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contents
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June 2021 • www.lchaimmagazine.com
1000 WORDS North Coast Repertory Theatre Presents Becoming Dr. Ruth..............................................
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COVER STORY San Diego's 18 under 18 Working for the Jewish Future....................................................................
FOOD Watermelon Feta Salad................................................................................................................................
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BECOMING DR. RUTH
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FEATURES Sustainability Milestones.............................................................................................................................. La Jolla Women's Club's Intimate Take on Chamber Music................................................... San Diego Jewish Academy Expands Successful Music Initiative................................... Brandeis Service.............................................................................................................................................. Book spotlight: Radical Loving by Rabbi Dosick........................................................................
WATERMELON SALAD
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COLUMNS
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Prayers & Passages..................................
In the Money................................................
Jewishmom.com..........................................
Mazel and Mishagoss............................
PUBLISHERS Diane Benaroya & Laurie Miller
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CHAMBER MUSIC
Copyright ©2021 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
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TORAH l BY RABBI-CANTOR CHERI WEISS
prayers
& passages From Mourning to Light
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y beloved stepfather, Bill Kramer, passed away peacefully in hospice care in Florida in May. Due to his severe physical problems from decades of physical labor as a master electrician, Bill needed to live in a nursing home for the past several years. He was in our lives for over 40 years. He could be stubborn, opinionated and bossy. Yet, during my moody teenage years, whenever things seemed bleak for me, he would buy my favorite cookies and leave them on the kitchen table. He treated my daughter, Emma, as if she were his own flesh and blood, getting on the floor to play with her when she was a child. Despite his ever-increasing health challenges, Bill and my mom flew to San Diego for Emma’s Bat Mitzvah in 2006, Dan’s and my wedding in 2012, and Emma’s graduation from UCSD in 2016. In the past year, despite being confined to his room during the pandemic, Bill and I had some of our most meaningful phone conversations. It was the first time we ever spoke about Judaism in depth, and I realized how much being a Jew meant to him. He missed being able to welcome Shabbat in person with the rabbi who had visited his facility on Friday afternoons and graciously took time to talk to him. Despite his progressive physical decline, his mind seemed to continue expanding. Although
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Bill lived 2,500 miles away, my world already feels emptier without his presence. Jewish mourning rites are designed to help us find our way slowly out of the grief we feel when a loved one passes on. Once the burial has taken place, we enter the period known is shiva, from the Hebrew word for “seven,” the number of days the immediate family mourns most intensely. You may have visited a house of mourning during shiva, perhaps bringing gifts of food and more importantly, companionship and comfort to the grieving family. The thirty days after burial is known as “shloshim,” meaning “thirty,” the number of days this period of mourning lasts. During this time, many people choose not to cut their hair or shave, attend religious festive meals or marry. The underlying belief is that after the period of shiva but while still in shloshim, mourning begins to taper off slightly. The Mourners’ Kaddish — a memorial prayer — is traditionally recited for a total of eleven months for a deceased parent; thirty days for a child, spouse or sibling. Thereafter, it is recited on the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the loved one’s passing, known as their “yahrtzeit.” It is said in the presence of a minyan, a group of at least ten Jewish adults over the age of thirteen, thus allowing the community to support and comfort mourners during their
grieving process. Perhaps incongruously, the Mourners’ Kaddish contains no mention of death. Instead, through the text we are offered the opportunity to reaffirm our connection to God and our faith in a power greater than ourselves. Judaism is unique in the way it helps the bereaved to gradually work through grief in stages, from the darkest days of intense mourning to a time when we begin to see some light shining through. So, as I work through these stages in the coming months, I will take comfort from the words I will recite in honor of Bill: May the One who creates harmony above bring peace to us and to all Israel. To which we say: Amen. RABBI-CANTOR CHERI WEISS IS THE FOUNDER AND SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE SAN DIEGO OUTREACH SYNAGOGUE, A POST-DENOMINATIONAL CONGREGATION THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING A UNIQUE MIXTURE OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSIC, PRAYER AND LEARNING. SHE IS ALSO THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY CHOIR, WHICH EXPLORES A WIDE VARIETY OF JEWISH MUSIC INCLUDING LITURGICAL PRAYERS, ISRAELI FAVORITES, MUSICAL THEATER AND OTHER POPULAR SONGS BY JEWISH COMPOSERS AND MUCH MORE.
