September 2020

SAN DIEGO

Jewish Journal

Reflections, Lessons and Advice for Navigating a Unique High Holidays

a v o a T v o a T n a a n h S a h S September

2020

Elul 5780 Tishrei 5781

ie

ospice Program & Palliative Care

oved ones

xhnt xic Ohr Ami

et year.

The Jewish Hospice Program LightBridge Hospice & Palliative Care wish you and your loved ones a good and sweet new year.

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ospice.com 02 stone Court East, Suite 220 A 92121

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You can also discuss any concerns about cost with Rabbi Berk.

This program is funded by a grant from the LightBridge Hospice Community Foundation with a special contribution by Am Israel Mortuary.

2 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

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Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 3

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4 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

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Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 5

CONTENTS Elul 5780 / Tishrei 5781 September 2020

23 37 39

Honey ‫דבש‬

HIGH HOLIDAYS

Listings

FOOD

Apple & Honey A Different Rosh Hashanah Galettes MONTHLY COLUMNS

IN THIS ISSUE

10 From the Editor 14 Personal Development and Judaism 16 Israeli Lifestyle 18 Examined Life 20 Religion

IN EVERY ISSUE 12 What’s Up Online 37 Food 52 Online Offerings 55 Diversions 56 News

6 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

HIGH HOLIDAYS

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 36 HIGH HOLIDAYS: A Word of Torah

43 HIGH HOLIDAYS: The COVID-19 High Holiday Guide

45 OP-ED: Tikkun Olam Part 6

46 FEATURE: Rainer Höss: Media Star Grandson Of Nazi Still Bilking Jews Under Pretext Of Remorse

51 HIGH HOLIDAYS: Rosh Hashanah-Yom Ha Kippur Message

Lawrence Family JCC JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS

is OPEN and HERE FOR YOU

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU in the NEW YEAR! Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 7

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www.sdjewishjournal.com September 2020 • Elul 5780 / Tishrei 5781 PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Jacqueline Bull ASSISTANT EDITOR • Nathalie Feingold ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus OFFICE MANAGER • Jonathan Ableson SENIOR CONSULTANT • Ronnie Weisberg CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emily Bartell, Linda Bennett, Leorah Gavidor, Emily Gould, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Paul Ross (Senior Travel Photographer), Patricia Goldblatt, Pat Launer, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Marnie Macauley, Rabbi Jacob Rupp, Saul Levine, Rachael Eden, Sybil Kaplan.

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Jonathan Ableson – Senior Account Executive Alan Moss – Palm Springs SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 7742 Herschel Avenue, Suite H, La Jolla, CA 92037 EDITORIAL: editor@sdjewishjournal.com ADVERTISING: marke@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: jableson@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: assistant@sdjewishjournal.com SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 7742 Herschel Ave., Suite H, La Jolla, CA 92037. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2020 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Please give today at jewishinsandiego.org/donate jewishinsandiego.org 858-571-3444

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 9

A Clean Shirt For Today

M

y apartment had become a mess.

Dirty pots and pans sat on my kitchen counter, papers and magazines were in haphazard piles on my desk and clean clothes sat in a heap on a chair in my bedroom. I was moving like a zombie from bed, to desk, to bathroom, to kitchen.

I wasn’t going on as many walks as before. I was just letting time pass.

What I can see now that I couldn’t see then is that I was in a state of limbo. The specifics are quite boring, but essentially it wasn’t clear if I would end up moving from my current apartment to another one. Because I wasn’t certain I was staying, I was just trying to eat up the pantry and fridge. I didn’t want to bring anything new into my home that I may have to move soon. I wasn’t cleaning rooms well because I might have had to do a big deep clean soon.

And when it started to look like I would stay, I found myself cleaning again. I was thinking about finally getting a frame for an art piece I’ve held on to for a while, so I could actually hang it. I stocked up on my pantry staples and felt a sense of relief from having a fuller kitchen. I refilled my hummingbird feeder. I bought a new houseplant.

I’ll give myself a break that my state of

limbo made me nervous to commit to decisions. Once you wake up from the trance though, you can start to see the pattern look a bit familiar and I can see that the uncertainty of the future has paralyzed me many times before. And it is rarely wise to lose all touch with the present.

Something I’ve noticed about the trajectory of our collective experience during this virus was a switch from antsiness and despair to a more peaceful acceptance. We stopped behaving in the mindset of ‘I just have to get through the next couple weeks and things will be back to normal’ to living with our reality.

So much good has come from that switch.

There is a plethora of online programming from many of the arts organizations in San Diego–interviews, exhibits, activities and full shows. Had they all been operating on just waiting for this limbo to end, none of that would have happened.

The switch to focus on the present also centers your own actions on your fate. What am I going to do today that will affect the outcome of this day? Living with your mind in the future can involve an element of fantasy of other forces cleaning up for you.

It would be beautifully poetic if Rosh

From The Editor 10 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

Hashanah fell on a country ready to start a new chapter with this virus behind us. A lack of universal mask-wearing and slow testing–among other factors–will continue to cripple our ability to contain the virus.

However, just because the new year won’t necessarily bring a fresh, clean slate with endless possibilities–we still have to reckon with this reality–doesn’t mean it’s not time for reflection and to start anew.

There are many musings on the High Holidays in this issue, so I hope you find one that resonates with you.

Laundry, like the dishes, is never fully done because existence requires maintenance. You won’t ever be able to breathe or sleep enough to not need to anymore.

I won’t claim my moving-related limbo to be a High Holidays related lesson; I’ll try to take it for what is: a reminder that staying in the present moment is empowering and brings joy. A

Jacqueline Bull

Education & Community Wherever you Are.

“Pray for the love of Jerusalem.

Those who love her will find serenity.” — Psalm 122:6 May we be counted among those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and may serenity embrace Israel and all her people.

• Personal Injury Law

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Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 11

what’s up

online

@sdjewishjournal.com

Torahs packed and synagogues on high alert as wildfires bear down on Northern California When the evacuation orders came on Aug. 19, Guerneville resident Sonia Tubridy and her daughter packed the car and left, joining a caravan of vehicles fleeing the North Bay area and the fires that threatened to engulf them.

Tubridy, cultural director of the Russian River Jewish Community, was among the thousands of people ordered to evacuate from fires burning 46,000 acres across a vast area covering five counties and stretching from Vacaville north to Lake Berryessa and out to the Sonoma County coast. Dubbed the “LNU Lightning Complex” by Cal Fire, the danger zone has required mandatory evacuations in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties and continues to expand.

Tubridy described the evacuation process as hectic.

New COVID-19 cases in Orthodox communities elicit concern as school year and High Holidays near The reports have come fast and furious.

One overnight sports camp for boys in Pennsylvania had an outbreak of COVID-19, sending eight boys back to their home communities on Long Island and several more to Baltimore, where others had contracted the virus after attending weddings or coming into contact with those who did.

Bungalow colonies in the Catskill Mountains saw an outbreak among families, many of whom were summering there away from their homes in Brooklyn.

And New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that 16 new cases were found in the Brooklyn Hasidic neighborhood of Borough Park, with some traced back to a large wedding there.

As the summer comes to a close and families prepare for a new school year and the High Holidays, government officials and leaders in the Orthodox community are monitoring new cases in Orthodox communities across the New York City area and down the East Coast. They say the cases, though small in number at the moment, could spiral out of control, derailing plans to reopen schools with in-person instruction and hold in-person services for the holidays.* *Continue reading the full text of all of these articles at sdjewishjournal.com.

12 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

“We were in a stream of traffic leaving River Road,” she said from near Bodega Bay, where she and her daughter were temporarily taking refuge for the day. “Thousands of cars going five miles per hour.”

With a hot and windy weather forecast, more evacuations are expected, especially for areas south of the fires, according to a Cal Fire press conference this morning.

“If you think you’re in danger, please be ready to go,” Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said.

Rabbi Chaim Zaklos of Chabad of Solano County is one of those who was prepared and waiting for the call that morning. As the fires bore down on Vacaville overnight, Zaklos got ready.

“The Torah has been packed up and ready to go,” he said. “All the other holy artifacts have been packed up.”

Zaklos added that it was “literally raining ashes.”

“You can see the red in the sky,” he said. *

Icelandic Jewish cookies: A dessert with a fascinating story to tell You’ve heard of the wandering Jew, but have you heard of the wandering Jewish cookie?

As Jews move from country to country, they pick up recipes, spices and dishes along the way. Sometimes, even after a Jewish community is no more, their food remains, an echo of a world that once was. Such is the case of the “Jewish cookie” from Iceland.

Recently I learned of a cookbook, “The Culinary Saga of New Iceland, Recipes From the Shores of Lake Winnipeg,” compiled by Kristin Olafson Jenkyns, a writer with forebearers from Iceland. Her book documents the history and culinary traditions of immigrants from Iceland who settled in North America at the end of the 19th century.

Many of them moved to Manitoba, Canada, on Lake Winnipeg, where they formed a community that came to be known as “New Iceland.” In the section of the book titled “Cakes and Cookies,” following classic Icelandic foods like skyr, smoked fish and brown bread, are recipes for cookies traditionally eaten on Christmas. Their name in Icelandic is gyðingakökur, which translates to “Jewish cookie.”*

U RG E N T C O M M U N I TY F OOD DRIVE

High Holy Days Food Drive Every year during the High Holy Days, our Jewish community supports San Diegans facing hunger.

This year, the need is greater than ever.

The current pandemic has forced thousands of families and older adults into food insecurity. Every week, 1,700 people rely on our nutrition services – this is a 309% increase in the number of San Diegans we served before COVID-19. Our drive-thru distribution and home-delivered meals program are counting on your support to meet the urgent needs of our community.

Two Ways To Make An Impact

1 Make A Gift Online

$36 = a week of meals for a family of three.

By giving online, you allow JFS to purchase pantry staples and fresh produce at greatly reduced prices for our drive-thru distribution and home-delivered meals.

www.jfssd.org/fooddrive

Off Donations At JFS 2 Drop Sunday, Oct 18, 1:00-3:00pm Our JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS CAMPUS is located at 8804 Balboa Ave. Canned goods, Kosher items, pasta/grains, and other nonperishable items are accepted.

Check to see how your Congregation or Community Group is participating

Together, we can ensure our neighbors will not go hungry during these challenging times.

Questions? Contact Daria Tomsky at (858) 637-3042 Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 13

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDAISM

THIS WAY TO EDEN

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

A New Story

W

hat’s your story? I’m not asking where you were raised or what your major was in college. My question is: What is the story that you tell yourself everyday? We all have a few deeply entrenched stories that create the evidence we need for our beliefs. These stories function in two ways: they protect us and they hold us back from becoming all that we can be.

For example, the Jewish people were led out of slavery in Egypt through a series of miracles. They underwent a complete transformation from oppressed to liberated. The Egyptians and Jews experienced an unprecedented role reversal where Egyptians handed over their stolen valuables and even had to pay their former Jewish slaves just to drink clean water! (Move aside, Evian.)

So, the Jews fled Egypt as a liberated group, or were they? Sure, open miracles occurred for them and they no longer were engaged in back-breaking labor, but mentally?

Were the Jewish people truly free? Fraught with anxiety over the Egyptian army behind them and a perceived scarcity of food and water, how could they feel free at all? The Jewish people asked: Weren’t there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you have to bring us here to die in the desert? (Shemot 14:11).

Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, the Jewish people had created a story in their collective minds. They focused on how difficult the elements were and struggled to overcome their myopia that they were still victims of circumstance (well after actual servitude).

In fact, this Jewish story that we are disempowered victims of circumstance has followed us through history to present day.

Have the Jewish people faced larger-thanlife obstacles and unimaginable brutality?

14 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

Of course. But, have the Jewish people beaten impossible odds time after time? Also, of course.

So, why do we clutch on to the story that we’re victims? Perhaps, we are afraid that the moment we let go of our story, we’ll be forced to push past our comfort zone and put in the work to become actualized. So instead, that good ol’ Jewish anxiety kicks in, giving way to irritable bowel syndrome in our guts and disempowered thinking in our minds.

A woman confided in me years ago that her marriage was on the rocks. She and her husband had tried it all: marriage counseling, date nights, endless efforts to “make it work.” So much about him disappointed her: his constant cell phone engagement during family time, his lack of helping out in the house, his inability to follow-through on disciplinary matters with the kids. Everytime I bumped into her and she updated me on her difficult marriage, I felt pangs of guilt. A voice in my mind nudged me to go to coffee with her, invite her for a real conversation, maybe get a group of women together. Alas, I did none of those things. A year later, the couple was divorced.

