My passion was in education and communitybuilding. There are so many environmental, social and cultural issues rooted in agriculture.”

When he left college after his freshman year, with family assistance, he bought a 175-acre farm.

In 2001, Joffe piloted his first community garden project, at the JCC in Atlanta.

“It was like a kibbutz for the community.”

He was managing four different gardens: for seniors, for preschoolers, for overnight summer campers and for those with special needs. In 2003, he obtained a prestigious Joshua Venture Fellowship to take his programs nationwide, using his nonprofit, Gan Chaim (Garden of Life).

He launched the renowned Serenbe Farms in a progressive community in Georgia, and spent several years traveling around the country, setting up community farms and gardens at Jewish schools, camps and community centers. He even ran a farm in a youth prison.

In 2006, he launched his Farmer D flagship product, the first certified biodynamic compost in the country, made from the spoils from Whole Food Markets throughout the Southeast. Over the years, more products were added, and then Williams-Sonoma picked up the Farmer D line, increasing its visibility exponentially.

Last year, Joffe published a book, “Citizen Farmers,” which won the 2015 International Association of Culinary Professionals “Food Matters” Award. In the book, he refers to himself amusingly as an “entre-manure.”

With a wife and two young children, he was ready to stop traveling and consulting, put down his own roots “and put my hands in the soil again.” He moved to San Diego last summer, after years of consulting with the Leichtag Foundation.

This past May, Joffe and the Leichtag Farm were featured in an article about community farms in Smithsonian Magazine. Now, along with Rabbi Kastner and others, he’s happily bringing to life an exciting San Diego Jewish community farm. A NEXT MONTH: Part 2: A visit to the Leichtag Foundation Ranch and Farm (Warning: It might make you want to get your hands in the soil, too!)

In the meantime, check in on the Farm at leichtag.org/the-ranch.

FOOD

Sweet Potato Quinoa Veggie Burgers BBQ fare for the vegetarians in your life

BY LIZ RUEVEN, THE NOSHER VIA JTA

Y

ou’re back in your summer barbecue groove and have invited friends for a day of sizzling fun. Just as you’ve settled into your menu choices, you realize that one of your guests for that “easy” fete you’re planning is vegetarian. Now what?

You’ve been down this route before, serving plenty of vegetable centric sides and maybe even those dry vegetarian patties you find in the frozen food aisle.

Newsflash: Vegetarians would rather not eat those faux burgers. So don’t bother with those thin, cellophane-wrapped stand-ins for the real deal. Instead, show some love by making these moist vegetarian burgers from scratch. Yes, you need to use your food processor, but you can make this mixture a day in advance and then forget about it until you fire up the grill. You may even find other guests peering over your shoulder wondering what smells so darn good.

In these easy vegetarian burgers, sweet potato and quinoa lends structure while healthy walnuts ensure that they remain moist. Cumin, turmeric and curry balance the sweetness of the potatoes and pair perfectly with this Roasted Poblano and Heirloom Tomato Salsa.

Ingredients: ½ cup quinoa (use 1 cup cooked quinoa) 1 medium sweet potato (use 1 cup cooked sweet potato, lightly packed) 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry with paper towel ¾ cup whole walnuts 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 eggs 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 3 scallions, white and most of green, chopped 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon salt ground pepper to taste 7 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs

Directions: Rinse quinoa and cook according to package directions. Cool and set aside.

Peel and slice sweet potato and place in steamer. Cook over boiling water 15-18 minutes or until fork tender. Drain, cool and set aside.

Toast walnuts lightly in nonstick pan until golden and fragrant. Cool and set aside.

In a food processor, combine chickpeas, walnuts, lemon juice and eggs. Whirl for 15-20 seconds, until combined (should not be perfectly smooth). Scrape bowl as needed.

Add garlic, scallions, parsley, curry, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined.

Add cooked sweet potato and bread crumbs; pulse until combined. Add quinoa and pulse until combined. It’s better if your mixture is not too smooth.

Notes: This mixture can be made a day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.

The patties will feel a little loose as you’re forming them, but that’s OK. If you’re not sure, add a little more breadcrumbs.

These veggie burgers may be grilled on the barbecue or pan fried with a little oil in a nonstick pan.

Consider serving with sliced cheese, rounds of thinly sliced red onion, your favorite salsa, avocado, tomatoes or just about anything you can load on the bun.

Yield: 10 medium burgers Rounding out the menu For the rest of your menu, consider watermelon corn salsa and classic french potato Salad (sans mayo, of course). Both are easy do-aheads, so you can be free to sip cold brews and tend to the coals. You’ll find those recipes over on The Nosher blog.

For a fresh and relatively healthy dessert idea, try strawberry basil popsicles with a creamy midlayer of vegan sour cream. If you’re picking or buying local strawberries for a frozen dessert but think that the herbaceous mid-layer won’t suit the kids (it probably won’t), consider buying double the amount of strawberries and make these super easy, all-fruit strawberry pops for the kids. A Liz Reuven is kosher on the inside, veg on the go and always on the lookout for the most scrumptious eats.

Check out her blog, Kosher Like Me. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. This recipe was originally published on The Nosher, and was republished with permission from JTA. For the other recipes mentioned in this article, check out TheNosher.com.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 49

in the kitchen WITH

TORI AVEY

LIMONANA

W

Tori Avey is an awardwinning food writer, recipe developer, and the creator of the popular cooking website toriavey.com.

She writes about food history for PBS Food and Parade. com. Follow Tori on Facebook by searching for “Tori Avey” and on Twitter: @toriavey.

50 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

elcome to July! The weather is hot, afternoons are lazy, meals are migrating outdoors, and grills are firing up across the country. At this time of year, my family yearns for Israel. We try to make a trip there every year, usually in the warmer months, but for the past couple of years, work obligations have kept us away. Lately I’ve been missing it fiercely. Israel is a magical place.

When we’re there we usually stay in Tel Aviv, where my husband was born, making day trips to places like Jerusalem, Haifa and Galilee.

One of our first stops is always Caesarea, an ancient

Roman port city built by Herod the Great. There you can walk amongst the ruins of a pagan city named for Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. It’s built on top of another set of ruins – Straton’s Tower (Stratonospyrgos), an agricultural storehouse and Jewish city that was central to the Hasmonean Kingdom’s shipbuilding industry. In 63 BCE, when Herod took control, he oversaw the construction of a harbor, roads, baths, temples, markets, and a large arena. The city became central to Roman life in the area, regularly hosting events like gladiator games, chariot races, and theatrical productions. Today, the structures of Herod’s city are

Serves: 4 Total Time: 20 min Kosher Key: Pareve You will also need: Blender

still largely intact. You can view the baths, walk in the arena, see the sculptures, and imagine what it was like to live there in Roman times.

When we’re done exploring Caesarea, we often stop at one of the seaside cafes along the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. We like to sit for a long meal, taking in the ocean air and atmosphere. It is really something to dine in the middle of an ancient city. Our tradition is to order limonana, the national drink of Israel – lemonade blended together with mint and ice to make a frozen slush. It is so refreshing, the perfect treat for a hot, humid Israeli afternoon.