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FAMILY | BT CHANA JENNY WEISBERG
jewish
mom.com The Perils of WhatsApp
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wo weeks ago, an upset mother complained in the WhatsApp group of my son’s kindergarten that the afternoon ganenet (pre-school teacher), whom I will call Sima, had yelled at her son and pulled him by the ear. This upset boy told his mother that the ganenet was a “Rashait,” an evil woman. This prompted over 400 posts to the WhatsApp group. Some mothers posted how their sons had told them there were troublemakers in the afternoon program who picked on them and hurt them. Others wrote about the generally rowdy atmosphere in the afternoon program and encouraged all the mothers to speak with the boys regarding their behavior. And then there were more posts complaining about Ganenet Sima. When I did some fact-checking with my son, Yoni, he told me he liked Ganenet Sima. “She’s good. She yells sometimes because the boys don’t listen when she says things quietly. She pulled that boy’s ear closer because it was noisy and she wanted him to hear her.” In any case, I’m not writing this because I know who is right and who is wrong. Maybe Yoni didn’t understand what was happening and Ganenet Sima did things that were inappropriate. I wasn’t there, and my son wasn’t affected, so I don’t know. Our kids are so vulnerable, I sympathize with those mothers whose children come home crying, and the mothers lash out at the children’s teachers using the easiest available weapon, the class 8
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WhatsApp group (which, in this case, was especially dangerous since the ganenet in question wasn’t part of the group). I truly don’t know who is right and who is wrong in this story. But what I do know is that Ganenet Sima, a dedicated ganenet for over 30 years, has been fired from her job as a result of these WhatsApp posts and the calls they prompted to her supervisor. I brought Ganenet Sima a present and a card at her home before Shabbat in order to thank her personally for all her hard work over the year and how much she had invested in our kids. She looked profoundly wounded, devastated, destroyed. Could this have happened before Whatsapp existed? Yes, in theory. But now that there is WhatsApp, it has become SO easy. As easy as typing this sentence. To destroy a person’s career. A person’s reputation. A person. 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.
Jon Vietor Modern Abstract Artist Jon Vietor • San Diego Artists Available for commission artwork
Subterranean Ambience
Fine Art & Prints jvietor1@hotmail.com (858) 245-5891 WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM | BY DEBORAH VIETOR
Tovah Feldshuh as Dr. Ruth Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth. Photos courtesy North Coast Repertory Theatre. 10
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L’CHAIM
1000
WORDS
NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS BECOMING DR. RUTH
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ou are cordially invited on a voyage expertly directed by Artistic Director David Ellenstein presented by the North Coast Repertory Theatre and written by playwright Mark St. Germain. Often fraught with sadness, tragedy and loss, the journey educates, elevates and illustrates strength, intelligence, faith and humor. Tovah Feldshuh elegantly transforms into Dr. Ruth Westheimer, renowned sex educator and therapist, chronicling her extraordinary and unconventional life for Becoming Dr. Ruth. She creates an uncanny resemblance both physically and in her speech, which is a combination of German, Swiss, French, Hebrew and English dialect. First stop? Frankfurt 1939 during Hitler’s Nazi regime as Karola Siegel, raised as a German Orthodox Jew. She is told by her parents to always remember she is loved and to believe in the almighty G-d. At the age of 10, she is selected as one of the 300 children from all of Germany to ride the KinderTransport to an orphanage in Switzerland. Second stop? Jerusalem in 1945 where Karola changes her name to Ruth, using her Hebrew middle name, as Karola sounded too German and according to her book, All in a Lifetime, the Zionists wanted nothing to do with the Germans. She believed this would make it easier for her parents to find her. She is transported to a Kibbutz with some freedoms, but no personal possessions — save some photos and a child’s washcloth she took from home. According to her book, the last letter she received from her parents was September of 1941. She stated that her parents never found
her as they were exterminated at Auschwitz. Third stop? France, 1950, where she entered the Institute of Psychology at La Sorbonne. She then became the Director of a Jewish kindergarten. Her professors included the famous psychiatrist Lagache and the psychologist Piaget; who were both quite nice to her. Fourth Stop? In 1956, emigrating to the United States, with her soon-to-be second husband, settling in Manhattan and earning a Master's degree in sociology from the New School in 1959 and a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University in 1970, qualifying for the Kappa Delta Pi honor society and the dean’s list. Dr. Ruth has taught at many colleges over the years and even gave a lecture at Princeton where her son attended. Fifth stop? With a media career beginning in 1980, she became a sex educator with her own radio show for WYNY called Sexually Speaking, discussing topics covering everything from intimacy to contraception. She then did over 500 television shows for the Lifetime Cable Network from 1984 to 1993. So far, she has authored 45 books and has been a talk show guest many times on Johnny Carson and David Letterman. The sixth stop? Well into her in her 80s, Dr. Ruth continued as a teaching professor, educating, enlightening and empowering people on a global level, including the LGBTQ community to fulfill and claim their own sexuality and fulfillment. Standing only 4’ 7”, she has become a giant in the lives of others. The seventh stop truly epitomizes Becoming
Tovah Feldshuh elegantly transforms into Dr. Ruth Westheimer, renowned sex educator and therapist, chronicling her extraordinary and unconventional life.
