JUNE 2015 l SIVAN • TAMUZ 5775
The Old Globe’s Barry Edelstein and his theatrical juggling acts
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Adelman Fine Art Cygnet Danny Green Jazz Trio J*Company La Jolla Music Society La Jolla Playhouse Lamb’s Players Leatherock Lipinsky Arts Fest Meyer Fine Art New Americans Museum North Coast Rep Opera Symphony
AND MORE IN OUR FIRST ARTS ISSUE OF 2015
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CONTENTS
June 2015 Sivan/Tamuz 5775
36
COVER STORY: After 1,000 days at The Old Globe, Barry Edesltein is moving the theater in new directions.
52
MUSIC: From Nirvana to the Buena Vista Social Club, a wide variety of musical styles influenced jazz pianist Danny Green, which is probably what makes his current compositions so intriguing.
56
VISUAL ART: Jewish art dealers are bringing fine art back to Litty Italy.
66 6 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
RESTAURANT REVIEW: The masterminds behind Villa Capri expand into fresh-fish territory with their latest venture, Seasalt in Del Mar.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 30 ISRAEL:
Israel Bonds returns to San Diego.
32 THEATER:
Details from the La Jolla Playhouse resident dramaturg.
59 VISUAL ART:
New Americans Museum “reawakens.”
Income Generation in Retirement
60 VISUAL ART:
Our conversation on retirement income can help you move from “Can I retire?” to “How can I make the most of my retirement?”
61 FASHION:
While most people understand the importance of saving for retirement, the concept of retirement income planning may be less familiar. Retirement income planning is a holistic process to help address key retirement decisions, effectively manage risks, and efficiently provide ongoing income to meet both the clients’ current and long-term retirement needs.
SDMA brings Coney Island to San Diego in new exhibit.
35 THEATER:
What’s to come at Lamb’s.
Leatherock offers exceptional leather accessories made right here in San Diego.
40 THEATER:
62 FESTIVAL:
Cygnet finds success in risktaking.
42 THEATER:
Summer camp for young thesbians at North Coast Rep.
44 THEATER:
SD Musical Theatre finishes year strong.
45 THEATER:
Behind the scenes at a J*Company audition.
47 THEATER:
Lipinsky Arts Festival is back at the SD Rep and expanded North County locations.
48 THEATER:
Community theater roundup.
49 MUSIC:
Opera’s new General Director gets settled and Symphony announces new season.
Two Jews share the story behind the Adams Avenue Street Fair.
Monthly Columns 10 The Starting Line 20 Parenting 22 Israeli Lifestyle 24 Dating 26 Aging 28 Spirituality 77 Advice
53 MUSIC:
What to expect at the LJMS SummerFest.
54 WHAT’S GOIN ON 58 VISUAL ART:
Artist Michael Rosenblatt isn’t afraid to get weird.
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Donald Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Alissa La Clair
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Around Town 14 Our Town 16 Event Recap 72 Calendar
50 MUSIC:
Mainly Mozart lets kids shine.
We can support you by providing the guidance needed to make better, more informed choices to help provide a retirement as flexible as you are. As experienced advisors, we take the time to understand your unique goals to help create a plan tailored for you – one that will modify and change over time.
In Every Issue 12 Mailbag 64 Food 70 Family 68 News 71 Diversions
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PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Natalie Jacobs ART DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus ASSISTANT EDITOR • Tina B. Eshel ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak ADVERTISING & OFFICE MANAGER • Ronnie Weisberg CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tori Avey, Betsy Baranov, Linda Bennett, Abby Walker, David Ebenbach, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Michael Fox, Jennifer Garstang, Amanda Kelly, Brie Stimson, Pat Launer, Curt Leviant, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Jon Schwartz, Dave Good, Marnie McCauley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS Vincent Andrunas, Ediz Benaroya, Pepe Fainberg, Steve Greenberg, Pat Krause, Paul Ross (Senior Travel Photographer), Angela Sissa, Daniella DeVarney ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Nancy Segal (Account Executive), Alan Moss (Palm Springs) SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 EDITORIAL: editor@sdjewishjournal.com ADVERTISING: sales@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: publisher@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: calendar@sdjewishjournal.com
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SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2015 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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THE STARTING LINE by Natalie Jacobs
EDITOR’S LETTER editor@sdjewishjournal.com
Nursing a New Addiction
O
ne weekend in late April, I went on a bender. It started at the Barrio Logan Art Crawl when I bought my first-ever art piece at Glashaus Studios. It was in the wire sculptor Spencer Little’s work space, but the embroidery maven Jaclyn Rose was occupying it while Little was at ArtWalk. I saw the piece I had wanted for months, picked it up, put it down, walked through the space, admired new works, walked back to my original love, did the dance a few more times and finally bought the piece I had come in there wanting. Exhilarated by the transaction, I went to the new Low Gallery location across the street and copped one of Kenny King’s older works – it was “name your price” and by that point I was fiending. The next day, I caught up with Spenser Little at ArtWalk and finally purchased one of his wire contour creations. It wasn’t one of the intricately spun ayahuasca gods that sell for thousands, but hey, I gotta start somewhere. Looking through all the art that weekend, discussing color palettes and brush strokes, I was reminded of Herbert and Dorothy Vogel. As a postman and a librarian, respectively, the New York City couple managed to amass a collection of thousands of mainly minimalist and conceptual art pieces across decades. Their early support became a marker of success for young artists as media outlets started paying attention to the diminutive pair and the art openings they attended (a different one every night of the week
Save the Date:
Artists extraordinaire Yale Strom, John Malashock, and Elizabeth Schwartz join forces with Cynthia Stokes for a special art/music/theater piece, “Chagall.” The crew has been working 10 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
in their heyday). Although they went to the openings, the Vogels couldn’t afford to buy the art from galleries. Instead, they bought directly from the artists, in their studios and long before they were well known. People like Pablo Picasso, John Chamberlain, Roy Lichtenstein and Cindy Sherman slowly entered their collection. They traded house-sitting services for collages and spent weekends navigating the city in order to find unmarked doorways leading to unknown artists’ work spaces. In the documentary about them and their art collection (“Herb and Dorothy”), it’s noted that all of Dorothy’s salary went to pay their living expenses, while all of Herb’s salary (which topped out at $23,000) went to purchasing art. The two lived in the same rent-controlled apartment for most of their 50-year marriage and eventually it became so overcrowded with art that even their goldfish felt squeezed. In the end (although Dorothy, 80, is still alive), the Vogels donated the majority of their collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. because it charges no admission and, as a rule, doesn’t sell donated works. In mid-May, after I’d hung my little art pieces and was still in the habit of looking at them with a big cheesy smile, I heard about the Picasso that sold at auction for $179 million. I couldn’t help but wonder what Herb and Dorothy would say about it. When art sells for that amount of money, at that point, of course, it’s so not about
and re-working the piece and it will have its debut on Nov. 28 at the La Jolla Playhouse UC San Diego Potiker Theatre. Running through Dec. 13, this musical chronicle’s the iconic artist Marc Chagall and his life’s work. Mark your calendars for the performance
loving the art or appreciating the artist, it’s about making an investment like buying stock in an oil company or purchasing a government bond. “Les femmes d’Alger (version ‘O’)” will sit in a dark room in a home that’s only lived in for a few weeks out of the year, and everyone will forget it’s there until a dinner party is scheduled or its value purports to triple (can you imagine?). It’s strange to think about art like that. I’d rather be like the Vogels, getting to know the artists and appreciating their work by buying only what I can afford to pay in cash. There’s something powerful about appreciating a thing made by another person’s hand, out of the sheer uniqueness of his or her own mind, purely because you think it’s nice to look at. All of that is to say, we’ve introduced a second arts issue into the Jewish Journal editorial calendar! We tend to focus on the performing arts, because there’s also something magical about watching a theatrical, music or dance performance, but we’re also keeping an eye on the Jewish side of visual art in San Diego. Flip to any page in this issue and be transfixed by what’s on offer around town this summer. A
and check back with the Journal in October for a full feature article by our beloved theater critic Pat Launer.
Double your impact thanks to a generous match! Campaign ends June 30th
Every month, San Diego’s PJ Library sends out free Jewish children’s literature to Jewish and interfaith families with children aged six months to seven years.
Help us inspire 1,800 kids Our goal is to provide PJ Library subscriptions to 1,800 children before our campaign ends on June 30, 2015. We can’t do it without you! Thanks to David & Claire Ellman, donations made before June 30th will be matched!
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PJ Library, a Shalom Baby program at the Lawrence Family JCC, is a beneficiary of Federation’s Shalom San Diego Initiative, which strives to make San Diego the most inclusive and welcoming Jewish community in the nation. Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 11
We’re Listening!
>> mailbag
Let us know what you’re thinking.
PLEASANTLY SURPRISED Dear Editor: I picked up the SDJJ at Sherman’s Deli in Palm Springs, planning to flip through it and get a taste for the (Jewish) community there. Little did I suspect... I started reading. And OMG, what did I find? A cohesively assembled, carefully edited, and well written journal! WOW! Who would expect this from a free magazine picked up at a deli? These days I don’t expect much more than mediocre anything. I am writing to congratulate you on publishing a fine journal. A mitzvah for all. Thank you. Susan Ambrosius Port Townsend, WA
AUSCHWITZ STORIES ON THE COVER This month’s cover shoot was photographed by Daniella DeVarney at The Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. More photos can be found in the feature story on pg. 36
Dear Editor: I just finished reading your piece on Horst Cahn in the May SDJJ [“Horst Cahn: The Last Survivor?”]. I wanted to let you know that Horst
is still in good company as there are in fact other living survivors of Auschwitz and the Death March. My dear friend, a 95 year-young woman, resides here in Encinitas. I am excited to tell you that she is waiting for her long-awaited memoir to be published. Iris Claus Encinitas
HUMAN NATURE VS. SIMPLE JUSTICE Dear Editor: Urgings of human nature will always seek to override the truths of simple justice. Consider Imam Taha Hassane, a guest panelist at Congregation Beth Israel’s May 13 interfaith meeting. His remarks suggest that it will never matter to Arabs within Israel, that they enjoy great civic freedom and superior cultural, professional and education opportunities. So long as Israel retains even a trace of a Jewish national identity, Arabs will continue to regard this retention as a catastrophe (Nakba).
Imam Hassane’s remarks can mean nothing else. Nakba mentality prompts Arabs to see themselves as persecuted, no matter what benefits they enjoy. This in turn prompts Palestinians to continue protesting Israel’s great crime: The Crime of Being. The crime, that is, of being both a free and Jewish people. Simple justice rejects the ridiculous nature of Nakba. But human nature frequently swallows the ridiculous with relish. Particularly, if it has a pleasing flavor. Nakba-wailers skillfully know how to flavor their cries of persecution. A compassionate but uncritical world then immediately leaps to their defense. Harley Henning San Diego
CORRECTIONS In the article “Black and Blewish,” [Feb. 2015] Yvonne Scarlett was misquoted in a reference to a Jewish synagogue. The quote should have read “However, when I moved to Florida, I was concerned that if I died, would I be allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery?” The article has been updated on our website. The SDJJ regrets this error.
Send us your comments: editor@sdjewishjournal.com 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204 San Diego, CA 92121 12 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
A NEW LOOK FOR SDJEWISHJOURNAL.COM!
Help welcome the San Diego Jewish Journal to the 21st century by browsing through our new website. With fresh content and a new way to display our magazine articles, the site is totally new but you’ll find it at the same place: sdjewishjournal.com. Let us know what you think! - With love, the SDJJ crew
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our
TOWN BY LINDA BENNET AND BETSY BARANOV | PHOTOS BY GA GLICKMAN AND EDIZ BENAROYA
Love of Israel Brunch
We attended the lovely Jewish National Fund’s 4th annual “Love of Israel Brunch” on May 3 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. Event chairs were Myra Chack Fleischer, Lauren Lizerbram and Bill Miller. Fabulous guest speaker was Jay Footlik, former special assistant to Pres. Clinton and CEO of Global Policy Initiatives. About 340 people attended. Among those enjoying were Karla Berg, Marci Laulom, Debbie Seid, Craig Lambert, Bobbie Hoffer and Leonard Hirsch, Penny Arenson, Rabbi David Kornberg, Sheryl Baron, Lynn Schenk, Zoe Benditt, Prof. Avi Speigle, Esther Kaplan, Rita Heller, Mitch Simon, Rabbi Wayne Dosick and Ellen Kaufman Dosick, Judy Phillips, Mickey Stern, Irvin Jacobs, Yehuda Bork, Shari Schenk, and Sol Lizerbram. Also in May, we attended the Temple Emanu-El 50th anniversary party “Gala in Gold” at the Marriott Mission Valley (not pictured). Now with nearly 500 families and a beautiful new facility, this congregation has much to be proud of and thankful for. In the crowd was Nancy Geist, founding member of the shul, Tom and Barbara Lincoln, David and Liz Sigal, Yvonne and Alan Williams, Alan and Ava Lincoln, Todd Frank, Joyce Camiel, Congresswoman Susan and Steven Davis, the Cohn clan, Joe and Hanna Fox, Lynn Grady, Ellen Gruer, Lee and Amnon BenYehuda, Roberta Berman, Suzi and Barry Handler, Robert and Jennifer Handler, Sheldon and Marjorie Derezin, Judy Rosen, Sandy and Barbara Rosenthal, Fern and Lee Seigel, Howard and Jean Somers, Marc Hamovitch, Dolores Dickstein, Dawn Dickstein, Paul Dickstein, and Bob Rubenstein. Rabbi Emeritus Marty Lawson and wife Anita, along with current spiritual leader Rabbi Devorah Marcus and her husband Sebastian Eickholt were spotted enjoying the evening as well.
Mazel Tov...
Mazel Tov to Elana Levens-Craig on being named Santee’s Person of the Year! Lilah L. DeJong was born on March 18 to Lisa Luttbeg DeJong and Jared DeJong of Irvine. Lilah’s sister is Hannah, 3 years old. They are the grandchildren of Linda and Steve Luttbeg and Sue and Selwyn Moss and Ron and Nadine DeJong.
From the top down: Jill Riola, Rick Kronsick • Jack Lief, Chaim Avraham, Judith Lief, Wendy Avraham, Marti Eisenberg, and Mitch Simon • Lauren Lizerbram, Bill Miller, Myra Chack Fleischer (photo by Ediz Benaroya) • Barbara Hoffer, Leonard Hirsch.
14 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
SEACREST VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
The Longest Day Event Thursday, June 18
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We welcome you to join us at the Longest Day Event where a representative from the Alzheimer’s Association will be speaking about the latest information on dementia. We will also be holding an Open House for those interested in learning more about membership in our new Adult Day Center. Membership is for those seeking an enriching and stimulating environment with mild cognitive impairment and early stage dementia.
Thank you for sponsoring Team Seacrest Village Retirement Communities! All proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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the SCENE BY EILEEN SONDAK l NSONDAK@GMAIL.COM PHOTOS: ED BROWN & BAUMANN PHOTOGRAPHERS
SDMA Art Alive Art is eternal – but once a year, art is alive. The San Diego Museum of Art held its signature fundraiser, dubbed Bloom Bash, recently. This year, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Balboa Park, the museum’s rotunda was decorated to look like a Victorian paradise (using historic archives from 1915 as a guide). The entire rotunda was a sea of white blossoms – all the way up to the second floor. Among the many members of the Premiere Patron Honorary Committee were Rusti Bartell Weiss, Toni and John Bloomberg, Phyllis and Dan Epstein, Elliot Hirshman (President of SDSU), Sally and John Thornton, and Emma and Leo Zuckerman.
Above: Samantha Saad and Sarah Grossman • Rita Haudenschild, Jennifer Nelson, and Anna Haudenschild (Photos by Baumann Photographers)
Cygnet Gala This year, Cygnet Theatre’s annual fundraising gala was held at a new venue – the elegant Marine Room in La Jolla. The event featured a cocktail reception and gourmet dinner prepared by culinary wizard, Bernard Guillas, a respected cookbook author as well as a highly-acclaimed chef. No wonder, Cygnet supporters were in such a celebratory mood! Proceeds from the festive event were earmarked for educational programs as well as Cygnet’s theatrical projects.
Above: Andrew and Elpitha Kaperonis, and Demi and Frank Rogozienski • Pam and Gregg Marks (photos by Baumann Photographers) Right: Dr. Adrian Jaffer, Sean Murray, Anne Laddon, and Bill Schmidt • Manny and Melissa Fernandes (photos by Ed Brown).
16 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
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Help at Home. Seacrest at Home is the trusted not for profit Jewish home care agency when you or a loved one requires additional help at home. Our experienced and compassionate caregivers will deliver the extra care that may become necessary later in life — such as bathing, grooming, dressing, errands or companionship. With our understanding of Jewish life and its unique expression, we will design a care plan specifically to meet the individual needs of you or a loved one.
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be SEEN
BY NATALIE JACOBS l PHOTOS BY EDIZ BENAROYA AND JULIA ELIHU
World of Good The first, hopefully annual, NextGen gala was held in early May to a beautiful crowd of young adults at a trendy space in Liberty Station. The wine and dessert event was short but sweet with money raised to help support Federation’s work with Ukranian refugees. It was a nice introduction to gala life for those young San Dieagans who haven’t yet had the pleasure of attending a traditional fundraising gala. The evening was delicious thanks to generous sponsors Cravory Cookies, Embargo Grill, and Stone Brewing Co. Additional sponsors included Streeter Printing, Beth Israel – Israel Connections and the Art Institute of California. NextGen is keeping the summer hot with lots of new events popping up all over the city. Get involved at nextgensandiego.org.
Adopt a Family The annual Adopt a Family Foundation hosted its annual fundraiser at Green Acre in mid April. Music was the theme of the evening with all proceeds going to help the organization’s efforts in music therapy for the children of Sderot, Israel, who have been affected by post traumatic stress disorder. Learn more about the organization at adoptafamilyfoundation.org.
Down from top right: Jason Lobenstein, Carly Ezell • Ryan Hageman, Ryan Race, Danny Fleischer, Chad Corzine, Anna Rothfuss • Chelsea Winer- Sarah Hoffman (photos by Ediz Benaroya) Down from top left: Doron and Ursula Malker with their son and daughter • Elihu family (photos by Julia Elihu).
