DECEMBER 2015 l KISLEV • TEVET 5776
Jonathan Segal unveils new Hillcrest property.
arts & architecture
JFS and Safdie Rabines create a collaborative campus on Balboa Ave.
Tons of live entertainment to keep you warm til spring.
H A P P Y H A N U K K A H
SOLAR Residential
Ecocentric Solar just installed the largest documented residential rooftop solar system in North America!
We provide homeowners with a custom designed solar system; using only superior components, providing the most affordable pricing and overall value in the industry. Zero out-of-pocket options available. Ecocentric’s approach is Total Transparency = Real Numbers = Real Savings = No Gimmicks. Period.
Commercial
Chai Solar Legacy Program™
We give back to our local Synagogues, Day Schools, other Non-Profits & Businesses in a unique way, which allows organizations and companies to use their money on service, education, public purpose programs, and other operating expenses, rather than putting it in the pockets of the local utility company. SEVERAL local Jewish organizations and businesses have already taken advantage of this opportunity! Don’t wait until the State & Federal incentives disappear! Call Ecocentric to see how we can benefit you!
1-855-MyEcoSolar Jonathan Sherr President & CEO
www.myecocentric.com
2 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
C-10 Lic # 992147
GET YOUR KID INTO COLLEGE! Prep4CollegeNow works with high school
and community college students to:
• Generate a list of “BEST FIT” colleges • Oversee the application process • Edit essays • Insure timeline adherence • Conduct scholarship and grant searches
Andrea (Andi) K. Frimmer, M. Ed. the “Get Your Kid into College” Lady andi@Prep4CollegeNow.com 760.877.7200 www.Prep4CollegeNow.com
DIVORCE-FAMILY LAW Compassionate Yet aggresive FamilY law experts
• Divorce • Child Custody • Mediation Spousal Support • Child “Hire Them Support • Colla Before •Your SpousePartnership Does” tive Practice Domestic •D solution • Divorce • Child Custody • M • Divorce • Child Custody • diation • Mediation Spousal Support • Child Suppo • Spousal Support • Child Support • Collaborative Practice • Collaborative Practice • Domestic Partn Domestic Partnership • Dissolution • Dissolution • Divorce • Child Custody Mediation • Spousal Support • Child Su 858.720.1496 or 760.729.0941
2755 Jefferson Street, Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92008 www.frfamilylaw.com Myra Fleischer
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 3
You are going to have to make some choices, but you don’t have to make them alone.
Changing jobs can be difficult but we are with you every step of the way. • Retirement Plans • Life/Disability Insurance • Investment Strategies
Bluff Drive, Drive, STE 400 400 1253112531 HighHigh Bluff STE San D iego, C A 9 2130 San Diego, CA 92130 858-‐523-‐7904
858-523-7904
Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Managing Director-‐ Investments CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com
Jeffrey R Liber, CFP® Managing Director - Investments CA Insurance Lic #0C28496 jeffrey.liber@wfadvisors.com Alissa Waddell
Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Senior Vice President-‐ Investments CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com
Don Lincoln, CFP®, CIMA® Senior Vice President - Investments CA Insurance Lic #0821851 don.lincoln@wfadvisors.com Gina Grimmer
AVP -‐ Registered Client Associate CA insurance Lic #0I18483 alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com
Registered Client Associate CA insurance Lic #0178195 Eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com
Alissa Waddell Gina Grimmer AVP - Registered Client Associate Registered Client Associate CA Insurance Lic #0I18483 CA Insurance Lic #0178195 Investment and Insurance Products: !NOT FDIC Insured !NO Bank Guarantee !MAY Lose Value alissa.waddell@wfadvisors.com eugenia.grimmer@wfadvisors.com Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 88580 –v1 -0312-2590 (e7460)
Investment and Insurance Products offered through affiliates: MAY Lose Value
NOT FDIC Insured
NO Bank Guarantee
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 88580-vi-0312-2590 (e7460)
4 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 5
BS’D
With Joy & Gratitude to the Almighty We Cordially Invite Members of the Jewish Community & Our Friends to
A Chanukah Dinner Gala Dedicating our Beautiful New Home And In Celebration of Chanukah – The Festival of Light
North County Jewish Center/Chabad at La Costa Sunday, December 13th at 4:30pm • Dedication & Menorah Lighting Ceremony • Gala Prime Rib Dinner • Gourmet French Pastries • Silent & Live Auction (Jewelry, Vacation
• Live Jazz Band • Raffles • $180 Per Person
Packages, Sporting Events, Electronics & More)
Modest Cocktail Attire RSVP info@ChabadatLaCosta.com 760-943-8891
www.ChabadatLaCosta.com/Gala
6 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Happily Ever After starts here
Fact: Israel leads the world in cyber security, and researchers from Ben-Gurion University lead Israel.
And you can help, too. By establishing an AABGU Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA), you are supporting Israel’s experts at the Cyber Security Research Center in Beer-Sheva. Help protect Israel’s virtual borders, while receiving high fixed-rate income for life and amazing tax benefits.
Sample Annuity Rates Age
Rate
Tax Free*
65
6%
72.4%
70
6.5%
75.2%
75
7.1%
77.5%
80
8%
79.7%
85
9.5%
83.3%
90
11.3%
85.2%
Couple Photography by True Photography Weddings
* In the month you use cash to establish a gift annuity, a final calculation is made determining the portion that will be paid to you tax-free.
For more information or to request a CGA rate illustration, e-mail plannedgiving@aabgu.org, visit www.aabgu.org/cga-request or call call 310-552-3300.
A true love story is timeless. It lives and breathes with every step you take. A true love story never ends. Continue your journey to happily ever after surrounded by family and friends overlooking the beautiful San Diego Bay. Let our team of wedding professionals take care of all the details on your special day so you can focus on making memories that will last a lifetime. One Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101 hiltonsandiegobayfront.com Wedding Specialist: 619.321.4211 hiltonsandiegobayfrontcatering@hilton.com
1880 CENTURY PARK EAST, SUITE 612 n LOS ANGELES, CA 90067 SOUTHWEST@AABGU.ORG n WWW.AABGU.ORG
SW_CGACyberSec_SDJJ_3.6x10.indd 1
11/19/15 4:57 PM
Visit Hilton Bayfront on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 7
8 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
COMMUNITY
Wishing the San Diego Jewish community a Happy Hanukkah 2015.
619-238-1811
www.caseygerry.com
SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY, MARITIME, AVIATION, PRODUCT LIABILITY, CLASS ACTION, MASS TORTS AND PHARMACEUTICAL LITIGATION
San Diego Office – 110 Laurel Street, San Diego, CA 92101 North County Office – 120 Birmingham Dr., Ste. 120E, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007
WHEN YOU NEED A RABBI Congregation B'nai Tikvah, Carlsbad
CALL RABBI BEN LEINOW
Find love now! Personalized Jewish Matchmaking
Ben Leinow Rabbi, PhD
Judith Gottesman, MSW Soul Mates Unlimited®
“A RABBI WHO CARES”
Counseling & Ceremonies for:
Read testimonials at SoulMatesUnlimited.com
All ages and backgrounds (510) 418-8813 info@SoulMatesUnlimited.com
Weddings (for all couples) Baby's Naming and Funerals CELL: 619.992.2367 760.727.5333 email: rabbiben@email.com MFT Lic #11820
sales@sdjewishjournal.com www.sdjewishjournal.com
It’s MORE than just a magazine. It’s a LIfEstyLE CaLL Ronnie Weisberg 858.638.9818
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 9
CONTENTS December 2015
Kislev/Tevet 5776
ARCHITECTURE: Jewish Family Service is almost all settled into its new campus on Balboa Avenue. The Journal got a sneak peek at what’s inside.
32 WEST HOLLYWOOD
72
Canter’s Deli Farmers Market
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
SANTA MONICA
Sweetfin Poke
David Kordansky Gallery
Daniel Rolnik Gallery
74 84 10 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
CULVER CITY
The Broad Grice Bench
California African American Museum
ARTS: Got a day to spare? Take a trip up to L.A. and explore a fresh crop of Jewish art around Tinsel Town.
HANUKKAH: Holiday crafts, activities, gift ideas, books, beer and tips for the perfect latke. Start your holiday here.
TRAVEL: A Jewish couple went to Iran and lived to tell the story.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 36 ARCHITECTURE:
LJMS announces new building in La Jolla home.
37 ARCHITECTURE:
66 ARTS:
Dance into the new year.
69 ARTS:
Gotthelf Gallery invites Jewish artists to think about tradition.
Students at the NewSchool learn Jewish traditions for group project in North County.
70 ARTS:
38 ARCHITECTURE:
71 ARTS:
Jonathan Segal brings modern design to San Diego, on his own terms.
42 ARCHITECTURE:
Two brothers make progress on proposal for Holocaust memorial on Harbor Island.
44 ARTS:
Looking ahead to 2016, there’s plenty of live entertainment on deck. Mark your calendars.
47 ARTS:
Steve Martin returns to The Old Globe. Directing the play is a familiar name, but it’s not who you think.
48 ARTS:
David Ellenstein directs new Sherlock Holmes play.
57 ARTS:
SD Rep celebrates 40th season.
60 ARTS:
Hershey Felder embodies Irving Berlin at LJP.
62 ARTS:
Theater events in brief.
64 ARTS:
Music highlights.
38
College galleries help art get schooled.
Performances and Cultural Experiences
The two time Grammy award winning and internationally acclaimed Soweto gospel Choir share the inspirational power of South African Gospel music and dance this holiday season. Don’t miss the only shows they will do in San Diego this year!
Entertainment!
Proceeds help support performing arts and cultural events in Southeastern San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods.
Soweto gospel Choir DEC 20, 2015
Local artisans, through the looking glass.
88 FEATURE:
“Dazzling and unified… Soweto Gospel Choir was as much to look at as to listen to. The human spirit – this you couldn’t miss.”
Exploring Mexico with Jewish Federation.
Monthly Columns 14 The Starting Line 24 Parenting 26 Israeli Lifestyle 28 Aging 30 Spirituality 100 Advice Around Town 20 Our Town 22 The Scene 94 Events In Every Issue 16 Mailbag 18 What’s Up Online 91 Diversions 92 News
Black Violin FEB 20, 2016
–ThE LOS ANgELES TiMES
Don’t miss the hip-hop and classical violin phenomenon!
Don’t miss out! For tickets and series lineup visit
JACOBSPRESENTS.COM JOE & VI JACOBS CENTER
404 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92114
Larry M. Katz Certified Public Accountant
• Income Tax Preparation • IRS and State Audit Representation • Litigation Support Services • Forensic Accounting Services • Business Consulting Services Since 1983
3070 Racetrack View Drive Del Mar, CA 92014 858.461.0115 lkatz@lkatzcpa.com www.lkatzcpa.com
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 11
www.sdjewishjournal.com December 2015 • Kislev/Tevet 5776 PUBLISHERS • Mark Edelstein and Dr. Mark Moss EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Natalie Jacobs CREATIVE DIRECTOR • Derek Berghaus ASSISTANT EDITOR • Tina B. Eshel ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR • Eileen Sondak ADVERTISING & OFFICE MANAGER • Ronnie Weisberg CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Mashell Ewing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tori Avey, Betsy Baranov, Linda Bennett, Abby Walker, David Ebenbach, Judith Fein (Senior Travel Correspondent), Michael Fox, Jennifer Garstang, Amanda Kelly, Brie Stimson, Pat Launer, Curt Leviant, Sharon Rosen Leib, Andrea Simantov, Jon Schwartz, Dave Good, Marnie McCauley ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Nancy Segal (Account Executive), Alan Moss (Palm Springs)
METRO FLOORING QuaLIT y y Ou caN s TaNd ON
SAN DIEGO JEWISH JOURNAL (858) 638-9818 • fax: (858) 638-9801 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204 • San Diego, CA 92121 EDITORIAL: editor@sdjewishjournal.com ADVERTISING: sales@sdjewishjournal.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS: publisher@sdjewishjournal.com ART DEPARTMENT: art@sdjewishjournal.com LISTINGS & CALENDAR: calendar@sdjewishjournal.com
Metro Flooring has over fifty years of successful experience in the flooring industry! We offer the most complete selection of carpet, natural stone, tile, wood, vinyl, and window coverings in San Diego. Together the family at Metro Flooring understands one thing better than anyone else, and that is SerViCe. We believe that customer service is the key to our operation, and we will do anything to please our customers.
SDJJ is published monthly by San Diego Jewish Journal, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues). Send subscription requests to SDJJ, 5665 Oberlin Drive, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92121. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. The San Diego Jewish Journal is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements. The San Diego Jewish Journal reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters to the editor, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. The Journal is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Journal become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. All contents ©2015 by San Diego Jewish Journal. The San Diego Jewish Journal is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
858.549.2900 7340 Miramar Road, suite 100 • san diego, ca 92126
www.metroflooring.com 12 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
#SDJewishJournal
SanDiegoJewishJournal
New Year’s
MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL!
Our best deal of the year…
• 25% OFF MEMBERSHIP RATES & NO REGISTRATION FEE • 3 Months FREE Masters Swimming • 6 Personal Training Sessions for $199 • 1 FREE Gravity Small Group Training • FREE Towel service • FREE Fascial stretching consultation with Matt Pippin This offer is good for new members only. Must be age 18 or older. May not be used toward Teen, Public Servant, or Corporate Memberships. Discount applies to initial annual membership contract only. Standard membership rates apply to future renewals.
Offer good through January 15, 2016.
Contact Gillian for information:
(858) 362-1115 or gilliana@lfjcc.org
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 13
THE STARTING LINE by Natalie Jacobs
EDITOR’S LETTER editor@sdjewishjournal.com
Dispatch from D.C.
L
ast month I trekked my SoCal self out to Washington, D.C. to attend my first conference of the American Jewish Press Association. One of the first things I did as editor of the Journal was reinstate our membership to the national group last year, mostly because I wanted to learn from my peers about how this Jewish journalism thing is done across the country. I also joined because I wanted to submit our work to their annual awards competition to see how we’d stack up (and we actually did ok in that regard, garnering one award in a sea of submissions). The conference, too, was a research mission to meet my counterparts at publications I’d heard of and read – Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, the Forward, Jewish Telegraph Agency, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post – but hadn’t yet had a chance to personally connect with. I wanted to compare notes on how we’re running our respective publications. As you might be able to guess, Jewish journalism is an interesting niche. While each of us (about 75 individuals at the conference) caters to our own local audiences, we all share a similar mission – to keep a certain kind of storytelling alive for a specific, small but vociferous group of people. With that, there was an overwhelming sense of comaraderie, even amongst representatives from the big boys. Although we in the Jewish press all undoubtedly share a sense of purpose, it was at about the half-way point that I realized the Jewish community in San Diego is quite different from the ones you’ll find in the midwest or east coast. If you’re from the east coast and live here
in San Diego, you inherently know this, even if your only measurement is number of people. But I got the strong feeling that there is something else that differentiates SoCal Jewry from communities in other parts of the country. This feeling could have been amplified by the fact that the AJPA conference came as we at the San Diego Jewish Journal were knee-deep in this December arts issue. No other publication mentioned any such focus, and for us, this issue is one of our largest, second only to the High Holidays. It’s been so popular, in fact, that we introduced a second arts edition into our editorial calendar last year. So it surprised me when one freelancer in attendance at the conference told me he has difficulty selling art stories to the Jewish press. I consider myself lucky that you, our readers, place a high enough value on the arts that we’re able to publish a theater feature in almost every issue (which is also proof that the San Diego community at large is telling an incredible amount of Jewish stories on its stages). And when we meet Jewish visual artists who strike our fancy, we’re able to get to know them and their work in the pages of this magazine too. My hope is that this openness and sense of adventure extends to all kinds of stories, but the arts were what stood out to me as our unique strong suit against other Jewish publications across the country. I know San Diego’s Jewish community has many more core values and we’re working to unearth as many as possible, but for this month, it’s all about the arts. We’ve broadened the umbrella on this one as well, to take a special look at architecture and the people and organizations who are making
In Case You Missed It
Last month, the San Diego chapter of the Jewish National Fund hosted its annual women’s event at the House of Israel in Balboa Park. Featuring Alisa Bodner of LOTEM, the event raised money for that nonprofit organization’s “making nature accessible” education initiatives and for their overall capital campaign. 14 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Although we in the Jewish press all undoubtedly share a sense of purpose, it was at about the half-way point that I realized the Jewish community in San Diego is quite different from the ones you’ll find in the midwest or east coast. big moves with bold new building concepts. Then, of course, we have a Hanukkah section with some new ways to entertain the kids when green, red and chubby chocolate santas take over the town. And as has become our custom, we have much more to delve into, including an incredibly timely feature about one Jewish couple’s recent experience as tourists in Iran. Just as we’re settled into 5776, it’s time to wish you a happy 2016. We’ll see you next year! A
This Chanukah, DO GOOD EVERYWHERE. FROM ANYWHERE. It’s Chanukah! You’re in the kitchen frying up latkes. Lighting the menorah. Giving out gifts. Good things you do every year for your family. But while you’re doing them— why not do good things for your global family as well? Like nurturing and strengthening Jewish life. Helping the vulnerable. Inspiring the young. And safeguarding our people. This Chanukah, change Jewish lives for the better everywhere. You can do it from anywhere. Even
your own kitchen. Please give generously to the Jewish Federation of San Diego County today.
Federation touches more Jewish lives on the planet than any other organization. With programs in 70 countries around the world, our work includes: aiding over 70,000 poverty-stricken Jews in war-torn Ukraine; helping needy Holocaust survivors worldwide; providing Jewish education for children and teens; helping connect young Jewish adults to their religion, culture and to Israel. And so much more.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 15
we’re listening NOT-SO-MINOR DETAIL Editor, In keeping with [last] month’s theme “Where Everything Matters” page 26, November 2015, I must call attention to the mention of Moses’ wives Sarah and Keturah which were in the article. Sarah and Keturah were not Moses’ wives but they were Abraham’s wives. Len Hyman La Costa, CA
let us know what’s on your mind @SDJEWISHJOURNAL
ON THIS MONTH’S COVER This month’s cover photo, of the newly opened building called Mr. Robinson located on Park Blvd. at Robinson in Hillcrest, was photographed by Matthew Segal Photography. Matthew designed the building with his father, architect Jonathan Segal. Read more about the family business on pg. 38.
Send us your comments: editor@sdjewishjournal.com, 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste 204, San Diego, CA 92121
C hanukah!
In Celebration of
Elite Chocolate Coins
0.53 oz. Milk or dark
99¢
1
6 oz. Selected varieties
5
$ 2 for
Golden Blintzes
13 oz., Frozen Selected varieties
4
99
22 oz. Selected varieties
44 ct.
$ 3 for
Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix
Kedem Sparkling Grape Juice
Promised Land Chanukah Candles
Lipton Kosher Matzo Ball or Matzo Ball & Soup Mix 4.3-4.5 oz.
$ 2 for
5
Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon 750 ml. Single Price: $8.88
799 ea.
WHEN YOU BUY
6 OR MORE
mix or match
399 +CRV
Tabatchnick Soup
79
¢
Manischewitz Wine
750 ml. Selected varietals Single Price: $3.49
314 ea.
WHEN YOU BUY
6 OR MORE
mix or match
14.5-15 oz., Frozen Selected varieties
Kedem Tea Biscuits 4.2 oz.
$ 2 for
5
Kosher Whole Turkey
12-22 lbs. Average weight Frozen
399 lb
Prices Effective November 27 thru December 15, 2015 No Rain Checks. Items not available in all stores. AVAILABILITY: Each of these advertised items is readily available for sale at or below the advertised price at most Albertsons stores while supplies last. Some items may not be available at all stores. We reserve the right to limit quantities. No Sales to Dealers. Savings may vary. Check price tag for details. Prices for limited hour or limited day sales are effective in-store only and are not available for online shopping.
16 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
SEACREST VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
love&light
at En c i n i ta s a n d R a nc h o Ber n a r d o
may
Encinitas Leichtag Foundation Campus
760.632.0081 Rancho Bernardo Nellie Cohn Residence
858.485.0700
seacrestvillage.org
fill your hearts and homes this Channukah with warm wishes from the Seacrest residents, Board of Trustees & staff
what’s up on sdjewishjournal.com MEANWHILE IN SAN DIEGO: While leaders from Jewish Federations across North America were meeting in D.C., San Diego’s Federation was busy gaining 11 million Facebook impressions. Their smart spin on the Starbucks “controversy” spread awareness about #GivingTuesday and their fundraising efforts for SD’s seniors. Bravo. BIBI IN DC: In early November, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama to show the world that they’re friends again. The next day, Bibi addressed Jewish Federation’s General Assembly. He said that while the U.S. and Israel will always be friends, increased military support would be nice. Details of his remarks can be found on our website.
BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES:
The Butterfly Project - which started as a way for SDJA to honor children lost in the Holocaust - has a new sculpture dedicated in its honor at Torrey Hills Center. A NEW FAMIGLIA: The Little Italy Association is hosting a fundraising art show with artist Randy Crawford at 2210 Columbia St. through Dec. 31, to raise funds for the Piazza Famiglia project. More details in our web story.
18 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .eps
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .eps
Hear about all our web exclusives first: Like us on Facebook.com/ sandiegojewishjournal and follow us on Twitter @sdjewishjournal
Just because you’re too far to hear the ambulance sirens, doesn’t mean you’re too far to help.
When you support Magen David Adom, it’s like you’re sitting in the ambulance next to the driver, sharing in the mitzvah of saving lives. As Israelis face terror attacks and other emergencies, MDA medics are counting on you to ensure they have the equipment and training they need. As we celebrate Chanukah, please give the gift of life, and make your year-end tax-deductible donation today. AFMDA Western Region 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Toll-Free: 800.323.2371 western@afmda.org www.afmda.org l
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 19
LEFT TO RIGHT: Andrew and Kim Busch, James T. Harris III and Mary Harris (Photo by Nick J. Porter) • Tamara Lafarga-Joseph and Roger Joseph (Photo by Lauren Radack Photography).
Founder’s Gala @ USD
The University of San Diego hosted its annual Founder’s Gala on Nov. 15. The Gala raised more than $685,000 for the Founders’ Endowed Scholarship Fund.
our TOWN BY LINDA BENNETT AND BETSEY BARANOV, PHOTOS BY NICK J. PORTER, LAUREN RADACK PHOTOGRAPHY, AND AARON TRUAX PHOTOGRAPHY
20 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Philanthropic Options Jewish Federation of San Diego County marked the return of Options/The Women’s Event with a lunch event held on Nov. 1 at The Manchester Grand Hyatt. Themed “trailblazers,” it featured speakers Tracy Borkum, Janet Gurwitch, and Lisa Loeb (a last-minute addition when Melissa Rivers had to cancel her appearance) in a panel discussion moderated by Leigh Johnson. Nearly 1,200 women were in attendance. Birthdays... Norm and Barbara Parker Ratner are thrilled to announce the birth of their first grandchild. Born Aug. 21, her name is Parker Deena Eisenberg of Encinitas.
Mazel tov... Aaron Bronstein, son of Julie and George Bronstein, and grandson of Dan and Phyllis Epstein and Eva Bronstein, became a Bar Mitzvah on Aug. 8, at Congregation Beth Israel. Cousin Rabbi Berk and Rabbi Bernstein performed the ceremony. The beautiful wedding of Neola Benedek and Warren Treisman took place on Oct. 25 at the San Diego Safari Park. Congratulations to Eli Meltzer, M.D., for receiving the prestigious Gold-Headed Cane Award for 2015 from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Al and Naomi Ruth Eisman proudly announce the birth of their 11th and 12th great grandchildren. Abigail Piha daughter of Yaakov and Shira Piha was born on Oct. 2 and Adina Shofnos was born on Oct. 22, both in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. Congratulations to Judith Gottesman and Soul Mates Unlimited on her 2015 Best Businesses of San Diego Award in the Matchmakers category by the Best Businesses of San Diego Award Program.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Tamara Rosenbaum Steele, Danielle Shulman, Ingrid Shulman • Sharleen and Lee Wollach (Photos by Aaron Truax Photography).
the SCENE
BY EILEEN SONDAK, PHOTOS PHOTOS BYBY MELISSA POLLY BY EILEEN SONDAK, DEREK BERGHAUS AND EDER PHOTO
City Ballet Gala City Ballet took inspiration from The City of Lights for its “Midnight in Paris Gala,” held at the US Grant Hotel recently. The fundraiser was a celebration of the company’s 23 years as a performing ballet organization with an extensive outreach and education program in the community. Proceeds from the gala will help fund those programs. Co-chairs Jeffrey and Rosemary Schreiber and Dee and Jon Ammon had reason to be proud of the Parisian soiree. The ballroom was all aglow, and the sit-down dinner reflected the excellence of French cuisine. Andrea Naversen was emcee and the honorary chair of a large committee that included Dr. C. Arthur and Stephanie Myers, Kristi Pieper and Michael Rossbacher, John Thornton, Lindsey and Ian Campbell, Dr. Alicia Steiner, Denise Larkin and David Barnard, and a host of other donors.
Brushes + Forks
Jewish Family Service Emerging Leaders joined together for the 5th Annual Brushes + Forks Cocktail Reception at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park in early November. This group representing the future leadership of JFS raised more than $10,000 to support JFS programs and services.
22 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Clockwise from the top: Rosemary Schreiber, Dee Ammon, Andrea Naverson, Dan and Barbie Spinazzola • Steven Wistrich and Claire Reiss • Anna Scipione, Mario Scipione, and Lauren Scott (Photos by Melissa Polly) • Siri Perlman, Amanda Singer, Simone Abelsohn, Carla Sanderson and Kira Finkenberg • Katie Pruitt, Scott Schindler, Julia Dorfman and Rachel Welland (Photos by Eder Photo).
AT JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE
We Believe In People
In Courage. Motivation. Boundless Potential.
We believe that with hard work and the right connections—to knowledge, resources, and supportive relationships—anyone can transform their life. An investment in Jewish Family Service is an affirmation of this bold vision.
We just earned Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for the eighth year in a row. Only 2% of nonprofits nationwide can make this claim.
Moving Forward Together.
Invest in our community today | www.jfssd.org
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 23
MUSINGS FROM MAMA
by Sharon Rosen Leib
PARENTING srleib@me.com
Addressing Campus Mayhem
I
planned to write about something a lot more pleasant – like what a lovely time I had sitting in a room full of 1,200 women at San Diego Jewish Federation’s Women’s Event last month. Then a chain of events punched me in the face with a reality no parent can afford to ignore – too many school campuses have become crime scenes and too little is being done about it. We’re in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that puts all of our children at risk. Here’s what happened to shock me out of complacency: 1.) As I walked onto Youngest Daughter’s high school campus brimming with good cheer and a plate full of brownies for the staff Halloween party, I passed by the yards-long, gray concrete retaining wall bordering the school’s entry. A poster taped to it heralded Campus Safety Week. How wonderful they do this before Halloween! Then I noticed that school safety didn’t refer to garden-variety mischief. Students had chalked the wall with a timeline of national campus violence from the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre in Dec. 2012 to the Umpqua Community College mass shooting this October. A litany of senseless death scrolled across the entire wall – too much to bear. Such is our children’s world. 2.) Oldest Daughter (now a senior at Pitzer College, a small liberal arts college in Claremont, Calif.) called to tell me her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was flaring up. When she visited Monsour, the five Claremont Colleges’ (5Cs) shared student mental health center, the intake person told her she couldn’t be seen for six weeks. My resourceful daughter hopped on the Internet and found a private therapist. But what about the kids who can’t afford off-campus therapy (on top of outrageously high tuition) or those who are so depressed or psychotic they don’t have the mental resources to seek outside help? I wrote about the low priority the Claremont Colleges placed on mental health care (a systemic problem at college campuses nationwide) in July, 2014. Back then, students had to wait four weeks to see a counselor. How could campus administrators have allowed the wait-time to increase when current events demand more campus mental 24 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
“I fear that you and campus administrators across the country who perpetuate underfunded mental health facilities may end up with student blood on your hands as the epidemic of campus violence spreads. The time to act is now!” health care and awareness, not less? 3.) The very next day an 18-year-old knifewielding UC Merced freshman stabbed four people before being shot and killed by campus police. That spurred me into action. I fired off emails to Pitzer College’s President and Vice President. Here’s what I said: “I fear that you and campus administrators across the country who perpetuate underfunded mental health facilities may end up with student blood on your hands as the epidemic of campus violence spreads. The time to act is now! What are you waiting for – a student to commit suicide or go into a psychotic state and shoot or stab people on your campus?” To their credit, the administrators replied quickly. They assured me the 5Cs are taking concrete measures – including the immediate hiring of a new psychologist – and are petitioning for increased mental health care funding system wide. Please take some time over the holidays to find out what’s going on at your kids’ campuses regarding mental health care. If the answer is “not much” – feel free to plagiarize my letter and contact campus administrators. We need to do whatever we can to keep ALL our kids healthy in body and spirit, and their campuses safe. Stay tuned next month for what our kids can do to improve campus mental health awareness. A
FYI
The Center for Jewish Culture is out with their December Adult Education line-up. Here’s what’s on deck: “Manya Shochat, The Mother of the Kibbuzim, and her Traveling Guns” with professor Deborah Hertz on Dec. 7 @ 7 p.m.; “Joseph is More Than a Technicolor Dreamcoat” presented by Janice Alper Dec. 11 @10 a.m.; “The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s” by Gil Troy on Dec. 14 @ 7 p.m. Get location and registration info at sdcjc.org.
Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School
Two generations of graduates have found a place of importance and belonging among the Jewish people. Enroll your child today! www.hebrewday.org
The Behavioral Health Committee of Jewish Family Service Invites You to an Educational Event in Support of Mental Health Awareness
Substance Abuse Disorder in My Family — What is Happening? What Can I Do? FEATURED SPEAKERS • Moderator: Marti Emerald, San Diego City Councilmember, District 9 • Igor Koutsenok, MD, UCSD Professor of Psychiatry, Former Chief of Prevention and Treatment Branch, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Vienna • Gretchen Burns Bergman, Executive Director, Co-Founder of A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
Congregation Beth Israel • 9001 Towne Centre Drive • San Diego, CA 92122 Families impacted by substance abuse disorder can benefit greatly from compassionate support as well as an understanding of the true nature of the disease of addiction. However, much of what society and policy makers still believe today is shrouded in stigma and myth. Does an addict have to “hit bottom” to be ready for treatment? Is substance abuse a sign of family dysfunction? Join us for an enlightening and empowering discussion that will separate the mythology from the realities, and show how science, family involvement and compassionate support combine to direct us to treatment strategies that really work. 5:30-6:30PM • Resource Fair & Light Appetizers 6:45-8:30PM • Panel of Professionals
FREE EVENT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
RSVP by January 20 at www.jfssd.org/substanceabuse Questions? Contact Samantha at samanthab@jfssd.org or (858) 637-3231
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 25
LIVING ON THE FRONT PAGE by Andrea Simantov
ISRAELI LIFESTYLE andreasimantov@gmail.com
Brave but Feeling Frightened
B
y now it is no secret that Israel is under siege. At the time of this writing, the attacks are taking place in our streets, schools, supermarkets and on public transportation. Aircrafts that hover above Jerusalem’s skies are used for surveillance only; bombs cannot be dropped on those who are killing us because, in fact, they live among us. My home is in Armon HaNatziv. Perhaps you have heard of it by now. Only a few months ago we were a fairly anonymous, lower class neighborhood nestled between two simmeringbut-contained Arab villages. With only one local shopping center, post office, promenade and bus line, Arabs and Jews uneasily shop and exercise alongside one another and even live in the same apartment buildings. Are we a prime example of coexistence? Not really. If the neighborhood was ugly before, it is a real eye-sore today. Where once the streets teemed with youngsters on bikes and young mommies and old Russians ambled in the afternoons, concrete barricades have been hastily erected to inhibit neighborhood access for knife-wielding youths from Jabel Makabar and Tsur Bahar. Only “inhibit” because they know the side paths better than we do. At least once a week the Jewish residents make a barbecue or Sabbath kiddush for the brave young soldiers who are guarding our very existence. We tell their commanders that they can pop-in for a quick shower or let us know how many pizzas will be required on a certain evening. The Israeli army is not in a distant land, over mountains or overseas. The army is in our backyards and playgrounds. And they are our children. In mid-October, my neighbor, Richard Lankin, was shot and stabbed on the #78 bus, outside of my kitchen window. Brave motorists blocked the street while armed citizens stormed the still-careening bus. Almost simultaneously, border police ascended upon the scene. Terribly uncomfortable with what we’re
26 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
suffering, friends have proffered anemically, “Wow, you are lucky you weren’t in the supermarket/bank/bus depot/au courant site of the most recent attack.” My tad-snippy answer is always the same. “I wasn’t there because I wasn’t there.” Trying to apply reason to a situation that is void of logic frequently results in well-wishers to blame the victims. “If those people didn’t live in Hebron, the Arabs wouldn’t slaughter them.” “If they didn’t meet friends for coffee on a warm autumn evening, they wouldn’t get stabbed.” “If you bought a car you wouldn’t be bombed on the Begin Highway.” In the end, Richard Lankin died after lingering on life support for almost two weeks. He had a lot to live for; I know because I went to the
funeral and heard the eulogies. No, I didn’t know him but it didn’t matter. He was “us.” Neither I nor my neighbors are living here due to happenstance. Without a shred of uncertainty, I believe that it is critical to live a life that matters, a deliberate life and – if given an opportunity – leave a moral legacy for children and grandchildren. I will never advise someone to keep away from Israel until “. . . . things get safer” or “Protect your child while I send mine out to man the borders” because then I would not be speaking from the heart. It is painful to those of us who have chosen the Zionist path to know that we are paying a heavy price to keep Israel viable and sometimes dying in the process in order that the children of the Diaspora who remain Jewish will have a place to go when unfolding history will extract nearlyunfathomable decisions. But we carry on. A
Back Into Into Focus Focus
Best Wishes for a
NEW YEAR, NEW VISION HAPPY HANUKKAH When WhenItItComes Comesto to
SanDiego Diego Vision Vision Correction InInSan We’d We’dLike Liketo toMake MakeOne OneThing Thing
Perfectly Perfectly Clear:
YOUR Weiss-Schanzlin Vision Institute, we think YOURVISION! VISION!AtAtGordonGordon-Weiss-SchanzlinVisionInstitute,we think your vision is priceless. That’ s why we’re constantly investingininthe your vision is priceless. That’s why we’re constantly investing the latest and most advancedvision visioncorrection correctiontechnology technology available today. latest and most advanced today. Our Commitment to leading edge technology is surpassed Our Commitment to leading edge technology is surpassed only by ourby commitment to quality patient care. care. So when it comes to your only our commitment to quality patient So when it comes to eye health, our world-renowned doctors one thing perfectly LASIK andletCataract surgery in San Diego, letmake our world-renowned eye clear surgeons make one thing perfectly clear in your life. cosmetic treatments and advanced vision correction surgery. David Geffen, M.D.
David Schanzlin, M.D.
Jack L. Weiss, M.D.
Specializing in Advanced Laser Refractive Specializing in LASIK and Laser Refractive Cataract Surgery Cataract Surgery
Michael Gordon, M.D.
800 NEW VISION | www.gwsvision.com 8910 University Center Lane, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92122
Elite Chocolate Coins 0.53 oz. Milk or Dark
3$
1
99¢
Club Price
4.3-4.5 oz.
5
2$ for
Club Price
Golden Blintzes
13 oz., Frozen Selected varieties
4
99
Club Price
22 oz. Selected varieties
44 ct.
for
Lipton Kosher Matzo Ball or Matzo Ball & Soup Mix
Kedem Sparkling Grape Juice
Promised Land Chanukah Candles
399
Club Price +CRV
Club Price
Streit’s Potato Pancake Mix
6 oz. Selected varieties
5
2$ for
Club Price
Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon
750 ml. Single Club Price: $8.87 Mix or Match
799 ea
Club Price
Manischewitz Noodles
Tabatchnick Soup
229
2$
12 oz. Selected varieties
14.5-15 oz., Frozen Selected varieties
for
5
Club Price
Club Price
Manischewitz Wine
750 ml. Selected varietals Single Club Price: $3.49 Mix or Match
314 ea
Club Price
Every Day
Kosher Whole Turkey
12-16 lb. Average weight, Frozen
499
SAVE ON HOLIDAY FAVORITES
In Celebration of Chanukah
lb Club Price
Prices Effective November 27 thru December 15, 2015 No Rain Checks. Items not available in all stores. AVAILABILITY: Each of these advertised items is readily available for sale at or below the advertised price at most Vons/Pavilions stores while supplies last. Some items may not be available at all stores. We reserve the right to limit quantities. No Sales to Dealers. Savings may vary. Check price tag for details. Prices for limited hour or limited day sales are effective in-store only and are not available for online shopping.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 27
OLDER, WISER, BETTER by Jon Schwartz
AGING jonaschwartz@hotmail.com
Goal-Oriented Grown-Ups
W
hen I was in college, one of my professors said, “Only three percent of graduating college students writes down their goals.” With a long pause to gain our full and undivided attention he then stated, “The three percent who had clear, written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97 percent put together.” This revelation was astonishing to me. Upon hearing my professor claim these figures, I went home that night to write down any and all goals I could possibly think of. Today, nearly 10 years later, I checked back in to see what my 20-year-old self wrote down. The first thing I noticed when looking at these goals: they were all long-term, selfcentered and rather specific. I stated that I would like to have a successful career in the field of aging. I wrote that I wanted to have a family with kids and a dog. Travel the world, live to be 100, and even become part-owner of a sports team were all on my list. This makes sense. Young people, or those who feel they have a long life left to live, tend to focus their energies on gaining more information, meeting new people and, yes, setting those long-term (albeit slightly unattainable) goals. However, as people become older or feel there is a limited amount of time left to live, they begin to put their energy around the things they love to do and the people they enjoy spending time with, no longer looking so far ahead into the future to claim that coveted three-percent success rate my college professor had spoken about. Older individuals are more motivated by short-term goals, such as making sure to catch up with an old friend, going to a class at the gym or reading a book. Psychologist Laura Carstensen, has famously 28 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Psychologist Laura Carstensen, has famously coined the shift in motivations and goals over the lifespan as “the socioemotional selectivity theory.” named that shift in motivations and goals over the lifespan as “the socioemotional selectivity theory.” Her theory posits that as time horizons shrink, as they typically do with age, people become increasingly selective, investing greater resources in emotionally meaningful goals and activities. Carstensen claims that while individuals are going through this stage, they typically become more empathic while experiencing less stress, anger and worry. They are more emotionally stable and better able to reconcile. With all of this, Carstensen proclaims that people, typically older individuals, are in fact happier. I am honored to get to know and work with many people in this life stage. To see Carstensen’s theory play out in real life has inspired me to place a much greater focus on short-term goals in my life. As I approach my third decade, I hope to prioritize more time for the people I love and the activities that are special to me. I hope to celebrate any short-term goal as the ones that are most real. Recently, I watched a video of an 18-year-old man, who was just diagnosed with cancer, speak to his high school graduating class. The student, Jake Bailey, put it best when he said, “None of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious, and be grateful for the opportunities you have.” Perhaps I will redo my list of goals to do just that. A
FYI
Need some last minute Hanukkah decorations or gift ideas? Have you checked Modern Tribe lately? They’re always a good go-to for Judaica in a pinch. Once you’ve got that in order, flip to our Hanukkah section which starts on pg. 74 for ways to keep you and your kids entertained through the entire festival of lights.
Let’s talk about something retirement communities hardly ever mention. Accreditation. Because having the confidence and peace of mind of accreditation is important. So, let’s talk. La Vida Del Mar and La Vida Real are accredited by CARF International. It’s an independent organization that sets exceedingly high standards for care and service. It’s a lot like an accreditation for a hospital or college. Or a five-star rating for a hotel. But like most things in life, you have to see it to believe it. So, let’s talk some more at a complimentary lunch and tour. Please call today to schedule.
In depen den t & A ssisted Li v ing
850 Del Mar Downs Road • Solana Beach
858.227.4894
In depen den t & A ssisted Li v ing • Memory Ca r e
11588 Via Rancho San Diego • Rancho San Diego
619.333.8229
RCFE# 374602832 • RCFE# 374603565
SRGseniorliving.com
Expert Tax Attorneys IRS & CA Audits • Foreign Bank Account Disclosures Payroll Tax Liability • Trust Fund Penalties
Proudly supporting women business owners & entrepreneurs
8910 University Center Lane, Suite 255, San Diego, CA 92122 Tel (858) 450-1040 • www.caltaxadviser.com
San Diego • Tel Aviv Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 29
THE ARTIST’S TORAH by David Ebenbach
SPIRITUALITY ebenbach@netzero.com
Dedication to Purpose
T
his month we engage in a great JewishAmerican annual tradition: trying to explain (to kids, to non-Jews, to ourselves) what Hanukkah means. There’s a lot to talk about: light in darkness, a war story, odds overcome, a miracle. And yet the word “Hanukkah” sweeps aside all the busy detail to point to just one moment: when the war was over, our ancestors reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem and built a new altar there, rededicating it to the one G-d of the Torah. Right – “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” We could call the holiday “Milchamah,” or “Nitzachon” to emphasize the war at the center of the story, or the victory; or “Neirot” to focus on the candles, the light; or even “Nes” (miracle) to highlight the divine help that, we are told, saved our ancestors. But no, we name this holiday not after our military accomplishments or anything done by G-d; instead, the name commemorates our human inclination toward purpose. That’s the message: when we bring purpose to something – a space (like the Temple), an action, a series of events – we rejoice. Witness Joseph in this month’s Torah portions. His brothers sell him into slavery, he ends up in prison, his subsequent rise in power is coupled with estrangement from his family, he has to manage a worldwide famine. But he repeatedly cites G-d’s hand in all this. G-d helps him interpret dreams. G-d drives the plenty, G-d drives the famine. When Joseph finally reconciles with his brothers he says, “So, now, it wasn’t you who sent me here, but G-d” (Gn 45:7) and “G-d sent me before you to preserve life” (45:5). In other words, he chooses to see his life as purposeful. Now, I’m really not one to attribute everything to a divine plan. It can be downright awful (and arrogant) to confront someone who has terrible news and tell them that it’s all for the
30 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
To some extent, dedication is a matter of happenstance – you happen to be doing something in which you can feel purpose. But it can also be a matter of choice. best, according to G-d. But I do think that people, whether facing something bad or experiencing something good, can do well to find meaning and purpose in their situation. I’m in this particular situation, we might ask ourselves: What can this situation be for? This is where the other meaning of the word “dedication” comes in. We use “dedication” to signify a persistent and heartfelt commitment to a task or mission. Naturally, that kind of commitment is usually rooted in a sense of purpose. We commit to something because we believe that there’s meaning in it. Not just our immediate gratification or the meeting of others’ expectations, but larger purpose. In turn, purpose gives us energy and drive, helps us to do what’s before us, and probably benefits others. To some extent, dedication is a matter of happenstance – you happen to be doing something in which you can feel purpose. But it can also be a matter of choice: choosing the things that feel purposeful to you, and doing those. Or, even more daring, choosing to invest purpose into what you’re doing, whatever it may be. Taking this route will leave you with some questions: What can your work be for? What can your actions be for? What can your life be for? And, in the words of Hillel, If not now, when? A
This
month’s Torah portions Dec. 5: Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23) Dec. 12: Miketz (Genesis 41:1-44:17) Dec. 19: Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:28) Dec. 26: Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26)
Colorful candles burning bright, Each lit on eight very special nights.
HAPPY CHANNUKAH from your friends at
seacrestathome.org • 760-632-3715 or 760-942-2695 Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 31
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Where Serendipity Meets Chutzpah JFS unveils its new campus on Balboa Avenue, signifying a bold step forward for the nearly 100-year-old organization BY NATALIE JACOBS
After a year of construction, Jewish Family Service will officially open its Balboa Ave. campus on Jan. 31, 2016.
32 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
RENDERINGS COURTESY SAFDIE RABINES ARCHITECTS
F
our years ago, Ed Carnot and Louis Venner noticed a for sale sign at 8788 Balboa Avenue. Both are longtime board members of Jewish Family Service, which has occupied the building next door, at 8804 Balboa, for nine years. At the time when Carnot and Venner saw the sign, Jill Spitzer, the social service nonprofit’s 26-year CEO, had just announced her retirement. And the economy was just starting to crawl out of recession. Determined to seize an unlikely opportunity, Carnot and Venner wanted JFS to buy the building at 8788 Balboa despite what looked like terrible timing. “We were falling all over each other in the other building,” Carnot says. “In order to be efficient with what the staff is doing, we needed more room to give them their spaces so they can do their work.” The Clairemont Mesa location was home to nearly 85 employees, a kosher kitchen, and the Hand Up Food Pantry. Satellite locations were leased for specific programs in North County, on Adams Avenue in the central city, and in Mission Valley. While no one would have said the situation was ideal, also no one was actively working to address it. Except Ed and Louis, and only once they saw the fateful sign. “Ed began these conversations at an interesting time,” admits JFS CEO Michael Hopkins, suggesting there was little hope for the idea at first. “As far as it not being enthusiastically embraced by the board initially,” Carnot says, “[that’s] probably an understatement.” But, Carnot didn’t take no for an answer. He and Venner continued to mention the building at board meetings until they found themselves with a sympathetic incoming Board Chair in Jennifer Levitt.
Levitt agreed to establish a task force which spent three months working up responses to all of the board’s questions, like: What would we do with the space? Could we raise the necessary dollars? What would be the increases in overhead? What is the highest and best use of the space? “No organization would have a strategic plan that says ‘buy the building next door when it becomes available for sale,’” Hopkins says with his signature sarcasm. Then, in all seriousness: “It’s not something that you can plan for.” “That was the fantastic thing about the leadership, about Ed and Louis,” adds current Board Chair Meg Goldstein. “They saw the opportunity, along with Gwen Kerstetter, our CFO. They really did the due-diligence and the legwork to illustrate to the rest of the board – that was preoccupied with a transition in executive leadership and recovering from the previous capital campaign – to say hold on, even though we’re just coming out of this recession, this is an opportunity, be bold! “They really deserve a lot of credit,” Goldstein continues. “And ultimately so does the Board because it wasn’t a seamless decision, it wasn’t an obvious decision, but it certainly turned out to be the right one.” Within a year, JFS made the decision, raised $11 million and purchased the building at 8788 Balboa. When they began renovations, JFS realized that both buildings
JFS CEO Michael Hopkins with current Board Chair Meg Goldstein and long-time board member Ed Carnot in front of a massive acrylic painting by Franklin Williams called “Shrines and Ancestors” in the entry hall at 8788 Balboa.
A walk through the new JFS building is like a walk through a museum thanks to art donations by Stanley and Ruth Westreich. Expertly hung to create a fun and welcoming environment, the art adds a playful pop of color to the walls. Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 33
PHOTO COURTESY JFS
LEFT: JFS kitchen staff enjoy the expanded quarters at 8804 Balboa Ave. RIGHT: A rendering of the collaborative workspace found in the new building at 8788 Balboa Ave.
had the same original architect from the 1980s. Their entrances were already aligned, conduits ran cleanly between the two, and they shared the same aesthetic qualities in flat roofs, strong right angles and smooth concrete siding. “If the building on the left, to the east had become available,” Hopkins says, “it wouldn’t have made sense.” A quick view to the east of 8804 Balboa reveals the next two buildings to be matching squat brown structures with shingle-lined roof overhangs, set back further from the street and looking like they could host a scene from “That 70s Show.” JFS is calling their new expanded quarters a campus – The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Campus. Administrative functions will remain at 8804 Balboa (named the Turk Family Center) and client services will include employees who used to be spread throughout the county, in the new space next door. The buildings are connected by a trellis and outdoor walkway. The administration building was painted to match the white-and-black exterior of the new location. Inside, workspaces were created with an intention toward collaboration – cubicle walls were lowered, windows were made, employees on specific program teams were placed in proximity to each other, private meeting spaces were added for client security. Project architects Safdie Rabines, lead by Principal Taal Safdie, first identified the possibility of using one building specifically for administration and the other purely for client services. “At the very beginning,” Hopkins says, “a lot was built around the economics of the model. We leased three or four different sites in different parts of the county, so a lot of the vision initially was that we could reduce overhead by relocating those programs to property that we own rather than paying leases.” The Mission Hills-based “mom and pop” architecture firm (Taal Safdie and Michael Rabines are married), works on a variety of projects from single-family homes to mixed-use properties, institutional buildings and city projects. Their firm is responsible for the suspension bridge over Harbor Drive near Petco Park and Mercado del Barrio in Barrio Logan, among countless others. Once they were awarded the contract, Safdie hosted what they call “programming” to interview various groups – employees, board members, executives – to figure out what the buildings needed to accomplish for the organization. “You have these two shells of buildings,” essentially boxes, Safdie explains, “and you suddenly start to realize that a bunch of the program wants to be here or wants to be together. It started to crystalize to us that it’s an opportunity to make the two buildings have different character. To really have one be more
client oriented and have one be administration. I think that set the tone a lot for how to design the overall campus.” Once that direction became clear, design opportunities arose – an outdoor space for children and a large patio were added to the new building plans. “They [at JFS] were very open to rethinking the best way that they can serve their clients and the public,” Safdie, whose father Moshe designed Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem, says. “I really think that they were trying to create a good environment for people who come to visit and also for themselves working there. “Michael said a few times,” she continues, “it’s really also about attracting the best people to want to work at JFS that makes JFS very successful to serve the public. I always thought that was really true.” Everything in the new spaces is intentional, with the hope of shifting the way that JFS does business. By having case managers sit near counselors, clients who come to JFS for help with an urgent life event may be more quickly introduced to someone who can offer ongoing support from the 50 or so programs the organization offers. Safdie was careful to balance collaborative workspaces with private meeting areas. And finding ways to include natural light was a big priority. “The majority of the spaces do not have access to outdoor windows and there were a very limited amount of windows in the existing building,” she says. “So we added quite a few, within a certain budget we were trying to work in, of course, because it is a nonprofit (we really did want to balance making the work space good but also not using all the money on architecture instead of serving people, that was always the balance).” Renovations have already opened up new opportunities for JFS. Located within 8788 is a “client choice pantry” which is available on a points-basis for clients to shop in before or after visits with case workers. An expanded kosher kitchen has allowed for increased meal production. And staff training, through what is known as JFS University, can be offered to more employees at a time. Although some employees have occupied 8788 for a handful of months, everyone will settle into their new workspaces in January, 2016. An official opening ceremony will be held on Sunday, Jan 31, 2016, in the patio space at 8788 Balboa Ave. A For more details on Jewish Family Service, vist jfssd.org. To learn more about Safdie Rabines Architects, go to safdierabines.com.
Environmental Impact in Brief
• Removed grass areas and planted drought tolerant landscapes instead. • Both buildings have solar panels which also fuel solar tube “lights” (a way to increase natural light throughout the building). • Went from 15 trees to 65, including 50 olive trees and a variety of fruit trees. • Raised planter beds will be used to grow herbs and vegetables. • Volunteers will help harvest, with the goal of supplying the kitchen with more fresh items.
34 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
San Diego Jewish Academy What’s important to you? • A school where my child knows everyone and everyone knows my child. • A school with excellent Academics and Judaic Studies. • A school ranked nationally in the top 2% on college selectivity*.
SDJA The Right Choice for What’s Important to You
Academic Excellence. Social Responsibility. Active Jewish Living. SCHEDULE YOUR TOUR TODAY Meet our teachers, speak with our administrators, and learn from current parents and students what makes SDJA so special. Now enrolling Preschool – High School *niche.com
Contact admissions@sdja.com or 866-765-7516 sdja.com
A R C H I T E C T U R E
A New Jewel for La Jolla’s Crown La Jolla Music Society will open its performance venue in 2018 Photo: Bill Dean
BY TINA B. ESHEL
December 5 @ 7:30pm December 6 @ 2pm Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD
STEVEN SCHICK conducts chorus & orchestra AARON COPLAND
Symphony No. 3 SAMUEL BARBER
PHOTO COURTESY LA JOLLA MUSIC SOCIETY
I
n two short years, the La Jolla Music Society will have its own performance space in its namesake neighborhood. The Society, which has been performing out of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Sherwood Auditorium since 1968, will open The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, at 7600 Faye Avenue in 2018. The 500-seat concert hall will offer an intimate atmosphere and the surrounding environs will house the full LJMS staff with multi-use spaces, offices and rehearsal rooms around a large open courtyard. As other buildings may pay most architectural attention to an exterior, the La Jolla Music Society’s primary concern is how the music will sound in its hall. To make it a world-class destination for the top talent and discerning classical music lovers, the Society has hired world-renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota. The La Jolla Music Society has raised $65 million to cover the cost of construction and purchase of the land. The organization is still fundraising to create an endowment to cover the annual operating costs of the building. Conrad Prebys, for whom the building is named, donated $20 million to the project. Other major donors include Joan and Irwin Jacobs and Gary and Jean Schekhter. Epstein Joslin Architects, of Cambridge, Mass., was selected from a pool of 15 applicants to complete the design of the building. Construction is expected to break ground early in 2016. A To learn more about The Conrad and musical performances of the La Jolla Music Society, visit both websites, theconrad.org and ljms.org. 36 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Prayers of Kierkegaard JOHN LUTHER ADAMS
The Light That Fills the World And a world premiere by Ori Talmon
with guest artist:
Zen Wu
soprano
Tickets $15 - $29!
858-534-4637 www.lajollasymphony.com
A R C H I T E C T U R E
How Architecture Can be Used to Create More Than Dwellings The NewSchool of Architecture completes third year of sukkah-building at the Leichtag Ranch. Students share their experiences. BY TINA B. ESHEL
T
hree years ago, when the Leichtag Foundation wanted someone to design a sukkah for their first-annual Sukkot Festival, the organization contacted Taal Safdie, award-winning principal architect of Safdie Rabines Architects. Because she wasn’t able to do it at the time, she referred them to her former employee, Charles Crawford. A professor at the NewSchool of Architecture + Design, located on a sprawling block in downtown’s revitalized East Village, Crawford explains how a troop of non-Jewish students became the designers of one of the coolest Jewish structures in San Diego County. “They never even thought about having architecture students do it,” Crawford says through smiles and hand gestures, “it was kinda out of the blue, but obviously they liked us. And that’s it, they’ve asked us back every year since.” He loved the pitch from the get go. “I immediately jumped on it. One of our mission statements is community outreach and involvement. The second thing is just getting students...” he pauses here to explain that students rarely get to actually build something. “You can’t teach what you learn hammering a nail. You can’t teach that in school.” The students also became familiar with some of the administrative details that go into building projects. “They had a budget they had to meet,” Crawford, who studied at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and has been with the NewSchool for 20 years, says. “They had to put together a construction schedule, list of materials. They had to sell their idea to real people rather than architecture professors.” With the opportunity to present his students with the “whole big package,” Crawford said an emphatic yes to Leichtag’s proposal. October’s Sukkot Festival marked the third year that students from the NewSchool participated in the sukkah design project. The first two years, it was a competition between
the NewSchool students and other contestants (they placed 1st and 3rd those years). This year, a group of nine students was comissioned to go it alone. There would be only one sukkah at the festival – theirs – and it was to be “an integrative plaything,” Crawford says. Of the 30 students who have participated throughout the three years, only one, Ari Feldman, has been Jewish. Feldman, who has visited Israel “six or seven times,” contributed to what became known as the “wailing wall” aspect of the multi-tiered design. In total, the whole structure was big enough to house more than 100 people. The team ambitiously designed the structure to spell out the three Hebrew letters for Sukkot but, Crawford says, they mistakenly built it from left to right, instead of right to left. When I caught up with Feldman and three of his colleagues on the project – Dorian Szalma, Laura Davis and Erion Qalliaj – they were in the School’s lab, a well lit expanse of design desks, with students dotted throughout, buzzing around on projects. One by one they shared their experiences working on the Leichtag design project. Szalma says it was definitely a learning process. “We had to do a lot of research and talk to family and friends to see what this is actually about and what happens in this sort of space. We spent the first few weeks just researching what the entire festival is all about and what the sukkah is used for.” Of the 500 students who attend the NewSchool, about half are foreigners, according to Crawford, including Albanian-born Qalliaj whose favorite part of the project was learning about the culture behind the structure. “Being part of the design [and] build and being able to work in that kind of environment... It was a beautiful place up at the Ranch.” Sitting next to Qalliaj, Laura Davis agreed that working with the Foundation and getting their feedback was her highlight.
