Other items in today’s column include:
*Political bytes
*Coming our way
*Recommended reading
SAN DIEGO – Between Jan. 21 and March 11, American Jews may participate in the selection of U.S. delegates to the World Zionist Congress, which will meet in Jerusalem from Oct. 20-22 to help set policy for three major Jewish organizations: the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish National Fund, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The Congress’s policy decisions will influence how approximately $1 billion is allocated.
This will be the 38th World Zionist Congress, the first having been staged in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897 under the leadership of Theodor Herzl. In recent times, the interval between world congresses has been approximately four to five years.
In total there are 500 delegates to the World Zionist Congress, with 152 delegates to be elected from the United States by American Jews who are over the age of 18, who pay a $7.50 registration fee ($5 for those under 25 years of age), and who affirm their support for the tenets of the “Jerusalem program” which assert:
*The unity of the Jewish people.
*The bond of Jews to their historic homeland in Israel.
*The centrality of Israel and Jerusalem its capital.
*Aliyah to Israel from all countries, and effective integration of immigrants.
*Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist, and democratic state.
*Respect for the multifaceted Jewish people.
*Furthering Jewish, Hebrew, and Zionist education.
*Struggling against anti-Semitism.
* Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism.
Additionally, voters who participate in the selection of World Zionist Congress delegates are precluded from participating in the upcoming elections in Israel to choose members of the Knesset and a prime minister.
Fourteen slates have qualified for the WZC ballot, with individual voters entitled to choose one slate each. The slates represent a variety of Jewish movements and interests within the United States. Delegates to the World Zionist Congress will be apportioned among the various slates in accordance with their percentage of the total vote. Under the rules for each slate, every fourth delegate on the list of nominees must be under the age of 35 and there must be at least two females nominated within the first five delegates, and at least one within the next 5 delegates.
The names of at least four San Diegans stand out among proposed delegates of the various slates.
The slate called Vote Reform, which represents the Reform and Reconstructionist movements of Judaism includes Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel, the assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel. The platform calls for religious equality in Israel, with people of all genders able to pray and live together; a separate Palestinian state; and financial support and resources for liberal streams of Judaism.
The slate called Mercaz USA, representing the Conservative Jewish movement, includes Rabbi Ralph Dalin, who is the community chaplain for San Diego, who serves under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. Its platform calls for pluralism in Israel, no restrictions on the law of return, increased funding for the Conservative movement; and a negotiated peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.
The slate calling itself the Herut Zionists, which identifies with the policies and legacy of the late Revisionist pioneer, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, includes Mitch “Micah” Danzig, who serves as president of the local StandWithUs chapter. Its platform calls for “Jewish development of all parts of the Land of Israel,” “Seeking justice for victims of Arab terrorism,” “Support for Lone Soldiers,” “Encouraging Aliyah,” and “Security and self-defense for Jewish communities worldwide.”
The slate calling itself Vision: Empowering the Next Generation, which opposes the two-state solution, seeks “better relations between Jews and Palestinians” in a homeland that should not be divided. It calls for “Israel from the river to the sea, with justice and dignity for all inhabitants.” Aaron Raimi of San Diego is a nominee of the slate.
The other slates include:
*Eretz Hakodesh, which calls for bolstering Israeli security by creating economic opportunity for all and integrating Jews of all backgrounds into the workforce.
* Israel Shelanu (Our Israel), made up of Israelis who now live in the United States and support “an open and pluralistic culture.”
*Orthodox Israel Coalition, including various mainline Orthodox groups such as the Orthodox Union, Yeshiva University, Rabbinical Council of America, National Council of Young Israel, and Religious Zionists of America. Its platform calls for support of Orthodox institutions around the world; promoting women’s leadership and Torah scholarship; combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement; and supporting “settlement and development of Eretz Israel including the communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights.”
*Dorshei Torah V’Tziyon, which calls for expanded opportunities for women, ending the “Agunah crisis,” in which a husband under Jewish law can prevent a woman from divorcing him; development of yeshivot for men and women; a just and viable peace for Israel and Palestinians, and religious pluralism.