18 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
San Diego Jewish Academy Class of 2014, By the Numbers
38
number of students in SDJA’s class of 2014
202
number of college acceptance letters received
100
percentage of the class of 2014 accepted to a 4-year college or university
4,878,000 dollars awarded through
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71
merit scholarships
Tour SDJA Today Contact us today to schedule a private tour. 866-765-7516 admissions@sdja.com | sdja.com
MUSINGS FROM MAMA
by Sharon Rosen Leib
PARENTING srleib@roadrunner.com
Parenting Teenage Brains
D
o they ever look up from their smart phones and actually listen? How do they REALLY feel? Are they imbibing hard liquor, smoking weed or, G-d forbid, abusing drugs? Having unsafe sex? Are they depressed and/ or anxious? Are they getting enough sleep? Eating right? Studying enough? Will they graduate high school, go to college, ever leave home? Ultimately, they will, those teenagers of ours, and we, their anguished parents, will live to tell the story. Will we be able to look back and laugh together at what crazy kids they were and what uptight parents we were? Here’s hoping. Ever on the lookout for enhanced understanding of what makes teenagers tick and how to cope with raising them, my ears perked up when I heard renowned neuroscientist Frances E. Jensen, M.D., interviewed on NPR. She, and co-writer Amy Ellis Nutt, published a book this January titled “The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults.” I got myself a copy ASAP hoping for a panacea. Alas, no single tome has all or even most of the answers to parenting teens. But Jensen’s wellintentioned book does explain the latest research on teenage brain development in clear, relatable language. She describes how teenagers’ still-evolving brains effect their behavior. On the positive side, as their brains forge new pathways and connections, they’re creating a neurological nimbleness that enables teens to learn and assimilate information rapidly, relative to our middle-aged brains. Yet the teen years can be the worst of times due to the developing brain’s “unperceived and often unacknowledged vulnerabilities.” Jensen documents how the frontal lobe – controlling judgment and decision-making – remains the last part of the brain to develop. Thus, she urges us to practice compassionate forbearance. Instead of heading for the hills in frustration, we need to stay involved and guide our teens through their frontal lobe issues until their early-to-mid 20s when their brains ripen into maturity. 20 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
Warning: Jensen’s explanations of the many perils threatening the teenage brain may stress you out. The most pernicious hazards include inadequate rest, smoking cigarettes and marijuana, drinking alcohol, using “hard-core” drugs, pervasive technology, sports-related concussions and sexual risk taking. Turns out, we can’t just laugh off our teens’ partying and moodiness. Due to the teen brain’s plasticity, the aforementioned maladies are more likely to cause addiction, mental illness and permanent brain damage. Yikes! So, we must help our teens avoid these harmful temptations and set limits – not try to be their friends! Case in point, Oldest and Middle Daughters (aged 21 and 19) recently told me about a college friend who has “the coolest mom ever!” “How so?” I asked. “When we were at Coachella she offered us a hit of her joint, plus she handed me a gummy bear and told me to eat it! She said it was pot candy,” Oldest Daughter explained. Who was this woman? I wanted to scream some sense into her inappropriate, Peter-Pan-I-don’twant-to-grow-up head. Instead, I heaved a huge sigh and said, “I guess that makes me the uncoolest mom ever because I sure as hell wouldn’t do that.” Why did my daughters feel compelled to share this scandalous tale of maternal misbehavior? Probably because they knew I’d disapprove. They needed me to be a frontal lobe role model and to hear me say I didn’t condone her irresponsible behavior. You know how when kids are newborns and we need to hold their heads up until their neck muscles develop? Likewise, as parents of teens we need to pay attention and protect our kids’ brains until their cortexes link up. Per Dr. Jensen, our endgame is to help them get through the inevitable experimentation without any “long-term adverse effects” such as lower IQs and permanent memory loss. I wish myself and you, dear readers, the fortitude and wisdom to accomplish this most challenging endeavor with grace and equanimity. A
Mazel tov:
KPBS and Union Bank announced the Local Heroes for Jewish American Month (May). Mazel tov to Virginia Gordon (top) and Robin Rady (bottom). Gordon was honored for her work with J Street, and Rady was recognized for her work supporting breast cancer patients throughout the city.
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prokofiev: symphony no. 5 in B flat major Brahms: piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor
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sunDay: June 7, 2015 3:00 p.m. TuesDay: June 9, 2015 7:30 p.m. All performances at: Tifereth Israel Synagogue 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd. San Diego, CA 92119 For more information...
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www.selfcoachnow.com Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 21
LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov
ISRAELI LIFESTYLE andreasimantov@gmail.com
Geezers on the Go
M
ost sensitive people, whether or not they are parents, have a natural instinct to protect children. It’s never fun to see a child hurt, even if it’s just a scratched knuckle. Still, children need to take on physical challenges in order to learn and grow, and childhood bumps and bruises teach them valuable lessons about their own limits. In my youth, I danced ballet, jazz and modern and over the years I broke a few toes. As an equestrian-loving teen, I once fell off of a horse while crossing a stream. In 1972, I miscalculated the center of an amusement park trampoline and landed on the gravel. One and two-hand cartwheels were my specialty but I stopped when pregnant with my fifth child. For the next two decades, I refrained from any physical activity that might cause me harm. I grew fat and developed osteoarthritis. Even dancing the hora at a wedding left me limping. Quite unexpectedly, two years ago my husband
22 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
and I became contestants on a reality television show that was physically demanding. We were ultimately disqualified but not before I swung on a rope and crash-landed between several towerhigh shipping containers and he was gored by a bull in Madrid. We returned to Israel wrapped in gauze and relied on crutches and arm braces for a while. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. The show rekindled a desire to engage in activities that were physical, challenging and age-defying. This did not mean that I would bungee-jump or enter the Iron Man Triathlon. It simply meant that I’d leave the car at home more often and ride a bicycle. It meant that instead of lying on the rocks while vacationing on the Gulf of Aqaba, I’d learn to snorkel. It meant that I’d give up Yoga-for-Seniors and take up Zumba and enter spinning marathons in Israel. Sometimes there are “oops” moments despite our newfound sportiness. Last week, both my husband and I fell off of our respective bicycles.
In my case, despite toppling over the handlebars on a busy city street, my ego hurt far worse than my scraped knee and broken sunglasses. My husband, however, tackled a stone ramp and lost the battle. We spent a few hours in the emergency medical center having his hand x-rayed, suffering bones realigned without anesthetic, and getting casted. Neither one of us sports a tattoo. But if bruises and scars can be called body-art, we are side-show attractions. I’m satisfied that chances are meant to be taken and neither of us would exchange a bump or bruise for a single given experience. And even when our children roll their eyes and tell us how embarrassed we make them feel, we say “pshaw, pshaw” and get down to business as usual. Our first aid kits are packed with bandages, antiseptic, love, experience and laughter. You fall down and get up, brush yourself off and keep going. It’s called “living.” A
YOUR DRIVE WILL MAKE AN IMPACT!
The Ruby Schulman Memorial Golf Tournament Friday, June 19 • Maderas Golf Club
Shotgun Scramble 8:00am • Lunch & Awards 1:00pm
Combine your passion for the sport with your passion to support individuals and families in search of better lives by registering for one of San Diego’s top charity golf tournaments, benefiting Jewish Family Service. Join us for lunch, craft beer, networking, exciting golf contests, and more! Honorary Chair • Ben Schulman
Register Online at www.jfssd.org/golf For more information, contact Dana Levin at (858) 637-3013
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Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 23
PLAYING WITH MATCHES by Jennifer Garstang
DATING jenscy@gmail.com
How to Date an Artist
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hroughout our history, we’ve valued hiddur mitzvah, or beautifying our sacred spaces and items. But what about the individuals doing the beautification? Who are these artists; what kind of lives do they lead, and – most importantly for this column – are they dateable? The cliché of creative-types as flighty, emotional, hard-to-live-with divas is as old as art itself. But as a writer, digital painter, singer/composer, and amateur filmmaker myself, I like to think that most of us artsy-folk can beat the stereotypes and make great romantic partners. So, for all you folks who want to take a chance on dating an artist, here are a few tips: 1. Know what you’re signing up for. When you get involved with an artist, you’re not just starting a relationship. You’re becoming a patron of the arts. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll invest financially. You will be making an emotional commitment not just to your significant other, but also to their art. You’ll be the person your artist turns to for support, sharing the ups and downs of the creative process. You’ll likely find yourself pulled into crazy projects...perhaps modeling for paintings, or co-starring in a low-budget sci-fi/ fantasy web series (to give a totally generic and not at all personal example). The key is to be really clear how much you’re comfortable offering and if you do decide to help financially, get everything in writing. On the flip side: Artists – respect your significant other’s limits, and remember that working together on a project is not a substitute for date time! You need to be there for your partner, too. So be sure to balance your time between all of your passions, be they your projects or your person. 2. Be careful with critique. If you’re dating an artist, there’s a good chance you also know a fair 24 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
bit about art. But just because you have good ideas on how your partner can improve a project, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to share them. As an artist, there is very little that is more disheartening than unsolicited criticism. That said, positive critique at the right time can be a welcome help. I have yet to make a painting, song, or article that gets published without first running through my Alpha Feedback Team of immediate friends and family. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to tell if your artist is ready for critique: just ask! On the flip side: Artists – be sure to only ask for feedback if you genuinely want honest opinions, and try not to take any critique personally! 3. Don’t expect them to write you a love song. Muses can be fickle creatures, and pressuring your artist to create for you not only makes it harder to create, but also puts a strain on the relationship. It can also backfire. For instance, singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles wrote a very popular song about growing resentful toward a partner pressuring her for a love song. On the flip side: Artists – don’t worry too much if your romantic life doesn’t inspire you the way you expect. I’ve written love songs for two of my three serious boyfriends...the two who are now exes (no, it wasn’t because my songs were bad!). Meanwhile, I haven’t managed to write a love song for my current boyfriend in the two-and-a-half years we’ve been together. It doesn’t mean it’s not “right.” It just means it’s not easy to encapsulate our relationship in a song. Most importantly, keep in mind that artists are people. No matter what the stereotypes, every individual is...well...an individual. Ultimately, what matters for the relationship is how you connect as two unique human beings. A
Art in the Park: Summer is in full swing at Balboa Park. The Centennial International Summer Organ Festival will begin offering free performances by world-class artists on June 22. The program includes 11 concerts, running until Aug. 31. Also new at the Park, The Nat launches Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed on June 12. It’s said to be the largest exhibit of its kind ever to be displayed in the U.S.
UPCOMING EVENTS For questions, please contact us at: (858)499-1330 or info@campmountainchai.com
GRANDMA, GRANDPA &
ME!
A JEWISH CAMP EXPERIENCE FOR GRANDCHILDREN AND GRANDPARENTS!
Friday, August 14 Monday, August 17, 2015 An unforgettable intergenerational mountaintop adventure
Save The Date Camp Mountain Chai 10 Year Anniversary Gala Benefiting the CMC Scholarship Fund Saturday, November 7, 2015 6:30 PM
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A magical Jewish retreat for 4th – 8th graders.
DECEMBER 4 - 6, 2015 To Register, please visit www.campmountainchai.com
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 25
OLDER, WISER, BETTER by Jon Schwartz
AGING jonaschwartz@hotmail.com
Where are the Aging Experts?
What Will Your Legacy Be? The Jewish Community Foundation’s tips to simplify your charitable legacy
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was recently watching an NBA playoff game on tv and noticed that the in-game commentators were both retired professional players. At halftime, a panel of four former star NBA players broke down the first half of the game by providing their expert analysis of the events that transpired. The network hires these commentators for their first-hand understanding of the game, thus affording the viewer (in this case, me) a chance to better understand the intricacies of not only this particular game, but basketball in general. As with sports commentators, we put trust in people who are not just observers but participants with personal experience in any given profession, topic or even life stage. For nearly 10 years I have studied and worked in the field of aging. I actively seek out the latest research and innovations from conferences, journals and lived-experiences in my day-to-day work at Seacrest Village Retirement Communities. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to present my thoughts on aging to a variety of groups, and to write this monthly column in the San Diego Jewish Journal. I’m working my passion. But, just because this topic is a huge part of my life does not mean that I am an expert. Statistically speaking, I am many decades away from personally feeling the effects and experiences of aging. My work simply makes me an observer of aging but, for now, my age keeps me from being an active participant in many of the things I study. As an observer, I am, as yet, unaware of what it truly feels like to retire, experience the death of a family member or spouse. These are among the top stressors in one’s life. In addition, physically and cognitively, I am supposedly in the prime of my life (although I swear, when I was in college, my shoulder didn’t hurt like it does now when I throw a baseball). No matter how much I think I can empathize with older adults, it is misguided to think that I fully understand a life stage that I have not yet begun. Of course, I’m aging 26 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
just like everyone else, but I still have a few milestones to reach before I can sit behind the announcer’s desk and give anyone the true play-by-play. Many of you can remember being a child, going through grade school, having your first kiss, going off to college, finding employment, getting married and becoming a parent. Each one of these stages comes with its challenges. Fortunately, our society leans upon those who have experience to provide examples for how to best manage our way through these life events. A paradox of aging is that, as a society, we inevitably have fewer aging experts to turn to. It’s easy to find an expert on getting into college, where to put your hands during a first dance, which flowers will make the best wedding bouquet during each season of the year. But finding an expert on retirement planning, hospice guidelines, and nutrition for the elderly – experts who speak from true experience – is a bit of a challenge. Can I request that those who are currently living through these challenges create a manual that I can follow on my own aging path? I imagine these manuals to have thoughts on: coping with the death of a spouse; what it’s like to move into a retirement home; how to remain independent when one can no longer drive; when to ask for more/less help from one’s kids; and how it feels to use a walker. These are just a few examples of the true challenges that come with getting older. I know that they exist, but I’m not sure I really understand what they mean. I believe that if the retired professionals in this aging game create manuals for contemporaries, those of us just starting out may feel less alone and isolated by the time we find ourselves in front of these hurdles. For all of us to better understand what it feels like to get older, it is time we facilitate opportunities for our older population to expound upon their experiences on a public platform so that we all may better understand this game of life. A
Receive fixed payments for life and benefit your favorite nonprofit with a Charitable Gift Annuity: • Fund a charitable gift annuity with a gift of cash or securities. • Receive an income tax deduction and possible avoidance of capital gains tax. • Receive fixed payments for life, a portiton of which is income tax-free. • Designate your favorite charity to receive the balance of the annuity after your lifetime. To learn more about creating your legacy, contact Elise S. Wald, Charitable Planning Officer at 858-279-2740 or elise@jcfsandiego.org.
JFS BREAST CANCER CASE MANAGEMENT
Natural Approaches TO BREAST CANCER TREATMENT & PREVENTION
Featuring Christine Horner, M.D., F.A.C.S Today, 1 in 8 women receives a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime. Most of us know someone who has been personally affected by breast cancer. What can we do to reduce our risk or enhance our health while living with breast cancer? Research points to several concrete, lifesaving steps you can take today. Join Dr. Christine Horner to learn dietary and lifestyle habits proven to be highly effective against the development and progression of breast cancer. Dr. Horner will interpret the latest statistics, identify practical preventative steps you can take immediately, and explain how genes, including the BRCA genetic mutation that disproportionately affects women of Ashkenazi Jewish decent, affect your risk. Genetic counselors from Scripps Health will be available for consultation following the presentation. Wednesday, June 3 • 6:00–8:00pm Coleman University • 8888 Balboa Ave. • San Diego 92123 Free and open to the entire community
RSVP by May 29 at www.jfssd.org/treatment
JFS’s Breast Cancer Case Management program is made possible through the generous support of Susan G. Komen San Diego.
THIS EVENT IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY
Questions? Contact Annette Tello at (858) 637-3098
Support our dog’s Hebrew education! Students Give the Gift of Sight to Israeli Blind Students are urged to help sponsor a puppy, either as a class Tzedakah Project, or as a Mitzvah Project for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, to assist blind Israeli veterans and civilians in regaining their lives.
For information call 267-927-0205 732 S. Settlers Circle Warrington, PA 18976
www.israelguidedog.org Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 27
THE ARTIST’S TORAH by David Ebenbach
SPIRITUALITY ebenbach@netzero.com
Kvetching 101
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he Book of Numbers is sort of like a long car trip with bored kids in the back seat: complain, complain, complain. This month it’s everywhere: in Chapter 11 the Israelites object to the quality of the food in the desert; in Chapter 12 Miriam and Aaron gripe about Moses getting too much credit (and about his wife, too); in Chapter 13 the people whine about how dangerous the promised land seems; Chapter 16 finds a man named Korach protesting Moses’ and Aaron’s power, and then in Chapter 17 the people grumble about the punishment Korach got for his rebellion; Chapter 19 has the Israelites moaning about the lack of water; in Chapter 21 they kvetch about water and food. Long gone are the days of excitement and gratitude that marked their departure from Egypt. What results is a kind of handbook on kvetchiness, a handbook that teaches us several things: First, people can always find something to complain about. They’ve been freed from slavery and nonetheless they’re mad because they no longer have access to Egyptian cucumbers. Really – cucumbers (Num 11:5). (Of course, none of us modern-day people have ever gotten upset over anything that petty, right?) Second, disgruntlement is contagious. For example, Korach’s rebellion against Moses arises in the wake of Aaron and Miriam’s. More vividly, Moses and G-d, much like the parents in the front seat on the car, inevitably flip out as the Israelites get more agitated. G-d doles out punishments galore (see below) and Moses gets exasperated, too. He complains to G-d; he yells at his charges. He loses it and breaks a rock. Irritability is contageous. Third, there are consequences. It’s the Torah, so things get intense: Plagues, poisonously rotten meat, slaughter by enemies, ground that opens up to swallow rebels, even burning snakes – the people are clobbered each time they lodge a complaint. None of the kvetchers get to settle in the promised land. If we look at this metaphorically, it makes
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If there’s a big take-home here, it’s this: beauty and understanding do more than fury. a lot of sense: A persistently negative attitude prevents us from finding the good and the hope that’s all around. Even when the grumblers sneak into the actual promised land to take a quick peek around, it looks threatening to them; it ceases to be promising when they’re in it. Moses himself is subject to these laws – his breaking of the rock becomes the reason that G-d bars him from Israel. Fourth, compassion helps more than punishment. The fact is that the Israelites do have legitimate concerns; maybe the cucumbers thing is peevish, but running out of water in the middle of the desert is no minor issue. And the agitation of the people against Moses keeps leadership honest. Above all, these folks are carrying the legacy of slavery on their backs; demanding cheerfulness of anybody who has suffered enormously (because of life experiences, disease, mental illness, or whatever it might be) seems unfair. Meanwhile, none of the plagues or rock-breakings actually do much to soothe the Israelites, who inevitably come back with more to gripe about. Moses’ angry response, for one, does little more than get in the way of his own well-being. In fact, the only response that does seem to help is when Aaron addresses protestors’ concerns, showing through a display of benevolent power that he deserves his authority; his staff miraculously grows flowers and almonds and then the people stop objecting to his position. Of course, a chapter or so later they’re back to kvetching. Because people will always find something to complain about. Or will they? What will you do, for example, the next time you find yourself missing cucumbers? A
This
month’s Torah portions
June 6: Beha’alotcha (Numbers 8:1-12:15) June 13: Shelach (Numbers 13:1-15:41) June 20: Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32) June 27: Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1)
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Iyar • Sivan 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 29
ISRAEL
ISRAEL BONDS RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO Group brings Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor to “inspire San Diego” BY NATALIE JACOBS
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n April 29, San Diego residents Luis and Sally Maizel hosted Ambassador Ron Prosor, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the first major Israel Bonds event in San Diego in more than 10 years. Prosor delivered an inspiring address to an exclusive reception of 50 prominent leaders from the San Diego Jewish community. The main focus of his talk was to provide an overview of the current political environment in Israel, the Middle East and the international arena at the United Nations. Prosor also highlighted the importance of Israel Bonds, calling the bonds not just an investment, but also a “bond with the State of Israel.” Israel Bonds’ return to San Diego comes at an interesting time in Israel’s history. In a video address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who has recently created what some are considering a very fragile government) thanked the people who have purchased Israel bonds, saying their investments were “an investment in the Jewish future. It’s a bond between Israel and our fellow Jews around the world and the many non-Jews that support the State of Israel.” Israel bonds are debt securities issued by the government of Israel. Israel Bonds, the 30 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
organization, is the commonly known name of the Development Corporation for Israel (DCI), which underwrites the bonds in the United States. DCI is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member broker-dealer. The bonds can help preserve capital, diversify personal or corporate investment portfolios, and provide protection from market fluctuations. Israel bonds are versatile securities that currently pay strong rates. As part of a concerted effort to expand recognition of Israel Bonds in the United States, not just in San Diego, the group hosted the King David Award Dinner in Dallas, Texas, with special guest President George W. Bush. The dinner was among the largest events in Israel Bond’s history since its inaugural event at Madison Square Garden in 1951. More than $60 million in investments in Israel bonds were announced. Following record U.S. sales in 2013, Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds surpassed the $1 billion mark for the second consecutive year in 2014, reaching a total of more than $1.1 billion in sales. Eighty-four percent of total sales were investments of $25,000 or less, and 54 percent of total sales were $1,000 or less, demonstrating the instrumental contribution of
PHOTOS COURTESY ISRAEL BONDS
LEFT: Ambassador Ron Prosor speaks to the group assembled in San Diego. BELOW: Host Luis Maizel poses with Prosor.
individual investors in the sales of Israel bonds. Worldwide sales have now surpassed $37 billion since Israel bonds were first issued in 1951. According to the group, capital provided through the sale of Israel bonds has helped strengthen every aspect of Israel’s economy, particularly in the development of key national infrastructure. Today, expanded ports and transportation networks help facilitate the shipment of “Made in Israel” technology around the world, enhancing national export growth. Capital accrued through the sale of Israel bonds has enabled cutting-edge innovation that saves lives and changes the world on a daily basis. A To learn more about Israel Bonds, visit israelbonds.com.
