December 2019

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Kislev / Tevet 5780

December 2019

CONTENTS

page 64 FEATURE: Two Who Survived: San Diego Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler's Story

page 54 ARTS: SDMA Explores Collaborations with Ballet and Orchestra

page 57 ARTS: Poets, Musicians, Chefs and More Star in Eclectic Season at Lamb's 8 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

page 59 ARTS: Embarking on a Journey with San Diego REP

page 66 HANUKKAH: Miracle of Miracles

page 62 ARTS: La Jolla Playhouse's (Immediate) Future is Female MONTHLY COLUMNS

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

12 From the Editor 22 Personal

30 COLUMN: Ask the Therapist 35 ARTS: Dear San Diego 37 ARTS: Grand Opera and Detours to Family-Friend Shows and Intimate Venues 47 ARTS: My Artistic Journey 49 ARTS: "Emotionally Moving and Intellectually Stimulating" 53 HANUKKAH: Nes Gadol Hayam Sham/ A Great Miracle Happened There 61 ARTS: "Kinetic" 69 OP ED: Seeking G-d in a Church 73 HANUKKAH: What to Do with a Wolf at the Door

Development and Judaism 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion AROUND TOWN

18 Our Town 20 The Scene 78 What's Goin On IN EVERY ISSUE

16 What’s Up Online 75 Food 77 Diversions 80 News 82 Advice

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 9

www.sdjewishjournal.com December 2019 • Kislev / Tevet 5780 PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Jacqueline Bull ASSISTANT EDITOR • Alex Wehrung ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan Ableson SENIOR CONSULTANT • Ronnie Weisberg CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Leorah Gavidor, Emily Gould, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Paul Ross (Senior Travel Photographer), Patricia Goldblatt, Pat Launer, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Marnie Macauley, Rabbi Jacob Rupp, Saul Levine, Rachael Eden, Sybil Kaplan.

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A Tonic For the Masses

O

n a whim, I recently attended an improv show. As a die-hard fan of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” I’m surprised it has taken me this long to go to one. I sat in a small dark theater with room for maybe 20 or 30 seats and I watched the evening unfold. There was an element of intimacy in the air that always accompanies live performance. There is an understanding that every person on stage and every person in the audience is in on it. All live performance has this, but improv has further concentrated that feeling because it is created and enjoyed only in the moment that it exists and then never again.

The buzz of energy that accompanies live performance is felt by the audience as well as the performers and you feel this kinship with the people sitting next to you all enveloped in the same experience.

In “Don’t Think Twice,” (a movie about an improv troupe), one of the members of the troupe says, “Watching great improv is like watching a plane being put together while it's already in the sky.”

The giddiness of uncertainty, of “I’m not sure if they’re going to pull this off…” is so palpable. And there is something magical about watching bits take off and then crash.

There is a tacit understanding between the

performers and the audience of what has worked and what hasn’t. And you feel like a part of them. Because you are watching something being put together, word by word, brick by brick, you are following along and your brain is also dancing and reaching for the joke or conclusion.

Improv, especially when it is working and the whole room is on the ride together, exemplifies what is so electric and exciting about arts of all kinds of genres. Improv is also so wholesome in its earnestness and humility. And improv, like live theater, requires a certain groundedness and willingness to risk one’s ego to stand in front of a bunch of people staring back at you.

If you take away all the trappings of fame, money and reputation, all artistic endeavours start from a point of one person wanting to give something to another person. That core of altruism is a tonic for despair and hopelessness. Even more simply, sitting in a theater and smelling the freshly scrubbed people in their colognes and perfumes, hearing the ruffle of their suit jackets on their seats, creates a pleasant warmness.

Personally, I’ve never left a show–even one that I maybe didn’t like all that much–without a little spring in my step.

This issue is full of arts coverage and there still wasn’t room to fit every notable arts or-

ganization around. (We’re quite spoiled for options in San Diego.) We did our best to reach to different communities around the county to feature some familiar favorites and also some lesser-known groups.

There is a growing feeling of innovation and excitement in many of the organizations we’ve featured. They are trying new collaborations, new venues and different kinds of shows. They are reaching to new audiences and new artists, too. This creative momentum has me in wide-eyed anticipation of what they will try next. To the rest of the country, we may just be a beach destination, but for us in the know, we can see we’re sitting on an arts and cultural powerhouse.

I hope this issue inspires you to try a venue you haven’t been to yet, or a kind of show that is outside of your usual faire, or gets you excited for your season tickets, or even just brings you some delight that this vibrancy exists in the city you call home.

Break a leg. A

Jacqueline Bull

From The Editor On The Cover:

Rafael Payare, Music Director of the San Diego Symphony. See page 61 for our coverage on the San Diego Symphony's 2020 season.

12 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

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

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14 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

For emergency medical care, who do Israelis depend on?

They depend on you.

Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s official ambulance, blood-services, and disaster-relief agency, serving the nation’s 9 million people. But like every other Red Cross agency around the world, MDA doesn’t receive regular government support. That’s why it relies on people like you.

Since the 1930s, generous Americans like you have provided the vehicles, training, and equipment that’s kept Israelis healthy and strong.

There are many ways to support Israel, but none that has a greater effect on its people and its future than a gift to Magen David Adom. Your support isn’t just changing lives — it’s literally saving them.

Make an end-of-year donation to Magen David Adom at afmda.org/chanukah today.

And our best wishes for a joyous Chanukah and New Year.

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 15

online @sdjewishjournal.com

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein retires as leader of Chabad of Poway, 7 months after attack The rabbi of Chabad of Poway, who lost his finger in the April 27 attack has retired as the congregation’s leader.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 58, who founded the Chabad of Poway in 1996, retired this November, the synagogue announced. His son, Rabbi Mendel Goldstein, will assume the leadership of the synagogue and its religious school, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We are grateful for Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein’s thirty-plus years of leadership, especially in the aftermath of the terror attack, and he will forever be a part of our community’s story,” the synagogue said in a statement.

“As a community we have suffered a great deal, more than any community should know of,” the statement also said. “We are working hard to heal and get back on our feet, and now, under the leadership of Rabbi Mendel Goldstein, we look forward to continue to grow and create more light and goodness around us.”

Since the attack, the rabbi has given speeches around the world about the attack and its aftermath, while spreading the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s teachings about light and love. His activities have taken him to the White House and the United Nations, and to other countries such as Brazil and Poland. He reportedly declined the chief rabbi of Israel’s invitation to speak in Jerusalem.

In September he received a life-like prosthetic finger and has undergone physical therapy, while also suffering from phantom pains.

The accused gunman in the Poway shooting,

16 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Holocaust Exhibit to Open in Chula Vista Library On January 12, 2020 at 11 a.m., the Chula Vista Heritage Museum will open its firstever Holocaust exhibit. The “RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust” exhibit will feature the stories of Holocaust survivors who came to settle in South Bay, San Diego. The exhibit, named after survivor and activist Ruth Sax, is expected to stay at the museum for up to a year.

The exhibit will have monthly activities such as speakers who will talk about the Holocaust, documentaries, featured books and other activities. If contacted in advance, Sax’s daughter Sandra Scheller will give personal tours of the exhibit to visiting schoolchildren.

Scheller, a Holocaust historian and documentarian, will curate the exhibit. Scheller also published a book of her mother’s memoirs called “Try to Remember–Never Forget.” The exhibit–located within the Chula Vista Public Library–will show Ruth and other survivors’ stories through the display of artifacts and photos.

The opening will include a brunch with Mayor Mary Casillas Salas and several other Holocaust survivors. Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Shoah Foundation, will be the guest speaker. The Chabad of Chula Vista will cater the kosher and all proceeds will be donated South Bay Historical Society.

Ruth Sax (née Goldschmiedova) was deported to Theresienstadt when she was 13 along with her parents. She spent three years there before being deported to Auschwitz alongside her mother. Her father had been sent there earlier and they were told he had been killed. Ruth and her mother survived the camp, several encounters with Josef Mengele, and the Oederan concentration camp.

After they were liberated, Ruth and her mother were returned to Theresienstadt, where they discovered that Ruth’s father had in fact survived. Of the 200 people who returned to their village in Moravia, the Goldschmiedovas were the only surviving family.

Ruth passed away in December 2018. Having a Holocaust museum in South Bay was a longtime dream of hers.

John Earnest, 20, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder.

The murder charge has been classified as a hate crime, making Earnest eligible for the death penalty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicted for corruption Benjamin Netanyahu has been charged in three corruption cases, marking the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been indicted.

The charges by the Justice Ministry and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, include bribery and breach of public trust.

He has 30 days to request that the Knesset grant him parliamentary immunity in order to avoid a criminal trial. Government ministers are required to resign if faced with a criminal charge, but not the prime minister.

The most serious charge is for bribery in what is known as Case 4000, which alleges that Shaul Elovitch, majority shareholder of Bezeq, received political favors for the Israeli telecommunications giant in return for favorable coverage of Netanyahu on the Walla! news website owned by the company. Conviction on the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Netanyahu was indicted for breach of public trust in two separate cases.

In Case 2000, the prime minister allegedly advanced a law that would have hurt the free daily newspaper Israel Hayom, funded by the U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, in exchange for positive coverage from the popular general circulation Yediot Acharonot.

Read the full article on our website sdjewishjournal.com

Gantz says he cannot form a government, paving way for possible third election Blue and White party head Benny Gantz told Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that he is unable to form a government.

Gantz made the announcement on Nov. 20, about four hours before his mandate to form a government was scheduled to expire at midnight.

Israeli lawmakers now have until Dec. 11 to identify another lawmaker to try and form a government. The signatures of 61 lawmakers are required to charge another person with the opportunity.

Failing that, Israel will go to its third elections in less than a year, which would be scheduled for the first half of March.

It’s MORE than just a magazine.

IT’S A LIFESTYLE CALL Mark Edelstein 858.638.9818

marke@sdjewishjournal.com • www.sdjewishjournal.com

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 17

our TOWN

BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL

The Jewish Family Service “Friends of The Family” event was held at the beautiful home of Karin & Tony Toranto. With over 140 guests in attendance, some of those we spotted in the crowd were Becky & Jerry Gumpel, Linda Stanton & BJ Adelson, Erin Combs Pearl & Howard Pearl, Karen Kobernick & Daniel Soto, Barry Levine, Bob & Marcia Malkus, Paul & Suzanne Schulman, Loretta Adams, Susan Weinshanker, Fern Cohen and Board President Adam Welland.

On Oct. 27, Stand With Us San Diego held its 8th Annual “Leaders of Tomorrow” Gala Dinner.

Held at the Marriott Marquis Marina, the theme of the evening was “Standing Together Against Anti-Semitism.” Co-chairs Yamia Benhaim, Jaime Feder and Natalie Josephson put together a lovely event which was sponsored by Jenny & Julian Josephson. Some of those in attendance were Rabbi Yael Ridberg, Charles Wax, Charles & Amy Spielman, Laura Spielman & Chris Morris, Poway Mayor, Steve Vaus, Sara & Mark Miller, Marajeh & Stephen Breskin, Joy Wasserman, Jeremy & Tonia Cohn, Ray & Rhona Fink, Kate & John Kassar, Eric & Angie Spielman, Rick & Nanci Vann, Herb Weiss and Councilmember Barbara Bry. The evening, dedicated in memory of Lori Gilbert Kaye, was attended by over 450 people of which a sizeable number were young adults in our community.

StandWithUs San Diego gala co-chairs Jaime Feder, Natalie Josephson and Yamia Benhaim.

Talk about a truly inspirational event, the FIDF SD Chapter’s 9th Annual San Diego Gala, “A Night of Heroes” surely fit the bill! With a contingent of Israeli officers sharing their military experiences, the crowd was totally enthralled. Held on Nov. 11 at the Hilton Bayfront, this year’s honorees were Sydney & Denise Selati. With over 750 people immersed in the evening’s program, some of those we ran into were Tom & Alina Levy, Yehudei & Sharona Bock, Renie Lynch (9 yrs), Bebe Neustadt (10 yrs), Ethan Swidler (15 yrs), Joshua Cox (15 yrs), Limor Spilky, Neil & Shoshana Gross, Judi & Ben Sofer, Stan Stein, Marty & Ruth Gilboa, Shelley Goren, Ellen & Anthony Saks, Lola S. Cohen, Sharon & Richard Gabriel, Alan & Stacey Katz, and Carla & Geoffrey Berg.

Yom Huledets Sameach to…

-Marty Freedman on his 89th birthday.

-Ruth Weiss on her 80th birthday.

-Fanny Krasner Lebovits on her 97th birthday.

Mazel Tov to…

-Christina & Rick Fink, on the birth of their granddaughter, Nora Lynn Fink, daughter of Peter & Tori Fink of Solana Beach.

18 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

L to R: StandWithUs San Diego gala sponsors Julian and Jenny Josephson, keynote speaker Larry Elder, Holocaust survivor Fanny Krasner-Lebovitz, SWU co-founder and CEO Roz Rothstein.

-Jeff & Vonnie Bloom, happily announce the engagement of their daughter Amanda, to Chris Larson. The couple were engaged in Italy. A fall wedding is planned.A

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 19

M Fi M Te w CA

Lu CE ls

the SCENE

STORY BY BY ALEX WEHRUNG. PHOTOS BY LAUREN RADACK AND 123EVENTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Rita Steel, Chuck Steel, Lauren Steel and Rick Scatena and City Ballet Dancers.

San Diego City Ballet Gala

The San Diego City Ballet’s “Speakeasy Soirée Gala”, as the name suggests, went all-out with its Roaring Twenties theme with dancers wearing gold and silver flapper dresses and bright feather boas. Some of the event’s 250-something guests even dressed likewise in the fashion of the bombastic Jazz Age. The City Ballet dancers descended the ballroom stairs of the Hotel Del Coronado in a foxtrot/ballet to the tune of “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.” Master Chef Patrick Ponsaty served a course of gourmet dishes, and ballet dancers took to the stage to perform the Charleston before Resident Choreographer Geoff Gonzalez introduced the 2019-2020 season.

Honorary Chairs Barbie and Dan Spinazzola were honored for their years of support for the City Ballet with the announcement that a production of “Beauty and the Beast” will be performed in their honor at Noah Homes.

The event raised over $250k which will ensure that the City Ballet will continue to be able to present more performances as well as provide education and outreach programs to children. The rest of the evening passed on by with attendees dancing to the music of cover band The Mighty Untouchables. A

20 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Seated: Mario Scipione Board President, Barbie Spinazzola Honorary Chair, Standing: Steven and Betsey Wistrich City Ballet Directors, Dan Spinazzola Honorary Chair, Phyllis and John Parrish.

MAXIMIZE YOUR CHARITABLE IMPACT WITH A

Jewish National Fund Donor Advised Fund

By Cynthia Hizami, Esq., JNF’s Director of Planned Giving for the West Coast

The stock market has been great the last several years, reaching near historic levels. If you are an investor in common stocks, it may be a good time to think about your options as the end of the calendar year approaches. If you are looking to lock in your stock market gains, avoid taxes, and make a difference, a Jewish National Fund Donor Advised Fund (DAF) might be right for you.

A Jewish National Fund Donor Advised Fund is a smart way to manage your philanthropy. It is a personal giving fund through which you can make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and conveniently direct grants to Jewish National Fund and other charities over time. A DAF allows you to pass on your philanthropic values in a tax efficient manner. You also choose how to invest your fund, which will grow tax-free, among six investment pools that are selected and professionally managed.

For a minimum of $10,000—cash, appreciated assets, or both—a DAF allows your money to appreciate and you can recommend grants as frequently as you like to your favorite charities. You and your family can add assets to your DAF over time, and you can choose a successor grantor, such as children or other loved ones. JNF does everything for a very small administrative fee. A portion of each fund must be earmarked for JNF’s work—ensuring your legacy in the land of Israel.

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 21

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDAISM

THIS WAY TO EDEN

by Rachel Eden rachel.s.eden@gmail.com

Creating Culture

S

haka Senghor was convicted of second degree murder and served 19 years in various Michigan prisons, including seven years in solitary confinement before his release in 2010. Senghor still remembers his initial arrival in prison when he saw one man stab another to death before going to eat lunch. He quickly surmised how prisoners established their hierarchy. According to venture capitalist and businessman Ben Horowitz, Senghor’s first encounter with a prison modus operandi resembles an employee’s first day on the job, learning company culture by osmosis.

Horowitz recently published his second book “What You Do Is Who You Are,” examining how leaders create a corporation’s culture. He asserts that culture is not built around perks like trendy snacks in the break room or rhetoric in a mission statement about values. Horowitz defines culture as how decisions are made when the leader isn’t around and pulls from lessons of Genghis Khan’s influence of Japanese samurai culture and Haitian slave revolt leader, Toussaint Louverture.

Horowitz uses Shaka Senghor’s story to illustrate how culture is moved. He says, “You know when you join a company? You go in on your first day and ask yourself: Who’s successful here and what are they doing?

That sets the culture more than anything you can say, or think what your culture is.”

