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Wednesday, May 28 JFS~Ellen Saks lecture on mental illness
Tuesday, June 3 Guardians Golf & Tennis Tournament
Thursday, June 5 Tifereth Israel's 'Girls Night Out'
Friday-Saturday, June 6-7 JFS~Judaism on the Wild Side
Sunday, June 8 Temple Solel~Tikkun Leil Shavuot
AJC PERSPECTIVES
'Peres' Planet': Electric cars, Arab-Israeli cooperation, new cities in the Arava
By Eran Lerman
 JERUSALEM—Amid the truly troubling news of recent weeks—the significant and ongoing political crisis surrounding Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s financial transactions; the frightening rise of Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, to power in Lebanon, where they have gained eleven seats in the future cabinet and veto power over all parliamentary decisions; and above all, the ongoing violence emanating from Gaza, which culminated in a destructive attack by an Iranian-supplied “Grad” missile on a mall in Ashkelon, destroying a women’s infirmary, badly wounding, among others, a young mother and her two-year-old daughter, and, only by sheer luck not ending up in greater carnage—it was incongruous to attend, at the very same time, an event that could have been taking place in a parallel universe: namely, last week’s unique “Facing Tomorrow” conference convened by Israeli President Shimon Peres, which I took part in, together with a large and impressive AJC delegation.
The grand halls of the Israel Convention Center (ICC) in Jerusalem witnessed a remarkable gathering of world leaders, including George W. Bush, who attended on Wednesday—a long, dramatic salute to the special relationship—as well as (in one incredible session on Tuesday) the presidents of Poland, Burkina Faso, Albania, Mongolia, and Uganda, among others, as well as former world figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Václav Havel. They all came to honor Israel on her sixtieth birthday, as well as to pay their respects to Peres as a unique presence in modern history, a practitioner of defense and diplomacy who became a visionary of peace—and of the benefits that citizens of Israel, the region, and the world might draw from the use of modern technology, not toward destructive ends, but for the common good. The cynics may nod at the extravagance of this parade, but we need to recognize that, in honoring Peres, the world does honor an important aspect of what Israel stands for.
The conference itself—a true candy store of intellectual challenges—mapped out, in its various sessions, the broad contours of what may be called, borrowing a title from one of Saul Bellow’s novels, “President Peres’s Planet.” From the role of literature (discussed by two Israeli writers, one Jewish and one Druze; one Hebrew-speaking Italian Catholic novelist; and America’s leading trio of young Jewish writers, Nicole Krauss, her husband, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Nathan Englander) to the impact of modern medicine, and from the Islamist challenge (a session that was to be attended by the former president of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, but poor health prevented him from coming) to the electric car—the world of Tomorrow was examined in some detail, as well as in broad sweeps of the creative imagination.
Yet, as one might expect, given the painful discrepancy between the celebrations in Jerusalem and the pain of Ashkelon, between the salute to Israel here and the foul fountainhead of hate in Tehran (President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the opportunity to describe Israel as a “putrid corpse” that no amount of visiting well-wishers could revive), questions did arise as to whether there was any substance to the Peres planet at all: Having witnessed the collapse of his grand designs for the “New Middle East” (the subject of another fascinating panel), experienced observers were well-positioned to warn against the underlying streak of wishful thinking that has left its imprint on Israeli policies in the last twenty years.
Surprisingly, one of the most persuasive voices arguing in favor of the vitality of visionary thinking—even in these turbulent times—was not one of the many intellectuals in attendance but an abrasive Israeli businessman who has made his mark in the global real estate market, not least by acquiring a New York landmark, the Plaza Hotel. Yitzhak Tshuva is a self-made man who rose from rags to riches, first in Israel and then beyond, an effective, aggressive builder and planner, not a rosy-eyed visionary. Nevertheless, speaking in English colored by Hebrew expressions, and then in colloquial Arabic, he left his mark on the conference, putting forward (in close coordination with Peres) his notion of a grand Red-to-Dead Sea canal. This project would turn Wadi Arava between Israel and Jordan into a huge development zone combining agriculture, industry, and science with gleaming new cities in the desert, with much work to be done by Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians alike, in great numbers, bringing them together through a common vision. He detailed the commitments he had already received from regional leaders (including the Saudis, according to his report) and world investors. Suddenly, coming from a man whose own big money is at stake, what might otherwise have seemed a flight of fancy sounded like the description of a place we might indeed one day live in.
It will be a “better place”—if Peres, his backers, and Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi have their way—one in which we may end up driving “Better Place” cars that are fully electric and designed to rid the world of its addiction to oil. In Jerusalem, as at the AJC Annual Meeting a few weeks earlier, Agassi made his pitch (American-style). And again, having a person who had already done well in a leading technology company (in his case, SAP) take the lead meant that this was not a Cloud-cuckoo-land we were in: Much needs to be solved, but the unique, innovative spirit of Israel shines through.
