MARCH 2018 • Adar / Nisan 5778
r e v o s s a P issue The
Annual Simchas Resource Guide + Passover Community Seder Listings
TRY A PASSOVER DESTINATION THIS YEAR: Victoria Falls, The Great Barrier Reef And Marrakech Top Our List
And The Oscar Goes To...
The San Diego Film Foundation Hosts Their Annual Glitzy Oscar Party In Rancho Santa Fe
2 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
Ohr Ami
The Jewish Hospice Program and
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wish you and your loved ones
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Happy Passover
Jewish bereavement group beginning soon co-sponsored by Am Israel Mortuary
Call for information
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APRIL 11 – MAY 6, 2018 By Sir Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Geoffrey Sherman Britain’s brilliant comic genius, Sir Alan Ayckbourn penned a fast‑paced and hilariously funny theatrical meal. It stands as a classic modern comedy. A portrait of three very different marriages that turns into a spirited game of mixed doubles involving sex, jealousy and ingenious stagecraft that only Mr. Ayckbourn can design. Full of clever, razor‑sharp dialogue and impeccable split‑second timing and twists, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES promises to leave you in stitches.
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 3
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CELEBRATING ISRAEL @ 70!
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Due to increased security, all festival guests will be required to register. Register at jewishinsandiego.org/israelfest.
6 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
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March 2018
Passover:
Adar/Nisan 5778
31
Community Seder listings from Chula Vista to Oceanside.
42
Passover: Worried about cleaning your
house this Passover? From Africa to South America, contributor Leorah Gavidor has scoured the world to find the best places for your family to celebrate.
48
Simchas: Our annual party-planning
resource guide helps you conquer the details when preparing for your Jewish celebration. 8 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
Theater:
58
"Soul Doctor, The Musical Journey of Shlomo Carlebach" comes to the Lyceum next month.
SDFF's 2017 Oscar Party MONTHLY COLUMNS 12 The Starting Line 22 Parenting 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion 74 Advice Around Town 18 Our Town 20 The Scene 78 What's Goin On 75 Synagogue Life In Every Issue 14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 76 Diversions 80 News ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
PASSOVER
31 Community Seder Listings 36 What is the difference between a Passover dinner and a Seder?
38 What Jewish history forgot
56
42 Travel somewhere exotic this Passover
45 History Take a walk
through San Diego's Jewish past with SOHO
48 Simchas Annual resource guide
54 Review "To the Ends of
the Earth: A Portrait of Jewish San Diego"
69 Passover
A contributor reflects on a lifetime of family Seders
56 OSCARS
San Diego Film Foundation's annual Oscar party
Funds raised from the Walk will support ADL's anti-bias education work in schools throughout San Diego County
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 9
www.sdjewishjournal.com March 2018 • Adar/Nisan 5778 PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Brie Stimson ASSISTANT EDITOR • Jacqueline Bull ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus AD MANAGER • KJ Langill OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan Ableson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Eva Beim, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Patricia Goldblatt, Pat Launer, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Marnie Macauley, Rabbi Jacob Rupp, Saul Levine, Rachael Eden. ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Ronnie Weisberg – Senior Account Executive Jonathan Ableson – Senior 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: marke@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: jableson@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: assistant@sdjewishjournal.com
Larry M. Katz Certified Public Accountant
• Income Tax Preparation • IRS and State Audit Representation • Litigation Support Services • Forensic Accounting Services • Business Consulting Services
SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2018 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 11
FROM THEEDITOR’S EDITOR LETTER
THE STARTING LINE by Brie Stimson
editor@sdjewishjournal.com
Years later we can look back at photos of children’s birthday parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, Passovers, vacations, weddings and anniversaries and remember those we love whether they’re still here or not. Sometimes we can even remember the dress she wore or the way he smiled or how much we laughed.
Our Moment
W
ell it happened again. Another year has gone by and it’s time for my birthday. (“Yay!” she said unenthusiastically). It’s not that I don’t enjoy an excuse to blow out a burning dessert while I secretly wish to not get any older, but as each year goes by, I seem to become more reflective. This morning I was at home thinking, where has the time gone? Suddenly I was transported back to my grandfather’s birthday when I was probably 12 or 13. I remember thinking at the time, “I want to hold on to this moment right now, because everything is perfect, and I know it’s going to change so quickly.” I’m surprised I thought about that at such a young age, but I’m glad I did. Because of that I have been able to vividly recall that birthday party at my grandparents’ house in the many years since. I wish I could remember all of the others in the same way, but to remember even one with perfect clarity is an unbelievable gift. That’s the important thing about celebrations. Sure, they’re fun at the time, but I believe we really do them for the memories. Years later we can look back at photos of children's birthday parties, bar and bat mitz12 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
vahs, Passovers, vacations, weddings and anniversaries and remember those we love whether they’re still here or not. Sometimes we can even remember the dress she wore or the way he smiled or how much we laughed. Somewhere in my parents’ house there is a treasure trove of VHS tapes with our family videos on them. Jerky camerawork and awkward conversations about whether or not it’s recording aside, they’re a window into a past that, as a kid, I never fathomed I'd miss. As a teen I thought it was my job to stealthily avoid the camera lest it capture me with messy hair or a new pimple, but inevitably my uncle or grandfather (who were most often the cameramen) would comically catch me trying to run away. Sometimes I wish I could go back and tell that know-it-all teen to stop being too-cool-for-school and enjoy the moments more. Before I knew it my childhood had flown by, and I was an adult with a car payment, a rental agreement and acquaintances asking me, “how many children do you have?” I know a few of my readers (who look at my photo and see that I’m not 70 years old) may roll their eyes at my concern about “getting older,” but it’s really not about that.
It’s about looking back and realizing everything is different. Divorces, fizzled friendships, distance between relatives and loved ones and death have made their mark. Life is constantly changing – that is what makes life life – but sometimes for just a second I’d like to hold on to a perfect moment for just a little longer than I’m allowed. Thinking about the past makes me think of the future – how someday I’ll probably be in my retirement home on the moon, sitting in my solar-powered rocking chair trying to remember my youth. My grandkids will ask me if I was really a reporter when President Trump was in office and when he was succeeded by Oprah (and eventually Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy), and I’ll try to remember what it was like to be alive in 2018, when I still had my whole life ahead of me. I love reading about history, and I often think, everybody has their “moment.” We have one body, one heart, one life – and a limited amount of time. So go out and celebrate. Do your 50th birthday like it’s your 10th. Have a Seder that makes the neighbors call the cops (don’t really do that), take that trip to Europe that you’ve been putting off, because right now it’s our moment. A
Live a big idea. A new kind of intergenerational community is emerging in San Diego‌
Where Boomers and Millennials, young families and urban creatives gather to explore their ideas, expand their knowledge, and grow their minds. Where relationships are nurtured on morning hikes, afternoon yoga in the open air, and dynamic seminars on art and philosophy. Where vibrant Jewish life is at your doorstep, with a Jewish day school next door, a synagogue on the corner, and innovative community programming throughout the year.
Inquire today about luxury living in the heart of Scripps Ranch. Ask us about our package deal on Jewish day school tuition and on-campus residences. Contact Ilana De Laney at Dean@campusoflife.com or (858) 800-2115. www.liveabigidea.com. Your adventure awaits. Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 13
we’re listening let us know what’s on your mind
Dear Editor, [Saul] Levine’s insightful piece [“American Tragedy,” Jan. 2018] pointed out that the perpetrators (1) have been malevolent, unrepentant haters of “other” people and (2) had easy access to lethal weapons. I would add a third aspect shared by recent perpetrators: all were men. There are wonderful parents and wonderful males around the world, but as a whole, society has been failing its boys. It is my hope that there will be a prioritizing of emotional health and what it means in terms of creating families. If we want to see boys and girls become adults who respect themselves and each other, then we need more parents who have prioritized their own emotional health so they can be consistent examples and facilitate respectful communication, attention, safety and encouragement instead of abuse and spiritual poverty. Babies aren’t born murderers or terrorists. Kids and teens who are accepted, cared for, loved and valued as they are don’t tend to build up rage, feel compelled to have power over others or go on killing sprees. Also, a positive home life can counter negative media messages about what constitutes a human’s value.
I believe it all begins at home: where else would it begin? And if not now, when? Sarah Milberg, North Park Dear Editor, Re: Saul Levine’s recent column (“American Tragedy”), we need to make mental health services easily affordable for ALL, providing shame-free settings for people to get help. I like to think that something good will eventually come of these recent tragedies – and I hope they will ignite a productive national dialogue on the necessity of tending to mental health, both as individual and collectively, as a world village. I imagine there are many people who could be prevented from acting out their anger if they have a safe place to vent out that anger in its early stages early in their lives – i.e., to a compassionate and skilled listener – so they can grow into being responsible people enjoying meaningful, violent-free existences. Fern Thalium, Mission Hills, San Diego
[Excerpt of column “American Tragedy” by Saul Levine, originally printed Jan. 2018.]
“My thoughts and prayers are for the victims of today’s tragic shooting.” Whenever we hear these pious-sounding words, our hearts sink, we are saddened, angry and confused.
@SANDIEGOJEWISHJOURNAL
Send us your comments: editor@sdjewishjournal.com 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204, San Diego, CA 92121
Please consider our guidelines for Letters to the Editor prior to submitting your comments: The San Diego Jewish Journal welcomes reader responses to articles. Due to space limitations, responses to articles cannot exceed 200 words and will be edited in coordination with the letter’s author and at the discretion of the editor and publishers. For readers who wish to submit multiple letters, we require three issue months to pass between published letters so as to make space for more reader responses. All readers can comment as often as they’d like in the comments section of our website, found at the bottom of every articleon sdjewishjournal. comMagazine articles are republished on the website at the beginning of each issue month.
14 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
CORRECTIONS In “Coming of Age: A Life at Camp Mountain Chai” (Feb. 2018) Buddy Voit’s name was misspelled. In “This Way to Eden” (Feb. 2018) Rachel Eden’s name was misspelled. In “Our Emotional Footprint” (Feb. 2018) Saul Levine was referred to incorrectly as a professor of psychology rather than professor of psychiatry. In “Carnivore Deli” (Feb. 2018) Ryan Sondak was not credited for a photo of owner Brian Ball. In the same article Carnivore’s address, web address and phone number were left out of the article. Carnivore Sandwich , 670 W. B St., San Diego, CA 92101, 619-578-2694 Carnivoresandwich.net. SDJJ regrets these errors.
5 Reasons to be a
Trusted Charitable Advisor B R OUGHT TO YOU BY:
The Jewish Community Foundation offers the Trusted Charitable Advisor (TCA) Program -- a network of trusted San Diego professional advisors dedicated to building relationships and integrating charitable planning as a strategy for achieving clients’ overall goals. Here are our top 5 reasons to become a Trusted Charitable Advisor.
#1
Make new professional connections and further strengthen your partnerships with the San Diego professional advisor community.
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Meet philanthropy professionals and colleagues. Learn new approaches to support, foster and enrich your client relationships.
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Participate in training for enhanced charitable planning and develop customized materials for your firm to lead charitable conversations.
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Connect with other charitably-minded advisors and learn about emerging trends in philanthropy.
#5
Obtain recognition as a Trusted Charitable Advisor both in the community and Foundation publications and website.
The Jewish Community Foundation offers the Trusted Charitable Advisor (TCA) program to advance charitable planning and to further strengthen our partnership with the San Diego professional advisor community. For more information and to see the full list of Trusted Charitable Advisors, please visit: www.jcfsandiego.org/TCA. Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 15
Son of Holocaust Survivor Named President of Harvard
what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com
Lawrence Bacow, the former president of Tufts University and the son of a woman who survived Auschwitz, has been tapped as the new president of Harvard University. The announcement came last month that Bacow, a lawyer and economist, will replace Drew Gilpin Faust, who is retiring in June. Bacow had served on the search committee that hired Faust, the first female president of Harvard. He becomes the third Jewish president of the last four to hold the post at the Ivy League school.
Janet Yellen: I would have liked to serve another term as head of Federal Reserve “A Jewish Joke” is Seriously Funny The play “A Jewish Joke,” which stars actor/writer Phil Johnson, calls itself a drama about comedy – and it’s based around Joe McCarthy’s 1950s Hollywood Blacklist. The main character, a Jewish screenwriter, has to decide if he will turn in his writing partner for being a communist. “He has to use more than his street smarts and his sense of humor and he actually has to stand up for something,” Johnson says. The play is co-written by Johnson and UCSD writing professor Marni Freedman and is directed by North Coast Rep Artistic Director David Ellenstein. The play continues through April 8. 16 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
Last month, Janet Yellen said she was disappointed that President Donald Trump did not keep her on for a second term as Federal Reserve Chairwoman.“I would have liked to serve an additional term and I did make that clear, so I will say I was disappointed not to be reappointed,” Yellen told “PBS NewsHour.” Yellen officially ended her four-year term on Feb. 3. She had submitted her resignation from the board of governors of the Federal Reserve in November after Trump, in a break with tradition, did not reappoint her. Trump instead nominated current Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell to take over as head of the central bank.
Could Netanyahu Resign? Police recommended charges of bribery and breach of trust against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month. He’s said the case police have made is “full of holes, like Swiss cheese,” but our JTA story details five times Israeli politicians balked at an investigation and ended up going to jail anyway.
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 17
our TOWN
BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL | PHOTOS CPOURTESY OF JFS & JCC
Centennial Kick-off Celebration of Jewish Family Service On January 25th, we attended the Centennial Kick-off Celebration of Jewish Family Service. Some of those enjoying the evening of food, drink and history of JFS were, Lois Richmond, Charles Richmond, Betty Amber, Amnon & Lee Ben Yehuda, Ronnie Diamond, Liz Coden, Inge Feinswog, Jeanne Gold, Chris & Emily Jennewein, Allan & Joan Kleinman, Caryl Lees Witte, Steve Levine, Zita Liebermensch, James Lu, Mat & Barbara Loonin, Brian & Danielle Miller, Howard & Barbara Milstein, Alan & Nancy Spector, Loretta Adams, Ricardo Rabines, Evelyn & Ernest Rady, Vivien & Jeff Ressler, Cathy & John Weil and Geri Sanders. JFS has a wonderful year of events planned for their 100th year! Wow! What a full program of films for the 28th year of the SD Jewish Film Festival. We were glad to have been able to see most of the films! Some of our personal favorites were, "Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me," "Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema," and "A Bag of Marbles." Among those of the many thousands in attendance were, Jane & John Shapira, Jessie & Dick Attiyeh, Brice Westphall & Joyce Camiel, Mack & Merle Langston, Sharron Resnick, Mark & Elaine Smith, Nita & Paul Keith, Stephen Edelstein, Carol & Harvey Korfin, Rita Cohn, Nancy Martin & Richard Brehm, Bobbi Laufer, Robin Rubin, Renee Zoffel, Sara Maltzman, Maxine & Arthur Geller, Ed & Wita Gardiner, Lolie Fromm, Devora & Leon Fajerman, Avrille Copans, Eva Shore, Ellis & Bonnie Diamond, Renee Feinswog, Richard & Sharon Gabriel, Phil Johnson, Marcia & Don Wolochow, Randy Savarese & Chuck Petler, Barbara & Bill Sperling, Carol Weisner, Polly & Ricky Wolf, Eileen Wingard, Barry Fisch, Judy Faitek, Judy Feldman, Ed & Sue Cherlin, Margie Mopper, David Freidel (in from AZ), Bob Burton & Irene Borevitz, Stan Rodier, Ellen Rofman, Jack Cohen & Joy Heitzman, Deborah Carnick, Helene & Allan Ziman, Isobel & Marc Leverant, Susan Chortek Weisman & Eric Weisman, and Olga & Oscar Worm. Kudos to the Chair, Christina L. Fink and her incredible staff, crew and volunteers for all their work on this successful undertaking.
18 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
JFS CEO Michael Hopkins at the JFS Centennial Kickoff.
(L to R) Ernest and Evelyn Rady, JFS CEO Michael Hopkins, Board Chair Marie Raftery and Dr. Robert Rubenstein.
Wishing you Wishing youa a Happy HappyHanukkah Passover
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Mazel Tov to…. Eva & Will Frasca, on the birth of their daughter, Alexandra Ruth. Living in Skokie, IL, Alexandra joins her older siblings, Rafi, 4, and Joanna, 2. Excited Grandparents are, Rhonda Amber & Jonathan Licht.
Barbara & Richard Gitlin on their 51st wedding anniversary.
Edith Lange, on celebrating her 95th birthday.
Rosalie Licht & David Decarlo, on becoming engaged. Delighted parents are, Rhonda Amber & Jonathan Licht.
Don Hicks, on his 80th birthday. Todah Rabah to… Linda & Fred Valfer on their 56th wedding anniversary. Marilyn & Bob Filderman on their 56th wedding anniversary. Carol & Howard Robin on their 52nd wedding anniversary.
Simchas abound, all around our town… Lindsay Rubin & Jonathan Kabakoff, on their wedding engagement. Happy parents David & Dorothy Rubin and Susan & David Kabakoff, look forward to their upcoming Spring wedding.
On December 31st Nicole Geffen, daughter of Sylvia & David Geffen, and Daniel Rubin (of Los Angeles), son of Irv and the late Leah Rubin, were joined together in matrimony. A
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 19
the BY EILEEN SONDAK | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BOB ROSS
San Diego Junior Theatre
Rady Children’s Hospital Charity Ball Supporters of Rady Children’s Hospital dubbed this year’s Charity Ball (the 109th, no less) “Roses and Lollipops.” As usual, the gala was an unabashed success. The colorful event, held at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado, is the longest running philanthropic event in San Diego history – and this year, the organization outdid itself, attracting hundreds of delighted guests and raising much-needed funds for the hospital. The Trauma Center at Rady’s – where children and their families recover from life-threatening emergencies – was the beneficiary. The festivities began with a cocktail hour before the crowd made their way to the magnificent Crown Room for dinner. The revelers partied on in the Grand Ballroom, dancing to the music of Wayne Foster and enjoying entertainment by the San Diego Master Chorale. Phylicia Cicalo-Aiken chaired the bash, with Nancie Geller as her hard-working co-chair. The large committee included Linda Bernsen, Lisa Busalacchi, Jenna Geller, Kristi Pieper-Rossbacher, Jeanne Jones, Darlene Davies, Liz Copley and many other ardent supporters. A 20 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
Chris Tresse (Vice Chairman of Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees), Dr. Donald Kearns with Phylicia Cicalo-Aiken (2018 Charity Ball Chair)
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 21
PARENTING
THIS WAY TO EDEN by Rachel Eden
rachel.s.eden@gmail.com
There is no worthy goal that doesn’t require a strong mindset to conquer a baser will.
