L'Chaim Magazine Passover 2019 Issue

APRIL 2019

Kosher THE

QUEEN

Bringing awareness to JNF's mission in San Diego

PLUS Passover 2.0 Holocaust Remembrance

2

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

3

contents

10

April 2019 • www.lchaimmagazine.com

COVER STORY Queen of Kosher Jaime Geller partners with San Diego chapter of JNF to honor community, women and Israel..........................................................

14

1000 WORDS Broadway teen actor opens up about his Jewish heritage and the role of a lifetime.........................................................................................

FOOD Who says Passover needs to be bland? Elevate your dishes to "Passover 2.0".........

PASSOVER Clearing Chametz from our minds........................................................................................................

10

BROADWAY DEBUT

20

18

20 22

The great Passover divide: Eaters versus talkers.......................................................................

24 26 28 30

FEATURES Turn your smartphone into a medical diagnostics microscope..........................................

LIFE AFTER at The Old Globe..................................................................................................................

Righteous Among the Nations in San Diego................................................................................

German Schoolchildren Honor Young Holocaust Victims.....................................................

OUR TRIBE

MINDFUL SEDER

32

Community News and Events..................................................................................................................

COLUMNS

06 08

35 37

Torah: Of the Book...........................................

JewishMom.com........................................

Mazel and Mishagoss....................................

Guest Column.............................................

PUBLISHERS Diane Benaroya & Laurie Miller

Daniel Bortz, Donald H. Harrison, Steve Horn, Stephanie Lewis, Salomon Maya, Mimi Pollack, Sharon Rapoport, Eva Trieger, Deborah Vietor, Chana Jenny Weisberg

ADVERTISING & SALES Diane Benaroya (dianeb@lchaimmagazine.com), Sharon Buchsbaum (sharonbux@gmail.com) 4

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

ART DEPARTMENT lauriem@lchaimmagazine.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: calendar@lchaimmagazine.com

EDITORIAL editor@lchaimmagazine.com ADVERTISING dianeb@lchaimmagazine.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Laurie Miller CONTRIBUTORS

CHILD VICTIMS REMEMBERED

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO, LLC (858) 776-0550 San Diego, CA 92127

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alanna Maya

30

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS info@lchaimmagazine.com

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: www.lchaimmagazine.com/shop Copyright ©2019 L’Chaim San Diego LLC. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator” to: publisher@lchaimmagazine.com Published in San Diego, CA • www.lchaimmagazine.com



lchaimmagazine

 @lchaimmagazine

Find L’Chaim in your local:

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

5

TORAH l BY RABBI DANIEL BORTZ

of

the book Passover and True Freedom

D

o you ever have those moments where an idea hits you that completely changes the way you look at an entire subject? When learning about the events and stories of the Torah, many of us wonder how they relate to our lives today.

King David’s poems about escaping death at the hands of his many enemies is very moving, but in San Diego I personally don’t feel my life is in danger.

But years ago I learned a teaching of Rebbe Nachman on Psalms. He explains that the enemies that David is confronting and asking Divine assistance for are internal. Sure, King David needed help to survive human enemies, and every Torah story is describing a physical experience. But Torah’s wisdom is eternal. I now understand that every story and detail is happening within us, teaching us applicable lessons in every generation and location.

When we read Psalms, like King David we call out to G-d for help in our time of need, finding solace in our faith during intense struggles with darkness. We ask for help in defeating our internal enemies: Temptation, sadness, feeling lost, low self esteem, relationship trouble – nurturing our faith that we can and will overcome it all and

6

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

triumph.

On Passover, we commemorate the physical exodus from one land to another – via a splitting sea. Every detail also signifies an internal exodus from one state to another.

Egypt in Hebrew is “Mitzrayim” and the term for limitations is spelled the same: “Maytzarim.” During this holiday, especially the Seder, we have the power to tap into a special energy to leave our inner limits behind and become a higher version of ourselves.

This one time exodus from Egypt is a Jewish obsession. We recall it a minimum of three times every single day in our prayers.

When I won a sporting achievement, I may have gloated for a week … But not 3,300 years!

But now we can understand. This exodus from our inner Egypt into a promised land of potential is a daily struggle. It’s happening right now within each of us. We free Americans may be physically free, but we can still be enslaved inside to negative traits and mental restrictions.

What does being truly free mean to you?

Is it the ability to do whatever you want whenever you want? That can lead to good or just as easily to a life of fatal addiction.

Judaism says that real freedom is when

no temptation rules you, when you’re not enslaved to your first impulse. When people ask me if strict Shabbat observance feels restrictive, my initial logical impulse might be to say yes. But then I realize it’s the only time of my week without my eyes glued to my phone or computer (hey, I may be a Rabbi but I’m a millennial one). That’s the Jewish secret: Having an intentional structure creates freedom. Living a disciplined life with boundaries to what you let into your life allows your best self to excel, staying true to your beliefs.

Your inner mindset is more important than your physical situation. Let’s start working from within. Think of one thing that you feel is holding you back from realizing your potential and living a happy, fulfilled life.

This Passover, close your eyes and visualize what you’ll feel like once you’ve conquered that issue, what it’s like to be that ultimate version of yourself.

Wishing you a happy and healthy Passover of freedom!

DANIEL BORTZ, THE MILLENNIAL RABBI, IS THE FOUNDER OF JTEEN AND SOUL X. CONNECT AT: RABBIBORTZ.COM.

Therapeutic Skin Care

Rakefet Benderly, PH.D Clinical Psychologist North County (PSY 15064)

Permanent Hair Removal • Electrolysis • Fabulous Relaxing Facials • Microbrasion

SPECIALIZING IN: Depression & Anxiety, Grief & Loss, Assertiveness & Social Skills, Aging & Life Transitions, Self Improvement, Women’s Issues, Relationships & Stress Management

Lynn Connolly, R.E. 16766 Bernardo Center Dr., Ste. 209a San Diego 92128 Complimentary Consultation

858-337-8776

www.skincarebyLynn.com

Over 20 years experience.

10 Minute FREE Electrolysis Treatment

760.930.0886 Rakefetbenderly.com

The closeness of family and friends gathered together in thankful celebration. A special feeling. A special warmth.

Best wishes from all of us at Passover.

• • • • •

Personal Injury Product Liability Medical Malpractice ADA/Injury Law Insurance/Injury Law

• • • •

Civil Rights/Injury Law Discrimination Law Elder Abuse/Injury Law Mediation/Arbitration Services

Sandy Roseman, Richard Prager & Families, & the Law Offices of Charles S. Roseman & Associates Providing quality legal representation throughout California for over 47 years

1761 Hotel Circle S., Ste. 250 San Diego, CA 92108 (619) 544-1500 | csroseman@rosemanlaw.com WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

7

HUMOR | BY STEPHANIE LEWIS

mazel

& mishagoss Palatable Passover Poetry

P

assover is profound, meaningful, significant, and fantastically sublime, But that doesn't mean we can’t have a little fun in this column with rhyme!

Before you decide whose house to have Seder or purchase cutsie Plague kits you have to commit to your Kosher brand — will it be Streits or Manischewitz ?

Somebody suggests “Operation Zero Chametz” as a goal, but what’s the meaning?

With vacuuming, scrubbing, sweeping, selling bread — this isn’t just spring-cleaning!

And changing TV channels, looking for that movie, when we should just invest in… A DVD of The 10 Commandments starring that distinguished actor, Charlton Heston.

Decorating the table with props and symbolic foods takes an hour to set the stage. And then we all read from different haggadahs so nobody’s ever on the same page!

8

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

The smells of soup, gefilte fish, brisket, and macaroons permeating our noses, I don’t think they had all that food (plus horseradish!) back in the time of Moses!

Amazing feats abounded then — like the burning bush and parting of the sea so red but around my house, it’s a true miracle if someone wakes up and makes their bed.

Matzos everywhere — in soup, in chocolate, as a sandwich, and in scrambled eggs. I don’t know about you, but I vote it should be nominated for one of the ten plagues.

Dayenu is sung loudly (and with gusto!) until the embarrassing second and third verse Oy. “It is enough!” Next time I insist my family arrive early so we can rehearse!

And those four questions which are supposed to be asked by the youngest child.

One of the questions should be, “Can’t his mother stop him from behaving so wild?”

And why do I bother cleaning my house for company when it just gets destroyed? Every afikoman searcher tears apart drawers and cabinets like detectives employed!

Each year we put out Elijah’s cup and open the door as we sing and patiently wait. My theory is he’d put in an appearance if there were better desserts on his plate!