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L'CHAIM
Dr. Ruth. Credited with taking sex out of the clinic and into the living room, recently she was quoted as saying, “Nobody has any business being naked in bed if they haven’t decided to have sex.” Dr. Ruth has built close friendships over the years, and two of her three marriages produced two magnificent children, (Miriam and Joel), and four grandchildren. At 92, she is a legend in her own time and a wise advisor to everyone seeking advice regarding relationships, intimacy and sexuality. Similarities between Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Tovah Feldshuh are many. Both changed their names, (Tovah, meaning “Good” in Hebrew was originally Terri Sue). Both hold a loyalty and passion for Judaism and family, with each having achieved highly successful careers. Each have had happy marriages with 2 children and several grandchildren. Both women are dedicated to excellence. In Feldshuh’s family, if it wasn’t an “A,” it was an “F” and in Ruth’s family, her father stressed not only the importance of learning, but the maxim that “no one should ever stop learning.” Above all, both women deeply prize the gift of life. They don’t take a single moment for granted. Each has received multiple accolades and awards over the years for achievements in their respective fields, and authored books. Each of them are an 12
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indescribable force of life! Both women serve as an inspiration for generations to come, living as mensches, achieving their dreams through perseverance, overcoming life’s obstacles with humor, determination and compassion. As a Child, Feldshuh looked at herself in the mirror and asked, “Are you real?” Do you really exist?” Wondering if her image was a dream or a mirage, she often performed for her parents in their living room. She dealt with the dichotomy of her mother’s silence and frequent criticism versus her father’s unconditional love and encouragement. As expressed in her first memoir, Lilyville: Mother, Daughter and Other Roles I’ve Played, her mother, Lily, lived until over 103. (Tovah is hoping to be 104!) This blessed longevity gave mother and daughter the time to bower the branches of their very different trees of life toward each other, resulting in true intimacy. Lilyville was chosen as a “Must Read” by Good Morning America and was an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Biography and Memoir. See www.tovahfeldshuh.com/lilyville for more information on the hard cover and audiobook. Feldshuh graduated Sarah Lawrence University during the second wave of women’s liberation. Waitlisted at Harvard Law School, the same year she won the McKnight
Fellowship in Acting to the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Tovah rode the horse “in the direction it was going”. She is a trained classical actress, and instead of becoming a Harvard lawyer, she married one – Andrew Harris Levy! They have been together 45 years. When asked who most inspired her to be an actor, Feldshuh credited her father who was a trial attorney. Sidney Feldshuh encouraged his daughter to “reach for the stars so she could land on the roof. Reach for the roof? You’ll never get off the ground.” He trained her to take risks at a young age, teaching her to ride horses, coaching her in soccer, basketball and baseball. Later he advised her to “Never beg a man for a hat!” meaning that a woman needs to make her own living and have her own money. She follows that advice to this day. A highly acclaimed actor, writer, singer, and natural chameleon, she infuses each role with a unique level of creativity, approaching everything with dedication, resilience, passion and a Joie de Vivre. Six-time Tony and Emmy Award nominee, Feldshuh has stunned and inspired audiences for years, in roles depicting iconic Jewish women such as Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony, proudly donning a wig, fat suit, false legs and false nose. She starred in the LA premiere of Jonathan Shapiro’s Sisters-In-Law, as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG), as well as her impressive Broadway-starring debut as Yentyl. She played dual roles in The Soap Myth, opposite Ed Asner as Holocaust denier Brenda Goodsen and Esther Feinman, Holocaust scholar. Additional stage, TV, film appearances and awards are too numerous to mention. Becoming Dr. Ruth streams on Showtix4U. com on demand from June 9 to July 4. Runtime is 90 minutes and tickets can be purchased at www.northcoastrep.org. NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE IS LOCATED IN THE LOMAS SANTA FE PLAZA AT 987 LOMAS SANTA FE DR. SUITE D, SOLANA BEACH, 92075. BOX OFFICE: (858) 481-1055. WWW.NORTHCOASTREP.ORG FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES.