When the weather is hot here in Los Angeles, I blend up a batch of limonana to transport us to Israel with a few sips of the tart treat. You can easily make this recipe diet or diabetic-friendly by using a low-glycemic sweetener (suggestions appear at the end of the recipe). If you’re feeling naughty, you could also add a splash of citrus-infused vodka to the mix.

We like to pour our limonana into glasses garnished with mint. Then we sit in the back yard, sip on our drinks, and dream of dining in the middle of an ancient city on the shores of the Mediterranean…

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and sugar. Heat over medium, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.

In a blender, combine the sugar syrup, fresh lemon juice, ice, fresh mint leaves and ¾ cup of water. Pulse for a few seconds, then blend for 1 minute until the ice is thoroughly crushed and the drink takes on the texture of a thick slushy. If it’s not quite slushy enough, blend in more ice as needed.

This recipe produces a mildly sweet limonana, which is the way I like it. Some people like it sweeter. Add sugar to taste, if desired, and blend again. Pour into cold glasses and serve. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.

If you’re on a low sugar diet or watching your waistline, you can also make this drink with stevia, agave, or your favorite low-glycemic sweetener. Rather than making the sugar water, add a cup of unsweetened water to the blender (2 cups of water total) and blend the drink without sugar. Add your sweetener of choice to taste, blend again, and serve. A

Ingredients ½ cup sugar (or more to taste) 1 ¾ cups water (divided) 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 ½ cups ice (or more if needed) 1 cup fresh mint leaves 6 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

IKWTA Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 51

FOOD

Israeli Restauranteurs Find Local restaurant owners dish on food, tradition and inspiration

BY NATALIE JACOBS

“I

sraeli-owned” isn’t a filter on Yelp. In fact, “Israeli” isn’t even a food-type option on the localized online review site – it defaults to “Middle Eastern” when users are looking for anything related to hummus, falafel or shawarma. That’s all understandable, given that the debate about who invented hummus has been raging for ages and political correctness is paramount. No matter how you find them, or what you call their food, Israeli restaurant owners bring an interesting perspective to the difficult business of feeding people. Here, two Israeli restauranteurs – one who eschews the hummus debate entirely, and the other who goes all out on traditional fare – share their food inspirations and cultural traditions.

CALIBANZO HUMMUS & GRILL Rafi Mazor, co-owner 9880 Hibert St. San Diego, CA 92131 calibanzo.com Cuisine: Traditional Israeli with a couple American offerings and some kosher When did you open?

Spring 2015 How come you decided to open Calibanzo?

“Because there is, I think, a demand for Israeli food. There’s a lot of Israelis here, a lot of Jews here, but nothing totally authentic.” Mazor is

52 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

co-owner of the restaurant with the chef, who moved to San Diego from Israel specifically to start this restaurant.

What defines Israeli food to you?

“I think it’s a mix probably of flavors from east and west, which defines Israel. It’s the woodburning grill we use, which is what they use in Israel. Mostly I think the spicing is really unique to Israel. You can find hummus in almost every corner along the earth, but the spicing is what makes it Israeli style.” As for the spices used in Calibanzo’s hummus, Mazor says that’s a secret.

Does it make you miss Israel?

With his chef so new to San Diego, and Mazor himself only a resident since 2008, being around all this Israeli food must make them

nostalgic, right? Mazor says it actually helps the homesickness to have the food keep him connected to his homeland.

Success in San Diego

EMBARGO GRILL 3960 W. Point Loma Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92110 embargogrill.com Hudi Eshel, co-owner (full disclosure, the Journal’s Assistant Editor Tina B. Eshel is the other co-owner here, as the two are husbandand-wife.)

Cuisine: Latin/Caribbean with some Cuban staples When did you open?

Fall 2013 Do you feel like you’re safe now that you’re approaching the two-year mark with Embargo Grill?

“It used to be that if you survived your first year in the restaurant business you basically made it,” Eshel says. “Then two years was necessary.

And now, you have to get to five years.” As

he looks toward that landmark, business has continued to grow month by month. It helped tremendously when Embargo Grill made it to number 70 on Yelp’s second-annual, national “Best Restaurants” list back in January. If you’re skeptical, check out their page, they’ve got fivestar reviews for days.

Eshel’s immersion into Latin American cuisine started back in the ’90s when he was working on cruise ships and living in Miami Beach.

What’s your favorite menu item?

“Probably the Churrasco steak, it’s an Argentinian style steak served with a chimichurri sauce.” A

You’re Israeli – how come you opened a restaurant featuring Latin American cuisine?

“I was involved in a couple restaurants [where] we served this food, and it was very successful at the time. It’s very different from the run-of-the-mill Mexican that we have here, and Italian and Chinese.

When it’s prepared right like we do here, it’s very successful.”

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 53

A scan from Eastman's Ninja Turtles portfolio, on display at San Diego Comic Art Gallery

IDW Publishing Opens San Diego’s First Comic Art Gallery Liberty Station space lands just in time for Comic-Con

PHOTOS COURTESY IDW PUBLISHING

BY BRIE STIMSON

“H

old on to your butts!” The San Diego Comic Art Gallery, the only art gallery in San Diego entirely devoted to sequential comic art, had it’s grand opening in June with an exhibit of the work of Eric Eastman, the co-creator of the of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The new gallery, run by local comic-book icons IDW Publishing, not only offers a place for nerds and hipsters to gather and learn about comics, it also provides a home for an often underappreciated type of modern art.

Although the space itself is small and basic, the pieces on the walls attest to the history and fortitude of the artists who created and continue to transform the genre.

The Ninja Turtles, started in 1983, “began with a doodle of a turtle,” 54 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

says Harry Katz, curator of the gallery. The original sketch, which is on display in the Liberty Station space, would soon give rise to an international phenomenon.

Eastman, who is a San Diego native, created the famous cartoon with partner Peter Laird in a living room in the ’80s. The exhibition will feature a number of original drawings from before the Turtles became successful, as well as memorabilia and original art from some of Eastman’s other comics.

Eastman and Laird, who, as kids in their 20 who were “obsessively drawing comics to try to produce something worthwhile,” should inspire the artist and dreamer in all who visit the gallery.

“They did it themselves,” Katz says. “They did it by producing their own comic books.”

ART

Coming up in the do-it-yourself era of punk rock and outsider art, Laird and Eastman published the comic independently using money from a tax refund and a loan from Eastman’s uncle. After publication, a licensing agent reached out to Laird and Eastman to discuss merchandising opportunities for the comic.

“It’s a pretty cool story, and Kevin’s really willing to share it and tell it,” Katz, who has organized for Eastman to speak at a few events in association with the show, says.

