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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

contents

10

December 2016/January 2017 • www.lchaimmagazine.com

in this issue...

COVER STORY: EDUCATION

16 20 22 10 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 40 06 08 45

JTEEN makes being Jewish cool for high school students.............................................

Israel's education system, a tool for economic productivity, unity............................

JEWISH LEGO®

Hebrew Music Museum opens in Jerusalem...........................................................................

1000 WORDS JBrick's journey into Jewish Lego® kits.........................................................................................

Chanukah Chanukah deLIGHTS: Bright ideas for gifts..............................................................................

Israel's first Hanukkah candle factory endures 77-year history...................................

FOOD Badass Kosher: Pho Ga Vietnamese Jewish Penicillin......................................................

FEATURES How a mindfulness practice can help.........................................................................................

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MMM...

PHO GA

Bnai Tikvah: A Haimishe place for learning...............................................................................

Jewish War Vets celebrate a life of service..............................................................................

San Diego Hillel has the next generation of Jewish leaders........................................

JFS and Starbucks unite to fight hunger.................................................................................

COLUMNS Random Rants: My Comic Relief.....................................................................................................

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

Humor: Mazel & Mishagoss.................................................................................................................

PUBLISHERS Diane Benaroya & Laurie Miller EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alanna Maya

FIGHTING HUNGER

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

ADVERTISING dianeb@lchaimmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Daniel Bortz, Stephanie Lewis, Salomon Maya, Mimi Pollack, Sharon Rapoport, Nikki Salvo, Eva Trieger, Deborah Vietor

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

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

EDITORIAL editor@lchaimmagazine.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Laurie Miller

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CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS info@lchaimmagazine.com

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: www.lchaimmagazine.com/shop Copyright ©2016 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

Find L’Chaim in your local:

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5

RANDOM RANTS l BY SALOMON MAYA

my

comic relief Coming out of the cabinet

A

s President-elect Trump fills out his cabinet and holds a pseudo-reality show for the position of Secretary of State (my money is on him appointing WWE Chairman Vince McMahon), I started to think about who I would appoint to my own presidential cabinet. If I ever get the chance to choose, here are some of the people that would fill positions on my cabinet:

For Commerce, I’m giving the position to three people, Andrew Mason, Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell (AKA the founders of Groupon). These gents have convinced millions of Americans that buying a yearlong membership for head reflexology massages priced originally $149 all for $19 is a good deal. If anyone can fix our economy it’s these dudes.

VICE PRESIDENT – THE WHITE GUY FROM CHIPS

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE – MAHATMA GANDHI

Every cabinet begins with a proper running mate, and this person needs to master the position of staying out of the way. That’s why my choice for VP is of course Larry Wilcox (AKA Officer Jon Bakers; AKA The White Guy from the ‘80s television show ChiPs).

I loved ChiPs. Any kid that grew up in the mid to late ‘80s will have fond memories of CHiPs. But Wilcox’s portrayal of Officer Bakers and the way he always allowed Officer Poncherello to have the limelight is why he is a no brainer for running mate.

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE – RAY KROC

Kroc gets SOA just on the fact that McDonald’s onions (just the Big Mac and/or cheeseburger onions) are small, yet they pack big, wonderful, onion flavor. Plus, no one beats the burger chain’s pickles. Welcome to the team Mr. Kroc.

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE – FOUNDERS OF GROUPON 6

In a landmark choice, I would appoint a dog to head our department of Homeland Security.

Amazingly intelligent and incredibly loyal, I’ve always said that a canine might do better work than most politicians.

SECRETARY OF INTERIOR – MARTHA STEWART

I think she would be a perfect choice for the interior, as her taste in accent pillows just livens up any room.

No explanation needed. Adîos needless wars.

SECRETARY OF LABOR – ANY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION – MS. GURNEY (MY 3RD GRADE TEACHER)

You want to see true labor? Drive by a strawberry field at 4 a.m.

Ms. Gurney was a great educator that allowed me to bring in my fake pet iguana on a leash I got at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1990 for show and tell.

SECRETARY OF ENERGY – ALBERT EINSTEIN

This one is a no brainer. But I would choose the 1954 Einstein, who summarized his involvement in creating the atomic bomb as one of the greatest mistakes of his life.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES – DR. WILLIAM SCHOLL

I’ve always said that if you’re going to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you might as well pick comfortable shoes.

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY – GERMAN SHEPARD

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

SECRETARY OF STATE – SARAH PALIN Imagine all the money we’d save on flights

to Russia! Our Secretary of Commerce will love this!

SECRETARY OF TREASURY – DONALD TRUMP

If you can lose $1 billion in one year, not pay federal income taxes for 18 years, file for bankruptcy four times, and still have a viable business that convinces millions of people to vote for you for President … hell … maybe he knows something we don’t.

SALOMON MAYA IS A LOCAL ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SALOMAYA OR EMAIL HIM AT SALOMONM@LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM.

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7

TORAH l BY RABBI DANIEL BORTZ

of

the book Lights “AS WE GAZE AT THE MENORAH CANDLES THIS YEAR, LET'S REMEMBER TO ILLUMINATE THE WORLD WITH GOODNESS LIKE THE LIGHTS. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IMPACT WE CAN HAVE”

R

abbi Moshe Bryski is the Chabad director of Simi Valley in North Los Angeles. He often tells an incredible story that happened to him. One Saturday, a father and daughter arrived with a moving truck to the house next-door. They met the Rabbi and came over for Shabbat lunch while the movers unloaded. The father told him how, before moving, he prayed to G-d to send him a sign that this was indeed the right place to bring up his daughter. “I never realized G-d would send the sign within minutes of our move!” he told the Rabbi.

Over the next few months, the man began to attend classes and signed up for a course, entitled Faith and Suffering. He cried through the first few classes and eventually told the Rabbi a painful piece of his life story. Two years before moving to the Valley, he had lost two of his three children in a tragic car crash. His marriage fell apart and he began considering suicide. He decided to take his surviving child out for one more evening of quality time before ending his life. She wanted to go to the movies and they chose a movie theater near their home in

8

Simi Valley. When the movie was over, they left the theater and were shocked to find a Hassidic festival going on outside. It was the fourth night of Hanukkah and some Rabbis had set up live music and a Menorah lighting.

He and his daughter were pulled into the dancing. He told Rabbi Bryski, “With each dance, I heard the Menorah lights speaking to me, telling me that there will yet be joy.

That light always triumphs over darkness.”

The man returned home inspired and decided right then to move to a new community and try to begin life again.

As he finished his story, Rabbi Bryski, shaken, told the man to wait a moment. He went over to his photo albums and pulled one out. “I was at the mall that night. I had just arrived in Los Angeles and was looking for a new mall where we could light a Menorah and bring the light of the holiday to others. I did not know anything about Simi Valley but I found it on a map and called information to ask for the number of the mall. When the operator asked which mall I wanted, I was silent, not knowing how to respond.

She gave me the first mall listed, which was

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

Mountaingate Mall. When I called the mall to arrange the event, the woman asked me if I was sure I wanted that mall. When we arrived, I understood why she had asked.

The mall was deserted; every store had closed except the movie theater. Since we had already brought everything, we stayed, and set ourselves up outside the theater. Only a handful of people joined us that night and we considered the event a total failure. Little did any of us know that an entire life hung in the balance that night.”

King Solomon in Proverbs teaches: “The human soul is the candle of G-d.” Each of us is a light that the darkness of the world needs.

As we gaze at the Menorah candles this year, let’s remember to illuminate the world with goodness like the lights. We have no idea what impact we can have. Happy Chanukah!

RABBI DANIEL BORTZ IS THE DIRECTOR OF JTEEN SAN DIEGO, JTEENSD.COM. FOR INFORMATION ON CLASSES, CONTACT HIM AT DANIELBORTZ@GMAIL.COM.

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PHOTOS COURTESY JBRICK

L’CHAIM l BY ALANNA MAYA

10

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

L’CHAIM

A THOUSAND

WORDS JEWISH THEMED CUSTOM LEGO® SETS

J

Brick is a family run business that creates Jewish-themed LEGO® sets using genuine LEGO® parts and pieces. Yitzy Kasowitz and his wife, Channie, created their first product, a 3-in-1 Menorah set (96 pieces with instructions to build two menorahs and one dreidel), which sold out in just one week.

With nothing else like it on the market, the Kasowitz’s realized that the demand for high quality Jewish toys was out there, so they created JBrick.

Through a crowdfunding campaign hosted

by Jewcer, a platform for Jewish projects seeking funding, JBrick was able to source some of the seed money they needed to buy parts for the next line of their popular sets.

Today, menorahs are just one facet of their business. Tzedakah boxes, a few dreidel designs, a sukkah, Shabbat candles, mezuzah covers, a bar mitzvah playset and an Aron Kodesh playset (complete with rabbi!) are just some of their offerings.

“Our goal is to bring children and adults closer to their Jewish heritage through our fun products,” the company website states.

All JBrick custom LEGO® sets are made with genuine LEGO® parts and come with detailed instructions for building the Jewishthemed sets. From Menorahs to Seder plates to Bar Mitzvah-themed sets with a Torah ark and bimah, and even a set that comes with a cantor, there is a Jewish-themed play set for everyone at JBrick.