The woman’s story about her husband was clear to me. He was always disappointing her; he couldn’t be relied on for anything. Consequently, she nagged him and glared at him whenever they were together, ruining what little chance they had to enjoy each other.

I had the added benefit of knowing her husband. He was a nice, smart, successful, loving guy. He understood that he was not making his wife happy and, in turn, avoided family time and escaped into his phone.

Essentially, he shrank from the very role she

wanted in a husband. She showed up as the nagging wife and he responded as the resistant husband.

Her story and his story created their marriage. Two wonderful people, who loved each other for many years and wanted desperately for their marriage to last, parted ways because of their stories.

Don’t get me wrong. Relationships are complicated and an unhappy marriage is unsustainable. As a woman of faith, I fully believe that their divorce was meant to be.

Could their marriage have been saved if they could have seen past their stories? Irrelevant.

What we can say for sure is that the way we think dictates our behavior and the way we behave dictates our lives. When we create stories, we create our thoughts which create our lives.

So, how do we fix the stories? I’ll share the first step which is the most powerful one: notice. Pay attention to your stories. Your brother didn’t call or text you on your birthday. Are your thoughts sped up? Have you woven a story about his intentions or your worth?

You strike up a conversation with someone new and they seem aloof. Do you feel rejected? Do you judge her for how she comes across? What story plays in your mind about this experience?

We must observe ourselves as the stories emerge in our thinking, both personally and as a nation. We must notice and commit to creating a new story. So, what’s your story? And are you willing to let it go in favor of a new, uplifting one that will propel you into the most incredible year of your life? (Writer’s Note: Readers are welcome to email me if they want to explore a story that might be holding them back.) A

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ISRAELI LIFESTYLE

LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE

by Andrea Simantov andreasimantov@gmail.com

Where Magic Hides

W

ith the exception of an occasional trip to the fruit market or mad dash to the pharmacy in order to replace dwindling supplies of N95 face masks, I hadn’t ventured out in several months. Still, I hesitated when my husband asked if I wanted to spend the Sabbath with his daughter and her family. It isn’t that I don’t enjoy and love them. They aren’t living at home because their home is undergoing construction. In the interim, they’ve taken up residence in the rehabilitation institution that my son-in-law directs. It is a magnificent center designed to house 1200 children. Most programs have been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 uncertainty, so the building is eerily quiet. Was I looking forward to bunk beds and shower rails? Oxygen tanks and Braille plaques on every surface? Not exactly the spa-getaway of my fantasies. Despite a deflated attitude, I was reminded repeatedly that we’d be ‘going away.’

Just in time to light candles, we traversed cavernous hallways and gleaming floors upon which the grandchildren raced, skated and danced in bare feet without incurring chastisement. I discovered a few fresh veg16 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

etables in the silent industrial kitchen and was throwing together a passable salad when I heard the unmistakable sound of grown men singing the pre-meal Sabbath melodies.

Who else was in the building? My husband explained to me that a plugah (squad) of soldiers with special needs live in the facility.

He asked if I wanted to visit them for kiddush the next morning and I readily agreed.

The seven young men and their supervisor greeted us like royalty. Maintaining mandated social distancing, we sat at the entrance of a beautifully appointed housing unit. The table was laden with cakes, kugels and juices.

Each boy spoke a few words about the weekly Torah parsha/chapter and then peppered us with questions about our lives, children, work, relationship to the facility, etc. I asked each one respectively to describe his work in the IDF and found myself blinking back tears of wonder, pride and gratitude. One man with Down’s Syndrome guards an arsenal for a few hours a week. Another two fellows who are autistic perform extremely precise computer surveillance. They are able to sit in front of a screen without being distracted for hours at a time. (Only last week they had detected enemy infiltration at an

obscure corner of a settlement and within minutes, based on their unwavering attention, helicopters swooped down and, with land support, captured them.)

I stood for a moment to find the instant coffee and heard one young man call out, his speech leaden and impeded: “It’s in the cabinet on the right.” I hadn’t asked but he’d read my mind. He then said, “Third drawer on the left” and I found the mug. He fell silent while I peered into both refrigerators.

No milk. As there was no milk to be found, he couldn’t access the uncanny ability to help me locate it. We locked eyes and laughed.

It occurs to me that, with so much seemingly out of our control, there is much we can manage. How do we relate to one another, especially now that rubbing elbows/ shoulders with strangers can no longer be expected? Is this a time to be sloppy with our interactions or does this unprecedented international crisis offer myriad opportunities to soar both spiritually and morally?

Miracles are findable–in empty buildings, quiet fields or bustling thoroughfares. The secret of these miracles lies in awaiting them with open arms and compassionate hearts.

Shanah tovah u’metukah! A

WHETHER A VIRUS OR TERRORISTS, ISRAELIS DEPEND ON ONE ORGANIZATION WHEN LIVES NEED SAVING.

Israel’s emergency medical service has been on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus while also contending with terrorist attacks, car accidents, and other threats to Israeli lives.

But Magen David Adom is not government-funded. Its 25,000 EMTs and paramedics, most of them volunteers, rely on support from people like you for the supplies and equipment they need to perform their lifesaving work.

No gift will help Israel more in these difficult times. Keep the people of Israel strong this coming year. Donate to Magen David Adom. Shanah Tovah.

Give today at afmda.org/rosh or call 866.632.2763.

afmda.org Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 17

EXAMINED LIFE

OUR EMOTIONAL FOOTPRINT

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

The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Needed ‘Course Correction’?

T

he scourge of the coronavirus pandemic has descended upon us. At this very moment in time, well over 7 billion human beings throughout our tiny planet are all being sorely tested: Our lives have been upended, our behaviors modified, our thoughts preoccupied, our moods labile, our relationships difficult and our outlooks more uncertain. We are feeling much less secure about our health and safety and more wary about our future.

To be sure, millions of us have been dealing with the severe challenges wrought by COVID-19 with patience and equanimity.

But as time has passed and constraints have increased, more people have found themselves in dire straits and many are overwhelmed.

In general, people tend to be respectful and civil with each other, but when we are on edge or under severe stress, some express negative behaviors, like rudeness, intolerance and confrontation.

Unpleasant social behaviors existed before the pandemic, but the coronavirus has greatly increased our sense of unease.

Rudeness and aggression are apparent in the public sphere, where some politicians and pundits characteristically insult and rage.

Even in our daily lives we see negative behaviors at social and business events, in offices and stores, in the streets and homes.

Angry people give off negative vibes which permeate our lives and disturb our moods and confrontational styles of discourse be-

18 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

come models for our youth to emulate. There is increased “noise” in our social system, a cacophony of internal preoccupying worries and external audible incivilities. When displays of incivility become the norm, we are in serious trouble as individuals and society.

They infect the social atmosphere and spread via “social contagion”: Conflict is metaphorically “in the air” we inhabit, just as the coronavirus is literally “in the air” we breathe.

The coronavirus has imposed a surreal existence upon us. Uncomfortable worries add a burdensome heaviness to our outlooks. We are uncertain about our quarantines and health, remote schooling, economic hardships and our future.

We are all sequestered at home and our lives are constrained, but some are particularly overwhelmed by oppressive circumstances: impoverished families in crowded tenements, single mothers with young children at home, unemployed men and women, elderly or infirm people confined to small apartments or room, students learning online with little access to the internet and others in dire straits. Many are alone and isolated, feeling sad and vulnerable.

When people are preoccupied with their own or loved ones’ lives, many become anxious and fearful, while others are prone to selfishness and anger. This pandemic has caused significant increases in stress-induced behaviors (alcohol and drug use,

outbursts, melt-downs, confrontations), mental illness (anxiety, depression, panic, suicide) and incidents of domestic anger, verbal abuse and physical violence. Protracted social conflict can also lead to susceptible people being drawn to conspiracy theories or to demagogic leaders who push toxic agendas of hate and authoritarianism.

And yet, major tragedies can also bring out humanity’s natural benevolent tendencies. Our challenges can foster empathy and unity and engender acts of kindness and cooperation. In that vein, the most important acts now–for ourselves and others– are the public health mandates of wearing masks, social distancing, hand-washing and avoiding crowds. But even when a vaccine and medications finally enable us to vanquish this viral foe, we are still left with “us,” the same tribal human beings and nations who have been too self-interested and materialistic, mistrustful and antagonistic.

We are being “warned”: We can be decimated by new lethal viruses, or by looming global warming, already giving us signs of potential disasters (wildfires, sea levels rising, storms). Or we can be eradicated by our human self-destructive tribal aggression and violence. This pandemic can also serve as a wake-up call for humanity and we do have cause for optimism: Our species has shown itself throughout the millennia to be blessed with resourcefulness, adaptabili-

ty, creativity and resilience. We have the ability to prepare for and stave off dangers and achieve a better and more equitable existence.

You have heard (perhaps uttered) the words, “We are all in this together.” This pandemic is one of the few times in recorded history when people all over the world–rich and poor, all races, religions and ethnicities–now billions of us in every country and continent experiencing the same threats from a singularly dangerous, lethal, invisible “enemy.”

The vast improvements in communication enable a feeling of kinship, an empathic connection with our fellow human beings throughout the planet. This crisis can serve as a wake-up call for a dramatic “course-correction.” This could be an opportunity for humankind to modify and improve its self-destructive tendencies. This global pandemic could serve as an impetus for change, pointing us to a more just and equitable, better world for our species and the planet itself.

As citizens of this threatened world, we have important choices to make. We can give in to the darker sides of our natures and evince selfishness, intolerance, aggression and other traits which are ultimately self-destructive to us and to our world. Or, we can strive to live, work and play together in mutual support, tolerance and cooperation. We can work as individuals–and as nations–towards leaving a benevolent “Positive Emotional Footprint,” while we are alive and as a legacy when our time here is over.

My hope and plea is that the United Nations take “Living Together in Harmony” as an overarching goal, an integral part of its basic mission. Nations and individuals could work towards “Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards All.” These are not merely “Pie In the Sky” musings; these are “Do or Die” imperatives.A

Shana Tova! May This New Year Bring Good Health and Peace

As we shelter in place, there are many ways to connect with Torah and each other.

12348 Casa Avenida POWAY

858.777.0256 NerTamidSD.org

Join Us as We Gather in Our Homes for Zoom High Holiday Services Every Friday and Saturday with Rabbi Sammy

Join Us

for Zoom Shabbat Services

Special Services Include the Ner Tamid House Band and Music from Cara Freedman

Elul Fridays

Sept 4, 11, 18 - 9am: Shofar Blowing and JFS Food Drive

VISIT NerTamidSD.org for dates and times of services

Elul Cheshbon HaNefesh Emailer (Accounting of the Soul)

To receive emailer, Call 858-777-0256 or Email: info@nertamidsd.org

Meet Our New Director of Youth Education and Engagement, Jessie Birnbaum

Hebrew School begins September 2nd It’s not too late to become Bar/Bat Mitzvah ready! jessie@nertamidsd.org

Simchat Torah

Sunday Oct 11, 9:30am Virtual Israeli Dancing to Celebrate the Giving of the Torah

For Zoom activities & more information, Visit NerTamidSD.org or call 858-777-0256 If you need support during this pandemic, please contact the synagogue office: 858- 777-0256 Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 19

RELIGION

POST-POLITICAL

by Rabbi Jacob Rupp myrabbiben@gmail.com

The Subtle Art of Standing in Your Own Way

H

ave you ever felt totally stuck? Or totally lost?

I happen to often vacillate between these two states; on one hand unable to get out of my rut, on the other hand so overwhelmed and over my head I don’t know what to do.

To be honest, the chaotic state is somewhat refreshing; there are new things everywhere and I can implement the discipline and scheduling that I have cultivated.

But I unfortunately spend most of my time at least perceiving that I am in the stuck zone. And when I am in that stuck zone I often grasp at straws. I consume an unbelievable amount of content. While it may seem ‘overachieving,’ usually it is just needing to feel something or do something that feels productive.

Effects of being stuck? For me, it often manifests either in panic, deep negativity (I just can’t do this anymore), or self-deprecation. I’ll actually have these visions of a train coming towards me or a sense of fighting against drowning.

I recently invested a very large sum of money into someone helping me get out of my own way. To open up. To be able to be honest and forthright about my opinions.

