By Cailin Acosta in La Mesa, California
Anti-Defamation League of San Diego announces “Confronting Extremism: Oren Segal in Conversation with Father Brent Kruger” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, in Carmel Valley.
Segal serves as ADL’s Senior Vice President of Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, overseeing teams that monitor extremist networks, combat online hate, and provide critical intelligence and training to law enforcement. Kruger brings a Catholic pastoral and interfaith perspective to timely discussion, sharing the Catholic experience and helping consider how faith traditions, shared values, and commitment to human dignity can inspire meaningful action.
Together, they will examine how ADL Center on Extremism, ADL Center for Technology and Society, and Law Enforcement teams work in concert with interfaith solidarity to educate Jewish and Catholic communities on today’s threats, strengthen bonds between our communities in the wake of local hate-motivated violence, and equip every attendee with practical tools to recognize, report, and respond to extremism. Click here to register and receive the address.
*
UPCOMING EVENTS
Congregation Beth El announces “Reverse Tashlikh Coastal Cleanup” at 10 a.m., Sunday, August 23. This event includes removing debris from Mission Bay instead of casting “sins” into the water. Join Jewish communities around the world for the 9th Annual Reverse Tashlikh, an annual waterfront cleanup, a mitzvah, and a new High Holy Day ritual to repair the sea. Click here to register and receive the location.
*
Beth Jacob Congregation presents “The Power of Breath” at 10 a.m., Sunday, August 23. This women’s event is limited to 15 women, led by Tanya Trestman, for a transformative breathwork workshop to unwind and prepare for the High Holidays. Discover the power of your breath to enhance well-being and vitality, release negative emotions, and connect more deeply with yourself. Click here to register.
*
Friendship Circle of San Diego announces its “Kick-Off Celebration: Come Learn About Our Amazing Community” at 11 a.m., Sunday, August 23 at Torrey Hills Park. This event includes carnival games and prizes, lunch, bubbles, and a bunny party. Click here to rsvp.
*
Temple Emanu-El announces its “Music with Michelle Jirkovsky” at 11 a.m., Tuesday, August 25. These sessions, led by Jirkovsky, include a journey through Jewish music history, from ancient melodies and cantorial greats to Broadway composers, camp songs, contemporary Jewish artists, and secular musicians with Jewish roots. Participants are encouraged to listen, learn, reminisce, sing, and share memories of the music that shaped our identities and communities. Organizers say bagels and coffee will be available. Click here to register.
*
Congregation Beth El presents its “Jewish Meditation Cohort” at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. Craig Parks will lead these sessions, which will provide going into a deeper and more spiritual practice alongside a caring community. Click here for more information.
*
Congregation Beth Israel announces “Elul with Rabbi Elana Ackerman Hirsch” at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 25. This session will focus on uncovering what we want to leave in the past from this year and what we hope to see as precious and worthy of our time in the year to come. Click here to rsvp.
*
SD Kollel presents its “Ladies Weekly Kollel Café: Women’s Class and Discussion” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 25. This event includes women’s topics and desserts. For more information, call 619-287-9890.
*
Tifereth Israel Synagogue announces its “Taste of Miller: Introduction to Judaism” at 11 a.m., Sunday, August 30. This complimentary session offers prospective students an opportunity to experience the Miller Introduction to Judaism, to meet Rabbi Hanan Leberman, who will guide the learning, and to get a sense of what the full 18-week course has to offer, all before registering. Click here to rsvp.
*
CHABAD CENTERS’ HAPPENINGS
University City announces its “Grand Reopening” at 11 a.m., Sunday, August 23. This event is open to the whole community and will be celebrating 40 years of Rabbi Moishe Leider’s leadership. Click here to register.
*
La Costa announces its “BBQ Bounty” at 5 p.m., Sunday, August 23. This all-you-can-eat Glatt Kosher Barbeque includes burgers, hot dogs, wings (hot & BBQ), fries, green salad, coleslaw, condiments & garnishes, desserts of the day (cotton candy, snow cones, fruit, cake), iced tea and/or lemonade & water. Click here to register.
*
Chula Vista’s Jewish Women’s Circle announces its “Babka Bake” at 7 p.m., Sunday, August 23. This women’s event will teach how to roll, fill, twist, and create babka from scratch, just in time before the High Holidays. Click here to rsvp.
*
East County announces “Challah Babies: Rosh Hashanah Edition” at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, August 27. This event is for babies and toddlers ages 0-3 years old and will include baking fresh challah, engaging in creative sensory activities, enjoying music and movement, and connecting with other parents in the community. Click here to rsvp.
*
University City’s Men’s Club announces its “Soulfire Event” at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, September 3. This men’s event will ask the honest question: what do you actually want to change this year before Rosh Hashanah? Click here to rsvp.
*
ONLINE OFFERINGS
Young Israel of San Diego presents “Let’s Talk Parsha with Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg” at 8:30 p.m., starting Monday, August 24 at San Diego Kollel and on Zoom.
*
Congregation Beth El presents “Women Talking with Women” at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 25 on Zoom. Each session has a Jewish-related topic shared by a participant and explores how it relates to women and as Jews, while creating community and friendships. Click here to register.
*
Congregation Beth Israel announces “Morning Mindfulness with Julie Potiker” at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays on Zoom. Potiker will lead these sessions to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these sessions, participants will experience bringing their attention to the present moment without judgment. Click here to register.
*
Yiddish Book Center announces “Memoir Writing Then and Now: Reading and Writing with Rokhl Feygenberg’s The Winding Road” at 4 p.m., Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27 on Zoom. Each week, participants will read a section of the book and explore its themes in depth. Then will use themes as prompts for their own memoir writing, with weekly prompts on such topics as: transformative power of genre fiction; how illness changes family dynamics; and the loneliness of being caught between tradition and freedom. Click here to register.
*
AROUND THE COUNTY
Coastal Gan Preschool reports it has one full-time spot left for next year. Children will learn through play in a curious and capable, safe, and enriching environment, feel heard and valued, and have an opportunity to receive a quality education. Click here if interested.
*
La Mesa Pizzaworks, a kosher pizza establishment, reports it is open late at 9:30 p.m. on Motzei Shabbat, Saturday. The full menu of pizza, pastas, calzones, sandwiches, appetizers, desserts, and more is available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Click here for the menu.
*
Congregation Beth El reports that parents Melissa Gellman and Benjamin Gellman-Chomsky welcomed the birth of a baby boy, Joshua Gellman. Mazel Tov!
*
Beth Jacob Congregation reports that parents Talia and Eli Weiss, grandparents Kadesh and Danielle Arya, and great-grandmother Rosa Arya welcomed the birth of a baby girl, Aviva Emunah Weiss. Mazel Tov!
*
Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of San Diego Jewish World.