San Diego Jewish Journal, January 2019

January 2019 Tevet / Shevat 5779

Education • Women Issue

SDJA, CHA, SDFAS, Soille and Temple Solel’s Preschool Our Conversation With Congressman Mike Levin We Interview, Shari Schenk, the New President of JNF’s San Diego Board of Directors and Local OB-GYN Dr. Dina Fainman

2 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

“A tense tale of wartime intrigue and romance” THE NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC’S PICK

JANUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 10

WEST COAST PREMIERE

FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 17

DIRECTED BY MATTHEW WIENER

DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS

Comic genius Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor), a master of old-fashioned knockabout farces, created MOON OVER BUFFALO. This is a laugh-a-minute show-within-a-show, with everyone in the wrong costumes and reading the wrong lines. An evening of mayhem filled with comic inventions and running gags, this is a wild and wacky comedy. Be prepared to leave the theatre exhausted from laughter.

The Isle of Guernsey — 1943. A mysterious, handsome man washes up on shore and four British women decide to protect him. This award-winning play presents the dramatic tale of a family under Nazi occupation. GABRIEL explores the perils of survival through mystical beliefs and loyalty. A powerful wartime drama brimming with suspense and intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE northcoastrep.org Box Office: (858) 481-1055 | Group Sales: (858) 481-2155, ext. 202

WHEN YOU NEED A RABBI Congregation B'nai Tikvah, Carlsbad

CALL RABBI BEN LEINOW

Ben Leinow Rabbi, PhD

“A RABBI WHO CARES”

Counseling & Ceremonies for:

Weddings (for all couples) Baby's Naming and Funerals CELL: 619.992.2367 760.727.5333 email: myrabbiben@gmail.com.

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Education at Temple Solel

Exceptional programs for preschool through 12th grade For further information, please contact our Preschool Office - 760.944.1285 Religious School - 760.334.1465 templesolel.net 3575 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 3

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Friendship Circle: Building a welcoming community for ALL abilities.

Bubbly Brunch Sunday, January 27th 11:00am

Join TV stars, Christina Sanz and Steven Clark, from the Emmy winning show "Born this Way" for a morning of food, fun, and inspiration as they share their joys, challenges, and dreams as successful actors with disabilities.

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4 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 5

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6 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND INVITES YOU TO ATTEND OUR 8TH ANNUAL

LOVE OF ISRAEL BRUNCH FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER

Bari Weiss The New York Times Op-Ed Staff Editor & Writer

Sunday, January 20, 2019 ∙ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Hilton San Diego Bayfront RSVP at jnf.org/SDBrunch2019 TICKETS $36 EVENT CHAIRS

Karen & Dr. Robert Zeiger MORE INFORMATION

James Kimmey, Director, San Diego jkimmey@jnf.org or 858.824.9178 x988 RSVP Required

Dietary Laws Observed

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

jnf.org · 800.JNF.0099

The Behavioral Health Committee of Jewish Family Service Invites You to an Educational Event in Support of Mental Health Awareness

Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Qualcomm Auditorium in Sorrento Valley | 6455 Lusk Blvd, San Diego CA 92121 5:30pm – 6:30pm | Resource Fair & Light Appetizers 6:45 – 8:30pm | Resilience Film Screening & Discussion

RSVP by January 25: www.jfssd.org/resilience

Do Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) determine our physical and emotional wellbeing? While research shows that toxic stress and trauma in childhood

Free Event | Open to the Community

can increase risk for chronic diseases, depression, and substance abuse as adults, they are only predictors, not destiny. Understanding the science of ACEs provides the opportunity for families, schools, and healthcare systems to implement interventions that can improve these health outcomes. No one, regardless of race or socioeconomic status is immune to adversity, but with healthy coping mechanisms and strong, nurturing family and community supports we can increase our resilience and overall wellbeing.

Questions?

Fred Caban | (858) 637-3003

Featured Speaker: Morgan Shaw, Psy.D, Clinical Director for the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma

Thank you

Linda & Ed Janon

Meiselman Family

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 7

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January 2019

Tevet/Shevat 5779

Education: San Diego Jewish

30

Academy has a new half price tuition program.

Education: Soille San Diego

35

Hebrew Day School educates multiple generations of families.

8 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

33

Women: Shari Schenk is the new

president of the San Diego Jewish National Fund’s board of directors.

37

Women: A conversation with local

OB-GYN Dr. Dina Fainman.

39 Education: Chabad Hebrew Academy is slashing prices with their new Dor L'Dor tuition program.

MONTHLY COLUMNS

12 The Starting Line 22 Personal Development and Judaism 24 Israeli Lifestyle 26 Examined Life 28 Religion

Around Town

18 Our Town 20 The Scene 68 What's Goin On

In Every Issue

14 Mailbag 16 What’s up Online 70 News 72 Diversions 73 Synagogue Life

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

41 Education Temple

43 WOMEN What Jewish History Forgot: A tribute to the Jewish woman.

46 EDUCATION A history of Jewish education.

48 EDUCATION The San Diego French-American School.

50 POLITICS Congressman Mike Levin talks to SDJJ. 52 BOOKS Review of "Edge of Order."

54 FEATURE Jewish Poets,

Jewish Voices at the JCC.

56 THEATER

"Aubergine" at the San Diego Rep.

58 WOMEN The new

combat role for women in the IDF.

60 TRAVEL Sheep, fashion and the Bible.

64 BOOKS Review of "4321."

67 FOOD Swiss chard and spinach pie.

Solel has a new preschool director.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 9

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Changing jobs can be difficult but we are with you every step of the way.

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You some choices, Youare aregoing goingtotohave havetotomake make some choices, but alone. butyou youdon’t don’thave havetotomake makethem them alone. www.sdjewishjournal.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Brie Stimson ASSISTANT EDITOR • Jacqueline Bull ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan Ableson

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858-523-7913 858-523-7913 Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey RLic Liber, CFP® Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA CA Insurance Insurance L858-523-7913 ic LLInsurance ic ##0821851 #0821851 0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 CA Lic #0821851 Don Lincoln, CFP®, Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA CA Insurance #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance LicLic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA nsurance ic 0821851 CA Insurance LLic ic ##0C28496 0C28496 CA Insurance LInsurance ic #0821851 CA nsurance CA IInsurance nsurance LRabbi ic #CFP® 0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Lic Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA IIInsurance nsurance Lic ic ##Lic 0821851 CA IInsurance LLic #CA 0821851 Jacob Rupp, Saul Levine, Rachael Eden, don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com CA Insurance Lic Insurance #0C28496 Lic#0C28496 #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic Insurance Lic #0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com www.LiberLincoln WMG.com CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing DirectorInvestments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Patty Dutra jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com

CAInsurance Insurance Lic#0821851 #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lic Zeebah Aleshi Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Managing Director- Investments Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Gina Gina Senior Vice PresidentInvestments Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Grimmer Zeebah Aleshi Senior Registered Client Associate Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Zeebah Aleshi Managin g Director-Inves tments Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Senior Vice President-Investments Senior Vice President-Investments Gina Gina G G rimmer rimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate 858-523-7904 Senior Vice President-Investments Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Registered Registered C C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Patty Dutra Patty Dutra Financial Consultant Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Patty Dutra Registered Registered C C lient lient AA A ssociate ssociate Registered Registered CC lient lient AA ssociate ssociate AVP AVP -­‐ R -­‐ R egistered egistered CC lient lient AA ssociate ssociate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com

CA Insurance Lic #0C28496

CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Registered Registered C C lient lient A ssociate ssociate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0821851 CAzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CAzeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 CA CA insurance insurance Lic LLic #Gil 0178195 #0178195 0178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CA Lic #0G75099 CA Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance LicClient #0G75099 CAFinancial Insurance Lic zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA CA nsurance nsurance ic 0178195 CA CA insurance insurance Lic LInsurance ic #Associate 0178195 #0178195 Yesenia Yesenia Gil CA insurance L#O178195 ic #0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance Lic #0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant Senior Client Associate Senior Client Senior Registered Client Associate Senior Registered Client Associate don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA CA iinsurance iinsurance LLic Lic ic ##Associate 0178195 ##0178195 Yesenia Gil Senior Client don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Gina Grimmer zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Associate Registered Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 #0G75099 CALicInsurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance LicInsurance #0G75099 CA Insurance #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic Insurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #0178195 zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com 858-523-7904 858-523-7904 CA Lic CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 Client Associate Client Associate Registered Client CA Insurance LicLicAssociate #0178195 858-523-7904 Client Associate Registered Client Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Fluent in Spanish FluentGil in Spanish Yesenia Gil Yesenia CA insurance #O178195 CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer Yesenia Gil Fluent in Spanish Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Yesenia Gil Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Zeebah Aleshi CA insurance Lic #O178195 CA insurance Lic #O178195 Gina Grimmer Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com sors.com Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil

Fluent in Spanish CA insurance Lic #O178195 Patty.Dutra@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Yesenia Gil Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate Associate Registered Client Associate eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Registered Client eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Client Client Associate Associate Senior Registered Client Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant Yesenia Gil Yesenia GilAssociate Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Senior Registered Financial Consultant Yesenia Yesenia Gil Client Associate Client yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Investment Investment and and Insurance Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankFluent Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee in Spanish in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Insurance Spanish CAGil insurance Lic #0178195 #0178195 CA Associate insurance #0178195 Client Associate Investment Investment and and Insurance Insurance Products: Productsoffered offered !NOTFDIC FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT !NOT Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Investment Investment and and Insurance Products: Products offered !NOT FDIC through Insured affiliates: !NO!NOT BankFluent Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish CA insurance CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance LicLic #O178195 CA Insurance LicLic #O178195 Investment Investment and and Insurance Insurance Products: Products !NOT through Insured affiliates: !NO Bank Guarantee FDIC Insured !MAY !NO Lose Bank Value Guarantee !MAY Lose Value Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate Client Associate CA Insurance Lic #0G75099 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Client Associate Fluent in Spanish Fluent in Spanish !MAY Lose Value !MAY Lose Value Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Value Spanish !MAY Lose yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Zeebah Aleshi Yesenia GilWells Yesenia Gil eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Michelle Hasten zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com

Gina Grimmer Jeffrey Liber, CFP® Investments jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Consultant Financial Managing DirectorJeffrey RR Liber, CFP® jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer Gina Managing DirectorInvestments Gina Grimmer jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Financial Consultant Grimmer Gina Gina Grimmer Gina Financial Consultant Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Grimmer Managin Director-Inves tments CAGrimmer Insurance LicLic #0C28496 Alissa Alissa W W addell addell Managin ggaddell Director-Inves tments CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 Alissa Alissa W W addell Financial Consultant CA Insurance Gina Grimmer Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #O178195 Financial Consultant Financial Consultant Gina Grimmer Financial Consultant AVP AVP -­‐

R -­‐

R egistered egistered C lient lient A#O178195 A ssociate ssociate Gina Grimmer Gina Grimmer

CA Insurance Lic #O178195 ociate Financial Consultant e Financial AVP AVP -­‐ Grimmer R R -­‐ Consultant R R egistered egistered CCC C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 AVP AVP -­‐ -­‐ egistered egistered C lient lient A A ssociate ssociate jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com

CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA CA iInsurance nsurance insurance nsurance L ic L ic # 0I18483 # 0I18483 CA Insurance Lic #O178195 m rs.com Financial Consultant Financial Consultant CA Lic #O178195 Gina.Grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic #O178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA i L ic # 0I18483 CA i nsurance L ic # 0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant nt Associate Financial Consultant Financial Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com CA Lic #O178195 CA Insurance Lic CA insurance L#O178195 ic #0I18483 CA iInsurance nsurance Lic #0I18483 Gina Grimmer Consultant jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Financial alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Insurance CA Lic Insurance #O178195 LicAssociate #O178195 gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com Registered Client Associate om gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance #0178195 5099 CA Lic Insurance #O178195 Lic #O178195 Registered Client

CAInsurance Insurance Lic#0821851 #0821851 CA Insurance #0C28496 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Jeffrey.Liber@wfadvisors.com Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Insurance Lic don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com CA Lic CA Insurance LicLic #0C28496 Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Don.Lincoln@wfadvisors.com Zeebah Aleshi Gina Grimmer CA Insurance Lic #0821851 Zeebah Aleshi Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Senior Client Associate

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Wells Fargo LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish zeebah.aleshi@wfadvisors.com

SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL Wells Fargo LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish

gina.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Fluent in Spanish Spanish Fluent in Spanish Wells Fargo LLC, yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC,Member MemberSIPC, SIPC,isisaaregistered registeredbroker-dealer broker-dealerand andaaseparate separatenon-bank non-bankaffiliate affiliate of of Wells Wells Fargo Fargo & & Company.

Fluent inAdvisors, Spanish Fluent in yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Company.

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Company. Client Associate Company.

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC,Associate is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Client Associate Associate Client Associate Client Associate Senior Registered Client Senior Registered Client Wells Fargo LLC, SIPC, isisareserved.

Company.

Client Client Associate ©2009 ©2009 Wells Wells Fargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC. All Allrights rights reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1-0312-2590 -0312-2590 (e7460) (e7460) Senior Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com (858) 638-9818 •-0312-2590 fax: (858) ©2009 ©2009 Wells Wells Fargo Fargo Advisors, Advisors, LLC. LLC. All Allrights rights rightsreserved. reserved. reserved.

88580 88580–v1 –v1 –v1 -0312-2590 -0312-2590(e7460) (e7460) (e7460) ©2009 ©2009 Wells WellsFargo FargoAdvisors, Advisors,LLC. LLC.All Allrights rights reserved. reserved.88580 88580–v1 –v1 -0312-2590 (e7460) (e7460) 638-9801 yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com trade inname used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Member SIPC. ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.

88580 –v1 -0312-2590 (e7460) Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All 88580 -0312-2590 yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com ©2009 Fluent Fluent Spanish in Spanish Fluent in Spanish Fluent inGilSpanish Yesenia Gil Yesenia

CA Insurance Lic #0183194 #0675099 CA Insurance Lic #0675099 Fluent in Spanish Fluent inGilSpanish Yesenia CA Insurance Lic 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 Client Associate Client Associate yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Client Associate Investment Insurance Products offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured NO NOBank Bank Guarantee Investment and Insurance offered through affiliates:NO NOT FDIC Insured MAY NO Bank Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com Zeebah.Aleshi@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Investment andInsurance InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Insured Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Investment InsuranceProducts Products: NOT FDIC Insured Bank Guarantee LoseGuarantee Value Investment offered through affiliates: NOT FDIC Insured Guarantee Michelle.Hasten@wfadvisors.com Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Fluent inand Spanish Investment and Insurance Products: Products: NOT NOTFDIC FDIC Insured Insured NO NOBank Bank Guarantee Guarantee MAY MAY Lose Lose Value Value MAY Lose Value Fluent in Spanish Investment Insurance Wells Fargo Advisors Advisorsis isaa trade trade name name used usedby

by Wells WellsFargo FargoClearing Clearing Services, Services, LLC, LLC,Member Member FINRA/SIPC FINRA/SIPC yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors is a tradename nameused used byAll Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells FargoisClearing Clearing Services, LLC Rights reserved 1016-02995 Wells Fargo Advisors aa trade by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC Wells Fargo Advisors is trade name used Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c)2016 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services,LLC LLCAll AllRights Rightsreserved reserved1016-02995 1016-02995 (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights (c) 2016 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, reserved 1016-02995 (c) Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC All Rights reserved 1016-02995 MAY Lose Value

Wells Fargo Fargo Advisors Advisors isis aa trade trade name name used used by

by Wells Wells Fargo Fargo Clearing Clearing Services, Services, LLC, LLC, Member Member SIPC. SIPC. Wells

Larry M. Katz Certified Public Accountant

• Income Tax Preparation • IRS and State Audit Representation • Litigation Support Services • Forensic Accounting Services • Business Consulting Services

MAY Lose Value Fluent inand Spanish Investment Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC yesenia.gil@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors is tradename nameused used byAll Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells FargoisClearing Services, LLC Rights reserved 1016-02995 Wells Fargo Advisors aa trade by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services,LLC LLCAll AllRights Rights reserved reserved 1016-02995 (c) 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, 1016-02995

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 11

FROM THE EDITOR

THE STARTING LINE

by Brie Stimson editor@sdjewishjournal.com

The Year of the Woman pparently 2018 was “The Year of the Woman.” It felt like it. A record number of women were elected to Congress, #MeToo and #TimesUp were in full swing and even in a conservative place like Saudi Arabia it became legal for women to drive.

As a woman it can feel easy to scoff at these accomplishments and say, ‘but there’s so much farther to go’ – and there is! – but progress is made one step at a time.

Those who think #MeToo has stopped all sexual harassment are, of course, wrong.

Harassment is still rampant in many companies, but at least perpetrators and their enablers know that there’s a legion of people ready to expose them and hold them accountable.

Women still don’t have equal pay, but at least we’re talking about it! When it was reported early in 2018 that Michelle Williams was paid less than $1,000 for reshoots of “All the Money in the World” compared to Mark Wahlberg’s $1.5 million, he was shamed into donating his pay to the #TimesUp fund.

Women won 93 seats in Congress last November – the largest number ever – and yet they’re still a small percentage compared to the men and when you talk about minority women, it’s even smaller. Still, political writ12 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Sometimes progress is one step forward and two steps back, and sometimes it is spurred on by detraction in the other direction. Political scientists agree that both the 1992 and 2018 record-setting elections for women were, in part, propelled by sexism in politics. ers are comparing it to 1992 (a previously dubbed “Year of the Woman”) when five women won in the Senate and 24 women won in the House.

And while there were some notable detractors in the progress of feminism, (the disrespectful treatment of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford by some politicians during the Brett Kavanaugh nomination comes to mind) we know progress is progress.

Sometimes progress is one step forward and two steps back, and sometimes it is spurred on by detraction in the other direction. Political scientists agree that both the 1992 and 2018 record-setting elections for women were, in part, propelled by sexism in politics.

2017 saw the first Women’s March, which in itself broke attendance records. The Washington Post said it was likely the largest single-day demonstration in recorded U.S. history (depending on how you counted the marches across the country it was roughly $4 million people). And there were a lot of men there, too! The Year of the Woman, the Women’s March and even #MeToo are not sexist movements. It’s about equality. Women have suffered thousands of years of ill treatment, but we’ve finally come to a time in our history when we have enough of a voice to say it’s enough and many of the men in the world are man enough to agree. We’ve certainly come a long way from the 1950s and ‘a woman’s place is in the kitchen.’

I’m glad 2018 was called The Year of the Woman (even if there are a couple of asterisks) and I hope that 2019 and 2020 and 2021 are also the years of the woman – up until a time when no asterisks are needed.

Have a happy (and feminist) New Year! A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 13

let us know what’s on your mind.

Dear Editor, I appreciate keeping in touch via SDJJ. I left San Diego in June, now read The Arizona Jewish Post, and walked with Tucson Jews for Justice in memory of Squirrel Hill at Tucson’s annual All-Souls Procession.

I feel obliged to critique Rabbi Rupp’s November column—“… these holidays are all pagan ceremonies, which were often marked throughout our history with pogroms and anti-Semitic events” for syntax that inadvertently implied pagans, ancient feminists who glorified nature and its gifts, were guilty of pogroms and more. Ancient Celtic pagans have no history of anti-Semitism (perhaps

for lack of Jews); Christians co-opted their rituals and sacred places to facilitate conversion and layered anti-Semitism on top.

Judaism emphasizes justice, making it a mitzvah to my mind to not perpetuate mistaken ideas about other people and traditions. Though we dress up as witches on Halloween, people are still persecuted for witchcraft around the world and, here in the US, we still use the word witch (and bitch) to keep women in their place. I have to watch for that myself.

