SAN DIEGO – College football season comes to an end in the next couple of weeks. The college football playoffs are so confusing for us who grew up with just the bowls. My Dad z”l took me to the “Holiday Bowl” here in San Diego. One year, the Holiday Bowl, Holiday Bowl 5k and the Holiday Bowl balloon parade were on my birthday, Dec. 27. This year, all this is aligned again; however, tickets are just so expensive. We will watch from home. My Dad, I know, will be watching with us.
Elsewhere, 17th-ranked BYU Jewish quarterback, Jake Retzlaff will be going head-to-head with 20th-ranked Colorado at the Alamo Bowl at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 28 in San Antonio, Texas. Retzlaff scored a sponsorship deal with Manischewitz — an exciting development for star college athletes.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Michal Elon will share her story at Congregation Adat Yeshurun of surviving being shot three times at close range by a terrorist on Oct. 7 and recuperating as a Hadassah patient.
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Carol Ann Schwartz, who is the 28th National President of Hadassah, will be the guest speaker after 9:30 a.m. Shabbat services Saturday, Dec. 14 at Congregation Beth El with a kiddush following. Click here to register.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue hosts a “Let’s Ge(l)t Ready for Chanukah” event at noon Sunday, Dec. 15. Each household will create a chanukiah before a pizza lunch. Sufganiyot are included along with music and more. Click here to register.
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San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir will perform at the Carmel Valley Library at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15. The program will celebrate Hannukah. It is comprised of a group of 20 singers.
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Rabbi Elana Ackerman Hirsch lectures on “What Does it Mean to be a Reform Jew?” at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Congregation Beth Israel’s Men’s Club. Click here to register. Click here for the Zoom registration and click here to pay-at-door.
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Beth Jacob Congregation hosts a “Chanukah Bowling Party” at 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26 at Aztec Lanes. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth Am will celebrate Hanukkah at the Highlands at 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26 at the Del Mar Highlands Town Center.
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Congregation B’nai Tikvah will host a Chanukah party and latke contest with Richard Walker judging at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27 at the Escondido Masonic Center.
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Chabad of East County will celebrate Chanukah at the new location on which it has just closed escrow, 7183-7189 Navajo Rd., on Sunday, Dec. 29.
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Chabad of Chula Vista celebrates Chanukah at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29 at the Otay Ranch Town Center (in front of Macy’s). Click here to rsvp.
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Chabad of University City sponsors a menorah lighting at 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29 at UTC Mall (in the Macy’s Court).
AROUND THE COUNTY
Congregation B’nai Tikvah and Interfaith Community Services collect non-perishable food and gently used coats, jackets and hoodies for Jonah Levy’s community project with Sharie’s Closet. Click here for more information.
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Ohr Shalom Synagogue reports 27 donations to the San Diego Bloodmobile this past Sunday. This amount could potentially save 81 lives. The congregation also thanks those who helped paint the mural in the courtyard.
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Chabad of Encinitas reports it has menorah and candles to go for those who will be traveling during the winter break. Click here to request a menorah to go.
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San Diego Hebrew Day School preschoolers learned about Yaakov’s dream of the ladder stretching to the heavens. The children crafted their own colorful ladders and imagined climbing up to the stars.
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OBITUARY
Sharon Resnick died, mother of Randi Rose and Keith Resnick, sister to Mark Grappel and grandmother to Eliana, Sam and Ariel. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11, at El Camino Memorial Park, Ohr Shalom Synagogue reports.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.