L’CHAIM MAGAZINE: HOW DID YOU COME TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF JEWISH LEGO®S? YITZY KASOWITZ: I always had a passion

for LEGO® and for building. My grandfather was in construction; he was a glazer his whole life. As a kid, I liked all kinds of blocks, construction and building toys growing up. Anything that I could get my hands on that would allow me to build and construct things; I would do it. If I had a toy pickup truck, for instance, I would build a Sukkah mobile. I would pick up twigs and sticks with it, and build a sukkah [in the truckbed].

Later, I was hired by Brickmania (a company that makes modern militarythemed LEGO® sets) as a LEGO® builder and designer.

LCM: HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO USE THE LEGO® NAME AND GENUINE LEGO® PIECES LEGALLY? YK: LEGO® has a policy that they will not

make any modern military or religious pieces, so that works out really well for us, since they won’t build these sets. We use existing LEGO® elements, and just like you can resell your LEGO® pieces at a garage sale, and use the LEGO® name, we can do that same. But they know about us, and allow us to use their pieces and their trademark, as long as we follow certain rules that they have laid out.

The most difficult thing about the business is that the LEGO® company doesn’t give us a

break. We have to purchase all of the LEGO® product at retail price. But using genuine Lego® brick is important to us, because the quality is there.

LCM: HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO CONSTRUCTING EACH JBRICK SET? YK: It’s a little bit of a process. We purchase

loose Lego® brick from a retail location, separate the pieces that are needed to complete one of our sets, and package them with instructions. Occasionally, there is a piece that we have to get from another Lego® set, and we will literally piece a set out, just to get that particular brick to complete our set. I work with someone who prints on Lego® pieces, in particular, the IDF uniforms for our IDF soldier minifig (the small figurines that live in Lego®), to make sure that everything has the exact look that we want.

In terms of developing new sets, I think of something that I want to build, work on building it and try to figure out the best way to do it. Then, I will write out the instructions and I give the parts and instructions to a friend or family member to test, to make sure that they directions are easy to follow and work. Once I have decided to create a particular set, I have to photograph the final product, edit the photos, and get the images onto the packaging and the website. Then I have to put the whole thing up for sale, and push it out to social media channels. My WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

11

L’CHAIM

Check it out jbrick.com

wife is literally the other half of this; she takes care of all the finances and legal work, so we literally could not have this business without her. We are a small business, and we don’t have a large staff, but this is what I have always loved to do, and I am happy to add something to the world of Judaica, because it doesn’t change very often.

12

LCM: WHAT’S NEXT FOR JBRICK? YK: There are always a couple sets that

are in the works. We have an ongoing list of projects that we are working on or developing. I would like to build a temple in Lego® to minifig scale, which is about 1/35 scale. It is quite a bit of work, quite a bit of design, and quite a bit of Lego® parts. I have been researching it for about two years so far, and

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

I am still not quite done yet. There are still many, many details, and building it to scale makes thinks more complicated. It’s one of my dreams and I would like to accomplish it someday, to make a full-scale Lego® temple that all the world can see. You know, nothing too crazy!

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15

COVER STORY l BY DEBORAH VIETOR

JTEEN's Rabbi Daniel Bortz hosts San Diego teens at the Coachella music festival in Indio, California.

JTEEN R SAN DIEGO Empowering the Jewish Future

16

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

abbi Daniel Bortz has woven a patchwork quilt of love, education, spirituality, and a spirit of Tikkun Olam within the teen Jewish community through JTEEN of San Diego.

Based on three pillars of social events, education and community service, JTEEN has evolved into a program where being a Jewish teenager is cool.

Currently, Rabbi Dan Bortz reaches hundreds of teens each month through programs inspiring them to learn more about Judaism and participate in events countywide. JTEEN has become so successful that a friend of the Rabbi has recently utilized the JTEEN model and adapted it to form a branch of the program

COVER STORY

serving teens in Detroit, Mich.

Teens are attracted to the program through personal connection at events, through word of mouth, and via local schools and social media, especially Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, where they are invited to events.

JTEEN serves over 10 public and private schools around San Diego.

Some of the events Rabbi Dan Bortz has cultivated over the years include a teen trip with JUSTIFI to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, (justifinow.org/jteen), that is full of fun and adventure, offering service opportunities to assist the underserved.

At JTEEN, the holidays are always celebrated in a unique way. On Purim, there’s the annual Raging for a Cause, where teens ride in a party bus around town to distribute food and gifts to the homeless throughout San Diego, connecting fun with giving. A leadership retreat to New York City allows teens to hear from inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs and interact with the local Jewish community. There is a Sukkot event where teens build the Sukkah and share the holiday. For those at the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif., Rabbi Dan Bortz sets up a hospitality tent for Shabbat, with food, drink and shelter 24/7. Teens feel safe and welcome; able to take a break from the hot desert sun.

A surfing trip for fathers and sons on Martin Luther King weekend in Rosarito, Mexico, is planned for fun in the sun, surfing and riding ATV’s. It would be challenging to find another program like this existing in San Diego today.

“Love in a Box” is a new giving program where teens assemble personalized boxes for those in need. Students make boxes full of goodies at school and give them to fellow students to show them they care. Bigger boxes are made for the homeless, including toiletries and gifts delivered personally, instilling the concept that giving must be

done with quality items and care. Teens have expressed a particular interest and joy in this activity.

The JTEEN Judaic Honors program is entering its fifth year and is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the San Diego Jewish Academy. This thought provoking program offers a warm and safe environment for teens countywide to discover their unique voice.

They are able to debate issues important to them, building a foundation of values and skills to carry them through life. “[In this class,] we talk about deeper subjects in life. It’s fun and something to look forward to during the week,” Atara Anbar, a sophomore at Torrey Pines High School says of the program.

Rabbi Dan Bortz shared that through JTEEN’s various programs, the Torah’s ancient teachings are utilized and applied to values, philosophy and morals of Judaism for 21st century teens, making for interesting debate and conversation where everyone feels valued. Subjects range from love and war to tattoos and alcohol, Jewish identity today and everything in between.

JTEEN is independently operated and relies completely on the generosity and support of the community to offer its programs. A banquet fundraiser is held at at the end of each year to recognize the program’s teen leaders and supporters.

“I listened to peer pressure and conformed a lot in high school,” Rabbi Bortz says.

“Looking back, it was so stupid and sad. I try to impart to the teens that it’s cool to be yourself and to take pride in their identity, in who they are and to follow their dreams.”

As a child and teen, Rabbi Bortz attended both Jewish and public schools, and as a teenager never really felt a meaningful Jewish connection. He realizes that many youth feel this way and wants to offer this kind of a connection.

“Judaism is a vibrant thing, and it gives us

"Through JTEEN’s various programs, the Torah’s ancient teachings are utilized and applied to values, philosophy and morals of Judaism for 21st century teens." direction and purpose in how to live life in a fun and meaningful way,” says Rabbi Bortz.

Bortz became more interested in Judaism ironically, while attending the well-known party school, University of California at Santa Barbara. Once he left, he studied in Israel at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies and then in New York for several years, where he became ordained as an orthodox Rabbi. He felt that during his teenage years he was lost and missed connecting with a mentor and programs in the community.

“I was definitely a teenager searching for a purpose,” says the Rabbi of his adolescence.

“It was kind of a lost time in my life. That’s what I was hoping we could do, to help give a purpose and direction to the incredible passion and potential of youth.”

Nikki Saloner is a parent on the board with three children who have been involved in the JTEEN program over the years. “[Rabbi Bortz] is a cool Rabbi, connects with the kids on Facebook, Instagram and is WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

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COVER STORY

JTEEN members attend the program's annual banquet.

a soccer fan,” she says. “He gets to know the kids and really connects with them. I have known Rabbi Bortz for a long time and have really believed in him from the beginning, I am on the board of JTEEN and have seen how the program benefits my kids and others.

He has personally made a huge impact with my children in Jewish learning and other Jewish children in the community.

With JTEEN, Saloner noted that the teens can be as involved as they want to with no mandatory commitment except for the classes once they sign up. She believes that Rabbi Bortz provides community service on a personal level and shares this with the teens.

Another parent, Darren Youngelson, said that he has always enjoyed seeing Jewish communities prosper and grow, and he sees that happening with the JTEEN program.

“We all need to play our part in finding ways to embrace, support and enhance the 18

efforts of special people like Rabbi Bortz and the JTEEN organization,” he said. “Rabbi Bortz has played a meaningful part in his children’s lives that have been enriched in a comfortable, fun-filled environment.”

Shushu Crevoshay, a teen member of the program had this to say about working with Rabbi Bortz and JTEEN: “Since the year has begun, the La Jolla Jew Crew has done a number of community service projects that had very successful results on the La Jolla High School Campus. For example, we took part in the JTEEN “Love in a Box” project which really brought kindness to our campus. Within our club’s leadership board, we have also begun a Dvar Torah “circle”.

Every club meeting, one club leader creates a small Dvar Torah about the week’s Parsha to share with the club members and relates it to our daily lives.”

“Through the help of Rabbi Bortz, JTEEN

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

has given me and many other students the opportunity to bring Judaism into our day to day lives, which is sometimes difficult since we attend secular schools. It brings the Jewish students together on campus and gives us an identity.”

No matter who you are, teens, parents, and community members agree that Rabbi Bortz’s program has greatly enriched their lives and continues to help the community grow exponentially through Jewish values.