For all I’ve jested here, and my complaining (because I like to whine and kvetch!) The week of Pesach is my favorite time of year, especially when it’s the homestretch!

STEPHANIE D. LEWIS WRITES COMEDY FOR THE HUFFINGTON POST AND PENS A HUMOR COLUMN CALLED ONCE UPON YOUR PRIME ONLINE. SHE’S THE MOTHER OF SIX SO PLANNING PASSOVER EXHAUSTS HER, BUT SHE WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!

Wealth Management Investments Taxes Financial Planning

Let us help you move forward.

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

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

Contact us for a free portfolio review.

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

Legal Experts with Humanity

www.rowling.com

(619) 295-0200

Happy 75th Anniversary, Seacrest Village!

Seacrest Village Retirement Communities is celebrating 75 years of being a lifeline in the community. Whether you choose our vibrant beach paradise in Encinitas or our welcoming inland community in Rancho Bernardo, you are home.

We offer senior living, independent, assisted, memory support, adult day services and healthcare, all in the warmth and friendliness of a Jewish environment.

Come for a tour and celebrate with us!

seacrestvillage.org 760.632.0081

211 Saxony Road, Encinitas, CA 92024

858.485.0700

12730 Monte Vista Road, Poway, CA 92064

caring

•

compassion

•

commitment

Senior Living in the Jewish tradition WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

9

Poster of “Dear Evan Hansen.”

10

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

PHOTO CREDIT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

L’CHAIM | SHIRYN GHERMEZIAN | jns.org

L’CHAIM

1000

WORDS

BROADWAY ACTOR OPENS UP ABOUT HIS JEWISH HERITAGE AND THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME

I

f you were 16, and it was two days before you made your Broadway debut as the lead role in the Tony award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen you would likely be extremely nervous.

“It’s getting really, really close. I am very, very nervous,” Andrew Barth Feldman, a high school junior, said ahead of the auditions, “but also very excited. Really, really excited.

It’s going to be electric, and I can’t wait. I’m using [the nerves] as much as I can, especially with Evan, who is such a nervous person. It’s pretty easy to channel that energy into him.”

On January 30, the Jewish teenager took to the stage as the title character in Dear Evan Hansen a musical about a high school senior who has severe social anxiety that holds him back from connecting with people and making friends, which is all he really wants to do.

The Long Island resident describes his character, Evan Hansen, as somebody who feels very alone and “in the hyperconnectivity of social media. With that in the background, he’s finding it extraordinarily difficult to connect and that’s really all he wants — to be seen and to help others as much as he can, to be as seen and heard as possible.”

“I think every teenager at some point or usually at many points, if not all the time, feels that same need to connect, and feel seen and heard and validated,” he says. “Evan’s need for that is amped up more than most of us, but it’s something that we can all relate to. I think everyone, when they see Evan, remembers a time in their life when they needed that as much as he did.”

The actor’s mother is an alumna and

administrator at his private high school, Lawrence Woodmere Academy; his father lives in Manhattan; and he has an older sister. His Reform Jewish family celebrates the holidays (Chanukkah being his favorite)

“It’s always what I’ve wanted — to be a part of this world, and to be a part of this community and be on this stage,” Barth Feldman says. and goes to synagogue; he says Judaism has “always been part of my DNA.” He went to a Jewish nursery, Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah, all of which he feels “very lucky” to have experienced. His Jewish identity has made him a “really well-rounded” person, he says.

“I think being a Jewish person in Long Island, you’re really a part of something bigger, and there are lots of Jewish people around us, and it creates a community and something to bond over from a very, very young age,” he says while taking a break from tutoring, which he does 15 hours a week to keep up with his schoolwork while preparing for Dear Evan Hansen.

“It’s always what I’ve wanted — to be a part of this world, and to be a part of this community and be on this stage.”

Aside from a few casual and quick references to bar mitzvahs — and something about getting to second base with an Israeli soldier in the script — it’s never specified if Evan Hansen is Jewish himself, but Barth Feldman says in his mind, his character definitely is. He explains that there are components in Evan’s family dynamic life that resemble a Jewish family structure, but, he added, “I think it’s never really specified because he’s so universal and because everyone can be seen in him, no matter what denomination or race or etcetera.”

The creative team behind Dear Evan Hansen consists of a number of Jewish talents aside from Barth Feldman, including Benj Pasek, who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the show; Steven Levenson, author of a book by the same title; and the show’s producer Stacey Mindich, who saw Barth Feldman perform last June at the National High School Musical Theater Awards, known as the “Jimmys,” and offered him the lead role in the Broadway musical.

He is representing the Jewish community now with taking on Evan Hansen, and expressed pride in the number of Jewish WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

11

Andrew Barth Feldman.

members on the show’s team.

“We’re doing it!” he says. “I think Jews love to take ownership, and rightfully so, of those of us who can make it, so I’m happy to give another one. I think it’s so necessary to see Jewish people playing roles like this that aren’t stereotyped and are authentic to the experience. ... I think Jews can absolutely find reflection in Dear Evan Hansen and so can everyone.”

‘TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS’

He first fell in love with theater at the age 12

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

PHOTO BY NATHAN JOHNSON

L’CHAIM

of 3 when he saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. When he was 8, he starred in his first show: a community theater production of Annie in which he played Mr. Bundles, the launderer at the orphanage who has an unrequited love for Miss Hannigan.

Dear Evan Hansen is his first professional production.

For his bar mitzvah project in 2014, he started Zneefrock Productions, a theater company run entirely by teens that fundraises for the charity NEXT for Autism. The theater company he founded is still going strong;

last year, Zneefrock put on a production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years about a failed marriage, with a different gender pairing at each performance to showcase various types of relationships.

His passions include Star Wars, Disney and Horizon Organic chocolate milk — all clearly evident from his Instagram page — but he says his social life has always revolved around theater, and that most of his close friends are also “theater geeks.”

“The love of [theater]; the passion for it, has always been there. The escapism — that power to go to another world at the drop of a hat — is something that has always fascinated me and appealed to me,” he explained. “It’s always what I’ve wanted — to be a part of this world, and to be a part of this community and be on this stage. I just never ever in my life imagined it would happen so early. I’m so lucky and so excited to have this opportunity, and I’m gonna do my best to make it count.”

He is the youngest person to take on the title role. All of his predecessors were in their 20s when they played Evan, and Jewish actor Ben Platt, who won a Tony Award as the first to star in the title role, was 23 when the show opened on Broadway in 2016.

Barth Feldman says “it adds a level of responsibility” being the youngest to ever play the character, and it shows “that 16-yearolds and teenagers can handle roles like these, equipped with the right tools. But I think about it also in a sense that I don’t have to play a teenager; I am a teenager. I don’t have to pretend to be one. I’m really excited to take away that level of suspending the audience’s disbelief.”

He shared some advice to young actors hoping to succeed in show business, saying “learn as much as you can and from as many people as you can. But trust your instincts because you are a person, and if you’re in theater, you are probably a very emphatic person. So if you can tap into that and combine that with your natural human being instincts, you can create a fully formed person.

“But in that same way,” he added, “to build your craft you have to keep working hard and want to keep growing. You’re never done growing. You’re never done learning.”

Music. Prayer. Community.

LOOKING FOR A FABULOUS, FESTIVE & FUN PASSOVER CELEBRATION IN AN EXQUISITE SETTING? • 30 Minute Seder • Lively Singing accompanied by our Outreach Band • Delicious 3-Course Dinner (Chicken & Vegan options)

COMMUNITY PASSOVER SEDER MORGAN RUN CLUB & RESORT

5960 Cancha de Golf • Rancho Santa Fe

EVENT SIGN UP:

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 Cocktails (no host): 6 pm / Seder: 7 pm

www.sdo-synagogue.org

Register by April 7 for only $60

(858) 280-6331

($30 for children 12 & under)

After April 7:

Cantor Cheri Weiss cantor@sdo-synagogue.org

$70 adults / $35 children 12 & under

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

13

COVER STORY l BY EVA TRIEGER

THE QUEEN OF KOSHER Jaime Geller inspires menu for local JNF event 14

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

COVER STORY

P

assover. Pesach. The word evokes so many memories, images and sensory responses. For me, it means relatives whom I haven’t seen in years pinching my cheeks and the perpetual family matzo ball competition — no, not to see whose is the lightest or fluffiest, but who creates the “greatest” matzo ball, prompting an uncle to make one the size of his tureen. And sadly, with an April birthday, it often meant a sponge cake instead of the traditional, well-loved chocolate frosted layer cake. I wish my mom had known about “Queen of Kosher,” Jamie Geller.