The Blooming Onion: Recipe for a People
A
video recently popped up on my social media newsfeed that I just can’t shake. A young boy, no older than two, was taking an apple from the counter when his mother objected and told him that his snack was, in fact, a raw onion. The boy was undeterred and insisted his little hands held an apple and, to prove his point, he took a big juicy bite. This is the moment in the story where we assume he spits out the onion and cries, but this boy’s cognitive dissonance is astounding (and hilarious). He perseveres, somehow chewing and swallowing that first bite though wincing slightly, and insists that he’s eating an apple. He continues to bite into the raw onion and by the end of the short video, his eyes are tearing, he’s grunting, and yet, he’s intently eating his alleged apple. While I find the boy charming and funny, I see his actions as fascinating. Obviously, he is being unreasonably stubborn and could save himself from an unpleasant experience if he just considered that his mother was right. However, his desire to be correct outweighs any physical discomfort, a pure mind-over-matter feat that defies his young age. The mind is what propels human beings to set aside their animalistic instincts for self-preservation and show kindness toward others. Judaism acknowledges this and tasks 22 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
us with delaying immediate gratification in favor of a holy union, an elevated meal, or an honest exchange. We choose integrity, generosity and loyalty over deception, stinginess and betrayal. We must be honest enough to admit that we’re eating an onion yet strong enough to eat an onion as if it were an apple. There is no worthy goal that doesn’t require a strong mindset to conquer a baser will. Any ambitious professional, personal trainer, or tranquil meditator can attest to that. Battles are fought and won, revolutions are created, nations and cultures are forever changed thanks to this perseverance that transcends comfort, apathy and our general desire for a pain-free existence. This focus of honoring the mind defines the Jewish people and our stubbornness to stick to our principles, like the little boy with the onion, it’s reminiscent of our essence. After all, just open Exodus to read, “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” After God’s “stiff-necked people” declaration to Moses following the infamous national sin of the golden calf, something curious happens. Moses asks God to forgive
the Jewish people, as he says, “because [the Jewish people are] a stiff-necked nation, and forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” Why would Moses expect the Jewish people to be forgiven for our worst crime as a nation by labeling us with the same description that we are given in the heat of God’s anger? I came across a fascinating article by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, addressing this enigma. He points out that Rabbi Yitzhak Nissenbaum, who lived and died in the Warsaw ghetto, explains that Moses was noting that our biggest national weakness is also our most meritorious feature. As it turns out, being stiff-necked has its advantages. After all, was Mordechai not “stiffnecked” when he refused to bow down to Haman? Didn’t Esther remain steadfast in her Torah observance despite living in a lavish kingdom as Queen of Persia? We have miraculously survived generations of persecution and, often in the most hostile of societies, have reached heights of service, contribution and adherence to our practices. Jews are indeed stiff-necked as we have proven historically that we are ready to die for our faith. So that little tot? The one who ferociously ate a raw onion as though it were a sweet apple? I’m just speculating, but he may very well be a member of the tribe. A
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 23
ISRAELI LIFESTYLE
LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov
andreasimantov@gmail.com
Passing Over
M
any Jewish children were hidden in European monasteries and other arms of the Catholic Church during the war, by parents and other relatives in frantic attempts to save lives. After the war, those who survived along with representatives of various Jewish agencies returned to these Christian safe-havens for children to reclaim them and return them to the decimated world of Jews. Many loving, brave and moral Christians readily returned their charges, at peace with God and their collective conscience. There were others, however, who were not so ready to relinquish their Jewish boys and girls and refused, saying, “There are no Jewish children here. They were returned/died/escaped/etc.” Frustrated and with little-to-no documentation, the rescuers were hard pressed to identify any remaining children from the Jewish nation. But Hark! The tale describes one brave agency representative that abruptly turned to the room of docile students and called out, “Sh'ma Yis-ra-eil, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, A-do-nai E-chad.” One by one children slowly stood up and repeated the phrase in unison, adding the refrain, “Baruch sheim k'vod mal-chu-to l'o-lam vaed.” (Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.”/ “Blessed be the name of 24 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.”) Thus, they were returned to our people.” The Shema has been the Jewish clarion call for thousands of years and it would be the most rare, secular, agnostic yid among our people who would claim that he never heard of it. Observant Jews hope to remain lucid enough to utter the phrase on their deathbeds and many pork-and-shrimp members of the tribe still manage to whisper this prayer as commanded before falling asleep at night. This prayer, in both its entirety and its abridged forms, throughout eternity stands as a declaration of who the Jew is. Which brings us to Passover. Why does a 400-year sojourn in a foreign country become the hallmark of our daily prayers along with an eight-day, cardboard eating gastronomic nightmare? I live in Israel and we finally have a quasi-peace with Cairo. Can’t this recollection stuff be covered in one been-there/done-that ceremony? Why are we exhorted to remember the Egypt bondage all the days of our lives? Not to take anything away from Cecil B. DeMille, it happened, it’s over and despite all of the Technicolor drama and the stoicism of Charleton Heston, I still wasn’t there and the Seders seem to grow longer and longer
each year. At the time before the Exodus, the Children of Israel were slaves to the mightiest nation on earth. It had been documented that no slave ever escaped from Egypt. Indeed, the laws of nature made it impossible for an Israelite slave to achieve freedom. But we became free. Because in commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, we collectively acknowledge that it is not man who runs the show but G-d in Heaven. Whether we are recalling the plague of lice (creatures so minute that they appear nearly invisible) or the deaths of the first born in each family (too horrific an event to even contemplate), by remembering our enslavement every day of our lives with every prayer and action, we reaffirm the innate understanding that we are part and parcel of a grander, holier scheme. The Shema remains the uniform declaration of Jewish belief and connectedness. It is passed down from one generation to the next via formal education or from the whispering lips of a loving mother. The Seder, too, is passed down and declared as the central event that demands a passing over of tradition and communal memory. Chag kasher v’samayach from Jerusalem! A
Passover...a time for sharing. The closeness of family and friends gathered together in thankful celebration. A special feeling. A special warmth. A time for sharing, when age-old traditions proudly grace the seder table. Wondrously alive and vital.
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EXAMINED LIFE
OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT by Saul Levine, M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD
slevine@ucsd.edu
Trump’s version of elitists are snobs and entitled liberals who profess to have superior intellect and values.
I Am Not An Elitist! (Or Am I?)
'E
litism’ has become a “dirty word,” at least among some people who feel that elites are despicable. I hereby declare “I am not an elitist” (…or am I?) As I write this self-serving statement, I’m reminded of the words, "I am not a crook!" spoken by Richard Nixon on national television in 1973. He was protesting that he had nothing to do with the infamous Watergate break-in. (His words were carefully chosen, well-articulated…and blatant lies.) While the word "crook" refers to someone who breaks the law by stealing, in contrast, ‘elitists’ are doing nothing illegal. Nonetheless, they are seen by President Trump and many of his supporters as nefarious and sworn political enemies. Trump’s version of elitists are snobs and entitled liberals who profess to have superior intellect and values. To him they are the educated classes, professionals, scientists and artists, the sophisticated urbanites who populate college towns and large cities. He accuses cultured urban elites of being unaware and uninterested in how "the other half lives," and of abandoning his base of fervent supporters. I must admit to having a strong distaste for much of what President Trump stands for as a person and as president, but is there any truth to his perspective? I am certain that he would lump me with his detested elites, even though I originally come from humble working class, immigrant beginnings. My late father came here as an uneducated, impoverished immigrant who 26 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
spoke no English and started his adult life as a manual laborer. Similarly, my uncles and the fathers of my street and school friends were all employed in jobs like plumbing, carpentry, bricklaying, cloth cutting, upholstery, machinists and others, which are a far cry from urbane sophistication. My parents and those of my childhood friends believed in education, family values, hard work and the American Dream, and their hopes were indeed fulfilled. My peers and I achieved beyond our wildest dreams: We all became professionals, professors, physicians, lawyers, teachers, businessmen, writers, teachers, actors and similar career pursuits. Given our backgrounds, surely we can't be accused of being the uncaring elitists described by Trump! As children, we personally experienced what it was like to be outside the mainstream, poor and frowned upon, and as adults we prided ourselves on our compassion and empathy: We understood ordinary workers and their families who feel "left behind.” Why, we were just like them just a few decades ago! But then I look at some “real facts.” Aside from people doing jobs for us, or workers we come across in the course of daily activities, we all tend to live and work in our own “echo chambers.” Our family, friendship, collegial, professional and business contacts are almost all with people like us, with similar educational socioeconomic attainments, race, neighborhoods, values and attitudes.
Do we really know any coal or metal miners, construction workers, daycare and retirement home attendants, hotel cleaners, and dishwashers? How about other myriad important but underpaid and overlooked jobs? Are we really close with any farmers, fishermen, loggers, police officers, soldiers, sales clerks and bus drivers? With few exceptions, the elites and the workers tend to live in separate, socially walled off physical enclaves, or even social universes. There are few or no opportunities for meaningful communication with each other, but there is an abundance of ignorant, prejudicial feelings and animosities. We are living in an increasingly polarized society, with widely diverse and unequal opportunities in education, health and socioeconomic status. We somehow have to transcend these “Two Solitudes” (a classic book about living apart in a shared society). This can be partially accomplished via city planning, mixed neighborhoods, better public transportation, educational upgrading, job training and opportunities. But it will take far more: It will take the will of all of us, individuals and groups, to be assertively proactive. We have to open our minds and hearts. We have to get to know each other as real people, and learn and understand each other’s challenges and experiences. This goes for all of us, you and I included.A
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RELIGION
POST-POLITICAL by Rabbi Jacob Rupp
rabbirupp@gmail.com
Stop numbing yourself from life and start living with faith that G-d loves you and everything in your life is exactly what you need to fulfill your purpose.
If Only Prozac Was This Effective
M
aimonides compiled a list of thirteen fundamentals of Jewish faith, included in which is the divinity of the Torah, the coming of the Messiah, and the resurrection of the dead. I usually get blank stares when I talk about the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead to Jewish audiences, as other faiths usually get the credit for these ideas. However, we predated them all and taught them all. So while that may be surprising, what is also surprising is that in the future, all Jewish holidays will be nullified except one, which remains relevant always. The Jewish holidays teach us various lessons about G-d’s interaction with us. Passover is when G-d took us out of Egypt. Shavout is when G-d appeared at Sinai and gave us the Torah. Sukkot is when G-d surrounded us with His clouds in the desert. However, in the post messianic age, the holidays will become nullified because by that point we will have witnessed so many miraculous revelations of G-d that the holidays will pale in comparison. What is the one holiday we will still celebrate? Purim. What?! Compounding the question is that the holiday of Purim doesn’t appear in the Torah; it is a rabbinic holiday that was established long after the days of Moses. Second, G-d seems to have taken a back role-- His Name isn’t even in the Megillah! So why is it so endur28 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
ing that we will celebrate it forever? The remarkable nature of Purim is that it isn’t remarkable at all. The events of the story, from Achashverous to the overturning of Haman and the war that followed unfolded over more than a decade! There were no ten plagues, no splitting of the sea, just a thin line of coincidences. Esther happened to be Jewish. The king happened not to sleep and read about the deeds of Mordechai. The sages of the Talmud debate if there was any divine insight or providence at all that went into writing the Megillah. Our lives are full of uncertainty. Our destiny is blurred, the future unclear on a personal and national level. A college student I was speaking to was bemoaning the fact that she felt utterly unprepared for her career and had no idea where or how she was going to get to where she wanted in life. I tried calming her by telling her I didn’t know where I was going or what I would become either. I’m not sure it helped. Jews like to complain and stress—and after all there are plenty of things to be upset about. Israel is under constant threat. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. The cost of private Jewish education is astronomical. People are sick, can’t find their soul mate, don’t want to find their soul mates and marriage is in trouble. Social media shows us that someone out there is living their dreams and if you were
just a little different, you could be too. The story of Purim comes along and says that everything going sideways is really everything going according to plan. That each step of the process, no matter how scary or painful, is setting up the stage for the eventual redemption. The plan, of course, isn’t our plan, but it was never our plan. G-d runs everything, and everything is for the best. Simple is never easy. Imagine the industries that would crash if this was all we needed to do. Stop numbing yourself from life and start living with faith that G-d loves you and everything in your life is exactly what you need to fulfill your purpose. This is the principle of Emunah, which means trust in G-d. It isn’t logical – that which is logical doesn’t require trust. It isn’t emotional because there are moments that are profoundly painful and need to work to override the feelings of suffering and abandonment with feelings of serenity and peace. But just imagine sitting back and thinking, “this is exactly what I need at this moment.” As someone who attempts this practice and as a recovering control freak, I can attest to the flood of peace that follows. We aren’t in control, so we can stop pretending we are. This lesson of Purim unlocks deep joy—and is a lesson that will never be overshadowed by the great miraculous fireworks of the Messianic age – rather it is a joyous concept hidden deep within us that we can access today. A
HAPPY PASSOVER
WWW.SUNROADAUTO.COM Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 29
30 SDJewishJournal.com | MARCH 2018
2018
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 31
PASSOVER
Community Seders
Community Seders COMPILED BY JACQUELINE BULL
Our annual list of community Seders has arrived. Use this guide to find information on your local synagogue or try a new one. Costs, dates and times are included along with contact information. If anything remarkable happens at your holiday gathering, please share the story with us. Send a letter to the editor, tag us (@sdjewishjournal) on Twitter or drop us a note on our Facebook page. Happy Passover! Chabad Chabad Center of University City 3813 Governor Dr. San Diego, CA, 92122 (858) 455-1670 chabaduc.org March 30, 7:15 p.m. Cost: $45 non member, $40 members Chabad of East County 7290 Navajo Rd, Ste 207 San Diego, CA 92119 jewishrec.com March 30, 7 p.m. (619) 387-8770 Chabad Jewish Center of Rancho Santa Fe 5690 Cancha De Golf Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091 jewishrsf.com March 30, 7:30 p.m. Chabad of Oceanside/Vista 1930 Sunset Drive, Vista, CA 92081 (760) 806-7765 jewishoceanside.com/seder March 30, 6:30 p.m. Cost: adults: $55, children: $30 Chabad of Chula Vista 944 Camino La Paz Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619) 836-0770 jewishchulavista.com/passover March 30, 7 p.m. Cost: adults: $40, children: $25
32 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Chabad of Coronado 1300 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118 (619) 365-4728 chabadcoronado.com March 30, 7 p.m. Chabad of Carmel Valley 12341 Del Mar Oaks, San Diego, CA 92130 (858) 333-4613 chabadcv.com March 30, 7 p.m. March 31, 7 p.m. Cost: $45 Chabad of San Marcos 649 Shady Ln., San Marcos, CA, 92078 (760) 481-7503 alefcenter.com/seder March 30, 7:30 p.m. March 31, 8:30 p.m. Cost: adults: $36, children: $18, college student: Free Orthodox Beth Jacob Congregation 4855 College Avenue, San Diego, CA 92115. bjsd.org/events March 30, 8 p.m. (619) 287-9890 Kehillas Torah (858) 829-9648 March 6 p.m. Call or email bledermansdccd@gmail.com for the location, cost and to R.S.V.P.
Conservative Temple Beth Shalom 208 Madrona St Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619) 420-6040 bethshalomtemple.com Mar 31, 6 p.m. Cost: adults: $25 Ohr Shalom Synagogue 2512 Third Ave. San Diego, CA, 92103 ohrshalom.org (619) 231-1456 March 31, 6 p.m. Cost for non members: adults: $50, children: $30. Temple Isaiah 332 W. Alejo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 325-2281 templeisaiahps.com March 30, 6 p.m. Cost: Members: adults: $70, children: $12; non members: adults: $85, children: $45 Ner Tamid Synagogue 12348 Casa Avenida, Poway, CA 92064 (858) 513-8330 nertamidsd.org March 31, 6 p.m. Cost: $36/Adult, $18/Child.
Temple Emanu-El 6299 Capri Dr. San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 286-2555 teesd.org March 31, 6 p.m. Cost: Adults: Members $54, Non members $72, Ages 6-12: Member $35, Non members $45, Ages 5 and under members $10, non members $12.
Humanistic Kahal Am: The Humanistic Jewish Community of San Diego Elijah’s Restaurant: 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 549-3088 kahalam.org March 31, 1 p.m. Cost: Members: adults: $35, children: Free; non members: Adults: $45, Children: $15 Unaffiliated Centro Social Israelita de BC Ave. Cuauhtémoc North # 16 Colonia Gabilondo Tijuana, Baja California March 30, 7:45 p.m.; March 31, 7:45 p.m. Cost: $30
Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim 3232 Governor Dr Suite K, San Diego, CA 92122 March 30, 8:30 p.m Cost: Members: $50, Non members: $60, Children: $25, Students and Active Military: $45 Congregation B’nai Tikvah Carlsbad Senior Center: 799 Pine Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 650-2262 bnaitikvahsd.com March 30, 6:30 p.m. Cost: Adults: $35, Children: $15
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Reform Temple Adat Shalom 15905 Pomerado Rd, Poway, CA 92064 (858) 451-1200 adatshalom.com March 31, 6 p.m. Cost: $42/adult, $52/nonmember adult, $27/child 5-12, $30 nonmember child, $5 child 5 and under.
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 33
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 35
PASSOVER
A Time of Order
SEDER: A TIME OF ORDER BY RABBI BEN LEINOW
asked a friend, “Will you have a Seder at your home this year?” She answered, “Yes, every year my family has a ‘Passover Dinner,’ but we do not call it a Seder because we don’t know Hebrew.” She then asked me, “What is the difference between a Passover dinner and a Seder? I gave her what you might call my simple standard answer. The word Seder means ‘order,’ and it is somewhat like the word ‘menu’ when you are in a restaurant. Seder is the menu of events at the Passover dinner you are about to have. You might think of it as the plan for the evening or the table of contents for the Haggadah. The Haggadah is the book we read at each Passover meal. The first word of the Haggadah is Seder, and that is also the reason we name the event of the evening ‘Seder.’ The above conversation caused me to realize that the word ‘Seder’ connected me to one of the most important Jewish Holidays of the year, but it also caused me to realize that the word ‘Seder’ could have deeper meaning. If we are going to live a good and a meaningful life, then we must always have ‘Seder’ in our lives, and not just at the Passover dinner table. We need order in our lives for everything we do. For example, if we are going to build a house we need to create and follow a plan. We cannot just build a roof, 36 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
then think of walls for the house and last of all create a foundation. Another example is we cannot make oatmeal raisin cookies if we eat all of our grapes, and do not set aside grapes in the sun for raisins. During this past year, I have experienced many people who have been unhappy with themselves, the world and our country. I believe it is because many of us have given up our personal ‘Seder.’ We have lost our basic values that make up who we are. I could feel it happening to me. When I approached my responsibilities, I noticed an overwhelming discomfort – and a strong interest in what other people didn’t seem to feel they needed to do to make the world worthwhile – so why should I take on all those extra duties that a core group of people refuse to do? I let the ‘refuse-niks’ take over my world, my life and my Judaism. The result has been that I felt the same anger and discomfort that many people are feeling today. I wanted to blame other people. Maybe it was politicians – it could be newscasters. It could be anyone except me. I felt myself becoming the center of the universe, and discomfort with many of the components of the world around me. One of my friends called me, and I said, “Let’s go out for coffee.” I do not know why I did that because the last time we had talked we both were un-
comfortable with the discussion. When we got together, I told him I was unhappy because I believed I’d lost my ‘Seder,’ my way of relating to people I love and care for, and instead I let differences of opinions get in the way of friendship and love. We reminded ourselves that what is truly important is respect for who we are even with the differences of opinion. What we did next was remind each other of who a Jew is as we get back our ‘Seder.’ It is my pleasure to share our thoughts with you. We Jews are judged by the good deeds we do, who we support regardless of faith, ethnicity or gender. A Jew seeks out the needy and provides assistance to the orphan, the ill and abandoned. We do not expect or want praise for good deeds. A Jew educates him/ herself formally or informally, and does not put down or harm the uninformed. Jews care for their family and let them know they are loved. Jews believe in a creative process and support that creative process no matter what name may be given to that process. A Jew has a longing to treat all people in a fair and loving manner with the hope we will get along even though we may disagree. I hope you will all find your ‘Seder’ and have peace and love this Passover and in the years to come. Shalom. A
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PASSOVER
Jewish History
What Jewish History Forgot: Legendary World Changers’ Surprising Jewish Roots BY MARNIE MACAULEY
W
e all know Elvis Presley as the southern boy who became the King of rock and roll as well as a cultural icon. But did you know that from an early age the King was heavily influenced musically by a rabbi, that many of his songwriting teams were Jewish, and more, there has been serious speculation that Elvis himself, was “technically” a Jew? Did you know the king of jazz, Louis Armstrong, considered a Jewish family his own and his inspiration, or that founding father and first secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, attended a Jewish school? A Jewish pirate with a mission? The legendary Jean Lafitte had his reasons. How about that famous gambler and gunfighter Wyatt Earp was buried in a Jewish cemetery (undercover?) Earp, married to Jewess Josephine “Josie” Marcus in 1880, had 38 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
his ashes laid to rest in the Marcus family plot at the Little Hills of Eternity Jewish cemetery, in Colma, California, which was founded by Senator and presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater’s Jewish grandfather, Michael Goldwater!
