Other items in this column include
*A Jewish trip to Cuba
* Volunteer opportunities over the winter holidays
* Political bytes
* Coming our way
SAN DIEGO – The California Democratic Party, at its recent convention, passed over some of the Jewish Democrats running for offices in the San Diego County area in favor of better-known candidates.
In the 53rd Congressional District, from which Susan Davis is retiring, the state Democratic organization chose San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez to succeed her, passing over the candidacy of Sara Jacobs, granddaughter of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs.
In the 78th Assembly District, which Todd Gloria is leaving to run for mayor of San Diego, the state Democrats chose San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward, passing over the candidacies of both Sarah Davis and Micah Perlin.
The state Democrats took no position in the technically non-partisan races for city, county and school board offices, in which other Jewish Democrats are engaged. Among them are San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, who is running for mayor; attorney Cory Briggs, who is seeking the city attorney’s office; Terra Lawson-Remer, who is running to be a county supervisor representing the 3rd District, and Bernie Rhinerson, who seeks reelection to the San Diego Community College Board.
In resolutions of specific Jewish interest, the delegates to the state party, said:
*ISRAEL – “We support efforts among representatives of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank to deescalate tensions through good-faith negotiations that recognize Israel’s future as a sovereign, secure, and democratic Jewish state and that can lead to security and independence for Palestinians. Israelis and Palestinians deserve security, recognition, and a normal life free from terror and incitement. Palestinians and Israelis should be free to govern themselves each in their own viable states in peace and dignity.”
*ETHNIC STUDIES –”Support and fully fund ethnic studies as a required public secondary school course with a curriculum that requires students to critically analyze the impact of all forms of discrimination against vulnerable communities, indigenous communities and communities of color, while also analyzing social movements to challenge racism, sexism, antisemitism, islamophobia, and all other forms of oppression.”
*FREE SPEECH – “Vehemently defend the right to engage in First Amendment protected speech critical of the U.S. or any government by opposing all legislative and other efforts to penalize or criminalize such speech.”
The “Free Speech” resolution is ambiguous as to whether it relates to the controversy over actions by various states to oppose the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which BDS supporters contend violates their free speech. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, California’s position on BDS “was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on September 24, 2016. The law requires those who enter into contracts with state agencies to certify that they are not involved in activities that violate the Unruh Civil Rights act, including support for the BDS movement and its programs. “
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A Jewish trip to Cuba
Rabbi Joshua Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue will lead a Jewish-focused trip Nov. 4-12 to Cuba, which will include exploring Jewish heritage and history in Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Havana; meeting Jewish leaders; celebrating Shabbat with Cuba’s Conservative Jewish community; sampling Cuban cuisine and music; exploring Old Havana; learning the art of cigar rolling; participating in a musical education program for children, and touring the National Fine Arts Museum and the Museum of the Revolution, among other activities. An informational meeting for people interested in joining the tour will be conducted at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the synagogue at 6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard. More information and the itinerary is available via this website.
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Volunteer opportunities over the winter holidays
The Hive at Leichtag Commons has assembled a list of opportunities for people who would like to volunteer over the secular holidays. The list, with links to the websites of the various projects, includes Jewish Family Service; Support the Enlisted Project; San Diego Rescue Mission; Serving Seniors; Feeding San Diego; Community Resource Center; Interfaith Community Services; and North County Lifeline.
Political bytes
* Run Women Run, which supports female candidates who favor abortion rights, has announced its support for Sara Jacobs in the 53rd Congressional District, Sarah Davis in the 78th Assembly District, and Barbara Bry for San Diego Mayor. In the 3rd County Supervisorial District, it chose Escondido City Councilwoman Olga Diaz over Terra Lawson-Remer and incumbent Kristin Gaspar.