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THE ART OF SHABBAT AT JCC
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY
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FEATURE
SUSTAINABILITY Milestones
Joe Brotherton, Vice President, Helix Electric , Elliot Scott, Boris Shekhter (VP of Helix), Gary Shekhter (CEO of Helix), Ann Jaffe, Zvi Weiss.
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an Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA), a pluralistic community K-12 school with a thriving early childhood center, marked a major milestone in the school’s ambitious Sustainability Initiative (SI) celebrating the completion and activation of its 800 kW solar project, further placing the school on the road to electricity independence. “SDJA’s Sustainability Initiative highlights our school’s commitment and vision for environmental sustainability while continuing our focus on innovation and graduating community leaders,” said Zvi Weiss, Head of School at SDJA. “The initiative is a direct reflection of our Jewish value, bal tashchit, to protect the earth.”
“Today’s celebration highlights the leadership, innovation and environmental stewardship undertaken by SDJA for the health of our kids and our community,” said Heidi Gantwerk, Board Chair at SDJA. “SDJA’s quest for electricity independence should serve as an inspiration for schools and communities throughout the country and the world.” The project includes the installation of solar panels on most of the school’s building rooftops, as well as on newly constructed carports in its Upper School parking lot. Once a planned large energy storage (aka battery) system is installed on campus, SDJA will save approximately $400,000 annually by generating its own electricity.
Additionally, the project design includes a roadmap to develop the SDJA campus into a micro-grid, whereby SDJA would become completely self-sufficient in meeting its energy requirements. While some college campuses have achieved this, SDJA is not aware of any independent school in the U.S. that has, placing SDJA at the forefront. “A key goal of our Sustainability Initiative includes the designation as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School,” adds Michael Zimerman, SDJA’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “This important designation will include environmental and sustainability educational programming, and we envision our students learning the technology and operating the controls of the eventual microgrid on our campus, creating an invaluable and unique experience we can offer our students.” SDJA’s Sustainability Initiative has included many innovative, historical and creative steps, including the creation of SDJA’s current home, the 56 acre Jaffe Campus, which provides the fundamental platform to develop the SI, and the September 2019 appointment of Zimerman as the schools CSO to liaise with school leadership, employees, suppliers, parents, students, and the broader community to address sustainability. “As a community, San Diego Jewish Academy focuses on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking – each of which are essential parts of this initiative,” adds Weiss. “We are proud of the progress we have made thus far and will continue to work with our students, parents and staff on the exciting journey to sustainability.” WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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FOOD
WATERMELON FETA SALAD
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ust as Shabbat provides us with a weekly rejuvenating and refreshing gift, so too does this incredible summer salad, perfect for a Shabbat appetizer on Friday night or a Saturday lunch. This recipe has been submitted by Sharsheret community partner, Chef Danny Corsun of the Culinary Judaics Academy. For more recipes and Jewish learning, visit www.culinaryjudaicsacademy.com. WATERMELON FETA SALAD Ingredients 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cup minced red onion 1 tablespoon honey or agave 1/2 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 cups spinach/arugula 3 cups cubed watermelon 12 ounces feta cheese (optional) 1 cup mint leaves 1 small diced jalapeño or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp of orange zest Directions 1. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, red onion, honey, salt, orange zest, and pepper. 2. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator. 3. Place the spinach/arugula, watermelon, feta, jalapeño/red pepper flakes, and mint in a large bowl. 4. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings, finish with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately. Note: This recipe was printed with permission from Sharsheret, the Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer community. If you or someone you love has been impacted by breast or ovarian cancer, or have elevated genetic risk, contact Sharsheret for free support and resources. For more information, visit sharsheret.org or call 866-474-2774. Join the Sharsheret wine tasting event on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. PDT. Participants will enjoy a curated wine experience while supporting Sharsheret’s growth in the San Diego and Orange County regions.
