Honors, award, and donation mark Soille gala

Selwyn Isakow and Rabbi Simcha Weiser share a moment at the lectern at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School gala.
Selwyn Isakow and Rabbi Simcha Weiser share a moment at the lectern at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School gala.


Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor M. Masori

Donald H. Harrison
Donald H. Harrison
Shor Masori
Shor Masori

SAN DIEGO – Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, at its 53rd anniversary gala on Sunday evening June 5, paid tribute to the father of Shabbat San Diego, had tribute paid to its own award-winning science teacher, and announced a half-million dollar gift to kick off its $10 million school renovation program.

On a stage decorated with colorful, nearly 10-foot high columns at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, speaker after speaker stressed the importance of building character through Jewish values, constructing Jewish unity while recognizing Jewish diversity, and maintaining high standards not only in the school’s Judaic programs but in its secular programs as well.

Rabbi Warren Goldstein as seen in a video tribute to Selwyn Isakow
Rabbi Warren Goldstein as seen in a video tribute to Selwyn Isakow

The keynote speaker and honoree for the evening was Selwyn Isakow, who organized the Shabbat San Diego program as part of the worldwide Global Shabbat started under the guidance of Rabbi Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of South Africa.  In a video tribute, Rabbi Goldstein praised the work of  Isakow and of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School by paraphrasing a Talmudic teaching that even if the Messiah himself should ask students to skip their Torah studies to help build the Third Temple, he should be refused because it is more important for young children to learn Torah.

Not only young children, but adults too, should be learning Torah, in the view of Isakow.  He demonstrated that when he brought from Detroit to San Diego a program called “Partners in Torah” in which two adults engage in one-on-one Torah learning.  In Detroit, Isakow had studied under the guidance of Rabbi Avi Cohen—who flew to San Diego to attend Sunday evening’s tribute dinner – and now, in San Diego, Isakow studies in partnership with Rabbi Simcha Weiser on Monday nights at Congregation Adat Yeshurun in La Jolla.  Weiser is the headmaster of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School.

Michael Mantell
Michael Mantell

Shabbat San Diego had 130 community organizations involving thousands of Jews of varying denominations celebrating Shabbat together.  Among 300 volunteers were Michael and Paula Mantell, who attended the Soille gala on Sunday night.  Michael Mantell, a former president of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, said that Isakow “is the epitome of a community role model, an example of a person whose heart is authentically involved in supporting all areas of this Jewish community.”

Geoff Berg
Geoff Berg

Geoff Berg, the school’s current president, also described Isakow as a community leader, adding that this year’s gala is different from previous galas which typically saluted people directly involved in the Soille community.  “He has not had his kids at the school but recognizes the school as a leader and contributor toward the Jewish community in San Diego,” Berg said.

Marcia Tatz Wollner and husband David share a moment with Todd Salovey (center) at Soille gala
Marcia Tatz Wollner and husband David share a moment with Todd Salovey (center) at Soille gala

Said Marcia Tatz Wollner, a Soille board member: “The opportunity to honor Selwyn shows the diversity of the community who participate in Hebrew Day, be they the students, or the board, or those we outreach to.  Selwyn, because of his role with Shabbat San Diego, really feels connected to Hebrew Day by the values and the mission of the school.”

Shabbat San Diego was one celebration of Shabbat that occurred in 919 cities and 85 countries last year, according to South Africa’s Rabbi Goldstein.  It is scheduled to reoccur on Nov. 11-12 of this year, and Isakow surprised the crowd by predicting that as many as 25,000 San Diegans would be involved—which, if realized, would make it the largest single-day Jewish event in the city’s history.

Rabbi Weiser said that in fostering Shabbat San Diego, Isakow is attempting to rekindle the feeling of unity such as that which coalesced Jews 49 years before when Israel was in the midst of the Six Day War.  Weiser recalled how his family and fellow students and teachers at Washington Jewish Academy stayed riveted to their televisions and radios feeling that, whatever denomination of Jew they were, their futures were wrapped up together as Israel’s very existence was threatened.

