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L.A. BEAT
Shel Silverstein play: A cavalcade of crazies
By Cynthia Citron
 LOS ANGELES—Anyone familiar with Shel Silverstein’s children’s books, or cartoons, or songs, or plays, will not be surprised by the skewed viewpoints on parade in Shel Silverstein Uncensored, now running at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Los Angeles. The man was WEIRD, and his characters converse in insane non sequiturs, demented logic, and perverse banalities. Very much like Nichols and May in their heyday.
Shel Silverstein Uncensored is an eclectic collection of eleven of his short plays and songs, presented by six superb comic actors who play it straight, as if it all made sense. My favorite was “One Tennis Shoe,” in which an uptight husband (Daniel Zacapa) tries to dissuade his wife (the beautiful and elegant Sarah Brooke) from becoming a bag lady. (“Becoming a bag lady!” she scoffs. “That’s like saying I’m becoming a werewolf!”) But as he digs around in her Big Brown Bag from Bloomingdale’s, as well as her attache-sized purse, he questions the items she has collected and stashed. They are an accumulation of visual non sequiturs, and they are hilarious. And so are her explanations of why she needs them.
Also a favorite was “Best Daddy” in which a happily beaming father (Tony Pasqualini) gives his 10-year old daughter (Colleen Kane) a dead pony for her birthday.
In “Life Boat” Martha Gehman sets up a “What If…” game with her husband (James MacDonald). As she imagines it, they are in a small boat, 500 miles from land, and the boat is sinking. He must throw somebody overboard. Who will it be? His wife? His baby? Or his mother?
Meanwhile, in the cracks between one vignette and the next, four of Silverstein’s better-known songs are presented: “Cover of the Rolling Stone”, “I Got Stoned and I Missed It”, “So Good to So Bad”, and “Freakin’ at the Freakers Ball.” With each number James MacDonald plays a mean guitar while others in the ensemble sing, dance, or play a trumpet (badly).
The evening is sharply directed by Dan Bonnell, and imaginative use is made of Charles Erven’s deceptively simple set design, which consists of variously shaped white blocks which morph into tables, cliff tops and other pieces of scenery. All helped by the ubiquitous Jeremy Piven’s effective lighting design.
All in all, it’s a fun show. Some sketches are better than others, but all have their LOL moments. So, if you were an SNL fan when that show was really good, you’re sure to get a kick out of Shel Silverstein Uncensored.
Shel Silverstein Uncensored will run most Wednesdays through most Sundays through August 10 at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 South Sepulveda Blvd., in Los Angeles. Post Show discussions are scheduled for June 19 and 25 and July 10. Call (310) 477-2055 for performance schedule and tickets.
THE JEWISH CITIZEN Grief may lead to personal transformation
The Gift of Grief: Finding Peace, Transformation and Renewed Life After Great Sorrow by Matthew D. Gewirtz, Celestial Arts, 2008, 152 pages, $14.95
By Donald H. Harrison
 SAN DIEGO—As an assistant rabbi at Shearith Israel Congregation in Manhattan and now the senior rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, New Jersey, Matthew D. Gewirtz has counseled many congregants at times of sickness and following the deaths of their loved ones. From his experiences, he has concluded that the deaths that cause grief are, of course, horrible, but that the process of grieving itself can be transformative, allowing people to develop a new sense of themselves and their places in the world.
Gewirtz doesn’t try to supply reasons for death or for suffering, but rather suggests that since all of us will have to go through grief, at one time or another, that process need not merely be something to get through as quickly as possible to get back to our “normal” lives. Rather, he suggests, it can be a time when we can confront God and grapple with the question of the purpose of our existence, and perhaps move to a new spiritual plain.
A natural part of grieving is to challenge the previous assumptions one had about life. If for example, your spouse dies in the prime of life, and suddenly all your expectations of raising your children together and growing old together, are shattered, what do you do? Do you pretend that after a period of mourning you can return to the life you once had, or do you fully commit yourself to the self-examination and questioning that often accompanies profound changes in lifestyle?
In advocating the latter course, Rabbi Gewirtz offers us some interesting guidelines. He suggests that grieving is a time when we can build “faith”—not the kind of blind faith that some televangelist might urge upon us but rather something far more nuanced. He defines faith, or emunah, as a process that involves the intellect as well as emotion. It is acting upon the belief that something is true, even while doubting that it is true. Putting it in a formula, he said “belief + doubt + action = faith.” In an aside, he teaches that the Hebrew etymology of the word “Israel” is “one who struggles with (the idea of) God.”
