3+ week, 3+ day ago (357+ words) LA JOLLA, California " My sister was visiting from Maine this Shabbat. As we drove home from synagogue on Saturday morning, she spoke to her child and said, "I'm sorry to miss the event you're planning. I wish I could be there. But I still haven't figured out how to be two places at once." Her words lingered with me, floating above the fullness of this remarkable week. As the gallery filled with color and conversation, just across the hall the curtain lifted in the Garfield Theatre for JCompany's'The Little Mermaid Jr.'and'Mergirl Saves the Wave,'performed in repertoire. Grandparents, parents, and children filled the seats, laughter and song echoing through the building. Meanwhile, others were swimming in the Friedenberg Pool, taking group exercise classes, attending youth basketball, or dropping off children at Dor Hadash's religious school. In those few hours,…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (369+ words) Leventhal went to California State University at Chico where she majored in Political Science." She was active in The Jewish Student Union and Hillel. Today she works in event planning. She organizes and runs high-tech conferences and tradeshows. She mentioned as an example, Semper Technologies. She volunteers with a local planning board, advocating for the homeless, giving updates. In addition, she works with the San Diego Riverpark Foundation whose stated mission is "to improve the quality of life of communities throughout the city of San Diego through equitable investments in parks, greenspace, and recreational opportunities." Leventhal has also volunteered with the Safe Parking Program at Jewish Family Service. Although raised in La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, she likes living a simple life in Chula Vista where she shares a home with her boyfriend and beloved dogs. Her goal is…...

4+ week, 9+ hour ago (212+ words) SAN DIEGO (SDJW) " The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has issued a statement mourning the Nov. 3 death of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and the San Diego Region of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) marked the 60th anniversary of the Vatican's issuance of the groundbreaking Nostre Aetate'report at a joint observance at a Catholic Church in Poway. RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman and RJC CEO Matt Brooks said: "In his long career in public service, from Congress to the Pentagon to the White House, Dick Cheney never wavered from his core principles. He was devoted to this country, and he bent all his efforts toward keeping our nation strong, secure, and free. "Vice President Cheney had a substantial role in meeting the greatest challenges our country faced in the last 40 years, including 9/11. He understood the threats against the US and the valuable…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (449+ words) SAN DIEGO " If you know, you know: there really is nothing like a Federation mission. For the past four years, we have leaned into travel as one of the most effective ways to build our own Jewish community, strengthen San Diego's sense of "Am Yisrael," and connect people to the essential, often lifesaving work Federation supports around the world. Last week, we pulled off a feat that I believe must be a Federation first: four Federation missions spread out to Cuba, Mexico City, and Israel. Each trip brought the groups closer together and reinforced our deep ties to Jews everywhere. Our Men's Mission to Cuba balanced the vibrancy of Cuban culture with the economic and leadership crises facing the Cuban people. The group spent time with Cuba's small but proud Jewish community, bringing much needed medicines, financial support and other…...

4+ week, 9+ hour ago (334+ words) SAN DIEGO (SDJW) " The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has issued a statement mourning the Nov. 3 death of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and the San Diego Region of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) marked the 60th anniversary of the Vatican's issuance of the groundbreaking Nostre Aetate'report at a joint observance at a Catholic Church in Poway. In another initiative, Global Jewry " a confederation of Jewish environmental groups " has called upon policy makers meeting under United Nations auspices Nov. 6-21 in Bel'm, Brazil, to take steps to mitigate environmental damage throughout the world, RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman and RJC CEO Matt Brooks said: "In his long career in public service, from Congress to the Pentagon to the White House, Dick Cheney never wavered from his core principles. He was devoted to this country, and he bent all his efforts toward keeping our…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago (282+ words) SAN DIEGO " We are honored to share the launch of the Peter & Elaine Chortek BRIDGE Initiative"a five-year commitment of the Chortek Weisman family to strengthen Jewish identity, leadership, and global connection among San Diego teens. Peter and Elaine Chortek z'l were known for their humility, fierce Jewish pride, and deep commitment to tikkun olam. Peter never forgot the dignity instilled in his family by an interest-free loan from Hebrew Free Loan, while Elaine dedicated herself to Jewish education, and community service. Together, they gave generously and thoughtfully, with a long view toward the future of the Jewish people. The BRIDGE Initiative"Building Resilient Identity & Deep Global Engagement"honors that legacy by investing in the next generation. Over the next five years, the initiative will house a portfolio of high-impact programs at Federation, including: "Global Ambassador Program (GAP): Cultivating connections…...

2+ week, 13+ hour ago (179+ words) RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust "Speaker Series: Featuring Non-Jewish Holocaust Survivor, Jill Oliver" at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the La Jolla Riford Library. Young Israel of San Diego reports its "Chanukah Party and Game Night" on Wednesday, Dec. 17. More details will be coming soon. Poway announces its "Shloshim Memorial Service: 30th Passing Day Anniversary Observance of Albert Kadosch", at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30. This event will include a memorial service for Kadosch and a reception. SCY High reports Rabbi Adatto and Mr. Brownell showed students how to use an astrolabe which is a device for telling time based on the position of the sun in reference to the time of year. This device could be used in telling time in general and also for Halachic purposes, in this case Mincha Ketana. Barbara Goodman, mother of Yosef Goodman, has died. The funeral was held Sunday,…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (242+ words) By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. But how do we find wholeness when love itself feels divided? In'Toldot, Isaac loves Esau, Rebecca favors Jacob, and from this imbalance flows deception and pain. Jacob, desperate for approval, hides behind a disguise, as if the only way to be blessed is to be someone else. Toldot'doesn't give us saints or villains. It gives us people who are like all, complicated, imperfect, deeply human. And that's precisely where its wisdom lies. Growth doesn't begin with perfection; it begins with compassion. Self-compassion. From a family systems lens, Jacob's evolution is even more powerful. He becomes the one who confronts generations of rivalry and favoritism head-on. Through his struggle, he begins to heal the family story itself. Healing, in this sense, is always both personal and generational. Toldot'invites us into that same work. It asks us to…...

4+ week, 17+ hour ago (179+ words) SAN DIEGO " Kai, an elementary school student, is constantly disappointed." When he wants sunny days, it rains; when he wants pancakes for breakfast, his dad serves him oatmeal, and when he wants to play soccer in school, the teacher choses gymnastics. But most of all, he doesn't want his bubbe (grandma) to be in the hospital; he'd prefer she be home, reading to him. When Kai reads to himself stories about the golem, he takes them literally." He has trouble getting to sleep." Maybe the golem is making all the bad things happen. Now, Kai imagined, it was golem's turn to be unhappy." But Kai cheered golem up by offering to become friends. In fact, he invited golem to accompany him to the hospital to visit bubbe! This teaches several lessons for readers, aged 4 to 7." There's a bright side to…...

2+ day, 18+ hour ago (278+ words) Sharon Brous (November 30, 1973) is an American rabbi who is the senior rabbi of'IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. She was one of the founders of'IKAR'in 2004, along with Melissa Balaban, who currently serves as IKAR's Chief Executive Officer, and others. [Wikipedia] Sharon Brous (November 30, 1973) is an American rabbi who is the senior rabbi of'IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. She was one of the founders of'IKAR'in 2004, along with Melissa Balaban, who currently serves as IKAR's Chief Executive Officer, and others. In 2013,'The Daily Beast listed Brous as #1 on its list of America's most influential rabbis; she ranked #5 on the same list in 2012.'The publication wrote that "Ikar, the come-as-you-are spiritual community that Brous, 39, founded nearly a decade ago, has become a magnet for L.A.'s young, unaffiliated Jews" in a time when many synagogues face "disaffected, declining membership." Tomorrow, December…...