Horowitz maintains that culture is less about what you say and more about what you do.

Like corporate management, gang leaders, and heads of radical movements, each of us impacts the culture of our families, social groups, communities, and places of work.

We unwittingly create the culture around us and that culture is reflective of our ac22 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

He asserts that culture is not built around perks like trendy snacks in the break room or rhetoric in a mission statement about values.

Horowitz defines culture as how decisions are made when the leader isn’t around. tions and who we are. The Torah portion, Vayeitzei, is read in synagogues on the first Shabbat of this month. In it, Jacob, the patriarch who personifies truth, encounters his uncle, Laban, for the first time. Laban is a man of deceit and eleventh-century scholarly commentator, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, says that Jacob was forced to use the character trait of trickery in order to deal effectively with Laban (Genesis 29:12). Laban, therefore, found himself surrounded by deception internally and externally. He not only emulated dishonesty, he attracted it.

There are two ways to view our culture.

The first is inside-out: We shape culture with our actions and who we are. If we modify our own behaviors, our culture, in turn, will change. The second is outside-in: Culture informs us of who we are and how we conduct ourselves. To fully empower ourselves, we should utilize both perspectives as a two-step process. First, by observing culture and making ourselves accountable as its shaper. Second, by analyzing this new-

found self-awareness to better ourselves.

Human nature dictates that we don’t want to take responsibility. From Adam and Eve (Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake for eating the forbidden fruit) to current day (see your latest social media war).

The fastest path to misery is viewing our lives as victims of circumstance and our enemies or challenges as our rulers. If we’re lonely or bored, there are multiple ways to connect with the less fortunate. If we feel our families are unhappy, we can work on our own internal feelings of satisfaction and gratitude.

If our workplace is devoid of meaning, we can apply for other jobs, attach ourselves to important hobbies after hours, or focus on an area for potential fulfillment in our business.

I have yet to encounter a person who doesn’t view him/herself as a victim at times. However, this is a choice. We are the CEOs of our lives. The interactions and moments and thoughts that make up our day are as relevant as we make them.

If you google Shaka Senghor, you will not readily find his criminal record. Rather, you’ll see that Senghor is director’s fellow at the MIT Media Lab. He’s a college lecturer and author. Oprah Winfrey wrote in O Magazine following her interview with Senghor, “Our conversation [for Super Soul Sunday] was one of the best I’ve ever had–not just in my career, but in my life.” Senghor went from an angry drug dealer who killed a man to a thought leader and influencer. He woke up to the reality that he was in charge of his own culture and we too have that power.

We create culture everyday and now we can do so knowingly, taking responsibility for our lives and the atmosphere around us. A

May Love and Light fill your heart and home this holiday season.

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov andreasimantov@gmail.com

Deja New

O

pen, open up the Gates of Heaven, “Let me, let me in to serve

HaShem!

“Open up the Gates of Heaven, “Let me in to serve HaShem!”

Circa 1958 or 1959, I sported bandaged knees and Mary-Jane shoes as I marched alongside other children, discordantly sing-songing/sing-shouting the above refrain in Hebrew nursery school. Bewigged teachers banged out the rhythm on tambourines and triangles as their young charges bounced about the colorful room wearing Macabean shields or raiment of slaves, respective of holiday. The ‘Gates of Heaven’ or, Shaarei Shemayim, were available to all of us if only we’d keep our eyes on the incomparable prize of service to the Holy One, Blessed be He. Heavy stuff for toddlers, but it had a good beat.

I had the remarkable experience of recently walking through the ‘Gates of Righteousness,’ better known as Shaarei Tzedek Hospital. That childhood song wouldn’t leave my head as I crossed over four lanes of traffic and darted between idling ambulances and queued taxis to enter the newest pavillion in the ever-expanding medical center. Security was tight and once I passed the metal gates, I stood at the elevators alongside fellow Israelis who stoically waited to ascend upwards to floors which might determine outcomes, uncomfortable or reassuring conversations with physicians, confront hard or no decisions, result in sadness or relief.

24 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

In the elevator, I pressed the Floor 10 and a Hassidic woman standing in the corner whispered to me, “Mazel Tov. Me too.” What were these tears in my eyes that accompanied an unfamiliar sense of camaraderie! Two grandmas from different worlds were sharing the humble gift of continuity. Of belief in His bounty. Of legacy and love. We were so different. We were the same.

My eldest daughter lay in her bed dozing and, if I must say so, looked worse for wear.

I suppose this is what an eighth delivery that included an emergency C-section must look like and, consequently, I controlled the urge to suggest a little lip gloss and more attractive hostess robe. Instead I raced to the sink, washed and sanitized my hands and scooped up the delicious infant boy in the bassinet.

Anyone who has ever inhaled the scent of freshly born baby has experienced the fragrance of Eden. Sweet and subtle, Eau de Womb suggests the emergence from a place far beyond our ken. A baby’s breath is shallow and fast, his skin translucent and silken and every lash, nail and bodily crease whispers one word: miracle. The wee, web-thin veins that patterned his closed eye-lids lured me into a near-hypnotic state.

Based on this complete surrender to awe, one might think I’d never held a newborn before. In fact, this was my sixteenth grandchild, delivered in the same hospital as his big

brother had been, sixteen years before him.

Indeed, Big Brother arrived on a Shabbat– after sunset–and because I could not know if the baby was male or female, had the requisite ten fingers and toes, and how daughter had weathered the experience, I did what any observant Jewish mother would do in identical circumstances. I awoke, ate some challah, laced up the walking shoes and literally flew six miles to an older and grimier Shaarei Tzedek. I’ve said it before about other days and will probably, over time, say it about others: It was the happiest day of my life.

I mean it every time.

The bris (circumcision) for my newest grandson took place this morning, his eighth day. From this day forward, his membership in the Covenant of Abraham is sealed as per the Commandments. Another generation emerges, despite the insurmountable odds that continually wrestle with. As I proudly stood with the women–deliberately away from the field of action–and accepted warm hugs and sincere wishes of ‘mazel tov,’ I couldn’t help but remember my Hassidic sister in the elevator who might also be standing in a room this morning, crowded with Jews and bagels.A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 25

EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

by Saul Levine, M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at UCSD slevine@ucsd.edu

Giving Thanks Isn’t Always Easy: A Reflection

G

iven my Jewish background, I was familiar with family Oneg Shabbat Dinners, Pesach Seders, latka fests during Hannukah, Break-the-Fasts after Yom Kippur, and other social (and food-related!) events related to our religious heritage.

But it wasn’t until I immigrated to the United States some 25 years ago that I was introduced to the more secular holiday dinner associated with the American tradition of Thanksgiving. I found the symbolism and the reality of Thanksgiving especially meaningful.

This country has been a beacon of inspiration, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, where Emma Lazarus’s uplifting words of welcome are permanently etched (“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free…”). To millions of immigrants, America was/is their haven of security and opportunity, and Thanksgiving gave voice to their gratitude for her warm welcome.

But alas, we notice some ominous changes…

The vaunted American spirits of welcome and kindness are often supplanted by their opposites. Displays of rudeness and selfishness are commonplace. Incivility and nastiness abound in the highest echelons, setting a grim tone for the nation. The welcoming message of Emma Lazarus is discounted by those who espouse xenophobia and racism.

In addition, the word “gratitude,” the foundation of Thanksgiving, has become a facile remedy for complicated woes: When upset by life’s challenges, we are advised to feel grateful to G-d or other spiritual power, or concentrate on the positives in our families and friends, health and achievements.

But it is difficult to be grateful when one is burdened by stressors like illness in loved ones, lack of money, unemployment or severe emotional distress, all of which exact psycho-

26 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

But it is difficult to be grateful when one is burdened by stressors like illness in loved ones, lack of money, unemployment or severe emotional distress, all of which exact psychological and physical tolls. logical and physical tolls. Even the nightly news is unsettling: natural disasters and pandemics due to global warming; human suffering due to poverty and violence; gulfs between rich and poor; distrust in leaders and laws. In my psychotherapy practice, I am struck how often our current rancorous and roiling politics disturbs clients.

Given personal and public challenges, what possibly could we be grateful for on Thanksgiving?

Nature offers vistas of grandeur, mountains, waterways, deserts, and gardens.

Space Exploration provides exciting celestial orbs and shapes, colors, light and dark matter, provoking questions about our origins, our infinitesimal size and infinite universes.

Our Ability to Love provides that rarefied sense of affection and intimate communication with romantic partners, family members, friends and colleagues.

Sexuality/Reproduction enable the joys of intercourse and infants, helping children grow

and mature, rewards of parenting, familial atmospheres and the perpetuation of our species.

Artistic Creativity in music, painting and sculpture, poetry and prose, cinema, dance and theater entertain and enhance, give meaning to culture and existence.

Intellectual Ferment has produced treatises on human philosophy, spirituality, political systems, psychological theories and historical revelations.

Physical Sciences have provided clean water, healthy food, shelter and clothing.

Social Sciences have revealed understanding of some complex individual, group and interpersonal behaviors.

Biological Sciences and Medicine revealed the complexities and beauty of the human body, brains and organ systems, eradicating some diseases and mitigating many others.

Engineering and Architecture have translated imagination into inspirational buildings, bridges, homes and parks, enhancing urban environments and providing moving art.

Technological advances (internet, iPhones, 5G, AI) have enhanced communication and participation beyond any predictions and raised existential questions about our future.

Spirituality and Religion are given credence by astrophysicists, and discussions of human “souls” pervade scientific discourse.

Human Benevolence, acts of generosity, respect, caring, empathy, tolerance and cooperation, inspire and give us hope.

And many other uplifting aspects of humanity.

Our species clearly has deficiencies and disparities, we do have serious challenges ahead.

But we can sink into despair if we overlook our achievements, like remarkably increased standards of living, reduced epidemics, fewer infant deaths, greater life expectancies, fewer

athletes & & artists artists athletes host families families host wars, better education for greater numbers of students, equal rights for women. Yes, you are right: so much more to do, and we can.

Just as pleasure and love are integral parts of life, so are pain and loss: Both are part of the richness of our lives. We’ve all had more than our ‘fair share’ of suffering, but we have also seen the ends of sad events, when we have once again been able to breathe, enjoy ourselves and each other. We must remember that time and nurturance foster healing and resilience.

On this Thanksgiving we: Expressed gratitude for our loving bonds with others, and appreciation for most aspects of our lives; Shared particular challenges we were facing (if we wished); Criticized the state of the world, with both seriousness and sardonic humor; Expressed hope that difficulties we faced would be mitigated; Discussed what we might do to help in that quest; Committed to communing together, coping together in hard times, and celebrating together in good times; We indeed gave thanks… A

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 27

RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacob Rupp rabbirupp@gmail.com

A How-to Guide to Creating Self-Awareness

K

nowing yourself is all the rage. And despite being a great marketing opportunity for gyms, therapists, yoga studios, and meditation practices, there’s also some real value for you, the reader, and me to know ourselves a little better.

Self-awareness means that a person understands how and why she acts the way she does. It is acknowledging that a disconnect exists between awareness and our thinking, feeling, and acting. Self-awareness means we can sit back and look at ourselves and not be caught up entirely in our experience. In a way, it’s like working on the business (of us) instead of in the business.

Cultivating self-awareness means learning to look objectively at yourself and recognizing that despite your perspective appearing real to you, it is entirely made up based on a variety of factors. Any time you assign a value to something, it is subjective. For example, if I see myself as a failure, I am making a relative statement.

I am a failure compared to (insert whatever thing is successful in my mind here).

Now, who says I should be something that I am not, or who created this comparison in the first place? It is always us who create the comparison. Once we can learn that we create our inner narrative, we become powerful to change it.

This can be taken much further. A person can begin to recognize that everything (or at least most things) in their lives are reactions and constructions they have made either consciously or unconsciously. And as such they can understand what they need and what conditions make them perform at optimal levels. When a person begins to

28 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

see themselves in this fashion, they begin to break the emotional chains that surround their worldview that makes change difficult.

I like to say it this way: We get frustrated because we put ourselves in the box. Frustration is normal when you are stuck. But when you realize you put yourself in a box, or that the frustration you are feeling is an indication of being in a box, instead of focusing on the frustration, or numbing the frustration, you start to say, “How do I get out of the box?”

There are three basic rungs up the ladder to self-awareness. The first is the basic appreciation that your worldview and experience of things are not the absolute truth. This is a very important fundamental step in learning how to live in a social world. It is a logical extension that your perspective is just that, one perspective, and with that you can start to appreciate that others also have a perspective that may be different from your own.

Once you become aware that you have a unique perspective, you can begin to appreciate what is behind that perspective.

What personality traits and unique experiences do you have in your life that lead you to this perspective? For example, if you never feel good enough about yourself, you can start to look into your life and ask, “Why do I never feel good enough?”

Maybe you were the youngest sibling, or your parents didn’t give you enough love, or whatever it might be that makes you think you'll never be good enough.

It might be shocking to realize that some people, even most people, don’t walk around thinking, “I’m not good enough.”

The second rung up the ladder of self-awareness is practical: What do you do

about the fact that you think a certain way?

Once you begin to understand why you think the way you do, you can start to figure out how to set yourself up for success. If you are a person who heavily relies on their environment, then creating an environment that supports you is vital. If you never feel good enough no matter what you do, you need to surround yourself with messaging that promotes the idea that you are good enough and valuable no matter what you do or achieve.

The final rung up the ladder is recognizing that all (or most) of the things that create your perspective are conscious or unconscious things in your life that you deploy in your mind, and as such are your own creations. I might tell myself I am not organized or not good at numbers. That belief came from somewhere, but really it becomes a crutch not to get organized or develop good habits around numbers. If I really care about becoming organized, I can change that viewpoint to, “I am good at numbers,” or “How can I get betterwith numbers?” Once you start to see even your weaknesses as subjective, a person can really take on the reigns of their own life.

To summarize, there are three rungs. The first is recognizing your perspective is just one in an infinite way of perceiving. The second is learning how to set yourself up for success based on understanding how your internal world works. The third is recognizing that your inner world was created and is subject to change should it serve you.

The rest, they say is commentary–so get to work. A

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 29

THERAPY

ASK THE THERAPIST

By Rafael James, Licensed Clinical Social Worker rafaeljames@thepowerofpeace.com

The opinions and views expressed in this column are not intended to treat or diagnose nor are they meant to replace the treatment and care that you may be receiving from a licensed professional, physician or mental health professional. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional, psychological or medical help, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist.

Dear Rafi: I saw your article on Alcoholism in the Jewish Community in a recent issue of the magazine. I have always been a “social drinker,” but lately I have been drinking more. Your article struck a chord with me. How do I know whether I have an alcohol problem or I'm just worrying about nothing?

-Wanting to Know Dear Wanting To Know: Everyone is different regarding whether alcohol is a problem. Hereditary and environmental factors are certainly a consideration.

For example, if alcoholism was a problem for a parent, their adult children should be more careful about consumption and watch for similar patterns. Additionally if your current environment has changed, such as loss of job or pending divorce, alcohol can become a coping strategy or means of escape. Many people deny alcohol dependence but one clear indicator of a problem is when a person’s ability to successfully complete tasks of daily living is compromised such as paying bills on time or arriving to appointments in a timely manner. Also if you’re seeing problems in relationships, it could be time to take action. I would recommend that you access an outpatient substance abuse evaluation at an accredited program as a first step to determining whether alcohol has become a problem for you. I commend you for taking action.

Good Luck, Rafi

30 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Dear Rafi: Lately I’m having lots of anger & frustration and less patience with my family. I’m not enjoying activities that used to give me pleasure.

How do I know whether I’m depressed or just feeling stressed out with life?

-Confused Dear Confused: Depression is a major cause of disability in the US among people ages 15-44. The good news is that 80% of people treated for depression show improvements within 4-6 weeks of starting treatment. Traditionally the word “depression” has been perceived as simply sadness. It’s actually much more and includes feelings of anger, frustration, guilt, hopelessness, helplessness, poor appetite, suicidal thinking, irritability, etc. In your case I would recommend accessing the help of a mental health professional. Many times just being able to talk to someone about how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing can be very helpful. And in many cases where depression is diagnosed, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication can be the best solution. Hope you feel better soon.

Rafi Dear Rafi: Over the past few months I find myself doing strange things like counting steps as I walk, avoiding cracks in the sidewalk and washing my hands more than usual. When I was younger I had this problem and it went away.

I’m nervous that it’s coming back again. How do I stop it before it gets out of control?

-Trying To Stop Dear Trying To Stop: It sounds like you could be dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is an anxiety disorder that impacts millions of people in the US. It is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. I would suggest you consider finding a practitioner that does cognitive behavioral therapy which is an evidence-based therapy used in treat-

ing OCD. In my practice I utilize exposure response prevention techniques and it has proven effective in helping clients reduce OCD symptoms. More complicated cases often require medication in combination with therapy. It’s very helpful that you’re aware that it’s happening and trying to stop it before it gets out of control. Please realize that many people suffer from this condition and there is relief on the horizon.