So if a grieving person screams, “God, how could You let this happen? It isn’t fair. She was so young! She had so much ahead of her. So much promise! How dare You?” that is not blasphemous, it is the actualizing of faith. In all likelihood, God won’t directly answer such questions, but deep down in the grieving person’s soul—what Rabbi Gewirtz calls his “inner core”—that person will find the answers.
Grief is a process that is not to be hurried through; it is an engagement that sometimes requires one to confront God and oneself over and over again, painful though that might be. But by going through this process, the rabbi suggests, people eventually will come to some conclusions about their own existence and what they want to do with the limited amount of time they will spend on earth.
In that way, grief is a gift—albeit one that none of us ever wants to receive.
may be contacted at editor@sandiegojewishworld.com
By Gaby Maio
Every year my family congregates at my home to enjoy the celebration of Pesach. My father cooks up a storm, my mother fills the house with flowers, and my sister and I set up our traditional Passover decorations, including our afikoman covers that were made in preschool. The laundry room is overflowing with chametz, taped up to help resist the craving we all have during the holiday for bread.
As aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins barge into the house we begin the seder with full awareness that we won't be eating for a very long time. Yet one thing always remains the same, year after year. As we conclude dinner and the children come running back with gleaming faces holding the afikoman, we all say together, "Next year in Jerusalem!" A year ago, no one knew that for me and my family celebrating Pesach in Jerusalem would become a reality.
Last year my mother and father decided to purchase an apartment in Ramat Beit Hakerem, a new neighborhood in Jerusalem. Our first weeks spent in the apartment the previous summer were filled with happiness. Our first Shabbat was spent overlooking the city and the golden color that reflects off of buildings as the sun set. Yet the defining moment for our family was when we returned to our Jerusalem apartment, happy to finally be home, to celebrate Pesach together.
My family consists of my mother, father, sister and me. We all decided that our apartment in Jerusalem would be the perfect location to celebrate Pesach this past Spring. My grandmother in San Diego couldn't believe we would be leaving her for Passover yet after a period of time could not be more happy that we were on our way, and couldn't help be a bit jealous. As we all packed up to fly off to Israel, our family instantly got to work to prepare a memorable Pesach.
Our Pesach seder began in tears of happiness coming from parents' eyes, and ended with us all overlooking the city in great appreciation and the sense of comfort one only feels when in Israel. My father prepared a wonderful, yet humble, meal; my mother put just a few flowers out here and there; my sister and I brought out our preschool Pesach decorations. We read from the same Haggadah used back at home, drank just as many glasses of wine and prepared just as much salt water and hard boiled eggs as the year before.
Yet the experience proved to be different. The seder lasted forty-five minutes instead of two hours. There were no babies and toddlers crying impatiently, no uncles arguing over who gets to read next, no group pictures sin my family room of us all dressed up, and no shouts of "I want fifty dollars for the Afikoman!" could possibly be heard.
There was a sense of serenity; a calm filled the room. The words of the Haggadah and our ancestors' stories of their exile in Egypt captured our attention and every word was taken in. You could hear the words of "Dayenu" coming from the apartment below ours, and our favorite radio station —99.3— played Pesach songs and wished everyone a Happy Passover. It was just the four of us seated at the white modern table on the antique studded chairs my mother had acquired. It was just the four of us who looked around and could not have been happier to look out to the Jerusalem stone that decorated each and every building.
There is no other city in the world that shuts down completely for three days for the holiday. There is no other country that has Kosher for Pesach menus posted at every restaurant. There is no other city that when you are done with your own seder, you are guaranteed to hear your neighbors finishing up theirs. Pesach in Israel was an experience that every year we wish upon ourselves. "Next year in Jerusalem" has come true for me and my family once; we can only hope it will be the case for many years to come."
When I hear about hate crimes, most of the time they seem very distant and far off. This one wasn't because it happened on my street. As a resident of Poway, I live in a very Jewish region. There are three synagogues within a two mile radius of my house: Chabad, Adat Shalom, and finally Ner Tamid. In the mornings I pass all three, and on my way home I walk past two. Every day I walk up to the Ner Tamid sign and then turn left and I am at home. Usually, there is nothing abnormal about my daily walk, but one day I noticed something incredibly wrong.
As I was walking down my street listening to my ipod and dribbling my basketball I happened to look up at the Ner Tamid sign and was shocked to see there was something very different from how it normally looked. At first it looked like normal graffiti scribbles, though after looking a little harder I noticed it was much more. Anti-Semitic markings were spray painted over the entire thing—front and back. There was a marking that read 88, meaning "Heil Hitler" and 14, which refers to a white supremacist slogan.
