L'Chaim Magazine March 2024

RIDING LIFE'S WAVES the sage surfer &

With over 2 decades of Real Estate expertise, Kris Gelbart is no stranger to today’s ever changing market.  With countless awards, recognitions, and certifications, Kris is your one-stop-shop for everything Real Estate.

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prayers & passages

Sensing God's Presence

Last week I had what my husband, Dan, refers to as a “There Must Be a God” moment. I was meeting someone for at a coffee shop and sat at the last available outdoor table. I preferred to sit outside in the fresh air and wanted to alert my companion in case he had already arrived and was waiting inside, only to realize that I had forgotten my phone at home. I thought, “If only someone I knew could hold this table for me while I look inside.” As if by magic, within less than a minute, two of my congregants miraculously appeared right in front of me and were able to save my table.

You have probably experienced something similar in your own lives. You may call these moments coincidences or flukes. I like to think of them as reminders that God is present in the world even if we cannot actually see the Divine in physical form (nor should we, according to our tradition). In Judaism, there is no iconography or concrete symbols for us to worship. Ours is a religion based completely on faith.

In the Torah, God spoke directly (or through dreams) to our ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, etc. In later books of the Hebrew Bible, God spoke to the prophets:

Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. As the Israelites trekked through the desert for 40 years, they depended on the tangible signs of God’s presence: a pillar of smoke that guided them by day and the fire that provided light at night. Yet even with these constant signs, the Israelites still repeatedly felt frightened and insecure about God’s protection during their wanderings.

For example, in the Torah portion Ki Tisa, we learn that the Israelites panicked when Moses (who had told them he would be gone for 40 days and 40 nights to receive the Torah from God) failed to return from the top of Mt. Sinai on the appointed day. Unwilling to wait until the end of the 40th day, they rebelled, insisting that Aaron (Moses’ brother) provide them with something else to worship, resulting in the golden calf.

Why did the Israelites abandon God despite the myriad of recent miracles, such as the plagues on the Egyptians, their fantastic escape from Egypt, or the miraculous parting of the Red Sea? How quickly all these miracles were forgotten in their rush to find a substitute god-symbol in an inanimate golden calf! Was their memory that short? Is ours?

As human beings, we often seek some sort of reassurance of God’s presence in our lives. We do not worship an object, so there is nothing tangible to which we pray. Our faith in God and belief that God watches over us is internal, emanating from a place deep within our soul. When something good happens to us, we may praise and thank God. When something bad happens, we may feel that God has abandoned us.

In looking for explanations of why certain things happen, we may seek concrete manifestations of God’s presence. We need only look at the beauty of nature, see the smile on an infant’s face, or feel the comfort provided by a beloved pet on our lap to appreciate the miraculous in our daily lives. These moments may not provide the exact answers we seek in trying to understand the profound challenges we face at certain points in our lives. But somehow these aweinspiring experiences offer us a glimpse of God in action, a reminder of God’s presence.

RABBI-CANTOR CHERI WEISS IS THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF TEMPLE EMANUEL IN HONOLULU, HAWAII.

random rants

Bonds

Ionce believed I possessed the intellect to pursue a medical career in some dystopian past; fortunately, I awakened to the realization that organic chemistry wasn’t my forte. Amidst the turmoil of making lifealtering decisions as a young 20-year-old, I recall delving into the concept of bonds. From chemical to molecular to emotional, our entire universe is woven from bonds. These tether our atoms to other atoms, bind bones to muscles, and connect humans to one another. Bonds.

As I sit here, I ponder how perilously close we teetered toward severing robust emotional bonds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children found themselves isolated from schoolmates; adults distanced from coworkers. Like most of you, I too felt this sense of detachment. While the pandemic drew my immediate family remarkably closer, I couldn’t help but wonder about the relationships I had forged before its onset. What about friends? As I delved deeper into the labyrinth of bonds, I contemplated the titanium-strong connections I possess today. Apart from the inherent familial bonds, only one group came to mind.

The past casts I’ve had the privilege of sharing a stage with.

It’s astounding how actors forge bonds under the spotlight. I’ve had the honor of gracing local stages, both big and small. Yet, one constant prevails: the indomitable bonds formed among actors. I still receive messages from former castmates, and inevitably, we engage in hour-long conversations reminiscing about our shared experiences, our lives, and our aspirations for the future.

Just the other night, I ventured out with members of a cast from a production that tackled the challenging subject of mass shootings. It was palpable how strong our bonds were as we concluded the evening at a new karaoke bar, The Gaslamplighter, belting out Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Sublime’s “Caress Me Down.” Observers at the bar could discern:

A. We love attention.

B. We really yearn for attention.

C. We cherish spending time together.

Isn’t that the essence of basic human relationships? We form bonds with fellow members of society, aligning ourselves with tribes of individuals whom we simply delight in spending time with. Some find these bonds in sports, others in academia, some in the workplace. However, the paramount lesson I’ve gleaned is that regardless of where

or with whom you establish bonds, relish them, nurture them, and always remember that bonds may fray with the passage of time.

