SAN DIEGO — This year’s Tapestry, sponsored by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s JLearn, promises to be more diverse, exciting and interesting than ever before. Experts have been tapped from all over the world to contribute to this extraordinary Jewish Learning event.
The first session, the keynote address on Saturday evening, November 7, at 7:30 p.m., will feature David Meltzer, named one of Forbes’ 10 best Motivational Speakers. Meltzer will discuss how to “Stabilize Your Mindset and Stay Grounded. Focus on Your Core Values Through a Jewish Lens. “
David Meltzer is the son of retired San Diego Jewish Academy teacher, Karen Rund and older brother of Ohr Shalom’s Rabbi Scott Meltzer. He is also the nephew of Past Congregation Beth Israel President, Jerry Goldberg, Past Ohr Shalom President, Susie Meltzer and JLearn Committee member, Dr. Eli Meltzer.
This year, because all the lectures will be virtual, six of the 21 outstanding speakers will be streaming from Israel: Rabbi Morey Schwartz, International Director of the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, whose topic is, “What is a Miracle and What is Not?”; Haim Aronovitz, head of Melton Travel Seminars, discussing contemporary Israeli poets, “Every Poem Paints A Different Picture: A New Look At Israel”’ Cantor Hanan Leberman, visiting High Holiday cantor for Tifereth Israel Synagogue, on Chassidic Niggunim, “Jerusalem: Feeling Groovy”; Katherine Aron-Beller, London-born Jewish historian, on “Was Shakespeare’s Shylock really an Italian Jew?”; and Evgenia Kempinski, Russian-born founder of The Online Jewish Travel Club, on “Jewish Art in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.”
Another distinguished foreign speaker will be the Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, discussing “A Vision for the Jewish World in the Covid-19 Era.”
From the East Coast, Rabbi Shai Cherry, formerly the Judaic Studies instructor at the University of San Diego, now the pulpit rabbi at Congregation Adath Jeshurun, outside of Philadelphia, will speak on “Omnicide as Theodicy and Theology.”
Soraya Nadia McDonald, Cultural Critic for The Undefeated, will address us from New York City on “Jews of Color and Antisemitism”; Jeffrey Spitz Cohan, Executive Director of Veg, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will speak on “Working Together to Prevent Another Pandemic”; Rona Fishman from Cambridge, Massachusetts will talk about “Book Groups With A Purpose: The Daughters of Abraham”; Rabbi Ilana Grinblatt from Los Angeles, will address, “What Can We Learn from this Turbulent Time?”; Nancy Krause, librarian and Jewish educator, will discuss “Reading to Understand Racism”; and Gahl Eden Sasson, dubbed Los Angeles’ best astrologist, will speak about “Kabbalah and the Tree of Life.”
San Diegan presenters will include Rabbi Philip Graubart, former rabbi of Beth El Synagogue, on “Social Justice and the Jews”; Monica Edelman, Director of San Diego Jewish National Fund, on “Socioeconomic and Environmental Challenges Facing Israel Today, and Practical Solutions for a Prosperous Future”; Kelsey Greenberg Young, Educational Director for San Diego’s Anti-Defamation League, on “Bias and Oppression: What’s the Difference?”; and Dr. Raymond Fink, Board Member, Hartman Institute, on “Devine Limitation and Human Responsibility.”
Todd Salovey, SDSU Theater Department Faculty Member, Assistant Director at the San Diego Repertory Theater and Director of the Lipinsky Jewish Arts Festival, will give a workshop on “Acting and Prayer.” Another interactive workshop will be given by Galit Gigi Shazifi, “Drumming Up Joy During Covid.”
I will be among the seven local presenters, speaking about and illustrating “Instruments of the Bible, Precursors of Instruments of the Symphony Orchestra.”
Each Tapestry participant will be able to take three classes on Sunday, in addition to the Keynote Address Saturday evening.
There will be seven classes to choose from at 10:00 a.m., seven to choose from at 11:00 a.m. and six to choose from at 12:00 p.m.
The wealth of offerings make choices difficult, but many of the classes will be recorded, so there may be the possibility of hearing additional presentations at a later time.
For a nominal fee of $18 our Jewish community is encouraged to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity. Contact Lauren laurenl@lfjcc.org or 858-457-3030 to register.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com
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