Eastman’s work has defined generations of followers. The Ninja Turtles cartoon series premiered in 1987, becoming one of the most successful cartoon shows in history. Subsequent action figures, skateboards, video games, and even a breakfast cereal, not to mention the original comic series, solidified the cartoon in the mind of every child born in the late 1970s and ’80s. Now those fans are in their 30s and having their own kids. Luckily for nostalgic fans, the revamped movie version of the cartoon, which came out last year, created a new generation of Turtle appreciators for the 21st century.

“We’re going to have a lot of special treats for the little kids,” Katz says. “It’s going to be a fun program. We’ll have readings from some of the artists. We’ll have a lot of fun with the kids ... to show kids what you can do with your imagination. How far it can go.”

A replica of Eastman’s studio was created from every inspiration and everything he’s ever had in his closets. It sits near the back of the gallery. “[Kevin] will be making appearances here.

This is Kevin’s brain,” Katz, who comes to San Diego from the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., says of his first exhibition here.

Next to the mock studio is IDW’s library.

“Basically we’re setting up a library with all of IDW’s books, and this will not only be a place where people can appreciate what IDW does, but we’re building a library also for comic art and cartoon art as a reference place. We’re really trying to become a resource for the community.”

think Jewish people can be questioning…There’s a long history in the genre of looking for heroes, looking to be part of culture and not outside it.”

Jewish cartoonists have always been important. “Some of the great cartoon geniuses were Jewish.” Artists such as Lenny Bruce, Milt Gross, Art Spiegelman, and Jules Feiffer have been defining the genre since the beginning.

“Superman was created by two Jewish comic book artists … Their [Jewish] experience, I think, molded who they were and how they approached their work.” Katz says Jews can relate to many comics because it’s a familiar story. “I think superheroes are outside the mainstream, and they’re going to look at things and say ‘is this right’ and ‘how can I make it better?’

“What we want to do is take some of the mystery out of the work and show people how these things are made. Inspire kids and educate kids and show grownups like us as well that

Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman signed prints at the opening event for the San Diego Comic Gallery.

PHOTO BY ALYSSA LUCCA

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie poster.

In the far corner of the gallery is a resident artist’s room meant to bring in talents from across the country and overseas “to live in the area and work here for three, four months.”

Both the library and gallery will offer a rotating set of publications and exhibitions.

Katz’s favorite book in the collection so far?

“I like the kind of crime noir graphic novels.”

He also enjoys Rip Kirby, “one of the great comic art illustrators from the 1940s and ’50s” and Miss Fury, the first female superhero created and drawn by a female cartoonist. “You get to come in here and see all these strange and wonderful cartoon tributaries,” he adds.

The library carries ephemera for any range of comic interest from newspaper comics to graphic novels to comic books.

“Here we really value history and venerate the genre of cartooning.”

As for future shows, IDW has connections with every corner of the market. Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Transformers, or even My Little Pony could be future exhibitions, according to Katz.

“We have a whole list of things we’re considering for the next shows but there’s no question we’ve got a huge list of work from lots of directions we can go, and the primary mission is education.”

With San Diego’s big week in comics coming up, the gallery plans to have even more in store during Comic-Con. “I think during the summer we’re always going to try to capture Comic-Con.” This year, IDW will have special receptions at the gallery during the four-day convention.

They'll also provide transportation from the Convention Center. “There’s no question we’ll have a lot of special events during ComicCon…I think the nature of Comic-Con is changing so people can go for a day, take a day off, and when they take their day off they come over here,” Katz says.

Set in Liberty Station in Point Loma, the Comic Art Gallery is just steps away from Stone Brewery, the Cadillac Diner, museums and arts organizations like the California Ballet.

“This is our public face,” Katz says of the space. Although IDW has been around since 1999, for many local comic fans this will be their first opportunity to visit the publishing house.

Katz’s background is equally impressive. Before taking the curatorial job at IDW, he worked as head curator of prints and photographs at the Library of Congress and has done extensive research on comics. He grew up in Boston.

“My family is Jewish,” he says. He adds that his Jewish upbringing fostered his love of comics.

“I think there’s a little bit of the skepticism…I

you can take comics seriously. It’s really become a literary art form in the past few decades in a way it never was … They tackle political issues, social issues, and they speak across the board to the youth and forever young set. They have a universal appeal and often they have a universal message.”

The San Diego Comic Art Gallery looks to have a bright future as a focal point for artists, a cultural center, resource for the community, and a “year-round Comic-Con.” Cowabunga! A Visit sdcomicartgallery.com for more info.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 55

' ? what’s ' ? ?? goin on???’

July is Hot, Hot, Hot

BY EILEEN SONDAK

T

he entertainment scene is getting HOT, HOT, HOT! Alfresco stages are lighting up all over town. The San Diego Symphony launches its Summer Pops Season with “Star Spangled Pops.” The La Jolla Playhouse will unveil a brand new musical comedy. Cygnet kicks off its season with the San Diego premiere of a musical set in 1963. North Coast Repertory Theatre will give “Side by Side

by Sondheim,” a welcome revival, and The Old Globe is showcasing shows on all three stages this month. That’s just a taste of the events on the July slate.

San Diego Pops is back for another summer under the stars. It all begins July 3-5 with a Symphony celebration that includes Stars and Stripes Forever and God Bless the U.S.A. Bill Conti will lead the orchestra, with American Idol (and Chula Vista native) Jessica Sanchez performing. As usual, the “Star Spangled Pops” evening will culminate with a fireworks display in honor of Independence Day. Concerts and fireworks will continue throughout the summer.

“Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions” is on tap for July 9. This will mark the Pops’ debut of this Japanese pop culture sensation. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” is coming to Pops on July 11, featuring Michael Giacchino’s pounding film score. The Dixieland rhythms of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is 56 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

slated for July 17-18, followed by “The Divas of Disco” (starring Radiance) on July 24-25.

“Warner Brothers Presents Bugs Bunny at Symphony II” is headed this way on July 26.

Conducted by George Daugherty, the evening is a celebration of “Looney Tunes” (which will be projected on the screen). A special concert by singer/songwriter Ben Folds is set for July 30.

“Hooray for Hollywood” (July 31-Aug. 1) will highlight famous movie music – with clips from dozens of treasures of the silver screen.

Cygnet will give “Dogfight” its San Diego premiere on July 16. The new musical is based on a film that follows three young marines on their boys’ night out before deploying to the conflict in Southeast Asia. The show, which takes audiences on a romantic and heartbreaking journey, will stay on at the Old Town Theatre through Aug. 31.

The La Jolla Playhouse opened its season with “Come From Away,” a new rock-infused musical comedy happily ensconced at the Potiker Theatre. The show was inspired by the events that took place in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It chronicles the story of a small town that welcomed 7,000 strangers from 38 grounded planes. Written and composed by Canadian husband-and-wife team David Hein and Irene Sankoff, this exciting and heartwarming world

Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson Lopez, husband-wife composing team behind LJP's "Up Here," opening July 28.

premiere will run through July 12.

