LA MESA, California – When we wake up, many of us say the Modei Ani (I Thank You) and the Shema (affirmation of faith). I say these as I am fumbling to find my phone to turn off my alarm. I joke with friends that after I finish, I throw the sheets back and say “Here we go again!”
In my sarcastic way, I am very thankful to make it another day, to hear my kids rumbling around in the other rooms and Freckles, my angora rabbit, hopping into my room to remind me she gets breakfast before anyone else or I will suffer with having my toes nibbled and she will stare at me from across the room with her evil eye.
Many of us are lovers and nurturers to others and often forget to also turn that love and nurture to ourselves.
During this Memorial Day weekend and May being Mental Health Awareness Month, take a moment to love yourself. It can be as easy as nourishing your body with a healthy salad, painting your nails a bright color, checking in and spending time with friends, or finishing an art project.
Thank you to all those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, one day is never enough to honor those who sacrificed everything. May their memories forever be a blessing.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Torah High School of San Diego invites families and friends to attend its Graduation Ceremony at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 27.
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Southern California Yeshiva High School invites families and friends to its “Graduation Ceremony” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 28. Class of 2025 includes Nadav Aron, Zachary Eiseman, Gavriel Guenniche, and Aharon Peikes. Mazel Tov!
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Temple Emanu-El presents its “Shavuot for the Table” at 6 p.m., Sunday, June 1. Rabbi Devorah Marcus and Barry Lander will lead this event that will include learning how to cook a Jewish meal and learning about Shavuot. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth El announces it Shavuot Services starting at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 1. The event includes an evening of Torah study and celebration. Click here to register. At 9:30 a.m., Monday, June 2 and on Tuesday, June 3, the events both include morning services and Torah studies. A festive meal will be served on Tuesday, June 3. Click here to register for the luncheon.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue presents its Shavuot Program at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 1. The event includes candle lighting, services, and learning opportunities from Dr. Abraham Broudy, Dr. Seth Krosner, and Rabbi Hanan Leberman along with dairy noshes. Click here to rsvp.
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Ohr Shalom Synagogue invites the community to attend its Shavuot Services starting 8 p.m., Sunday, June 1; 9:30 a.m., Monday, June 2; and 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 3.
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Congregation Adat Yeshurun invites the community to attend its Shavuos Dinner at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, June 1. The event includes services before a catered meal by Nena from Felicia G. Catering and before attending the all-night learning. Click here to rsvp.
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Beth Jacob Congregation invites the community to attend its Family Picnic at 3:15 p.m., Sunday, June 8 at Princess Del Cerro Park. The event includes food, sports, and activities for the whole family. Click here to rsvp.
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CHABAD CENTERS’ HAPPENINGS
Chula Vista invites the community to its Community Shabbat Dinner at 6 p.m., on Friday, June 13. The event includes a celebration of Rabbi Mendel Katz and Rebbetzin Mushka Katz’s daughter, Malka Katz’s 3rd birthday. On this occasion, she gets to light her own Shabbat candle for the first time. Click here to rsvp.
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Downtown invites the community to attend its Shavuot celebrations. At 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 1, the event will include services, dinner and late-night learning. At 10 a.m., Monday, June 2, the event will include services, hearing the Ten Commandments followed by a dairy buffet luncheon. At 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 3, the event will include services, the Yizkor memorial followed by a dairy buffet luncheon. Click here to rsvp.
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East County invites the community to attend its Shavuot Celebration at 10 a.m., Monday, June 2. The event includes services, a reading of the Ten Commandments, and a dairy buffet. Click here to rsvp.
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La Costa invites the community to attend its “BBQ Bounty” at 5 p.m., Sunday, May 25. The event includes an all-you-can-eat Glatt Kosher buffet. Click here for more information and to reserve.
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University City’s Women’s Circle invites women in the community to attend its Rosh Chodesh Shavuot Cooking Class and Tasting at 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 28. The event includes a no-bake cheesecake, onion soup and chimichurri mushroom salad and a discussion of Megillat Ruth. Click here to rsvp and receive address.
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To view other events, previously listed in this column, please visit our San Diego Jewish Community Calendar page.
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AROUND THE COUNTY
Beth Jacob Congregation will partner with La Shaimos for its “Community-Wide Drop Off” at noon, on Sunday, June 8 at Beth Jacob Congregation. Organizers say to bring your shaimos (holy objects) and they will take care of the rest. Click here to see what qualifies as shaimos.
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Chabad at San Diego State University reports Rabbi Dovber and Rebbetzin Batya Uzan are seeking to establish the Chabad of North Park to service the Jewish students at University of San Diego and in the surrounding areas. Click here to donate to their campaign.
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Saul and Jenna Moch welcomed the birth of a baby girl, it was reported at Congregation Adat Yeshurun by grandparents Clive and Tammy Moch, and great-uncle and great-aunt Jerry and Neala Mouch. Mazel Tov!
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Temple Emanu-El reports it will hold an important Town Hall meeting at 4 p.m., Sunday, June 1 to discuss its participation in this year’s San Diego Pride Parade. One of the headliners is singer Kehlani who has made anti-Israel, pro-Hamas public statements. Congregants will have a chance to contribute their thoughts and concerns to this important topic.
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Southern California Yeshiva School reports that student Zachary Eiseman hit a home run while playing Taseball during the Black and Blue Day (an engagement of the boys in various modalities and aspects of their lives). Taseball is a sport played like Baseball but with a tennis ball instead of a baseball. Other activities include Basketball, Ping Pong, Egg Toss, and many more fun athletic challenges.
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JEWISH HUMOR
Chabad of East Couty shares the following joke: Jewish Customs: A young scholar from New York was invited to become Rabbi in a small old community in Chicago. On his very first Sabbath, a hot debate erupted as to whether one should or should not stand during the reading of the Ten Commandments. The next day, the rabbi visited 98-year-old Mr. Katz in the nursing home. “Mr. Katz, I’m asking you, as the oldest member of the community,” said the rabbi, “what is our synagogue’s custom during the reading of the Ten Commandments?” “Why do you ask?” asked Mr. Katz. “Yesterday we read the Ten Commandments. Some people stood, and some people sat. The ones standing started screaming at the ones sitting, telling them to stand up. The ones sitting started screaming at the ones standing, telling them to sit down…” “That,” said the old man, “is our custom.”
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OBITUARY NOTICE
Irene Samuels has died. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Monday, May 26, at Greenwood Memorial Park Cemetery, Chabad of East County reports.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.