On May 19 from 3-5 p.m., the Jewish National Fund is holding a tea to demonstrate their gratitude to all of the women who have supported Israel through JNF programming This elegant and delectable event will be hosted in a unique setting in La Jolla, and the

of her husband, coupled with her own instincts and desire to create tasty, healthy kosher meals, Geller founded the Kosher Food Network and began writing cookbooks. At this writing, Quick & Kosher Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing is enjoying its 7th printing.

Just two months after their engagement, the couple married, and Nachum continued to erode Geller’s resistance to making aliyah and raising their family in Israel. Today, the couple and their six children reside in Ramat Beit Shemesh, where Geller continues to hone her craft of developing fast, kosher, and delicious recipes, while hosting a YouTube channel and website.

It is said of the “Jewish Rachael Ray” that her goal is to “get you out of the kitchen--not because she doesn’t love food — but because she has tons to do,” just as she knows her viewers do.

"...I had the honor of meeting Russell Robinson for the first time on my Aliyah flight. Since then it’s been a string of meetings to discuss 'how can we work together to support the land and people of Israel'...” menu will consist of Jamie Geller’s inspired recipes.

Geller was raised in Philadelphia and grew up in a Conservative, non-kosher home. She reports that her parents, both immigrants, placed great value on higher education, perhaps upstaging the focus on ritual practice or religious observance. This ideology led Geller to enroll in NYU and pursue a career in producing for TV and cable.

After graduating NYU, Geller earned recognition and celebrity as an award winning TV producer for CNN and HBO. She was living the hectic urban life, working 20 hours a day on set, with little time to familiarize herself with her own kitchen, let alone cook, when she met her now-husband, Nachum, in 2003. The pair met on a blind date and within just two weeks became engaged. Geller reported that her oven was used for storing her sweaters until after her marriage, when Nachum innocently asked, “What’s for dinner?” Geller replied, “I don’t know — you tell me!” And thus, a career was born. Under the tutelage

L’CHAIM MAGAZINE: WHAT WAS THE FIRST DISH YOU WERE PROUD OF MASTERING? JAIME GELLER: The classics. Matzo ball soup and

potato kugel. I was proud because they reminded me of my heritage, the Jewish holidays, my grandparents’ house, and because the first time I made both they were colossal flops. My first potato kugel came out like a flat, brown, 2-toned, mealy Passover cake.”

(Geller promises to share the story of her first attempt at chicken soup during her San Diego visit, and assures me it will be met with laughter.)

L’CHAIM: WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR COOKBOOKS? JG: Inspiration comes from everywhere, everyone

and everything (dinner parties, Shabbat meals, restaurants, magazines, cooking shows etc. Fans write all the time asking for specific recipes.

L’CHAIM: CAN YOU SHARE A COUPLE OF YOUR WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

15

COVER STORY

FAVORITE PASSOVER RECIPES? JG: Matzo balls, (which I’ve made

on the Today Show a number of times), Brisket (also seen on the Today Show), and potato kugel (the video has over 1 million views).

L’CHAIM: HOW DID YOU BECOME AFFILIATED WITH JNF? JG: We grew up planting trees for every

milestone and momentous occasion and then I had the honor of meeting Russell Robinson for the first time on my Aliyah flight. Since then it’s been a string of meetings to discuss “how can we work together to support the land and people of Israel” a vision and mission so near and dear to both of our hearts. I am thrilled to have been able to bring awareness to the New JNF Culinary institute being built in the north as part of the Cook & Chat Chopped Competition at the last National Conference, and now have the privilege of broadcasting the monthly JNF day trips to my audience of almost 1.5 million on social media. OOOOH, and my favorite — This Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we are giving away a trip to Israel together with the JNF — that makes me most happy!

While Geller’s experience of planting trees is one shared by many of us, along with the little blue pushke boxes, I learned from San 16

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

Diego Director, James Kimmey, that JNF is so much more than that. All money raised through JNF goes directly to projects in Israel. The dream initiated by Theodor Herzl continues into perpetuity, and that is the entire goal of the organization.

Kimmey shared that the biggest challenge is to get Americans to understand the scope of the projects and their impact in Israel.

JNF is no longer just the trees, yes they’ve planted over 260 million trees since their founding in 1901, but the JNF of today focuses on so much more. For example, JNF offers therapeutic and rehabilitative services to people with special needs. They build playgrounds, synagogues, daycare and community centers, and JNF continues to be the single largest provider of Zionist engagement programs in the U.S. Though he’s only been on board since October 2016, Kimmey has already seen some exciting growth in the organization’s presence and exposure in San Diego. He told me that there is an unprecedented, perceptible buzz and that each event has been record breaking in terms of attendance and fundraising. The result is a very tangible difference in the lives of people in Israel.

I wanted to know if Kimmey had met Geller, and though he follows her Instagram,

he has not yet had the pleasure. When asked if he cooks, the Director laughed heartily, and said, “No, but it would save me a lot of money if I did!” I inquired as to his favorite “Jewish” dish and he immediately said, “JNF First Lady and San Diegan Lauren Lizerbram makes the absolute best brisket!”

This very special Women for Israel Tea will be held in an elegant setting in a private home in La Jolla, where attendees will enjoy connecting with Jamie Geller while enjoying a farm-to-table experience. Those being celebrated include members in our community who support the Women for Israel campaign and give graciously and with a whole heart.

Event Chairs include: Patrice Gold, Robyn Goldberg, Debbie Kornberg, and Susan Chortek Weisman. Shari Schenk is the San Diego President of this chapter, and Myra Chack Fleischer is the Women for Israel National President.

TO LEARN MORE, RSVP BY MAY 9 TO JAMES KIMMEY AT JKIMMEY@JNF.ORG OR

BY PHONE AT (858) 824-9178, EXT. 988.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

17

PHOTOS COURTESY MIRIAM PASCAL

FOOD

WHO SAYS PASSOVER HAS TO BE BLAND?

Elevate your dishes to Passover 2.0 with recipes from Naomi Nachman's Perfect For Pesach 18

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

FOOD

Kosher food writer, personal chef, and media personality Naomi Nachman wants to inspire you to change up your Passover game this year.

to change up your Passover game this year by sharing some recipes from her best-selling cookbook, Perfect for Pesach.

“Delicious doesn’t have to mean complicated,” says Nachman. “Sometimes a single ingredient, something new or unexpected, is all it takes to put an intriguing twist on a simple standby.”

Pereg’s vast lineup of Kosher for Passover quality spices, spice blends, gluten-free flours and ancient grains is like an artist’s palette for home cooks; the possibilities are endless.

Nachman shared a few recipes from her popular cookbook to spotlight some of these ingredients and show how easy it is to take Passover to the next level.

QUINOA (KOSHER FOR PASSOVER - PEREG NATURAL FOODS)

This relative newcomer from South America takes center stage in Nachman’s Quinoa “Hummus” recipe. Since quinoa is a seed it’s perfectly acceptable for Passover use. Quinoa is a versatile “superfood” in every sense of the word: packed with nutrients and protein, high in fiber, low in fat, and gluten-free.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Kosher for Passover Pereg Natural

• • assover is a time for beloved traditions • – especially family recipes that have • been passed down from generation

P

to generation. But your grandma probably didn’t have half a dozen different kinds of paprika at her disposal. It’s possible she never heard of quinoa, either.

Well, times have changed. Palates have evolved. So when it comes to Passover, there’s no reason to feel stuck in a rut.

Kosher food writer, personal chef, and media personality Naomi Nachman, a.k.a. the “Aussie Gourmet,” wants to inspire you

• • • • • • •

Foods Quinoa 1/2 cup pine nuts 2 cloves garlic crushed Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 teaspoons) 1/2 teaspoon Kosher for Passover Pereg Natural Foods Salt 1/2 teaspoon Kosher for Passover Pereg Natural Foods Cumin 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup water 1 Tablespoon olive oil, for garnish 1 Tablespoon parsley, finely chopped for garnish Kosher for Passover Pereg Natural Foods Paprika, for garnish Pereg’s Kosher for Passover Zahtar, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place quinoa and pine nuts into the bowl 2.

3.

of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Process until blended.

Add remaining ingredients; continue to blend. Scrape down sides and blend again for approximately 30 seconds.

Do not over-blend or the mixture will become gummy.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with olive oil, parsley, zahtar and paprika.

Store in an airtight container.

ZAHTAR (KOSHER FOR PASSOVER - PEREG NATURAL FOODS)

A staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries, this collection of herbs and spices is all the rage in the culinary world. It’s a zesty dry rub for meats and fish; it also brings earthiness to stews and soups and adds a high note to marinades and dips. Many high-end restaurants keep it on the table right next to the salt and pepper.

