SAN DIEGO – On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and ensured that all enslaved people were set free — a last chapter in America’s abominable record of state-sanctioned slavery. According to History.com, Juneteenth which is short for June Nineteenth, became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.
When I lived in Texas, this was a holiday from school and work. I had no idea what it was because we did not have it off in my previous home in California. In graduate school, I wondered why I was in class on Cesar Chavez Day in March and realized that was a holiday particular to California. I am so thankful that Juneteenth is now recognized as a day we do not celebrate but a day to reflect on the changes we can make in the future and treat everyone with equality.
*
At 7 p.m., Saturday, June 22, South African singer Sharon Katz will perform at the Cape Fire Grill/Bunny Chow restaurant in North Park. Disclaimer: No rabbits are served. “Bunny Chow” is a South African curry meal served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Click here to rsvp. Katz, originator of the Peace Train, took 500 children representing all of South Africa’s races on a singing tour of the country after the apartheid regime collapsed.
*
Jewish Journey in Lithuania and Latvia led by Professor Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz is accepting registrations for the May 12-23, 2025, culturally rich trip. As many as one million Americans have ancestral roots from Lithuania – many of them Jews. Strom and Schwartz will also perform klezmer/Yiddish concerts with local professional musicians. Click here to register by July 1 and save $100 per person.
*
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
San Diego Councilwoman Terra Lawson-Remer (District 3) in partnership with the Pacific Beach Town Council will host the Ultimate Appetizer Showdown at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 20 at Bar Ella in Pacific Beach. Lawson-Remer will provide key updates on county initiatives and field questions from the community, while Bar Ella chefs prepare a diverse array of appetizers for residents to sample and judge.
*
OBITUARY NOTICE
Harriet Block of La Jolla passed away Monday, June 17. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, June 20 at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles.
*
Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.