Other items in today’s column include:
*San Diego City Council advances independent Commission on Police Practices
*Herzog says much of the Jewish Diaspora ‘paralyzed’ by the coronavirus
*Recommended reading
*In Memoriam
SAN DIEGO — The Internet is being used for good, bad, and abhorrent as attested to by the messages, news releases, and articles that reach our in-box at San Diego Jewish World.
The good: At the Jerusalem College of Technology, which teaches Internet skills to a student body that includes many Haredi women, a 44-hour online marathon was held to see what innovative solutions could be developed to help people who are sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a news release from the college, “The winning product, announced on Friday morning (June 19), was the design of a virtual platform to enable singles to interact in ways that resemble face-to-face dates. In addition, the product also created interactive activities the potential couple could do together like a simultaneous cooking competition, online card games, and a spinning wheel for discussion topics.
“In the religious and Ultra-Orthodox communities, where partnership and marriage are of the utmost importance, COVID-19 has had a damaging impact as in-person dating has been impossible. The winning team of more than 20 students created an innovative solution to try and make dating a reality, virtually. The product is launching in the dating world, but this platform and its interactive games can be expanded for relationship building of any kind.”
Other projects included “building a platform for people to support small businesses by buying from them and donating the products to groups and organizations such as medical teams, security teams, and nursing homes; improving access to medical and educational services for at-risk youths in times of crisis; linking artists and homebound populations for interactive performances; and creating a system to recruit massive numbers of volunteers for emergency situations.”
Commented Yonit Serkin, Managing Director of Mass Challenge: “COVID 19 has created major challenges for small businesses, non profits and artists, teens-at-risk and young people looking to launch relationships. But it has also created incredible opportunities for new technologies and solutions to help those who need them most. The technologies built and developed by the students at the Jerusalem College of Technology’s Women’s Hackathon are a great illustration that great ideas can come from everywhere and that together, we can create new realities for our communities.”
The bad: The Anti-Defamation League had 1,974 individuals surveyed between Jan. 17 and Jan. 30 by YouGov, and found that 28 percent of Americans have “experienced severe online hate and harassment,” including sexual harassment, stalking, physical threats, swatting [prompting police to respond to non-existent violence at your home], doxing [revealing private documents about you], or sustained harassment.
People belonging to marginalized, frequently targeted groups, including Jews, Muslims, African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, and LBGTQ community members, indicated matters have been getting worse for them, according to Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s chief executive officer.
According to the ADL, “Sixty-one percent of those who identified as Muslim who experienced harassment online felt it was because of their religious identity, compared to last year’s 35 percent figure. This was followed by Asian-Americans experiencing harassment because of their race (55 percent in 2020, 20 percent in 2018), LGBTQ+ for their sexual orientation (48 percent in 2020, 63 percent in 2018), Jews for their religious identity (43 percent in 2020, 35 percent in 2018), African Americans for their race (42 percent in 2020, 27 percent in 2018) and Hispanics or Latinos for their race (42 percent in 2020, 30 percent in 2018).”
Absolutely Appalling — TikTok is a social media platform for elementary school aged children, in which a popular feature is to be shown dancing and miming the lyrics of popular songs. According to The Times of Israel, this platform has been invaded by neo-Nazis and other anti-Semites who are trying to teach the impressionable youngsters songs and lyrics promoting hatred of Jews.
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San Diego City Council advances independent Commission on Police Practices
After listening to approximately 70 one-minute appeals from citizens by telephone — the way business is conducted in the age of the coronavirus pandemic — the nine members of the San Diego City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 23, to push forward a proposal to place the creation of an independent Commission on Police Practices on the city’s November ballot. On July 7, the City Council will have before it a measure that would formally initiate procedures to bring the issue before the voters.