Keep up the great work! ~ c/b/s

@SANDIEGOJEWISHJOURNAL

Corrections

In the “San Diego Community Stands With Pittsburgh After Synagogue Shooting” in the What’s up Online section [Dec. 2018] it should have said the vigil was held at Beth Israel not Beth Shalom.

In the food story “Talia’s Sufganiyot for Junior Cooks” [Dec. 2018] Talia is a mother of 2, not 4.

Send us your comments: editor@sdjewishjournal.com 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204, San Diego, CA 92121

Please consider our guidelines for Letters to the Editor prior to submitting your comments: The San Diego Jewish Journal welcomes reader responses to articles. Due to space limitations, responses to articles cannot exceed 200 words and will be edited in coordination with the letter’s author and at the discretion of the editor and publishers.

For readers who wish to submit multiple letters, we require three issue months to pass between published letters so as to make space for more reader responses.

All readers can comment as often as they’d like in the comments section of our website, found at the bottom of every articleon sdjewishjournal. comMagazine articles are republished on the website at the beginning of each issue month.

14 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

In “Jewish Food: Cooking, Eating, Learning, Watching, Listening, Schmoozing” [Dec. 2018] the Coconut “latkes” cookies should have been attributed to Natasha Feldman of “Nosh with Tash.”

In “Surprises in the Jewish South: Asheville, North Carolina” [Dec. 2018] the photos were taken by photographer Paul Ross.

SDJJ regrets these errors.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 15

online @sdjewishjournal.com

Benjamin Netanyahu Hated George H.W. Bush’s Peace Plan. Now it’s His Policy Despite the tense relationship with Israel that was a hallmark of former President George H.W. Bush’s single term that ended in 1993, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the late American president last month for things that a younger Netanyahu fiercely opposed. The PM had a problem with two of the Bush agenda items he now praises: how Bush handled the first Gulf War and the demands he put on Israel in its wake at Madrid. Netanyahu’s opposition to the Madrid process made him persona non grata at the State Department.

Parents of Baby Actor Jeremy Piven Who Died After on Standup Comedy, Shooting Attack Judaism Say He United Emmy Award-winning Jewish actor Jeremy Piven spoke to the Jewish People the San Diego Jewish Journal recently about his new foray into standup, playing Ari on “Entourage” and “Mr. Selfridge” in the U.K. and growing up Jewish. Read the entire interview on our website.

Amiad Yisrael, the premature baby born to a young couple caught in a West Bank terror attack last month, united the Jewish people, his father said. The baby was delivered by his injured mother at 30 weeks, but died after three days.

Shira Yisrael, the baby’s mother was shot in the stomach in the attack but has since recovered. Read the full JTA story on our website.

Australia Recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel's Capital Last month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government's decision to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital and said they are looking forward to moving the embassy "when practical." Read the entire JTA story on our website.

16 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

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jfssd.org/yourvoice Generously supported by the Jewish Teen Initiative, a partnership between the Lawrence Family JCC, Jewish Federation and Jim Joseph Foundation on behalf of the San Diego Jewish Community.

In partnership with

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 17

our TOWN

BY LINDA BENNETT & EMILY BARTELL

Hillel Hanukkah Celebration

We recently attended Hillel UCSD’s Hanukkah Celebration at the future site of the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center. With an extensive lineup, the program included opening remarks by Rabbi David Singer, executive director of Hillel UCSD; Congressman Scott Peters; Joel Smith, president of Hillel UCSD; Councilwoman Barbara Bry and Rabbi Gary Oren, executive director of Hillel of San Diego/SDSU Hillel.

Among those invited were Elizabeth & Mitch Siegler, Alan Nevin, Noah Palafox, Emily Rosell, Bob Lapidus, Jim & Robin Madaffer, Steve Solomon, Shanna Singer Lovit, Dan Gardenschwartz, Mark & Vicki Gordon, Marcia Hazan & Mark Cammell, Laura Galinson, Jerry Goldberg, Brian Pepper, Tom Cohen, Eddie Mendelsohn, Jackie Gaylis, Todd Kirschen, Michelle Berkowitz and Herb Solomon & Elaine Galinson.

Tapestry

The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture held it’s 3rd Annual Tapestry: A Community Celebration of Jewish Learning on December 1st at the Lawrence Family JCC. This special event included many worthwhile sessions led by a number of our community’s well-known speakers.

One session we particularly enjoyed was Gutman and Rubin: Israeli Art Pioneers for a Pioneer State, presented by Guri Stark. The latke bar and dessert reception provided by Edwin Blumberg Catering was delicious! With over 300 in attendance, some of those seen enjoying learning and latkes were Jack & Deborah Maizel, Susan Gail Thomas, Cathy Cozzen & Elazar Harel, Amy Morris, Selwyn Isakow, Paul & Penny Arenson, Steve & Stephanie Steinberg, Rona Dosick, Jonathan Licht, Janet Judge & Jerome Silverman, Todd Allen, Ed & Vicki Spilkin, Lauren Kemp, Talia Raoufpur, Andrea Schmidt, Ginny Gordon and Larry & Donna Dawson. Kudos goes out to Tapestry and JLearn Chair, Randy Savarese, Tapestry Co-Chairs, Silvana Christy and Hannah Cohen and Rabbi Lenore Bohm.

Mazel Tov to…

Anabel & Ted Mintz, on their 68th wedding anniversary, Nikki & Jerome Klein, on their 63rd wedding anniversary, Gail & Tom Pliner, on their 56th wedding anniversary, Nancy & David Amiel, on their 52nd wedding anniversary, Ann & Alan Chaitin, on their 51st wedding anniversary, Rebecca & Larry Newman, on their 51st wedding anniversary, Suzanne Hirsh of La Jolla, and Jonathan Herominski of Detroit, on their recent nuptials in Old Town on December 1st. Looking on with pride were parents of Suzanne, Norma & Gary Hirsh. The couple currently reside in San Francisco.

Jessica Kort & David Manly, on the birth of their daughter, Dasia, on July 29th. Proud grandparents are Barbara Stone, Norman Kort & Annette Feigenbaum. A 18 SDJewishJournal.com l January 2019

TOP: David Singer of Hillel speaks at the Hanukkah celebration.

MIDDLE: The community came out to celebrate Hanukkah.

BOTTOM: Rabbi Mendel Polichenko leading his session "The Kabbalah of Happiness" during this year's Tapestry celebration.

With thousands of vehicles and

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WWW.SUNROADAUTO.COM Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 19

the

BY EILEEN SONDAK, PHOTOS BY KARLI CADEL

“Noche Espanola” With the San Diego Opera

Veronica Leff (a board member of the San Diego Opera) and her husband Miguel hosted a private reception for opera supporters at their lovely Del Mar home recently. They called it “Noche Espanola” and the soiree lived up to its name.

The event offered donors a memorable night of Spanish culture that included signature tapas, special wines from Mexico and Spanish-flavored entertainment. The evening’s festivities were inspired by the production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” coming to the Civic Theatre in March. Not surprisingly, the bash featured excerpts from the opera and Flamenco music

by Reyes Barrios.

Among the large group of supporters enjoying the gracious hospitality were Sarah Marsh-Rebelo (chair of the upcoming Opera Ball honoring Lee and Frank Goldberg) and husband John, Richard and Susan Ulevitch, Joan Henkelmann, Hermeen Scharaga, and Doreen and Myron Schonbrun. David Bennett, general director of the San Diego Opera, was on hand to welcome the generous donors.

Nadine and Alberto Benrey.

Opera singer Katryzna Sadej and David Bennett.

St. Germaine Children’s Charity Silver Tea

St. Germaine Children’s Charity held its 35th annual Silver Tea recently to raise funds for worthy organizations dedicated to helping children. This year, the elegant afternoon tea was held at the Hochbergs’ magnificent La Jolla home.

According to tradition, supporters placed donations in a silver bowl to add to the largesse.

They also bid on auction items, such as tickets to “Aladdin” (coming to the Civic Theatre), cooking lessons at a local Italian restaurant, and a week-stay in Kaui. Recipients and local businesses created stunning tabletop trees and wreaths to be auctioned off as well.

Guests enjoyed holiday entertainment and, of course, delicate tea sandwiches and delicious holiday desserts.

The generous sponsors of this year’s Silver 20 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

SD Opera's Noche Espanola night in Del Mar.

Tea included Leigh-Ann Sprock, Janice and Steve Farnor, Carla Rehm, Maurine Beinbrink, Gigi and Bryce Goldman and Joyce Dostart. Among this year’s grateful recipients were Children’s Legal Services of San Diego, Kids’ Turn, Crisis House and Home Start. A

The Jewish Women’s Foundation (JWF) is a network of women who have joined together to improve the lives of Jewish women and girls.

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of San Diego is dedicated to supporting the Jewish community through innovative and creative funding to benefit and enhance the lives of primarily Jewish women and girls locally, nationally, and globally.

Guided by Jewish values, the Jewish Women’s Foundation creates awareness of the issues and needs of women and girls. Through the work of this Foundation, women are empowered as funders, decision makers, and agents for change in the community.

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IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT WOMEN & GIRLS M I L L I O N SINCE 2002 The 2018-20 initiative addresses homelessness, hunger, and poverty for Jewish women and girls. These women may be victims of domestic violence, single mothers, Holocaust survivors, or those living below the poverty line.

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MEMBERS IN SAN DIEGO

CURRENT GRANTEES Coastal Roots Farm

3

With support from JWF, the Farm has increased delivery of fresh organic produce to Holocaust survivors – now serving 25 families!

G’mach, San Diego Jewish Gift Closet G’mach provides emergency resources to financially strapped, destitute, and homeless Jewish women and girls in San Diego County. With the funds from JWF, G’mach’s distributions have increased.

Marpeh at Ohr Shalom Synagogue JWF’s grant provides startup costs for this wellness program to assist women and girls to attain optimal physical and spiritual health.

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858.279.2740 | www.jcfsandiego.org Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 21

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDAISM

THIS WAY TO EDEN

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

Understanding Organizing Principles ’mon everybody! What are you going to tell yourself to get through the next 90 seconds?”

Fidel yells over the loud music. What am I going to tell myself? I have no idea. My mind begins to race as my body fights slowing down. He may be my favorite instructor but his message is not always well-received when my heart rate is at 183 bpm. In the comfort of a seated position, I could listen to Fidel talk about drive, goals and challenges all day long. One of the most inspiring quotes that moves me in Fidel’s classes comes from the Navy SEALs: Get comfortable being uncomfortable. The idea that growth is predicated on discomfort reframes my challenge.

Most of us don’t naturally have a positive attitude toward discomfort – physical or emotional. Robert Stolorow, founder of Intersubjective Analytic Psychotherapy, asserts that people’s “organizing principles” constitute their attitudes toward discomfort.

Organizing principles are the set of beliefs each person has based on how they interpret their experiences. For example, if I believe that no one understands me, and this belief is confirmed by various experiences I have, I will consequently live life feeling isolated and alone. Our unique perspective on the world is individualized by our personal array of organizing principles. These principles shape everything from our politics, relationship patterns, career choices, hopes, fears and dreams.

The sages teach us (Ethics of the Fathers) 48 ways to spiritual empowerment. One way is binat halev – understanding the heart. In 22 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

order to live an emotionally and spiritually healthy life, we need to seek an understanding of what’s in our hearts – and the hearts of those around us. A great cocktail party trick I learned is to ask people what they do professionally and (regardless of the answer) respond with, “That sounds hard!” The perception that there’s a substantial degree of difficulty in getting through the day is the great equalizer between plumbers, politicians, teachers and doctors. This phenomenon remains true for people who are retired, are in-between jobs, or are staying at home to parent. Taking the time to understand a person’s feelings breaks the ice for strangers and bonds long-time friends.

The Torah portions for the month revolve around the Jewish exodus from Egypt. Pharaoh stubbornly holds the Jews in Egypt despite the first five plagues and then G-d Himself famously hardens Pharaoh’s heart for the last five. This is the only example in our recorded history that G-d takes away the gift of free choice from another person. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks notes here that evil has two faces: One that is extended to victims and one that is internalized inside the perpetrator. In an ironic turn of events, Pharaoh loses his personal freedom and becomes a slave to his own evil. Sacks points out that we see this with tyrants like Hitler and Stalin as well as tragic figures like Lady Macbeth or Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. People become trapped in an organizing principle that may have rational beginnings but ultimately takes hold and brings about ruination of self (among plenty of other destruction).

When we find ourselves or the people we love experiencing worry, sadness, or anger, the worst response is “it will be fine.” This denies the existence of the organizing principle that’s behind every emotional disturbance. So what is the best response? Stolorow recommends dwelling in the negative feeling and driving organizing principle in order to transform unbearable pain into bearable pain. Our first response to emotional distress is to remove it quickly through medication or various (often unhealthy) escapes. The pain doesn’t go away and we remain stuck in our heartache. Alternatively, embracing pain and seeking understanding is the best way to navigate through a tunnel of emotional suffering.

Seeking to understand and transform our organizing principles is what separated Pharaoh from Moses. While Pharaoh emerged a slave to his own evil after a lifetime of freedom, Moses led an entire nation from slavery to liberation. He did so by facing his original organizing principle that he wasn’t fit to lead. Granted, G-d Himself coached him to shatter this misconception, but Moses had to approach Pharoah. Moses had to prove himself not only to Pharaoh and his advisors but to the Jewish people who had no faith in him! The key to Moses’ success was in his hard-earned new organizing principle that he was the right choice to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt. Dissolving our limiting organizing principles is each of our lifework and key to all significant accomplishment from maintaining healthy relationships to running at all-out speed in 90 seconds. A

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 23

ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov andreasimantov@gmail.com

Resolutions ike air seeping from a wee-puncture in a latex balloon, celebrations of the secular New Year are, in Jerusalem, anti-climatic and go from “What new year?” to “Ah, I messed up the date on that check” with little more than a sigh. There is some communal head-scratching when, for the sake of booming tourism, street lamps are decorated with lacy, nondescript, winter-season-ish things that light up at dusk, but no one knows what the designs are meant to be: angels and Kris Kringle won’t work in these parts; Hanukkah is over so the twisted white lights cannot possibly be Chabad menorahs. The municipality doesn’t commission decorative snowflakes because, frankly, few in the Middle East would recognize those only-one-ofit’s-kind designs. (Snow is not a big thing in the desert). Still, year after year the strange winter-season things are hoisted above roadways and, for a brief moment in time, we pretend we’re like the rest of the world.

January looms. Sipping tea on my balcony looking past the ruins of Herod’s palace, vineyards of Ramat Rachel, Arab villages of Tsur Bahar and Jabal Mukaba, I wonder how I bore it all – especially the year end wrap ups that have been media standards since the invention of the printing press. The “Bests of ” and “Greatest Moments,” "Things that Happened” and "What We Missed." The Who’s Who of those who died and which of the I-don’t-know-who-that-is tattooed ce24 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

lebrity gave birth to an oddly named baby.

The inevitable population shifts, dwindling communities and glimmers of potential life forms in distant galaxies. Where we’re holding with the thinning ozone layer. It all feels so wearying.

And then there is the Me Too movement. Too, too much of the screaming and finger pointing and silencing those with different opinions than those sanctioned by New Age Thought Police. It was a year when moralists of all stripes muddied the waters of parenting, education, religion, international relations and reproductive rights with unprecedented stridency. It was a year when a march to advance the status of women excluded feminist-me and mine with bullying and cozying up to those who call for the destruction of my people and my country. It was the year that I weepingly discovered that my home is indeed where my heart lies and I forged figurative iron gates around my shabby apartment in an attempt to lock out an ugliness that failed at hiding behind a mask called free speech.

It was a year when anti-Semitism reemerged as the new cocktail-hour chic and Jewish boys and girls on campus began, again, hiding. The words “never again” rang anemic while a few brave Children of the Tribe assayed to challenge a rise of vaguely-familiar BDE, anti-Israel scapegoatism that everyone and his brother claimed was

a product of ‘the other.’ It was a year that Tikkun Olam became a new religion, which encompassed finger-in-the-air feel-goodism that had little to do with our 6,000 years of Torah-true observance and lighting the world with the flame of adherence to mitzvot. Torah, in fact, had little to do with the yearning of well-meaning Jews who continually grasp for straws of something, someone, some way to make a difference in a world that is losing (has lost?) its ability to guide those of us who are spiritually starving.

And so we stand at the cusp of a new year, a clean canvas that begs for color. Do I call my palette ‘Resolutions’ or, as in Jewish tradition, sing out the words Modeh ani lifanekha melekh chai v’kayam!”? (“Thank you, G-d, for granting me this new day in which to practice love, ‘do’ kindness and master patience! Thank you, G-d, for the generous opportunity to ‘resolve’ and ‘repent’ and ‘repair’ day after day regardless of what is written on the calendar”). A new year dawns but seems shadowed in clouds of intolerance, a lingering pall from the year that exits. Am I allowed to appeal to G-d?

Or will this be deemed verboten in 2019?

Not Times Square ‘dropping a ball,’ countdowns or party-hat merrymaking can ensure a healthy, prosperous and peaceful year ahead. It depends on us.

And our relationship with Heaven. A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 25

EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

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

Wrestling with Religion and Spirituality am not religious, at least in the traditional sense of the word. I say this with neither pride nor apology, but with utmost respect for those who do believe in G-d. When asked whether I am a believer, I parry – with seriousness – by saying “It depends…”

I am proudly Jewish: I was raised and schooled in Jewish history, culture and traditions and can speak, read and write in Yiddish and Hebrew. I worked for a year in Israel, was a member of a Zionist youth group, and enjoy our religious holidays, rituals and music.

Although my immigrant parents were staunch Jews, they did not believe in an omnipotent, omniscient G-d. My late father’s rationale (my mother agreed) for being an atheist was profoundly simple: The benevolent G-d he’d been taught to revere as a child in a Lithuanian shtetl had utterly failed him: His family was for years engulfed by hateful anti-Semitic harassment, pillaging and pogroms.

Those seminal experiences were soon followed by the onslaughts of the Nazis and their acolytes, and the decimation of members of his family, among millions of others.

My dad was always grateful for escaping the Holocaust, but he would say, "A righteous G-d would never allow such atrocities against humanity.”

This line of thinking has often been invoked (and debated) since the time of Job or earlier when tragedies occurred.

My atheist parents nonetheless encouraged a broad education on many subjects, including religious thinking, rituals and values.

Although I wasn’t a firm “believer” in G-d, I couldn’t call myself an atheist, which somehow seemed too “defiant” and definite. Nor could I comfortably say I was purely secular, which felt simplistic. The description of my26 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

self as agnostic seemed equivocating, perhaps dissembling. (My parents called it, “nisht aheen un nisht aherr” neither here nor there).

I’ve gone through some painful crises during my lifetime. On rare occasions when the emotional or physical suffering of myself or others close to me seemed beyond resolution, I tried praying to “someone, some entity, somewhere, somehow.” Was I merely enacting the World War I maxim, “There are no atheists in foxholes”? I occasionally “speak” with my deceased parents: Are their spirits still here? I sometimes use the words “karma” and “fate” as if they were certainties.

What is that all about?

Aside from these “lapses” (some might say "breakthroughs”), I maintained my ambiguous relationship with the existence of G-d.

I have since learned a few salutary things: Believing: Years of studying and working with people in all walks of life and different religions, races and ethnicities have taught me that “believing” is one of the fundamental Four B’s of humanity’s quest for a meaningful existence (in addition to being, belonging and benevolence). Those who have faith in an all-knowing, all-embracing G-d are seemingly more resilient during life’s adversities.