The Playhouse will follow that new work with another world premiere, a musical comedy headed to the Mandell Weiss Theatre on July 28 for a summer-long run. Titled “Up Here,” the storyline revolves around an introverted computer repairman whose inner world thwarts his attempts at a relationship with an outgoing designer. “Up Here” will be here until Sept. 6.

The Old Globe’s Shakespeare Festival production of the Bard’s romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night” launched the summer season under the stars. The play abounds with poetry, swordplay, humor, and a little lunacy and you have until July 26 to enjoy its merry mischief.

The Old Globe’s main stage features the Cole

PHOTO COURTESY LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON

A scene in tights from The Old Globe's "Kiss Me Kate," running through Aug. 2.

Porter masterwork, “Kiss Me Kate,” a musical comedy that takes its cues from Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” The musical is a playwithin-a-play and its song and dance numbers are delightful. You can check out this entertaining work July 1-Aug. 2.

Sherlock Holmes fans won’t want to miss Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville,” an inventive adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic mystery. This West Coast premiere, headed for the Globe’s White Theatre July 24, will bring the iconic sleuth and his sidekick Watson to life in the world of Victorian England as the pair take on one of the most diabolical cases of their careers. Of course, Ludwig’s off-beat version doesn’t miss an opportunity for wit and whimsy, along with the traditional chills and thrills. The clever show will remain on the boards through Aug. 23.

The Lamb’s lively production of “West Side Story,” America’s version of the “Romeo and Juliet” tale, continues at its Coronado home through July 19. Robert Smyth directed this popular musical, with memorable songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.

North Coast Rep will turn the spotlight on Sondheim, with a musical revue. “Side by Side by Sondheim” will showcase the most influential songwriter’s best work at NCR’s Solana Beach home July 15-Aug. 9. Some of the music was written by Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, and other 20th century greats.

San Diego Rep’s Lyceum Stage is again featuring Mona Golabek in “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” (adapted and directed by Hershey Felder). The play tells the true story of a young Jewish musician whose dreams are thwarted by the Nazis. This life-affirming show will be on stage July 8-26 as part of the Jewish Arts Festival.

The Welk Theatre takes audiences back to the Berlin of the 1920s with “Cabaret,” a magnificent musical that reminds us of the insidious reign of the Nazi regime and the escape many Germans found in seedy night clubs like the Kit Kat. This musical masterpiece will be running at the Welk through July 26, and it’s well worth seeing.

San Diego Junior Theatre will show off its production of “Charlotte’s Web” at the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park until July 12. This heartwarming story of love, loss, and friendship is suitable for all ages. Following on the

Casa del Prado Stage is “All Shook Up,” a JT premiere featuring the songs of Elvis Presley. The show will play on July 24-Aug. 9.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla unveiled two new exhibitions recently. “Sarah Cain: Blue in Your Body, Red in the Air” (the artist’s first solo show), and “Dear Nemesis, Nicole Eisenman (19932013).” This mid-career survey of Eisenman’s work will remain on display through Sept. 6.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is highlighting two IMAX films: “Humpback Whales” and “Journey to Space.” Throughout the summer, the Fleet is offering a special exhibition, “Circus: Science Under the Big Top,” an interactive exhibit that features 20 stations exploring the science and math behind circus feats. The museum has several permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Tinkering Studio,” “Block Busters,” and “Origins in Space.”

The San Diego Museum of Art is featuring “Lalla Essay di: Photographs, 2005-13.” This exhibition is comprised of 10 large-scale photographs exploring women in the Arab culture. The photographs will be ensconced through Aug. 1.

The Air and Space Museum is highlighting “2theXtreme: Math Alive,” an interactive exhibit that makes mathematics fun.

Mingei’s “Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum” exhibition will continue through Aug. 16. It features more than 100 iconic pieces of outsider art in a variety of forms. “Black Dolls” (on display through July 5) includes more than 100 unique hand-made dolls and rare photographs.

The Natural History Museum is showcasing “Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed,” until Jan. 3, 2016. The Nat also offers “Fossil Mysteries,” “Water: A California Story” and “Skulls.”

The San Diego History Center’s is still running “Ingenius! The World of Dr. Seuss.” This show, featuring artwork by Theodor Geisel, will be on view throughout 2015. The History Center is also highlighting “Presidio to Pacific Powerhouse: How the Military Shaped San Diego.” It will be on display throughout the year as well. “Placed Promises” is a permanent exhibition chronicling the history of the San Diego region. A

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 57

N news

Hadassah Awards Jessica Nare

Hadassah Foundation recently awarded Jessica Nare, director of leadership programs at the Jewish Family Service of San Diego, the Bernice S. Tennenbaum Prize, given to an emerging professional who has contributed to the advancement of the status of women and girls.

Nare received the award for her work as director of the Girls Give Back leadership program, where she lead participants in volunteering more than 1,200 hours, hosted a Teen Gender Equality Conference, and created and facilitated an empowerment program for 12 middle school girls. Learn more about Girls Give Back at jfssd.org/ ggb.

Supreme Court Rules on Jerusalem Passports Case

Two JCC Employees Indicted on Fraud Charges

Two long-time Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center employees pled guilty in June to embezzling more than $500,000 from the nonprofit organization.

The two were not working together and were unaware of the other’s actions.

Nancy Johnson, the JCC’s chief financial officer from 1991 to 2014, embezzled a total of $412,200. During this time, it is reported that the JCC cut programs and in 2008, laid off employees to address budget concerns at Johnson behest.

Johnson’s pilfered funds reportedly went toward lavish vacations and luxury items, including $5,200 at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui, $3,666 on a flight to the Bahamas, $1,795 on Jimmy Choo shoes, and $879 to attend the X Games.

Tamara Azizov, the JCC’s accounts payable clerk who had worked at the nonprofit from 1989 to 2014, admitted to embezzling $154,192 which also went to purchase luxury goods like designer accessories and lingerie. Both women could face up 23 years in prison, though reports note that severe a sentence is highly unlikely. Johnson is set to be sentenced on Aug. 28 and Azizov on Sept. 11.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that American citizens born in Jerusalem cannot list Israel as their place of birth on their passports. According to The New York Times, the executive branch has seen no nation as having sovereignty over Jerusalem since Harry Truman’s presidency.

While Palestinian Authority Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat expressed that “This is a clear message that Israel occupies east Jerusalem as well as the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Israeli President Reuben Rivlin defended Israel’s capital and said, “I am a seventh generation Jerusalemite, and even though I was born nine years before the State of Israel was established, I was born in Jerusalem, and I am Israeli.”

Camp Mt. Chai Raises Money Through “Sustain Your Match” challenge

San Diego’s Camp Mt. Chai is participating in JCamp180’s Sustain Your Match challenge, a three-year program that aims to make Jewish camps more affordable. The program is run by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation which provides resources and training materials to nonprofit Jewish day camps. Donations made by first-time donors to camps participating in this program will be matched by JCamp180 at 10 percent of the gift value for the first year of the gift, with a 10 percent increase in the second and third years of the program, as long as the donor continues to make donations between $100 and $2,500. The goal of this effort is to teach camps how to raise money on an ongoing basis, improve facilities and technology, and grow attendance. To make a donation to Camp Mt. Chai, visit campmountainchai.com. For more information about the JCamp180 program, visit Jcamp180.org.

