California

Jewish-Themed Television Comes to San Diego

LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — On May 31, Cox Communications entered into a national affiliation agreement with Jewish Life TV (JLTV). As part of the agreement, JLTV launched in the San Diego market. JLTV is the nation’s largest and most robust English language, Jewish-themed television network in several markets, including California (San Diego, Orange County, […]

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California, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Larry Schwartz: Organizer of AFT Local 1931

A large crowd gathered on December 1, 1995, to rename the Quad at San Diego City College as Schwartz Square.  The gathering was in honor of history professor and American Federation of Teachers #1931 President Larry Schwartz.  He had died at age 62 of a brain tumor ten months prior to the ceremony. The dedication plaque there reads: “In memory of Larry Schwartz. He inspired students, challenged colleagues, and shared the passion and action of his time.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

A Jewish Tour of Balboa Park

The San Diego Zoo is known as one of the world’s premier institutions for the conservation of endangered wildlife species. Along with its sister San Diego Safari Park, located in the San Pasqual Valley, the San Diego Zoo is considered one of the best, if not the very best, zoos in the world. Of particular Jewish interest is the fact that the San Diego Zoo has served as a big brother to the Tisch Family Zoo in Jerusalem, which also is known as the Jerusalem Zoo. Many of the exhibits in Jerusalem are modeled on those in San Diego and both zoos have received generous financial contributions from San Diegans. {Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

LA Jewish Young Professionals Go ‘Back to Camp’ to Ignite Ideas, Inspire Curiosity, Build Connections

LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Young Jewish leaders from across Los Angeles joined together May 12 for an experiential, day-long, camp-style gathering hosted by Trybal Gatherings designed to ignite professionals with new ideas, inspire curiosity, and build connections. Supported by the generosity of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and in partnership with the

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California, Lifestyles

Before Melvin, Padres had 11 players, 2 coaches with at least one Jewish parent

Since the team’s induction into Major League Baseball in 1969 until 2021, the Padres counted 11 players and two coaches on its rosters who had at least one Jewish parent. In 2022, Bob Melvin became the team’s first manager with a Jewish parent. [Donald H. Harrison]

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AAA-Writers and photographers, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USA

Frida Kahlo Loved Jews So Much She Invented Jewish Ancestry

The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is the subject of several murals at Chicano Park. Modern genealogists say that she was the daughter of a mother of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent, Mathilde Calderon y Gonzalez, and a German Lutheran father, Guillermo Kahlo. However, Frida herself always insisted that her father, who was an important influence on both her life and her art, was actually Jewish. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Assassinated Gay Jewish Political Leader Harvey Milk Is Honored by the U.S. Navy

The “christening” ceremony featured a principal ceremonial address by Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, as well as remarks by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Vice Admiral Jeffrey Hughes, deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development; and Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, commander of the Military Sealift Command. Sponsors of the ship were U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who had served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors with Milk, and Paula Neira, clinical program director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health. Neira shattered a bottle of sparkling wine across the ship’s bow in a time-honored Navy tradition. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Graduation Day at the Radiation Treatment Center

Today, April 29, 2022, was a bellringing day for me at the Jacobs Medical Center at UCSD Health Sciences.  I completed a 33-day course of radiation in the hope of arresting a meningioma that was growing on top of my brain.  On July 1, I will have an MRI to learn how well the treatment worked. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Uptick of Antisemitic Incidents in San Diego, While US Antisemitism Reaches All-Time High in 2021

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents issued today found that the Jewish community of San Diego County experienced 38 recorded incidents, including 14 incidents of vandalism of businesses, places of worship, and schools, 23 incidents of targeted online and in-person harassment, and 1 incident of assault. “These numbers are alarming

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California, USA

Social Worker Serves as a Lay Rabbi for Elderly Residents of Paradise Village

Lazard, a social worker employed by the County of San Diego to determine financial and residential eligibility for cradle-to-21-year-old residents with major disabilities, says he is happiest when he gets to sing, particularly Jewish prayer songs. Through his tutoring of Ruth Sax, he got to know other Jewish residents of Paradise Village, and before long he was asked to officiate at the monthly Shabbat service. He met with Paradise Village’s Chaplain, Harry Bennett, before accepting the volunteer gig. Services are held in the non-denominational chapel, which has a stained-glass window bearing a picture of a dove. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

United States District Court Appoints Randy S. Grossman to Serve as US Attorney

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The U.S. District Court has appointed Randy S. Grossman to remain as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. “It is a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as the U.S. Attorney,” Grossman said. “I am grateful to the district judges for appointing me to serve in this

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California, USA

Parents: Encourage Your Children to Participate in Student Government

By Elior Amar (JNS) On one Tuesday night in February, a small group of Jewish students at UC Santa Cruz, where I serve as a shaliach (Israeli emissary) for the Jewish Agency for Israel, logged into the weekly Zoom meeting of the Student Union Assembly to support the adoption of a working definition of antisemitism. The

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California, Middle East, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Beverly Hills Residents Wake Up to Antisemitic Fliers on First Day of Passover

(JNS) Antisemitic fliers blaming Russia’s nearly two-month-long war in Ukraine on Jews were left in front of homes in Beverly Hills, Calif., on the first day of Passover. “Every single aspect of the Ukraine-Russia war is Jewish,” said the flier, which included photos of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also

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California, USA