Try Pereg’s Kosher for Passover version of Zahtar in Perfect for Pesach’s Seder Brisket or Matzah Ball recipes to kick things up a notch. (No seeds/notkitniyot).

PEREG WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1906, AND IS BASED IN CLIFTON, NJ. THEY FIRST BECAME KNOWN FOR THEIR VAST VARIETY OF PURE AND NATURAL SPICES AND SPICE BLENDS, MORE THAN 60 IN ALL, FROM TRADITIONAL FAVORITES TO EXOTICS FROM AROUND THE CULINARY WORLD. TODAY PEREG PRODUCES AN ARRAY OF ALL-NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT INCLUDES ANCIENT GRAINS AND ANCIENT GRAIN BLENDS, GLUTEN FREE PASTA, COUSCOUS, RICE, GLUTEN-FREE CEREAL AND MUCH MORE. PEREG NATURAL FOODS PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE AT SELECT RETAILERS THROUGHOUT THE US AND CANADA, AND ON THEIR WEBSITE, WWW.PEREG-GOURMET.COM.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

19

PASSOVER

Clearing out

Chametz from our Minds A Mindful Seder Plate

By Violet Lehrer

20

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

PASSOVER

E

very year as we prepare for Passover we traditionally clear out the Chametz from our house. This year brings us the opportunity to update the ritual and to take the time to clear the Chametz from our mind.

Our mind contains old patterns and limiting beliefs, all of which can be seen and removed if we look for them and choose to replace them for growth and freedom.

Chametz, just like cobwebs in our minds, stays in the corners dirtying your home and bringing you down.

Clearing Chametz is the first part of prepping for the Seder meal. The Seder plate is rich with symbols of freedom and peace.

Below is a guide on using the Seder plate and mindfulness for creating peace and freedom in our mind.

always easy- our wounds that we experienced can be honored and that reverence allows our heart to open.

having the willingness to embody the growth mindset and to take more than one look at yourself.

This sweet, apple and nut paste represents the brick and mortar used by the Hebrew slaves. Just like slaves were forced to laydown bricks we are placing limiting beliefs in our path. These limiting beliefs were used in order to protect ourselves, and like the apples, had some sweetness, but now keep us confined. Limiting beliefs take the shape of all the places that we feel that we are not enough. We all have limiting beliefs and the more aware of them we become, the more we are able to consciously move past them.

Moving past these walls gives us the courage to move towards our hopes and dreams.

VEGETABLE (KARPAS):

The shank bone represents sacrifice. This piece of the Seder Plate is the opportunity to explore our patterns and our beliefs of where we had to sacrifice our authentic self. It’s common that in our childhood we had moments where we had to give up being ourselves so that we could fit in. Today that tendency, that pull that we can’t really be ourselves is the places that we still sacrifice. It could be the places that we say yes that we really need to be saying no. The more we stay true and aligned to our authentic self, the more energy and the more freedom that we have.

EGG (BEITZAH): Eggs can be a symbol of our

SHANK BONE (ZEROA):

Bitter herbs bring tears to the eyes and recall the bitterness of slavery. For me, this represents our emotional wounds and our scars that we still carry.

These are the difficult moments in our life that we have not yet tended to; these are the life events that still have yet to be healed.

To experience freedom from this pain, we should bring a sense of compassion to the journey that we’ve been on so far. Try not to judge yourself so harshly. Life is certainly not BITTER HERBS (MAROR):

CHAROSET:

imperfection and beauty. No egg is perfect on the outside, but has deep wholeness on the inside. The egg on Passover is often not eaten, but is on the plate in its shell; and like humans -the shell is not perfect. In fact most hard boiled eggs have cracks, reminding us “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” We are all perfectly imperfect.

Instead of focusing on our external flaws, we have the opportunity do deeply appreciate what is inside ourselves.

SECOND

BITTER

HERB

(CHAZERET):

There are two bitter herbs-not just one. It is interesting that one bitter herb wouldn’t be enough. Similarly, this seems to be the case in our life, we may have done something once but it needs to be reviewed or repeated.

Realize that while we have done our work and have grown, we are never really done.

To create a better life requires constant improvement. Life is about the incremental progress we make -and enjoying the journey.

Therefore, revisiting things is important and necessary. Having inner freedom means

This element of the Passover dinner symbolizes hope and renewal. It is a reminder that we have limitless capacity for change. No matter our past, we truly are empowered because we have the ability to grow and change. Nothing is fixed or stagnant. We used to think our brain’s wiring was permanent – but now science has discovered how malleable our brain truly is. With focus and conscious effort we have the ability to break any of our old paradigms and create new ones. What new paradigms would you like to create for yourself? Have the confidence that with determination and the right mindset, all is possible.

MATZAH: And of course no Seder is complete

without Matzah — unleavened bread — to remind us to slow down- The story goes that we were in such haste to leave the bread did not have time to rise. But isn’t their haste in our day all too often now. How often do we take the time to notice what is around us to take a breath to have a moment of stillness to take three purposeful breathes – breathe in spaciousness CHAMETZ As we prepare for Passover, look for the Chametz that is in your mind, holding you back and is keeping you from having the freedom that you crave. Bring compassion to your old wounds, allow yourself to be imperfect and tend to those limiting beliefs that feel like bricks in your life. Our challenge today is managing to feel peace in an increasingly chaotic world. This Passover is a chance to center ourselves and stay focused.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.CLARITYPATHCOACHING.COM OR VIOLET@CLARITYPATHCOACHING.COM. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

21

PASSOVER

The Great

Passover Divide Eaters vs. Talkers

A family seen during the Passover seder on the first night of the holiday in Tzur Hadassah, Israel.

22

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

PHOTO BY NATI SHOHAT/FLASH 90

By Jonathan S. Tobin | jns.org

PASSOVER

A

s Jews sit down for their Seders this month, we will once again be reminded of the great divisions that separate us as a people.

Family gatherings can always make for tension, but it can be particularly ticklish in this era, where political arguments have split the nation. Our bifurcated society is one in which we read, listen and watch different media, and seem to have lost our ability to listen to each and our opposing views.

Clashes over politics and religion make it hard for us to break unleavened bread — or any other kind, for that matter — without further annoying or even enraging each other. Tolerance for opposing views remains at an all-time low in society, and that can make for some pretty awkward conversations when you’re put at a table with relatives you may not like or with whom you have profound disagreements on the great issues of the day.

Yet if you want to know what really divides Jews attending Seders, it’s not liberals versus conservatives, Trump haters versus Trump supporters, discussions about Israeli settlements, BDS or even whether or not to use the traditional Haggadah or to substitute some other trendy politically correct version or one that caters to the kids.

The real Jewish divide on Seder nights is between the talkers and the eaters.

This schism transcends politics — or even whether or not your Seder is one in which every word of the Haggadah is read or sung aloud or if, like many non-observant families, your version of the ritual is abridged in some fashion. There are Jews who, as tradition dictates, wish to ponder every nuance of the Haggadah and parse each sentence for meaning, historical insight or religious

inspiration. And there are the Jews who, following the dictates of another aspect of our tribal traditions, as well as the demands of their stomachs, just want to keep it moving along so as not to delay the meal.

Passover is the greatest family education opportunity of the year. The problem is, a lot of the students think of the retelling of the story of the Exodus as a lengthy detour on their way to the food.

Yes, I know, it’s possible, even normal, to be interested in discussing the Haggadah and the festive meal. But in a nation full of Jews who were for the most part not raised to care deeply for Jewish tradition, the impulse to avoid digressions, if not skipping some passages altogether, is irresistible. And when they’re sharing a table with people whose primary interest in the event is the discussion rather than the culinary delights, some conflict is simply inevitable.

While I like to eat, I count myself as one of those who eat to live rather than those who live to eat. So while on those occasions when I have led the family Seder and encouraged intellectual excursions, not everyone in attendance was particularly happy about it.

One such Passover, as I began to discourse on some point I found of interest, to my surprise, one of my sisters’ curiosity was piqued and she responded with a question of her own.

That was too much for my brother-in-law. He had had enough of it and me, and in a stage whisper that was, no doubt, accompanied by a kick under the table, he leaned in and told her, “Stop it! You’re just encouraging him!”

At such moments, we are reminded that, as with other weighty questions on which we may differ, tolerance (and a sense of humor) isn’t so much desirable as it is a sheer necessity.