Sadly, this was not the extent of the damage done. As I was walking to a city bus stop less than a mile away from the temple, I noticed a wall painted with the same markings in the same style.
Reality came crashing down on me when I realized that these are not just things you hear about, they can happen anywhere. Hate is everywhere and it is a horrible thing to see. Anti-Semitism is something our people have fought throughout our history and it is disappointing and disgusting to see it in this day and age.
The sign has now been repainted by hand by a giving woman who was out there with her child and her minivan every day for about a week, yet it is taking longer for the wall on the side of the street to receive the same attention. From this incident I learned that it is important to stand up for what you believe in so these hateful acts will cease to exist in typical neighborhoods such as Poway.
The Jenna Druck Foundation has celebrated its eleventh year hosting a conference which helps young women from all walks of life develop their blossoming leadership skills.
The Young Women's Leadership conference invites 500-800 girls to participate in a fantastic day-long conference where they are empowered by women leaders in San Diego to continue making a difference in their communities.
From what I observed this awesome group of girls represented a myriad of different races and nationalities; there were Latinas, African-Americans, Caucasians, Asians and many more. This diversity helped contribute to the richness of the program because it forced you to talk to people whom you wouldn't normally have encountered. This was just one of the many great things about this program.
The foundation was created in the name of Torrey Pines High School graduate Jenna Druck. Jenna tragically died in a bus accident while traveling in India in connection with an overseas program of the University of Colorado. Throughout her life Jenna was actively involved in many leadership activities like co-founding a leadership camp for high school students. It was Jenna's drive to make a difference in her community that caused the Druck family to create this organization.
To keep Jenna's spirit alive her parents, Ken and Karen Druck, created the Jenna Druck Foundation. The foundation not only puts on the young Women's Leadership conference annually but also runs another program called Families Helping Families which helps people deal with traumatic events like the loss of a family member.
This year the girls participated in classes that stressed things like respect, women in engineering, poetry, personal branding, and public speaking. From the comments made going to and from each class, most of the presentations were very powerful. The Women in Engineering class was my personal favorite because it forced you to work through a problem with girls with whom you never have talked to before. It was less of a lesson in engineering and more of one in teamwork, and I loved high-fiving someone whom I hadn't known existed an hour before.
There were also several keynote speakers who spoke to the group. Courtney Macvinta and Audrey Brashich co-authored the book The Girls Guide to Getting R.E.A.L Each told of hardships they had in their lives and how they overcame them to be successful writers. Starr Kirkland, an alumna of the young women's leadership conference, was the other speaker. Kirkland, who is now a skilled poet and actor, read one of her poems to the audience who gave her tremendous applause. The personal content of the poem detailing her struggles against hardship and discrimination and her amazing ability to read it out loud with such power, made this one of the day's highlights.
During lunch we had the opportunity to speak with mentors who included Judge Randa Trapp and Congresswoman Susan Davis as well as other community leaders and women who fought against every form of adversity to become successful. One of the mentors at my table had a particularly harrowing story in which she, a single mother, survived poverty and the death of one of her sons and became a teacher of special education students. Her story was so amazing and inspiring that by the end I was fighting back tears. The girls who sat with me also had awe-inspiring stories as well.
The last event of the day, before we were treated to ice cream from Coldstone, was a performance by local dancers from the Eveoke Contemporary Dance Theatre. Although this dance group presented a unique and almost tribal form of dance, most of us were watching the performance wide-eyed.
Pilar Martinez, Jenna Druck's best friend, was the host of the event and through the day-long conference she encouraged the girls to introduce themselves to people they didn't even know through unconventional means. In one activity we were told to connect different body parts such as a knee to nose or elbow to ear, and amazingly I found myself laughing at a girl who I had met a minute before putting her cheek to my shoulder. This was used as an icebreaker to get girls from different schools interacting.
In another activity girls came up on stage and told their goals for the future. One of the most meaningful of these was the hope of a teen mother to see that her child becomes a good person. Other girls wished they could take the important lessons they learned at the conference and apply them to their own lives. Each girl brave enough to present her goal to a group of 650 other girls was rewarded with a hug from Ken Druck.
San Diego Jewish Academy has a special connection to this organization because Anne Jaffe, former SDJA board president, sits on the foundation's board and has known the Druck family even before the death of Jenna. Both her daughters, SDJA students Charly and Maxi, have participated in this event.
The girls who participated this year were Aliya Luther, Amy Shoemaker, Maxi Jaffe, Dani Lurie and myself.
Amy seemed to sum up the day by saying, "the conference was a wonderful experience for me. It was fun and enjoyable plus I learned so much about myself and other women in our community. The girls that I met each had such powerful and touching stories to share; their resilience and courage to reach out and share with others impressed me greatly. The whole day was truly inspiring."