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THEATER
La Jolla Playhouse’s “Brave New Season” Bursting with potential and a wide range of emotional exploration
PHOTOS COURTESY LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE
BY AMANDA KELLY
LEFT: Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Canadian husband-wife team who wrote the book, music and lyrics for “Come From Away.” RIGHT: “Healing Wars” will anchor this year’s Without Walls Festival.
T
here are countless reasons for us to seek stories played out on the stage – whether to temporarily transport us to other worlds, to answer questions about life, or to simply enrich our experience with the dramatic arts. On May 29, the La Jolla Playhouse debuted its 2015-2016 season with the world premiere of “Come from Away,” a musical that serves as a stellar harbinger of what is sure to be an exciting new season at the Playhouse. When I sat down with resident dramaturg Shirley Fishman to talk about the upcoming season, our conversation evolved into a larger discussion about the importance of story. Her primary professional concern is the development of a play’s storyline, character arcs and the process by which scenes move from one to the next on stage. “I’ve always loved stories,” she says. “Going to the theater for me is entering into different worlds.” Fishman is the research and development team on “Come from Away,” an original piece written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and directed by Christopher Ashley – the Playhouse’s artistic director. Based on true events, “Come from Away” weaves together what happened when 38 commercial airplanes were stranded for several days on Sept. 11, 2001, in the small island town of Gander, Newfoundland. The piece incorporates culturally-specific music and dance from the island to tell a remarkable, yet relatively unheard tale.
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Fishman says, “This story is about how 7,000 passengers on the planes that were diverted to Gander – on what many have called the worst moment in human history – found healing from an extraordinary community.” The production runs through July 5 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. Following “Come From Away” is another musical by Oscar-winning songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (think Disney’s “Frozen”) called “Up Here.” This musical-comedy follows the internal struggles of a main character on his journey toward love. It will be directed by Alex Timbers. “It’s the Lopez’s depiction of what I think is a very universal way in which we participate in the beginnings of relationships,” Fishman says, “and the struggle to act while dealing with our emotional baggage in order to embrace the possibility of love.” “Up Here” will run from July 28-Sept. 6 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. From Sept. 8-Oct. 4, the season plunges into more serious subject matter with the worldpremiere of “Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin.” The play was written by Michael Benjamin Washington and will be directed by Phylicia Rashad. “Blueprints” is set in the torrid political and racialized atmosphere of the American civil rights movement and reveals the personal and spiritual struggles of Bayard Rustin, an important architect of the famed March on Washington, who was shunned from
the foreground of the movement for being a homosexual. “It’s a great story to tell, particularly now with all the foment in our country, that while the civil rights movement was a defining moment, it did not solve all the problems of inequality,” Fishman says. Later in September, Fishman will work more intimately with famed director and choreographer Liz Lerman, a talent she describes as “legendary,” to bring “Healing Wars” to the Playhouse from Sept. 29-Oct. 25. “Healing Wars” is a dance theater piece that incorporates narratives from the Civil War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ultimately, it looks at how we as a society have helped our warriors cope with the psychological and physical impacts of war throughout history. Furthermore, “It is a look at what war does to the human body,” Fishman says. “What it does to the mind, how people recover and heal from it.” “Healing Wars” will anchor the Playhouse’s second Without Walls Festival, Oct. 9-11. Though this production itself will not literally be without walls, prior to the start of the performance, audiences will be guided outside the Mandell Weiss Forum to experience a series of tableaus, projections and photographs – intermingling with some of the dancers. Fishman compares the production to an art exhibition. In allowing the traditional boundaries of a theater space to be redefined, Without Walls breaks conventional notions of venue and space for audiences. This year will be the first time the Playhouse will
THEATER
offer a Without Walls Festival performance as a part of its subscription series. Fishman, who has worked with the Playhouse for 15 years, remains at the ready during rehearsals to look up factoids and other information pertinent to the story in production. “For me it’s wonderful,” she says, “because I get into the world of a play in so many ways.” She never stops thinking about the audience members though, and how they will receive a story. When she researches a play prior to its debut, it helps, she says, to consider herself one
of the audience members, to anticipate whether or not something that happens on stage will register with them. How an audience reacts to something on stage is key to the success of failure of a production. Later in the year, audiences will be treated to the world-premiere of the Playhouse’s Jewishthemed “Indecent,” which follows the true story of Sholem Asch and the Yiddish art theater troupe that risked their lives to perform Asch’s play “God of Vengeance” on Broadway in 1922. The play, also with music inspired by true events, was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paula Vogel and co-created by Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman. “Indecent” will run from Nov. 13-Dec. 10 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. “Indecent brings together many things that I’m interested in,” Fishman says. “Including Jewish history, how plays live in time and culture and what happens when audiences become conservative. It’s really the story of a play, the playwright, his artistic community and how his relationship to his work changed over time.” Fishman is a native of New York and briefly mentions toward the end of our conversation that her mother’s family is Orthodox, while her Russian father was more culturally Jewish
than religious. Concluding the 2015-2016 season is a dark comedy, “Guards at the Taj.” The piece was written by Rajiv Joseph, also known for “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” and will be directed by Jaime Castañeda, the Playhouse’s associate artistic director. Fishman says she is very excited to have Rajiv Joseph at the Playhouse for the production, which will run Feb. 2-28, 2016, in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. As for the season as whole, she is most excited about its eclecticism and the various character conundrums – from the depiction of relationships in “Up Here” to the struggles of Bayard Rustin in “Blueprints to Freedom.” She believes this season will present audiences with new ways to think about the world. “I think audiences will enter into unique worlds with each play,” Fishman says, “and their journey will make them think about how the characters live their lives and manage conflicts. They will also make a profound human connection to each of the plays in our season. I can’t see how they will not.” A Read more about the La Jolla Playhouse 2015-2016 season at lajollaplayhouse.org.
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34 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
DISCOVER SEASON XIII SAN DIEGO PREMIERE MUSICAL
THEATER
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he Lamb’s Players started off as a theater troupe in Minnesota in 1971; today, they produce quality theater in two beautiful locations in San Diego and entertain more than 100,000 patrons annually. I spoke with Robert Smyth, the producing artistic director of the small but thriving company, about the remainder of the 2015 season and got a sneak peak of what 2016 has to offer San Diego theater aficionados. “We’re a little different because we run a calendar-year season,” Smyth says. “We are in the middle of our season,” and are about to do West Side Story (June 12-July 26) followed by The Nerd (Aug. 14-Sept. 20), he explains. Smyth calls “West Side Story” “a terrific musical.” “I’m really excited … more than half the cast is new to us. Many of them are younger. Then we do ‘The Nerd’, which is great comedy. David Heath is coming back to play Rick Steadman, the lead character in ‘The Nerd’,” Smyth says. “It’s one of those pieces where you literally can’t stop laughing through portions of it. It’s a bad name and sounds dweeby and it’s really very funny. It says something too about modern culture and our own personal choices. To step out and take risks, and it has a fun twist at the end.” After “The Nerd”, audiences will be treated to “a world premier of a new adaption of the ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’,” Smyth explains. Jon Lorenz is credited with adapting the story to new music. “He’s a terrific musician. Everyone knows the movie music. John has gone back to the original source. The music is based in American roots music. It has a feeling of what an American folk tale would be.” The Lamb’s Players is announcing their full 2016 Season next month, but Smyth offered one exclusive tidbit: San Diego Jewish Journal readers will be interested to know that the world premiere of the play, “Dinner with Marlena,” which tells the story of, “a dinner that actually took place with Marlena Dietrich in Paris just before the outbreak of World War II when people were trying to get out,” will show during next calendar year. The actress was often recognized for her early outspoken rejection of Nazism, most especially after she turned down an offer from Hitler to return to Germany and star in any movies of her choice in 1937. For this denial, her movies were banned in her homeland. Dietrich was awarded U.S. Citizenship in 1939. Because of her position and celebrity, Marlena did a number of things to get Jewish friends and family out of Europe before the Nazis took over, Smyth says. One such daring feat: Dietrich is said to have replaced rhinestones on her gowns with real diamonds belonging to Jewish friends, thus helping to raise money for Jews to flee. “Dinner with Marlena” is written by Anne Charlotte Harvey. Harvey’s father was at that dinner, Smyth reveals. Exact showtimes will be available in July. A For the most current information and ticket sales, visit lambsplayers.org. Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 35
THEATER
A Thousand Days, a Million Responsibilities Catching up with The Old Globe’s Barry Edelstein
Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein (far left) with actors (from left) Krystel Lucas, Jason Maddy and Christopher Salazar during Thinking Shakespeare Live! on June 15, 2013. An encore presentation of Thinking Shakespeare Live! will be held Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m. at The Old Globe.
I
t seemed fitting to chat with Barry Edelstein on Shakespeare’s 451st birthday (April 23, if the scanty records can be trusted. Interestingly, April 23 was also the date of his death, 52 years later). Edelstein is, of course, the artistic director of The Old Globe, one of the nation’s premiere regional theaters, an institution historically and currently steeped in Shakespeare. After nearly 1,000 days on the job, in celebration of The Globe’s 80th anniversary, and Balboa Park’s centennial, not to mention the 100th birth year of The Globe’s late, beloved founding artistic, Craig Noel, and Edelstein’s 50th year of life, it was the perfect time to check back in with him. Edelstein’s description of his life on the job was pretty much the same as it had been when he moved here two and a half years ago from New York’s Public Theatre (where he was director of the Shakespeare Initiative): “Running, running, running.” 36 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
“There hasn’t been a minute to stop,” he admits. His responsibilities at The Globe are immense. He curates the artistic life of the institution, which includes picking the plays and artists for every season. That’s 15 shows a year. Edelstein is deeply involved in “how to talk about those plays” – to the audience, to funders, to students and community members (The Globe and USD co-administer a classical theater MFA program that was named one of the nation’s top five theater master’s programs; The Globe also provides a summer intensive for high school students). Along with CEO Michael Murphy, he determines how company resources will be allocated, and reporting to the board. Finally, Edelstein is “enormously active in fundraising, which makes the work possible,” and serves as the public face of the institution. Oh yes, and he also directs. His latest production was a spectacular staging of “The Twenty-seventh Man,” by Nathan Englander,
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS GATES
BY PAT LAUNER
starring Hal Linden, which was “the most successful production ever in the history of The Globe’s small theater.” The Jewish audience “turned out in droves,” Edelstein reports. “It was, I was told, a Big Event in the Jewish community.” “What I take from the success,” he says, “is that the San Diego community has a taste for Jewish themes. The sellout crowds obviously couldn’t have all been Jewish. I got a lot of really positive response from non-Jews. Charles McNulty gave the show a rave review in the L.A. Times, and a lot of folks came down from L.A. and Orange County. The piece obviously resonated beyond the Jewishness. That’s very heartening. Still, I’m not sure it’s time to wrap a tallis around The Old Globe.” One Globe supporter, Edelstein notes, a (nonJewish) prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, “said the interrogation scene in the play reminded him of the Viet Cong interrogations. When you get a letter like that, it gives you chills.
PHOTO BY JIM COX
Enver Gjokaj as Major Sergius Saranoff and Wrenn Schmidt as Raina Petkoff in George Bernard Shaw’s romantic comedy “Arms and the Man”, directed by Jessica Stone, running until June 14 at The Old Globe.
Theater with a Jewish Theme – and Beyond Next May, The Globe will stage the West Coast premiere of Lawrence Wright’s “Camp David,” about the historic 1978 peace accord signed by Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat. The drama, says Edelstein, is “not just a work of history and journalism, but really a play … with each of these men wrestling with their ideas about G-d.” Molly Smith, artistic director of Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage, which premiered the play last year, will direct. Speaking of Jewish themes, Edelstein was thrilled with the “extremely warm reception” he has received from the San Diego Jewish community. “My wife Hilit and I are very conscious of the embrace and appreciative of it. We haven’t affiliated yet, but we’ve davened at a bunch of synagogues. One of the reasons we haven’t
joined is because of her business [she runs kosher cruises and hotel-based vacations]. We’re never here for any of the holidays. We’re either on one of her trips, or with my family in New York or hers in Israel and Miami. The kids (age 2½ and 8) get a lot of Yiddishkeit through their contacts with the family. But they’re now reaching Hebrew School age, and we’ll have to decide.” This summer, the Edelsteins will travel to Israel for the upsherin ceremony for their son’s third birthday and first haircut. (Barry grew up in a Conservative family; Hilit’s father is Orthodox.) For Edelstein, “the biggest challenge of the job, hands down,” is finding time to spend with his family, which is “a big priority.” “I schedule a lot of lunches, so I can be home at night. I bought a house very close to the theater, so I can run back and forth. Often, I have dinner, bathe the kids, read my daughter to sleep, and then come back to the theater after the show. One of the happy things about the culture of this institution is that a lot of people have families. It’s meaningful to the staff to see me leave at 5:30 to be home with my kids.”
“We’re putting so many resources into community-based programming.” Edelstein started the Globe for All program, which brings abbreviated Shakespeare plays to homeless shelters, prisons and other underserved populations. He’s thrilled that the project has been funded for another year. And The Globe recently received a $250,000 Irvine Foundation grant for a six month community-based planning process. “We’ve discovered a deep hunger in the community,” Edelstein says. “People all over San Diego want to make contact with this institution. We need to be getting out there and
Connecting with the community Edelstein knows “there’s a huge amount of talent in the local theater community, and I think we’re using that talent. We’re hiring more local actors, we have a local director this year, and a lot of local designers. We’re making a real concerted effort in that direction.” Another major effort is reaching out to a broader audience.
PHOTO BY DANIELLA DEVARNEY
Theater can be an amazing cultural bridge.” One of Edelstein’s most gratifying accomplishments with that production was “finding a way to connect with young people. There was a display in the theater lobby, based on school students’ research into the writers’ imprisonment.” The Globe also presented an art exhibition, with work from 16 year-old students at Frances Parker School. “They were really pondering what it means to throw artists in jail. This is not just something crazy Stalin did. It’s happening right now: in China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, among our friends and allies.”
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 37
THEATER One baby step: The Globe has developed a new website, with “additional capabilities.” And on the subject of additional capabilities, Edelstein will be directing his first musical next season.
making shows, or sending ambassadors. I saw it work in New York. But it caught on fire much faster here. “And what we’ve learned,” he continues, “is that people living in these circumstances have much more knowledge and experience than some of us thought. “I’m so excited about all this. The Globe is familiar as an exporter of shows to Broadway. But our charter is to contribute to the greater good of the community. This is our version of tikkun olam. “I’m trying to figure out: What do I have to do to make people more comfortable with The Globe? There’s a certain aspect of the 92nd Street Y I want to capture,” Edelstein says, referring to the cultural hub in New York. He has opened the doors to his intimate onstage conversations with Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, writer Nathan Englander, former Globe artistic director Jack O’Brien, and Carey Perloff, artistic director of San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre. “I love those conversations,” Edelstein says, “and so does the audience.” They also love his own presentation, “Thinking Shakespeare Live!” which is wildly popular and has been presented four times. “We’re scheduling more post-show discussions, and we’re including people from outside the world of theater. We’re offering more program notes and lobby displays about thorny subjects. I would love to have someone full time, creating videos and podcasts. I’d also like that, when you walk past The Globe, something comes up about the theater on your smartphone. We just need funding to make all these things happen.”
38 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
New season, new (and old) work “Rain” (March, 2016), a world premiere based on a W. Somerset Maugham story about a group of American travelers on a South Pacific island, features a score by Michael John La Chiusa and book by Sybille Pearson, collaborators on OffBroadway’s “Giant.” “It’s not a chorus musical,” Edelstein explains. “It’s not ‘Kinky Boots’ or ‘Guys and Dolls.’ It’s an adaptation of a short story, and people sing in it. I think Michael John is a bona fide genius. The music is wonderful; it will sweep you away.” The Maugham story has a long history. First published as “Miss Sadie Thompson” in 1921, its first stage adaptation had a long Broadway run (1921-22). It became a silent film (1928) and then a Joan Crawford/Walter Huston movie (1932, filmed on Catalina Island), then a play with music (1953). The original play was produced at The Old Globe in 1947 and again, due to popularity, in 1948. “The new musical is small in scale,” Edelstein continues. “Sondheim-ish, you might say. One house setting, 10 people, no dance numbers. There are what I’d call great arias, like extraordinary, epic soliloquies. It feels like the structure of a Shakespeare play. This is a big commitment for The Globe to make. I’m grateful that it was entrusted to me and I’m really looking forward to it. I have great affection for the material.” Another world premiere musical on The Globe’s docket for the upcoming season is “In Your Arms” (Sept. 16-Oct. 25), a dance musical built around 10 stories on the subject of romantic love. Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime”) composed the score; the stories were written by a bevy of theater luminaries, including Carrie Fisher, David Henry Hwang, Marsha Norman, Lynn Nottage and Alfred Uhry. “This is a real departure for The Globe,” Edelstein says. “These wonderful stories are told purely through dance.” But first, there’s the summer, with “Twelfth Night,” directed by the wildly imaginative Rebecca Taichman; “The Comedy of Errors,” helmed by Scott Ellis (“he had three shows on Broadway simultaneously this year!”), re-set in New Orleans in the 1920s, with a live jazz band; the West Coast premiere of “Baskerville,” by Ken Ludwig, “one of the great comic geniuses;” and Cole Porter’s magnificent “Kiss Me Kate,” directed by former Globe co-artistic director,
and last year’s Tony Award-winner, Darko Tresnjak (“this show is right up his alley; he’ll do great things with it”). Another first this summer: free screenings of Shakespeare movies: “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” Orson Welles’ “Chimes at Midnight” (an adaptation of “Henry IV”), and “West Side Story” (loosely based on “Romeo and Juliet”). Edelstein will introduce two of the films. In his spare time, Edelstein has taught a Shakespeare Master Class at USD, and given talks at other locales. For him, the “Big News for 2016” is the highly-anticipated exhibition, “First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare.” The Central Library, co-presenting with The Globe, with support from the three major local universities, KPBS and the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, is the only California stop of the coveted display. “There will be a bunch of programs around the exhibition” (June 4-July 7, 2016), Edelstein crows. “And they’re all for free.” The First Folio is the original 1623 edition of Shakespeare’s 36 plays, published seven years after his death. There are only 238 extant copies, several of which are touring the nation in 2016, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. Clearly, Edelstein is enthusiastic about The Globe’s future. And, looking back on his first 1,000 days, he says, “I still have so much to learn – I’m still trying to figure out the audience – not just the people in the seats, but the people at Father Joe’s, too. I’m still learning about the culture of this city. “I recognize how cherished The Globe is, part of the fabric of San Diego. I also recognize that it’s unusual that this national institution has a Jewish guy at the helm. That’s a heavy responsibility, as a Jew. As an artistic director, it’s an honor and a vaunted chair in which I sit. I take it seriously and I hope I measure up.” A To read more about the upcoming summer season at The Globe, visit theoldglobe.org.
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THEATER
Not Afraid to be Different Cygnet Theatre thrives under own rules BY NATALIE JACOBS
PHOTO BY KEN JACQUES
L-R: Craig Jorczak, Judy Bauerlein, Melissa Fernandes, Erin McIntosh, Andrew Oswald star in Cygnet’s production of “The Whale” running through June 14.
