EDUCATE Jewish Education in San Diego

FEBRUARY 2020

GO LONG! American Football comes to Israel

INSTILLING A LOVE FOR ISRAEL at 20 birthright

EXAMINING JEWISH IDENTITY BIRTHRIGHT'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Birthright participants hike up Masada, Israeli flag in hand. Credit: Birthright Israel.

education

SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY STUDENTS GIVE BACK By Rachel Stern

According to the objective of repairing the world, or Tikkun Olam, we should try and make the world a better and happier place by giving back in any way that we can. This is just what students at the San Diego Jewish Academy did this past Chanukah. Through their fundraising efforts, $7,168 was raised by San Diego

Jewish Academy families, faculty members, and donations from the Weisman and Chortek families for the Tamchui project.

The goal of this remarkable project, part of the Michan and Krongold family Tikkun Olam program was to “teach students in depth about tzedakah.” Karin Zell and Jacky Shapiro, who are co

AMERICAN FOOTBALL IN ISRAEL

'YOUNG CHAMPIONS' TEACH DISCIPLINE AND TEAMWORK THROUGH THE SPORT BY ELIANA RUDEE | JNS.ORG

Peter Yarrow: Live in San Diego

Folk legend Peter Yarrow of 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary will visit San Diego to perform live this month.

Yarrow, a lifelong friend of Linda Carroll, Psychotherapist and board certified life coach, will be in La Jolla on February 28 to entertain. All proceeds will benefit Carol and her daughter’s charity foundations, Little Mercies and Just One at a Time.

Tickets are $175 each, and attendees are encouraged to bring a donation of new underwear, school and art supplies, or hygiene products to be delivered to shelters in the Tijuana area. Tickets may be purchased at www.justoneatatime. org/concert.html. For questions, email lindacarroll44@gmail.com. The exact location of the concert will be sent to attendees upon registration.

We're All Dreamers It has been a busy six months for 68-year-old San Diego playwright Jonathan Rosenberg. In August, he and his writing partner, Brad Ross, wrote and co-produced the World Premiere musical, 33 1/3 – House of Dreams, which ended up being the highest grossing and best-attended musical in the San Diego Repertory Theater’s 44 year history, bringing with it seven San Diego Critics Circle nominations. He is currently in Phoenix, Ariz., preparing for his second world premiere musical, Americano, at the Phoenix Theatre, the centerpiece of their 100th season. The musical is based on the life of Tony Valdovinos, a DREAMer who arrived in Phoenix at age two, only to find out that he was not a citizen when he went to enlist in the Marines. Americano, which runs from January 29 through February 23, has a book co-written by Jonathan and Phoenix Theatre Artistic Director Michael Barnard. International recording artist Carrie Rodriguez has composed the music with musical arrangements from Sergio Mendoza (Orkesta Mendoza, Calexico). Jonathan actually first heard Carrie perform at The Belly Up in Solana Beach, and knew Carrie had to be involved with this project. Michael and Jonathan also collaborated on the lyrics, which are incredibly meaningful and memorable. Rosenberg’s Havurah and other members from Temple Adat Shalom have supported him throughout, with some members planning a road trip to Phoenix in February to see Americano.

High School Student Plays Lead Role

West Hills High School freshman, Levi Laddon, is no stranger to the stage. He has performed in dozens of professional productions at the Old Globe Theatre, Coronado Playhouse, and Young Actors Theatre. Now, he’s about to take on his toughest role yet, a lead in gUnTOPIA, a dark comedy that satirizes the normalization of gun violence.

Playwright Will Cooper’s world premiere, gUnTOPIA introduces audiences to a Leave It to Beaver-style America where gun ownership is universal and shooting deaths are no more bothersome than a parking ticket. A child is shot and no one seems to care. It’s totally normal. The notion is absurd – or is it?

Laddon plays Bobby Nelson, a young boy who accidentally shoots his sister and feels no remorse whatsoever because he is living in a world where gun violence is just a normal part of life. More shocking, Bobby’s parent accept the news with barely a shrug.