Just as Shabbat provides us with a weekly rejuvenating and refreshing gift, so too does this incredible summer salad. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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FEATURE STORY
TRAVEL
Pianist Francois Chouchan.
INTIMATE TAKE ON CHAMBER MUSIC THE LA JOLLA WOMAN'S CLUB PRESENTS LE SALON DE MUSIQUES BY DEBORAH VIETOR
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fter 11 years at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of Los Angeles, Le Salon de Musiques relocates its successful chamber music concert series to the La Jolla Woman’s Club. Founder, artistic director and concert pianist Francois Chouchan introduces his unique intimate concert concept to the San Diegans for the first time. Inspired by Le Salon de Musique of Marie-Antoinette in Versailles, and by the Schubertian of his mentor Franz Schubert in Vienna, Chouchan always wanted to perform and share music differently. “Chamber music has to be performed in small spaces, without any stage or separation between the artists and the audience,” he said. “You can feel the beautiful vibrations of each instrument. Close to the musicians, you watch the magical interaction between them. This is the true essence of chamber music.” The grand opening of Le Salon de Musiques Season 2021-2022 is scheduled for Sunday, September 26 at 4 p.m. Introduced by a musicologist, each performance – nine events 24
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in total from September 26 until June 12 – is followed by a Q&A between the artists and the audience, with an elegant French Champagne reception and a gourmet buffet catered by Girard Gourmet. “This is the best way to share music with people: it is a true feast for the senses” said Chouchan. Raised in a Jewish family near Paris, Chouchan was deeply affected by antisemitism in France. He began to play piano at the age of 5. “I always knew that sharing my passions and my deep emotions through music would be my priority,” he said. “As a shy sensitive little boy, piano was the best way for me to do so. [When] I narrate a story, I become transparent and vulnerable. Playing music is an act of love. You don’t need a musical background to enjoy classical music: you just sit and let your body being penetrated by the beauty”. From a young age, Chouchan had a deep connection with Austrian composer Franz Schubert.
“His music moves me deeply,” he said. “A lonely and shy person, Schubert died of syphilis at the age of 31. The genius composer wrote his music like a therapy, by transcribing his feelings and sadness through his exquisite compositions. His scores transcend the centuries. They evoke his furtive hope, sadness, his candor and disillusion.” After the 2015 terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, Chouchan decided to dedicate his concert series of Le Salon de Musiques to his therapist, Dr. Elsa Cayat, who was killed during this tragedy. “Elsa was my therapist and my muse,” he said. “She was an exceptional person who saved so many lives. Franz Shubert and Elsa Cayat will continue to guide my life and illuminate my days.” TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LE SALON DE MUSIQUES AT THE LA JOLLA WOMAN’S CLUB OR TO BUY TICKETS, VISIT WWW.LESALONDEMUSIQUES.COM OR CALL (310) 498 0257.
FEATURE STORY
TRAVEL
SD JEWISH ACADEMY EXPANDING SUCCESSFUL MUSIC INITIATIVE
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music initiative started at the San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) has been duplicated by schools nationwide in elementary, middle and high schools. SDJA recently announced an expansion of their current songwriting program to include additional sessions that will lead to students writing an original song for their June graduation ceremony. “Nash@SDJA started as a unique and innovative idea at San Diego Jewish Academy and has gone on to produce a nationwide movement of inspiring schools and musicians from Los Angeles to Massachusetts,” said Kelley King of SDJA. “When other schools were asking for ideas to teach music, I shared what we did at SDJA and the idea took off from there. Within just a few months, educators from across the country were bringing songwriters into their own schools. It’s been a thrill to see this program spread like wildfire.” Nash@SDJA — now known as Writers Room U to schools across the country — brought professional songwriters and artists from Nashville to work with SDJA students over the first six weeks of the school year.