T
he vibe you get from Cygnet Theatre’s Old Town location is that the theatrical version of a classic John Wayne western might take place on the stage inside. Heck, an all-out duel might go down right on the patio. But what actually happens inside is almost avant garde as far as San Diego theater goes. Finishing up its San Diego premiere on the Cygnet stage this month is “The Whale,” about a 600-pound man who’s eating himself to death in a town called Mormon Country, Idaho. The show comes with a bevy of advisories: smoking/ drinking on stage – yes; violence – no; sex – yes; LGBT and religious topics – yes. But Executive Director Bill Schmidt says the Cygnet audiences are fine with that. “We did a play last year, ‘Mother F-er with the Hat,’” Schmidt recalls. “It sounds pretty racy and it is, but it’s also a great play. We got nothing but great feedback and we had some people [subscribers] who were very upset about the fact
40 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
that we were doing the play. And then they came and they were very happy about the fact that they came. At least our subscribers are willing to go with us on the journey.” Cygnet seasons are created to run the gamut of theatrical storytelling. There’s a concerted effort to present comedies, dramas and musicals, while also keeping an eye on commercial successes and new works. A schedule with that kind of breadth could easily leave audiences’ heads spinning, but Cygnet seems to make it work. They started out in a small storefront space near San Diego State with an annual budget of $200,000. In 2008 they pushed themselves to seize the opportunity to purchase the Old Town space, even though, as Schmidt notes, the timing wasn’t great. Even still, despite the Great Recession, the company had already expanded their budget to $1.3 million that first year in the new space. This year, they’re working with $2.2 million and an estimated 18 percent increase in ticket sales
(after already increasing ticket sales by 10 percent last year). To address some of the challenges they’ve seen through the years, Cygnet isn’t afraid to take risks. Three years ago, they implemented a repertory into the season, where two plays show on alternating dates for a six- to sevenweek run. They do this in the fall when ticket sales are traditionally low. And they do it in a few different ways. The first season they implemented the repertory concept it was “The Importance of Being Ernest” with “Travesties.” Schmidt says the latter is an interpretation of the former, but traditionally more challenging to audiences. So the idea with the Cygnet repertory was to make “Travesties” easier to understand by encouraging audiences to see “The Importance of Being Ernest” first. And it worked. So the following season, they changed it up again and did two shows by the same playwright – Sam Sheppard. That pit comedy against drama in a way that Artistic Director Sean Murray thought would add a new dimension to each work. They’re doing something similar in the upcoming 20152016 season with playwright Noël Coward and his comedy “Hay Fever” in repertory with his first play, and only drama, “The Vortex.” Also on the bill this season is the annual holiday show, “A Christmas Carole” (for the third year), a new play called “When the Rain Stops Falling,” the fan-favorite “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and a modern adaptation of “The Seagull,” called “Stupid F*** Bird.” A Find all the f-ing details at cygnettheatre.com.
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THEATER
Cultivating Young Passions North Coast Rep expands theater school summer programs BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB
PHOTO BY AARON RUMLEY
The cast of the North Coast Rep theater school’s Seuss production is all smiles at a dress rehearsal.
“T
heatre has the power to help children develop their confidence and gives them an opportunity to explore their voices,” says Theatre School @ North Coast Repertory Director Siobhan Sullivan. A passionate, dynamic advocate for children’s engagement with both theatre and community, Sullivan has 20 years of experience working as an actor, director, choreographer, casting associate and private acting and vocal coach. When she arrived at North Coast Rep three years ago, she put her diverse talents and depth of experience to use innovating and expanding the Theatre School’s programs. She has created an engaging summer season of camps, performance opportunities and productions for kids aged 4 to 19. This summer kicks off June 22-26 with the Broadway Babies program for 4-8 year olds. Participants will learn improvisation, acting and storytelling. A performance based on the wildly popular Disney film “Frozen” (an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen”) will be presented on the last day of camp. “What we do in Broadway Babies is not babysitting. We teach the kids how to project
42 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
and how to use their voices and bodies as parts of their natural instruments,” Sullivan says. She takes pride in the fact that many of these “babies” develop their acting skills to the point where they’ve been cast in main stage theater school productions. The next performance-based workshop, geared for kids aged 5-14, runs from July 6-17. Participants will learn practical skills necessary to prepare for a show including: audition technique, improvisation, singing, dancing, acting and how to develop a character. The program will culminate in a 30-minute production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Roald Dahl’s enduring tale of a candy man’s quest to find a suitable heir. The show will feature songs from “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the movie adaptation of Dahl’s story. This summer’s final production will be Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night or What You Will.” Auditions for cast members aged 10-19 were held in late May. Performances run from July 29-Aug. 2 in an outdoor theatre space at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad. The Rep’s Theatre School has long prided itself on introducing young actors and audiences
to the wonders of Shakespeare’s classic plays – his poetic language and piercing insights into human foibles and life’s triumphs and tragedies. Considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, “Twelfth Night” is about illusion, deception, disguises, madness and the extraordinary things that love causes us to do and to see. This advanced level production will include elaborate stage combat sequences and abundant hilarity. In addition to these performance-based classes, North Coast Rep’s Theatre School offers a summer series of workshops for teens aged 1319. The first, a playwriting intensive, will focus on narrative structure, exposition, character development, arc, and different genres of plays. The playwriting seminar will conclude with an informal reading of scenes and a brief discussion for family and friends. Other workshops include: Improvisation; Triple Threat (a musical theatre intensive focused on combining singing, dancing and acting skills); Teen Scene Study (breaking down scripts to reveal relationship and conflict); and Audition Strategy. All workshops will be taught by playwriting, acting and musical theatre professionals. “A lot of companies treat teens as kids, but they are not kids anymore. They need to be treated like professionals and learn how to make professional choices. I’ve seen time and again that if we set the bar high they will leap over it,” she says. Sullivan takes pride in the theater school’s tailored offerings. She gives everyone from tots to teens the opportunity for meaningful engagement with the theatrical experience – whether as an actor, writer, “triple threat” or stagehand. A For more information on the Theatre School’s summer programming and show times visit northcoastrep.org.
THEATER
San Diego Musical Theatre’s Penchant for Passion The local nonprofit is mid-way through first year back at Spreckles BY TINA B. ESHEL
G
ene Kelly’s 1952 classic film, “Singin’ in the Rain,” has become a modern film critic and household fan favorite. In 2006, “Singin’ in the Rain” was ranked #1 Musical by the American Film Industry, and in 2007, ranked as the fifth greatest American motion picture of all time. San Diego audiences can fall in love with the stage production of “Singin’ in the Rain” all over again with the San Diego Musical Theatre performance through June 7. True to their form of producing and promoting high caliber musical theater that is often on the cutting edge (SDMT was the first to bring “The Full Monty” to stage in San Diego) the 2015 SDMT season continues through the end of the year with “La Cage Aux Folles” Sept. 25-Oct. 11. “La Cage” tells the story of Albin and Georges, a gay couple who run a drag nightclub in St. Tropez. Albin is the star performer, Zaza. Georges’ son from a one-night stand announces that he’s marrying the daughter of a “bigoted, right-wing politician.” The ensuing balagan has delighted audiences since the French play first came out in 1973. Unlike most other production companies, SDMT’s season follows the calendar year. The 2015 season marks their return to the Spreckles Theatre downtown, after a three-year stint at the historic North Park Theatre (now called Observatory North Park, and reserved for music concerts). This recent move is the fifth for the fledging company started by Gary and Erin Lewis in 2006. A Follow the season and purchase tickets at sdmt.org. 44 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
JUNE 12-JULY 26
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THEATER
Holding Theater Kids to a High Standard J*Company continues to expand while teaching kids the reality of theater life
PHOTOS COURTESY J*COMPANY
BY BRIE STIMSON
Photos from recent J*Company performances. clockwise from left: Julia Price plays Hook in “Peter Pan”, Evelyn Sparks in “Pirates of Penzance”, and Lindsay Van Winkle in “Annie”.
B
utterflies, shaking hands, nervous faces: On a Monday night in April, I sat in on an audition for J*Company, the junior theater branch of the JCC. With their new RAW series, J*Company is expanding their four-show season into seven shows by putting together a full-length musical in four days. This season they will perform “Rent”, “Phantom of the Opera”, and a mystery play whose identity will not be revealed to the cast until the first rehearsal. Jamie Gilchrist, manager of J*Company, spoke to me about their philosophy. “You know musicals … don’t go immediately to Broadway. Often they’re shopped and they’re tested and they’re workshopped and that happens with readings at theaters all over the country. We are so lucky to be surrounded by The Globe, the Playhouse, and that’s where these musicals start. They start in reading form. And we wanted to bring that to J*Company as well.” Gilchrist, who has been with J*Company for the last six years, jokes that her office is filled with band-aids and chocolate. “This is something that requires a lot of dedication and we spend a lot of time together and so we all definitely feel like family to one another. It’s always more fun with people you
love and care about and so we’re a tight knit team here at J*Company. It’s really fun.” J*Company may look like any other junior theatre, but the kids who perform here are held to a high standard. “Joey [Landwehr] is our artistic director and he really has made sure to instill in [the kids] those professional values so that they have really strong muscles when they get out into the world: headshots and resumes and properly prepared sheet music. He really expects a lot and the kids rise up to those expectations every time.” The RAW Series is part of a general expansion of J*Company. “It’s grown tremendously. We’re calling it our Renaissance if you will. The last two years have been really exciting … we’re really proud of our Random Acts of Culture program where we take one of our performances from each of our shows this season and we open it up to corporate donors to underwrite all five-hundred seats to bring underserved communities in maybe for the first time to experience theater. It really changes the game in a big way when the kids come out on stage and know they’re performing for Rady Children’s Hospital patients or an entire high school that doesn’t have the funding to go and see a show like this or even foster families and their different community members. So that’s
something we’re really proud of.” Back at the audition, the children, who ranged in age from 10 to 18, stepped into the room as if they had been auditioning for years. Inside: simply a piano, several chairs, and a table for the artistic director offered little comfort. Those auditioning sang with obvious talent, only the occasional raw note a sign of the vulnerability of their age. Not all of the students made the cut, but new auditions, programs, workshops, and musicals are always around the corner for the innovative theater company.A To learn how to get involved with J*Company, visit sdcjc.org/jc.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 45
BROOKDALE
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Highlighting our Area’s Finest Food, Wine and Brews
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Come discover the many comforts of our caring community. Become a member of our family, and you’ll enjoy the security of never having to move again. Regardless of what your future holds, our communities are designed to care for your needs through all the stages of life.
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Sat., June 20 5:00 to 9:30 pm
nBC 7’s Whitney Southwick master of Ceremonies
the Back to the Garden Band (The Last Waltz, Woodstock: the Concert)
Steve Gouveia (Orig. Broadway cast of Jersey Boys)
Celebrating 25 years in poway, the poway Center for the performing arts Foundation will reveal some exciting changes for the coming year. 21+ event. tickets: $100
Food & Drink Dancing Fun
brookdale.com
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15498 Espola Rd., Poway RSVP online: www.PowayArts.org/specialEvents.html
Mainly Mozart Festival Saturday, June 6
CELEBRATION, SONG AND A DANCE Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Wednesday, June 10
ITALIAN FLAIR, ITALIAN FARE Benjamin Beilman, violin
Saturday, June 13
Wednesday, June 17
A CONSTELLATION IN CONCERT William Preucil, concertmaster Jeffrey Khaner, flute
Saturday, June 20
CALM BEFORE THE STORM Simone Lamsma, violin
BACK TO BACH San Diego Master Chorale
Michael Francis, Conductor
mainlymozart.org
46 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
(619) 466-8742
THEATER Hermann Einstein
Lipinsky Arts Festival Expects to Triple Attendance This year will be a big one for San Diego’s Jewish Arts Festival
PHOTO BY LISA MARIE MAZZUCCO
BY TINA B. ESHEL
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine will perform at the two Kelzmer summits on June 7 and June 8.
E
ven after 22 years, the Lipinksy Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival has surprises in store for this year’s performances, from new venues in North County (including Oceanside) to an extended run of a true and astounding tale. Presented by the San Diego Repertory Theatre, the festival, which you can catch now through July 26, is described as, “a celebration of the artistic expressions of Jewish history, traditions and ideas,” and is credited with numerous world premieres from artists who hail from 13 different countries. The Lipinsky Arts Festival is curated, organized and directed by Todd Salovey, the associate artistic director for the San Diego REP. “I am really excited that we will more than TRIPLE our Festival attendance this year,” Salovey says via email. “All together, I think this is our strongest and most exciting line-up yet.” He’s also pleased to announce additional world premieres including a first for the festival: a family performance thanks to a partnership with Tarbuton and San Diego Soille Hebrew Day. Local favorite Zeji Ozeri is leading musical activities for children this year, Salovey writes. “We are doing our first family performance, a concert at Encinitas Library at 2 p.m. on June 21 starring Zeji Ozeri … we really look forward to having a special activity that families can enjoy. It’s free of charge.” Ozeri is one of San Diego’s most important and well-loved Jewish educators, has more than 20 years of experience teaching music and sharing his
knowledge about Jewish tradition with children and young adults of the Jewish community in California, Mexico and Israel. He has produced two CDs of Jewish songs and continues to perform in concerts throughout Southern California. “The Festival’s many world premiers have often gone on to be performed in other venues after the Festival,” Salovey continues. “We have a brand new piece ‘Gridlock’ by the beloved Jewish theatre group from the Ken Community, Teatro Punto y Coma. We have selections of another world premiere that I am writing, ‘A Wandering Feast,’ about Yale Strom’s journey behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s collecting forgotten klezmer gems.” This year’s festival also enjoys an extended schedule, capping off with a three-week production of Mona Golabek in “The Pianist of Willesden Lane”. Set in Vienna in 1938 and in London during the Blitzkrieg, it tells the true story of a young Jewish musician, Lisa Jura, whose dreams are interrupted by the Nazi takeover of her homeland. Golabek returns to the Lyceum Stage to perform beautiful piano music as she shares her mother’s story of survival. Golabek was the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Solo Performance award from The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle for her performance of the play earlier this year. “We love bringing the community together with art that makes you feel great about being part of the Jewish community,” Salovey says. Sponsors for the Festival include the Lipinksy family and the Leichtag Foundation. As the namesake of the festival, Sheila and Jeff Lipinsky shared their thoughts: “We are excited that the … festival has expanded into other communities in the San Diego area,” writes Sheila Lipinksy. “We are also richly rewarded to see the diversification of programming being presented. Our thanks to Todd Salovey who never stops amazing us with his creative talents and strong commitment to San Diego and the Jewish community. We are grateful to the Leichtag Foundation for their ongoing support and are excited to see additional sponsors and supporters joining the Festival this year.” Jeff Lipinksy adds that he feels strongly about bringing the attention of the community at large to the contributions of Jewish artistry. It’s essential that we keep “building a better understanding of Jewish culture,” he says.
Festival performances will be staged at various venues throughout San Diego County including San Diego REPertory Theatre, the historic Balboa Theatre, Encinitas Library and the AVO Playhouse. North County Highlights The North County events feature five different performances as well as three free-of-charge events. First up, Adam del Monte, a virtuoso guitarist whose “work finds the Sephardic soul of flamenco music,” is performing Wednesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Tickets are $18 and include beer and wine tasting which begins at 6:30 p.m. The 5th Annual Klezmer Summit North County takes the stage on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the AVO Playhouse. This collaboration of the Divas of Klezmer, Kathy Robbins, Deborah Davis and others, including special guests Rachel Barton Pine and Yale Strom, celebrates the music of yesteryear. “We are always stretching the boundaries of klezmer with a lot surprise and enjoyment,” Salovey says. “At the Avo Theatre, we’re pairing klezmer and jazz with Steve Torok and the MiraCosta Jazz Collective playing klezmer pieces also by Yale Strom. They are a great pairing with the three wonderful Divas of Klezmer.” A new version of the Festival’s yearly “Women of Valor” commemoration celebrates the lives and good works for six of San Diego’s Jewish women. “This year they are Helene Bortz, Pam Ferris, Helene Schlafman, Fern Siegel, Gussie Zaks, and San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman,” Salovey says. Directed by Todd Salovey, it shows twice: Thursday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyceum Space at San Diego REP and Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. at the Encinitas Library. A For a complete listing of performances, including dates and times, visit the San Diego Reperatory Theatre website at sdrep.org and follow the link to The 22nd Annual Lipinksy Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 47
THEATER
Theater Roundup We know and love the big theater companies in town, but let’s take a moment to highlight the community companies doing interesting work throughout the county. Their theaters are small, ticket prices are low, and their energy is through the roof. BY NATALIE JACOBS
From the upcoming show “Wrenegades.”
Since 2010, a group of “theater misfits” has been telling San Diego’s stories through 14 staged productions. They’re coming off of a successful year as a La Jolla Playhouse Resident Theatre company, so keep your eye out for them to get bigger from here. Now showing: “Wrenegades, An Ecological Adventure” at the Theodore & Adele Shank Theatre through June 15.
NEW VILLAGE ARTS 2787 State St. Suite B, Carlsbad, CA 92008 newvillagearts.org
L-R: Jennifer Eve Thorn, co-founder and associate artistic director; Delicia Turner Sonnenberg founding artistic director, Jo Anne Glover, founder and managing director.
PHOTO COURTESYMOXIE THEATRE
Venue changes by performance circle2dot2.com
PHOTO COURTESY CIRCLE CIRCLE DOT DOT
CIRCLE CIRCLE DOT DOT
MOXIE 6663 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115 moxietheatre.com Founded with the goal of shattering stereotypes of women through ambitious theater, Moxie continues its 10th season with the world premiere of “Eternally Bad” – a musical about mythological goddesses who make being bad look so good, running July 10-Aug. 2.
The cast of the recent “A New Brain” now playing.
DIVERSIONARY 4545 Park Blvd. #101, San Diego, CA 92116 diversionary.org The cast of the recent “Lord of the Flies” production.
48 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
Their vision is to “amplify the next generation of LGBT voices providing live entertainment in a dynamic, inclusive and provocative environment that celebrates and preserves our unique culture.” Playing now, “A New Brain” explores the “psychological fantasia” associated with brain injuries, through June 21.
PHOTO BY CARA VACEK
PHOTO COURTESY NEW VILLAGE ARTS
This is a store-front theater in the heart of Carlsbad. The venue feels a bit retro, but the shows are very contemporary. Season 15 kicks off on July 25 with “Return to the Forbidden Planet,” where sci-fi meets Shakespeare.
MUSIC
New Direction for San Diego Opera Company welcomes David Bennett BY NATALIE JACOBS he says. “The opportunities here in San Diego were as great as the challenges. The most telling thing is the fact that the community felt so strongly that the company is an asset.” Because of the need for advanced planning in the opera industry, the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons are already set for Bennett, but he’ll hit the ground running to develop his first SDO season soon enough. Coming up this season will be two well-known Puccini operas – “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly” – followed by a world premiere commission by composer Jake Heggie, “Great Scott.” A Get all the season details and follow Bennett’s transition at sdopera.com.