SUKKAH PHOTOS COURTESY NEWSCHOOL
“What they were looking for [this year] was to make it more interactive, for everyone to be more involved and the actual usage of the sukkah for the event day…the collaboration with the Foundation was my favorite part.” Wrapping up my visit with Crawford, he emphasized that his students are truly interested in learning about different cultures. Will they come back next year, I ask. He immediately smiles and says they would love to, conceding that it’s up to the Ranch to decide. In the meantime, the structural components are already being repurposed, and I couldn’t help but think that this sort of collaboration is what’s needed to build sustainable bonds between thriving communities, Jewish and beyond. A
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 37
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Creative Control
Architect Jonathan Segal manages to design and build by his own rules
BY NATALIE JACOBS
J
onathan Segal didn’t become an architect to be easy to find. In fact, his latest office on Upas and 30th Street is so incognito that its towering steel door doesn’t even have a knob. He moved his family architecture firm into the courtyard space within the 27-unit building – called The North Parker – once he finished constructing it about a year ago. You may not be able to name many of San Diego’s prominent architects, but Segal intentionally flies under the radar of neighborhoods and planning commissions so that he can implement his ideas his way. If you know where to look, though, you will see Jonathan Segal’s signature modern and heavily-windowed designs lining streets all across town, in such hot spots for urban development 38 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
as Little Italy, Golden Hill and North Park. He set his latest sights on Hillcrest, where just last month he opened a geometric, airy mixed-use building of poured concrete and glass on Park Blvd. at Robinson – appropriately dubbed Mr. Robinson. Another Jonathan Segal project will soon get under way a bit north on the same street, at Polk. Segal’s buildings are striking, not only because they are often the only representations of modern design (characterized by clean lines and a conscious rejection of ornamentation) to be seen within miles. Passersby are likely to first notice the windows, then the modular nature of a few elements that stack together, and all of the right angles. What can’t be seen from the street is
Underbelly ramen and Influx coffee serve as the public anchors for Jonathan Segal’s signature modern architecture at the corner of 30th and Upas. Only a year old, The North Parker has been warmly embraced by a community that didn’t see it coming.
PHOTOS COURTESY UNDERBELLY
that unlike a traditional architect, Jonathan Segal controls every step of the buy-design-build-rent-repeat process. The concept is called architect as developer. “Architect as developer is basically divorcing yourself from the need for a client,” Segal says from The North Parker office one afternoon. “I keep my buildings and we rent them out.” The model works best for mixed-use buildings, because retail tenants serve as anchors while individual tenants fill the apartment units. Popular retail clients who also share the same design aesthetic can help the community embrace the building too, even if some residents were at first skeptical of its avant garde nature. You’ll notice repeat customers on the ground floor
of Jonathan Segal projects – both the coffee shop Influx and Consortium Holdings’ ramen powerhouse Underbelly rent space in the same two Segal buildings. That’s no coincidence, says Underbelly North Park General Manager Shane Gerde. The restaurant’s first location is in Segal’s The Q on Kettner in Little Italy and the idea for a second location hadn’t really been considered until they “got wind of The North Parker” and the expansive corner lot that was available. “We really liked the dynamic that was created with Influx and ourselves,” Gerde says. “That’s not to say in the future, Underbelly will only be in Jonathan Segal buildings, but it’s a relationship we’re really happy with.” Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 39
LEFT: Mixed-use building The Q stands prominently in Little Italy, on Kettner and India St. RIGHT: Condo complex The Union offers serenity in downtown.
The community, Gerde says, seems happy too. “Most of the employees live within a two-mile radius and commute by walking or cycling,” Gerde says. “We have regulars who often express how happy they are that we brought something new to the neighborhood. A year into this and the majority of the people we see are familiar faces. That’s a good sign for us.” For Segal, the architect as developer model goes like this: he buys the land when it becomes available, reads up on the zoning laws for the area, determines how many units he can build or how many square feet the space can tolerate without having to get approval from residents, and then designs the building with his son Matthew, a 2010 graduate of the USC School of Architecture. Then Segal’s daughter Brittany, who attended the San Diego Jewish Academy and art school in San Francisco, helps him rent the apartment and retail spaces. His wife, Wendy, does much of the property management. A key part of Segal’s ability to complete projects exactly to his own specifications is his ability to operate under the radar of the communities he seeks to inhabit. “I gotta tell you, if the community had seen this project prior to it being built,” Segal says of The North Parker, “I don’t think I’d get much support. I don’t think the community is really interested in modern architecture – I don’t think any of them are. Downtown maybe. But most communities don’t understand it so they’re scared of it. I think it’s human nature to be scared of something you don’t understand or you don’t know. You always think the worst.” Segal, 53, grew up “all over” but primarily in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and settled in San Diego in 1984. Like a “good Jewish boy” he started college by studying pre-med. “I didn’t pass the pre-med exam so that wasn’t working out so well,” he says with a laugh. “My mother was an artist and I’d done a lot of stuff in woodshop. [But] somehow, I have no idea how, I went into architecture.” He has employed the architect as developer model for almost his entire career. As a young architect in 1988, he joined the downtown development group when he and Wendy lived in the area. “I went to this gentleman who was doing development and I said hey, I’d like to show you my row house project (it was my thesis project),” Segal remembers. “I said I’d like to do architecture for you. He said don’t be an idiot. It was very condescending but it was like the most back-handed compliment and advice I’ve ever gotten.” Turns out, the man’s mother had property she was looking to sell. 40 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
“She was land rich and cash poor. [The man] said you don’t want to do this stuff, you don’t want to be an architect, you want to be a developer and develop your own work.” The two later agreed on a deal for Segal to buy the property from the man’s mother. From there, Segal was free to build his row house project. “That’s sort of the thesis of my life – serendipity,” he says. “Everything sort of just happens.” These days, with 22 architecture/development projects under his belt, Segal has taken on the same perspective as the man who started him on this path. Architecture, he says, is a tough business. “If you were saying to me hey I’m a senior in high school and I want to go into architecture I would be like whoaaaa. Not a good move. Bad business, horrible hours. Bad pay. But if you do what we do,” he continues, “we sort of are able to bring control back, the financial rewards back, and the opportunity back.” The biggest problem with the architecture establishment, as far as Jonathan Segal sees it, is the difficulty architects have in implementing their own ideas. Since he owns the land he builds on, Segal can make the building look however he wants. “Every project is an idea. Every project is about something,” he says. “It’s not like oh, ok, we’re going to do a level of apartments at 40 units with 2-bedroom units. That’s not what we’re going to do. “Right now in New York they’re doing really thin tall buildings and I really would like to do two things: I would like to do what I call incubator units which are very small, 250-square-foot apartments, and I’d also like to do a tall thin building. There’s my idea. Ok, let’s go find a piece of property.” For the tall/thin concept, Segal may tear down one of his own buildings in Little Italy, a neighborhood that is home to several of his projects. An important aspect of the Segal empire now is that it remain a family endeavor. “My kids are my closest and best friends,” he says. “I couldn’t see it any other way. I mean, I trust those guys. If someone else works for me, I always have to consider maybe they’re taking advantage of the situation. But our kids, I trust implicitly with anything.” The family of four has been working together for about the last five of Segal’s 25 years in the business. “All the stuff that we’re creating, all the buildings we’re making, it’s all going to be theirs anyway. So they’re helping me earn the creation of this stuff.” A See more of Jonathan Segal’s buildings at jonathansegalarchitect.com. PHOTOS BY MATTHEW SEGAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Providing quality products, classic, great-tasting food, and personal service. OPENING JANUARY 14, 2016 GELSON’S MARKET DEL MAR 2707 VIA DE LA VALLE *PHARMACY WILL REMAIN OPEN
For employment opportunities, please visit gelsons.com/openings
/ilovegelsons
@gelsonsmarkets
/gelsonsmarkets
@gelsonsmarkets
Executive Chef, Peter Fiore
Jessica Siegel, MPH, RD Registered Dietitian
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 41
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Two Brothers Work to Create Holocaust Memorial Near USS Midway Mark and Frank Powell will make their case to the community on Dec. 16 BY NATALIE JACOBS San Diego was presented with a full-size replica of a proposed Holocaust memorial at a recent event hosted at the USS Midway Museum. The Port is currently reviewing the proposal.
A
t the intersection of architecture, public art and museums lies the United States Military Liberation of Holocaust Survivors Memorial, a new nonprofit and proposed Holocaust memorial that may soon be erected in Tuna Harbor Park, next to the recently renovated USS Midway Museum. Brothers and realtors Mark and Frank Powell are behind this endeavor, which began in earnest in 2013. “San Diego had a strong Army presence during World War II, and we need a memorial acknowledging the U.S. military’s ongoing commitment to fighting for freedom and fighting against genocide worldwide,” Mark said after an event hosted on the deck of the USS Midway Museum in late summer. “The brave United States Army soldiers who liberated concentration camps saved countless lives.” The memorial requires approval from the Port of San Diego and the seven Board members elected by each of the city councils (San Diego elects three commissioners). To date, Mark says, the group has met individualy with all seven Port commissioners along with the Port’s Curator of Public Art and their responses “have been positive in nature.” Port staff confirms that meetings about the review process have taken place. “We understand that the applicant is working 42 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
on some modifications and we are currently waiting for a further developed submittal from the applicant,” says Tanya Castaneda, the Port’s public information officer, via email. “It is still early in the process; the project has not yet been considered by the Public Art Committee or the Board. The timing of when that would happen will depend on the applicant’s submission of the modified design.” “At this time,” Mark says, “we are working with the Port’s technical committee to make sure the memorial is ADA compliant, there are no safety issues or trip hazards, there is adequate lighting ... basically logistical things before the Port will issue a ‘right to entry’ permit.” That permit, Mark explains, will allow the group to begin developing architectural plans and start the actual building process. Fundraising will begin once the permit is issued, he adds. The Powells expect their formal presentation to the Port committee will be scheduled in January, 2016. Given the history and other public art works permitted along the harbor, Mark is confident that his proposal has a good chance of passing. “The current collection in Tuna Harbor Park is the product of generous donations similar to ours,” he says, “and for more than a decade, the Port has recognized that public art provides effective educational and creative support to its
PHOTO COURTESY MARK POWELL
role of providing and enhancing community services, recreational opportunities, and public access within the tidelands.” Sculpture artist Richard Arnold has been selected to supervise the construction of the eight sculptures ensconsed within the memorial – which includes human figures and a vertical representation of barbed wire. Arnold will contract additional artists as the scope of the project becomes realized. The Powell brothers have assembled a leadership board for their nonprofit which includes David Bark, underwriting counsel at First American Title Insurance Co.; Scott Meltzer, senior rabbi of Ohr Shalom Synagogue; Frank Powell, broker at Discovery Property Group; Daniel Guefen, owner of MG Mortgage; Sara Brown, a doctoral candidate in Holocaust and genocide studies; and Mark Powell, adjunct professor at National University. After all the necessary approvals are gained, and funds raised, the team is aiming for a 12-18 month completion time. Both Mark and Frank Powell will be the featured speakers at the Dec. 16 Beth Israel Men’s Club Dinner Forum where they will present details of their Holocaust memorial proposal. Cost is $15 with R.S.V.P. or $18 at the door. The forum is open to all in the community. Info at cbisd.org/event/mcforum-dec-2015/. A
Looking For Success?
You don’t have to depend on willpower alone.
Let hypnosis help unlock your power within to create the positive change you desire.
ONE FREE SESSION
with another at regular price. One coupon per person. New clients only. Expires 12/31/2015
Hanna Fox, C.Ht., Certified Hypnotherapist (619) 988-7783 • CalHypnoTherapyCenter.com
Like us on Facebook facebook.com/sandiegojewishjournal and follow us on Twitter @sdjewishjournal CMYK / .eps
season
Facebook “f ” Logo
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .eps
THANK YOU! awaken your soul
2016 Spring Season
OUTSIDE MULLINGAR
RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN
BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY DIRECTED BY TODD SALOVEY
BY GINA GIONFRIDDO DIRECTED BY SAM WOODHOUSE
From the Oscar-winning writer of Moonstruck, this romantic comedy is a valentine to the wonder and weirdness of love.
Intensely smart and funny, this comedy is an unflinching look at 21st century gender politics in the wake of 20th century feminist ideals.
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 14
R. Buckminster Fuller:
THE HISTORY (and Mystery) OF THE UNIVERSE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY D.W. JACOBS FROM THE LIFE, WORK AND WRITINGS OF R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER PERFORMED BY RON CAMPBELL
A one-man tour-de-force that showcases the life, work and writings of one of the most remarkable minds of the 20th century.
MARCH 10 - APRIL 3
APRIL 21 - MAY 15
Give the Gift of
Theatre! It’s called a REP Pack and it’s our most flexible subscription. You get 4 ticket vouchers for the best seats available at the time you book! Any day, any show, any time, any combination - only $180!
SDRep.org/Subscribe
619.544.1000
619.544.1000 | SDREP.ORG | Lyceum Theatre | Horton Plaza Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 43
arts calender May 8 – Alec Holcomb
Jan. 16 – Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour
Jan. 6 – Besos de Coco
There is Always Hope”
Ax, piano
Jan. 10 – Vida Guitar Quartet
May 21-29 – My Hero: Contemporary Art &
California Center for the Arts Escondido:
May 10 – Luminary Arts “A Civil War Story:
Jan. 8 – Your Health is Your Wealth
May 14 – Empowered Self Portraits
Jan-March – The History and the Hair: 400
Superhero Action
Jan. 20 – World Pathways Ensemble
City Ballet:
Feb. 2 – Lily Cai Chinese Dancers “Classic
May 6-8 – Romeo and Juliet
Feb. 3 – Euphoria Brass Band
Cygnet:
Symphony
Stops Falling
guest artists
May 19-June 19 – Stupid F**king Bird
Feb. 11 – International Guitar Night
Diversionary Theatre:
Feb. 14 – The Big Friendly Giant
May 5-June12 – The Boy Who Danced
Years Without a Comb
Jan. 26-28 – Shen Yun
and Folk Dances from China”
March 4-6 – Balanchine Masterworks
Feb. 5 – Ben Folds and the San Diego
Jan. 14-Feb. 14 – When the Rain
Feb. 6 – Richard Elliot with special
March 10-May 1 – The Rocky Horror Show
Feb. 8 – Jesse Cook
Jan. 20 – Itzhak Perlman, violin & Emanuel Jan. 24 – Ji, piano
Feb. 6 – The Montrose Trio Feb. 11 – Aaron Neville
Feb. 21 – Ning Feng, violin
Feb. 26 – SDYS Chamber Orchestra Feb. 28 – Daniil Trifonov, piano
March 4 – Keb’ Mo’ – BluesAmericana March 11 – Paul Lewis, piano
March 16 – Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía
March 23 – Montreal Symphony Orchestra April 2 – Winterfest Gala 2016
April 15 – Tango, Song and Dance April 17 – Istvan Vardai, cello
April 24 – Murray Perahia, piano
April 30 – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Feb. 13 – African Textiles
Feb. 11-March 13 – Now or Later
Feb. 19 – Las Cafeteras
on Air
Drummers and Dance”
Ion Theatre:
Feb. 28 – Ladino Soul
April-May – Jesus Hates Me
Jan. 18 – Young Artists competition
March 1 – Abel Silvas “Running Grunion”
J*Company:
April 9, 17 – Sacred Voices concert
March 9 – Hearing the Story: Using Music
Feb. 26-March 13 – Annie Warbucks
Feb. 23 – Teye Sa Thiosonanne “African Feb. 25 – The Chieftains Feb. 28 – Mozart n’ Haydn
Feb.-March – The Jacksonian
May 4 – New York Philharmonic May 8 – Josef Spacek, violin
May 14 – Beethoven Piano Trios: Part I &II May 21- Mozart Group
La Jolla Symphony &Chorus: Feb. 28 – Young Artists winners recital
March 2 – Highland Way
Jan. 15-31 – Seussical
to Cultivate Language Arts and Creative
May 13 – Once on This Island
Lamb’s Players Theatre:
March 15 – Jose Gonzalez with YMusic March 20 – Coastal Cities Jazz Band
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation:
Mainly Mozart:
March 26 – Hawaiian Slack Key Concert and Hula Show
Dec. 20 – Soweto Gospel Choir Feb. 20 – Black Violin
Writing
April 1 – Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins, and Anais Mitchell: Together on Stage April 6 – Flamenco Arana
April 7 – Jake Shimabukuro
April 9 – My Story Culminating Event and Smart Festival
April 14 – Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
April 26 – Razzle Bam Boom “H20, Where did you go?”
May 1 – Civic Youth Orchestra
May 4 – Fanny &The Atta Boys 44 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
March 26 – Ceslo Piña April 2 – San Diego Dance Theater May 14 – Pacific Islander Food Festival
La Jolla Playhouse: Jan. 2-3 – Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin Feb. 2-28 – Guards at the Taj Spring 2016 – Hollywood
La Jolla Music Society: Jan. 14 – Garrick Ohlsson, piano
May 14 – Annual wine tasting and benefit
Jan. 8-Feb. 14 – The Nerd
Jan. 9 – Concert at TSRI
Jan. 10 – Concert at Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club
Feb. 27 – Concert at TSRI
Feb. 28 – Concert at St. Elizabeth Seton Church
Feb. 28 – Concert at Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club
March 12 – Concert at TSRI
March 13 – Concert at Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club
April 2 – Concert at TSRI
April 3 – Concert at St. Elizabeth Seton
jANuary-mAY 2016 Church
May 14 – Reduced Shakespeare Company
Feb. 11 – Moscow Festival Ballet: Romeo
Garden Club
San Diego Ballet
Feb. 19 – Dianne Reeves
April 3 – Concert at Rancho Santa Fe April 30 – Concert at The Auditorium at
Feb. 5 -7 – A Night of Jazz & Dance
May 1 – Concert at St. Elizabeth Seton Church
San Diego Musical Theatre:
Garden Club
May 27- June 12 – 42nd Street
TSRI, La Jolla
May 1 – Concert at The Rancho Santa Fe
Feb. 5-21 – Ragtime
Malashock Dance Company:
San Diego Opera:
Jan. 16 – The Engagement Ring, Event 3:
Feb. 13-21 – Tosca
Jan. 22-24, 28-31 – Malashock/Signatures
May 7-15 – Great Scott
The People’s Opera House
Feb. 18-19 – Ferdinand and the Bull
April 16-24 – Madama Butterfly
Feb. 27 – The Engagement Ring, Event 4:
San Diego Rep:
March 18-20 – Music in Motion: Dance and
March 10-April 3 – The History (and
On the Spot
Jan 21-Feb 14 – Outside Mullingar
the Firebird
Mystery) of the Universe
April 16 – The Engagement Ring, Event 5: Liquid Flux
Moxie Theatre: Jan. 31-Feb. 28 – Brownsville Song
April 21-May 15 – Rapture, Blister, Burn
San Diego Symphony: Jan.1 – Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert
May 1-29 – Our Lady of Kibeho
Jan. 8 – All About the Piano: Rhapsody
New Village Arts Theatre:
Jan. 9 – Mussorgsky’s Pictures from
in Blue
Feb. 5-March 6 – Emile: La Marquise du
an Exhibition
April 1-May 15 – Big River: The Adventures
in Blue
May 27 – Golda’s Balcony
Jan. 17 – Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto
North Coast Rep:
Jan. 20 – LJMS Presents: Itzhak Perlman
Chatelet Defends her Life Tonight
Jan. 10 – All About the Piano: Rhapsody
of Huckleberry Finn
Jan. 16 – Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto Jan. 19 – Jeremy Denk, piano
Jan. 13-Feb. 7 – Sherlock Holmes and the
& Emanuel Ax
Feb. 24-March 20 – Now You See It
Philharmonic
Adventures of the Great Nome Gold Rush
Jan. 22 – Zukerman Conducts the Royal
April 13-May 8 – Way Downriver
Jan. 23 – Jazz Piano Masters: Tribute to
Poway on Stage:
Jan. 24 – Cyrano de Bergerac (1923)
Monk, Tatum, Powell
Jan. 15 – San Diego Symphony
Jan. 29 – Brahms and Beethoven’s
Jan. 23 – The Smithereens play Tommy
Jan. 30 – Mozart’s Triple Concerto
Feb. 27 – Dancing with the Movies
Pastorale
March 26 – MCT’s Pinocchio
Feb. 9 – Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella
Piano Festival
Pastorale
Feb. 19 – Hot Sardines
Jan. 31 – Brahms and Beethoven’s
March 11 – Rosanne
Feb. 6 – Ben Folds
April 9 – Oh Berkeley, Where Hart Thou?
Feb. 10 – Moscow Festival Ballet: Giselle
and Juliet
Feb. 20 – Symphology: The Science of Sound
Feb. 21 – Band of the Royal Marines and Scots Guards
Feb. 26-28 – Symphonie Fantastique March 4 – One Singular Sensation: A Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch
March 5 – San Diego Opera Presents: Ferruccio Furlanetto in Concert
March 12 – Tao (Taiko Drummers of Japan): 17 Samurai
March 15 – Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
March 18-20 – Music in Motion: Dance and the Firebird
March 20 – Igudesman &Joo
March 23 – LJMS Presents: Montreal Symphony Orchestra
March 26 – globalFEST On the Road: Creole Carnival
April 1 -2 – Midori plays Tchaikovsky, 8 pm April 3
April 4 – Midori, violin
April 8 -9 – Jason Alexander
April 16 – Flesh and the Devil (1926) April 17 – Much Ado About Music: Shakespeare and the Symphony
April 29-30 – Jahja Ling Conducts Mahler May 4 – LJMS Presents: New York Philharmonic
May 7 – Gregory Porter
May 20-22 – Fantastic Variations
May 24 – Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano May 27-29 – Appalachian Spring: An American Finale
The Old Globe: Jan. 30-March 6 – The Metromaniacs Feb. 13-March 13 – The Last Match March 24-May 1 – Rain
April 9-May 8 – Constellations May 13-Jun 19 – Camp David
May 28-June 26 – Tokyo Fish Story
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 45
Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel Hanukah.
IN HONOR OF Sandy’s Grandsons, Jackson Evan Bold, Andrew Michael Roseman, Jason Gabriel Roseman, & Elliot Harrison Roseman; Granddaughter, Sydney Ilyse Bold; Daughter & Son-in-Law, Rochelle & Bill Bold; Son & Daughter-in-Law, Loren & Dana Roseman.
— Sandy Roseman & Families
Law Offices of Charles S. Roseman & Associates
Providing quality legal representation throughout California for over 44 years. • Personal Injury Law
• Civil Rights Law
• Product Liability Law
• Discrimination Law
• Professional Malpractice Law
• Elder Abuse Law
• Business/Contract Law • Insurance Law • ADA/Personal Injury Law
• Mediation/Arbitration Services • Wrongful Termination Law
t (619) 544-1500 · f (619) 239-6411 1761 Hotel Circle South, Suite 250 San Diego, CA 92108
46 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
A R T
Steve Martin’s “Meteor Shower” Brings Two Edelsteins Back Together Looking ahead to The Old Globe’s 2016 summer season BY ABBY WALKER
F
or the second year in a row, The Old Globe will host a play by the iconic comedian, actor and writer Steve Martin. After showcasing Martin’s “Bright Star” last summer, The Globe’s artistic director Barry Edelstein happily agreed to include Martin’s new play, “Meteor Shower,” in the 2016 summer season line-up. Unlike “Bright Star,” which was a sentimental take on a true story set in the South during the 1920s and ’40s, “Meteor Shower” is a more contemporary comedy that explores personal relationships. “The thing that unites them is the sensibility of the writer,” says The Globe’s Edelstein. “[Martin] has a really particular take on the world. There’s something about his sense of surprise, wit and irony that I think you see in everything Steve’s written, from novels to stand up to music. There’s an unbiased, unexpected perspective on everything.” “Meteor Shower,” which is billed as an adult comedy, takes a look at the often hilarious intricacies of marriage and friendship. “It’s about how strange and complicating and puzzling and absurd marriage can be,” Edelstein says. “It’s very funny, it’s very grown-up and it really has that Steve Martin absurd, funny, smart sense of humor that we are all familiar with.” The play focuses on two couples who gather to eat, drink and watch a meteor shower in an Ojai, Calif., backyard in the late 1990s. “As they have more and more to drink, the conversation gets more revealing and the truth starts to come out in insane and crazy ways.” The Globe’s production will be directed by Gordon Edelstein, who, despite sharing the same last name, is not related to Barry, but they do have a deep connection. While living in New York, Barry met Gordon and the two became friends. When Barry left the Classic Stage Company to take over at The Old Globe, Gordon served as his successor. Since then, Gordon moved on to Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn. “The theater community in New York is small and you know everybody,” Barry says. “When there is a guy with your same last name, it’s pretty
sure you’re going to meet eventually. We met years ago.” The pair also each have a history of working with Martin and directing his plays. Although “Bright Star” just finished its run at The Globe this past summer, Barry and Martin’s friendship far exceeds the past year. The pair met through actor Kevin Kline in the mid-90s and have worked on several projects together over the past two decades. The original project was a set of four oneact plays called “WASP and Other Plays.” After Kline suggested that Martin connect with Barry to direct the play, the production premiered offBroadway in New York in 1995. A few years later, Barry commissioned Martin to write an adaptation of a German play, “Die Hose,” called “The Underpants.” It premiered in New York City in 2002 and has since been produced by various theaters around the country. “Bright Star” was Barry’s first production with Martin since moving to San Diego and becoming Artistic Director at The Old Globe, in 2012. Since ending its run in San Diego, “Bright Star” has been keeping busy too. The show will play a limited engagement at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in December. The play, which features music and lyrics by Grammy winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, is also preparing to open on Broadway in March. Gordon, likewise, has worked with Steve Martin in the past. Just recently, he has directed both “The Underpants” and “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” at the Long Wharf Theatre. “[Martin] has written and created the kind of comedy that has a profound impact on the culture,” Gordon says. “As well as being a great performer, he’s a great writer.” “Meteor Shower,” scheduled for a five-week run from July 30 to Sept. 4, 2016, in San Diego, is being co-produced by The Old Globe and Long Wharf Theatre. Martin sent the play to both Edelsteins and the trio decided to all work together
This month, The Old Globe’s annual treat for the small-fry set – Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – is happily ensconced on the Main Stage, where it will remain through Dec. 26. to bring the play to life on both coasts. “It’s very typically done where regional theaters around the country work together,” Barry explains of the partnership. “It’s much more efficient, we can share costs. It’s a good way to pool resources and make the end product better.” Following the San Diego performances, the production will head to the east coast theater for performances from Sept. 21 to Oct. 16, 2016. “[‘Meteor Shower’] is a play by one of the great comic minds of the last 50 years so I should think anybody would want to see anything written by Steve Martin,” Gordon says. “In the case of this particular play, it’s a hilarious and provocative look at marital relations and friendship.” The rest of The Old Globe’s summer season was also recently announced and includes two Shakespeare plays, “MacBeth” and “Love’s Labor’s Lost,” as well as an adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” A Learn more about “Meteor Shower” and the other upcoming shows at the Old Globe at theoldglobe.org.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 47
A R T
The World’s Greatest Detective Comes Back to the World’s Finest City BY TINA B. ESHEL
S
an Diego is quietly gaining an international reputation for its world-class theater and the North Coast Repertory (NCR), in Solana Beach, is suited in the middle of all the action. What makes the North Coast Rep unique is their insistence on employing local talent and creating a diverse roster of shows with contemporary relevance. Continuing their 34th season in January, NCR will stage “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Great Nome Gold Rush,” Jan. 13-Feb. 7, 2016. The settings and characters exist in 1900, but the play is brand new and created just for the North County enclave. David Ellenstein, artistic director for the theater company, will serve as director for this production. He says “audiences can expect a fast moving adventure filled with drama, humor and music that honors the traditions of the great Holmes character.” The play, written by Joseph Vass, includes historic facts mixed in with Holmes’ fictional adventures. “In our world premiere,” Ellenstein says, “Vass has created a quest for Sherlock to save an innocent man from execution by chasing clues half way around the world and encountering none other than Wyatt Earp, who indeed lived in Nome, Alaska, in 1900 and owned the Dexter Hotel [a setting for the play].” The real Dexter Hotel was considered a step above all other hotels in the small coastal town, even though it was referred to as the “only Second
Class hotel in Nome,” Ellenstein says. Filled with original music, including three songs created by Vass, “Sherlock” features the Holmes character, to be played by actor Jason Maddy, actually playing violin in at least one scene. The performance is billed as a “wild and wooly adventure,” full of “intrigue, mystery, deception and duplicity.” A fun side note: Wyatt Earp’s wife, Josie, was Jewish and figures prominently in the play. “The great adage that I like to quote is, ‘a play exists in three times – When it is set. When it was written. When it is performed,’” Ellenstein says. He adds that modern sensibilities figure into everything he and his NCR team creates. But what is it about this presentation of Sherlock Holmes – from 1900-era Gold Rush – that brings it in line with modern times? “The fascination with Sherlock seems to just increase with passing years,” Ellenstein says. “His aloof and idiosyncratic persona and his unique partnership with plain-thinking Doctor Watson seems to capture the imagination of young and old alike.” A
“The great adage that I like to quote is, ‘a play exists in three times - When it is set. When it was written. When it is performed,’” Ellenstein says.
