Other items in today’s column include:
* Union-Tribune highlights Jewish Family Service; ranks financial strength of charities
* The Hebraicized/ Yiddishized California State Flag
* StandWithUs announces $150,000 matching grant
* Congressman Duncan Hunter to plead guilty
* Political bytes
* Coming our way
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — You might have heard attorney Roberta Taylor Winston perform as a cantorial soloist at Congregation Beth El, where she also has served on the board. Or perhaps you heard her belting out the songs for Congregation Beth Am’s Rockin’ Shabbat band. Even before that, you might have heard her sing as part of the High Holiday quartet that accompanied Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Now, she’s campaigning for another spot in which she would have an audience, but instead of performing, for the most part, she would be actively listening. Roberta Winston, 58, is in a race to become a Superior Court Judge in Office No. 18, from which Judge Jacqueline Stern is retiring. A veteran of 32 years as a civil case attorney whose practice specialized in detecting and defending against insurance fraud, Winston is up against some tough competition in Deputy District Attorney CJ Mody, 44, who has Judge Stern’s endorsement and is hoping to become the first immigrant from India to become a Superior Court judge.
Winston says her long-time practice in civil cases – rather than in criminal cases – is an advantage.
“The public is looking for judges that are fair and impartial,” she told San Diego Jewish World. “You can’t be fair if you are not truly impartial. I have no connection to the DA’s office. So, should I be assigned to a criminal courtroom, when the prosecutor and defense attorney walk into the room, I am not looking at a former colleague or opponent.
“I am effectively ‘Switzerland,’” she added. “That is the way it should be. In the civil realm, it is far less likely I would hear matters with counsel I have opposed, as the civil bar is much larger. A good judge is committed to creating a level playing field for the parties; making sure the rules are applied the same to all, and everyone has a chance to be heard. Because I am not part of the prosecutorial establishment, I believe I can more easily accomplish these goals.”
There’s no certainty that Winston would be assigned to criminal cases; that’s a decision made by the presiding judge of the Superior Court. However, she said, she has heard through the grapevine, it’s possible that if she wins the seat, she would be assigned to family court.
Winston said she will bring to any court room “a judicial temperament” which means, in her words, “that you are even-tempered; not easily angered; treat those before you with respect and dignity.
“I have had a great deal of practice keeping my cool when questioning people under oath about their suspect claims,” she said. “I am respectful, polite but direct. I confront them with problematic evidence in a way that is designed not to be accusatory, but to offer them the opportunity to provide an alternative explanation for the evidence. I grew up in the Midwest and was taught that being ‘appropriate’ is always the right call.”
It was noted yesterday in this column that Winston has a fundraiser coming up on Thursday, Dec. 5, for which an advertisement on her website advised: “There are no campaign contribution limits for judicial campaigns. The sky is the limit.”
Legislative offices have contribution limits, intended to prevent officeholders from feeling beholden to financial contributors. Winston was asked whether there should be similar concerns for judicial offices.
She responded that the rules “require a judge to recuse herself from any matter that involves a party or attorney who contributed more than $1,500 to the campaign. … I can only speak for myself, but my integrity is worth far more than $1,499.”
In addition to singing at the three Conservative synagogues (Beth El, Beth Am, and Tifereth Israel), Winston has been “a regular participant in Beth El’s Homeless Shelter for families during the holiday season.”
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Union-Tribune highlights Jewish Family Service; ranks financial strength of charities
In advance of “Giving Tuesday,” which comes tomorrow, the San Diego Union-Tribune did a public service by publishing on Sunday the 60-page supplement, “Making A Difference: 2020 Nonprofit Guide.” From among 11,523 nonprofit organizations in San Diego County, Jewish Family Service was one of 16 given full-page ‘advertorial” treatment.”
“Jewish Family Service is a trusted community resource for people in search of a better life,” the copy on page 26 of the supplement read. “From an urgent need like meals, transportation or housing; to caring for an aging parent; to providing legal assistance and shelter for asylum seekers, our goal is to lift up individuals and families, which in turn, strengthens our whole community. We hope you will join us in Moving Forward Together.”
