Other items in today’s column include:
*Political bytes
*San Diego history
*Jewish organizations
*In memoriam
SAN DIEGO — Back to work following the two-day observance of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish organizations are paying tribute to the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), who died at age 87 just before the High Holy Day.
Among the tributes were the following:
American Jewish Congress: With the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, America is mourning a powerful champion for justice and the Jewish community is mourning the passing of one of the great living legends of our community. Justice Ginsburg stood firm in her values until the end.
After graduating from Harvard Law School she challenged gender-based discrimination in a series of court cases, including before the Supreme Court. She co-founded the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union and went on to be its general counsel. She also broke gender barriers, serving as the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law School and the second woman, and first Jewish woman, on the Supreme Court.
Before she was named to the bench, Justice Ginsburg was a leader in the American Jewish Congress. Through the 1970s and early 1980s she actively participated in our Commission on Law and Social Action. We honored her in 2001 for her outstanding contribution to the development of a just society and a strong Jewish community and her work with our organization throughout the years.
She served women, the Jewish community, other minorities, as well as the wider American public as a tireless advocate even before she joined the bench. As a justice, she stood for civil rights and promoted the idea of a living constitution that adapts to changes in society. She was known for her powerful opinions, particularly when dissenting from the majority.
In announcing her passing, Chief Justice John Roberts called Ginsburg “a justice of historic stature” and a “resolute champion of justice.” President Trump referred to her as “a titan of the law” saying her influence has “inspired all Americans and generations of great legal minds”. Former Vice President Joe Biden called her “an American hero, a giant of legal doctrine, and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal: Equal Justice Under Law”.
Jack Rosen, President of the American Jewish Congress, expressed his condolences saying, “Justice Ginsburg made a huge contribution not only to the law but broadly to our understanding of civil rights in America. She was fearless and determined. She will be greatly missed.”
Justice Ginsburg was a fighter until the end. Her legacy – defined by brilliance, determination, and unwavering faith in justice – will forever serve as an inspiration. The American Jewish Congress mourns her passing and wishes her family a long life.
Jewish Democratic Council of America –Halie Soifer, executive director of the JDCA released the following statement: “Jewish Democrats mourn the enormous loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the most influential and powerful Jewish women to serve our nation. Justice Ginsberg embodied Jewish values including a commitment to tikkun olam and our tradition’s commandment of ‘justice, justice, you shall pursue,’ which hung in her chambers in Hebrew. Justice Ginsburg’s life was dedicated to ensuring equal protection under the law for all Americans, and we are incredibly grateful for her service. May the memory of Justice Ginsburg be a blessing, and may the Senate honor her dying wish for her seat to be filled only after the next president is inaugurated.
“Senate Majority Leader McConnell set a standard – 10 months before the 2016 election – that the American people must have a voice in appointments to the Supreme Court before a presidential election. Election Day is six weeks away and many Americans have already voted. To deny the American people a say in this critically important period violates all norms in American history and contradicts the very the standard Republicans set for Supreme Court appointments in 2016. Forcing a vote immediately before the election would be the height of hypocrisy and an unconscionable miscarriage of justice.
“Slightly more than four in five Jewish American voters cite the Supreme Court as one of the most important issues driving their vote in this election according to a recent poll, and a majority of Jewish voters trust Joe Biden more than Donald Trump on every issue, including reproductive rights and racial justice. We know that the Supreme Court influenced the Jewish vote in 2018, when 79% of Jewish voters supported Democrats, and it will again in 2020.”
Keshet-– Keshet and our extended LGBTQ Jewish community mourn the loss of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died on the eve of Rosh Hashana.
While she was still alive, it was difficult for many of us to acknowledge Justice Ginsburg’s inevitable mortality. She was a fierce pioneer for equality – and she seemed invincible.
Jewish tradition teaches that someone who dies during Rosh Hashana is considered a “Tzadik” – a righteous person. As a champion for human rights and dignity, Justice Ginsburg righteously advanced the legal landscape for gender equity and worked to protect the rights of Black and Brown Americans, LGBTQ people, and ethnic and religious minorities. She famously won the hearts of LGBTQ Americans when she succinctly took aim at DOMA saying, “There are two kinds of marriage; the full marriage, and then this sort of skim-milk marriage.”