JTEEN is really teaching and building the heroes of our Jewish future today.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT JTEENSD.ORG OR ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/ JTEENSD. EMAIL RABBI DANIEL BORTZ AT JYOUTHSD@GMAIL.COM OR CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM, @RABBIDAN.

LOOK FOR KOSHER KURLS IN RALPHS LA JOLLA IN THE KOSHER DEPTARTMENT

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

19

EDUCATION l BY MAYAAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN | jns.org

ISRAEL'S EDUCATION SYSTEM A TOOL FOR ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY, UNITY

A

recent controversial decision by Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett means that haredi (ultra-Orthodox) students in Israel may continue to miss out on the secular education they need to succeed in Israel’s modern employment market.

In a widely panned decision, Bennett nullified earlier legislation that would have required all haredi schools to teach core subjects to receive government funding.

Israel’s education experts say more is needed to bring together students of diverse backgrounds and level the playing field with an eye toward the country’s future.

Nearly 75 percent of Israelis are Jewish, while 20 percent are Arab (both Muslim and Christian), and five percent are other non-Arab Christians and members of other religions or ethnic groups, such as the Druze, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

Among Israeli Jews, 49 percent are secular, 29 percent are traditional or Masorti, 13 percent are national religious and 9 percent are haredi, the Pew Research Center reports.

Division among Israeli Jews is most prevalent in its separate Jewish education systems run according to each group’s worldview, beliefs and national identity.

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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

PHOTO COURTESY TZAV PIUS

First day of school at one of the new Tzav Pius integrated schools.

According to a 2015 report by the Education Ministry, first grade classes are composed of about 38 percent secular Jews, 15 percent national religious, 25 percent Arab Israeli and 25 percent haredim. While the majority of Israeli public schools teach the same core curriculum, haredi schools operate independently and don’t necessarily follow the core requirements.

“The challenge of our education systems is that when students leave school they have not learned to live in a multicultural system,” explained Eli Palay, chairman of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs. “The big challenge is how to create some kind of … partnership.”

BASIC SKILLS

About 76 percent of haredi elementary school students study in officially-recognized educational systems. These schools are allocated 75 to 100 percent of the state budget and are required to teach the same percentage of the Education Ministry’s curriculum. Yet schools that don’t teach all of the required material often aren’t leveled a penalty. In the last 30 years, a growing number of youth (24 percent) have enrolled in haredi chederim, unofficial schools focusing on Torah while only providing a few basic skills needed to maintain

EDUCATION

employment later as adults.

“A family’s main goal in sending their child to school is to make him a Torah scholar,” Palay said.

This results in a much greater percentage of haredim living below the poverty line than in the general population – 52 percent compared to 19 percent, according an official report.

“We cannot live like we’re in a ghetto,” said former MK Rabbi Haim Amsalem. Because haredi education is weak, those who “want to break out of the kollel learning system” cannot find employment,” Amsalem said. “You cannot go very far.”

The greatest barrier students have to employment in high-tech, academia and other well-paying jobs is their lack of English skills, Palay said.

Arab students have a similar challenge with Hebrew; they often don’t learn the level necessary to enter and integrate into the workforce. A 2011 Education Ministry survey found the percentage of Arab schools teaching grammar and literature is 44 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

“An Arab engineer’s Hebrew and English may not be perfect, therefore he struggles during job interviews,” said Reem Younis, cofounder of Alpha Omega, a global high-tech company.

CENTRAL MESSAGES

While there are inherent differences between religious and secular outlooks on Jewish law, when it comes to Zionism, Jewish history or even ethical values, students also don’t receive consistent messages.

This disturbs Assaf Hirschfeld, formal education manager of Tzav Pius, a nonprofit organization focused on developing co-existence between Jews with different perceptions through social and educational change.

“There should be common values all of Israel’s population shares, ‘Love your friend as yourself’ should not depend on whether you’re religious or not,” Hirschfeld said.

While schools should be entitled to focus on values most important

to them, they shouldn’t go against those of the nation, Palay said.

“The problem isn’t that they’re not taught to be Zionists,” Amsalem said. “The challenge is they learn that Zionism is anti-Judaism.”

A similar disconnect exists between Arab and Jewish students.

Jewish students learn the history of Israel including the Biblical narrative of exile from the Land of Israel, about the U.N. Partition Plan that promised Jews a state, the Declaration of Independence, subsequent attacks by surrounding Arab nations, and a surprise victory. Arab students, however, learn this as the nakba (catastrophe) that led to the expulsion of Palestinians. Dissimilar narratives make it challenging for Jews and Arabs to understand each other’s worldviews.

STEPS FORWARD

Solutions are being developed. The Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel, Hand in Hand, opened the 2016 school year with 1,550 students in six schools. The student body is equally divided between Jews and Arabs, and lessons are taught simultaneously in Hebrew and Arabic by Arab and Jewish teachers. Hand in Hand is building “a shared society one school, one community at a time,” according to its website.

Tzav Pius has been a leader in integrating secular to religious schools by emphasizing a national connection between being a Jew and an Israeli and traditional and democratic values.

The organization recently helped local municipalities open five new schools where students from all denominations learn the core curriculum together and religious studies separately.

Hirschfeld said a growing part of secular Israel wants to feel more connected to Jewish culture and a growing number of religious people feel their school systems are becoming extreme.

“Bring them together,” said Hirschfeld, who believes such schools will result in a more unified and productive society. “The culture will become more pluralistic and patient.”

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT TZAVPIUS.ORG.IL/EN. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

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DREAMS COME TRUE A look inside the Hebrew Music Museum in Jerusalem.

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TWO LEVYS CREATE HEBREW MUSIC MUSEUM

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

PHOTO COURTESY HEBREW MUSIC MUSEUM

EDUCATION l BY DEBORAH FINEBLUM | JNS.ORG

EDUCATION

I

s it a coincidence that the two people most intimately involved in creating the Hebrew Music Museum are both Levys, descendants of the ancient Jewish tribe dedicated to providing music in the Holy Temple?

For 12 years, Laurent Levy, the museum’s sponsor, and Eldad Levy, its director, (who are not related), both had a vision of creating an interactive, state-of-the-art museum in the heart of Jerusalem that would celebrate Jewish music. “When we met five years ago we were both amazed that we shared this dream,” said Eldad Levy, a professional musician. “He said ‘Let’s do it’ and that was the beginning.”

During five years of planning for the museum, they collected hundreds of authentic instruments from around the world, conducted real estate negotiations in the city’s trendy Ben Yehuda neighborhood and designed and built a one-of-a-kind exhibit space.

Representing an investment of some 20 million shekels – roughly $5 million – the Hebrew Music Museum swung open its doors in April.

Today, the Levys’ dream has become a reality. The place attracts more than 1,000 visitors a month who come to see, and hear, what it’s all about. They’re immersed not only in the history of Jewish music, which has taken so many guises depending on place and time, but also how it ties back to the music of the two ancient Temples, one of which stood not far from their location.

Inside the museum, 260 musical instruments, from seven lands where Jews have lived in the Diaspora, are spread throughout seven rooms. Each room is decorated sumptuously in the style of the country it represents: Yemen, Morocco, Central Asia, Iraq, the Balkans. And not to be outdone, Israel, along with Europe (don’t miss that gorgeous hand-painted ceiling).

It’s in that room where you’ll find a lyra, a harp much like King David played while composing his Psalms.

In each room, visitors can listen to the music of each place and time using handheld tablets they’re given when they enter the museum. These portable devices are programmed with explanations in five

different languages; Hebrew, French, English, Spanish and Russian. The message is a potent one: each place Jews have lived, they have adopted the local instruments, and often the folk music of the region, and infused it with Jewish tradition, lyrics and soul.

“When designing the museum, we kept asking ourselves, ‘How can we touch people’s hearts with the power of Jewish music from throughout our history?” Eldad Levy said.

“We knew they’d need to hear the music, see the instruments and learn something about the culture we developed in each place we lived.”

One recent example of this fusion is Klezmer, which was popular in 18th century Eastern Europe at the time of the chassidic master Rabbi Baal Shem Tov. It continues to attract die-hard fans today.

Dating back much further is Jewish life in Iraq. There’s a faithful replica of the kind of Babylonian harp Jews played there 3,000 years ago. The original instrument was excavated by Germans archeologists, who’d been conducting digs in Iraq in the early 20th century.

“As amazing and beautiful as [the instruments] are, the real story is what’s behind the instruments,” Levy adds. “They were each an expression of Jewish life in these places.”

By far the highlight for most visitors is the temple room that features a large model of the Second Temple, which stood on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount for 420 years before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Patrons put on virtual reality headsets, which took three years to develop and program, to gain an inside view of a recreation of the service going on inside the Holy Temple. This is the place to hear a seemingly universal word escape the lips of young and old alike, “wow!”

“It’s like you‘re in the Beit HaMikdash with the kohanim,” said 11-year-old Yosef Levi (also no relation) who lives in Gush Etzion and was visiting with his grandmother. “You can see them working in there and you can hear the music.”

Hearing the music (which Eldad Levy composed) that’s the most important part of the virtual reality experience. “The job of music – and we’re talking about Jewish music – is to connect one person to another and

“As amazing and beautiful as [the instruments] are, the real story is what’s behind the instruments.

