SAN DIEGO – What are the lulav and etrog? They are two of four species of plants that are held together and waved during the holiday of Sukkot. The lulav is a palm branch, which is joined with myrtle and willow branches, and an etrog, a citron fruit. The four species are held and waved during various parts of the synagogue service on Sukkot.
I love when I get the bundle and perform the mitzvah. I also love the sweet smell of the etrog. I have an Israeli friend who makes etrog liquor after Sukkot. I never tried it, but she said it is similar to limoncello like they make in Italy.
One year, after Sukkot, the kids and I opened the etrog and we tried it. It was good but there was a lot of white skin to get through. It wasn’t as bitter as a lemon would be.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Congregation Beth El will host a “Chai Newlywed Dance Class” at 7 p.m., Sept. 28. Organizers say whether you are a dance pro or have two left feet, this class is perfect for couples wanting to bond, have fun, and learn something new together. Click here to register.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue announces “Selichot: Sha’ar HaNegev: Creating Light Within the Darkness” at 6:45 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28. Rabbi Hanan Leberman will lead this liturgy guiding congregants through the process of Teshuva (repentance). During this experience, a high school rock band from Kibbutz Dorot in San Diego’s Israeli Sister City of Sha’ar Hanegev will join through video. Click here to rsvp.
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Congregation Beth Israel’s Social Action Network presents “Series of Civics: California State Government with Assemblymembers Tasha Boerner and Chris Ward” at 11 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 29. Boerner (District-77) and Ward (District-78) will describe the inner workings of the California State government in Sacramento. Click here to rsvp.
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Kindness Initiative reports that “Rosh Hashanah Gift Baskets” will be available at 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30 from the Kindness G’Mach Jewish Closet. The gift baskets are generously sponsored by San Diego Jewish Academy and are available on a first-come first-served basis.
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San Diego Jewish Academy Early Childhood Center announces new offerings for current parents and others, including a “maker space” for preschoolers. Shereen Ben Moshe, Early Childhood Center Director has introduced afterschool enrichments, open to SDJA and non-SDJA families such as cooking, Spanish, ballet, and soccer, as well as two new classes for parents to meet with their babies and toddlers in the “Maker’s Space” where children can tinker and invent. Click here to view pictures of the “Maker’s Space” program. Classes will start Monday, Sept. 30 and go on until Thursday, Dec. 12. Click here to register for new families. Click here to register for returning families.
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Congregation Beth Israel will host “Café Beth Israel” at 9 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 3. Congregants are invited to attend the first day of Rosh Hashanah in the morning for light refreshments and opportunity to gather and shmooze, organizers report…. “High Holy Day Food Drive” starting Thursday, Oct. 3 until Friday, Oct. 18. Donations are sought for The Hand Up Food Pantry at Jewish Family Service. Healthy, nonperishable food items and donation bins are available outside of the sanctuary.
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Jewish Federation of San Diego’s Women’s Philanthropy presents “Brunch Club” at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29. Featured speakers include Shreya Shah Sasaki, Chief Program and Impact Officer for Jewish Family Service of San Diego and Mindi Frankel, Executive Director of Hebrew Free Loan of San Diego. Sasaki and Frankel will discuss the challenges facing struggling Jewish individuals in San Diego highlighting key findings from a recent community study “A Blueprint for our Future”. Click here to register and to receive address.
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Chabad of East County encourages its congregants to respond to a survey on when to schedule the next weekly Torah class. The options are Sunday morning, Tuesday evening or Wednesday evening. Click here to reply with your suggestion…. The deadline to order your Lulav and Etrog is Wednesday, October 9. Click here to purchase.
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Congregation Beth Israel’s Women of Beth Israel encourages the congregants to Count Your Blessings with its fundraising campaign. The WBI welcomes all Beth Israel women as members, no extra dues are required. WBI also develops activities that appeal to congregants at varying stages of life and supports with Religious School scholarships, camperships and B’nai Mitzvah gifts. Click here to make a donation.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) issued the following statement on the conflicts in the Middle East: ” I’m grateful for everyone who has reached out to me in the wake of Hezbollah’s strikes, and I’m so thankful that my family in Israel and everyone in Tel Aviv is safe. The U.S. will continue to support Israel’s defense – including THAAD and the Iron Dome, which saved so many lives by intercepting these strikes. I’m deeply alarmed by the escalating situation between Hezbollah and Israel, and the devastating toll it’s already having on civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel. We must use our significant leverage to get a full ceasefire in Gaza and de-escalation in Lebanon. Ending the war in Gaza is the best way to end the war in Lebanon, allow thousands to return home in northern Israel, and avoid a catastrophic regional war that would endanger millions of civilians.”
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OBITUARY NOTICE
Judith Wolf Mandell, 84, a former producer for KPBS and later a press secretary for Acting Mayor Ed Struiksma, died Sept. 23 in Nashville, Tennessee, leaving her husband of 38 years, Allan Mandell; her children, Abbie Wolf (Ari Dubin) and Seth Wolf (Adina); her stepchildren Laurie, Barry, and Stephanie, and eight grandchildren. Family members also noted that she was the author of a children’s book, Sammy’s Broken Leg, prompted by the experience of her granddaughter, Davi, in a body cast.
Carol Miller died on Saturday, Sept. 21. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24 at El Camino Memorial Park with Rabbi Avi Libman of Congregation Beth El as officiant, Am Israel Mortuary reported.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.