When I shared the investment I had made to a few friends, they felt somewhat incredulous.

“Uh, all you do is talk about your feelings,” was the general statement. “You’re the most open person I know.” “Oftentimes I wish you’d stop over-sharing.”

I had things figured out when I was young-

20 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

er. During my freshman year at UCSD, I used to trek down to the cliffs overlooking the beach usually every night around sunset to watch the breathtaking beauty in my backyard. Upon one of my walks, a friend of mine joked, “What are you doing out there?

Crying?”

Always easily influenced, I stopped going after that. It wasn’t until much later that I realized that for me, finding myself in nature– especially overlooking the majestic pacific as the sun set–was core to who I am. It taught me a good lesson about trusting myself, despite that until this day I still have trouble doing it.

However, nowadays when I hear people discourage me, I am getting better at doubling down and betting on myself. I know that despite the work I have done on myself, I can still feel stuck. As one of the iconic lines in Rocky Balboa: “I think I got a little bit left in the basement,” Rocky said and motioned to himself.

There is an amazing practice in the coaching work I do, where I ask clients to “stay with it.” Oftentimes as soon as we hit pain, we back off. It’s like you move in that direction, feel the stretch and immediately bounce away. But we know that on the other side of pain is redemption. When you see things, hear things, are aware of things that scare you: push into them. Stay with them.

The things we ultimately desire stem from a part of us that longs to be expressed. Bruce Springsteen’s classic “The River” includes a

line that left an impression. “Now all them things that seemed so important/Well, mister, they vanished right into the air/Now I just act like I don’t remember/And Mary acts like she don’t care.”

We all know or have some intuition about our general direction or what we have to do in life. However, it is easy to ignore it, or not to go for it–to bury these feelings deep down.

And as we push forward in life, often these things don’t go away. In fact, what happens is that they get plugged away somewhere in our subconscious and start to surface as frustration or a sense that we are off track in the life we’ve built.

To address this, it requires us to be open to finding ourselves, to being compassionate towards ourselves and to observe our interests, desires and vision without judgement or fear.

Just let our needs and vision come up. I find at times we are so busy justifying why it is not the right time or we don’t know how that we don’t even give ourselves permission to just be. But when we are the way we are, we naturally align with who we want to become.

This is the backdrop and the solution to being lost or to finding ourselves lost in chaos. It’s not a midlife crisis, it’s an opportunity to tune into yourself. And when you find yourself unable to do it, reach out. The gift of self-knowledge is the most valuable thing we could possibly have because it’s through that lens that we can build our best selves and show up most authentically. A

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 21

22 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

Honey ‫דבש‬

2020 Annual Listing of High Holiday Services

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 23

CHABAD

Chabad of Carmel Valley

11860 Carmel Creek Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 Mailing Address: 3830 Valley Centre Drive, Suite 705-103 San Diego, CA 92130 rabbi@chabadcv.com chabadcv.com 858-333-4613 *Chabad Carmel Valley - Del Mar will hold outdoor, socially distanced High Holiday Services in several locations in the Carmel Valley - Del Mar area. *Mandatory RSVP at ChabadCV.com *For more information, call or email Rabbi Polichenco Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30 p.m. Evening Services Sept.19: 9:00 a.m. Morning Service 12:00 p.m.: Shofar Sounding 6:30 p.m.: Evening Service Sept. 20: 9:00 a.m. Morning Service Honey 12:00 p.m.: Shofar Sounding ‫דבש‬ 5:30 p.m.: Tashlich

Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidrei Sept. 28: 9:00 a.m. Morning Service 4:00 p.m.: Evening Services 5:30 p.m.: Neila *Voluntary donation encouraged. *Includes a children’s program, interactive service, multilingual prayer books (Hebrew, English Spanish), services are free and led

by Rabbi Mendel Polichenco

Chabad of Chula Vista Otay Ranch

Chula Vista, CA 91913 Rabbi@ChabadChulaVista.com jewishchulavista.com 619-836-0770 *Email or visit JewishChulaVista. com/HighHolidaysfor the most current information and registration closer to the date. *All services will be held outdoors keeping all social distance requirements.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 19-20: Morning services and 24 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

Shofar.

Sept. 20: 5 p.m. Shofar service and concert at the Park Yom Kippur Sept. 27-28: Email for schedule and location.

Chabad of Coronado

1300 Orange Ave. #120-130 Coronado CA, 92118 elisd619@yahoo.com chabadcoronado.com 619-365-4728 *All in-person services at the Hotel Del Coronado Outdoors will require masks and social distancing.

Schedule is subject to change.

Sept. 13: 5 p.m. Pre-Holiday Cantorial Dudu Fisher Online Concert Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30 p.m. Eve Services/ Lecha Dodi - Hotel Del Vista Walk 7:30 p.m.: RH Meal Option Sept. 19: 10 a.m. Morning Services Hotel Del Vista Walk 1:30 p.m.: RH Lunch Option 6:30 p.m.: Evening Services - Hotel Del Vista Walk 7:30 p.m.: RH Dinner Option Sept. 20: 10 a.m. Morning Services Hotel Del Vista Walk 11:30 a.m.: Shofar Blowing - Hotel Del Vista Walk 1:30 p.m.: RH Lunch Option 4 p.m.: Tashlich @ Hotel Del Beach & Sweet “room” 6:30 p.m.: Eve. Services/Havdalah Grande Hall Upper Level Yom Kippur 5 p.m.: Pre-YK Yizkor/Memorial Zoom Sept. 27: 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidrei - Hotel Del space TBD Sept. 28: 10 a.m. Morning Services Hotel Del space TBD 12 p.m.: Yizkor/Memorial Service 5 p.m.: Ask the Rabbi 5:30 p.m.: Mincha Service 6 p.m.: Neilah Service 7:13 p.m.: Buffet Break-fast

Chabad of Downtown

419 G St. San Diego CA, 92101 info@chabaddowntown.com 619-289-8770 chabaddowntown.com/shanatova *The services will be in-person and socially distant. Reservations are required and seating is assigned.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30 p.m.: Evening Services Sept. 19: 9 a.m.: Morning Services 11 a.m.: Torah Reading Sept. 20: 9 a.m.: Morning Services 11 a.m.: Torah Reading 6 p.m.: Shofar and Tashlich by the Bay Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:20 p.m.: Fast Begins and Candle Lighting 6:30 p.m.: Kol Nidrei Service Sept. 28: 9 a.m.: Morning Service 12:30 p.m.: Yizkor Memorial Service 5:30 p.m.: Neila Closing Service 7 p.m.: Final Shofar Blowing 7:13 p.m.: Fast ends

Chabad of East County

7290 Navajo Rd. Suite #207 San Diego, CA 92119 rabbi@jewishec.com jewishec.com 619-387-8770 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Chabad at La Costa

1980 La Costa Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92009 info@ChabadatLaCosta.com chabadatlacosta.com 760-943-8891 *Call or email closer to the date for more information. *Online reservations required on or before Sept. 13 for security purposes: ChabadatLaCosta.com/

HighHolidays *For Chabad in Carlsbad North and Chabad in Encinitas, please see Chabad at La Costa Services Schedule.

Chabad at La Costa (La Costa,

Encinitas, Carlsbad-North): Safe, outdoor, socially distant, inperson, High Holiday services at 1980 La Costa Ave., Carlsbad.

Rosh Hashanah Consecutive Services 9-11 a.m.: Full Service 12-1 p.m.: Abridged Service, First shift 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Second shift 3-4 p.m.: Third Shift 5:30 p.m.: Tashlich @ Chabad Yom Kippur Consecutive Services Sept. 18: 6:30-7:30p.m. Kol Nidrei First Shift 8-9 p.m.: Kol Nidrei Second Shift 9-11:30 a.m.: Full Service 12-1 p.m.: Abridged Service First Honey ‫דבש‬ Shift 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Abridged Service Second Shift 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Mincha/Afternoon Service 6-7:15 p.m.: Ne’ilah/Closing Service (very limited seating available) *All donations are optional Adults (12+): $180

Chabad of La Jolla Shores

909 Prospect St., Suite 224 La Jolla, CA 92037 chabadoflajolla@gmail.com chabadoflajolla.com 858-455-5433 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Chabad of Pacific Beach

4240 Gresham St. San Diego, CA 92109 chabad.pb@gmail.com chabadpb.org 619-333-0344 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Chabad of Poway

16934 Chabad Way Poway, CA 92064 info@chabadpoway.com chabadpoway.com 858-451-0455 *Requesting everyone to wear a mask and follow social distancing.

Schedule subject to change, please email or call for any updates or questions. *RSVP before Sept. 15 Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:31 p.m Light Candles 6:30 p.m.: Evening Services Sept. 19: 10 a.m. Morning Services 6:30 p.m.: Evening Services After 7:25 p.m.: Light Candles Sept. 20: 10 a.m. Morning Services 12 p.m.: Shofar Sounding 5 p.m.: Tashlich Service @ Webb Park 6:30 p.m.: Evening Services 7:23 p.m.: Holiday Ends Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 9 a.m. Morning Services 1:15 p.m.: Afternoon Service 6:15 p.m.: Kol Nidrei Services 6:19 p.m.: Fast Begins & Light Candles Sept. 28: 10 a.m. Morning Services 12 p.m.: Yizkor Memorial Service 4 p.m.: Afternoon Service 5 p.m.: Neilah Closing Service 7:12 p.m.: Fast Ends Followed by light refreshments *All are welcome, no charge for services. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Chabad Alef Center of San Marcos & CSUSM 649 Sandy Ln. San Marcos, CA 92078 info@alefcenter.com alefcenter.com 760-481-7503 *RSVP: alefcenter.com/holiday *Schedule is subject to change.

Call, email or visit Facebook page: facebook.com/chabadsm closer to the date for more information and updates.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 20: Outdoor Service 10:30 a.m.: 1st shift 11:30 a.m.: 2nd shift Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Service Sept. 28: 10:00 a.m. Outdoor Service 5 p.m.: Neila closing service *$180 suggested donation

Chabad Scripps Ranch

10785 Pomerado Rd. San Diego, CA 92131 rabbi.chabadscrippsranch@gmail.com chabaddiego.com 858-547-0076 *Chabad S. Diego Headquarters will be open for in-person High Holidays Services, according to strict government guidelines. *Please check the website for exact times. Reservations are required. No payment necessary to reserve.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 19: Shabbat outdoor holiday service. No Shofar on Shabbat.

Sept. 20: Outdoor holiday service.

Shofar Blowing service for young children.

Yom Kippur Sept. 27: Outdoor Kol Nidrei service Sept. 28: Outdoor holiday service.

Yizkor sermon and service. Yom Kippur program for young children.

Chabad of University City

3813 Governor Dr. San Diego, CA 92122 info@chabaduc.org chabaduc.org 858-455-1670 *Call or email closer to the date for all related information including services times and RSVP. Rosh Hashanah 9 a.m.: Mincha Yom Kippur 9 a.m.: Mincha 5 p.m.: Yom Kippur *Outside with masks and social distancing. No children under 10.

Members only, registration required.

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 25

Chabad Jewish Center of Oceanside

1930 Sunset Dr. Vista, CA 92081 info@jewishoceanside.com jewishoceanside.com 760-806-7765 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Email or call closer to the date for all related information including services times and RSVP.

Chabad Jewish Center of Rancho Santa Fe

5690 Cancha de Golf Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091 info@jewishrsf.com jewishrsf.com 858-756-7571 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Email, call or visit the website closer toHoney the date for all related ‫דבש‬ information including services times and RSVP.

Jewish Student Life of San Diego

6115 Montezuma Rd. San Diego, CA 92115 jewishstudentlife@gmail.com jewishstudentlife.org 619-663-7701 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

CONSERVATIVE Congregation Beth Am

5050 Del Mar Heights Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 welcome@betham.com betham.com 858-481-8454 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Congregation B’nai Shalom 201 E. Broadway Vista, CA 92084 bnaishalomsd@gmail.com bnaishalomsd.org 760-305-7114

26 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

*High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including services times and RSVP.

Congregation B’nai Tikvah

2510 Gateway Rd. Carlsbad, CA 92009 info@bnaitikvahsd.com naomi.gabai.fisher@gmail.com bnaitikvahsd.com 760-650-2262 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Email closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Ner Tamid Synagogue

12348 Casa Avenida Poway, CA 92064 info@nertamidsd.org nertamidsd.org 858-513-8330 *Email for more information and RSVP. *Live Zoom services for nonmembers.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Seder. Gather around the table with symbolic foods as we usher in the new year with blessings for sweetness and joy.