Students learned about the writers/artists, their career paths, the music industry, and about the craft of composing lyrics and music. They heard the artists perform their original music and students in grades 2-5 wrote their own songs. San Diego Jewish Academy’s initiative has inspired songwriting opportunities for students across the country. A YMCA on the East Coast is offering songwriting in their after-school program and is planning to expand it into their summer programs. A Jewish day school in Los Angeles ran the program in grades 4-6 earlier in the year and have now extended it to help 6th graders write songs for their June graduation ceremony. The Connections Academy, a national K-12 online school, has incorporated the model into their elementary, middle, and high school classes. A nationwide songwriting competition is being launched this summer for students, grades K-12. The competition is in partnership with a major music manufacturing company and a major label artist. While the core program continues to be songwriting, the concept has been expanded
by two high schools to include programs for high school students that specialize in music production and business of the music industry. Some of the featured songwriters include Dylan Brady, Dawson Anderson, Micah Premnath, Kevin Bard, and Emily Falvey. There is a wait list of songwriters that want to be involved with the program now and large music organizations that want to set up partnerships. “We are so excited that now, with the help of Writers Room U and some inspiration from a sister school in LA, we are offering a bonus experience for our fifth graders — Nash@SDJA 2.0,” continued King. “Our two fifth grade classes will each write an original song for their graduation ceremony in June. What the fifth graders don’t yet know is that the songwriters will be giving a surprise live performance at the ceremony! We are so grateful that the learning and joy of songwriting has helped our students navigate the challenges of the pandemic with continued openness and optimism.” LEARN MORE AT WWW.SDJA.COM. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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FEATURE STORY
TRAVEL
“Rabbi Dosick has written more theological books than this one, but none wiser or more courageous. While his idiom here is Jewish, my liberal Catholic heart is cheering.” Jon M. Sweeney, co-author of Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart
ONE GOD
RADICAL O N E WO R L D
LOVING ONE PEOPLE
Rabbi Wayne Dosick, PhD Author of Living Judaism
THE SERVICE CONTINUES FOR BRANDEIS
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he Brandeis National Committee’s San Dieguito Chapter activities have moved seamlessly from in-person to online without much interruption this year. Although no special events were possible, community service continues, and virtual participation in Study and Social Groups is high. BNC was formed in 1948, the same year Brandeis University was founded, by eight women raising funds to purchase books for the nearempty library, which was then housed in a stable. Since then BNC has placed over 1 million books on the shelves, endowed a Librarian’s Chair, and raised millions for several projects. It is the world’s largest friends-of-a-library organization with 37 chapters around the country. Although the purpose of the non-profit organization is to support Brandeis University, most women and men join in order to participate in the Study and Social Groups and for social reasons. Some current study and social groups include book and movie discussions, such as Jewish themed literature and Jewish themed film, local TED Talks, mah jongg for beginners and advanced players, and topics involving music, art, medicine, and current events. The chapter partners with Congregation Beth Israel’s DayTimers program online. Social groups include trivia, puzzles, and a virtual cooking class, and next year’s plans, hopefully mixing Zoom and in-person meetings, include Pickleball, a walking group, and ‘Let’s Have Lunch’. Virtual meetings provided an unexpected benefit as new members joined from as far away as Chicago and San Francisco. One book group even interviewed an author via Zoom as he drove from Chicago to Florida. Until this pandemic year, meetings were held at Seacrest Village in Encinitas, where the residents were encouraged to attend, and the chapter looks forward to the day they can return. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MEMBERSHIP CHAIR BECKY THEIN AT REBECCATHIEN2@GMAIL.COM. 26
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
BOOK: RADICAL LOVING, RABBI WAYNE DOSICK
