Jews in the News: February 24, 2019

By Donald H. Harrison

NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL – The Associated Press was credited with three stories involving Jews in Sunday’s San Diego Union Tribune.  In one, Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California had an impromptu debate with students who demanded that she support the Green New Deal, which she responded would never receive enough votes to pass the Senate. In another, Stuart Wexler, a Hightstown High School (New Jersey) teacher, was credited with inspiring his students to lobby successfully for a federal bill to store records of civil rights cold cases.  In a third, attorney Steve Greenberg, defending singer R. Kelly against charges of sexual abuse, said Kelly, being a rock star, doesn’t have to force anyone to have sex.

CALIFORNIA – Political consultant Dan Schnur, quoted in a CalMatters story published by Times of San Diego, says as Republicans are becoming increasingly irrelevant many business organizations have decided to back moderate Democrats in races against the progressives.  Shnur suggests the shift may be “the most important thing that’s happened in state politics over the last decade.”

ECOLOGY – Michael Ordman, editor of Israel Good News, reports that Moaz Fine, a researcher at Bar-Ilan University, has found that “Eilat’s coral reef is genetically resistant to rising sea temperatures. Hardy corals settled in Eilat 18,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Those hardy genes are being cross-bred to save bleached reefs in Hawaii and Australia.”

SPORTS/ ENTERTAINMENT – Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune relates PR man Andy Strasberg’s remembrance of the late Monkees guitarist/ keyboardist Peter Tork’s confrontation in 1986 with San Diego Padres coach Whitey Wietelmann, who was driving a golf cart one way down a hallway of San Diego Stadium when Tork came in the opposite direction on another golf cart.  With no room to pass, Wietelmann told Tork to back up, to which the musician responded, “No, you back up old man.”  Witelmann promptly jumped off his cart and punched Tork in the face.  Strasberg, then a Padres VP of public relations, ran to the dressing room where the Monkees were preparing for their concert and apologized for the Padres.  Tork said he was okay and apologized in turn for calling Witelmann an old man.  At the time Tork was 44, and Witelmann, who pre-deceased him, was 67.

SIMCHAS – Former U.S. Senator and Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman is 77 today … Shor Masori, 17, a photographer for San Diego Jewish World, has been notified that on June 5 he will receive an associate of arts degree with honors from Grossmont College.  One day later, Masori will graduate from high school. He was able to do both nearly simultaneously thanks to Grossmont Middle College High School, a small school for 11^th and 12^th graders on the Grossmont College campus that permits its students to enroll in college classes before or after their required high school classes. Combined with Advanced Placement classes he took in 9^th and 10^th grades at Patrick Henry High School and during his time at Grossmont Middle College High School, Masori compiled the 60 college units required for an AA degree. Masori, who compiled a straight-A average at both the high school and the college, is now awaiting acceptance from four-year universities. Commented his grandmother Nancy Harrison, co-publisher of San Diego Jewish World, “It’s a wonderful gift for our anniversary.”  She and I are married 51 years today. …

OBITUARIES/ MEMORIALS – Joseph Sprinzak, the first speaker of Israel’s Knesset, who held the position for a decade, was born this date in 1885 … Actor Abe Vigoda, who played sour detective Phil Fish in the television series Barney Miller, was born this day in 1921 …  Singer/ actress Dinah Shore, who changed her name from Fannye Rose Shore, and went on to become a popular singer and television personality who popularized the commercial lyrics “See the USA in your Chevrolet,” died on this day in 1994 at age 77. … A family sponsored obituary of Merrill Jacobson appeared in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune.  He went to Hoover High School, worked with his father at Jacobson Neon, owned First Edition Restaurant, and was a real estate broker.  Survivors are children Gary, Denise, Felice, and two grandchildren. The family quoted him as saying, “Goodbye and Good luck.” .. Dr. Robert M. Epsten Jr., former chief of gastroenterology at Scripps Mercy Hospital, was memorialized by his family on the pages of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  He was an award-winning equestrian as a child, but later became a deep-sea fisherman. Survivors include his wife Locke, daughters Emily and Dana, mother Bea, brother Jon, and sister Andrea.

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This is the final in a test series of “Jews in the News” columns.  We’d appreciate your reaction to the series.  Should we resume it at some time?  Drop it?  Change it?   Please tell us what you think.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com