Sept. 19: 9:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Day One Sept. 20: 9:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Day Two Afternoon of Rosh Hashanah Day Two: Tashlich, timing TBA. In person, location tentatively planned for Lake Poway. Registration required.

Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidrei Sept. 28: 9:30 a.m. Yom Kippur Morning 4:15 p.m.: Yom Kippur Mincha/ Yizkor/Neilah *Fridays during the month of Elul at 9 a.m.: Elul Nourishment–Drive-In

Shofar Blowing and Food Drive. Feel spiritually uplifted by the blast of the Shofar in their parking lot from the safety of your car. *All times are subject to change. *Food donations for JFS requested, drop off in the bin. *Donations requested

Ohr Shalom Synagogue

2512 Third Ave. San Diego, CA 92103 office@ohrshalom.org ohrshalom.org 619-231-1456 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Temple Beth Shalom

208 Madrona St. Chula Vista, CA 91910 arlenelagary@yahoo.com bethshalomtemple.com 619-420-6040 *All services on Zoom except Tashlich. Link for services will be emailed.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 12: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Selichot with guest Yale Strom Sept. 18: 7 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Seder Sept. 19: 10:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah 4:30 p.m.: Tashlich at the J St. Pier Chula Vista, Outdoor Kiddush Sept. 20: 12 p.m. Outdoor courtyard at Temple Beth Shalom, Healing Service, Personal Prayer, Shofar Blowing (masks and social distancing, or via Zoom) Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidrei Sept. 28: 10 a.m. Yom Kippur, 11 a.m.: Yizkor 6:15 p.m.: Mincha/Neilah, Shofar Blowing *The day prior create a sacred space in your home for prayer and comfort with apples, honey, challah and photos of loved ones, no cell phones. *Guests: $50 donation.

degree from YU. He graduated with a B.A. in History and received semicha ordination from RIETS as a member of the seminary’s Honors Program. Rabbi Reich is also a Judaic Studies Teacher at Southern California Yeshiva High School (SCY High).

In his new capacity as the rabbi of Adat Yeshurun, Rabbi Reich says he continues to be driven by his love and passion: to teach and to engage the community-at-large.

“I am inspired and motivated as I see congregants of all backgrounds and ages empowered with active engagement and involvement,” he says, “including by partnering together in learning Torah as a community, attending services, and community programming on a regular and growing basis.”

The rabbi is married to Brooke Reich and they have three children, Leeba, Shira, and Asher. Brooke was raised by a single mother since age 1.

She was part of a small, tight-knit synagogue community at Congregation Shomrei Emunah of Englewood, N.J. “Our friends really became our family. We fostered strong relationships with them,” Brooke says. “My mom became a sister with those people. It made me want to give back as a community member then, and now, as a rebbetzin at Adat Yeshurun.”

Rabbi Daniel Reich becomes Adat Yeshurun’s new leader in La Jolla congregation’s first-ever rabbinic transition.

In a historic transition for San Diego’s largest Orthodox synagogue, La Jolla-based Congregation Adat Yeshurun introduced Rabbi Daniel Reich as its new rabbinic leader in July. Rabbi Reich succeeds Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter, who after founding the congregation and leading it for 33 years has assumed a new role as rabbi emeritus.

Rabbi Reich–a native of Edison, N.J., who moved to La Jolla with his family two years ago when he became Adat Yeshurun’s assistant rabbi–describes his leadership of the synagogue’s community as powerfully shaped by his rabbinic training from Yeshiva University’s (YU) Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), his additional training in pastoral counseling and his personal background.

“As a child, I can vividly remember the warm and loving interactions among my grandparents,” Rabbi Reich says. “It was a sight to see as my paternal grandfather, Saba Yehuda, a Holocaust survivor, who spent his adolescence in Auschwitz and his wife Savta Sarah a”h, a religious Libyan woman, would share a heartfelt interaction with my maternal grandmother, Mommom, a traditional Conservative Jew whose American roots in Somerville, N.J., date back to the 1870s. Through language and cultural barriers, they loved and respected each other. I knew this because they would each respectively educate me to love and respect every Jew and member of society, but even moreso I knew this because I witnessed them, as well as my parents, live this way. This fundamental lesson that was fostered at a young age was a personal priority in my family and my community, and it was emphasized in the education I received. This has always been one of the driving forces behind my passion to become a rabbi, and how to lead a congregation.”

Rabbi Reich studied at RIETS while simultaneously pursuing a bachelor’s

A licensed social worker (LSW), Brooke received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from YU/Stern College’s SY Syms School of Business and her master’s in Social Work from YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Her professional and internship experience brought her to Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Northern New Jersey; Daughters of Miriam, the Gallen Institute in Clifton, N.J.; Yeshiva University’s YUConnects online matchmaking platform; and the Hebrew Academy for Special Children in Parkville, N.Y. Brooke’s path, however, almost took a different turn. She initially intended to pursue a career in the fashion industry. In fact, her mother had opened a store that sold modest clothing, called Brooklyn’s (as Brooklyn is also Brooke’s nickname), in her honor. But during her senior year at Stern College, Brooke realized that her most important experiences had all centered around helping people, and she decided to pivot toward a career which would allow her to work with people one-on-one. One month after that decision, she started to date (soon-to-be Rabbi) Daniel.

“He already knew at the time that he wanted to be a rabbi, not necessarily a pulpit rabbi, but certainly learn and teach a lot of Torah and help the Jewish people,” she recalls. “And I said, ‘I’m definitely going to be a proactive rebbetzin. If he’s going to be in it, then I’m going to be all-in as well.’”

Rabbi Wohlgelernter and his wife, Shoshie Wohlgelernter, are now living in Modi’in, Israel. Adat Yeshurun is commissioning a Torah scroll which upon completion will be gifted to the Wohlgelernters in honor of their 33 years of service for the community.

Describing his new role as rabbi emeritus, Rabbi Wohlgelernter says he will have “the knowledge of the community and a strong connection to the community, but no hands-on involvement in the day-to-day operations of the shul. My heart is still connected to the shul and the shul is still connected to me.”

He adds, “The shul is in good hands with Rabbi Reich, and the community needs to appreciate the fact that they’re in good hands.”

For more information contact Adat Yeshurun @ 858-535-1196.

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 27

Tifereth Israel Synagogue

6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92119 program@tiferethisrael.com tiferethisrael.com 619-697-6001 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

ORTHODOX Congregation Adat Yeshurun

8625 La Jolla Scenic Dr. North La Jolla, CA 92037 catharine@adatyeshurun.org adatyeshurun.org 858-535-1196 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Aish San Diego

11860 Carmel Creek Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 info@aishsd.com aishsd.com Honey ‫דבש‬ 858-250-0057 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Beth Jacob Congregation

4855 College Ave. San Diego, CA 92115 office@bjsd.org bjsd.org 619-287-9890 *High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Congregation Kehillas Torah

14133 Via Alisal San Diego, CA 92128 bledermansdccd@gmail.com 858-829-9648 *Further details were not available 28 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

at press time. Call or email Rabbi Baruch Lederman for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Young Israel of San Diego

7284 Navajo Rd. San Diego, CA 92119 info@yisandiego.org yisandiego.org 619-589-1447 *Further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for updates closer to the date as they occur.

REFORM Congregation Beth Israel

9001 Town Centre Dr. San Diego, CA 92122 cbi@cbisd.org cbisd.org 858-535-1111 *All High Holidays Services are virtual and online. Register on the website Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Service Sept 19: 8:30 a.m. Young Family Rosh Hashanah Service Experience 9 a.m.: Café Beth Israel 10 a.m.: Rosh Hashanah Service 11:30 a.m.: Café Beth Israel 4 p.m.: Preschool Families & Intergenerational Rosh Hashanah Story/Activity Time 6 p.m.: Tashlich On-The-Go Sept. 20: 10 a.m. Second Day Morning Service/Study Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 10 a.m. Kever Avot Cemetery Memorial Service 6:30 p.m.: Kol Nidre Service 8:30 p.m.: Sermon Talk-Back with Rabbi Nevarez Sept. 28: 8:30 a.m. Young Family Yom Kippur Service Experience 10 a.m.: Morning Service 12 p.m.: Food for Thought, Session 1: A: Sermon Talk Back with Rabbi Gimbel B: Grief, Loss and Mourning Discussion with Rabbi Nevarez and

Rabbi Aliza Berk 1:15 p.m.: Food for Thought, Session 2: A: Do Bad Things Happen to Good People with Rabbi Berk B: Grief, Loss and Mourning Discussion with Rabbi Gimbel and Gail Braverman 2:30 p.m.: Contemporary Confessions 4:15 p.m.: Afternoon Service 5:15 p.m.: Yizkor and Neilah Services

Temple Adat Shalom

15905 Pomerado Rd. Poway, CA 92064 info@adatshalom.com adatshalom.com 858-451-1200 *Online High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Temple Emanu-El

6299 Capri Dr. San Diego, CA 92120 temple@teesd.org teesd.org 619-286-2555 *Online High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time. Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Temple Etz Rimon

2020 Chestnut Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 info@templeetzrimon.org templeetzrimon.org 760-929-9503 *All Services held via Zoom. For reservations and Zoom links, email or call. No charge, donations are appreciated.

sdjt-2020-virtual-fall-classes-jewish-journal-ad.pdf

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6 p.m. Candle Lighting 6:15 p.m.: Break 7 p.m.: Service Sept. 19: 9:45 a.m. Wake up and Warm Up 10 a.m.: Service 12 p.m.: Kiddush and Tashlich from Home Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidre Evening Service Sept. 28: 9:45 - 10 a.m. Wake up and Warm Up 10 a.m.: Service 5 p.m.: Yikzor/Neilah/Shofar *Led by Cantor Caitlin Bromberg and Soloist Mark Britowich

Temple Solel

1

8/18/20

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M

Y

CM

MY

CY

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3575 Manchester Ave. Cardiff By The Sea, CA 92007 info@templesolel.net jbricker@templesolel.net templesolel.net 760-436-0654 *Online High Holidays services are expected to happen, but further details were not available at press time.

Call, email or visit the Honey Facebook page: facebook.com/ templesolelcardiffbythesea ‫ דבש‬closer to the date for all related information including service times and RSVP.

Congregation Havurim

29500 Via Princesa Murrieta, CA 92563 congregationhavurim@gmail.com havurim.org 951-387-5018 *All services will be conducted on Zoom and cost $36 per person per holiday. For more information, visit the website.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18. 7 p.m. Service Sept. 19. 10 a.m. Service Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 7 p.m. Service Sept. 27: 10 a.m. Service

Wishing you Wishing youa a Happy Good Hanukkah New Year

SEPHARDIC Beth Eliyahu Torah Center

5012 Central Ave., Suite C Bonita, CA 91902 rabbi@betheliyahu.com betheliyahu.com 619-472-2144 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

858-455-1200

858-455-1200

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Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 29

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These Holy Days, while very different, we will do the same. We will continue to learn, grow, pray, celebrate, remember and connect together as one community.

For more information on our services please visit: www.betham.com/hhd or email: welcome@betham.com

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5354 Banks St. Ste A & B San Diego, CA., 92110

Magen Abraham Sephardic Synagogue

10875 Pomerado Ave. San Diego, CA 92131 moyal8891@yahoo.com magenabraham.org 619-277-0380 *Further details were not available at press time.

Call, email or visit the website closer to the date for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Kehillat Shaat HaShamayim

3232 Governor Dr., Suite K San Diego, CA 92122 rabbi@rabbiyoni.com kshsd.org 858-752-1025 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

JEWISH RENEWAL AND RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Dor Hadash

11860 Carmel Creek Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 administrator1@dorhadash.org Honey dorhadash.org ‫דבש‬ 858-268-3674 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

Shir Ha-Yam

4618 Rueda Dr. San Diego, CA 92124 rhodamason@aol.com sandiegojewishrenewal.org 619-251-4618 *Further details were not available at press time. Call or email for updates closer to the date as they occur.

The Elijah Minyan

3207 Cadencia St. La Costa, CA 92009 wdosick@gmail.com sandiegojewishrenewal.org 760-943-8370 *Online Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Services are scheduled to be led by Rabbi Wayne Dosick and Cantor Kathy Robbins, call closer to the date for more information

including website URL.

questions.