Places of worship: When in my studies, I visited synagogues, temples, churches, ashrams, monasteries and mosques, I was struck by common atmospheres which fostered spiritual reverence and contemplation, as well as communal traditions and music.

Spirituality: I have personally had surreal experiences, which seemed transcendental or spiritual, as if “transported” to “other-worldly” states, wherein I felt “awakened” by wonder and awe, yet serenely peaceful. These were prompted by evocative music; night sky in the desert or at sea; mountaintops and

sunsets; silent chapels, artistic creations and feelings of love or ecstasy.

Images: Two sets of dramatic photos have moved me: 1) Subatomic particles of cells in the human body and nature, taken through electronic microscope lenses; and 2) Stars, nebulae and galaxies millions of light years away, shot by the Hubbell or other telescopic cameras. Both sets reveal remarkable colors and structures, which are somehow familiar yet, unfathomable and awesome.

Infinite and infinitesimal: The latest findings indicate there are multiple vast universes beyond our own modest universe, all filled with mega and tiny stars, constellations and black holes. Our beloved planet earth is an infinitesimal body barely seen on maps of space, and we inhabitants are as minute subatomic particles.

Origins: We organic beings are made up of similar primordial materials found throughout our solar systems, views expressed by many brilliant astrophysicists and religious philosophers. Some are believers, others not, but the consensus is that there are dimensions of life and existence that we do not yet grasp.

I hereby respectfully share my own thoughts about my relationship with spirituality, with which some of you will no doubt differ, but perhaps you are also examining your own religious connections and beliefs.

• I am committed to and proud of my Jewish heritage, identity and culture.

• We humans need to believe: We tend to feel better, more grounded and safer and our lives are more meaningful when we have an intense belief system, like G-d, or a system of overriding values or ethics.

• The existence of a unitary Holy Being who in His or Her infinite wisdom created us in his/her image and will care for us forever is

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beyond my personal credence and confidence.

• I understand and respect those who believe deeply in G-d and even envy them for their sense of security in deep worship.

• One can be spiritual and not religious. There is a spiritual dimension to human existence, our “soul,” if you will, which we can occasionally sense or “connect with.” There are metaphysical forces, which we do not, perhaps cannot, perhaps shall not, completely understand.

• The earliest origins of both our galaxies and universes and our own human bodies are made up of similar elemental primordia. (“We are the world,” so to speak).

• Darwin’s theory of evolution has been scientifically validated, as opposed to the wonderful traditional stories and parables found in religious holy books.

• Great harm has been inflicted through the centuries and now by religious zealots who hated and perpetrated violence based on their fundamentalist interpretations of these writings.

• There is immense wisdom in the moral teachings and tenets of the Holy Books, whose sage writers invariably emphasized benevolence, morality and justice, which have enriched and ennobled our species.

• If we lived up to these benevolent principles, or the best tendencies of humanity (as opposed to our worst tendencies), we could imprint a “positive emotional footprint” on this world.

In sum, I believe in an unknown, perhaps unknowable, spiritual or transcendental dimension in our existence. In the spirit of countless secular songs and religious prayers, I say, “Hallelujah!” A

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 27

RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacob Rupp rabbirupp@gmail.com

I am Not Your Rabbi othing has slowed me down more than trying to be your rabbi.

I want to be that amazing voice of inspiration that changes your perspective on life. I want to give the speech that makes you view G-d, Judaism, your spouse, your children, your potential, in a way that you never did before. I want to be that force that made you change, that made you commit to consistent growth for life.

But even that is not enough. I want to be your rabbi, so that you support me, with your attendance and your pocket book.

That you choose to support my institutions, instead of the multitude of others. I want your investment in me.

In a way, being “your rabbi” has always been a dream for me, ever since I was in middle school, when I heard a rabbi from Los Angeles speak on a tape sent to my mom by my grandmother. I don’t remember the message, but I do remember how it was delivered. He made me realize that there was such a thing as an inspiring rabbi – that was it for me.

When I was in college, my image of what it meant to be a rabbi became even clearer, when I met other rabbis who were bigger, more religious, more inspirational and more learned than the ones I knew before, I wanted so desperately to be those rabbis.

Then, I got the metaphoric punch in the face. Things started happening that made me think I couldn’t be that rabbi. I failed Hebrew three times in college. When I got to yeshiva, I started to think I could never be that rabbi because I didn’t know as much 28 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Talmud as the next guy. My Hebrew came slowly, my Aramaic even slower. I started to get down on myself about my lack of spiritual progress. One of my rabbis told me my body building was a waste of time. Another of my rabbis who trained me for semicha, told me I read Hebrew like a (I won’t name anything here so as not to offend my readers).

My confidence continued to shrink when I could hardly sit through a class in Yeshiva without wandering outside, and when we couldn’t make ends meet during our first years of marriage in Israel. I realized that, unlike others I compared myself to in my rabbinical class, I didn’t come from a “traditional” background. I felt bad that my dad wasn’t Jewish. I would even feel bad that my mom and grandparents raised me as a reform Jew, that I was proud to be Jewish even though I ate bacon and didn’t know you can’t drive on Shabbat.

I tried to condemn my past, and pretend to be someone I wasn’t. When I got a rabbinic position at UCLA, I was sure I had arrived. But still, I couldn’t be the rabbi I wanted to be—because of a million reasons.

I wasn’t spiritual enough, I wasn’t organized enough, I had too much ego. Beyond all of it, I felt like someone would find out I wasn’t who I wanted to be.

In the Instagram world of superficiality, the only rabbis I wanted to emulate were pure, clean and perfect. I didn’t want to be the rabbi for the perfect people, the perfect Jews—I felt like a fraud. But, of course, I was Jewish, I was a rabbi and I wanted to

share my story with my community.

In my coaching practice and business endeavors, I felt like I couldn’t reach out with the simple message that you need to start loving yourself if you want to improve in any area in life, to religious Jews because I was too flawed, and to less observant Jews because I was too “religious.”

In my relationships with the Jewish institutions in the city, I was (am) afraid to make my opinions known—because who am I? I keep trying to be your rabbi. I’m scared of my shadow. But slowly, I’m starting to realize, that maybe everyone is trying to be your rabbi. Everyone is tailoring themselves to an audience that only exists in their mind.

Maybe even the creators, the publishers, the influencers, the nonprofit workers, the donors are busy being what’s good for “you,” even when the “you” exists only in their mind.

So, I want to make a resolution. I don’t want to be your rabbi anymore. I want to take one day at a time, embrace who my past has led me to be, and have enough confidence in myself and G-d to make the right choices about my future. And maybe, somewhere along the way, I’ll be able to be what someone needs. Not, G-d forbid, to be your rabbi, but your friend or mentor. Maybe I can help you and you can tell your rabbi that it’s OK to be a little more human, that you can still inspire and lead people who resonate with your message. Because after all, we are humans leading humans. A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 29

E D U C A T I O N

An Exciting Chapter for San Diego Jewish Academy

BY JACQUELINE BULL

T

here is a lot going on at the San Diego Jewish Academy: a brand new playground, a new tuition program and a 2018 National Blue Ribbon Award.

“There is a great nexus of things happening,” said Kelley King, the head of Golda Meir Lower School (K-5).

And to see all of this for myself, I made a campus visit. It happened to be a day that it was bucketing down rain. We navigated around puddles and ducked under awnings, making our way around the campus. Even so, everyone I interviewed and saw in passing was in great spirits.

I started this visit by connecting with Keri Copans, director of admissions, who led me around the campus.

The first stop was the Early Childhood Center (ECC), which sees children as young as six weeks up until Pre-kindergarten.

Kelly Gros, the PTO President for the ECC, crossed our path bringing coffees to some of the leadership and staff there. When looking for a preschool for her children, she toured many before seeing SDJA. “Our tour here was amazing ... All the teachers came out and greeted us. They were like, ‘Hi, Welcome! Haven’t seen you before.

Who is this little guy?’ It was so welcoming and wonderful and my kids kind of chose it before I did,” Kelly said.

She said she connected with the teachers who she found to be patient and loving and could harness the kids energy.

“I wanted to be involved in the PTO because drop off and pick up you see all these 30 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

nice people and all these sweet kids that are giving each other hugs and kisses – every morning they act like they haven’t seen one another in a week – and it is just like a love fest, so then you get to know the families and we wanted to spend more time with the families and plan events,” she said.

Then Yael Edelstein, director of the ECC and Anita Ip, the assistant director, sat down at a big oval table with us to talk about the center.

“Really, the idea philosophy behind our teaching is we don’t see ourselves as teacher-directed ... In all the ages we see ourselves really as facilitators, so that is where the play-based comes in. Play-based doesn’t mean they play all day, it means that we set up activities to hide learning in play,” Anita said.

And in each of those activities is a particular learning objective and purpose.

“We want to be the village. We want to be the village outside of the home – an extension of the family. In the whole ECC, we pride ourselves on being partners with the parents,” Anita added.

“There is not really one philosophy that we completely stick to though, like you might go to a Montessori school, you might go to a Waldorf school though, but here in the ECC though, we base the center of all our decisions on the child. It really varies day-to-day. Sometimes it is teacher-directed, sometimes it is more child-directed, sometimes we add some Montessori games, it really varies and changes and depending

on what group of children are coming in that year as well as what there needs are and where there strengths are,” Yael said.

In keeping with this, they have small student to teacher ratios and in the ECC specifically, the difference between the oldest and youngest child in one classroom is about six months.

To get a clearer picture of what they were describing, Yael led me around to peek into a couple classrooms and explain what was happening.

We went into a Pre-K classroom with different tables with activities set up toward the front of the classroom and an area with a play kitchen and play closet toward the back.

“What every classroom looks like though is that there are four tables (some have more, just depends on the class), but always four or more tables are set up though. And there is the opportunity for individual work and the children are independently able to make those decisions to move from table to table – as well as if a child needs assistance, they are able to help each other, they are not feeling stressed to complete and rush over. They take their time. If a child wants to be here a little longer and make 20 rings, great, the other child wants to make two, that is their independency, which is important. A lot of critical thinking, which is important, some socializing takes place in terms of – the rule here is you always have to ask two buddies before you ask a teacher. And at the same time the teacher is able to work with each

PHOTO BY JULIETA CERVANTES

SDJA's Early Childhood Center's new nature-inspired playground where children can run through the grass, play in mud, jump off boulders, climb trees and play with water.

child individually though, so this is a typical way our school runs in this age group,” she said.

They typically have an activity for math, fine motor skills, a writing activity and the fourth table will vary. In the classroom, we saw the math activity was connecting numbers to create a Star of David and the the fine motor skill was making looping paper rings. “I want more hands-on experiences than tons of work books and worksheets,” she said.

Then we toured the new playground. Yael explained wanting to have natural elements in the playground. There are trees and grasses growing around the perimeter and rounded lines like the gentle swooping line of the sandbox. There are structures to crawl under and over and things to explore. And the whole playground is in blues, browns and greys, not a speck of bright yellow or red plastic.

Yael told a story of watching a child stand atop a boulder and go to jump down and one of the parents telling them not to, and Yael chimed in ‘Yes, jump!’ Throughout our exploration of the playground she highlighted wanting to provide elements that encourage children’s exploration in a natural setting.

Next, we went to see Kelley King, the head of the lower school. The lower school was awarded the National Blue Ribbon for 2018.

“I have a lot of autonomy and authority as a principal to step back and look at the in-

structional program, the whole educational program and think about how to resource it, how to staff it, how to schedule it, so we get the right pieces in the right place for the right kids. And so that flexibility is a big difference for me.

"I spent a lot of years in the public school system, in some really great public schools that I’m proud to have worked in. When you work in a public school system, there are so many mandates, policies and procedures that are built to manage a huge system of thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of kids, the system can become a little fixed. There is a uniformity that comes with managing that big of a system.

"We are so small, we can really be nimble and we have the autonomy, we can take what we like, but not take the parts that are cumbersome or don’t work in the best interest of the kids ... I really don’t feel like I’m having stumbling blocks in my way. In fact, I have them cleared out so that we can really make a lot of progress. And that is how we have been able to make (in four school years since I’ve been here) such significant changes in the educational program and make such progress to get to the level where we are recognized as a Blue Ribbon school in a relatively short amount of time. It’s because we haven’t had to navigate around, over, under, through roadblocks that are really a big problem in the public school system,” Kelley said.

Receiving the accolade of being a Blue Ribbon school was further proof that hav-

ing a religious or values-based approach could still meet and exceed high academic standards. And in keeping with the mission to serve the Jewish community, they don’t screen kids out like some secular private schools do.

“It’s really important for us to have a wider door for kids even if they come with some learning challenges to find a way to accommodate those,” Kelley said.

And in curiosity with how to better serve the community, the school worked with Fisheye Research and did a market study that interviewed Jewish families that weren’t attending Jewish schools. They found that the biggest reason for them not to come was not lack of interest, but the financial barrier.

That is where the new tuition program comes in. The school will offer half price tuition for students entering Kindergarten and 9th grade: two of the largest entry points into the school.

“We are breaking new ground with this,” Kelley said.

The Open Door program, funded by an unnamed donor, is positioned to help new families be able to take part in excellent Jewish private education. And furthermore, they are optimistic about the program strengthening the Jewish community and Jewish continuity in San Diego at large.

Their goal is to eventually add 200 students at the academy overall.

“We have a lot of irons in the fire, but it feels really good. They are all just coming together nicely,” Kelley said. A Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 31

32 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Women

Madam President

BY BRIE STIMSON

S

hari Friedman Schenk has an impressive resume. She is the director of business development for a prestigious local law firm, she has served as board chair for the San Diego Jewish Academy, she was the president of the Agency for Jewish Education and she was appointed by former Governor Gray Davis to serve on the California Commission for Economic Development – and that was all before she became president of the San Diego Jewish National Fund’s board of directors.

Schenk plans to make increasing visibility of the JNF a focal point of her twoyear tenure as president, which began in October. “My priority is to expand the visibility of the organization. I think more people need to know about the good work that the Jewish National Fund does. We are not a political organization and we do great work in Israel and I just think that not enough people in San Diego know what our mission is,” Schenk tells me during our phone conversation from her Carmel Valley home on a rainy Wednesday in December. “I mean the bottom line is that we need to bring in as much money as we can and ... to bring in more donors.”

Scheck also wants to focus on the next generation of JNF members. “We’re getting a JNFuture group off the ground,” she says of the youth leadership group, which is called the “gateway to the next generation of the Jewish National Fund.”

“I know the community,” Schenk said of her involvement with the various local Jewish organizations, “I have been involved with JNF for many years. My husband and I received the Tree of Life honor in 2006 and more recently we were in Israel with JNF to dedicate a music program at the Sderot Indoor Playground in memory of my brother-in-law who passed away five years ago.”

She says she had been on and off the board, but in that last trip to dedicate the music program in May 2017 she realized “I wanted to get more involved and what an amazing organization JNF is, and so on that mission was when I knew that I wanted to be more involved,” she explains.

She was also inspired by the national JNF president. “Our national president is from Rancho Santa Fe, Dr. Sol Lizerbram, who is a very good friend of mine, and part of the reason that I took this position was that I wanted to make JNF San Diego strong for him because JNF has never had a national president on the West Coast in their 100-plus-year history,” Schenk explained to me. “It’s a very exciting opportunity to have somebody from San Diego and to have a dear friend and mentor of mine as president of JNF USA. And so part of the reason that I was so exited to get involved was that I wanted to strengthen San Diego because of him in his honor.”

Of Schenk, Dr. Lizerbram has previously said, “Her expertise and hard work will be invaluable as we continue our efforts to connect to San Diego and Israel.”

"I’m excited to be president,” Schenk stated near the end of our conversation.

“I am passionate about Israel, I’m a passionate Zionist, my three children attended the San Diego Jewish Academy in kindergarten through 12th grade and the whole family has a real passion for strengthening Israel to benefit Jews all over the world.” A

Schenk at the dedication of the C. Hugh Friedman Music Room at the JNF Sderot Indoor Playground.

Schenk at the JNF San Diego Mission at the Beersheva Regional Park Amphitheater.

Schenk with her husband and Sol Lizerbram with his wife during the JNF San Diego Mission at the Schenk Family Playground in Shomria, Israel.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 33

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Soille Hebrew Day School

E D U C A T I O N

– a Road Less Traveled

BY LEORAH GAVIDOR

A

viva Rubin (nee Haber) was a student in Hebrew Day when the doors first opened. For her parents, in 1963, the ‘start up’ Jewish school made perfect sense.

“I didn’t speak any English,” she shared.

Aviva was born in Nicaragua, where her parents were waiting for the papers needed to emigrate to Mexico. Her mother was a Holocaust survivor and her father left home very young. They met in Israel after the war and then eventually settled their family in Tijuana, where they owned businesses and were part of a small but active Jewish community.

“It was important to my parents to give my brothers and me a Jewish identity. They wanted us to have both cultures.” When they heard rumors about a new Hebrew day school opening in San Diego, they decided to enroll their children.

Aviva’s son Aaron also remembers starting school at Hebrew Day, one generation later.

“I met Rabbi Weiser my first day of school, but I didn’t know who he was at the time,” Aaron Rubin recalled of Rabbi Simcha Weiser, who has been the head of Soille Hebrew Day School since 1981.

Aaron rode the bus from home in Bonita to HDS, as it was known in those days, and when he arrived on his first day of school, he didn’t know where to go. Rabbi Weiser noticed the little boy was lost and took him by the hand, showing him the way to class. There began Aaron’s long relationship with Hebrew Day School. Today, Aaron’s daughter Mina attends the preschool at Hebrew Day School.

Mina Rubin is the third generation in the Rubin family to attend the school, which was established in 1963, in a couple of donated classrooms at San Diego’s first JCC on 54th Street. Few at the time felt it would become an important component of San Diego’s Jewish future.

Maxwell Brookler, another early alum whose four children are Hebrew Day graduates, is thankful that his grandchildren are his family’s third generation of students at the school. At the time of its founding, Hebrew day school was not widely embraced

within the San Diego Jewish community. Brookler remembers that many of his parents’ friends were not convinced that choosing a full-day Jewish school was a good choice, and especially not an Orthodox-based school.

“Orthodoxy was almost unheard of in San Diego at the time,” said Brookler, whose parents made the bold choice to send him to Hebrew Day School in 1968. “My parents moved to San Diego from Canada, and understood that for Jewish affiliation to continue in so open and unstructured a community, more comprehensive study and knowledge would be necessary.”

“Traditionally Jewish education in the U.S. took place in the synagogue, after school, at home, or on the side,” said Rabbi Weiser. But a core vision motivated the founders: “if the community was to have a strong Jewish future there needed to be a full-time day school.”

San Diego in fact, was one of the earliest cities to begin a Jewish day school outside of the large Jewish population centers, like New York, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. The place we now know as Soille Hebrew Day School was the first of its kind in San Diego.

Aaron and his two brothers grew up attending the school, as it moved from its location on 70th and Mohawk to Lake Murray to National University and on to its current campus in Kearny Mesa. When the time came time to put their daughter in daycare at age three months, Aaron and his wife brought her to Soille. “There’s no other place that I would think of to bring our daughter,” he shared.

“It’s like a family.”

One of Aaron’s fondest experiences at the school was meeting and learning with students from all along the spectrum of observance. “We were all different, but with the same backstory—all cut from the same cloth. Rabbi Weiser is an inclusive person and he cares about everyone in the community.”

Sandra Dimenstein with her granddaughter and great-granddaughter at Soille Hebrew Day School.

Nationally, 255,000 boys and girls receive some version of formal Jewish education in 37 states and Washington, D.C. Although this is the highest number ever, it is noteworthy that fewer than 10 percent of Jewish children are enrolled in a Jewish day school.