Such bonds are frequently discovered onstage when a cast shares a harmonious camaraderie. Fortunately, the quaint theater where I discovered my cherished “News Crew” bond has just announced its 40th season. Onstage Playhouse is one of the few remaining local theaters dedicated to producing daring and thought-provoking works. Seeing a show here is a contribution toward sustaining local art and ensuring its vitality, reaffirming how live theater fortifies the emotional bonds we, as a collective, share when we gather in a room and behold the magic unfolding under the glow of the stage lights.

SALOMÓN MAYA IS A LOCAL EMMY-WINNER, ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT. FOLLOW HIM ON X @SALOMAYA OR EMAIL HIM AT SALOMONM@LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM.

SINGING & SHARING a variety of traditional Jewish music

We welcome new members!

Email Rita for more info: rheller8@gmail.com

1000 WORDS

ISRAEL'S CYBER SENTINEL HILLEL FULD

About 250,000 accounts follow Hillel Fuld across his social media, making him quite a sought-after figure. Nonetheless, the vocal Zionist and evangelist for the Israeli technology sector appears to have found a way to remain grounded. He often posts photos of himself—his tefillin peeking out from under the maroon atarah, or collar, of his tallis—noting that his first meeting of the day is with “the CEO.”

Since Oct. 7, Fuld has shifted gears dramatically. He previously consulted with major technology companies, including Google and Oracle. In 2016, Forbes called him “the man helping transform Startup Nation into Scale-up Nation.” Now he has a strong focus on fighting lies about Israel and Jews on social media.

“I’m not on anyone’s payroll,” Fuld said over the phone and on Zoom from his home in Israel, of his new job. “For the most part, it has sustained itself because people are very helpful. I’m all in on this. I’m not touching tech right now.”

Fuld said that he has help—from people he declined to name—with his fact-checking of anti-Israel posts. When media outlets reported widely on Oct. 18 that Israel had struck Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, Fuld quickly dispelled the rumors, getting “millions of hits” and, he said, playing a part in countering Hamas’s narrative.

Fuld said that he sees part of his mission as spreading hope and optimism.

“We are all devastated and in mourning. We could use any optimism we can get,” he said. “Inspiring stories and things like that. Those are the things I’m focused on.” (Fuld and his family know about mourning; a terrorist murdered his older brother, Ari Fuld, at Gush Etzion Junction in 2018.)

Hillel Fuld has thought deliberately about whom he wants to reach—and whom he doesn’t—on social media.

He said he isn’t too concerned by the “crazies”—the “Heil Hitler folks, as he quips—because “I’m not going to get through to them.”

“We are all devastated and in mourning. We could use any optimism we can get,” Fuld said.

Those who are already pro-Israel are already convinced but “need reinforcement and strengthening and ammunition,” he said. “More accurate information [and] the ability to debunk lies and answer questions.”

He also knows that he has followers who are critics of the Jewish state but who have integrity, and “are willing to hear, listen and see the other side.”

“They need that information, and they need to know that the side that hates Israel is feeding them propaganda,” he said.

Fuld said that although he’s not one to give up on things (or people), he has pretty much written off Generation Z, those who were born between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s.

“When a person with no guilty conscience and no hesitation shares things that are just absolutely insane with zero basis in reality, how do you debate that?” he posed. “When someone says Israel is harvesting

organs and drinking Palestinian blood, how do you explain to them that Israel is a democracy and a diverse country? We aren’t talking the same language.”

With infinite resources, he would try to convince each member of Gen Z. “But it’s always an issue of limited resources,” he said. “I don’t have much hope to be totally honest with you.”

The disappointment with Gen Z isn’t restricted to just Israel. Fuld noted that many have praised Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden on TikTok. “I don’t know that there is any hope for the people who believe that bin Laden is a righteous man,” Fuld said.

But then the optimism kicks in. Besides writing checks for Israel or attending rallies, Fuld thinks that being a truth ambassador—with colleagues, friends or on social media—is a good step.

“Everyone can do something,” he said. “One of the biggest misconceptions about social media is that I’m in my echo chamber. I’m talking, but who is following me on Facebook? People who already agree with me? But it’s just not true.”

When someone shares something that Fuld shared on social media, the other person’s followers see it, too. “I’m out of my echo chamber,” he said. “I don’t have access to those people. People should not

underestimate their ability to impact and influence people.”

Everyone can use their abilities to influence others, he thinks. “It’s important that everyone should use their platform,” he said.

And then, in the ultimate optimism, he echoed Rabbi Akiva’s laughter—as his colleagues wept—upon seeing a fox emerge from the inner sanctum of the Temple in Jerusalem. Just as the rabbi figured that the fulfillment of sad prophecies foretelling the desecration of the Temple Mount suggested that happy prophecies would come true as well, Fuld looks to small miracles, like rockets falling in empty places or being neutralized by the Iron Dome air-defense system.

“I try to remind people that we will dance again,” he said. “That’s my message for people that I speak to.”

RIDING LIFE'S WAVES

SHAUN TOMSON AND LESSONS LEARNED WHILE SURFING

From the age of nine, Shaun Tomson has matriculated in the school of surfing and never looked back. A former World Surfing Champion, he has achieved the distinction as one of the 16 greatest surfers of all time, (Surfing 2004.)

As one of the 25 most influential surfers of the century, (Surfer, 1999) and winning 19 major pro events, Shaun created a unique technique for riding in the tube adopted by surfers everywhere. Utilizing surfing as a metaphor for riding the waves in life, Shaun held a tremendous impact for those globally.