HUMANISTIC Kahal Am: The Humanistic Jewish Community of San Diego

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 6:30-8 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Seder on Zoom Sept. 19: 10-11:30 a.m. Day 1 Livestream Sept. 20: time TBD Torah Study for Teens/Young Adults with Rabbinical Student Ami Monson

P.O. Box 927751 San Diego, CA 92192 adrikhabeverly@kahalam.org kahalam.org 858-549-3088 *RSVP on the website or call for more information. Reservations required by Sept. 14 to get the Zoom link.

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 7 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Sept. 20: 10 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Children’s Program Yom Kippur Sept. 28: 5 p.m. Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur, Nizkor *All High Holiday programs will be led by Madrikha Beverly for an interactive experience via Zoom.

There will be shared readings, discussions and recorded music by San Diego vocalist Janet Hammer and pianist Mark Danisovsky.

Children’s program will last 45 minutes and includes singing, storytelling and a scavenger hunt. *No cost, but donations are appreciated.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL San Diego Outreach Synagogue

5960 Cancha de Golf Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091 Rabbi@sdo-synagogue.org sdo-synagogue.org 858-280-6331 *All services will take place online.

The three main services will be livestreamed, tickets cost $108 per household for members and $150 per household for non-members (each ticket is good for all three services). *Register for Zoom events or purchase tickets for the main services at sdo-synagogue.org/highholy-days or email directly with any

Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 7-8:30 p.m. Kol Nidre Livestream Sept. 28: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Yom Kippur & Yizkor Service Livestream Yom Kippur Ne’ilah and Break-theFast on Zoom *Zoom events are free & open to the public, additional Zoom events with date/time TBD include: Adult Torah Study with Rabbi Philip Graubart, Adult Torah Study with Rabbi-Cantor Cheri Weiss, Music for the High Holy Days with Rabbi-Cantor Cheri Weiss.

UNAFFILIATED Congregation B’nai Chaim 29500 Via Princesa Murrieta, CA 92563 bnaichaim1@gmail.com bnaichaim.com 951-677-7350 *Watch services on Facebook: facebook.com/ CongregationBnaiChaim

Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18: 7 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Sept. 19: 10 a.m. Services 4 p.m.: Tashlich at Temecula Duck Pond Sept. 20: 10 a.m. Services Yom Kippur Sept. 27: 7 p.m. Kol Nidre Services Sept. 28: 9:30 a.m. Services 12:30 p.m.: Yizkor 4:45 p.m.: Mincha Services 6 p.m.: Neilah Services 7:20 p.m.: Havdalah and Final Shofar

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 31

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34 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 35

| HIGH HOLIDAYS |

A Word of Torah

High Holiday Message During a Pandemic

BY RABBI YERUCHEM EILFORT

5

780 has been a doozy! We have weathered (and continue to weather) the strangest year of my career by far. If I would have known what was coming last year at this time, I may have asked the Almighty for His ‘Plan B.’ I would have argued that a year like this one should NOT count!

But then I must consider: “Who knows better, G-d or me?”

My job becomes a journey of discovery–to seek ways in which this year has been a blessing. Once I have done that I feel confident that I can face the coming year from a place of joy and optimism.

Since the High Holidays represent a new beginning, let us begin at the beginning. Let us lay down the foundation of what our attitudes are meant to be. Let us use the Torah in the way it is meant to be Honey used–not only as a guide to tell us what to do, but as a guide that tells ‫דבש‬ us how to view and approach the world.

When I analyze this past year through the lens of, “G-d is good. G-d knows better than me. Ergo everything I encounter is meant to serve as a lesson for me in how to enhance my connection with G-d and how to enhance the revelation of G-d within the world,” I will find positive lessons from this past year, which will serve as a useful tool going forward into 5781.

Lesson 1: Growing in the ability to “do it myself.”

Forever we have been told that each of us is a link in the chain; that we are only as strong as our weakest link. This year we got the chance to experience that reality. While stretching to maintain feelings of community, we were compelled to find ways of empowering individual households to create their own encounters with G-d. Yes, we offered the support of the virtual classes. Yes, we made countless phone calls to keep people connected. Yes, we may have even engaged in socially distanced personal visits. And yes, we have delivered thousands of Challos and servings of Chicken Soup (Jewish Penicillin), but the bottom line has been to empower people to do it themselves, from conducting their own Passover Seder to studying about the 10 Commandments on Shavuot to ‘leading’ their own Shabbat services.

This year the synagogue has not been the center of Jewish life. Instead the center of Jewish life returned to the place where it really belongs–the home. The Rabbi has not been the shepherd in the traditional sense, but instead has had to find the ways and means to inspire and empower people to serve as their own shepherds. G-d has created the circumstances that have forced us to reveal our inner Moses! G-d has compelled all of us to be leaders in the truest sense of the word.

It is known that when someone is rich and (G-d forbid) loses his money, his sense of loss and appreciation for what he had is more keenly felt than one who never had the wealth to begin with. The same can be said regarding our appreciation for each other and our communities.

When this pandemic will (finally) end (may it be speedily in our day!), and we are able to resume our communal life, we will be much more appreciative of the blessings togetherness entails. Hopefully we will never again take the ability to visit family across the country for granted. No longer will we under-appreciate our ability to go to shul and daven together with our communities! We will relish every moment of togetherness, just as it has always supposed to be treasured.

In the meantime, we meet the challenge of seeing to the needs of the many who are so isolated that it is negatively impacting their mental, emotional and even physical health. In this regard it could be that we need to find extra resources to help the most vulnerable among us–the children. Another year of children being forced to remain isolated is too horrible to contemplate. We MUST do better!

We know that the High Holidays is the best time of the year to engage in repentance as we return to the Almighty asking Him to give us another chance. It is the time to take real ownership of our miscues.

It is time to make positive resolutions for the future.

Here are mine: While I cannot, in good conscience, aggressively recruit people to our in-person services, I can make known that we will have them. Yes, all required and recommended strictures will be scrupulously adhered to. We will maintain social distancing and masks, handwashing and quick services (not to be confused with abridged services).

Likewise, we will offer the children in-person learning opportunities consistent with all government guidelines and rules.

We will not give up! We will not throw up our hands helplessly. We will NEVER cease to do everything in our power (and perhaps beyond our power) to fulfill our mission, which is, incidentally, the same mission that we all share: usher in the era when everyone will be able to openly experience G-dliness in his/her daily life. Imagine! Being able to perceive G-dliness with your naked eye; all the time!

One cannot help but look at these world-shaking events with a Biblical overview, after all, we Jews have ‘seen it all.’ Let us welcome the new reality with the understanding that not only is there good to be found, but that it IS good itself!

Wishing everyone a happy, HEALTHY, sweet New Year! A

Lesson 2: We have been blessed with a deeper appreciation of how very precious our community truly is.

Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort is Director of Chabad at La Costa and welcomes readers’ comments at RabbiE@ChabadatLaCosta.com.

36 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

This year, the High Holidays may look different than years past. Instead of gathering as a large group of family and friends, the celebrations may be virtual, or smaller and more intimate, meaning your typical menu may have a few changes. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t start the New Year with something sweet! This recipe for Apple and Honey Galettes makes it easy to scale to your guests and without having to slice into a large cake or pie, it is a great way to enjoy the apples and honey of Rosh Hashanah, while maintaining distance and necessary precautions. While this recipe makes 6 personal-sized galettes, feel free to halve or double the recipe. I’ve used a pre-made pie crust.

SERVES 6 INGREDIENTS: 2 Granny Smith Apples, thinly sliced 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 tbsp. honey 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 sheet frozen pie crust, thawed (or your favorite pie crust recipe) 1 egg, whisked

Rosh Hashanah Apple & Honey Galettes MICAH SIVA | www.nutritionxkitchen.com

PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the apple slices, lemon juice, cinnamon, honey and cornstarch. Set aside.

Roll out the pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness.

Carefully cut out six 5-inch circles (use a bowl as a stencil). If needed, re-roll the dough and cut enough circles.

Arrange apple slices in the center of each circle.

Fold the edges in, and pinch the corners, leaving a “window” on top.

Gently brush the dough with the egg using a pastry brush.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and the apples are tender.

Top with additional honey.

Chag Sameach! A Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 37

38 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

| HIGH HOLIDAYS |

A Different Rosh Hashanah

BY PATRICIA GOLDBLATT

U

Honey ‫דבש‬

sually the holidays are the focal points of the year–a grandma’s delight as she contemplates the smiling faces at the holiday table. Her excitement increases as she considers how the grandchildren have grown, how she will carefully plan the meal, arrange her bubbi’s fine linen, attempt to recreate her mother-in-law’s perfect gefilte fish, consumed with love and pride for her family. She imagines the approving eyes of the older kinder as Poppa solemnly chants the blessings over bread, wine and the children grab at apples dipped in honey. She thinks about how the good glasses and the Rosenthal china that have come down from her own mother will sparkle and catch the light of the special silver candlesticks and how wonderful it feels to be surrounded by family, how palpable love is in this precious moment.

However, this year is different. Just as Passover was interrupted by the advent of coronavirus, we feared for Rosh Hashanah. In March, we Canadians scurried home to prepare for the holiday, change our dishes and search for chumas. I knew we would have to quarantine for two weeks having spent the winter in San Diego, as usual, yet I anticipated that the virus would not shut down our Seder. But of course, some dreams do not come true and our health and safety must outweigh our rituals. For most, Zoom meetings had not been fully inculcated into our daily lives so that emails and phone calls stood in the place of actual hugs and squeezes and the awe surrounding the visit by Elijah. Where usually we built our memories on those of our own bubbies and zadies, cherishing them, wrapping ourselves in the warmth of reminiscences, the disruption by the virus created a huge hole in our lives.

And because my younger daughter and her four children live in Philadelphia, I realized when we returned last spring from San Diego

that they would not be present to dip their fingers in wine or shout out the 10 plagues. And yet, we thought that by Rosh Hashanah, perhaps, we would be able to be together, to gather. But just today, we received information regarding High Holiday services that offer three variations on Zoom programs.

Last year as my heart sang out, “they’re coming, they’re coming,” so overjoyed at the arrival of my Philadelphia grandkids, I believed that we had established a pattern to be repeated throughout the years: my three children and all the grandkids together in one place on those magical nights, those wonderful nights when as Jews we share more than a meal–a religious stream that has connected our ancestors to present day.

However, at our supper here this year, we may FaceTime or Zoom and include them, trying to share our delight at the beginning of a new year, attempting to virtually pass on those intangibles that have bound us together, especially in tough times. To 3-year-old Georgia who continues to plaintively ask, “Will you come here after coronavirus?” I respond, “Of course, my love,” promising that next year’s celebration we’ll all be together. Hopefully before next year’s Passover…

But here we are approaching the New Year and Canadian borders are closed to Americans. And likewise, my dear Dutch friend who has lived in San Diego for many years will not be able to travel back to Holland to celebrate with her daughter and granddaughter. As well at this time, my cousin in North Carolina has also been prevented from visiting his grandkids in New York.

Yearly my own parents would travel to the North where in Canada at this time of year, the air is crisp, the autumnal leaves ripe on the trees–a kaleidoscope of colours. They celebrated the High Holidays Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 39

beyond our family gatherings. They might spend a day or several, driving through the beauty of nature, their thoughts far from the city.

They were free to traverse wherever, even crossing the border into the States should they decide, but now we must keep close to home, wondering when the numbers will rise, our masks tucked into our pockets, is that sneeze a warning of something worse–every move shadowed by the virus.

Honey ‫דבש‬ However this year, for the mishpucha who do live close by, maybe even part of the extended “bubbles,” our Rosh Hashanah will appear to precede as always. Yes, I will shop the usual foods, cook the regular dinner, set my perfect table, ruminate between orange or purple flowers and draw on the ghosts of the past to re-create our supper and re-enact the rituals set in place by my parents and grandparents. I will miss all of them terribly at this time. I will recall how at my grandparents’ house my cousins descended to the rec room to tumble. I will re-imagine the uncles’ borsalino hats tipped deeply while davening at dinner, the sheen of pearls on the aunts’ best dresses and my exhausted grandmother in the kitchen, grumpy and overtired.