San Diego Symphony: Full of surprises BY NATALIE JACOBS
A
t the announcement event for the 20152016 Symphony season, CEO Martha Gilmer likened the construction of a season to the creation of a silk-screen print. “You put on one color, add another, then suddenly, everything comes to life.” Gilmer, conductor Jahja Ling (in his final season with the Symphony), and the team, along with suggestions from Irwin Jacobs and Shearn Platt, came up with a schedule that they’re hoping will prove that there’s “something for you here,” at the San Diego Symphony. Here’s a quick highlight reel of the three season packages: Summer Pops Before the Symphony season gets underway in October, you can catch the summer’s musical fireworks at the Pops series. Performances run July and August, and this year you can jump’n jive to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, get serenaded by the sweet sounds of LeAnn Rimes, or learn something
PHOTO COURTESY SD SYMPHONY
J
une 15 marks David Bennett’s first day at the San Diego Opera. The company’s new general director is relocating to San Diego from New York City where he was most recently head of the Gotham Chamber Opera, a company known for its experimental nature. Although he hasn’t spent any extended time in San Diego, he’s familiar with our fabled opera. “The whole opera industry knows of San Diego as a company with a long history of producing traditional opera with high artistic value,” Bennett says over the phone from the lobby of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Despite being aware of the SDO’s own operatic drama, it wasn’t a hard sell to get Bennett out here. “Everyone’s having to re-examine how they sell the product but also how companies make opera,”
TOP: Opera’s new General Director David Bennett. BOTTOM: “Madama Butterfly”
ABOVE: TAO: Seventeen Samurai Below: Big Bad Voodoo Dad
new about “Seinfeld” favorite Jason Alexander. Jacobs Masterworks Season In January, 2016, the Symphony will celebrate the piano with one month of performances that highlight the range of this incredible instrument. Pinchas Zukerman will conduct Vadym Kholodenko on Jan. 22 and Jahja Ling will conduct and perform alongside his wife Jessie Chang on Jan. 30. City Lights & Int’l Passport From Disney in concert to “The Hunger Games” live, the City Lights series invites a wide variety of contemporary sounds into the Jacobs Music Center. The International Passport shows focus on world music, this season featuring the Moscow Festival Ballet and the TAO: Seventeen Samurai drummers. A Find out details at sandiegosymphony.org. Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 49
MUSIC
Mainly Mozart Expands Emphasis on Youth Programming Michael Francis settles in as musical director and breathes fresh energy into the company BY TINA B. ESHEL
W
hen you think of classical music, chances are you think of more mature participants playing and appreciating the sounds of yesteryear. Mainly Mozart has certainly garnered a strong local following from those with more traditional tastes but the baby-faced Michael Francis, Mainly Mozart’s musical director since Oct. 2014, suggests there may be another side to classical music that’s worth exploring. Plus, their remarkable youth orchestra for musicians aged 3-23 continues to do big things for the small fries. Francis divides his time between the United States, where he balances his roles as music director and chief conductor for orchestras in San Diego and Florida; and Europe where he works as artistic director for a company in Sweden. The 38-year-old Brit graciously offered his age and attributed his youthful appearance to his place of birth. “England has very little sun. We don’t age 50 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
because we don’t have much sun,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m young at heart,” he adds. On the issue of music and youth, he’s firm on the benefits of learning to play and appreciate music no matter your age. He started playing the double bass at age 11. He says some may think this is old for someone who went on to live a life of classical music, but for him, it’s a sign that it’s really never too late to develop a love for music. In thinking about the power of musical performance, he says, “There’s something different to listening to music with others than with listening to it alone. For young people, whenever they go to a concert for the first time, they remember seeing it happening. You just don’t hear it. You see it too. It’s a visceral experience. Once they see it, once they hear it, they are automatically engaged.” “I believe we all understand music to be important … the issue is, how do we get them into the concert hall,” Francis concedes. He’s confident and enthusiastic about music’s universal
appeal. “The human condition hasn’t changed. The basic requirement of the human being, the human soul, hasn’t changed. Hence, Shakespeare is relevant today. The Torah is relevant today. Music is the same way.” He expands on the Torah comment: “The connection I have to Judaism is through music. The Jewish music scene is so rich. Think of the great composers and great musicians. There’s a plethora of wonderful Jewish composers, performers and artists. There’s an extraordinary turnout.” Max Opferkuch, clarinet and violin, and Joshua Goldstein, trumpet, are both 17 years old and musicians with the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra. They see music as part of their future. “I never would’ve guessed that I would be totally enthralled in classical clarinet playing the way I am now,” Opferkuch says. “I guess something about the ensemble aspect of music, getting to play together with other like-minded people and beginning to understand how musical
PHOTOS COURTESY MAINLY MOZART
parts fit together into a bigger picture gave me a new appreciation for music, and I began to practice both violin and clarinet much more seriously. “Upon entering high school, I joined MMYO on first chair clarinet [back then called San Diego Young Artists Symphony], which was my first introduction to orchestral playing, now one of my main focuses. From there I just became more and more involved in classical clarinet playing, and now I can’t see myself ever giving it up – it’s a huge part of my life. “School band is great in its own ways,” he continues, “but orchestral playing is what has really advanced my musicianship and taken it to a deeper level. I love the repertoire, the people I’ve met, the conductor Mr. Constantino, and the musical opportunities the youth orchestra has brought me.” Goldstein says he, “got interested in music when I took up piano at the age of 5. My family has always been very supportive of music. My mom plays French horn and my brother plays trombone, and it just came naturally to me. “Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra has provided me an opportunity to expand my knowledge of orchestral music in a way I couldn’t have imagined. Hernan Constantino, the Advanced Orchestra conductor, is a unique character of fun and musical expertise. I got involved in the orchestra because I had many of my friends persuading me to join, I never regretted it.” His advice for kids and parents who are even vaguely interested in learning to play a musical instrument: Just do it. “Connecting with others through music is one of the most entertaining things you can do.” Opferkuch is more upfront about the frustrations with those early days. “To anyone beginning to learn an instrument I would say: It can be extremely frustrating at first when you’re still learning to coordinate your fingers and make a sound that doesn’t resemble nails on a chalkboard, and there will be times you’ll want to give up. Playing never really becomes easy, but at a certain point you achieve some mastery of the physical instrument, and then it becomes less about playing the right notes and more about playing the music. That’s when it gets fun – don’t give up before you get there.” The message is loud and clear. Music is powerful, visceral and cool. Music invites us to, “be open, to be emotionally naked,” Francis says. “That’s a powerful thing. That’s the great thing about art. It’s a very generous aspect of the human condition.” Find out for yourself at a Mainly Mozart performance this June. The Youth Orchestra performs June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Balboa Theatre. Tickets for the annual end-of-season concert of the youth orchestra range from $25-85 and can be purchased online. Mainly Mozart’s June Festival plays June 10-18 with a line up of five paid-for performances and five free open rehearsals at the Balboa Theatre. Tickets for these and all other musical events can be found at mainlymozart.org. A
8th Annual
and
Friday, June 26 6:00pm LIBERTY STATION North Promenade
Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Tastings (and other gourmet delights!) from over 50 vendors
Buy Tickets Online at: womensmuseumca.org
with the Music of SUE PALMER San Diego’s Queen of Boogie Woogie
GET AN EARLY START TO SUMMER... come to our 8th annual fund raiser for the Women’s Museum of California, the WINE, CHEESE, AND CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL, JUNE 26, the first Friday of the Summer, the last Friday of June at 6 pm. to 9 pm. on the grassy North Promenade in front of the Women’s Museum at NTC Liberty Station in Point Loma, San Diego. Sue Palmer, San Diego’s Queen of Boogie Woogie, and her All-Girl Motel Swing Band will provide live music for dancing under the stars.
Mainly Mozart inbues a youthful vibe into classical music, especially with their new-ish music director Michael Francis.
Tickets available on line at www.womensmuseumca.org or at the museum. CALL FOR INFORMATION: 619 233-7963 Be sure to say “saw it in the SDJJ” when ordering tickets.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 51
MUSIC
Jazz from the Unlikeliest Sources PHOTO COURTESY DANNY GREEN
Musician Danny Green melds a love of diverse genres into complex but accessible jazz BY DAVE GOOD
52 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
my teacher was bringing me. Classical music and show tunes. Really, nothing too heavy. So with my Bar Mitzvah money, my dad took me and we bought an electronic keyboard, a Roland JV 90. I still have it. It’s upstairs. My dad wanted me to stay in music.” It was 1995. Green did stay in music, although his father may have disagreed with his son’s new inspiration: Nirvana, the grunge rockers from Seattle. “Eventually, I owned 18 of their CDs. Little by little, I learned all their songs by ear.” He says he has perfect pitch. “That’s all I played for two years.” In due course, the ska scene got big, he says, “and I got excited about the instrumental solos. I started a band called Black Tie Optional. We played two gigs.” Next, Green discovered the Buena Vista Social Club. “Just like Nirvana, I had to figure out what the pianist Ruben Gonzalez was doing. And that got me into Latin music. And one thing led to another, and I got into jazz. That was all while I was in junior high school. I was 13 years old.” For Green, college was close to home. He attended the University of California, San Diego, where he entered as a chemistry major. That lasted until his third semester when he junked science and declared music as his new area of study. “My family was a little worried, but they were also very supportive of my decision. They could see that I was passionate about music. My dad said, I can’t believe it took that long – the third quarter.” Green smiles. “They knew.” Green thought about ethnomusicology before he finally capitulated to his innermost desires. “Deep down, I wanted to be a performer and a composer.” But coming around to jazz music, he
says, took him a long time. “I loved the rhythms from Cuba and Brazil. I like big bands.” Green’s brother came home one day with gifts for him – a Count Basie record, “and some random jazz guitarist from New York. I don’t remember his name.” But Green says that the Buena Vista Social Club was the first time he was truly fascinated by piano. He lists his influences, which include Brad Mehldau and Fred Hirsch. “I love Bill Evans. Oscar Peterson in small doses. And Josh Nelson,” he says. “He’s out of L.A.” One wonders how Green, an involved father manages to keep his razor-sharp keyboard skills intact in a home that is clearly child-centered. He says he usually makes that happen when Emily is gone with the kids. “I’m lucky if I get an hour a day to practice.” Most of his working hours are consumed with giving private lessons (he has 27 piano students at present) and business communications. “And it’s not like I have any regular scheduled time to sit down and compose, either.” Still, Green says he’ll be heading out to New York to record a new album in June. “I have 10 new songs.” This from the pianist who struggles to carve out time. He says he’ll release the record some time next spring. In the meantime, “After the Calm” is available now for digital download. A For more information, a schedule of appearances, and information on how to purchase Green’s CDs, visit dannygreen.net.
PHOTO COURTESY DANNY GREEN
P
ianist Danny Green’s latest album “After the Calm” (OA2 Records, 2014) is jazz story telling at its best. The 10 songs in the collection roll out like individual conversations, alternately heated or complex or tranquil, even playful. With Julien Cantelm on drums, the bassist Justin Grinnell, and Green on keys, a listener’s focus is transported far away from drums and bass and piano to a chic and urban hideaway, imaginary, and rich with exotic intrigue. One expects to meet the composer of such music in a SoHo walkup or a Manhattan loft – surely not on a quiet suburban street. But that’s where Danny Green lives: in a toy-strewn La Mesa split-level home with his wife Emily and their two young children Haley and Benjie. “We’ve called him Benjie his whole life,” Green says. “But one day he said, I’m not a nick name.” They call him Benjamin now. Inside, in place of furniture, all living space has been parceled out instead to children and music. A baby grand resides in a corner; an indoor child’s trampoline in another. “We kind of had to make our house this way,” Emily says. The couple met on J Date and were married in 2009. Emily Green works the business side of Danny’s career. “She helps me get gigs,” Green says, “helps me with the promo materials. She works with Marian Liebowitz, my manager, and she acts as my booking agent. Emily just put together a five show West Coast tour for us.” Green is 33. His parents still live in the University City home he grew up in. “My dad played violin – classical music. I studied classical piano from the time I turned five to the time I was 12. Then, I quit taking lessons,” Green says. “I was tired of the music
PHOTOS PHOTOSCOURTESY COURTESYLJMS LJMS
MUSIC
Renown percussionist and UC San Diego professor Steve Schick will perform at this year’s SummerFest.
The young Time for Three will make their San Diego debut this summer.
La Jolla Music Society: From contemporary locals to international superstars, SummerFest 2015 will surely be a trip BY NATALIE JACOBS
A
s they approach their 30th season (in 2016), the La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest is mixing things up this year. Newcomers to the festival will find themselves with an array of chamber music choices from contemporary commissions to classic repertoires. But SummerFest stalwarts may recognize a few changes. First of all, the festival is devoting a three-day weekend of performances to explore the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. In past years, SummerFest has run this kind of single-composer exploration through the entire festival, on the Tuesday night performances, but this year they’ve crammed it all into one weekend in order to up the ante on the performers they’re able to bring to La Jolla. Writing amidst a contentious political backdrop in 20th century Russia, Shostakovich was limited in what he was allowed to portray in his work, but he managed to take inspiration from events like the German invasion in 1941. Later, he went so far as to critique the Russian actions for things like their treatment of Jews (in his “Thirteenth Symphony”). Shostakovich is most
well known for his symphonies, but the La Jolla Music Society is taking a gamble that audiences will want to explore his lesser known opuses, played by some of the most renown Shostakovich musicians in the world (including Vladimir Feltsman on piano and Dimitri Sitkovetsky on violin). Shostakovich I, II, and III take place Aug. 21-23 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Sherwood Auditorium. Also rather new this year is a performance with cross-over musicians. The young and vibrant Time for Three – made up of two violinists and a bass player – will perform on Wednesday, Aug. 19, also at the Sherwood Auditorium. While their SummerFest repertoire hadn’t been finalized by press time, this group is known for “ingenious mash-ups of hits by the Beatles, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and more.” Their YouTube channel is run by pop-music online video powerhouse VEVO and their Facebook page boasts more than 65,000 “likes,” which both seem incredible for three young men who split their time between positions on major orchestras and shows at rock venues around the country.
San Diego’s own Steven Schick will launch the festival’s “An Evening With...” program on Wednesday, Aug. 12. A professor of music at UC San Diego, Schick is an internationally known percussionist who, in his 30 years of work as a musician, has spearheaded the growth of solo percussion performance. To open the program, he will perform part one of “Wendell’s History for Steve,” one of the hundreds of pieces that he has commissioned specifically for solo percussion performance. He’ll also bring his group Red Fish Blue Fish along to accompany a performance with violinist Michelle Kim. Then he and cellist Ralph Kirshbaum will duet on “Mariel for Cello and Marimba” before Schick closes the set with part two of “Wendell’s History for Steve.” As in previous years, the festival will kick off with a free concert “under the stars” at Scripps Park/La Jolla Cove on Wednesday, Aug. 5. SummerFest Music Director Cho-Liang Lin and a variety of SummerFest artists will perform. A There’s plenty more on the bill and details can be found at ljms.org. Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 53
WHAT’S
D
GOIN’
ON?
No Gloom Here
PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS
by eileen sondak • nsondak@gmail.com
Patrice Covington as Martha Reeves (center) and cast in “Motwon the Musical” during the first national tour.
J
une is bustin’ out all over. There’s the muchanticipated return of the Old Globe’s Shakespeare Festival, Broadway-San Diego’s performance of “Motown the Musical”, “West Side Story” at Lamb’s, and North Coast Repertory Theatre will tackle Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal”. Plus, of course, a litany of other entertainment offerings are on tap to usher in the start of summer. Broadway-San Diego will liven up the Civic Theatre with “Motown the Musical.” The show (about the music mogul who launched the careers 54 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and many more stars) is slated for a week-long run June 9-14. The La Jolla Playhouse kicked off its season with “Come From Away”, a new rock-infused musical comedy happily ensconced at the Potiker Theatre. The show was inspired by the events resulting from the grounding of all flights after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Written and composed by Canadian husband-and-wife team David Hein and Irene Sankoff, this exciting world premiere will run
through July 5. The Old Globe is in production on George Bernard Shaw’s romantic comedy, “Arms and the Man” which will continue to entertain audiences with its witty tale of love and war through June 14. Four-time Academy Award nominee, Marsha Mason, stars in this revival. Also showing, at The White Theatre, is “Rich Girl”, Victoria Stewart’s modern retelling of a stage-and-screen classic “The Heiress”. It will keep audiences engaged through June 21.
L-R: JD Taylor, Meg Gibson, Lauren Blumenfeld, and Carolyn Michelle Smith in “Rich Gir”, May 23-June 21, at The Old Globe Alfresco aficionados will welcome the return of the Globe’s Shakespeare Festival on June 21, when the Bard’s romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night” launches the summer season under the stars. The Lamb’s will unveil “West Side Story”, America’s version of the Romeo and Juliet tale, at its Coronado home June 12, where it will remain through July 19. Robert Smyth will direct this musical – with memorable songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Cygnet is exploring the decidedly dark comedy in “The Whale”, through June 14 at the Old Town Theatre. The show snared critical acclaim during its off-Broadway run for its no-holdsbarred black humor in dealing with a morbidly heavy recluse and his last chance at redemption. North Coast Rep’s production of the Pinter classic, “Betrayal”, sets up shop at the troupe’s Solana Beach home June 3, where it will continue to provoke audiences with its dramatic tale of passion and deception through June 28. The play is considered the master’s most innovative and influential work, so put it on your calendar this month. San Diego Rep’s Lyceum Stage is home to
the world premiere of “Everybody’s Talkin’”, a musical review featuring the music of Harry Nilsson. Nilsson is considered “the most famously anonymous composer and performer of our time.” Rep favorites Steve Gunderson and Javier Velasco created the show, which is slated to remain at the Lyceum through June 21. The San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops Series will kick off with “Tux ’n Tennies: A Tribute to the Beach Boys” on June 27. The special concert will feature Papa Doo Run, Run. San Diego Musical Theatre is staging one of the best known movie musicals in history – “Singin’ in the Rain”. The show will be performed live at the Spreckels Theatre (the company’s new home) through June 7. The Welk Theatre takes audiences back to the Berlin of the 1920s with “Cabaret”, a magnificent musical that reminds us of the insidious reign of the Nazi regime – and the escape many Germans found in seedy night clubs like the Kit Kat. This musical masterpiece will be running at the Welk through July 26, and it’s well worth seeing. “Welk Illusions” continues on select Wednesdays through Dec. 30. The 22nd Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival is in full swing in selected venues around town. This celebration of Jewish arts continues through July 26 – approximately three weeks longer than past Festivals. San Diego Junior Theatre will bring “Charlotte’s Web” to the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park June 26-July 12. This popular story of love, loss, and friendship is suitable for all ages. The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla unveiled two new exhibitions recently. “Sarah Cain: Blue in Your Body, Red in the Air” (the artist’s first solo show), and “Dear Nemesis, Nicole Eisenman” (1993-2013) – a mid-career survey of Eisenman’s work that will remain through Sept. 6. The Museum’s downtown location features “Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui” through June 28. The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is highlighting two IMAX films: “Humpback Whales” and “Journey to Space”. This summer, the Fleet is offering a special exhibition, “Circus: Science Under the Big Top”, an interactive exhibit that features 20 stations exploring the science and math behind circus feats. The San Diego Museum of Art is featuring two interesting exhibitions. “Divine Desire: Printmaking, Mythology, and the Birth of the Baroque” comprises more than 70 exquisite engravings from the late 16th and 17th centuries. The show will remain on view through June 30.
