Other items in today’s column include
*Jews in State Legislature mostly satisfied with revised Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum
*Seacrest Village now has socially distanced outdoor dining
*Camp Mountain Chai sponsors a do-it-yourself 5-K
*Recommended reading
SAN DIEGO — University High School junior Zachary Patterson and Grauer School senior Jason Wexler are co-recipients of the 2020 Peter Chortek Leadership Award created as a memorial to Chortek by his family.
Patterson actively campaigned to persuade the San Diego Unified School Board to create a Student Advisory Board and subsequently was elected as the first non-voting student representative sitting with the School Board. He will represent more than 100,000 students in that position through June 2021.
According to a biographical statement on the San Diego Unified School Board’s website, “Three years ago Zachary began working with the San Diego Unified School District to unite student voice by creating a Student Advisory Board, and adding a student to the Board of Education. His work took him across the district as he envisioned the creation of a system that could accurately represent the diversity of San Diego Unified School District. After learning about the student population, creating a plan that would encompass all students, and overcoming the obstacles that stood in his way, Zachary received approval from the Board of Education. With this approval the election of the first Student Board Member commenced. On October 29th, 2019 Zachary was elected by the students of San Diego Unified School District to serve as the Student Board Member. ”
Wexler created a 12-person team of primarily Jewish students from throughout San Diego County as an “Answer to Cancer” team to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphona Society. Motivated by the death of a friend’s father from non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Wexler’s team engaged in email campaigns, restaurant fundraiser nights, and a raffle at a youth theatre show, raising in total $36,000. This year, with a team of 21 students from diverse backgrounds, he has set a goal of $60,000.
As winners of the Chortek Leadership Award, Patterson and Wexler will receive stipends of $5,400 as well as $540 to establish a Donor Advised Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation. When COVID-19 restrictions permit, videos showcasing their projects will be made.
Established in 2011, the Peter Chortek Leadership Award “recognizes Jewish high school students in San Diego who are making a difference in our community through their innovative leadership,” according to Alex Jacobs, communications officer of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego.
“Applicants must 1) Currently be in high school and have organized and led an extraordinary Tikkun Olam project that has benefited their neighborhood, community, environment, or world; 2) Demonstrate initiative, passion, and positive spirit, inspiring others to make a difference and creating awareness about their issue, cause, or project; and 3) Have a long-term vision for growth and sustainability for their work and have been involved with their project for at least one year before submitting an application. Competitive applicants for this award will have dedicated significant time and commitment to 1) Creating a new project or program to improve their community or 2) Enhancing an existing project or program through innovation and community building or 3) Inspiring large numbers of their peers to get involved in service projects or social justice programs.
“Applications for the 2021 Peter Chortek Leadership Award will be available as early as September 2020 and will be due January 2021. Now is the time to start thinking about what you might do to meet the application criteria. Students who meet the criteria are invited to participate in this remarkable opportunity. For additional information on the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, please visit www.jcfsandiego.org.”
*
Jews in State Legislature mostly satisfied with revised Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum
State Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Chair and Vice Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, released the following statement regarding the recent release of the new draft of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC). “Over the past several weeks, we have consulted with dozens of Jewish community leaders and organizations and engaged in extensive dialogue around the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. While California’s Jewish community is incredibly diverse, and while many organizations—including the Jewish Caucus—are continuing to review the finer details of the curriculum, the broad consensus in the Jewish community is that the new draft addresses the most critical concerns raised by our community last year. Like the majority of Jewish community leaders and organizations, we are very encouraged that the updated draft does not include any content that is, or can be perceived as, antisemitic or anti-Israel. We applaud Superintendent Thurmond for his leadership as well as his firm commitment to ensuring that we have a curriculum that is free from inappropriate bias. We appreciate the efforts of all involved and look forward to continuing to work with Jewish community organizations, our legislative colleagues, and Superintendent Thurmond as we move forward through the rest of this process.”
Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, commented: “We appreciate the removal of explicitly anti-Israel and antisemitic content from the ESMC, the inclusion of some new references to the Jewish American experience, and the addition of language promoting critical thinking. That said, there is still more work to do. The ‘Guiding Values and Principles’ of the curriculum should be revised to ensure they cannot be used to justify promoting anti-Israel or antisemitic bias in the classroom. Mizrahi Jews and other Middle Eastern immigrant communities in California should be explicitly included, so that they are represented on an equal basis with Arab Americans in the ESMC. Similarly, the experiences of Mizrahi Jews, Jews of color, Jews from the Soviet Union, and others should be included in places where the American Jewish community is mentioned. Lastly, there are numerous sections in the ESMC where guidelines for fostering critical thinking should be reinforced or expanded upon.”
*
Seacrest Village now has socially distanced outdoor dining
Jeanne Shenkman, our resident correspondent at Seacrest Village Retirement Communities, reports that the home for senior adults run under Jewish community auspices, is now serving socially-distanced meals outdoor on its patio. She sent in the photo above to illustrate.
*
Camp Mountain Chai sponsors a do-it-yourself 5-K
Out of action this summer because of COVID-19, Camp Mountain Chai, which is run under Jewish community auspices, is looking ahead toward when campers can again sleep away in the San Bernardino Mountains. To that end, it is asking supporters to walk on their own anytime before 11 a.m., Monday, August 31, for at least 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) and make a minimum donation of $5 per person to Camp Mountain Chai. Once participants complete their 5- K walk, the camp requests that they post about their walks on Facebook or Instagram. Registration for the 5K fundraiser is available via this website.
*
Recommended reading
San Diego City School Superintendent Cindy Marten, in an Op-Ed published by Times of San Diego, says school reopening will require federal assistance.
*
Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com