Let’s look. Elvis: The Hip-Iest Jewish King? When Elvis Presley was a teen living on Alabama Street in Memphis, his family lived below Orthodox Rabbi Alfred Fruchter, the leader of Temple Beth El Emeth. The Rabbi and his wife, the rebbitzen, owned something the Presley’s lacked: a phonograph. According to Tim Boxer’s “Jewish Celebrity Anecdotes,” young Elvis, while washing his $50 1942 Lincoln Zephyr coupe, would hear the rabbi’s cantorial records of artists such as Shlomo Kousse-
vitsky and Moishe Oysher. In 1954, Elvis asked to borrow the rabbi’s record player. He had recorded a song called “I Love You, Mama.” During his frequent visits with Rabbi Fruchter he celebrated Shabbos with the family, and wore a yarmulke in their home. Reportedly, he had a Star of David engraved on his mother’s tombstone and was generous in his contributions to Jewish causes. He wore a “chai” (the Hebrew letters chai and yud, symbolizing life), which, according to some accounts, he was buried with. Years later, Rabbi Fruchter said when Elvis, as a young man, played his song, it had a strangely rhythmic sound. Could it be the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was influenced by liturgical music? More, many of his early hits, including “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” were written by the Jewish duo, Jer-
ry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Sadly, they never composed “All Farmisht Up.” He continued to use a number of Jewish songwriters. But wait … it may go further. It's a little-known fact that Elvis Presley— the most Christian icon of American pop culture—may have been Halachically Jewish. According to his biographer, Elaine Dundy, Elvis’s Jewish connection is through his maternal great-great-grandmother, Nancy Tackett, a Jewess. In the book “Shmelvis: Searching for the King’s Jewish Roots,” Jonathan Goldstein, with the help of a Canadian Hasidic Jewish Elvis impersonator, Dan Hartel (whose stage name has been Schmelvis) claims to have traced Elvis's Jewish roots all the way to Israel. Jewish? Not Jewish? One thing we DO know. The King was aware of and admired his Jewish roots. Satch-“Mot?” Did you know that jazz legend, Louis Armstrong, who put the “Hello” in “Dolly,” was heavily influenced by a Jewish family named Karnofksy? The King of cornet and trumpet (with voice and scat to match) was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans to an “absent” father and a prostitute. Enter the Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants. He worked for the Karnofskys in their junk biz. They became his surrogate family, offering bed, board, love and spiritual nourishment. They also gave him his first instrument, which sent him soaring as a jazz innovator and worldwide ambassador for humanity. He later wrote a memoir of this relationship, “Louis Armstrong and the Jewish Family in New Orleans, La., the Year of 1907,” saying, “I was only seven years old, but I could easily see the ungodly treatment that the White Folks were handing the poor Jewish family." From them, he wrote he learned "how to live—real life and determination." Did you know that Louis Armstrong not only spoke Yiddish, but wore a Star of David for the rest of his life? Alexander Hamilton Attended Cheder? Our first secretary of the Treasury was not a practicing Jew. But his mother, Rachel Fawcett Levine, probably was or converted to Judaism when she married her first husband at age 16 (in the 1750s), one John Michael Levine, a Danish Jew living in the West Indies. Alexander Hamilton’s biological father, James Hamilton, was a non-Jewish Scotsman. But young Alexander, born in the West Indies in 1757 (or 1755), attended a Jewish school, because as Rachel had never
divorced her first husband, he was considered illegitimate in the eyes of the Church. Is This A Job For A “Jewish” Boy? Jean Lafitte The legendary French -American pirate, Jean Lafitte, who sailed the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century, claimed Jewish ancestry through his grandparents in a journal entry. As for his “career” choice, he had his reasons. A freethinker, buccaneer, alchemist, but loyal family man, he was greatly influenced by his bubbe, Zora Nadrimal, who raised him. According to his diary, he was born in Port-Au-Prince in 1782. His mother, Maria Zora Nadrimal, died soon after, and the young Jean was raised by his Jewish grandmother, Zora. His grandfather, Abhorad Nadrimal, was jailed, tortured and died in prison in Spain. Jean was raised on stories of his suffering, and thus he developed a hatred of all things Spanish. Lafitte described his grandmother as also training him in the habits necessary to the development of a strong personality, preparing him to face the vicissitudes of life with a firm and determined will and capability of ignoring all obstacles that would impede the development of his mind.
It's a little-known fact that Elvis Presley—the most Christian icon of American pop culture—may have been Halachically Jewish. The Debate Is On Here’s a shocker. At a provocative 2011 exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art titled "Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus," curator Lloyd DeWitt suggested that the same model posed for each painting - and that the model was Jewish! Recently, the relationship between the Master and Jews (including the possibility of the artist as crypto-Jewish) has become food for trendy debate. Those who agree with DeWitt about the Jewish “Jesus” model, while without evidence, “go” cir-
cumstantial. In an intriguing 1656 audit of Rembrandt’s house one design clearly came from life (read: he used a live model.) The artist, at the time, was likely to have used a model with similar Semitic characteristics to paint the Jewish Jesus. Rembrandt lived in a Jewish neighborhood. He had a strong relationship with Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel. In at least three of his paintings the subjects were, in fact, Jewish. In “Jewish Art: A Modern History,” Larry Silver and coauthor Samantha Baskind chronicle how Rembrandt served as a Jewish role model for other artists. It has even been suggested that Rembrandt may have been a crypto-Jew. Was he, did he? Fervent art historians disagree, but the debate still fascinates. Wyatt Earp Spends Eternity In A Jewish Cemetery – Founded By Barry Goldwater’s Grandpa The gambler and gunfighter of OK Corral fame was “believed” to be married to his beloved Jewess – and his ashes are spending eternity in a Jewish cemetery. Earp met the young and exciting Josephine “Josie” Marcus in 1880. Together, for over 40 years, they lived an adventure, going from boom town to boom town, investing in mines, real estate, entertainment establishments and oil wells. While working as a sports writer and Western film consultant in Los Angeles (where he helped promote much of the Earp myth), he died of liver failure in 1929. His ashes were buried in the Marcus family plot at Hills of Eternity, a Jewish cemetery in Colma, California. Josie was laid beside him in 1944. The plot gets JEW-cier! The late presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater’s pop and zayde, originally Polish were religious Jews! The Senator's grandfather, Michael Goldwater, was very active in Jewish affairs on the western frontier. In California, he was a VIP in three Jewish congregations. In San Francisco, he was chairman of the committee that founded Hills of Eternity Cemetery at Colma, California (the very same place where Earp and his Jewish wife, Josephine Sarah Marcus were buried). His grandpa also headed the first Hebrew Benevolent Society and chaired the first Zionist meeting in San Francisco in 1898, where Barry Goldwater’s father, Baron, was Bar Mitzvahed. A P.S. While Earp himself wasn’t Jewish, he did once accidentally shoot himself! Hmmmmm.
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 39
ENTREPRENEUR
Ethan Senturia
Wisdom from Starting and Ending a Business BY JACQUELINE BULL
wish I had more of a balanced picture of like ‘Hey you know in between those punctuated moments of high highs and low lows, there is a lot of grinding and nothing heroic about it. You have to find a way to take pleasure in that.”
Jewish entrepreneur Ethan Senturia
J
ewish entrepreneur Ethan Senturia, who ran an online business lending platform, has turned his business failure into a valuable lesson and a candid book about what it is really like to immerse yourself in the startup world in “Unwound: Real-time Reflections of a Stumbling Entrepreneur.” During our phone conversation, (early morning to fit in with his schedule), Ethan casually shared so many pieces of wisdom, so I’ll let him do the talking. Finding a new image of the entrepreneur “There is a romanticized vision of being an entrepreneur – this idealized vision. Painting the picture of the entrepreneur as sort of in many ways the explorer, or the adventurer, or buccaneer, or cavalier, or warrior. They talk about ‘being in the trenches’ and all that stuff . It is not nearly as heroic as people make it out to be ... If you drill into the head or into the life of each of those people, you know they are still just people who wake up and go to work, and gotta figure out how they are going to pay the employees, and make sure your wife or husband is happy and keep the kids going to school and make sure their homework gets done.” Living in between high highs and low lows “We have this grandiose sense of self and and tend to be narcissistic and think what we are doing is creating the future and are like artists – we create something out of nothing the same way someone paints a canvas or writes a song. But I think for someone going into it, I 40 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
In between those punctuated moments of high highs and low lows, there is a lot of grinding and nothing heroic about it. You have to find a way to take pleasure in that.
Building self identity “We tend to associate ourselves with what we achieve. We kind of measure our worth by our successes and in large part those tend to measure in dollars or in the car you drive or the house you live in. And for anyone who has invested deeply in something whether you are a parent or a volunteer in a nonprofit or an entrepreneur who has created a business. You tend to build an identity around that thing and associate your worth and your confidence with the efficacy of what it is that you’re doing. And what I had to struggle with as I went through a failure is that the company can fail without me being a failure. And really trying to understand what it means to divorce the who you are from the what you do or what you achieve. My hypothesis is that having gone through that experience and having that realization is that I’ll be a better business person, I’ll probably be a better person.” Finding balance “In the valley, in the startup world, there is this fear – and this is going to sound ridiculous – but there is this fear that ‘If my company fails, I lose my manhood’ ... It’s like this ‘I’m emasculated. I’m ashamed. I’m embarrassed.’ That fear can lead to some toxic behavior… I think even though the startup world believes you have to beat your chest and run through brick walls and be myopic and maniacally focused on only your company. That is sort of what defines you. My hypothesis is that balanced entrepreneurs with broader perspectives will outperform and that is a false prerequisite that you need to be overly obsessive about what it is that you do and tie your identity to the outcome of it.” A
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 41
PASSOVER
Travel Adventure
Adventures in Passover BY LEORAH GAVIDOR
42 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
P
assover down under? How about Africa? The Kosher-for-Passover hotel trend has traveled around the globe, allowing families to “forget about everything” and enjoy the holiday without the traditional work of cleaning chametz from the home. Properties offer minyanim on site, kosher cuisine, Seder fixings, entertainment, activities for children and programming for adults. To stay fresh and fun (and competitive) hosts add new features every year. Aliza Seidman of Kosherica, which has specialized in Glatt kosher travel experiences for 20 years, said the company regularly welcomes extended families—sometimes 40 to 50 relatives—visiting together. “They couldn’t all fit in Bubbe’s house, so this is a great way for families from around the world to come together,” Seidman said. Kosherica hosts Passover in Florida at the PGA Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and new this year on the west coast: J.W. Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Springs. There’s golf, of course, and sessions with motivational speaker and author Sarah Pachter. Basketball coach Jim Cleamons, formerly of the L.A. Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, will be on hand to play with the kids. Seidman said guests attend Kosherica’s programs from many parts of the diaspora: Vienna, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Israel, to name a few. Aussie Pesach at the Hilton in Cairns
Aussie Pesach at the Hilton in Cairns brings visitors to the far north of Australia, known for the Great Barrier Reef. Tropical rainforest comes down to white sandy beaches fringed with coral reefs. brings visitors to the far north of Australia, known for the Great Barrier Reef. Tropical rainforest comes down to white sandy beaches fringed with coral reefs. A short drive from the coast is Daintree Forest, the oldest rainforest on earth. Daintree is home to some of the rare species that make Australia unique, like the southern cassowary bird and the Bennett’s tree kangaroo. The historic Kuranda Scenic Railway snakes through the mountainous tropical forest, while the Skyrail Gondola gives visitors a bird’s eye view of the lush vegetation. Diving, snorkeling and boating excursions showcase the reef ’s wonder. For a Passover safari, check out South Africa or Zambia. Avani Resort, a ten-minute walk from Victoria Falls in Zambia, advertises helicopter rides and elephant safaris. Jet set between Cape Town and Johanessburg
in South Africa, with two half-day drives (complete with kosher picnics) in Entabeni Park. Several tour operators offer kosher getaways in Morocco, home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. Though the population has dwindled steadily since 1948, about 2,500 Jews still reside in Casablanca. Currently the Jewish quarter in Marrakech, called the “Mellah,” is undergoing a restoration. Locals welcome visitors to shops selling Judaica and the historic Al Azama Synagogue that dates back to 1492. Avi Events sets itself apart by offering professional development and training with educators from La Sorbonne, in addition to entertainment, excursions and gourmet cuisine at the Royal Mogador Palace in Marrakech. Moroccan Passover would not be complete without the Mimouna ceremony, a celebration of the return to chametz, which originated in North Africa. Across the pond from the African continent, many South American countries offer Pesach experiences. An hour south of Sao Paolo, “or a 15-minute helicopter ride,” the luxury Sofitel Guaruja Jequitimar sits right on the beautiful Brazilian beach. The Jewish community in Lima, Peru is one of the oldest in South America, and the Chabad in Cusco caters one of the largest Seders in the world, with over 1,000 attendees. With so many guests at the table, who does the four questions? A Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 43
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www.dzakinsdeli.com 44 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Saving Our Heritage
PASSOVER
Saving Our Heritage
Take a Walk Through San Diego’s Jewish Past BY BRIE STIMSON The first Temple Beth Israel in Heritage Park
I
n an unassuming building behind the Whaley House Museum in Old Town, Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) is doing the quiet work of preserving the past. The group, founded in 1969, is the oldest conservation advocacy organization in the state. Their headquarters, the Derby-Pendleton house, is a prefab home built in Maine and shipped around Cape Horn. It’s one of San Diego’s oldest wooden buildings. For the last 50 years, the organization has been saving buildings like Horton Plaza, the Santa Fe Depot, Hotel Del Coronado, the Sherman Gilbert House and the Simon Levi grocery buildings in East Village. “Preserving buildings and the importance of preserving buildings is to also create a sense of place and a sense of continuity for generations to come. A lot of people define themselves by their surroundings, so to provide them continuity through generations is a way that you can kind of connect with your past and connect with future generations too,” Historic Resources Specialist Amie Hayes told me as we sat in a small room in the Derby-Pendleton House surrounded by Victorian upholstered furniture and a cozy fireplace one Friday afternoon. The first Temple Beth Israel, which now sits in Heritage Park among a cluster of other saved buildings, was San Diego’s first
synagogue. It was moved to Old Town from its original location at Second Avenue and Beech Street. Services were first held in the wooden Elizabethan-style building in September 1889. Congregation Beth Israel is the oldest Jewish organization in San Diego, and the only congregation to occupy three buildings that continue to be in use. “I believe it’s one of the oldest on the West Coast and it was a very important building,” SOHO’s executive director Bruce Coons said in the meeting with Hayes. “It was built in 1889 and it’s pretty much original. There
the gable, those were restored. Those had been lost over the years and those were restored as part of the architecture,” Coons explained. “They’re symbolic, you know, they’re not written on, but the tablets are over the gable of the main entrance and that’s pretty neat.” SOHO, along with the Jewish Community, was instrumental in returning the temple to its original color both inside and out. Today, the building is used for community events, including weddings and bar mitzvahs. “Now we try to preserve them onsite, like the second Temple Beth that’s more Byzantine in architecture,” Coons told me. The second temple, located at Third and Laurel in Bankers Hill, is now Temple Ohr Shalom. It was designed by famed architect, William H. Wheeler in 1923, who also designed the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Old Town and the Balboa Theatre near Horton Plaza. In the 1990s, when the congregation moved again, this time to La Jolla, the second Beth Israel was in danger of was some restoration that needed to be being bulldozed. SOHO was able to work done.” The synagogue was recently repaint- with community leaders to get the building ed and much of it has been restored. on the National Register of Historic PlacThe congregation originally came togeth- es. The Beth Israel congregation sold the er under the name Adath Yeshurun and met building to a local developer who promised in private homes before building the temple. to restore it. “The unique part of this one, it had the “Stan and Laurel Schwartz brought it to tablets as part of the architecture, so up over our attention that they were going to bull-
Buildings tell us more about history than any book can
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 45
PHOTOS COURTESY SOHO
Levi Wholesale building
doze it when the congregation was moving to La Jolla because they were afraid it had earthquake problems,” Coons explained. “We put it on our Most Endangered List and attracted a preservation-friendly developer who said ‘I can take care of that one for you,' and Stan and Laurel Schwartz got Ohr Shalom congregation to work with him and eventually get ownership of the building and preserved it and restored it. And so it’s restored today, and that one was a big one ... Stan and Laurel Schwartz particularly made it happen and still serve the Jewish community.” While saving the Simon Levi buildings in East Village, the group was able to get the original sign restored. “It was called the Kvass Co. building when we got there,” Coons said. “Originally underneath all the plaster was this beautifully chiseled Levi Grocery building sign. We got that put back on there. It faces the ballpark.” In 1876, Levi went into business with his uncle Samuel Steiner and Abraham Klauber. “The Levi family was one of the real early families in San Diego that came in the 1850s, [and] started some early groceries,” Coons said. “[Some] of the merchant class even in Old Town in the 18[50]s were of Jewish background ... Simon Levi was a partner with Klauber, so he started a grocery store real early and by the time these build46 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
ings were built, which were just a little after the turn of the century it became quite an organization.” Klauber, a grocery store owner, left Nevada in 1869, and partnered with Samuel Steiner and then Simon Levi when Steiner retired. They opened the Steiner and Klauber mercantile shop on Fifth and Market in 1869. “We publish this morning the announcement of a change in the firm name of the old and popular mercantile house of Steiner and Klauber. Hereafter it will be Steiner, Klauber & Co., the ‘Co.’ being represented by Mr. Simon Levi who has just entered the firm,” the San Diego Union reported in 1876. Steiner retired in 1883 and the name changed to Klauber and Levi. In 1895, Levi sold his interest in the business and formed his own. “The big Simon Levi building is just a beautiful building,” Coons added. The Padres had their headquarters there for a while and the Levi family grocery is a smaller building, but it’s really detailed, and we were very proud to be able to get the names back on that too, and that’s a beautiful little building, too. It faces the Park at the Park. It’s a little harder to see than the Simon Levi building, which is next door.” “Another Jewish-related property I particularly like – there’s a house in La Jolla and it was a Spanish house from the 30s, and it was
built in an area that excluded Jews by the anti-Semitic Deed restrictions,” Coons told me. There was an argument over whether the house should be designated as a historic home because of the restrictions. A Jewish family defiantly moved into the house in the 1930s, and put a mezuzah on the doorway. “It’s still there today, and a modern Jewish family owns it today and wanted to get it designated and spearheaded it,” he said. “We of course argued very strenuously that, ‘no, that’s the reason to designate it because it showed trying to break down those barriers,' and it’s a tangible example. It’s another way a building can tell a story.” The building was eventually designated. “Buildings tell us more about history than any book can,” he continued. “To be able to experience it on the street – it tells the story and it prompts questions. ‘What is that building?’ And so for future generations, you know, ‘why is that there? Why does it look the way that that does? It’s an opportunity to teach the heritage and the history.” Coons said he believes preservation is important because, “once you’ve lost something there’s only a finite number of resources and once you’ve lost something it’s lost. It’s an ever-diminishing group of resources. But we’ve done pretty well for a large city that’s growing. We’re pretty proud of our record.” A