While we are heartbroken by Justice Ginsburg’s death, we vow to carry forward her legacy of courage, tenacity, and an unshakeable commitment to justice.
Zioness — As Zionesses all over the country sat down to celebrate a new year, with new hopes and dreams, and new opportunities, we heard the news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman on the Court, passed away at 87. She was a tireless fighter for equity and equality, overcoming decades of sexism and discrimination to claim her seat on the bench, and always using her voice and her power to protect the most marginalized. RBG was our ultimate hero: a champion of women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, racial justice and voter protection. She frequently and famously described the intrinsic relationship between her Jewish identity and her determination in the pursuit of justice. She was a true Zioness to her very core.
Last December, our Executive Director had the extraordinary opportunity to meet RBG, who told Amanda that her most profound personal heroes were Emma Lazarus and Henrietta Szold. Emma, whose poem “The New Colossus” adorns the Statue of Liberty, was a Jewish feminist, Zionist, and activist for immigrants and refugees fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in America, home of the free. Henrietta, the founder of Hadassah, was one of the most active American Jewish women in the growth and success of the American Zionist movement. When Justice Ginsburg heard that Zioness was founded in response to those who say “you can’t be both a feminist and a Zionist,” she responded emphatically, “that is simply not true!” It wasn’t true, and if anyone would know that, it was her.
We are losing our heroes in a moment where we need them most. Just a couple of months ago, we lost another giant, Congressman John Lewis, whose footprint is forever emblazoned on the American story. Tonight, with the passing of RBG, we are reflecting on the profundity of these losses, the gravity of this moment, and our desperate need to hold onto hope. We know Justice Ginsburg would understand our need to mourn and to grieve. But more than that, she would want us to fight. She used every ounce of strength she had to protect us as women, as Jews, as LGBTQ individuals, as immigrants and refugees, as people of color, as vulnerable minorities, until her very last breath. In this moment, right now, today, and every day to come, we must honor her by fighting for our country, our rights and our freedoms with the same urgency, passion and perseverance with which she fought for all of us. Her death, in the first few minutes of our new year, must remind us all year long of how much work there is for us to do.
Her life was the very meaning of a blessing. May her memory be a blessing, as well. Baruch Dayan Emet, RBG, and thank you, from the bottom of our shattered hearts.”
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Political bytes
53rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Twelve prominent members of San Diego’s Black community have jointly endorsed Sara Jacobs in her race against Georgette Gomez to succeed retiring Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego). In alphabetical order, they are: Sam Bedwell, Dr. Willie Blair, Tiasha Brown, Dr. Abdimalik Buul, Bryan J. Fletcher, Aeiramique Glass Blake, Stephen Groce, Adiam Haile-Rufael, Genevieve L. Jones-Wright, Clifford & Shearl Lambert, and Rosemary Pope. The endorsements followed a congressional candidate forum sponsored by the San Diego chapter of the Black American Political Association of California (BAPAC), which may be viewed via this link.
49th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Bryan Maryott, the Republican mayor of San Juan Capistrano, said he has been unsuccessful in persuading incumbent Democratic Congressman Mike Levin to agree to a series of debates. “This is a calculated effort by Mike Levin to avoid any kind of public scrutiny and examination of his record. It’s a tactic regularly used by vulnerable politicians who are afraid of losing votes,” said Patrick Snow, Maryott campaign manager. “Even after a local television station agreed to host and broadcast a Maryott/Levin debate, Mike Levin still wouldn’t say yes. His refusals are an insult to the entire democratic process.” Whoa! Wait a minute! said Adam Berkowitz, Levin’s campaign manager. He said Maryott missed a scheduled joint appearance at the congressional forum sponsored by the San Diego chapter of the Black American Political Association of America on Saturday, and that the two candidates have three 1:1 Zoom debates already scheduled: Oct. 5 with the Voice of OC (Orange County); Oct. 7 at the Vista Chamber of Commerce, moderated by League of Women Voters; and Oct. 9 hosted by Pacific Ridge High School of Carlsbad. Berkowitz said he doesn’t know why Maryott failed to appear at the forum last Saturday, but “we’re looking forward to debating; we hope he’ll show up at the others.”
