Tu B’Shevat, Israeli style, to be celebrated at Lawrence Family JCC
The Israel-American Council (IAC) plans to celebrate Tu B’Shevat in 40 cities across North America, including San Diego, with special dinners Friday night coupled with presentations about the annual “birthday of the trees.”
In San Diego, the celebration will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, on Friday, Jan. 18.
In a news release aimed at media throughout the country, the IAC said: “In Israel, Tu Bishvat is widely celebrated with tree-planting ceremonies and fruit-themed seders. As part of the national program’s focus on fusing Israeli culture and Jewish heritage, the IAC is providing each community and campus with an “IAC Shishi Israeli Tu Bishvat Program” booklet that combines Israeli and Jewish traditions. [Yom Shishi is the sixth day of the week, or Friday.] The booklet serves as a guide for incorporating Israeli and Jewish elements of the holiday at the nation-wide events — including tree-planting, community seders with fruit from Israel, a special holiday quiz, IAC Keshet activities for children, and sing-a-longs with Tu Bishvat-themed songs in Hebrew. Additionally, participating regions will serve Israeli food at their events.
The Tu Bishvat program marks the second-ever nation-wide event by IAC Shishi Israeli, a program that brings together Israeli-American and Jewish-American families for signature communal experiences combining Jewish traditions with Israeli culture. IAC Shishi Israeli celebrates Jewish heritage and meaningful traditions at Shabbat dinners as well as community festivals for Shavuot, Sukkot, Purim, Passover, and special programs throughout the year.
“The first-of-its-kind National IAC Shishi Israeli Tu Bishvat will unite Israeli-Americans and American Jews from coast-to-coast in a historic celebration that injects the spirit of Israel into this holiday across America,” said IAC Co-Founder and CEO Shoham Nicolet. “This will be an incredible opportunity to come together as one large Jewish family.” — From Israeli-American Council
*
Lawrence Family JCC offers free events admission to furloughed federal employees
The Lawrence Family JCC has announced that during the duration of the partial federal government shutdown, government employees showing federal ID will be admitted to JCC events without charge.
Some of the upcoming events, which may be of interest to those employees include:
Disney’s Newsies Jr. Presented by Jcompany Youth Theatre, 1/12-27
JCompany Youth Theatre partnered with Disney Theatrical Licensing on a special pilot production of Disney’s Newsies Jr. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged “newsies,” who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets.
Architect Daniel Libeskind – Edge of Order, 1/22
Daniel Libeskind is one of the foremost architects of our time, a self-proclaimed rebel celebrated for innovative, site-conscious designs, including the Jewish Museum Berlin and New York’s World Trade Center Redevelopment. In his new book Edge of Order, Libeskind opens the door to his unique creative process, guiding us through a selection of his projects and revealing how he arrived at their designs.
Isabella Rossellini Live: Link Link Circus, 1/29
Link Link Circus is at once comic and scientifically informed, arguing Darwin’s theory of evolution which links us humans to animals. The show is illustrated with legendary Isabella Rossellini’s short comic films, home movies and animation.
Dan Zanes and Claudia Eliaza, 2/3
Known as the crown prince of contemporary kids’ music, Grammy Award-winning guitarist Dan Zanes and Haitian-American jazz vocalist Claudia Eliaza perform for families live at the Garfield Theatre.
Nellie McKay Performs THE BIG MOLINKSY: CONSIDERING JOAN RIVERS, 2/21
Nellie McKay exploded onto the music scene in 2004 with her eclectic showstopper, Get Away from Me. In her one-woman show The Big Molinsky: Considering Joan Rivers, McKay delivers a performance for the ages as the talented and treasured Joan Rivers (playing a few other people in Rivers’ life to boot). — From Lawrence Family JCC.
*
Bend the Arc says resolution against white nationalism doesn’t go far enough
Following passage of a resolution in the U.S. House rejecting white supremacy and white nationalism, Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, released the following statement:
“Since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last year, Bend the Arc has been calling on all members of Congress to firmly and unequivocally reject white nationalism. While we welcome the House resolution affirming that white nationalism has no place in our political culture and society, we must also call out the hypocrisy of members who stood by Rep. Steve King for years as he and his allies laid the foundation for the white nationalist agenda currently being championed by President Trump.
“For years, Rep. King has been demonizing immigrants and calling for a wall to be built between Mexico and the United States – policies that have brought our government to a standstill and animated hatred and violence in the white nationalist movement. Rep. King is an architect of the anti-immigrant hysteria we’re experiencing at this moment; his views are no different than those of Trump advisers like Stephen Miller, who leads the president’s efforts to abuse and victimize immigrants.
“This problem goes beyond Rep. King. Other members of Congress, like Louie Gohmert and Paul Gosar, have expressed sentiments virtually identical to the ones that sparked this current controversy. In the last election, we saw neo-Nazis running as Republicans, and we saw the NRCC air an attack ad in Minnesota that used blatant antisemitic and racist tropes. This is about more than just embracing or rejecting the concept of “white nationalism”; it’s about the mainstreaming of rhetoric and policies that advance the white nationalist cause of excluding immigrants, people of color, Muslim people, Jewish people, women, and people with disabilities from society.
“Passing a resolution could be a start, but it alone is not enough. Mere words are not enough. Extremist policies that are cheered by white nationalists and white supremacists, and unchallenged by other members of Congress, must be stopped. Our collective safety rests on rooting out white nationalism in all its forms from our politics and our society.” — From Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
*
Adam Schiff urges Senate to refuse to confirm William Barr for attorney general
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) issued the following statement on Wednesday: “Throughout his presidency, Trump has expressed anger and frustration that his former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing the Mueller investigation, and literally the day after the November elections, he finally forced him to resign. This makes it all the more critical that the Justice Department is led by an attorney general more loyal to the rule of law than to the president who picked him.
“That person is not Bill Barr.
“Though Barr tried to convince the Senate that he will be truly independent of President Trump’s partisan agenda and that he would allow Mueller to continue his investigation without interference, I believe America is entitled to an attorney general committed to following the advice of ethics lawyers. Moreover, Barr expressed the view that a President cannot be indicted, while simultaneously refusing to commit to sharing the contents of Mueller’s report with the Congress or the public, and thus depriving both of information needed to determine whether the remedy of impeachment is warranted.
“Barr ‘auditioned’ for the AG job by writing a lengthy memo outlining his hostility to an investigation implicating President Trump, and then discussed it with him prior to his nomination. There’s no doubt that this memo, and Barr’s expansive view of executive power, are precisely why Trump picked him. It certainly wasn’t out of any affinity for George H.W. Bush, for whom Barr previously served as Attorney General. And I’m sure it thrilled President Trump that Barr refused to commit to recusing himself, even if advised to do so by ethics officials. This should be utterly disqualifying.
“After all this president has done to erode the rule of law and our democratic norms, we must take a stand in this critical moment and urge the Senate to reject Barr’s confirmation, unless he fully commits to recusing himself from the Mueller investigation.” — From Congressman Adam Schiff
*
State Department condemns terrorist attack in Kenya
The U.S. State Department issued the following statement concerning the terrorist attack in Kenya, where at least 21 persons including one Jewish American, Jason Spindler, were killed:
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the January 15 terrorist attack at the DusitD2 Hotel Complex in Nairobi, Kenya. The United States offers our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and a quick recovery to all who were injured. In particular, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Jason Spindler, an American who died during the attack.
These craven attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism. We stand with the Kenyan government and people as they confront violent extremism and work to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com