To those who are impatient with too much

talk, I think it’s important to point out that at least once a year, it won’t kill you to take a moment to think about what it is that we’re doing. Reading the Haggadah is an exercise in atavism in which we, as tradition teaches us, attempt to not merely identify with slaves seeking freedom, but to think of ourselves as having experienced it ourselves. That is a powerful insight that goes to heart of our collective sense of peoplehood, as well as to our individual connection with Judaism. Yet the reading and the discussions are also a way to channel the Jewish tradition of study and learning.

Most American Jews lack Jewish literacy and diving into this practice once a year isn’t easy, but if you give it a chance, it’s a worthwhile experience that shouldn’t be dismissed just because it delays the festive meal.

At the same time, the talkers among us need to remember that learning only works with a receptive audience. Nobody likes to be lectured, especially by relatives. Pesach should be fun, and so should the discussions of the Haggadah. Don’t treat your relatives as if they are the wicked sons in the parable even if their impatience is annoying. Always remember that the mind cannot absorb more than an empty stomach can endure. Save the marathon learning sessions for when everyone present shares the desire to take deep dives into the meaning of every line.

We all do well to remember that, as the Haggadah teaches, the more we discuss the Exodus, the more praise we deserve. But since even the Children of Israel complained in the face of miracles, don’t be too hard on those who just want to eat as soon as possible.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

23

Feature Story

Livne explains that most home diagnostics developers are using PCR, a technology that identifies the DNA of specific bacteria.

Diagnoz.me uses a different technology, fluorescence microscopy, which has been around for more than 100 years, but it wasn’t until around 2017 that smartphones had the right high-level specs to make it possible.

“The physician receives the same kind of information as from a lab, including bacterial count, to know what you have. If you need a prescription, that can be done electronically as well,” says Livne.

The founders won an NIS 3 million (nearly $830,000) prize at the dHealth 2018 Summit held in Rishon Letzion.

DIAGNOZ .ME APP

by Abigail Klein Leichman | jns.org



Turn your smartphone into a medical diagnostics microscope

I

f your eye is oozing and red, and an infection is suspected, you need to make an appointment with your doctor and get a lab analysis before you can start antibiotic treatment.

Physicist-turned-biologist Ariel Livne wondered if the whole process could be done at home by pairing some simple optics equipment with his smartphone to analyze biological samples in the case of an eye infection, a teardrop.

That is the basis of the startup Diagnoz.me of Jerusalem, co-founded by Livne in November 2017 with Tamir Epstein with the help of a preseed grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.

“Our innovation is that we enable the smartphone to see bacteria,” Livne says. “Once you see bacteria, you can perform medical diagnostics. Our technology transforms a low-cost disposable together with a regular smartphone into a high-end medical diagnostics microscope.”

Still in the proof-of-concept stage, the innovation aims to enable patients to run tests at home, receive lab-grade results within minutes and instantly share them with their physician.

“We have shown that our image-analysis 24

FIRST-USE CASE

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

software can detect bacteria as accurately as a high-end lab microscope that costs over $100,000,” says Livne.

The optics add-on would be a disposable chip device sold at a pharmacy for less than $20.

You’d put the relevant biological liquid onto the chip—whether urine, saliva or a teardrop— ”in a convenient way so it’s not disgusting or unhygienic. The camera takes and analyzes the pictures, and sends you and your physician automatic results.”

TELEDIAGNOSTICS Diagnoz.me is not the only Israeli company pioneering the home diagnostics sector.

TytoCare of Netanya and New York sells a home exam kit and app that lets people perform basic medical exams guided by a doctor. The device includes instruments to check ears, throat, heart and lungs, skin and body temperature, and transmits those images and sounds to the physician.

Healthy.io of Tel Aviv, which recently raised $18 million in a Series B round, sells a smartphone-based home urinalysis kit and is starting a test-and-treat service in the United Kingdom for urinary-tract infections in collaboration with pharmacy chain Boots.

Livne and Epstein have decided that Diagnoz.me’s first-use case will be vaginal infections. That’s the most common gynecological problem, accounting for more than 10 million office visits per year in the United States.

“We looked at a number of different infections and vaginal infections stood out because they are very common, but unfortunately, most women don’t go for treatment because it’s so unpleasant,” explains Livne.

“Possibly 80 percent of women do anything to avoid going to the gynecologist, so they try over-the-counter and home remedies instead.

But they are in pain, and it lowers their quality of life. We can help these women because collecting the sample and running the test is very easy and done in private.”

The technology can be adapted to detect each type of relevant bacteria, in this case those that cause vaginal infections.

Diagnoz.me is now raising seed funding.

Livne estimates that it will take about two to three years for the product to reach the market.

Meanwhile, Livne and Epstein are seeking strategic partnerships and continuing to develop the product with a medical advisory board, including, among others, the former head of the Women’s Health Department at the Lin Center in Haifa and an OB-GYN who heads Femicare VZW in Belgium..

WAS

Live In Your Dream Home in 2019

Serving ALL of San Diego County

Avalon Hospice Avalon Hospice &&Palliative Care Care Palliative Comfort & Care In The Last Phase & of Life Comfort Care In The

DEDICATED TO YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS Villa La Jolla Condo.

1 bedroom/1 bath move in ready!

Fabulous location. $218,888.

Call or email for details.TABLE TOO YOUR SEDER

Happy Passover! SMALL?

t me help you find the house for a larger table!

Kris Gelbart

Cal DRE 01345809

Kris Gelbart 858-395-0761 Coldwell Banker Residentialgelbartrealtygroup.com Brokerage Kris Gelbart DRE #01345809 Coldwell858-395-0761 Banker Residential Brokerage • www.krisgelbartrealty.com DRE #01345809 858-395-0761 • www.krisgelbartrealty.com

WE’RE HIRING

Fill your pockets with GREEN! While helping the community get their word out.

WANTED:

SALES EXECUTIVES Email dianeb@lchaimmagazine.com with your resume and ideas.

• Home Health Aide Services • Transitional Care Services For more information

please call:

(858)For751-0315 more information please call:

www.avalonhospice.com (858) 751-0315 JCAHO Accredited www.avalonhospice.com JCAHO Accredited

Specialized Memory Care

$ $

Each patient’s care Phase plan is individually Last of Life tailored to meet his or her needs and the needs ofcare the family.

Each patient’s plan is individually tailored to meet his or her needs and the needs • Dedicated Medical Directors of the family.

• Registered Nurses • Social Work Services • Dedicated Medical Directors • Home Health Aide Services • Registered Nurses • Transitional Care Services • Social Work Services

• 24 hour nursing • Diabetic Care • Person Centered Care • Beautiful outdoor area • Physician Available • Spiritual Services • Nutritious Chef prepared meals • Vibrant Activity Program

$

1817 Avenida del Diablo • Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 741-2888 f: (760) 741-2889 www.VistaDelLagoMC.com Lic# 374603664

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

25

Feature Story

OLD GLOBE INTERVIEW

by Deborah Vietor



Life After at The Old Globe

T

here’s an exciting new musical playing at the Old Globe, directed by Erna Vinci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. Edelstein is widely recognized as one of the leading American authorities on works of Shakespeare, directing nearly half the works of the Bard. He is a director, producer, author and educator, interested to share what is upcoming for the 2019 season.

L’Chaim spoke to him about what’s next at the Old Globe.

L’CHAIM MAGAZINE: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DIRECT THE NEW MUSICAL U.S. PREMIERE OF LIFE AFTER BY BRITTA JOHNSON? WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS REGARDING THE DIRECTION OF THE PLAY AND THE ACTORS? BARRY EDELSTEIN: The Globe is famous as

an incubator for new musical theatre. Dozens of shows that started here have gone on to illustrious lives post-San Diego. This attracts 26

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

great projects to the theatre, and when Life After crossed my desk, I perked up. The story is sweet and profound, about a sixteen year-old girl coming of age at a moment of huge grief in her life. It has all the goofiness, warmth and humor of that awkward period in our lives. It’s also about the extraordinary bond between parent and child, a bond so strong, it can seem to even defy death. All this thematic richness is expressed in Britta’s beautiful score, which for me is the most original and daring in the contemporary musical theatre. It’s such a strong, interesting and moving piece. All of us working on it are finding that it resonates deeply with our own memories and experiences. I think audiences will see themselves in it too.

L’CHAIM: IN AUGUST, YOU DIRECT THE TIMELESS PLAY, SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET. WITH YOUR EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SHAKESPEARE’S WORK, WHAT DO

YOU FIND MOST ENDEARING ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THIS PARTICULAR PLAY? WHY DO YOU FEEL THIS HOLDS A GENERATIONAL APPEAL TO AUDIENCES, CREATING RELEVANCE AND POPULARITY TODAY? BE: Romeo and Juliet is first and foremost a

great story, a terrific yarn. It’s just exciting. A secret love affair, a big costume ball, brawls in the streets, a magic potion that counterfeits death. This is fun, dramatic, sweeping stuff.