They were each an expression of Jewish life in these places.” another, wherever we live, and that’s helped keep the Jewish people strong since Temple times,” he says. And, he adds, “Maybe that’s why people keep coming back to the museum and bringing their friends and relatives.

Religious or not, they’re all able to feel it.”

Yosef’s grandmother Elsa Levi, a native New Yorker who now resides in Neve Daniel, enjoyed the experience, saying, “It was amazing to see so many instruments from around the world that Jews played, instruments I never knew existed.”

The Levys are not done with their vision just yet. They’re building another story onto the roof for a 400-seat auditorium for concerts, films and presentations. It’s projected to open next year.

Still, with or without an auditorium, Yosef Levi is recommending his friends go. “Yeah, they’ll see all kinds of instruments from all over the world that don’t even look like instruments” he says. “Wherever Jews lived, we always had our music.”

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

23

EIGHT CHANUKAH NIGHTS

Eight de-'LIGHT'-ful gifts

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hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights.

On each night we light one more candle to remember the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks and the rededication of the Second Temple. But there are more ways to create light than using Chanukah menorah candles. This list of eight gifts, one for each night of the holiday, are guaranteed to light up your friend or loved-one’s CChanukah.

NIGHT 2: CHANUKAH TREE TOPPER

This Christmas tree topper, which gained publicity with an appearance on the Shark Tank reality TV show, might just be the thing for interfaith families. Celebrate Christmas and Chanukah together—Chrismukkah, as it’s become known—with this sparkling Star of David on top of your tree. Your tree’s lights will make the Chanukah tree topper shine even more.

NIGHT 3: GLOW STICKS

NIGHT 1: LANTERN

Lanterns can make wonderful gifts. Consider buying a unique, decorative lantern like this example from Etsy.com, or if you’re on a budget or feeling crafty, make it yourself. A gift can be much more meaningful when you try to make it more personal. Check out the instructions for these 11 DIY lanterns from Country Living that you can customize for in-door use during Chanukah.

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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

glowing pizzazz.

Kids love these on the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve, so why not on Chanukah? Get a bunch of these and distribute them to your family. Turn off the lights and have them wave these as you light your candles for an extraNIGHT 4: NIGHT LIGHT

For kids who don’t like the dark, a night light is a must.

Make it a fun gift by picking a light with a cute design, such as the GummyLamp Gummy Bear Nightlight. Not only is the light fun and friendly, but kids will be reassured that they won’t have to fear the dark after the Chanukah lights go out. For a more adult-appropriate, decorative gift that is also Chanukah-themed, consider something like this Chanukah Glass Block Night Light on Etsy.com.

CHANUKAH

NIGHT 5: FLASHLIGHT HEADLAMP

OR

For the gadget or camping enthusiast, a wearable headlamp will make a cool gift. Besthiking. net surveyed the best headlamps of 2015 A favorite of mine, which I purchased as a gift, is the Petzl Tikka headlamp. It is available at a number of sporting stores or on Amazon.com.

NIGHT 6: DONATE, BE SOCIAL, BE CREATIVE

Use Chanukah as an occasion to help your local Jewish community.

For instance, host a menorah or candle-donation drive, and use the items to “light up” the holiday for those in need. Alternatively, contribute to a drive already being run by your local synagogue. As part of this, you can even get your community in the creative mood by organizing an event to make your own Chanukah candles.

NIGHT 7: UNIQUE MENORAH

If you’re choosing to gift someone a menorah, pick something quirky and fun. The International Business Times compiled some examples in 2014. Additional Internet research will surely yield a multitude of options. Pictured is one that I received as a gift some time ago.

NIGHT 8: DIAMONDS

What special someone doesn’t like diamonds? Whether or not you have an additional reason to splurge, or just because, a shining piece of jewelry will surely make her smile this Chanukah. While you can gift this on any night, waiting until the eighth night of Chanukah could make this gift extra special. And if she wears the piece next to the menorah candles, she will sparkle with light like the beautiful lady she is.

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CHANUKAH l BY JUDY LASH BALINT | JNS.ORG

ISRAEL'S FIRST CHANUKAH

CANDLE COMPANY

T

he Menorah Candle Company, manufacturer and exporter of millions of Chanukah candles worldwide, is one of the oldest businesses in the industrial zone of Sderot, the Negev city better known as a frequent target for Hamas rockets than for its commerce.

Menorah produces the small bright-blue box filled with 44 multicolored candles and printed with iconic images designed by Boris Schatz of the early 20th century Bezalel art movement. This simple box of candles has been a trusted Chanukah holiday component for Jews around the world for decades.

Today, the factory is run by an idealistic CEO, Ilan Ben Moshe, who considers the operation a business and a national mission. The factory was moved to Sderot from Tel Aviv in 1988 by its previous owner, a Holocaust survivor, who bought the company from its founders. The original business started in 1939 as the first candle manufacturer in Palestine. Menorah now employs 40 workers, all residents of Sderot and the surrounding area.

“We’ve gone through two wars here in the past four years,” noted Ben Moshe, referring to Israel’s eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012 and 2014’s Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. “Sderot is less than a mile from Gaza and has been under fire for 14 years, but people here are very brave,” he added.

On a recent afternoon, Ben Moshe invited a visitor into the operation and the large protected area where workers take shelter when Israel’s Red Alert siren gives a 15-second warning of an imminent rocket attack.

In the 2012 war, Menorah was forced to close for 10 days when the area came under frequent bombardment, and anxiety among workers was a constant companion.

In June 2014, a direct rocket hit on a nearby paint factory was one of the attacks that brought Israel into the monthlong Gaza War. The factory was completely destroyed in the attack, and four workers were injured.

When that happened, Ben Moshe, who makes the 90-minute commute from Jerusalem every day, said he considered moving his factory to the Jerusalem area, but, ultimately decided to “stay here forever. I consider it our mission to be here.”

“Candles have soul,” Ben Moshe asserted. That’s what attracted him and two partners to buy the veteran company in 2012, after a successful career as a vice president of several large Israeli corporations and a brief experience producing candles in Turkey.

Ben Moshe, 44, the son of a Canadian-born mother and an Iraqi father, served as an IDF paratrooper and is the father of four. An observant Jew, he takes pride in providing for the religious needs of Jews worldwide.

He’s quick to note that Menorah has expanded over the years to

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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

A display of Menorah Candle Company Hanukkah candles.

produce and export Shabbat candles, memorial candles, Havdalah candles, and, in the last year, individual cups of olive oil. Many in Israel prefer to commemorate the Chanukah miracle of a single cruse of oil lasting for eight days in its original form.

Individual oil cups now constitute 15 percent of Menorah’s Chanukah trade, a number Ben Moshe expects to rise as more Jews abroad adopt the olive oil custom.

The company tries to locally source paraffin, wicks, olive oil and dye, all the components that go into making the signature candles.

A parallel part of the Menorah ethos is providing employment and occupational therapy to local people with special needs. Ten of the 40 workers at the 75,000 sq. ft. plant are from the special needs community and are involved in various aspects of packing and shipping thousands of oil cups and candles daily.

Commercial candle making is a relatively simple but exacting process using paraffin and oil. The Sderot plant uses machinery manufactured and imported from Germany and China some 30 years ago that still functions well today. The wicks are eight-layers strong to create a steady flame. To create different colors, sizes and shapes of candles, many kinds of paraffin additions are required.

To keep up with demand and an exacting export schedule, production starts four months ahead of the holiday. Menorah’s biggest customers outside of Israel are in North America, France, Australia and South Africa, with business growing an average of 10 percent every year, Ben Moshe said.

One last stop on the factory tour is the small synagogue on its premises that is used for daily Torah study. Ben Moshe reflects on the candle legacy he’s perpetuating and growing bigger.

“God sent me here,” he said with a smile.

PHOTO COURTESY MENORAH CANDLE COMPANY

ENDURING A 77-YEAR HISTORY

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel Hanukah.

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Sandy’s Grandsons, Jackson Evan Bold, Andrew Michael Roseman, Jason Gabriel Roseman, & Elliot Harrison Roseman; Granddaughter, Sydney Ilyse Bold; Daughter & Son-in-Law, Rochelle & Bill Bold; Son & Daughter-in-Law, Loren & Dana Roseman.

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27

BADASS KOSHER l BY MICHAEL GARDINER

VIETNAMESE JEWISH PENICILLIN

I

t is not for nothing Chicken Noodle Soup is called “Jewish Penicillin.” It is, perhaps, the prototypical “Jewish” food. Whether there is actually something medicinal about the stuff, it’s purely psychosomatic or it is just the comfort food factor is quite beside the point. It works because it is wonderful.

But I don’t get to have Chicken Noodle Soup very often. On the other I hand, the next month that goes by without my having a bowl or three of pho – the magical Vietnamese noodle soup – will be a first in recent memory. Pho is generally thought of as a beef noodle soup, but depending on how 28

broadly you’re willing to define pho, chicken, duck, pork, vegetarian or seafood versions qualify as well.

Pho Ga is beef pho’s lighter and nonbovine cousin. While I am particularly passionate about the classic beef version there is something compelling about the chicken version. Where beef pho speaks of the muscular pho ga whispers of delicacy. When made with craft and care, pho ga achieves that delicacy, but it does so with a broth that still manages to taste like the liquid essence of chicken. It is soothing and powerful and taps deep into the comfort vein. It may not

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

PHO GA

BADASS KOSHER

pack the punch of the beef versions, it may not offer the variety of textures, but it offers something else: a soothing embrace.