“Surveys show that less than half of American Jews today consider being Jewish important to them,” notes Rabbi Weiser.

“Families who have chosen Jewish day schools are finding that their children possess a personal Jewish identity. These children grow up to live meaningful Jewish lives.”

Maxwell Brookler sent his four children, and today five of his grandchildren go to Soille. “My wife and I enjoy listening to them discuss the Torah portion, noting how happy they are to spend Shabbat with us. This is not something anyone would take for granted nowadays.”

Today, San Diego has a Jewish day school system that encompasses early childhood through grade 12, with three Jewish day schools and three local choices for Jewish high school. “This path, though still less traveled,” Rabbi Weiser reflected, “provides San Diego with young Jewish leadership and enables families to see their heritage carry forward strongly. The San Diego Jewish community nurtured the fragile start of Soille Hebrew Day School as it took hold, and inspired others to expand on its efforts.” A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 35

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Women

Bringing Babies into the World

Everyday Life-Changing Moments for Dr. Dina Fainman

BY LEORAH GAVIDOR

A

t the age of four, local OB-GYN Dr. Dina Fainman told her parents she wanted to be a doctor.

“I was really into nature and biology—I would be outside, watching the ants do their thing.”

In high school, Dina and a small group of classmates participated in a program that took them to various health care settings. The students spent time observing, learning and working in medical offices, clinics, operating rooms, labs and delivery rooms. It was in the delivery room where Dina realized that’s she wanted to do for a living: bring babies into the world.

“I had a clear direction from a young age.

Some of my classmates realized it wasn’t for them, but it had the opposite effect on me.”

Dina’s family wasn’t in medicine. Her mother, ninth generation of progenitors born in Israel, was in education. She taught Dina Hebrew as she grew up in Rockland County, outside of New York City. She completed medical school and her residency in New York, then moved to San Diego in 2011.

Dr. Fainman uses her Hebrew with her Is-

raeli patients, who visit her private practice in Encinitas from all over the county. By coincidence, one of her partner doctors also speaks Hebrew. Dina said the fact that she is Jewish is important to some of her patients.

“It’s another level you can relate to with people—they feel that they don’t have to explain certain values, which can make it easier to talk about the sensitive subjects we deal with in our profession.”

Dr. Fainman sees patients from all backgrounds at her office in Encinitas and delivers babies at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. Her patients range in age from adolescent to women in their nineties. She works with transgender patients, too.

“I get to meet and treat people at every biological transition—birth, adolescence, puberty, pregnancy, menopause—significant times in peoples’ lives. I’m in the room for life-changing moments every day.”

Dina said that, for her, every birth is “reinvigorating”—even when she’s delivering six or seven babies in a shift!

“Every day is meaningful,” Dina reflected.

Dr. Fainman emphasizes how important it

is to begin a healthy relationship with a gynecologist early on. “It’s not taboo or scary to come see me!” She recommends talking with your teens about sex, STDs, birth control, body image and self-respect. She offers herself as a resource for teen girls to talk about these topics—with or without the parents present.

With two and a half years under her belt at Scripps Clinic, Dr. Fainman said she has had an opportunity to expand her network and gain access to all kinds of specialties in a larger healthcare setting.

She is excited about advances in individualized treatment that come with study of our genetic makeup, and the efforts of Scripps and other California hospitals to reduce maternal mortality and cesarean section rates.

But within the hospital, her practice maintains the small office feel.

“Even when I see 28-29 patients in a day, I take time to listen. Patients tell us it feels like we really care.”

Dina said she is fortunate to have a career she is passionate about. “Patients remember what you do for them.” A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 37

38 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

E D U C A T I O N

Dor L’Dor Generation to Generation

BY JACQUELINE BULL

C

habad Hebrew Academy has created a new tuition program called Dor L’Dor for the upcoming school year.

The reduced tuition price ($9,500) aims to remove some of the financial barrier of Jewish private school education.

“What we are trying to do is trying to let people know that Jewish education is accessible, it’s affordable, it’s available, it’s important,” Principal Liz Earne said.

Liz explained the portion of Jewish children who are attending a Jewish day school in San Diego is low.

“And we want to increase that percentage as much as possible and that is really the motivation behind this campaign, so the donors who have stepped forward to create this program, that is their goal,” she said.

“We have a group of supporters of this school, donors who have been involved with this school for many years who, in working with the administration and identifying the needs of the community and of the school, came together and collaborated to create this program. That’s where the name Dor L’Dor comes from. These are people who have been involved with the school for generations and would like to see it going forward into future generations,” she said.

And from their perspective, the lasting legacy of the school and Jewish continuity go hand in hand.

“How do we expand the reach of Jewish day school education for the future, for the future of the Jewish community? If we think about what the San Diego Jewish community will be like in 20 or 30 years, people who are children today will be adults then and

they will be the leaders of the community.

And we want them and the donors want them to have that foundation — that solid Jewish identity, the connection to Jewish holidays and Jewish values – is important for the continuation of the Jewish community,” she said.

“If we want Jewish leaders in the future, they need to have an understanding of Jewish values, Jewish holidays, Jewish customs – what it means to be Jewish and what it means to live a meaningful Jewish life.

Without that foundation, that wouldn’t be possible,” she said.

The donors and the school are both invested in having the Jewish community in San Diego be vibrant and strong into the future and they find the most effective way to do that to be focusing on building Jewish identity in children, through education.

“It is really about building the next link in the chain, so that there will be another link after that,” she said.

Right now they have the funding for 20 spots.

“I would love to have the problem of being able to go back to the donors and say, ‘We need more. We need more spots.’ As I said before, we’ve never turned away a family for financial reasons. I don’t anticipate we will start doing so now. We will do everything we can and it is certainly a goal to increase the number of spots available,” she said.

The donors work with the administration to identify needs and what funds they can provide. Liz explained the actual cost of educating a child is higher than the $9,500,

which is why they, like other private schools, do fundraising.

“One thing that is important about this program also is that the $9,500 tuition never increases. Obviously the cost of the school increases over time with inflation.

And we offer salary increases to our faculty and staff and prices go up and things, but the donors have stood behind this that they will fund it at this tuition level, so that parents know when they are enrolling their children that they can make a commitment and they don’t have to worry ‘In a couple years will I not be able to afford it anymore?’ that they will know that this is a guarantee for the future. I think that is part of Dor L’Dor also is that guarantee until your child graduates from this school, you don’t have to worry about it. Your enrollment continues at this rate. You’re done,” she said.

They’ve also made efforts to simplify the application process and have forgone the financial aid application.

“We’re here to work with people. We hold their hand through the process. We make it as easy for them as we possibly can. We certainly have nothing to gain from making it more difficult [laughs]. We want it to be an easy process. We want it to be a positive experience from the get go,” she said.

Liz noted that processes like these can be intimidating and subject to information overload today.

“Young parents today are constantly streaming with all different opportunities and things that are out there, so just trying to get out there and simplify the process will help to engage new families that is our Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 39

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The school strives to be a helping hand for new families to assert that the school is for the entire Jewish community.

“The school is here to serve the entire Jewish community regardless of religious observance level, regardless of ethnic or national background. We have Spanish speaking families. We have Hebrew speaking families. We have Russian speaking families. We have people coming from Oceanside and Tijuana. We are really here for the whole Jewish community and that is another reason that we are tryto expand this program to new families to let them know that we IN 24ing HOURS. are here for everyone,” she said.

“What is beautiful about that is that the kids feel it too. If you ask the students what makes this school different from other schools they will say ‘We have people here from all over the world.’ I think they mean we have people from all over San Diego [laughs], but that is their world, that is their perspective. It is amazing how even they appreciate that diversity from such a young age,” she said. A C

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E D U C A T I O N

Meet Temple Solel’s New Preschool Director

BY JACQUELINE BULL

L

eslie Scheck joined Temple Solel brimming with experience as a teacher’s assistant, Jewish camp counselor, teacher and over 10 years as an early childhood education director. She describes one of the key features of her philosophy as hands-on.

“I spend as much time in the classroom with the children and teachers as I possibly can. I am the type of person that always throughout my whole career has been willing to schlep a table, change a diaper, run to the store, help a teacher with behavior challenges, jump in, sub in a classroom, get down on the floor with the kids — really anything that is needed for the teachers to be successful and help the kids have the most quality experience possible,” Scheck said.

She brings her perspective as being both a teacher and administrator and working in many different school settings.

“I feel like a lot of my colleagues have spent their entire career in Jewish education, so I can kind of see from the opposite side of the coin: the level of expectations in the public school world. I taught inner city and I taught in a very affluent area, so I saw both sides of that. And the challenges that we faced were so drastically different. I also see sort of from the administrative side. Things were very formulated, but also there was a lot of bureaucracy that I had to deal with

Scheck with the kids in the playground.

and standardized tests. So I can see how fortunate we are to be play-based and developmentally appropriate and do what we need to do in order to meet the needs of our kids and families without that pressure,” she said.

She expressed wanting a strong, moral Jewish foundation for their students – no matter what kindergarten they end up in.

“We want them to be prepared for the world. We want them to be good kind people and have that social emotional foundation and really love learning and know how to learn. And there have been so many studies recently that show the value of early childhood education is really in the social emotional development. That stuff you can’t go back and re-teach those skills,” she said.

“I want them to love this place. I want them to have a strong Jewish foundation and I think that we need to look at them as more than students. And look at our families as more than just numbers – that this is really a foundation for them. That comes from my own experience, I’m still in contact with many friends that I met in Jewish preschool in Arizona and I think that piece is so valuable. I truly believe in the long run, the future of Judaism in our country is going to be based on community. It’s about tradition, culture, connection and finding ways to be together in good times and bad. And I know that for my friends, we stuck it out and kept

coming to religious school and confirmation class, and we’re involved in the Jewish world because we had connections to one another, so I think that is really key in everything I do.”

Leslie found her way into this kind of work because of her mother. Her mom was the founding director of the preschool in their synagogue in Tempe, Arizona, and Leslie worked to start a summer camp through the synagogue. Her mom then passed away from cancer when she was only 50.

“She asked me to apply for her job. And so they did a national search and actually narrowed it down to two candidates and I was 26 years old and was offered this position. I had no administrative experience and jumped right in. It was a little school; it was a beautiful community who just embraced me. And I found my passion and I found my family that I didn’t even know that I was missing. These children and parents really embraced me,” she said.

Leslie stayed at that school for six years while getting her masters and then started a trajectory of furthering her career and working in different positions at different schools.

“She knew I would be really good at this,” Leslie said, “even when I had no idea.” A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 41

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Women

WHAT JEWISH HISTORY FORGOT:

TRIBUTE TO THE JEWISH WOMAN: PART ONE

MARNIE MACAULEY Flora Langerman Spiegelberg

Q : How many Jewish women does it take to change a light bulb?

A : Don’t worry, I’ll just sit here in the dark.

Q : Why don’t Jewish women drink?

A : It interferes with their suffering.

Q : What is the most common disease transmitted by Jewish women?

A : Guilt.

W

e’ve all heard them. The Jewish female stereotypes, borne of ridicule, heightened by Borscht Belt comics, portrayed in media and casually accepted, even today by both Jews and non-Jews who go for the joke, the easy zetz (punch). And so, we have become the “cartoon,” the prototype of the overzealous, overinvolved, over-worried, overprotective, over-nurturing, overbearing – and zaftig presence that has invaded popular culture.

Those who have looked beyond the stereotype are not being heard loud enough.

There are few popular spotlights on our reality.

Since Biblical times, Jewish women have been rebels, groundbreakers and have achieved greatness. Some of them and their stories are well known. Who hasn’t heard of Barbara Walters, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, playwright Wendy Wasserstein, Molly Goldberg (Gertrude Berg) and of course,

Streisand and Midler. But have you heard of Flora Langerman Spiegelberg, the "Old Garbage Lady?” Did you know that a remarkable Jewish woman was the model for the heroine in “Ivanhoe?” Too many in our history who have shaped and changed the world we live in have been given shortshrift or been ignored.

In this two-part column, we hope you will see the special soul of Jewish women; read of the sacrifices, the extraordinary belief in the future that Jewish women over the centuries have possessed; read of the greatness, not only of women heralded, but of unsung Jewish female heroes who were valiant every day of their lives.

We start with pioneer, colonial and 19th century Jewish women.

Jewish pioneer men have been well documented. However, the struggles and hardships that Jewish pioneer women faced, as they brought their menorahs from Europe

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 43

to the frontiers of America, have been far less recorded and remembered. Here is a small sampling.

FLORA BERG:

LANGERMAN

SPIEGEL-

In 1874, the highly educated and outspoken 17-year-old Flora Langerman married Willi Spiegelberg in Nuremberg, Germany. After an elegant European honeymoon, the couple set out for Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Flora endured a grueling trip over rough country with cuisine consisting of dried buffalo, bear meat, buffalo tongue, buffalo steaks, beans, and chilis. The bumpy stagecoach ride likely caused Flora to miscarry.

When the couple finally stopped at a hotel in Las Animas, Colorado, she was the first woman the men had seen in months. Under the gaze of cowboys at the ramshackle hotel, Flora was so anxious that she slept clothed.

When the couple finally arrived in “wild” Santa Fe, instead of going into culture shock, Flora devoted herself to improving her new community. She organized literary and dramatic Clubs and in 1879, she helped establish the first nonsectarian school and the first children’s playground and garden in Santa Fe. Flora conducted two religious schools herself, one a Sabbath school on Saturdays for Jewish children, and the other, a Sunday school for Catholic children.

Among her Jewish students were Hyman Lowitzy, who became a member of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, and Arthur Seligman, who went on to become governor of New Mexico in 1930.

Flora also had her share of decidedly “frontier” experiences. One night in 1887, an angry mob insisted that her husband join in lynching two Mexicans who allegedly murdered an Anglo physician. It was Flora who convinced the mob to leave.

In the late 1880s she insisted that her family join the other Spiegelbergs in New York City, so their daughters could eventually marry Jewish men. She became a social activist in New York, organizing the Boys Vocational Club and, in 1889, the first Jewish Working Girls Club. Flora was the leading force behind the creation of a modern system of garbage collection in the city and Thomas Edison even made a film about her plan. She was dubbed “The Old Garbage 44 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Woman of New York.”

Although criticized at times for her “unladylike” concerns with garbage, Flora explained that health and cleanliness was quite within the province of women. She also served on the New York City Health Commission, the Street Cleaning Department, the Public Water Commission, and the Daylight Saving Commission. Despite her remarkable achievements, the name Flora Langerman Spiegelberg has remained largely unknown.

REBECCA GRATZ: Rebecca Gratz was born in Philadelphia on March 4, 1781 into a wealthy Jewish family. After her parents’ early deaths, she raised her siblings and then was mother to her late sister’s children. At age 20, she organized the Female Association for the Relief of Women and Children of Reduced Circumstances in Philadelphia, serving as its first secretary and fundraiser. Rebecca was also one of the founders of the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum. In 1819, she founded the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society and then in 1855, she created the Jewish Foster Home and Orphan Asylum. In addition to her groundbreaking work on behalf of orphans, Rebecca presided over the establishment of the first Jewish Sunday School, on February 4, 1838. The Philadelphia Hebrew Sunday School Society offered free weekly classes to children from early childhood to the early teens. It also gave Jewish women an unprecedented role in the education of Jewish children with its teacher training program.

Rebecca was the school’s superintendent for over 25 years. The school was an immediate success and branches were opened all over Philadelphia and the country. Her 1838 design for supplemental Jewish education is still used in the United States today.

Gratz, one of the most famous women of her time, had friends like Henry Clay and Washington Irving. Irving told Sir Walter Scott about the extraordinary Rebecca Gratz, who then, it is believed, became his role model for the heroine in “Ivanhoe.”

FLORENCE PRAG KAHN: Florence Prag Kahn was born November 9, 1866, to Polish Jews who were early settlers in California. In the mid-1860s, the family

moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where her father became friendly with Brigham Young.

Her mother was an educator and early feminist who wrote “My Life Among the Mormons.” Florence was a teacher when she married Julius Kahn in 1899. They later moved from California to Washington, D.C. when her husband was elected to Congress. When Florence and her husband were invited to dine with President McKinley, they walked to the White House, as a carriage cost one dollar to hire. “In what country,” asked Julius Kahn, “could two poor Jews be on their way to dine with the head of state?”

The Kahns were dedicated to Judaism and their two sons were Bar Mitzvahed at Temple Emanuel. Florence, known as a brilliant, take-charge woman with great humor, was once asked “Would you favor a birth control law?” She replied: “I will if you make it retroactive.”

In 1924, after her husband’s death, a special election was held, and Florence took his seat, making her the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. She completed five congressional terms and was also the first woman to serve on the Military Affairs Committee. Florence traveled throughout California, encouraging women to become involved in national politics.

She remained dedicated to numerous Jewish causes throughout her life.

JULIA FRANK ZECKENDORF: Julia Frank was born in Germany in 1840 and immigrated as a youngster to New York.

At 18, she married William Zeckendorf, who was also from Germany. When William went to work with his brothers in New Mexico, then Arizona, the couple honeymooned by train across country. The couple relocated to Tucson and had four children. Julia entertained elegantly for the Jewish community. Eventually, they returned to New York, but the Zeckendorf name became part of the historical records of Arizona and New Mexico because of the family’s involvement in merchandising, mining, cattle raising and farming. Generations of Zeckendorfs then built a real estate empire in New York and Julia’s grandson, William II, put together the land parcel that John D. Rockefeller donated to the United Nations. A

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E D U C A T I O N

Updating That Which Cannot be Changed

BY RABBI JACOB RUPP

A

nyone who takes a trip to a neighborhood with a large Orthodox community (think Brooklyn or Jerusalem) feels like they are stepping back in time, yet despite the cultural appearances and nuances, Judaism itself is in a tremendous state of ongoing flux and modernization—and it always has been.

This is curious as a fundamental premise of traditional Judaism is that the Torah is “Toras Emes,” i.e. true, and one is not allowed to change it. In fact, in Deuteronomy it says explicitly that anyone who adds or subtracts from the Torah deserves the death penalty. So how can we account for, explain and accept movements and ideologies that are both traditionally valid, yet at the same time completely modern?

Let’s start with something even more fundamental: The Judaism we practice today doesn’t have many of the elements of the ancient days. We have no Temple (and with that over 300 of the 613 commandments cannot be done.); we no longer practice animal sacrifices; Jewish courts no longer try capital cases. What is important to consider in this regard is that rather than this being a departure from traditional Judaism, this is in fact allegiance. In Jewish law, much or all of the commandments in the Torah are conditional; they are based on time (the laws of Shabbat for example don’t apply on Thursday), the individual (priests or kohanim have a host of different responsibilities to non kohanim), and location (agricultural laws in Israel do not apply outside of Biblical Israel).

The fact that we don’t practice in many of the ways of our ancestors isn’t a departure at all, but rather staying true to the original document. The factors that were originally present when these laws were in force, are no

46 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

longer a factor and thus, these commandments cannot be practiced.

But Jewish law aside, how do we account for change? Much or all of the Orthodox Jewish landscape as we see it today is completely different from the world of Moses or Rabbi Akiva, and yet, it is completely in line with traditional Judaism. The message cannot be changed, our task is to constantly make Judaism relevant. We focus not on changing the Torah, but on learning and adopting its essence for each generation.

The massive oral Torah initially was not allowed to be written down. As the name suggests, it was transmitted orally from father to son, teacher to student. But over the millennia, it was codified first as the Mishna in 189 CE, then a few hundred years later in the Gemara and subsequent authorities.

This was because whereas before Jews had the luxury of studying in groups and could compare their studies with peers, once they were in exile it became too difficult, so notes of the texts had to be put in writing in order to keep a record of the material.