Israel leading the world in clean energy; hundreds of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians working together to connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea; new cities in the desert to outshine Dubai: We may yet come to live on this enticing planet, but first we need to land firmly on it. Given the nature of our neighborhood, it’s bound to be a rough ride—but conferences like this one are there to remind us why it may be worthwhile.
THE JEWISH CITIZEN San Diego Jewish World endorsement
Reelect San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders
 SAN DIEGO—
Anyone who watches television has been pounded with commercial after commercial paid for by candidate Steve Francis insinuating that Mayor Jerry Sanders has been part of the problem—rather than the solution—at City Hall. Francis has millions of dollars to spend and in the process of this election he is improving the profitability of the television stations and raising his name identification considerably.
The danger is that Francis also is defining Jerry Sanders for that percentage of people in the television audience who have no opinion of their own about the mayor. Such people, in a vacuum, are forced to rely on what clearly is an unprincipled smear campaign against a fine public servant. Those of us with memories of our own know that Sanders inherited the problems at City Hall upon winning a special election following the resignation of Mayor Dick Murphy.
Sanders, a former police chief who restored credibility to the local Red Cross after its CEO was fired, has learned that city government is not as easy to reform, but he keeps plugging away at it in his low-key manner. That very low-key manner is one of Sanders’ problems. With five television stations aggressively competing to cover the news in San Diego, flamboyance, rather than level-headedness, often is mistaken for leadership. And now, Francis is offering hit-piece commercials rather than substantive solutions in his attempt to have Sanders turned out.
Watching the same commercial of Francis’ for the umpteenth time, my wife Nancy commented, “a man with all that money—think of the good he could do if he spent it on worthwhile projects instead of on these commercials. He could be using that money to improve the city instead of just tearing the other fellow down.”
Yes, he could. But improving the city is not really what the Francis campaign has been about.
The way I see it, Francis has been using his personal wealth to settle a score. He’s not used to coming in second best and has been plotting political revenge ever since Sanders beat him in the last election. From the very vehemence of his attacks on Sanders, one sees that the election is not about what is good for San Diego; it’s about Steve Francis not liking to lose.
From the standpoint of the Jewish community in San Diego, I see no reason to trade in a good friend for someone with no proven track record in public affairs. Jerry Sanders has been a good friend to our community. Perhaps because his wife, Rana Sampson, is Jewish and her sister makes her home on an Israeli kibbutz, Sanders, a Gentile, has been extraordinarily sympathetic both to the domestic concerns of the Jewish community and to our determination to insure the safety of Israel.
Recently, Mayor Sanders officially welcomed to our city Alon Schuster, the mayor of the embattled community of Sha’ar Hanegev, which suffers almost daily rocket attacks from across the Gaza border. It wasn’t just a quick handshake and a photo-op, Sanders spent time learning what life is like under such constant stress. He wanted to better understand the angst felt by so many of his constituents about the ongoing necessity for maintaining Israel’s security.
I have covered Sanders at a variety of Jewish meetings. I remember him at a groundbreaking ceremony at Congregation Beth El. He invited the leadership of the Jewish American Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways to improve the city. And, just this last Sunday, he was a speaker at the Yom Ha’Atzma’ut observance at the Lawrence Family JCC, where he told how as a young man his reading of the Leon Uris novel Exodus began a life-long fascination for him with Israel.
Jerry Sanders, a good man, a decent man, deserves our support for another term as mayor.
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#274, Adira Hee
Adira Hee
Means “strong is she.”
That’s you, Adira, dear.
Your strength of will
Helps you fulfill
The tasks that others fear.
Adira, dear.
You lead the fight
To make wrongs right,
To make life’s ills decrease.
You take the lead
When there’s a need
For justice, law, and peace.
Adira, dear.
We count on you
In all you do,
Yes, you, Adira, strong,
You show the way
When people stray,
You always right the wrong. . .
You right the wrong.
Adira Hee
Means “strong is she.”
That’s you, Adira, dear.
 #314, Lech L'cha
Lech l’cha, Lech l’cha,
Lech l’cha, Bar Mitzvah boy,
Go forth to be a man.,
Make the world a better place
In ev’ry way you can.
Lech l’cha, Lech l’cha,
See yourself in other shoes,
And always then pay heed
To all the people you may meet
Who suffer unmet need:
The blind man charting ev'ry step
By tapping with his cane;
The crippled girl with hobbled gait,
Whose face shows constant pain;
The speech impeded elder aunt
Whom no one understands;
The alcoholic vagabond
With outstretched, begging hands.
Lech l’cha, Lech l’cha,
Lech l’cha, Bar Mitzvah boy,
Go forth to be a man.,
Make the world a better place
In ev’ry way you can.
Lech l’cha. . .you can.
 #266, Mitzvah Soup
A schnorer trav’ling far from home
Was feeling hunger shock;
So, passing by a village farm,
He paused to give a knock.
“Who’s there?” the farmhouse wife inquired.
“Oh, just a hungry soul,
Hoping for a mitzvah soup,
No more than one small bowl.”
“I’d like to make a mitzvah soup,”
She said in friendly tone,
“But I’m so poor, so very poor,
I lack a good soup bone.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” the schnorer said.