There are generally four main moving parts to a bowl of pho: the broth, the noodles, the protein and the garnishes (bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime and chili peppers are common).

Pho broth is far more than a stock, rich and long-simmered as it is. The characteristic flavor of pho broth owes its ethereal character to charred ginger and onion, on the one hand, and a bevy of aromatic herbs and spices, particularly cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, black pepper and cloves.

The principal problem in adapting classic pho ga to the Kosher kitchen has – for a very long time -- been the fish sauce. Until recently there was no readily available Kosher version of fish sauce; either Vietnamese nuoc mam or Thai nam pla. Earlier this year, though, the Red Boat brand came out with a certified Kosher version of fish sauce. It can be obtained online at: redboatfishsauce.com. While I was quite proud of my kluged-together recipe for something I called “Kosher Fish Sauce” – a concoction that was vaguely reminiscent of the real stuff – the Red Boat product is vastly superior. I don’t plan to be making a batch of my “Kosher Fish Sauce” again any more than I plan to brew my own soy sauce.

What I do plan to make again is a bowl of this pho ga. Aside from the fact I love pho and the fact I love Chicken Noodle Soup it is hard to imagine how good the mash up of the two can be. This recipe will help you find out.

PHO GA Makes 4 servings INGREDIENTS: For the Broth 1 whole organic chicken (4-5 pounds) 1 whole onion, unpeeled 3-inch chunk of ginger, unpeeled 2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds 4 whole cloves 2 whole star anise

2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons Red Boat brand fish sauce (or other Kosher fish sauce if there is one) small bunch of cilantro stems only, tied in bunch with twine For the Soup Bowl 1 pound dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch wide) ½ cup of very thinly sliced white onions (½ moon shape, soaked in water for a ½ hour) Scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced.

For the Accompaniments 2 cups bean sprouts, washed & cleaned 1 bunch Cilantro leaves 1 bunch basil leaves 1 lime, quartered Sriracha sauce Hoisin sauce Pickled Serrano Chile Peppers 1. ROAST THE GINGER AND ONION Place the ginger and onion over the gas burner of your range with the burner set to the highest flame. Roast the ginger and onion over the flame until thoroughly blackened, turning as each side blackens. Alternatively, preheat the oven to your oven’s highest setting (Broil or about 500° Fahrenheit). Arrange a rack so that the top of the onion will be about 4 inches from the top burning element. Cut the onion in half (without peeling it). Put the onion and the ginger on a small baking sheet and place in the oven. Turn the onion pieces and ginger occasionally, to get an even char.

The onion skin should get dark and both vegetables should should get soft. After the vegetables have cooled, rub to remove the charred skin of the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices.

2. PARBOIL THE CHICKEN Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Using a boning knife

(or knife of your choice), carve the chicken breast meat off the chicken and reserve for use below. With a sharp meat cleaver, whack the bird into 3 inch sections, exposing as much of the marrow as possible. When the water boils, add chicken sections (but not the reserved breast sections) and boil on high for 5 minutes. The chicken will release a lot of scum which will rise to the surface.

This is normal and expected. Drain the pot, discarding the liquid. Wash the pot to be sure that none of the scum remains. When the chicken has cooled, wash the chicken parts to make sure none of the scum adheres to the chicken parts either.

3. MAKE THE BROTH Add 4 quarts of water, chicken, chicken breast meat, onion, ginger and all of the remaining broth ingredients to the pot and cover. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat immediately turn the heat to low. Offset the lid just enough to create a gap through which steam can escape. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool. Using your fingers (forks are a poor substitute) shred the chicken breast meet and set aside. With a large spoon, skim the surface of the broth to remove any impurities from the broth. Skimming every 20 minutes ensures a clear broth (a sign of a good Pho).

Simmer for a total of 1-1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning with more of the Kosher Fish Sauce or sugar.

4. FINISH THE SOUP Prepare the noodles as per the directions on the packet. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve over a soup pot. Discard the solids. Bring the pot back to a bowl over medium heat. Generally this will involve soaking the noodles in hot tap water for 1520 minutes. Assemble the bowls by placing a portion of the noodles in each bowl. Top with the onions. Ladle in the broth and garnish with the scallions. Serve with a plate of the accompanying ingredients.

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FEATURE STORY

MINDFULNESS Increasing Your Well-Being, Moment-to-Moment with Mindfulness

by Merry Woodruff

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ant to improve the condition of your overall health and wellbeing? Perhaps bring more gratitude and happiness in to your life?

Reduce your stress and the way you react to people and situations? Then you might want to start a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is a form of mind training that involves intentionally focusing our awareness on our present moment-to-moment experience by attending directly to our thoughts, emotions, sensations and environment with certain attitudes, such as non-judgment and curiosity. While mindfulness starts in the mind, it can affect our physical, emotional and spiritual health along with our social connectedness at the same time.

HOW TO BEGIN A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

To beginning a mindfulness practice, it’s best to ask yourself what you want from it. Think about what issue(s) you wish to address; what areas of your life are challenging, or could use some strengthening, clarifying, or general attention. Mindfulness is about slowing down, paying attention in a certain way, and observing what we notice.

MINDFULNESS-BASED APPLICATIONS

Various mindfulness-based practices are available today that address specific issues.

Some are meditation-based, while others are informal exercises done at the time that you need them. Additionally, there are mindfulness-based programs or applications taught by facilitators that combine formal meditations and informal exercises, focused around specific topics. These programs can 30

be experienced in small groups or one-onone. The following is not exhaustive list of such programs, but a good place to start: MEDITATION = CALM YOUR MIND, WARM YOUR HEART

If you find you need more “calm” moments in your life, and the ability to relax, you might begin with formal mindfulness meditations.

Start with guided sitting meditations, found either online, or via a mobile phone app, or as lead by a facilitator in person. Move into silent meditation when you feel comfortable with the mode of “just being.” The goal of meditation is not to clear your mind of thoughts or push them away, after all, it’s our mind’s job to think. The intention of meditation is to focus on an object; physical sensation, word, phrase or image, and return your mind to that object when it strays. This shift in attention is the actual practice: where we recognize we have a choice to bring our attention back from being hijacked. Many people new to meditation start by focusing on the breath, as it is always available and can be experienced only in the present moment (keeps our minds from traveling into the future or dwelling on the past).

Start meditating for five-minutes a day, and then increase that amount by five-minute increments over time. However, keep in mind what is important is not the length of time we meditate, but the consistency and frequency of the meditation practice. Try meditating by yourself or in community and notice what arises for you? Joining a group of meditators can help you establish your practice.

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION = REDUCE STRESS AND GAIN A LOT MORE

If you are easily or constantly stressed, or your reactivity is off the hook-- you might want to consider Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). The official 8-week MBSR program that is taught internationally, focuses on how our reaction to life challenges affects our health and well-being. The program offers exploration into the nature of the thinking mind, as well as conditioned habits, and offers ways to break the cycle of reactions on automatic-pilot. Mindfulness meditations and gentle yoga are interwoven into this program to allow participants to experience the mind-body connection, and see how fleeting thoughts, emotions and sensations are. Additionally, mindfulness attitudes cultivated in this practice encourage non-judgment, curiosity, patience, trust, non-striving, accepting, and letting go or being with to name a few. This is the program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn back in 1979, based on his book, “Full Catastrophe Living,” that secularized mindfulness and brought it to the masses minus the tie to a specific religion.

MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION = CHANGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF

If you beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned, or are your own worst critic when faced with challenges, Mindful SelfCompassion (MSC) is for you. This program focuses on changing your relationship with yourself, from one based on criticism to one based on compassion. This program uses mindfulness to help us understand our how

FEATURE STORY

our thoughts, emotions, and sensations can lead to conditioned responses that undermine our well-being. Through mediations and exercises, we learn how to work through difficult emotions, relationships and adopt healthier ways of being. This program is based on the work of Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, and their respective books on Mindful Self-Compassion.

MINDFUL EATING = CHANGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND NOURISHING YOURSELF

If you find your appetite increases when you are under stress, or in certain situations, and you begin to eat mindlessly, this program is for you. These days we find ourselves eating for a variety of reasons that don’t necessarily have to do with hunger. With this mindset, we may overeat, developing bad habits that can lead to eating disorders. The Mindful Eating program focuses on supporting your relationship in nourishing your body, mind and spirit with exactly what it needs.

By applying mindfulness to the process of eating, participants recognize hunger centers from where appetites stem, and how to satisfy them in healthier ways. Awareness of how thoughts, emotions and sensations affect our appetite and behaviors is highlighted through meditations and exercises. This program is based on the work of Jan Chozen

Bays and her book, Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food.

MINDFULNESS RESOURCES

If you are inspired to increase your wellbeing and strengthen your resilience, and want to learn more about mindfulness, check out the following resources located around San Diego. This list is not exhaustive, but a good place to start to change your life for the better, by embracing mindfulness: The Balanced Mind Meditation Center housed in the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus in La Jolla opened its doors in late September of 2016. Numerous mindfulnessbased courses are offered such as MBSR, Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens and Adults, Mindful Movement, and Mindful Meditation drop-in classes throughout the day, throughout the week. I will be offering an Eating Mindfully class here in February 2017. Learn more at lfjcc.org/qualcomm/ bmmc.aspx BeingMerry is my well-being company, based in Rancho Bernardo, Sorrento Valley, and Mission Valley. I provide one-onone coaching and small group instruction incorporating mindfulness and wellness into life coaching. I also facilitate Mindfulness

Meditation, MBSR, Mindful SelfCompassion and Eating Mindfully courses.