Catch the show at the North Coast Repertory Theatre from Jan. 13 to Feb. 7, 2106. Tickets are affordably priced and available on the website at northcoastrep.org.
North Coast Rep’s holiday production of “This Wonderful Life” will be entertaining audiences of all ages Dec. 8-27. This is a one-man stage adaptation of the classic film, with actor James Learning tackling all 32 parts.
48 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
The Jewish Community Foundation thanks and honors the over
1,100 individuals and families who have contributed to an endowment campaign or plan to leave legacy gifts to
JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS through the
program.
Turn the page for the list of visionaries who are ensuring a vibrant future for the Jewish community!
www.jcfsandiego.org • 858.279.2740 Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 49
Jewish tradition teaches that one of our key responsibilities is to make the world a better place for future generations.
Malvina Abbott Glenn & Jodi Abel Irving & Celeste Abel* Shimon & Merav Abergel Leonard Abrahms Trust Clifford Acheatel* Larry & Janet Acheatel Dr. Roger Acheatel & Dr. Ingrid Scharpf Sam* & Mildred Ackerman Loretta Adams Jozef and Tamara Adato Ernest and Ellen Addleson BJ & Sybil* Adelson Mrs. Cyril (Suzie) Adler Ester Ahronee Joe & Kerrie Aiello Grayton E. Allen* Todd Allen & Stephanie Soltero-Allen Janet Alliger Alice Alperin* Dave & Annette* Alpert David & Yael Alpert Phillip & Beth Alpert
Ralph & Marian* Barnes Ellen Barnett Laurielynn Barnett Michael & Lori Barnett Michael & Bonnie Bart Michael Bartell & Melissa Garfield Bartell Richard Barton & Elaine Feuer-Barton Selma Baxt Juli Bear Joan Beber Stanley Becker Edmund & Pamela Beimel Leslie Belden Irvin* & Ruth Belenzon Lawrence & Judith Belinsky Fritzi Bellamy* Marlene Bellamy Leo & Barbara Benavidez Simone Bennett* Jacob & Leslie Bercovitz Geoffrey & Carla Berg Fred & Donna Berger Mark Berger & Jacquelyn Tolley
1,500+ Earl Altshuler & Sandra Teel Betty Amber Philip & Irma Ames Gertrude Aminoff* Harvey & Judith Amster Stan & Pam Amundson Tibor & Anna Apfelbaum* Irving* & Cecelia Appelbaum Perry & Susan Arenson Jose & Monica* Aroeste Michael & Karen Aron Ruth Aronoff* Daniel & Joyce Arovas Ellis Atkins* Dr. Jerry & Beverly Auerbach Josiah & Katherine Auspitz Reuben Auspitz & Dawn Good Elk Stanley Auspitz Ilan & Lynn Awerbuch Joyce Axelrod Dr. Stephen Baird & Carol Davidson Baird Natan & Raquel* Bakcht David & Joan Banko David Bark Diana Barliant* & Nowell Wisch
LEGACY GIFTS PLANNED
Norman Berger & Ruth Feldman Rabbis Michael & Aliza Berk Robert & Sondra Berk Howard Berkson Marsha Berkson Michael & Carolyn Berlin David & Sharlene Berman Alice Bermanis* Edgar & Julie Berner Sidney & Gloria* Bernsen Steven & Deanna Bernsen Robert & Linda Bernstein Sheldon Bernstein* Stanley Bernstein* Raquel Berson* Samuel Berson* Robert Berton Ezra & Lisa Betech Evan & Hollie Bierman Rebecca Bierman Terri Bignell Charles & Susan Bisom-Rapp Gary & Barbara Blake Alain & Yael Blanc Gayle Blatt
Barbara Bloom Leonard & Deanne Bloom John & Shirley Bloomenthal* Edwin & Adrienne Blumberg Isaac & Marcy Blumberg Robert & Joyce Blumberg Scott and Karen Blumen Roger & Marilynn Boesky Rabbi Avram & Leah Bogopulsky Cynthia Bolker & Greg Rizzi Howard & Lori* Bolotin Peter Bonavich & Sheree Swetin* Stephen & Janice Boner Philip & Sylvia* Borkat Brian & Jan Borkum Larry & Sandra Bornstein Jonny Borok Aaron Borovoy Jane Brand Andrew & Jenny Bratt Richard & Lillian Braun* Ira & Sharon Braverman Mark & Gail Braverman Denise Clare Breitbard* Robert & Lillie Breitbard* Shirley Brenner* Michael Breslauer & Stefanie Levine Robert Breslauer Jaime & Karen Breziner Yoni & Jessi Breziner Kent & Judy Bricker Mitchell & Merle Brodie Daisy Brodsky* Dan & Nina Brodsky Arthur Brody* & Phyllis Cohn Arthur & Sophie Brody* Deborah Broida Hattie Brooks* Howard Brotman Steven & Rosalyn Brotman Abraham & Pamela Broudy Claudette Broussard Rabbi Jeff Brown & Amy Bebchick Barbara Bry Giacomo Bucci & Lori Pivo Todd & Debby Buchholz Gerry & Judy Burstain Donald* & Betty Byrnes Isaac & Liz Calderon Edward & Pamela Carnot Traci and Kim Carnot, Emma and Harley Carpenter Michael & Barbara Carr Ralph Carson* Stephen & Linda Carson Theodore Cashuk & Ella Prager-Cashuk Shlomo & Leslie Caspi Tamar Caspi Karla Castetter Morris & Doreen Casuto Miriam Chall Louise Chandler Marc Channick Jorge & Celia Chazan Peter* & Elaine Chortek Robert & Kimberly Chortek Janet Clancy Barbara Clark Layne & Melissa Cogan Abraham Cohen* Brian & Liza Cohen Edward & Vicky Cohen Hal & Helen Cohen* Harris & Karen Cohen Page 1
50 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
Hy* & Helen Cohen Jack Cohen Joseph Cohen & Martha Farish Joshua & Lyda Cohen Marilyn Cohen* Michael & Myrna Cohen Molly Cohen* Rick & Barbara Cohen Aaron Cohn David & Lesley Cohn Melvin & Betty* Cohn Phil & Alice Cohn* Ron & Lupita Cohn Martin* & Marilyn Colby Shaun & Keri Copans Bernard & Rose Corbman* Bard & Pamela Cosman Damon & Susan Couch Joel Craddock & Mark Parker Gertrude Cromartie* Arthur & Eilene Cummins Marvin Cutler Rabbi Ralph & Hedy Dalin Paul & Julie Datnow Clive David* Dr. Stuart & Sharon Davidson Thomas & Nadia Davies Jeffrey & Mardelle Davis Russell Davis Deborah DeBow & Herb Weismann Diane Decourcy Morris & Eveline Derey Neal & Deborah Desind Debbie Deverett Sylvia DeWoskin* Ronnie Diamond Sheldon & Natalie Diamond M. Chris Dickson Foundation Mark & Jeanne* Dillon Sidney Djanogly Patricia Doering Jeffrey & Nancy Dosick Theresa Dupuis & Gary Kornfeld Mike & Amy Durschlag Jeffrey Eaton & Stacey Goodman-Eaton Mannie & Gail Edelstein Abraham & Rebeca Edid Salomon and Nancy Edid Richard & Jessica Effress Samuel & Monica Efter Carl Eibl & Amy Corton Joan Eichberg Michael Eichler & Patricia Libby Daniel & Emily Einhorn Cheryl Eisen Jim & Marti Eisenberg Norman* & Toby Eisenberg Al & Naomi Ruth Eisman Jeff Elden & Estelle Silverstein Mark & Cheryl Ellis David & Claire Ellman Irving & Francine Elson Lee & Maria Elson* Lynne Elson* David Engel* Louis & Adelle Engel* Samuel & Sue Engelman Daniel & Phyllis Epstein Janet Esser Inez P. Exton* Beth Faber-Jacobs Leon* & Judith Faitek Howard Falberg Jane Fantel
Lillian Feingold* Ira & Andrea Feinswog Dr. Steven & Karen Feitelberg Franklin & Merrill Felber Michael & Batsheva Feldman Morey & Jeanne Feldman* Michael & Carolyn Felzer Joseph P. Fendrick & Stephen J. Ghio Walter & Pam Ferris Elliot & Diane Feuerstein Charles* & Alberta Feurzeig Matthew & April Fink Raymond & Rhona Fink Robert Fink Phillip* and Nadine Finkel Norman & Susan Finkelstein Joseph Fisch Barbara Fischbein Arnold* & Esther Fischer Jack & Sigrid Fischer*
Ruben & Tania Fux Graeme & Simone Gabriel Richard & Sharon Gabriel David & Ana Gaistman Yoel & Sara Galante Gregorio & Melissa Galicot Jose & Ana Galicot Rafael & Karla Galicot Laura Galinson Murray* & Elaine Galinson Joe* & Rona Gallen July Teper Galper Guy* & Joan Gardner Max M. & Jayne V. Gauchman* Franklin & Jean Gaylis Hyman* & Rhoda Gaylis David & Sylvia Geffen Gerald* & Rita Geller Carol Gendel Cristal Ghitman
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars in estimated gifts will support the Jewish community
Merle & Teresa Fischlowitz Tom & Judy Fisher Jonathan & Meryl Flam Michael & Susanna Flaster Martin & Lucille Fleischman Muriel Fleischman* Katherine Fleischner-Burns* Scott Fleury Armando Flores & Rachel Swimmer-Flores Reuben Fogelson* Richard & Sharon Fogg Pauline Foster Davis B. Fox Ronald & Carol Fox Steve & Ellen Fox Howard & Cynthia Fram Leonard & Marcia Fram Alessandra Franco Rabbi David Frank & Davida Shreiber Gary & Barbara Frank Jeffrey & Rachel Frankel Ethel Frederick Milton* & Faiya Fredman Mitchell & Jackie Freedman Laura Freeman Michaels & Joyce Freeman Charlotte Freifeld
$43+ Morris Freifelder* Friederike Freund* Gertrud Friedburg* Dr. William & Judith Friedel Donald & Lois Friedlander C. Hugh Friedman* & Lynn Schenk Dick & Randee Friedman Gary Frost & Linda Fredin
Gerald & Marcia Gilberg Jon & Bobbie Gilbert David & Tammy Gillies Ken & Joanne Gimbel Arthur & Ruth Ginsburg* Kenneth Ginsburg* & Bonnie Sowa Phillip & Francine Ginsburg Amnon Gires & Monica Handler Penner Trude Gitler* Jerold Glassman & Myra GreenbergGlassman Jeffrey Glazer & Lisa Braun-Glazer Mark & Hanna Gleiberman George & Sharon Glickman Joseph & Beverly* Glickman Jay Glucksman Rabbi Aaron* & Jeanne Gold Irving Gold* Morris & Phyllis Gold Ruth Gold Dorothy Goldberg* Frank & Lee Goldberg Jerold & Linda Goldberg Mark & Connie Goldberg Maurice A. Goldberg* Mel & Rory Goldberg
MILLION ALREADY RECEIVED Milton & Madeline Goldberg* Roland & Myrice Goldberg Samuel Goldberg* Amparo Goldman Don & Dale Goldman Harry Goldman* Lucy Goldman Sidney Goldman*
Page 2
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 51
Allan & Meg Goldstein Donald & Toni Goldstein Rabbi Lisa Goldstein Dr. Stuart* & Jo Ann Goldstone Albert & Sharon Goodman Dennis Goodman Michael & Andrea Goodman Morton & Carol Goodman Murray & Zelda Goodman* Teresa Goodwin* Herman & Jean Gordon* Gideon* & Shelley Goren Joseph & Helen Gotkowitz* Eugene & Dorita Gotlieb Steve Gould & Mary Marshall Rabbi Philip Graubart & Rabbi Susan Freeman Orin & Liora Green Sidney & Bernice Green Lawrence Greenbaum Laurie Greenberg Linda Greenberg Dr. Oscar & Rita Greene Herbert* & Marlene Greenstein Harold Grinspoon Allen & Toni Gruber Sylvan* & Ruth Grunwald Judy Gumbiner Steven Gutenhauser & Anna Newton Dr. Kim Gutner Charlotte Haas* Bryna Haber Noah & Rena Hadas Herbert & Ellen Hafter, Jr. Henry Haimsohn Barbara Haislip Joseph Haleva Jeffrey Hall & Fern Platt Hall Wayne Hamburger Gerald & Judith Handler
Alan & Barbara* Haubenstock Gordon & Barbara Haworth Anne Hayden Marcia Hazan Joy Heitzmann & Jack Cohen Chaim & Michal Heller Freda Heller Chuck & Lisa Helsel Brooks & Joanna Herman Edward* & Estelle Herman Michael & Maria Herman Norman & Harriet Herman Peter Herman & Meryl Maneker Jerry & Sue Hermes Angel Hernandez & Lisa BermanHernandez Ernest & Margaret Heuman* Stanley & Joyce* Heyman Arthur & Hannah Heymann* Betty Hiller Herman Hindel* Samuel Hindel* Beno & Hadassah Hirschbein* Gary & Tracy Hirschfeld Clara Hockmeyer Mark & Cindy Hoffman Gavin & Cheryl Horn Isadore & Betty Horne* Steven & Brenda Horowitz Sylvia Horowitz Rose Howard* Tzvi Hunter Rabbi Mark Hurvitz & Rabbi Deborah Prinz Albert & Leanore Hutler* Rae Marie Ibarra* Dr. Robert & Marie Ilko Shirley Imber* Fredericka Ingham* Selwyn & Hilary Isakow Israel & Jacqueline Ismaj
Karl Jacobs Sam & Lois Jacobs Howard Jacoby James & Carla Jacoby Allen & Emma Jaffe* Glenda Sacks Jaffe Irving* & Eleanor Jaffe Richard & Ann Jaffe Michael Jakes & Nikki Winston Marsha Janger Edward & Linda Janon Chris & Emily Jennewein Sergio & Sonya Jinich David & Leigh Johnson Harold & Catherine Johnson* Cecile Jordan Anthony & Natalie Josephson Julian & Jenny Josephson Miriam Jubelirer* Myron & Laura Jucha David & Susan Kabakoff Errol & Harriet Kader Joseph Kahl* Adam & Ellen Kahn Lionel & Kim Kahn Vernon & Lillian Kahn* Marjorie Kalmanson Saul & Rita* Kamlet Marjory Kaplan Maurice & Charmaine Kaplan* Mavis Kaplan Robert & Jodie Kaplan Stuart Karasik Lee & Jeri Ann Karlsberg Jerry & Bea Karp Stacey Kasendorf Harold & Ruth Kass* Barry & Avra Kassar Leon & Sofia Kassel Jerald & Margaret Katleman
These families and individuals have committed to legacies Judy Hante Helen Harlan* John & Julie Harland Phyllis K. Harris Wayne & Naomi Harris Rae Harvey David & Aniko Hastings
Andrew & Sonia Israel Fanya Jackson* Audrey Jacobs David & Shirley Jacobs Gary & Jerri-Ann Jacobs Irvin & Jacqueline Jacobs Irwin & Joan Jacobs
Larry Katz Louis & Rita Katz Michael Katz Norman & Roxanne Katz Hillel Katzeff Jerome & Miriam Katzin* David & Marlene Katzman Nadja Kauder Roberta Kaufman-Fredericks Ella Kaufmann Steve & Ann Kavy Howard & Lori Kaye Sol & Debbie Kempinski Lillian Kerr* Paul & Guin Kerstetter Stanley & Sherry Kessel Harry Kessler* Alan Kholos & Tina Hirsch-Kholos Rick King & Susan Levine Todd Kirschen Sheila Kirschenbaum Arnold Kisch & Victoria Daubert Reuben Klamer Jane Klein* Selwyn & Barbara Klein Steven Kleinman* Klitzner Family Jerry & Gayle Klusky Page 3
52 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
Joy F. Knapp* Donn & Zena Kobernick* Gerald* & Shirley Kobernick Lois Kohn* Martin & Jill Koller Rabbi David & Debbie Kornberg Martin & Phyllis Kornfeld* Richard & Carol Kornfeld Nancy Kossan Milton & Stephanie Krasner Lawrence & Sallye* Krause Richard & Deborah Kremsdorf Elaine Krieger* Homer & Ann Kripke* David K. Kroll Seth Krosner & Phil Johnson Daniel & Linda Kucinski William & Gaby Kuperman David & Jessica Kupferberg Murray & Flora Kuritsky Michael & Ava Kurnow Adam & Joy Kushnir Sam* & Gabriella Labson Aaron & Bernadette Landau Ruth Landau Robert Landers* Edith Lange Robert & Susan Lapidus Stephen & Sharon Lash Dorothy Last* James & Risa Lauth Eleanor Laverson Steve & Joanne Laverson Arthur & Rhoda Lavine Mark & Lorna Lavine M. Larry Lawrence* Robert Lawrence* & Laurie Black Rabbi Martin & Anita Lawson Robert Lazarus Fanny Krasner Lebovits
Through Create a Jewish Legacy, your legacy gift of any size can benefit any community institution while also ensuring that your family’s values live on in perpetuity. Morris & Zita Liebermensch Bob Lin Miriam Lincoff Tom & Barbara Lincoln Philip & Patricia Ungar Linssen Jeff & Sheila Lipinsky Ruben & Susanne Lisker Marshall & Gail* Littman Jaime & Sylvia Liwerant Larry & Marla Lobenstein Frances Lobman Hamilton & Estelle Loeb Ervin London* Sharon Losnick Craig & Marty Lotzof Peter & Lynn Louis
Elias & Frances Margolin* Arthur & Joan Markovits Greg & Julianne Markow Ellen Marks Nanette Martin* Charlotte Marx Gary & Jayne Marx Ronald & Cathi Marx Michael & Lynn Maskin Lisa Massry & Alexis Massry Michael & Hilary Mattes Andy Mayer & Heidi Gantwerk Ralph & Sandy Mayer Hillel Mazansky Phyllis Mazer* Gloria Mazur*
that will support Jewish life for generations to come. Matthew Lebovits William & Yvette Lechtner Irving & Regina Lee* Sally Leed* Eric & Emma Lefkowitz Julie Lehrman Rabbi Moishe & Sura Leider Ira & Susan Lerner Joseph & Jennifer Lerner Francis B. Leslie* Lainie Lesser-Mark Terri Levenson Rebecca Kerdie Levine* Arthur & Sandra Levinson Michael Levinson Jean Levitan Gary & Cheryl Levitt Sam & Helen Levitt* Ruth Levor Jerome & Leona Levy Nathan & Celia Levy Tom & Alina Levy Yiftach Levy & Jennifer Tabak-Levy James Lewis & Andrea Stein Teddie Lewis Jeffrey & Hillary Liber Rabbi Avi & Vicki Libman Deena Libman Eleanor Lieb
Herbert & Marsha Lubick Elisa Lurkis & Spencer Wetter Debbie Macdonald Nina Madden Sabban Donald Maescher Florence Maio* Alan Maisel Marcy Maisel* Jack Maizel Luis & Sally Maizel Andrew & Tanya Malk Brian & Nancy Heitel Malk Simon & Diana Malk Tina Malka Jim & Gail Malkus Dr. Robert & Marcia Malkus Susan Ten Eyck Mallory Barbara Mandel Jess & Meg Mandel Melissa Mandel David & Felicia Mandelbaum Ron & Mercy Mandelbaum Barney & Dr. Sandra Mann Mark Mann* Norman & Sivia Mann Walter & Ruth Mann* Brian & Suzanne Marcus Howard* & Lottie Marcus Sanford Margolies*
Louis Mednicoff* Jane Meis* Eli & Susie Meltzer Rabbi Scott & Jennifer Meltzer Kendall Melville & Sabina Wallach David & Luna Memun Steve & Barbara Mendell Chana Mendez-Gonzalez Cantor Sheldon & Marcie Merel Carlos & Esther Michan David Michan Michael & Jessica Middleton Joseph & Lauren Milana Lance & Michelle Miller Joshua Mills & Nomi Schalit Lesley Mills Rachel Millstone Silva Missler* Barbara Mitchell* Dr. Charles & Ilene Mittman Clive & Tamara Moch Elspeth Momcilovich* Victor & Nehama Moreno Bobbye Morgan* William & Amy Morris Michael & Marjorie Morrison Jerry Morrow Enrique Moscona Elaine Moser
Page 4
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 53
Jonathan & Gillian Moss Mark & Ellen Moss Ann Levenstein Mound Claudia Mulcahy Nancy Muller & Jeannie Posner Steven & Dina Naiman Jose & Sara Nakach George Nathan* Laurel Nation Jeannette Neeley Jan & Mary Netusil* Miriam J. Neuhauser* Alan & Nancy Nevin John Newberger* Ronald Newell
Hilda Pierce Irving & Anne Pinkel* Jeffrey Platt & Gina Lew Shearn & Linda Platt Eli & Anita Plaxe Betsy Polacheck Lorne & Cynthia Polger Raulf & Sharon Polichar Kenneth & Lori Polin Larry & Janet Pollack Rabbi Nathanial & Shirley Pollack* Eli J. Posinoff* Howard Potash Hughes & Sheila Potiker* Seth & Susan Pransky
The program has added over 1,500 legacies to the community. Eugene & Suzanne Newman Dr. Lawrence & Rebecca Newman Michael Newman Harriet G. Newmark* Newmark* Family Trust James Nierman Paul Nierman & Deborah Horwitz Maury & Lillian Novak* Robert Novick Mark & Patricia Nussbaum David Ogul & Sharon Wilson-Ogul Joseph & Sima Oppenheimer Norman Orgel Helen Orin* Daniel & Arlene Orlansky Joseph & Renee O’Rourke Jose Orozco Elaine Orvis* Lawrence & Andrea Oster Robert & Maggie Ovadia Elizabeth Ozer Arnold* & Marilyn Packer Felicia Palmer Martin & Beverley Pamensky Deborah Pantoni Stanley & Roselyn Pappelbaum Malcolm Parle* Joan Parry* Max Pawl* Joel & Ruth Perlin Bill & Edith Perlman* Gary & Lisa Perlmutter Judith Persky Sarah Person-Leeds* Dr. Randolph Philipp & Margaret Benedict Lou & Hanka Phillips Daniel Pick Harold & Shirley Pidgeon Larry Pidgeon*
David & Arlene Rose Howard & Laura Roselinsky Charles & Elizabeth* Rosen Judy Rosen Bernice Rosenberg Donald & Stacy Rosenberg Frieda Rosenberg Ruben & Fanny Rosental Adam & Jami Rosenthal Rabbi Leonard & Judy Rosenthal Hannah L. Roskin* Jeff & Shelley Ross Ivan & Janet Rostovsky Anna Rottenberg* Gary Rotto Bill & Sheryl Rowling Norm & Barbara Rozansky Zev & Edith Rozenberg Howard & Judith Rubenstein Robert Rubenstein Andrew & Lisa Rubin Norman* & Toby Rubin Robin Rubin John Ruden* Steve & Holly Ruderman
Many of these donors have planned Irv Pregozen* Cheryl Rattner Price & Family Robert & Allison Price Morton & Jana Printz Seymour Rabin* Michael & Naomi Rabkin Robert Radlow* & Janet Esser Ernest & Evelyn Rady Douglas Rafner & Sandy Siperstein Rafner Barry Raskin & Dr. Linda Olafson Ruth Raskin* Abraham & Anne Ratner* Andrew Ratner & Marcie Sinclair Sandford* & Laurayne Ratner Gary Ravet* Manny & Shirley Ravet* Michael & Marlene Recht Henry & Barbara Reed* Rocky & Debra Reid Allan & Pearl Reiter* Dr. Stephen & Bobbe Reitman Tabitha Reitman* Rabbi Yudell & Leeba Reiz Andrew Resnick & Liz Levine Jeffrey & Vivien Ressler Michael & Minna Riber Vivian J. Rich Joshua Richman Lois Richmond David & Gloria Rickerd Art & Jeannie Rivkin Cantor Kathy Robbins Leonard* & Constance Robin Jeremiah & Cassidy Robins Elena Romanowsky
NOT ON THE LIST? Contact the Foundation or your favorite Jewish organization to be on this list next year:
jcfsandiego.org • 858.279.2740
Alan & Dana Rusonik Jeremy Sable & Karen Gross Thomas & Helen Sabo Dr. Bruce & Sheri Sachs Ray & Marcia Sachs Anthony & Ellen Sacks Devora Safran & Ron Eisenberg Shana Saichek Alfred & Teresa Salganick Cecile Salomon* Brett & Nicole Saloner Todd Salovey & Diane Boomer Harriet Salter Eriberto & Stella Salzmann Ed & Rae Samiljan Irwin & Gloria Scarf Howard & Diane Schachat Sanford & Marjorie Schane Ruth Schank* Harriet Schapiro* Sheldon* & Lillian Scharlin Mark Schauder Stephen & Linda Schechner Marilyn Scheininger Frederick & Shari Schenk Colin & Jane Scher George & Mary Ann Scher Arthur & Evalyn* Schiff Rose Schiff* Irving & Gloria Schiffman Robert Schimmelfennig* Arlene Schloss Craig & Julia Schloss Shawn Schlossberg Beverly Schmier Ben & Brenda Schneider Margerie Schneider* Elliot & Eileen Schubert Benjamin Schulman Jose & Joanna Schulmann Paul & Joan Schultz Joseph Schuman Bob & Judi Schwartz Hyman Schwartz* Rachel Schwartz* Page 5
54 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
gi
Richard & Jacquelyn Schwartz Sigmond Schwartz* Yearl & Rachel Schwartz* Suzanne Schwartzman Daniel & Lee Fowler Schwimmer SDJA PTO Edward & Melynnique Seabrook May Sebel Myron* & Cynthia Seeberg Harry* & Leatrice Segel Colin Seid Sonya Seiderman* Charlene Seidle Len & Fran Sekela Sydney & Denise Selati Neil Senturia Rick* & Sydney Serwin Harold & Shirley Shapiro Melvin Shapiro Philip Shapiro Shapiro Family Shirley Shapiro* Leah Shapov* Dr. Jacob & Liz Sharp Bette Shatoff
Irwin & Shirley Silverstein Douglas Simon Leslee Simon Ronald & Anne Simon Richard & Judy Simons Neal Singer Jerold & Phyllis Siperstein Steven & Anna Siperstein Arnold* & Lucille Sirk Robert & Debra Skomer Donald & Gayle Slate Phil* & Ruth Slonim Lance & Lynne Small Mildred Small Stan & Mal Smiedt Bonnie Lee Smith Alex & Evelyn Smotkin* David & Miriam Smotrich Phil & Sheryl Snyder Henry Soille* Elyse Sollender Herbert Solomon & Elaine Galinson Herbert & Elene* Solomon Howard & Debra Solomon Steven & Esther Solomon
gifts to multiple organizations. Mark & Diana Shatz Hillel & Judy Shear Gary & Jean Shekhter Albert & Marilyn Shelden Tony & Shari Shelton Abe & Belle Sherman* Lawrence & Barbara Sherman Mark & Renee Sherman Blanche Shiller* Shillman Foundation Susan Shmalo Stephen & Denise Shoemaker Martin & Roberta Shoman Dr. Sydney & Jane Shore Yaakov & Devorah Shore Morris Showell* David & Reina Shteremberg Norman & Anneliesse Shulman* Fern Siegel Leon Siegel Robert Siegel & Roslyn Goldstein Mitch & Elizabeth Siegler Jeffrey Silberman & Karen Foster Silberman Russell Silberstein Howard & Beverly Silldorf Patricia Silver Raphael & Kitty Silverman Edward & Zella Silverstein
Nate & Lisa Stein Jan Steinert & Richard Bosse Steppat Family Trust Bill Stern* Greta Stern* Harold Stern* Marty Stern & Marcia Kern Michael Stern Mickey Stern Richard E. Stern* Ruth Stern Dorrit Still* Evan & Jill Stone Rod & Gloria Stone Ryan & Ashley Stone Matthew & Iris Strauss Joseph & Ellen Strum* Max Sturman* Beni & Jackie Surpin Dr. Tom & Lisa Sweet Michael & Deena Swidler Charles* & Carol Swimmer Michael & Anita Szawielenko Isaac & Anita Szmuilowicz Mel & Bonnie Tabak Charles & Paula Tannen* S. Mark Taper Foundation Jeanne Tayler Robert & Mary-Stuart Taylor*
What will your legacy be? Florence Somerman* Howard & Jean Somers Soontup* Family Trust Alan & Nancy Spector Sidney* & Penny Spector Sherman & Harriett* Sperling Dr. William & Barbara Sperling Sperling Family Fund Jodie Spiegel Leo Spiegel Edward & Victoria Spilkin Mark & Jill Spitzer Faith Stagg Jack & Rosalie Star* Yehudah Leib & Chane Steiman Steiman Family Trust Murray & Orah Stein
Martin & Angelica Teal David & Joan Tedlow Sydell Templin* Joshua Lane Tennenbaum Gertrude Thaler* Jack & Frances Thorpe Nessim & Sarah* Tiano Rabbi Yossi & Rochi Tiefenbrun Stanley & Janet Tiger Robert* & Celia Tingley Steven & Sharon Tradonsky Eva Trieger Robert & Nancy Tuggle Jerry & Carole Turk Jan Tuttleman* Richard & Susan Ulevitch Simon & Laura Vainer
WAYS TO WORK WITH THE FOUNDATION:
WAYS TO LEAVE A LEGACY:
•Confidential conversations to create your legacy plan
•Bequest in will or trust
•Charitable remainder trust
•Coordination with your professional advisors
•Appreciated assets
•Charitable gift annuity
•Documented plan that can be revised at no cost
•Life insurance policy
•Real Estate
•Opportunities for tax advantages
•IRA or pension plan
•Call us for other options
Page 6
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 55
Louis & Tammy Vener Rick & Yvonne Venger Lainy Vinikow Lawrence Vinikow Alan & Caryn Viterbi Alexandra Viterbi Andrew & Erna* Viterbi Audrey Viterbi Smargon Danielle Viterbi Samantha Viterbi Valerie Viterbi Morton Vogelson* Bennett & Diane Voit Steve & Gerry Voit Babs Walden* Clive Walden Michael & Maureen* Wallace Peggy Wallace Jeffrey & Barbara Wasserstrom Charles & Randi Wax David & Sharon Wax Steven & Laurie Wax Zelda Waxenberg Kevin & Jamie Wechter Annette Kaplan Weil James & Ellen Weil John & Cathy Weil Dr. Alfie Weinbaum & Dr. Eva Leitman Daniel & Sheila Weinberg Harry & Jeanette Weinberg* Sidney Weinberg* Rabbi Simcha & Betty Weiser
Dr. Robert Weisgrau Eric Weisman & Susan Chortek Weisman Shana Weisman Stephen & Joy Weiss Dr. Stuart Weiss Nancy Weissberg Jule & Esther Weissbuch* Idelle Weissenberg* Harry & Jo Ann Weissman Clara Weitz* Fred & Arlene Weitzen Steven & Ava Weitzen Matthew & Sharon Weitzman Carlos & Fanny Wellman Gerald & Esther Wellman Howard & Dianne Wertheim David & Marty* Wertlieb Eric & Irene Wetsman Alan Wexler* Sydney & Cynthia Wexler Gidon & Marilyn Williams Teri Wilner David & Elaine Wilson Joseph & Louise Winicki* Martin & Olivia Winkler Mort Winski* Rachel Winsten* Stanley* & Dorothy Winter George Wise Edith Wiseman* Stephen & Deborah Wismar David Witkowski
Rabbi Jeffrey & Shoshie Wohlgelernter Allan & Rochelle* Wolf William & Irma* Wolf Lt Col (ret) Hubert & Geraldine Wolff* Abbe Wolfsheimer* & David Stutz Dr. Donald & Marcia Wolochow Gertrude Womark* Gary & Illana Woods Bertram & Jacqueline Woolf Philip & Missy Wrotslavsky Allen & Melinda Wynar Yosi Yedid Ann Youngwood* Henry & Helen Zaguli* Marvin & Judith Zaguli Joan Zak Leonard & Ruth Zanville* Jane Zeer Robert & Karen Zeiger Charles & Leah Zibbell* Manuel Zichlin Lillian Zilbercweig* Alan Zimmelman Brian & Celena Zimmerman Charles* & Eleanor Zion Jeanne Zlotnick Leonard & Lois Zlotoff* Josef Zoldan Greg & Francine Zweibel Anonymous (82) *Of Blessed Memory
If we have inadvertently omitted your name or if your name is not shown correctly, please contact us at 858.279.2740 or info@jcfsandiego.org.