Shaun has been inducted into the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame (1977), the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1998), the South African Sports Hall of Fame (1977), and received the SIMA Environmentalist of the year Award (2002) and the Surfrider Lifetime Achievement Award (2009.)

Raised in Durban, South Africa in a Jewish family, Shaun grew up close to his parents and siblings. His father, Ernie, (Chony) Tomson a world class swimmer with a goal to compete in the Olympics survived a brutal shark attack, rendering his right arm useless. His life’s purpose became mentoring Shaun and many other young surfers.

Through all of his accolades and achievements, Shaun has remained one of the most generous and humble individuals I have met. His superpower could be described as connecting people on a cellular level, raising consciousness through public speaking and leadership training.

Following the October 7 acctacks on Israel, Shaun traveled to Israel to offer support solidarity and hope. Asked to come to Israel by Omer Levy from Shabbat Surf Club and Arthur Rashkovan from a company called Klinika, Shaun says the group wanted to use Shabbat to bring people together and shine a light around the world.

“We wanted to use this beautiful ceremony as a way to bring people across the world together, to create more understanding, empathy and engagement,” he says.

In Israel, Shaun participated in a memorial paddle out for 26 surfers that were killed during the terrorist attacks. Prior to his departure, he wrote a post that went viral, writing in part, “I grew up Jewish, secular, semi-observant. I had a bar mitzvah and went to a Jewish high school, but religion was not at the core of my being. Since the barbaric slaughter of innocents by Hamas and its allies on 7th October 2023 and the explosion of antisemitism across the world, my relationship with my religion and Israel has changed…I am now no longer Jewish.

I am a Jew. I am a proud Jew and I stand against the hatred of antisemitism. I hope you will join in this existential struggle against evil. In today’s divided, troubled and turbulent world

“We wanted to use this beautiful [shabbat] ceremony as a way to bring people across the world together, to create more understanding, empathy and engagement,” Shaun says.

how you use your power of influence is your fundamental choice. On which side of the moral divide do you make your stand? I know that Shabbat can bring people together and the lights of the candles represent the light of hope.”

Currently rated #1 on Amazon, his most recent book “The Surfer and The Sage,” offers a plethora of information utilizing a method including polarities for each chapter such as “Pessimism and Optimism,” “Anxious and Calm,” and “Despair and Hope.” A small yet empowering book, including multiple beautiful surfing photographs there is something for everyone regarding how to face life’s challenges utilizing surfing as a metaphor.

Shaun has a powerful way of describing visceral and often ethereal experiences in nature and surfing, translating them into practical language utilizing the power of the pen though a book entitled “The Power of I Will–The Code.”

With 18 chapters in the book a magical number in Judaism as the number 18 represents good luck, symbolically giving the recipient the gift of “life.” Multiples of 18 are often gifted in dollars when donating to a charity , wedding or Bar Mitzvah.

Some of Shaun’s “I Will” statements include: “I will never turn my back on the ocean.” “I will take the drop with commitment.”

“I will watch out for other surfers.” And his mantra, “I will always paddle back out.”

An excerpt from another book, “Surfers Code: Twelve Simple

Lessons For Riding Life’s waves.”: “I will realize that all surfers are joined by one ocean: Empathy. I will honor the sport of kings: Honor and integrity.”

“The Code” is a simple sheet in which an individual writes 12 lines beginning with “I Will,” such as “I will become more spiritual,” “I will complete a Masters degree, or “I will become more focused on creativity.” Each person’s “I will” sheet is individual and unique, creating commitment and inspiration.

“Sometimes all you need to turnhope into action is to write your promises down and say them out loud – to make a promise to no one but yourself. This book is about many things—faith, courage, creativity, determination— but above all it’s about the promises we make to ourselves about the future,” Shared Shaun.

“Commitments” are what Shaun calls these lines, not “Commandments,” as his mission is to assist individuals activate their own personal Code, living a more purposeful life. As each individual writes their “I Will” statements, one sentence from each person is written on a board in front of the room as people share and collaborate on their statements.

Tragedy struck during 2006 when Shaun’s 15 year old son Mathew died as a result of a choking accident he played using a tie. Shaun believed he would never surf again and while at the beach in South Africa, his friend shared he had a message from Mathew that he was o.k. and sorry for making such a mistake. Instantaneously, a bolt of lightening hit the hospital behind them, serving as a sign that life must go on and Shaun would surf again.

Prior to his passing, Mathew shared as part of an essay on surfing,

“The light shines ahead.” This helped Shaun to survive during this most devastating time.

As he speaks to youth groups, he emphasizes how when faced with a critical decision such as being presented with drugs or dangerous stunts to stake a step back for a moment and think, “Is this a good idea?”

A keynote speaker internationally to groups including Disney, General Motors, Cisco, Price Waterhouse, Google, and The Gap, he inspires those in prisons, universities and non profits as well. Shaun has received letters of praise and gratitude even from those who are incarcerating sharing how impactful this program has become in changing their lives.

Shaun produced and co-wrote the award winning documentary film “Bustin down the Door,” a dramatic story of how a group of young Australians and South Africans created professional surfing, building a multi-billion dollar industry.

