Other items in today’s column include
*Political bytes
*Jewish organizational news
*At the synagogues
*In memoriam
SAN DIEGO — The chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, doesn’t want the debate over anti-Semitism in the party’s ranks to be held until after the Nov. 3 election, if ever.
On Sept. 10, Rodriguez-Kennedy sent a message to the county party’s central committee explaining his reason for wanting a delay.
“As you know we have been in the middle of a rigorous discussion and debate on anti-Semitism, Middle East peace, what constitutes hate speech and freedom of speech,” he wrote. “These are important issues for sure but at the moment they are divisive and it will take time and work to bring people together and have the tough conversations necessary to resolve the conflict and concerns of various members without adding to the pain and vitriol of this conflict.
“With so few days until the election we simply cannot afford to be distracted from our mission which is to elect Democrats that will advance equality, opportunity, sustainability, and prosperity for all.”
He asked committee members to respond by email whether the committee’s meeting, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, should be cancelled.
The vote was 43 members in favor of canceling the meeting, 10 members in favor of holding it on the scheduled date.
In August, Matthew Finkelstein reported that month’s meeting of the Democratic County Central Committee was shocking for the amount of anti-Semitism expressed after Resolution E was introduced.
The resolution in question reads as follows:
“Resolution Clarifying How Anti-Semitic Hate Speech Harms Jews and Other Zionists in the San Diego County Democratic Party
“WHEREAS Zionism is defined as the human right to self-determination of the Jewish people in their homeland of Israel; and everyone agrees that criticism of Israel, including its leadership, policies and actions, is not anti-Semitic, but asserting that the Jewish state be targeted as an illegitimate, uniquely evil, and racist entity that deserves to be dissolved – based on criteria applied to no other country – goes well beyond the boundary of critique and qualifies as anti-Semitic hate speech which targets Jews individually and the Jewish people as a collective; and
“WHEREAS the use of anti-Semitic hate speech has been regularly employed by anti-Israel activists both inside and outside the San Diego County Democratic Party using demeaning and degrading language about and towards Jews and supporters of Israel on social media and in Central Committee and Club meetings; including but not limited to the use of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, ancient blood libels, and dual-loyalty claims; and
“WHEREAS this hate speech encourages discourse that becomes hostile to Jews, both inside and outside the San Diego County Democratic Party;
“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the San Diego County Democratic Party condemns and admonishes hate speech in all its forms against all ethnic and religious groups including all forms of anti-Semitic hate speech, including anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, both within and without the San Diego County Democratic Party, when used against any individual, or to slur the aspirations of Jews, or those who support Jews; and
“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the San Diego County Democratic Party share copies of this resolution with all locally elected Democratic officials and candidates, County Party officers, Regional Directors, Central Committee members, Club presidents, County delegates to the DSCC and DNC, and other appropriate officials and policy makers.”
*This is Resolution 10-05.93 – Adopted by the California Democratic Party in 2019 and rewritten here to reference the San Diego County Democratic Party, rather than the California Democratic Party.”
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Political bytes
53rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Candidate Sara Jacobs joined with U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-California) in an Internet Town Hall discussion of government oversight and reform, a session which may be viewed via Facebook. San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez, who is in a runoff election with Jacobs, meanwhile told of some of her priorities: “We should be investing in public health. The coronavirus crisis makes clear why it’s so urgent to ensure affordable health care for everyone,” Gomez said. “We’ve seen the harsh impacts in underserved, underinsured communities who have felt the virus’ vicious impact most severely, and we need to move towards Medicare-for-All to make sure everyone is covered. We should be investing in jobs and infrastructure. Working families are struggling through the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. This crisis demands urgent, bold investments in jobs, infrastructure, student debt relief, and a fair economy — and that will be one of my biggest priorities when I get to Congress.”
3rd COUNTY SUPERVISOR’S DISTRICT — Candidate Terra Lawson-Remer took time from her own campaign to oust incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar to endorse Cipriano Vargas for reelection to the Vista Unified School Board. She said his election could help “ensure we have a pipeline of young progressive leaders.”
SAN DIEGO MAYOR’S RACE — Political consultant Tom Shepard has messaged voters that only a few votes per precinct can make the difference in major races. Concerning the mayor’s race between his client, City Councilwoman Barbara Bry and Assemblyman Todd Gloria, he wrote: “1,189. In a city of over 1.3 million people, that’s the margin of victory that enabled Barbara to qualify for the November mayoral run-off. And six months later, according to the most recent polls, she has a narrow lead to win the run-off.” Meanwhile Gloria won the endorsement of the San Diego Education Association (SDEA), with its president, Kisha Borden, stating: “He is a longtime leader on education issues and will be steadfast in promoting a schools-first approach to reopening our local economy during the pandemic, making sure that every decision is looked at through the lens of how it will impact the ability of students to return to in-person learning, especially those in neighborhoods that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID.”
