(Column No. 1, January 3, 2011)
By Donald H. Harrison
COUNTER MIDDLE EAST RALLIES–The Middle East conflict is coming to Balboa Park. Palestinian and leftist organizations are planning a rally making Israel out to be the bad guys and the Hamas government in Gaza the good guys this coming Sunday. But the intended media blitz won’t go unchallenged. The San Diego Israel Coalition is organizing a counter-demonstration from 3 to 5 p.m. at the big fig tree near the Natural History Museum — forming what organizers hope will be a giant “truth squad.” If you want to support members of the San Diego Israel Coalition, contact co-chairs Audrey Jacobs and Michael Lurie at sdisraelcoalition@gmail.com. If you’re on the side of Hamas, you’ll have to go find another website.
*
MINGEI MUSIC–Speaking of Balboa Park, Yale Strom, his wife vocalist Elizabeth Schwartz and accordionist Peter Stan will be featured at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan 22, in a performance of Rom (Gypsy) and Yiddish music at the Mingei Museum. Strom, a documentary film maker, author, and violinist, has been serving as an artist in residence for San Diego State’s Jewish Studies program.
*
JONAS FEURZEIG, Z”L –Our condolences to Lee (Bunny) Amos, whose father Jonas Feurzeig has died at the age of 102. The funeral services for Feurzeig will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the King David section of Greenwood Cemetery on Imperial Avenue. Feurzeig’s son-in-law is David Amos, conductor of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra and a music columnist for San Diego Jewish World. The officiant for the service will be another of our columnists, Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Feurzeig’s niece is our associate editor, Gail Umeham.
*
TU B’SHEVAT — In the United States, January 20th is typically known as the day for the inauguration of presidents. But the date will have added significance this year: it will be Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees. Irv Justman, 92, an activist member of Jewish War Veterans in the Los Angeles area, sent us some verses relating the significance of the holiday.
On which we yearly celebrate
Our gift to the future, if you please,
The Festival of Planting Trees.
Prior generations for us supplied.
So, as our fathers for us did grant,
We, too, more trees must ever plant.
And theirs, too, again and again.
Thus is preserved the gifts of nature,
A bounteous future to assure.
COUNTY JEWISH OFFICIALS — Once there were three, now there is one. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will see swearing in ceremonies at the County Administration Building for members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and other elected county officials. One of them is Jewish–District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who won easy reelection last June. But there’s a new sheriff in town: Bill Gore replaced his former Jewish boss, Bill Kolender, who retired near the end of his term. And the county’s assessor-clerk-recorder no longer is Jewish community member Greg Smith; it’s Ernie Dronenburg, who formerly was a member of the California State Board of Equalization. Smith also had retired before his term ended.
*
SEYMOUR, HEAR MORE– We’re happy to see that the County Public Library is plugging an appearance at its Imperial Beach branch by our occasional sports story contributor, Joey Seymour. He’ll be talking about his book San Diego’s Finest Athletes: Five Exceptional Lives on Monday, January 31, at 6:30 p.m.
*
JEWS AND CHRISTMAS — And finally, my cousin Marc Yaffe of Bethesda, Maryland, sent along a video he spotted on You Tube by Brandon Harris Walker titled “Chinese Food on Christmas” ‘ because “there’s nothing else to do… when you’re a Jew” Can’t help but wondering how many of you out there followed this convention?
*
Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Please send him your organizational and family news items at sdheritage@cox.net