Isakow told the dinner crowd that his personal interest “is in providing as many people, of all ages, Jews, interfaith families, and others, the opportunity to study and understand the essence of our heritage, without regard to their level of knowledge or observance, political views, affiliations or non-affiliations.  To create, through inclusivity, respect and cooperation, a magnificent quilt of community unity that reflects our diversity.”

Isakow commented that he is impressed by Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School’s excellence in both Judaic programs and secular studies.  “Martin Luther King Jr. observed that ‘science investigates, religion interprets … Religion and science,’ he said, ‘are two hemispheres of human thought.’  And Albert Einstein famously said ‘Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.’  They are, in fact, two essential dimensions of a successful and meaningful life.”

Rabbi Meir Cohen
Rabbi Meir Cohen

That Soille also believes that was made manifest by a short ceremony in which its science teacher Matt Bessler was named as San Diego County’s “Science Teacher of the Year.”  Rabbi Meir Cohen, the school’s principal, set the stage for the award ceremony by explaining that in the current school year “every single one of our eighth graders qualified for the San Diego County Fair, a big accomplishment.”  Four students were given first place awards for their projects, and two of them were selected to compete at the state level.  One of those students took a third place prize at the state level.”

Matt Bessler, right, is presented an award by, from left, Philip Gay, Rabbi Simcha Weiser and
Matt Bessler, right, is presented an award by, from left, Philip Gay, Rabbi Simcha Weiser and Julie Rivard

Philip Gay, president of the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair, and former Soille science teacher Julie Rivard (who was another of three Soille science teachers who have now won the coveted award over a 35-year period) presented the award to Bessler.

Kayla Venger
Kayla Venger

Present and former students added to the mix of speakers at the gala.  A group of third graders recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang HaTikvah to get the program started, and Kayla Venger, who has just completed sixth grade, proudly told the audience that she is the fourth generation in her family to be involved with Soille so far.  Her great-grandmother Helen Weintraub helped start the school 53 years ago. Her grandmother Eilene Cummins served as a board president, and her mother Evonne Venger is a graduate of the school.

Third graders sing HaTikvah
Third graders sing HaTikvah

Former student testimonials came from Wayne Klitosfsky, currently director of the Los Angeles region of AIPAC, who emceed much of the event; Dani Hollander, a New York-based clinical psychologist, and Deena Kobre, a teacher.  Hollander, whose father is Rabbi Chaim Hollander, a longtime teacher at the school, recalled that as a child he had learning difficulties and anger control issues.  “San Diego Hebrew Day School is more than academics,” he said.  “It is about instilling in each child a belief that they can achieve if they put in the effort.”  He said that’s a lesson that he now tries to impart to his patients.

Kobre and Klitosfsky ended short talks with similar phrases that might become an advertising slogan for the day school.  Said Kobre: “I am a mother; I am a wife; I am an educator; I am a life-long learner; and I am Hebrew Day.”  Klitosfsky said: “I am a son; I am a husband; I am a father; I am an AIPAC regional director, and I am, you are, and together we are, Hebrew Day.”

Deena Kobre
Deena Kobre
Wayne Kitosfsky
Wayne Kitosfsky
Dani Hollander
Dani Hollander
Philip Silverman
Philip Silverman

Capping the night’s festivities was a talk by Philip Silverman, a former board president of the school, who announced that his parents, Kitty and Raphael Silverman, have agreed to donate $500,000 to Soille, which goes from kindergarten though 8th grade,  for a middle school that will be named in their honor.

The Silvermans are owners of Raphael’s Party Rentals, and after the audience cheered in appreciation, Philip deadpanned “While you think it is all good, I just lost my inheritance.”  He was just kidding; in fact, he said, family members were united behind the  idea as a way of underscoring “the importance of tomorrow.”

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Harrison is editor and Masori is a staff photographer of San Diego Jewish World. Their emails are donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com and shor.masori@sdjewishworld.com,  Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)