58 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

N news

Vantage Theatre Brings Ram Dass Back

Supervisor Dave Roberts Begins Battle to Hold County Seat

As part of this year’s International Fringe Festival, Vantage Theatre will bring “Be Here Now: The Journey of Ram Dass” back to San Diego for another limited engagement July 23Aug. 2. Vantage Theatre, located in La Jolla, is run by Executive Artistic Director Dori Salois who has directed and produced more than 30 plays in New York City, San Francisco and now San Diego. Her husband, Robert, joins her at Vantage as Artistic Director. For information on upcoming shows, visit vantagetheatre.com.

Congregation Dor Hadash to participate in LGBT Pride Parade

Reconstructionist Congregation Dor Hadash is participating in the Annual LGBT Pride Parade in Hillcrest on July 18 at 11 a.m. The congregation plans to get together prior to the event in order to decorate the convertible they’ll be using to ride down Park Avenue.

“All are invited to support this annual mitzvah and give our support to the LGBT community,” wrote Valentina Sharabi, Congregation Dor Hadash’s administrator, in a statement.

The parade takes place in the middle of San Diego’s Pride Weekend, which features a block party at the intersection of Normal St. and University Ave. on July 17 from 6-11 p.m.; a 5K run the morning of July 18 and a music festival following the parade on Saturday afternoon.

If you are interested in participating in Congregation Dor Hadash’s efforts, contact Ros Goldstein at goldsiegel@gmail.com.

Also happening that weekend, Dor Hadash will host Shabbat at the Bay. Meeting at Mission Bay Park at 6:30 p.m., this potluck is open to everyone. Visit dorhadash.org for details.

In May and June, County Supervisor Dave Roberts came under fire for allegations made by former staffers regarding misuse of funds and inappropriate conduct. KPBS reports the claims surfaced after the Board of Supervisors denied severance payments to two of his former staffers.

Already slated for re-election in 2016, Roberts, the only Democrat currently on the Board, is beginning to face competition from a growing list of Republican challengers, including Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, according to KPBS and inewsource.

In June, Roberts issued an email statement denying any wrongdoing.

Beth Israel’s Men’s Club to Host San Diego Gulls’ President of Business Operations

This month’s Dinner Forum by the Beth Israel Men’s Club will feature Ari Segal, the San Diego Gulls’ President of Business Operations and assistant to the Anaheim Ducks’ CEO. Scheduled for July 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the La Jolla temple, Segal’s talk, titled “San Diego’s Professional Sports Start-up,” will cover the San Diego Gulls’ strategy, mission and performance, as San Diego’s new American Hockey League (AHL) team. The program is open to the entire San Diego community with a dinner fee of $15 with R.S.V.P. and $18 without R.S.V.P. To register for this event, visit cbisd.org/event/mcforum-july or contact the Beth Israel Men’s Club at (858) 900-2598 or cbimensclub@gmail.com.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 59

N news

Announcing New JFS Board Members

In mid-June, the Jewish Family Service Board of Directors announced its new board members, including new Board Chair Meg Goldstein, as well as First Vice Chair Deborah Bucksbaum, Second Vice Chair Adam Welland, Treasurer Sheryl L. Rowling, and Secretary Maria Foster Hazan. JFS also announced the new directors – Steve Goldstein, Nadja Kauder, Pat Libby, Marie G. Raftery, and Brad Slavin – and returning directors – Loretta H. Adams, Mathew Fink, Avi Frohlichman, Philip Linssen, Sheryl L. Rowling, and Elyse Sollender. At the meeting, JFS also awarded honors to members and volunteers for their hard work. Learn more at jfssd.org.

JFS announces new Board Chair Meg Goldstein.

B'nai Shalom Hosts Service Under Stars

(L to R) Ted Benedict, Brad Regier, Patrick Dempsey (Trustee of the William Gumpert Foundation) and Keith Padgett.

Seacrest Village to Host Annual Golf Tournament

Guardians of San Diego, the fundraising group for Seacrest Village Retirement Community, will host their 24th Annual “Take a Swing for Seniors” Golf and Tennis Tournament presented by The William Gumpert Foundation on July 27 at the Del Mar Country Club. The tournament raises funds to support the care of Seacrest Village Retirement Community residents. More than 100 golf and tennis players are expected to attend to celebrate the numerous lives touched by the Seacrest Village.

Registration fees, $500 for golfers, $225 per tennis player, or $400 per tennis couple, will cover lunch, green or tennis court fees, golf carts, snacks, access to resort facilities, contests, a post-tournament cocktail reception, and a commemorative gift.

Special pricing is available for golfers aged 35 or younger. To register, visit seacrestvillage.org. For more information or sponsorship opportunities contact Carina Burns, at (760) 516-2003 or cburns@seacrestvillage.org.

On Friday, July 17, Congregation B'nai Shalom will host services and Oneg on their outdoor patio to honor Tisha B'Av. Also on the patio, on July 26 will be a performance

by Yale Strom and his band Hot Pstromi. Guests are invited to "schmooze with Rabbi Silverman and members and enjoy some light refreshments," according to their event announcement. Cost for this performance is $12 in advance, $15 at the door. R.S.V.P. Joyce Spiegel by July 23, at (760) 944-5774. B'nai Shalom would also like to invite you to save the date for Aug. 9 when the synagogue hosts Congregation Beth Am's Choir, also on B'nai Shalom's patio in Vista. Details for these and other events can be found at bnaishalomsd.org.

Jazz Concert to Fundraise for Beth Shalom Synagogue Restoration

The Bonita Jazz band will give a live performance for Temple Beth Shalom of Chula Vista’s on July 12 at 5 p.m. to raise funds for the synagogue. The $15 admission will go to repair and restore the Beth Shalom building. Constructed in 1924, the Southbay “progressive Conservative” Jewish community purchased the building in 1958. The sanctuary and refectory are historical resources in the City of Chula Vista and the building is set to become a historical landmark soon.

Temple Beth Shalom is the first and only Conservative synagogue in South San Diego County. The synagogue’s members reside in Chula Vista, Bonita, National City, Tijuana, and San Diego. Many of the members are bilingual and come from European, South American, or Middle Eastern descent. You can support their efforts by contributing or attending the concert. Register at templebethshalom.com.

60 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

DIVERSIONS

By Natalie Jacobs

“All Who Go Do Not Return” A memoir about one man's struggle with his Orthodox faith.