“Who needs a meatless bone!
All it takes for tasty soup
Is just a single stone.”
Surprised, the wife expressed her doubt.
“You can’t make soup that way.”
“Oh, yes you can. Of that I’m sure.
Just do as I will say.”
“Go out to where your garden grows
And dig around the soil.
Pick up a stone and at your stove
Put water on to boil.”
She found a stone, then washed it clean
And dropped it in a pot.
With tablespoon he took a taste.
“I like this soup a lot!”
“All it needs,” he meekly said,
“Is just a pinch of salt
To give the soup that gourmet taste
No connoisseur can fault.”
With salt in pot, the schnorer said,
“Let’s make it better still.
Why not add a cel’ry stalk
And onion, if you will?”
She added both plus one small beet.
He took a taste again.
“If I have sampled better soup,
I can’t remember when.”
Overwhelmed by all the praise,
She added carrot greens,
With two potatoes plus some chives,
And twenty-seven beans.
And so the wife and schnorer guest
Together sat to dine.
They both agreed, a single stone
Makes mitzvah soup divine.
ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY
Robinson-Rose House
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Old Temple Beth Israel |
Lawrence Family JCC |
Editor's Note: We are reprinting news articles that appeared in back issues of various San Diego Jewish newspapers. You may access an index of the headlines of those articles by clicking here. You may also use the Google search program on our home page or on the headline index page to search for keywords or names.
Community Currents
From Southwestern Jewish Press, August 18, 1950, page 2
By Albert Hutler, Executive Director, United Jewish Fund
Jewish Education in San Diego—The second year of the Adult Institute for Jewish Studies sponsored by the Jewish Education Commission, will open on Wednesday, October 11, 1950, at Temple Beth Israel Center. In a preliminary discussion by the commission, it was planned to continue several of the courses which have been given in the past, and to introduce several new and interesting subjects. One of the possibilities is to bring to our community several important and outstanding lecturers and artists as part of the institute. Rabbi Cohn, Dean of the Institute, while Dr. A.P. Nasatir is in Europe, urges everyone to make plans to spend their Wednesday evenings at the Institute. One of the first cooperative ventures between the Synagogues and the Central Community Organization, the Institute attracted national attention on its opening some two years ago.
Convention Notes —Ben B'rithers, who have conventioned here recently, have now returned to their homes, speaking glowingly of San Diego's climate and hospitality. They did an excellent job while here, which included a resolution on Communism, which drew applause from the membership. Our congratulations go to Eddie Breitbard, as General Chairman, and his committee for the excellent job that was done, as well as for his election to the Executive Committee of the District. Morrie Kraus, president of Lasker Lodge, worked like a beaver to help make the convention a success. As I listened to some of the discussions during several of the sessions, I wondered how many of our local Ben B'rithers, who were glowing with pride at the achievement of this great service organization, realize that the National Youth Service Appeal, the Anti-Defamation League, the Leo Levi Memorial Hospital are all supported, not only through B'nai B'rith, but by local Jewish Welfare Funds, such as the United Jewish Fund of San Deigo.
Duarte Sanatorium Serves Local People—Recently I have been studying some statistics about the Jewish Consumptive Relief association, which operates the "City of Hope" at Duarte, California, just outside of Los Angeles. You might be interested to know that in the last ten years, up until the end of 1949, some 14 patients were admitted to the Sanatorium from San Diego. However, since the beginning of 1950, there have been to date, five patients admitted to this fine Tuberculosis Sanitarium, three of whom are Jewish and two Christian. In 1950, it seems to me, that we may have to do some re-thinking on the place of the "City of Hope" in the local scene, and maybe for this year consider it as a local institution in making an allocation.
Social Club-Community Center—There has been a great deal of talk in the last several months, both pro and con, about a private social club for Jews of San Diego. It begins to look like this will become a reality on a well chosen site in Mission Valley. Most communities throughout the country, some which are smaller than san Diego, have Jewish Social Clubs. Most of them, once organized, work for the best interest of the community as well as social life for its members. There really is a need in our community for some type of social existence outside of the United Jewish Fund, Synagogues, clubs and "at-home" parties, that make up our social life today. The "club" certainly can serve a good purpose for its members. Those who are leading a drive for the new club are the first to admit that there is also a need for a Community Center in San Diego to meet the social recreational and leisure time activity of the Jewish Community as a whole, which today are not being met by any organization or groups of organization. A beginning toward this effort must be made in the near future, they admit. Those of us who believe in Jewish Community Life, who try to be unselfish in our viewpoint, feel definitely the need for a social club, a dignified and beautiful synagogue for the Orthodox in our community, a synagogue center containing classrooms and whatever else is necessary for Tifereth Israel, and its children, and a Jewish Community Center for the Jewish Community as a whole in which all groups, no matter what their beliefs may be, will be able to participate. There is no conflict between these aims except in the minds of those who can only see their own selfish interests.
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Nancy Harrison
cruise & tour specialist
(619) 265-0808
SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW
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