Shepherded through the legislative process by City Councilwoman Monica Montgomery, and strongly supported by City Council President Georgette Gomez (a candidate for Congress) and Council President pro tempore Barbara Bry (a candidate for mayor), approval of the measure was all but assured after negotiating teams for the City of San Diego and the San Diego Police Officers Association (POA) agreed on May 21 that while the new Commission could have its own legal counsel, investigators, and subpoena power, that it would be San Diego’s Police Chief who would have the final say on what disciplinary measures, if any, should be taken against police officers found to be involved in misconduct by the independent commission. Further, it was agreed that police officers still would have the right to an administrative appeal in such cases as when there was a finding of misconduct.
While most of the speakers recited similar points in favor of letting voters decide on the ballot measure, possibly from a script distributed by such groups as San Diegans for Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union, Women Occupy San Diego, and other coalition members including environmental groups, some speakers emphasized that establishing the commission was a “minimal” step and that other police/ community issues must be addressed.
“I don’t think the police chief should have full discipline authority,” one speaker commented. Another said the commission should be empowered to look back at police shootings that occurred in the past. Another appealed for commission members to be paid salaries, so that the pool of commissioners wouldn’t be restricted to people who are affluent enough to volunteer. Still others expressed frustration that it had taken so long to get to this point, while others inveighed against the current Community Relations Board, which had no power of subpoena, and for which the San Diego City Attorney assigns legal counsel. Given that the City Attorney also represents the San Diego Police, many speakers said the current arrangement is rife with conflicts of interest. There were also calls to defund the police, if not completely, then by transferring some of its funds to other departments. Some speakers charged that the police department had been infiltrated by White supremacist groups.
As the lead City Council sponsor of the legislation, Montgomery agreed that the measure is not a be all-end all, commenting ” We will need continued push, education and advocacy.” She added it’s time to “shift power to the hands of the community.”
Bry and City Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell, both announced their “aye” votes by telephone, having attended the meeting from remote locations. Bry said the measure isn’t the only answer, but it will help to restore trust not only between the community and the police department, but also between the community and the overall city government.
City Councilwoman Vivan Moreno said that when members of the Police Department know they will be accountable for their actions, “then the culture of policing will be changed.”
Gomez said that systemic change comes about when many people are involved from the community. The success of the proposal for creating a Commission on Police Practices illustrates that, she said.
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JAFI’s Herzog says much of the Jewish Diaspora ‘paralyzed’ by the coronavirus
The World Jewish Congress hosts a series of “conversations” on Zoom, and Tuesday’s was one between Alana Baranov of Durban, South Africa, who serves as a member of the WJC’s Jewish Diplomatic Corps and Isaac Herzog, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Baranov was in South Africa, Herzog was in Israel, and I was watching in San Diego — one of the “good” aspects of the modern Internet.
Herzog said that the coronavirus pandemic has affected Diaspora Jewish communities dramatically, tilting the dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora from differences over various Israeli policies to one of “meeting the challenges together.”
He cited “the fact that synagogues and JCCs are closed; the fact that kindergartens and schools are closed; the fact that the financial model of certain communities is obsolete” and added that all this has led to a “change of paradigm” concerning Israel and the Diaspora.
Whereas throughout Israel’s 72 year history, Diaspora communities have mobilized to financially help Israel weather its various crises, “now it is about time that the State of Israel extends its hands to the communities,” Herzog said.
Among important concerns that Israel wishes to help the Diaspora address are revitalizing Jewish life in the time of the pandemic; helping Jewish schools, many of which have been “devastated”; dealing with security for Jewish institutions; fighting anti-Semitism, and allocating communal resources.
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Recommended reading
*U.S. News and World Report tells of the groundbreaking in Vienna, Austria for a new Holocaust memorial.
*While other cities are grappling with tearing things down, La Mesa has put up something that’s new for the suburban city: A Pride flag. Karen Pearlman of The San Diego Union-Tribune tells the story.
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In Memoriam
Herbert Braverman, husband of Arline Braverman, and father of Ira and Laurence Braverman, has died, Tifereth Israel Synagogue has reported. The funeral and shiva will be private. In addition to his wife and two sons, Braverman is survived by daughters in law Sharon and Lori Braverman; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com. Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.