He is a board member of Surfrider Foundation an the Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club in addition to a Business finance graduate of the University of Natal, Shaun has created 2 popular apparel brands with his wife Carla, “Instinct” and “Solitude.” They reside in Santa Barbara with their 13-year-old son, Luke.

With surfers and many others stoked means “pumped, extremely happy or excited.” This also refers to excitement or enthusiasm. Shaun continues to share his “stoke” wherever he goes. He received the Boys to Men’s Community Hero Award for 9 years of sharing his stoke and raising funds for the San Diego community in 2023.

What is your stoke and how can you share it with others?

LEARN MORE ABOUT SHAUN TOMSON AT HTTPS://SHAUNTOMSON.COM.

TEST YOUR JEWISH IQTM

1. Which Jewish organized-crime figure rounded up his tough associates and for more than a year in the late 1930’s went around New York disrupting Nazi meetings, breaking bones and cracking skulls, while reluctantly refraining from killing any Nazis?

____ a. Bugsy Siegel

____ b. Meyer Lansky

____ c. Dutch Schultz

____ d. Benny “the Nose” Friedman

2. How tall was Goliath?

____ a. 4 cubits & 1 span (7–9 feet)

____ b. 6 cubits & 1 span (10–13 feet)

____ c. 8 cubits & 1 span (13–17 feet)

____ d. 10 cubits & 1 span (16–21 feet)

3. When Tamar realized that Judah was not going to allow his son Shelah to marry her, as Judah had promised years earlier, what did Tamar do?

____ a. Took Judah to the elders, who forced the marriage

____ b. Killed Shelah & ran away ____ c. Broke the betrothal and married Shelah’s cousin, Kehat ____ d. Disguised herself as a prostitute and lured Judah to impregnate her

4. Irving Stone, the patron of the Stone Edition of the ArtScroll Chumash, one of the world’s most popular translations of the Torah, made his fortune through which company?

____ a. American Greetings Corp.

____ b. Empire Kosher

____ c. Agriprocessors

____ d. Publishers Clearing House

5. Which wealthy Jew furiously cut off all ties with his daughter when she married a penniless and illiterate shepherd, and later fell at the feet of his son-in-law and turned over half his wealth when his son-in-law returned, escorted

by 24,000 disciples?

____ a. Rabbi Akiva

____ b. Ben Kalba Sabuah

____ c. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurcanus

____ d. Nachum Ish Gamzu

6. The Jewish actor Zero Mostel (1915 – 1977) was best known for his portrayal on stage of which character?

____ a. Tevye

____ b. Abe Greenberg

____ c. Boots Mullins

____ d. Hecky Brown

7. When the Gemara identifies someone simply by the title “Rabbi,” without giving a name, to which Jew is the Gemara referring?

____ a. Moses

____ b. Shimon ben Gamliel II

____ c. Yehuda HaNasi

____ d. Shimon bar Yochai

8. Which of these Jewish authors did not write a classic book about his experiences surviving Nazi death camps?

____ a. Primo Levi

____ b. Bernard Malamud

____ c. Viktor Frankl

____ d. Elie Wiesel

9. Not counting concubines, how many wives did King Solomon have?

____ a. 7

____ b. 70

____ c. 700

____ d. 7,000

10. Which of these non-Jewish stars was a strong supporter and activist for Jewish causes in the U.S. and Israel?

____ a. John Wayne

____ b. Jimmy Stewart

____ c. Frank Sinatra

____ d. Clark Gable

Answers on page 29.

TOMATO CUAJADO

BY THE SEPHARDIC SPICE GIRLS

Acuajado (pronounced qua’shado) is sort of a creamy, veggie-filled crustless quiche.

A centerpiece of the Eastern Mediterranean Sephardic kitchen, tomato cuajado has a wonderfully intense flavor and a comforting mouth feel. A nutritious dish that is easy to prepare ahead of time, cuajado is festive and sure to please your guests.

TOMATO CUAJADO

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

5 medium tomatoes, diced

3 14oz cans diced tomatoes, strained

1 teaspoon sugar

9 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 thick slices of challah (cut into bite size pieces) *Note: For Passover, replace with 2 cups matzahfarfel

1 8oz container feta cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (optional)

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 egg, whisked for egg wash

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. In a saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and sugar and simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the challah, Parmesan, Romano and Feta

A nutritious dish that is easy to prepare ahead of time, cuajado is festive and sure to please your guests.

cheeses, tomatoes and parsley.

5. Gently combine all the ingredients.

6. Grease an ovenproof dish with remaining olive oil and heat dish in the oven for 10 minutes. Pour the egg and tomato mixture into the warm dish.

7. Spread the egg wash on top of the mixture.

8. Place cuajado on the middle rack of the oven. Bake 30-40 minutes, until cuajado is golden brown on top and firm in the center.

Notes

Warming the baking dish in the oven guarantees a crunchy crust. Cuajado leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week, and reheated in an oven warmed to 350°F.

THE SEPHARDIC SPICE GIRLS, SHARON GOMPERTS AND RACHEL EMQUIES SHEFF, HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. THE SEPHARDIC SPICE GIRLS PROJECT HAS GROWN FROM THEIR COLLABORATION ON EVENTS FOR THE SEPHARDIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER IN JERUSALEM.

