Other items in today’s column include:
*JNF launches matching fund for people with special needs, disabilities
*Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi nominated for music award
*Political bytes
*Coming our way
*Recommended reading
SAN DIEGO — Among the 15 American slates competing for delegate spots at the World Zionist Congress in October are two that are appealing specifically to Israelis now living in the United States. One is called Israel Shelanu (Our Israel) and the other is call Kol Israel (All of Israel).
The United States will send 152 of the 500 delegates who will meet in Jerusalem at the World Zionist Congress, which allocates approximately $1 billion a year in funds for Zionist activities in Israel, the United States, and around the world. Voting continues through March 11 via this website.
The leaders of Israel Shelanu on Tuesday, Feb. 4, put out a press release saying the Israel-American Council (IAC) betrayed Israeli-Americans when it decided to support the slate of Kol Israel rather than Israel Shelanu.
While both have Israeli-Americans on their slates, Kol Israel’s slate includes representatives of various U.S. organizations including StandWithUs, which has been fighting on campuses across North America against the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement that is backed by Palestinian groups and their sympathizers.
Two San Diegans who are StandWithUs staff members, Yael Steinberg and Jonathan Bell, are proposed delegates on the StandWithUs slate.
In a news release, Shanie Korabelnik, a leader of the Israel Shelanu slate, wrote: “Nearly a million Israelis living in the United States have one umbrella organization known as the IAC which represents them, and just recently they also were introduced to the first-ever and only political party that aims to promote their interests. The collaboration between these two bodies was supposed to be natural and logical, but unfortunately, an inexplicable decision, probably related to personal interests, led the IAC to betray the purpose for which it was established.”
Korabelnik also stated that “As Israelis living in the United States, it is important for us that our children grow up in an open and pluralistic atmosphere, but, at the same time, we want them to be exposed to educational and communal activities of Hebrew language and culture. Unfortunately, the Jewish community in the United States has not responded to this need and we have decided to take the lead and take our destiny into our hands.”
The news release reported that Kobi Cohen, another leader of the Israel Shelanu slate, wrote a letter to the chief executive officer of the IAC, Shoham Nicolet, demanding to know “whether the IAC stands alongside them and works for their own interests or it has turned its back for the cause for which it was founded.”
IAC CEO Nicolet was quoted in the Israel Shelanu news release as responding, “The IAC believes that our way as a community to achieve significant achievements in the face of any major and significant challenges is through broader collaboration and working with the Jewish-American community in particular to build coalitions. Therefore, we choose to support and encourage voting for Kol Israel, a group that has significant Israeli American representation, and at the same time contains abroad Jewish-American leadership of several organizations representing a wide audience that increases the likelihood of success in the election process.”
The Kol Israel platform contains three major planks:
- Building real bridges between Jews in America and Israel. We must increase our investment in educational programs, summer camps, social media, and other platforms, in order to deepen the bonds between Jews in America and Israel.
- Engaging and empowering our youth. Every day our members work to inspire young American Jews to be leaders, connect with their ancestral home, and engage with their peers in Israel. We must invest more in this crucial effort.
- Bringing in Jews from many backgrounds and cultivating bold, new Zionist ideas. We must engage more Jewish communities in the American Zionist Movement and bring Israel’s spirit of innovation back to the Zionist world. We will fight for infrastructure that will provide funding, mentorship, and support for exciting, new programs.
Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, could not be reached immediately for comment.
*
JNF launches matching fund for people with special needs, disabilities
The Jewish National Fund, promoting its program to help Israelis with disabilities or special needs, says that a donor has agreed to match al contributions for that program, up to a total of $1 million, during the month of February. Donations may be made via this informational website. San Diegan Sol Lizerbram is the president of Jewish National Fund-USA.
*
Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi nominated for music award
Yale Strom & his Hot Pstromi band have been nominated for a San Diego Music Award in the category of “Best World Music.” Voting will be done by the public between now and Feb. 27 via sandiegomusicawards.com. Under the rules, every person may cast a vote each day between now and the end of the voting period.
*
Political bytes
*State Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Los Anteles), a former speaker of the state Assembly has endorsed Mike Bloomberg for President. San Diego County elected officials who also are backing Bloomberg include: U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego; Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas; Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina; Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez; Coronado Councilman Whitney Benzian; Imperial Beach Councilman Mark West; San Diego Councilman Mark Kersey; Chula Vista Elementary School Board Member Eduardo Reyes; University of California Regent Rich Leib. Former elected officials backing Bloomberg include former State Sen. Deidre “Dede” Alpert.
*Terra Lawson-Remer in a tight three-way race with incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar and Escondido Councilwoman Olga Diaz for the 3rd County Supervisorial seat, says she will support the Democratic unity fund, which promotes the idea that either Diaz or Lawson-Remer are acceptable replacements for Gaspar, a Republican.
*In an e-letter to constituents, City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, a candidate for mayor, reveals a little bit about her personal life. Her -go-to guilty pleasure is “eating pasta with olive oil or a slice of apple pie.” A good date night with her husband, Neil Senturia, “starts with a walk on the beach followed by dinner at home (cooked by my husband who is an amazing cook) and then a good movie.” Books she has read later are those that she has been reading to her grandchildren. “Two of our favorites are Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar which I also read to my two daughters.”
* Restaurateurs David & Lesley Cohn are among members of a host committee sponsoring a fundraiser Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m., for Noli Zosa, a candidate in the 7th City Council District. Special guests at the reception will be former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, former County Supervisor Ron Roberts, and Sheriff Bill Gore.
*
Coming our way
*Elle Arnot will discuss her father’s childhood in Minsk and his paintings, and Jerry Kugler will discuss growing up in New York City at a Shabbat “story & song” session beginning at 5:20 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at Chabad of East County, 7290 Navajo Road, Suite 207, San Diego. Ticket: $20 adult, $18 child.
*Derek Loewy, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist at Scripps Clinic, will pass on some tips to the Beth Israel Men’s Club on how to get a better night’s sleep, at a 10 a.m. brunch on Sunday, Feb. 23, at the congregation, 9001 Towne Centre Drive. “In addition to caffeine and stress, a number of culprits may to be to blame for your sleepless nights – and some of them may surprise you,” according to a flyer for the event. “Anything from exercising too late to common medications may be feeding your insomnia.”
*
Recommended reading
*A state senator from La Canada/ Flintridge would require verification of the hunting license of anyone under 21 purchasing a gun, as was the case of the man accused in the shooting at Chabad of Poway. Sen. Anthony J. Portantino’s press release may be read here.
*Israel and Sudan move toward normalization of relations, The Times of Israel reports.
*The Star-Tribune of Minneapolis/ St. Paul carried a story about how youth are reacting to the growing threat of anti-Semitism.
*
Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com