“Web Junkie” Premiering on PBS July 13, this documentary (which first showed at Sundance 2014) takes a deep look inside a military-style rehabilitation facility in China. But the people who are sent here are not hooked on illegal substances, they are Internet addicts – or, more specifically, online gamers who play for upwards of 15 days straight, without so much as a bathroom break. Israeli filmmakers Hilla Medalia and Shosh Shlam gained “extraordinary access” into one camp outside of Beijing, known as the only camp of its kind in China to include parents in the therapy process. The people sent here are teenagers, obessive gamers tricked into coming because they believe that “reality is too fake.” Internet rehab might seem extreme, but there’s a real concern in China, where the one-child policy may have a generation of young boys lonely and seeking refuge in fantasy worlds on the web. This documentary will air as part of the POV series, which runs June-September on Monday nights at 10 p.m.

“Grace and Frankie” Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin make a great pair, especially when they’re mourning the loss of their respective marriages. This hilarious new Netflix series has been available for a couple months, but if you haven’t watched it yet, this summer is the perfect time to binge-watch the 13 30-minute episodes that are available now. The comedic timing is impeccable, the story is complicated, and the love is real. And season two was just green-lighted.

“HAPPYish” Also a 30-minute series, this Showtime original is written by Shalom Auslander (who has written a memoir about his struggles to leave Orthodoxy). Decidedly darker than “Grace and Frankie,” this one feels equally as timely, as a middle-aged man gets a new 20-something boss, questions the efficacy of his anti-depressants, and wonders about the possibility of true “happiness.”

“The Game Must Go On” Hank Greenberg, Peter Gray and the great days of baseball.

“The Seven Good Years” Super-short story writer Etgar Keret goes relatively longform in new memoir.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 61

TAKE NOTE JULY 1-31

by tina b. eshel

S

ummer is in full swing with plenty of special events to keep locals and out-of-towners entertained for days. Start your weekends off with free family-friendly games, contests and activities at Old Town San Diego Stagecoach Days, every Saturday in July and August. July 4 kicks off the summertime fun with an 1800s-themed Fourth of July party. Each weekend comes with its own theme, so visit parks.ca.gov/oldtownsandiego.com to get the full lineup of fun and festivities.

If yoga on the beach is more your thing, check out Rhythm & Moves at Belmont Park on select Wednesdays through August (July 22, July 29, August 5 and August 19). Your $20 ticket gets you 75 minutes of yoga paired with a DJ set and local craft beer or wine to follow. Tickets at belmontpark.com/yoga.

Fourth of July firework shows are happening all around the county, so check your local listing or join in at the Big Bay Boom, the largest display of fireworks in San Diego. Learn more about this free show/musical simulcast at BigBayBoom.com or visit sandiego.org for a listing of all the Fourth of July happenings and shows around town.

Moonlight Beach in Encinitas is the site of mega fun under the sun at the 11th Annual Swithfoot Bro-Am on July 8 and 11, featuring a surf contest, live musical performances and more. Even kids (16 and younger) can get in on the surfside fun as part of the Rob Machado Bro Junior competition. More at switchfoot.com/c/bro-am.

Theater lovers, have you heard of the Readings Activated Workshop Series at the JCC? Mystery Flavor is set for July 9, meaning the performers won’t know what they are to perform until the program starts! On Thursday, July 30, the theme is Phantom of the Opera. Both events are one-night only and tickets can be purchased through the JCC box office or by calling Jaimie Gillcrist at (858) 362-1155.

At the end of the month (but be sure to register early since space is limited), give your body, mind and spirit a day of pampering and relaxation during a Day Trip to Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico on July 26. At $250 per person, this one day of indulgence isn’t quite a steal, but it’s a great deal for the world-renowed resort.

The trip will leave the Lawrence Family JCC at 7 a.m. and return at 7 p.m. You must register and pay to hold your spot, and don’t forget your passport! Email Robyn at robync@lfjcc.org. A

BEST BETS

Mark your calendar.

OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO STAGECOACH DAYS Every Saturday in July and August Old Town, San Diego parks.ca.govoldtownsandiego.com

RHYTHM & MOVES YOGA July 22, July 29, August 5 and August 19 Belmont Park, Mission Bay belmontpark.com/yoga

11TH ANNUAL SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM July 8 and 11 Moonlight Beach, Encinitas switchfoot.com/c/bro-am.

DAY TRIP TO RANCHO LA PUERTA July 26, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center Robyn at robync@lfjcc.org.

62 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

SAN DIEGO JEWISH

SENIOR EVENTS JULY 1-31

Lawrence Family JCC 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla Contact Melanie Rubin for details or to R.S.V.P. (858) 362-1141.

Tai Chi/Qi Gong for Older Adults Mondays, 10:45 a.m.

Tai Chi involves simple moves to help increase energy, strengthen immune system, reduce stress, and discover joy through movement.

Cost: $5 JCC members/$6 nonmembers.

Oceanside Senior Center 455 Country Club Lane, Oceanside Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 North County Jewish Seniors Club Third Thursday of each month, 12:30 p.m.

Join us to hear speakers and/or entertainment at our monthly meetings. Light refreshments served. Visitors welcome.

Veterans Association of North County 1617 Mission Avenue, Oceanside CA 92058 Contact Marc Poland (858) 232-1645 Jewish War Veterans meetings Second Sunday of each month, noon.

San Diego North County Post 385.

Seacrest Village 211 Saxony Road, Encinitas Call Jon Schwartz at (760) 516-2001 Monthly Senior Dance First Friday of every month, 1 p.m.

Refreshments and appetizers from our kosher kitchen will be provided. Free and open to the public.

JFS University City Older Adult Center 9001 Towne Centre Drive, La Jolla Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Celebrate the 4th of July Thursday, July 2, 10 a.m.

Music of Phil Gates, lunch available w/ reservations. Cost: $7.

Memories in the Making Art Class Monday July 13, 10:30 a.m.

Individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementia are invited to attend along with an adult caregiver or family member.

On the Go excursions A program of Jewish Family Service, On the Go provides transportation to events throughout the county for homebound seniors. For information, please call Jo Kessler at (858) 637-7320.

Kiss Me, Kate Sunday, July 12, 2015, depart at 1 p.m.

At the Old Globe. Cost: $75, due by July 2.

Annual Luau

ANNUAL LUAU: ON THE GO AT THE COLLEGE AVENUE CAMPUS. Contact Jo Kessler at (858) 637-7320.

Friday, August 7, depart at 11 a.m.

Polynesian luncheon and entertainment.

Cost: $20, due by July 31.

Friday, August 7, depart at 11 a.m.

Polynesian luncheon and entertainment at the College Avenue Campus. Cost: $20, due by July 31.

JFS No. County Inland Center 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. Most Activities are free to members, and lunch is $7 with reservations.

Soulful Living with Local Author and Poet, Coty Benrimoj Wednesday, July 22, 10 a.m.

Be inspired by her poems and stories which are full of deep soulful living. Kosher lunch at noon.

Israeli Dance Fun with Barbara Birnbaum Monday, July 27, 10 a.m.

You’ll learn simple, fun and basic dance steps and learn the meaning behind the moves.

JFS Coastal Club at Temple Solel 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff by the Sea Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. R.S.V.P. for lunch by Monday at 12:30 p.m. All activities are free and lunch is $7.