“Lalla Essay di: Photographs, 2005-13” consists of 10 large-scale photographs exploring women in the Arab culture. The photographs will be ensconced through Aug. 1. Mingei’s “Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum” exhibition will continue through Aug. 16. It features more than 100 iconic pieces of outsider art in a variety of forms. “Black Dolls” (on display through July 5) includes more than 100 unique hand-made dolls and rare photographs. The Natural History Museum is showcasing “Coast to Cactus in Southern California” – an 8,000 square foot exhibition. “Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed”, an exhibition showcasing the Mayan civilization, will open on June 12 and stick around through Jan. 3, 2016. The Nat also offers “Fossil Mysteries,” “Water: A California Story,” and “Skulls”. The San Diego History Center’s latest exhibition is “Ingenius! The World of Dr. Seuss”. This show, featuring artwork by Theodor Geisel, will be on view throughout 2015. The History Center is focusing on “Presidio to Pacific Powerhouse: How the Military Shaped San Diego”. It will be on display throughout the year as well. “Placed Promises” is a permanent exhibition chronicling the history of the San Diego region. A
Esperanza Spalding will play at the Symphony Summer Pops on Aug. 20.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 55
PHOTO BY JOHANN SAUTY
PHOTO BY JIM COX
VISUAL ART
Fine Art in Little Italy Developing art collectors as the neighborhood grows
PHOTOS COURTESY ADELMAN FINE ART
BY NATALIE JACOBS
I
f it’s been a while since you’ve walked around the harbor-side neighborhood of Little Italy, then you probably won’t even recognize the place. Development is booming in the area that spreads from Laurel Street to Ash, flanked on opposite sides by the ocean and the I-5. Trendy new bars and restaurants keep opening their doors to rousing rounds of applause but the art scene is in a bit of flux. Fine art is not exactly new here. ArtWalk has been taking over Little Italy streets with art vendors one weekend in April for the past 30 years, and galleries have been tucked into storefronts and studio spaces even before that. As the area solidifies itself with hip San Diego crowds by offering adventurous food and line-worthy nightlife, it also hopes to once again attract and develop serious art collectors. That, at least, is the goal of the Jewish gallery owners here. The new kid on the Kettner block is Adelman Fine Art, run by a pair of sisters who are operating the gallery under the direction of their mother (who lives out of state). The veteran is Meyer Fine Art and its owner Perry Meyer. Each specialize in different kinds of art but they’re similar in that their attitudes are not really what you’d expect from fine art dealers. Their spaces are warm and welcoming to all manner of art appreciators, and they both offer art at a variety of price points.
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ADELMAN FINE ART 1980 Kettner Blvd. #40 Since 2015 (although they began selling at art fairs in town a couple years ago) adelmanfineart.com Styles: representational and figurative paintings with a proclivity for the female form. Sisters Nicole and Phylicia Adelman note there is also a “splash” of abstract. Artists: established and “emerging,” with some locals in the mix. Upcoming exhibitions: opening weekend was in May and the collection will remain relatively permanent, but after the construction dust settles, Adelman will showcase special exhibitions of work by local artists. Jewelry and art glass are also on display. Why Little Italy: After looking at spaces in Carlsbad, Del Mar, La Jolla, and North Park, the family business settled here. But why? Nicole Adelman says, “It’s not Miami, it’s not Los Angeles, it’s not one of the top art gallery destinations, but there is something going on in San Diego right now and there is something going on specifically in Little Italy. There’s just a vibe and an energy that we’re happy to be a part of. We’re looking forward to seeing what happens from here.”
VISUAL ART
MEYER FINE ART 2400 Kettner Blvd. #104 Since 2006 (although owner Perry Meyer has been dealing art privately for 27 years) Styles: “18th century to contemporary works on paper,” specifically original and limited edition prints including copper etching, lithograph, and wood cut. Artists: mostly deceased, but many had connections to the San Diego area. Featured artists include Clay Walker, Salvador Dalí, Dan Dickey, Joan Miro, and George Rouault. Upcoming exhibitions: Currently showing “Latin American Prints and Drawings”, until June 20. Then, Perry and his wife Kathi (who is currently working alongside him in the gallery), will usher in a special fundraiser show of San Diego local John Asaro’s paintings. This is a departure for Meyer Fine Art, who will host the show in conjunction with the Board of Little Italy. It will run through until Aug. 1 with proceeds going to support the new Piazza Familia, under construction in the old San Diego Reader building on India St. The show opens July 9.
Why Little Italy: Although he admits San Diego doesn’t quite have the art culture that he finds in New York City, Perry Meyer says he never even considered selling art anywhere else. He moved to San Diego when we was 17, started selling prints to businesses door-to-door in the early 1990s (Qualcomm and Irwin Jacobs were among his first buyers), and has been charting his own course in the art world ever since. “I’m not in it to make a lot of money,” he says. “I’m in it for my own passion. I get by. I’m not lavish. This is my vacation, coming in here everyday and working with the art.” A
Clockwise from top right: Francisco Toledo watercolor; Roberto Matta etching, 1978; Mario Carreno, serigraph, 1990; “Bird over Man” by Clay Walker, woodcut 1951-2.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 57
VISUAL ART
Artist and San Diego Baseball Fan Makes an Impression Michael Rosenblatt has turned icons into art work
PHOTOS COURTESY MICHAEL ROSENBLATT
BY NATALIE JACOBS
Clockwise from top right: “Big Bang”; “The Dollar Bill”; “Tony Gwynn Memorial Painting”.
W
hen North County-based artist Michael Rosenblatt found out about Tony Gwynn’s death, he started painting. The psychedelic impressionist donated his Tony Gwynn Memorial Painting to the San Diego State University baseball team in honor of their beloved coach back in January. Rosenblatt is also gaining more recognition around town with a new bench in Balboa Park, commissioned for the year-long centennial
58 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
celebration. Resting outside the San Diego Museum of Art, Rosenblatt’s bench depicts a vibrant sunset. Rosenblatt’s work takes inspiration from Peter Max, with use of bold primary colors in swirling abstract landscapes. While he does large-scale acryllic and oil paintings, he is also transitioning into more affordable prints, mounted on wood boards, which he sells for about $40. Visit rosenblattstudios.org to view his portfolio. A
VISUAL ART
Reawakening the New Americans Museum Deborah Szekely’s years-long project finds a home at Liberty Station BY NATALIE JACOBS New Americans Museum had a “reawakening” in Liberty Station. Under the mission to be “a catalyst for celebration of America’s past and promise,” the New American’s Museum “provides inspiring education and cultural programs to honor our diverse immigrant experiences.” It’s a non-traditional museum that will curate four exhibitions each year. In the first exhibition, which ran from Jan. 16-March 21, the main gallery featured Mexican tapestries from Szekely’s personal collection. Large information panels told the stories of the tapestries, which chronicled the lives of migrant workers, farmers and families. In the smaller gallery across a hallway, digital technology showcased “Mujeres Que Crean/Women Who Create” with new works in mixed media honoring the women of Medellin, Colombia, by Carolyn Castaño. On display now through July 5 is “Becoming All American: Diversity, Inclusion & Breaking Barriers in Major League Baseball.” A
New American Museum
2825 Dewey Rd. Suite 102 San Diego, CA 92106 newamericansmuseum.org
UPCOMING EXHIBITS:
Maletas Migrantes/Migrant Suitcases Curated by Ignacio Vazquez Paravano
July 24-Sept. 2015 Inscription: A Monumental Intervention by Shinpei Takeda Curated by Leticia Gomez Franco
Oct.-Dec. 2015
PHOTOS COURTESY NEW AMERICANS MUSEUM
D
eborah Szekely is a lot of things but immigrant is not one of them. Her family came to the United States from Eastern Europe at the turn of the century, but Szekely herself was born here (in New York City, before her family moved to Tahiti, then Marin County). That hasn’t stopped her from taking lifelong interest in the stories of immigrants. As an art collector, she has found herself drawn to Mexican art, as she and her husband spent many years in the country while founding the Rancho La Puerta Spa, in Tecate. She is credited with starting the modern health and wellness movement but has brought along a passion for art through countries and generations. In 2009, Szekely decided to mold this passion into museum form. At the time, the New Americans Museum started by bringing expensive traveling exhibits to San Diego, instead of curating their own collections. There were complications with the mission, and support dried up during the Great Recession, so Szekely was forced to close the museum. In late 2014, the
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 59
Top right: “Weegee 1940”; Middle L-R: “Anomie”, “Astroland”, “Harlem Black Birds”; Bottom: “Pip and Flip”.
VISUAL ART
Coney Island in San Diego San Diego Museum of Art brings the icon from east to west
E
ven if you’ve never visited its rides, seen its strange sights or eaten its famous Nathan’s hotdogs, you’ve likely felt the lure of Coney Island in a picture, postcard or travel story. Long hailed as a destination for the wealthy, the weird and everything in between, Coney Island has entertained generations of Americans and inspired artists to capture her essence, a literal merry-go-round muse since the 1860s. Starting July 11 and running through Oct. 13, the San Diego Museum of Art will bring a new exhibit about Coney Island to our town. “Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008,” is described as, “the first major museum exhibition to explore the lure of this legendary playground through the lens of art.” “The exhibition portrays the strip of sand and boardwalk as an agent of change, extending leisure time into the evening … and freely mixing the sexes,” writes the Wall Street Journal of the exhibit. Viewers beware: rides and entertainment from the past may shock. The WSJ explains that “the show explores the idea of entertainment before the era of litigation, when carousels whipped around twice as fast as today and people were killed while riding or performing stunts on roller coasters like the Mile Sky Chaser and the Loop-the-Loop.” Also on display at Coney Island during its early days were rides that revealed women’s undergarments in suggestive displays of sexual voyeurism and exhibitionism. “On turn-of-the-century rides like the Helter
60 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
Skelter Slide, women’s skirts flew up as they sped down a chute and landed on a mattress in front of spectators,” the WSJ writes. “What happened at Coney Island stayed at Coney Island,” says Ariel Poltek, the Associate Curator of Modern Art for SDMA. Poltek says that the San Diego exhibit has been tailored to be more family friendly, so some of the most shocking images won’t be on display. Expect to see works that explore the fascination with “freak shows,” including art by Reginald Marsh (1898-1954) and his 1932 painting “Pip and Flip”. Pip and Flip were actually U.S.-born twins named Elvira and Jenny Lee Snow who had a medical condition called microencephaly that made their heads small and pointed. The twins worked the Coney Island sideshows during the 1930s. “Marsh is probably one of the artists most associated with paintings of Coney Island. He’s one of the most beloved artists. He painted exuberant scenes of the amusement parks, the beach and the boardwalk. These are iconic images of Coney Island in its heyday,” Poltek says. “There’s a tv show called American Freakshow. I believe, in fact, that some of the characters are based on best-known performers of the day, which is to say 1930s and ’40s, the period when Marsh was painting. Pip and Flip were legendary in their day. They were so called ‘pinheads,’ because of their condition. They appear also in a film, in which we are showing a clip, called ‘Freaks’. Their condition was misunderstood. They were deemed to be exotic and this was part
of the way they were marketed. They were visually grotesque and exotic and that was associated with them coming from far away, even though they were born in the United States.” The exhibit is composed of more than 100 paintings, drawings, prints and artifacts that celebrate and explore the mystique of this seashore playground through the ages: from the beginning, when it was a place for well-heeled visitors, to modern times when it morphed into a place for the masses to be entertained by anomolies of the human condition. A Find exhibit hours and details at sdmart.org/art/exhibit/coney-island.
PHOTOS COURTESY SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART
BY TINA B. ESHEL
FASHION
What It Takes to Make It in America One San Diego fashion business learns how to ride the waves in style BY NATALIE JACOBS
PHOTOS COURTESY LEATHEROCK
A
merica doesn’t make anything anymore. It’s a familiar refrain these days, but some San Diego companies are fighting to be small exceptions to that overwhelming rule. On a quiet cul-de-sac across the street from the Humane Society off Morena Blvd. you’ll find an oddly shaped parking lot and an unassuming door to what looks like a trailer. Step inside and a fragrant, bustling world of handmade leather accessories will unfold before you. The Leatherock factory has been operating out of this building since 1987. At the time, husband/wife owners Laurence and Rahleen Bloch occupied only one side of the building along with a small team of employees. By the late ’90s, business expanded and the couple was able to take over the entire space. At one point in the roaring early 2000s, they grew their workforce to 150 employees, worked round-theclock shifts and briefly occupied another 5,000 sq. ft. space across the street. After more than 30 years in business, the Blochs have grown comfortable with the fact that there are always good times and bad. “It’s almost the seven year biblical cycle,” Laurence says after a tour of the factory. “We’ve almost just been through it now, with the fashions of belts.” Leatherock specializes in handcrafted leather belts, but their line has blossomed to include leather jewelry and purses. Walking through the factory is almost like walking into a library, except instead of books there are steel racks from floor to ceiling overflowing with more variations of leather than you ever knew could exist (plum purple, iridescent white). In another part of the factory, a Dewey decimal-like system catalogs shelves of metal buckles that the company has had custom made at other factories around the U.S. In a special section toward the middle of the factory floor, there are steel tables topped with little drawers that hold rainbows of Swarovski crystals. A woman named Belinda, who has been working here for 20 years, glues turquoise stones onto a metal buckle. She’s the resident artisan responsible for most of the hand painting and bejeweling. Both Laurence and Rahleen are South African Jews who were college-aged during the apartheid. As a conscientious objector, Laurence stayed in school as long as he could in order to avoid the
apartheid army. In the beginning, as a zoology major, he made leather hats and sandals and sold them to stores along the beachfront to support himself. Eventually, after obtaining a handful more degrees, Laurence had decided to leave South Africa when he met a man on the beach who wished to do the same. The apartheid government didn’t allow citizens to leave the country with more than $3,000, so Laurence and his partner invested in tapestries and knives, respectively, and traveled around the world selling the items to support themselves. The two landed in San Diego in the early ’80s. “I arrived on the scene in 1982,” Rahleen says from their shared office. Laurence had traveled back to South Africa for his business partner’s wedding and Rahleen was a friend of the bride. The two met again (after having known each other casually throughout college) and Rahleen came to San Diego for a visit. Three months later, the two were married. By December of 1983, they had the opportunity to purchase Leatherock, a company that was started by two other South Africans living in San Diego. The founders were ready to move on and the company had stagnated. There were two employees at a shop in the Convoy district, and no orders to fill. Two weeks into the Bloch’s ownership, they decided to go to a trade show in New York City. “I knew nothing about this business,” Rahleen says with genuine amazement. “I was a hippie girl. I was wearing these coveralls, flowy hippie style clothes. Seriously, knew nothing about it.” But she managed to put together a small collection. Their friends had a booth at the show to sell Guatemalan fashion and weavings. They let the Blochs borrow money for the entrance fee and gave the young couple a small portion of their wall space. The orders started coming in from there. “We learned as we went along,” Laurence admits. “This is life,” Rahleen says. “This is really what’s interesting with life, you never know what’s going to be along the road.” For a while, it was just one belt that carried Leatherock – the one that Vanna White wore on Wheel of Fortune. She bought it at a store in L.A. and wore it on the show, and people loved it.
Around the same time, the Blochs were at another trade show and a representative from a clothing store asked if they could use the belt on their clothes for an advertising campaign. The ad went in Vogue Magazine. “Our business went four times higher in one year because of that. With one belt,” Laurence says, almost laughing. “We were able to make money because of that. We were self-financed. We managed to borrow a few thousand dollars from our uncle in Canada because we didn’t have any money.” “And you couldn’t send money out of South Africa so the family couldn’t help,” Rahleen says. “Hard work, this business,” she adds, scanning through all the years in her memory. “It’s not as glamorous as people think it is. The fashion business is very tough. You’re only as good as your last collection. It’s a very fast-paced industry, but we kept moving with it. We did, we kept growing and worked really really hard. Until we hit a very bad patch.” “In 1991/92,” Laurence adds. “There were a few bad years.” For the first time since they took over the business, Laurence and Rahleen were ready to call it quits. “Everybody was saying stop, stop,” Laurence says. “I said, ‘Rahleen, one more show.’” As they were driving to the show, Rahleen saw a billboard ad for the movie “Coyote Ugly”. A bevy of sassy New York City cowgirls were posed around a bar in low-rise jeans held up by leather belts with big silver buckles, and crop tops to show them off. “I promise you, from one moment to the next, literally,” everything started going up again, Rahleen says. “What we had in our favor was that we had experience behind us already. We were reliable so we got a lot of business and we made it happen. I have to say that for us, we do make it happen.” She laughs and adds, “Usually we’re rushing where angels fear to tread, and we’ll say ok, we’ll do it.” The next rough patch came in 2006 and Leatherock is just now starting to see the light at the end of that long dark tunnel. But for all the ups and downs, they’ve managed to stick around. You can find their belts around town and online at leatherock.com. A Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 61
FESTIVAL
The Artistic Minds Behind the Adams Avenue Street Fair Long-time collaborators Steve Kader and Scott Kessler keep the music alive
PHOTOS FROM 2014 STREET FAIR, COURTESY ADAMS AVE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
BY ABBY WALKER
F
or Steve Kader and Scott Kessler, organizing the Adams Avenue Street Fair comes naturally. Both men have an extensive history in the arts, as well as business, and they’re able to use those backgrounds to create an exciting annual music-filled event that grows bigger each year. Scott Kessler, executive director of the Adams Avenue Business Association, first got involved with the street fair in 1989 and he’s witnessed the event’s growth firsthand. He recalls the early years in the ’80s when it was just a small twoblock, one-day event and the highlight was the revitalization of the Normal Heights sign. With the exception of a 10 year hiatus to work for the city, Kessler has been involved with the street fair for most of its existence. 62 SDJewishJournal.com June 2015
The Adams Avenue Street Fair will celebrate its 34th anniversary this September with more than 100 music acts on seven stages spread across the two-day weekend event. As the largest free music festival in Southern California, the all-ages street fair now spans nine blocks and includes a full size carnival and 350 vendors. It draws more than 100,000 people throughout the weekend. “We want people to come to our events from the ages of 8 to 80,” Steve Kader says, emphasizing that its fun for everyone. There’s face painting and clowns for the little ones and a wide range of musical acts to satisfy practically anyone’s auricular palette. “It’s more than just indie rock and blues and reggae,” Kader says. As the talent buyer for the Adams Avenue
Business Association, Kader is in charge of booking the musicians for the event. He strives to find a wide variety of musical acts and the event has featured groups from Cuba, Brazil and Africa. Big names, such as No Doubt, and Andy Summers, from The Police and Iron Butterfly, have played at the street fair in the past. “My personal favorite part of the event is exposing people of all ages, race, et cetera to all types of music and helping in the growth of the Normal Heights-Kensington neighborhood,” he adds. Since the event runs right down the main vein of Normal Heights, many of the businesses participate and enjoy an influx of visitors during the event. From restaurants to music venues to the Ken cinema, the local businesses
FESTIVAL
benefit from the big crowds. Kader believes that the neighborhood’s artistic side and friendly community vibe is a great fit for the event. He has a long history with both San Diego and music. Although he was born in Orange County, Kader moved to San Diego as a young child and spent a lot of time at his grandparent’s Kensington home. “My grandfather was in vaudeville and played the piano,” he recalls. “There was always a piano in the home. He played piano by ear, sang, played guitar, wrote poetry and danced. I was surrounded by music.” Kader’s grandfather was a member of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and Kader performed there regularly from an early age. His father was also involved in music and played drums before working in tv, radio, advertising and concert promotion in the late 1950s. “I inherited their musical genetics and felt at ease with music, singing and writing poetry,” Kader says. His experience with performing served him well when it came time for his Bar Mitzvah. “My Bar Mitzvah was an enjoyable experience while most 13-year-olds are dreading it,” Kader remembers. “The passion for music is in my soul and DNA as Jews, that’s why these things come so easy to us.” In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Kader joined a ska band named Gangbusters, and once opened for No Doubt. But he was drawn to the business side of music and soon began to work behind the scenes. Prior to joining the Adams Avenue Business Association, Kader booked musicians at 4th and
B, a recently defunct but once beloved concert venue in downtown San Diego. He started as an intern in 1997 and eventually became the principal talent buyer for the music venue, booking established stars like Willie Nelson and Slayer and helping up-and-coming acts like Jack Johnson, Thievery Corporation and Juanes to get their starts. During this time, Kader began offering advice about musical acts to the director of the Adams Avenue Street Fair, whom he met and became friends with through a band that he was managing. Although Kader had a full-time booking job at the downtown nightclub, he continued to advise his friend for the next four to five years. Once Kader left his job at 4th and B, he was officially hired to book events for the Adams Avenue Business Association in 2005 and has been in charge of finding the talent ever since. Although he came to visual art a bit later in life, he’s managed to get involved with that too. In the ’90s he was a member of a purposefully unnamed San Diego public art group that produced projects such as “America’s Finest” and “Welcome Back Emma.” Those public pieces of artwork were funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and museum commissions. They are now housed in permanent collections at Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art and the Smithsonian. In addition to the Adams Avenue Street Fair, the Kader and Kessler duo are also in charge of Adams Avenue Unplugged. This acoustic music festival takes place every spring and features singer-songwriters.