Then there’s all that love, all that romance.

There’s love poetry in this play that’s so soaring and breathtaking, you just melt in front of it. I’ve always found that the most enduring plays are the ones with genuine love in them, truthful, real, recognizable love.

Romeo and Juliet has that, and its passion and purity carries us along on a wonderful twohour ride in the theatre.

L’CHAIM: WHAT CAN YOU SHARE REGARDING YOUR INTEREST AND

Feature Story

PASSION FOR UPCOMING PLAYS AT THE GLOBE FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2019?

BE: It’s an uncommonly diverse season

at the Globe. We’re dealing in American history, (women in the early years of the space program); contemporary American life, (JC Lee’s What You Are is about this very turbulent moment in our country’s life).

We’ve got comedy from Steve Martin and Ken Ludwig, music from the amazing PigPen Theatre Company, and holding it all together is Shakespeare. It’s a lineup with something for everyone. My favorite stuff, though, is the work our Arts Engagement Department is doing in the community, enfranchising our neighbors into our work and institution. We serve over 40,000 San Diegans for free with this programming, which expresses our view that theatre matters, and theatre is a public good. It enhances our lives and our city in all sorts of wonderful ways. I love being part of that.

Britta Johnson began writing plays and songs in high school, stressing that Life After is not really autobiographical, however she lost her dad at the age of 13. Like the character Alice, grief was a big part of her life and coming of age. Johnson revisited her feelings, and wanted to explore this musically.

She explains that when you grieve, you simultaneously exist in in the past, present and speculated future, all at once things feeling as absurd as they are devastating. She believes music has the power to hold this all together, motivating her to write this show.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE OLD GLOBE’S WEBSITE AT WWW.THEOLDGLOBE.ORG. FOR TICKETS, CALL (619) 234-5623.

THE OLD GLOBE 2019 CALENDAR Playing through April 28, 2019: U.S. premiere Life After, book, music and lyrics by Britta Johnson, directed by Erna Vinci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein April 6 – May 5, 2019: West Coast Premiere They Promised Her the Moon, by Laurel Ollstein, directed by Giovanna Sardell April 20, 2019: Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare. The Old Globe’s Copley Plaza, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center – Free Axis Event May 9, 2019: Manila Disco Fever in Concert. The Old Globe’s Copley Plaza, part of Conrad Prebys Theatre Company – Free Axis Early Evening Event May 11-June 16, 2019: World premiere Ken Ludwig’s The Gods of Comedy, by Ken Ludwig in association with Mc Carter Theatre Company June 15, 2019: San Diego’s Gods of Comedy. The Old Globe’s Copley Plaza, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center – Free Axis Event May 30-June 30, 2019: What You Are, by JC Lee – Globecommissioned world premiere June 16- July 21, 2019: As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, directed by Jessica Stone June 21, 2019: Make Music San Diego. The Old Globe’s Craig Noel Garden, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center – Free Axis Event July 6-August 11, 2019: The Tale of Despereaux, – World Premiere Musical – Book, Music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Company – Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo and the Universal Pictures animated film – directed by Marc Bruni and PigPen Theatre Co. July 27-August 25, 2019: Steve Martin’s The Underpants, by Steve Martin – adapted from Die Hose by Carl Sternheim – Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center August 11-September 15, 2019: Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, directed by Barry Edelstein – Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, Conrad Presbys Theatre Center WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

27

Holocaust Remembrance

YOM HASHOAH Commemoration is this month



Welcoming the Righteous to San Diego

W

ilhelmina and Cornelis de Ru owned a grocery store in Leiden, a city in southern Holland. During WWII, the de Ru’s risked their lives to hide Maurits Kopuit, a teenager at the time. The Nazis never found Maurits, nor his mother and father, who were hidden at a nearby at a farm. Of his mother’s 35 first cousins, Maurits was the only survivor of the Nazis’ reign of terror. All the others sadly perished in the gas chambers or worse.

After the war, Maurits married and became a journalist for the New Israelite Weekly.

He passed away in 1992 and is buried in Muiderberg, Netherlands.

The de Ru family risked everything to save Maurits. In a world of total moral collapse, they were amongst a small minority who mustered extraordinary courage to uphold human values. These were the Righteous Among the Nations. They stand in stark contrast to the mainstream of indifference and hostility that prevailed during the Holocaust. Contrary to the general trend, these rescuers regarded the Jews as fellow 28

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

human beings who came within the bounds of their universe of obligation.

In 1963, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, embarked upon a worldwide project to pay tribute to the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

This represents a unique and unprecedented attempt by the victims to honor individuals from within the nations of perpetrators, collaborators, and bystanders, who stood by the victims’ side during the darkest time of history. As of January 2018, Yad Vashem has recognized 26,973 Righteous Among the Nations from 51 countries.

On Sunday, April 28, during the Yom Hashoah Community Holocaust Commemoration, two brave souls will be added to this list. Together with our San Diego community, Yad Vashem will present the Righteous Among the Nations award on behalf of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. For the first time ever, the San Diego Jewish community has the distinct honor of hosting this special ceremony and

witnessing Wilhelmina and Cornelis de Ru’s youngest son, Herman, accept the award on their behalf. Herman will receive a minted medallion, a certificate of honor, and his parents’ names will be memorialized on Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous in Jerusalem.

THE YOM HASHOAH COMMUNITY HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION IS HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY, SAN DIEGO GENERATIONS OF THE SHOAH, SAN DIEGO RABBINICAL ASSOCIATION, NEW LIFE CLUB, LAWRENCE FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE, JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, SEACREST VILLAGE, AND THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE. THE EVENT IS BEING HELD AT THE LAWRENCE FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, ON APRIL 28 AT 1:30 P.M. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS VISIT WWW.YADVASHEM.ORG. TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE VISIT WWW.JEWISHINSANDIEGO.ORG/YOMHASHOAH TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE.

L’CHAIM MAGAZINE would like to wish you & your family a Happy & Healthy Passover!

Best,

Diane, Laurie & Alanna WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

29

Holocaust Remembrance

CHILD VICTIMS REMEMBERED

by Steven Schindler



German Schoolchildren Honor Young Holocaust Victims

T

he life of a child is precious. The life of a child is pure. The life of a child is a promise for the future. And the life of a child is fleeting.

On October 28, 1938, the life of Cäcilie, an eight-year old in Cottbus, Germany was abruptly disrupted. Along with her family, Cäcilie was exiled to Poland for a reason 30

Antonia Nocon paints a butterfly for Cäcilie Schindler while Lucie Mydlak looks on.

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

she hadn’t the capacity to understand. The fear and distress she must have experienced on this most peculiar day is impossible to comprehend. 80 Years later, we’ll never know what she was feeling but today in Cottbus she is remembered.

Cäcelie was the youngest of three children, born in 1930 to a Jewish family in a modern

city not far from Berlin. She had two brothers: Alfred was the oldest; my father Max was the middle child (both of blessed memory).

After the family’s harrowing banishment from Germany and a transition to a rustic lifestyle amidst increasingly anti-Semitic terrorizations in Poland, they were eventually forced into concentration camps in 1942.

Holocaust Remembrance

Cäcilie never made it home after the war.

She was murdered, along with her mother at Stutthof. My father and his brother survived.

Their father died of typhus just days after liberation at Theresienstadt.

During December last year, fifth and sixth graders at the Bewegte Grundschule (elementary school) learned about Cäcilie and five other Jewish children from Cottbus who also were killed during the Holocaust: Hans Jakob Gutkind (1926), Brigitte Herzberg (1936), Ursula Breslauer (1930), Willy Naftaniel (1929) and Zilla Fuks (1942).

Before December, the lives and memories of these children, snuffed out decades ago in ghettos and death camps, were lost and forgotten in the city of Cottbus.

story of survival, renewal and reconciliation.

Across all these years and miles, Max Schindler’s wife, Rose has become a frequent speaker at La Jolla Country Day. And now, two schools from countries that were once enemies have become entwined to honor and memorialize those lost, to inspire today’s children to be empathetic and tolerant, and to motivate students to be upstanders.

There are millions of Holocaust victims whose memories and voices have all but been forgotten. Today, the Butterfly Project is bringing the memories of the 1.5 million Jewish child victims to life with beautifully painted and displayed ceramic butterflies.