VISIT SEPHARDICSPICEGIRLS.COM TO SEE MORE OF THEIR SEPHARDIC RECIPES WITH A MODERN TWIST!

SHARSHERET: THE JEWISH BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCER COMMUNITY IS A NATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL GENETIC AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, FINANCIAL SUBSIDIES, AND LIFESAVING EDUCATION TO WOMEN, MEN AND FAMILIES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS FACING BREAST CANCER, OVARIAN CANCER, OR AT ELEVATED HEREDITARY RISK. VISIT SHARSHERET.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.

OPERATION SWORDS OF IRON

SAN DIEGO FIREFIGHTER VISITS ISRAEL AT WAR

In September 2023, Dana Ben Kaplan was contacted by the Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP) for a firefighter training deployment to Israel in October. He had participated in these events for several years after retiring from the Santee Fire Department. This deployment in October 2023 would be different.

This is Dana’s story.

I arrived in Israel Friday night, October 6, giving me a day before the deployment’s start date (Sunday) to spend time in Tel Aviv. The next morning, around 6:30 a.m., I heard what I thought was a fire engine siren. Strange, though, it wasn’t getting any closer, or farther. Then I heard a “whoosh,” followed by the loudest explosion I’d ever heard, shaking my building. It was a Hamas terrorist rocket hitting a nearby structure.

I’ve been through military Krav Maga training overseas, with rifle fire (blanks) all over a “battlefield,” but this was a different kind of loud. I WhatsApped the customer service for my Airbnb and asked where the safe room was. They replied, “Oh, no! There’s no bomb

shelter in the building.”

I was impatient, and ready to get to my fire station, any station. But everything was in chaos; only two other firefighters on this team made it to Israel before all the non-El Al flights were cancelled, and the three of us were told to stand by.

The terrorists knew it was the morning after the all-night Supernova music festival in the south. Fliers for the festival had been brought back to Gaza and were found with terrorists. Civilian Palestinian invaders who had permits to cross into Israel each day to work in the kibbutzim had drawn detailed maps of their Jewish “friends” homes. Sadly, trusted long-time Gazan workers had betrayed their peaceseeking, (mostly leftist) Jewish neighbors and friends. I later found out this was one of the many stories which U.S. and world media failed to tell. I guess it didn’t fit their narrative.

WEEK 1, OPERATION SWORDS OF IRON, NORTHERN ISRAEL

Finally, I was instructed to make my own way to the fire station where I would meet with three other American firefighters for our ride to a yet-to-be-determined station. For security reasons, even on

training deployments, we’re not told where we’ll be stationed until we get to the airport parking lot, nor are we allowed to tell people back home exactly where we are, or post pictures to social media while in Israel, until after the deployment ends. We were driven north to Nof HaGalil (formerly Nazerit Illit), a mostly Arabic area of Israel.

During the first day of that week-long deployment, Sunday, the day after the terrorist massacre in the south, I was in the parking lot when I heard gunfire, horns honking, fireworks, and yelling from cars driving by below the other side of the parking lot. I started walking over toward a few firefighters, asking them, “is it a wedding?” My mistake; they were local Arabs. “No. They’re celebrating.”

That night we were called to an outdoor fire, in a nearby mostlyMuslim village, Reina. Driving through the village on the way back, we passed a large outdoor party, with everyone dancing. It could have been a birthday celebration, but I didn’t think so. By the next day, as TV started to report on the extent of the massacre and some of the details of what the Palestinians of Gaza had done to their innocent victims, these celebrations seemed to end.

Within days, we were being routinely overflown by IAF F-35 stealth fighter jets as a show of force to Hezbollah in nearby Lebanon. Apparently, they didn’t get the message. Soon we were sent running

to our mamad, sometimes many times per shift (actually a synagogue in this station, built as the safe room). At the start of that week, there were only a few firefighters per crew carrying handguns. By the end of that first week, almost all were carrying a weapon.

All the Israeli TV stations I saw while I was there had switched to 24/7, no-commercial coverage of heartbreaking interviews of families whose loved ones were kidnapped or murdered, and unbelievable videos which terrorists had posted to social media of themselves committing rape, murder, mutilation, arson, and kidnapping. Five firefighters were murdered in the south on October 7. In a country with approximately 2,500 firefighters, a national fire department, and one fire academy, many of them knew a fellow-firefighter victim. I tried to imagine how that would impact us back home in the East County district of San Diego where I had worked. We were told quietly that the firefighters were not smiling as much as usual; not working out in the gym as a team, or cooking together as much. I could see that.

My two fellow American firefighters were scheduled to return to the U.S. at the end of that week, and I told EVP that there was no way I was going to leave the country now, and that I wanted to volunteer for a second deployment.

WEEK 2, OPERATION SWORDS OF IRON, CENTRAL ISRAEL

On Sunday, October 15, we said our goodbyes, and as our driver skirted the Shomron (Samaria) border, peaceful-looking Arab and Jewish villages were off the left. On our right, we passed low bed trailers with Israel’s awesome Merkava tanks, and roadside civilians cheering soldiers driving past. Everything was headed south. We all knew what is coming. It was surreal.