*Hatikvah: Progressive Israel Slate, which identifies with the Labor, Green and Meretz parties of Israel; opposes “permanent occupation and annexation;” seeks a “meaningful peace process,” opposes ‘Modesty Patrols”; supports LGBTQ rights, environmental stability, and asylum seekers.
Ohavei Zion: World Sephardic Zionist Organization, which supports cultural Sephardic values, financial support for Sephardic organizations, and opposes assimilation.
ZOA Coalition, which is lead by the Zionist Organization of America, and urges the “rescue of Jews endangered by anti-Semitism,” and combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. It opposes creation of an “Iranian proxy Palestinian Arab terror state.” It also calls for a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty and Jewish rights in Judea and Samaria.
American Forum for Israel, which advocates for Russian Jews and their integration into the American Jewish mainstream. It supports Jerusalem as Israel’s indivisible capital, Torah values, and the Israel Defense Forces.
Americans4Israel, which urges sustainability in Israel’s land development, easing integration for immigrants to Israel, improving the status of Holocaust survivors, supporting efforts to achieve peace, and revitalizing WZO with more transparency.
Kol Yisrael, which is a relatively late entry, its platform not yet published.
Once the voting period begins on Jan. 21, those American Jews wishing to participate can register and cast their ballots via www.zionistelection.org
*
Political bytes
* With a photo illustration of paramedics treating an injured scooter rider, San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry has called upon her opponent in the March 3 mayoral election, Assemblyman Todd Gloria, “to repeal his wrong-headed state law exempting rideshare scooters from helmet requirements.” Bry went on to say that “Gloria’s bill is a perfect example of special interest legislation that compromises public safety, taxpayer liability, and common sense to increase the profits of international investors and corporate speculators.”
* A SurveyUSA poll sponsored by the San Diego Union-Tribune and 10 News shows Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar leading the 10-candidate field in the 50th congressional district with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Republicans Darrell Issa with 21 percent, Carl DeMaio with 20 percent, and Brian Jones with 12 percent. The two top finishers in the March 3 race to succeed now-resigned, former Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter will face each other in a November runoff election. With more than 50 percent of the voters favoring Republicans Issa, DeMaio, and Jones in the heavily Republican-registration district, Campa-Najjar will have an uphill battle even if he places first in the primary election.
*U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego) won House passage of his bill to extend veterans housing benefits to veterans who received less than honorable discharges, but not dishonorable discharges. “Veterans with other than honorable discharges make up 3% of the veteran population – but they compose 15% of the homeless veteran population,” Peters said. “Expanding housing assistance and services to these men and women would allow homeless veterans who have slipped through the cracks access the support they have earned through their service to our country.”
*
Coming our way
*Barry Edelstein, the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director at the Old Globe Theatre, will engage director Ruben Santiago-Hudson, in a conversation about August Wilson’s Jitney, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan 15, in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre of the Old Globe in Balboa Park. Santiago-Hudson directed Jitney on Broadway. That play will be presented by the Old Globe beginning on Saturday, Jan. 18
*The Ariel Quartet, which was formed in Israel nearly 20 years ago, will perform the Beethoven Cycle, consisting of his String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127; String Quartet in B-flat Major, Opus 18, No.6, and String Quartet “Rasumovsky,” Opus 50, No. 3, at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17, at UC San Diego’s Department of Music’s Conrad Prebys Concert Hall. Tickets range from $45 to $59 depending on seating, with a special $9 price for UCSD students. There will be a pre-performance ArtTalk at the loft at 7 p.m.
* Rabbi Adam Chalom, dean of the International Instittute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in North America and leader of Chicago’s Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation, will speak on “Being Jewish: What is a Jew” at 9 a.m, Saturday, Feb. 1, and again at 1:30 p.m., on “Doing Jewish: Not Just for Jews Anymore,” at the City of Carlsbad Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. His lectures are sponsored by Kahal Am, the Humanistic Jewish Community of San Diego.
*
Recommended reading
Marnie Macauley has a well-written, well-researched feature story in the San Diego Jewish Journal about the career and contributions of early television icon Gertrude Berg and her sitcom character Molly Goldberg.
*
Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com