I work with individuals and groups in person, over the phone, and using video conferencing as well. Learn more at beingmerry.com The UCSD Center for Mindfulness, located in University City, downtown San Diego, and on the UCSD Campus, offers a full range of mindfulness-based classes, and compassion and workplace programs.

Learn more at health.ucsd.edu/specialties/ mindfulness.

Mindful Methods for Life is a mindfulness company based in La Jolla that offers mindfulness-based classes that combine Mindful Self-Compassion and MBSR, 6-weeks and 2-day format. Learn more at mindfulmethodsforlife.com.

MERRY WOODRUFF IS A CERTIFIED WELLNESS AND MINDFULNESS LIFE COACH. SHE COACHES AND TEACHES ON NOURISHMENT, EATING MINDFULLY, REDUCING STRESS, ESTABLISHING A MEDITATION PRACTICE, LIVING

BY ONE’S VALUES, SELF-CARE, AND SELF-COMPASSION. MERRY IS A TRAINED TEACHER OF MINDFUL SELFCOMPASSION, AND HAS BEEN TRAINED IN MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION AND MINDFUL EATINGCONSCIOUS LIVING. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

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FEATURE STORYl BY DEBORAH VIETOR

B'NAI TIKVAH A UNIQUE AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

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aomi Gabai-Fisher is the Director of Education for Temple B’Nai Tikvah in Carlsbad. She has been with the synagogue since 2006 and her contributions are many. In addition to education, she plans holiday events with a committee and provides marketing for the synagogue. She attends most temple board meetings to discuss programming, events, opportunities, calendaring and educational endeavors. She writes and distributes a weekly family newsletter called Naomi’s Notes. She represents the congregation at the MOTIV Teen Service Council meetings and serves on the Jewish Book Fair Selection Committee.

Fisher’s background includes a BA in Anthropology from Penn State University, an MA from Penn in Middle East Studies and Arabic Literature, and an MLS (Masters in Library Science) from Columbia University. She has taught for over 35 years at synagogues and other schools across the U.S. As the head of education at B’nai Tikvah, Fisher oversees religious school for children in grades 1-8. The program is unique in that the curriculum is adjusted to the individual needs of the students. Grade level classes are offered in addition to Hebrew classes based 32

on the student’s reading proficiency.

The theme of the school is chesed, meaning kindness, and students work on projects supporting the theme; for example, creating “Refu’ah Shelaymah” cards for the congregation’s ill or ailing members.

Students also pack and deliver items for temple food drives, serving the homeless and those in need. Fisher said the school’s goal is to foster a love of being Jewish and a love for Israel in the students they teach.

This year, the synagogue participated in “Sukkot Across America” through a national grant from the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP), which also supports the Hebrew classes taught at the shul. As part of the program, B’nai Tikvah’s Sukkah was brought to Carlsbad State Beach at Tamarack, attracting community and synagogue members alike. “Shabbat Across America,” also promoted by NJOP, is expected to draw a large crowd for the synagogue’s challah bake this March.

“One of the things I enjoy working on for the congregation is fostering the diverse population who has joined the synagogue,” Fisher said. “I’m very pro-outreach in our community [and try] to bring Jewish

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

educational and cultural opportunities to families and singles. B’nai Tikvah has been described as a ‘boutique shul.’ Because we are a small group of dedicated individuals, we work very hard to provide a comfortable environment where both learning and diversity is valued.”

All programs through the synagogue support an educational component. Though subtle, the activities and events promote opportunities for those who have chosen to visit the congregation once or on an ongoing basis.

“I get tremendous satisfaction seeing our families and individuals grow in their practice of Judaism, and not just the observance of Judaism,” Fisher said. “It is important to me to see our students grow and mature into compassionate and knowledgeable young adults, who share what they have learned with their parents and siblings to continue to help our community grow.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT NAOMI GABBAI-FISHER AT NAOMI.GABAI.FISHER@GMAIL.COM OR (760) 650-2262. CONGREGATION B’NAI TIKVAH IS LOCATED AT 2510 GATEWAY ROAD, CARLSBAD, CA, 92009.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

33

FEATURE STORY A LIFETIME OF

VOLUNTEERING

Jewish War Veterans' new leader brings his lifetime of volunteering to 'service organization'

BY ROBERT GLUCK | JNS.ORG

34

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

R

etired United States Army Col. Carl A. Singer brings a can-do attitude to the top volunteer post at the Jewish War Veterans (JWV) nonprofit.

Singer, formerly a member of a hand-picked elite team supporting famed Vietnam War Gen. William Westmoreland when Westmoreland served as the U.S. Army’s chief of staff from 1968-72, has dedicated much of his time to volunteering in both the veterans and Jewish communities. Before he was elected as JWV’s national commander at the organization’s 121st Annual National Convention last summer, Singer was a member of JWV Post 133 in New Jersey for 30 years.

“I naturally gravitated toward volunteering,” Singer said in an interview ahead of Veterans Day. “You can complain about things or you can make them better.”

Born in 1946 on a westbound freight train along the PolishUkrainian border, Singer spent time in Displaced Persons camps and at age 3 came to the U.S., where he grew up in Cleveland. His mother worked in a bakery and his father was a tailor, and Singer would become the first member of his family to attend college. He later earned a master’s degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. An observant Jew, he now lives in Passaic, N.J. Singer honed his management skills at the U.S. Army War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership, which trains senior officers for command positions. He calls famed Maj. Gen. Herbert J. McChrystal “the best manager I ever had.” Now, Singer is applying his skills in the service of Jewish and non-Jewish veterans alike. He affirms JWV’s primary purpose “as a service organization.”

“Whether it’s visiting veterans, sending care packages to vets overseas, or cooperating with the Jewish chaplaincy, we help veterans regardless of their religion,” he said. For instance, JWV members visit veterans in nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the country.

“We help with Shabbat and Passover services and on Hanukkah we bring latkes, not just to Jewish vets but to all veterans,” Singer said.

“Volunteers don’t just push the veteran in his wheelchair, we sit down and chat with the veteran, especially those vets who don’t get a lot of visitors.”

The start of Singer’s leadership has also been marked by a focus on policy issues, with JWV this fall demanding in a press release that the Pentagon “drop all efforts” to recoup reimbursements from Army National Guardsmen after audits revealed overpayments and improper reenlistment screening tactics by the California National Guard.

“Lack of oversight and extensive misconduct by the California Guard led to this situation, and now our soldiers, who served honorably, are being punished. Many are severely in debt trying to pay the Pentagon back for a governmental mistake,” JWV said. Singer

added in a statement that America needs “to honor the commitment to the National Guardsmen, but also put a better system in place to assure that recruiters don’t oversell and overpromise. No one should be penalized for serving their country.”

JWV’s policy statements aren’t limited to issues affecting veterans.

The group recently condemned the passage of the controversial resolution by the United Nations’ cultural body, UNESCO, that denied the Jewish and Christian ties to the Temple Mount. Singer said in a statement that the UNESCO measure “robs both Christians and Jews of their rightful heritage, which predates Islam by many centuries,” and he requested that President Barack Obama take action to “promote the peaceful right to worship of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Old City.”

Singer said that under his watch, JWV will continue to focus on basic issues for veterans—including VA hospitals, the VA health care system, other healthcare-related concerns for veterans, and women in the military—in addition to maintaining a Jewishly relevant agenda.

“Moving forward I will continue to be a mouthpiece for the organization about key issues, and I’m also working on strengthening communication within the organization and its membership,” he said. “JWV will continue to advocate for a strong and safe Israel and work to fight anti-Semitism.”

In his spare time, Singer maintains an interest in history. A member of the board of directors for the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, he is quick to correct a famous author’s error about Jews and the military.

“Mark Twain said Jews didn’t serve in the Civil War. This is not true,” Singer said. “They served honorably in every war. If you visit the museum you can learn about famous Jews such as Uriah Levy, a naval officer and philanthropist, and Haym Salomon, who helped finance the American Revolution.”

JWV, said its new leader, is “there for veterans now and in the future.”

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

35

FEATURE STORY

JEWISH LIFE THRIVES

AT SAN DIEGO HILLEL

I

t has been a little over 2 years since the opening of the Melvin Garb Hillel Center at San Diego State University. The 10,500 square-foot, two-story, LEED Gold certified building is the first modern Hillel facility in San Diego, providing services to Jewish students across the county. As a hub for Jewish connection and programming, the Center celebrates the realization of a longheld dream to build a modern Hillel facility for SDSU. “I am so happy to say that Hillel and Jewish

36

life on campus is thriving throughout San Diego, said Jackie Tolley, Hillel’s Campus Director at SDSU. The center is a space where Jewish college students can find their Jewish community, explore their Judaism and enhance their college experience. In development, Hillel hoped Jewish students would feel a sense of pride to have the beautiful center as a gathering spot for all their friends and that has definitely been the case. “We also love sharing the building with other campus

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

organizations and the flow of students in and out has helped us achieve a new level of visibility and connection to the campus,” Tolley said.