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f you live in Jewish San Diego, you probably know or have heard of Rabbi Wayne D. Dosick. He founded Congregations Beth El and Beth Am. Currently, he is writing well-received books on contemporary topics important to all of us. His wise counsel and joyful world view are reflected in the current title, Radical Loving: One God, One World, One People. Featuring stories not only for Jewish people but all of us living in these confusing times, his perspective is unique, calming and highly provocative. He covers a broad subject range. Well known for his quality scholarship and sacred spirit, he is the rabbi of The Elijah Minyan, a retired visiting professor at the University of San Diego, and the host of the monthly Internet radio program, “SpiritTalk Live!,” heard on HealthyLife.net. For many of us, it feels as if our world is breaking apart. Long-held, comfortable beliefs are being shattered, and we face unprecedented questions and challenges. How do we heal the harsh divisions of class, race, religion, and cultures that plague us? How do we vanquish sexism, rigid fundamentalism, unabashed nationalism, senseless hatred, and violent terrorism? How do we save our precious planet from the threats to its very existence? In this book is a bold, visionary, spirit-filled blueprint for the redemption, transformation, and evolution of our emerging new world through radical loving and a day-to-day sense of the sacred. With age-old wisdom wrapped in contemporary garb, sweet, inspiring stories, keen insights, and gentle guidance, Radical Loving is a call to renewal and to Oneness — a promise that Earth can be Eden once again. “Rabbi Dosick has written more theological books than this one, but none wiser or more courageous. While his idiom here is Jewish, my liberal Catholic heart is cheering,” said Jon M. Sweeney, coauthor, Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart, and translator, Francis of Assisi in His Own Words.
GUEST COLUMN l BY DANIEL R. WEINER
in the
money The Impending Death Tax Sledgehammer “Ending a Rigged Tax Code: The Need to Make the Wealthiest People and Largest Corporations Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes.” This is the title given to the Budget Committee hearing presided over by Senator Sanders on March 25, 2021, out of which emerged the proposed For the 99.5% Act. President Biden has since clarified and refined the intentions of the administration in this area. The proposed new legislation purportedly targets the wealth accumulated by the families of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who are called out by name. In reality, the impact of these new laws would be felt not just by the nation’s billionaires, but also by families that most would not consider to be ultra-wealthy. Some of the main highlights are summarized below. For those potentially affected, we are up against the clock to mitigate the effects of the new law. With January 1, 2022 being targeted as the effective date of the legislation, that leaves barely 6 months to plan. ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION TO BE SLASHED
This has been a key component of the Biden tax plans for several years now, but the proposed legislation has formalized the intention to lower the estate tax exemption from its current level of $11.7 million to $3.5 million. The rate of taxation is also slated to
increase from the current rate of 40 percent to a range of 45-65 percent depending on the level of assets to be taxed. To give a couple of examples: individuals with a net worth of $5 million currently can leave those assets to their family without any estate tax being due. Under the proposals, the family would pay almost $700,000 in tax. If leaving behind $10 million, tax would be around $3 million, whereas currently it would be zero. Married couples have double the exemption of an individual. Currently a married couple can leave $23 million to their family with no estate tax payable. The new laws would create a tax bill of around $8 million. STEP UP IN BASIS TO BE ELIMINATED
Under current law, if you inherit a property or stocks from your parents, you can avoid paying capital gains tax if you sell the asset shortly after inheriting it. This is because the cost basis gets “stepped up”. This means that if you inherit a house worth $1.5 million for which your parents paid $300,000, the deemed purchase price of the house if you choose to sell it will be $1.5 million, eliminating any capital gains tax. One of the proposals on the table involves largely eliminating this significant tax benefit. Even more dramatic is the possibility that the new
laws could impose a capital gains tax on inherited assets, even if the assets are not sold following the death of the owner. WHAT TO DO NEXT
The proposed legislation, if enacted, would amount to the most sweeping shift in the tax landscape in a generation. We do not know whether the legislation that is ultimately passed will be as currently proposed or a watered down version. However, even a watered down version would bring far more families into the estate tax net and would curtail the use of our favored planning tools to reduce that exposure. The possible elimination of the step up in basis will affect a great many families across California and, indeed, the country. Some of the changes will come into effect on the “effective date” (possibly 1/1/2022), while others are to come into effect on the date of “enactment” of the legislation (ie some time during 2021). Time is therefore of the essence. If your family may fall within the scope of these proposed new laws, the time to act is now. Daniel R. Weiner is a trusts and estates attorney. Areas of practice include: wills & trusts, estate tax planning, Medi-Cal asset protection planning, special needs planning, and kids protection Pl. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