Best, Rafi Dear Rafi: I am having lots of mood swings lately. I go from feeling high to feeling low. Additionally I’m not sleeping well. I have been doing some research online and it sounds like I could be a manic-depressive. What should I do?

-Worried Dear Worried: It sounds like you’re concerned about bipolar disorder which is a psychiatric condition that affects 60 million people worldwide. It features mood swings and a combination of manic and depressive episodes. Manic episodes can include racing thoughts, pressured speech, lack of desire for sleep and compulsive behaviors such as out of control spending. Depressive episodes can feature sadness, insomnia, lack of interest in activities, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, guilt and suicidal thinking. There are a few types of bipolar disorder with their own sets of symptoms. My recommendation is that you get an assessment and definitive diagnosis from a trained professional. Bipolar disorder, like most mental health conditions, can be managed with the right treatment. Wishing you success in finding the right answers.

Rafi To submit questions for next issue of “Ask Rafi” email him at rafaeljames@thepowerofpeace. com. All personal information is kept strictly confidential. A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 31

Something New, Something Classic, Something Familiar, Something Challenging Old Globe Looks to 2020

BY JACQUELINE BULL August Wilson’s “Jitney.”

W

hen I spoke on the phone with Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, there were two shows in the rehearsal room, two in performance and he had just finished a meeting discussing possible upcoming shows through October 2021.

“Almost Famous” had closed the week prior and he was waiting on news from Broadway.

“I’m like Ebeneezer Scrooge, actually. I’ve got the ghost of theater past, present and future in my mind, so that’s what’s going on at the moment,” he said.

We turned our focus to the shows coming in the new year.

The director of the production, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, is an old friend of Barry’s and directed a production of this play on Broadway which won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. (“It’s just spectacularly good.”) Ruben Santiago-Hudson and a few other producers in New York put together a tour going to five theaters, the Globe being one of them. Barry remarked that this was not unlike how Wilson’s plays originally premiered in the 1980s.

The show has the same direction, lights, sets, costumes and about half of the original cast of the original.

“It’s absolutely the show that won the Tony,” Barry said.

August Wilson’s “Jitney” Jan. 18-Feb. 23

“Hurricane Diane” Feb. 8-Mar. 8

“What Wilson was doing at the time is that he had relationships with a couple of theaters in the country: the Yale Repertory Theater, where he had done a lot of work, a theater in Seattle, which was his hometown and the Globe. Typically his plays would do a rolling world premiere at these three theaters before their Broadway debut. So yeah we have a long history with Wilson going way back–may he rest in peace. I mean, by my understanding, he really considered the Globe one of his artistic homes, so it felt very special to be able to have ‘Jitney’ here,” Barry said.

“One of the jobs of the regional theater movement, I think, is to bring to cities around the country, the best and most interesting and most dynamic writing that is showing up in New York and the sort of huge theater capitals around the country. So we’re in conversation with colleagues in New York and Chicago.

[We're] always sort of wondering how we can bring these plays to our audience, so that our audience can get a sense of what is happening at the highest level without having to jump on a plane and fly to New York. And so the Globe has for years now had the distinction

32 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Playwright Kate Hamill “Little Women.”

of getting to do the regional theater premiere of plays–that is to say the first production outside of New York of these plays that have premiered there to acclaim,” Barry said.

This is the case with “Hurricane Diane.”

“Hurricane Diane” which Barry Edelstein called “a really wonderful, funny, witty kind of uproarious piece,” is a comedy about the chaos that happens in the lives of four surburban women in New Jersey when the ancient greek god Dionysus comes to the world disguised as a gardener. (Rightly so, Barry commented that something quite this unique is difficult to encapsulate in a sentence or two.)

“When I read this one, I thought, ‘Wow this would be really really great’ and I think it will be fun for our audience. It will be a kind of flavor or tone that we haven’t had in our theater in a little while and always great to have a comedy,” he said.

“Little Women” Mar. 14-Apr. 19 “Kate Hamill is a writer I admire a lot. She’s got something of a stock and trade of doing stage adaptions of big famous books. She’s done most of the Jane Austen’s and a bunch of other big novels. That’s kind of what she does is she figures out a way to take these big canonical classic books and bring them to life on stage and she’s done so in a very very clever way,” Barry said.

theARTSissue Playwright Selina Fillinger "Faceless."

The novel “Little Women” is told episodically about a family of sisters during the time their father is away fighting in the Civil War. Barry explained that Kate Hamill has edited down these episodes, curated them and created a coherent story that is about two hours long and “gives you everything that you love about that great story, but also brings a kind of contemporary view point to it without violating the spirit of it in any way.”

“If Louisa May Alcott was writing the book now, she’d be using the language of gender identity to talk about what Jo is, who Jo thinks she is, why she dresses in boyish kind of ways and that’s what Kate has done very very gently. We can sort of think about these things in this story thanks to a contemporary point of view that gives us a deeper understanding of what is going on in this classic text.

“It reminds me a lot of the thinking that you do when you’re working on a Shakespeare play or Chekhov play. It comes from a different time and we have the benefit of our perspective that can illuminate in a certain way while still loving everything that is in the period of it,” he added.

“Faceless” Mar. 28-Apr. 26 “Faceless” came out of the Globe’s own Powers New Voices Festival this year. The play is

a courtroom drama written by up-and-comer Selina Fillinger.

“People absolutely loved it. It’s such a terrific story … It’s a guaranteed exciting night when there is a good courtroom drama. And it really works; it moves super fast, and it is full of twists and turns, and full of dramatic excitement and fireworks. It is one of the plays that you sort of go, ‘Wow, that was a great night in the theater.’ I’m very excited about it. And the courtroom case, the subject of the play if you will, is very contemporary.

It’s about social media and its affect on young people, it’s about terrorism, it’s about violence in the Middle East and how it has affected life in the United States, so the concerns of the story are very topical and very contemporary, but the form is like sort of a fantastic episode of ‘Perry Mason,’” he said.

This is the first time the play will be premiered in a major theater institution.

“It is the job of a great theater like the Globe to nurture talent, you know, that’s why we have an actor training program, that’s why we commission new plays, that’s why we do playwriting workshops in the community.

Part of our job is to think about the future of the field and identifying talent and giving it opportunities to grow is a big part of what we do.”

There are a lot of forces at work that draw

playwrights to other areas like Hollywood or television. Barry says that it is the theater’s obligation to keep writers at work, to keep them writing plays. And to do that, the only way is to produce their work.

“Selena is a huge talent. She is going to go very very far … It is so exciting to think, ‘Oh gosh what is she going to be doing 20 years from now?’ The sky is the limit.”

The Recipe For the Season “We try to mix things up, you know? We don’t want everything to all be one tone. We want to have some comedy, some drama, we want to have something new, we want to have something classic, we want to have something that the audience will find familiar and then something that challenges and stretches the audience a little bit. That’s what I like about the lineup we’ve put together this year: a lot of variety in it.”

With an audience the wsize of the Globe’s (last year they sold nearly a quarter of a million tickets), providing different flavors and textures is paramount.

“You know any kind of niche programming doesn’t provide the kind of range to keep an audience that big and that varied satisfied. We do work very very hard at trying to achieve variety,” he said.A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 33

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Record-Breaking Broadway Show “Dear Evan Hansen” Comes to Civic Theatre

theARTSissue

Dear San Diego

BY LEORAH GAVIDOR

T

here’s a moment at the end when you see the sky.” But knowing that won’t spoil the show, says “Dear Evan Hansen” dance captain Kelsey Venter. Born and raised in San Diego, Venter joined the production’s tour company in August 2019 as it prepared to debut in her hometown. It’s a big deal for San Diego, and it was a big deal on Broadway. The show’s paraphernalia is already part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian and Katy Perry covered one of the tunes, “Waving Through the Window.”

The musical broke box office records at the Music Box Theatre in New York and won six Tony awards, along with a Grammy.

With a current international production in London’s West End and one in Toronto that concluded recently, San Diego joins the lucky cities selected for the national tour. Kelsey Venter, also an understudy, is excited to show her fellow cast members around her city. She attended San Diego State and performed on local stages for ten years before moving to New York. This will be her first show at the San Diego Civic Theatre, where “Dear Evan Hansen” premieres on New Year’s Eve. The show’s set from Broadway is on the road too, traveling with a crew that dismantles it, transports it, and puts it back together in just one day, “like a dance.” Heavy tech used in surprising ways helps tell the story of a teen with social anxiety whose attempts at self-help further complicate his life. Evan Hansen’s therapist prescribes him to write a letter to himself each day and his first one sends the story spiraling.

“It’s about this boy caught up in a lie,” said Venter. “It’s about everyone’s desire to connect and how far we’ll go to fit in.”

Facilitated by social media, of course, which is an integral part of the plot, the production designer David Korins (who designed “Beetlejuice” and “Hamilton”) gave a TED talk about the use of technology in bringing screen time to the stage to accentuate the way it looms in–and lights up–our lives.

“It’s about connection, in a world where we’re more connected than ever through technology, but also more isolated than ever,” said Venter. “It’s about relationships, how parents and children relate to each other. It’s for all ages.”

Kelsey Venter and many theatre critics agree that the overall message of “Dear Evan Hansen” is uplifting and hopeful.

“Hug your mom. Bring tissues!” Kelsey advises.

Before Venter was cast as an understudy for the national tour, she hadn’t seen “Dear Evan Hansen” live on stage.

“The first time I saw it was a shaky bootleg on YouTube. It was, like, 2 p.m. on a Saturday, and there I was, gazing at this tiny computer screen at my kitchen counter, in California, weeping.” After she secured a spot in the tour company, she and another cast member went together to see it on Broadway during their first week of rehearsals for their own production.

“We’re a little traveling troupe,” Kelsey said of the cast. “It’s such a supportive, positive

and loving group. It’s not always like that.”

“Dear Evan Hansen” is still a young show in theatre years with its world premiere in 2015. In its four years it has won Best Musical, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical–to name a few. Songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who won an Academy Award for Best Song in “La La Land,” wrote the stage version based on a book by Steven Levenson.

The story was inspired by the death of one of Pasek’s classmates when he was in high school. Pasek and Paul’s work on “Dear Evan Hansen” won a Tony for Best Original Score.

San Diego audiences will get a chance to witness the cultural phenomenon on the local stage thanks to the Nederlander Organization, parent company of Broadway San Diego. But it wouldn’t be possible without the support of San Diego audiences that have shown their enthusiasm for this type of entertainment.

“It is because of the growing arts community locally, great partnerships, and the support of our season ticket holders, that we are able to continue to bring the best of Broadway straight to San Diego and sooner than ever before. It is a true testament to the strength of our audiences,” said Mark-Anthony Beltran, public relations associate with Broadway San Diego.

Beltran says Broadway San Diego has a few surprises in the works for December and the New Year’s Eve opening of Dear Evan Hansen. “You’ll have to wait and see.” A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 35

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theARTSissue

Grand Opera and Detours to Family-Friend Shows and Intimate Venues

BY EMILY GOULD

"Hansel and Gretel."

I

n conjunction with the National Opera America Center and many local organizations, the San Diego Opera brings culture and musical education to the community. While historically thought of as a form of entertainment that belongs exclusively to the upper class and aristocrats, the opera is now more accessible than ever, and the performances in San Diego will delight the senses of any and all music lovers.

The San Diego Opera’s General Director, David Bennett, is the Opera’s CEO; he oversees all the productions and is in charge of casting and hiring directors for the shows.

Bennett has been with the Opera for five years, and does not take his job lightly. He delivers his responsibilities with great care and integrity to his singers and directors

to put on the best show possible. Because of the effort that he pours into his productions, the CEO is deservedly excited by the upcoming season of the Opera (which has just closed its first show “Aida”).

The Opera has two seasons: Main Stage and Detour. The Main Stage opera season features traditional operas which are performed in the San Diego Civic Theatre, while the Detour series’ performances are held in more intimate settings off the main stage and throughout the county.

Starting in the spring for the main stage series, the Opera will perform “Hansel and Gretel” (in English) at the Civic Theatre.

Based on the beloved fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the show is about two young siblings who spend the night in the woods and

encounter an evil witch who lives in a gingerbread house. The production will be family-friendly and employs large scale puppetry to tell the story of the unfortunate children.

From Apr. 25 to May 3, the “Barber of Seville” will be performed at the Civic Center. This show has some of the “most familiar tunes in all of opera,” says Bennett, and delivers a hilarious and engaging storyline, influenced by Pedro Almodóvar, detailing the first of three plays by Pierre Beaumarchais which follows the main character Figaro (the barber from the title).

The Opera’s second (Detour) series is a bit of a departure from the three aforementioned shows; it is not Grand Opera but rather performances from two chamber operas and concerts. The first performance Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 37

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of this series is “One Amazing Night.” On Dec. 11, two world-renowned Hispanic opera singers will deliver a variety of operas in “wonderful Spanish music,” says Bennett. The concert from this series will be, again, a one evening performance, filled with singers who have previously performed with the San Diego Opera but will showcase their talents in a different way. This time, the singers will put together their own programs which, this year, reflect their heritages.

A two night special entitled “The Aging Magician” will be shown on Mar. 13 and 14. It is another family-friendly production which “explores the end of life in a beautiful and magical allegory,” explains Bennett. The plot of the show follows an author who is writing a book about a dying magician. Nearing the end of the opera, it becomes apparent that the author is telling the story of his own life. This show will feature music from a string quartet, a choir of 16 young women and one male singer, as well as a unique video component which aids in telling the magician’s story.

“The Falling and Rising,” will run May 8 through 10 as what Bennett describes as a “modern look on the valor of service,” tackling the “impact of war on soldiers.” The show delivers a unique perspective, as it is told through the lens of a female soldier serving in the Middle East.

In addition to these productions, the Opera will host an event on Jan. 25 at the Pendry Hotel in the theme of “A Night in the Woods.” While not a performance, the Night in the Woods will be a fundraiser for the San Diego Opera in honor of the organization’s former board chair, Carol Lazier.

The opera is and has always been a wonderfully unique theatre experience; the San Diego Opera is no different. A

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2020 Happenings at North Coast Rep

theARTSissue

Dynamic Main Stage Shows and Delightful Variety Nights

BY LEORAH GAVIDOR

G

o to the theatre!” Sage advice, or more like a strong suggestion from veteran North Coast Rep artistic director David Ellenstein, who has been with the theatre for 17 years.

“We all need to get out of ourselves and laugh sometimes. And we need to get back to dealing with each other, with live flesh-andblood people.”

With a robust offering of full-length plays, comedies, musicals and special performances, 2020 brings variety to the Rep. Jan. 8-Feb. 2 see the San Diego premiere of Steven Dietz’s “Bloomsday,” a “funny, poignant, and sweet” tale of a young couple that has an intensely powerful yet extremely short relationship. In Dublin for the annual tour of places from James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” a tourist meets and falls in love with his Bloomsday tour guide. 35 years later the man returns and the two lovers contemplate that eternal question, “What if I could go back?”

Next up is the west coast premiere of “The Outsider,” a satire of U.S. politics by Paul Slade Smith, which Ellenstein is directing.

“It’s political, but not partisan,” Ellenstein said of the content. “And it stars some of the funniest people in San Diego: Shana Wride,

Christopher Williams, and Jacque Wilke, Louis Lotorto, and Max Macke.”

Ellenstein had been trying for a couple of years to bring “The Outsider” to San Diego, but had to wait until it finished its extremely successful run at the Papermill Playhouse, just across the river from New York City, in Millburn, New Jersey. It will run Feb. 19-Mar. 15, 2020. “We did ‘Unnecessary Farce’ by Slade Smith a couple years ago, and it was very successful. This play is better ... and funnier!”

Ellenstein is also directing a work long on his mind, Nobel laureate Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming.”

“I’ve just always loved it,” Ellenstein said of the “bleak and vicious” comedy that is often regarded as Pinter’s most enduring play. He saw the movie when it came out in 1973 and has wanted to bring it to modern San Diego audiences.

“It hasn’t been in San Diego for a long time,” Ellenstein reflected. It ran at the Old Globe during the 1971-72 season. Written 50 years ago and still ringing true, the story is about the interactions of an all-male dysfunctional family when a long-absent son returns home with his new wife. “It’s not lightweight, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea,” admitted El-

lenstein. But two other works by Pinter were recently successful on the Rep stage, and Ellenstein anticipates “The Homecoming” will resonate with audiences. Frank Corrado and Richard Baird star; performances Apr. 8-May 3.

Another west coast premiere, “Human Error” by Eric Pfeffinger, takes the stage May 27-June 21. A tale of two couples, one liberal and one conservative, who are forced to befriend each other due to a medical mix-up: the interracial, left-wing couple’s embryo is mistakenly given to the right-wing couple. They decline to have an abortion and will carry the other couple’s baby to term. The four must establish a relationship and negotiate what divides them and comedy ensues.

“We don’t take sides on this one,” Ellenstein said. “It’s spot-on topical right now. And it makes me laugh out loud.”

