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Temple Etz Rimon Shares in Interfaith Projects with Pilgrim Church; Both Congregations are Committed to Social Justice, Inclusiveness

Every synagogue has its own personality. Farber said that Temple Etz Rimon’s is that “it is very, very friendly. Warm. You come into the building and you are greeted. You are welcomed at the oneg. They grab you; they love you. People will say, ‘Oh my God, you are so friendly!’ We are. There is no snobbishness in the group. It’s really a nice congregation. Unfortunately, it is getting smaller and smaller.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Jewish Community Foundation’s Leadership Transition

Beth Sirull completes her tenure as CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego on March 15, when she will be succeeded by Jeremy Pearl, who currently is the foundation’s chief financial officer. [SDJW Staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Israel, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Ukrainian Jewish Asylee Now in San Diego Tells Her Story

Written with humor as well as heart ache, Jane Muschenetz touches in All the Bad Girls Wear Russian Accents on her raw feelings of becoming a refugee during the Russian invasion of her home country, Ukraine, and being transplanted to San Diego. [Pennell Paugh, East County Magazine]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, East County Magazine, International, Lifestyles, San Diego County

WJC Condemns European Court’s Decision on Ritual Slaughter Ban in Belgium

Stern remarked, “The court’s ill-advised decision that perpetuates discrimination against Belgian Jews and Muslims is deplorable. This ruling is a backward step, not a matter of animal welfare, but a clear suppression of religious freedom and liberty. We cannot stand idly by as instances of religious persecution unfold.” [World Jewish Congress]

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Antisemitism, International, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, World Jewish Congress

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Chaim Potok

In 1967 Potok published The Chosen, and in 1969 a sequel The Promise, which helped delineate differences between Orthodox and Hasidic Jews.  The Chosen was made into a film in 1981.  In the interim,  the Potoks moved to Jerusalem in 1970, returning to the states in 1977.  Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev was published in 1972. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

StandWithUs Takes Middlebury College to Court Alleging a Pattern of Antisemitism

“Middlebury College has failed egregiously to provide adequate protection for Jewish students seeking to remedy persistent antisemitic bigotry on campus,” said Yael Lerman, Director of the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice. “Middlebury administrators disregarded student allegations, attempted to silence them, neglected to enforce its own rules, and at times were complicit in discriminating against Jewish students. In doing so, the College has violated its obligations under Title VI and must be held accountable.” [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Love Triangle is Focus of ‘The Age of Innocence’ at Old Globe

The story itself centers on a love triangle between Newland Archer (Callum Adams), Countess Ellen Olenska (Shereen Ahmed), and May Wellend (Delphi Borich).  Countess Olenska returns to America after fleeing her abusive husband in Europe.  She thinks and dresses very differently than the rest of New York society causing her to scandalize some and be idolized by others.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Antisemitic Callers Overwhelm La Mesa City Council Meeting with Hate Speech

Words turned ugly during the council’s public comment period on Tuesday when a series of callers, each held to a council-mandated three-minute limit per speaker, used their allotted time to debase and degrade Jews with callous accusations and conspiracy theories. [J.W. August, Times of San Diego]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Times of San Diego

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Barbara Myerhoff

Following advice to “study your own,” Myerhoff began fieldwork on the elderly Jews at the Israel Levin Center in Venice, California, resulting in a 1977 Oscar-winning short documentary film, Number Our Days, and in 1979 a book of the same title. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

OpEd: Faulconer Seeks Profit by Driving a Wedge into the Jewish Community

I cannot stay silent when I see former Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s calculating, cunning and opportunistic attempt to fundraise off the hurt and pain our Jewish community is experiencing.  Faulconer’s crass attempt to pad his campaign coffers with cash while pretending to be a friend of our community shall not go unnoticed. [Laurie Black]

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Antisemitism, California, Israel, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jackie Gmach Utilizes the Arts to Teach Lessons of the Holocaust and the Tree of Life Synagogue

That drawing inspired Gmach to develop “We Are The Tree of Life,” a project focusing on Holocaust education utilizing the arts to promote a message of hope and survival. Literature, music, dance, poetry and drawings created by prisoners in the concentration camps and ghettos during World War II show that beauty can survive, even when experiencing unspeakable horrors. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA