SAN DIEGO – July will be a busy month at various Jewish congregations around the county. Other Jewish venues will also be busy with programming. Here’s a look ahead.
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AT THE SYNAGOGUES
Congregation Beth Israel will welcome Rabbi Elana Ackerman Hirsch to the congregation. Hirsch, who begins her tenure as CBI’s assistant rabbi, will share words at the courtyard Shabbat Services which will be at 6:15 p.m., Friday, July 5.
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Young Israel of San Diego’s Rosh Chodesh Vase Decorating will be at 10 a.m., Sunday, July 7. The congregation calls all women to join for a delightful morning of creativity, camaraderie, and giving back. “Let’s paint, laugh, and cherish friendships together with guest speaker Rebbetzin Devorah Soncino. Click here to register.
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Chabad at La Costa Rosh Chodesh Women’s Circle “Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses” will be at 7 p.m., Sunday, July 7. “Join in coming together to celebrate and learn about the month of Tammuz, a time for embracing our emotions and rebuilding with love.” Click here to rsvp.
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Chabad of University City Rosh Chodesh Women’s Circle will be at 8 p.m., Sunday, July 7. Click here for more information.
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“Israel Engagement Network Launch” will be at 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, at Congregation Beth Israel. This is the first meeting in which congregants will learn about the exciting opportunities this network offers and how to be a part of the enriching experience. Click here to rsvp.
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Chabad of East County “Shabbat Friday Night Dinner” will be at 6:45 p.m., Friday, July 12. A Shabbat of unity, prayer and strength. Let’s come together as a community. Click here to register.
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Temple Emanu-El’s Adult Education: Summer Reruns Film Series features Stolen Summer at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 13 in the Temple Sanctuary. This 2002 film takes place on the North Side of Chicago in the summer of 1976. The film shows the friendship between the son of a devout Catholic and a Rabbi’s son and the obstacles they face together. SDSU Professor Emeritus Laurie Baron will introduce the film and lead the discussion after it is screened. Optional “bring your dinner” will be at 6 p.m. in the courtyard.
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Beth Israel Men’s Club Dinner Forum: “The White Buses – How Potato Salad Helped Rescue 15,345 Prisoners from the Nazi Concentration Camps” will be told at 7 p.m. (dinner is at 6:30 p.m.), on Wednesday, July 17 at the Feuerstein Family Activity Center and on Zoom. Join the Men’s Club Speaker Forum for dinner and schmoozing followed by featured speaker, Dr. Roger Ritvo. How did 15,345 prisoners get rescued amidst the chaos of the Third Reich’s impeding defeat? Come and find out. Click here to register for dinner and click here to register for the Zoom.
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JULY ACTIVITIES ELSEWHERE
July activities have been scheduled around the county by a variety of other Jewish organizations as well as private and civic groups.
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) San Diego will stage a webinar on impactful decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court at 9 a.m., on Tuesday, July 9. Join the conversation to hear legal experts comment on some of the most important cases of the latest term, including rulings on such issues as social media content moderation, deference to administrative agencies, reproductive rights and presidential criminal liability. Click here to register.
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Hadassah San Diego hosts “A Conversation with Ben Greene, Author of My Child is Trans, Now What? A Joy-Centered Approach to Support” at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 11, at a private residence. Greene breaks the mold by offering a judgement-free guide to people across generations from millennial parents to members of older generations who may not have had previous positive exposure to the trans community. Click here to register.
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Lawrence Family JCC “Shalom Baby Together- You and Me Summer Shabbat” will be at 10 a.m. or at 11 a.m. (two sessions), on Friday, July 12. A summer Shabbat for toddlers and their adults to enjoy music, stories, and movement together, taught by Jennifer Meltzer. Click here to register.
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South African singer, Sharon Katz will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 13, at the North Park Cape Fire Grill/Bunny Chow restaurant. Disclaimer: No rabbits are served. A “Bunny Chow” is a South African curry meal served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Click here to rsvp. Katz, originator of the Peace Train, took 500 children representing all of South Africa’s races on a singing tour of the country after the apartheid regime collapsed.
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NewCAJE Conference will bring Jewish educators from around the country to San Diego County on Sunday, July 28 to Wednesday, July 31 at UCSD. Do you have air miles with Southwest, JetBlue or American Airlines you might want to donate so a teacher can attend? The high cost of airfares has become a barrier to many attending. Are your miles on a credit card? Call your rewards program, and they’ll tell you if and how you can transfer miles or rewards. Click here to donate miles. Click here to donate to the scholarship fund.
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Save Our Heritage Organization posted a recap of the two-part program “Rediscovering Calle Judeo,” an immersive experience that offered a rare glimpse into a mostly forgotten chapter of San Diego Jewish history. The first part was a Zoom lecture by Alex Bevil, a retired California State Parks historian, researcher and author. The second part, Bevil led a walking tour through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. If you missed the tour, click here to read the booklet.
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ON A PERSONAL NOTE
My kids and I attended a roller-skating party the other day with a long-time friend and her children. Our kids are all about the same age and we have told them since they were little that they are all cousins.
A couple years ago we also went to a roller-skating party (same friend) and the kids begged me to roller skate with them (aka teach them). For me “old habits do not die.” I took off around the rink and the kids were so mad since I made it look easy. This time I said I wasn’t going to skate since I didn’t want anyone getting mad at me. But they begged me to skate, so I said okay. I laced up my skates and got on the wood flooring and took off. They were not mad but as they slowly made their way around the rink and I skated circles around them, they cheered me on saying “Go Mom, you rock!” It was so fun, and my friends were giggling as I skated past. I noticed the age group of other skaters who had old school” skates and tricks. I wasn’t the only one having a good “old” time. As the party ended my friend said she knew I had fun. The nostalgia and flashbacks of the days at Aquarius Roll-A-Rena popped in my head.
The next morning, I paid for it. I am not as young as I think I am. My whole body was sore but that just meant we need to plan another trip.
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OBITUARY NOTICE
Sara Hirsch passed away on Friday, June 28, Congregation Beth Israel. Funeral services and interment were at Crescent Memorial Park in New Jersey on Sunday, June 30.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of San Diego Jewish World.
Both Dick and I, separately and living in different cities, roller skated our entire childhood and early teen years, in the 1940’s and 1950’s. But back then we skated outside on city sidewalks full of cracks and bumps. And we wore metal skates. They clipped on our shoes and we tightened them with a key we wore around our neck or put in our pocket. There was a strap that went around our ankle. We were both very fast skaters.
Aquarius Roll-A-Rena- (Gone, but not forgotten), I never skated there, but my “kids”, in the 70’s, skated there and had lots of fun. Now the area is a huge car dealer business 🙁
Ha! I know, I get off at the exit and always look over and think “what a shame”. I think it closed when I was in elementary school :(.