By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO COUNTY (Friday, May 12, 2023)
Michael Aeder, president of Beth Jacob Congregation, has appealed for donations to the “Israel Under Fire Emergency Campaign” sponsored by Orthodox Union. Donations will support Makom emergency services in Balev youth centers in Sderot, Rehovot, and other cities vulnerable to missile attacks from Gaza. The donor website may be accessed here.
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Rabbi Rafi Andrusier of Chabad of East County reports the recent passing of his uncle, Rabbi Eli Tenenbaum, who taught Talmud at the Chabad high school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. “His memory was like a sponge, everything he studied and all of his experiences were absorbed and retained,” Andrusier said. “As a matter of fact, I remember when I was preparing for my Bar Mitzvah and he asked me what my Torah portion will be (the portion of Devarim), he immediately pointed out that the portion contained 3 pazers. (A pazer is an infrequent cantillation mark that occurs in Torah readings. The chant of this mark is relatively difficult for amateur Torah readers.”
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In Jewish tradition, the fate of the world depends upon 36 upstanding people known as the Lamed Vavniks. As a matter of interest, there are 36 leaders and officers of the Jewish Teen Foundation (JTF) in San Diego County. They will be awarding philanthropic funds that they have raised to various nonprofit organization at a 4 p.m. ceremony Sunday May 21 at Congregation Beth Am in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego. JTF Leaders include Miriam Bowers, Netanel Dimenstein, Lia Ellis, Julia Gabriel, Naomi Gabriel, Gabriella Herman, Elianna Kaplan, Ethan Kassar, Isabella Lehman, Zoe Levin, Mason Mackin, Avery Meiselman, Remi Morris, Noah Pearl, Gabi Rafi, Emily Schatz, Jenna Spitzberg and Rebecca Venger. JTF Officers are Aaron Arnold, Nadav Aron, Talia Baird, Hannah Bowers, Teddy Diamond, Shiloh Dimenstein, Ben Epstein-Thomas, Leah Epstein-Thomas, Eli Gross, Maya Hanoch, Isaac Herman, Simon Kassar, Ian Lehman, Ella Pearl, Ellery Robinson, Ethan Shakhman, Sadie Stern, and Aliza Zollman.
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Lisa Berman Hernandez, president of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, says the Conservative congregation in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego has a position opening for a Torah School director who will also be responsible for youth engagement.
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Executive guide Eric Kaufmann, author of Leadership Breajdown: How Conscious Leaders Generate Breakthroughs That Enrich Business and the World, will lecture and sign his book at 7:30 p.m. at Warwick’s La Jolla, 7812 Girard Avenue. He quips, “While I’d love to bring in jugglers and a full buffet, I can’t. But I promise a room full of super cool humans and a meaningful and fun discussion about purpose, power, love, and wisdom.”
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Caterer and restaurateur Sheila Lebovitz will be honored at Chabad of La Costa’s fundraising dinner on Wednesday, August 9, as part of its campaign to build the synagogue’s educational floor. Additionally, the occasion will honor the memory of Channah Hale, who was a close friend of Lebovitz.
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Naomi Shakhman, preschool director at San Diego Hebrew Day, and staff planned an exciting Lag B’Omer celebration for the school’s youngest pupils. As reported in the Orthodox day school’s newsletter: “The Frogs, Dragonflies, and Hummingbirds had a fun round robin during which they cut doll hair (haircuts are permissible on Lab B’Omer), ran through an obstacle course, created bonfire crafts, enjoyed bouncing in a Jumpee and made s’mores over an open fire. The festivities ended with a delicious barbecue lunch.”
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Dr. Kenneth Trestman, a pulmonologist and rabbi at the Bais Betzalel Chabad of North County Inland, has been honored by the Palomar Health Medical Group with its Physican of the Year Award.
CALIFORNIA
David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, said the May 9-10 summit at the State Capitol brought “over 300 Jewish community leaders of all backgrounds, representing a beautiful cross-section of California’s Jewish life. Our delegation included leaders of dozens of major Jewish organizations that are working to combat antisemitism and hate, advance civil rights, and provide a wide range of social and human services to vulnerable Californians. … It was clear that the 103 legislative offices we met with were inspired by our commitment to our Jewish values and our ability to come together across differences.”
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Rabbi Steven Jacobs, founder of the Progressive Faith Foundation, is among leaders urging adoption of SB 287 by State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). He and colleagues write in an article for Times of San Diego that the measure “would make it unlawful for platforms, knowingly or carelessly, to cause children to become medically addicted to their platforms, to allow their algorithms to deliver ‘how to’ suicide videos into the hands of depressed children, to repeatedly pummel girls with pro-anorexia content, or offer children easy ways to buy lethal fentanyl.”
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In Los Angeles, the Israel Consulate-General plans a celebration on Wednesday, May 17, of Israel’s 75th anniversary of independence with a 6:30 p.m. concert at the Saban Theatre featuring Tamir Grinberg and his band and emceed by actor Ron Shahar. Registration is available via this website. IAC | Celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut – IAC360
NATIONAL
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas may have committed fraud, but he declined to give details. “We’ve got some people that are sharing information with us that there’s potential fraud, so we’re going to look very hard at all of these things, prepare a packet, show it to the American people, and then if it warrants impeachment, we’ll hand it off to Chairman [Jim] Jordan [of the House Judiciary Committee),” Green told The Daily Caller.
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Yes, of course, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vermont) is Jewish, but in terms of his sympathy for Israel, conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro says, “Bernie Sanders is approximately as Jewish as a ham sandwich topped with shrimp on lard bread.” The comment came after Sanders helped arrange for a “Nakba (Catastrophe) Day” commemoration at the Capitol arranged by pro-Palestinian Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan.).
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Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, 73, has announced that she plans to retire at the end of June. Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented “our nation is safer and more secure, and our partnerships more robust, due to her leadership.”
INTERNATIONAL
Numerous Jews attended the coronation of King Charles II of the United Kingdom. Among them was Jewish Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl, who told the Jewish Chronicle in London that she was “honored to attend the coronation as a lay leader of the Jewish community. The inclusion of those of all faiths and none truly made this a 21st century coronation.” Simon Sebag Montefiore, a historian and broadcaster, described coronation day as “momentous, magical, and successful, both traditional and modern—and such an honor to be there for [wife] Santa and I. As a Jewish person and a historian, it says a lot about modern Britain that so many Jews were there, and I was very proud to be one of them.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com