* Doug Manchester, the Hyatt Hotel operator who withdrew his name from consideration as a possible U.S. Ambassador to Bahamas, was solicited by the Republican party to contribute $500,000 while he still was under consideration for confirmation by the U.S. Senate. According to news reports, he responded that while awaiting confirmation, he wasn’t in a position to answer, but that his wife would contribute $100,000 and he would respond at a later time. Manchester, who previously had published the San Diego Union-Tribune, now is a central figure in inquiries over whether President Trump and the GOP had a “pay to play” policy for appointments to ambassadorships.
*Will Rodriguez-Kennedy chairs the California Young Democrats as well as the San Diego County Democratic Party. Under his leadership, the California Young Democrats endorsed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to be President of the United States. Sanders recently called for some U.S. aid to Israel to be reduced in favor of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is now under the control of Hamas, which is declared to be a terrorist group by the United States.
*Barbara Bry and Dr. Jen Campbell joined in a unanimous decision by the San Diego City Council to have City Attorney Mara Elliott draft an agreement by which San Diego State University will purchase the stadium and surrounding parking lot in Mission Valley for $86.2 million.
*Attorney Devin Burstein has filed a motion to permit former District Attorney Paul Pfingst to represent Congressman Duncan Hunter in his approaching trial on charges of misappropriation of campaign funds. According to a news story by Ken Stone of Times of San Diego, the prosecution has said that Pfingst would have “conflicts of interest” because John Rice, one of his partners in the law firm of Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, represented three clients who testified before the grand jury that indicted Hunter. Burstein said Rice and Pfingst have placed a “wall between them” to not discuss the case; that Pfingst can turn over to another attorney the questioning of the witnesses — Hunter’s campaign treasurer Bruce Young, fundraiser Sheila Hardison, and field representative Joe Browning — and that the thrust of the three witnesses’ Grand Jury testimony was favorable to Hunter, in that they said the congresswoman’s wife, Margaret, not the congressman, decided on how the campaign money would be spent. Margaret Hunter, now estranged from the congressman, pleaded guilty to only one charge in the case as part of an agreement to testify against her husband. Her sentencing has been scheduled to occur after the Congressman’s trial.
*Rachel Bry Aberasturi says the campaign of her mother, San Diego mayoral candidate Barbara Bry, “has more momentum, more volunteers, and more enthusiasm than anyone could have imagined. From regulating scooters and short-term rentals to getting a deal done on SDSU West, we are defining the political narrative by showing what it would be like to have a real strong mayor in San Diego.”
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State Sen. Brian Jones, a candidate in the 50th Congressional District opposing incumbent Congressman Duncan Hunter, has received a 100 percent rating from the California Chamber of Commerce. Marty Wilson, the group’s executive vice president, said that Jones “is a solid vote for saving and creating jobs, strengthening businesses and fighting burdensome regulations.”
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Deborah Szekely, founder of Rancho La Puerta in Tecate and the New Americans Museum in San Diego, is sponsoring a Dec. 5 fundraiser at her home for Terra Lawson-Remer, who is running for county supervisor. In the invitation, Szekely says: “Having earned a JD and PhD in political economy, Terra is an award-winning college professor, economist, and attorney. She served in the Obama Administration as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and directed policy on democratic transitions at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has worked at Amnesty International and as a consultant for the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Open Society Foundations. She is passionate about a healthy community and that includes meeting the challenge of climate change, access to healthcare and justice.”
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Coming our way
*Professor Chaim Ben David, head of Kinneret College’s Land of Israel Studies MA program, will be the scholar in residence Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23 at Beth Jacob Congregation, 4855 College Avenue. His topics include on Friday night, “The First Synagogues—Synagogues During the Second Temple Period” and on non, Saturday “Do Prehistory and/or Evolution Contradict the Torah?” At 3:30 p.m. he will deliver another lecture, “The Borders of Eretz Yisrael in the Torah.” Registration may be accomplished via this website.
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*The Jewish Federation of San Diego County cautions that registration will close soon for the 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8 Men’s Event at which comedian Modi will be the featured entertainer. As a matter of interest, Federation asked him who were his all-time favorite comedians. The Israeli-born comic replied: “Jackie Mason & Allen King.” Registration is available via this website.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com