Other items in today’s column include:
*Jewish community coronavirus news
*Recommended reading
SAN DIEGO — It is six days shy of a full month between the killing of George Floyd on May 25 by a Minneapolis police officer and today’s ‘Juneteenth’ celebration. It has been a time of daily marches and national protests for racial justice, and a time for deep reflection throughout America. Many communities, including our fellow Jews, have been reflecting on such questions as “in what ways can we help to bridge gaps and create understanding and unity in our country?” “How can Jewish tradition and values guide us in our search for societal harmony?” and “In what manner do we best start?”
Here in our county, the Encinitas-based Leichtag Foundation has been involved in numerous projects intended to benefit the general community, among them providing a safe parking lot and services for homeless people forced to live in their cars, and distributing “pay what you can” fruits and vegetables grown at the Coastal Roots garden. Yet, this remarkable organization, led by Jim Farley and Charlene Seidle — is far from self-satisfied.
In a memorandum titled “Our Commitment to Building an Anti-Racist Community,” the Leichtag Foundation writes. “Black lives matter. We’re taking a hard look to change our internal practices that may run counter to this declaration, to advance our role in the community to reflect and actualize this value, and at how we steward our resources to clearly convey it through our actions in additions to our words.”
In the spirit of Juneteenth, the memorandum continued: “We commit to building an anti-racist Leichtag Foundation. We commit to building an anti-racist Jewish community.
“We recognize that pathways like ours with wealth, power and privilege to demonstrate allyship with communities of color result in deeply needed empathy. But expressing our empathy and lending our voice isn’t enough. Embarking on an intentional path of work only starts there. We commit to better understanding what is required of us to advocate for Black and non-Black people of color and dismantle the structures that oppress them.”
The Leichtag Foundation is but one Jewish organization moved by the racial justice movement. In a news release, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, quoted Abby J. Leibman, its president and CEO, as saying:
“Amid this moment of celebration, it is important to confront the fact that the evil of slavery has had long lasting impacts on American society. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans and other communities of color is the latest evidence that pervasive and systemic racism exacerbates the challenges faced by African Americans and other people of color in America.
“Now, more than ever, we need policymakers who lead with wisdom and compassion, to acknowledge and confront longstanding and shameful issues of racial and economic injustice while taking action to address the growing rates of hunger and hardship.
“Grounded by our Jewish values and ideals, we recommit to fighting for all those facing hunger, inequity, bias, and discrimination.”
Meanwhile, a coalition of California Democratic Clubs that focus on Jewish and pro-Israel issues announced they were contributing a total of $1,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Color of Change. The San Diego-based Democrats for Peace in the Middle East will coordinate the contributions.
“Democrats for Peace in the Middle East was founded to build bridges, and that means more than words, it means showing up for communities experiencing discrimination. Here in San Diego, we have seen these horrific practices continue by law enforcement and we stand with communities of color that are organizing to seek a reorienting of the police toward community-oriented public safety instead of racial profiling,” said Democrats for Peace in the Middle East President Sheri Sachs.
For background on the historic origin of the Juneteenth celebration, here is a link to a story by the Associated Press.
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Jewish community coronavirus news
Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego), alarmed by a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in California, has compiled a list of when people are required to wear masks in our state, and on what occasions, they may go without masks. It follows:
“Californians must wear face coverings when they are in the situations listed below:
- Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space;
- Obtaining services at a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank;
- Waiting for or riding on public transportation or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;
- Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when:
- Interacting in-person with any member of the public;
- Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;
- Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;
- Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;
- In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.
- Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended.
- While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.
“The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering:
- Children aged two and under;
- Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering;
- Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
- Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
- Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;
- Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence;
- Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others;
- Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails will have specific guidance on the wearing of masks or face coverings for both inmates and staff.
“For more information about the new guidance, please click here. For a full list of COVID-19 guidance documents from the California Department of Public Health, click here.”
*Tammy Gillies, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, makes a cameo appearance in the public service video, seen above, detailing the fact that coronavirus does not discriminate against any group of people, but makes all of us vulnerable.
*Rabbi Chaim Hollander, spiritual leader of Young Israel of San Diego, has announced that his shul on Navajo Road in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego, will resume indoor daily minyans on Sunday, while following strict rules. Congregants are to wear masks, distance themselves from other congregants, immediately begin to recite the prayers without socializing with their neighbors, complete the prayers, and leave without talking. They are asked to bring their own prayer books, and in the event that they don’t have one, a prayer book will be assigned to them to take home and bring back on each occasion. Any congregant who has been out of state is instructed to wait 14 days after returning to California before going to Young Israel for minyan.
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Recommended reading
*Dorian De Wind, in a piece for The Moderate Voice, condemns President Trump’s use of the Nazis’ red triangle symbol, which prisoners who were dissidents and rescuers of Jews were required to wear in the concentration camps. On the same topic, National Public Radio reports that the Trump campaign describes the red triangles as simply an “emoji.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com