San Diego County Jewish Trivia Performers
Adapted from San Diego Trivia (1989) and San Diego Trivia 2 (1993)
{Editor’s Note: Retired librarian Evelyn Kooperman, a friend to the Jewish community, enjoys playing the cello and collecting trivia about her native city of San Diego. This column excerpts Jewish communal items from her two books, San Diego Trivia (1989) and San Diego Trivia 2 (1993). Readers should note that the information has not been updated since the books were published. Kooperman still has a limited supply of the two books, which cover the general San Diego community in all its aspects. Either of the two volumes sells for $5 and may be obtained by telephoning the author at (619) 461-6095.}
By Evelyn Kooperman
 SAN DIEGO—Q1: What was the opera in which Beverly Sills made her San Diego Opera debut in 1970 by taking four roles?
Hint: The popular soprano sang the roles of Olympia, Giulietta, Antonia, and Stella in Offenbach's opera, parts that were written for different sopranos in a stage production. San Diego as fortunate to get Miss Sills, whom the San Diego Union called "The current toast of the opera world." She went on to star in seven more operas with the San Diego Opera Company.
Q2: In 1978 San Diegan Julie Kavner received an Emmy for what TV series?
Hint: This actress graduated with honors from San Diego State in 1973, where she majored in theater arts. She performed at the Cassius Carter Center Stage and Old Globe Theatre, winning an Atlas Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Tavern in 1973. She made her professional debut as Brenda Morgenstern, younger sister to Valerie Harper, in the television seriesin question, which ran from 1974 to 1978. In 1978 she won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy role for her performance in this series. She went on to play in several Woody Allen movies, such as Hannah and Her Sisters, Radio Days, and Alice, and starred in the 1992 movie This Is My Life, along with Dan Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher. In addition, she provides the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons.
Please click here for answers
ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY
Robinson-Rose House
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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.
J.W.V. Aux. President To Visit San Diego
From Southwestern Jewish Press, March 13, 1947, page4
Miss Tina Brill, national president of the Jewish War Veterans Auxiliaries is on a tour of the country and will pay an official visit to San Diego, arriving on March 23rd for three days. She will be headquartered at the U.S. Grant Hotel.
Born and educated in Chicago, Miss Brill has a record of activity for many years in many Jewish organizations. An ardent Hebrew student, she has done work in all phases of Jewish communal activities, being affiliated with Hadassah, the Zionist Organization of America, and she has twice been president of the Gen. Edward S. Solomon Auxiliary of the War Veterans.
Zionist Group Plans Dinner
From Southwestern Jewish Press, March 13, 1947, page 5
E. Al Slayen, newly-elected president of the San Diego branch of the Zionist Organizations of America announces that the next meeting of the group will be a dinner meeting on Sunday, March 23, at the U.S. Grant Hotel.
The dinner meeting will also serve to install the officers newly elected for the coming year and will embrace the yearly Expansion Program of the Zionist Group.
Principal speaker of the evening will be Herman L. Weisman of New York. Author of the book “The Future of Palestine—An Examination of the Partition Plan,” which is recognized as an important document. Mr. Weisman entered into Zionist activity as a natural outgrowth of a fine Jewish background. He is a prominent attorney both in private practice and in public posts to which he has been appointed. Besides being a member of the National Executive Board of Z.O.A., Mr. Weisman is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestine Foundation Fund (Heren Hayesod). He will bring an important message to his audience.
A. Louis Solof is chairman of this meeting, which is one of a series of programs being planned by Dr. Walter Ornstein, Educational Chairman and his committee.
450 Attend BB Youth Rally
From Southwestern Jewish Press, March 13, 1947, page 5
(Editor's Note: Another story at slight variance with this one also appeared in the March 13 edition of Southwestern Jewish Press)
Last Monday evening, March 10, Lasker Lodge was host to 450 youth and adults at the Youth Rally held in Temple Center. This project of the Lodge, which will result in the reorganization of the A.Z.A., which is the youth male division of B’nai B’rith and the revitalization of the B’nai B’rith Girls, was one of the best attended meetings in a long time.
Besides hearing three speakers from Los Angeles, all officers of B’nai B’rith, the audience was treated to quite a show of magic performed by Sidney Fleischman, a local young man noted for his art in feats of necromancy. The Birdie Stodel Auxiliary provided refreshments which were much enjoyed.
The B.B. Golf Tournament will take place Sunday, March 30th, at Rancho Santa Fe. See Chairman Danny Schwartz for entries.