Until a few hundred years ago, Judaism was taught outside of the classroom; the modern yeshiva (think Torah College) wasn’t completed until 1806, and a network of formalized Jewish education for women was not established until 1917. Despite this, today it’s hard to find any Jewish community in the world that doesn’t send their kids to Jewish day school. Jewish education, which used to be largely the responsibility of the family, is now outsourced to outside professionals.

Maimonides in the Middle Ages was able to translate much of Jewish philosophy into the format and style of the popular Aristotelian logic model. The 1700’s saw the

rise of Hasidism in Eastern Europe, a movement that focused on prayer and mysticism, amongst other things. It was directed not at the scholars of the Jewish world, but the largely unlearned, poor working class.

In post-Napoleon Germany amongst the explosive growth of German intellectualism and liberal ideology, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch oversaw the creation of a school system and movement that explained the fundamentals of Judaism and Jewish philosophy in highbrow modern German – in a way that could be understood by the New Age individual.

The Mussar movement also developed in the mid 1800’s. It focused on building character and personal development. Other notable developments of this era were the rise of youth organizations that are the ideological forefathers of the Jewish organizations at high schools and colleges today. The world that developed post WWll, both in Israel and America, saw the rise of an entire group of Jews who spend considerable portions of their adult life studying and teaching Torah, full time. In many ways, this was a concerted effort, with miraculous results, to rebuild that which was destroyed in Europe.

While I can’t claim this article does justice to the tremendous amount of innovation there is within the Jewish world, my hope is to convey that while the Torah doesn’t change, we do. The job of each generation’s scholars and individuals is to learn how to make the Torah relevant, whilst maintaining its original meaning and foundation. While this may sound like a formidable task, it was actually the goal and desire of G-d when He gave the Torah, as He said, “All of our souls (Jews from all backgrounds and all times) stood at Sinai.” A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 47

E D U C A T I O N

SAN DIEGO FRENCH-AMERICAN SCHOOL: A Local Blend of Culture and Curriculum

BY EMILY GOULD

N

estled in the hills of suburban La Jolla is a quaint, brightly colored school whose dedication to ensuring the bilingualism of its students is as vibrant as its buildings. I’m greeted with an exuberant “bonjour!” as I step through the doors into the office. Director of Enrollment Management, Isabelle Gilet, welcomes me into the San Diego French-American School (SDFAS) with a passionate enthusiasm for what the school accomplishes with its students.

She and the rest of the staff members take great pride in helping the children excel in not only the French and English languages themselves, but also the rest of the curriculum – which is taught in varying degrees in both languages.

“We have students starting from age two through the 8th-grade,” explains Gilet, who are enrolled in “the fluency transition program … where they work with a specialist on language acquisition” for time proportionate to the level of fluency that they enter the school with. The goal is to have students exit the SDFAS and enter high schools with complete fluency in both languages. Which, as I saw first hand, is not an impossible task; I was awed by the way fifth grade students seamlessly transitioned between speaking in French, then to English, and back again.

Even the pre-K classes flawlessly understand instructions in French, despite speaking English as a primary language. Pre-K classes are taught 90 percent in French, and 10 percent

48 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

in English; by the time students reach 8th grade, the reverse is true in order to prepare them for entry into local high schools – although around six percent of students do end up attending local or foreign Baccalaureate Internationale schools.

The SDFAS is accredited by the French government, and follows both traditional French and American systems of pedagogy; the French system offers a structured and analytical approach, while the American system is more inquiry based and encourages students to think creatively in order to solve problems. Mark Rosenblum, head of school, believes these systems complement each other well as they “allow students different ways to approach their learning. Studying and learning multiple languages in and of itself leads to alternative ways of perceiving the world and expressing oneself, which in turn allows for a richer human existence.”

Foreign language immersion programs such as this one offer many cognitive benefits. With the rise of globalization, it is immeasurably helpful to be bilingual throughout one’s life. Bilingual students also show stronger skills in problem solving, required selective/divided attention and mental flexibility. Research has shown that bilingual students show these advantages over their monolingual counterparts within only two to three years of language immersion, which is why SDFAS has recently changed their policy on the entry point of students. Pre-

viously, monolingual students were only able to enroll at the school until 6th grade, but now SDFAS allows new student enrollment at any time, with any level of fluency in either language. It is, of course, better for pupils to start earlier, but the addition of the aforementioned “fluency transition program” has allowed for less fluent students to have extra attention in order to reach the level of their peers.

The school’s language immersion curriculum heavily concentrates on an active learning process. On my tour of the school, Gilet introduced me to François Trégouët of the computer science department. He showed me how the computer lab is designed to be flexible, with garage doors, movable chairs and whiteboard tabletops; the environment promotes learning in a way that is conducive to a young and adventurous mind. The computer lab also hosts several species of robots that evolve with the age of the children, becoming more complicated as the students graduate to higher levels of learning. The integration of such innovative technology promotes mathematical understanding through the art of coding, as well as collaboration and problem solving by creating puzzles via 3D printers: older students craft three-dimensional puzzles using computer-generated formulas, which are then printed and given to younger students who solve them.

A class of 5th-graders was over the moon about their teacher, Marie-Pier Goulet-Lyle,

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who earned her Master’s in Education and focused her thesis on “specific links that exist between reading skills and mathematical word problem performance.” She incorporates her background into the classroom in such a way that makes learning fun instead of arduous. Her students had only good things to say about her (in both French and English) and offered rave reviews of her ability to create a classroom experience that feels welcoming and encouraging by presenting curriculum in a way that is fresh and enjoyable.

Not to be outdone by the surrounding monolingual middle schools, the SDFAS campus also boasts a large grass area, complete with a track and soccer field for school-sponsored teams, as well as a colorful blacktop area where the students enjoy playing less competitive games during recess. “We don’t want the students to miss out on local traditions,” offers Gilet, “sports are a big part of American culture and it’s important for the students to experience physical education like this.”

Overall, the San Diego French American School felt like a wonderfully charming and inspiring place to attend. Not only do the teachers who interact face-to-face with students on a daily basis seem excited and enthusiastic about providing their pupils with an extraordinary learning experience, but even the more behindthe-scenes staff members share this same ideal. Head of Middle School Benedicte Brouder is the perfect example, as she shepherds the children from middle to high school, ensuring that they are able to move on to their first choice of lycée.

I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to this dual language institution, it never occurred to me that such a place existed in my own backyard (with hundreds of sister locations and hundreds of thousands of students around the world, I might add); the school was clever and unique, well manicured, and fascinatingly multi-faceted. My only objection was that I myself never attended a school like this; ah well, c’est la vie! A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 49

POLITICS: Congressman Mike Levin

No Gambler

An Interview With Congressman Mike Levin

BY BRIE STIMSON

M

ike Levin is passionate about the environment. In fact, he made climate change one of the central issues of his 49th district run this past fall. (The 49th district encompasses much of coastal North County and a small part of southern Orange County). Before he ran for office, he was an environmental attorney and clean energy advocate. “In 2018, people said ‘Well, you know, you’re running on the environment among other things, is that the right strategy?’ In fact, there was even an article that said I was ‘gambling’ on climate change.

For me, it would be gambling not to talk about climate change. So I’m proud to have run on a platform of strong environmental protection and clean energy advocacy, and that’s how I’ll serve as well,” Levin told me over the phone from his San Juan Capistrano home one brisk December afternoon. He had just come back from a trip to D.C. as he prepared to join Congress.

Levin’s accomplishments are astounding: he was the student body president at Stanford, he attended law school at Duke, he’s on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy here in San Diego, he cofounded Sustain OC in Orange County and he served as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County. But in speaking to him, Levin sounds more like a concerned citizen than an elite politician.

“We must take care of the environment.

We don’t get another planet. We haven’t figured out how to live on Mars yet,” Levin tells me of why he chose to campaign on climate change. “We’ve got probably about 15 years to get this right and to try to dramatically reduce our emissions footprint ... and so what we do in the next two years I hope is 50 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

kind of the down payment on a Green New Deal that will create jobs that will protect the planet and that will ultimately help correct the course.”

He says they are recreating the select committee on climate change, which led to the failed Waxman-Markey bill that aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “What happened was then speaker Nancy Pelosi created this select committee in 2007 and the draft of the legislation, which passed the House of Representatives. Republicans were in charge of the Senate so that legislation never even made it to the floor of the Senate,” Levin explains. “Then in 2010, we lost the House and when we lost the House, John Boehner became the speaker and he killed the committee so this would reconstitute that committee.”

“What that down payment looks like,” Levin says, referring to the above-mentioned Green New Deal, “is creating draft legislation that – assuming we retake the Senate and the White House in time and I’m hopeful that we will – we’ll be able to hit the ground running. It also provides an opportunity for us to press the Democrats running for president in 2020 to take a bold stand on climate change and on clean energy, and I’m a big believer that you can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time.” He points out that has already been done in California where we’ve created clean energy jobs while protecting our air, water and coastline, we have a clean energy standard and a mandate for better building efficiency.

“A national building standard could be a great idea and also more supportive policies for things like electric vehicles, making sure

that we continue to make electric vehicles the new most favorable form of transportation,” he adds. “We just have to, also at the same time, hold to account the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior and make sure that they are following the letter and the spirit of the law and that they’re actually trying to enforce the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and do their jobs – not deny science.”

He says one of the Democrats’ first priorities when they take over the majority this month is to draft an anti-corruption bill called H.R.1. “It would lead to significant campaign finance reforms,” he says.

“It would protect voting rights, the Voting Rights Act and it would lead to more transparency and accountability in government.

I think ending the corrupt system of big money and dark money, I think, should be on everyone’s list as a top priority.”

Levin, who is of Mexican descent on his mother’s side, will be joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and SEEC (Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition).

He is just 40 years old, practically a teenager in Congressional years, and will also be joining the Future Forum, made up of members who are under 45. “Sort of the future of the Democratic party,” he tells me. Levin has a young family – his children are four and six – and their presence is evident even during our phone call. “Hold on buddy. Daddy’s on the phone for a minute, OK?” he tells his son at the beginning of our phone call.

Levin was part of a Democratic sweep of Orange County that turned the once Repub-

lican stronghold blue. (He will be replacing Republican Darrell Issa, who announced his retirement last year). Levin attributes the wins mostly to a great field of candidates.

“I feel like if we continue the work and if activists continue their engagement and we continue to recruit great candidates, we’re going to be able to do in Orange County much of what we’ve already done in San Diego County where we’ve now got fairly significant margins,” he says. With Levin’s win, Duncan Hunter will now be the lone Republican representing San Diego.

Despite the gains, he says Democrats still need to make inroads in down ticket races, including the city council, supervisorial seats, state senate and state assembly.

A Democratically controlled House and a Republican controlled Senate and White House could potentially lead to gridlock, but Levin is optimistic that there’s more than enough both sides can agree on. “The opportunity to work together ... is significant on issues like infrastructure, the DREAM Act – the votes exist in the House today for the DREAM Act and the only reason it didn’t advance is because Paul Ryan wouldn’t allow it because he didn’t have half of his own caucus,” Levin says. “I think we ought to be working towards comprehensive immigration reform.” He also believes infrastructure is not a partisan issue. “There are plenty of Republicans that would love to see great new improvements to infrastructure in their districts just as we’d like to see them here in California,” he says. “My hope is that to the extent that there’s an infrastructure package, that it includes a lot of sustainable measures, that we’re creating green infrastructure.” He’s optimistic that they

can also work together on health care – protecting those with pre-existing conditions and stabilizing rising costs – and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

Levin was baptized Catholic but is Jewish on his father’s side. “I was raised with both the Catholic faith and also the Jewish faith. I have deep respect for Jewish culture and tradition and celebrate High Holidays with my dad,” he says. “I was baptized as a Catholic.

Having a Catholic mom and a Jewish dad, I think my mom won that one.” He says he considers himself culturally Jewish. “[I] care very much about the Jewish community and the state of Israel and the Middle East,” he tells me. “I’ve been raised in a family where that’s part of the kitchen table discussion, so certainly something that I hope to bring to my service: a deep respect for Jewish culture and tradition and the state of Israel.”

Levin attended the gathering at Beth Israel after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. “We had a multi-faith vigil, which was a really a remarkable event.

The whole community came together in the wake of that horrible tragedy in Pittsburgh.”

“I’m just fortunate to have a multi-faith background,” he adds, “and I think that has given me an open mind when it comes to – not just religion – but to ultimately celebrate people from different backgrounds.”

His grandparents on his mother’s side came to the United States from Mexico when his grandfather was 11 and his grandmother was around three years old. They had no money, no formal education and they didn’t speak English, “but they worked really hard and they started a business in downtown Los Angles to distribute [Wurlitzer] juke boxes.” Levin’s grandfather did well enough

to send all five of their daughters to college, “including my mother,” he adds. “My mom likes to call them the DREAMERs of their day.”

Levin knows it won’t be easy balancing family life with Congressional duties, but he plans to make time for his wife and children a priority. He says generally each week he will fly to Washington on Monday and try to be back home by Thursday afternoon.

“I’ll be with my family of course, but also in the district.” At the time of our conversation his team had not yet announced district office locations.

“I think the real key,” he says of balancing family time with professional responsibilities, “is just being available not just physically but emotionally for my kids, for my wonderful spouse and that is not easy and I don’t pretend to have simple answer.”

He says he thoroughly discussed whether to run with his wife, Chrissy, before he went all in. “I think my wife and I are both incredibly excited at the opportunity to serve the community,” he tells me. “Dad won’t be around quite as often, but I will always make time as much as possible for my family.”

“We now believe,” he tells me at the end of our conversation, “that we have an opportunity to leave a legacy for our children, and hopefully for future generations. And I don’t know what greater lesson I can leave to my two young kids than the importance of serving a cause greater than your own self-interest, and that’s what I’m going to do.” A

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 51

BOOK REVIEW: Edge of Order

The Architect As Global Mensch

BY SHARON ROSEN LEIB

W

orld-famous architect Daniel Libeskind’s “Edge of Order” is a lush hardcover tome – physically heavy and brimming with advice for living creatively. At first glance, it looks like a funky, coffee-table book. But parking “Edge of Order” on a table, without taking the time to read it, would be a missed opportunity to experience the wonders of Libeskind’s mind.

At 72, Libeskind possesses the wisdom of a worldly Jewish elder. His Polish parents survived the Holocaust by fleeing to Russia.

They returned to Lodz, Poland after World War II ended. Daniel’s mother gave birth to him in a Polish homeless shelter in 1946.

From the grim darkness of post-WW II Poland, the Libeskinds moved to technicolor, kinetic Israel in 1957. There, young Daniel pursued his passion for music and became an accomplished accordionist. Two years later, when he was 13, the family moved to New York.

Daniel’s boundless creative energy shifted from music to drawing. He planned on studying art at New York’s Cooper Union, but his mother insisted he learn something more practical, thus launching his architectural career.

Libeskind came of age in the tumultuous 1960s, questioning authority with gusto. He writes of asking his architecture professor why he took attendance and graded his students. The professor challenged him to tear up the class grade book. Libeskind complied, shredding it to bits. After the professor ceased giving grades, his students began to express themselves more freely - without fear of being judged. Libeskind learned sometimes the best outcome can be achieved by changing the game, rather than playing by established rules. His chutzpah enabled him to bust establishment constraints and design his own career path.

Every page of “Edge of Order” reveals Libeskind’s genius and eclecticism. He uses different font sizes and typefaces; tangerine, silver and rainbow paper; sketches; photographs; acrylic overlays; fold-out pages and inserts to make the book a work of art. The combination of accessible text and brilliant design fulfills his mission of inviting everyone into the architectural process.

Libeskind shares a favorite quote from Le Corbusier, one of the 20th century’s greatest architects, “You only need two things to be an architect: to travel and to read books.” After reading this, I thought sign me up, please!

Libeskind describes his process as 90 percent conventional and 10 percent new. For the “new” aspects of his work, he draws in52 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

spiration from Jewish mysticism and symbology and his extensive knowledge of literature and art – ranging from classical to modern.

He embraces a messy creative process because he believes by accepting chaos, we open ourselves to finding the magic.

His philosophy of buildings as vessels for meaning makes him one of the most sought-after contemporary architects. His vision has resulted in masterpieces of memory and hope, including the Jewish Museum Berlin; the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco; the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa and the World Trade Center Master Plan. When he visited the post 9/11 structural remains of the World Trade Center, he felt the rebirth of the site must be led by the lost souls who perished there. His emotionally affecting design combines substantial buildings with wide-open empty spaces to create a sense of grieving and renewal.

Libeskind’s works in progress span the globe from Lithuania to Saudi Arabia. He’s a sensitive, intelligent global ambassador whose book breathes optimism into our politically troubled world.

Libeskind will appear at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s Garfield Theater on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. to discuss and sign his book. Tickets are available at www.sdcjc.org. A

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 53

FEATURE: Poetry

Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices

BY BRIE STIMSON

T

ake me under your wing / be my mother, my sister / Take my head to your breast / my banished prayers to your nest,” says the Hayim Nahman Bialik poem “Take Me Under your Wing.”

Eileen Wingard, who has helmed the program Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices at the JCC since its inception 11 years ago, has taken many a poet under its wing. In fact, she conceived of it along with local poet Joy Heitzmann. This Jan. 8, the series will feature three local poets – Richard Lederer who writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune and founded “A Way With Words” on public radio; Nina Garin, the arts calendar editor and producer at KPBS; and Abigail Flöte. “She is a German-born woman who is a geriatric nurse, but she also writes poetry,” Eileen explains. “She paints and she plays the violin and she’s a member of Beth Israel. She is a Jew by choice.”

The Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices evenings are sponsored by the JCC’s Astor Judaica Library. “It is one of the few offerings that is open and free to the public,” Eileen adds and the evenings generally feature three local poets. Their first poetry night featured Joy Heitzmann; Eileen’s late husband musician Hal Wingard, who wrote over 300 original songs, which he read the lyrics from; and Sally Scheinock. “Sally was a Holocaust survivor, a member of the New Life club who wrote in Yiddish,” Eileen says.

Heitzmann is also the moderator for all of their evenings. She specializes in Haikus and often reads new ones she has written during the open mic section of the evening in the last 30 minutes.

“We have had some remarkable poets over the years,” Eileen says, including Ilya Kaminsky, a prize-winning Russian born poet who taught at San Diego State and is now at a college in Atlanta; Natasha Josefowitz, a well known local writer; columnist, psychologist and published poet; Chris Baron who teaches creative writing at San Diego City College; and Zev Bar-Lev who was a language professor at SDSU, who “has shared his Hebrew poetry,” Eileen adds; and Pepe Galicot, a well known San Diego and Tijuana entrepreneur. “We have had poetry in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, Spanish, French and Russian as well as in English,” Eileen adds of the list of varied poets.

“The last five years, in addition to having three evenings of poets, we have added another evening, a fourth evening, that we call Jewish Poets of the Past,” Eileen says. “For that we have featured some of the 54 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

outstanding poets in Jewish history. The first evening was presented by the late Gabriella Auspitz Labson, who was a specialist in the poetry of Hayim Nahman Bialik – one of the greatest Jewish poets – and the following year we [read] Tchernikovsky, Rachel [Bluwstein]. And the year after that we had Schneyor and Goldberg and the following year we had Jewish poets from the golden age of Spain. And last year we had Yehuda Amichai and Hanna Szenes,” a World War II paratrooper who went into Yugoslavia in 1944 to assist in the rescue of Hungarian Jews about to be deported to Auschwitz. She was arrested at the Hungarian border, tortured and executed by a firing squad.