Later that week, we were responding to a common call—kipat barzel interception—and so told to wear “flaks and Kevlars.” We were inspecting the hole made in the roof and ceiling from a terrorist rocket (they’re steel, constructed from water pipes which Hamas has dug up) when a siren alerted us to more incoming rockets. We made the descent into the stairwell under the house¾there were too many of us to squeeze into their mamad.

Afterward, driving south on the highway, a local siren sounds, and all vehicles start pulling over. I saw the rockets in the air, and said, “that one looks like it’s heading right toward us.” We scrambled out of the engine, and jumped over one of the concrete barriers which were placed on the side of the highways. One rocket exploded right over us.

Later that month, with 21 U.S. firefighters staying at the National Fire Academy in Rishon LeZion, we toured some of the communities in the south. In Ashkelon, we viewed an apartment building which had been hit by a rocket. It didn’t seem real. The lead officer reminded us that if a red alert siren sounds, we should run away from buildings, fire engines, and cars, try to get behind a wall, and lay face down

with our hands over the back of our necks. For practice, he issued the command, and we scattered, hopping over a low wall. A few minutes later, right on cue, a real siren went off.

A senior firefighter in Ashkelon sacrificed his life jumping on a grenade saving two of his sons in his home. That story was relayed to me by an American firefighter from St. Louis who went with the crew of his station to visit the surviving wife and sons in the hospital. We had only been there a few minutes, paying our respects to the on-duty crew, when a siren went off, and we had to run downstairs to an underground mamad (quickly, as the amount of time that you have, in seconds, is of course shorter the closer you are to Gaza, and we were very close).

BACK IN SAN DIEGO

It’s taken me a while to decompress. I kept hearing sirens, here in La Jolla; really just vehicle engines accelerating. I’d look around to see which direction people were running to the shelter; they weren’t. I’d jump at the sound of an Iron Dome interception; just a door slamming or car backfiring.

I can’t imagine what it’s like for real soldiers to exit a real combat zone. My cousin and some friends were sent in to Gaza early in the war. I spend time, maybe too much, reading articles, listening to online briefings, talking on the phone to Israel. Months later, I am still keeping up, every day, praying for the destruction of the enemy, and rescue of the hostages. Am Yisrael Chai.

NEWS TO KNOW NOW

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

MORE TAU STUDENTS CALLED UP FOR RESERVE DUTY THAN STUDENTS FROM ANY OTHER ISRAELI UNIVERSITY

In the first months of the current war, 6,657 Tel Aviv University (TAU) students were called up for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), more than in any other Israeli university, including 2,228 women—34% of the total. Moreover, in January 2024, after most reserve soldiers had been discharged, 2,545 TAU students, including 755 women, remained in active service.

Of the female reservists, 481 were from the Faculty of Medicine, 394 from Engineering, 373 from Life and Exact Sciences, 308 from Social Sciences, 167 from Law, 100 from Humanities, 96 from Management, and the rest from other units.

“I was called up for reserve duty right after the war broke out and served as a researcher in the Ground Forces’ Learning Unit,” says Shir Shachar, 28, a master’s degree student at the Faculty of Medicine. “Our team included both men and women, and it was very exciting, with each of us contributing significantly to the common war effort. The commitment, dedication, and determination of all reservists in their tasks, whether in the field or behind the lines, are very important to success in combat. Only working together, with everyone doing all they can, can we win the war.”

Professor Neta Ziv, VP for Equity, Diversity, and Community at TAU, applauded the reservists on campus. “Indeed, women’s great contribution is apparent in all spheres of life: the military, the public, and of course the civic arenas,” she says. “TAU acknowledges and honors the contribution of female reservists and does everything in its power to help all students who served or are still serving in the reserves to successfully resume their studies in this challenging

academic year.”

According to the University, all students called up for reserve duty are entitled to a grant of 2,000-9,000 NIS ($544-$2,449 USD), based on their needs and the type and length of their service. The grants express TAU’s appreciation for their service, as well as the understanding that when these students return, they will need to concentrate on their studies, with little time left for work. Learn more at https://english.tau.ac.il/.

DOCUMENTING HISTORY THROUGH ART: AN EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF DAVID LABKOVSKI

As a high schooler in San Diego, Rebecca Leeman was motivated to bring the Los Angeles-based David Labkovski Project (DLP) to San Diego , believing it to be culturally and educationally significant. Showcasing the poignant and illustrative paintings of Lithuanian artist, David Labkovski, the exhibition aims to foster a better appreciation of Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust, and it tells the human story of why it is so important to combat hatred and prejudice and always foster hope and empathy.

Through this initiative, Torah High has partnered with the DLP and The Gotthelf Art Gallery at the Lawrence Family JCC to secure a gallery space and associated programming for the exhibition. Student docents have been recruited and trained to play a crucial role in leading viewers interactively through the exhibition and there is an adjacent interactive space set up to give visitors an opportunity to express their reflections after viewing the art. The exhibition is open to anyone in San Diego and is targeted at middle and high schools, congregations, organizations and groups of all backgrounds.

Through her involvement in this project, Rebecca has come to understand the critical importance of promoting education that builds tolerance and understanding in our community and beyond. The public is welcome to book a student-led docent tour on one of the dates over the two-month exhibition run at the JCC. All support and participation is invaluable as the students strive to make a positive impact in our community. Running through May 14. Learn more at https://davidlabkovskiproject.org/events/dlp-sdjcc-exhibit-2024.

mazel & mishagoss

What's in a Name?