However, opening the building was only the starting point for a new level of Jewish involvement at SDSU. Tolley and her staff continue to create new ways to reach the uninvolved and to deepen student’s Jewish connection and knowledge. They add new programs to their schedule as students express what they are seeking. They find new ways

FEATURE STORY

to give students an Israel experience that is meaningful to them. In addition, they hope to share the building with more community members who may be looking for a space to rent for their personal simchas.

“The first two and a half years of the Melvin Garb Hillel Center have been outstanding and I am excited to build on the great beginning and see where we go from here!” Tolley said.

Hillel at SDSU is just one branch of the program fostering Jewish life at college campuses across San Diego. With programming at nearly all area colleges, no Jewish student is left out.

Leah Baker, California State University San Marcos class of 2018, started coming to Hillel at the beginning of her college life three years ago. During that time, she says she has “made countless friendships and lots of beautiful memories with the Jewish community at San Marcos.”

“I was very shy at first, and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was quickly and warmly welcomed by the close-knit group at Hillel that I continue to celebrate our amazing Jewish culture with,” Baker said. “I met some of my closest friends there, who broke me out of my shell and showed me how great it is to have a student organization that understands you and supports you through thick and thin.”

Through her involvement in Hillel, Baker has fostered her love for Israel and has been inspired to go on Birthright as well as study in Jerusalem and travel on her own there afterward.

For many students, the connections made at Hillel reignite a passion for Jewish life that might have dimmed after growing out of religious school programming. This was the

case for University of California - San Diego undergraduate student Rachel Finerman.

“After losing the connection to my Jewish roots throughout high school, I knew I wanted to reconnect to that aspect of my life when I came to college,” she says. “Hillel has provided me with opportunities to grow as a Jewish person and as an emerging leader within the Jewish community. I can confidently say that UC San Diego Hillel has been the highlight of my college experience.

Hillel is my resource on campus for support, friends, and unforgettable experiences.”

Recent CSUSM graduate Alex Ertel said that after returning from Birthright, he was both inspired and enthusiastic about connecting and becoming more involved with Jewish life in his community and on campus.

“I felt like a dormant portion of my Jewish identity had been awoken with all of the amazing experiences I shared in the land of Israel,” he says. “I started volunteering more on campus events and even went as far as hosting my first Shabbat dinner in my home with students at Hillel, but even with that I wanted more.”

Ertel participated in an alternative spring break that took students from Hillels in San Diego to volunteer on a coffee farm in Oaxaca, Mexico. In partnership with the Cadena, the Jewish Community of Mexico, and Project Ten (an Israeli organization), students participated in international aid program helping locals in the area with Jews from across the globe.

“I was immediately hooked to connecting further to the international Jewish community and my own back home through Hillel,” he says. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do after college and through

mentorship of the Hillel Director at Cal State San Marcos, I participated in a life altering journey by becoming a JDC Entwine Jewish Service Corps Fellow through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and working with the Jewish Community of Warsaw, Poland. For an entire year, I participated in and became a part of Jewish life and renewal at the Jewish Community Center of Warsaw and even was a part of the opening of Hillel of Warsaw. I owe the development of my Jewish identity in college and the type of Jewish life that I live today to the experiences that I shared with Hillel and I am forever grateful.”

It is a sentiment that is echoed time and time again. Hillel of San Diego, accredited

by Hillel International, serves Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at institutions of higher education across San Diego County. Students from all backgrounds are invited to participate in Jewish life on campus. Social, cultural, educational, and community service programs provide opportunities for students to build relationships with each other and develop Jewish community. Hillel’s mission is to be a vibrant Jewish campus presence and to involve the maximum number of university-age Jews in ways that foster a lasting commitment to Jewish life.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HILLEL OF SAN DIEGO AND/OR HOW TO RESERVE A SPACE FOR YOUR MEETING OR PARTY AT THE MELVIN GARB HILLEL CENTER, PLEASE CONTACT AMY HART, THE LORI BOLOTIN DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, HILLEL OF SAN DIEGO, AT (619) 764-5995 OR VISIT HILLELSD.ORG.

STILL DOING GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY Temple Etz Rimon of Carlsbad, in cooperation with the Interfaith Shelter Network and Pilgrim United Church, will again host shelter guests for two weeks in February 2017.

If you would like to participate in this Tikkun Olam project or to learn more, please visit our website.

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

37

GUEST COLUMN

b uy l o c a lly cre ate d a r t

BY JAMES STONE

W

hy buy art, support our local artistic communities and preserve our cultural heritage? Those are interesting questions, suggesting a multitude of perspectives.

Historically speaking, much of what we refer to as civilization was built on the backs of artists. Starting with cave drawings, a form of art born alongside humanity millions of years ago, our oldest ancestors wanted to convey some message to the future of who they were and how they lived. I’m sure they had no idea that millions of years later we would still be viewing their treasures and trying to understand their art and communications.

Art elevates the spirit. By surrounding oneself with art, life feels better. Art brightens your day and your life, for a moment examine our interaction with art in our daily lives today and all through history.

What is art and why do our souls crave it? Art is a way to connect, on a very deep level. From the beginning man has used images from his brain to communicate his thoughts, feelings and aspirations.

Art chronicles our experiences and records our individual journeys.

Art is the very thing that makes us human. We don’t just want to be surrounded by art; it is a human need to be immersed in artistic environments, whether that is wall art, music, architecture or motion 38

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

picture art. Art makes us feel good.

How do you find and select art that fits your personal needs and desires? The first thing is to listen to your heart; your heart will never ever lie. When you look at or listen to a piece of art and it takes your breath away and you find yourself saying “this piece is beautiful, I just have to have it,” that is a clue. Your soul is speaking to you, take a moment to listen. True art is an inspiration, not a decoration. It doesn’t matter if it fits or goes with the "furniture", or what will my mother, brother, husband or Aunt Tilly think of this piece.

There is no feeling like the feeling one gets from owning a piece of art , seeing the piece day in and day out, it touches your soul over and over and over again. The art becomes a very part of your history, your personal journey. This is why we enjoy art, support art and the artists who create the wonderful pieces we embrace.

Reasons to buy art are not only to support the artists who create it. Artists need patrons, big and small to sell their work to so they may continue to create. The real reason is to explore your own inner needs, feelings and communications.

There’s that heart thing again.

Ask yourself; "Does this artwork speak to me?" "What does it say to me?" "How does this artwork touch me?" "Are the shapes pleasing?"

"Can I see myself enjoying this piece every day?" and "Do I like the colors?" Because the truth is that all living beings respond to color.

Color is so important that there have been many psychological studies of the effects of color on our lives. Sometimes you like a color and you may not even know why you like it. The reason is because the colors you enjoy are connecting through your eyes directly with your soul.

Next most important aspect to consider is; do you personally know or have you met the artist. Is this artist local? Am I supporting the local economy? Do you know the artists history? After all, in the end the story is an important aspect of being the steward of someone else’s artwork. At best the artist’s story can give you some insight and understanding of yourself. At the least, out of respect to the artist’s creative spirit, know the artist’s name and a little about them.

Lastly and most importantly, shop local. We have all heard this suggestion in terms mostly associated with buying our food stocks from local farms and producers. Well, the same benefits hold true to shopping for handmade gift items. It might even be said that shopping local will have the greatest impact on the environment. By sourcing all your gift items from local artisans and crafts people the positive impact is directly measurable. For every dollar spent locally, 67 cents stays right in that very community not to a foreign country.

By shopping local you help create local jobs. When we shop local we boost and support the local economy. Environmentally speaking, as an artisan we are much more likely to source our own basic art materials locally, often artists are avid recyclers of discarded materials to create our art. All the work is done locally and by shopping local we reduce the carbon footprint in so many ways. The single biggest positive impact is that there is little to no shipping and or transportation of raw materials or finished goods, therefore there is not much CO2 generated and released into the atmosphere.

So there you go, buy art first because it makes you feel good. Buy art because it helps support the local artists and the local economy.

Shop local because it helps keep the money local and it is good for the environment.

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39

FEATURE STORY

J ewish Family Se r vice of S an Diego J oins Starbucks Food Share Program Local Nonprofit Receives Donated Food Products in Partnership with Feeding San Diego

I

n partnership with Starbucks and Feeding San Diego (FSD), Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) will rescue food products from local Starbucks locations countywide and distribute the food to those struggling with hunger as part of the first Starbucks FoodShare Program in the nation.

A grant from Starbucks and FSD provides JFS with a refrigerated van and subsidized funds to pay two part-time staff drivers. JFS will visit 18 Starbucks locations seven days a week, year round, to rescue food that would otherwise have been thrown away. The food will be distributed at JFS’s “Corner Market” at its Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus in Kearny Mesa – a client-choice food pantry that allows clients to “shop” for complimentary food and hygiene items that best meet their family’s needs.

“In San Diego County, more than 460,000 people are food insecure and are uncertain if they will have enough food to meet the needs of their family, typically due to insufficient funds or resources,” said JFS CEO Michael Hopkins. “The partnership with Starbucks and Feeding San Diego will help alleviate that insecurity, and provide San Diegans more access to the nutrition they need to live active, healthy lives and thrive.”

Food items to be rescued include Starbucks Bistro Boxes, breakfast sandwiches, paninis, salads, yogurts and high-quality baked goods.

