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Baron elected third president of Louis Rose Society for the Preservation of Jewish History
 SAN DIEGO (Press Release)--San Diego State University Professor Lawrence Baron has been elected president of the Louis Rose Society for the Preservation of Jewish History, succeeding JoEllyn Zollman, who has lectured in history at both UCSD and SDSU. The society's first vice president, who will succeed to the presidency after Baron's term, is SDSU Professor Emeritus of Art Janet Esser. San Diego Jewish World editor Donald H. Harrison, founding president of the society, was elected its secretary.
Baron, former director of SDSU's Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies and today the history department's graduate student advisor, commented after his election:
"I always have been puzzled why American Jews tend to exhibit more interested in the history of Jews in European Jewish and Israeli history than they do in their own history. To be sure, we can trace our ancestral origins to the former and our current concerns to the latter, Yet most of us are American born, and, for the majority of us, so were our parents if not our grandparents. If you want to understand your present, you need to know about your past.
"Although the exponential growth of the Jewish population in San Diego dates back only fifty years, Jews have played a vital role in San Diego's civic life ever since Louis Rose arrived in this small harbor settlement in 1850. The Louis Rose Society exists to publicly recognize that role by establishing a small monument to Rose on Point Loma, the former site of Roseville, and by promoting activities to recognize the forgotten legacy of Jews to the city and acknowledge the continuing contributions they are making. It is in that spirit that I feel honored to become its third president."
Baron and Harrison announced that as a way of propagating interest in local Jewish history that the Louis Rose Society in conjunction with San Diego Jewish World will be sponsoring a series of quizzes on San Diego Jewish history, with prizes to be tickets to various Jewish-interest events, such as the play "Sammy" at the Old Globe Theatre, the movie "Play the Game" at the Landmark Theatre and La Jolla, and special author lectures at the San Diego Jewish Book Fair.
San Diego Jewish World typically is posted on line on the evening before or the early morning of the Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday editions. Questions will be posted each issue on San Diego Jewish World's home page, under the heading of "San Diego Jewish history." Today's question, along with instructions for submitting your answer, may be found on the home page of today's edition.
SDJA Year Book won awards
at San Diego County Fair
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) —San Diego Jewish Academy’s yearbook staff for 2008-2009 took several Blue Ribbon first-place awards at the 2009 San Diego County Fair, including: The Roar Yearbook, Eighteen Magazine, Student Life double-page spread on friendship, and Athletics division double-page spread. In addition, the Student Life spread received the Best in Class Rosette Award, and the Athletics division spread received the Best in Class Rosette Award and the Best of Show Award. Shown here are some of SDJA’s 2009 Yearbook staff members: (front row, l-r) Liat Hoffman, Shelby Epstine, Katie Sherman, Ali Tradonsky, Amy Shoemaker; (back row, l-r) Tamar Wittenberg, Matthew Farajzadeh, Ali Viterbi, Ben Weissman, faculty advisor Melissa McKinstry, and Amanda Lazare.
Governor Schwarzenegger, Commissioner Poizner tour
fire in Angeles National Forest
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST, California (Press Release)—Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner joined Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Thursday morning to tour the Station Fire zone. He also warned fire survivors about scam artists that routinely target disaster areas. Poizner offered the following tips to fire survivors as they begin the recovery process.
* Do not rush into repairs or rebuilding without first considering all your alternatives. Before choosing a contractor, make sure the contractor is licensed by contacting the Contractors State License Board in your area.
*If you hire a public adjuster to help you with a claim, be certain that the adjuster is licensed. Call the California Department of Insurance for licensing verification and for other information about public adjusters.
*Do not call anyone to repair or replace your loss without first getting instructions from your adjuster, since your insurer's visual inspection of your loss may be necessary before repairs begin. Do not throw away damaged property until your adjuster advises you it is all right to do so.
*To report potential fraud, call the Department of Insurance at 800-927-HELP.
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Tifereth Israel schedules Selichot concert and art show Sept. 12
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Selichot evening at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd, will begin with a Havdalah service, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week, followed by a program of Jewish and Classical Music including works by Bloch, Brahms, two Terezin composers, and Yoav Talmi, performed by Russian-born pianist Irina Bendetsky and the Miryam String Quartet: Eileen Wingard and Myla Wingard, violins; Dorothy Zeavin, viola; and Marcia Bookstein, cello.
Wine and cheese will be served and attendees will have time to browse a display by visiting artist, Rachel Rowen, who wil discuss, display, and offer for purchase, a variety of her Judaica and jewelry pieces. To learn more about Rowen and her art, visit www.rachelrowen.co.il. To see more examples of her jewelry pieces, click here...
At 11:00 p.m. our traditional Selichot service will begin.
The musical guests are:
Irina Bendetsky, pianist, was born in Moscow. At age four, she entered a professional music school for gifted children. Upon graduation from the Gnessin Conservatory of Music, she was awarded the Red Diploma for qualifying as a concert pianist, accompanist, chamber musician, and teacher. She appeared with orchestras in Russia and the US in concertos by Liszt, Ravel, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Bach, and Shostakovich. Irina left the Soviet Union in 1989 and moved to San Diego. Since 1990, she has been on the music faculty of the University of San Diego and teaches privately.
Eileen Wingard, violin, graduated from UCLA with a BA in music and an MA in Music Education. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the Hochschule fuer Musiik in Stuttgart, Germany. In Los Angeles, she taught instrumental music at John Burroughs Junior High and played in the Pasadena Symphony. From September 1967 to June 2004, she was a contracted member of the San Diego Symphony. She also played in the San Diego Opera Orchestra, the La Jolla Chamber Orchestra, and the San Diego Sinfonietta. She helped found the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO).
Myla Wingard, violin, majored in music at UCSD, studying violin with Rafael Druian, and playing in the avant-garde ensemble, SONAR. During her junior year abroad, she accompanied the Hebrew University Folk Dance Troupe in Israel and on tour in South Africa. She also substituted in the Jerusalem Symphony and in the San Diego Symphony. She received her MA in Hebrew Bible from Harvard Divinity School.
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At Harvard, she participated in Leon Kirchner’s chamber music class with Yo-Yo Ma as teaching assistant. Myla performs in the Beth Israel Chai Band.
Dorothy Zeavin, viola, has been a contracted member of the San Diego Symphony since 1982. She has served as Principal Viola of the Opera Orchestra since 1992. A graduate of Calfornia State University Northridge, Ms. Zeavin attended UCLA and studied with Alan de Veritch, Heiichiro Ohyama and Donald McGinnis. She was a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Pasadena Symphony, the New York Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. She plays regularly every summer in the Grand Tetons Music Festival.
Marcia Bookstein, cello, graduated Cum Laude from California State University Northridge. In Israel, she served for one year as Principal Cellist of the Jerusalem Orchestra. She has been Co-Principal Cellist of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. She also soloed with the San Diego Symphony in works by Bloch and Haydn. Her teachers have included Elinor Schoenfeld, Gregor Piatigorsky and Jaqueline du Pre. Ms. Bookstein is a featured performer on the album Talmis play Talmi.
Los Angeles fire victims, elderly Jews in FSU are in great need
By Charlene Seidle, Jewish Community Foundation
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)— When crises occur, we know that you want to help those affected. We always send you giving opportunities so you can make a difference for those in need.
Please find two such opportunities below - first, for the devastating wildfires that are raging in Los Angeles and second, to save the lives of destitute Jews in the Former Soviet Union.
Los Angeles Wildfires
The Station Fire is the largest wildfire in the history of Los Angeles County having consumed more than 140,000 acres (218 square miles).Two firefighters have been killed with scores more injured. Many families have been evacuated and have lost homes.The Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation has recommended grants or donations to the following organizations to support those affected:
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
www.redcrossla.org
The Red Cross is operating shelters throughout the region, offering food, comfort, support and assistance from trained disaster mental health workers.
211 LA County
www.infoline-la.org
As in San Diego, 211 is the go-to organization for those who need information about the fires; since the fires broke out, tens of thousands of calls have been received from those evacuated, those injured and those in need.
Elderly Jews and Children in Crisis in the FSU
While not making headlines like the Wildfires, thousands of elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union are in crisis. More than 60,000 indigent elderly Jews and 20,000 children living in poverty are being turned away from Jewish communal services. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee reaches out to Jews, young and old, across the FSU with basic welfare services of food, medical assistance, homecare, and winter relief. However, JDC's ability to sustain these critical welfare programs has been significantly reduced by the economic downturn and rampant inflation. The cost of basic services has skyrocketed, but pensions have not kept pace with those increases.