The advertorial (that is an advertisement in editorial format) went on to list some of JFS’s upcoming fundraising opportunities, including “exclusive access to the best seats at the Tony-award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen at the Civic Theater” on Jan 11; attendance at the Heart & Soul Gala April 25, at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla; and attendance May 28 at a Behavioral Health Signature Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla that “will focus on teens, mental health and social media.”
In the back pages of the supplement, the San Diego Union-Tribune listed the “region’s largest nonprofits” with their ranks “based on total revenues and assets reported by each organization for circa tax year 2017. Most categories ranked 30 non-profit organizations.
Jewish institutions and institutions named for Jews and Torah personages could be found in half of the 14 categories tracked by the daily newspaper.
On page 47, In the category of arts, culture and humanities, the chart for arts other than the performing arts, ranked the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, which is based at the Lawrence Family JCC, at the 22nd largest, with annual revenues and expenses both at $2,003,375, with no assets listed. The chart said the center has no employees, and 500 volunteers.
On page 49, in the category of “Other Education” – meaning not college or university level –San Diego Jewish Academy was in 9th position with revenues $17,068,772, expenses of $17,161.659, and assets of $57,249, 585. It listed 255 employees and 50 volunteers.
In 25th place was Albert Einstein Academies, which is not a Jewish institution but, of course, is named for a famous Jew. It listed revenues of $13,204,573, expenses of $12,416,880, and assets of $17,975,714. It listed 14 employees and did not list any volunteers.
In 27th place was the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, which had revenues of $11,580,482, expenses of $12,171,345 and assets of $17,151,606. It listed 492 employees and 500 volunteers, presumably the same volunteers as the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.
On page 52, in the category of Hospitals, Rady’s Children’s Hospital showed up both in 4th place and 8th place. The hospital is named for Jewish benefactors Ernest and Evelyn Rady. The 4th place listing showed Rady Children’s Hospital, having been established in 1954, as having total revenues of $1,099,219,854, expenses of $1,004,743,842, and assets of $1,806,577,989. It listed 5,348 employees and 525 volunteers. The 8th place listing was for the Rady’s Children’s Hospital and Health Center, established in 1980, which had revenues of $4,187,941, expenses of $69,721 and assets of $62,584,628. It listed neither employees nor volunteers.
On page 53, in the category of “Other Health,” the Rady name showed up again in 24th and 25th places. In the 24th place was Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation, established in 1986, which had revenues of $40,823,220; expenses of $33,304,981, and assets of $25,667,599. It had 45 employees and 1,900 volunteers. The Rady Children’s Hospital Research Center, established in 1983, listed revenues of $13,385,853, expenses of $10,053,813, and assets of $69,175,299. It listed 23 employees and no volunteers.
In the same category of “Other Health,” San Diego Hebrew Homes, which is the corporate name for Seacrest Village Retirement Community, was listed in 29th position, with revenues of $20,748,673; expenses of $21,588,504, and assets of $35,339,469. It reported 418 employees and 108 volunteers.
On page 54, under the category of Human Services – Food and Housing, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, named for the Jewish philanthropic Cushman and Jacobs families was in fourth position, reporting revenues of $41,226,843, expenses of $39,659,820, and total assets of $23,082,818. It reported 66 employees and 26,107 volunteers.
Seacrest Foundation was listed in 15th position in that category, with revenues of $3,181,886, expenses of $2,162,128, and assets of $25,773,739. It listed zero employees and 30 volunteers.
On page 56, under the category of “Other Human Services,” Price Charities, named for the families of the late Jewish philanthropist Sol Price and his son Robert Price, is in sixth position, showed revenues of $8,367,978, expenses of $9,498,509, and total assets of $163,065,129. It listed 23 employees and no volunteers.
In that same category, Jewish Family Service of San Diego was listed in 13th place, with revenues of $19,672,433, expenses of $18,615,137, and assets of $41,291,576. It listed 377 employees and 739 volunteers.
In 39th place was Noah Homes, named for the biblical Noah, which showed revenues of $4,719,542; expenses of $5,011,569, and assets of $13,092,906. It listed 121 employees and 220 volunteers.
Finally on page 58, under the category of “Mutual, Public & Societal Benefit,” the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego was listed in third place with revenues of $200,565,771, expenses of $167,243,782, and assets of $293,650,842. It listed 22 employees and no volunteers.