Soulful Living with Local Author and Poet, Coty Benrimoj Tuesday, July 7, 10 a.m.

Be inspired by her poems and stories which are full of deep soulful living. Kosher lunch at noon.

Imagine a World Without Hate Tuesday, July 28, 10 a.m.

Join Tina Malka, Associate Director of the Anti-Defamation League of San Diego, for a look at some of today’s most difficult issues ranging from cyber-bullying to anti-Semitism, racial profiling to global extremists such as ISIS. JFS College Avenue Center 4855 College Ave., San Diego Contact Sara Diaz (858) 637-3270 for details on any events or to R.S.V.P. What is the “Cloud”?

Thursday, July 16, 12:30 p.m.

Learn the various kinds and what they offer. Cost: Free Job Search for the Seasoned Worker with Camille Harris Thursday, July 23 at noon. Cost: $10.

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 63

OP-ED

Become a Jew And bring your friends!

BY MICHAEL HAYUTIN

T

here are minorities and then there are minorities. Fifty-four million Hispanics, 41 million Blacks and 17 million Asians are all considered minorities in a melting-pot of 318 million Americans.

Then there are the Jews, all 5.5 million and not growing. Jews, like Heinz 57, come in many varieties to include: ethnic, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and unaffiliated among many other incarnations. Most analysts have concluded that growth in the Jewish community is unlikely. Low birth rates, intermarriage and secularism have stifled growth. In order for Judaism to survive, the faith needs to find ways to bring more people into the tent.

The Chabad movement has done a terrific job of bringing unaffiliated Jews back into the fold. The Conservative and Reform movements are trying to appeal to intermarried couples and drifting young people. Those efforts have met with limited success – unfortunately they have barely added enough new Jews to maintain current numbers, let alone grow the Jewish population.

Jews have handicapped themselves by refusing to institute a robust proselytizing movement.

Might I suggest that recruitment is a resource we need to pursue.

There appears to be no prohibition in the Torah, but there are reasons that spreading the Jewish word has been discouraged in the past.

Since Jews believe any righteous person can go to heaven, there is no purely theological rationale to compel conversion. Also, Jews have been the victims of heavy-handed proselytizing from Christians and Muslims for centuries.

Intolerance, taxation, rejection and murder 64 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

have come out of movements demanding religious uniformity. Jews have been the targets of religious intolerance too often. Hence, Jews have a bad taste in their mouths for the idea of proselytizing. Weighing a reluctance to recruit against a demographic time-bomb, Jews should reconsider.

I believe it’s time for the major denominations in Judaism to begin to spread the good Jewish word far and wide. Instead of rabbis rejecting potential converts three times, they need to reach out and encourage a genuine commitment by newcomers. Seek out those who will embrace basic Jewish values, traditions and the covenant.

There are tens of millions of Americans searching for a reason for their existence. Some seek out paths of substance, some commit to dangerous ideologies and others are attracted to frivolous causes. Those who worship the environment, political extremism, diet and health can be drawn into a profoundly more compelling faith. People searching for a religion to embrace after having abandoned their faith are ripe for picking. What’s wrong with tempting them with an ancient faith that can be spiritually, ethically and emotionally uplifting?

Colleges, jails, soup kitchens, rehabilitation facilities and homeless shelters are filled with people seeking meaning, tradition and community. Judaism can open all those doors in deeply meaningful ways.

Promoting membership in the faith that brought the world ethical monotheism seems appropriate. One reason proffered for antiSemitism has been the imposition of a moral code that placed restrictions on behavior. I might suggest that it is that same moral code wrapped in

wondrous traditions that have sustained Jews for millennia under the worst of circumstances. That is a track record that can function as a magnet for those seeking meaning and direction. In the same way that kids do much better with structure and rules, adults who have gone astray or whose lives seem aimless, if properly nurtured, might be drawn to embrace Judaism enthusiastically.

Converts are among the most enthusiastic.

I am not suggesting that Jews solicit conversion among people comfortable in their own religion.

But with the growth of secularism and rising numbers of religiously uncommitted, there is a rather large target audience to draw from. The campaign should be directed at those who don’t consider themselves part of any religion and those seeking a new faith.

Jews have an ancient, morally compelling and enriching story to tell. It need not be communicated in a heavy-handed manner to be effective. The very fact that Jews don’t claim to posses the only path to G-d has an allure all its own.

Promoting an exclusive club that is inclusive is not necessarily a contradiction in terms. Judaism will remain small even if it grows rapidly, yet it is open to anyone willing to embrace Jewish values and traditions. Hence, an inclusive exclusiveness within the Jewish family. At a time when tolerance and inclusion are buzzwords for meaningless political correctness, a faith that fully recognizes multiple paths to G-d has a very contemporary appeal. Encouraging people to choose the Jewish path might just help sustain and grow a tiny community worth saving. Couldn’t hurt.A

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 65

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3

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DOWN 1. Lean (27:18) 2. Man (26:65) 3. Bulls (28:11) 5. Why (27:4) 6. Ram (29:17)

CANDLELIGHTING IN JERUSALEM: 7:07 P.M.

Share two good things that you did for others this week.

WEEK IN REVIEW

• Moshe making Yehoshua the next leader of the Jewish people (27:18).

• Moshe is taught how the land of Israel is to be divided among the tribes (26:52).

Act out these scenes with friends and family.

PARSHA SKIT ideas

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1

ACROSS 2. Gather (27:13) 4. Seventh (29:7) 2 6. Eat (28:17)

Complete the crossword by translating each English word into Hebrew. Use the parsha reference for help.

CROSSWORD

I was from The Tribe of Menashe. I died in the desert. I had 5 daughters who are featured in Parsha Pinchas. My daughters went to Moshe to inherit my land.

who AM I?

Avoiding wasting: Use your money for useful, productive things and/or for charity.

GOOD TRAIT OF THE MONTH

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WORD FIND

Find the bold italic words on this sheet.

The unused letters spell a secret message!

HaShem praised Pinchas for standing up for His honor and as a result gave him “My convenant of peace” making him a priest.

HaShem told Moshe not to make peace with the Midianites, that Elazar should take a census of the Jewish people, and how to divide the land after the people enter.

The daughters of Tzlofchad approached Moshe because their father died in the desert without sons and they wanted the right to his land. HaShem said the daughters spoke correctly and they should receive their father’s inheritance. Then, the Torah gives the laws of inheritance.

HaShem took Moshe on a tour of the Land of Israel because he would not enter the land. HaShem appoints Yehoshua ben Nun as Moshe’s successor in front of all the Jewish people. The Torah then details the daily offerings and the special offerings for all the holidays and Shabbat.

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Visit www.thefamousabba.com/chinuch-podcasts for this week’s Chinuch Podcast! Hear from a new speaker each week.

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‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת‬

‫צ‬ –‫כ‬

The Jewish leader after Moshe:

gematria

• The new gallon of milk from the store had a hole in the container.

