Other items in today’s column include:
*Congressional subcommittee to weigh veteran hunger
Helping to save animals escaping Australia’s wildfires
*Political bytes
*Coming our way
*Mazal tov! Mazal tov!
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Zvi Weiss, former Head of School at the Yavneh Day School in Los Gatos, California, will succeed the retiring Chaim Heller as Head of School at the San Diego Jewish Academy, it was announced by Heidi Gantwerk, SDJA board chair.
Yavneh Day School’s enrollment increased by 40 percent to 200 K-8 students under Weiss’s leadership. Prior to that post, Weiss was director of early childhood and family education, and later director of early childhood strategic initiatives, at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto. He also was on the founding board of the Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto. During service in the Israel Defense Forces, he served as a psychologist. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Hebrew University. He completed post graduate work at the Jewish Theological Seminary and at Harvard University.
In a joint statement, Jessica Fink and Theresa Dupuis, who co-chaired the search committee, commented, “Zvi articulated such a compelling educational philosophy as we got to know him over these last few months. His belief in valuing each student for their unique qualities, in imbuing our students with skills to meet tomorrow’s challenges, and in strengthening and cherishing our community spoke deeply to us. He clearly rose to the top as we considered all candidates.”
Welcoming Weiss’s appointment, Heller described the man who will succeed him on July 1 as “the perfect fit to innovate even further while creating the most nurturing and academically rich environment for all.”
SDJA has a current enrollment of 600 in its K-12 classes.
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Congressional subcommittee to weigh veteran hunger
Vince Hall, chief executive officer of Feeding San Diego, will appear alongside Josh Protas, vice president for public policy of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, at a hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday in Washington D.C. of the subcommittee on economic opportunity of the House Veteran Affairs Committee. According to a news release, “MAZON will testify that if Congress and federal agencies do not take timely and concerted efforts to prioritize veteran hunger, it will only get worse and become more difficult to resolve. MAZON will point to the harmful impact of administrative changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) promulgated by the current Administration, condoned and celebrated by some members of Congress.”
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Helping to save animals escaping Australia’s wildfires
Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of the San Diego County Humane Society, has responded to inquiries about what local residents can do to help animals escaping Australia’s wildfires. “Given the distance, and the international quarantine, we are not in a position to rescue pets or wildlife impacted by these fires like we can for animals impacted by disasters in the United States,” he said. “Despite that, San Diego Humane Society strives to support the global animal welfare movement and we encourage those who can to support the organizations that are fighting on the front lines of this disaster. Some of you have reached out and asked for recommendations of such organizations to support. Among the many that are responding, one that is playing a leading role for animals in the region most heavily impacted by the fires is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales.”
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Political bytes
*Times of San Diego editor Chris Jennewein will moderate a debate Sunday, Jan. 12, among five Democratic aspirants for the congressional seat from which Susan Davis is retiring. Scheduled to be on stage together at 5 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, are Jose Caballero, Janessa Goldbeck, Georgette Gomez, Sara Jacobs, and Joaquin Vazquez. The debate is sponsored by Indivisible CBFD, Indivisible San Diego Persist, and Hillcrest indivisible.
*Disappointed that California Governor Gavin Newsom does not plan to call a special election after Duncan Hunter resigns next Monday in the wake of his conviction in federal court on charges of misappropriation of campaign funds, former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, a candidate in the 50th CD, issued this statement: ““It’s outrageous and unconscionable that Gavin Newsom is leaving the 50th Congressional District without a Member of Congress – their voice in Washington – for a full year. If this were a safe Democrat seat, you know damn well that the Governor would have wanted it filled as soon as possible – but because this is a Republican seat, he couldn’t care less about the voters in our district. By playing politics, Gavin Newsom is denying the fundamental right for these residents to have the voice they deserve in Congress.”
*Escondido City Councilwoman Olga Diaz, a candidate in the 3rd supervisorial district, has an energetic schedule of political activities on Saturday, Jan. 11, in her effort to oust incumbent Kristin Gaspar. After canvassing in Rancho Penasquitos from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., she’ll be hosted to 3 p.m. at a fundraiser at the Rancho Bernardo home of Pam & John Heatherington. Next, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., she’ll meet constituents at a free event in Cardiff, hosted by Kathleen & Jim Stivens, Theresa Beauchamp & Bob Ayers, and Francine Busby.
*Joe Leventhal, a candidate in San Diego’s 5th City Council District, has announced the endorsements of three educators: Mark Powell, vice president of the San Diego County Board of Education; T.J. Zane, a Poway Unified School District trustee, and University of California Regent Charlene Zettel, a former Republican state assemblywoman.
Coming our way
*Rabbi Mendy and Mussie Begun of Chabad of Chula Vista have announced that a new session of the only Hebrew school in Chula Vista will be conducted on Sundays, Jan. 19 through May 31. They said children, ages 6-11, who would like to sample Hebrew School before deciding whether to attend may do so for the first two Sunday sessions, which begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at noon. More information, including meeting place, is available via this website.
*Holocaust Survivor Edith Eger, a psychologist and author, will lecture on “Embrace the Possible” at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26, at Chabad of University City, 3813 Governor Drive. Ticket: $10 in advance via this website or $15 at the door.
*Anat Almani on violin and Ron Fox on English horn will provide solos in a Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra concert featuring the works of Beethoven, Sibelius, Kabalevsky, and Tchaikovsky at 4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26, at the First United Methodist Church, 1200 East H Street, Chula Vista, and at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd., San Diego. Tickets may be purchased via this website.
* Chaya Andrusier, Rebbetzin of Chabad of East County, will host “a panel of local ladies bringing to life their Jewish experiences and international cuisine” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7290 Navajo Road, Suite 207, San Diego.
*Lisa Pearl and Marie Raftery are co-chairs of the Feb 2 “Options: The Women’s Event” of the Jewish Federation of San Diego, at which author and philanthropist Carol Leifer will entertain. Having written for the television series Seinfeld, Leifer has been credited as the prototype for the character Elaine Benes on that series. Her books include When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying. The 10 a.m. fundraiser is expected to draw over 600 women to the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. Tickets for $50 may be purchased on line via this website.
* The Coastal Roots Farm celebrates Tu BShevat with a food forest festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9. The celebration will be held on the Leichtag campus at 441 Saxony Road in Encinitas,
Mazal tov! Mazal tov!
*Rabbi Joshua Dorsch and his wife Stefanie welcomed a second child, Ziva Elisheva, to the world on December 23rd. Along with their son Nadav, they will celebrate at a Simchat Bat ceremony at Tifereth Israel Synagogue during Shabbat morning services on January 18.
*Friends and family of Eileen Wingard gathered Dec. 29 at Congregation Beth Israel to celebrate her 90th birthday. They celebrated her love of music, her career as a music teacher and violinist with the San Diego Symphony, her support for various Jewish Community Center programs, such as Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices in which local poets recite their works, and her long association with such Jewish publications as the San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage and San Diego Jewish World, among her many other accomplishments. Daughters Myla, Tammy, and Harriet, and son Dan were present, along with Wingard’s sister, Zina Schiff, and other members of the very musical family. Wingard delivered an appreciative speech thanking those in attendance, and then, as an afterthought, she commented, “You’re all invited to my 100th!”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com