Other items in today’s column include:
*Salute to the class of 2020
*San Diego County Judaica
*Political bytes
SAN DIEGO — Noting that Passover ended today for Reform Jews, Rabbi Devorah Marcus of Temple Emanu-El pointed out that concluding services included “Yizkor prayers – Prayers of Remembrance for our loved ones who have died.”
In that regard, the rabbi suggested that we “watch this beautiful tribute [above] to our healthcare front line workers and take some time today to remember everyone who has died fighting to save the lives of others , fighting to keep our communities as safe as possible.” In her own prayers, she said, she remembered those heroes, adding, “May we all continue to practice Sacred Distancing in order to do our part.”
*Suzanne Choney posted a photo on Facebook today of her parents, Rosa Rubel and Icek Choinowski, who 75 years ago today were “among 60,000 human beings being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.” Choney added, “I know we all have so much to worry about now. But I think of my parents, known in America as Rose and Irving Choney, the bravery of the Allies and the good people everywhere, and the evil faced by millions. And I remember. Just as all of us will remember this time.” The photo, at left, of her parents was taken in London in 1947, two years after their liberation.
Salute to the Class of 2020
As noted in yesterday’s column, numerous people are beginning to post their high school graduation photos form back in time (sometimes way back in time) in a salute to the current Class of 2020 who, because of the coronavirus pandemic, won’t get to attend such senior year events as the prom and graduation, at least not at this time. We’ve been scouring Facebook for photos of members of our Jewish community and, after obtaining permission from those in question, posting them here.
In one photo, we have Michael & Paula Mantell at their senior prom, and in another set of photos we have Carol Davidson Baird & Stephen Baird. We also have Shari Friedman Schenk’s senior class photo. If you’d like to add your photo to the salute, you can post it on Facebook, or send it to us directly via editor@sdjewishworld.com.
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San Diego County Judaica
Beth Sirull, president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego County, explained the custom of the tenaiim with the accompanying photo. “A tenaiim is a ritual engagement agreement,” she wrote. “Traditionally, when the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom agreed that their kids would get married, they had a tenaiim—a ritual engagement, complete with written agreement. To seal the deal, the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom break a plate—hence the shard in the middle of the piece. Traditionally, a tenaiim is binding—if the couple doesn’t get married, they still need a get (Jewish divorce) to undo the engagement. My husband [Jon Shuster] and I wrote our own…but our mom’s did break the plate!” … Another sentimental ceremonial object can be found in the home of Dana Greene and her children Spencer and William Matorin. She explains: “”This copper mezuzah that hangs in our entrance way belonged to my grandparents, Bettie & Louis Greene. I remember waiting at their front door for them to let me in and always seeing it. After they passed away, I asked my father [Norman Greene] if I could hold on to it until I had my own home. And so…. this mezuzah, with the special prayer inside, has special significance.”
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Political bytes
*Sara Jacobs, a candidate in the 53rd Congressional District from which Susan Davis is retiring, has been endorsed by the Foreign Policy for America organization. Andrew Albertson, its executive director, commented: “Sara is part of the new generation of leaders who we’re seeing remake Congress. She has the commitment and the drive to tackle the challenges of the future — the climate crisis, global health challenges, and immigration reform. And I know she’ll be ready to dive in on day one. That’s exactly what we need right now in Washington, and that’s why we’re so proud to support Sara.”
*The San Diego congressional delegation including Democrats Susan Davis, Mike Levin, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas has jointly appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives for a budget bill that will assist the San Diego Zoo and its sister Safari Park during the time of the pandemic. Their letter said: “For the first time in their 103-year history, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park were forced to close their doors to the public in the wake of COVID-19. With this unprecedented closure, the zoo is still incurring significant expenses to care for its animals and plants, including many who are threatened or endangered, as well as those of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, without revenue to mitigate costs. During normal operations, San Diego Zoo Global’s (SDZG) economic impact is an estimated $1.7 billion annually, employing 3,000 Californians, and indirectly contributing to more than 14,000 jobs in San Diego.”
*Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego), campaigning against City Councilwoman Barbara Bry in the election to replace termed-out San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, states: “While I’ve made the decision to begin my campaign again, I’m also pledging not to engage in any negative campaigning during this crisis, as was the case during the primary, regardless of the tactics of my opponent. We have some very hard times ahead, and an ugly mayor’s race won’t get people back to work, put food on their table, or help San Diegans come together to heal our city. Now is not the time. I am also committed to running this campaign compliant with all social distancing protocols and public health regulations. That means that our campaign will continue to maintain a closed headquarters, refrain from holding any in-person campaigning events, and avoid all in-person field canvassing for the foreseeable future.”
*Brian Jones, R-Santee, has been named by Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, to the Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Response. “We’ve lost over 750 Californians, another 23,000 have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, thousands of businesses have been decimated, and hundreds of thousands of Californians have lost their jobs,” Jones said. “While, in many ways, we set the example in how to properly deal with the crisis, there are undoubtedly plenty of things we need to learn from this situation and change our state’s future response to emergencies to better protect all Californians.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com