The season finale, “Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits,” is a rollicking musical comedy that has charmed theatergoers around the country. A tribute to and parody of Broadway’s best, the play is constantly updated to reflect new material as well as old classics.

Hear your favorite tunes from “Chicago,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Fiddler,” and now Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 41

C

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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“Hamilton”–with reimagined, silly, satirical lyrics. “A spoof of all the great Broadway stuff.” Runs July 8-Aug. 9.

Sprinkled throughout the regular season, special performances at the Rep include classic comedy, country music and improvisation.

Get your tickets for Variety Nights–“always sold out”–to laugh with Tuesday Night Comics, hosted by Mark Christopher Lawrence. Sexy comedy “Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus” stays for two nights Feb. 3 & 4. Randy Otto comes to the stage as Winston Churchill incarnate to narrate and explore his biography in a one-manshow Mar. 2-3. Local wordsmith Richard Lederer presents “Presidents Tonight!” Mar. 9, an entertaining way to uncover a treasury of fascinating facts about U.S. presidents. “An Evening with Groucho,” Apr. 13 & 14, channels the legendary performer with dance, song, stories and classic routines. Back by popular demand.

For something a little different, North Coast Rep’s Improv Theater puts on their “UnScripted” series: full-length improv plays based on audience input. Dickens is up Dec. 16-17; Williams, as in Tennessee, will be their next subject on Apr. 20. Get a new perspective on the classics.

Special Tony award winner “The Two and Only” returns to the Rep May 4-5, featuring ventriloquist Jay Johnson who starred with Billy Crystal on “Soap.” “Through the show you see that he is just such a good person,” Ellenstein said. “It’s about being a human being.

But also funny.”

Another performance back by popular demand, “Always… Patsy Cline,” returns to the Rep Aug. 13-30. Katie Karel, based in Kansas City, sings all the hits as Patsy. Cathy Barnett plays her fan and friend Louise Seger, who befriended the country star two years before the fateful plane crash. The show has endured and toured for 30 years, selling out the Rep just last year.

“Wiesenthal,” July 13-14, tells the story of the “Jewish James Bond:” a Holocaust survivor turned Nazi hunter. After the war, Jewish Austrian Simon Wiesenthal dedicated his life to tracking war criminals so they could be brought to trial. Hear his true stories–maybe a little exaggerated–about how he chased down fugitives and aided in several convictions. An intimate and gripping piece.

With only 200 seats in the house, seeing a performance at North Coast Rep is an intimate experience. Free, easy parking sweetens the deal. A 42 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

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theARTSissue

My Artistic Journey

BY LIANNE JEDEIKIN GOLDSMITH

I

t begins with my mother, Vivi. She always lived an imaginative life, from the art she made as a talented painter to the businesses she started as a creative entrepreneur. Growing up in that environment instilled in me a way of looking at ordinary things and an eye to try to understand how things relate to one another in the physical world and beyond.

My first attempt to harness my artistic creativity as a means to making a living began shortly after my arrival in Los Angeles in the late 80s. I started a business called Accentrix Design making highly decorative functional art for the interior design industry. I painted murals for high-end homes and businesses in Los Angeles and created a range of whimsical ceramics that I sold to boutiques and department stores around the U.S. After a while,

the enterprise began to feel empty and uninspiring.

I gave up Accentrix and started working in the nonprofit sector which brought me a wonderful sense of purpose that seemed to replace my need for artistic self-expression.

Of course, I was also funneling my creative drive into being a mother to two beautiful girls–the ultimate creative undertaking.

And then, after sixteen years of dormancy, the acrimony and ugliness playing out in a divided America inspired me to look to painting for solace and I decided to take art classes. I found an incredible art teacher, Zhenya Gershman, who helped rebirth the artist in me and empowered me to experience the exquisite delight and cathartic pain of painting.

I still work in nonprofit for an organization called Friends of Yemin Orde that raises

funds to promote and support the transformative work in educational communities for at-risk and immigrant youth in Israel. While on a work trip to Israel in 2017, my brotherin-law Leon Goldsmith showed me some incredibly poignant environmental portraits he had taken as a young photographer in South Africa. I was moved by the depiction of life during the apartheid era in South Africa as seen through the eyes of a child.

Upon returning to the U.S., the photos I had seen began to take on a life of their own in my mind’s eye, and I conceived and gave birth to an artistic project I am currently working on featuring the noble subjects of Leon’s images painted on vintage wallpaper. I look forward to completing the series and exhibiting the results in the coming months. A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 47

48 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

theARTSissue

PHOTOS BY SIMPATIKA AND JENNY CASE.

"Emotionally Moving and Intellectually Stimulating"

BY PAT LAUNER L to R: Jeremy Wilson in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Matt M. Morrow, artistic director of Diversionary Theatre; Playwright Miranda Rose Hall.

L

anguage is a living, breathing thing. It evolves to encompass new inventions, conceptions and thinking. And how we talk about gender has certainly been evolving.

So, before we start exploring the exciting new season coming up at Diversionary Theatre, the nation’s third oldest continuously producing LGBTQ theater, let’s lay down a little lexical groundwork, so we’re all on the same page.

It’s all about gender identity and gender diversity.

People are assigned a gender at birth (“It’s a girl!”) but that doesn’t necessarily become the gender they identify with. When they do, that’s their cisgender. When they don’t, there’s a range of alternatives.

‘Gender non-conforming’ or ‘non-binary’ or ‘genderqueer’ are umbrella terms people use when their gender doesn’t fit squarely into male or female categories. This can include those who feel their gender is a mix of both, changes often, is something totally separate, or they have no strong sense of a gender at all.

‘Transgender’ or ‘gender diverse’ (trans for short) includes people who don’t exclusively identify as the gender they were assigned at birth.

Gender and sexuality are two different things. Trans people can be bisexual, asexual, straight, gay, or any other sexuality. They may or may not take steps to socially or physically align with their gender identity. It’s not about appealing to other people, or trying to look like a cisgender person, but rather, doing what feels right, and what that means for each person is different. It’s a gradual thing, and people might change their mind about what works best for them.

‘Socially transitioning’ involves how trans people interact with others. For example, it may involve coming out as transgender, asking people to use different pronouns to describe them, or changing the way they interact with gendered spaces, such as the bathroom they use.

‘Physical transitioning’ usually involves altering appearance to fit what feels right which might entail clothes, makeup and hair, or seeking medical treatment like hormones or surgery.

Since the trans community is a marginalized and often maligned segment of the population, and one typically not accurately represented in the media and the arts, Diversionary Theatre artistic director Matt Mor-

row thought it was time his company focused on the trans and non-gender-conforming community.

“Especially in view of the president’s taking a stand against the trans community,” Morrow said, “politically speaking, the time was right. We needed to do more to make the trans community feel welcome, appreciated and understood.”

The final three productions in Diversionary’s 34th season comprise the Gender Series: the first two plays have trans characters, and in the third, a character discovers they’re genderqueer. (When in doubt, suggests Matt, use the pronoun ‘they’. These days, people will often tell you what pronouns they prefer.)

A New Year, A New Play First up (Feb. 6-Mar. 8) is a world premiere, “A Kind of Weather,” by Sylvan Oswald, a trans interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. A recipient of multiple awards, including a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship in Drama and Performance Art, he works on the intersection of theater and live art and is interested in new approaches to playwriting.

An assistant professor of LGBTQ Studies at UCLA, Sylvan has also taught at Barnard,

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 49

Examining the Plot Points “Plot Points in Our Sexual Development” is billed as “a contemporary queer love story, exploring the intersection of gender and intimacy, and the dangers of revealing yourself to the person you love.”

“Structurally,” says Matt, “it’s two people telling their own stories about growing up and finding their sexuality. Then we realize they’re telling each other. Then it becomes confrontational. They’re navigating how to deal with each other emotionally, psychologically and sexually. It’s somewhat explicit, probably PG-15. But, it’s an eye-opening story, about a cisgender woman and a trans-masculine man. I learned a lot by reading it myself.

“It’s about how intimacy and sexual intimacy can affect the larger relationship. How we encounter, please and satisfy each other 50 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

sexually can connect or distort our identity.”

The playwright, Miranda Rose Hall, penned the marvelous “The Hour of Great Mercy,” that had its world premiere earlier this year at Diversionary.

“I wrote ‘Plot Points’,” she says, “because I challenged myself to talk about the last thing I would ever want to discuss in public–which turned out to be queer sexual development! Formally, I was very interested to explore acting’s most essential elements: talking and listening. So the play became an experiment in vulnerability and intimacy, and a portrait of a couple who are struggling to see, hear and understand one another.

“It was also really important to me to reflect the gender dynamics of my own relationship,” she continues. “At the time that I wrote it, I had never seen a play (not that they don’t exist) about the specific dynamics that arise between a queer cis-woman and a transmasculine genderqueer person. It felt like a missing piece of myself that I hadn’t seen in the American theater. I am so thrilled that this play has a home at Diversionary, which has been such a loving and generous artistic home to me.”

New York Magazine felt that the piece “enlarges our sense of shared humanity.” The New York Times found the play “important and intensely provocative. Transgender people deserve to see joy onstage, and others can share the feelings.” The stories about body image and gender expression are universal, the Times continued, and the conversations are “deeply, almost shockingly frank, and deeply revelatory for everyone who has tried to figure out themselves, their bodies, their feelings.”

As Matt puts it, “There is simply nothing more queer, unique or authentic than ‘Plot Points’ on the American stage today.”

Falling head over heels for “Head Over Heels” How wild does this sound? A 16th-century prose romance, written by an English courtier and poet, has become a musical set to the songs of the all-female new wave '80s rock band, the Go-Gos. “The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia,” written by Sir Philip Sidney, was known for its sensational treatment of sex, politics, violence and cross-dressing.

The jukebox musical “Head Over Heels” was equally iconoclastic for its time, with an original book by Jeff Whitty, the visionary behind “Avenue Q.” The book was then adapted by James Magruder (“Triumph of Love”).

PHOTO BY JENNIE LIU.

Mt. Holyoke and Princeton.

Matt considers “A Kind of Weather” to be “a beautiful, funny, surprising new play.

I’ve been following Sylvan for 15 years. I’ve never seen anything like it. It uses a familiar father-son trope. The son identifies as trans, but that’s not what the story is about.

“It’s about the relationship between a father and son, how they grow, and grow apart, and try to come together. The nature of their conflict is the loss of the mother, right after the parents split. It’s non-linear; it timejumps. It explores the effects of gender identity on family. It gives a diversity of points of view. There are new characters you’ve never encountered before. At one point, it goes off the rails a little and turns into a musical. It’s really adventurous.”

As Sylvan puts it, “The play isn’t about a trans character’s transition–he is actively resisting that narrative. Instead, we meet him after that, in his life and his deeply felt relationships. And really, it’s more about his father than it is about him! The play gently suggests that it’s time to move on to the actual substance of trans lives. The title comes from a description of the work of the late experimental writer Kathy Acker. The poet Robert Glück writes that in her work, “Sex is a kind of weather.” Which I have adopted to describe both the sensual content of actual weather and also the atmospheric qualities of desire.

“I’m thrilled to be working at Diversionary,” says Sylvan. “From my first visit, I could tell that Matt had created an atmosphere of care, consideration, and artistic integrity.

He’s 1000% invested in the mission, and it’s contagious.”

Playwright Sylvan Oswald.

The show had its world premiere in 2015, and opened on Broadway in 2018, running for five months.

In the mythical land of Arcadia, the royal family is challenged to save their beloved kingdom from extinction. Over the course of their adventurous journey, gender roles are upended, relationships are liberated and love is discovered in surprising ways. It’s a jukebox musical and an Elizabethan farce, with gender-bending themes.

New York Magazine called it “a clever, delightful, bubbly, exuberant party.” The Village Voice said it was “shrewd, funny, sexy ... with a glorious beat.”

Matt Morrow thinks it’s “a joyous celebration of where we are right now. A big turning point, celebrating a new beginning, something being birthed. A new, higher level of understanding and compassion.

“There’s no way to save this kingdom.

They have to burn it down and start it over.

It sounds dire, but ... it’s the music of the GoGo’s!”

That includes iconic songs like the title tune, as well as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed,” “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” “Mad About You,” and many more.

“It’s an intelligent musical,” says Matt, who will direct. “The songs are interwoven so well, it sounds like they were just waiting for this smart musical. It brings joy to a lot of difficult conversations.”

Jeremy Wilson, a gender non-conforming actor who was magnificent as the title character in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at Diversionary this past spring, plays the non-binary snake-oracle Pithio, who sets everything in motion.

“It’s an ensemble show,” says Matt, "who has cast ten wonderful actors, “all of whom

can understand and be comfortable with classic verse." There will also be a 5-piece rock band.

“It’s the biggest show we’ve ever produced,” crows Matt. “A celebration of love of all kinds and diversity of all kinds and creation of all kinds.

“One of the reasons we’re doing these three pieces side by side is to facilitate the conversation around gender. I know there’s confusion in the mainstream around gender identity. And we’re hoping to help through theater.

“We like to say at Diversionary: We are for everyone. Everything we do is supremely accessible. If you don’t identify as LGBT, come with an open heart and an open mind. The stories we tell are emotionally moving and intellectually stimulating.” A

A Stunning West Coast Premiere!

Diversionary Theatre is at 4545 Park Blvd. in University Heights.

“A Kind of Weather” runs Feb. 6-Mar. 8 “Plot Points in our Sexual Development” plays Mar. 26-Apr. 26 “Head Over Heels” runs May 21-June 21 Tickets and information: 619-220-0097; diversionary.org.

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52 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Shari Lyon.

| FEATURE |

Nes Gadol Hayam Sham/ A Great Miracle Happened There Original Hanukkah Play From Local Jewish Playwright

BY JACQUELINE BULL

“Bubbe and the Mensch on a Quest.”

I

n my 40s I said to myself, ‘Good grief girl, you could’ve been born to anyone anywhere and look what you got.

C’mon, you need to get off it and give back.

You need to help these people who didn’t have what you have. Just give back some more,’” Shari Lyon said.

Shari is a part of a production called “Miracles of the Season” at Patio Playhouse. Her play “Bubbe and the Mensch on a Quest” is a one act with songs for family audiences.

The play originated from a call for theater pieces for a holiday show at Poway Performing Arts Company.

“I said I’m going to tell a story that I’ve been wanting to tell, but I have to hurry because the audition is in four hours. So I had to write this two minute monologue and it’s based on a newspaper clipping my sister-inlaw Lucy sent me about a real Hanukkah miracle that really happened. I decided to create this character Bubbe and have her lose the family heirloom menorah–which is what actually happened, only it was the maid who lost it,” Shari said.

The director asked her to expand it to 15 minutes and then later trim it to seven minutes and then trim it again, but the story had become too expansive to fit that parameter.

“There was another director sitting in the house when I did the monologue originally and he loved it … He mentioned it to Deborah Zimmer at Patio Playhouse and she and I have a long association. And she said, 'Can you make this into 40 minutes?' And I said, 'Yes I can do that' … So it ended up like 48

minutes with all the additional characters and stuff and now I can really tell the story of what happened in this miraculous time when this family heirloom was lost and then found at the dump. And it’s really fun having the mensch off his bench and looking for his family heirloom menorah,” she said.

She hasn’t been able to find the original newspaper clipping, but she never forgot the story.

Before writing “Bubbe and the Mensch on a Quest,” Shari had many different careers.

She was a musician, then a dancer and even ran her own youth theater company. Now, she’s retired from being in public education for 40 years and writes picture books for kids.

“Kids have always been that little piece of something that makes me happy even before I had them,” she added.

Shari credits Patio for recognizing that there was a hole in cultural offerings for non-Christmas related holiday shows for families. The other piece alongside “Bubbe” is a choral piece “Las Posadas” that centers on Latinx holiday traditions.

She expressed that she is most looking forward to seeing her story being interpreted by different people and brought to life and to see how audiences respond to it.

“Nes gadol hayam sham works every single day if you just look for it. We’re connected to miracles every single day … I hope they take that away from it because that is really why I wrote the play why the story resonated with me so much.” A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 53

theARTSissue

SDMA Explores Collaborations with Ballet and Orchestra

BY EMILY GOULD

“Abstract Revolution.”

B

ehind the intricately carved Spanish architecture façade is the San Diego Museum of Art which has been a pillar of the fine arts community in Balboa Park since 1926, and continues to “inspire, educate and cultivate curiosity through great works of art” today. In order to carry out this mission, the museum takes care to employ an array of highly capable and passionate staff members including Deputy Director Anita Feldman and Public Programs Coordinator Bailey Cain.

As the Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Education, Feldman is the chief curator for the museum; she dictates what content will be exhibited and when, oversees the look of displays, and previews all pieces and written work before they are installed in the gallery. Cain, on the other hand, deals with more external affairs including the museum’s education department which works with all types of schools in the region as well as juvenile detention centers in order to “dream up programs that support exhibitions … and events that enhance the experience” of museum guests, she says. Such events include films, dance performances, 54 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

concerts, and lectures. All of these events serve about 50,000 students at the museum every year, as well as an additional 17,000 students in workshops alone.

