Other items in this column include:
* Jewish Community Foundation executive tells of fight against opioids
* Home for rent on synagogue grounds
* Actor Richard Dreyfuss helps promote North Coast Rep
* Political bytes
* Coming our way
CHULA VISTA, California – Stephen D. Smith is the executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation, which houses the archive of interviews of Holocaust Survivors financed by movie producer Steven Spielberg. He will be a special guest Jan. 12 at the grand opening of RUTH (Remember Us The Holocaust), a Chula Vista Civic Library exhibit named in honor of the late Holocaust survivor Ruth Sax.
Before joining the Shoah Foundation in the executive director position endowed by Qualcomm co-founder Andrew Viterbi and his late wife, Erna Viterbi, Smith a theologian, was the founder of the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England; was the inaugural chairman of the UK’s Holocaust Memorial Day Trust; and the inaugural UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education.
Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas will preside over an 11 a.m. kosher brunch prior to the opening ceremonies, with proceeds from requested $50 donations going to support the work of the Southbay Historical Society. Along with Sax’s daughter, Sandra Scheller, who curated the exhibit, members of the society were instrumental in creating the exhibit featuring panels on the lives of Holocaust Survivors who made their post-war lives in Chula Vista and other Southbay cities.
In addition to Ruth Sax, those survivors whose lives are examined in the exhibition are Mark Fishauf, Lilly Rosenfeld Stern Hecht, Ursula Israelski, Salomon Schlosser, Renee Haber Vogel, Ona Yufe, Zyndel “Sid” Wapner, Max Weinstock, Bela Mark, Kurt Sax, and the Schauders.
Following the luncheon, catered by Chabad of Chula Vista, there will be a 1:30 p.m. ribbon cutting to open the exhibit to the public.
Each month of the year-long exhibit at the library at 365 F. Street in Chula Vista will be marked by a special event such as a lecture, a forum, films, and art projects. Narrated tours of the exhibit may be reserved by contacting Scheller via her email.
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Jewish Community Foundation executive tells of fight against opioids
In an opinion piece for Times of San Diego, Beth Sirull, president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, tells of her organization’s participation in Jewish Advocacy Strategy, which is overseen by the JLens Investor Network to leverage ownership positions to change corporate behavior. She wrote, “Recently JLens and the foundation, along with other investors, successfully convinced Teva Pharmaceuticals, the largest distributor of generic opioids in the world, to shift how doctors are educated about opioids, how sales teams are compensated for them, and how prescriptions are tracked, to identify potential irregularities. These are significant steps in addressing the opioid crisis.”
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Home for rent on synagogue grounds
Before Temple Beth Shalom came into being at 208 Madrona Street in Chula Vista, it was an Episcopal Church that included a home for the priest. Now Temple Beth Shalom seeks to rent out the home at 210 Madrona for $2595 per month.
According to the Jewish congregation’s president, Arlene LaGary, the house “has 4-5 bedrooms, one full bathroom, separate laundry room. The rooms are large.” The synagogue and the home, built in 1925, both have been designated as historic landmarks by the City of Chula Vista.
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Actor Richard Dreyfuss helps promote the North Coast Rep
Movie actor Richard Dreyfuss and his wife Svetlana will be the honorary chairs of the Spotlight Gala on March 22 at which more than 200 guests will contribute a minimum of $350 each to help underwrite the North Coast Rep.
Laura Applegate will chair the dinner at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, with Sarah King and Martin Davis serving as cochairs. Philanthropists Jay & Julie Sarno will be presented the “Champion for the Arts Award” during the dinner which also will feature a “Salute to Broadway” production. More information is available from Rick Ochocki via his email. rick@northcoastrep.org
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Political bytes
*While Georgette Gomez has been announcing political endorsement after political endorsement in the 53rd Congressional District – with many from her San Diego City Council colleagues, the LGBTQ+ community, and the Latino community — her main opponent Sara Jacobs has remained relatively quiet, leading to speculation that she will focus her campaign on saturation television commercials, such as she did in her unsuccessful campaign in 2018 in the 49th Congressional District. Come on, Sara Jacobs, let’s hear what you have to say! Send out press releases; tell us what you feel about the issues facing our country!
* Barbara Bry continues to complain about “special interests” who are supporting her opponent, Todd Gloria, in the mayoral race. My own feeling all this kvetching does Bry no good, but simply underscores the fact that Gloria is outperforming her in the endorsement department. Once upon a time, Bry was known as an entrepreneur, who put together a multi-million dollar e-commerce business, ProFlowers. My own feeling is that she’d do the voters a favor if she would proactively champion innovative ideas for helping San Diego adjust to the challenges of the future, rather than carp about Gloria’s endorsements and campaign contributions. From my experience, Bry and Gloria are both good people; let this be a campaign of ideas rather than of insinuation.
* A website has been created by the No on SOS organization, opposing an initiative that would require a countywide vote on construction projects that exceed densities outlined in the county’s general plan.
* Escondido City Councilwoman Olga Diaz, a candidate in the 3rd county supervisorial district, recalls to supporters, “I first ran for office to push back against a City Council that was racist, anti-immigrant and unfair. I had to do something about it. Now more than a decade later, I’m proud of the transformation we’ve achieved in Escondido, and I’m read to bring my passion for social justice and 10+ years of local governing experience to the county level.”
* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared in Oceanside for U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, who faces a challenge from San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott. Although Pelosi is less enthusiastic than Levin about the so-called “Green Initiative” offered by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she praised his credentials on climate change and campaign finance issues at a forum. Levin said one of the reasons that little of substance gets done on climate change is that the fossil fuel industry has been pouring money into Republican coffers, especially those of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
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Coming our way
* Lawrence Family JCC will be the venue at 8 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, when dancer/ choreographer Aakash Odedra gives a solo performance of Rising, consisting dances created by Akran Khan, Sidi Larbi Chrkaoui, Russell Maliphant and Odedra himself. More information on this website.
The Israeli-born comedian Modi will entertain at the Men’s Event, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, at 6 p.m., Sunday, December 8 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. At the top of his column, you’ll find a YouTube clip showing one of his performances.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com