Laddon is up for the challenge of this complex role and issue. “I’m so excited to have this incredible opportunity to be able to work with such a talented cast and creative team on a play that is so important, especially in light of current events,” says the 14-year-old actor. “As a young person in America, gun violence issues are very prevalent in my life due to recent school shootings. I hope that this play will leave audiences more educated and aware of the crisis our country is going through.”

Raising awareness and sparking conversation about gun violence played a great role in The Roustabout Theatre Co. choosing to produce gUnTOPIA. “It was important for us to tackle this issue because gun violence impacts the majority of Americans at some point in their lives,” says Roustabouts founding member, Phil Johnson. gUnTOPIAperformances will take place at MOXIE Theatre at 6663 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego 92115. Previews begin Sunday, March 8. Opening Night is on Friday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at www.theroustabouts.org.

mazel & mishagoss

That Time I Started a Jewish Women's Support Group

How hard could it be? Set some folding chairs in a circle in my living room, put out some grapes, and throw out a topic. Voilà …instant friendships! I put a post online in San Diego Meet-Up Groups that said, “Starting a Jewish Women’s group. I worry a lot so I was thinking of calling it WWW (Women Who Worry!) but we can tweak when you get here.”

The first two comments came from women who worried they didn’t know how to “twerk.” I reread my post and realized autocorrect took some liberties with the word “tweak.” The next remark was also interesting. “Will this be for Jewish women who worry incessantly and want to stop? Or for Jewish women who worry they don’t worry as much as they should?” And the comment after that: “Jewish women don’t have the Monopoly on negative emotions, ya know! I own Boardwalk where the rent is high with Guilt. And Park Place, which also charges a lot of Shame.” What the heck? Followed by this: “How about a women’s group that plays fun board games? I’m tired of Mahjong and it’ll take our minds off worrying.” And then this: “Can we call it, ‘Women Who Worry Too Much AND the Men Who Put Up With Them’ so we also meet interesting guys?” And naturally this followed: “I won’t show up if males attend because then I can’t wear yoga pants.”

Frustrated, I posted my address with a date/ time and figured I’d deal with these Jewish women in person. The day arrived and things were fine in the beginning as everyone filed in, but I wondered if I should’ve asked them to wear their Star of David necklaces, otherwise how would I know we were all Jewish? I guess it didn’t really matter. Suddenly a stressed-out mother dashed in bluntly asking, “So where is your childcare?” Stunned, I said – “Uh well if we pitch in say $2, I suppose my eldest daughter could babysit for an hour upstairs.” Another woman immediately asked, “If we pitch in $10, do you suppose you could hire a housekeeper to clean this pigpen up and serve deli trays instead of grapes because I have IBS?” Yep, these women were all Jewish! After more bickering and debating, one woman claiming to be a licensed therapist suggested we turn our chairs toward the wall and sit facing away from one another to meditate instead. After they left, I was exhausted but couldn’t sleep that night. I toyed with starting another support group for women with insomnia. But how could that work? We’d be too tired during the day from being awake all night. And in the evenings, we’d be trying to meditate to help ourselves fall asleep. I began to worry we’d never find a mutually convenient time. To distract myself, I read slips of paper women had left in my suggestion box. Mostly they were filled with ideas for new ideas for groups. “Women Who Are Authentic and Mindful” and “Women Who Dislike Using Words Like Authentic & Mindful” and “Women Who Are Mean To Other Women at Support Groups” and “Women With Teenagers” and “Women Who Want to Trade Teenagers” and “Older Jewish Woman Who are Still Hip” and “Middle-Aged Jewish Woman Who Dislike Their Hips.”

At the next group, I announced our new name to encompass everything anyone had in mind. “Dysfunctional Households.” Immediately someone asked, “Women Who Grew Up in a Dysfunctional Household?” or “Women Who Create their Own Dysfunctional Household?” Then a man showed up and asked if this was the Jewish support group where women are twerking?” and five women (wearing yoga pants) immediately ran out. Any future support groups I decide to start will simply be named, “Oy Vey.”

STEPHANIE D. LEWIS CAN BE FOUND ON THE HUFFINGTON POST AND AT ONCEUPONYOURPRIME.COM.