For those of us connected to the past by family or faith or those inspired by the

to demonstrate our support of the Cottbus community, I returned (along with my brother, Jeff) to join with the Green Political Party and other Cottbus upstanders to counter this AfD rally. In these few short days I experienced both the beauty and hope for a better future in the words, art and actions of children, and witnessed the danger of resurgent anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic hate only a few feet away. This day with the Green Party is a story for another time.

January 25 was a bitter cold and beautiful morning in Cottbus when along with my children Alex and Ariana, my brother Jeff and his son, Joey, and my partner Amy Parish, I joined extraordinary children in Cottbus to honor and memorialize Cäcilie

Today, the Butterfly Project is bringing the memories of the 1.5 million Jewish child victims to life with beautifully painted and displayed ceramic butterflies.

On January 25, 2019 the spirits of Cäcilie, Hans, Brigitte, Ursula, Willy and Zilla, and other child victims took flight in a beautifully meaningful way as 150 radiant ceramic butterflies were ceremoniously unveiled on the face of this majestic and historic schoolhouse. For the first time ever, San Diego’s homegrown “Butterfly Project” took wing in Germany with music, art, song and dance.

The Bewegte Grundschule children were the first to launch a Butterfly Project initiative in Germany. But they are not alone in their empathy endeavor. Connecting over some 5,900 miles, schoolchildren at La Jolla Country Day also painted butterflies to remember and memorialize children lost in the Holocaust. What unites these schools is a

universality of our human experience, we have a responsibility to step-up in the face of growing hate, anti-Semitism and skyrocketing white supremacist acts of terror and propaganda, to act to repair our world – tikkun olam.

Amid this heart-warming and toleranceinspired Butterfly Project initiative at the Bewegte Grundschule lies a polarity: Cottbus has also become a gathering place for Germany’s nationalist, anti-immigrant and neo-Nazi political party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Only two days after our first-ever Butterfly Project ceremony and unveiling in Germany, the AfD held an anti-immigrant rally there on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In response to the appeal of friends and

Schindler, Hans Jakob Gutkind, Brigitte Herzberg, Ursula Breslauer, Willy Naftaniel and Zilla Fuks and other child victims of the Holocaust. And while it was a day that included some sadness, it was far outshined by the empathy and warmth of these children and the knowledge that if it were up to them alone, the future of our world would be the one inscribed on the acrylic panels that display the butterflies at the Bewegte Grundschule: peace; remembrance; tolerance; humanity; and hope.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOTU THE BUTTERFLY PROJECT VISIT THEBUTTERFLYPROJECTNOW.ORG OR EMAIL STEVEN@CONNECTIVITYLLC.COM

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

31

OUR TRIBE

TO PERFORM IN LA JOLLA

TRIBE

OUR

SHALOM STRINGS

THE COMMUNITY PLACE

S

halom Strings, an internationally known duo, will perform in La Jolla on Sunday, April 28 at the La Jolla Community Center, from 5-7 p.m.

Virtuoso Violinist Yonatan Leviim will perform with Virtuoso pianist Dimitri Zhgenti for their 2019 tour. The duo will perform Beethoven’s “Romance in F Major,” Paganini’s “Moses in Egypt” Variation on One String G, plus works by Bach, Handel, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. Zhgenti will also showcase solo piano pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Moszkowski.

Violinist Yonatan Leviim has performed on every continent and in over 70 countries, with all the major orchestras, and with many leading chamber musicians. Dimitri Zhgenti was born in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. At the age of nine he began studying with Medea Javahia and later with one of the prominent professors of the Tbilisi State Conservatory, Rusudan Hodjava.

The La Jolla Community Center is located at 6811 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla. Early Bird pricing for tickets purchased before April 10 is $37.70.

General Admission pricing after April 10 is $45. For more information, call (858) 740-4049 or visit shalomstringsinfo@gmail.com.

MUSICAL COMMUNITY SEDER

S

an Diego Outreach Synagogue will be hosting an exciting and unique community Passover celebration on Saturday, April 20, 6-9 p.m. at the beautiful Morgan Run Club & Resort, located at 5960 Cancha de Golf in Rancho Santa Fe. San Diego Outreach Synagogue (SDOS) is a new, independent, egalitarian congregation blending creativity with tradition, founded and led by Cantor Cheri Weiss. The synagogue holds Friday night services once a month in the University City area followed by complimentary dinners, and welcomes people of all ages and religious backgrounds. The synagogue is delighted to have Interfaith families be a part of their growing non-denominational community.

The Passover celebration will consist of a 30-minute Seder in an exquisite setting, lively singing accompanied by the Outreach Band, delicious 3-course dinner (chicken & vegan options), and cocktail hour (no host) on the patio preceding Seder. Register by April 7 for ticket pricing: $60 Adults/$30 Children 12 & under. After April 7, tickets are $70 Adults/$35 Children 12 & under.

To register for this musical community Seder and for more information about SDOS, visit our www.sdo-synagogue.org, email cantor@sdo-synagogue.org or call (858) 280-6331.

32

SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

L’CHAIM

OUR TRIBE

COMES TO SAN DIEGO

F

ounded by IDF Col. Sharon Gat, Caliber 3 has been operating in Jerusalem for over 15 years as Israel’s leading training academy for counter terrorism and security. The facility was set up to train Israel’s elite security and armed forces. At Caliber 3 you can find training for police, law enforcement agencies, and security guards, along with specialty seminars and civilian selfdefense courses.

Caliber 3 recently opened their U.S. branch, Caliber 3 USA, right here in San Diego’s North County. Built with an Israeli touch, you will find an impressive, industrial facility that offers a wide array of combat courses, self-defense courses, and tactical gear store.

Led by former Israeli Special Units Officer Yonatan Farber, you can receive ongoing membership classes in Krav Maga, combat fitness, and combat shooting. They also provide unique specialty courses and private trainings in tactical defense and security such as Rapid Response Teams, Security Guard Course, Home Invasion, and Active Shooter Course. These are offered separately from the monthly membership.

Caliber 3 USA’s mission for counter terrorism and security doesn’t stop at Ben Gurion Airport. The U.S. branch is currently working with synagogues, providing security training against external threats. They also offer these security training services to businesses and Jewish organizations.

IN MEMORIUM Susan Ellen Sobel (Grammy) was born August 6, 1943, and passed away in her Seacrest Home in Encinitas on February 27, 2019. She was a young 75 who loved life fiercely in spite of her many illnesses.

If she knew and loved you, she would do anything to make your life better. Born and raised in New York, she had three children. She moved to Arizona in 1972 to raise her family. Tragedy took her son, Adam, in 2001 and her life was forever changed.

Susan moved to California to join the Seacrest Family in 2011. Her Judaism and connection to G-d carried her. Her greatest passion was making jewelry.

Almost two years ago, she met the love of her life, Dr. Larry Krause. He changed her world and showed her a life and love that she never knew.

She is survived by her daughter Robin Israel (Ron) son Craig Lesman (Donna) grandchildren Talia and Jacob Israel, brother Stephen Sobel (Linda) and the love of her life Dr. Larry Krause whose sons Leonard and Jason (Sarah) became her family. Susan was the kindest soul. If you knew her, you know this to be true.

TRIBE

OUR

ISRAELI SECURITY TRAINING

THE COMMUNITY PLACE

WHAT IS CHAIFIVE? CHAIFIVE sponsors "Our Tribe" Community pages. CHAIFIVE is part of L’CHAIM, but not supported by advertisers. Instead, CHAIFIVE depends on donations to run stories by aspiring writers and photos by young photographers.

CHAIFIVE gives a voice to our local Jewish population to share their perspective of Jewish life. We do this through free submissions celebrating local Mensches, JPIX, and Our Tribe which offers free life-cycle event announcements.

Please see www.lchaimmagazine.com/ chaifiveprojects/

This page is brought to you

by CHAIFIVE Projects. Please submit your lifecycle events to info@lchaimmagazine.com Visit lchaimmagazine.com/ chaifiveprojects for more info.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

33

34

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

FAMILY | BY CHANA JENNY WEISBERG

jewish

mom.com My Daughter's Rejection and Acceptance

W

hen I created a recent short video on my website(jewishmom. com) about kids getting rejected from schools, I was certain that I was making that peptalk to comfort other parents whose kids would be getting rejection letters.

My daughter was, for sure, going to be accepted to the schools she applied to. But in the end, JewishMOMs plan and G-d laughs.

So last night and this morning I watched my own peptalk to cheer myself up (surprisingly, it actually helped:).

B”H, my daughter was accepted into her second choice, which I’ve heard is a great school. Maybe even a better fit for my daughter.