The next regular meeting of Lasker Lodge will be held Monday evening, March 24th, at Temple Center at 8:00 p.m.
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San Diego Jewish Trivia answers: 1) Tales of Hoffman; 2) Rhoda
Nancy Harrison
cruise & tour specialist
(619) 265-0808
SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Middle East
Middle East theme song: Send in the Clowns? by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem
It's SRO for Shavuot in Old Jerusalem by Judy Lash Balint in Jerusalem
How kibbutz celebrates agricultural holiday by Ulla Hadar in Kibbutz Ruhama. Israel
San Diego
Block's win and long-range Nunez plans by Gary Rotto in San Diego
SDJA juniors scout prospective colleges by Brenna Decker, Michele Goldfarb-Shapiro, Becky Rudin and Asher Wittenberg from up and down the U.S. West Coast
Smarter than a 5th grader? I'd have to work myself through 1st grade competion first by Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History
—March 13, 1947:Form Community Relations Advisory Committee Here
—March 13, 1947: Crum Demands 100,000 Enter Palestine—Print Mufti Papers
—March 13, 1947: S.O.S. Passover Needs in Europe
Arts & Leisure
The emperor is even worse than naked by Sheila Orysiek in San Diego
Frieda's big surprise at Frida's Restaurant by Donald H. Harrison in Chula Vista, California
Play tackles nature of American Judaism by Cynthia Citron in Los Angeles
San Diego County
Three articles from SDJA Student Quarterly, a student publication of San Diego Jewish Academy:
—Across the Editor's Desk by Alexa Katz
—SDJA 'Spring Fling' went under water by Michelle Rizzi
—Fellowship to Jack deTar by Gaby Maio
Adventures in San Diego Jewish HistoryMiddle East
Hamas acknowledges its responsibility for rocket attacks that killed 26 Israelis by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem
To the Israeli government: Do something! by Yankele Cohen in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Israel
Judaism
Continual study: too much of a good thing? by Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego
Trusting in Hashem at Bear Stearns by Robert Savit via Rabbi Baruch Lederman in San Diego
San Diego County
Green collective for Jewish institutions? by Marissa Palin in San Diego
Three articles from SDJA Student Quarterly, a student publication of San Diego Jewish Academy:
—Seniors leave big shoes for juniors to fill by Gaby Maio
—Pickets target SDJA by Eitan Frysh
—New programs in SDJA ASBC by Shiri Bogomolny
Arts & Leisure
The Schwartzes within The Brady Bunch by Cynthia Citron in Hollywood, California
Sports theme at San Diego County Fair by Donald H. Harrison in Del Mar, California
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History
—March 6, 1947: Western States Meet; Here This Weekend
—March 6, 1947: Beth Jacob to Have New Rabbi
—March 27, 1947: Wins Akiba Award
Middle East
Weighing Obama and McCain from an Israeli perspective, each has drawbacks by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem
UK academic boycott of Israel resurfaces by Lloyd Levy in London
Canada
New Yorker brings California-style Jewish healing service to Anglophone Toronto by Rabbi Dow Marmur in Toronto
San Diego
Three commentaries from SDJA Student Quarterly, a student publication of San Diego Jewish Academy:
—Taking the SAT: The best four hours I ever spent trying to gouge out my eyes with a pen by Micah Frank
—CA court advances march to equality by Harry Doshay
—Iran's deadly bias against gays by Sarah Abelsohn
The Arts
Chapter Eleven of Reluctant Martyr, a serialized novel by Sheila Orysiek of San Diego
When octogenarian father and 40ish son both are single, who gives dating advice? Book review by Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
Programme Request? Take A Number by Carol Davis in San Diego
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History
—March 27, 1947: U.J.F. Off To Flying Start: San Diego Aware of Unprecedented Need in 1947—Geared to Meet It
—March 27, 1947: Editorial Page: Hope, Faith and Charity
—March 27, 1947: We were there by Albert Hutler
Middle East
The presumptive presidential candidates address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Israel and the Middle East:
—Barack Obama to AIPAC, June 4
—John McCain to AIPAC, June 2
—Clinton: Obama a good friend to Israel
Was that Condy Rice... or Sandy Berger? by Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C.
San Diego
Guardians' golf and tennis tournament a fitting Seacrest fitness-center fundraiser by Donald H. Harrison in Rancho Santa Fe, California
The Arts
Thursdays With The Songs of Hal Wingard
—Purely White
—Purely Black
—Together
Insiders File
—The people behind San Diego Jewish World
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History
—Palestine Capable of Absorbing 1,100,000 Says Nathan
—Palestinian To Speak Here on Tuesday
—We Were There by Albert Hutler
Link to previous editions
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