And over the years, distinct from my parents and grandparents, I too, have made my own memories on the holidays. One year my son invited his university friends to Rosh Hashanah dinner and I set myself the task of preparing as many kugels as I could find; from sweet potato with raisins to eggplant to zucchini and beyond, I scoured cookbooks that offered a plethora of puddings. Finally at the table, we chortled, attempting to identify the hidden vegetables that all began and ended with eggs, onions and matzoh meal. Since then, though, the meal has been pared down to only two potato kugels: one sweet and one plain.

And who can forget the year my daughter-in-law went into early labour that first night, declaring with such an overload of food on her plate, her second son had to vacate the premises of her tummy? The laughter, the camaraderie, the delight of being together, sharing a meal with friends and family adding to a hopefulness of the coming year.

Yet this year with two new grandbabies, only one will be cuddled at the holiday table, the other alone in Philadelphia with only part of her family, fortunate perhaps not to understand, as her brother and sisters do, what is missing.

40 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

We hoard those memories that remain vivid, heightened by the holidays: I, recalling, the huge imposing book etched in blazing white chalk on the green board and my first year Hebrew School teacher’s dark promise at Beth Sholom that some of us, quaking little girls, would be written into the Book of Life, the others in death. It was a frightening moment, serious and foreboding. But prayer and repentance might reverse the sentence. Yet here we are in these strange times, still quaking, but hopeful of a vaccine: should our prayers be answered.

But most of all, I will feel my mother’s arms around me as I entered my parents’ warm and fragrant house, engulfing and encircling me, promising that each year we could start again fresh, provided with new opportunities and chances to be better people. Her jaunty silk scarf at her neck, her honest delight at not just me, but my sister, my children, all of her grandchildren will shine through on the nights of missing her. She stays in my heart, my amulet forever, that image arising each and every holiday, whether alone or together at table.

Perhaps we had forgotten that nothing can be written in stone, that life changes and we must overcome hurdles and obstacles that mark the lives of humans. Did Sarah feel that way so many years ago, childless? Did she believe in her heart that a baby, Isaac, would come to her in her old age? And later, did Isaac ever doubt that he would be released from his bonds on Mt. Moriah and replaced with a ram? And what of Hagar and Ishmael? Did they ever entertain the notion they would have to leave the security of Abraham’s camp?

But this insecurity is the way of all Jews, who had no choice but to postpone their lives during biblical days, the Holocaust, pogroms and persecutions. Yet eventually they reassembled, retrieved their lives and persevered to new lands, charted new worlds to fashion new stories, establishing new traditions but carrying on their backs, their dreams, but also the heavy pekelach of their forebearers, bruised, but stronger and wiser.

And so, another new year full of challenges. We will survive and endure. We always do.

La Shana Tova. May it be sweet and healthy. A

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| HIGH HOLIDAYS |

The COVID-19 High Holiday Guide

BY RABBI RUPP

F

or the twice a year Jews, these High Holidays are going to seriously mess with their statistics.

For the synagogues who rely on the once a year bump in membership and fundraising, it’s probably going to be white knuckle fun.

But what can the Jewish world do when the High Holidays, this most momentous occasion, might be, if we’re lucky, carried out in our living room?

Perhaps we can leverage Honey ‫דבש‬ some of our coronavirus experiences to instruct us in the new normal.

First of all, as with most things, “act as if.”

Remember in the beginning of COVID-19, when we took joy in the fact that most of our professional meetings at work were conducted in a button down and a tie on top and shorts on the bottom? After a while, you actually wished you had to at least get dressed by noon because it would imply things were normal.

For the High Holidays, we should try to take some perspective that life isn’t a Zoom call. Of course, deeper Jewish thinkers from years gone by have explained to us that the physical world is itself a manifestation of augmented reality; we see a world where people are cut off from the spiritual connection our forefathers had, we perceive a world where G-d is a question instead of reality and we could push away our true purpose and calling for endless Netflix and TikTok. But mystic thinkers aside, let’s relate to the world as if it was real. And in the real world, instead of a Zoom world, you can’t check emails while convincing the person on the other end of the meeting you are making eye contact. You can’t just put on a shirt and look dressed, or just mute your side of the convo so it sounds like you’re in a quiet environment instead of your kids screaming bloody murder

outside your closed office door.

In the real world, you try to show up fully. So, for the High Holidays, try to show up fully. Meaning, if you used to make a point to not work on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, don’t. If you’d clean your house and dress nicely, do that this year also. Sure, you aren’t going to synagogue but guess what? Setting aside time for Jewish practice isn’t about going somewhere or listening to someone, but about the experience you have for and with yourself.

This also doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel and spending your Rosh Hashanah in downward dog and lotus position while listening to Deepak Chopra. It means going through the Machzor. Buy yourself one. You’ll actually need two; one for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Read through it. You might have no clue what happens because you’re used to showing up. Learn about the service in advance. Figure out (ask someone) what you should read and what you shouldn’t. Take responsibility for your Jewish experience.

Another coronavirus insight came from our distanced learning experience. At first, sure, we had our kids trying to sit nicely and stare at their tablets. But after a while (a day and a half) it was more let them rampage through the house eating their hastily made grilled cheese lunch, zoning out on movies while we attempted to work. And while all the Instagram mommies were talking about how it was such a magical time to connect with and teach your children, we got a crash course on dropping your expectations and accepting things the way they are.

That’s the second piece we need for the High Holidays. If you too carry the voices in your head of “It’s Rosh Hashanah! It’s Yom Kippur! You must X, Y, Z…” recognize

instead that instead of feeling bad about how we show up or what we could or should have done, ultimately we have to come as we are.

Because how else can we show up?

We saw first-hand how we have no idea whatsoever about what is coming down the pipes. From last Rosh Hashanah to this one, life has been largely turned upside down. And while the High Holidays do have important themes of your future being written and sealed, of sin, repentance and redemption, I’d venture to say that much of our emotional bandwidth might have been used up on protests, disease, financial stress and anxiety about the future.

Two key themes of the High Holidays that might warrant focus include the idea that we are “bnei maron” in front of G-d, which means that on Rosh Hashanah, we count. We matter. While the world goes crazy with forces so beyond our control, at the end of the day, in the truest sense we matter and our lives are important to G-d.

On Yom Kippur, G-d elevates us, even the greatest sinner, to the heights. There is a concept that on Yom Kippur we don’t eat because we are like the angels who don’t eat. And what comes from that? We can start again, cleaned of our past. And pay close attention; where do we start? Not in the trash heap. Not at the bottom of the totem poles. We don’t start washing dishes or in the mailroom. We start next to the Heavenly throne. When we leave our old selves behind we return to our pure, high state. Which means under everything, we are already all good.

Important lessons for and from a COVID-19 world that hopefully impact our High Holidays. A Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 43

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| OP-ED |

Tikkun Olam — On Repairing the World Part 6: Simple Things to do in 5781 to Improve the World

BY BETH SIRULL

A

t Rosh Hashanah, we practice T’shuva, literally “returning.” Tradition calls upon us to assess our behavior in the previous year, to seek–and grant–forgiveness with equal grace. We are to return to our better selves, to enter the new year determined to do better.

T’shuva is even more critical this year. As we review 5780 and look to 5781, we must examine the momentous events that occurred during the year and are still rocking our nation and world. COVID-19 and the violent killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, among others, surely define this past year.

We must look at what we are each going to do to improve the world, so that one year from now, at the start of 5782, we can all gather in synagogues and with family and friends in celebration. What are we each going to do so that one year from now, at the start of 5782, all of our American compatriots will be treated equitably across our society, in business, the justice system, the hospital and the voting booth?

In previous columns, especially as the coronavirus has raged, wreaking havoc in our Jewish community and across the globe, I have beseeched you to contribute to COVID relief funds. As the virus continues unfettered, I still ask that if you can, you contribute to help those who are most affected, those who have lost livelihoods and are struggling to put food on the table. One way to give relief to those in our community impacted by the virus is giving to the San Diego Jewish Community COVID Emergency Fund.

While it may come as a surprise to some, demographic studies suggest that approximately 15% of the American Jewish community are Jews of Color. Communities of color

have generally experienced greater negative impacts from COVID-19. Jews of Color are no different. Consider a donation to the Jews of Color Initiative (jewsofcolorinitative.org).

While donations are important–and make no mistake, I beg you to contribute what you can as the needs are great–there is so much more you can do. There is nothing more important than stemming the tide of the coronavirus. To that end, wear a mask. Stay socially distant from others. Wash your hands.

These are three simple things that we can all do. And we must.

There’s more. Our tradition calls on us: Justice, justice, you shall pursue. This instruction from Torah (Parasha Shoftim, Deuteronomy 16:21) is easy to understand, but not always so easy to follow. Yet, in the wake of extensive social unrest, many feel a heightened need to seek justice on behalf of the Black community, where injustice has pervaded the American experience for hundreds of years.

Support the Black community. Purchase from Black-owned businesses. Visit the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce to learn about businesses that are offering what you need. Or support the Black Business Relief Grant Fund (sdblackchamber. org).

Simply opening a bank account at a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) may be one of the easiest ways to help address racial wealth inequality in our community. These accounts are insured by the Federal government like any other bank account; there is no cost or risk to you. CDFIs are certified by the US Department of Treasury and are dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending and other financial services to help low-income, low-wealth

and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream. SelfHelp Credit Union, one of the oldest CDFIs, operates in seven states and has a branch here in San Diego; in its 38-year history, over 80% of the loans it made went to low-income borrowers and over 60% to people of color.

At the Jewish Community Foundation in San Diego, we hold a portion of our operating reserve at the local branch of Self-Help Credit Union. While we earn interest, not only are these funds being lent out to communities of color, they are being invested locally in San Diego. With this simple act of opening an account and depositing funds, we are pursuing justice. And, by standing up and sharing this act with Jewish and secular agencies and individuals across our region, we are furthering this pursuit as others follow our lead.

At the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, we have a core belief that guides our actions. We believe in the power of every individual to make a difference and that collectively we can change the world. Now is the time for each and every one of us to do our part: Wear a mask and stay socially distant to stop the spread of the coronavirus, support those who are impacted by the virus and help to build a more just society.

I harbor no illusions that we will have fully accomplished either of these goals by the time we gather for Rosh Hashanah one year from now. I pray we will have made substantial progress on both counts.A Beth Sirull is the President and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation, holder of the Miriam and Jerome Katzin Presidential Chair.

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 45

| FEATURE |

Rainer Höss: Media Star Grandson Of Nazi Still Bilking Jews Under Pretext Of Remorse

BY MARNIE MACAULEY

S

hould you do a search on Rainer Höss you will find many lovely, “remorseful” pieces on this grandson of Rudolf Höss, the notorious Auschwitz commander who introduced Zyklon B containing hydrogen cyanide to the killing process, thereby speeding up the extermination of millions in the gas ovens during the Holocaust.

You will read about his grandson’s turnabout, his “good works,” “foundations” and intimate friendships with prominent survivors of his grandfather’s carnage.

You may also see Rainer Höss on film, for example, “Hitler’s Children” casting a positive “re-constructed image.” Rainer was very busy “re-inventing” himself. His re-invention included using his nefarious name to de-fraud 46 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

and make a buck or two from his “remorse” over what his family did to Jews.

And he almost got away with it–for years.

He became a media star, fooling famous legitimate journalists, film directors, film festivals, publishers, political parties, schools, cultural centers and Holocaust survivors–they all gave him a stage and publicity.

Sure, there were complaints from bilked Jews who thought they were supporting pro-Jewish foundations, but dang it, Rainer, now in his early 50s, living a “meager” existence was just so “cute” and apparently convincing, he also managed to evoke empathy and provide perhaps “closure” to those Jews he addresses.

So how then, could he possibly be facing fraud charges, yet again, in a German courtroom in June 2020? Or, how could he be believed by Survivors and Jews?

The year was 2015. A year or so earlier, I had received a request from Zachor, a site of tolerance promoting peace, headed up by the extraordinary Ben Lesser and his daughter.

A multiple concentration camp victim, Mr. Lesser’s mission was to inform, support and teach. I quickly agreed to provide the site with my articles on the Holocaust.

In early August, Ben and his daughter told me they had been making speeches, primarily in California, along with Rainer Höss. I was asked to interview Rainer prior to an evening of public speeches to be made by Ben Lesser, Rainer Höss and one of his German-based, Pakistani attorneys on Aug. 26, 2015 in Las Vegas. (Attorney Khubaib Ali Mohammed has appeared with Rainer at other speeches, however due to computer error, I am not sure if he was the lawyer I talked with personally that night.)

