Other items in this column include:
* New souls, old souls
* Political bytes
* Coming our way
* In Memoriam
SAN DIEGO – Pam Ferris, president and CEO of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities, provided more information on Friday about the recent sale of its Nellie Cohn Residence at 12730 Monte Vista Road in Poway to Pacifica, which has renamed the property “Legacy Hills.”
In an interview, Ferris told San Diego Jewish World that only 25 of the 54 units had been occupied, making unprofitable the facility designed under auspices of the San Diego Hebrew Home to accommodate Jewish religious practices.
She said surveys of the Jewish community indicated that one of the problems might have been that the residential facility had only independent living units, rather than a mix of units such as there is at the 250-unit Seacrest Village Retirement Community in Encinitas.
Ferris explained that potential residents want to be able to access different levels of care without having to make a major move again. She said whereas people are willing to move from one building on a campus to another, they don’t want to have to change neighborhoods or have to make an entire new group of friends. At the Encinitas facility, there are not only independent living units, there also are units for assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.
Before deciding to sell the Nellie Cohn Residence, Seacrest Village did a major upgrade of the property, hoping that it would attract more Jewish community residents, but it did not, she said. Because the property is landlocked, she added, developing new wings for different levels of care was not feasible.
Ferris said the residents were notified well in advance of the sale. She said four already have moved to the Encinitas campus, and another 3 or 4 residents are planning to come. Others decided to stay under Pacifica’s care and still others moved to other facilities in Poway.
The Seacrest Village CEO said that she met with Mel Cohn, who with his late wife Betty was the lead donor for the facility named for his late mother, and that “he understood the reasons” why the property had to be sold. She said all the plaques that honored donors at the Nellie Cohn Residence have been taken off the walls and transferred to a heritage hall in Encinitas. She said signage in Encinitas will be created “to honor Nellie Cohn’s memory and the significant contribution of Mel and Betty Cohn.”
Ferris said proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in Encinitas projects. According to public records at the San Diego County Tax Assessor’s office, the San Diego Hebrew Homes purchased the property in Poway for $3.9 million in 1996, and sold it this year for $7 million.
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New souls, old souls
Ever wonder why the people mentioned in the Book of Genesis lived what we would consider incredibly long lives, compared to the lifespans that we have today? Rabbi Rafi Andrusier of Chabad of East County offers this explanation: “The main difference between the earlier generations and the later is that in the first generations of humanity, they were all new souls. The souls of Adam and Eve, their children and grandchildren were coming into this world for the first time. Not so the following generations, who possessed souls that had been here before and were sent back in another incarnation. Each soul comes down into this world to fulfill a set of missions, and it is given a lifespan that is long enough to complete these missions. But if for whatever reason a soul does not complete all the work it needs to in one lifetime, it is given more chances. A reincarnated soul is a spark of an earlier soul that comes back to earth in a new body to complete unfinished business from its previous life.”
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Political bytes
* Terra Lawson-Remer, who is opposing incumbent Kristin Gaspar in the 3rd Supervisorial District, offered three points of an environmental platform. She said San Diego County must “stop sprawl development, which worsens traffic, carbon emissions and wildfire risk; reverse the damage done to endangered species indigenous to San Diego; and start preserving open spaces, which are home to the most biodiversity of any county in the country.”
* Assemblyman Todd Gloria, a candidate for mayor of San Diego, has been named by San Diego City Beat as its Elected Official of the Year. It’s clear that newspaper likes him. It is the tenth year in a row it has conferred the honor on him.
* Rene Smith co-wrote with Howard Blackson and Mike Stepner an opinion piece for the Voice of San Diego calling for the creation of a Balboa Park Design Review Board to make certain new projects are “architecturally appropriate and consistent” with the 1989 Balboa Park Master Plan. Here is a link to that article.
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Coming our way
* A dozen local chefs will provide samples of sustainable cuisine at the Coastal Roots Farm benefit event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, and additionally there will be “educational programming that will kickstart your passion from where your food comes from” at 441 Saxony Road, Encinitas. Tickets may be acquired through this website.
* Isabel Schechter will teach a course in basic Hebrew reading at 11 a.m. on “select Sundays” between November 3 and Jan. 26 at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard. The fee for the adult education class is $154 for Tifereth Israel members, $180 for others. Register via this website.
* Rabbi Joshua Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue will teach a five-session adult education class on issues of death in the Jewish religion from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, on Nov 7, 21, and Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd. The fee is $100 for Tifereth Israel members, $120 for others. Register via this website.
* A variety of authors, including yours truly, will sign their books at East County Magazine’s booth between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Cultural Arts Expo at the Courtyard Marriott, 141 N. Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon. The schedule: 10 a.m. – Noon: Phil Pryde and myself; 12p.m.- 2 p.m.: Richard Carrico; 2-4 p.m. Anat Tour; 3-5 p.m. Linda Hawley; 4-6 p.m.: Amanda Matley. More information is available via this website.
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In Memoriam
* Chabad at University City has announced the death of Jack Winick, father of Dan Winick, with the funeral to take place next week in Israel.
* Ruth Savin, mother of Barry & Rachel Savin, has died. Chabad of University City announced that the shiva will be at the Savin home.
* Chabad at La Costa has announced the death of Art Markovits, OBM, whose funeral will be held at 11 a.m. at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, with shiva services at the home of Mrs. Joan Markovits, 7058 Heron Circle, Carlsbad.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com Obituaries in this column are sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.