Other items in today’s column include:
* The Gap and the Gain
* Philanthropy
* Political bytes
* Sports
* Animals
* Mazel tov! Mazel tov!
* In Memoriam
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — Besides being Jewish what do these people have in common? Amir Amedi, Ron Arad, Marc Benioff, Michael Bloomberg, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Daniel S. Goldin, Roger D. Kornberg, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, John Landis, Uri Levine, Shuki Levy, Daniel Libeskind, Shimon Peres (z”l), Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Barbra Streisand.
All of them were inducted into Genius 100, a group described on its website as “an active and engaged community of 100 exceptionally imaginative and impactful human beings. We bring accomplished, compassionate minds together to reimagine the future –and to implement creative initiatives to improve it.”
Ido Aharoni, Israel’s former Consul-General in New York City and one-time consul for public affairs in Los Angeles, has been named the global ambassador of the Genius 100 initiative. On a return visit to California, he will be telling of the group’s work at a reception on Tuesday, Nov. 12, a the Rancho Santa Fe home of philanthropist Jane Ottenstein.
In addition to his work with Genius 100, Aharoni has been teaching international relations at New York University, and has been consulting in the field of Israel-based issue management.
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The Gap and the Gain
Shelli Stein, worship committee chair at Temple Emanu-El, writes in that congregation’s monthly bulletin about the concept of the Gap and the Gain:
“Most people live in ‘the Gap.’ They always see what’s missing. Here’s a simple example of what I’m referring to. I could buy a friend a sweet treat on my way over to visit with them, and when I give it to them, they might say, ‘You didn’t get the one I like.’ That’s the gap. They didn’t notice or appreciate the fact that I went out of my way to get them a gift. They only noticed that the gift wasn’t what it could have been. There was no realization that they just gained something. They only saw the gap.
“Many of us live our entire lives in the gap. But you can make a different choice and instead live in the gain. This is actually quite simple: rather than measuring yourself against your ideals, you measure yourself against where you were before. We remain emotionally attached to outcomes when we live in the gap. When we live in the gain, all we see is progress. And progress begets progress.”
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Philanthropy
* We’ve reported previously in this column that Tacos Libertad, the nonprofit restaurant owned by David and Lesley Cohn, has donated over $100,000 to charities, with a different charity receiving a grant each month. Reporter Lori Weisberg of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted in today’s edition that the largest single donation to date was $11,700 to the Rady Children Hospital’s for Gender-Affirming Care. That charity was selected in July when the restaurant in Hillcrest was crowded with patrons participating in the city’s annual Pride celebration.
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Political bytes
*Congressman Duncan Hunter wants former District Attorney Paul Pfingst to be one of his defense lawyers in his upcoming fraud trial on charges of misappropriation of campaign funds. However prosecutors in the case say that there is a conflict of interest because John Rice, who represented three witnesses in the grand jury proceedings that indicted Hunter, is a member of Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, the same firm where Pfingst is now a partner. The issue will be adjudicated Nov. 25 in federal court, reports Ken Stone of the Times of San Diego.
* U.S. Rep. Mike Levin will be joined in Oceanside by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at a public forum to discuss campaign finance and ethics reform at 3 p.m., Monday, at the QLN Conference Center & Meeting Facility, 1938 Avenida del Oro, Oceanside. Levin, a Democrat elected in the 49th Congressional District in 2018, now is being opposed by the Republican Mayor of San Juan Capistrano Brian Maryott.
Sports
*With 1,999 career hits, $4.25 million remaining on his contract, and a reputation for a golden glove, San Diego Padres 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler, 37, also is known as a steadying presence in the clubhouse, who can provide his many younger teammates perspective and inspiration. But his hitting last year was sub-par, and he was sidelined with injury, leading to speculation that he may be put on waivers on Monday, when the National League requires all teams to pare their rosters to 40 players. Currently the Padres have 51.
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Animals
* Dr. Mark Goldstein of San Diego has been invited to appear on a panel about animal books at the Miami Book Fair on Nov. 23. He is the author of Lions and Tigers and Hamsters: What Animals Large and Small Taught Me About Life, Love and Humanity. The other authors on the panels and their books will be Susannah Charleson, “Where the Lost Dogs Go: A Story of Love, Search, and the Power of Reunion,” and Clive D. L Wynne, Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You.”
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Mazel tov! Mazel tov!
* During Shabbat services at Chabad at La Costa, Jake Alter and Vered Gold were showered with candy in the hope that their upcoming marriage will be sweet and wonderful. In town for the festivities are Rabbi and Mrs. Michoel and Chava Shapiro from New Jersey.
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In Memoriam
* Former San Diegan Herbert Kordish, 84, died Oct. 31, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is surived by a sister, Beverly Lebovitz, and nephews Jeff Lebovitz and Dr. Paul Lebovitz. Kordish arranged for his body to be donated to science, according to a paid notice in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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Donald H. 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.