Though with one or two serious drawbacks.

But it does sting. To have people, like, feel sorry for me and my “poor daughter.” And it doesn’t make things any easier that all of my daughter’s friends were accepted to her top choice. And it’s also embarrassing to be the subject of curiosity … “Hmm, she wasn’t accepted. Weird, she seems like such a great girl! I wonder what’s the matter with her!?”

So, I called my friend this morning to vent. And after listening and empathizing, she made the following outrageous suggestion: to spend a few minutes over the next few days thanking Hashem that he accepted all these other girls. Really working, deep down, on feeling happy for them.

“You can choose to be a higher person,” my friend assured me this morning, “This is a true, real-life self-improvement course! A crash course in humility and empathy for others facing disappointment.”

So that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m working on feeling really happy for these other overjoyed girls and their overjoyed and relieved parents.

I realize that this work, for me, actually feels like returning a favor.

To all the people who danced at my wedding, or wished me mazal tov at my kiddushes and brises and bat mitzvahs–when they would have preferred to stay in bed and mourn the fact that they weren’t celebrating simchas of their own.

And also, this attempt to feel happy for others who got what I wanted but didn’t, feels uncomfortable, unnatural, yet also surprisingly good. Cleansing sort of. Not only talking about emuna– blah blah blah. But actually living it.

Postscript — I finished up this post right before my daughter came home from school today. I was pretty shocked when she came home very excited that she will be attending (what was until a few hours ago) her second choice school, and happy for her friends who will be attending what was (until a few hours ago) her first choice.

They’re all out now celebrating with ice cream sundaes. Amazing how much we can learn from our own children. I’m so very, very proud of her!

CHANA JENNY WEISBERG, THE CREATOR OF JEWISHMOM.COM, IS A STAY-HOME MOTHER OF 8 CHILDREN LIVING IN JERUSALEM WITH HER HUSBAND, RABBI JOSHUA WEISBERG. ORIGINALLY FROM BALTIMORE, CHANA JENNY HAS DEVOTED HER NONMOM TIME OVER THE PAST DECADE TO PROVIDING INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHER JEWISH MOMS THROUGH HER POPULAR BOOKS EXPECTING MIRACLES AND ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

35

TEENS SET THE PACE FOR TOMORROW'S LEADERS, TODAY

F

that makes Israel the country it is. A lot of Israelis don’t even realize where their produce comes from. I truly understand what makes this nation great, but what can also be improved upon.”

JTI’s Roots Israel is a custom-tailored initiative, the first of its kind in the United States, seen through the lens of Jewish National Fund’s vision for Israel’s future, and based on the values of social and environmental sustainability. The idea of service-based learning, working alongside different members of Israeli society, is one of the core principles that sets the Roots Israel experience aside from more traditional teen travel programs. “There is something so much more meaningful to doing service learning, and that is a huge part of Jewish Teen Initiative,” said JTI Middle School Coordinator and JNFuture Board Member, Kayla Globerson. “Our program, Motiv, teaches students the difference between community service and service-based learning. It takes on new meaning seeing this through a Jewish perspective, coming to Israel.” Service learning, the essence of JTI’s Roots Israel, enhances volunteering by creating lessons and teaching values that can be transformed into actions that the students carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Packing produce at Yad Ezra v’Shulamit, an organization that helps to feel hungry children, the teens felt a tangible connection to the concept of Tikum Olam, repairing the world. “I’ve been involved with community service, supporting starving children in Africa, but I didn’t know that one in three kids in Israel were going to bed hungry,” explained Amalia Parzen, a junior from Congregation Beth El. “But I now realize how much help is needed, and how we can provide that help. Being here made us realize how urgent it [the need is] and how necessary it is.”

The impact of this unforgettable 10-day journey will be a turning point in each of the teens’ Jewish identities, connection to Israel, and understanding of their place within the larger community. Following their return home, the students will present their experiences at their own congregations, in their schools, and among their peers, solidifying their leadership within the San Diego Jewish community.

The innovative approach by the San Diego Jewish Teen Initiative, Jewish National Fund, and Alexander Muss High School in Israel, is quickly becoming the ideal model for connecting the next generation to the values of Tikun Olam and social action. By turning Israel into a classroom for invaluable educational opportunity they have created a lasting impact for these teens that will endure for the rest of their lives.

or most young American Jews, traveling to Israel has become a rite of passage, the beginning of a journey to connecting with their Jewish identity. Each year, over 50,000 young Jews from across the United States enter college, bringing with them fond memories culminating from time spent at Jewish summer camps, youth groups, and holidays at synagogues. But for the 18 teenagers from the San Diego Jewish Teen Initiative (JTI), their high school experience has been shaped by an unforgettable trip with Roots Israel, a joint project of Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF) and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF).

In an era shaped by unforgettable Birthright experiences for hundreds of thousands of young Americans, this ten-day service learning adventure, led by the educators of AMHSI-JNF, pushes the envelope for teen Israel engagement, giving its participants a deep, hands-on understanding of environmental, agricultural and social sustainability within the framework of Israeli society.

It is an inspiration for us all how these future leaders, who grew up in one of the most scenic beachside communities in the United States, dedicated their spring break to volunteer in Israel. From working with the refugee communities in South Tel Aviv, to volunteering with cutting edge agricultural projects in the Negev and bringing cheer to elderly citizens in Jerusalem, these wide-eyed teenagers return to San Diego with a fresh perspective on Israel’s roads less traveled and renewed fervor to take action within their own communities.

“Seeing the divide between the very rich in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood, and then to see the level of poverty that exists just a few blocks south, you understand that Israel is a place that still needs a lot of help,” said Liam Hoffman, of B’nei Tikvah. “We’ve been extremely blessed to actually see the backbone and the roots of For information about future trips contact Marni Heller, Director, High this country, from agriculture and security, to just about anything School Engagement at 858.824.9178 x485 or mheller@amhsi.org.

36

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

GUEST COLUMN | BY MELINDA HALPERT

in the genes DNA THE DOUBLE HELIX OF DNA MOLECULES THAT WE SHARE AS HUMANS REVEALS MUCH ABOUT WHERE WE EACH CAME FROM. IF ONLY THOSE SAME STRANDS OF DNA COULD TELL US MORE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE HEADING.

F

or my last birthday, my husband surprised me with DNA kits from Ancestry.com. I had always assumed that my family’s roots were in Lithuania and Hungary, and my husband’s in Germany and Poland or Russia depending on shifting borders and times. I hoped there might be some genetic surprises in store for us like the people in the commercials who discover they are part Irish or Native American or descended from Cameroon royalty.

We dutifully spit into the test tubes, mailed them off, and a few weeks later, discovered — to no one’s surprise — that we are East European Jews.

What was surprising was just how much we are East European Jews — almost 99 percent, in fact. Our ancestors did not appear to wander far from the shtetl. Our results said a lot about the insularity of the communities that spawned our lineage. Our forebears and their fellow East European Jews kept to themselves to practice their religion and preserve their culture. But also they were forced to keep to themselves because of intolerance and persecution — societal scourges we haven’t yet managed to eradicate.

Every day we see bigotry play out in grotesque, new ways with almost unimaginable indifference and cruelty. I need to believe in an America that lives up to its best values — a nation that is expansive, generous, compassionate, just. But it’s hard to square those ideals with haunting images of border patrol agents dumping water bottles in the desert that had been left behind

for thirsty migrants. Families getting ripped apart at the border.

Violence fueled by white supremacy at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, and now the mosques in Christchurch.

Against the backdrop of these recent abominations, the Passover season approaches with greater relevance and urgency.

We tell our children the story that never grows old — how our ancestors escaped slavery and persecution for freedom.

Since receiving my ancestry results, I find myself imagining the personal exodus that brought my Lithuanian great-grandparents and their 11-month-old daughter — my grandma Hilda — to Ellis Island in 1888. I think about the courage it took for that young family — and millions of others like them then and since — to leave behind all that they knew, for the promise of a future that had to be better than the misery they were fleeing.

America’s gorgeous ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity make for a powerful magnet. Fragments of family lore spoke to how hard my great grandparents had to work for their sliver of the American Dream, in the face of bitter antisemitism. Resurgent and corrosive tribal tensions — “us vs. them,” fear of “the other” — have no place in a nation that is great because of its diversity.

Barak Obama once said that there is plenty of American Dream to go around. I hold onto his words, hoping for that same better future that drew my great-grandparents here.

The double helix of DNA molecules that we share as humans reveals much about where we each came from. If only those same strands of DNA could tell us more about where we are heading.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

37

38

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

39