Aside from all the outreach and off-site services that the museum provides, it of course showcases a wide array of outstanding artwork from local as well as internationally acclaimed artists. The exhibitions that are coming up in 2020 promise to be full of history, perspective and intrigue, and will display works from the likes of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Lee Krasner.

The “Abstract Revolution” is currently on display and “reevaluates the development of Abstract Expressionism in relation to women’s contributions and it is from these efforts that this show builds.” The exhibition shows works that have been pulled exclusively from the museum’s permanent collection of paintings from artists like Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Deborah Remington and Mary Heilmann. The pieces have been pulled together in such a away as to challenge “the masculine lens through which abstraction

has been previously understood” and seeks to remove it altogether. The Abstract Revolution will run until Feb. 23, and on Jan. 10 will feature a musical pop-up showcasing Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock.

Another of the current exhibitions is “Bouguereau and America,” a show filled exclusively with paintings by French Realist William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The 19th-century academic painter was wildly popular during the Gilded Age in America (late 1860s to early 1900s), and this exhibit, organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, shows us why.

From March to June, the museum will show a 10-minute film from a contemporary multimedia artist. The Los Angeles-bred “one-to-watch” Cauleen Smith has created a video piece that is inspired by the still-life work of Juan Sánchez Cotán from the museum’s permanent collection. Her piece “creates visual and phenomenological experiences that ruminate on social, cultural, intellectual, artistic, and political liberation,” and after the exhibition, will become part of the permanent collection as well.

“Bouguereau and America.”

Starting in May, the museum will delve into its “In the Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” show, a travelling exhibition that is ending its tour at the SDMA. The exhibition will feature an early Rembrandt self-portrait from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam–which is a fascinating study of the use of lightness and darkness–as well as some of the artist's smaller etchings, beginning in July.

In June, “Mary Ellen Mark: Twins” will go on display, a “psychologically interesting” exhibition of large-scale polaroids featuring twins at a fair in (real town) Twinsburg, Ohio. The fact that the photographer had only one shot at taking the photographs (as there are no negatives for polaroids), makes this exhibition particularly fascinating and impressive.

Other exhibitions at the end of next year will include "Esther Bubley: In Plain Sight"(11/27/20-3/28/21) and "Africa: Objects of Adornment" (12/12/20-5/23/21).

Aside from traditional gallery exhibitions, the SDMA will hold many events next year, including collaborations with the San Di-

“Abstract Revolution.”

ego Ballet and Art of Élan. Art of Élan is a modern classical chamber orchestra with the goal of making symphonic music more accessible. This will be their thirteenth season performing in conjunction with the SDMA, and their programming promises to be spectacular. On Jan. 10, there will be a Pop Up Concert with Art of Élan followed by a screening of the biographical film "Pollock." Art of Élan will be responsible for another Pop Up Concert: “Dream of Spring” on Feb. 7, which will finish with Martin Scorsese’s film adaptation of “The Age of Innocence.” Both events are gratis with museum admission. Each season that Art of Élan performs with the SDMA has its own overarching theme; this year’s will be “Hear and Now,” a take on what it means to listen mindfully: thinking about the history of each song as well as its layers of influence.

A Guest Lecture Series called “Artists in Love” on Jan. 17 will focus on “works of art on view in the Museum as well as topics of interest in the broader art world” and is sure to be a thrilling event for any lover of art and its impact on the global community.

In conjunction with the museum’s “Bou-

guereau and America” exhibition, the San Diego Ballet will be on site for a “night of special Art After Hours: a series of pop-up performances” in duos and ensembles that are inspired by the “pastoral romance and mythological legends” that populate the museum’s Bouguereau collection. “It’s interesting to see the ways that different types of art speak to each other,” says Feldman, which is why this night will be particularly enjoyable for museum goers: the dancers have choreographed a 10-15 minute piece which will be performed three times (at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.), so viewers will have plenty of opportunity to catch at least one show.

The San Diego Museum of Art has done a remarkable job of maintaining its heritage and the integrity of its collections, while finding ways to integrate into the 21st Century and make art and art history accessible and compelling to its community. A visit to the museum promises to dazzle and delight patrons, connoisseurs and amateur appreciators alike. A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 55

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BY ALEX WEHRUNG

“Million Dollar Quartet.”

L

amb’s Players Theatre will be starting up their brand new season in 2020 with five productions in store: “Babette’s Feast,” “Alice,” “The Belle of Amherst,” “Million Dollar Quartet,” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The season was finalized by Lamb’s Players’ Producing Artistic Director Robert Smyth, who has been with the company since 1976.

“Babette’s Feast” will kick off the season.

The play is based on the short story of the same name by Danish author Karen Blixen, and tells the story of a French refugee who takes shelter with a pair of Protestant sisters, using her talents as a chef to cook their congregation a high-end meal. The story, published in 1958, was adapted to the screen in 1987. The production will mark the play’s west coast debut.

Lamb’s Players’ production sets the story in Norway to reflect how the original short story was written in Norwegian. Robert says the play will be performed in an imaginative, theatrical style. “It has elements of what, in the past, used to be called ‘story theatre.'"

"There’s an ensemble of people there onstage all the time, whether they’re watching other people or whether they’re moving properties or whether they’re being sound effects,

or whether they’re characters in a scene.

“So it’s a very rhythmic, exciting, presentational, direct-to-the audience form of storytelling.”

The late Elizabeth Swados’ “Alice” is a musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass.” Swados directed, wrote and scored the original New York Shakespeare Festival production which utilized varying musical styles, including rock, country and calypso.

Robert said that the addition of music does not transform the original story, but rather enhances it. “The songs are really plugged into the storytelling,” he said. “So it advances the story, it gives you deeper insight into the story. Like the Jabberwock poem–which [at] least people used to learn when they were young in school–is sung. And the band is actually part of the cast onstage, so the music is real crucial to the storytelling.”

The show will be energetic and fun, with a lot of choreography and attention to visual detail, Robert promised.

“Alice” will be followed by “The Belle of Amherst,” a one-woman show that focuses on the intensely private and creative life of 19th century poet Emily Dickinson. The

"The Belle of Amherst."

play–written by William Luce, who specializes in writing one-person shows–first made its debut on Broadway in 1976.

There is a challenge, Robert noted, to putting on one-person shows: overcoming the audience’s notion that the play is going to be boring. “If you’ve ever gone to really good one-person shows, you know that’s not true.

It’s actually mesmerizing, it can be a very riveting experience. But it demands that the story works well and that the actor is phenomenal. And we have both of those, in this case.”

Dickinson will be portrayed by Lamb’s Players veteran Cynthia Gerber, whom Robert called “one of the best all-around performers I have worked with. She can do anything, from comedy to dramedy to drama, and I’m delighted she has a chance to stand on the boards alone.”

“Million Dollar Quartet” is a jukebox musical recounting the jam session in which Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and then-newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis all happened to be in the same room at the Sun Record recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The production made its debut on Broadway in 2010 and was written by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux.

“One of the problems with a lot of jukebox Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 57

musicals is people just make it about the music,” Robert said, noting times when he’s encountered people who have seen the musical in places like Vegas and onboard cruise ships. These people didn’t understand the story, but did once they saw Lamb’s Players’ North County production from a few months ago.

Robert contributes the accessibility of Lamb’s Players’ take on the story to giving an increased role to Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, and the insight of director Kerry Meads. “[She] does such a fabulous job at really finding the story of who these people were and what they were going through at this particular point in time.”

And finally, there’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Lamb’s Player’s own adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 crime novel, written and published during the period of time in which Sherlock Holmes was canonically dead after the events of “The Final Problem.”

The story’s plot concerns Holmes and John Watson investigating the death of a man who’d been apparently killed by a supernatural hound.

“There are productions out there that are very serious, that follow the story, that do it in the atmosphere, and the kind of Victorian time setting. And then there are ones like the [Ken] Ludwig piece that are just crazy wacked, and we’re kind of doing a combination of those two things. So it’s got a lot of comedy in it, and the cast breaks the fourth wall and starts talking directly to the audience on things, and we might even have some participation from the audience.”

Robert says that Lamb’s Players’ take on “Baskerville” will respect Conan Doyle’s story while also having some fun with it. A The season is currently in a state of pre-production, with “Babette’s Feast” planned to release on Jan. 10 and play until Feb. 16.

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Embarking on a Journey with San Diego Rep

BY JACQUELINE BULL

I

think one of the things that is special about the Rep is we really try to take our audience on an unexpected journey through our selection of plays through the season,” Todd Salovey, Director of San Diego Repertory Theater said.

And what a journey the season is–from the lower east side of New York, 17th century India and Paris of the present and past.

2020 starts off with a play that Todd Salovey is directing.

“The Humans” Jan. 8-Feb. 2.

This play tells the story of one family Thanksgiving in one apartment in the Lower East side. All the characters are on stage for the entire play whether they are speaking or not. All members of the family are facing their own different crisis and in this tension springs forward humor, too.

“I think like all families when they get together, there is both drama and a lot of humor. A lot that they say to each other that is extremely funny usually because there is something unspoken that the audience understands about the relationship,” Todd said.

Todd expressed that he wants people to be able to see a reflection of their own families in this play.

“For a Jewish audience, we get together for family meals–not just for Thanksgiving like this family–but for Passover, for Shabbat and a lot of the dynamics of a family meal are things that people will recognize,” he said.

The play poses the question of what does the American Dream mean now. A point of tension in the play is the changes between what the generations value shown in some of the younger characters moving back to a part of the city that the older generations were proud to have left for the suburbs.

“I think why it won the Tony and why it was so popular in New York–aside from being a great play and being so dramatic and so funny–is that it captures something of the spirit of uncertainty of our own time and I

think the audience really feels that it speaks about our contemporary lives.

"Even if I think about my own community and all the families that I know and the people that I know. You know, we’re here in San Diego, we have such a beautiful life, so many great things in our community and in this area, but yet when you look a little deeper, so many people have something they are afraid or something that causes a sense of maybe you haven’t been able to accomplish all you wanted in your life or in your family and I think the play captures that inner disappointment that people often feel,” he said.

“House of Joy” Mar. 5-Mar. 29 Set in 17th century India, this show tells the story of Hamida, an elite female bodyguard to the queen. It will be the southern California premiere of the play, directed by Sam Woodhouse and Arpita Mukherjee.

“I think one of the most extraordinary parts of this is that there is authentic sword and stick fighting with actual weapons from India using ancient Indian martial art forms, so it has one of the most exciting climactic scenes that you will ever see,” Todd said.

The play is inspired by legends of Indian history and in addition to the ancient martial art forms, it also has Indian dance and Indian classical music.

Todd expressed that Artistic Director Director Sam Woodhouse’s work is “so theatrical and expressive and exciting” with a vast theatrical vocabulary.

"The Humans."

“Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story” May 7-May 31 Hershey Felder is back with another show in his “Great Composer Series” this time illuminating Impressionist composer Claude Debussy. Hershey describes Debussy’s music as pure emotion. The stage design projects images of Paris and with the music creates an Impressionistic landscape and atmosphere.

“Debussy’s music is just so suggestive, so reflective of the seasons, of the sea, of the Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 59

PHOTO BY HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS.

"A Paris Love Story."

sun–you just have this experience of experiencing Paris and nature through the music that is being played,” Todd said.

And as an added treat for fans of Hershey, this show is the first time that Hershey tells some of his own story and how he and his mother loved the work of Debussy. Hershey is coming of age as a musician coming to Paris to seek out Debussy’s story, his music and the places he lived and frequented.

Todd calls Hershey “somewhere between a monk and Picasso” due to his level of dedication and discipline to practicing and rehearsing. “[He’s] just sort of an extraordinary pianist and an amazing writer and such a talented actor, I don’t know anyone who combines that level of artistry in all three areas.”

Kuumbafest 2019 Feb. 8-10 “For 28 years [Kummbafest] has been celebrating the artistry that has come out of San Diego’s African American community. And so many people who have been in Kuumbafest over the years have gone on to careers in the theater and in music. It’s an amazing display of gospel and hip hop and theater. It’s just born from our own community and celebrating our own community,” Todd said.

Entering Kummbafest is like entering a fair and an amazingly colorful cultural world, according to Todd. The weekend brings together plays, music, pageants and costume competitions. (JFEST, also known as the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, was heavily influenced by Kuumbafest.)

Todd notes his highlights for the event are the gospel show and seeing the new talent of the high school students (many of whom have become his students in the UCSD theatre program).

“It’s a celebration of creativity and the role creativity can play in empowering people to have pride in their identity,” he said.

REP Xtra Events The REP holds a variety of engagement events. One of which is “Talkin’ Theatre with Todd” where he hosts a pre-show conversation with the playwrights, actors, and behind-the-scenes artists on select performance dates.

The REP has quite a bit in store for the new year, but to end out the year they have one-night only (Dec. 23) “Winter Schminter: A Solstice Concert” with Klezmer favorites Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi playing a Hanukkah and Winter Solstice celebration.A

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60 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

theARTSissue

"Kinetic"

San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer Talks Upcoming Shows

BY ALEX WEHRUNG

W

ith Rafael Payare having settled comfortably into his new position as the San Diego Symphony Music Director–“It seems like he’s worn that role for a long, long time already,” said Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer–the organization is confidently surging ahead with its current season, which bridges into 2020.

Rafael began his tenure as the orchestra’s Music Director in October and conducted for five weeks, and will conduct the orchestra five more times before he closes out the season with a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in May. “I can honestly say that the progression in the fall and autumn weeks of the orchestra’s connection with him was, you know, it was kinetic, it was so exciting, and felt by the musicians and also certainly by the audience members,” Martha said.

“Rafael is a consummate musician and he has something to say to the music, he conveys it in his gesture and in rehearsals, he’s very clear with the musicians and they work toward a common understanding of the music.”

“There’s a big focus on Beethoven this year, as we celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday. We’re celebrating it all the way through 2020, including next autumn and from October to December.”

“Beethoven is timeless,” Martha said.

“Beethoven spoke to his own time with a disruptive fury. He took the great music that had been written before him, and the form of that music and what we now call the symphony orchestra, and he stretched it and expanded it. And really, in the course of nine symphonies, completely reformed the structure of what we call a symphony, that has influenced composers forever and including today.”

The Symphony’s January festival is devoted to Beethoven’s music, and will feature Principal Guest Conductor Edo de Waart. “[He] is a pre-eminent conductor today,”

Martha said, “and brings to us the three middle symphonies of Beethoven: four, five and six. As well as the first piano concerto, played by Emanuel Ax.” She explained that the concerto will be juxtaposed against the work of American composer John Adams, with Leila Josefowicz performing Adams’ violin concerto. “So there’s a great dip into Beethoven in January. Rafael Payare continues that with a Beethoven violin concerto and Symphony No. 9.”

In a unique musical twist, the Symphony will also perform “Coldplay V. Beethoven,” which combines the instrumentation of “Eroica” with the lyrics of such songs as “Fix You,” "Paradise,” and “The Scientist” from British rock band Coldplay.

“This has been done in a variety of places,” Martha explained, such as at the Colorado Music Festival, which performed this combination of musical talent back in 2014. “I think what’s interesting to note is … artists like Coldplay also come back to the fundament of Beethoven. Music is music, and it crosses genres and it’s influenced by other genres.”

Martha believes that this concert demonstrates that “none of us have to like exclusively one kind of music. There isn’t one kind of … there’s nothing that’s right or wrong about a piece of music. And I think it’s going to be fascinating to see the juxtaposition. I can’t wait.”

Besides this famous German composer, Rafael will also conduct some of the works of two famous Russian composers: Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky and Dmitri Shostakovich. The Symphony will perform Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, titled “The Year 1905,” as well as his Symphony No. 5.

“The fifth symphony in particular, probably one of his most well-known, is a reaction to the fact that his fourth symphony, which preceded it, was prohibited by Stalin and the authorities to even be performed, because they perceived it as a kind of rally-

ing the anti-government spirit of the people,” Martha said. “He was considered to be radical. And so his fifth symphony complied with the Soviet realism of the time, and it’s very well-known. It is a kind of a tour de force for the orchestra, showcasing our incredible musicians in very soloistic passages, as well as a great swell of the orchestra as a whole.”

The Symphony’s season is not just confined to the classics, however; it accompanies famous films by playing their soundtracks live. The Symphony recently accompanied “Coco” and will do so as well for “Mary Poppins” as part of its “Disney in Concert” series.

In April, the Symphony will play Alexandre Desplat’s score of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” as the film is projected inside the Copley Symphony Hall.

“What I love is watching audiences come to the realization that a full symphony orchestra performed the score to the original film,” Martha said. “That there were men and women who played through this music in a recording studio, and that’s what people are listening to again, and again and again every time they watch the film. And in this case, you strip that out and you actually get to watch and hear the music live.”