BY STEPHANIE LEWIS | HUMOR
mazel
& mishagoss Don't Change that Channel-er! “You don’t always have to do Jewish topics. I know you’re not sitting around spinning dreidels and eating matzo balls every day. Go have unique experiences and write about them!” my editor at L’CHAIM magazine announces. That’s all I need to hear…I make an appointment with a psychic channeler. You know, someone who claims they can reach the other side? I’ve always thought they were frauds, and now I have permission to find out how it all works! Immediately I receive text instructions: “Please focus on an individual who crossed over and you have unfinished business with. Close your eyes and silently issue a formal invitation for him/her to attend your session. You must concentrate on the specific date and the exact time so they will know when to appear.” What? Like these deceased souls have calendars and booked-up social lives? And what happens if they’ve been reincarnated? Will I get an auto-generated voicemail? The day of my session, I finally meet the psychic channeler in person. His name is Paul Pulseler and his tagline is, “Mr. Pulseler has his pulse on the pulseless.” (I think Mr. Pulseler needs a better marketing team.) He wears a blue t-shirt with, “The sky is always bluer on the other side!” printed on front. (And a better wardrobe consultant too.) Standing only 5 ft tall, he shakes my hand uttering, “I’m a small but huge presence in the medium industry.” (A better humor writer wouldn’t hurt him either.)
I sit down, highly skeptical. He leads me through a meditation with our eyes closed. Only I squint through my lids to see if Mr. Pulseler is actually shutting his own eyes. I don’t like being stared at when I don’t know about it. It takes us a good five minutes (each of us peeking at each other covertly like this) until trust is finally established. Now Mr. Pulseler goes into an intense trance. Or maybe he just knows how to give a good impersonation of one. Instantly his eyes snap open and he looks wildly off to my right, claiming to sense a bossy female energy in the room. “Why are you adding steak sauce to my brisket recipe? I taught you the onions provide enough moisture!” Mr. Pulseler’s voice is high-pitched and gravelly — I suppose he thinks this is how my grandmother talks. I play along. “Sorry Bubbe, I’ll go back to your tradition.” Mr. Pulseler suddenly jerks his head over to the left and lowers his voice to a Brooklyn accent. “Oy Vey Ethel, she’s still got the long hair covering her pretty eyes and dressing like a lady of the night with that tight blouse. I hope this doesn’t mean she’s dating her old schmuck again.” As I get angry and shake my finger at Mr. Pulseler, sputtering how dare he insult me like this, he looks meaningfully up to the ceiling as if to issue a silent reminder, “I’m just the messenger.” So I slump back in my seat only to hear, “Hey Baby, it’s your old Schmuck. Remember how we went to second base on my motorcycle before I crashed into that brick wall?” Oh no!
My old college boyfriend who passed away? I sure hope my grandparents have delicate ears they can cover! Before I can tell Mr. Pulseler these aren’t the people I invited here today, he informs me that there are also several great aunts, uncles, and second cousins quietly sitting in the back of the room. Hands politely folded in laps, wearing cowboy hats and bandanas, they’re patiently awaiting their turn to speak. What? This doesn’t sound like typical behavior from any of my dearly departed boisterous relatives. My thoughts are interrupted when Mr. Pulseler hollers, “And why are you wearing my pearl earrings? You know they should stay in the safe deposit box!” Followed by, “Quiet Ethel! You can’t tell a big shot author anything. She’s a wild woman now.” Mr. Pulseler slips me a business card, murmuring he also conducts therapy for dysfunctional families. I scowl. At this point he proclaims the group hanging out in the back are NOT my extended relatives after all. They’re actually here for his next client, a woman from Texas. They just hate to be late. During my drive home, I get a call from Mr. Pulseler inquiring how he did? “Huh?” I ask baffled. He then confesses my editor gave him some dirt on my family so I’d finally have some fascinating secular subjects to write about. Meanwhile it was free advertising for him because his marketing team is weak. As for me? I’m going back to spinning dreidels and eating matzo balls on a daily basis. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
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