Thank You! We acknowledge and appreciate all of our legacy donors.
71
THE FOLLOWING
American Friends of SHALVA American Israel Education Foundation American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee American Jewish World Service American Red Magen David of Israel American Society for Technion Anti-Defamation League Ben-Gurion University Beth Jacob Congregation B’nai Brith Beber Camp Camp Mountain Chai Center for Jewish Culture Centro Primo Levi Chabad Hebrew Academy of San Diego Chabad Lubavitch of Larchmont, NY Chabad of Rancho Santa Fe Chabad of University City Congregation Adat Yeshurun Congregation Beth Am Congregation Beth El Congregation Beth Israel Congregation Dor Hadash Cottage of Israel Elijah Minyan Forward Association Friends of the Israel Defense Forces 56 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS are included in the legacy plans of donors to receive contributions in the future. Friends of Yad Sarah Hadassah Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Hebrew University Hillel of San Diego Israel Air Force Center Foundation Israel Tennis Centers Foundation Jewish Community Foundation Jewish Family Service Jewish Federation of San Diego County Jewish Gift Closet - San Diego G’mach Jewish National Fund Jewish Theological Seminary Jewish War Veterans of the USA Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus Los Angeles Jewish Home Mazon Ner Tamid Synagogue New Israel Fund Ohr Shalom Synagogue ORT America PARDES P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds Ramapo for Children Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Religious Action Center of the URJ River Garden Hebrew Home San Diego Jewish Academy Schechter Institutes, Inc. Seacrest Village Retirement Communities Sh’ma Institute Simon Wiesenthal Center Soille Hebrew Day School Tel Aviv University Temple Adat Shalom Temple Emanu-El Temple Solel Tifereth Israel Synagogue U.S. Committee Sports for Israel/Maccabi U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC Union for Reform Judaism Camps United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism University Jewish Studies Programs US/Israel Woman to Woman Weizmann Institute of Science Currently participating in the Jewish Community Foundation’s Endowment Leadership Institute in San Diego to build Jewish legacies
A R T
Forty Years of Community Focus San Diego Repertory Theatre marks a big milestone with a wide-ranging season and special events all around town BY NATALIE JACOBS
T
he San Diego Repertory Theatre’s 20152016 season continues to mark the company’s 40th year of presenting diverse voices to San Diego’s ever-more-eager audiences. Sam Woodhouse and Doug Jacobs founded the company in 1976. They spent a year performing plays on the campus of San Diego City College before they could renovate a funeral chapel on 6th Avenue in downtown. “In 1976,” Woodhouse, SD REP’s current artistic director, explains, “San Diego was a collection of small towns, no center. There really was no heart in the city. ... Downtown was a collection of porn shops and penny arcades. I wanted to be part of a San Diego that was yet to be born – a modern metropolis, which we are now, but we were not then.” Along the way, San Diego as a whole has become a destination for live theater. But Woodhouse didn’t even bother to imagine that as a possibility at the time. He just set out to make a theater company that offered a voice for those who weren’t always heard on the stage, specifically through plays written by living writers and by offering original works or reinterpretations of classic pieces. “Performers on stage are storytellers,” Woodhouse says. “The audience comes together in the theater to bear witness to a story, with other members of the community. So who are the other members of your community? Do we represent the community? Does the story on stage come from the mouths of people who represent the diversity of the community?” To that end, Woodhouse says SD REP has produced 47 mainstage productions by or about Latinos in its 40 years – a credential topped only by a Spanish-language theater in New York City. The San Diego REP is also home to the longest standing African American arts festival in the country, called Kuumba Fest. The focus of that program is to create cultural pride in at-risk African American youth. It culminates in a weeklong festival of plays completely created within the African American community and performed at
LEFT: Todd Salovey; RIGHT: Sam Woodhouse and Doug Jacobs.
the REP. In his third year with the company, in the early 1990s, Todd Salovey directed his first professional piece, a production of the Jewish folk tale “The Dybbuk.” It was from that production that the Jewish Arts Festival grew two years later. Salovey became the artistic director of that annual effort, which celebrated its 22nd anniversary in May of this year. Salovey also serves as SD REP’s associate artistic director. “The REP vision is reflected in the Jewish Arts Festival in the way that we like to reflect diversity within the Jewish community,” Salovey, who credits the routine of Shabbat with helping to keep him and his ideas fresh at the REP, says. “It’s not unusual for us to have something which is exploring the Sephardic connection to Flamenco or an African American band who is exploring spirituals and cantorial music. This [upcoming year, in May of 2016] we’re going to be exploring why so many klezmer players are also bluegrass players. That sense of exploring the boundaries of culture that the REP celebrates is also something that the Jewish Arts Festival celebrates.” The REP’s 40th anniversary celebration is a sixshow season with special events planned through June, 2016. The Dec. 6 close of “The Oldest Boy,” written by Sarah Ruhl, currently the mostproduced female playwright in the United States,
marks the season’s half-way point. Todd Salovey will direct the next show, “Outside Mullengar,” which begins its run on Jan. 21. “It’s a very unusual piece for me,” Salovey says of the production. “It’s Irish and it’s funny. But I really love it. I think it’s a piece about revitalization and it’s a piece about finding love, emotion and connection when you thought that had passed you by.” The season crescendos with the return of co-founding Artistic Director Doug “D.W.” Jacobs as he directs “The History (and Mystery) of the Universe.” The play, which chronicles the imaginative life of R. Buckminster Fuller, had its world premiere at the REP in 2010 and will return March 10-April 3, 2016. Sam Woodhouse will return to the director’s chair to close out the season with “Rapture, Blister, Burn,” a comedy about 20th century gender politics, running April 21-May 15, 2016. “It’s very rewarding to have been a part of San Diego growing from a collection of small towns to a major American city,” Woodhouse says. “I’m looking forward to continuing to play a role in that growth.” A Details about all the programs planned for the SD Rep 40th anniversary season at sdrep.org.
Sam Woodhouse’s production of Honky was nationally broadcast as the premiere episode of a new PBS series called “OnStage in America” on Nov. 6. A DVD of the production is available at pbs.org/onstage-in-america/honky/home/.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 57
TOSCA by GIACOMO PUCCINI
FEBRUARY 2016 SAN DIEGO CIVIC THEATRE
MADAMA BUTTERFLY by GIACOMO PUCCINI APRIL 2016 SAN DIEGO CIVIC THEATRE
PHOTOS: KINGMOND YOUNG
2015-2016 SEASON
Season Sponsor: Gloria A. Rasmussen
WEST COAST PREMIERE
GREAT SCOTT
“...witty, warm-hearted and eloquent” OPERA TODAY MAY 2016 SAN DIEGO CIVIC THEATRE
music by JAKE HEGGIE libretto by TERRENCE MCNALLY directed by JACK O’BRIEN title co-sponsor
DARLENE MARCOS SHILEY
Photo: Igor Sakharov
Special One-Night-Only Event!
FERRUCCIO FURLANETTO IN CONCERT MARCH 5, 2016 JACOBS MUSIC CENTER - COPLEY SYMPHONY HALL
TICKETS START AT $45
SDOPERA.ORG • 619-533-7000 Tickets also available at
A R T
The Great American
Song-man
Hershey Felder becomes Irving Berlin
PHOTOS BY EIGHTY EIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
BY PAT LAUNER
H
e may have been born in a Czarist Russia shtetl, but blue stars and redand-white stripes coursed through the veins of Irving Berlin. He’s generally considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. As composer Jerome Kern put it, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music – he is American music.” Now, Hershey Felder, Montreal-born pianist, actor, playwright, composer, producer and director, is bringing Berlin to life in a special holiday presentation of “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin” at the La Jolla Playhouse (Dec. 16-Jan. 3). “I wouldn’t have chosen him,” confesses Felder, who has brought numerous composers and their music to the stage (Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein). “I was a little uncomfortable with it,” Felder admits, “because he wasn’t from the classical tradition. But once I really delved into his story, I realized that he was America’s Mozart.”
FROM POVERTY TO CELEBRITY Berlin, who was born Israel Isidore Baline in 1888, moved with his family to New York City at age 5. He remembered little of his early years, except the Cossacks banging down the door, and
60 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
watching his house burn to the ground. His Yiddish-speaking father, who had been a cantor in the Old Country, couldn’t find comparable employment in the New World, and worked in a kosher meat market, offering Hebrew lessons on the side. Young Izzy quit school at age 8 to help contribute to the family coffers, selling newspapers in the Bowery. By age 14, realizing that his financial assistance was virtually worthless, he left his family and joined the many other homeless young boys in the Lower East Side. He soon realized his early life’s dream, becoming a singing waiter, making up songs or creating “blue” riffs on popular ballads. After the bar closed for the night, he would stay late, teaching himself to play the piano. By age 18, he’d sold his first song – for 37 cents. “He had a natural talent,” Felder says. “I don’t know anyone in America that had that kind of inborn talent. My show explores where that came from. “What is education, anyway?” Felder continues, addressing Berlin’s lack of schooling or musical instruction. “It’s an open mind and a brain and the ability to read and assess. That, he had in spades. He was a voracious reader, and with that skill, you can learn anything. If he had
had formal training, it might have affected his natural gift. He had no solid musical education, but he had a perfect ear.” Berlin reportedly composed only in one key – F sharp, because he could play only the black notes. He had two special pianos made for him, to transpose into a different key. “He played white keys, too,” Felder says. “The key of F sharp still has white keys. And he would tell his musical secretaries the specific harmonies he wanted. He was very particular. In other words, he was a real composer, not just a tunesmith. He was really a genius.” For this show, as with many others, Felder started his research with the music, going through some 1,000 songs (Berlin wrote 1,500 in his lifetime). “Of course, we chose the great songs, like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Easter Parade’ and ‘G-d Bless America.’ But we didn’t want to make this a jukebox musical. The songs are used in a completely natural way, and I deliberately included songs nobody knows. There were even a couple of failures I dug out of the archives. “Some songs really surprised me,” Felder continues. “Like ‘Supper Time,’ which was written in 1933 for the musical revue, ‘As Thousands Cheer,’ where it was introduced by
“My ambition,” Berlin said, “is to reach the heart of the average American, not the highbrow nor the lowbrow but that vast intermediate crew which is the real soul of the country.” Still shots of Hershey Felder embodying Irving Berlin.
Ethel Waters. Those harmonies had never been done before. And the content! It was about a lynching in the south, and why the woman’s husband wasn’t going to be coming home for supper. Berlin was out there on a lot of levels.”
FELDER AS BERLIN Felder’s new play is set on Christmas Eve, 1988. Berlin was 100 at the time (he died in 1989, at age 101). “Every Christmas Eve, for 26 years,” Felder explains, “a group of carolers had gathered outside Berlin’s window. This time, he invited them in. The audience serves as the carolers.” The genius of the man was one of the surprises Felder encountered in his research. The other was “finding out what he did for his country.” Berlin’s aim in his songwriting was to write in the American English vernacular. “My ambition,” he said, “is to reach the heart of the average American, not the highbrow nor the lowbrow but that vast intermediate crew which is the real soul of the country.” His big breakout hit, a worldwide sensation, was “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911). He also brought his own life experiences into his work, writing “When I Lost You” in 1912, after his first wife died six months after their marriage, from typhoid fever contracted on their honeymoon in Havana. It was his first ballad, and it sold more than a million copies. Thirteen years later, when he met his second wife, heiress Ellin Mackay, to whom he remained married for 63 years, he wrote the timeless “Always,” which was a number one hit multiple times, re-recorded by pop, R&B and country artists. By age 30, Berlin had written hundreds of songs, churning out a few new ones every week. In 1917, he was drafted into the army to serve in World War I. While stationed at Camp Upton on Long Island, he wrote a military musical and many patriotic songs, including “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning.” Among his many honors were the Army’s Medal of Merit (from President Truman), in
appreciation for writing the music and lyrics to “This is the Army,” and a special Congressional Gold Medal (from President Eisenhower) for “God Bless America.” President Gerald Ford presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1986 (in absentia), he was awarded a Medal of Liberty during the centennial celebrations for the Statue of Liberty. During his 60-year career, he wrote the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films, with his songs nominated for Academy Awards on eight occasions. He won a Special Tony Award for his contributions to the American musical, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Although he came from an Orthodox family, Berlin became non-observant after his marriage, but he remained devoted to Judaism all his life, continuing to speak Yiddish and serve as a staunch advocate for civil rights. He was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews for helping to advance its aims of “eliminating religious and racial conflict.” And the YMHA (Young Men’s Hebrew Association) cited him as one of the 12 “most outstanding Americans of Jewish faith.” In preparing for his latest play, which premiered last November and has been seen in some six or seven cities since, Hershey Felder became friends with the three daughters of Irving Berlin: Mary Ellin, now 90; Linda, 83 and Elizabeth, 79. “They’re all still bouncing around,” Felder says, with an admiring chuckle. “They’ve got energy! They’ve all seen the show, and they all said very nice things about it. They told me they felt like their father was up there, and what greater compliment is there than that?” After Berlin’s death in 1989, The New York Times wrote that “Irving Berlin set the tone and the tempo for the tunes America played and sang and danced to for much of the 20th century ... His life became the “classic rags-to-riches story that he never forgot could have happened only in America.” Or, as composer George Gershwin (18981937) put it, “Irving Berlin has had a greater influence upon American music than any other
one man. It was Irving Berlin who was the very first to have created a real, inherent American music ... I frankly believe that Irving Berlin is the greatest songwriter that has ever lived.” Felder’s new play is firmly established, though he always feels that he could make adjustments. Still, he quips, “The public and press are happy, so who am I to complain?” Indeed, the Los Angeles Times review noted that “the empathy, showmanship and craft on tap may just be the best match of historical figure and performing artist yet in this franchise.”
RETURN TO SAN DIEGO Felder is happy to revisit one of his many “theater homes,” San Diego. He’s performed several times at The Old Globe, and presented the play he adapted and directed, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, twice. This is his first time at the La Jolla Playhouse. “I always wanted to work at the Playhouse,” says the globetrotting Felder, who’s married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada; with multiple residences in the U.S. and abroad, they recently sold their Pt. Loma home and bought a house in La Jolla. “I like the risky, inventive work the Playhouse does. It will be great to be back in San Diego. It’s such a good theater town, where people really like going to the theater.” Meanwhile, he’s already at work on his next piece, in which he’ll inhabit the tortured Russian composer, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. “This is the last one,” he promises. “Enough with the crazy composers!” But for now, he’s intensely focused on that quintessential American, Irving Berlin, of whom poet Carl Sandburg said, “he caught and immortalized in his songs what we say, what we think about, and what we believe.” A
“HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN” runs at the La Jolla Playhouse from Dec. 16-Jan. 3. Tickets and information: (858) 550-1010; lajollaplayhouse.org.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 61
A R T
More From Your Favorite Local Theatre Companies BY EILEEN SONDAK AND NATALIE JACOBS
San Diego Musical Theatre
MOXIE
San Diego Musical Theatre’s staging of its popular production, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas The Musical,” is lighting up the Spreckels Theatre with a feel-good storyline and classic songs. But get there fast – the show (based on the film) winds down on Dec. 6.
Catch “The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence” at this community theater until Dec. 6. All of their plays this season tackle a historical event in a fictional context, so it’s not just a night at the theater but a chance to learn about an important piece of history that you may have forgotten. This one explores prominent figures from various points in time, all named Watson.
Cygnet Theatre Cygnet will continue its production of “A Christmas Carol: A Little Musical Ghost Story” through Dec. 27. This adaptation by Sean Murray, with original new music and an array of theatrical delights, is even perfect for the whole Jewish family. The show is ensconced at the Old Town Theatre.
Lamb’s Theatre The Lamb’s is also in Christmas holiday mode at both its Coronado home and its U.S. Grant venue. Lamb’s “Festival of Christmas” is on tap (Dec. 2-27) for Coronado, while the Grant hosts “An American Christmas,” a festive evening that features food and entertainment in the grand style of 1915 (Dec. 17-26).
Diversionary Fresh off the world premiere of her play “Indecent,” playwright Paula Vogel’s work remains in San Diego when Diversionary Theatre presents her musical “A Civil War Christmas.” Directed by Kim Strassburger at the University Heights theater that’s committed to telling stories of LGBTQ importance, this concert-play whips through the streets of 1864 Washington, D.C., with an intimate and humorous portrait of the time. On stage Dec. 10-Jan. 3.
62 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
Poway OnStage Poway OnStage has continued to bring a diverse set of performances to their inland North County stage since the big name change a few months ago. While things tend to slow down for them in December, you can catch a performance by the Temptations on Dec. 5. Then, in early January, the North County venue is hosting performances in conjunction with the San Diego Symphony’s piano festival “Upright & Grand.”
PHOTOS COURTESY DIVERSIONARY, MOXIE AND POWAY ONSTAGE
A holiday gift for the theatre lover. 5-PLAY E G PACKAas
as low ow sh $30 per
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE (858) 481-1055 • NorthCoastRep.org • Solana Beach
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 63
A R T
This Month in Classical Music BY EILEEN SONDAK AND NATALIE JACOBS
Mainly Mozart Mainly Mozart doesn’t produce during the month of December, but their Spotlight events return bright and early in January, 2016. Starting off the year on Jan. 9 and 10 will be Geoff Nuttal and Amy Schwartz Moretti on violin, Roberto Diaz on viola, Christopher Costanza on cello and Anne-Marie McDermott playing piano. The quartet will LEFT: Performer from Cirque Music RIGHT: Alisa Weilerstein Amy Schwartz Moretti perform two pieces by Dvorak. San Diego Symphony The Jan. 9 performance takes place at The Auditorium at The San Diego Symphony will start the month off Dec. TSRI with a reception starting at 6:30 p.m. The Jan. 10 4-6 with guest conductor Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla leading the performance takes place at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden orchestra in a concert featuring Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Club at 5 p.m. sharp. Spring.” Karen Gomyo will perform Sibelius’ violin concerto on along with Beethoven’s “Leonore Overture No. 3.” A choral and organ spectacular is slated for Dec. 11-13, when Jahja Ling takes over the podium. The program includes works by Brahms and Berlioz, and will feature Alisa Weilerstein on cello and Jeff Thayer on violin. The Symphony will celebrate the holidays with a weekend of “Holiday Pops,” conducted by Matthew Garbutt. This year’s program (coming to Symphony Hall Dec. 18-20) features “Cirque Musica,” a concert accompanied by feats of strength and balance associated with the circus.
La Jolla Symphony and Chorus Hurry out to this year’s last performance from the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, Dec. 5-6 for performances of “The Light that Fills the World,” a Thomas Nee commission, “Prayers of Kierkegaard,” and “Symphony No. 3” featuring John Luther Adams, Ori Talmon, Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland, directed by Steven Schick. Performances take place at the UC San Diego Mandeville Auditorium.
La Jolla Music Society Catch the San Diego Youth Symphony Series on Dec. 11, conducted by Jeff Edmons at the MCA’s Sherwood Auditorium. Then, on Dec. 13 the Society moves to the Auditorium at the Scripps Research Institute for a performance by violinist Jinjoo Cho. On Dec. 19, The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform songs from their Christmas album, also at TSRI. 64 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
San Diego Opera We’re still patiently awaiting the Opera season, which launches Feb. 13, 2016, with the Italian classic “Tosca.” The performance features the Company debut of Greek soprano Alexia Voulgaridou as Tosca and Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones as Cavaradossi and who has been hailed by the London Times as “simply one of the best Cavaradossis London has heard…” Returning to San Diego to round out the cast are bass-baritone Greer Grimsely in his signature role of Scarpia, American bass Kristopher Irmiter as Angelotti/Sciarrone, American bass-baritone Scott Sikon as Sacristano and American tenor Joel Sorensen as Spoletta. Italian conductor, Massimo Zanetti, will conduct the San Diego Symphony in the pits and stage director Lesley Koenig directs.
PHOTOS COURTESY SYMPHONY, MAINLY MOZART AND OPERA
23rd Anniversary • 2015-2016 Season
The Nutcracker At Spreckels Theatre With the City Ballet Orchestra
t "Bes er " rack ego c t u N n Di in Sa mmy To wards eA Danc
12 Performances Dec. 11 - 23
Saturday Night Champagne On-stage Reception
Photo: Chelsea Penyak
Tea with Sugar Plum Fairy at the US Grant prior to each Saturday Matinee
Tickets: $29-$79 Discounts for students, seniors & military
Call: 858-272-8663
Follow us on
or Order Online www.cityballet.org
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center • JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS 4126 Executive Drive • La Jolla, California 92037-1348
Glickman♦Galinson Early Childhood Education Complex Nierman Preschool & Youth Committees Presents…
nual 32n d An
A Community Wide Holiday Extravaganza
WELCOMING OUR SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY & SHALOM BABY FAMILIES
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015 • 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. CRAFTS • GAMES • PRIZES • TODDLER & DRESS-UP AREAS ENTERTAINMENT • INFLATABLES • THEME BASKETS & AUCTION • KOSHER & DAIRY FOOD • BAKE SALE
T O D AY, S O M E A R E C A L L I N G I N S I CK J U S T TO B E A B L E TO DO W H AT YO U D O E V E R Y D AY. PITY THEM.
RETIREMENT IS ALL ABOUT LIVING HAPPIER, FULLER LIVES. At l eas t t h at ’s t h e p h il oso p hy h e re at T h e Pat ricia n — a co m m u n it y of 136 independent-living apar tment h o m e s . We ’ve c re a t e d a u n i q u e , v i b ra nt , at m osp h e re w h e re resid e nt s are always looking for ward to w h at to m o r row b ri n gs . S o joi n us . A n d s avo r to m o r row. L O O K I N G G O O D TA K E S W O R K ! T H A N K S F O R YO U R PAT I E N C E A S W E U P DAT E O U R C O M M U N I T Y
ADMISSION
JCC Member $5/Family Non-member $7/Family
patr cıan
WRISTBAND
$35/child presale* $40/at the door TICKETS
$20 for 25 tickets presale* $1/ticket at the event
Special Appearances by…
Jake, izzy, ELSA & OLAF INFO (858) 457-3030 • www.lfjcc.org/hh Gary & Jerri-Ann Jacobs Youth Endowment Fund • Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Endowment Fund
A MERRILL GARDENS COMMUNITY
T H E PAT R I C I A N L A J O L L A . CO M 1. 85 8 . 217.55 4 8 4 025 Pulit zer Place, San Diego, CA 9212 2 Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 65
111615a_Patrician_SD_Jewish_Journal_Savor_Renovation_CMYK_U_A.indd 1
11/17/15 10:02 AM
A R T
Dancing Into the New Year BY EILEEN SONDAK AND NATALIE JACOBS
San Diego Dance Theater Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater will start the new year by returning the Weiss Theatre on the UCSD campus for three days of dance. Entitled, “A Geography of Risk and Other Dances,” Isaacs will revisit a work created in 2001, while presenting two world premieres. Both Isaacs’ pieces embrace text, humor and passion. A third piece, created by Katie Stevenson-Nollet especially for pregnant company dancer Blythe Barton, will embrace memory and the wonder of marriage and love.