At a baby naming last week, it dawned on me that I’ve never liked my own name. At a recent Jewish retreat, I impulsively scrawled “Rose” onto an adhesive name tag, slapping it onto my chest. Rose?! I’m not flowery or thorny! My great grandmother was named Rose. Could that be why I chose it? Someone asked if I was named for Rose Kennedy? Then a man did a Leonardo DiCaprio impression shouting, “I’m king of the world!” (I didn’t feel very Titanic-y or I would’ve asked him to draw me like one of his French girls!) But it was fascinating to see how many people treated me differently, based on a name. Within an hour I was yawning, evidently channeling “Briar Rose” from Sleeping Beauty. But I was excited at the prospect of becoming someone brand new each day! Here are my results of trying on names:

BERNADETTE

Guests crowded around me at the Chanukah party. (Might’ve been the platter of latkes I sat near?) They wanted to know if I could talk with an accent like Bernadette Peters. I ended up giving a few people legal advice after they twisted my arm and found out my closest friends had nicknamed me, “Bernie the Attorney.”

HARMONY

Strolling barefoot in the supplement section of Jimbos, three separate people (upon overhearing me answer my cell phone confidently saying, “Harmony! Here to Help!”) asked me to recommend an herb for more energy. Without hesitation I blurted out, “Vitameatavegamin!” I followed that up with, “It’s so tasty too. Just like candy. Honest!” Then I winked. There was no question in my

mind whose name I would use next.

LUCY

As a Lucy, I kept wanting to be in the sunlight so the reddish highlights in my dark hair might catch someone’s eye. But nobody noticed or laughed at anything I said or did. And nobody yelled, “Lucy, I’m home!” Frustrated after telling each stranger my name and asking, “Don’t you love Lucy?” I binged on a bunch of chocolates, stomped on a few grapes (no wine materialized) and decided to instead look for Charlie Brown to pretend to hold a football for him. This day had been a total bust. I fell asleep to Kenny Rogers crooning, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille” which offered slight consolation.

MARY

This was an odd pick for a nice Jewish girl. Although I was blessed by two different people as I sat in my new Doctor’s waiting room, in all fairness, I’d just sneezed. I also felt extremely cranky. When I grumbled at the nurse, she retorted, “Well if it isn’t Mary, Mary, quite contrary!” Needing to cheer myself up, I went outside and tossed my hat high up into the air, hoping to turn the world on with my smile. Nothing.

MINERVA

What possessed me, I’ll never know. I detest Harry Potter. At the park, several smarty pants kids harangued me. All sorts of questions about Hogwarts and Gryffindor and Muggles. In no time, the name Minerva had gotten on my last nerva! I immediately changed it to…

GRACE

I resisted the urge to pirouette and arabesque right there in the sandbox. From now on my

elegance and class would surely be self-evident. I told all the confused children that I’d catch them later, perhaps in a Royal Opera House and immediately went to high tea, where the waitress curtsied after I signed my name on the check. I might’ve inadvertently scrawled the word “Princess” before signing, “Grace.”

MIRABELLE

I dunno. I always wanted to have “Belle” as part of my name. Annabelle or Isabelle coulda worked, but Mirabelle just…well it just…rang a bell! I went to a new hair salon and wrote my name on the client log. When the stylist called, “Mirabelle” it took a minute before I realized that was me. “Ever go by Mira?” she asked. “That’s a super perky name!” Followed by, “Mira needs a pixie cut and some spiky bangs to go with her cute name!” Panicky, I exclaimed, “Uh, my name’s actually Stephanie!” She shook her head, laughing. “Sure it is.” So I tossed my long hair indignantly and proclaimed, “Stephanie needs to maintain her glamorous curly tresses,” The stylist cocked her head skeptically, whispering under her breath, “And maybe some credibility!” After insisting there’s no way I could pass for a Stephanie, she wielded her beautician’s shears menacingly. Looking wildly around the room for someone, (anyone!) to vouch for my identity, I spotted Danny from fifth grade. “Please tell this woman my real name,” I pleaded. I was never so relieved and grateful to be called, “Stuffy Stephy” and alas, my long curly hair was spared. Mira, indeed. Oy!

STEPHANIE D. GITTLEMAN WILL INJECT HUMOR INTO ANYTHING YOU HIRE HER TO WRITE. EMAIL HER AT THEQUOTEGAL@ YAHOO.COM.

Neustein and his cousin Aryeh Fishman (who made Aliyah from Denver in August 2023, son of Shira and David Fishman, grandson of Paul and Susie Fishman) at a BBQ for 800 IAF soldiers.

FEEDING THE FOCUS

HOW ONE DENVER ATTORNEY IS HELPING THE WAR

BY JEWISHCOLORADO

When JEWISHcolorado Board Member Hirsch Neustein moved to Tel Aviv last April, he could not have predicted how his life was about to change. An attorney with Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck, Neustein had planned to work remotely in Israel for up to a year, at the same time he explored opportunities in real estate.

On the morning of Simchat Torah, Neustein awakened to the sound of sirens and rockets. When his phone rang, it was a warning call from a friend who had recently retired from an elite IDF unit.

“He told me, ‘Lock your doors and do not go outside,’” Neustein says. “It was then that I knew this was not normal, not just another rocket attack.”