It is an opportunity, she said, for people to feel the power of a live orchestra. “You can hear them breathing together, you can see the gesture, you can see the bowing, you can see this physicality of sound. That is powerful, and it’s a great introduction to what a symphony orchestra does.”

Though Martha says if there’s any program that people ought to absolutely see, it’s Rafael Payare conducting the “Trumpets and Tchaikovsky” event on Mar. 28 and 29, featuring Pacho Flores on the trumpet and works by Andrew Norman, Johann Baptist Georg Neruda, Paquito D’Rivera and Tchaikovsky. A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 61

BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB

PHOTO CREDIT: ERIK TANNER.

theARTSissue

La Jolla Playhouse’s (Immediate) Future is Female

Director Rachel Chavkin.

62 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

F

emale-centric themes dominate La Jolla Playhouse’s production schedule in the coming months.

The musical “Fly,” based on J. M. Barrie’s beloved novel “Peter Pan,” runs from Feb. 18–Mar. 29 and focuses on lead character Wendy Darling’s coming of age.

The new musical “Lempicka” kicks off the Playhouse’s 2020-2021 season in the spring prior to heading to Broadway.

Directed by 2019 Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, “Lempicka” chronicles the tempestuous life of pioneering Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka.

The Playhouse’s Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour will mount productions of “Emily Driver’s Great Race Through Time and Space” at elementary schools throughout San Diego County in February and March 2020 and in two public performances at the Playhouse. Developed in partnership with National Disability Theatre, this show follows Emily, a young girl who takes her worn-out wheelchair on a time-traveling trip across the United States, as she meets disability activists and finds a way to advocate for herself and the rights of others. A team of actors, writers and designers with disabilities will bring this story to life.

“These three pieces capture strong women in extraordinary circumstances who fight to define who they are and stake their places in the world,” said the Playhouse’s Producing Director Eric Keen-Louie. He hopes audiences will be inspired by these characters’ struggles and learn from them as the women evolve, find their voices and emerge triumphant.

“Fly” teams two Tony Award-winning Broadway veterans, director Jeffrey

Seller and composer Bill Sherman (who wrote Emmy Award-winning songs for “Sesame Street”), with two of the most innovative writers in American theatre, Rajiv Joseph and Kirsten Childs, to put a contemporary spin on a literary classic. “'Fly'” at its core captures Wendy’s story of coming into her own as a young woman. She must decide whether being a child forever is a good thing.

Time and growth are at the heart of this piece,” said Keen-Louie.

The musical adapts the classic story to appeal to a multi-generational audience. “Fly” is propelled by a powerful and percussive score, dynamic choreography and aerial acrobatics designed by an imaginative Argentinian aerialist.

“We want families to come, but the show also has a depth to its writing that will appeal to adults who don’t bring the kids,” said Keen-Louie.

“Lempicka” makes its West Coast premiere at the Playhouse in May 2020, before heading off to Broadway. “Creators love to bring new shows to the La Jolla Playhouse because they know how smart our audiences are and how much they can learn from them. We’ll be continuing to work on and grow the piece before it leaves for Broadway,” Keen-Louie said.

The new musical showcases a pop-infused, epic score. “People haven’t been writing musicals like this for years. It’s like ‘Evita’ with a strong woman at its core and a beautiful score that flies off the stage and hits your heart,” said Keen-Louie. The New York Times described the show, which had its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2018, as “Incandescent! An exciting new work which gives musical theater fans who’ve been wondering

why they don’t write dominating parts for women any more reason to cheer.”

The musical centers on the dramatic life of Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka. She was born in Warsaw in 1898–the daughter of a Russian Jewish attorney and Polish Catholic socialite. As a young woman, she fell in love with and married a prominent, successful Polish lawyer. The Russian Revolution in 1917 overturned their privileged life, forcing them to leave their comfortable home and flee to Paris where they subsisted as poor refugees. Relying on her raw talent and restless ambition, Tamara earned a place amongst Parisian high society by using her artistic skills to become a sought-after portrait artist.

Her world was upended when she met and fell in love with Rafaela, a bohemian from the Parisian slums, who introduced Tamara to a new world of decadence and passion. Torn between her new muse Rafaela and her husband, the polyamorous Tamara fought to leave her mark on an ever-changing world.

She became one of the best-known painters of the Art Deco style.

Once famous for her striking portraits of nude women, her popularity faded as the Art Deco movement fell out of favor. She nonetheless discovered the depths of her own strength to survive.

Tamara later lived a peripatetic life, fleeing Europe prior to World War II to settle in Los Angeles with her second husband. At the end of her life, she moved to Houston, Texas and then Cuernavaca, Mexico where she died in 1980. “She lived through a lot and tried to make her mark on the art scene amidst global chaos. At its heart, ‘Lempicka’ is about a strong woman caught in the swirl of history,” Keen-Louie said.

Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil, “Lempicka” boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era and an artist who defined the Art Deco genre. This compelling show may posthumously rocket her name to fame and her art to renewed acclaim.

“Lempicka” is directed by young, innovative Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, the daughter of two Jewish civil-rights lawyers. “Rachel is one of the great new directors–a real visionary who creates idiosyncratic worlds,” said Keen-Louie.

“Emily Driver’s Great Race Through Time and Space” features a young, local, actress who uses a wheelchair. San Diego artists and others from around the country are coming to La Jolla to create and tour with the POP piece. “The show is about a young girl who is fighting with the government to get a new wheelchair. She’s frustrated at not being listened to or taken seriously. During the course of the play she learns how to make sure her needs are met,” said Keen-Louie. Prior to each school performance, a Playhouse teaching artist visits to engage students in an interactive workshop to explore issues and themes at the core of the play.

The Playhouse is one of the few theatres in the country that annually commissions world-class artists to present a bold new play for young audiences. Playwrights create an innovative, 45-minute piece that addresses issues in students’ lives and reaches 20,000 San Diego County students each year. Launched in 1987, the POP Tour travels throughout the county, touring schools, libraries and community centers. The set, costumes and props are designed to fit into a 16-foot truck and, in just 60 minutes, can be unloaded, placed in any space and be ready for children to experience.

The Playhouse looks forward to furthering its reputation for creating what is new and next by mounting these three productions about dynamic young women and the worlds they learn to conquer. A

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 63

| FEATURE |

Two Who Survived: San Diego Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler’s Story

BY ALEX WEHRUNG

A

ll these people that went into the chambers, to the gas chambers,” recounted Rose Schindler, a survivor of Auschwitz. “They went straight in there, no names, no nothing. They just put all the parents, the children, the mothers, the children, the grandparents, the ill. They went straight into the gas chamber, not knowing anything. The only people they saved are the ones that they needed for slave labor.”

Despite being almost 90, Rose still finds the time and energy to speak to schools (for free) all over San Diego about what she saw and endured during the Holocaust. And 64 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

now she has a first-hand account to leave behind and serve as a testament to both her and her late husband Max’s experiences: “Two Who Survived: Keeping Hope Alive While Surviving the Holocaust.”

The book, published in June 2019, was written by M. Lee Connolly, but its story is told through the Schindlers’ voices. Connolly assembled the narrative by pulling from the numerous interviews Rose and Max have given regarding their experiences.

“Two Who Survived” alternates first-person point-of-view chapters, chronicling Rose and Max’s childhoods in Europe, their deportations to a series of forced-la-

bor and concentration camps, their liberations and then their lives in San Diego.

In the aftermath of losing their parents and many other family members, Rose and Max both wound up in the same hostel in Bedford, England, where they lived with other Jewish orphans. They met as teenagers and married in 1950 (Rose was 20, Max 21) at the West London Synagogue, later moving to San Diego and having four children: Roxanne, Ben, Steven and Jeffrey. In 1972, when a 13-year-old Steven was cast as Peter van Pels in a school production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Steven told one of his teachers that his mother was a Holocaust survivor.

Rose was asked to speak to Steven’s classmates about her experience. Though nervous at first, she managed to tell them about what she had gone through. “Ever since then I’ve been speaking to schools, churches, synagogues, rotary clubs, military–a lot of military I’ve spoken to–I speak, I never say no because it’s important for us to tell our stories so it shouldn’t happen again.” Rose’s father Solomon (whom she called Tata) told her she had to survive so she could tell the world what was happening to them, an encouragement that continues to stick with Rose.

For about 20 years, Rose was hesitant to write about the horror she went through, though she was determined to eventually do it. “I had several people ask me, they want to write my stories,” Rose said. “But I wasn’t ready many times. But the last time, when this happened, I was ready.”

Connolly met Rose at one of her speaking engagements which she’d come to listen to. Rose said Connolly seemed like “a very nice lady. She offered to do it for me, I said, ‘Sure, why not?’”

“She was just there at the right time.”

Rose felt that the story needed to be told before she too eventually passes away. Max died in 2017 at the age of 87 from melanoma, after 66 years of marriage to Rose.

“I just want to tell the world what happened to us,” she said. “So it shouldn’t happen again. And hopefully it won’t.

But things are not so good lately, are they? People don’t learn. People don’t learn from experiences, you know?”

The experience itself of sharing her story hasn’t changed over the years, Rose said. “I mean, when I speak, you can hear a pin drop. Everybody–the kids, adults– everybody listens, so … unbelievable, all right? And I tell you, it’s getting worse and worse even for me to speak, because I get very emotional. And when I see what’s going on, I want to cry. You know, the old-

er you get, the more emotional you get.”

Even speaking about it during her interview with the Journal, she said, was difficult.

“You know, I lost my whole family in Europe.

Out of probably [150 to 180 people], maybe a dozen of us came back from the war.”

Schindler’s work to talk about her survival has proven pertinent; a 2018 survey released by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (or Claims Conference) revealed that a significant number of Americans remain ignorant regarding both basic and detailed facts about the Holocaust, such as the number of people murdered and the names of the camps.

“Well, maybe they don’t look at the papers?” Rose said regarding this sort of ignorance. “They don’t go for information. I don’t know. I think a lot of people know.

A lot of people deny it. A lot of people deny about the Holocaust.” She noted that she believes most people in San Diego are aware of the Holocaust, however.

Rose described modern anti-Semitism as being “really, pretty bad lately.

And unbelievable. You know, people ... of course a lot of people don’t know what happened to us during the war. It’s really ... it’s unbelievable, especially what happened here in San Diego, at the temple in Poway. It’s a horrible situation that we have to go through this all over again.”

Thanks to online forum boards and social media, hateful ideas and rhetoric are easier to spread than ever before. The Poway shooter was noted to have frequented 8chan, a website infamous for being a breeding ground for white supremacist ideology. The website was recently shut down, only to be relaunched as ‘8kun.’

Rose’s strategy for combating anti-Semitism of the digital age is much of the same as towards pre-internet anti-Semitism: “Well, we just have to speak up over what happened, especially with the people that went

through it. Okay? We have to teach the world there’s no … nothing good comes out of all this. Look what happened in Germany.

What did they gain from all this? Tell me.”

“So many people … even in Germany, people [were] killed. Thousands and thousands of German soldiers were killed. And look where Hitler ended up. Too bad he didn’t end up like this earlier. Before he killed millions and millions … you know what they say? Six million Jews were killed? There’s a lot more than six million Jews that were killed.”

Though Rose shows no signs of stopping speaking about what she went through, she is confident that her children and their subsequent descendants will keep her story alive once she’s gone. “My kids, many times, they take me to the speaking engagements. So they know my story almost as well as I do.”

She said that someone has to continue telling her story, and if they do pick up the torch, Rose thinks her family will probably keep up her habit of making oral addresses to audiences, instead of writing another book. “I’ve been taped many, many times. So they know my story pretty well. And if they forget anything, they can read my book.”

Despite that anti-Semitism seems to be on the rise, Rose is hopeful that love and peace will eventually prevail throughout the world.

“Because being bad, being bad one to other, it doesn’t help anybody. Maybe bad is not the right word, but nobody gains from that.

Nobody gains anything from that. Maybe someday the world will learn. I hope it does.”

Though the Nazis took away most of her birth family, the current Schindler household–Rose’s four children and her nine grandchildren–continues to grow, with Rose having recently celebrated the birth of her first great-grandchild: a boy named Max. A “Two Who Survived” is available to purchase at twowhosurvived.com.

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 65

| FEATURE |

Miracle of Miracles

BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT

W

hen we introduce Hanukkah to our grandchildren, our eyes shining with love and awe, we speak of miracles: the failure of the Greeks and the Seleucid Empire to impose their culture and squash Judaism in ancient times; the triumph of Mattathias–and especially– Judah Maccabee, our intrepid guerrilla heroes; the reconnoitring and recapture of the synagogue, and (perhaps the most amazing) the tiny container of little oil that burned for eight days to sanctify the sanctuary and rekindle the golden menorah.

And although these miracles of survival associated with our faith and celebrated at Hanukkah are the essence of Hanukkah as we sit with our families outlined in the golden glow of our menorahs, we cannot help but fasten our eyes and hearts on smaller miracles.

Walt Whitman illuminated this amazement at the simple joys of daily life as he listed the multiplicity of G-d’s creations in his poem “Miracles”: … wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water, Or stand under trees in the woods, Or talk by day with any one I love …

Or sit at table at dinner with the rest …

Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon …

Or birds …

66 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright, Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring ...

These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles ... … every hour of the light and dark is a miracle …

Indeed, the faces of our kinder at the Hanukkah table are a miracle and I wonder if any of us had ever envisaged this special annual night wherein we would be the hosts, the elders, bequeathing to future generations the stories we recite of Hanukkah. It is these stories of triumph, defeat and overcoming that unite us with the past and the times to come, always aware of those–even in contemporary days–who would attack us, intent on extinguishing our light.

We, too, were once those same children at our grandparents’ table in the winters of the years, delightedly anticipating our collection of haughty aunts, joking uncles and silly lovable cousins, all outlined by the warming incandescence of candles slowly dripping into the velvety night.

Occasionally, my eccentric balding Auntie Marion would host a Hanukkah party, her home festooned in blue and white, her gifts symbolic to her, but surprisingly trivial to us. My father would grumble, “Do we have to go?” But, of course, we did and for me, there was enchantment in her reconstruc-

tion of the holiday with huge silver stars of David, immense golden menorahs, sprinkled shortbread cookies in alphabetic shapes and gigantic dreidels of crepe paper that swung from door posts. Once she dressed up and was overcome with her own laughter at the Hanukkah candle decoration she had set upon her head. She possessed a sense of humour often hidden in her layers of affectation, but to me, she was very special–also a miracle who lit up my child’s life.

And on the days leading up to the holiday, usually in dark December, I would gather at the bus stop with other girls in my grade and raptly overhear the Hanukkah gifts they announced they would receive. They chattered on about eight full nights of magazine subscriptions, trips, extravagances that my family could never possibly afford. I was dazzled, hoping that one day, I too might participate in eight days of gift giving. In spite of their braggadocio, I did know that on one single special night in our simple home behind our store, my sister and I would receive Hanukkah gelt, along with shiny chocolate wrapped money that only appeared at Hanukkah. How slowly we sucked the chocolate of those coins, not wanting the sweet taste to vanish like the slowly diminishing radiance of the menorah.

But even earlier than my memory of shivering at the bus stop, I had contemplated my mother’s knitting hot orange-red angora mittens and caps for my cousins for Hanuk-

kah. She would sit at night, after long hours of slavish work for us, bounding upstairs, downstairs, never stopping, certainly never taking a moment for herself except when overcome with exhaustion, she would drop into a chair and pull out her knitting needles. Perhaps it was the colour of that luxurious wool, bought on sale out of season, or maybe the soft balls of yarn that resembled fluffy baby kittens asleep that drew my lust for the precious gifts she was crafting for my cousins. I thought them the most lovely, tantalizing gifts ever and I hoped that I might be given a set. These too I will always associate with the magic of Hanukkah.

Into the present, some rituals remain, always a family dinner climaxing with the lighting of the menorah and the grandchildren’s reaching grabbing hands for the candles and the chocolate gelt. And, too, in spite of the magnetic pull of technology, the lure of the simple wooden dreidel, the spinning top that has persisted throughout cultures and centuries. The backstory of Hanukkah dreidels inscribed with the four letters, “nun”, “gimmel”, “hey” and” shin” is rich as well.

The site myjewishlearning.com provides context for the dreidels by explaining that, during the time of the Maccabees, circa 167 BCE, when Jewish children were forbidden from learning Torah, they would defy the decree and study anyway. If a Greek official approached, they hid their books and took

out their tops, pretending to be playing games.

Rabbi David Golinkin in myjewishlearning.com also contributes that the letters on the dreidel may represent the four kingdoms that were intent on destroying Jews in ancient days: N=Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon); H=Haman (Persia); G=Gog (Greece) and S=Seir (Rome). Terribly, somethings never change.

The website continues that the Gematria states that the sum of the numerical values of nun, gimmel, hey and shin is 358, which is also the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters spelling Moshiach, the Hebrew word for Messiah.

Like the light spreading from the candles set in the menorah, more tiny miracles illuminate and deepen the mysteries of wonders we perceive as we pass on Hanukkah tales, traditions, histories and enchantments to those at the table, observing the flickering lights that take us back to our origins.