Approximately 6,000 pounds of food per month are expected to be picked up and distributed by JFS. “With one in eight San Diegans facing hunger, FoodShare makes a 40

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

huge difference for those we serve and truly exemplifies what we can accomplish when we work together,” said Stacy Rungaitis, director of development and marketing at Feeding San Diego.

JFS is one of three agencies currently participating in the FoodShare Program, including Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Rescue Mission. Five additional San Diego agencies are expected to be added in the future. Together, the eight agencies will rescue nearly 750,000 pounds of food each year from Starbuck locations in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JFS AND ITS NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, VISIT JFSSD.ORG/FOOD.

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THE COMMUNITY PLACE

Dovid - My Sweet Dear Youngest Beloved Child

Want to know what's happening in your community?

Have something you want to share?

We want our community to be able to hear the voices of each other, direct from them. L'Chaim Magazine is the only SoCal Publication where the community can submit their lifecycle events; FREE OF CHARGE. Our goal is to keep our community up to date and informed of each other; inevitably, growing our community stronger.

This service is brought to you by Chai Five Projects.

Please submit your lifecycle events to info@lchaimmagazine.com.

Devorah Leah Yelin Proud parents, Rabbi Yair & Chanie Yelin of San Marcos, CA welcomed their daughter Devorah Leah on Yom Kippur. She joins her 5 siblings and wonderful community.

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B’H I will always and forever hold you close to my heart. Your smile, your laughter, the way you loved to dance around in your own unique style– the loving way you had of making me feel cared for, the forehead massages you gave me, the many times we sang funny songs on the guitar, drums and ukulele. Sitting together a little over a year ago on your patio in Tzfat during Sukkot listening to you read some of the many stories that you wrote and now I am at this same spot overlooking the cemetery where your body now lies. Many memories are swirling in my mind and heart as I try to fathom that I will never see you again in this earthly realm. Though I believe we will be together again. I am so grateful that I was able to hold you in my arms and nurture your beautiful presence on earth for 29 short years. You will always be with me - shining forever in my thoughts, dreams and heart.

As a baby and beyond, you always loved textures and so enjoyed soft silky blankets, so now I picture you enveloped in HaShem’s cuddly sweet embrace.

Our souls will always be connected as only a mother and child’s can be. I was privileged to be entrusted with you, my kind, generous, happy, joyous Dovid

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

Avraham, to nurture and shelter with tenderness for a brief stay in this physical world. Even as I have shed pools of tears and sorrow has been my constant companion, I have faith that you are now dancing and singing up in Shamayim and that with time HaShem will heal the deep wound left in my heart.

When I awoke today in the Holy Land, I asked HaShem for a sign that you were safe. The rain gushed and poured. The droplets are blessings and may the rain wash away our tears and sadness and in their place leave gentle fond memories of your pure neshama – Dovid our son. Please HaShem, grant peace from above and may Your ministering angels surround the soul of our precious son.

Dovid – You were born into this world on Rosh Chodesh Adar, the happiest month of the Jewish year, and you departed on Yom Kippur, the holiest day.

I know that one day we will meet again.

You will be on the welcoming committee in the 3rd Bais HaMikdash, and we will once again embrace and rejoice with singing and dancing. Dad and I will love you forever and never forget you.

- Bracha Pesia Crayk Dovid Avraham Crayk March 1, 1987 - October 11, 2016 Dovid attended Chabad Hebrew Academy, graduated SDJA, and made Aliyah in 2008.He was genuine, kind and joyful. He was a sales manager, loved sports, rapping, playing music and making Shabbos meals for his friends.

His light will live on in our hearts and souls forever. Donations in Dovid’s memory can be made to: www.israelfreeloan.org.il/en or www.jteensd.com/give

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43

QUALITY OF LIFE

I

n October 2016, Jewish National Fund (JNF) proudly welcomed James Kimmey as its new San Diego Director. Kimmey joined the organization at a critical time, as JNF’s lay leadership and professional team are diligently working on implementing its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade campaign. With just a few months under his belt, he has already been instrumental in helping JNF connect San Diego to the land and people of Israel, and execute unique projects to strengthen Israel for the long-term.

JNF strives to bring an enhanced quality of life to all of Israel’s residents and translates

44

these advancements to the world beyond.

JNF is “greening” the desert with millions of trees, creating thousands of accessible parks and trails across Israel so that no individual with disabilities is left behind, building new communities and cities in the Galilee and Negev for generations of Israelis to call home, and educating both young and old about the founding and importance of Israel and Zionism.

Following the recent devastating fires in Israel, where 75,000 residents were forced to evacuate as homes burned, JNF stepped up fundraising efforts to help the nation recover and to assist with much needed resources and

L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

aid.

Lauren Lizerbram, JNF San Diego President, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome James to our JNF family. His love for Israel is truly heartwarming. We look forward to a terrific working relationship.”

Kimmey is no stranger to the pro-Israel community, having worked for three years for the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), serving most recently as their Associate Director for Orange County and Long Beach and prior to that as their Assistant Director for San Diego and Palm Springs. He is a native of San Diego and a graduate of Liberty University and the Liberty University School of Law. Kimmey shares that “Zionism has been near and dear to my heart for as long as I can remember. And when I think of Zionism, I think of JNF! I can’t wait to get started and help grow the movement in the San Diego community.”

Sharon Freedman, National Campaign Director, said, “As we move forward with our bold One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade campaign, of which we have already raised $400 million, we recognize the significance of the dedicated San Diego community. James has a deep passion for Israel and we are excited by his leadership as he helps guide this region to the next level.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JEWISH NATIONAL FUND AND TO GET INVOLVED, CONTACT JAMES KIMMEY DIRECTLY AT JKIMMEY@JNF.ORG OR 858.824.9178 X988.

HUMOR l BY STEPHANIE LEWIS

mazel

& mishagoss RSVP Stands for: "Respond Seemingly Vapid & Puzzled!"

I

’m a retired party planner so people ask me for invitation etiquette. They don’t realize that “RSVP Dysfunction” is the reason I quit the industry! Nevertheless, since the holidays are upon us, I offer these unique tips…

Well?? – To expedite sluggish RSVP’s, put an * at the bottom that states, “*If you do not reply by (insert date), please bring your own chair and a kosher sandwich.” (That oughta get ‘em!)

Mystery – Received an entirely blank RSVP response card? The guest opened it, read it, and inserted it inside the stamped, addressed envelope with the notion that you practice mental telepathy. Or they checked, “Will Attend” and wrote “6” under “Number of Guests” without disclosing their name. Mazel Tov! Six people in the witness protection program are coming to your simcha! The adhesive was cheap and the card fell out during postal handling, delivering you an empty envelope? Do this: using pencil, lightly number the backs of all the response envelopes and when something cryptic arrives, refer to your master list where you wrote guest names and specific linking numbers. Note: Party savvy people (like my Grandma Ida) have caught on to this system and will ask, “Nu? How come I’m #127?

What? Didn’t I make your Top Ten invitees?”

So instead of numbers, use types of food corresponding to guest names. Everyone

loves to eat and nobody’s offended.

Themes: Beware of writing something limiting like, “Come dressed entirely in pink for our Pink Elephant theme!” Turnout will be poor. Instead just surprise guests by handing out pink floppy ears and trunks for them to wear. (Sounds delightful, but I can’t attend -- I’m scheduling wisdom teeth surgery that day.)

Proofread: Not just for typos because many times words ARE correctly spelled but in the (unfortunate) wrong place. My son’s Bar Mitzvah invitation swapped two crucial words and looked like this: Number of Adults ___ Number of Chicken ____ Preference for: Beef___ Children____ Fish____ Understandably, our meal choices upset a lot of vegetarians. And children’s advocates.

Jewish Standard Time: This shouldn’t be a thing. Don’t put “6:30 wedding ceremony” but jubilantly think to yourself, “Aha! I’m not starting until 8:00 pm, so I’m tricking my friends (who come fashionably late) into arriving on time.” No. Just no. This isn’t the episode on I Love Lucy where Ricky teaches her a lesson in time management. Simply write, “Ceremony begins promptly at 8:00 pm.” And then make sure that happens!

Expectations: It’s always a nice touch to insert into invitations (of your non-Jewish

friends) an explanation of what they should anticipate at your simcha. Once again, proofread this insert! A word can be spelled correctly but have a different meaning than you intend. I helped female guests with their clothing modesty by writing, “Avoid bear arms and shoulders during the ceremony!”

An entire family stressed over Grizzlies roaming our synagogue.

Clarity: If you’re using Evite, (and it’s not considered a faux pas to do so these days!) make RSVP choices straightforward like, “Yes, No, or Maybe.” Don’t be cute and choose “Shakespearian style” or your guests will be stymied between, “To Be” or “Not to be” or “That is the question!” Besides not knowing if they just told you they were coming or going, some guests might show up reenacting Macbeth and that could be gruesome! Or boring.

I’m happy to report I took my own advice from #2 (above) and when Grandma Ida called to lament, “So what am I? Chopped Liver?” I simply referenced my master key guest list and said, “Sure enough Grandma, you actually are!”

STEPHANIE D. LEWIS IS A REGULAR WRITER FOR THE HUFFINGTON POST AND PENS A HUMOR BLOG ONCEUPONYOURPRIME.COM PLUS YOU CAN FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @MISSMENOPAUSE. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM

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