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 47
SIMCHAS
Resource Guide
The Party in the Planning
Simchas Resource Guide BY JACQUELINE BULL BESA, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Event Services Association, is having its annual expo March 18th at the Hilton Del Mar. Lydia Krasner is the co-president of BESA and the owner of Mitzvah Event Productions. She has been event planning for more than 20 years and has seen just about everything (although she loves when she can deliver on something really unique for her clients). “I personally try to make it as individual as possible so each family feels like their party has a reflection of their child,” she said. She is one of the many vendors displaying at the expo and recommends pre bar and bat mitzvah families to bring their kid and check out the vendors (many of whom she uses in the events she plans). Lydia explained that it’s a really fun event (“There is a lot of energy in the room”) and that the convenience is a big benefit to parents. “What kind of opportunity could you have where you could
Venues B Hilton Garden Inn San Diego/
Del Mar 3939 Ocean Bluff Ave. hiltongardeninndelmar.com (858) 720-9500 Capacity: up to 150 Room cost: food and beverage minimum of $2,500 gets free room rental Advance booking recommended: anytime, but book by June 15, and the hotel will offer a complimentary chocolate fountain with two dipping items, enough for 35 Outside catering allowed: Only for ethnic requirements, but perperson fee is applied
Hilton San Diego Bayfront 1 Park Blvd. hiltonsandiegobayfront.com (619) 321-4211 Capacity: up to 2,400 Room cost: varies, call for quote Advance booking recommended: one year Outside catering allowed: No, Kosher catering available inhouse 48 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Hilton San Diego/Del Mar 15575 Jimmy Durante Blvd. sandiegodelmar.hilton.com (858) 764-6044 Capacity: up to 400 Room cost: call for quote Advance booking recommended: 6 months Outside catering allowed: Only if dietary restrictions are required Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego-Del Mar 11025 Vista Sorrento Parkway (858) 523-0500 Capacity: up to 90 Room cost: varies by event date and requirements Advance booking recommended: book early to save up to 15 percent Outside catering allowed: No, except for kosher events Hornblower Cruises 1800 N. Harbor Dr. hornblower.com (619) 686-8700 Capacity: 10-1,000 Room cost: price varies with custom options Advance booking recommended: as soon as possible
see them all in one room and get a chance to talk to every one of them on the same day … There is so much opportunity to bust it all out in one day instead of having to make a whole bunch of phone calls and a whole bunch of appointments,” she said. During our phone conversation, she recalled many mitzvahs she planned with themes ranging from Hollywood to Tiffany’s to Fantasy Books to X-Games with all the details very fresh in her mind. A bat mitzvah in particular she recalled, “I did one last year where it was a French Patisserie theme and they were looking for some unique entertainment, so I found a woman who was a Cordon Bleu graduate … She showed them how to make roses out of frosting, all kinds of cool tricks with a pastry bag. And then she brought in five cakes and the girls broke into groups and each group decorated a cake, the parents got to judge and we brought in prizes for the winners. It was so cool.” A
Outside catering allowed: No Hotel Del Coronado 1500 Orange Ave. hoteldel.com (619) 435-6611 Capacity: up to 1,100 Room cost: food and beverage minimums on top of room rental charges Advance booking recommended: at least one year Outside catering allowed: No
B Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine 3777 La Jolla Village Drive lajolla.hyatt.com (858) 552-6025 Capacity: up to 650 Room cost: $50-200 per person Advance booking recommended: one year Outside catering allowed: Yes Maderas Golf Club 17750 Old Coach Rd. maderasgolf.com (858) 451-8100 Call for quote and details B Parq Restaurant & Nightclub 615 Broadway, San Diego parqsd.com
(619) 727-6789 Capacity: up to 850 reception, 250 dinner Room cost: venue rental fee depends on group size and day of the week Advance booking recommended: 3 months Outside catering allowed: Not usually, but exceptions for kosher catering Party Pals 10427 Roselle St. partypals.com (858) 622-6613 Capacity: up to 1,000 (inside and/or outside space available) Room cost: call for quote Advance booking recommended: extremely busy through summer, starting in May. Recommended six months in advance Outside catering allowed: Yes San Diego Botanic Garden 230 Quail Gardens Dr. sdbgarden.org (760) 436-3036 Capacity: 30-300 Room cost: $550-1900 Advance booking recommended: 15 months
Outside catering allowed: No, but exceptions can be made for Kosher requirements
B San Diego Marriott Del Mar 11966 El Camino Real marriott.com/hotels/travel/ sandm-san-diego-marriott-delmar (858) 523-1700 Capacity: 120-420 Room cost: varies by event date and requirements Advance booking recommended: depends on the season desired Outside catering allowed: Yes San Diego Marriott – La Jolla 4240 La Jolla Village Drive marriottlajolla.com (858) 597-6384 Capacity: groups of 80-700 Room cost: $25-60 per person plus tax and service charge Advance booking recommended: short term up to a year and a half out Outside catering allowed: only if full kosher is need
B San Diego Marriott Mission Valley 8757 Rio San Diego Dr.
marriott.com/hotels/travel/ sanmv-san-diego-marriottmission-valley (619) 692-3800 Capacity: 150-550 Room cost: food and beverage minimums only, depend on day of week Advance booking recommended: as soon as possible Outside catering allowed: Yes San Diego Zoo 2920 Zoo Drive sandiegozoo.org/catering (619) 685-3223 Call for quote and details
B Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa 5480 Grand Pacific Dr. sheratoncarlsbad.com (760) 827-2414 Capacity: 300-500 Room cost: no room reservation cost, only charged for food and beverage to be consumed Advance booking recommended: 6 months to one year, but flexible Outside catering allowed: No Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
1380 Harbor Island Dr. sheraton.com/sandiegomarina (619) 692-2702 Capacity: 50-1500 Room cost: consultation required Advance booking recommended: at least one month Outside catering allowed: No Stoneridge Country Club 17166 Stoneridge Country Club Lane stoneridgeclub.com (858) 487-2138 Capacity: up to 300 Room cost: consultation required Advance booking recommended: Yes Outside catering allowed: Call for info Tango Del Rey 3567 Del Rey Street tangodelrey.com (858) 794-9044 Capacity: 5000 sqft with seating up to 220 Room cost: varies, call for quote Advance booking recommended: as early as one month depending on preferred date. Outside catering allowed: No. Kosher-style available
The New Children’s Museum 200 West Island Ave. thinkplaycreate.org (619) 233-8792 Capacity: 1,000 Room cost: $2,500-6,500 Advance booking recommended: availability varies Outside catering allowed: No, but exceptions can be made for Kosher requirements
B UCSD Faculty Club 9500 Gillman Drive, #0121 facclub.ucsd.edu (858) 534-5450 Capacity: call for info Room cost: call for info Advance booking recommended: call for info Outside catering allowed: call for info The Westin Gaslamp Quarter 910 Broadway Circle westingaslamp.com (619) 239-2200 Capacity: 100-600 Room cost: call for a quote Advance booking recommended: as far out as possible but availability is very flexible Outside catering allowed: Yes
Advice for Parents Throwing a Bar or Bat Mitzvah BY JACQUELINE BULL
Guests First Lydia suggests making venues close by and convenient to the guests, especially considering out-of-town family that may be unfamiliar with the area. “Thinking about how the guests are going to look at [the events], is it an easy transition or is it this going to be really difficult?”
can’t deal with whatever the issue is, you are getting up and down all night long putting out fires and not really enjoying all these people that came to enjoy this day with you. Just have somebody there to be you.” Lydia advises that it’s already difficult to visit with all the friends and family that are there to celebrate with you. If you are focused on making sure all the details of the event go smoothly, you have less time to be a guest at your own party. PHOTO BY DEL RIO
Additional Entertainment “You definitely need additional entertainment. I have a lot of people that come to me and say ‘Oh I’ve got my venue and I have a good DJ, I don’t need anything else.’ And I completely disagree with that because you can’t eat for four hours and you can’t dance for four hours.” Lydia recommends adding on a photo booth, trivia, candy buffets or even a hypnotist.
Party Advocate “Have somebody to manage your event. That is the most important thing. And so many people that I’ve worked with don’t even realize the importance of it until it comes to the day of. If you have a kid that gets sick in the bathroom, or somebody’s car that gets hit in the parking lot or the food is cold or the air conditioning is broken – you don’t know what’s going to happen. There are always going to be issues and if you don’t have somebody managing it, that
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 49
San Diego Marriott – La Jolla 4240 La Jolla Village Drive marriottlajolla.com (858) 597-6384 Capacity: groups of 80-700 Room cost: $25-60 per person plus tax and service charge Advance booking recommended: short term up to a year and a half out Outside catering allowed: only if full kosher is need
B San Diego Marriott Mission Valley 8757 Rio San Diego Dr. marriott.com/hotels/travel/ sanmv-san-diego-marriottmission-valley (619) 692-3800 Capacity: 150-550 Room cost: food and beverage minimums only, depend on day of week Advance booking recommended: as soon as possible Outside catering allowed: Yes San Diego Zoo 2920 Zoo Drive sandiegozoo.org/catering (619) 685-3223 Call for quote and details
B Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa 5480 Grand Pacific Dr. sheratoncarlsbad.com (760) 827-2414 Capacity: 300-500 Room cost: no room reservation cost, only charged for food and beverage to be consumed Advance booking recommended: 6 months to one year, but flexible Outside catering allowed: No Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina 1380 Harbor Island Dr. sheraton.com/sandiegomarina (619) 692-2702 Capacity: 50-1500 Room cost: consultation required Advance booking recommended: at least one month Outside catering allowed: No Stoneridge Country Club 17166 Stoneridge Country Club Lane stoneridgeclub.com (858) 487-2138 Capacity: up to 300 Room cost: consultation required Advance booking recommended:
50 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Yes Outside catering allowed: Call for info Tango Del Rey 3567 Del Rey Street tangodelrey.com (858) 794-9044 Capacity: 5000 sqft with seeting up to 220 Room cost: varies, call for quote Advance booking recommended: as early as one month depending on preferred date. Outside catering allowed: No. Kosher-style available The New Children’s Museum 200 West Island Ave. thinkplaycreate.org (619) 233-8792 Capacity: 1,000 Room cost: $2,500-6,500 Advance booking recommended: availability varies Outside catering allowed: No, but exceptions can be made for Kosher requirements
B UCSD Faculty Club 9500 Gillman Drive, #0121 facclub.ucsd.edu (858) 534-5450 Capacity: call for info Room cost: call for info Advance booking recommended: call for info Outside catering allowed: call for info The Westin Gaslamp Quarter 910 Broadway Circle westingaslamp.com (619) 239-2200 Capacity: 100-600 Room cost: call for a quote Advance booking recommended: as far out as possible but availability is very flexible Outside catering allowed: Yes
EVENT PLANNERS/ DECORATORS: At Your Side atyoursideplanning.com (619) 322-7084 Bliss Events blissevent.com (619) 252-1058 Brilliant Event Design brillianteventdesign.com (305) 588-2761 Events by Gisele
eventsbygisele.com (858) 531-3181 First Comes Love Weddings and Events firstcomeslovesd.com (619) 501-1695 I Do... Weddings and Events sdweddingplanner.com (858) 405-7244
B Mitzvah Event Productions mitzvahevent.com (619) 548-3485 Michele Moss Events michelemossevents.com (858) 220-9011
B RSVP Events Rsvpsdevents.com 619-517-6395 B The Party Link thepartylink.net (619) 464-3800 Timeless Event Design timelesseventdesign.com (800) 851-9403
INVITATIONS/FAVORS/ JUDAICA DECORATIONS B Absolutely Fabulous! absofab.net (858) 866-6807 Products: games, lighting, glow products, furniture AFR Lounge Furniture Rentals afrevents.com (619) 819-9680 Products: furniture
B Allen’s Flowers allensmitzvahflowers.com (619) 233-7673 Products: floral-themed centerpieces, flowers, ceremony arrangements and baskets for outof-town guests B A Little Scene Flip Books alittlescene.com (619) 922-0939 Products: photo flip books B Backdrops Beautiful backdropsbeautiful.com (858) 300-2100 Products: digital and static backdrops B Charming Expressions charming-expressions.com (858) 674-1664 Products: bracelets, photo frames, flip-flops, necklaces
B Chris’ Custom Airbrush airbrushchris.com (858) 488-7723 Products: airbrush t-shirts B Create-A-Design at CLONE createadesign.net (858) 259-6789 Products: invitations, napkins, iPhone cases, other favors and gifts Hatikva Fine Judaica hatikva.com (858) 695-9777 Products: Judaica, jewelry, bookstore, cards, stationary and largest family-owned Jewish store in San Diego, since 1991. Interactive Photography by CEG Entertainment cegint.com (858) 978-8998 Products: interactive photo entertainment services
B Lounge Appeal Furniture Rentals loungeappeal.com (914) 497-1893 Products: high quality lounge furniture Pacific Events Productions, Inc./ Pep Creative pacificevents.com (858) 450-7777 Products: furniture, bars, lighting & staging, props, florals, entertainment Paper Moment papermoment.com (858) 342-7774 Products: invitations Shirley Sharff Invitations & Judaica ssinvitations.com (858) 675-0509
Products: invitations, Tallit, Kippot, accessories, Simcha scroll
B The Center of Attention
Services available: DJs, dancers, party pumpers, lighting, sound systems, video screens
B Magic Mike Stilwell magicmikesd.com (619) 660-9662 Services available: magic shows
thecenterofattention.biz (619)857-5225 Products: décor
ENTERTAINMENT
B Mr. Disc Jockey mrdiscjockey.com (760) 575-4798 Services available: DJ, party pumpers, lighting
B Bollotta Entertainment
bollotta.com (619) 295-3522 Services available: Djs, dance bands, comedians Cirque Quirk cirquequirk.com (619) 800-1887 Services offered: clowns, performing arts
B CEG Interactive cegint.com (888) 978-8998 Services available: DJs, photo booth, green screen, graffiti wall Dance Masters dancemasters.tv (818) 430-5626 Services available: hip hop and break dancers Henna San Diego hennasandiego.com (858) 752-3628 Services available: Henna tattoos Kevin Viner kevinvinermagic.com (760) 586-3947 Services available: magic, mentalism and comedy
My Little Carnival mylittlecarnival.com (619) 571-7654 Services available: carnival games and prizes, clowns, jugglers, magicians, dunk tanks, rock walls, amusement rides, pony rides, balloon decoration
B Second Avenue Klezmer secondavenueklezmer.com (619) 275-1539 Services available: live music B SoCal Green Screen socalgreenscreen.com (760) 755-7720 Services available: green screens PartyPOP partypop.com (949) 939-4363 Services available: DJs, musicians, décor, airbrush and body art Sundance Productions sandiegobarmitzvah.com (619) 286-DJDJ Services available: MC/DJ, dancers, video projection, party props, lighting
B Launch Live Art
stephenfishwick.com (619) 787-5215 Services available: live art
B Maximum Impact
PHOTO BY DEL RIO
m-i-p.com (760) 929-9669
B The Funky 4 thefunky4.com (949) 500-5158 Products: funky hair, funky glow fun, posh nailz polish parties, face painting, twinkle couture, funky tattoes B ZG Productions zgproductionsonline.com (760) 722-4450 Services available: MC/DJ, dancers, lighting, video screens, photo booth 3d Cheeze 3dcheeze.com (714) 771-1281 Services available: flip photos, graffiti wall, 3d images, flip books, magazine covers
PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRAPTHY
Food style: Glatt Kosher
Aaron Huniu Photography aaronhuniuphotography.com (949) 307-8499 Services: photography
B Bob Hoffman hoffmanmitzvahs.com (858) 576-0046 Services: photography and videography
K Catering by Charles Rubin of Shmoozers 10785 Pomerado Road shmoozers.com (619) 583-1636 or (619) 2618856 Food cost/person: call for quote Food style: ethnic variety Calibanzo Hummus & Grill 9880 Hibert St. calibanzo.com Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Mediterranean, kosher-style options, Middle Eastern
Alon David photographybyalon.com (858) 699-5376 Services: photography Daisy Varley daisyvarley.com (619) 405-4780 Services: photography and videography
D.Z. Akin’s 6930 Alvarado Road dzakinsdeli.com (619) 265-0218 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: New York Jewish deli
B Del Rio Studios delriostudios.com (760) 480-7553 Services: photography and videography
East West Masala Catering eastwestmasala.com Spice Lounge Restaurant 859 Hornblend St. Gourmet India 810 4th Ave. (610) 394-2084 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Indian
Leetal Elmaleh leetalphoto.com (858) 692-3418 Services: photography Vito di Stefano vitophotography.com (619) 822-0456 Services: photography
Eco Caters 4934 Voltaire St. ecocaters.com (858) 246-6129 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: seasonal farm-to-table
B The Video Fellow thevideofellow.com (858) 663-4468 Services: videography, photo booth
CATERERS
Approximate price ranges when indicated; otherwise, call the vendor $ - up to $20 pp $$ - $ 20-30 pp $$$ - more than $30 pp Balboa International Market 5907 Balboa Ave balboamarket.com (858) 277-3600 Food cost/person: $ Food style: Mediterranean K Café Chabad Catering by Yakov 16934 Chabad Way (858) 451-0455 Food cost/person: call for quote
Embargo Grill 3960 West Point Loma Blvd embargogrill.com (619) 786-7522 or (619) 9944834 Food cost/per person: $-$$ Food style: Top-rated Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American Elijah’s Delicatessen 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd elijahsrestaurant.com (858) 455-1461 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Jewish deli, Russian Festivities Catering 9558 Camino Ruiz festivitiescatering.com (858) 586-2121 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: California coastal/ fusion
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 51
North Park Produce Poway 12342 Poway Rd. northparkproducepoway.com (858) 391-9100 Food cost/person: $-$$ Food style: Persian, deli, kosher style available also Oink and Moo Burgers and BBQ 121 N. Pico Ave hstrial-oinkandmoo. homestead.com (760) 451-6005 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Top rated BBQ, Burgers in north county, San Diego Outcast Grill 6104 Regents Road outcastgrillutc.com (858) 202-0097 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Mediterranean American Pacifica Del Mar 1555 Camino Del Mar pacificadelmar.com (855) 792-0476 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: primarily seafood, with steak and chicken options available Puesto 1026 Wall St. eatpuesto.com (858) 454-1260 or (858) 344-4456 Food cost/person: $$ Food style: Mexican, gourmet street food
K Ralphs “Kosher Experience” 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive ralphs.com (858) 597-1550 Food costs/person: call for quote Food style: kosher, deli, cakes
52 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
K Renaissance Produce and Catering kosherfoodssandiego.com (858) 752-9311 Food cost/per person: call for quote Food style: breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, rotisserie chickens, fish and traditional Jewish B Rotisserie Affair 7313 Carrol Rd. rotisserieaffair.com (858) 578-8891 Food cost/person: $$-$$$ Food style: Rotisserie B K Shalom Catering 11860 Carmel Creek Rd. shalomcatering.com (619) 985-8202 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: kosher
K Sima’s Gourmet Catering simascatering.com (858) 205-9738 Food cost/person: call for quote Food style: Persian, Mediterranean, gluten-free with kosher options available B Terra Catering 11860 Carmel Creek Rd. terracatering.com (619) 985-8202 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: customized farm-totable B The French Gourmet 960 Turquoise St. thefrenchgourmet.com (858) 488-1725 Food cost/person: $$-$$$ Food style: French K The Place Café at JCC 4126 Executive Drive lfjcc.org (858) 457-3030 Food costs/person: $$ Food style: kosher, Israeli style, ethnic variety Toast Catering 2320 Truxton Street toastcatering.com (858) 208-9422 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: Persian buffets, Mexican-, Indian-, Thai-themed and ethnic foods, sushi and kosher-style dairy options available
K Z Catering 17290 Newhope St., Suite A californiakoshercatering.com (855) 567-4371 Food cost/person: $$$ Food style: Kosher
DESSERTS AND EXTRAS: BabyCakes babycakessandiego.com/ hillcrest (619) 296-4173 Food cost/person: $ Food style: gourmet cupcakes and desserts
B The Baked Bear 4516 Mission Blvd thebakedbear.com (858) 886-7433 Food cost/person: $ Food style: full service ice cream sandwich bar and prepackaged ice cream sandwiches, homemade fresh daily The Cravory 3960 West Point Loma Blvd thecravory.com (619) 795-9077 Food cost/person: $ Food style: ultimate gourmet cookies
K Chocolate Haven chocolate-haven.com (619) 993-7785 Food cost/person: $-$$$ Food style: 5-star rated and award-winning chocolate, nacho cheese and caramel fountains, mini-desserts and handmade figurines and favors
B Dippin’ Dots 2892 South Santa Fe Avenue St. 112 dippindots.com (760) 801-2301 Food cost/person: $ Food style: ice cream B Dolce Donuts dolcedonuts.com (619) 985-9854 Food cost/person: call for quote Food style: donuts and treats Edible Arrangements – Torrey Hills ediblearrangements.com (858) 792-9100 Food cost/person: call for quote Food style: edible fruit baskets
B Gelato Paradiso 789 W Harbor Dr gelatoparadiso.net (619) 238-0307 Food cost/person: $ Food style: gelato B Sensational Treats sensationaltreats.com (858) 776-4999 Food cost/person: $-$$ Food style: interactive dessert stations B Yummie Fountains yummiefountains.com (760) 676-9866 Food cost/person: $195/50 people Food style: different varieties of chocolate or sauce fountains.