A few examples of the significant need:
The cost of a whole chicken in Minsk ($1.18 per lb) is roughly twice what it is in most US cities. The same is true of virtually all sources of protein. Therefore, poor elderly and too many families with children are forced to live on nutritionally unhealthy diets.
JDC homecare workers can often provide only one adult diaper per day to those in greatest need, and thousands of other homebound Jews who also need this care are not receiving it.
Monthly food package deliveries costing $17 to Jews in remote areas have been replaced by deliveries only once every three months, with 33% less food.
More than 20 JDC-run Hesed welfare centers - the only central Jewish address in many smaller cities - have been closed with more closings scheduled for 2010.
JDC elderly clients, who typically must live on a $5 pension per day or less, are being provided with less than $1 per day in additional critical services.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
www.jdc.org
The JDC is the major international Jewish relief organization providing assistance to in every country where Jews live. Please do note that a portion of your gift to the United Jewish Federation's Annual Campaign does go to JDC, but the needs are so profound now that we wanted to share this special opportunity to save the lives of those most in need.
If you would like to make a grant to any of these organizations to provide critical relief, please feel free to do so by reply e-mail to charlene@jcfsandiego.org or on our online Donor Central system.
La Jolla Playhouse shares winning entry for play idea
LA JOLLA, California (Press Release)—Kimberley Sweeney, a marriage and family therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area, recently won the grand prize in the La Jolla Playhouse’s “Your Life, Our Stage” social media contest. This Internet-based campaign, which took place from May 19 through June 30, invited participants to submit ideas for a play based on their own life story by uploading titles, brief descriptions and original artwork, photos or videos via Brickfish.com, an award-winning Social Media Solution.
The grand prize winner’s entry entitled “It’s a Small World After All,” now will have the opportunity to have Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Creditors) write a scene based on her entry. She and ten friends will also attend the comedy smash The 39 Steps at La Jolla Playhouse on Saturday, September 12 at 8:00 pm. Following the play (approximately 10:00 pm), the Playhouse will host an exclusive performance of Ms. Sweeney’s scene on stage.
“I'm so thrilled to have won! I was on the Brickfish website voting for a girlfriend’s entry and I decided to leave one of my own illustrating one of the many shocking, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that always seem to happen to me. Thank you, La Jolla Playhouse, for my most recent once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Sweeney.
The nationally acclaimed, Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse is known for its tradition of creating the most exciting and adventurous new work in regional theatre. The Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and is considered one of the most well-respected not-for-profit theatres in the country. Numerous Playhouse productions have moved to Broadway, including Big River, The Who’s Tommy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Walk in the Woods, Dracula, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, Jersey Boys, The Farnsworth Invention, 33 Variations and Memphis.
Located on the UC San Diego campus, La Jolla Playhouse is made up of three primary performance spaces: the Mandell Weiss Theatre, the Mandell Weiss Forum Theatre, and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for La Jolla Playhouse, a state-of-the-art theatre complex which features the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.
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It’s a Small World After All
Grand Prize winner by Kimberly Sweeney, Mill Valley, CA
I am queen of the small world experience. Here’s a story to prove it…After finishing college in the Midwest I immediately moved to Los Angeles looking for a little excitement and, let's just be honest, a husband. One night I was out drinking with a friend and I spotted “him.” Our attraction was immediate and easy conversation followed. I couldn’t believe how much we had in common: both Jewish, both working in the entertainment industry, and both raised in Minnesota. We began leaning into each other, holding hands, he was buying me drinks and I was mentally planning our wedding. I steered the conversation towards family. We were perfect for each other; the last thing I needed to establish before mentally moving with him to the suburbs and having two children (one boy and one girl) was that he was close with his family. I could never marry a man who wasn’t close with his family! My soon-to-be husband mentioned his last name was Rosenberg to which I replied, “that’s SO funny -- every Jewish family must have Rosenbergs because I have cousins with the last name Rosenberg!” We laughed at the coincidence… until we discovered we were second cousins.
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