By Donald H. Harrison
Helping Holocaust Survivors
SAN DIEGO — Meeting the needs of impoverished Holocaust survivors is a new joint initiative of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County and Jewish Family Service in association with the Seed the Dream Foundation and KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF).
In a statement in which all four organizations were quoted, Michael Jeser, the Jewish Federation’s President and CEO, commented “Caring for the needs of Survivors and ensuring those needs are being met with compassion and dignity cannot and should not be the responsibility of any one organization or institution. With the support of KAVOD and Seed the Dream Foundation, our San Diego Jewish community is going to be able to make significant strides in elevating our response to emergency needs of Survivors. Collectively, we will make an even greater difference in the lives of those who have given so much.”
Dana Toppel, acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Jewish Family Service of San Diego, said: “It is our responsibility to ensure that every Survivor lives with the dignity they deserve. These funds will enable us to meet the critical needs that emerge as Survivors age and need greater assistance and care.”
With funds raised by KAVOD SHEF and Seed the Dream Foundation, the two San Diego Jewish agencies will focus on Holocaust Survivors’ (all of whom are elderly) needs in such areas as dental, vision, medical, emergency home services (such as utilities, repairs, and rent support) and food.
John and Amy Israel Pregulman, co-founders of KAVOD SHEF said that of approximately 80,000 Holocaust Survivors in the United States, up to one-third of them “struggle with day to day basic needs when there is an emergency situation …
“We still get looks of dismay every time we share these numbers. We get asked time and time again how is this possible and why is this happening?” commented John Prelugman.
In the last several years, KAVOD had aided approximately 1,400 Holocaust Survivors in 39 communities, according to the Pregulmans. Now, San Diego will be one of 15 cities across the country for which the organization will be raising funds through a special philanthropic matching initiative. “One hundred percent of all KAVOD SHEF matching funds raised over the next two years will go directly towards Survivor services, serving as a secondary resource to what is already in place,” according to the Pregulmans.
Marcy Gringlas, President and Co-Founder of Seed the Dream Foundation, said “Survivors’ unmet needs far outweigh the resources available to cover these emergency services. It is for this reason that we launched this initiative and are prepared to continue matching every dollar raised on the national level – even if we exceed our original goals.”
“This really is our last chance to help our Survivors – those who are still with us – to live out their lives in dignity,” commented Amy Israel Pregulman, KAVOD’s executive director.
Holocaust Survivors who need support are encouraged to phone the KAVOD Shef hotline at (720) 295-8484.
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IDF Veteran to Head Local StandWithUs
With some time to spare before its Oct. 27 gala dinner, StandWithUs has announced the hiring of a new San Diego regional director. He is Yosef Condiotti, who describes himself as a “passionate Zionist,” which is an appropriate attitude indeed for the head of an organization that intellectually combats BDS and other anti-Israel initiatives at area college campuses.
The 8th annual “Leaders of Tomorrow” gala dinner, themed “Standing Together Against Antisemitism,” will feature radio show host and author Larry Elder, a conservative Republican and African American, whose books include What’s Race Got to Do with It?: Why It’s Time to Stop the Stupidest Argument in America and Double Standards: The Selective Outrage of the Left. Dinner admission starts at $200 per plate. More information is available by clicking here.
Condiotti replaces Sara Miller, a Christian Zionist who left StandWithUs to be more active in church activities, which she said will continue to include advocacy for Israel. In the interim, Associate Director Yael Steinberg has been ably leading the local branch of the organization. She has been aided by an active group of volunteers, whose numbers include the co-chairs of the upcoming gala dinner: Yamia Benhaim, Jaime Feder, and Natalie Josephson.
Condiotti, 30, served in the tank corps of the Israel Defense Forces and is currently a commander in the IDF reserves. He fought in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 against Hamas forces in Gaza, and three years later was awarded as the best soldier in his division.
He worked from 2013 through 2015 as an assistant to MK Yisrael Katz, Israel’s Minister of Transportation and Intelligence, and later was hired by the City of Jerusalem to create cultural programs for young professionals – a job that involved as many as 150 events per year.
On the personal side, Condiotti notes that he plays 12 instruments, teaches salsa dancing, loves to cook, and enjoys rock climbing. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hebrew University in political science, sociology, and anthropology.
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Public Safety Meeting Sept. 3 at Temple Emanu-El
In reaction to the discovery of bullet holes at Temple Emanu-El, the Reform congregation has scheduled a town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 3 at which speakers will include Tammy Gillies, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, a detective with the San Diego Police Department, and representatives of Advanced Security Concepts, which contracts with the congregation at 6299 Capri Drive.
“This will be an opportunity to share any updates we have … to ask question, and to voice our collective concerns and responses,” according to Rabbi Devorah Marcus, spiritual leader of the congregation.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.c