PHOTO BY DEL RIO
Hanna’s Gourmet 2864 Adams Ave. hannasgourmetcatering.com (619) 280-5600 Food cost/person: $$-$$$ Food style: international eclectic New York on Rye Food Truck newyorkonrye.com (858) 689-2600 Food cost/person: $ Food style: New York style deli, food truck
March Madness
at Tifereth Israel Synagogue
Rabbi Aaron S. Gold Memorial Concert
Saturday, March 10th, 8:00 p.m. The evening will highlight musical selections that include Jewish and Israeli favorites, Broadway and operatic selections, and much more.
May this New Year be filled with health, happiness and blessings. Wishing you and your families Cantor Leberman is also this year’s Abraham andShana Anne Ratner TovaScholar-inU’Metuka, Residence and will be speaking and performing throughout athehappy weekend. and sweet new year. This will also be an opportunity to remember and honor Rabbi Aaron S. Gold (z”l), spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue (1974 –1992) with a very special dedication.
The Tifereth Israel Family We’re excited to share the High Holy Days with you as we welcome our new Rabbi, Rabbi Joshua Dorsch and our visiting Cantor, Chazan Hanan Leberman.
This year’s children’s programming is filled with fun and engaging opportunities for everyone!
Friday, March 16th, 5:30 p.m.
• 18 months – Pre-K: Daycare willsays be available “Judaism’s Hottest Comedy Act” The Jerusalem Post. Their• motto is ‘improv-ing Jewish lives’. This comedic Grades K – 6 will enjoy a Bee Keeper Presentation, Gamesduo, originally from Philadelphia, has visited Jewish organizations and Theatre, Puppet Show and Story Time, Interactive in twenty-six states across theProgram USA. Services, Apple Dipping Bar, Social Action
Join forengage Kabbalat Shabbat, • Grades 7 – us 12 will in a Connecting-to-Self a casualHoliday Shabbat Activity, Expressive Services,Dinner, Apple Dipping Bar, followed by the performance. Meaningful Text Study, Social Action Program
Visit our website for more details or call our office. visit tiferethisrael.com or For more details and reservations on both programs
call 697 697-6001.
6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard San Diego, California 92119
619 697-6001 Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com www.tiferethisrael.com
53
History Center Film Review
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORY CENTER
FEATURE
“To the Ends of the Earth:
A Portrait of Jewish San Diego” WRITTEN BY JACQUELINE BULL
F
ebruary enjoyed a number of thought-provoking, funny and intriguing films during the San Diego Jewish film festival. And in addition to the films centering Israel, this year there were a few featuring San Diego. “To the Ends of the Earth: A Portrait of Jewish San Diego” partnered with the San Diego History Center to tell the story of our community. Portrait seems like an apt metaphor because the film doesn’t purport itself to say that it is the story of San Diego, but looking at the history of the community from the very beginning in 1850 to present day. The documentary is told in numerous interviews that range from descendents from early Jewish pioneers, academics, artists and rabbis. Documentaries sink or swim on editing and how it uses interview and primary sources to tell a cohesive narrative; in this regard, the film has excellent pace and energy. The use of historical photos and even a reading of a diary of an early Jewish resident add color and give tremendous amount of historical perspective to the story of San Diego. 54 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
The narrative of the film follows through the trials of getting the railroad to connect to San Diego, building colleges with Jewish professors and into the arrival of the Navy. Turning to the present, one of the groups featured was the Jewish nonprofit and community-focused farm, Coastal Roots Farm. The president of Coastal Roots Farm, Daron Joffe, stressed the importance of connecting back to Jewish agrarian roots while also making positive changes in the food system for the future. Joffe alludes to climate change and creating a sustainable food system, but the documentary does not dive into this further. This is one of the only parts of the documentary that talks about the present or the future of Jewish San Diego with any specificity or detail. The film goes through nuanced tellings of the timeline of how the city grew and does it very well. Having more interest to tell the stories of the younger generations that are active in leading the community today could have matched the richness and excitement to how the past is portrayed.
Watching the documentary, we’re reminded about the mythology of California and the ‘Wild West.’ Watching the documentary, we’re reminded about the mythology of California and the ‘Wild West.’ The story of San Diego is presented as a deeply American story as well, as so many people from South Africa, Mexico, all over Europe and the U.S. sought California for a better life, to come enjoy the sun, to be freer, to forge their own path outside of the social rules and expectations from wherever they came from. In many ways, San Diego can feel like a new city, but this film reminds us that cities are not made overnight and are built with passion and love. Hometown audiences surely walk away from a screening with a feeling of pride. A
Passover SAVINGS FOR
Kosher Beef Brisket
499 lb
Kedem Grape Juice
5
2 $ for
+CRV
Streit’s Bag N’ Bake 2.75 oz.
1
99
Boneless
Boneless
8 99
Kosher Whole Turkey
12-16 lbs. avg. weight Frozen
22 oz. Selected varieties
Kosher Chuck Roast
8 49
lb
lb
Streit’s Matzo Ball & Soup Mix
Manischewitz Cake Mix
11-14 oz. Selected varieties
4 99
199
Elite Chocolate Bars
3 oz. Selected varieties
99
¢
+CRV
4
2$
for
Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon 750 ml. Selected varietals Single Price: $9.98
Kedem Concord Grape Juice 6.3 oz.
4.5 oz. Selected varieties
6
99 ea
Streit’s or Osem Matzos 5 lb.
Selected varieties
8 99 ea
WHEN YOU BUY
6 OR MORE
mix or match
Prices effective through April 10, 2018. Items not available in all stores. AVAILABILITY: Each of these advertised items is readily available for sale at or below the advertised price at most Albertsons stores while supplies last. We reserve the right to limit quantities. No Sales to Dealers. Savings may vary. Check price tag for details. No rain checks. ALBDSOC_GL00104222_ROP_Passover 2018_SDJJ_7.375x4.9
GET YOUR KID INTO COLLEGE! Prep4CollegeNow works with high school
and community college students to:
• Generate a list of “BEST FIT” colleges • Oversee the application process • Edit essays • Ensure timeline adherence • Conduct scholarship and grant searches • Advise Student Athletes
Andrea (Andi) K. Frimmer, M. Ed. the “Get Your Kid into College” Lady andi@Prep4CollegeNow.com 760.877.7200 www.Prep4CollegeNow.com Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 55
FEATURE
Oscar Party
And the Go to...
San Diego Film Foundation’s Annual Viewing Party Comes into Focus BY BRIE STIMSON
I
magine being blinded by flash bulbs as you sway across the red carpet in your red satin gown; imagine tasting haute cuisine from the best chefs in town; imagine toasting actors as they deliver their acceptance speeches. Sounds like an evening at the Academy Awards? Well it is – almost. The San Diego Film Foundation, a nonprofit that presents the San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF) each fall, also hosts the Oscar Awards Viewing Party Annual Gala each spring. This year, the party is on March 4th at the Hacienda Del Corazon in Rancho Santa Fe. “I think people get a chance to get dressed up and get a feeling for what it would be like to attend the Oscars,” says honorary chair for the party, Dr. Howard Milstein. “They have a red carpet, so when you get there you walk down the red carpet, everybody’s excited and you see a lot of people that you know from San Diego, so it’s pure fun.” Howard and his wife and honorary cochair, Barbara Milstein, are passionate about film and theater. They’ve been involved with the La Jolla Playhouse and the Old Globe for a number of years, and Barbara grew up on the MGM Studios lot (now Sony Studios). “As kids, it was always so much fun: ‘lights, camera, action,’” she tells me over the phone. Barbara is related to MGM Studio co-founder, Louis B. Mayer, director Jack 56 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Cummings and composer Jerome Kern. “We had lots and lots of fun on the MGM lot: my brother and I and my parents growing up,” she said. She said she also learned about the hard work that went into making movies from watching it firsthand. “The MGM lion would come on right before the movie was about to start, and we would clap our hands silently cause we were so excited and we were taught about the hard work ethic and what went into each film.” It’s an Honor Just to be Nominated At the Film Foundation’s party, guests can sip signature cocktails made by Snake Oil, a local beverage catering company, and nibble tasty hors d’oeuvres from A.R. Valentien at the Lodge Torrey Pines, Oceana Coastal Kitchen, La Valencia, PillBox Tavern, The Barrel Room and The Marine Room. The party starts at 4:30 p.m. when guests arrive and walk the red carpet. At 5 p.m. the Oscars telecast starts and after the show there’s a cocktail reception. Howard and Barbara went to the party for the first time last year. “It was so much fun seeing old friends and of course meeting new friends,” Barbara said. “The food is extraordinary ... delicious cuisine.” Attendees can also cast their vote for their favorite films while enjoying rich desserts and champagne toasts.
Two of the films screened at the 2017 SDiFF, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Call Me by Your Name,” were both nominated for Oscars this year. Howard and Barbara say they love all of the films that are up for Best Picture this year. “Every movie is amazing ... it’s just one of the best years ever,” Barbara tells me. “‘Coco’ tugged at my heart ...So many movies that we actually lived, and now it’s so important for [other] generations to see, like ‘The Post.’” They told me it would be impossible to predict which movie might win because they’ve all been so spectacular this year. “I’m going to definitely be on the edge of my seat, I can’t wait,” Barbara says. “‘The Shape of Water’ I thought was extraordinary ... We watched and we kept saying, ‘gosh, we don’t know what’s going to happen.’ It’s always fun when you see movies where you are totally – it takes you through so many parts of a journey, and I think this year most of the movies really did that.” Tickets are $175, and the proceeds go toward funding the San Diego Film Foundation’s educational program Focus on Impact, which brings social justice films to San Diego schools. The 90th Oscars telecast will be on Sunday, March 4 at 5 p.m. on ABC. A
CANTOR KATHY ROBBINS, M.Ed. Bar Mitzvah • Bat Mitzvah Officiation and/or Training –Inclusive and accommodating – Traditional or creative
Also Wedding Ceremony Planning and Officiation Jewish, Interfaith, Non-denominational
Community Cantor since 2010 Founding Cantor Temple Solel, Cardiff by the Sea Member American Conference of Cantors
760 707-8112
kathyrobbinsnow@gmail.com www.cantorkathyrobbins.com
CELEBRATING
Kosher Chuck Roast
899
849
Boneless
lb
Club Price
Kosher Whole Turkey
lb
12-16 lbs. avg. weight Frozen
Manischewitz Gefilte Fish
Gefen Macaroons
24 oz. Selected varieties
10 oz. Selected varieties
Club Price
Club Price
699
Manischewitz or Streit’s Matzo Ball & Soup Mix 4.5 oz. Selected varieties
4
2$
for
Club Price
lb
Club Price
2 99
Club Price
Kedem Concord Grape Juice
Streit’s Macaroons
99¢
399
10 oz. Selected varieties
6.3 oz.
Club Price
Club Price +CRV
Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon 750 ml. Selected varietals
Streit’s Bag N’ Bake 2.75 oz.
199 Club Price
Single Club Price: $9.98
699 Club Price
Mix or Match
Osem Israeli Matzah
5 lb. Selected varieties
Abundant Savings
Kosher Beef Brisket Boneless
499
P
assover
8 99 ea
Club Price
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THEATER
"Soul Doctor"
The “Soul Doctor” comes to San Diego First Stop on the Singing Rabbi Musical Tour BY PAT LAUNER "Soul Doctor" Nina and Shlomo sitting
H
e’s been called the Rebel Rabbi, the Rock & Roll Rabbi, the Folk-Singing Rockstar Rabbi, the Peace and Love Troubadour, even a life-changing cult figure. You can judge for yourself at the upcoming production of “Soul Doctor, The musical journey of Shlomo Carlebach” (April 3-22 at the Lyceum Theatre). Reb Shlomo, as he was known to his followers, was a rabbi, religious teacher, composer and singer considered to be the foremost religious Jewish songwriter of the 20th century. In a career that spanned 40 years,
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he wrote thousands of melodies (many of them still heard in synagogues today), and recorded more than 25 albums. He was a pioneer of the Baal teshuva movement (“returnees to Judaism”) that encouraged disenchanted Jewish youth to re-embrace their heritage, using his special brand of enlightened teaching, coupled with his inspiring stories and songs. Carlebach was born in Berlin in 1925. He had a twin brother, who also became a rabbi. Their father was a noted Orthodox rabbi in Berlin, part of a rabbinical dynasty. As the war and the Nazi horror ramped up
in Germany, the family fled to Vienna. By 1933, they were in Switzerland. Shlomo emigrated to Lithuania in 1938, where he became a yeshiva student. That same year, his father became the rabbi of a small synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York. After their father died in 1967, Shlomo and his brother took over that synagogue. Despite his hectic performing and touring schedule, Shlomo remained the spiritual leader of what’s now known as the Carlebach Shul, until his death. In the 1940s, Shlomo pursued extensive religious study in New York and New Jer-
sey, and was considered to be a gifted, brilliant student. In 1950, he set up a small Torah learning group, which he called TSGG (pronounced tas-gig), an acronym for “Taste and See God is Good.” When he was 25, he took a crash-course in Hebrew, and the next year, in a special program at Columbia University, he learned English. Prior to that, he spoke primarily in Yiddish. He developed an unusual grammar, mixing Yiddish and English, which became his hallmark, and later influenced the language of his followers.
The Singing Rabbi Shlomo began writing songs at the end of the 1950s, primarily based on the Torah and prayers. Although he composed thousands of songs, he could not read music. Many of his soulful renderings of Torah verses became standards in the wider Jewish community, including “Am Yisroel Chai” (‘The nation of Israel Lives’) and “Adir Hu” (‘He is Mighty’), composed in the 1960s on behalf of the plight of Soviet Jews. He was affiliated with the Chabad/ Lubavitch movement at first, but then he went on his own unique path. He found his way to Greenwich Village, where he met folkies like Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, who encouraged his career and helped him get a spot in the Berkeley Folk Festival in 1966. Shlomo met singer/songwriter/activist Nina Simone, the jazzy, bluesy, R&B African American Queen of Soul, at a bar in Atlantic City, and they struck up a musical friendship (some say it was more than that, but the rela-
tionship has been hotly debated). Simone recorded “Sinner Man,” a song Carlebach often sang in performance. After his Berkeley folk performance, he decided to remain in the Bay area, to reach out to what he called “lost Jewish souls.” He opened a center called the House of Love and Prayer, to attract young people with song, dance and communal gatherings. His Hasidic melodies began to be infused with jazz and a psychedelic tinge. He played on a bill with Jefferson Airplane and other singing stars of the era. His message resonated far beyond his concerts, recordings and interpersonal relationships. He preached a neo-Hasidic egalitarian Judaism, which was about inclusive diversity and unity, not uniformity. His non-judgmental way of appreciating others endeared him to a wide range of followers. Though ordained as an Orthodox rabbi, he was able to “move across borders” between denominations of Judaism and beyond the faith, to spiritual leaders from Christianity to Sufism to Buddhism.