Kessler, who lives in nearby Golden Hill, became involved with Unplugged back in 1994, when the event began as the Adams Avenue Roots Festival. He helped rebrand it as Unplugged in 2011, which is also when Kader began working on the event. The free event stretches along a two-mile section of Adams Avenue and features 150 live musical performances on three stages and in restaurants, bars and coffeehouses along the street. “It is different than the street fair because it is a musical walkabout with streets remaining open,” Kader explains. “The music is genres of folk, singer songwriter, americana, country, bluegrass, acoustic jazz, blues and world music.” This year’s Unplugged took place on the last weekend of April and featured national acts, such as Hot Buttered Rum and Anais Mitchell, along with local acts like G Burns Jug Band, The Liquorsmiths and The Big Decisions. Kader estimates that 30,000 to 40,000 people attended this year’s Unplugged event. “Music is used as the impetus to naturally bring exposure to the area,” Kader says about the two Adams Avenue events. “It’s nice that our events bring people to the community to support the businesses and then they tell their friends. Maybe someone will even buy a house in the neighborhood.” A Mark your calendars for the 2015 Adams Avenue Street Fair, Sept. 26-27. Find details at adamsaveonline.com/streetfair.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 63
in the kitchen WITH
TORI AVEY
SUNFLOWER BUTTER
I Tori Avey is an awardwinning food writer, recipe developer, and the creator of the popular cooking website toriavey.com. She writes about food history for PBS Food and Parade. com. Follow Tori on Facebook by searching for “Tori Avey” and on Twitter: @toriavey.
64 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
grew up loving peanut butter. I ate it on toast, with apples and bananas, in sandwiches or just by the spoonful. Nut allergies weren’t as well publicized back then, and I never had a problem taking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my school lunch. Things have definitely changed. Nut allergy awareness is on the rise, with good reason. Even a trace amount of nuts or nut products can prove fatal to a nut-allergic person. My stepdaughter brings home notes from school each year warning against packing nut products in her school lunches. A few students in her grade have nut allergies and administrators rightly want to protect them from accidental exposure. A few years ago, I started looking for a nut-free alternative to peanut butter, something that would be safe to use in sandwiches or serve with fruit. Sunflower butter, made from sunflower seeds, is a perfect substitute. Because it is made from seeds rather than nuts, it will not trigger nut allergies (of course, some people are allergic to sunflower seeds, but it is much less common than tree nut and peanut allergies). We absolutely love the flavor of sunflower butter and it’s become one of my go-to snacks. When I’m feeling hungry between meals, a spoonful of sunflower butter and a piece of fruit always does the trick! The sunflower was actually one of the first plants cultivated in the United States. Native Americans treated the stems like a sort of chewing gum and used the flower’s vibrant color as a dye. Oil was extracted by crushing seeds and high-protein cakes were made from the leftover mash. Thomas Hariot’s “A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia”, published in 1588, mentions the use of sunflower seeds in breads and broths. They are also discussed as an aid in the production of beans, squash and maize when carefully planted alongside these crops. For centuries sunflower seeds were used mainly for oil, until the health food craze of the late 1900s when they were recognized as a great source of protein, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and fiber. Up until a few months ago, I had both peanut butter and sunflower butter in my kitchen. Recently I noticed that my stomach wasn’t very happy with peanut butter anymore. I tried a few different natural brands, and each time I would get a tummy ache. I’m not sure why this happened, or if it was a temporary thing, but for some reason I’m still able to eat sunflower butter without any issues. I’ve since switched over completely to sunflower
butter and it’s become my go-to protein butter. I like making it at home much better than store-bought. It’s cheaper, plus I can control the salt and sweetness levels. The recipe below is my favorite way to make sunflower butter. The oil level tends to vary by batch; add as much as you like based on personal preference. While peanut butter is usually pretty thick, I prefer my sunflower butter on the slightly “goopy” side – it’s easier to spread and I prefer the texture that way. Make it yourself to see what works best for you!
SUNFLOWER BUTTER Ingredients 4 cups raw unsalted sunflower seeds, shelled 5-9 tbsp sunflower oil, or any mildly flavored non-solid vegetable oil – avoid nut oils to keep nut free (amount may vary) 3 tbsp honey (or to taste) – for vegan use agave nectar or your favorite sweetener ¼ tsp, heaping sea salt (or to taste) You will also need: Sheet tray, food processor Serves: 2 ¾ cups sunflower butter Total time: 45 min Kosher key: Pareve Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the sunflower seeds evenly across a sheet tray and roast until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes. Be sure to check on them often to avoid burning. Allow the sunflower seeds to cool to room temperature. In a food processor, combine the roasted sunflower seeds with the honey and salt (use more or less salt and honey to taste, if desired). Begin processing the seeds. At first the seed butter will clump together in pieces. Add the oil 1 tbsp at a time, smoothing out the butter
PHOTOS BY TORI AVEY
and processing frequently, until you reach your desired consistency. Scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary. I like my sunflower butter on the soft, semi-goopy side, so I tend to use more oil. This also helps to keep the butter moist when it is refrigerated. You can use less oil for a thicker, drier butter if you prefer. Continue processing until smooth. Store your sunflower butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator (I use a mason jar). Use it within a month for freshest taste. As with most natural nut and seed butters, some oil may separate from the butter over time. If this happens, just use a spoon to mix the oil back into the butter. Note: if making this for somebody with a nut allergy, make sure you buy sunflower seeds that were not processed on equipment with tree nuts. Also, make sure your kitchen appliances and surfaces have been fully cleaned to
avoid contaminating the batch with nut residue. Nut allergies are nothing to mess around with! Before serving to somebody with allergies, make sure that they do not have a sunflower seed allergy. This is much less common than nut allergies, but it does exist. Always best to be safe. A
IKWTA Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 65
Fresh Seafood by the Seashore Seasalt opens in Del Mar R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W
BY EILEEN SONDAK
I
PHOTOS COURTESY SEASALT
MIDDLE: Seared blackened scallops, BOTTOM: Halibut macadamia.
66 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
f you enjoy seafood fresh from the sea, in these beauties is grilled sea bass, and it is you’ll love Seasalt Seafood Bistro – a new melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You might never restaurant on Carmel Valley Road in Del be able to eat a fish taco anywhere else after Mar. Not only will your dining experience you try these. They’re topped with cabbage, red feature perfectly prepared fresh fish, it will also onions, cilantro, guacamole and zesty salsa. include a million dollar waterfront view. One of the lunch specials is a fresh catch Seasalt has an unobstructed panoramic ($12). During our visit, the catch was swordfish, view of the water, and a large open patio that and it was juicy and ever so tender. Served with takes full advantage of the magnificent vistas. onions, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and caper Salvatore Ercolano (who still owns the popular aioli on your choice of a sesame bun or ciabatta Villa Capri in Carmel Valley) presides over bread, this is a fabulous lunch dish. It comes this excellent eatery. Known to his friends as with mixed greens or fries. Sal, Ercolano treats guests like family, and Seasalt has a signature salad with baby spinach, his efficient and well-trained staff make sure Belgian endive, beets, red onion, apple and everything is up to the highest standards. cranberry goat cheese – topped with a delicate Since Sal’s roots are in Italian cuisine, white wine balsamic vinaigrette ($8). You can you’ll find some Italian items on the menu, add chicken ($4.50), shrimp ($6.50) or salmon however, you may be pleasantly surprised by ($7.50) for a marvelous lunch plate, or share it the number of sushi delicacies available for for a starter with your dining partner. There are lunch, five days a week. There are several basic several salads available for lunch, and you’ll have rolls and at least seven specialty rolls, such as a choice of two soups daily. the Deconstructed Seasalt Roll The dinner menu offers a ($17) which features avocado, fantastic array of fish dishes, such cucumber, crab meat (for the Seasalt Restaurant as vodka alla salmone ($18), non-Kosher-keeping crowd), tuna scaloppini, ($24), seared 2282 Carmel Valley Road asparagus, tobiko, unagi, blackened sea scallops ($25) and Del Mar, CA 92014 (858) 755-7100 lemon zest, carrots, and the of course, fish and chips ($19). chef ’s secret sauce. For the non-seafood eater in your HOURS / LUNCH: The restaurant has a group, there’s wild mushroom 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. handsome interior dining chicken ($17) and classic steak HOURS / DINNER: room beautifully designed for and fries ($24). All the entree 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Seasalt. A comfortable bar area platters are well designed. For with huge booths welcomes the example, the tropical salmon Happy Hour crowd. It features wine, cocktails, ($22) is served on a bed of mango salsa, with bottled and draft beer, and even an assortment wilted spinach, and caramelized onion, as of sakes. Large parties or business groups can use well as garlic mashed potatoes. The halibut the private dining room and separate patio for macadamia ($24) is pan seared and encrusted special events. with macadamia nuts in a butter sage sauce Of course, the most important factor in with garden risotto. Every dish is paired with choosing a restaurant is the quality of the cuisine, complementary sides. and you are sure to be impressed with the fine The dessert menu is chock full of tempting menu selections at Seasalt. The lunch menu sweets, such as the flourless chocolate cake, includes amazing salads, sandwiches and burgers gelato, and tiramisu, all priced at $7. Seasalt has a (including the restaurant’s signature salmon great kids menu with favorites like fish and chips burger) and plates, such as wild mushroom and chicken fingers for $8. chicken ($16), and penne pasta with assorted The eatery is open for lunch Monday through veggies ($14). The “Teasers to Share” include Friday (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) and brunch on Saturday Hawaiian coconut shrimp, Dungeness crab cake and Sunday. Dinner is served 4:30 - 9:30 and other house specialties. p.m. every evening – and there’s plenty of free Don’t miss the fish tacos ($9). The fish used parking. A
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Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 67
N news
Marjory Kaplan Returns to JCF
On May 19, Jewish Community Foundation Board President Jane Scher announced that Charlene Seidle was leaving the Foundation as of May 31 and returning to the Leichtag Foundation. While they look for a permanent replacement, former President CEO Marjory Kaplan will come out of retirement to lead the JCF senior management team. "The Board appreciates Marjory's willingness to return and will initiate a search for permanent President and CEO in a timely manner," Scher said in a statement. "The Foundation expects to close the current fiscal year in a strong financial position surpassing annual goals with anticipated record grantmaking," she added.
Sandy Siperstein-Rafner (far left, back), went on a recent trip to Israel to work on ways to incorporate Israel programming into Camp Jaycee.
Annual Used Book Sale Coming June 10-14 A diverse assortment of used books have been collected for the annual Used Book Sale to benefit the Samuel and Rebecca Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. The fair will be held June 10-14. Early bird shopping will be held on June 10 at 9 a.m., for a $20 entrance fee. Other than the early bird session, the event is free. The sale will close with a Bargain Bag Sale on Sunday, June 14. For more information, call (858) 362-1150.
Camp Jaycee Participates in Israel Seminar Camp Jaycee was one of only 10 camps nationwide selected to participate in a North American program to enhance meaningful Israel connections at JCC Day Camps. Camp Jaycee day camp director Sandy Siperstein Rafner recently spent a week in Israel as part of the JCC Association’s Israel Up Close seminar, designed to enhance Israel programming in JCC day camps. The four-day seminar included educational touring in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and introductions to summer shlichim – the young, post-army Israelis getting ready to spend their summers working as counselors and specialists in JCC camps around the U.S. “This intensive seminar gave me an opportunity not only to train our three schlihim about how we operate here in La Jolla, but it was particularly helpful to interact with hundreds of their peers as well as dozens of North American day and resident camp professionals who were part of the seminar,” Siperstein said. “I have no doubt that the momentum gained in Israel will have a major impact on our camp’s ruach and make this summer very special.” For more information about Camp Jaycee, visit campjaycee.com.
Golf Tournament to Benefit JFS A Los Angeles Clippers jersey signed by Blake Griffin, NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Star player; Sharp’s all-new 70” Ultra HD LED TV; a seven-night Cancun getaway: these are just three of the auction items to bid on at the Ruby Schulman Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, June 19 at the Maderas Golf Club. Golf passionistas and philanthropists are invited to register now for one of San Diego’s top charity golf events. Proceeds will benefit Jewish Family Service and provide critical support for Holocaust survivors, refugee families reestablishing themselves into new homes and food assistance for military families. Program entry includes golf fees, craft beer tastings and an awards luncheon. Contact Dana Levin at (858) 637-3013 to register.
68 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
N news
Local Salon Owner Hosts Fundraiser Jewish-owned Indigo Salon and Spa in Hillcrest is hosting their 5th annual fundraiser on June 14 from 2-5 p.m. This year's event, named, “The Shirt off Oscar’s Back,” will be held in memory of Oscar Melero, a stylist who passed away earlier this year. Proceeds will be donated to The Hand Up Youth Food Pantry. The charity event will also be held with the support and work of Gavin and Jade Hosking, the son and daughter of co-owner and stylist, Randi Hosking, in preparation for their upcoming B’Nai Mitzvah. Purchase your $25 ticket at the door on the day of the event. Details at indigohair.com.
Tifereth Israel Welcomes David Korevar as Guest Pianist
On June 7 and June 9, David Amos will conduct the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra with David Korevar as the guest pianist. The program will include Brahms "Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor" and Prokofiev's "Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major. Both performances will be at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, in the San Carlos neighborhood, on June 7 at 3 p.m, and June 9 at 7:30 p.m. More information at tiferethisrael.com/tico.
Bronfman Awards Youth Fellowships Twenty-six high school students from across North America were awarded the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in May. The program, founded 29 years ago by Edgar M. Bronfman, z”l, is a five-week program that includes studying and traveling in Israel, followed by a year of programming centered around pluralism, social responsibility and Jewish texts. “Edgar Bronfman placed enormous faith in young people’s ability to see the world not just as it is, but as it ought to be,” said Rabbi Mishael Zion, co-director of the Fellowships, in a statement. “He believed that young people energized by their Judaism were best equipped to both shape a Jewish ‘Renaissance’ and improve the world. This year’s fellows are already a remarkable group; we have the privilege of instilling in them a love for learning Jewish texts and a commitment to pluralism and communal responsibility that will serve us all into the future.” The 2015 fellows are from 13 states across the U.S. and Canada and come from diverse Jewish backgrounds. They join the more than 1,000 Bronfman Fellowship alumni who include Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars, former Supreme Court clerks, distinguished authors, Pulitzer Prize nominees, noted journalists and high ranking political advisors, among others.
CHA Announces New Principal Chabad Hebrew Academy of San Diego welcomes a new K-8th grade principal, Elizabeth Earne. Earne comes highly regarded with dual BAs from Columnbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. "Elizabeth Earne is a passionate educational leader with an innovative and creative vision of 21st century learning," said school head, Rabbi Yosef Fradkin. "She brings to Chabad Hebrew Academy many years of experience at independent schools, both Jewish and secular across the country. For the past eight years, Earne has served as a lead teacher, administrator, and resource coordinator at La Jolla Country Day School. She has extensive experience in the classroom, coaching teacers, and working directly with students in all learning styles," Fradkin added. Earne replaces current principal Charlene Stanley who is facilitating the transition before taking a position closer to her home.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 69
In honor of the birthday of הרב צבי בנימין מנחם בן שמואל
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Brought to you by:
© 2015 The Famous Abba
www.thefamousabba.com
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Find the bold italic words on this sheet. The unused letters spell a secret message!
Moshe sent 12 men to spy on the Land of Canaan right before the Jewish people were ready to conquer the land that HaShem promised them. The men spied out the land for 40 days and came back with large fruit, but 10 of them said the land could not be conquered.Yehoshua and Caleb were the only spies who said it could be conquered. The Jewish people were convinced by the 10 spies that it was dangerous to try to conquer the land, so they cried all night and spoke badly about Moshe and Aharon and about how HaShem brought them out of Egypt. As a result, HaShem wanted to destroy the Jewish people, but Moshe reminds Him about His 13 attributes of mercy and HaShem instead says that entry into the land will be delayed by 40 years! HaShem gives the laws of wine, gift, and oil offerings and the mitzvah of seperating bread. A man violates Shabbat by gathering sticks and is punished. HaShem gives the mitzvah of tzitzit so the Jewish people will remember and perform all His mitzvot.
26 SIVAN 5775 PARSHA SHELACH
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Visit www.thefamousabba.com/chinuch-podcasts for this week’s Chinuch Podcast! Hear from a new speaker each week.
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א א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת
ח xה
How many years were the Jewish people in the desert?
gematria
• HaShem's special rules for baking bread (15:17). • Moshe davening to HaShem not to destroy the Jewish people (14:13).
Act out these scenes with friends and family.
PARSHA SKIT ideas
GARMENT
Which one is different? (Hint: tzitzit)
spot the difference
• The front door to your house was left open all night. • A friend paid back the money he borrowed on the wrong date.
Can you judge these situations favorably?
you be the judge
I was one of the spies sent by Moshe to the Land of Canaan. A Midrash says that after going into the land I went to Chevron and the cave of the patriachs by myself. I came back to Moshe and said the land was good and the Jewish people should enter it.
who AM I?
SUPER SHABBAT SHEET
GOOD TRAIT OF THE MONTH Taking Care of One’s Body: Research shows that the brain is like a muscle which gets stronger with practice. Make sure you exercise your brain by using it often!
GENEALOGY Can you name the following people?
• My father was Jephunneh; Kenaz, the father of Othniel, was my stepfather. • The son of Nun, grandson of Amihud and greatgrandson of grandson of Elishama.
CROSSWORD
5 7 4
3
Complete the crossword by translating each English word into Hebrew. Use the parsha reference for help.
ACROSS 1. Ram (15:11) 6 3. Cities (13:19) 5. Night (14:14) 7. Milk (13:27) DOWN 2. Bread (15:19) 4. Scent (15:24) 5. Heart (15:39) 6. Send (13:2)
understanding blessings = בורא מיני מזונותCreator of various forms of nourishment HaShem created many foods with different tastes that provide needed energy to the human body.
ICLMB
(scramble) RESAPG
RTOYF
WORD CMRLESAB LWETVE
ERITB (Hint: The 12 Spies)
FSIG
CANDLELIGHTING IN JERUSALEM: 7:05 P.M.
70 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
DIVERSIONS By Natalie Jacobs “Marilyn Monroe Declassified” The Jewish Film Festival is increasing their visibility throughout the year by hosting special screenings beyond just the tradtional two weeks in February reserved for cinefiles. This next showing is sure to be a jaw-dropper. On July 12 at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre (JCC), the San Diego Jewish Film Festival will premiere the new Paul Davids feature documentary “Marilyn Monroe Declassified” for an exclusive first public screening at 6 p.m. Following the screening, the director will engage in an in-depth discussion with the audience. In the documentary, Monroe is revealed as “the lady who knew too much.” From her marriage to esteemed Jewish playwright Arthur Miller to her affair with President Kennedy, her life was always under a microscope. This fascinating life is unraveled in the Paul Davids documentary, and facts about the mystery surrouning Monroe’s death are revealed for the first time. Festival director Craig Prater expects a sell-out crowd, so purchase tickets now by calling (858) 362-1348 and find additional info about the film at sdjff.org.
“Hotel Moscow” An American Jewish woman finds herself in a precarious position with the Russian mafia.
“Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You” A novel in lists, by Hebrew translator and author Todd HasakLowy
“The Daily Show” Jon Stewart has announced his last day on the iconic “fake news” series “The Daily Show” – Aug. 6 will be his final episode behind the desk that he built with biting wit and astute political commentary. As you probably already know, relative new-comer Trevor Noah will take the lead from there. We’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and will be tuning in to see what kind of first impression he makes later this summer.
“1913 Seeds of Conflict” This documentary chronicles a filmmaker who discovers a canister of film from Palestine. The footage, from 1913, is entitled “Jews in Palestine,” and consists of some of the earliest footage ever recorded in the Holy Land,” as noted in the film trailer. A journalist interviewed in the documentary explains that it’s impossible to watch the 1913 film – where Jews and Arabs were living peacefully together in Ottoman Palestine – without comparing it to the situation of today. See what you see when “1913 Seeds of Conflict” airs on PBS in late June.
“Mark Rothko: Toward the Light in the Chapel” The latest in Yale’s Jewish Lives series.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 71
TAKE NOTE JUNE 1-30
by tina b. eshel
BEST BETS
Mark your calendar. It’s June which means San Diego is sizzling with summertime and Father’s Day fun. Check out A Night in Disguise Masquerade Party with Yalla Balagan on June 6 at 8 p.m. If you don’t know about Yalla Balagan, it’s time to hookup with San Diego’s self-declared “best event planner for cocktail parties.” This one rocks the rooftop of the W Hotel in downtown San Diego. Reserve your spot at facebook.com/yalla. balagan.3. For a mere $450 per person, you can party like a (well-heeled) animal at Rendevouz in the Zoo. This June 20, the annual black-tie swank fest returns to the San Diego Zoo to raise funds for the new Penguin Beach exhibit. Sure, this one costs an arm and a leg, but think of all the penguin flippers you’ll be helping. Calling all young fairies! If you’re the mum or dad of a fairie lover, bring them to the Fairie Festival at the San Diego Botanic Garden on June 20. Create a fairie house, make fairie treasures or shop in the Fairieland market. Whimsical details at sdbgarden.org/fairyfest.htm. Fathers Day is June 21. Consider taking your fave fella to the San Diego International Beer Festival June 19-21 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (sandiegobeerfestival.com) or the San Diego International Boat Show June 18-21 at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel (sandiegointernationalboatshow.com). The whole family can feast on regionally inspired gourmet foods at the Father’s Day Brunch at the Hotel Del Coronado. (Call (619) 522-8490 to make your reservations.) Adrenaline seekers, check out the Father’s Day Paintball party on June 21 at Total Combat Paintball (totalcombatpaintball.com). The Leichtag Ranch and Farm is the site for Eat, Pray, Farm: An Exploration of Jews and Agriculture in America, a four-week class on Tuesdays running June 2-23. Daytime class starts at 10 a.m.; evening class at 7 p.m. From farm to table, cool things are happening at the North County Hub. Call Ilene Tatro at (858) 362-1154 to learn more. Finally, work yourself into baking shape this June with Wednesday BAKE! Classes at Bake Sale Bakery in downtown San Diego. The #OvenLovin is happening three times this month: Drop Dead Delicious Knock-Offs of Hostess-esque Oreos and Ho Ho’s on June 3; an Intro to Candy where you’ll learn the skinny on making homemade sweet treats on June 17; and Intro to Bread on June 30. Fun in the kitchen with fudge and focaccia…need we say more? BAKE! classes start at $75 per person and include the ingredients and take-away goodies. Space is limited for each BAKE! class and reservations must be made in advance by calling (619) 515-2224 or visiting bakesalesd.com. 72 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
A NIGHT IN DISGUISE MASQUERADE PARTY June 6, 8 p.m. W Hotel Downtown facebook.com/yalla.balagan.3
FAIRIE FESTIVAL June 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m San Diego Botanic Garden 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas sdbgarden.org/fairyfest.htm
FATHER’S DAY IS June 21 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL June 19-21 sandiegobeerfestival.com SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL BOAT FESTIVAL June 18-21 sandiegointernationalboatshow.com FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH, HOTEL DEL CORONADO June 21 (619) 522-8490 to make reservations
EAT, PRAY, FARM: AN EXPLORATION OF JEWS AND AGRICULTURE IN AMERICA June 2-23, Tuesday, 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. North County Hub 441 Saxony Road, Encinitas sdcjc.org/jewishlearning/adulteducation.aspx
SAN DIEGO JEWISH
SENIOR EVENTS JUNE 1-30
Lawrence Family JCC 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla Contact Melanie Rubin for details or to R.S.V.P. (858) 362-1141. Newcomers’ Meeting Monday, June 8, 1:30 p.m. New to San Diego? Meet new people and get to know each other for things to do around San Diego. Annual Senior Party: Country Western Hoe Down Sunday, June 14, 2 p.m. Cost: $8 JCC member/$10 nonmembers if paid by June 5. $15 after that and at the door. A Fair to Remember: A Celebration of World's Fairs and Balboa Park Wednesday, June 24, bus departs at 12:30 p.m. Cost: $10 JCC members/$15 nonmembers (includes ticket and bus & admission. RSVP by June 15. Oceanside Senior Center 455 Country Club Lane, Oceanside Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 North County Jewish Seniors Club Third Thursday of each month, 12:30 p.m. Join us to hear speakers and/or entertainment at our monthly meetings. Light refreshments served. Visitors welcome. Veterans Association of North County 1617 Mission Avenue, Oceanside CA 92058 Contact Marc Poland (858) 232-1645 Jewish War Veterans meetings Second Sunday of each month, noon. San Diego North County Post 385. Seacrest Village 211 Saxony Road, Encinitas Call Jon Schwartz at (760) 516-2001 Monthly Senior Dance First Friday of every month, 1 p.m. Refreshments and appetizers from our kosher kitchen will be provided. Free and open to the public. JFS University City Older Adult Center 9001 Towne Centre Drive, La Jolla Contact Aviva Saad for details or to R.S.V.P. (858) 5505998. Father’s Day Celebration Thursday, June 18, 10 a.m. Tribute to fathers, dancing, kosher lunch and entertainment. Bingo! Wednesday, June 24, 10 a.m. Bingo and music by Jim Gibson.
ANNUAL SENIOR PARTY: COUNTRY WESTERN HOE DOWN Lawrence Family JCC. Contact Melanie Rubin to R.S.V.P. at (858) 362-1411. Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m.
On the Go excursions A program of Jewish Family Service, On the Go provides transportation to events throughout the county for homebound seniors. For information, please call Jo Kessler at (858) 637-7320. San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds Thursday, June 18, Depart at 12:30 p.m.. Cost: $38, due by June 10. Cabaret, Welk Resort Theatre, Escondido Sunday, June 28, 2015. Depart at noon. Cost: $65, due by June 10. JFS No. County Inland Center 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. Most Activities are free to members, and lunch is $7 with reservations. Finding the Present in the Past: A Talk with author Ona Russell Wednesday, June 10, 10 a.m Feeling Fit club followed by a lecture on how a real 1920s Jewish woman become a fictional sleuth. Kosher lunch at noon. Photographs of Fatherhood Wednesday, June 17, 10 a.m. Feeling Fit club followed by the Museum of Photographic arts, kosher lunch and yoga. JFS Coastal Club at Temple Solel 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff by the Sea Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. R.S.V.P. for lunch by Monday at 12:30 p.m. All activities are free and lunch is $7. Alzheimer’s – Know the 10 Signs Tuesday, June 19, 10 a.m. Fit and Flexible Silver Age Yoga followed by lecture, lunch and a movie. JFS College Avenue Center 4855 College Ave., San Diego Contact Sara Diaz (858) 637-3270 for details on any events or to R.S.V.P. Cyber Café Open Lab Monday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Thursday, 9:30 a.m-11 a.m., Friday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. The College Avenue Center now has Open Lab with tutoring. W-Fi for portable devices. Cost: free members/$1 nonmembers. Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 73
THE MARKETPLACE DANCE
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For further information please contact www.deborahjdavis.com Deborah Davis • (619) 275-1539
The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition.
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To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com 74 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
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Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 75
Avalon Hospice & Palliative Care
AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 25 years.
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www.amisraelmortuary.com Members of the JFDA- Jewish funeral directors of America, KAVOD - (Independent/Family owned Jewish funeral directors) Consumer Affairs Funeral and Cemetery division
Comfort & Care In The Last Phase of Life Each patient’s care plan is individually tailored to meet his or her needs and the needs of the family. • Dedicated Medical Directors • Registered Nurses • Social Work Services • Home Health Aide Services • Transitional Care Services For more information please call:
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SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY OBITUARIES Arrangements by Am Israel Mortuary
ALL SERVICES ALREADY HELD Gerald Forman - Chula Vista 7/29/1929 - 2/28/2015 Survivors: wife, Regina Forman; daughters, Rebecca Forman, Noemi Hanono and Debra Dotterman; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Sam Cherberg - Encinitas 2/09/1929 - 2/28/2015 Survivors: wife, Lubov Cherberg; daughters, Inna Plakht and Gale Shoikhet; four grand-children and two great grandchildren. Marjorie Becker - San Diego 12/19/1922 - 3/03/2015 Survivors: son, Gary Becker and two grandchildren. Betty Rosen - San Diego 7/15/1918 - 3/03/2015 Survivors: son, Harvey Rosen; and three grandchildren.
76 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
Deborah Shamos - San Diego 8/05/1932 - 3/04/2015 Survivors: daughter, Polina Sisman; son, David Shamos; and two grandchildren. Esther Hanan - Skokie, IL 12/29/1921 - 3/05/2015 Survivors: sons, Ira and Marty Hanan. Sy Brenner - San Diego 6/2/1922 - 3/04/2015 Survivors: daughters, Donna Cohen and Maureen Baily; son, Ron Brenner; six grand-children and two great grandchildren. Martin Halperin - San Diego 2/02/1923-3/06/2015 Survivors: wife ,Gloria Halperin; daughter, Robin Halperin; son, Larry Halperin. Deceased : Eugene Appel - La Jolla 3/03/1939-3/07/2015
Survivors: wife, Barbara Appel; daughters, Deborah and Karen Appel, son, Brian Appel and two grandchildren. Joseph London - Lemon Grove 7/07/1923 - 3/08/2015 Survivors: friend, David Snodgrass. Eileen Goldsmid - San Diego 7/01/1931 - 3/08/2015 Survivors: sons, Michael and Steven Goldsmid. Michael Park - San Diego 6/02/1935 - 3/09/2015 Survivors: wife, Paula Park; daughter, Lucy Park; and son, Charles Park. Irenetta Sax - San Diego 12/11/1921 - 3/11/2015 Survivors: daughters, Linda Sax Snaid and Wynn Sax Cedar; and sons, Donald and Kurt Sax.
Yakov Korzh - Escondido 2/28/1948 - 3/11/2015 Survivors: wife, Mila Korzh; daughter, Vita Chudnovsky; Son, Alex Korzh; and two grandchildren. Shirley Goldstein - Encinitas 5/07/1926 - 3/13/2015 Daughter, Rhonda Goldstein; son, Alan Goldstein. Hannah Traube - Aventura, FL 11/01/1914 - 3/14/2015 Survivors: son, Joseph Traube. Iosif Tsirulnik - San Diego 2/12/1932 - 3/18/2015 Survivors: son, Anatoly Tsirulnik; and two grandchildren. Blanche Goldstein - San Diego 8/01/1921 - 3/18/2015 Survivors: daughter, Ellen Statman; sons, Ronald and Cary Goldstein; six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
ASK MARNIE
by Marnie Macauley
ADVICE asksadie@aol.com
Sibling Rivalry and Mixed Marriages
This month we take on two problem spots; the first sib rivalry, the second…an unorthodox issue? BRO HATES THE NEW BABY! Dear Marnie: My wife just had our second child, Simon. We also have a three year-old, Aaron. Since the bris two months ago, it’s been a killer. We tried to prepare Aaron for the baby. He felt my wife’s tummy and seemed excited about a new little brother to play with. Now, he whines how he hates Simon and wishes we never “got him.” The other night, we found him tapping on the baby’s foot! I don’t feel we should coddle this. Aaron knows what he’s saying is wrong. My wife disagrees. She tells him she knows he really doesn’t mean to say these things, and since he’s our first, he’s even more special. What do you think? – Graying Early MARNIE SAYS: Let’s look at what Aaron thinks. “If I’m so ‘special,’ why’d you need another one of me – especially one that’s messier?” (You’re laughing.) You see, you’re expecting poor Aaron to be logical, adult. But he’s 3 ½! He can’t think like you, so let’s think like him. Picture it: Your wife informs you, “Sweetie, you’re so special, I’m bringing another man, Hershel, home to add to our happiness.” Hershel’s younger, cuter, and gets your wife’s attention 24/7. Even her friends are all wiggy over him. How would you feel? Betrayed? Wronged? Slighted? Ignored? Jealous? Scared? In “hate”? You bet. Now, imagine you tell your wife, “Get rid of Hershel. I hate him!” and her answer is: a.) “That’s not true, sweetie. You love Hershel.” b.) “You’re being selfish!” c.) “You were first, so you’ll always be special!” Get it? Good. Try talking straight to your son who feels “all of the above.” Let him tell you his truth and listen without blame, without shame. Do set limits. No hurting the baby. That’s a rule. He’s to be stopped instantly. He can show you how angry he feels with a doll. If you hear and react to your son’s feelings rather than his words, you’ll give him the space to let the new baby into his life with love because he won’t fear losing yours. Mazel Tov!
MIXED MARRIAGES, MIXED MESSAGES Dear Marnie: My husband and I have been married a year and we just had a little girl. My husband is Catholic and I’m Jewish. Our parents have finally made an uneasy peace with it. We both care about our respective backgrounds and are unsettled about how to raise Jennifer. We are considering letting her experience both religions and letting her decide on her own when she’s old enough. What do you say? – A Crisis Of Faith MARNIE SAYS: Wait. I need time to whip up a potato latke the size of a blanket to hide under. (Send applesauce.) No doubt my intelligent readers will bombard me with anecdotes of the Kerry-Cohens whose happy children devoured Easter hams and Seder briskets and survived to become ecumenically correct. But, since you’re asking about the matter of choosing for children when parents celebrate different religious traditions, I says PICK ONE. While I’m 100 percent behind tolerance, beliefs are stitched onto our baby blankets and souls. If religion is important to you and your families, is it realistic to expect a child to grasp the deeper meanings of two or more belief systems without confusion – especially before they’ve cut a wisdom tooth? Is it fair to ask a child to choose up “sides?” Mom’s vs. Pop’s? Isn’t this a Hatfield-McCoy uproar in the making when half the clan feels “rejected” and the little person takes the heat? She can celebrate both you say. In my vast experience, expect: The Big “Hanukkah Bush-Green Bagel” water down. As adults, many of these kids mumble Peace on Earth (a good thing), but are often clueless or “do-less” about religion. Hey, it’s fine by me. Is it ok by you? OR They marry someone who’s orthodoxsomething, and you, FamilyofMan, get all archy. The truth is, this conversation is a little late. These issues are best determined before you vow. That said, seriously question what your beliefs mean to you, and how strongly you feel about passing yours on vs. your mate’s. Negotiate how
and what you and your child will celebrate – then, choose how your child will view himself. Once decided, she can participate, respect, and enjoy the traditions of both religions, indeed many. But in my view, if religious tradition is important to you, she must know who she is, and whether she’s a loving spectator or a participant. While a noble wish, it’s an ignoble task to try and do right by all and remain true to you and fair to her. A
Marnie Winston-Macauley, www.marniemacauley.com, whose work has garnered her Emmy and Writer's Guild Best Writing nominations, is the author of the acclaimed “Yiddishe Mamas: The Truth About the Jewish Mother” and the award-winning "A Little Joy, A Little Oy” series. Marnie is also a counselor on Liveperson.com and invites you to connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and for counseling.
Sivan • Tamuz 5775 l SDJewishJournal.com 77
2015–2016 SEASON
TOSCA
Giacomo Puccini
February 13, 16, 19, 21, 2016
@ NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE
SUMMER THEATRE CAMP
Alice in Wonderland Jr. darinfong.com
SD OPERA
THE THEATRE SCHOOL
AGES 4 –8 BROADWAY BABIES SUMMER CAMP: FROZEN June 22-26 A ½ day camp that teaches theatre games with rhythm, music and sound! A performance based on the story of "Frozen" will be presented on the final day of camp
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
AGES 5 –14
Giacomo Puccini
SUMMER FUN CAMP: ARISTOCATS KIDS • July 6-17 Students will learn all the skills necessary to prepare for a show including: audition technique, improvisation, singing, dancing, acting and how to develop a character. And it’s all in a fun non-threatening atmosphere!!
April 16, 19, 22, 24, 2016
GREAT SCOTT West Coast Premiere
Music by Jake Heggie Libretto by Terrence McNally
May 7, 10, 13, 15, 2016
SP E CIAL EVENTS The Polly Puterbaugh Emerging Artist Award Recital
RENÉ BARBERA IN CONCERT with Cheryl Cellon Lindquist, pianist September 19, 2015
PATRICIA RACETTE: DIVA ON DETOUR November 14, 2015
FERRUCCIO FURLANETTO IN CONCERT March 5, 2016
Amazing Operas – Affordable Prices 3 operas for as low as $105
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! sdopera.com | (619) 533-7000 Photos: Kingmond Young
78 SDJewishJournal.com l June 2015
SUMMER DRAMA FUN CAMP • July 20-24 & July 27-31 Each week is packed with a full line-up of creative activities taught by theatre professionals; from improvisation and acting to musical theatre and playwriting with a showcase each Friday for parents and friends! Parents may purchase one, two or combine with the “AristoCats Kids” for all four weeks.
AGES 13 –19 IMPROVISATION • July 6-10 Allow your child’s mind to soar freely and their creativity to blossom! Improvisation is the key to unlocking hidden talents. TRIPLE THREAT • July 13-17 This Musical Theatre Intensive will help you put together 16 and 32 bar audition cuts that will showcase not only your voice, but your acting as well. TEEN SCENE STUDY • July 20-24 Take your acting skills to the next level! Using text from Classical, Modern and Contemporary plays, we will teach you how create a more fully realized character that comes alive in performance! AUDITION STRATEGY • July 27–31 A one week intensive that gives students the opportunity to stretch their skills in a fun and exciting professional atmosphere. This workshop will help you put together a monologue that will showcase your acting and teach you how to nail the callback. All classes are 9:30am–3:30pm at North Coast Rep Theatre in Solana Beach. Early drop-off and/or late pick-up available. Discounts available for multiple week or sibling enrollments!
(858) 481-1055 • NorthCoastRep.org/TheatreSchool
Elijah’s Restaurant and Delicatessen has relocated to 7061 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard San Diego, CA 92111 Located in McGrath Shopping Center, near Souplantation and Walmart Purchase any menu item and get another menu item of equal or lesser value free with purchase of 2 beverages*
*not valid with any other offers, promotions or discounts Exp 06/30/2015
858.455.1461
www.ElijahsRestaurant.com
The Musical Theatre Event of the Summer!
KISS ME, KATE Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Sam and Bella Spewack Choreography by Peggy Hickey Directed by Darko Tresnjak Fresh off his Tony Award-winning smash, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Darko Tresnjak returns to the Globe to helm one of the greatest romantic musical comedies of all time! A co-production with Hartford Stage.
July 1 – August 2
The cast of Kiss Me, Kate. Right: Megan Sikora and Tyler Hanes. All photos by T Charles Erickson.
(619) 23-GLOBE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY Karen and Donald Cohn Peter Cooper and Norman Blachford
(234-5623)
| www.TheOldGlobe.org
Pam Farr and Buford Alexander Gloria Rasmussen Kathryn Hattox June Yoder Conrad Prebys and Debra Turner