Since October 7, Neustein has spent the last few months flipping burgers and serving hundreds of soldiers at a time, often within earshot of rocket volleys. Now, he is hoping that his experiences will inspire the Colorado community to continue to support JEWISHcolorado’s Israel Emergency Fund and also to find other creative ways to help the war effort.

SERVING THE SOLDIERS

The war put a temporary halt to Neustein’s real estate networking. But another established network—the Jewish Federations of North America National Young Leadership Cabinet—served to connect him to a new mission. Neustein has been a member of Cabinet for several years. When Michael Mintz, a New York friend from Cabinet, came to Israel to volunteer, he got in touch with Neustein and the two joined a volunteer project that had been started by a group of Israeli general contractors and appraisers.

The real estate professionals found their businesses had come to a halt during the war, so they started doing barbecue dinners for active duty IDF units that included their friends and families. They called the project Pinukei Basar—“Meat Treats and Delicacies.” The idea caught on, and they began accommodating requests from other units in both the north and south of Israel. Before long, they were doing multiple barbecues a week, serving 400-500 soldiers at each meal— although they have served as many as 800 soldiers, some of whom may have spent 60 days in Gaza without a day off.

“When these volunteers started, they didn’t envision it would grow to what it has become,” Neustein says. “They just thought it was a good thing to do, and it has just taken off.”

In some cases, Neustein now finds himself on large military bases serving chicken and burgers. In other cases, he finds himself close to the front lines.

“You can literally feel the boom from artillery shells being fired nearby,” he says. “In Tel Aviv, when you get an alert of an incoming rocket attack, you have 90 seconds to seek shelter. In the north of Israel where Pinukei Basar has done several barbeques, when you get an alert, you take shelter immediately.”

DEMONSTRATING UNITY

The mood at the barbecues is celebratory. Speakers blast music, performers entertain, and sometimes the soldiers sing and dance. In some cases, the volunteers surprise the soldiers by bringing their mothers along.

The volunteers at the barbecues are mostly Israeli, but also include American olim (immigrants) and visitors, including Neustein’s father and uncle. Between the soldiers and the volunteers, the barbecues bring together a true cross section of Israeli society— from secular to religious, liberal to conservative, blue collar and white collar, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Druze.

“At one barbecue, the griller on my left was an oromaxillofacial surgeon and the griller on my right was an ocular plastic surgeon,” Neustein says. “Several of the other volunteers were construction workers. These barbecues are an incredible demonstration of achdut (unity) and Ahavat Yisrael (love of one’s fellow Jew).”

Pinukei Basar is led and staffed by volunteers and has been funded by the volunteers, but as the project has grown in scope, supporters have partnered with an Israeli nonprofit to raise funds to keep the barbecues going. All of the vegetables are donated by a family-owned farm located in central Israel. Each barbecue costs about $3,000 to serve 400-500 soldiers. Donations to the JEWISHcolorado Israel Emergency Fund will help sustain this project as it continues to build morale among IDF soldiers.

“The soldiers are unbelievably grateful and often call us heroes,” Neustein says. “To me, that sounds totally absurd especially because it is coming from the true heroes of this war.”

ANSWERS TO TEST YOUR JEWISH IQTM

1. b. Meyer Lansky, “the Mob’s Accountant,” said, “I was a Jew and I felt for those Jews in Europe who were suffering. They were my brothers.” Attacks by Jewish mobsters drastically reduced attendance at German Bund meetings.

2. b. 6 cubits and 1 span (10 – 13 feet). A cubit is 1.5 to 2 feet, and a span is half a cubit. In modern times, the tallest man was about 9 feet tall.

3. d. Tamar and Judah were the progenitors of the kings of Israel, including King David. According to Jacob’s prophecy, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah ... .”

4. a. Irving Stone helped turn a one-man card-jobbing business founded in 1906 by his father, Jacob Sapirstein, into American Greetings with its Creatacard business, the world’s second largest greeting-card producer behind Hallmark.

5. b. Ben Kalba Sabuah was the father-in-law of Rabbi Akiva.

6. a. Zero Mostel played all of these roles, but is best known for his creation of the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Later actors based their performances in part on his portrayal.

7. c. Yehuda HaNasi (Judah the Prince), ca. 135 – 217 C.E., was the chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah, the first compilation of the Oral Torah, upon which the Gemara is based.

8. b. Bernard Malamud, one of the most prominent Jewish American authors, did not begin writing seriously until hearing about the horrors of the Holocaust. Primo Levi wrote Survival in Auschwitz (If This is a Man); Viktor Frankl wrote Man’s Search for Meaning; Elie Wiesel wrote Night.

9. c. 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3), which some say is at least 699 wives too many.

10. c. Sinatra was “a lifelong sympathizer with Jewish causes.” He participated in Hollywood protests and productions supporting Jews during the Holocaust and the formation of the State of Israel. He actively fund-raised for Israel Bonds, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and helped establish two intercultural centers in Israel which bear his name.

0 – 2 Talmid/Talmida (Student)

3 – 5 Melamed/Melamedet (Teacher)

6 – 8 Talmid Chacham/Talmidat Chacham (Scholar)

9 – 10 Gaon/Gaona (Genius)

Your