A Rocky Road Shlomo’s path was not without difficulty or controversy. He was married and divorced; one of his two daughters, Neshama, carries on his musical legacy, touring regularly and playing his music. He struggled to harmonize his traditional beliefs with the “free love” generation of the ‘60s. He fought against the rigid tenets of Hasidism and Jewish orthodoxy. His unconventional approach to kiruv (the Hebrew
term for Orthodox Judaism’s outreach) made other rabbis uncomfortable. Although his Aquarian mysticism had a Yiddishe heart, he was ostracized by many in the Orthodox community. Ironically, his songs were later adopted by the very sects that rejected him. Shlomo’s interactions with women were particularly suspect to the rabbinical community. Rabbi Carlebach took down the separation between women and men in his own synagogue, he encouraged women to study and teach Jewish texts, and he gave private ordination to women before most mainstream Jewish institutions. In 1989, defying the Orthodox Jewish establishment, he presided as the feminist group, Women of the Wall, read from their own Torah scroll at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He also abandoned the Orthodox injunction that men and women not touch publicly. In fact, he was known for his frequent hugs – of men and women alike - and often said his hope was to hug every Jew – perhaps every person – on earth. But three years after his sudden death in 1994, at age 69, Lilith magazine, which calls itself “independent, Jewish and frankly feminist,” published long-standing allegations of sexual impropriety and inappropriate touching or interactions. Accusers were quoted, as were sources among Jewish communal leaders. Even Shlomo Carlebach had a #MeToo moment. The issue was not confronted in an exhaustive 2003 biography, “Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Life, Mission, Legacy.” by Na-
Julie Osborne in "Soul Doctor" 2013 Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 59
tan Ophir, although the author did mention finding no evidence of a romance between Shlomo and Nina Simone. Clearly, certain elements of Carlebach’s life remain shrouded in ambiguity. Still, no one denies that he was larger than life, an enormously charismatic man, with an undeniably compelling life story. So why not tell this prolific singer/songwriter’s tale in a musical?
SINGING LIKE SHLOMO: “Soul Doctor” 1.0 “Soul Doctor, the Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi,” with a book by Daniel S. Wise, and lyrics by David Schechter, had short-lived Broadway and Off Broadway runs in 2012-2013. The musical was compared to “The Jazz Singer,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Rent” and “Hair.” In one of two San Diego connections to the show, former San Diegan Eric Anderson, now a Broadway veteran, starred in the original versions. As Lisa Klug, a reviewer on the website jewlicious.com put it, the show evoked “a full roller coaster of emotion: nachas, shpilkis, laughter and tears.” (Not sure that’s the right use of shpilkis, which is the Yiddish equivalent of ‘ants in the pants,’ but you get the idea). The writer was impressed that Anderson portrayed Carlebach so convincingly that she was surprised to learn that he isn’t Jewish. He “radiates with sweet Shlomo-like smiles, humility and warmth,” she said. She came away thinking about Shlomo, that it was “almost incomprehensible that someone who personally underwent so much pain, and felt so much of the world’s pain, [could create such] a lasting legacy of joy.” Other critics were less enthusiastic. Charles Isherwood wrote in the New York Times that “Soul Doctor” was a “bizarre and sometimes bewildering musical,” with its severe tonal shifts from Nazi killings to flower power. “He’s a rabbi with a cause, yes,” Isherwood continued, “but the cause never comes into clear focus.” This, despite the fact that Shlomo’s daughter, Neshama, was closely involved in the creation of the musical. Enter Gabriel Barre (pronounced like Barry), a New York-based actor/singer/writer/ director with Broadway, Off Broadway and regional credits a mile long, who specializes 60 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
in re-shaping acclaimed revivals and developing new musicals. From Barre and the original creators springs a brand new edition of “Soul Doctor,” now subtitled “A Musical Journey of Shlomo Carlebach.” The entire show has been re-conceived, and begins a world tour in San Diego. One talented member of the company, San Diegan Dylan Hoffinger, plays young Shlomo and other characters.
Now, instead of a straight-ahead bio-musical, Barre and company are “trying to emulate Shlomo himself – at shuls, concerts, at the House of Love and Prayer, singing in a commune-like place that attracted people from all faiths and religions. It’s as if he were doing it himself; it’s an extension of one of his gatherings.” The show is now set in the House of Love and Prayer in Haight-Ashbury, 1968. Barre compares the structure to the multi-Tony Award-winning 1965 musical “Man of La “Soul Doctor” 2.0 Mancha,” where the prison inmates re-enact “I think that this version is a more exciting the story of Don Quixote. approach,” says Barre. “The Broadway ver“The audience,” says Barre, “will be welcomed by the cast when they enter. They’ll walk into an atmosphere, and won’t even necessarily recognize when the show begins. It’s more like ‘Hair’ than ‘Jersey Boys.’ It’s about one man and his followers. “Shlomo’s ‘Holy Beggars’ – as his followers were called – are a tribe from all walks of life and religions,” Barre explains. “They’re givers of charity. They The cast of "Soul Doctor" from 2013 are all these disparate characters, and then the show springs Although his Aquarian forth from that. The 20-person cast will also be the band, swapping instruments as they mysticism had a go. They’re all amazing actor/musicians and musician/actors.” Yiddishe heart, he And our native son, Dylan, Barre asserts, was ostracized by “is gonna be terrific. He’s a real talent.” Dylan will travel with the show from San Diego to a many in the Orthodox month-long run in Los Angeles, followed by community. Ironically, 4-6 weeks in Jerusalem. Last September, Barre, the son of an Epishis songs were later copal minister, took a research trip to Israel in preparation for the production; he calls it “a adopted by the very truly life-changing experience.” sects that rejected him. “I knew about Shlomo,” he says, “and the show and the character and the music. But his life was so compelling, his story is so universal. What drew me was the message sion was a big splashy musical that I had of inclusivity and love he preached. He said nothing to do with. It was smaller Off Broadwe have a better chance of celebrating what way.” binds us as human beings if we accept and are The writers and the producer reached out open, rather than closing off and remaining to Barre, he says, and they were “swept away dedicated to our own rigid beliefs. by my ideas. “His message is incredibly relevant and “Almost everything is revised and re-writ- timely, and it will make the show really resten, though the essence of the musical re- onate.” A mains. They’re looking at this as the show they always wanted to have. We’ve pared it “Soul Doctor” runs in the Lyceum Theatre from down to a one-act experience. It may just be April 3-22. a sort of ‘60s ‘happening,’ with an after-con- For tickets and information: 619-544-1000; cert that involves the audience even more.” lyceumevents.org.
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FEATURE
HBO Documentary
The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm BY BRIE STIMSON
A-17606. 10-year-old Elliott asks his great-grandfather, Jack,
what those numbers tattooed on his arm mean. Jack, a 90-yearold Holocaust survivor, tells his great-grandson the story of his life: growing up in Poland, separating from his parents and never seeing them again, being sent to Auschwitz, meeting his wife in a displaced person’s camp after the war and finally immigrating to America to raise his family. Enter filmmakers Amy Schatz and Sheila Nevins. “We began this project when we realized that there didn’t seem to be much for a family audience about the subject of the Holocaust,” Schatz tells me from her HBO office in New York. Executive producer Shelia Nevins, who also works at HBO, had come across a children’s book about the Holocaust, which inspired her to make a film for young audiences. “And she came to me and proposed the idea to me,” Schatz says. “It was daunting I have to say. I felt concerned and I felt that it wasn’t clear – there was no roadmap as to how we might do this for a young audience, so we really had to figure out how to present the story with clarity and directness, but also to keep it gentle – so that was the beginning of this.” Schatz, who is a freelance filmmaker, has worked on several documentaries focused on children, including “A Child’s Garden of Poetry,” “Through a Child’s Eyes: September 11, 2001” and “Don’t Divorce Me! Kids’ Rules for Parents on Divorce.” “I have made many children’s shows on challenging subjects ... but never about the Holocaust, and it was a unique challenge,” she says. “I think my experience has been making children’s shows that feature kids talking from the heart about deep subjects and listening to kids. My specialty is really making programs that feature kids and are for kids.” The documentary, which is approximately 18 minutes long, 62 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
focuses on a conversation between Elliott and Jack about his experience in the Holocaust. Elliott is the narrator, interviewer and storyteller in the film. “Interwoven is archival footage and stills and the animation, which helped to tell the story of Jack’s life,” Schatz says. Along with real footage, there is eight minutes of hand-painted watercolor animation by artist Jeff Scher. “We needed to make some decisions as to how to visualize Jack’s history and we had collected archival films and stills that would be able to represent various points of Jack’s life. So we collected archival films of Jewish life in Poland. We had footage and stills of kids in the ghetto. And we had imagery of deportation, etc. And at one point we wondered if we could ... bring it to life in a new way.” “So we hired an animator who’s very brilliant at a technique called rotoscoping, which involves painting over the original archival material, keeping the reference there, keeping it real but adding this painterly quality. So all of the animation is based on real archival material, but it has the feeling of today ... And it was also important that we still see some of that original archival material in the film to remind you this really happened. This was real.” Since the short premiered on HBO on Holocaust Memorial Day at the end of January, Schatz says they have gotten requests from museums, schools and synagogues around the country to show the film. There is also an exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York of some of Scher’s animated stills. “So I think it’s really filling a need and a gap to be able to have something to be able to show kids that could be an introduction,” Schatz says. A The short can be viewed on HBO’s website for free at: www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-number-on-great-grandpas-arm. There’s also a behind the scenes video with the artist and four companion films featuring interviews with other survivors.
Foreign Policy
POLITICS
A Year of
The Trump Administration: The Situation in The Middle East INTERVIEW BY BRIE STIMSON
P
rofessor Jacob Goldberg spoke to SDJJ ahead of his 16th annual Middle East lecture series at the Lawrence Family JCC about Trump’s first year, Israel’s relationship with Russia and the threat from Iran. The interview has been edited for space. SDJJ: How has the Trump administration’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel affected tensions in the region? JG: Contrary to expectations that it would generate a lot of violence, the violence has been really minimal and just in the first few days after, and there’s several reasons for that. Number one is that the Palestinians are probably tired of another Intifada and of rising again in resistance; and secondly, there is a leadership problem there as Abbas, who [will be 83 in March], has lost much of his legitimacy, but in the absence of an alternative leadership the people are still listening to him, and he is opposed to any armed resistance. He consistently speaks against another Intifada; and the third reason is that the Arab states, which would have in the past encouraged people to rise in a new Intifada, they’re not really interested that much anymore in the Palestinian problem. They have more crucial issues related to their security because of Iran. So Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf states – they don’t get too much involved in the Palestinian problem. As a matter of fact, they have more common interests with Israel than with the Palestinians. So, all in all, there hasn’t been
real backlash to the Trump recognition. SDJJ: How do people in the region feel about the declaration? JG: Palestinians are definitely not happy about it. They think that Jerusalem should have been part of the political process and negotiations, and not determined by Trump unilaterally ahead of negotiations. For Israelis, some are very happy that at long last after 70 years the United States has finally recognized that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. And mind you, it’s not that Trump recognized all of Jerusalem, he just recognized what Israel has recognized that Jerusalem is its capital. Other Israelis don’t really care too much of that recognition, thinking that it doesn’t make any difference because we have treated Jerusalem as our capital for seven decades, and the fact that the U.S. now finally accepted that reality doesn’t really change any facts on the ground. It’s more of a gesture or more of a symbol but not really something that can change the substance of developments here. SDJJ: What’s Israel’s assessment one year into Trump’s presidency? JG: It’s very hard to answer this question because it depends on who you would ask in Israel. There will be at least 1,000 different answers to a question like this. But, generally speaking … and this is especially after the eight years of Obama – Obama has been perceived in Israel as not too sympathetic and not too friendly even though from the security relationship point of view he has
been one of the best presidents that Israel has ever had, but the perception is that he was not a friend of Israel. And, as opposed to Obama, Trump is perceived now as being a friend, sympathetic, very understanding of Israeli sensitivities and sensibilities and vulnerabilities and so from that perspective it’s a positive development. Others would say that Trump’s value is confined merely to rhetoric, that he’s great on statements and speeches on Israel, but in terms of his general Middle East policy he has done little that serves Israel’s strategic interests. He speaks a lot about Iran being an enemy of the United States and whose influence is to be [checked] and curtailed, but he hasn’t done anything in Syria for example to prevent Iran from establishing a presence in Syria. So for other Israelis, except for being very friendly, his presidency is not perceived as making a big difference. On substantive issues it is perceived more as a continuation of Obama’s. SDJJ: What are some misconceptions about the Middle East from both administrations? JG: The State Department Director of the Middle East section, [David Satterfield], made a statement that the number one priority of the United States in the region is the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and this was precisely the same priority of the Obama administration. And to most Israelis this is sheer insanity. ISIS is a group. It’s an organization. It doesn’t threaten any Middle East country. It doesn’t threaten the stability of the Middle East. How can one compare Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 63
the danger of ISIS with the multi-faceted danger that Iran poses to almost all countries in the Middle East? Not just Israel, I’m talking primarily Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt – all the pro Western countries in the region. If Iran, which is still determined at the end of the day to have nuclear weapons, if Iran, which develops ballistic missiles, if Iran, which is working to destabilize all the regimes in the Middle East, if Iran that is now interested in creating a military presence in Syria next to the Golan Heights, and it is the same Iran that turns the Lebanese people into hostages because it wants to fight Israel by proxy through Hezbollah. So ISIS is a priority of such a superpower as the United States? This is totally inconceivable for most Israelis and Arabs. And, in this respect it’s the same as Obama. We don’t see any difference. Or for example the Trump administration continues to supply weapons to Lebanon without understanding that Lebanon, for all practical purposes, is dominated by Hezbollah, which is a proxy of Iran. So to give weapons to Lebanon equals giving weapons to Hezbollah, which the United States itself designated as a terrorist organization. So that doesn’t make any sense, and I could go on and on with the Trump administration giving to Russia a free hand in Syria, not restraining Iran, not stopping the Turkish invasion of the northern part of Syria and the Turkish fight against the Kurds, which are the allies of the United States, so in all these respects we don’t really see a major difference between the Trump administration’s policies and those of Obama. SDJJ: What is Israel’s relationship with Russia? JG: It’s a really tough question because there is a mixed record. On the one hand, Israel has a very good relationship with Russia and one can say that the personal relationship between our Prime Minister Netanyahu and Russia’s President Putin is very close, some would say even intimate. Netanyahu is the foreign leader that president Putin has met more times … than any other head of state in the world – seven times in just the last two and a half years. The major problem however now is that for the first time … Russia has a military presence in a country bordering on Israel. 64 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
Others would say that Trump’s value is confined merely to rhetoric, that he’s great on statements and speeches on Israel but in terms of his general Middle East policy he has done little that serves Israel’s strategic interests. I’m talking about Syria. Russia has now two major bases – an air force base and a naval base – in Syria, and practically speaking Russia controls now the Syrian president Assad who knows all too well that without the Russian intervention he would have lost the civil war and would have been out of the country ... And this [Russian] military presence is a strategic problem for Israel because in addition to Russia there is a growing Iranian presence there. As I said before the Iranians are trying to create a [military] presence next to Israel very much like they have in Lebanon with Hezbollah. In other words, I would say they are trying to create a Hezbollah in Syria along the same lines that they succeeded in Lebanon. The problem is that Russia does not stop Iran from establishing itself in Syria and this is the essence of the Netanyahu-Putin meetings: Israel has made it abundantly clear that it would not allow Iran to create military bases in Syria like in Lebanon, but in order to do that Israel has to make sure that the Russians would not prevent Israel from operating against Iran. The military collision that took place on February 10th is just the first indication to the danger I am pointing at: If the Russians do not stop the Iranian entrenchment in Syria, it is very likely that we’ll see more wide-range military confrontations between Israel and Iran. SDJJ: Vice President Mike Pence visited the Middle East in January. Do you think his trip helped the United States’ efforts in the region? JG: The visit didn’t really have any impact in
any direction on American standing in the Middle East. The Israelis concluded [that Pence] is deeply pro-Israel. His speech in the Knesset moved a lot of Israelis because he spoke as a real Zionist. On the other hand, Palestinians listening to his speeches are more convinced than before that this administration is completely biased to Israel and cannot really serve as an honest broker. But this has to do with the speeches - but the visit itself has no real tangible results or repercussions. SDJJ: What will you be talking about in your JCC lectures? JG: I will actually try something this time that I haven’t done before. Instead of just giving an overview of the major issues in the Middle East, in the first lecture and the second lecture I will focus on one particular country that has been playing a major role in the Middle East. In the first lecture it will be Iran. I will explain the Iranian political system because there have been a lot of misunderstandings of what Iran is. People know there is a president and people know that there is a supreme leader, but people don’t understand the interaction between the two of them and who is the real power broker in the system. And in the second night, the country I will highlight will be Saudi Arabia. First and foremost because the new crown prince there has made revolutionary changes that revolutionized the whole Saudi system, political system, the royal family system, the economic system. He has revolutionized almost every area, every field in Saudi political life. So the question is whether Saudi Arabia can be still stable after such revolutionary changes, and whether he can really survive and whether he has not alienated some of the major sources of power in Saudi Arabia to make them interested in launching a revolution against the royal family. So the actions of the crown prince who is only 32 and the way they affect not just Saudi Arabia but the entire Middle East will be the highlight of the second lecture. A Professor Goldberg will be speaking at the Lawrence Family JCC March 12, 13 and 14. Details can be found at sdcjc.org.
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“Think Different”
PASSOVER
Passover:
The Original “Think Different” BY RABBI JACOB RUPP
S
ometimes during the Seder, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. What is the message we are trying to drive home to our families, to ourselves? Right before the meal, there is a famous line in the Haggadah that says that if we don’t mention three things, Pesach, Matza, Maror, we haven’t fulfilled our obligation. Let’s start there. The Pesach is the Passover offering we used to bring before the Temple was destroyed. It is symbolic of G-d choosing us, of “passing over” our homes and inflicting punishment on the Egyptians. The uniqueness of the Jewish people and our destiny is message number one. The Jewish people are not subject to trends or the standards of nature. Our birth and continued existence are miraculous--statistically impossible (or highly improbable) yet clearly predicted and assured by a 3,300-year-old document. The second and more immediate concept is the tight Divine providence that runs our lives. Unlike the concept of “the Universe” that is so popular these days, G-d runs ev-
ery miniscule aspect of our lives. Your Uber showed up late? G-d is teaching you something. You nailed a huge goal? G-d allowed you to do that. If you start to open your eyes to seeing how everything in your life is from G-d, you begin to internalize the concept of “Passover.” And more than that, G-d passing over the homes of the Jews teaches us a little bit about the importance of being Jewish. So often, we think we need to do things to be beloved to G-d as if His love is not conditional on our action, it is based on who we are. A fundamental principle that was a huge game changer for me was understanding that I was already good enough, without having to prove something. When you want to start loving yourself or others, look at who they are, not what they do. Matzah, the next component of the Seder, represents our lack of time. The Jews were planning to make bagels and knishes on their way out of Egypt, yet were forced to leave immediately, before the bread had a chance to rise.