This year’s Jewish Poets of the Past (in March) will feature poetry written by Emma Lazarus and Abraham Goldfaden. All Americans will be familiar with Lazarus’ work “The New Colossus” which is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Goldfaden, a Russian poet, is considered the father of modern Jewish theater and his poetry will be read in the original Yiddish. “In these evenings, we have had the poems read in their original language mainly in Hebrew and so I’ve recruited native speakers, including some of the finest Hebrew educators in our community,” Eileen says.

“Many of the poets have had their poetry done to music,” Eileen says, so the evenings often include musical performances of the poetry, including the Beth Am choir.

They opened the season in October with an evening of student-read poetry. “This year we had 20 kids reading their poetry,” Eileen says.

“We’ve had students from the San Diego Jewish Academy, from the Soille Hebrew Day School, from Chabad Hebrew Academy and from the SD Community Jewish High School that meets at Temple Emanu El and the Temple Solel Religious School.”

Lastly, in May they will coordinate an evening of poetry with an art exhibit on aging.

Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices (Jan. 8) is free and open to the public.

As the Bialik poem says, “One merciful twilight hour / hear my pain, bend your head.” A

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 55

THEATER: San Diego Rep

Food is Family in “AUBERGINE” at the San Diego Repertory Theatre

BY PAT LAUNER Ray has this special gift; he can intuit exactly what a person’s heart and soul needs to eat to re-connect them to the people and places that are most meaningful and beautiful in their history.”

Cho brought those two creations together in “Aubergine” (which is another name for eggplant – and also describes a color). Diane, the pastrami-seeker, only appears briefly in order to deliver her monologue at the beginning. She doesn’t return until the very end of the play.

Dana Lee, Brian Kim. “It’s a Korean play with Jewish ideas,” says Todd. “It asks how the food we eat carries on our culture and urprisingly, a play about a Korean connects us to the people, places and family starts off with a pastrami events of our lives.” sandwich.

When Ray’s father, dreaming of America, No surprise to San Diego Rep associate was leaving Korea after the war, his wife, a artistic director Todd Salovey. “Aubergine,” wonderful cook, decided to make him the with its focus on food and family, resonates perfect meal, in the hope that it would constrongly with Jewish culture. vince her husband not to leave his family.

The play had a unique inception. Several Now, in America, as that father nears his years ago, acclaimed Korean-American play- end, Ray calls his father’s brother to the bedwright Julia Cho, winner of the prestigious side. The uncle says Ray should create a soup Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, among many that would make his father want to stay, and others, was asked, by a group of writers, to not leave the world. create a one-act play about food.

“It feels like a really Jewish play to me,” She wrote a monologue about a woman Todd asserts. “When I was in college at Stanwhose late father made an absolutely per- ford, I used to visit my grandmother in Florfect pastrami sandwich as a late-night snack. ida whenever I could. I kept a log of every Now, whenever she inhales that pastrami meal she cooked for me. I have photos in my smell, it brings back memories of her father. album of the meals she served. When I was a Kind of like Proust and his madeleines. kid, she would always send us sugar cookies What she really longs for is to be back in in the shape of stars. In the mid-‘80s, when 1982, “[when] I am eight years old and my I was in my mid-20s, she sent my last batch father is young, and he, just like me, is never of sugar cookies. I said, ‘I can’t eat this.’ I put going to die.” it in my mother-in-law’s garage. When she “Julia Cho thought, ‘No one will produce moved, 23 years later, she sent me the packthis,’” says Todd, who’s directing her 2017 age. play at the San Diego Rep (Jan. 24-Feb. 17).

“I opened the box with total trepidation.

“Then, she began to write a story about Every cookie was whole and intact. Now I another food-lover,” he continues, “a Kore- keep the cookies in my closet.” an-American, Ray, an amazing chef, who’s taking care of his dying father. Though his What’s Your Pastrami? father thinks eating is just a necessary chore, “There’s so much more to Judaism than and cooking is an undesirable occupation, food,” Todd asserts. “This play kind of makes

S

56 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

you think: ‘What’s your pastrami sandwich?’

It’s different foods for different people. For my father’s mother, it was breast of veal and also eggplant. For my other grandmother, it was stuffed cabbage.”

Cho has written that “when someone dies, one of the harder aspects is that you no longer get to eat with them.”

“That sense of melancholy,” Marilyn Stasio wrote about “Aubergine” in Variety, “is beautifully evoked in a sequence of scenes in which parents and children bond — or clash — over meals, a dramatic confirmation that food is, indeed, the fundamental symbol of familial love.”

It’s not just food that links the Korean and Jewish cultures, though. There’s a strong through-line about fathers and sons, which was a running theme in the plays of Arthur Miller and the novels of Philip Roth (not to mention the living rooms of innumerable Jewish households).

“There’s a speech in the play,” says Todd, “about Korean families, and how the children are treated in a very loving way, but there are a lot of expectations. In the same way, Jewish kids are the future to their parents. Their hopes are pinned on their offspring, but at the same time, there are a ton of expectations.

“Ray is first generation American. He got no respect from his father for wanting to be a chef. When I was growing up, my grandparents said, ‘You can be anything you want – as long as it’s a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer.’

‘Don’t be a trombenik,’ my Nana would say, which I think means ‘Don’t be a bum!’”

Another focus of the play, says Todd, is language. As Charles Isherwood of the New York Times noted, “’Aubergine’ shares with [Cho’s] earlier work, like ‘The Language Archive’ and ‘The Piano Teacher, a perceptive sense of the invisible barriers that mysteriously spring up between people, and the equally mysterious impulses that bind them together. It has a clear-eyed focus on the sometimes ugly details of impending mortality.”

Similarly, Todd remarks, “The language

in this play is really beautiful. The imagery is very mysterious. And despite the seeming simplicity of the story, it’s very profound. All Julia Cho’s plays have to do with identity, family, culture and nationality – and the fact that often, the mother tongue is lost.”

As she herself has written, “You can lose an entire language so easily, but I most likely will eat what my grandmother ate, with as much relish as she did. And my children will eat what my grandparents ate.”

Todd sees the commonalities with Yiddish, a language that is lost, and sometimes, in later generations, found again. And in the Mexican-Jewish community, he notes, “Spanish is very important. But what happens when the younger kids don’t speak Spanish?”

When Ray phones his uncle in Korea, he needs to call his ex-girlfriend to come and translate. “Another really poignant thing in the play,” says Todd.

“After his father dies, Ray still thinks of him as grouchy, unhappy and not very personable. But then he gets a call from his father’s dentist, who says what a nice, pleasant man he was and how much he’ll be missed.

“As a kid, you really don’t know how your parents interact in the world – especially if they’re disappointed in you, and your relationship with them is difficult. The play is a profound meditation on how, in the context of loss, we can find acceptance, and find what’s most meaningful in our lives.

“Food can both unite and divide families,” says Todd. “In Ray’s family, his father didn’t like any fancy food, and had no appreciation of Ray’s gourmet skills. Food has always been a separating point between them. The woman at the outset, Diane, is craving the

PHOTOS BY JENNIE WARREN

“It’s a Korean play with Jewish ideas,” says Todd. “It asks how the food we eat carries on our culture and connects us to the people, places and events of our lives.”

Playwright Julia Cho.

Director Todd Salovey.

pastrami sandwich to take her back to when her family was together and everything was whole. Ray thinks of the last time his mother cooked a special meal for his father, and he’s trying to do the same, to re-connect the circle.”

Tellingly, instead of some gourmet extravaganza, what Ray cooks is mugook, the simplest, most basic soup prepared in Korean kitchens. Ray’s girlfriend, Cornelia, admits that she fell in love with him when, without any clues or suggestion, he served her a bowl of fresh mulberries, like the ones her father had picked for her as a child.

“There’s one other character in the play,” Todd says, “the nurse who takes care of Ray’s father. He’s a refugee from North Africa; he tells about the food experiences of his family in a refugee camp. The food there was so different from what the people who had another life before that could remember.”

It’s this hospice care worker, Lucien, who gives the play its name. He grew a beautiful aubergine in a community garden. “The best thing I ever ate was the first thing I ever planted,” he says. “And when I ate it, I tasted something that almost reminded me of home.”

When Ray makes him a personalized dish of food, the gentle Lucien says, “When I eat this, I am young,” So, food is tied in with family and memory, life and death, love and loss, grief and growth.

as adults, they were out of touch for many years. But as soon as he gets the phone call, Ray’s uncle takes the next plane to the U.S. (though it’s not specifically stated, Todd feels that the play is set in southern California).

Every character has a private monologue they share with the audience. A few have a magical or mystical element. These direct-address speeches share food-related memories that connect the speaker to their childhoods and their parents.

In the San Diego Rep production, all the leading roles are played by Korean actors, two of whom are fully fluent in Korean.

“I cast from all over the country,” Todd says.

There are only two local actors: Amanda Sitton (whom he first directed in 1993) and DeLeon Dallas (recently spotlighted at the Rep in “Actually,” and at The Old Globe in “Clint Black’s Looking for Christmas”).

Oh, and another link to Judaism: Todd says, “I’ve heard that a Korean version of the Talmud is a best-seller in Korea. Because of the moral instruction and intellectual tradition. In schools, they think of it as mind training.”

According to Todd, “Julia Cho has written that she didn’t realize how short the shelflife of a play is. I think she’d be thrilled that someone from another culture would relate to her play. I think the Jewish audience will definitely relate to this play. It certainly captures my Jewish soul.” A

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

“AUBERGINE” runs at the San Diego Repertory Theatre in Horton Plaza, Jan 24-Feb. 17 Tickets and information: 619-544-1000; sdrep.org.

Fraternal conflict and camaraderie is another theme in the play. Ray’s father and uncle were very different when they were growing up in Korea. They didn’t get along well, and

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 57

Women

The New Combat Role for Women in the IDF

BY SYBIL KAPLAN

I

n the last century, women played a vital role in the underground struggle for Israel’s independence, including participation in signals and combat roles in the pre-state military groups: Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi.

Before the establishment of the State, women served in combat roles in the militias that would become the Israel Defense Forces. The rate of women who took part in combat organizations stood at 20 percent.

The Haganah stated in its laws that its lines were open to “every Jewish male or female, who is prepared and trained to fulfill the obligation of national defense.” Most served as medics, communications specialists and weaponeers.

Women in Combat The Equality Amendment to the Military Service law, enacted in January 2000, completed the Supreme Court ruling as it defined the right of female soldiers to volunteer for combat professions. This law stated that “The right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is equal to the right of men.”

The amendment drafted by female lawmakers granted equal opportunities to women found physically and personally suitable for a job. The question of who and what was “suitable” was left to the discretion of military leaders on a case-by-case basis.

The five most hardcore battle roles for 58 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

women were: 1) air force pilots (as of 2014, 38 female soldiers had become IDF pilots); 2) the Caracal battalion, which guards the borders with Egypt and Jordan, ambushes enemy forces and thwarts terror attacks; 3) Oketz, where each soldier is partnered to a dog and the soldiers go into the field doing everything together. The dogs sniff out explosives, track down terrorists and neutralize hostile threats; 4) the 76th battalion of the Combat engineering brigade has both male and female soldiers. They go into the heart of enemy territory with other combat troops and help protect them from unconventional weapons. They neutralize atomic biological chemical warfare threats in the battlefield during combat; 5) the Snapir unit, which presents the first line of Israel’s naval defense. They are comprised of male and female soldiers who operate small, speedy motorboats with a modified machine gun to safeguard Israel’s ports and protect the naval bases. The soldiers also dive under military vessels to ensure that no explosive or mines are attached to them.

Over the years, women began to apply for combat support and light combat roles in the Artillery Corps, infantry units and armored divisions. Many women also joined the Border Police.

According to a Jerusalem Post article (August 10, 2018) a record number of women

joined combat units this summer, 1,050, more than doubling the number from 2015 when there were some 500 female combat soldiers. 2017 saw more than 1,130 female combat soldiers with close to 900 serving in combat-intelligence units, 200 in the artillery corps and another 50 in the army’s infantry units. Yet women still account for less than 10 percent of combat troops.

According to IDF figures, 38 percent of female recruits have asked to be evaluated for combat service, and an estimated 90 percent of the positions in the IDF are also now open to women.

In early August 2018, the IDF warned commanders to implement IDF policy of protecting the rights of female soldiers.

The military has also recently updated its Joint Service order, which regulates interaction between troops of the opposite sex, defining appropriate attire while on base and enforcing mandatory separate sleeping quarters.

In 2017, there was a significant increase of interest by religious female draftees in combat-intelligence units where fighters are placed in one of the IDF’s co-ed battalions— Caracal, Bardalas and Lions of Jordan.

The army also intended to make several modifications to enable more women to complete their training in accordance with operational necessity. The IDF planned to

allot more time to achieve the minimum level of physical fitness needed for combat positions to female recruits and changes were to be made to the equipment of female soldiers such as replacing heavy assault rifles with lighters M-16 rifles and smaller knee pads, helmets and armored vests that better fit women’s bodies.

Caracal Caracal was the first combat unit for women, named for a desert cat. Founded in 2000, it was formed to allow men and women to serve together in light infantry.

The coed unit has two-thirds females who are deployed along the Egyptian border to deal with smuggling, terrorist infiltration and African migrants and refugees. Women in Caracal are required to serve three years, rather than two years. Caracal Battalion is a highly operational force which undergoes training like any combat infantry.

Lions of Jordan The Lions of Jordan were joined by lionesses in July 2015. Their operational activity focuses on the northern Jordan Valley on the eastern border of Israel, tasked with securing the Jordan Valley, where threats appear from Palestinian Authority cities such as Tubas

and Tayasi, Shechem and Jenin.

According to the unit’s first battalion commander, female fighters are “more motivated to prove themselves than male fighters, and they have better aim at the firing range or in exercises for the simple reason that they have higher concentration and better discipline.”

This was a mixed gender course, with more than 100 recruits to be deployed with the Lions of Jordan Battalion.

Graduates, who learned about types of villages, civilians and settlers, are involved in securing the Jordan Valley, including how to enter and search houses, how to catch a terrorist and how to shoot tear gas. The people are trained to know how to speak to Palestinian civilians who live in urban areas.

The battalion’s flag is red and white. Soldiers of the battalion wear a green beret and a warrior’s brooch designed by the founders of the battalion, a pin bearing the image of a lion with wings.

Bardalas In August 2015, the army recruited for another coed unit modeled on Caracal and the Lions of Jordan, called Bardalas. The Bardalas base is located near Nitzana, an educational youth village and community

An unforgettable story of love, family and the healing power of food. 사랑과 가족, 그리고 음식을 통해 치유하는 잊을 수 없는 스토리

settlement in southern Israel, in the western Negev desert, adjacent to the Egyptian border.

There are roughly an equal number of men and women, carrying out security along the border against attempts to infiltrate and threaten the border communities.

Soldiers patrol the border 24 hours a day, closely coordinating with observation units and monitoring the security fence that runs along Route 10. They use Humvees and other vehicles to carry out their duties.

The women do something different every day to be ready at all times for different threats. The entire border fence with Egypt is 242 kilometers (150 miles) long from Gaza to Eilat. Some sections include coiled barbed wire on each side and an original as well a heightened section. There is another layer of fencing on the other side in places.

The dirt along the fence is kept flattened so that anything crossing it can be tracked.

Slowly these units are being expanded to guard different areas of the country. Members of the Bardelas spend 11 days on base and three days off. A

“Not To Be Missed.”

- Talkin’ Broadway

H ERSH E Y F EL DE R

Beethoven

BY JULIA CHO DIRECTED BY TODD SALOVEY

BOOK BY HERSHEY FELDER MUSIC OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN DIRECTED BY JOEL ZWICK

JANUARY 24 - FEBRUARY 17, 2019 IN THE LYCEUM SPACE

FEBRUARY 21 - MARCH 24, 2019 ON THE LYCEUM STAGE

Get Tickets Now! 619.544.1000 | SDREP.ORG | Lyceum Theatre | Horton Plaza s43_aubergine_beethoven_JewishJournal_half.indd 1

12/4/18 11:47 AM

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 59

TRAVEL: Jacob Sheep

Shepherdesses, Style and Sheep:

A Sheepish Success Story

BY JUDITH FEIN

T

his is a story about sheep. Not counting them or eating them as lamb chops, but, rather, how they appeared in the Hebrew Bible and then disappeared and how extraordinary detective work and determined women saved them and brought them home.

It is about where they are now and how they are entwined with high fashion in Columbus, Ohio.

It all began with the patriarch Jacob, who fathered 12 sons whose names were given to the original 12 tribes of Israel. But, in addition to his children, Jacob also fathered…

60 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

spotted sheep. For 14 years he had worked in Haran as a shepherd for his deceitful fatherin-law Laban; seven years to win the hand of his beloved Rachel, who Laban replaced with Leah on the wedding night; and then another seven years to marry Rachel.

Finally, Jacob decided it was high time to leave and go home to his own country with Rachel, Leah and the family retinue. It was also time to discuss back wages and a shepherd severance package. Jacob reminded Laban that he had vastly increased his fatherin-law’s wealth by making his flock multiply.

Then, in Genesis 30:31-32 we are privy to the actual negotiations: “And he [Laban] said, ‘What shall I give you?’ And Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything: If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flock. I will pass through all your flock today, removing from it all the speckled and spotted sheep, all the brown sheep and all the spotted and speckled goats; they will be my wages.’”

Laban must have thought that he had gotten the employee deal of a lifetime: all Jacob wanted was some spotted livestock. But Jacob was very shrewd, and he had a long-term business plan in mind. He would practice selective breeding and animal husbandry. With consummate skill, Jacob began to breed the speckled and spotted sheep. He lived well and prosperously in Canaan with his family and his huge, strong, mottled flock. But then there was a terrible drought, and Jacob moved all his animals to the land of Goshen in Egypt, where his son Joseph, the dream interpreter, was a high-placed noble. From that time on, the trail of the speckled sheep was shrouded in intrigue and mystery.

Several thousand years later, in the library of the Jerusalem Fiber Artists Guild, Mimi Aumann was reviewing and arranging their books and magazines when she came across an old article in the Autumn l984 issue of Vogue Patterns about “Jacob’s wool.” As a fiber artist, she had never heard of this type of wool, so she read on. The words of the onepage article would change her life. “Jacob wool and cloths are special, not only because of the Jacob’s rarity but also because of its unusual quality. The Jacob are an ancient and unique breed of sheep whose origin is not known with any certainty, though it is believed that they originated in Mesopotamia.”

For Mimi, an American who had recently made aliyah to Israel, “it was almost like discovering the Ark.” She devoured the rest of the article, and learned more: “The first flocks in the United Kingdom can be traced back to at least l760 and it is thought they were based on stock imported from South Africa. In the late l960’s the breed was classed as rare; in fact, it was nearly extinct, but through the efforts of Lady Aldington, The Jacob Sheep Society was formed to preserve and strengthen the breed.” To Mimi’s amazement, she learned that there were 2,000 members of the Jacob Sheep Society and 30,000 Jacob sheep in the United Kingdom, one of the only countries where the breed was still found. And, according to Mimi, Lady Aldington had a passionate conviction that the sheep of the parklands in the United Kingdom were the descendants of Jacob’s flock. Mimi was trembling with excitement.

She’d done so many things in her life, but never before had she been a detective. Was it possible that she was now on the trail of the

PHOTO BY RHANIEL LAO

patriarch’s sheep?

Mimi found out everything she could about the sheep whose other distinctive characteristic is that they often have two, four or even six horns. When Jacob gave his favorite son Joseph a coat of many colors, was it made from the multi-colored wool of this rare breed? It was certainly possible. Were there Jacob sheep in England at the time of Shakespeare? The Bard certainly knew about them, and referred to Jacob’s flock in l600 in “The Merchant of Venice.” Was there any truth to the speculation that after Jacob sheep sojourned in Egypt, they traveled to Spain via the coast of North Africa and Morocco? Perhaps that was the route by which they came to England.