“Hmmm,” I thought, “this could be interesting.” I went about my usual obsessive research, made more intense by my clinical training and my late husband’s diligence as

a former senior editor with “The New York Times.” Reading literally hundreds upon hundreds of pages, watching YouTube videos and playing hunches, I came up with over 300 pages of notes of my own. Two things struck me.

Contradictory information and facts about the grandson Höss. They were everywhere.

Eldad Beck. Among the accolades for this courageous grandson who renounced family and friends, his was a vociferous voice of frustrated, angry dissent.

Eldad Beck is an Israeli writer and journalist with impeccable credentials and an encyclopedic knowledge of the Holocaust. (His grandfather’s family were victims). He served as a correspondent for Middle East affairs at Gali Tzahal and the Hadashot newspaper, as a foreign news editor for the Haaretz newspaper and as a representative of various Israeli media outlets in France, Austria and Germany. In 2015, he received the “Ambassadors on the Net” award from the University of Haifa for his contribution as a journalist to the fight against modern anti-Semitism and to strengthening Israel’s image in the world.

His books include: “Beyond the Border” and “Germany, at Odds.” He knew Rainer and appeared with him in the documentary “Hitler’s Children.”

Their initial meeting was the first time anyone from the family spoke with the press since the war. At first Eldad was looking forward to meeting this repentant grandson of Rudolph Höss, as he had with some other relatives of notorious Nazis. But over time, evidence emerged that suggested Höss was otherwise. For starters, Eldad reported Höss’ attempt to sell priceless artifacts to Yad Vashem that he claimed he owned from his grandfather’s estate on the grounds of Auschwitz.

“Sell?” Unheard of. Upon digging further, Eldad uncovered proof that Höss had a prison record and numerous charges against him for

fraud, including dummy pro-Jewish foundations and “projects” in the works.

More than his proof, Eldad, among others, noted his affect and reactions when, for example, he first visited Auschwitz again. Instead of authentic remorse, Höss was far more interested in grandaddy’s holdings, house, assets.

The list of lies and cover-ups grew as Eldad Beck continued his research and wrote a number of articles, starting in 2011, unmasking Höss. To his dismay, Höss continued to make “remorseful” speeches, while setting up phony repositories for bilked funds. He was also busy befriending and conning Survivors. Eldad reported on this for “Israel Hayom” in the article “The Criminal Grandson of the Commander of Auschwitz” (title translated from Hebrew).

Based on the information Eldad was getting on Höss after his first articles, Eldad wrote two more stories in 2011 on his real existence.

The night of Aug. 26, 2015, I was ready for my own meeting with Höss. Given the holes, timeline changes, story changes and, of course, Eldad’s proof which he sent me, my questions were aimed at differentiating truth versus reality: As a counselor as well as writer, I focus heavily on “reality” rather than “truths” that I’m told may be tainted through one’s own personal lens. Eldad Beck had the goods and shared them. My questions were designed to ferret out reality from Höss.

We met in a conference room. The group, in addition to myself and my assistant, consisted of Höss and two of his lawyers.

I started the interview by asking him to clear up some discrepancies reported about him.

The end.

He and his lawyers ran out of dodge with Höss saying he was “late” and promising to sit down with me later in the event.

It never happened. Despite approaching him several times, he disappeared and ultimately sped off with his lawyers.

Apparently, he expected this tiny, quirky lady with Orphan Annie curls who is also wildly supportive of Ben Lesser, to do a cut and paste job with accolades for this “heroic” triumvirate.

As the speeches went on with Höss and one of his lawyers using the same patois as they did in California, I took a stroll outside the building.

One of his lawyers whose name disappeared with half my files (rotten movers) was also strolling. It was just the two of us on the grass, perfect for an informal chat. The following approximates what was said.

I casually asked him how, if Höss was so broke (as he claimed), he managed to fly from Germany to the U.S.? The lawyer smiled and patted his pocket. It seemed that away from the fray, he was “off-duty,” relaxed and somewhat arrogant, a bit eager to “share.”

I very casually wondered about his motives. I was told that Höss introduces him and the firm to Jewish groups.

I noticed of course that during the speeches, Höss and his lawyers focused on how Jews could bring legal action to get back their ancestor’s valuables now in the hands of the German government–for free.

How curious then, for a team of lawyers to lay out hard gelt to get to our Valley?

Not really. You see there is an unseen “cost” for Jews to get back their families’ valuables stolen during WWII and allegedly still remain with the German government.

I asked what it would take, how it could be done. He said (I’m excerpting): “In Germany, a victim is entitled to his own additional prosecutor.” In fact, it’s fairly common. He chuckled: “Even the Germans don’t trust the German justice system.”

Apart from stifling my reaction, I invited him to tell me more. For example, does the government pay for this “extra” prosecutor? Leaving a half inch between his thumb and forefinger he indicated and said, “A couple hundred maybe. Nothing.” If one wanted results, victims really must hire a powerful law firm! He then rubbed the tips of two fingers.

I drew my own conclusions about the Höss motive. As a clinician I noted his affect, his look. The one word to describe it would be “indifferent.” I never did write the article about the “Grandson of a Nazi reinventing himself.” I was hooked though.

I dug further and found something odd. A large photo of his lawyer, Khubaib Ali Mohammad was the entire motif for the meager home page on a site from Dubai. The site read: “We bring excellence to the surface as we are with no limitations and have no limits to accomplish our goals. Better than others we can do anything that we set our mind to.”

(Editor’s Note: The site the author originally found listed something called the Saviors Foundation and an address for Burlington Tower in Dubai.)

I tried to find the Saviors site. I found nothing.

What foundation can’t be found? And why Dubai? (Today the site is gone.)

I got an email from Eva Kors, a survivor who, before ultimately knowing the truth about Höss, practically adopted this con man. In her email to me she wanted to know why I was questioning her adored Höss. My question is how did she know?

Through these frustrating years of Höss still bilking intelligent Jews, despite the plethora of provable crimes, fraud (even against his own late mother), Eldad and I have kept in touch, each of us shaking our respective heads.

Until now.

Höss may be losing his mojo. Despite continuing to hear from those conned, one thing Eldad Beck couldn’t get was the official criminal register on Höss. This latest crime has changed with this new Höss trial. It seems somehow fitting that it falls around Pesach.

And yet there are still Jews, good people, people who have suffered who cannot or will not see Höss for the criminal he is.

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 47

As a counselor I’ve given this much thought and encountered a few sleepless nights. Could it be that some Jews need not to find all Germans, and yes Nazis, completely reprehensible in order to somehow temper the horrific memories. Or perhaps in an effort to heal, some may try to “humanize” the monsters. Then again, for others, it may be the appearance of a turnaround of this Nazi grandson attempting “redemption” for granddaddy’s crimes.

Certainly there have been other relatives of those who were part of The Third Reich who earnestly regret what happened during those years.

I’ve told and written the stories of many Germans and other non-Jews, who at the time, risked or gave their lives to help Jews. Some of these true heroes hunted Nazis after the war, and to this day, they and/or their children ardently protect and defend Jews. Their accolades shine at Yad Vashem.

Their stories are proven.

This is not one of those stories.

More, this particular story has been brewing for years, and for years Höss, in print, other media and speeches has gotten away with it, unfettered by most journalists and papers.

After all, the Holocaust is “old news.”

To quote Höss when high school kids showered him with love in Auschwitz, some of them told him they were tired of “constantly dealing with the Holocaust.” His response was, “I came here to see ordinary Israelis. I am fed up with the Holocaust as well.”

That is, of course, paraphrasing Eldad Beck, Höss could gather juicy new information and “stuff” about the Holocaust and his grandfather which “gave him some kind of moral ‘discount’ he would use it as proof that his grandfather and family were not that bad.” A

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| High Holidays |

Rosh Hashanah –Yom Ha Kippur Message

BY RABBI BEN LEINOW

I

wish you all L’shana Tovah, a Happy and Healthy New Year. I am thinking some of the same thoughts as you and I am going to verbalize some of them in the hopes that it will reduce your stress as well as mine.

I am angry at this pandemic. I know that it is milder than what I really feel, but it is hard to allow one’s self to admit to greater emotional discomfort. I miss you all, even those of you I do not know. What I miss most is your Honey lively and cheerful smiles. Even though we ‫דבש‬ are protecting ourselves and our community by wearing the mask, at the same time, the mask hides our emotional reactions to what we might be saying to one another. I have spoken to strangers in the supermarket, you know like, “Do you know where the yellow squash is?” The stranger and I went on a yellow squash hunt and I believe I saw a smile under the mask when the treasured yellow squash was found. I wished I could have seen the smile rather than imagine it was there.

Certainly, in this new world I would rather say an animated, “Hi. How you doing?” while wearing the mask than not be able to greet you because you have been taken by the disease. Distancing is important, but even if you have to put a bag over your head and wear gloves, find someone to hug who will safely hug you in return.

I believe that we will all make it through this tragic period in our lives. I also believe that we will be better off and have a higher chance of pulling ourselves and our families through this time if we do not let COVID-19 get the best of ourselves.

Here are some suggestions I have thought of for us all. Have a phone meal (lunch or dinner is usually best) with an acquaintance or friend and talk on the phone while eating.

Make your favorite meal. Eat it or give it away

to friends. Buy two books or magazines, call a friend and offer to read and discuss the contents of the book or magazine. Go back to your favorite board game or card game and play checkers or chess or backgammon on the phone together. Take a real or imaginary walk and talk to someone on your phone, describing the natural and human sites you are seeing. Write a letter on paper to someone you have not written to for some time; ask them to write back on paper. Color a drawing from a picture book and send it to a friend–don’t worry if you do not stay in the lines.

Do the special thing you have wanted to do, but for some reason have put it off waiting for the right time. This is the right time.

Share what you have done or are in the midst of doing so that other people will benefit from your lively attitude and action.

When you wake up in the morning you might ask yourself what mitzvah (good deed) will I do for a person who needs a mitzvah today. You might just discover you are the person who needs it. For your sake and the sake of the community, do the mitzvah for you as well as someone else. t is my guess that you have been following the news about President Trump’s latest executive order to alleviate the financial stress caused by COVID-19. The following story of two hungry boys is my understanding of President Trump’s golf-side solution. It is my hope that the conclusion of the National Assistance program will be better than the conclusion of the story.

Imagine you have a friend who says he is your best friend and his name starts with a T, but you are not sure of his name because he pronounces it different every time you see each other.

Now, this best friend says he has done

I

wonderful things for you, but you can’t figure out what the wonderful things are because he uses your toys and often breaks them and he says, “That’s the way life is–toys get broken.”

You are not sure you should play with him even though he keeps telling you all the great things he has done for you.

Well the situation comes up where you and he are passing a burger stand. The burgers are selling for $4 each. He says, “Come on, let’s buy a burger to share.” You give me one dollar and I will add three dollars and we won’t be hungry.” You say to him, “I am hungry, but I do not think I have a dollar. Do you have the three dollars so that we can buy a hamburger?”

He answers back, “I am not sure how much money I have, but I can raise the three dollars.

In fact, I can make the four dollars into eight and then into 12. All we need is to start with your one dollar.” And you say, “But T, I do not know if I can work hard enough to get the one dollar.” So T says, “If you don’t get the one dollar then I will believe you do not like me and you do not want to play with me and you do not want to share my hamburger–so I won’t play with you anymore.”

What I have just described is President Trump’s latest offering to all of our states in the United States.

I wish you all the cleansing of your soul freeing you from past sins.

It is my hope that President Trump and his family may attend High Holiday services.

They could stand before G-d, as we all do, asking G-d to forgive us for all the sins we have committed to family, the stranger and community in this past year. Happy New Year to you all. Hag Samayah. A

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 51

| FEATURE |

Online Offerings

BY JACQUELINE BULL

La Jolla Playhouse

All content is available on lajollaplayhouse.org Sept. 8-Oct. 4: Portaleza This adventure begins with a special package in your mailbox and transports you to an otherworldly digital experience.

Ongoing: Without Walls (WOW) WOW digital is a series of one-on-one experiences and collective events.

Ongoing: The Totally Fake Latino News from Culture Clash Richard Montoya, Ricardo Salinas and Herbert Siguenza offer 10-minute doses of levity, poetics and payasadas (clowning).

San Diego Symphony All content is available on sandiegosymphony.org.

Tuesdays: Lunch & Listen Q&As with CEO Martha Gilmer and San Diego Symphony musicians.

Wednesday Evenings: LISTEN // HEAR Music Director Rafael Payare and colleagues discuss all things symphony on YouTube and Facebook live streams and are later archived.

Ongoing: Symphony Stream Listen to past audio broadcasts, podcasts discussing classical works and videos with interviews and performances.

North Coast Repertory Theatre

All content is available on northcoastrep.org.

Sept. 9-Oct. 11: “Necessary Sacrifices” This play is based on the documented 52 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

meetings between Abraham Lincoln and Frederic Douglas during the Civil War. After buying a ticket, you can watch the stream anytime during the show’s run.

Oct. 4, 5 p.m.: Curtain Up! This happy hour fundraiser will have guest appearances like Richard Dreyfuss, cocktail making and more.

Ongoing: Theatre Conversations Watch conversations with artists and friends of North Coast Rep discuss many of the behind-the-scenes stories of working in live theater.

Resilience Festival 2020

The concert is hosted at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. For tickets and more information, visit mainlymozart.org/ resilence Sept. 10-13: This drive-in concert samples composers from the 1700’s to contemporaries (Vivaldi, Mozart, Louis Armstrong, Leonard Cohen, Elton John).

San Diego Repertory Theatre

All content is available on sdrep.org.

Sept. 13: “Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone” Live from Florence Italy, Felder brings to life the ground-breaking American composer.

Sept. 17-Oct. 14: A Weekend with Pablo Picasso Written and Performed by Herbert Siguenza, this piece creates a “joyful portrait” of the inimitable Pablo Picasso.

Select Thursdays: We are Listening SD REP’s Development Coordinator hosts conversations with black artists discussing their careers in theater. Sept.

10 features acclaimed director Sheldon Epps.

Cygnet Theatre

All content is available on cygnettheatre.com.

Sept. 30, 7 p.m.: Broadway B-Sides This cabaret style concert goes through the stories of the songs that were cut from the show.

City Ballet

All content is available on facebook. com/cityballetsd.

Sept. 12, 6 p.m.: Back on Pointe Gala This virtual gala features City Ballet performances, a season preview and auction. The gala is a fundraising event, with different ticket tier levels, but guests are also available to attend at no cost.

Lamb’s Players

All content is available on facebook. com/LambsPlayers Ongoing: Lamb’s Cabaret Affiliated artists with the Players upload covers of popular songs and songs from past productions.

La Jolla Music Society

All content is available on ljms.org.

Ongoing: Digital Concert Hall Access past recordings and exclusive home concerts.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego All content is on mcasd.digital.

Ongoing: MCASD: Digital This is a platform for online programs and exploring the museum’s collections digitally. Check out “Conversations” now called “Charla” with MCASD Cu-

rator Jill Dawsey chatting to San Diego artist Katie Ruiz in a virtual studio tour.

San Diego Museum of Art

All content is available on sdmart.org Fridays at 10 a.m.: Masterpiece Minute Podcast This is a 60-second podcast series that looks at the stories and historical contexts of important works in the SDMA collection.

Ongoing: Virtual SDMA Explore the galleries in 360, access insider stories and listen or read about works in the collection via the SDMA App on the App Store or Google Play.

Ongoing: SDMA at Play The museum is offering a variety of at-home art activities with detailed instructions (and in some cases accompanying video explanations) such as making your own shadow puppets and ekphrastic poetry.

Birch Aquarium

All content is on aquarium.ucsd. edu and youtube.com/user/BirchAquarium Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.: Virtual Perspectives Lecture: Bending the Curve Scripps Oceanography Climate Scientist Ram Ramanthan talks educating all kinds of students on the climate.

Tuesdays at 10 a.m.: Kelp Cam Live Visit the serene live footage of the Kelp Cam and learn about

the different species from Scripps scientists.

Thursdays at 10 a.m.: Think Like a Scientist Join ocean experts for live chats on a wide range of topics like kelp forests or marine protected areas.

Actors Ray Chambers and Hawthorne James in “Necessary Sacrifices.

The Reuben Fleet Science Center

All content is on rhfleet.org. Events marked with a (*) require registration.

Ongoing: Virtual Classes The Fleet is offering live lessons, science clubs and camps for toddlers, kids and teens.

Sept. 2, 7 p.m.: The Sky Tonight* Learn all about observatories of the world including those in Southern California.

Sept. 9, 7 p.m.: Sharp Minds* Conservation biologist and science educator Samantha Wynns discusses her work with the National Park System and the Cabrillo National Monument.

Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m. Suds & Science* This edition of “spirited” discussion is all about the molecular science of aging.

San Diego Natural History Museum

All content is on sdnhm.org.

Ongoing: At-Home Activities Check out diy crafts, nature bingo, scavenger hunts and printable coloring pages for family-friendly activities.

La Jolla Playhouse “Portaleza.”

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 53

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54 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

| DIVERSIONS |

ChaiFlicks, the ‘Jewish Netflix,’ is here

BY JTA NEWS

I

t was only a matter of time: A Jewish Netflix has arrived.

That moniker is probably the best description of ChaiFlicks, a film and TV streaming platform focused on Jewish-themed movies that launches Wednesday. It helps that its creators were once in business with the real Netflix.

Neil Friedman, founder of the Jewish-focused distribution company Menemsha Films, said he sold two films to Netflix: the 2015 bakery-set drama “Dough” and the 2016 Israeli film “The Women’s Balcony.” But since then, Netflix has shifted its focus to its original offerings.

In 2017, when Netflix passed on another film that the founders were distributing–“1945,” a rare Hungarian production about the effects of the Holocaust–the idea for

ChaiFlicks began.

“We realized then and there that if we were going to have our films on [a subscription video on demand] channel, we would have to initiate our own channel,” Friedman said.

The service was offered earlier this year in a beta version for Menemsha Films’ mailing list subscribers, spokesman Gary Springer said. But on Wednesday, the service will be open officially to all at a price point of $5.99 a month, or $65.99 a year. ChaiFlicks also offers a 14-day free trial.

It’s launching with over 150 titles, including feature films, documentaries, shorts and other entertainment, all of it either Jewish- or Israeli-themed.A

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 55

the news

Photo from @kumeyaaydefenseagainstthewall Instagram account.

Kumeyaay Band File Federal Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Halt Construction of Border Wall on Sacred Land in East County San Diego.

By Nathalie Feingold

56 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

brought against the Kumeyaay people.

“What you see today is the occupation of all our territories and our land, a form of ongoing colonization, so these halls of justice depend on the color that you are,” said Shannon Rivers, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, in a speech of solidarity with the Kumeyaay.

Protestors successfully halted CBP’s construction plans on July 1. However, the postponement is only considered a temporary victory as construction and blasting on Kumeyaay lands is ongoing, which necessitates the filing of the lawsuit.

“The Kumeyaay are not asking for anything more than the same cultural respect almost every other faith enjoys,” Holm said, according to the LA Times.

This construction project comes after a recent acceleration on border wall construction by the Trump administration as part of his reelection campaign. In March, the Trump administration deemed construction of the border wall essential work and increased spending from $11.1 billion to $15 billion, as reported by the LA Times.

Photo from @kumeyaaydefenseagainstthewall Instagram account.

Several protests in the Laguna Mountains in East County and Downtown San Diego are occurring amidst concerns that the construction of the border wall, supervised by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), involves the desecration of ancient Kumeyaay land.

The Kumeyaay are an ancient tribe that is believed to have inhabited San Diego County for over 12,000 years. They are a sovereign nation native to the area bordering San Diego and Baja California; members of the Kumeyaay tribal group reside on both sides of the border.

This construction project is of concern to the Kumeyaay because the site of construction is on possible ancestral burial grounds.

The La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians, one of 12 bands of the Kumeyaay Nation, filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration.

The lawsuit asks for an injunction to halt the construction of the border wall through their sacred burial grounds and to protect their religious and cultural heritage, as reported by the LA Times.

The lawsuit states that pre-construction blasting at the border unearthed human remains. Evidence found on-site includes artifacts such as midden soil, which is a sign of cremation, as reported by KPBS. “In the Kumeyaay faith, they don’t see the material as ‘human remains’; they see them as humans. When any human bones or particles of human remains are discovered, it’s considered to have a human soul. In other words, they are not looking at material, they’re looking at their ancestors,” said Tom Holm, executive director of the Kumeyaay Heritage Preservation Council, as reported by the LA Times.

Border Patrol said that it relies on cultural monitors to make sure that no artifacts are destroyed, however, KPBS reported that no monitors were seen on-site and protestors were told that the army skipped a consultation with the Kumeyaay tribe for reasons regarding “national security.”

Several laws are in place to protect indigenous ancestral sites, however, according to the Border Report, the Department of Homeland Security issued waivers for many of these laws as a way to expedite the construction of the wall.

There have also been several protests in Downtown San Diego outside of the Hall of Justice in an attempt by protestors to call attention to the construction plans in East County with one protest on July 31.

The demonstration featured speeches, traditional songs, a reflective march to the harbor and back and was bookended with the opportunity for protestors to come up and share with the crowd.

Using the Hall of Justice as the setting for their downtown demonstration was intentional, chosen as an ironic way to call attention to the injustices

SDSU Breaks Ground on SDSU West Stadium After over two years of negotiations and planning, San Diego State officially took ownership of the 135-acre property that is set to become SDSU West.

Shortly thereafter, construction symbolically and literally began with a socially distanced groundbreaking ceremony.

The goal is for the stadium, a $310 million, 35,000 seat facility, to be ready by the start of SDSU Aztec’s 2022 football season, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. The ambitious turnaround comes after a lengthy, grueling battle between SDSU, the City of San Diego and Soccercity for ownership of the Mission Valley land.

The early stages of construction will involve site preparation and identifying and relocating underground utilities, according to the Union-Tribune.

The Old Globe Starts Virtual Youth Program The Old Globe is starting a virtual youth program titled ‘Creative Youth Studio‘ offered through its website and Facebook page.

The Globe staff recognized that, with the pandemic impeding their ability to host in-person classroom experiences, they would need to come up with new and innovative ways to inspire the next generation of theatre artists. They then shifted their efforts to figure out a way to impart valuable creative lessons to interested youth through online workshops.

Ner Tamid Synagogue Appoint New Director of Youth Education and Engagement Jessie Birnbaum, a longtime Jewish educator, has officially been named the new Director of Youth Education and Engagement at Ner Tamid Synagogue.

Her new responsibilities consist of overseeing the Sam S. Bloom Learning Center and the Youth Department at Ner Tamid.

Birnbaum brings her wealth of experience in Jewish teaching to Ner Tamid, she is a prominent educator in the San Diego Jewish community and has served in a variety of positions working with both teens and children.

The goal is to help students achieve their creative and professional aspirations by offering them helpful, safe workshops that aim to prepare them for possible careers in theatre. These online workshops focus on preparing students for an audition, building their portfolios and exploring voice work, dance, scriptwriting and puppetry.

“Each child has infinite directions that life can take them. Developing a positive Jewish identity and community gives our children immense strength, purpose and connection as they take on life’s joys and challenges. What better gift can we give our children than tools to make life meaningful?” said Birnbaum about educating Jewish children.

Interested participants can join the ‘Creative Youth Studio’ by tuning in to live classes on The Old Globe Arts Engagement Facebook page or their website theoldglobe.org.

Online Hebrew and Sunday School at The Sam S. Bloom Learning Center at Ner Tamid is set to officially start via Zoom on Sept.

2, Ms. Birnbaum can be reached at jessie@nertamidsd.org.

Butterfly Project Event Donates 1,000 Pounds of Food to JFS The Butterfly Project held their “Triple Mitzvah: Three Good Deeds of Hope” event last month where families from all over the country showed support by helping those who are facing food insecurity.

With the help of over 175 caring families, 1,000 pounds of food was donated to JFS’ “Hand Up Food Pantry” to help those in need. The event included other mitzvah’s such as: painting butterflies in the memory of children who died in the Holocaust and building planter boxes to showcase their butterflies.

Thanks to the successful event, the global butterfly count is now 251,409, over 1,000 butterflies closer to their goal of creating 1.5 million total butterflies–one for each child who died in the Holocaust.

Elul 5780 | Tishrei 5781 SDJewishJournal.com 57

58 SDJewishJournal.com | September 2020

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