In 13th place was the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, which listed revenues of $8,222,406; expenses of $6,899,714, and assets of $13,306,469. It listed 30 employees and 300 volunteers.
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The Hebraicized/ Yiddishized California State Flag
Nu, so what if California had been settled by Hebrew or Yiddish-speaking personages, who liked the name “California Republic” but only knew the Hebrew alphabet? Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh, founder of the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America, hoping people would remember her organization on giving Tuesday, distributed an image of how the California State Flag might have looked.
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StandWithUs announces $150,000 matching grant
StandWithUs, the organization that counters anti-Israel protests and misinformation on the nation’s college campuses, has received a matching grant for up to $150,000 in connection with “Giving Tuesday,” its associate director in San Diego, Yael Steinberg, has announced on Facebook.
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Congressman Duncan Hunter to plead guilty
* In the 50th Congressional District, incumbent Congressman Duncan Hunter will plead guilty tomorrow to one count of misuse of his campaign funds and will subsequently resign from office, according to a court filing by his attorney Devin Burstein.
The congressman subsequently told KUSI-Television that he decided not to go to trial “for three reasons and those three reasons are my kids.” In an interview with reporter Steve Bosh, he said he made mistakes: “I did not properly monitor or account for my campaign money.” However, he stressed, “Not a single dime of taxpayer money was involved in this. The plea that I accepted was misuse of my own campaign funds of which I pled guilty to only one count.”
Pleading for leniency for his wife, Margaret, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to a single count, the congressman said, “Whatever my time in custody is, I will take that hit. My only hope is that the judge does not sentence my wife to jail. I think my kids need a mom in home.”
The congressman said his staff will keep his office open and provide a “seamless transition” for whoever is elected to succeed him, according to a story on Times of San Diego.
Hunter had a formidable array of candidates against him, who now will battle each other in the election. On the Republican side, they are former Congressman Darrell Issa of the 49th CD, current State Sen. Brian Jones, and former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio. Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, who came close to winning in 2018, is also in the race.
DeMaio promptly issued this statement: “While this must have been a tough decision for him, Congressman Hunter’s decision to plead guilty is the right one for his family and his constituents and shows that no one should be above the law – especially Members of Congress. My thoughts and prayers are with the Hunter family as they go through this difficult process.”
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Political bytes
*The sedimentation found in the City of Poway’s water supply, which prompted the State of California to require city officials to issue a “boil water” advisory, has been seized upon by former state Senator Joel Anderson to criticize Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, a rival in the race for the 2nd Supervisorial seat from which Dianne Jacob is termed out. “Placing Poway residents at risk is simply a failure of leadership,” Anderson declared in a press release. “Vaus has turned Poway into a Third World country where the safety of water is in question.” Responding, Vaus said the sedimentation in the water was below allowable limits, that there is no danger to residents, and that he himself is drinking the city water. The state, according to Vaus, need not have required the advisory, but did so perhaps out of an excess of caution. While waiting for state inspectors to recertify the water supply, he said, “Poway has really come together,” passing out thousands of units of bottled water at distribution points, and delivering them directly to shut-ins. He expressed concern over restaurants that had to close, and especially for those employees who have lost their wages. In reference to Anderson, he said: “That’s the difference between a politician and a mayor: Politicians flap their lips about things they know nothing about, while mayors take care of business.”
*Congressmembers Mike Levin and Scott Peters, respectively of the 49th and 52nd Congressional District has been appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the U.S. delegation to the Conference of the Parties 25 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, Spain. “Urgent climate action requires global attention,” Peters stated. “While President Trump shirks American leadership by abandoning our commitment to the Paris Agreement, Congress can still show the world that Americans remain committed. I am grateful to Speaker Pelosi for her leadership to give voice to the overwhelming majority of Americans who demand climate action now.”
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Coming our way
* David Amos, conductor of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra, who has guest conducted symphony orchestras around the world, will tell of such Jewish composers as George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, at a Chanukah dessert meeting sponsored by that congregation’s Sisterhood. Tickets: $8 members, $10 non-members, may be paid in advance on this website. https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=ALW4PE
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com