SAN DIEGO MAYORAL RACE — Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) unveiled his first television commercial in the fall campaign. He is shown walking down a suburban street, while saying: “A roof over every head at a price we can all afford. That shouldn’t be a dream; that should be our reality. But for too long, insideres, special interests and the politicians they bought have stood in the way, putting their agenda in the front and center by pitting people and neighborhoods against each other. That needs to change. It’s time for a mayor who fights for every San Diegan in every neighborhood; a mayor who brings people together to get things done.” Meanwhile, his opponent, San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry messaged: “At every turn, they have underestimated our campaign. We don’t have party support. We don’t have corporate donors. And we haven’t had decades to build Name ID. But we have something even more powerful: You.”
3rd SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT — Terra Lawson-Remer, challenging incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar in the 3rd District, messaged: “Big developers and the right-wing Lincoln club just dropped $85K against our campaign this weekend.” But she is not without resources. On Oct. 7, actresses Jane Fona and Lily Tomlin will appear in her behalf at a virtual fundraiser, and a week later Gov. Gavin Newsom will be speaking for her via Zoom. Both fundraising events are at 5 p.m., with details available via this website. Meanwhile, Supervisor Gaspar took exception to a news conference at which Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, a supporter of Lawson-Remer, took aim at Gaspar’s response to COVID19. In a press release, Gaspar responded: “This morning Supervisor Fletcher held a hellfire and brimstone press conference in which he ironically and incorrectly blamed me for playing politics with COVID. Let me set the record straight: I have never supported any approach to re-opening that was not specifically supported by our Public Health Officer and clinical leadership team. Supervisor Fletcher knows this but prefers to continue spreading this false narrative because he is actively running a campaign against me. I measured the distance between our office doors, and it is 7 feet, so he and I can actually have a socially distanced conversation anytime he isn’t holding a press conference. I will continue to do my job protecting public health and working with small businesses and leave the politics to Supervisor Fletcher.”
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San Diego History
*In my capacity as the author of several books on San Diego Jewish history, I will be interviewed by Diana Lindsay, co-publisher of Sunbelt Books, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, on how pioneer Jews in San Diego celebrated the High Holy Days. Registration for this free lecture is via this website. Among the stories I hope to tell is that of the so-called “San Diego Incident” when Moses Mannasse was removed from a High Holy Day service in 1859 because the Grand Jury wanted him to testify in a routine assault case.
* A National History Day competition for San Diego County students between the 4th and 12th grades will be held via Internet, with the theme for the competition being “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” An introduction to the competition will be held at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Zoom invitations available to those students who send a request via this email. “NHD-SD is thrilled to offer free helpful webinars through the fall and early winter that will guide students new to NHD in developing their projects,” says Janet Mulder, San Diego County NHD Coordinator. “These cover things like choosing a topic and medium, finding valid primary and secondary sources, developing a thesis statement, and other elements of successful History Day projects. Even experienced NHD competitors find these NHD Help Sessions extremely helpful.” The webinar schedule for these Help Sessions, along with other useful information appear on this website.
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Jewish organizations
*Nitsana Darshan Leitner, president of Shurat Ha Din, the Israel Law Center, has urged Chancellor Timothy P. White of the California State University to overrule San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney’s decision to permit airline hijacker Leila Khaled of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to address the university via Zoom on Sept. 23.
*Sandra Scheller, curator of Project RUTH, highlighting the experiences of Holocaust Survivors now living in San Diego County’s South Bay area, has posted an interview with Harry Rosen, 97. It may be viewed via this link.
*Jewish high school students in 9th through 12th grades are invited to apply via this website to become part of the Jewish Teen Foundation, sponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. Participants learn about philanthropy and help to select organizations that will receive charitable donations.
*Magen David Adom has scheduled a webcast with entertainers Jason Alexander, Howie Mandel, David Broza, Dudu Fisher and Idan Raichel at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, “to celebrate nearly a century of Magen David Adom saving lives.” Registration via this link.
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In memoriam
Emanuel Milton Frosburg, 93, died Wednesday, Sept. 16, it was reported by Am Israel Mortuary. Graveside services officiated by Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue were held at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.