The story of the diaspora, our beginnings, our holidays and celebrations in places far away (Russia, Poland, Spain, Germany and those above) named ancient empires of Babylonia, Greece, and Rome are recalled with longing in songs and narratives. Sholem Aleichem’s Yiddish short stories of “Tevye (the Dairyman) and His Daughters” transformed into “Fiddler on the Roof.” Based on Jewish life in a fictional village, Anatevka, in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia at

the turn of the 20th century, a poor tailor in love with Tevye’s daughter, Tzeitel, voices his confusion at the changes of life. The changes wherein Jews must continue to leave their homes, traveling great distances, searching for peace and security. Yet in spite of the expulsions, pogroms, terrors towards his people, he takes a moment in song to express his wonder at the miracle of love. Sweetly, he sings: …The most miraculous one of all Is the one I thought could never be: G-d has given you to me.

When Moses softened Pharaoh’s heart, that was a miracle.

When G-d made the waters of the red sea part, that was a miracle too!

But of all G-d’s miracles large and small, The most miraculous one of all Is that out of a worthless lump of clay, G-d has made a man today.

But of all G-d’s miracles large and small The most miraculous one of all Is the one I thought could never beG-d has given you to me.

At heart, we are romantics, in love with G-d, our festivals, our families, the ties that bind us together, especially in the afterglow of the menorah at Hanukkah. A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 67

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Seeking G-d in a Church

BY RABBI JACOB RUPP

W

hat we have here is a failure to communicate.”

I sat down for my third coffee of the day on a crisp, cold Minnesota morning with a new member of my organization. Shifting uncomfortably, he mentioned that this past weekend, he had taken his family to church.

He explained it was because he wanted to feel connected to G-d and also that the priest incorporated into the service practical advice about how to live a better life and have a better marriage.

He naturally felt the need to apologize (to whom I wasn’t sure). He clarified that it wasn’t like he didn’t think the synagogue was important, he just didn’t understand how mumbling Hebrew and hearing his rabbi give a speech about politics was important to his everyday life.

Perhaps he was surprised when I told him, “Well, it isn’t.”

There is an ethical question about a man who hired a truck driver to transport some cargo from point A to point B. The man paid the driver handsomely, and when he met the driver at the agreed upon location, the driver related that he had driven safely, kept the truck in good condition (he even had a full tank of gas), and had arrived before the agreed upon time. When the man asked where the cargo was, the truck driver shrugged and said that he had forgotten it at the original location. Should the man pay the driver?

I would hope most of us would acknowledge that safety, truck condition, and punctuality for a delivery service is important, but if the goods don’t get from point A to point B, then there’s no reason for the service. I’d dare to suggest that this same question has to be asked about our religious institutions. What should we expect from our rabbis and our synagogues, and what should they be providing to us?

The idea that a Jew should seek G-d in a church, at least to me, isn’t surprising at all.

For thousands of years our people, with our supercharged Divine antennae, have sought spirituality in every religion, cult, and ideology. The tragedy here isn’t that my new

friend looked for G-d in a church, it’s that after spending his whole life going to services in a synagogue, he still hadn’t found G-d. He still didn’t know what was going on in the prayer book. He still didn’t understand how living a vibrant Jewish life was relevant in his life, with his wife, and with his children. And shame on us, the collective Jewish professional world, for not providing that kind of structure or those answers for him. I dare ask if we wondered what we were giving him when we collected his yearly dues.

Granted these are questions we in the professional Jewish world don’t want to ask.

For a Jew that doesn’t follow halacha, what is the role of the synagogue? For a Jew that follows halacha, the question is easy–you need a synagogue for a quorum, a minyan of 10 men to pray. But truthfully you don’t even need a synagogue for that. You could hold a minyan in a house, or an airport. The idea that we need a place to come together to live, to be a community, and to grow is a central idea that has developed in the past hundreds of years. But why a synagogue instead of a Jewish Community Center or Jewish Federation?

Even more complex is what makes a community center or a federation Jewish? Is it the values? Well, which values do they choose? Are they from the Torah? Do the people who set the curriculum know enough of the Torah to know which values come from there and which do not? Is it who these communal institutions serve?

Most JCCs and Federations serve the broader community.

Despite these questions, if we already have institutions for community and philanthropy and education, why do we need a synagogue? It must be that we see a value in religious connection. And despite our best attempts to remain open minded and pluralistic, what does Jewish religious connection mean, if anything at all?

I ask this because an adjective can’t mean nothing. If Judaism is just ‘do whatever you want’ or ‘believe whatever you want’ then that’s hardly Jewish. We’ve meant something for thousands of years and if no other

culture exists, we wouldn’t cease to exist. We would return to our fundamentals and find that instead of nothing or pluralism being there, there’s actually a rich history, lots of meaning and all of the things that congregants look for when they go to a shul.

Historically, the home used to be the center of Jewish life, and the individual had to seek out his or her own connection to G-d.

There were no rabbis giving High Holiday sermons about baseball and politics back in the day to inspire Abraham to jump into the fiery furnace or Moshe to go up to Sinai. Our great people had spent years as spiritual seekers. They had mastered their craft of religious inquiry. They didn’t wait for the shul picnic to figure out what G-d wanted from them, or if G-d exists.

But since we do, nowadays, in our distance and our ignorance of our tradition, seek G-d from our intuitions and religious leaders, our religious leaders need to provide it. If we, the leaders, can’t, what are we there for? If a Jewish person can’t walk into a synagogue of any denomination, and feel connected to the Jewish G-d, and understand more about their Judaism, and see how it is relevant in their lives, we’re the delivery driver who’s getting paid to do nothing.

The fact that a Jew could seek G-d in a church says two things: Jews are seeking, and that other institutions are providing.

Some Jews look for meaning in their yoga studios, or their University, or any other of the myriad of places that seek to provide direction and meaning. And while Jewish guilt might keep Jews, at least for this generation, sending money and time in their Jewish institutions, there is no promise that it will in the future.

Nor should it. If something doesn’t work, maybe close it down. If a business doesn’t adopt to the times (Blockbuster, Kodak, etc.) it’s time either for a radical restructure (think Target and Best Buy) or time to shut its doors (think Sears). There’s no mitzvah in the Torah “Thou shalt pay your rabbi to talk about politics on Yom Kippur.” Sure, you’re obligated to make a rabbi for yourself, someone who can teach you Torah, and help you live a more moral life. Wait–

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 69

what? Is that our tradition saying that relevance and spiritual awareness is what we are meant to seek from our clergy?

While many people in the Jewish world today are wringing their hands and fretting about the future, there is tremendous opportunity here. If this Jewish man goes to church, it means he’s open to learning.

And we Jews have been having engaging and stimulating conversations surrounding meaning and G-d for years and hopefully (now this is where my article could get offensive) we actually think our religion, at least for this Jewish man, will provide more value and truth than the doctrine he’ll find

campaign trail.

The time has come for the synagogue congregant to take responsibility for his or her own faith and demand their clerical leader do what they are paid to do: teach spirituality and make Judaism relevant.

And for crying out loud, as clergy maybe we should start worrying about how we can have the tough conversations with our congregants and try to figure out what is missing in their spiritual lives, in their personal lives, their marriages, and in their parenting journey and turn to the Torah to try to find some possible ideas and advice that actually provide value. A

in the church.

Not to say there isn’t good there–G-d does love us, G-d does care what we do, and He does tell us how to live optimally in our personal and marital lives. It’s just that these concepts aren’t Christian. You don’t need to go to church for that. Don’t tell anyone...but the Christians took these concepts from us. JC didn’t teach the world about loving our neighbor, Leviticus did.

But most Jews don’t know that because to them, synagogue has become more about Debbie Goldstein’s new outfit from Saks, the fundraising dinner, or insert politician here’s vaguely anti-Semitic remarks on the Unaffiliated in yoUr time of need i'm yoUr rabbi

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72 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

| FEATURE |

What to Do with a Wolf at the Door

BY RABBI BENJAMIN LEINOW

I

t is Hanukkah time on the calendar. For the last five years I have written joyful articles in the Jewish Journal at this time of the year. This year I am feeling critical and let down by our federal government. As a rabbi, I have been taught to read and interpret history. The stories and messages of the past help us to interpret the present and prepare for the future.

We are in a period of time when a tyranny of a small number of people in our government believe that they have the only truth and all other truth is wrong. It does not matter to that group that their truth changes day to day. The history I am looking at these days is the lessons of what happens when false truths prevail. The current attitude of truth in our government reminds me of the fabricated inquisitions against the Jews, Protestants, Muslims, Irish, African-American slaves and American Indians who were all subjected to a truth which was not true and resulted in the death of both knowledge and life.

You may say I am being extreme, that I am being overly worried. You might think there is not really a wolf at the door of the hen house. But, when truth becomes a lie and lies become the truth, then we must stop the confusion, and put the puzzle together. I believe others may share my feelings of national discomfort.

During the upcoming Hanukkah season we can turn our national discomfort into an act of giving that could collectively bring about a positive change. I am not suggesting that we should stop gift giving among friends and relatives during the eight days of Hanukkah, but I believe the greatest gift we can give to our friends, families and ourselves would be to change our attitude and take action to influence our national and local leaders. The gift would be thoughts and actions to make our country a loving home with peace and stability for all people.

Up until recently we were slowly moving towards a country that would bring joy and opportunities to all. In the past we challenged ourselves and each other to support innovative responses to address the problems and the needs we believed would improve the communities in which we live. At this time, I fear that our country is squandering our vast

resources as we hens try to make the best of a bad situation with a wolf at the door. We are hoping that all the changes to our national institutions that have taken place will go away. Our national wealth is being devoured by people who have chosen harmful pathways to make themselves wealthy. The people who need our national resources are being cut off, left behind and blocked from the care that they need. Too many people go without.

As we light the candles during Hanukkah, let us dedicate each candle to working towards an enhancement of life for all the people in this wonderful nation. The following are my suggestions of what to dedicate your candles toward, but you may pray for other needs related to your candles. I hope your dedication will result in your action for the common good.

1st Candle: Tell the truth about needs and wants and all actions. Evaluate all needs honestly even if it creates discomfort.

Candle 2: Be kind to staff and coworkers, all employees and family. Ask for their good advice and listen to their suggestions.

Make change based upon sound expertise.

Candle 3: Find a way to influence positive changes to gun ownership.

Candle 4: Provide food, clothing, jobs, and education for all people within our borders.

Candle 5: Provide living wages for all adults. Support equal wages for men and women for equal jobs. Establish equal job descriptions based upon knowledge and ability.

Candle 6: Establish pleasurable, reasonably priced recreational activities.

Candle 7: Encourage women and men to take full responsibility when it is time for decisions about their health needs. Doctors must be allowed to listen to the patient and not be intimidated by government regulation.

Candle 8: Encourage volunteer opportunities for people to share knowledge and create enjoyable activities during leisure time.

May you find joy in making changes which will benefit all people in our wonderful country. Happy Hanukkah and Holiday season to you all. A Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 73

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| DIVERSIONS |

Haim, Jack Black and more record songs for a Hanukkah album VIA JTA NEWS

Haim.

A

dam Sandler is finally getting some competition in the Hanukkah music world.

Haim, Jack Black, the Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and other prominent artists have recorded songs for a Hanukkah album titled “Hanukkah+,” the record label Verve Forecast has announced.

The album came out Nov. 22 and also features contributions from folk singer Loudon Wainwright III, Adam Green (of the band Moldy Peaches), Alex Frankel (of the electronic group Holy Ghost and a founder of the Jewish deli Frankel’s in Brooklyn) and more.

Rolling Stone reported that the record is a mix of covers and original songs. Haim’s contribution is a cover of the late Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be Your Will.” Black wrote

two originals, and the Flaming Lips and Wainwright also penned new songs for the album.

The project is the brainchild of Grammy-winning music supervisor Randall Poster, who was inspired by Yo La Tengo’s annual run of Hanukkah concerts.

“When our old friend Randy Poster asked us to contribute to an album of Hanukkah songs he was putting together, we were kind of stumped,” Yo La Tengo, which is led by singer Ira Kaplan, said in a statement. “As non-practicing Jews (and non-Jews), truthfully the holiday has little meaning for us (that’s the meta joke behind Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows), but we were open to inspiration.” A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 77

what’s goin’on?

| By Eileen Sondak

“Cambodian Rock Band” at The La Jolla Playhouse.

The San Diego Symphony’s slate for December kicks off with Jahja Ling returning to the podium for a series of concerts starring pianist Wei Luo performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 Dec. 6-8. Also on the program are works by Dvorak and Rimsky-Korsakov.

The Symphony’s Fox Theater Series features “Disney in Concert: Mary Poppins” on Dec. 13, followed on Dec. 15 by “Noel Noel,” a holiday offering for the small-fry set.

That performance includes pre-concert activities. Another concert titled “Noel Noel,” will be performed Dec. 14, 20, 21 & 22.

The La Jolla Playhouse is staging “Cambodian Rock Band,” a story about survivors, the resilient bond of family, and the enduring power of music. Songs by Dengue Fever propel the plot of this moving piece, set to stay on at the Playhouse through Dec. 15.

The Old Globe has two special family-friendly shows on the boards. The Main Stage features “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (a classic for the past 22 years). The musical version of this beloved holiday story will stay put through Dec. 29. “Ebeneezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show” is making its San Diego debut on the White stage, where it will be ensconced through Dec. 24. This latest holiday bon bon has a comic twist to delight audiences of all ages.

Broadway-San Diego is bringing “Dear Evan Hansen” to the Civic Theater Dec. 31 through Jan. 12.

The San Diego Opera will feature soprano Ailyn Perez and tenor Joshua Guerrero at the Balboa Theater on Dec. 11 for “One Amazing Night.”

The San Diego Repertory Theater is highlighting “Hold These Truths,” an inspiring true story of an American hero who defied the unjust order to report to a Japanese internment camp and fought for 50 years to right that wrong. The dramatic work will be fascinating audiences at the Lyceum Space through Dec. 8.

78 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

“Evan Hansen” at Broadway San Diego.

North Coast Repertory Theater has two Variety Nights in store for San Diegans this month. The Tuesday Night Comics return for a one-night stand on Dec. 10, while “My Sinatra,” starring Cary Hoffman makes a brief stop at the company’s Solana Beach home Dec. 12-15. Fans of Ol’ Blue Eyes will hear 20 of Sinatra’s classic hits on the program.

Cygnet Theater is bringing back “A Christmas Carol,” Cygnet’s holiday favorite (with an original score, puppetry, and other wonderful special effects). The show will remain at the troupe’s Old Town Theater through Dec. 29.

California Ballet will unveil a “new” “Nutcracker” on Dec. 13. The production, slated for the Civic Theater through Dec. 24, will feature new costumes and sets–and live accompaniment by the San Diego Symphony.

The Lamb’s Players will unwrap its popular “Festival of Christmas” on Dec. 5. The Yuletide show is slated to remain at the Lamb’s Coronado home through Dec. 29–serenading audiences with a bevy of songs of the season, along with a story set in 1954.

Scripps Ranch Theater is taking audiences back to the 1950s, for a play set in an Irish Country House. “And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” will complete its run on Dec. 8.

City Ballet is trotting out its ever-popular annual “Nutcracker” (a San Diego award-winner) for a mid-December run at the Spreckels Theater. The ballet will entertain local audiences with its Victorian-era antics and vintage costumes Dec. 7-23.

San Diego Musical Theater is showing off a production of “A Christmas Show” at the Horton Grand Theater. The musical will stay around through Dec. 29.

“Seadragons and Seahorses” at The Birch Aquarium.

The Timken Museum’s “Masterpieces of Italian Drawings” is ensconced through Dec. 15. The show features Fra Bartolemmeo’s Study for Salvator Munde and Andrea del Sarto’s The Lamentation with Four Saints.

impact on humans). Also at the Fleet is the “Renegade Science Project,” which escorts visitors through the park for a 90-minute exploration. Its newest exhibition, “Sun, Earth, Universe,” is an interactive exhibit that explores the world of space science and astronomy. “Pause/Play,” an immersive experience for mind and body that uses science in a completely new way, has been extended through Jan. 5.

The Museum of Art is showcasing “Bouguereau & America,” an exhibition that includes 40 canvases depicting modern interpretations of classical subjects by the French artist. The show will remain through March 15 of next year. “Black Life: Images of Resistance & Resilience in Southern California,” an exhibition that showcases 40 modern prints, continues through Dec. 1. “Abstract Revolution”–settled in through Feb. 23 of 2020–will re-evaluate the development of Abstract Expressionism.

The Fleet is offering “Dream, Design, Build”–an exhibition that explores the museum’s collection of interactive engineering activities, and “Taping Shape 2.0,” which uses hundreds of rolls of packing tape to create a world of translucent spaces and tunnels. The Fleet has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Studio X,” “Block Busters,” and “Origins in Space.” The newest is “It’s Electric,” an interactive show that explores the fundamentals of electricity.