When it comes to your destiny, you don’t have the luxury of time. As Shakespeare says, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” A person who serves G-d doesn’t wait to make perfect preparations and wait for conditions to be right before engaging in their responsibilities. It says in the Ethics of the Fathers: Do not say when I’m free, I will learn because maybe you will never be free. When it comes to our destiny and our job in the world, the task is to accomplish the best you can with whatever you have now. In this regard, Judaism is totally different than other spiritual practices, which advise removal of the pressures of the world to find inner peace. From a Jewish perspective, real inner peace and growth must be achieved and accomplished in the insanity of life, specifically before we are ready. Our darkest moments, when we face doubt, fear and lack of clarity is when G-d says, “NOW!” If G-d forbid we wait until conditions are better, or we feel more comfortable, we oftentimes find ourAdar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 67
A fundamental principle that was a huge game changer for me was understanding that I was already good enough, without having to prove something. selves left on the dock and the opportunity no longer available. Our job in life is to show up and to try. It also says in the Ethics of the Fathers, “It’s not up to us to finish the job, but we also cannot desist from doing the work.” If we would be able to finish every job and be successful every time, we would put our trust and faith in our own efforts, instead of relying on G-d to do His part as long as we do ours. And that approach is the secret to living a Jewish life. Finally: Maror. the bitterness of slavery. The astute reader will point out that “Marror,” chronologically happened before G-d passed over our homes, and before we left Egypt in haste. So why must we mention our suffering at the end of the process? Hindsight is 20/20. When we feel lost and abandoned it is because we are in the midst of our ordeal and not through it. The pain and suffering we endured at the hands of the Egyptians was only understandable when we recognize what came out as a result. Conventional and trite as this lesson may seem, the more safe and comfortable our world, becomes the more this concept gets lost. We seek to end suffering without realizing that suffering is what causes growth and change. Greatness is achieved through suffering. And once we start to appreciate the discomfort and challenges of life as growth opportunities instead of experiences to be avoided, we can live alive, unafraid and appreciative. And these core concepts form the foundation of the Seder; G-d separated us and chose us. As such, we have a mission that must be executed before we are ready, because if we were the masters of our destiny, able to pick the ideal conditions in which we lived, our success could be attributed to us alone instead of G-d. And once we do try and we do succeed with G-d’s help, the bitterness in our life becomes a badge of honor and a necessary part of the journey. With these concepts firmly implanted in our mind, we are able to start our festive Passover meal. A
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The Jewish Gift Closet
What if? What if you were driving on threadbare tires, putting yourself and your carpool at risk every day and had no money for new tires? What if your child needed new shoes or a warm jacket ? What if you couldn’t make the rent and were threatened with eviction? What if your job was outsourced, your savings gone and unemployment had run out? What if you slept on the floor because you had no bed? What if your electricity had been cut off? Where would you turn to? Since June 2009, a charity entirely run by volunteers and serving exclusively the Jewish Community, has been serving its most vulnerable members and those in crisis who have no one to turn to. The Jewish Gift Closet - San Diego Community G’mach is housed in a warehouse off Miramar road and is run by Helene Bortz and Myrice Goldberg. It provides emergency cash, gas cards, rent subsidies, assists with life cycle celebrations and other essential services. It collects clothing, toiletries, baby and children equipment, wedding gowns and household items, which it distributes for free. It also coordinates donations of furniture through its Facebook page. To date, it has served 2000 Jews in need. Twice a year, the “G’mach Family” comes together for a much anticipated Chanukah celebration as well as a Summer BBQ. A registered 501C(3) non profit, it relies on private donations and you can partner with them by donating through their website www.sandiegogmach.com or by mailing a check to: The Jewish Gift Closet 8811 Production Ave San Diego, CA 92121 For further information, call Helene Bortz 858.231.1537
Seders Over Time
PASSOVER
Seders Over Time PHOTOS COURTESY OF AUTHOR
BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT
I
n my mind’s eye, there’s the tumble of my cousins in their best clothes, itching to leave the Passover table, their parents’ voices droning in singsong that seems to delay my grandmother from finally serving dinner – or at least getting to the part where we can dip celery or parsley into the salty sea of tears or recall the mortar that tastes sweetly of apples and walnuts and wine. There’s a general hubbub that is friendly and warm. The wine of fermented grapes is made in Buby and Zadie’s basement. All other times wine is forbidden to children; parents are all so fearful we will become drunkards. We try to explain that children in France always dine with wine. But this special Passover wine, the most delicious of wines I could ever imagine, is now being savored in the special chipped crystal glasses set out for this night. And we deliriously happy children are actually encouraged to drink up. My grandmother serves the unending courses of food and waits on everyone, she never sitting with us at the table, her face immobile, although I notice her silently sucking on chicken bones in the kitchen,
apart from the clatter and clutter. I never recall a hug or a kiss from this woman, not even a holiday greeting where most chubby grandmothers throw their arms around their kinder. Only when I begin to prepare festival dinners will I know the work involved in shopping for food, planning menus, chopping fish, creating broths, cooking vegetables and roasting meat. As a child, I’m disinterested in her travails, only responding to her stoic ability to perform the backdrop for all of us seated, wondering why she is so very sullen in her apron. As usual my father is late, not wanting to be a part of this chaotic Passover scenario. But for me, the chanting is somewhat magical and a prelude to roughhousing with my cousins who make me laugh so hard I fall over onto the floor. All year I look forward to the late nights and the family gathering, bursting the tiny house on Atlas Avenue. Years later, the Seder occurs at my parents’ place, the infinite preparations now accomplished by my dead tired mother, who like her own mother, bounces continually in her serving the table. Yet she will hug and smile with her twinkling blue eyes as she greets us
at the door, pulling us close. I’ve heard that some families create tents on the floor to approximate the flight out of Egypt. And others insist on placing an orange on the Seder plate to connote difference. Suggesting these transgressions to my mother, she does not reply. My son approaches my father to ask if the reading might be in English so we can all participate, instead of the multiple cacophony of voices that race like speeding trains, at their own pace and timbre, eager to reach the terminal first. My father in his rust-colored sweater listens intently, and I think perhaps he is considering the request, as he puts his Peter pointer finger to his head. But he shakes his head and maintains the reading will be, as it always has been, in Hebrew. My son, dejected, turns away. Angered by the denial of such a simple request, I find reason to argue with my sister who, fluent in Hebrew, unblinkingly accepts my father’s pronouncement. He pauses and raises his eyes from the Haggadah, loudly reprimanding me by scolding, “Can’t you two ever get along?” When my father passes, there is a huge hole in our yearly Seders. Now held at my Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 69
sister’s, my mother is the guest: quiet, lonesome without her numerous preparations, duties and interactions. Each of my sister’s family has a different version of the Haggadah, most serious hard covers, some illustrated, others with large golden print. My brother-in-law encourages his children to ask questions of the text, as each performs their portions in Hebrew. To be petulant, I too pose difficult questions regarding freedom and slavery, targeting whys and reasons for behavior sanctioned by the sages. My own family rolls their eyes, knowing I’m trying to spread anarchy into the text, trying to insert contemporary wisdom into biblical commentaries. When my youngest daughter stands after her cousins, every single one of them having laboriously demonstrated a diverse rendition of The Four Questions, she intones her traditional version quietly, respectfully, her Hebrew letter perfect. They all applaud and she is besieged to sing more in her unearthly sweet little voice. When she intones “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” we all fall silent, the Seder stopped, for the often trite little tune binds us together in a place where we might still be celebrating with my father, recalling the dreams of the Israelites leaving Egypt, reflecting on happy memories of Passover past, and contemplating hopes for peace in Israel. Now my children have grown up and one has dispersed to a place too far to return home for Passover; some have intermarried so our rituals seem strange to their spouses. I am of an age that I want my grandchildren to take memories of this holiday into their hearts and their futures, guiding their own children one day, in English or Hebrew, into the stories I once learned in Hebrew School. I want them to remember my loving squeeze as they light up my doorway. I want them to savor my homemade sizzling chicken soup. I want them to share in traditions so they can understand how the holidays have been passed down throughout time, morphing, but still present and significant in our lives: a tiny seam of sweetness, amidst ordinary days, that threatens to be washed away. I want them to associate Passover with love and the essence of being Jewish. I want them to remember the Passovers, all different: the tumult, the faces, the songs that go deep into the night as we open the door to Elijuah. I want them to comprehend why this night is different from all other nights. A
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FOOD
My Private Pantry
MY PRIVATE PANTRY with Yael Aires yaelaires@gmail.com
BIO: I was born South Africa. I emigrated to San Diego In 1990. I started My Private Pantry 2012. Baking biscotti, granola and desserts made to order, I am happiest on my own and baking up a storm in my kitchen. I grew up in a house where my mom did all the cooking and baking. She taught me to bake and cook, and at first I had to do everything by hand, the old fashioned way. Slowly I was allowed to use the electric hand beater and then later the stand mixer as well as other electrical appliances. I especially loved watching her bake everything so carefully and with such love. She always told me that baking is a science! You have to follow the recipe exactly and you can’t bake in a hurry! Cooking is much more forgiving! She can be found at: www.myprivatepantry.com, Facebook and Instagram.
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Nana’s Pesachdik Pancakes Make these delicious pancakes every morning for the eight days of Pesach and your family will love you. What a perfect way to start the day. INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
3 eggs 1 cup cold water 1 cup Matzah Meal Oil for frying 1 cup sugar mixed with 1 tbsp. cinnamon
Combine all ingredients until blended into a pourable consistency. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drench with sugar/cinnamon mixture and syrup (if desired). Serve with fresh berries. Makes 8 large or 16 small.
MAUREEN’S GINGER CAKE
This is a wonderfully easy cake to bake during the Passover holiday. It is delicious and you won’t even notice that it has no Chometz (flour). INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
6 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups potato flour 1 1/2 cups cake meal 1 1/2 cups oil 1 cup water 2 flat tsp. baking powder or bicarbonate of soda 1 cup syrup 2 heaped tsp. ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon
Beat all ingredients together for 5 minutes using either a stand mixer or electric beater. Pour into 2 foil pans – 24cm X 17cm X 6cm Let stand for 30 minutes. Bake at 325 for 60 minutes.
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Getting It: Nah!
ADVICE
ASK MARNIE by Marnie Macauley
editor@sdjewishjournal.com
Table Matters
S
halom, San Diegans: Are your full? Between Pesach and Purim, I alone could put on 30 pounds of love handles. We Jews have an intimate connection to food (especially chicken). More than stuffing ourselves silly, food eaten together is a loving ritual, a social occasion and a time for intimacies, such as picking at each other’s plates. Of course, as civilized bipeds, we do have the matter of manners. So today, I’m tackling that prickly topic. Essen with joy!
BRING FOOD! I recently received an invitation, and Marnie dear, we wanted your opinion. The invitation was to a “gala” party some acquaintances were giving in honor of an old friend of theirs who has become a minor celebrity. He’s visiting this couple in California, and they have invited practically everyone they know so their guest can “hold court.” That would be fine, except, on the invitation, she noted “a favorite dish” would be appreciated. I’d feel awkward showing up empty-handed. Finally, if I do bring something, and it’s not used, should I bring it home? What would you do? — Bothered and Bewildered. MARNIE SAYS: Ah, ye olde potluck ploy. I’ve been known to request my dinner guests bring wine — and a dining room table. Onto your query. According to my calculations, if each invitee brought a brisket, your host could open a small Costco, which is astonishing even by my “feed-me” standards.
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You needn’t get all-or-nothing Xtreme, mamala. Option 1: Your favorite dish is nuts. Okay, dried fruit. Bring some – a small tin or straw basket. Option 2 (Messier Message): Bring something you need to cook, puree or fricassee. Hand the ingredients to your host, request a cast iron frying pan, a Dutch oven, two spatulas and a melon baller. (Who am I, Martha Stewartwitz)? Stick whatever it is on the stove and tell the host to “watch it, then turn — in 30 minutes.” Do you doggie bag it? You bet. Yes, I know my most scrupulous colleagues would tell you “un-gifting” is gauche. But this was not a gift. This was minor extortion. A fact that should be obvious when enough food arrives to feed Tel Aviv. She didn’t need your contribution? You do. Have we eradicated any silly feelings of awkwardness? Good. For the record, “potlucking” is perfectly fine among good pals, at a last minute fete, when in a financial pinch or for the sheer fun of it. Expecting the neighborhood to supply the wind beneath her kosher buffalo wings makes her a sow.
VEXING VEGGIES? MARNIE: I am a 28-year-old woman who’s decided to become a vegetarian (and stop eating those that were once living breathing critters). I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time now, for spiritual and health reasons. My problem? Explaining this to my parents. They’re meat eaters and very set in their beliefs of what’s “normal.” My dad’s concern will be health. If I turn down dessert his response is, “what are you? Afraid of gaining an ounce?” (I’m 5’4” 125 lbs.) As for mom, she’s overweight and is an amazing cook who loves preparing Shabbos, which of course means a massive hunk of at least two animals. I’m afraid she’ll feel I’m cutting off her way of showing me she cares by not eating what she cooks. Asking her to cook vegetarian is not viable as: A) I would never expect her to accommodate my dietary choices, B) my folks see meat as the normal and right way to eat. I realize I need to make my own life choices but dealing with them is still going to be a HUGE issue. Any idea? – Daughter Wants to Keep Peace MARNIE SAYS: I’m so glad you wrote to me who considers a “normal” lunch a moose carcass (kosher) on a poppy seed roll. Now that I’ve made you ill, congrats on your new decision. I adore a commitment to any wor-
thy pursuit that moves you forward and challenges the metaphoric “meatloaf ” life. Now for mama and papa.
Getting It! Your Personal Strategy: Prepare! You’re obviously a woman of superior insight who, fueled by mortal dread, has meticulously rehearsed your folks’ objections in your head. Write them. Decide you’ll prepare to deal with their a) health concerns; b) she’s-an-alien-concerns; c) if-she-loved-usshe’d-rejoin-our- home-planet concerns. Call them. Tell them you have an announcement and need their support. Don’t be scary – nothing dreadful – but it’s important. Invite them to lunch. At your place. (You’ll only talk in person). They arrive. They’re curious and maybe a little concerned. Have a kosher veg-feast prepared. (Think chickpea and couscous combo, kasha varnishkes with onion and schmalz, spinach and potato pie. Yes I know mom could use an all-broccoli buffet, but first things first). Before they notice you’re meatless, here’s the dialogue. “Mom, Dad, you mean the world to me, (they’re on pins here) and that’s why your understanding means the world to me. (They’re bursting with pride...and quaking). I’ll explain all the details, answer all your questions to assure you it’s safe. (“What...! A sex change?”) Mom, Dad, I’m becoming – a vegetarian.” Boom! They’ll be so relieved, they’ll give up triple decker pastrami – with sides. Point out the buffet they’ve been gobbling is pure veggie. Surprise! Surprise! Don’t preach but have the factoids ready re: protein, nutrients. The clincher: their feelings. Can you and Mom cook up a foodie bonding experience? You’d love to see how a pro can challenge a hunk of tofu (so would I) and learn from her and share ideas, recipes and most important – moments. More moments together, an hour earlier, before Shabbos dinner, to create a joint veggie masterpiece! And just maybe the “teacher” will learn a little from her favorite student – and eat a little smarter. All this because you’ve reassured, and shown mom (and dad), you can adore them – and still be you.A
SYNAGOGUE LIFE
EVENTS Temple Solel’s Purim Carnival March 4, 11 a.m., Temple Solel, 3575 Manchester Ave, Cardiff, CA 92007 There will be rides and games like laser tag, and a climbing wall and face painting and photo booths. Tickets are $25, visit templesolel.net for more information. Israeli Dance with Tifereth Israel March 11, 7 p.m., Tifereth Israel, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd, San Diego, CA. Newcomers and experienced dancers are welcome to explore Israeli dance. Visit tiferethisrael.com for more information. PJ Shabbat with Beth El March 16, 6:30 p.m., Beth El, 8660 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037. Rabbi Libman will lead a shabbat service with the youngest members in mind followed by a Potluck dinner. Havdalah and a Movie with Temple Adat Shalom March 17, 7 p.m., Temple Adat Shalom, 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA, 92064 Enjoy a screening of “Everything is Illuminated” a young man’s quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather during the Nazi invasion. Visit adatshalom. com for more information. Passover Baking Workshop with Beth Am March 18. Offsite in Carmel Valley, RSVP for address. This hands-on workshop will make everything from scratch, so you can recreate it at home. Tickets are $45, visit betham.com for more information.
Finding Freedom: A Meditative and Sensory Passover Exploration with Essential Oils with Beth Israel March 21, 9 a.m., Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, CA, 92122 The program will consist of a writing meditation, talks of Passover themes and learning about essential oils. Tickets are $10, visit cbisd.org for more information.
*Interested in having your event featured? Contact assistant@sdjewishjournal.com. Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issue. Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 75
DIVERSIONS The Four Best Jewish Films to Watch This Oscar Season
Eva Schloss being photographed for “116 Cameras”
BY TOM TUGEND, JTA
With the Academy Awards on the horizon, there is no shortage of high-quality films to see in theaters and on the small screen.Getting a jump on the festivities, here are four of the best Jewish-themed ones to watch this awards season, from Oscar contenders to short gems. “Foxtrot” Directed by Samuel Maoz and starring Lior Ashkenazi and Sarah Adler, “Foxtrot” is a wrenching film about an array of dark topics: parental grief after the death of a soldier son, the joys and stresses of marriage, and the boredom of army life. But it is also about Israeli control of the West Bank and how, in the filmmaker’s view, Israel’s occupation humiliates the occupied and hardens the occupier. After being named the second-best film at the Venice International Film Festival and winning best film at Israel’s Ophir Awards, it’s on the shortlist for the Academy Award for best foreign language film. In a phone interview with JTA, Maoz described his movie as “the dance of a man with his fate.” He said, “there are many variations to this dance, but they end up at the same starting point.” In more concrete terms, the film follows an affluent Tel Aviv couple who learn their son has died in the line of duty. The film has come under fire from Miri Regev, Israel’s controversial minister of culture and sports. “It is inconceivable,” she declared publicly, “that movies which shame the reputation of the Israel Defense Forces … and that are supported [financially] by the state … are selected to showcase Israel cinema abroad.” Maoz did not directly address Regev’s criticism, but said, “When my brothers are dying, I have the right to make such a movie.” “Foxtrot” will open in U.S. theaters on March 2.