Various Ballet Versions of “The Nutcracker”
Malashock Audiences are invited “Into the Fox Den” on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. for the Malashock Dance performance of secret rites, hidden truths and great mysteries. Audiences may or may not be asked to wear masks in this second of six “engagement ring” performances intended to bring the audience into the dance action. Happening early next year, Malashock will collaborate with composer Gabriela Frank and the San Diego Symphony to premiere their Masterworks program “Music in Motion” March 18-20. In between time, performances continue monthly at the Liberty Station space.
City Ballet will unwrap its lively production of “The Nutcracker” for 12 performances (Dec. 11-13 and Dec. 18-23) at the Spreckels Theatre. Performed with a live orchestra, conducted by John Nettles, this “Nutcracker” takes its inspiration from Nureyev’s choreography as interpreted by City’s own Elizabeth Wistrich. Youngsters can lunch with the Sugar Plum Fairy and Friends prior to each Saturday matinee at the U.S. Grant Hotel. California Ballet’s “Nutcracker” is headed for the Civic Theatre Dec. 12 for two weekends of performances through Dec. 20. This version of the Yuletide classic is accompanied by live music. In fact, the San Diego Symphony will be in the pit starting on Dec. 16. San Diego Ballet will present two performances of its own “Nutcracker” Dec. 26-27 at Symphony Hall. They will include a special lunch with the Sugar Plum Fairy at the University Club prior to the matinee. The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet will bring its “Nutcracker” production to the Casa del Prado Dec. 9-20.
66 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
PHOTOS BY MANUEL ROTENBERG
Join us for a spectacular concert of Brahms’ Double and Berlioz’ Te Deum with your San Diego Symphony Orchestra! D ECEM B ER 11, 12 & 13 conductor Jahja Ling cello Alisa Weilerstein violin Jeff Thayer San Diego Master Chorale BRAHMS: Concerto in A minor for Violin and Violoncello, Op. 102: Double Concerto BERLIOZ: Te Deum, Op. 22
Information and Tickets
SANDIEGOSYMPHONY.ORG Or call 619-235-0804 | (+10 groups) 619-615-3941
Valet parking is available for all Friday and Saturday evening Jacobs Masterworks concerts. All single ticket full prices are subject to change up until showtime without any given notice. All artists, programs, dates and times are subject to change. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 67
BEN
FOLDS With the San Diego Symphony
BUY TICKETS
ARTCENTER.ORG | 800.988.4253
68 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
CALIFORNIA
CENTER FOR THE
ARTS ESCONDIDO
A R T
An Artful Look at Timeless Traditions Gotthelf Gallery opens new group show to explore the “Things We Pass Down” BY TINA B. ESHEL
ABOVE: “Faith” by Dennis Ellman; BELOW: “Haga Nagila” by Madeline Sherry
T
here’s a hatbox in my closet where I keep special mementos. I’ve got the locks of baby hair from my two children, soft wispy strands that remind me of the feel of their velvety skin and baby scent. Then there’s my father’s brown bowling shirt size medium, reminding me that he was once a young lean man on a league who, if the stories are true, bowled near-perfect games from time to time. Just looking at that reminds me of the times I’d wait for him, watching him play, hearing the sounds of the game in the lanes all around us. PHOTOS COURTESY GOTTHELF GALLERY
ABOVE: “L’Dor V’Dor” by Erica Berent; BELOW: “Call of the Shofar” by Ronnie Jolles
These are the things I’ve wanted to remember. What will my kids want from me? What will be passed down from my generation to the next in the form of memories or artifacts, beliefs or values? Those are the kinds of questions you’re invited to ask yourself at the Gotthelf Art Gallery’s newest exhibit, “Things We Pass Down,” opening Dec. 8 and running through Feb. 24, 2016, at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus in La Jolla. The exhibit is free and open to the public with the works of several Jewish artists on display.
Madeline Sherry’s piece “Hava Nagila,” invites the viewer to celebrate the wedding of a modern Jewish couple being lifted up in the age-old ritual of the chair dance. Additional artworks on display are “Faith” by Dennis Ellman, “Call of the Shofar,” by Ronnie Jolles, “L’Dor V’Dor – Lecht Benchn,” by Erica Berent and an untitled sculpture by Sandra Berlin-Kroll. The Gotthelf Art Gallery is located off the main foyer of the JCC. A
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 69
A R T
Schooling Art
Local universities amp up and scale down their art offerings
BY NATALIE JACOBS
UC San Diego UC San Diego hasn’t made a name for itself because of its arts programs. In fact, the La Jolla stronghold for the sciences effectively closed its University Art Gallery (in so far as everyone on the staff was let go and no exhibits were scheduled through this year), over the summer. But they remain outwardly committed to the performing arts, through ArtPower, an entity created to offer “co-curricular opportunities in the performing arts and film.” The group organizes one to three events each month, ranging from literary (they hosted David Sedaris last month), to chamber music (Calder Quartet coming Jan. 23), jazz (Kendrick Scott Oracle on Dec. 4) and dance (Kota Yamazaki, Jan. 29). Events typically take place at venues around the campus, but sometimes you’ll find performances out on the town. Check out the full schedule at artpower.ucsd.edu/events.
Cal State San Marcos “I hope the viewer wonders about their own assumptions regarding the immigrant or migrant experience in the United States,” said artist Doris Bittar in regards to her exhibit “Patterned Heritages” currently on display at the Cal State San Marcos Kellogg Library. “Much of my work is about straddling two cultures that seem to be at odds with each other: the American culture –whatever that is – and the Middle Eastern or Arabic culture, which I may define differently than others.” The exhibit explores multiculturalism and Arabic art through a four-part series of small pieces and large installations. It is on display for free through Dec. 14. Visit biblio. csusm.edu for more info.
San Diego State The SDSU Downtown Gallery opened in 2010 as part of the School of Art + Design which falls within the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. While the gallery does often host work by students and faculty, this month it continues with an exhibition of the Matthew and Iris Strauss Family Foundation collection. Specifically, the gallery selected works that explore female identity from a global perspective – from the actual female form to works that explore clothing as a surrogate for the female body. “Matthew and Iris Strauss are among San Diego County’s most important patrons of the arts,” said Gallery Director Tina Yapelli in a press release. Their full collection focuses on international contemporary art. The gallery is free and this exhibit will be on display through Jan. 25. More at psfa.sdsu.edu.
70 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
A R T
Glass Acts
Local glass artists use the difficult medium to achieve very different results JAMES STONE James Stone is a glass and metal sculpture artist living and working in Escondido. His work focuses on the flora and fauna found in the ocean waters. More than highlighting the beauty of these creatures, Stone aims for his work to encourage a connection to conservation. “I want to ignite a spark inside each and every viewer, helping people to understand how their everyday choices effect the environment we live in,” he explains. Stone is passionate about glass, and he believes that Jews were the world’s first glassmakers. He sites a book by Samuel Kurinsky, called, “The Glassmakers: An Odyssey of the Jews, the First Three Thousand Years.” “I spoke with [Kurinsky] before he died and he spent his entire life exploring the history of the Jews and glassmaking. He discovered wherever Jews were dispatched to, wherever we went, glassmaking occurred. And when we left that area, glassmaking stopped. You have to have a lot of knowledge [to do glasswork] … it fit well within the type of professions we as Jews like.” He goes on to explain that the Hebrew word for glass – zchuchit – can be found in the Torah in four places. “It’s my belief,” he says, “because ... the only word in ancient text to describe that material is in the Torah, that the secrets of glass making were the sole providence of the Jewish people before the Roman Empire took over.” In February of this year, Stone and his wife and business partner Carol Rogers, moved their glass studio from the grounds of the Bernardo Winery (where he was located for 14 years) to a larger space on Simpson Way, also in Escondido. They will host an introduction to glass blowing class at the new space this month. Find more information at stoneandglass.com.
BY TINA B. ESHEL
JACOBS WOODWORKS For collectors of art glass, the surface used to display the piece can be equally as important as the piece itself. Local craftsman and glass collector Stan Jacobs has created a luxury line of display pedestals to showcase art in contemporary homes. Pictured here, the Floating Display Pedestal models a glass vase created by the sculptural glassworking couple Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli. View all five display pedestal models at jacobswoodworks.com.
ILANIT SHALEV A trip to the Gotthelf Art Gallery at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center these past few months would have given you a chance to glimpse the contemplative, minimalist creations by Israeli-born glass artist, Ilanit Shalev. Shalev was born in Haifa and moved to San Diego in 2004. She was first introduced to glasswork while living in Portland, Ore., in 2003, and it was “love at first sight.” “I felt passion and connected to the medium, even though I didn’t know what it was about. It moved something in me, it was just in me. I just wanted to learn more and more and more and more.” Shalev too leads glassmaking workshops for others to understand her excitement with the medium. “One of my missions is to bring it back to the community and teach others.” Much like her art, Shalev’s language is thoughtful, unique, punctuated here and there with slightly foreign phrasing, an expression of the artist seeking to create shared experiences of the human condition. Glasswork may be thousands of years old, she says, but it’s not like painting or drawing; fewer people are familiar with how to make art with the material, she explains. “There’s a lot about this medium that involves colors and allows those who may not consider themselves to be artists to express their creative abilities.” While creating stark and fluid sculptural forms remains her focus, Shalit just launched a jewelry line to expand her glass expertise but also to introduce new mediums, such as leather and wire, into her work. To learn more, visit ilanitshalev.com.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 71
A R T
On a Sunday, downtown L.A. is almost peaceful. And without traffic, we’re nearly next-door-neighbors. Next time you find yourself with 12 free hours, take a day trip to reacquaint yourself with this dynamic city. Specifically, uncover classic and new Jewish art hiding there in plain sight. Starting in downtown, work your way from east to west with help from this treasure map. BY NATALIE JACOBS
MUSEUMS The Broad
thebroad.org
221 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012
While Eli Broad (of Lithuanian Jewish descent) was amassing a $7 billion fortune in real estate and insurance, he and his wife Edith were also acquiring major works of contemporary art. Thirty six years after Eli served as founding chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Eli and Edith have opened a museum of their own, right across the street. Aptly called The Broad, the inaugural installation, on display through February, features about 250 works from the permanent collection of nearly 2,000, with such well-known post-war names as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barbara Kruger, Cy Twombly, Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman. If you’re conscientious, you can view the pieces in chronological order, but you have to start from the top floor and go right off the escalator (the opposite way the escalator points you). Before you go, be sure to take a peek into the basement storage space, through one of two windows tucked into the stairwell, to get a glimpse of just how many more monumental works live in this collection. Pictured above is “Weeping Wall” by Marlene Dumanis, derived from a photo depicting Israeli soldiers searching Palestinian men in front of a stone wall.
LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
lacma.org
There’s so much to see at this museum, but you can limit your visit this time by going straight to the Frank Gehry exhibit. Featuring a comprehensive examination of his entire body of work from the 1960s to now, you’ll see drawings, sketches, and 3-D models, many of which have never been seen publicly. On display until March 30, 2016. Pictured above is Gehry’s Weisman Art and Teaching Museum, courtesy LACMA.
M 600 State Drive, Exposition Park Los Angeles, CA 90037
California African American Museum caamuseum.org
This vibrant space just opened up a photo exhibit that explores the Ethiopian communities of Los Angeles and the Jewish Ethiopian population of Israel. The collection features images from 1992-2012 depicting the settlement of people in unfamiliar lands. These 40 photos, captured by photojournalist Irene Fertik, will be on display until Jan. 3, 2016. If you’re inspired after stopping here, take a drive to Little Ethiopia, on South Fairfax from Olympic Blvd. to the I-10. Featured on the right is “Timkat” which is on display in the exhibit. Photo courtesy CAAM.
RESTAURANTS 829 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Sweetfin Poké
sweetfinpoke.com
Poké is apparently the next big thing in one-trick pony restaurants (like cupcakes, donuts and waffles of the past). It’s fair to be skeptical, but Sweetfin, owned by South African Jew and former San Diegan Alan Nathan, is a worthy adventure into the trend. For a place that sells only one kind of food, there are a lot of options here (choose between rice or noodles, add toppings like edamame and toasted garlic). It’s probably best to go for lunch, because raw fish and Asian vegetables are not the most filling. For dinner, maybe try Nathan’s new restaurant Estrella on Sunset Blvd. Fair warning about Sweetfin: the saltiness of the seasoning will result in ice cream cravings.
Canter’s Deli
419 Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 cantorsdeli.com A classic Jewish deli, by every definition.
72 SDJewishJournal.com | December 2015
Fairfax Farmer’s Market
6333 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90036 farmersmarketla.com Parking here on the weekend is a bit difficult, but if you get lucky, stop in for some farm-fresh car snacks.
GALLERIES Grice Bench
915 Mateo Street, 210 Los Angeles, CA 90021
gricebench.com
Find work by Jewish artist Christina Forrer in this contemporary gallery on the outskirts of the Artist and Fasion Districts of downtown. Swiss and working in Los Angeles, Forrer’s woven tapestries often reflect interpersonal relationships between mythical creatures and reality-tv stars. Pictured to the right is Forrer’s “Horse” tapestry, measuring 32 inches high by 25.5 inches wide. Photo by Joshua White, courtesy Christina Forrer.
David Kordansky Gallery
5130 W. Edgewood Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90019
davidkordanskygallery.com
Just off the Miracle Mile, you’ll find David Kordansky gallery in a sprawling gray building. Kordansky represents Jewish artist Zach Harris who is known for his multidimensional psychedelic abstractions that boast impeccable detail. Pictured on the right is “Dark Rainbow School (Orange Grove) painted from 2013-2015 using water based paint, spray paint, masonite and wood. Photo by Brian Forrest, courtesy David Kordansky Gallery.
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Canter’s Deli Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Farmers Market
SANTA MONICA
Sweetfin Poke
David Kordansky Gallery
Daniel Rolnik Gallery CULVER CITY
Daniel Rolnik Gallery danielrolnikgallery.com
The Broad Grice Bench
California African American Museum
1431 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90401
The youthful energy of this gallery oozes out its windows. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and downtown Santa Monica, Daniel Rolnik Gallery is run by a young Jewish guy who got his start as an art critic after attending college in the Bay area. Rolnik stocks his gallery with pieces that he finds on crosscountry road trips and his focus is on art that employs bright colors along with a hefty dose of humor. Prices are affordable and there’s something new to see at every turn. This is the perfect place to go for a breath of fresh art air or to introduce yourself to the wonderful world of art collecting. The photo to the left is a small sampling of the colorful art found in rotating exhibit in the Daniel Rolnik Gallery.
GRAPHICS ILLUSTRATED BY MASHELL EWING
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 73
H A N U K K A H
A Latke’ Happen This Hanukkah INTRODUCTION BY TINA B. ESHEL
74 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
H A N U K K A H
L
et’s face it, Hanukkah is a holiday for children, and with that, every Jewish parent’s biggest problem this time of year is how to make the eight-days of observation fun in the shadow of that other holiday, the prolific tinsel-laden red, green and jolly affair. As a mother of two – a teen boy and a fiesty seven-year-old girl, I know this problem well. So for this year’s Hanukkah section, you’ll find fun activities to try, books to read and things
to make as you celebrate the Festival of Light. I would be remiss if I didn’t include some kind of adult indulgence, so there’s information about Shmaltz Brewing’s holiday offerings included in this section too. As you light the candles and compare latke recipes, we at the San Diego Jewish Journal want to wish you the Happiest Hanukkah! Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 75
H A N U K K A H
Hanukkah Books for Kids LIST COMPILED BY TINA B. ESHEL
1
2
3
5
4
9
7 8
6
1. “The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes” by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Nancy Cote (Albert Whitman Prairie Books, 1997) 2. “The Trees of the Dancing Goats” by Patricia Polacco (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2000) 3. “How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukkah?” Jane Yolen (Blue Sky Press, 2012) 4. “Avi the Ambulance Goes to School” by Claudia Carlson (Behrman House, 2015) 5.“Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (Holiday House, 1994) Caldecott Book Award Winner 6. “Honyeky Hanukah” by Woody Guthrie, illustrated by Dave Horowitz (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2014) 7. “Maccabee! The Story of Hanukkah” by Tilda Balsley, illustrated by David Harrington (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2010) 8. “Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein,” Amanda Peet and Andrea Troyer, illustrated by Christine Davenier (Penguin Random House, 2015) 9. “I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel,” by Caryn Yacowitz, illustrated by David Slonim (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2014)
FIND THESE WORDS IN THE WORD SEARCH: Hanukkah Dreidel Latkes Eight Candles Brachot Hanukiah Shamash Oil Lights Donuts
Freedom Menorah Dedication Nes gadol hayan sham Judaism Blessings Tradition Gelt Celebrate Dance Hora
76 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Q E F T T U L H A N B R A C H O T S S R Y S W K L B I E Y A N L C X I Y T L S V E 0 I E K U L D B P S Z V M X H A N U K G S K I A J T A G N A T X R V F K C S E D U P A G E E P S V O N K C X I S D T S L O I L K G Z J F L H D A E D H A R O N A L R G S T H G I L Y A F E S T I V A L A D E D I C A T I O N I P J U D A I S M S X F L F R E E D O H O R A J K B L E S A G D U U J T P V T M P F C E L E B R A Find these words in the word search:
U C E M D K R L Z A S E X G N H M S X T
K O U E A A F P K F A M G V E L S I K E
I H L R N H G M C T R A D I T I O N V S
A Z G R C P S E E B A C C A M G A G N X
H M B J E O P T Y H E B R E W P K S D L
ANGELES OAKS, CALIFORNIA Experience Jewish summer camp the way it was intended to be! Join us in the beautiful, majestic mountains of Southern California for an experience your child will never forget! • 2, 3, 5 & 7 Week Options Available • June 19, 2016 - August 10, 2016 • Scholarships & Grants Available • Generous Active Military Discount
EVERY FIRST TIME CAMPER IS ELIGIBLE FOR A $1,000 CAMP GRANT
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EARLY REGISTRATION AND SAVE $$$
info@campmountainchai.com 858-499-1330 www.campmountainchai.com Watch our camp video online Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 77
H A N U K K A H
Dancing Dreidels and Other Homemade Gift Ideas BY SARA RIVKA DAHAN OF CREATIVE JEWISH MOM; EDITED BY TINA B. ESHEL Here’s a super cute idea to add some cheer to your home this Hanukkah – dancing dreidels, doughnuts, menorahs, candles and oil flasks, oh my. It sounds complicated, but the truth is, you only need a few simple supplies to get everyone crafting something spectacular this holiday. For this activity, I’ve created a simple way to make dancing characters out of card stock. After you and your kids complete the project, you can hang the characters as garland around the house, decorate cards for family or friends, glue them onto popsicle sticks and make a puppet show, or tape them to toothpicks and top some cupcakes.
Use your imagination and have some fun! You will need: • colorful card stock • paper fasteners • a hole punch • pens and markers • scissors
Optional: • stickers, stamps, paint, crayons, or glitter to decorate your creation • popsicle sticks and glue if you want to make paper puppets • toothpicks for cupcake toppers
Directions: Moms and dads, you’ll need to help with this first step. Draw the head, body, arms, and legs separately on a sheet or two of the colored paper of your choice. Next, it’s up to the kids. Add details with pens, crayons, stickers and more. The most important ingredient is fun, so let your imagination take you away. Once the characters are decorated, carefully cut out each piece. Parents, you’ll probably need to be back in the action when it comes time to punch holes and assemble the body parts with paper fasteners. A This craft was reprinted with permission from Sara Rivka Dahan. Dahan was born and raised in California, and now calls the north of Israel her home. She is an interior and graphic designer who blogs about creative craft ideas for kids. Please visit her blog at creativejewishmom.com for more ideas.
Adults Only
Now available on shelves in all southern California Whole Foods locations and many craft beer shops including North Park’s Bottle Craft, Shmaltz Brewing Company’s three limited-edition holiday releases. First up: the return of their hoppy homage to the eight nights, “Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer,” a dark ale brewed with eight malts, eight hops, and eight percent ABV. Next in line is the Anniversary ale, Jewbelation 19 (with 10 malts, nine hops, and 11.9 percent ABV), which presents an entirely new take on the award-winning Jewbelation series. Last on the release roster is Shmaltz’s latest holiday package, Shtick in a Box, a gift set to please craft beer fans far and wide.
78 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Create the Future He Deserves When you include Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego in your estate plan, you help us provide exceptional care in a place of hope and healing. To learn more, visit www.helpsdkids.org/giftplanning, or call Elise Webster,
Director of Planned Giving, Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation, 858-966-5804.
H A N U K K A H
1 2
whO AM I?
4
7
DOWN 1. ( ראש4:7) 3. ( שמר3:7) 5. ( ראה4:2) 7. ( אדון4:4) ACROSS 2. ( מלאך3:6) 4. ( חיל4:6) 6. ( כהן3:1) 8. ( בת2:14)
S
I
G
E
Y
M
R
A
A
A
G
D
O
H
N
J
C
N
Y
N
H
L
A
I
U
E
L
O
F
A
I
T
H
E
K
W
A
R
B
V
T
T
W
S
R
S
W
A
E
U
H
H
I
S
A
A
S
H
S
G
R
T
T
H
D
G
L
Y
I
D
A
N
H
A
O
E
A
L
L
W
E
N
G
R
W
S
T
I
O
E
Y
N
I
E
N
H
K
A
N
E
I
R
E
C
I
T
E
D
G
K
I
N
D
L
E
A
S
WORD FIND
D
E
Brought to you by:
© 2015 The Famous Abba
www.thefamousabba.com
M
Find the bold italic words on this sheet. The unused letters spell a secret message!
In 167 BCE, Antiochus Epiphanes of the Syrian-Greek Empire tried to force the Jews in his empire to practice his Greek religion. Antiochus desecrated the Bait Hamikdash, set up pagan idols, and gave the Jews the option of practicing Hellenism or facing death. Many Jews converted to Hellenism, but some refused to leave their Jewish faith. Antiochus also banned basic mitzvot such as: kashrut, shabbat, brit milah, and celebrating Rosh Chodesh and holidays. Matityahu the Kohen Gadol together with his sons, the Chashmonaim, fought back and, although greatly outnumbered, managed to miraculously defeat the Syrian-Greek army. The Maccabees did not gain complete freedom, but the Bait HaMikdash was reclaimed and Jews were able to practice their religion again. Upon entry to the Bait Hamikdash, the Chashmonaim found only one sealed cruse of pure olive oil. This oil, sufficient to burn for one day, miraculously burned for 8 days and nights. Almost a year later, the 2nd Bait Hamikdash was rededicated on the 25th day of Kislev, which is the date the Sages set to begin the celebration of Chanukah. Over the course of the 8 days of Chanukah we read from the Torah about the inauguration of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the midbar and of the mitzvah instructed to Aharon to light the menorah daily. By reading these portions, we connect the rededication of the Mikdash to the bravery of the Maccabees, and the commandment given to their ancestor Aharon to light the menorah and dedicate the Mishkan.
25 KISLEV 5776 CHANUKAH
KINDLE
SEASON
MIRACLES
EIGHT
LATKES
GEMATRIA
ו +ד
מ
÷ב
ה xו
When there is a 2nd Shabbat Chanukah, the Haftorah is read from:
ר - קצט
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
מ
ל +י
2
1
weekly chinuch podcast - OVER 100 posted! CHINUCH + Parsha < 5 minutes www.thefamousabba.com/podcasts
400 300 200 100 90
א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת
ת ÷י
• Your neighbor did not have a menorah in his window during Chanukah. • A cousin canceled the family Chanukah party at the last moment.
Can you judge these situations favorably?
you be the judge
MENORAH
Which one is different? (Hint: Hanerot Halalu - “These Candles”)
spot the difference
• The Chashmonaim cleaning the Holy Temple and re-dedicating it on the 25th of Kislev. • A Hellinist telling you not to observe Shabbat, kashrus, or other Jewish laws and what you would do.
Act out these scenes with friends and family:
chanukah SKIT ideas
• The Maccabees found one jar of oil in the Holy Temple with enough oil to burn for 1 night, but the candles burned for 8 days. • A small army of religious Jews led by the Maccabees defeated the mighty Greek army.
Wonders of hashem
SUPER CHANUKAH SHEET
I was brought before the king Antiochus with my seven sons. The king ordered my sons to acknowledge his godliness by bowing down to an idol of himself. All my sons refused to obey the king and to leave Judaism, so the king killed all of them.
WEEK IN REVIEW
CROSSWORD
Share with a friend or family member 2 things that made you think about HaShem this week.
5
6
Complete the crossword by translating each Hebrew word into English. The reference is from the Haftorah in Zechariah, which is read on Shabbat Chanukah.
3
8
blessings
• On which Rosh Chodesh do we recite the full Hallel? • On which Rosh Chodesh do we not recite Hallel at all? • How many blessings are in Hallel?
WORD
CMRLESAB (scramble) ADCIETED BCIZPEULI LMEETP HTIGE (Hint: Chanukah)
SDEANLC NAHOUTICS
Check your answers at: www.thefamousabba.com/chanukah
80 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
DREAMING GREEN IN BE'ER SHEVA By: June Glazer In keeping with Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) Blueprint Negev initiative, which aims to revitalize Israel’s south, the country’s Ministry of Environment awarded its Environmental Prize of the Negev to Earth’s Promise, a JNF partner that promotes environmental sustainability and urban agriculture in Be’er Sheva and other cities. Be’er Sheva, often referred to as the “capital of the Negev” has become home to a large influx of Ethiopian immigrants, for whom Earth’s Promise was started in 2007.
Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah
“The idea behind it was to help make our city green, but to do it in a community fashion,” said Ethelea Katzenell, an Earth’s Promise founding board member. “Since their background was mostly agrarian, we thought we could help them to literally sink new roots into their new country by starting a community garden with them,” she said. The garden, attached to the absorption center, began with 10 furrows—one per family—and eventually grew to 100. “They can plant whatever they want. It’s wonderful to see families working together, using their skills, feeling proud of themselves. And when they leave the absorption center for new homes, they bequeath their furrows to new families coming in,” Katzenell said. The community-garden model—urban farming attached to an institution—has been replicated in several locations in Be’er Sheva, as well as in nearby Bedouin communities and the Negev cities of Ashkelon and Arad. And now, they have served to bring Earth’s Promise to the next stage in the organization’s development. “The urban farm is a self-sustaining project that brings in tourists, sells produce and products, and provides job opportunities to residents of the neighborhood. Our emphasis is on local food, how it strengthens the community in which the farm is located, and how it supports the local sustainable economy,” said Adam Ganson, co-director of Earth’s Promise. “Winning the Environment Prize indicates that we’re heading in the right direction and that our projects are valued. For me, this is a stepping stone to finding a real sustainable model for southern cities in Israel,” Ganson said. To learn more about JNF’s work in the Negev, visit jnf.org/negev.
www.lme.com
858-455-1200
The Stuck Removal Diet
FREE SEMINAR
located at SDJJ Sorrento Valley location on Saturday January 9th & 16th between 11-2pm
Are you finally ready to get unstuck in certain aspects of your current life? Join Lisa Lapides Sawicki, Certified Life Coach, CLC, LPCC, IDCA to teach you Daily Self Coaching Skills that will guide you to: • Get Defined Clarity • Become Realistic about Every Situation • Problem Solving Critical Thinking • Get to your doable ‘action steps’ • Manage your Emotions
Please register NOW to secure your spot! 619.722.5056 or lisa@selfcoachnow.com
www.selfcoachnow.com Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 81
FOOD
in the kitchen WITH
TORI AVEY
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY LATKES
Tori Avey is an awardwinning food writer, recipe developer, and the creator of the popular cooking website toriavey.com. She writes about food history for PBS Food and Parade. com. Follow Tori on Facebook by searching for “Tori Avey” and on Twitter: @toriavey.