The more Mimi learned, the more she wanted to see the sheep face-to-face, and she arranged for a trip to England and an encounter of the very close kind at a farm.

It was a highly emotional meeting for Mimi and the Jacob sheep: “When I saw them, I wanted to gather them into my arms and just love them like babies. I get kind of teary just remembering,” Mimi said.

She determined that she would bring the descendants of Jacob’s sheep back to Israel, and house them in Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo. She contacted Lady Aldington directly,

and the latter was receptive to the idea of sending a pair of Jacobs to Israel on aliyah.

The woolen ball was now really rolling, and it seemed like Jacobs would soon be baahing in their ancient grazing grounds. But of course, all good detective stories run into what seems like a brick wall. The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, Sheep Department, said it was out of the question to import sheep from Britain, and the villain was none other than…Mad Cow disease. There was a firm ruling against importing any meat animals for human consumption, and Jacob sheep fell in this category.

Mimi, whose husband Moshe was on board with the dream of returning Jacob sheep, was forced to give up. Mimi left for Springfield, Missouri to tend to her sick mother, and the baaah of her beloved sheep became a background bleat. Then, one day, she got a very excited call from Moshe. Some people they knew had been visiting the Safari Zoo in Ramat Gan and had seen what else?

Spotted sheep. Moshe rushed to Ramat Gan and there, by some miracle, already on Israeli soil and unbeknownst to anybody, were the Jacob sheep. No one had connected the origins of the spotted ones to the flocks of the patriarch. The Safari Zoo agreed to help Mimi realize her vision.

Now Mimi was sliding into sheep home plate. All she and Moshe needed was for one pair of Jacob sheep to be transferred from Ramat Gan to Jerusalem, but there are always more snags in a detective story: the Safari Zoo had only one ram, and they weren’t about to give him up. But, with Mimi’s persistence and persuasion, they promised that if one of the ewes gave birth to a ram, a male and female Jacob would be sent to the zoo in Jerusalem.

And so the waiting for mating began. Fi-

nally, an ewe gave birth and one of the babies was a ram. Now there was a couple available for transfer. It took four months before the young sheep were old enough to travel to the Jerusalem and the Biblical Zoo. The wooly Diaspora was finally over. Of course, the hesheep was named Jacob and the ewe was his beloved Rachel. Poor Rachel died and was replaced by another Rachel.

In 1999, that Rachel died, but the male mated with another sheep. The problem was that the new female was not necessarily a Jacob sheep, so there was likely crossbreeding.

Mimi’s husband Moshe got seriously ill, and Mimi left Israel to tend to him until his death a year and a half ago. During that time, she lost track of the Jacob sheep.

The vision of having the pure Jacob sheep returned to Israel seemed hopeless until… along came Jenna Lewinsky. Jenna, originally from South Africa, and her husband Gil, who was born in Israel, were living in British Columbia, Canada, when they heard about the black and white speckled and spotted Jacob sheep.

They decided to raise Jacob sheep, and when their flock expanded to more than 100, they left their jobs to transport the sheep across Canada to Toronto, where, after quarantine, they would be flown to Israel. Air Canada came onboard, and it was the largest animal airlift they had ever done; it necessitated 11 separate flights to Tel Aviv. Then the sheep had to clear customs and were quarantined again in Israel. Five of the sheep died from the cold and wet weather; they were not yet strong enough to survive the intensity of their travels.

Finally, the sheep went to Nes Harim overland. But the duo needed to hire security for the sheep, as livestock theft is a problem in Israel. The cost of the transplantation of the sheep from British Columbia was $80,000; happily, it was covered by private donors. To the immense joy and relief of Jenna and Gil, the Jacob sheep were finally home in Israel, where they could be tended by the modern-day shepherds.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 61

Jacobs lambs.

As Jenna describes it, an entire book could be written about the tribulations of their Jacob sheep after they were transferred to Israel, and the difficulty in finding them a permanent home. According to her, “The flock that is providing wool is now based in King David shepherds field next to Bethlehem and the farm is called Migdal Eder (Tower of the flock) as referenced in Micah 4:8. The Jacob sheep flock went through severe trials in Israel, but thankfully they now have a home in Efrat where the mayor of Efrat gifted them land on an extremely historical mountaintop between Efrat and Bethlehem. It’s the place where the prophet Samuel wanted the first temple to be built but because Moses said it had to be between the shoulders. King David chose Mount Moriah instead in Jerusalem.”

Although there are historians who totally support the lineage of the sheep to the patriarch Jacob, some DNA scientists have cast doubt on the exact lineage, which may not be provable. But the shepherds don’t care; they have brought the flock back to Israel, and they would like to have a heritage farm so visitors can meet the speckled and spotted wonders.

But this is not the end of the Jacob sheep story. Recently, my husband Paul and I had an extraordinary farm to fashion, small group experience in Columbus, Ohio. We met a 62 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Jacobs at rest.

startlingly creative and ecologically conscious designer named Celeste Malvar-Stewart.

The wool for her red-carpet-couture dresses comes from sheep she personally knows. She drove with us to a farm about 45 minutes from Columbus where we met the female farmer, Rachel Najjar, and her sheep. I took a special liking to Gandolph and hope the feeling was mutual. A gourmet, vegetarian, organic lunch was served on the porch of the farm, and then we returned to Celeste’s design studio in Ohio.

Inside, a long table was covered with sheared wool from the sheep we had met, and among them was Gandolph. We chose batches of the wool that appealed to us, and Celeste guided us through the process of making our own designer scarves. For some reason, I decided to twist the wool in an intricate fashion, and the others were finished long before I had twisted the last fibers.

Karmically speaking, this was meant to be, because Celeste and I had time to chat. She mentioned that she was just commissioned to do a fashion show for a Dominican university, and she hadn’t found the right theme yet.

Of course I asked her if she had heard of Jacob sheep, and of course she had not. When I told her the story, her eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, yes,” she said, “This is perfect.” Biblical wool

for the Dominicans. It was a match made in wooly heaven.

Over the next week, I connected Celeste to Mimi and Jenna, and the next thing I knew Jenna was sending Celeste photos of shearings from her flock, and Celeste was picking out the wool she wanted to use in her couture gowns.

As I write this, the wool from the Jacob sheep is on its way to Celeste, and that original Biblical flock will have its first fashion show!

I hope you’ll be able to visit the Jacob sheep in the heritage farm, and, in the meantime, you’ll probably love the farm-to-fashion outing with Celeste. When you wear your scarf, you’ll think back to the patriarch and smile.A

IF YOU GO: Celeste’s website is malvarstewart.com, where you can contact her and book a Farm-ToFashion one-day workshop (a minimum of four people is required). A About the author: Judith Fein, formerly of San Diego, lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has contributed to more than 100 publications and written two books. She is currently writing a book about How To Communicate With The Dead. globaladventure.us.

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BOOK REVIEW: 4321

Searching for a

Jewish Archie in “4321”

BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT

T

here are those books and authors we tend to identify as “Jewish:” Bernard Malamud, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Irene Nemirovsky, Nicole Krause, Jonathan Safran Foer, Philip Roth, Nora Ephron, for example. We consider these books Jewish because the protagonists exhibit characteristics we are familiar with, they interact with other Jewish people or the set of cultural events reflect our religion or history. Often the authors use their own Jewish lives as reference points in the stories they are sharing.

Interestingly, Paul Auster, the author of “4321,” was born in New York to Jewish parents and all four of his grandparents were Eastern European Jews. Facts regarding his own background are woven into his tome, such as being close to his mother, distant from his father, his work as a translator of French poetry, passion for writing and writers and even a childhood friend being struck by lightning. Yet, I would not have believed that Auster nor his protagonist Archie is Jewish.

Only the opening vignette of the book appears to be a Jewish one – Reznikoff Russia arrives at Ellis Island from Russia and is counselled to give the name Rockefeller to the border agents, a name more worthy of respect and able to provide a smooth transition into the new world.

However unable to recall the name when questioned, the haggard immigrant mutters, “Ikh hob fargessen” and so he is renamed Ichabod Ferguson. Seemingly it is a cynical not so funny tale story we’ve heard before, and we let it go, shaking our heads, familiar that in our own lineage the family moniker “Yskervotiz” had been rechristened “Ash” as an insensitive or uncaring agent unable to understand a foreigner’s accent had altered the names of Jews coming to America.

So, anticipating more Jewishness to the book after this incident, I am surprised to find none, deciding the author has merely decided to use the anecdote as a structural moment that will unravel the tale he will so expertly relate. There is no bris, bar mitzvah, no Jewish geography except New York, no get-togethers at Passover, no Yom Kippur atonement, yet the names of the people with whom Archie associates are all Jewish: Adler, Marx, Blumenthal. By this point, I no longer expect that this book will be Jewish.

Yet, eventually I realize the enormity of this single joke, for the theme of the book concerns the identity of Auster’s hero, Ichabod’s grandson, a theme which will unfold into four chronological parallel tellings: four boys all named Archie with the same parents, dreams, aspirations and predilections, but each living in a different house in differing economical circumstances in Manhattan, Montclair, Millburn,

64 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

and Maplewood. In the voice of Archie, Auster writes, “One of the odd things about being himself ... that there seemed to be several of him … a collection of contradictory selves. And each time he was a different person, he himself was different as well.”

Jewishness aside, if you were a Baby Boomer as Archie is, born in March 1947, “4321” will recreate for you the terrible 60’s, which you may have mythologized as a Woodstock love fest complete with love beads. Rather, this socialist-realist novel reminds us of the Vietnam war, the anti-war protests, Rosenberg Trials, Kent State, Columbia sitins, Chicago brutality, murder of Martin Luther King and the Kennedys, all in precise, factual riveting detail. Archie’s involvement varies as reporter or witness, but except for a stance associated perhaps with a Jewish concern, philanthropy and belief in the democratic process, he is not in the trenches of these world-altering events. Even Philip Roth in “American Pastoral” situates the daughter of his main protagonist in the Newark riots, yet Auster’s protagonist, although swept up in the tide of politics, repercussions and fallout, is not an instigator, more bystander to the history in the 60’s.

The stories of the four Archies resemble Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life,” although her protagonist Ursula seems to skirt around from country to country, her personality changing as she plays central roles in say, an attempt on Hitler’s life, etc. Our likeable Archie is less a risk taker, adoring his photographer mother, the beautiful Rose Adler, as Auster did. All Archies are fascinated by Amy Schneiderman, alternately love interest, step-sister or cousin. Archie, immediately mesmerized, states, “there it was, a feeling, an intuition, a certainty that something important was happening and that he and Amy Schneiderman were about to set off on a long journey together.” In all four stories, he exudes deep love and affection for the politically-committed girl he first encounters as a toddler, who he grew up with, stories entwined, no matter which university each attends: Princeton, Columbia, Bryn Mawr or Brooklyn College.

Coming of age accompanied by a search for life’s meaning is a constant feature in “4321.” From disabling car crashes, insurance fraud, involvement in sports, a father who is burnt alive in one section while simultaneously growing an empire of appliance stores in another to diverse sexual partners, an ongoing love for New York, a sojourn in Paris, the novel amplifies the twists and turns, the happenstance that results in paths and journeys to unanticipated destinations for the main character.

Other reviewers have commented on the initial confusion in sorting out which Archie is which, evoking Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken,” roads that are pursued, those ignored, this novel certainly providing multiple pathways.

But again, nothing suggests anything particularly Jewish in the routes Archie explores. We do not conceive of him growing up as a Jew, for Jews alone do not hold a monopoly in developing moral consciousness as a liberal minded Archie does, his positive attitudes exemplified towards race and gender, for example when he is colorblind to a young prostitute, insulted when questioned if he would like another black girl for his teenage trysts.

There is much sweetness in Rose and Archie’s escape to the movies when his father dies, and his mother’s attempts to put their life back together, his raucous joy at watching the antics of Laurel and Hardy that wind up underpinning a first book. There is a charming first endeavour at writing a novella about the inseparable shoes “Hank and Frank” when Archie is only 14. There is a palpably intense scene as the older Archie awaits the Vietnam draft lottery determined by birthdates, the sudden death of his doppelgänger friend Artie Federman and camp relationships that catalyze into lifelong friendships.

All of this is intriguing, recognizable and written in a way that in spite of its 800 pages or more, never bores. As Archie himself refers to his delight in studying a plethora of new authors and thinkers and translating French poetry to make it his own, we think of Jonathan Franzen, Borges, Dickens and Salinger, so many authors who have followed their heroes through the spirals, curves and initiations into adulthood. “The sun was stuck in the sky, a page had gone missing from a book and it would always be summer as long as they did not breath too hard or ask for too much, always the summer when they were 19, finally almost finally perhaps almost on the brink of saying goodbye to the moment when everything was still in front of them.”

Conjuring F. Scott Fitzgerald as the great Gatsby gazes at the green light at the end of the pier, these nostalgic thoughts suggest an overlay of longing in this Bildungsroman that prepares us for the quests and follies our own lives will follow – or ironically, we as Archie’s peers, have ourselves already experienced.

Perhaps Archie is a modern Jew, raised in a loving home with Jewish values of respect and responsibility post World War II, primed to be

educated and fully assimilated in America, the home of freed immigrants and refugees like his grandfather, people who did not want to be differentiated by faith or religion at all, desirous to fit in, work hard and achieve the American Dream.

I want to claim Archie as Jewish because in all of his manifestations, I really do like him. I can identify with his passions and pursuits, his fallibility and his attitudes towards life.

I pine for something Jewish to connect me to Archie, but sadly, Archie’s thoughts about anything Jewish never figure in “4321,” except as a structural stylistic note to bring the novel full circle, a tool, a device manipulated by a clever writer.

And although I too have assimilated, I carry with me Jewish connections – to family holiday celebrations, beyond Kafka to Jewish literature, an understanding of basic Jewish practices, a respect for the travel of my ancestors who brought us here, a link to Jewish worlds of repression and oppression, Jewish humor, even anxieties and neuroses because I am Jewish – although many would scoff that I have created a stereotypical image rather than one that penetrates a Jewish sensibility.

“4321” severs the ties with all of that, only leaving the names of his friends and some family as indicative of our origins, wisps of torn paper to be carried off in the wind.

In the end, we are left with the cumulative incident, the joke – Archie’s name “Ferguson” or “Ikh hob fargessen,” which isn’t a joke because without your name, your identity has been banished. Young Archie moves among his four identities, none that tackles, unriddles or comes to grips with his birthright. I cannot help but recall Eva Hoffman’s memoir, “Lost in Translation,” in which she searches to resurrect her past lived in her first language: Polish. It is true that Archie grew up speaking English, however, the vestiges of a communal past have the power to reach out and shape who we become, an epilogical ghost from the past perhaps. So like the Jews of old, our Archie wanders among four deserts, searching. Without a past, we exist only in the present, no matter how charitable, how charming or charismatic we may be, twisting in that cold and bitter wind.

Maybe that is why I yearned for a speck of Jewish connection in a tale that is predicated on a Jewish joke so that Archie could come to know his roots and travel on to a secure future where he might confront and acknowledge his past, muttering, I did NOT forget.A Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 65

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66 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

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FOOD: Lianne Goldsmith

KITCHEN PERI PERI

with Lianne Goldsmith www.kitchenperiperi.com

RUSTIC SWISS CHARD AND SPINACH PIE

I love to throw together meals without too much fuss and this particular meal allows me to create a wholesome vegetarian feast in an hour! According to my daughters, I have been singing the praises of my spectacular spinach pie forever. And 20 years later, I still consider this one of my best go-to meals.

Ingredients: All organic • 2 bunches Swiss chard • 1 bunch spinach • 1 medium brown onion • 3-4 large russet potatoes • ¼ cup vegetable oil • 4 large eggs • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar • 2 tsp sea salt • 1 tsp black pepper This is where things become fun; if you don’t have enough chard, add more spinach. If you don’t have enough potatoes, add sweet potatoes. If you have Parmesan, you can use that too. Basically this meal originated as a “leftovers” meal using whatever was around and fresh enough to toss into an oversized mixing bowl.

Directions: - Peel and quarter potatoes.

- Boil until soft (not too soft).

- Place in a strainer till the potatoes are dry.

- Set the oven to 350 degrees.

- Roughly mash the potatoes, adding sea salt and pepper.

- Strip the Swiss chard and spinach off their stalks and tear the leaves into roughly 2-inch pieces. We are not trying to chop them into tiny pieces.

- If you choose, you can chip up the stalks and add them to the leaves.

- Wash the greens well and spin dry leaving for a while to dry completely.

This ensures that the pie will not get mushy.

- Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.

- Place greens and onions into large bowl.

- Add two cups shredded cheese.

- Add two beaten eggs.

- Add ¼ cup vegetable oil.

- Add the mashed potatoes.

- Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix all of the ingredients together well to ensure consistency in the mixture.

- Place the mixture in a large casserole.

- Pour the two beaten eggs over the top of the mixture and sprinkle a cup of cheese over.

- Bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden brown and the aroma is mouthwatering.

Fantastic for a family meal or a party, this Mediterranean dish is delicious with a fresh green salad, warm baguette with salted butter and a glass of wine. Enjoy!

Lianne can also be found at:

www.facebook.com/KitchenPeriPeri | www.instagram.com/kitchenperiperi.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 67

what’s goin’on? | BY EILEEN SONDAK |

The Old Globe will bring “Familiar” to the Main Stage on Jan. 26. “Familiar” is an engrossing black comedy that promises subtlety and insights. The play (which centers around a family that emigrated from Zimbabwe almost three decades ago) takes a heartwarming look at tradition and marriage – and what it means to be an American family.

The production will run through March 3.

ning production values and its Tony Award-winning star.

North Coast Repertory Theatre is turning up the volume with “Moon Over Buffalo,” a laugh machine by comic genius Ken Ludwig. This play is an old-fashioned farce, with jokes that keep on coming in a show-within-a-show format. The mayhem will run loose in this wacky romp Jan. 9 through “Moon Over Buffalo” at North Coast Rep. Feb. 3, under Matthew Wiener’s direction. “Carney Magic” will take over NCR’s Solana Beach stage on Jan. 28 – 29, when comedian, actor, and master of the sleight-of-hand, John Carney returns with a hilarious one-man show.

San Diego Repertory Theatre will start the year off on Jan. 24 with “Aubergine,” a play about love, family and the healing power of food. The story revolves around a Korean-American chef and his efforts to connect intergenerational members of his family. Todd Salovey will direct the “Familiar” at the Old Globe. heartwarming show, ensconced at the Lyceum The San Diego Symphony will kick off the New Year with a through Feb. 17. new music director and an exciting slate of concerts. InterCygnet Theatre is ready nationally-acclaimed conductor Rafael Payare will take to to unveil a rafter-raisthe stage as the 13th music director in the organization’s ing production of “Marie 108-year history on Jan. 10 – dubbed as “Discovery Night.” and Rosetta,” a play that This inaugural concert will feature works by Mozart and R. chronicles Sister Rosetta Strauss, along with “Pictures from an Exhibition,” by MusTharpe’s first rehearsal sorgsky/Ravel. The music director designate returns on with her young protegee, Jan. 11 to lead the orchestra in a program titled “Payare Marie Knight. It’s a story and Weilerstein.” Alisa Weilerstein will perform Britten’s about one of the great Symphony for Cello and Orchestra on this auspicious occaCygnet Theatre. duos in musical history. sion. Also on the program will be Shostakovich’s Symphony The show – ensconced at Cygnet’s Old Town Theater Jan. No. 10 and R. Strauss’s “Don Juan.” The concert will be 16 through Feb. 16 – is a soaring musical experience that repeated on Jan. 12 & 13. abounds with guitar playing and gospel music.