“Nutcracker 2019” at The California Ballet.

“Bouguereau & America,” at The San Diego Museum of Art.

The newest exhibition at the Museum of Art, “Nick Roth: Fates,” is a three-panel animation representing life, destiny, and death. The show will continue through March 1.

Birch Aquarium is highlighting a permanent exhibition, “Seadragons & Seahorses.” Hall of Fishes,” which also serves as a working laboratory, is also on view. Birch has an installation on light by scientist Michael Latz, and another exhibition that helps you understand Scripps’ expeditions to discover and protect the planet. “Expedition at Sea” includes a 33-foot long projected triptych and hands-on learning opportunities.

Another interesting exhibition at the Birch is “Research in Action: 100 Island Challenge,” an exhibit that explores the way reefs are adapting to our rapidly changing planet.

Also on display is “Oddities: Hidden Heroes of the Scripps Collection,” a comic book-inspired exhibit that highlights amazing adaptations of ocean species.

The Reuben Fleet Science Center will be showing a new film, “Cuba,” a fascinating look at the island nation, along with “Turtle Odyssey” (narrated by Russell Crowe), “Superpower Dogs,” (which showcases the bravery and prowess of some of the world’s most remarkable dogs) and “Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation” (which examines the contribution of volcanoes to the wildlife ecosystem and their

The Natural History Museum is captivating audiences with “Escape the Nat”–an escape room experience that dares you to solve puzzles and save the world. The 3-D films include “Hidden Pacific,” “Ocean Oasis,” and “Conquest of the Skies. “Hidden Gems” is another attraction.

“Coast to Cactus in California,” and “Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage”–a display of specimens from around the world–are also worth checking out. The newest exhibition is a photographic exhibit titled “Insects Face to Face.”

The New Children’s Museum has a colorful interactive textile environment to amuse the small-fry set. Dubbed Whammock, the intricate installation (designed by artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam) invites kids to climb, play, and have fun.

The San Diego History Center is featuring the first exhibition in Balboa Park exploring San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community. The History Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Placed Promises,” chronicles the history of the San Diego region–and the America’s Cup Exhibition, highlights the sailing race held in San Diego three times since 1988.

The Museum of Man (open during a seismic retrofit) is showcasing “Cannibals: Myth & Reality” and “PostSecret.” A

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 79

the news Hakhel Adds 27 Intentional Communities Worldwide, 15 in the US Hakhel, the Jewish Communities Incubator has added 27 communities from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Norway and Australia. Of these 27 new communities, 15 are within the US, including Mamash in San Diego. Hakhel has been specifically engaging millennial Jews in regards to their heritage.

An intentional community is a community of people rooted in Jewish life who live within close proximity to one another, share a sense of purpose, have a long-term vision for the community and meet on a regular basis. Hakhel will provide these communities with professional support over the next three years for development purposes.

First State of Hunger Luncheon Held at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation The San Diego Hunger Coalition held its inaugural State of Hunger Luncheon at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation on Nov. 15. The luncheon included a briefing on the state of hunger in San Diego County, a panel presentation from local hunger relief experts, and an audience of over 200 people representing nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, governments and more.

Luncheon attendees were provided previously unreleased data on the number of meals provided to fight hunger in San Diego, as well as statistics on food insecurity. Some speakers included the Hunger Coalition’s Executive Director Anahid Brakke, CEO of Feeding San Diego Vince Hall, and the Director of Food and Nutrition Services at San Diego Unified School District, Gary Petill.

Brandeis Professor to be Honored at Luncheon Brandeis University Professor of American Studies Dr. Thomas Doherty will be speaking at a luncheon at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club for the San Dieguito chapter of the Brandeis National Committee on Jan. 9.

A professor is honored every year by the committee to share “the knowledge and expertise (and entertainment)” that Brandeis students experience. Professor Doherty in particular studies Hollywood and published a book in 2018 on a particular time in film history: “Show Trial: Hollywood, HUAC, and the Birth of the Blacklist.” He also edits for the magazine “Cineaste” and the “Journal of American History.”

The event will take place at 505 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Ticket prices range from $55 to $75, and the money will partially benefit the “Honoring Our History: Transforming Unique Collections Highlighting Social Justice” fundraiser. Attendees must RSVP at (858) 309-8348 by Dec. 27.

80 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

“The plethora of these new communities joining the Hakhel network shows that our formula for engaging millennials is working and taking root for Jews throughout the world,” said Aharon Ariel Lavi, Hakhel’s founder and General Director. “We are encouraged by the geographic diversity of the intentional communities joining our program.”

Independent Voter Project Goes to Court Over Confusing California Primary A state judge heard a case regarding the Independent Voter Project and the legality of the rules surrounding California’s presidential primaries. The rules, the IVP alleged, violate the state constitution’s rule that the primary must be open. California instead runs semi-closed primaries in which the political parties can dictate whether or not No Party Preference voters can participate.

As of 2019, approximately 28 percent of California’s registered voters were registered as No Party Preference. While the Democratic, Libertarian and American Independent parties allow No Party Preference voters request a ballot in order to vote for their candidates (a semi-closed primary), the Republican, Green, and Peace and Freedom parties do not allow independent voters to vote on their ballots. This ends up causing a lower voter turnout for No Party Preference Voters.

Peace of Mind San Diego Brings IDF Soldiers Peace of Mind (POM) provides former soldiers with nine months of therapeutic group sessions in Israel. One of those weeks, they travel to a different Jewish community in another part of the world.

One unit will be coming to stay in San Diego the beginning of December. Contact Chabad in Carmel Valley for more information chabadcv.com or (858) 333-4613.

Meetings and Events for Jewish Seniors Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post-185 Contact Jerome Klein (858) 521-8694 Dec. 8, 10 a.m.

Mingei International Museum to Announce Plans for Expansion

Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443

The Mingei International Museum located in Balboa Park will announce its plans for “the final stage of the Museum’s transformation” on Dec. 4 at the Plaza de Panama. The Museum says its “Transformation 2020” will express “a dynamically renewed commitment to the Museum’s vision and the community it serves.”

Jewish War Veterans meetings

The museum’s free plaza level will include a civic space, a garden courtyard, an Education Center for K-12 students, a multipurpose theater space, shopping and dining areas and some of the museum’s collection on display. A solar energy system will also be implemented and the terrace roofing will be repaired.

Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141

The museum recently earned an Unbuilt Design award from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Jewish Groups Join Letter Demanding Ouster of Stephen Miller for White Supremacist Views The Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc, and the Union for Reform Judaism signed a letter sent earlier this week to Trump on behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

“In his role as your senior advisor, Stephen Miller has promoted hate speech spewed from neo-Nazis, bigots, and white supremacists,” the letter said.

Southern Poverty Law Center earlier this month published hundreds of emails sent by Miller to a reporter at the conservative Breitbart News, many of them racist and anti-immigrant in nature.

“Supporters of white supremacists and neo-Nazis should not be allowed to serve at any level of government, let alone in the White House. Stephen Miller has stoked bigotry, hate, and division with his extreme political rhetoric and policies throughout his career. The recent exposure of his deep-seated racism provides further proof that he is unfit to serve and should immediately leave his post,” the letter said.

The groups said that Miller’s beliefs led to the implementation of several policies that hurt immigrants, people of color, and marginalized communities, including the Muslim travel ban, efforts to end the DACA program for undocumented immigrants brought to America as children, and the family separation policy.

“Unless and until you fire Stephen Miller–and all who promulgate bigotry–and abandon your administration’s anti-civil rights agenda, you will continue to be responsible for the violence fueled by that hate,” the letter concluded.

Dec. 8, 11 a.m.

Lawrence Family JCC Dec. 11, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Senior Hanukkah Party with fresh latkes and the Singing Grandpas & Gals. Cost is $18; $15 for JCC Members.

RSVP by Dec. 2.

On the Go Excursions Contact Mia Elenes (858) 637-3012 Dec. 19, Depart 11 a.m., return 2 p.m. Annual Hanukkah Party at College Avenue Center. Pay $20 by Dec 9.

North County Jewish Seniors Club at the Oceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine (760) 295-2564 Dec. 19, 12:30 p.m.

JFS College Avenue at Temple Emanu-El Contact Bret Caslavka (858) 637-3257 Dec. 20, 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Hanukkah Celebration with music by Cantor Hanan. Free.

JFS Balboa Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Dec. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hanukkah Celebration with entertainment by Cara Friedman. Call Aviva to RSVP. Cost is $27.

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 81

ADVICE

ASK MARNIE

by Marnie Macauley asksadie@aol.com

“Jew Year’s” Resolutions

S

halom my dear San Diegans: Now that we’ve all OD’d on latkes, most Jews, like billions of others, will wait for that 5-4-3-2 countdown when some ball drops somewhere, officially bouncing in the secular New Year. Even though our New Year came and went, as we Jews love to “repeat”–especially when a little guilt is mixed with optimism–why not hoist the Manischewitz, and make a few lofty resolutions? My personal list is always the same: lose 10 pounds, try exercising while vertical, quit thinking a pimple is a symptom of a disease only 80-year-old men get–if they’re from Uruguay. Of course my resolutions are the same because by January 2, I’ve got my face in a chocolate cake while lying down and hysterically taking 100 selfies of my pimple. People, we can do better. So in honor of the secular New Year’s resolution, today’s column is a small selection of “bon mots,” thoughts, aphorisms and truisms my mulching brain has created from a lifetime of dealing with meshuggas. It’s very relaxing and beats making lanyards.

Getting It! Personal Resolutions for Living *MARNIE SAYS: “Where would the French be now if Joan of Arc let some fellow named Pierre decide whether she should whup the English or move in and whip up his cream puffs?”

This doesn’t necessary mean to take this journey solo or refuse to compromise. It means being “the boss of you” and not sacrificing your own important passions and values–“because I looove him.”

Jew Year’s Resolution: “To learn to be OK with me and refuse to bend my important principles and passions for anyone else, no matter what the prize.”

82 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

MARNIE SAYS: “‘Perfectly safe’ is for pencil pushers, not Picassos.” If you’re about taking the safe route, you may be missing out. I’m not talking about imbibing on 20 tequila shots but taking reasonable risks. I promise that you’ll be surprised at what life has to offer.

Jew Year’s Resolution “To quit being afraid of the unknown and take a few new turns and risks with optimism.

I will ask myself ‘What’s the worst thing that can happen if I try?’ and my answer will be … ‘I’ll be happier.’”

MARNIE SAYS: “Continued fury will shred your soul, zap your joy, and whittle away at your integrity.” Sure we get angry when we’ve been disappointed, betrayed, or hurt. If you hold onto rage, you become your own worst enemy, overwhelmed by thoughts of revenge, questioning “why?” and remaining stuck in misery.

Jew Year’s Resolution “To learn that life may at times, be unfair but I refuse to catastrophize and more, I’ll forgive myself and others–and move on.”

MARNIE SAYS: “A smart human doesn’t expect a duck to sing an aria.” We women in particular are nurturers who were often raised to “fix” others. Worse, should we fail, we unfairly blame ourselves. While change is certainly possible, it’s not our job to fix others, and may not even be possible. Either we accept people for who they are or go without guilt or self-torture.

Jew Year’s Resolution “While I’ll try to help those I care about; I’ll live life in the real lane. I refuse to play doctor or nurse to anyone I believe hasn’t got the right stuff for me.”

MARNIE SAYS: “Never make the mistake

of assuming others must or should think as you do.” Where is it written that there’s only one correct view–yours? This single error is responsible for major misunderstandings between mates, and even countries.

Jew Year’s Resolution “I will not automatically presume the world thinks or should think my way. Instead, I will listen, hear, and respect the rights of others to hold differing points of view.”

MARNIE SAYS: “Roar, Tiger! Even in pain, it’s the sound of life.” Whoever said ‘Life is a ball’ is probably on a Prozac drip. Whether life deals you a bad or good hand, revel in the possibilities without compromising your self-worth. As mistakes are our best teachers, ‘bad’ can become a more invaluable life lesson then constant contentment or striving for ‘perfection’.

Jew Year’s Resolution “Mistakes are my best teachers. I will not rate myself a ‘success’ or ‘failure’ based upon nonsense expectations of ‘perfection.’ The important thing is my journey.”

MARNIE SAYS: “In the matter of constructive criticism–‘Shut Up.’” While this might sound odd coming from an advice columnist, trust me. If your partner hasn’t asked, don’t volunteer your superior advice. Picture it: She’s gained a few pounds. You say: ‘Honey, why don’t you join a gym?’ She needs that? She wants your opinion? Of course not.

You’ll be sleeping in a tent.

Jew Year’s Resolution “I will not volunteer ‘helpful’ advice unless specifically asked. And even then, I will monitor my comments to be supportive and refuse to give her a lecture on obesity.”

If you resolve to put these in place, chances are you’ll have a brighter and saner 2020! A

From the Playwright of

SYNAGOGUE LIFE

“An exhilarating, deeply satisfying piece of work.”

- New York Magazine

EVENTS Light Up Your Chanukah at Congregation Beth Israel

Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., 9001 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92122 Join CBI to create your own memorable Hanukkah celebration. Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein will teach you how to do it yourself (DIY) in this handson workshop. Free. Visit cbisd.org for more information.

This is not

a game.

PJ and Pancake Tot Shabbat at Temple Adat Shalom

Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA 92064 All families with young children are invited to attend this Shabbat service. Questions or RSVP to Marilyn Milne, (858) 451-6558 or mmilne@adatshalom.com.

Visit adatshalom.com for more information.

Women’s Connection Torah Fund Campaign Kick-Off Brunch at Congregation Beth El Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 8660 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 Hear what is happening in Beth El’s movement, plus reflections from guest speaker Rabbi Gary Ezra Oren, Executive Director of Hillel San Diego.

Cost is $25 in advance by Dec. 6, $30 at the door.

Visit cbe.org for more information.

THE GREAT LEAP

By Lauren Yee

Directed by Rob Lutfy

Jan. 22 – Feb. 16, 2020 Tickets: 619.337.1525 www.cygnettheatre.org

Just Sold

Woman of the Year Dinner at Temple Adat Shalom

Dec. 12, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway, CA 92064 Join Adat Shalom to honor one of the Temple’s many volunteers, Mindy Shanes. Enjoy a dinner and learn about this 2019 Woman of the Year. Cost is $40. Visit adatshalom.com for more information.

Guest Scholars Weekend at Ner Tamid

Dec. 14, 9:30 a.m. 12348 Casa Avenida, Poway, CA 92064 Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg, one of the world’s foremost scholars on Judaism and ecology, will deliver the Sermon at Shabbat Services and will lead a noon Lunch and Learn. Free. Visit nertamidsd.org for more information.

Got Latkes?! at Temple Beth Shalom

Dec. 29, 3 p.m. 208 Madrona Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Everyone is welcome to Temple Beth Shalom to

(858)243-3317

Call for details.

Lisa represents Buyers and Sellers throughout San Diego County!

Lisa@LisaOrlansky.com www.LisaOrlansky.com Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CaDRE#01333258.

light the 8th Candle for Beth Shalom’s Hanukkah party. Free. Visit bethshalomtemple.com for more information.

*Interested in having your event featured?

Contact assistant@sdjewishjournal.com.

Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issue.

Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 83

EVENTS

Cantor Deborah Davis

Design Decor Production

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

Let us work together to create a wedding ceremony that reflects the joy of your special day.

Mitzvah Event Productions

LYDIA KRASNER 619.548.3485 www.MitzvahEvent.com

member of

lydia@mitzvahevent.com

The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition.

Let the award-winning

Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble

As Humanistic Jewish clergy I focus on each couple’s uniqueness and their love for each other. I welcome Jewish, interfaith and same-sex couples. I also perform all life-cycle ceremonies.

For further information please contact

Deborah Davis • 619.275.1539 www.deborahjdavis.com

JEWISH COMMUNITY

provide your wedding or Bar/Bat Mitzvah with lively, authentic music. Tradition has never been so much fun!

For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

Rodeo Ice Cream

Events, Birthday Parties, Bar/Batmitvahs Kosher Ice Cream Available Raul Ontiveros Owner

619.981.4704

l

Direct Line: (858) 362-1352 E-mail: littlemensches@gmail.com www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby/littlemensches l

raulontiveros68@yahoo.com

Fabrics for Fashion and Home

Visit our Giant Store & Warehouse 907 Plaza Blvd. • National City

619- 477- 3749

JESSICA FINK JUDY NEMZER VIVIEN DEAN

9 locations in SD County Family Owned and Operated since 1953

84 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2019

Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS 4126 Executive Drive • La Jolla, CA 92037-1348

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p: 619.563.8000 f: 619.704.0206 gkornfeld@kornfeldandlevy.com

Gary Kornfeld Certified Public Accountant Rafael James Psychotherapist

RESTAURANTS | CATERING

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Kislev / Tevet 5780 SDJewishJournal.com 85

PRESENTED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF COMMUNITY

FEBRUARY 2 • 10:00 AM HILTON LA JOLLA TORREY PINES

SOLD OUT IN 2019!

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