82 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
and crispier due to the shredded texture of the potatoes. Chremslach are thicker and fluffier. Latke Tips You can shred your potatoes with either a hand grater or a food processor with a grating attachment. Some Jewish cooks swear by the hand grater, saying it makes a big difference in taste. Others revel in the convenience of the food processor. Neither method is “correct,” it’s simply a matter of preference. Some cooks prefer using large shreds of potatoes, while some prefer a finer shred. My preference varies based on the recipe. Finer shreds tend to have a more hash brown-like texture. After shredding your potatoes, immerse them in cold water to keep them from discoloring. When you’re ready to prepare your latke mixture, drain the potatoes. If you drain the shreds slowly with the bowl tilted, you will see a cloudy white layer that has settled at the bottom of the soaking bowl. This is potato starch. Scrape this starch up and add it back to
PHOTOS BY TORI AVEY
I
celebrated my first Hanukkah several years before converting to Judaism. I studied Judaism in college, but didn’t have any practical experience when it came to Jewish food or holiday traditions. Meanwhile, my husband-to-be was as Jewish as they come. He was born and raised in Israel by two Jewish parents and a rabbi grandfather. He grew up spinning dreidels and eating sufganiyot. I grew up singing Christmas carols and hanging stockings by the chimney with care. My first attempt at cooking latkes was a minor disaster. Luckily, I’ve learned a thing or two since then. I thought it would be fun to share some latke-making tips, so you can avoid the potato-pancake pitfalls that I’ve experienced along the way. Chremslach (singular: chremsel) is the Yiddish word for a fried pancake. Potato chremslach are often mistaken for latkes. They are similar to latkes, with one major difference – instead of shredding the potatoes, as we do with latkes, the potatoes are mashed and made into a thick batter before frying. Chremslach often appear on deli menus as “potato pancakes.” Latkes are thinner
the shreds after you’ve drained them, it will help to bind the latkes together. I often add a little extra dry potato starch to the shredded mixture to make sure the latkes don’t fall apart during frying. Get as much liquid out of your potato shreds as possible before mixing in the egg and other ingredients by wringing them out in cheesecloth or a tea towel. When you’re ready to fry, have a draining/drying rack set up close by with a layer of paper towels underneath. This is where the latkes should drain from the hot oil. I prefer draining them on a rack rather than directly on paper towels, I find they stay crisper this way. The ideal temperature to fry a latke is between 360 and 375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature of your oil is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer. If you don’t have one of those, here are two simple methods to test the oil’s temperature: 1) Drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil temperature is perfect for frying. 2) Place a kernel of unpopped popcorn into the oil. When the kernel pops, the oil is hot enough to fry. Form your latke mixture into compact patties. I generally use about 3 tablespoons of potato
IKWTA
shred mixture per latke, depending on the recipe. Start with a “test” latke to determine if the oil is at the right temperature. The latke should take about 2-3 minutes per side to become brown and crisp. If it takes longer than that, the oil is too cold. If it fries faster than that, the oil is too hot. Fry the latkes in small batches. Trying to cook too many at one time crowds the pan and makes the temperature of the oil drop, which will result in soggy latkes. Flip them when you see the bottom turning golden brown around the edges. If your latkes aren’t holding together, stir more dry potato starch into the mixture, 2 teaspoons at a time, until the batter “holds.” You can also add another egg to the mixture and more flour or breadcrumbs, if needed. While olive oil and schmaltz are both traditionally used to cook latkes, they are not necessarily the best choice for modern cooks. Olive oil has a slightly lower smoke point than some other oils, which means it can burn and discolor if it’s kept at a high frying temperature for a long period of time. Schmaltz is delicious, but it’s full of cholesterol. Peanut and grapeseed oils, both of which have high smoke points, are both excellent choices for frying. No matter which oil I use, I like to melt a little schmaltz into the mix to boost the savory flavor.
If you must make your latkes ahead, fry them 4 hours or less before serving. After allowing the latkes to drain on the wire cooling rack, place them on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet. When ready to reheat, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes (7 if using a convection oven) until heated through just prior to serving. A convection oven setting will produce a crispier result. You can freeze latkes for a few weeks if you need to make them far ahead. Fry them and drain the oil, then place them in single layers separated by wax or parchment paper in an airtight sealed freezer bag or Tupperware. When ready to reheat, place them straight from the freezer onto ungreased cookie sheets and cook them 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until heated through and crisp. Latkes can be served with applesauce or sour cream, or both. Some folks top their latkes with smoked salmon or caviar. Often non-dairy sour cream is used to avoid mixing dairy and meat at a kosher meal. Try serving latkes with Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative. Okay, ready to make some latkes? Visit my website, toriavey.com, for some great latke recipes (and related potato pancake recipes) to try! A
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 83
TRAVEL
What’s it Like in Iran, Really? One Jewish couple travels to Iran at a politically charged moment in time, makes it out alive WORDS BY JUDITH FEIN, PHOTOS BY PAUL ROSS
“Y
ou’ll never get out alive. You’re Jewish. You’re female. They’ll behead you, and they’ll post it on YouTube.” “There’s NO American Embassy. You’ll rot in a rat-infested jail for the rest of your life. No one will be able to help you!” Those were some of the cheery reactions my friends had when I told them I was going to Iran a few months ago. I must admit, a very stubborn streak runs down my back and despite the concerned chatter, I was going to Iran and fully expected to return with my head attached… 84 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
although I planned to cover it with an obligatory headscarf during the trip. I also packed a few long blouses, as I knew both hair and bum had to be covered. About 15 minutes before the plane landed in Tehran, I asked the man seated behind me how to say “Hello” and “How are you?” in Farsi. When we disembarked, and while the uniformed customs official fingerprinted me and scrutinized my passport and visa, I ventured, “Salaam,” and asked, “Choobie?” He giggled, put his hand on his heart, smiled and bowed his head in welcome.
I checked into my hotel and headed for a money exchange. People in the street stared (blonde bangs protruded from my headscarf ) and asked with gestures or words, “Where are you from?” When I said, “America,” they grinned, smiled, and drew a “heart” sign in the air. At the currency exchange, I handed a man $200 and received a thick wad of seven million rials. Since severe economic, trade, and military sanctions were first levied against Iran after hostages were taken at the American Embassy in 1979, and succeeding American presidents often
LEFT: Ornately carved columns and decorative tilework are the hallmarks of the Vakil Mosque, Shiraz, Iran. ABOVE: The author and her husband (photographer Paul Ross) dine on fasenjan, a traditional specialty, in a Tehran restaurant.
tightened the restrictions, the rial has been so devalued that a single U.S. dollar buys you 3,450 of them. Unemployment has reached catastrophic levels. Most who have even cursory knowledge of the political history of Iran’s relationship with the United States assume that Americans as a whole are considered denizens of an evil empire. But, as people in the street informed me at every turn in this marvelous country, “we don’t like your government, but we love American people.” When I walked into a 7/11-type market to buy bottled water, all the shoppers gathered around me. “Where are you from?” This time, when I answered, “The U.S.,” the man standing closest to me insisted on paying for my beverages. That first night, I found the official Iranian English-language Press TV channel, and became immediately fascinated. It was a complete 180 from news shows in America. The bad guys for Iran are the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia. Debates focus on the occupation of Palestinian lands, and nightly footage shows graphic IDF incursions and violence in the West Bank. Surprisingly, in these debates there is generally a pro-Israel representative engaged in conversation with a pro-Palestine person, and both are more or less given equal time. The newscasters (often women in headscarves, however, drop their veneer of neutrality and rail with moral outrage at the Israeli occupation and insist that it must end. But I never heard anyone call for Israel to be wiped off the map. I never heard any anti-Semitic remarks. The days of hatespewing, Israel-annihilating Ahmadinejad are gone, and people told me they consider their former President an embarrassment and an ignoramus. Officially, the American government and Zionism are targets of verbal venom, and some cartoons and derogatory banners can be seen around the country. But, simultaneously, there is a major exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum featuring prominent Jewish American artists. There, Jewish travelers are welcomed as long as there is no Israeli stamp on their passports, and I was told by the owner of a travel company that there are plans
afoot to offer Jewish heritage tours. Not only is there an active Jewish community, but Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai are enshrined in Persian tombs, and there are sites that are redolent of an important Jewish past. So, just as Iranian people can dislike our government but like us as Americans, the official stance on Israel is one thing and the general acceptance of Jews living in and visiting Iran seems to be another. The newly-agreed upon Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, which involves lifting economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, is being greeted in Iran with reactions that range from skepticism to cautious optimism to unbridled buoyancy. The two financially-oriented English language newspapers, which I read every chance I had, featured articles about trade and oil deals with every country you can think of – except the U.S. Officially, there will be no business with America. But I am sure tables are bouncing from all the deals going on underneath them. New hotels are in the works. Tourists are arriving in busloads from Germany, France, and Asia. And I can say without reservations that the time to go to Persia
is now. You’ll be treated like a welcome guest, and sometimes even like a rock star. Everywhere you go, folks will ask to take selfies with you. The country is safe, Iranians are truly friendly, and it’s rich in ruins, art, history, architecture, food, carpets, spices, and, above all, exotic ambience. One of the sites I wanted to visit most was the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great. After Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 6th century B.C.E., there was a forced exile of leadership, priests, prophets, scribes, and other Israelites to Babylon. When Cyrus conquered Babylon and became its ruler, he decreed that the Temple should be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and that Jews were free to return there to accomplish the task. He returned some of the booty stolen from the Temple, and also provided large sums of money for its reconstruction. Frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Cyrus is generally considered to be a savior and patron of the Jews. I assumed that, given the recent climate of Iran-Israel relations, there would be no mention of Jews at the site of the mausoleum. The opposite was the case. As I arrived, walking down the long path that leads to the tomb, which looks like a cross between an earth-tone Ziggurat (common in the Mesopotamian valley) and a symbolic mountaintop, a loud recording spoke about Cyrus and the Bible and how he gave Jews permission to return to Jerusalem in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Cyrus was a tolerant humanist, a visionary leader, and a practicing Zoroastrian (one of the world’s oldest religions). I found out more about the religion in Yazd, a desert town, where we visited the Temple of Silence and the Fire Temple. The former is perched on top of a steep, arid hill, and is the place where, in the past, bodies of the deceased were carried so they could be close to the sky. Their flesh was devoured
The author and friendly local girls outside the Imam (formerly the Shah) Mosque, Tehran, Iran.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 85
ABOVE: Detail of a lifelike wall carving, Persepolis, Iran. BELOW: Interior of the Pink Mosque, Shiraz, Iran.
by vultures, who picked the bones clean before eventual burial. Jewish bodies are food for worms in the ground, and Zoroastian bodies fed the bird kingdom in the air. Judaism, like Zoroastrianism, is monotheistic, and both associate fire with the divine. In the Hebrew Bible, G-d is represented by fire. The Fire Temple, where an eternal flame burns in a huge copper urn, and the adjacent museum, offer a good deal of information about Zoroastrian rituals and practices. I loved the fact that joy and feasts are key components of the religion. And felt a pang of recognition when I saw, in the modern Zoroastrian graveyard, small stones that family members and friends left on top of headstones when they visited. This is also a Jewish custom. Another mausoleum in Iran belongs to Persia’s greatest poet, the l4th century Hafez. His tomb is nestled in a lush garden, and Iranians of all ages come to pay homage to the master. I had a sudden urge to hear one of Hafez’s poems read aloud, and I turned to a gaggle of college students and asked if they would oblige. One of the men pulled out his cellphone, quickly downloaded a Hafez app, and the lyrical words poured from the young man’s lips. The three women in the group were a bit shy, but when I asked them what they were studying, they proudly answered political science, information technology, and engineering, respectively. One hopes the job situation improves so they can work in their chosen fields. In Isfahan, we visited the workshop of an artist who paints in miniature, learned more about Persian carpets, and hung with locals at (the main) Imam Square, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site that rivals Bejing’s Tiananmen Square in terms of size and the number of monumental historic buildings. The Shah mosque is a shimmering example of Safavid architecture, the Ali Qapu Palace makes visitors dreamy as they imagine life in a spectacular, art-adorned palace, and the Lotfollah Mosque, which was built for the ladies of the harem in the l7th century, is an elegant and graceful architectural pearl. After sightseeing comes shopping, and there’s no better place to browse for art, hand-stamped textiles, jewelry, carpets, and souvenirs of every stripe than the Imperial Bazaar. If your feet get tired, relax at a teahouse where you may want to try a flavored tobacco in a water pipe. At such a teahouse, I overheard a few 86 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
European tourists discussing their favorite sites. One waxed eloquent about the Jewelry Museum in Tehran, with its blinding array of functional objects covered in gold and dripping with rubies, emeralds and diamonds, and the Carpet Museum, with its brilliant pictorial carpets that are of such high quality that they can last hundreds of years. Another foreign tourist extolled the Archeology Museum in Tehran, which features the art and artifacts of little-known civilizations like the Sialk (1000 B.C.E) or the 7,000-year-old Bakun culture. A third agreed about the Archeology Museum, with its bronze lions, massive reliefs carved in stone, and symbolic elements like the lotus flower (longevity), and the palm tree (sweet
the remains of former great empires in Rome, Athens, Luxor, or Palenque. Today, Persepolis is easily reachable from the city of Shiraz. It rises from the desert floor, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We entered through the Gate of All Nations, where partially ruined monumental Lamassus Statues still stand in proud but broken glory. They have the head of oxen and the bearded face of humans – suggesting both power and intelligence. Although a lot of the ancient site is in ruins, many of the fabulously sculpted friezes remain; they depict the gifts each nation brought in tribute – lotus flowers, perfume, gold, silk, giraffes, elephants, and, most prized of all, lions from Africa. The animals are so well depicted that you can still see the wide eyes of a sheep, its nostrils flared, as though it knows it is about to be sacrificed and eaten. Also remaining are sculpted representations of the 10,000 soldiers who took care of the royal family. When one died, he was replaced, so the number was always 10,000. Because their ranks never dwindled, they were called the Immortal Guards. As I wandered past statues and friezes, columns and palaces, I reflected on how many empires have arisen, flourished, and vanished. I thought of the countless soldiers who have died and continue to die in wars fought over power and resources, and the suffering of those they left behind. As though reading my thoughts, a young Persian woman, who spoke English well, came up behind me. “Today’s enemies are tomorrow’s allies and friends,” she said. “We are all just humans, and we welcome you to our country. We must meet each other, and love one another. It is the only way.” A
life) – all found in the ancient city of Persepolis. At the mention of Persepolis, my pulse quickened. It was one of the reasons I had come to Iran in the first place. Persepolis, whose site may have been personally selected by Cyrus the Great, was the ceremonial seat of the Achaemenids, one of the world’s greatest and most extensive empires. The city dates from around 500 B.C.E., and lasted until it was burned and sacked by Alexander the Great in 333 B.C.E. According to legend and our guide Sohrab, Alexander needed 30,000 animals to carry off the gold and jewels from Persepolis. Going to the ancient city – such a seat of wealth and power – was like visiting
IF YOU GO: I traveled to Iran in a small group with Original World Travel, and recommend it highly for its professionalism, price, and personalized attention; originalworld.com. Judith Fein is an award-winning international travel writer who has contributed to more than 100 publications. She is the author of “Life is a Trip: The Transformative Magic of Travel” and “The Spoon from Minkowitz,” and an acclaimed speaker and workshop leader. Her website is GlobalAdventure.us.
All Your Favorite Delicious Foods & Baked Goods
Latkes • Brisket Kugel • Sufganiyot Here or Take out
Come In & Eat No Mess - No Fuss Latkes - full size & 1/2 size Gift Items • Menorahs • Tapes • CDs • Books
Especially For Hannukah
Distinctive Residential Settings Chef-Prepared Dining and Bistro Premier Health and Wellness Programs Award-Winning Assisted Living & Memory Care Therapy and Rehabilitation Services
The Community Built for Life.® belmontvillage.com CARDIFF BY THE SEA | SABRE SPRINGS Winner of the George Mason University Healthcare Award for the Circle of Friends© memory program for Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Best Wishes for a Happy Hannukah from Debi, Zvika Akin & the Entire Staff
© 2015 Belmont Village, L.P. | RCFE Lic. 374603279, 374603231
Another Listing by Lisa
SDJewishJournal_11_2015_cards.indd 1
11/6/15 2:02 PM
HOLIDAY PARTY TRAYS (ORDER EARLY)
6930 Alvarado Road Alvarado Plaza • San Diego
619•265•0218 Sunday thru Thursday r Visit ou p gift sho
7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
www.dzakinsdeli.com
(858)243-3317
Lisa@LisaOrlansky.com www.LisaOrlansky.com
Call for details. Lisa represents Buyers and Sellers throughout San Diego County!
2012® Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned & Operated By NRT LLC. CaBRE Lic#01333258
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 87
Tijuana Tuesday Federation and the Latino-Jewish Coalition take a busload south of the border BY TINA B. ESHEL
O
n a Tuesday morning in late October, I met up with a group of about 50 San Diegans at Liberty Station. We were about to embark on a day-long tour, organized by the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, the Latino-Jewish Coalition of San Diego (LJC), and the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. I was invited by Federation to join the group and explore the region and meet some of the people who are directly benefiting from involvement with the Mexican-American Jewish community based here in San Diego. We were a mixed crowd of newbies to Tijuana and those actively involved in the Latino and Jewish communities, such as our guide, Andy Carey, the executive director of the Border Partnership, who was contracted to organize the day’s trip. Carey is a great story teller and a walking encyclopedia of cross-border knowledge. The 12-hour excursion was an eye-opening one. The mission of the Latino-Jewish Coalition is to promote greater communication, cooperation, understanding, respect and friendship between the San Diego Jewish and Latino communities, not necessarily just those who are both Latino and Jewish. Under the leadership of Linda Feldman, the program’s director, LJC facilitates programs primarily in San Diego County. “Our goal is to be sure to showcase both the Jewish and the Latino perspectives of whatever the topic might be,” Feldman shares. She explains that LJC is currently focused on immigration and border issues, hence the trip to several high profile locations in the Tijuana region. The San Diego/Tijuana border is one of the busiest in the world, explains our tour guide, Carey. The stark differences between each side was clearly felt on this trip. Consider Freedom Park, located near the beach in Tijuana. It was made famous in the 1960s as the place where families separated only by a fence could visit each other with ease (in the early days), passing food and sharing hugs over the fence, which was only waist-high at the time. Now it serves to exemplify the contrasting lifestyles. On one side of the gray
88 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
pylons are vibrant murals; on the other, the San Diego side, it’s drab metal walls, cameras, sensors and border patrol vehicles that clearly display the surveillance efforts of Homeland Security. There’s the strong feeling that you can’t sneeze here without a federal agent seeing it. Despite the physical obstacles, this trip was intended to highlight how residents of each city can overcome these barriers and work to create cultural bridges between the nations. LJC started the movement in that direction with an ambitious schedule of meetings at institutions and private businesses in and around Tijuana. Trip Highlights A standout stop on the trip was CODET Fundacion, an ophthalmological eye care center founded in 1987 by Mexican-Jewish physician Dr. Arturo Chayet. Today, CODET’s four-story, ultra-modern facility houses his private practice as well as his foundation which provides hundreds of free surgeries monthly to low income families. Of the several physicians, fellows and students who have come through the doors, a half-dozen have had training in Israel. Our group ate lunch at a five-star destination in the heart of Tijuana’s emerging culinary district. Our prix fixe meal at Villa Savezios featured salmon and asparagus in a cream sauce, accompanied by an outstanding local wine. The foodies in our group raved throughout the meal; as for the wine, I wished I had time to stop by a wine shop to bring some home. Bursting our bubble a bit, Carey told us that only one bottle of wine per person is permitted across the border. At Tijuana’s World Trade Center, built by businessman Solomon Cohen, a distinguished panel discussed issues facing the region today. Maria del los Remedios Gómez Arnau, Mexican consul general in San Diego; William A. Ostick, U.S. Consul General in Tijuana; and Gregoria Goldstein Isaacson, Israeli Honorary Consulate in Tijuana also talked about publicity problems. Both Israel and Mexico, they explained, share similar challenges when it comes to public
opinion. But both are making concerted efforts to show different sides of their beloved countries. The day finished off with a visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Mexico, which provides afterschool and alternative-school care programs for at-risk youth. No trip to Mexico is complete without a long line at the border. In this case, it took about 90 minutes to cross by foot while our chartered bus waited for us on the other side. All in all, the feedback from those I spoke with was that this trip was fabulous and people would do it again. They won’t have to wait too long. The LatinoJewish Coalition is planning another event for January, 2016. If it includes a trip to the regional wine country, I’ll be the first to sign up. A For more information about the program and to register for future events, email Linda Feldman of the Latino Jewish Coalition at: latinojewishc@jewishfederationsandiego.com.
Bringing Firefighting Into The 21st Century SM
THE WORLDS FINEST KITCHEN FIRE EXTINGUISHER NFPA STATISTICS 2007-2011:
There were an estimated 156,600 home fires involving cooking equipment that caused 400 deaths, 5080 injuries and 853 million dollars in damages. When used by the average householder, the inexpensive ABC Fire Extinguisher cannot extinguish these types of fires. It always requires a “K” rated unit to do. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_8L01otbn4
COMMERCIAL USE
RESIDENTIAL USE
• AVIATION • MILITARY • OFFICE • INDUSTRY • TRANSPORT
• KITCHEN • GARAGE • VEHICLES • BOATS • RECREATIONAL PFE 102 MRSP $225.00
PFE 1LR MSRP $365.00
THE FASTEST REACTING FIRE EXTINGUISHER AVAILABLE • All class effective A, B, C, D, K (Class K Grease & Oil fire) • The only all stainless steel small handheld fire extinguisher • The only liquid fire extinguisher product line in the World • Eco-Safe / Non-Toxic / Non-Irritant / Non-Aggressive • 20 year limited warranty • Tested and rated to UL711/NFPA10 (Southwest Research Institute) • Refillable • Contact marketing agent for sales and servicing information - David Mahrt (530) 941-8866
Endorsed by Dr. Mark Moss Publisher of SDJJ “I choose FireStopper® extinguishers over all other available extinguishers for all the reasons as stated above and spraying this product to a fire will not corrode my kitchen appliances…it’s so easy to clean up!” VISIT US AT: www.firestopperintl.com
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 89
The Power of Endowments Helping Jewish Immigrants Over 15 years ago, Alex and Doreen Shatsky (z’l)* met with the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) to ensure that other lives could be impacted the way their lives had been. They created the Alex and Doreen Shatsky Endowment Fund to make certain that Jewish immigrants would be helped year after year and to give back to the Jewish Community that gave them so much to be thankful for. Today, due in large part to the grant from the Alex and Doreen Shatsky Endowment Fund of the JCF, Jewish Family Service (JFS) has been able to provide support for immigrant families. JFS’s Refugee Resettlement department manages approximately 45 people monthly. They help these clients adjust to their new lives in the U.S.; teaching them ways to navigate the medical system, banks, transportation and jobs. This fund will be held in perpetuity at the JCF to support Jewish immigrants and to welcome them to the San Diego Jewish community.
SEE IT FOR
HALF OFF OPENING SEASON 2016, THE COMIC MASTERPIECE BY LARRY SHUE JANUARY 8 - FEBRUARY 14
THE AMERICAN CLASSIC BY WILLIAM GIBSON • MARCH 4 - APRIL10
THE MIRACLE WORKER AN EXCITING WORLD PREMIERE BY ANNE-CHARLOTTE HARVEY APRIL 22 - MAY 29
Dinner With Marlene
Access to Music Education One of the fondest memories Bernard Krantzman (z’l)* had was taking music lessons. He and his wife, Maggie (z’l)*, shared a love for classical music and the arts. Bernard and Maggie felt their lives and their successes were directly related to their exposure to classical music and instruction, and when it came to their philanthropic decisions, they wanted to fund musical talent. The Bernard and Maggie Krantzman Endowment Fund awards grants that provide instruments and/or musical instruction to talented youth. This fund will be held in perpetuity at the Jewish Community Foundation to continue to support musically talented, at-risk youth. The San Diego Young Artists Music Academy (SDYAMA) provides a wide variety of programs in vocal, instrumental, dance and other positive musical activities. The programming at SDYAMA is supported by an annual grant from the Krantzmans’ Endowment Fund. This endowment was set up so that after their lifetimes, the Krantzmans could ensure that students from low income backgrounds would benefit from music education. Stories provided by the Jewish Community Foundation. For more information, please contact:
sharleen@jcfsandiego.org / (858) 279-2740 *Names have been changed to protect donor confidentiality.
90 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
AS A SEASON SUBSCRIBER!!
100 YEARS OF GREAT MUSIC
BY KERRY MEADS & VANDA EGGINGTON JUNE 10 - AUGUST 7
AMERICAN RHYTHM WISDOM & HILARITY BY JAMES SHERMAN AUGUST 19 - OCTOBER 2
BEAU JEST RIVETING REGIONAL PREMIERE BY BILL CAIN OCTOBER 14 - NOVEMBER 20
EQUIVOCATION LAMBSPLAYERS.ORG • 619.437.6000
DIVERSIONS By Natalie Jacobs Sundance Now Doc Club A relative new-kid on the movie streaming block in Sundance Now’s Doc Club. Like Netflix, subscribers get access to a library of movies, in this case only documentaries, to stream on their internetenabled televisions, smartphones, computers or tablets. The idea is to also bring the documentaryloving community together outside their homes, with members offered access to movie premieres, award shows, and film festivals. The public radio visionary Ira Glass has been involved in helping the Doc Club gain publicity since it launched. Part of that commitment includes a section of “Ira Glass Favorites” to help members navigate the seemingly endless choices. That list includes a documentary about the Middle East conflict, “The Law in Anthony Bourdain These Parts;” one that chronicles the band Talking Heads, “Stop Making Sense;” and a famous film that finds director Ross McElwee looking for love while retracing Sherman’s March. Other curated collections are available from Seth Meyers, Dan Savage, Anthony Bourdain and Susan Sarandon. Gift subscriptions are available if you’re in need of a last-minute holiday present. More info at docclub.com.
“Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl” Musician, humorist and nice Jewish girl Carrie Brownstein gets deeply personal in her new memoir.
“Mystics of Mile End” Where hipsters meet Hasids, on Canada’s Mile End. This is a fictional story about a real place with beauty and tragedy at every turn.
Taylor Williamson, comic Though not broadcast on television (the medium usually featured in this spot on the page), you can catch comic and San Diego native Taylor Williamson up in Irvine this month. He has just wrapped up a huge tour with the America’s Got Talent crew (which sadly didn’t make a stop in Williamson’s hometown), but this Irvine show isn’t that far away. You may remember Williamson from his performances on Last Comic Standing season 7, or from when he was a contestant on America’s Got Talent, season 8. In between television appearances, he continues to tour his quinessential Jewish-nerd act on the national comedy circuit. His Irvine show is scheduled for Dec. 16 at the Improv Comedy Club.
“The Ghetto Swinger: A Berlin Jazz Singer Remembers” How did a Jewish guy became Germany’s most famous jazz guitarist?
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 91
news
New Findings from Pew Research Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz with his wife, Dina, and their seven children
Mitzvah Project Raises Funds for Temecula Rabbi On Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m., singer and songwriter Shaindel Atelis will perform for a “women and girls only” event at Chabad of Poway to raise money for the family of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok “Yitzi” Hurwitz, who is living with ALS. The idea for the event came from Shaina Trestman, an 8th grader at Chabad Hebrew Academy and former classmate of the Rabbi’s daughter. “For my Bat Mitzvah project, I am doing a fundraiser/concert … I thought of this because [Yitzi’s] daughter, Chava, used to be in my class until they had to move to L.A. for his” medical care, she says. “I am amazed at the strength and positivity that my friend and her family show on a daily basis. That is why for my Bat Mitzvah I would like to raise money to help take care of Rabbi Hurwitz.” Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok “Yitzi” Hurwitz is the former Chabad rabbi of Temecula. In 2013, his ability to serve his community and support his family was suddenly upset when he was diagnosed with ALS. Within a few months, Rabbi Hurwitz was no longer able to speak, eat or drink. Today, he still writes Dvar Torahs using only his eyes. He spends most of his time in a power wheel chair or in bed. Tickets for the mitzvah performance are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, or three for $45 and can be purchased at Chabad Hebrew Academy in Scripps Ranch. For more information, call (858) 451-7709.