• A sibling colored on your whole foot.

Can you judge these situations favorably?

MEZUZAH

CENSUS

you be the judge

COVENANT

YEHOSHUA

spot the difference

Which one is different? (Hint: Parsha Pinchas)

• According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are over 332,519,000 cubic miles of water on the planet.

• Earth and Mars are 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers) apart.

Wonders of hashem

(Hint: Torah)

RFTECEP NTSMMMEANDCO

LORA

(scramble)

VINDEI

WORD CMRLESAB

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Jerry Wagner - San Diego 1/11/1938 - 4/06/2015 Survivors: daughters, Lisa Welch and Jody Wagner; son, Brian Wagner.

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Elena Spector - Redwood City 1/10/1957 - 4/08/2015 Survivors: husband, Vadim Spector; daughter, Anna Spector.

68 SDJewishJournal.com l July 2015

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Jeffrey Loeb - San Diego 9/01/1952 - 4/14/2015 Survivors: sisters, Jean Feinstein and Joan Gass.

Sharon Gentile - San Diego 4/18/1950 - 4/14/2015 Survivors: husband, Gary Parker; and daughter, Joyce Gentile.

Robert Munk - San Diego 10/22/1929- 4/14/2015 Survivor: grandson, Jim Fashings.

Bronia Mogilevska - San Diego 12/30/1928 - 4/16/2015 Survivors: sons, Solomon and Alex Manulis.

Wolf Hart - Oceanside 1/21/1927 - 4/17/2015 Survivors: wife, Marite Hart; daughter, Jochewet Hartmeyer: sons, Ron, Michael and Benjamin Hartmeyer; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Grigoriy Rozenshteyn - La Mesa 4/17/1936 - 4/18/2015 survivors: daughter, Svetlana Teplitsky; son, Roman Rozenshteyn; four grandchilden.

Blanche Weiss - San Marcos 8/15/1916 - 4/18/2015 Survivors: husband, Marty Weiss son, Howard Weiss.

David State - San Diego 11/12/1914 - 4/20/2015 Survivors: wife, Avis State; daughters, Rosanne State, Claudia Feld and Leslie Tarlow; Son, Mathew State and seven grandchildren.

Rose Allinson - La Mesa 11/04/1913 - 4/25/2015 Survivor: nephew, Larry Rubin.

ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley

ADVICE asksadie@aol.com

Body Image and a Matchmaking Mom Marnie shares the skinny on self-love and how to deal with a mother who’s obsessed with finding you a husband.

Hi JSDs. We’re back! This month we take on two issues that go to the heart of JYA (Jewish Young Adults) … mama, and “zaftignicity.”

“ZAFTIGNICITY” Dear Marnie: I am uncomfortable with my body because I am a zaftig. Chubby! This makes it hard for me to be comfortable meeting people, especially men, although no one has ever put me down for it. In fact, I get compliments from many men. I just feel I look like the stereotypical Jewish girl. While I love being Jewish, I hate the stereotype. How do I get over this?

–No Stykfig MARNIE SAYS: Now you see, your question caused me to splatter kosher chocolate cheesecake crumbs all over my keyboard. I could suggest you lose a few...but hey, if that’s what you wanted you’d be pumping away at Jewish Curvy Ladies, not writing an advice duenna who was called “chubbist” in her youth. First, yes, “a bissel zaftig” is a stereotype, or perhaps an ethno-type. After 3,000 years of DNA few of us resemble Heidi Klum.

But darling, this is not a “Jewish” issue, but a women’s issue. Is there a woman alive, apart from Keira Knightley and Kate Moss who doesn’t think she could double for a dirigible? Assuming Goodyear hasn’t asked to advertise upon you, and you’re healthy, know that we women have been wronged right to our Tootsie Roll centers.

Go (yes now) and torch any magazine that features size 2, 15-year-old nymphets with legs like number two pencils, who are stabbing their way through your precious self-view. Their evil presence is a perverse plot perpetrated by neutered cultural engineers who spend their days air-brushing cellulite from glossies.

Run to an art museum and stare at the Masters: the Renoir concept of feminine beauty, before Skinny-Skin shakes, Thighs-Be-Gone

contraptions and bulimia wards.

Since you can’t trust you, decide with your doctor what’s real about your size, then choose a course of action, if any, which will make you feel better about you.

Believe this: whether you are curvaceously Queenly or a Q-Tip, we’re each as magnificent and individual as hand-dipped Godivas. Look at the legends (and they weren’t born Jewish): Monroe, Mansfield! Today, celebs are still killing with their zaftignicity. Think Mansfield’s daughter, Mariska Hargitay, Jessica Simpson, Sofia Vergara, Queen Latifah…and at least one of those Kardashian people. So mamala, grab a mirror and stand proud in all your physical glory. If you’re enjoying an active life, know this: Your admirers have chosen you because they like you that way. Now it’s your turn.

MATCHMAKING MOM Dear Marnie: I just graduated college and moved back in with my mom while attending grad school nearby. I did it because I was short on funds and my mom, who is a widow, liked the help around the house. The problem is, she insists on constantly getting involved in my personal life. Her big thing is wanting me to get married and “settled.” It’s a constant argument. Just last weekend she springs the news that she signed me up on a Jewish matchmaking website and now some guy wants to meet me. I was livid! I’ve tried telling her how I feel about this, but it’s like talking to a wall. She has her mind set on one thing: marrying me off so she can have grandkids. I’m 22 and feel I’m too young to be thinking about marriage when I want to finish my education. I love her, but she’s driving me crazy.

– No Mama’s Girl MARNIE SAYS: Marriage can be delightful. It’s a mitzvah. But you’re not thinking like that now.

However, you should be thinking – U-Haul. You

Now you see, your question caused me to splatter kosher chocolate cheesecake crumbs all over my keyboard. see, not-quite mamala, you may feel too young to get married, but you’re too old to have it both ways. You’re picking and choosing when to do helpless cub and when to roar while hanging in Mama’s Den. Repeat after me: “It’s her den – I’m still here.”

Whether you’re stuck because you’re broke, Mama has pot roast waiting, or she’s making you feel guilty, I can’t say. But you can. Finish this sentence and write it five times: “I’m here because...”

Challenge each reason. Truthfully. “She needs me” is one. Kiddo, if Mama can surf “personals” on the Net and kick up action for her cub, she can lope through the Serengeti without needing you to follow her with a Swiffer.

Make a “She’s Driving Me Meshugge” chart.

Next to each way Mama makes you nuts, indicate “Why I hate it!” “Why I need it?” and “What is it costing me?” Remember, you’re standing for it. Until you figure out what’s really keeping you there, you’ll be e-mailing people named “JEWMENSCH666” until your cyber wedding.

To grow you must go. Find a roomie on campus. Get a part time job, a scholarship, a loan.

Yes, it’s tough. But if David can slay Goliath, you can get away from a mama who’s got you by the modem.A

Tamuz • Av 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 69

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