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“In the Fade” Germany’s “In the Fade” dramatizes the rise of neo-Nazism in the country over the past few years through the murder of a Kurdish man, his German wife and their small son by a neo-Nazi couple. The neo-Nazi theme is timely in light of the rise of the far right in Europe and, as demonstrated by the white supremacist rally last summer in Charlottesville, Virginia. Director Fatih Akin, a German native of Turkish descent, attributes Germany’s growing neo-Nazi sentiment largely to hostility to the large number of refugees, mainly from Muslim countries, who have been admitted into Germany. “The new neo-Nazis are different from those of the 1980s and ’90s,” he told JTA. “Then they were outcasts and easily recognizable as skinheads. Today’s neo-Nazis are still criminals, but they look like everybody else.” “In the Fade,” fresh off a Golden Globe win for best foreign film, is also one of the nine films on the Oscar shortlist for best foreign language film. It’s out now in U.S. theaters in a limited release.
“In the Land of Pomegranates” In Hebrew, the word for pomegranate has a double meaning: It can mean either the fruit that symbolizes rebirth or a hand grenade. The documentary “In the Land of Pomegranates,” directed by Israeli Hava Kohav Beller, wrestles with these conflicting meanings as it explores the chasm between the ways that young Israelis and Palestinians think about each other. The film follows young men and women who have been
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brought together in a scenic German town for a program called “Vacation from War.” They live under the same roof, go on joint excursions in the lovely countryside, take a riverboat cruise and argue earnestly for hours on end. The program started in 2002 and, as one of the organizers put it, “Our goal is not to make participants love each other. If only five people change their attitudes ... that’s progress.” Even this modest goal seems unreachable in the film, although it inadvertently clarifies why decades of peacemaking efforts have proven largely fruitless. Most of the arguments are on the level of “Hamas is a terrorist organization,” as an Israeli participant charges, to which the Palestinian response is, “We are just trying to get back the land you took from us.” However, the largely pessimistic view is brightened by a couple of episodes that bridge the conflicts. One scene shows Palestinians dancing the dabke and Israelis dancing the hora — and both performances are almost identical. “In the Land of Pomegranates” will open in U.S. theaters in February and March.
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“116 Cameras” “116 Cameras,” which is one of 10 films on the Oscar shortlist for best short documentary, gives a behind-the-scenes look into the filming of a Holocaust survivor’s testimony. It shows how filmmakers preserve the memories of Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s surviving stepsister, in the form of an interactive, 3-D, holographic image. The project was a product of Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation at the University of Southern California. You can watch the film now on The New York Times website. A
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Happy Passover from the San Diego Jewish Journal
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 77
JCompany
JCompany’s Youth Theater will bring Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” to life on its stage at the La Jolla JCC March 2 – 18. Based on the film, the show abounds with wonderful songs to complement its storybook theme.
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Balboa Theatre
San Diego Theaters presents the Ten Tenors at the Balboa Theater on March 10.
Bodhi Tree Concerts
Bodhi Tree Concerts presents the Rob Thorsen Jazz Trio on March 3 at St. James by the Sea in La Jolla.
Coronado Playhouse
Coronado Playhouse is ready to tackle “King Charles III,” described as “a family feud of majestic proportions.” This unique fable about the English royals suggests that Prince Charles (after waiting a lifetime for Queen Elizabeth to die) is finally preparing to ascend to the throne. According to this play, Prince William, his wife Kate, and Prince Harry might have something to say about that. The fascinating piece will be performed March 23 through April 22, if you care to join in on the speculation.
La Jolla Music Society
City Ballet
City Ballet is preparing to dance three performances of “Giselle” – accompanied by the City Ballet Orchestra – the weekend of March 9 – 11. The classic ballet is part of City’s 25th anniversary season at the Spreckels Theater. Cygnet Theatre Cygnet Theatre has a treat in store for aficionados of Stephen Sondheim’s work. The company (directed by Sean Murray) will stage “A Little Night Music” on its Old Town stage March 7 through April 22. This little gem was one of the first successes for Cygnet, and it promises to be a delightful addition to the local theater scene.
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La Jolla Music Society is starting the month off on March 1 at the Balboa Theatre with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard in his debut San Diego performance. The society’s Winterfest Gala is slated for March 3 at Symphony Hall and the University Club. Pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Leonidas Kavakos, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are the superstars performing at the annual fundraiser. Herbie Hancock, a true icon of modern music, will jazz it up at the Balboa on March 7, followed on March 16 at Symphony Hall with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Joshua Bell is music director and violin soloist. They will perform works by Mendelssohn and Beethoven, along with a Violin Concerto by Wieniawski. “Schubert’s Swan Song I” is headed for Qualcomm Hall on March 24. “Schubertiade I” will be ensconced at the Kinsella Library on March 25.
La Jolla Playhouse
The La Jolla Playhouse is featuring a timely new work, titled “The Cake,” at the Potiker Theater. The play, which is set to close on March 4, depicts both sides of a challenging national issue – one that argues religious freedom against human rights. They will also present four public performances of “Home of the Brave,” a production that has been touring schools for weeks. This world premiere will be ensconced at the Play Development Center March 10 – 11.
Lamb’s Players Theatre
The Lamb’s Players are offering an exciting San Diego premiere on their Coronado stage through March 25. “Camping with Henry &
Tom” is about a camping trip that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison took in 1921 – along with the President of the United States. The play is funny, suspenseful, and relevant. It was penned by the author of “Freud’s Last Session,” so it should be intriguing.
Old Globe
The Old Globe’s White Theater is basking in the glow of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” which returned to San Diego in a new translation (commissioned by the Globe and directed by Richard Nelson). This incarnation promises to be an exhilarating portrayal of the classic tale about a celebrated professor and the niece who struggles to care for his estate. “Uncle Vanya” is always a must-see for serious theatergoers, but it won’t stick around past March 11. The Globe’s Main Stage continues to showcase another classic – “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a diabolically clever comedy by Oscar Wilde. The play is rich in whimsical wordplay and hilarious situations guaranteed to keep audiences in stitches. If flighty ingénues, scheming bachelors and British dowagers are your cup of tea, “Earnest” will fill the bill. It has been called “the most perfect comedy in the English language,” and it’s hard to dispute that claim. The show winds down on March 4, but is followed on March 23 by “American Mariachi.” This heartwarming and hilarious world premiere comedy is about an all-girl mariachi band back in the 1970s. With infectious live music to propel the plot, this vibrant comedy should be a lot of fun. It runs through April 29.
conductor Edo de Waart leading the orchestra and Jeff Thayer performing Bach’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor.” The Manhattan Transfer will hold the fort on March 10, with their brand of innovative vocalizations and harmonies. “Metropolis” (circa 1927) is headed to Symphony Hall on March 17, as part of the Fox Film Series. Russ Peck will be accompanying the movie on the organ. “Tchaikovsky Deconstructed” is the concert slated for March 18, with Sameer Patel on the podium. With the help of young actors from San Diego Junior Theater, the program will explore the creative process behind the great 1812 Overture. “Chick Corea with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra” is a special concert coming this way on March 24. Corea is at the cutting edge of the art form and should be a bonanza for jazz enthusiasts.
San Diego Repertory Theater
San Diego Repertory Theater is bringing “Beachtown” to its Lyceum Space March 22 through April 15. This interactive event invites audiences to voice their opinion, debate vigorously and vote proudly at a one-of-a-kind theatrical event – based on the premise of deciding what will go into a Time Capsule in the town of Beachtown. Sam Woodhouse is directing this unique piece.
North Coast Rep
North Coast Repertory Theater will continue to show off the West Coast premiere of Steven Dietz’s “This Random World,” a comedy that explores what it is to love, to lose, and be touched by the serendipity of life. David Ellenstein directs this humorous and bittersweet play, which will stay on at NCR’s Solana Beach home through March 18.
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera is back at the Civic Theater through March 7, with a production of Puccini’s “Turandot,” a masterpiece that embodies everything an opera-buff could hope to expect from this rich and powerful art form. The company is ready to unwrap another opera at the Civic on March 17. “Florencia en el Amazonas” – by Mexican composer Daniel Catan – will be performed by an all-Spanish speaking cast through March 25. The story revolves around a fictional opera singer and her voyage of discovery during a trek down the Amazon.
Birch Aquarium
Birch Aquarium is featuring “Hall of Fishes,” which is unlike any other exhibition in the history of the aquarium. It also serves as a working laboratory. Birch also has an installation on light by scientist Michael Latz, and an exhibition that helps you understand Scripps’ expeditions to discover and protect the planet. “Expedition at Sea” immerses you in the experience of life and work aboard the Sally Ride research vessel. It includes a 33-foot long projected triptych and hands-on learning opportunities. The newest exhibition at the Birch is “Research in Action: 100 Island Challenge,” an exhibit that explores the way reefs are adapting to our rapidly changing planet.
Mingei International Museum San Diego Symphony
The San Diego Symphony starts the month off at TSRI on March 6, when Symphony musicians perform an intimate evening featuring the marvelous music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. Bach and Mahler are on tap for March 9 & 11, with
Mingei International Museum is showcasing “Kantha – Recycled and Embroidered Textiles of Bengal,” through March 25. “Weaving a Path – Navajo Women and the Feminine Ethos” will be on display through May 28. The exhibition includes rugs and blankets. Mingei is ready to unveil “Voluminous Art – Treasures from San Diego’s University Libraries” on March 10. This collaboration will feature masterworks of book arts, and will remain at the museum through Sept. 3. Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 79
the news Executive Director for the Friends of the Israel Defense Force Speaking at Beth Israel Men’s Club Dinner Executive Director for the Friends of the Israel Defense Force (FIDF) in San Diego, Orange County and Arizona, Mike Dolinka, will be the guest speaker at Beth Israel’s Men’s Club dinner on March 21. Dolinka previously worked as associate director for AIPAC in San Diego and the Desert Communities. He has also worked at the Anti-Defamation League. Dolinka will speak about his experiences as a soldier in the IDF, and talk about the many ways that the FIDF supports and changes the lives of the soldiers protecting the state of Israel. This program is open to the entire San Diego Community, both men and women. Temple or Men’s Club membership is not a requirement to attend. A buffet dinner will be served. The dinner fee is $15 with an RSVP and $18 without advance registration. Go to cbisd.org for more info.
Tikvah Institute Taking Applications for 2-Week Summer Program at Yale for High School Students The Tikvah Institute for High School Students has announced a new summer program in partnership with the Maimonides Fund, which will take place from June 24 through July 8, 2018. The program is geared towards Jewish public and private school students who are motivated to learn more about Jewish philosophy, culture and history. Students who will attend this two-week immersive summer institute held at Yale, come with a passion to learn more about the intersection between their Judaism and the modern age. The program offers courses with seminar leaders and lecturers who encourage dialogue and debate. For more information or to apply visit www.tikvahfund.org/maimonides-scholar-program/maimonides-overview. The deadline is March 6.
Technion Researchers Treat Tumor With Synthetic Cell Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers have successfully treated a cancerous tumor using a “nano-factory” – a synthetic cell that produces anti-cancer proteins within the tumor tissue. The research, which was published in “Advanced Healthcare Materials,” combines synthetic biology, to artificially produce proteins and targeted drug delivery, to direct the synthetic cell to abnormal tissues.
Maccabi Games Seeking Jewish High School Boys Rugby Players
Just as human cells can generate a variety of biological molecules, the synthetic cell can produce a wide range of proteins. Such systems have vast potential in the tissue engineering discipline, in production of artificial organs and in studying the origins of life.
The Maccabi games is seeking rugby players (born 2002-2004) for their USA team. This year, the Maccabi Youth Games will be in Israel July 22-August 1. This tournament style competition has Jewish teens from around the world connect over sports. There is six days of competition and and three days to explore Jerusalem. Visit maccabiusa.com for more information.
Design of artificial cells is a complex engineering challenge being pursued by many research groups across the globe. The present research, in which an artificial cell serves as a nanofactory for generating proteins within abnormal tissue, was led by doctoral student Nitzan Krinsky and Assistant Professor Avi Schroeder at the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion.
80 SDJewishJournal.com l MARCH 2018
MEETINGS AND EVENTS FOR JEWISH SENIORS Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post-185 Contact Jerome Klein at (858) 521-8694 Mar. 11, 10 a.m. Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings Mar. 11, 11 a.m.
Lego League Robotics First Prize Goes to Water-Saving Device The project was created at a Boys Town Jerusalem’s extra-curricular robotics club. The prototype uses a smart card for an entry to a public shower at a gym or pool and every three gallons of water used, the system blinks LED lights, if the user goes over the water limit, the system charges the bather. The project will now compete in the Lego League-Israel finals and the school is considering pursuing a patent application.
Annual Adopt a Family Foundation Gala, “Celebrating Israel & Hope”
On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 Mar. 18, 1pm. Take a sojourn to Old Town with a showing of “A Little Night Music” at the Cygnet Theatre. “A Little Night Music” is sophisticated, literate, stylish and human. Cost is $60 and the registration date is Mar 6. North County Jewish Seniors Club at the Oceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 Mar. 18, 12:30 p.m. Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 Mar. 23, 12 p.m. A model Seder at the JCC. Cost is $12-$15.
The gala will be held at El Cortez, March 18, at 6 p.m. Adopt a Family Foundation provides a means for giving financial and emotional support for Israeli citizens. The gala will be emceed by Dan Cohen, an evening Anchor at Fox 11 Los Angeles. There will be a musical performance by Shanee, a classical-crossover Soprano Coloratura singer. The gala will have a dinner, program and live auction. To register or learn more, visit adoptafamilyfoundation.org.
JFS Balboa Ave. Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Mar. 29. 11 a.m. A Thursday Passover Seder. JFS College Avenue Center at Temple Emanu-El Contact Elissa Landsman (858) 637-3273 Mar. 30, 12 p.m. Rabbi Devorah is leading a Model Seder and Passover Luncheon.
La Jolla Music Society Announces New SummerFest Music Director Celebrated pianist, Inon Barnatan, has been selected by the Board of Directors of La Jolla Music Society as the fourth music director of SummerFest. Barnatan will take over for current Music Director Cho-Liang Lin, who announced last year that this summer will be his final season. Barnatan’s tenure will begin during the festival’s first season in residence at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, which is slated to open in the spring of 2019. “I’m so honored and excited to get this opportunity to succeed the incomparable Cho-Liang Lin as artistic director of SummerFest,” Barnatan said. “From the first time I attended SummerFest it instantly became one of my favorite festivals in the world.” SummerFest is a nationally recognized chamber music festival that features dozens of world-class artists and ensembles every August.
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 81
San Diego Center for Jewish Culture Presents
GOLDBERG LECTURES On the Middle East * PROFESSOR JACOB GOLDBERG ¡ Monday, March 12, 2018 • 7:00 p.m.
NEW MIDDLE EAST LANDSCAPE – ASCENDANCE OF IRAN ¡ Tuesday, March 13, 2018 • 7:00 p.m.
IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ACTIVE U.S. — CAN SAUDI ARABIA LEAD SUNNI-ARABS AGAINST SHIITE-IRAN? ¡ Wednesday, March 14, 2018 • 7:00 p.m.
ISRAEL AT 70: STRATEGIC CHALLENGES, DOMESTIC POLARIZATION AND A THRIVING ECONOMY * Topics Subject to Change
P
ROFESSOR JACOB GOLDBERG (PhD from Harvard University in Middle East politics) is a former Senior Adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. He is the author of The Foreign Policy of Saudi Arabia, and has also published numerous articles in newspapers in Israel and the U.S., including the New York Times and the Washington Post.
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Arnold Kleyner - San Diego, CA 10/28/1936 - 11/09/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Renata Olevsky & Son - Ilya Kleyner
Estelle Heicklen - Spring Valley, CA 09/28/1927 - 11/22/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Marlene Heicklen - Brenner & 1 Grandchild
Florence Kreisler - San Diego, CA 06/16/1924 - 11/10/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Judy Reisfeld & Son - Richie Kreisler
Arnold Jaffa - San Diego, CA 08/04/1929 - 11/22/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Audry Grider & Sons - Gene & William Jaffa
Phoebe Schaffer - Carlsbad, CA 08/06/1920 - 11/06/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Penny Schaffer & Son - Mark Schaffer
Nora Mally - San Diego, CA 04/10/1927 - 11/18/2017 Survivors: Sons - Martin & Dr. Mitch Mally
Ruth Rosen - Encinitas, CA 09/13/1918 - 11/01/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Lynn Merrill Gross & Son - James Rosen
Miriam Rodin - La Jolla, CA 02/25/1936 - 11/06/2017 Survivors: Husband - Burt Rodin, Daughter - Mari Rodin & Son - Joseph Rodin
Oscar Goldenberg - Poway, CA 07/28/1936 - 11/17/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Lucille Goldenberg & Son - Laurence Goldenberg
George Fogelman - San Diego, CA 10/07/1945 - 11/22/2017 Survivors: Wife - Gail Fogelman, Daughters - Julianna Timmerman & Arianna Huhn & 3 Grandchildren
Arthur Oberman - Carlsbad, CA 04/03/1934 - 11/02/2017 Survivors: Wife - Reba Oberman, Daughters - Cindy Schwedock, Judy Alterman & Laura Schaffroth & Son - David Oberman
Elda Bejar - Chula Vista, CA 09/29/1925 - 11/06/2017 Survivors: Daughters - Lucie & Suzy Bejar , Son - Carlos Bejar , 11 Grandchildren & 32 Great Grandchildren
Rachel Foss - San Diego, CA 01/03/1959 - 11/20/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Laura Foss
Otto Feld - Spring Valley, CA 10/19/1930 - 11/02/2017 Survivors: Sons - David & Andy Feld
Sheldon Greenberg - San Diego, CA 08/03/1927 - 11/07/2017 Survivors: Daughters - Share Hyman & Judy Demere & Son - Howard Greenberg
Patty Yurman - San Diego , CA 07/23/1959 - 10/31/2017 Survivors: Husband - Andrew Yurman, Daughter - Dana Yurman & Son - Aaron Yurman Emma Albinskaya - La Mesa, CA 05/26/1940 - 10/31/2017 Survivors: Husband - Isaac Brodskiy & Daughters - Margarita Brodskaya & Maria Gorelik Isaac Berlin - San Clemente, CA 11/09/1940 - 10/30/2017 Survivors: Wife - From Berlin
Steven Bernstein - San Diego, CA 01/26/1948 - 11/05/2017 Survivors: Sister - Helen Feitell Michael Honig - San Diego, CA 03/21/1944 - 11/05/2017 Survivors: Wife - Michelle Honig, Daughter - Laurie Honig Trial & 2 Grandchildren
Perla Abbo Bucay - Chula Vista, CA 06/08/1933 - 11/23/2017 Survivors: Sons - Albert & Samuel Amos
William Canty - El Cajon, CA 11/09/1971 - 11/02/2017 Survivors: Sister - Bari Canty - Hogue Freda Heller - San Diego, CA 11/03/1918 - 11/22/2017 Survivors: Son - Jonathan Heller
Mauricio Rubinstein - San Diego, CA 10/16/1919 - 11/23/2017 Survivors: Wife - Sofia Rubinstein & Daughters - Daniel & Michel Rubinstein Leopoldo Norten Roland - La Jolla, CA 11/30/1915 - 11/23/2017 Survivors: Daughter - Miriam Norten & Son - Enrique Norten
Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 83
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Adar • Nisan 5778 | SDJewishJournal.com 85
“Sumptuous and triumphant” – San Diego Union-Tribune
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