The Lamb’s Players will ring in its 25th anniversary season in Coronado with a cabaret celebration worthy of its proud history. Titled “A Jewel in the Crown of the City,” the show will take audiences down memory lane through its 25 years in the community. You can experience this musical journey Jan. 11 through Feb. 17.

Coronado Playhouse will bring to life “Guys and Dolls,” a Broadway fable that has become an American classic musical. The show, slated for a run from Jan. 18 through Feb. 24, was based on the gritty stories of Damon Runyon – a collection peopled with gangsters, gamblers, showgirls and other staples of life in mid-century New York City.

The Welk Theatre continues to show off a jaunty musical comedy, “Mama Mia” – the live version of the popular film.

Broadway-San Diego will bring a revival of the classic muThe musical will be performed on weekends through Feb. sical, “Hello Dolly!” to the Civic Theater Jan. 15 – 20, with 24. A sit-down dinner is available prior to the performance.

Betty Buckley starring as the wily matchmaker. The show snared four Tony Awards, and is being lauded for its stun“Hello Dolly,” Broadway-San Diego.

68 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

that explores the museum’s collection of interactive engineering activities (and will remain on permanent display), and “Myth Busters: The Explosive Exhibit” – a hands-on, family-friendly experience that combines popular scientific facts with innovative displays. “Myth Busters” will wind down on Jan. 6. “Taping Shape 2.0,” which uses hundreds of rolls of packing tape to create a world of translucent spaces and tunnels, is also on view. The Fleet has several other permanent exhibitions, including “Don’t Try This at Home,” “Tinkering Studio” (which has evolved into “Studio X”), “Block Busters” and “Origins in Space.” Its newest is “It’s Electric,” an interactive show that explores the fundamentals of electricity.

“A Jewel in the Crown City” at Lamb’s.

La Jolla Music Society will showcase Leif Ove Andsnes on Jan. 20 at the TSRI Auditorium. The four-piece program includes Schumann’s Carnaval, Op. 9.

The Museum of Art is featuring “Tim Shaw’s Beyond Reason,” an exhibition dealing with themes of global terrorism, free speech, abuse of power and artificial intelligence. Shaw’s work will be ensconced through Feb. 24. Also on view is work by Mexican sculptor Javier Marin.

The Natural History Museum recently added “Escape the Nat” – an escape room experience that dares you to solve puzzles and save the world. “The Backyard” – a new gallery for the 5-and-under set – and “Backyard Wilderness” (a 3-D film) are also on tap. The NAT is featuring “Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary people: A History of Citizen Science.”

Among the items on view in this exhibition are rare books, art and historical documents.

“Coast to Cactus in California,” and “Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage” – a display of specimens from around the world – are also on view. “Unshelved” will be ensconced at the NAT for the next two years. Check out “Oceans 3-D: Our Blue Planet” (a global odyssey to discover the largest habitat on Earth) and “Ocean Oasis.” The museum also offers “Fossil Mysteries,” “Water: A California Story” and “Skulls.”

Birch Aquarium is highlighting “Hall of Fishes,” which also serves as a working laboratory.

Javier Marin at SDMA. 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.

The newest 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 four films: “Great Barrier Reef,” Pandas” and two special additions: “Volcanoes,” which examines the contribution of volcanoes to the wildlife ecosystem and their impact on humans; and “Jerusalem” (only here through Jan. 6). “Jerusalem” takes us up close to one of the oldest and most beloved cities on Earth.

Also at the Fleet is the “Renegade Science Project,” which escorts visitors through the park for a 90-minute exploration.

The Fleet is offering “Dream, Design, Build” – an exhibition

Esape the NAT.

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. On display through March 24, is a retrospective of the artwork of living San Diego legend Bob Matheny.

The San Diego Automotive Museum is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a retrospective exhibit running through Jan. 27. It features vehicles that have been on display since its opening in 1988.A Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 69

the news

House Passes Bill to Sanction Use of Human Shields in War

JNF, Alexander Muss High School Host Teen ServiceLearning Israel Program Over Summer The Jewish National Fund will take a group of teens entering into 9th through 12th grade on two three-week trips to Israel next summer – and those who register before Jan. 15 can save $200 on the program.

Roots Israel is a joint project with Alexander Muss High School in Israel. The only service-learning Israel program available for teens, it gives students a chance to work on projects in Israel like planting a garden, building a nature path for the disabled or herding sheep. Students can earn up to 40 community service hours.

The program is a recipient of support from the New York Teen Initiative, which is funded jointly by the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jim Joseph Foundation. The Jewish Education Project serves as a lead operator of the initiative.

The first program runs from June 24 to July 15 and the second program runs from July 15 to Aug. 5. Go to rootsisrael.org for more information and to register.

Eighth Annual Love of Israel Breakfast The New York Times Op-Ed staff editor Bari Weiss will be the featured guest speaker for the eighth annual Love of Israel breakfast at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Weiss has also worked for The Wall Street Journal, Tablet, Ha’aretz, The Forward and the New York Sun. She regularly appears on “Morning Joe” and “Real Time With Bill Maher.” The brunch is on Jan. 20 at 10:30 a.m.

Please R.S.V.P. by Jan. 16. Tickets are $36.

70 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill last month condemning the use of human shields in war. The Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act, if signed into law, would mandate the president sanction those who use civilians as human shields and officially condemns Hezbollah for such use. Both AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations have applauded the legislation. The Conference of Presidents said, “The legislation is even more critical at this time, after tunnels have been located going from private homes in Lebanon into Israel’s sovereign territory and in the wake of months of organized demonstrations in Gaza in which Hamas placed civilians in harm’s way with shooters behind them.” The Senate unanimously passed its version in October.

The bill will now go to President Trump’s desk to sign.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Launches Tikkun Olam Ventures The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in New York has launched Tikkun Olam Ventures (TOV), an innovative new program addressing poverty among Africa’s smallholder farmers by leveraging Israeli agricultural technology and training, Jewish philanthropy and private capital and access to new markets for crops. Initiated with a two-year pilot in Ethiopia, TOV currently has seven demonstration sites growing vegetables in the country’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR). Inspired by Seth Merrin – founder and CEO of the fintech company Liquidnet, which provided the anchor grant for TOV through its corporate impact program, Liquidnet for Good – JDC partnered with other leading American Jewish philanthropists and Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry to bring TOV to fruition.

“We’re incredibly proud to empower the developing world by deploying Israel’s leading agricultural expertise and the impact-driven philanthropy of the Jewish community. By partnering with smallholder farmers – among the 1.5 billion people worldwide still using traditional farming methods – we’ll fight poverty, empower women and young people, and bolster economic growth,” said JDC CEO David M. Schizer. “Our work through TOV underscores the commitment of the Jewish people and Israel to repair our world, support our neighbors in need, and build meaningful bridges of knowledge and connection benefiting humanity for generations.”

Meetings and Events for Jewish Seniors JFS Balboa Ave. Older Adult Center Contact Aviva Saad (858) 550-5998 Jan. 7, 11 a.m. Alzheimer’s caregiver support.

Also on Jan. 21.

Jewish War Veterans of San Diego, Post-185 Contact Jerome Klein at (858) 521-8694 Jan. 13, 10 a.m.

Beth Israel’s Hunger Project Looking for Volunteers For more than 30 years, Beth Israel volunteers have been serving lunches to the homeless and hungry at St. Vincent de Paul Village downtown. Beth Israel is continually seeking volunteers of their San Diego Hunger Project to help set up, serve and clean up on Sunday mornings. The Men’s Club coordinates volunteers on the fifth Sunday of the month. The project was founded by member Joan Kutner and has fed hundreds of thousands in need. Cash donations are also accepted. Go to cbisd.org/getinvolved/ hungerproject for more information or to sign up.

Veterans Association of North County, Post-385 Contact Marsha Schjolberg (760) 492-7443 Jewish War Veterans meetings Jan. 13, 11 a.m.

On the Go Excursions Contact Jo Kessler (858) 637-7320 Jan. 20, 11 a.m. Enjoy a Sunday Brunch with blintzes, bagels, lox, tomatoes, fruit and sweet treats. The duo, The Vidals, will play a variety of music from the 50’s-70’s.

North County Jewish Seniors Club at theOceanside Senior Center Contact Josephine at (760) 295-2564 Jan. 20, 12:30 p.m.

New Documentary to Have Global Screening on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Lawrence Family JCC Contact Melanie Rubin (858) 362-1141 Jan. 21, 1:30 p.m. Living in Communism and Its Fall: A Personal Journey by Marketa Hancova Price: $4-$6. RSVP by Jan. 14.

The documentary “Who Will Write Our History,” about a group of people who risked their lives to document the inside of the Warsaw Ghetto, will be released in U.S. and Canadian theaters on Jan. 19 and there will be a global screening event on Jan. 27 to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The film, directed by Roberta Grossman and executive produced by Nancy Spielberg, is about a group known by the codename Oyneg Shabes. They consisted of journalists, scholars and community leaders in the Warsaw Ghetto who sought to defy Nazi propaganda. The documentary features narration by Joan Allen and Adrian Brody.

Poway Resident Joins Inaugural Cohort of the Graduate Certificate in Israeli Education The inaugural cohort of the Graduate Certificate in Israeli Education, just launched by the iCenter for Israel Education in partnership with George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, will include a participant from San Diego. Tina Malka, the regional director of Israel Education for the Israel Action Program Hillel International, will be one of 24 participants from across the country to participate in the program. Cohort members are mid-range or senior professionals working in a range of settings, from Hillels and local Federations, to schools, synagogues, summer camps, Israel travel experiences and more. The program allows participants to remain in their place of work while participating in online learning, in-person seminars, individualized mentoring and an intensive in Israel. Malka is from Poway.

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 71

DIVERSIONS: Golden Globes

Here are the

JEWISH GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINEES

BY JOSEFIN DOSTEN VIA JTA NEWS Rachel Brosnahan in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

P

lenty of Jewish actors as well as films and shows with Jewish content made this year’s Golden Globes shortlist.

Here are the Jewish nominees for the award, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Winners will be announced on Jan. 6 during the awards show on NBC. Adam Driver was nominated for best supporting actor in a film for his role in “BlackKkKlansman.” Driver, who is not Jewish, plays a Jewish cop who teams up with an African-American officer to infiltrate a Ku Klux Klan branch in the Spike Lee film, which was also nominated for best motion picture.

Rachel Weisz is up for best supporting actress in a film for portraying a friend of England’s Queen Anne in the 18th-century costume dramedy “The Favorite.”

Timothee Chalamet is up for best supporting actor in a film for his role as a teen struggling with a meth addiction in “Beautiful Boy.” Composers Justin Hurwitz and Marc Shaiman were nominated for best original film score for “First Man” and “Mary Poppins

72 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Returns,” respectively.

South African pop star Troye Sivan‘s song “Revelation” in the film “Boy Erased” is among the nominees for best original song, as is Mark Ronson‘s “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”

“The Kominsky Method” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” were both nominated for best musical or comedy television series. Rachel Brosnahan, who is not Jewish but plays the Jewish protagonist in Amazon’s “Maisel,” is also up for a nomination for best actress. Alex Borstein was nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Brosnahan’s sidekick in the Amazon series.

Brosnahan is joined in that category by Alison Brie (“Glow”) and Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”).

Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance in his satirical ambush show “Who Is America” earned him a nomination for best musical or comedy television actor.

Henry Winkler was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as an acting coach in the HBO comedy series “Barry.” A

SYNAGOGUE LIFE EVENTS Men’s Club Comedy Night with Temple Adat Shalom

Jan. 5, 8 p.m., Temple Adat Shalom, 15905 Pomerado Rd., Poway, CA 92064 This event is back by popular demand, in partner with Laughs OC, with comedians Brian Apprille, Frances Dilorinzo, Jim Taylor and Matin Atrushi. Cost is $25, visit adatshalom.com for more information and reserved seating.

Community Shabbat Dinner with Chabad of Chula Vista

Jan. 11, 5 p.m., 944 Camino La Paz, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Enjoy a warm and lively atmosphere with food, discussion, games, L’chaim and songs. R.S.V.P. is required, visit jewishchulavista.com for more info.

Scholar-in-Residence with Beth Israel

Jan. 11, 6 p.m., Beth Israel, 9001 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, CA, 92122 Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed is a professor of Jewish mysticism and Zohar in the department of Jewish studies.

She has been a central figure in the study of Jewish texts for the last two decades. Dr. Hellner-Eshed will be at Beth Israel for the weekend for a few different events. Visit cbisd.org for more information.

MAKING DANCE: THE FUTURE STARTS NOW January 19: the hub @idea1 Part of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra Festival: Hearing the Future.

THE ART OF DANCE march 23: the hub @ idea1

Fashion, Art, Dance, and Culinary experiences raise funds for

outreach programs.

High strung

maY 31 - JUNE 2: lyceum theater

A collaboration with Art of Elan, featuring Kontros Quartet and a thrilling choreographic experiment.

WWW.MALASHOCKDANCE.ORG

BAGELS & SANDWICHES SO GOOD THEY’RE TO LIVE FOR!

Family Pajama Palooza with Tifereth Israel

Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m., Tifereth Israel, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd., San Diego, CA Bring the kids and come over for dinner and a movie.

When you make your reservation, you cast your vote on the film. Visit tiferethisrael.com to R.S.VP. or for more information.

We Do CaTeRiNG

Let us cater your next event

Beth Am Cafe “Keep the Change”

Jan. 26. 6:30 p.m., Beth Am, 5050 Del Mar Heights Rd., San Diego, CA, 92130 Come see “Keep the Change,” winner of Best New Narrative Director at the Tribeca Film Festival, a “refreshingly uncynical” love story. Visit betham.com for more information.

10% OFF

on any purchase of $20 or more

*Interested in having your event featured?

Contact assistant@sdjewishjournal.com. Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issue.

BOARS HEAD HEADQUARTERS All sandwiches made with boars head meat & cheese

SidNY’s Deli 858-674-1090 11981 Bernardo Plaza Dr. Rancho Bernardo Von’s Shopping Center OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK AT 7AM

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 73

“When the day comes that we have to give accounting for our deeds, we shall be summoned before the millions who were murdered in the Holocaust.They will want to know, ‘What have you done?’ Some will say they were merchants, others will describe buildings they have built, but I will have the privilege of saying to them ‘I have never forgotten you.’”

-Simon Wiesenthal

Most of us were spared the hell he endured.

But we were not spared the obligation to remember…and to act.

Keep Simon Wiesenthal’s legacy alive.

Please join the Simon Wiesenthal Legacy Society by leaving your bequest or planned gift to the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

To join the Simon Wiesenthal Legacy Society or to learn more about it, please contact: Rabbi MeyeR H. May Simon Wiesenthal Center executive Director at 310.772.2424 or rabbimay@wiesenthal.com

international headquarters

1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, California 90035-4709 • www.wiesenthal.com new york

74 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

•

florida

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toronto

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jerusalem

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paris

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buenos aires

TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 38 years.

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For a list of currents services and additional info:

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Sandi Shore - San Marcos Maurine Pogrell - Poway Raymond Chorush - Vista Dora Gofman - Plano, TX Samuel Goldberg - San Diego Eva Bar-Saleh - Huntingdon Valley, PA David Lange - Encinitas Leonid Tutelman - Poway Morris Bina - Del Mar Deborah Rund - San Marcos Nyusya Okun - San Diego

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May their memory be a blessing.

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On behalf of AM Israel Mortuary, We extend our condolences to the families of all those who have recently passed. The families of those listed above would like to inform the community of their passing.

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AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 40 years.

(619) 583-8850

Members of the JFDA- Jewish funeral directors of America, KAVOD - (Independent/Family owned Jewish funeral directors) Consumer Affairs Funeral and Cemetery division

6316 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego For a list of currents services and additional info:

www.amisraelmortuary.com CA, Lic. #FD-1320

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 75

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

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.

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

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

For further information please contact

Deborah Davis • 619.275.1539 www.deborahjdavis.com

JEWISH COMMUNITY Welcoming babies and families to San Diego’s Jewish Community ARE YOU EXPECTING A BABY OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS? Shalom Baby is an innovative program designed for San Diego families to celebrate the arrival of their Jewish newborns to affiliated, non-affiliated and inter-married families as a welcome to the San Diego Jewish Community.

To receive your Shalom BaBy BaSkeT and for informaTion conTacT:

For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539

To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com

San Diego .............. Judy Nemzer • 858.362.1352 • shalombaby@lfjcc.org North County......... Vivien Dean • 858.357.7863 • shalombabyncounty@lfjcc.org www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby • www.facebook.com/shalombabypjlibrarysandiego Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, Mandell Weiss Eastgate City Park, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-1348

JUDY NEMZER Shalom Baby/PJ Library Coordinator l

Fabrics for Fashion and Home

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

619- 477- 3749

9 locations in SD County Family Owned and Operated since 1953

HEALTH Rafael James Psychotherapist

Bringing Sensitivity to the Mental Health Needs of the Jewish Community Depression Anxiety Couples Therapy

Call for a free consultation

Family Therapy Older Adult Issues Eating Disorders

8400 Miramar Road, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92126 858 282 6117 rafaeljames@thepowerofpeace.com www.rafaeljames.com LCSW #70535

76 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

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

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

RESTAURANTS | CATERING

FINANCE

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KORNFELD AND LEVY Certified Public Accountants 2067 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 Bankers Hill

p: 619.563.8000 f: 619.704.0206 gkornfeld@kornfeldandlevy.com

Gary Kornfeld Certified Public Accountant

REAL ESTATE

Coldwell Banker Royal Realty

Raul Ontiveros REALTOR Bre: 01498610

SINGLES

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ADVERTISING/GRAPHICS

It’s MORE than just a magazine.

IT’S A LIFESTYLE CALL Mark Edelstein 858.638.9818

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Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 77

JANUARY 28 – 29 • 7:30PM

RE FR AD EE IN G

Comedian, actor, and sleight of hand virtuoso, John Carney returns to North Coast Rep in his charming, hilarious, and astounding one-man show! He has been honored by the Hollywood’s Magic Castle and the Academy of Magical Arts.

John Carney’s engaging wit and dazzling talent have landed him appearances on Jerry Seinfeld’s HBO Special, “The Late Show with David Letterman” and more! This is a theatrical experience for all with everything from storytelling to magic! Adult smart but family friendly!

Gospel, guit

ar, and

of rock r e h t o m d o the g

-n-roll.

NORTH COAST REP sponsored by

LATE COMPANY

by Jordan Tannahill

FEBRUARY 4 • 7:30PM A successful middle-class couple’s lives are irrevocably changed after their teenage son is mercilessly cyber-bullied. In an attempt to ‘move on’ they invite his chief tormentor and his parents to a dinner party. Reserve tickets online.

West Coast Premiere

Marie and Rosetta

By George Brant

Directed by Rob Lutfy

(858) 481-1055 | northcoastrep.org 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach Group Sales: (858) 481-2155, ext. 202

78 SDJewishJournal.com | January 2019

Jan. 16 – Feb. 16, 2019 Tickets: 619.337.1525 www.cygnettheatre.org

Verdi’s instantly recognizable masterpiece full of drama and timeless music.

Giuseppe Verdi

RIGOLETTO February 2–10, 2019

San Diego Civic Theatre

sdopera.org/SDJJ | (619) 533-7000

Financial support is provided by the City of San Diego.

PHOTO: CORY WEAVER

Tevet • Shevat 5779 SDJewishJournal.com 79