JCF Announces Rady Commitment to Hadassah Hospital
Evelyn and Ernest Rady
92 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
The Pew Research Center released in early November a new study on the habits of religious Americans. Of the 35,000 people surveyed via telephone June-Sept. 2014, 847 identified as Jewish. The 2013 survey had 3,475 people identify as Jewish. Of the small sample size, 35 percent said religion is very important to them. Those who attend religious services weekly or more clocked in at 19 percent. Eleven percent of those Jews surveyed believe that the Torah is the literal word of G-d, while 55 percent believe it was written by men. Jewish women were found to pray more than men. And only 39 percent of Jews report “deep feelings of spiritual peace and well-being at least once a week.” Surprising to some, only 40 percent of Jews abstain from eating pork.
The Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego announced that Ernest and Evelyn Rady have committed a $3.5 million grant to Hadassah University Hospital Mount Scopus in Jerusalem to develop a new and improved mother and child center. The project will raise an additional $3.74 million in matched funds, inspiring private donors and other sources. Support will also come from the Israeli government. In a statement, the Foundation said it is honored to facilitate this grant from The Ernest Rady Fund, a donor advised fund of the Jewish Community Foundation. The Radys’ project on Mount Scopus, which is estimated to take 2 ½ years to complete, will include the creation of dedicated, renovated, and expanded pediatric facilities, including an emergency room, ambulatory day care facility, and operating room. The gift will also provide for an expanded delivery department and newborn nursery.
L-R: FIDF supporters Jonathan Markowitz of Evanston, Ill.; Jacob Dunn of San Francisco; Steve Derringer of Chicago; Ruth Wegner of Evanston, Ill.; and Steve Diamond of San Diego.
March of the Living 2016
The March of the Living is now accepting applications for its 2016 march in Israel which will take place May 1-15. Cost is $6,375 but San Diego teens participating this year are able to receive a $1,800 tuition reduction from the Lou Dunst Memorial Trust. Dunst participated in the March of the Living four times in his life, and this year’s March will be dedicated in his honor. The March is open to teens in 11th and 12th grade. Interested teens can apply at motlthewest.org. An in-person interview is required. After applicants are accepted, pre-trip seminars will be scheduled to prepare for the March. For questions, contact Marcia Wollner at marcia@motlthewest.org.
Good News from FIDF More than $31 million was raised at last month’s annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Gala, which was held at the renowned Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The sold-out gala, which has become one of Los Angeles’ standout charitable events, gathered more than 1,200 supporters from the United States and Israel. Also in recent support of the FIDF and despite rising violence in the area, a group of 40 Americans including several from San Diego, biked the length of Israel from the Galilee hills in the north to the Red Sea in the south. The journey took six days and covered 400 miles with a vertical climb of 32,000 feet.
Staff Sgt. (Res.) Elle and Antonio Banderas at the FIDF Western Region Gala (photo by Noam Chem).
U.S. House Votes Unanimously to Help Protect Jewish Communities On Nov. 3, the United States House of Representatives voted unanimously on legislation that “urges the United States and European governments to take key steps to help keep Jewish communities safe,” according to a release sent by the Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords. Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced the legislation, titled H. Res. 354. Specifically, the resolution “calls on the U.S. Administration to encourage European governments, law enforcement agencies, and intergovernmental organizations to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks.” A simple resolution, as this one is, concerns only matters in either the House or Senate (in this case the House) and is not presented to the President for action.
Heshvan • Kislev 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 93
HAPPENINGS by tina b. eshel
D
ecember means wintertime enjoyment, San Diego style. Here’s a strong list of events minus the fat man in the red suit, so you don’t have to feel like a Jewish scrooge among the gentiles. Want a good ol’ fashion snowball fight? Head over to the slopes in Scripps Ranch for Hanukkah in the Snow! Your entire clan can toboggan on a massive pile of fresh snow and afterwards, enjoy hot drinks, latkes and donuts under the twinkle of 20,000 lights. Reserve your tickets to this virtually free event ($5 per person) on Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m. at chasd.org. That same night, join the Friendship Circle in Poway for a Hanukkah Bowl Night and a pizza and donuts party. Tickets are $10 per person if you are bowling and $5 if you are coming just for the food and fun on Dec. 6 from 5-7 p.m. Register with monica@ friendshipcirclesd.org. Check out the Menorah Lightings at UTC Mall on Monday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. or Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Del Mar Highlands Town Center. Rumor has it that refreshments will be served along with the singin’ and a’lightin’ and these events are free. We recommend you search local listings for menorah lightings in your neighborhood; many cities and shopping centers now host such evenings. Also, don’t forget, the JCC Hanukkah Happening takes over the La Jolla campus on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Find those details at lfjcc.org/preschool/ hanukkahhappening.aspx. It’s party time at the Jewish Family Service Modern Times Brew Hanukkah Party! Enjoy special Hanukkah beers brewed just for the occasion, and nosh on latkes and deli classics on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. Contact Ashley Harrington at ashleyh@jfssd.org to register. Echoing a sentiment that many Jewish San Diegans may have this time of year, the Finest City Improv brings you irreverent entertainment with their first-ever show mimicking horrible holiday traditions, cabaret style. It’s F**king Christmas will run Saturday Dec. 5 and 12, at 7 p.m. Buy your tickets to the blasphemous show at finestcityimprov.com/ theater/christmas. If it’s the outdoors you want, try ice-skating and whale watching. Skating by the Sea returns to the Hotel Del Coronado. The outdoor ice rink features spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Because it’s a popular event for locals and visitors, be sure to register in advance by calling (619) 522-8490 or email hoteldel@icerinkevents.com. Tickets are $25 per person and include skate rentals. Alternatively, gather your cameras and kids and join the Birch Aquarium Naturalists Whale Watching Tours to glimpse more of our amazing coastline and even a whale tail or two. Sign up at www.aquarium.ucsd.edu. There are hundreds of parties to ring in the New Year. For families, try the Kids’ New Year’s Eve Bash on Dec. 31, included with the price of admissions at california.legoland.com/en/KNYE. For a listing of many of the 21+ parties in town, New Year’s in San Diego can fill your calendar at sdnewyears.com/new-years-guide-san-diego. A
94 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
BEST BETS
Mark your calendar.
HANUKKAH IN THE SNOW! Dec. 6, 3 p.m. 10785 Pomerado Rd, San Diego, CA 92131 chasd.org
JFS & MODERN TIMES BREWING HANUKKAH PARTY Dec. 8, 5 p.m. Modern Times Beer in Point Loma 3725 Greenwood St., San Diego, CA 92110 jfssd.org
IT’S F**KING CHRISTMAS Dec. 5 and 12, 7 p.m. Finest City Improv 4250 Louisiana St., San Diego, CA 92104 finestcityimprov.com
SKATING BY THE SEA All month long, tickets required Hotel Del Coronado 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118 hoteldel@icerinkevents.com
SENIOR CENTERS Lawrence Family JCC 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla Contact Melanie Rubin for details or to R.S.V.P. (858) 362-1141. Annual Senior Hanukkah Party Thursday, Dec. 10 at noon Savor the smell and taste of our homemade latkes, jelly donuts, and traditional foods to celebrate Hanukkah. Also enjoy entertainment by Nierman preschoolers followed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Seltser performing Hanukkah tunes and yesteryear favorites. Cost: $8 members, $11 non-members. Tai Chi/QiGong for Older Adults Mondays, Dec. 7 & 14, 10:45 a.m. Seniors Doubles Tennis Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8:00 a.m. except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2016 Oceanside Senior Center 455 Country Club Lane, Oceanside Contact Marshall Byer at (760) 726-1534 North County Jewish Seniors Club Third Thursday of each month, 12:30 p.m. Join us to hear speakers and/or entertainment at our monthly meetings. Light refreshments served. Visitors are welcome. Veterans Association of North County 1617 Mission Avenue, Oceanside CA 92058. Contact Marc Poland (858) 232-1645. Jewish War Veterans meetings Second Sunday of each month, noon. San Diego North County Post 385. JFS University City Older Adult Center 9001 Towne Centre Drive, La Jolla Contact Aviva Saad for details or to R.S.V.P. (858) 550-5998. Hanukkah at UCOAC Tuesday, Dec. 8 10 a.m. Reservations requested. New Year Celebration Wednesday, Dec. 30, 10 a.m. Cost: $27 On the Go excursions A program of Jewish Family Service, On the Go provides transportation to events throughout the county for homebound seniors. For information, please call Jo Kessler at (858) 637-7320. Women’s Museum of California, NTC at Liberty Station Tuesday, Dec. 15, depart at 10 a.m. Cost: $25, due Dec. 4
ON THE GO EXCURSION: New Year’s Concert 2016: Salute to Vienna Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, depart at 1:30 p.m. At the San Diego Symphony Hall, cost is $38. R.S.V.P. early.
JFS No. County Inland Center at Adat Shalom 15905 Pomerado Road, Poway Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. Most Activities are free to members, and lunch is $7 with reservations. Holiday Snow: Tribute to the Icons Wednesday, Dec. 23, 11 a.m. Gary Burt will sing Frank Dean and Tony songs and hits from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Followed by a cookie exchange – bring a plate to share. JFS Coastal Club at Temple Solel 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff by the Sea Contact Jodi Rudick (858) 674-1123 for details. R.S.V.P. for lunch by Monday at 12:30 p.m. All activities are free and lunch is $7. Trip to California Women’s Museum at Liberty Station Tuesday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. Cost: $25, due by Dec. 7. JFS College Avenue Center 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, CA 92120 Contact Sara Diaz (858) 637-3270 for details on any events or to R.S.V.P. Annual Hanukkah Party Friday, Dec. 11. 11 a.m. Special holiday lunch including latkes and sufganyot. Debra Davis and several members of Second Avenue Klezmer will provide a lively afternoon concert of Yiddish, Hebrew and popular songs. Movie, “Deli-Man” Thursday, Dec. 24, 12:45 p.m. A documentary that chronicles the history of the American Jewish Deli. New Year’s Luncheon and Entertainment with Bob Constantine and his band New Year’s Luncheon and Entertainment Thursday, Dec. 31, noon Bring in the New Year with a special holiday lunch and then dance and listen to the live show by this musical combo, Bob Constantine and his band. Attendees are encouraged to dress up.
New Year’s Concert 2016: Salute to Vienna Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, depart at 1:30 p.m. At the San Diego Symphony Hall, cost is $38. R.S.V.P. early.
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 95
SHABBAT EVENTS
SYNAGOGUE LIFE HANNUKAH Hanukkah Hootenanny at Temple Emanu-El Sunday, Dec. 6, 5 p.m. 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 286-2555 Hanukkah Shabbaton at Chabad of Scripps Ranch Friday, Dec. 11, dinner at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, game night at 6:45 p.m. chabaddiego.com Hanukkah Blue Grass Shabbat Dinner at Congregation Beth El Friday, Dec. 11, 7:15 p.m. Jacobs Family Community Hall 8660 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037 Register at cbe.org/event/bluegrass-shabbat-dinner.html Hanukkah Lighting at Ohr Shalom Synagogue Sunday, Dec. 13, 5 p.m. 2512 Third Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 Light dinner will be served, suggested donation is $7/per family. R.S.V.P. to office@OhrShalom.com
Erev Shabbat Chai Service & Chinese Dinner at Temple Beth Israel Friday, Dec. 25, 6:15 p.m. The cost for the dinner is $12 per adult, $6 per child (ages 3-12), free for children age 2 and younger. Please R.S.V.P. online by 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 22 at cbisd.org. New Year’s Eve Family Party at Temple Emanu-El Thursday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m. 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego, CA 92120; (619) 286-2555
SPECIAL EVENTS
MAZEL TOV
Building Dedication Dinner at Chabad of La Costa Sunday, Dec. 13, 4:30 p.m. 1980 La Costa Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92009 (760) 943-8891 Cost $180.00; Chabad of La Costa honors sponsors and donors with an evening of celebration, great food, music, entertainment and auctions.
Congregation B’nai Shalom in Vista is celebrating the 100th birthday of beloved member Lillian Wasserman (pictured above) Dec. 5 and 6 at the shul. The centigenarian will also have her Bat Miztvah during the celebration, proving that it’s never too late to be “Bat Motivated.” Mazel tov and happy birthday!
“Nature Minyan” Shabbat Halicha (Hike) with Temple Solel Saturday, Dec. 19, 8:30 a.m. Contact Temple office for hike location 3575 Manchester Ave, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 (760) 436-0654 96 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
*Interested in having your event featured? Contact tinamarieb@sdjewishjournal.com. Submissions are due by 15th of the month for the next issues.
Kislev â&#x20AC;˘ Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 97
THE MARKETPLACE
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
Design Decor Production
Mitzvah Event Productions
Thursday, April 14, 2016 CALIFORNIA
CENTER FOR THE
ARTS ESCONDIDO
BUY TICKETS BUY TICKETS
ARTCENTER.ORG | 800.988.4253 ARTCENTER.ORG | 800.988.4253
LYDIA KRASNER 619.548.3485 www.MitzvahEvent.com
The Joyous Music of Tradition and Transition. Let the award-winning
EVENTS
Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble
Cantor Deborah Davis
N
member of
lydia@mitzvahevent.com
provide your wedding or Bar/Bat Mitzvah with lively, authentic music. Tradition has never been so much fun!
Custom Wedding Ceremonies
Let me help you create a wedding, commitment ceremony or baby-naming that will reflect the beauty and spirituality of your special day. As a Humanist cantor I welcome Jewish and interfaith couples and will honor the customs of both families. I also perform all life-cycle ceremonies.
For information call Deborah Davis: 619-275-1539
To hear samples, visit our website: secondavenueklezmer.com
For further information please contact www.deborahjdavis.com Deborah Davis • (619) 275-1539
FOOD
HEALTH
Consider us for all of your Life Cycle events! • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • ShaBBat Dinner • KiDDuSh • BriS • BaBy naMing • WeDDing
Our cOMBineD lOve Of fOOD anD unDerStanDing Of JeWiSh cuStOMS, traDitiOnS anD the laWS Of KaShrut allOW uS tO help yOu create the perfect event.
960 Turquoise Street • San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 488-1725 • www.frenchgourmet.com
98 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
JEWISH COMMUNITY
FINANCE
Phil Bresnick, Phil Bresnick,CWS® CWS®
SeniorVice VicePresident President Senior WealthAdvisor Advisor Wealth 5464 Grossmont Center Drive Morgan Stanley Wealth Management La Mesa, CA 91942 5464 Grossmont Center Drive, Suite 200 619-668-4334 or 800-729-2900 La Mesa, CA 91942 619-668-4334 • 800-729-2900 philip.bresnick@morganstanley.com www.morganstanleyfa.com/ philip.bresnick@morganstanley.com www.morganstanleyfa.com/bresnickbresnick/ bresnickbresnick © 2015 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC897541 06/14
Welcoming babies and families to San Diego’s Jewish Community ARE YOU EXPECTING A BABY OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS? Shalom Baby is an innovative program designed for San Diego families to celebrate the arrival of their Jewish newborns to affiliated, non-affiliated and inter-married families as a welcome to the San Diego Jewish Community.
To receive your Shalom BaBy BaSkeT and for informaTion conTacT: San Diego .............. Judy Nemzer • 858.362.1352 • shalombaby@lfjcc.org North County......... Vivien Dean • 858.357.7863 • shalombabyncounty@lfjcc.org www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby • www.facebook.com/shalombabypjlibrarysandiego Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, Mandell Weiss Eastgate City Park, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-1348
UNPARALLELED BEAUTY EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE Call for a tour of our newly renovated Sholom Mausoluem
GreenwoodMemorial.com
858.633.8657
FD #843
CARING FOR LOCAL FAMILIES SINCE 1907 HOME IMPROVEMENT
JUDY NEMZER Shalom Baby/PJ Library Coordinator l
Direct Line: (858) 362-1352 E-mail: littlemensches@gmail.com www.lfjcc.org/shalombaby/littlemensches l
Fabrics for Fashion and Home
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS 4126 Executive Drive • La Jolla, CA 92037-1348
Visit our Giant Store & Warehouse 907 Plaza Blvd. • National City
9 locations in SD County Family Owned and Operated since 1953
619- 477- 3749
THROWING A SIMCHA? WE CATER ANY EVENT!
KOSHER CATERING
• •
Sima’s Gourmet Catering and Events
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Weddings
• •
Corporate Events • Fundraising Events
• BAR/BAT MITZVAH PARTIES • WEDDINGS • GRADUATION PARTIES • CORPORATE EVENTS • 30-5,000 PEOPLE • KOSHER PLATTERS • BARUCHA LUNCHEONS
ALWAYS COOKED FRESH ON-SITE! • Rotisserie Free Range Chicken • Kosher Slow-Cooked Brisket • Whole Rotisserie Lamb • Grilled Salmon & Mahi Mahi • Choice cut Roast Beef • Rotisserie Marinated Turkey • Shabbat Luncheons
Persian Tea Station
San Diego’s only Kosher Persian and Mediterranean Catering For more information, or to plan your next life cycle event, please contact: 858.205.9738 info@SimasCatering.com www.SimasCatering.com
858-578-8891
7313 Carroll Road • 92121 www.rotisserieaffair.com Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 99
ASK MARNIE
by Marnie Macauley
ADVICE asksadie@aol.com
Manners are a Mitzvah This month in our Arts Issue, I take questions from a lonely artist, and explore the “art” of manners vs. etiquette. The difference to me? Etiquette is formal. Manners are more than not double-dipping the chips at a party. They’re about people. And how to make others comfortable around you, even if during dinner, a matzah ball goes flying and splats on your Isaac Mizrahi. Handling this, is definitely an art. MANAGING MUNGY NEIGHBORS
Dear Marnie: I need help! My daughter has a dear friend she goes to day school with. They are also neighbors. The problem? The house that they live in is very old and there is a musty smell throughout that lives on their clothing and all their possessions. When my daughter goes there, she comes home smelling terrible and she gets physically sick as well. They are very nice and generous people but I don’t know how to handle this situation without offending them. - Loving Mother MARNIE SAYS: Quick! Tell me your daughter hasn’t dropped by my place lately and this query isn’t your delicate way of telling me to invest in a Swiffer. Now, if you were a vilda Chaya, you’d shriek, “Leapin’ Cesspools! This place stinks!” But you’re probably way too classy. Call me a regressive old duenna, but I believe in that archaic concept called “manners” which has less to do with fish forks and everything to do with feelings. However, a reeking neighbor and wheezing child does require you to act, but with tact. Cry allergy. Open with neighborly references, how much you adore them...their children... their dog. Unfortunately, your little one can’t hack these get-togethers without hacking her lungs out. A common issue, you add, in older homes where mold and dank descend and attach like static cling to all in its path. Offer to help hunt for the offending substance(s). Mention how the carpet seems to make your little one tear up, how the walls make her throw up. Then offer up your heavy-duty vacuum, your heating service to check vents, and a cleaning company. Blame the season, the mites, the murk. It’s a medical issue, poopsala. Of course you’ll help as this is on behalf of your little mamala. It’s a joint issue. If they’re as decent as you report, your gentle
100 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
nudge should engender concern, rather than contempt and point them in the direction they should go: Toward a mop, enough disinfectant to sparkle Calcutta – and help. If not, you change direction. The kids play, at your place.
NO LUST FOR LIFE?
Dear Marnie: I am an artist from Russia, age 24. I spend all my time alone creating, working hard hoping to get some recognition. Life is the same day after day. I’m afraid I’ve lost my feelings about women, about marriage! Art has become my life. What can I do? - Lonely Lempke MARNIE SAYS: Why do anything, dear Lempke? By the way, I love the name. I can just see a “Lempke” hanging on my wall! Where is it written that a budding Chagall must have two table settings, 2.1 dogs or attend 3.6 parties with a female draped around his canvass? If, for now, your passion passes your “heart” and goes straight to your art – paint, sculpt, chisel away! Trust me, Lempke, you’re a mere 24. Sooner or later those juices will flow to other parts of your spirit (and anatomy), and you’ll heed the call of the wild then. And when you’re ready: Pssst. two words: art galleries. Not only will you meet a kindred maidel, she may actually bring a vat of chicken soup for the poor struggling artiste or better yet, kosher caviar. Better still, she may beg for the privilege of becoming your patroness. So I say: keep your brushes up!
THE LOST ART OF LETTER WRITING
Dear Marnie: I’m a 17 year-old girl who is still good friends with Becca, my bunkmate in camp who lives across the country. We text all the time. Sadly, her father, who has been very ill, passed away a few days ago. She’s not answering her
phone. The shiva has started and I want to text her, but I’m not sure what to say. Can you help me? - Don’t Have The Words MARNIE SAYS: Yes, mamala. Toss the “text.” It’s tacky, especially during the tough times in our lives. Of course try to reach her by phone. Then…write. Yes. A whole letter. With a stamp. Mail it. Listen to this: “Fräulein Felice! I answer one of your letters, then lie in bed in apparent calm, but my heart beats through my entire body and is conscious only of you. I belong to you and that is not strong enough.” This is an excerpt of a letter written by Franz Kafka to the love of his life, his fiancée, Felice Bauer, with whom he tragically parted, as he was ill with tuberculosis. This particular letter, one of many, was written on Nov. 11, 1912. Millennials have one mission in life: to shorten. Let’s flash forward 100 years and translate in digital-speak: URMG4EVA, <3 Franz (“You are my girl forever, love Franz” for those who don’t read “text.”) See it? Now, this is not just some rant from an ancient aunt who longs for the days when women wore white gloves to pour a proper Lipton’s. It is, however, a serious comment on what passes for personal communication that uses emotions rather than emojis. In difficult times, write her, in your own words: “My dear friend. I can’t imagine the pain you must be going through.” If you met her father, talk about meeting him and how you felt about him, as in: “When he came to camp, I saw how close you were, how caring he was,” etc. “Know that I am here for you. Whatever you need.” Many mourners keep these letters and cherish the comfort, which to me, is not only “manners” but a mitzvah to choose intimacy over expediency. A
AM ISRAEL MORTUARY We Are San Diego’s ONLY All-Jewish Mortuary Serving the community for over 25 years.
✡
Proudly Serving Jewish Families For Over 38 Years.
✡
Family Owned and Operated for Three Generations.
✡
Serving all Jewish Families, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
✡
Affiliated or Unaffiliated with a Synagogue.
✡
We can assist with At need or Pre need funeral planning. Purchasing cemetery plots or burial arrangements anywhere.
✡
We are here to help, call or email with any questions.
UNPARALLELED BEAUTY EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE Gracious tree-lined roadways, manicured gardens and an ocean view have made Greenwood Memorial Park the first choice for many local families – but it’s the caring and attentive service that keeps families coming back generation after generation.
Call for a tour of our newly renovated Sholom Mausoluem
(619) 583-8850
6316 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego For a list of currents services and additional info:
www.amisraelmortuary.com Members of the JFDA- Jewish funeral directors of America, KAVOD - (Independent/Family owned Jewish funeral directors) Consumer Affairs Funeral and Cemetery division CA, Lic. #FD-1320
4300 Imperial Ave., San Diego, CA 92113 GreenwoodMemorial.com | 858.633.8657
FD #843
Call 858.633.8657 for a free Preplanning Guide.
SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY OBITUARIES PHOTO COURTESY CALIFORNIA BALLET
Arrangements by Am Israel Mortuary ALL SERVICES ALREADY HELD
Ernst Herzberg 11/25/23 - 10/26/15 Survived by: wife Lillian Belinfante Herzberg; daughters Janet Herzberg Pastko and Lor-rie Herzberg; and son Jack Michael Herzberg Stuart Grossman - San Diego 1/2/1945 - 9/1/2015 Survivor: sister, Ellen Grossman Beatrice Fox - San Diego 11/6/1923 - 9/2/2015 Survivors: husband, Isidore Fox; daughter, Gail Barlow; son, Michael Fox; and two grandchildren Rose Breitberg - West Bloomfield 11/30/1920 - 9/2/2015 Survivors: daughter, Iris Radner; sons, Stuart and Freddie Breitberg; eight grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren Norton Locke - National City 5/22/1927 - 9/3/2015 Survivors: wife, Peggy Locke;
daughters, Jonina Arazi, Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, Eliz-abeth LockeThomas and Victoria Halfon; and nine grandchildren Alfred Gottfeld - Poway 8/5/1920 - 9/3/2015 Survivors: daughter, Ruth Leiderman; four grandchildren and five 5 great-grandchildren
Alfred Saleh - La Jolla 1/4/1939 - 9/4/2015 Survivors: wife, Vivienne Saleh; daughters, Jacky Saleh, Olivia Okovita and Joyce Isaac and three grandchildren
Mildred Bernstein - Rancho Santa Fe 6/8/1917 - 9/10/2015 Survivors: daughter, Janice Gaye Cummins; son, Donald Bernstein; three grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren
Lore Odenheimer - Encinitas 6/16/1921 - 9/5/2015 Survivors: husband, Warren Odenheimer; daughter, Susan Kabakoff; sons, Daniel and Stephen Odenheimer; and seven grandchildren
Michael Lehman - San Diego 9/26/1937 - 9/19/2015 Survivor: wife, Lucy Lehman
Beatrice Blumovicz – Slovatizki Jeanette Burnett - San Diego 9/13/1922 - 9/3/2015 Survivors: daughter, Helene Ziman; Lou Dunst - San Diego two grandchildren and one great- 3/11/1926 - 9/8/2015 grandchild Survivor: wife, Estelle Dunst Julius Pearl - La Jolla 11/5/1933 - 9/4/2015 Survivors: wife, Laurie Pearl; daughters, Natalie Pearl and Karen Gould; son, Dan Pearl and eight grandchildren
Florence Spivak - San Diego 6/4/1921 - 9/19/2015 Survivors: daughter, Shelly Greco; and son, Neil Spivack Norman Kerman - Encinitas 2/3/1926 - 9/22/2015 Survivors: wife, Rochelle Kerman; daughter, Elyse Schloss; son, Lonny Kerman; and three grandchildren
Leonard Weksler - Carlsbad 9/12/1929 - 9/07/2015 Survivor: son, Mike Weksler Manya Teplitsky - San Diego 11/10/1921 - 9/9/2015 Survivors: sons, Simon and Jacob Teplitsky; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren
Harold Kass- El Cajon 3/15/1924- 9/25/2015 Survivor: brother-in-law, Dr. Fred Johnson
Kislev • Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 101
February 27, 2016 Hyatt Regency La Jolla
Join us for an evening of glitz, glamour and giving in the tradition of Grand Hollywood. 2016 Gala Co-Chairs Esther Fischer and Linda Platt Master of Ceremonies Dan Cohen Morning Anchor at KFMB-TV, CBS San Diego For tickets and sponsorship information, call 760.516.2003. Advance ticket pricing available before January 13, 2016 at seacrestvillage.org.
Media Sponsor
Proceeds from this event benefit the residents of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities
102 SDJewishJournal.com l December 2015
Kislev â&#x20AC;˘ Tevet 5776 | SDJewishJournal.com 103
“A marvel of old and new, with punch lines that glisten with classical flair and contemporary savvy!” The Washington Post
The Hit Comedy from Award-Winning Playwright David Ives
The Metromaniacs By David Ives Directed by Michael Kahn
January 30 – March 6 Tickets Start at $29 Supremely clever playwright David Ives (All in the Timing, Time Flies) gives us this uproarious new “translaptation” of a classic French farce. In 18th-century Paris, young people like Damis have gone métromanie— crazy for poetry. Indeed, Damis has fallen in love with a mysterious poetess sight unseen, charmed by her verse alone. But unbeknownst to him, his beloved is actually a middle-aged gentleman named Francalou! This mistaken identity sets in motion a comedy of pseudonyms, plot twists, and plenty of playful poetry. Legendary American stage director Michael Kahn makes his Globe debut.
(619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623) www.TheOldGlobe.org The cast of The Metromaniacs. Photo by Scott Suchman, courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company.