5th SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT — U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) has endorsed Deputy City Attorney Marni von Wilpert in her race against Joe Leventhal for the council seat from which Mark Kersey is retiring.
BALLOT MEASURES — Congregation Beth Israel’s Men’s Club will host an Internet presentation at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7, by the League of Women Voters on the various statewide ballot measures which voters will decide in November. Reservations for this event may be made via this website.
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Jewish organizational news
*Americans for Peace Now plans an observance Oct. 20 to celebrate the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin that will be hosted by actor Mandy Patinkin, an APN board member. Details of the event are pending.
*Coastal Roots Farm at the Leichtag Commons in Encinitas will offer a drive-through experience to teach about Sukkot, utilizing smartphones, at various time slots Monday, Oct 5 through Thursday Oct. 8, in a pay-what-you-can presentation. Reigstration is available via this website.
*Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) sponsored an international forum bringing together officials from the United States, United Nations, United Kingdom, and Germany to call for adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of Anti-Semitism. The forum may be seen via YouTube.
*Jewish National Fund is offering a “free yahrzeit reminder” via email “with the corresponding observance date and a copy of the Mourner’s Kaddish, and an email for each of the four Yizkor Observances: Passover, Shavuot, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret). Sign up via this website.
*Jewish Family Service of San Diego is calling for food donations in conjunction with the High Holy Days in response to “increasing food insecurity in our community.” Cash donations may be made via this website or food may be dropped off from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, and from 1 to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18, at JFS’s Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus, Turk Family Center, 8804 Balboa Avenue.
*The Lawfare Project is representing Prof. Channa Newman at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has been the subject of an effort to ban her from campus after she objected to the creation of a course titled: “Israel: A Settler State.” Attorney Zipporah Reich, the Lawfare Project’s Director of Litigation, has joined the legal team of Newman, a Holocaust survivor whose career as a professor has lasted over 50 years.
*The Murray Galinson San Diego Israel Initiative (MGSDII) will sponsor for its Salon Members a discussion at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30, by Israeli television script writer Moshe Zonder, whose works include the Fauda series, and director Danny Syrkin in a behind-the-scenes look at the new series, Tehran, which follows a Mossad agent/ computer hacker in the Iranian capital. More information about MGSDII via this website.
*After hearing testimony from StandWithUs on anti-Israel propaganda on U.S. college campuses, including the decision by San Francisco State University’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMEDS) program within the College of Ethnic Studies, to have Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled give a virtual seminar on “gender, justice and resistance,” Knesset Member Michal Cotler-Wunsh, said: I am grateful, as Chair of the Aliyah and Integration Committee’s Subcommittee on Israel-Diaspora Relations, to have been able to provide the platform and engage with the students in the Knesset. It is a part of our role and responsibility, to deepen the engagement and collaboration with Diaspora Jewry…. It is crucial that I make it clear that the appearance of a PFLP terrorist on an American campus is shameful and is a dangerous message about the toleration of violence and hatred not only for Jewish students but for all students. It is imperative we expose and address the double standard which enables this and encourages the continued culture of impunity. …. Elsewhere, StandWithUs is sponsoring a fundraising “fitness challenge.” The pro-Israel organization explains: “As a participant in the StandWithUs Fitness Challenge, you will work toward achieving a personal goal of exercising for either 72 miles or 72 hours, doing whatever indoor or outdoor exercise you enjoy. Ask your friends and family for their support. We suggest that you have a minimum fundraising goal of $72. Why the number $72? The modern state of Israel, established in 1948, is 72 years old. #72yearsstrong is a reminder that, in spite of numerous existential challenges, Israel and the Jewish people have persevered to make the Zionist dream a reality.” Registration via this website.
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At the synagogues
*Beth Jacob Congregation is inviting its members to bid on High Holy Day aliyahs and honors via this website.
*Chabad of Chula Vista plans a Tashlich and shofar-blowing service at 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, at Cottonwood Park, Chula Vista. Cantor Daniel Moreno will perform. Rabbi Mendy Begun comments: The concert will be free, outdoors and safe! All social distancing and COVID precautions will be carefully observed. It will be a wonderful experience for children, seniors, and everyone in between. We ask everyone to wear a mask to ensure the safety of all.”
*Chabad of East County plans a “socially-distanced Tashlich meditation and shofar service at 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, at Lake Murray Community Park, 7001 Murray Park Drive, San Diego. More information via this website.
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In memoriam
*Al Alexander, 97, died Monday, Sept. 14, Am israel Mortuary has reported. Graveside services were conducted by Rabbi Mendel Goldstein of Chabad of Poway at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 carroll Canyon Road, San Diego.
*Sylvan Silberg, 87, died Tuesday, Sept. 15, Am Israel Mortuary has reported. Graveside funeral services will be conducted by Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue at 1:30 p.m. at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com. Don takes this opportunity to wish his grandniece, Jessica Harrison, who is of Mexican Catholic and American Jewish parentage, a “Happy Mexican Independence Day.” Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg