By Cailin Acosta in La Mesa, California
Do Jews believe in angels? The Hebrew word for angel, mal’ach, means “messenger,” and in biblical sources, angels deliver specific information or carry out particular functions. In the Torah, an angel prevents Abraham from slaughtering his son Isaac. An angel appears to Moses in the burning bush and gives direction to the Israelites during the desert sojourn following the liberation from Egypt. Angels are associated with visions and prophecies.
The earlier appearances of angels serve the function of bearers of information. For example, in Genesis, Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, is informed by an angel that she will bear a son whose descendants will be numerous.
Angels are felt as protective spirits and warmth when someone passes.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Hillel of San Diego presents its “Back to School Bash” at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, October 10, at the Melvin Garb Center at SDSU. The event includes food, drinks, music, and company, along with a few surprises. The night is to celebrate the thousands of Jewish students who find community, connection, and a sense of belonging. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth Israel announces its “Mending Hearts: Finding Hope and Meaning After Loss” at 10 a.m., Session 1: Sundays, October 11, 18, 25, and November 1 and 15. Session 2: Sundays, January 31, February 7, 21, 28, March 7, and 14. This small support group, facilitated by Rabbi Aliza Berk, LMFT, Jewish Educator, Chaplain and Spiritual Director, and Gail Braverman, LMFT, Certified Art Therapist, Certified Amherst Writers and Artists Facilitator, and Yoga Instructor, will guide participants through the healing process with love and support. Click here to register.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue presents its “Miller Introduction to Judaism” at 11 a.m., Sunday, October 11. This 18-week course, led by Rabbi Hanan Leberman, will explore topics including Jewish literacy, history, tradition, denominational Judaism, the modern State of Israel, Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), customs, ethics, culture, and Jewish wisdom, all in a setting where questions are more important than answers. Click here for more information and to register.
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Beth Jacob Congregation presents its “Noah’s Ark Petting Zoo” at 5 p.m., Sunday, October 11. This event will include a petting zoo of farm animals and feature Moishe’s BBQ Grill with hot dogs, hamburgers, wings, schnitzel, and fries available for purchase.
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Beth Jacob Congregation announces its “Semichas Chaver: Revolutionize Your Torah Learning with Rabbi Baruch Frankel” Mondays, October 12. These weekly sessions led by Frankel will include the most common halachos that arise daily, take-home question-and-answer sessions to discuss at your Shabbat table, and an understanding of the ethical and philosophical background of the halachos. Click here to register.
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Beth Jacob Congregation announces its “Adventures in Bereshis with Brandon Fisher” at 7 p.m., Tuesdays, October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, 24. These sessions will discuss life-changing insights for personal growth and everyday life from the first book of the Torah. Click here to join the WhatsApp for updates.
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Lawrence Family JCC presents its “Survey of Zionist Thought” at 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, October 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17; December 1, 8, and 15. This class will be led by Rabbi Phil Graubart, who will explore the history and evolution of Zionist thought, from its early roots to today. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth El presents its “Jewish Meditation Cohort” at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. 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.
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Young Israel of San Diego presents “Let’s Talk Parsha with Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg” at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15 at San Diego Kollel. This event is a weekly parsha discussion and will be held in person and on Zoom.
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Congregation Adat Yeshurun announces its “Kidney Donation Awareness and Swabbing Event” at 11 a.m., Sunday, October 25. This event will be in partnership with Renewal, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping facilitate living kidney transplants in an effort to find a match for congregant Ralph Sussman. Swabbing takes minutes, and light refreshments will be served.
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CHABAD CENTERS’ HAPPENINGS
Downtown’s Jewish Women’s Circle presents its “Charcuterie and Champagne” at 5 p.m., Sunday, October 11. This women’s event includes designing your own charcuterie board while sipping champagne and connecting with like-minded Jewish women. Click here to register.
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Downtown announces its “Jewish Insights” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. This session will include inspiration, learning, connection, and growth. Torah study class that is open to men and women. Click here to rsvp.
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Chula Vista’s Jewish Women’s Circle presents “Mahjong and Mingle” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 14. This women’s event will include learning to play Mahjong with Guila or bringing along another game you want to play. Click here to rsvp.
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East County’s Jewish Women’s Circle announces its “Torah and Tea: Reclaiming Tzedakah, The Art of Giving” at noon, Thursday, October 15. This women’s event is a time to pause from the busy week, refresh your spirit, and connect with friends. Click here to rsvp.
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University City’s Men’s Club announces its “Soulfire: Kumzitz Night” at 8 p.m., Thursday, October 15. Men are invited to join around the campfire, share words of wisdom and real connection. Click here to rsvp.
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Chula Vista’s Men’s Monthly Tefillin Club presents “Bagels, Lox, and Tefillin” at 9 a.m., Sunday, October 18. Men are invited to start the week off right with a kosher “BLT” that includes breakfast, Tefillin, and a Torah discussion. Click here to rsvp.
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University City presents its “Kabbalah and the Hidden Architecture of You with Rabbi Effy Kahn” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, October 20. Kahn will lead these six lessons on reincarnation, soulmates, dreams, names, and what these mysteries reveal about the hidden design of your life. Click here to sign up.
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East County announces its “Challah Babies: Shabbat Edition” at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, October 22. This event is for babies 0-3 years old and will include making challah with your little one, creative sensory activities, and building connections. Click here to rsvp.
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Carmel Valley presents its “Peace of Mind Community Shabbat Dinner” Friday, October 23. This event will provide Shabbat dinner for 16 Duvdevan veterans and two Israeli therapists who will be visiting San Diego. As a community, attendees will come together to honor them, hear their stories, and show them strength and support. Click here to register and to receive the time and location.
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Downtown presents “Rabbi and Retirees Luncheon” at noon, Wednesday, October 28. This event will include lunch and an inspiring message. Click here to rsvp.
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East County announces its “Shabbat Friday Night Dinner” at 6 p.m., Friday, October 30. This event will include Shabbat services followed by a community dinner. Click here to rsvp.
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ONLINE OFFERINGS
Yiddishland presents its “Jews and Jazz with Yale Strom” at 10 a.m., Sunday, October 11, on Zoom. Strom will lead this session on the Jewish-Black musical connection of Benny Goodman, who integrated small groups that included major Black musicians such as Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton, along with Gene Krupa, when interracial bands were still unusual in segregated America. Click here to register for the session.
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Momentum Unlimited announces its “Till You Come Home” at 11 a.m., Sunday, October 11, on Zoom. This event is led by Adrienne Gold Davis in conversation with Dana Levenson, director of IMA, about a new film following seven Israeli mothers whose lives were directly impacted by the October 7 Hamas attacks. Together they will explore motherhood, resilience, memory, and what it means to carry a story forward. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth Israel’s Men’s Club announces its “Men’s Discussion Group” at 10 a.m., Monday, October 12, on Zoom. This forum is for men who are members to meet together, enjoy camaraderie, and discuss relevant issues. Meetings are held every second and fourth Monday of each month. Click here to receive the Zoom link.
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Young Israel of San Diego presents “Let’s Talk Parsha with Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg” at 8:30 p.m., starting Monday, October 12, at San Diego Kollel and on Zoom.
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American Jewish Committee’s Advocacy Anywhere announces its “Understanding Israel’s Upcoming Elections” at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 13, on Zoom. The presentation will include Amit Segal, Chief Political Analyst, Channel 12 (Israel), Tal Shalev, Senior Reporter, CNN Jerusalem, and will be moderated by Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, Director, AJC Jerusalem. On October 27, Israelis will head to the polls for the first time since October 7 in an election that could reshape the country’s political landscape. Click here to register.
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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 13, 20, and 27 on Zoom. Each week, participants will read a section of the book and explore its themes in depth. Then participants 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.
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My Jewish Learning announces “The World of Sholem Aleichem” at 4 p.m., Tuesdays, October 13, 20, 27, November 3, and 10, on Zoom. Aleichem is one of history’s more beloved Yiddish writers, and Tevye the dairyman stories were the basis for Fiddler on the Roof. These sessions, led by Debra Caplan, associate professor of theatre at Baruch College, CUNY, will read and discuss a new short story each week, including stories involving Tevye’s comic mishaps, unpack Aleichem’s singular blend of humor and heartbreak, and explore why his characters still feel so relevant today. Click here to register.
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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.
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Kveller announces its “Contemporary Art: Tracing Texts for and by Jewish Women, An Artist Talk with Danielle Alhassid” at 3 p.m., Thursday, October 15, on Zoom. In this presentation, Alhassid will discuss the relationship between stop-motion animation, contemporary art, and Yiddish texts for and by immigrant women, materials that have shaped and inspired her recent research-based artistic practice. The conversation will include a preview of her upcoming exhibition in collaboration with the CCNY Special Collections (NY), as well as an introduction to previous projects: “Two Pieces” (Brooklyn Museum, NY), “Go Forth O Daughters” (Amsterdam Museum, Netherlands), and “Shtibl of One’s Own” (Venezia Contemporanea, Italy). Click here to register.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue presents “Understanding the Ballot Propositions with Jason Bercovitch” at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 15 on Zoom. This session will be led by Bercovitch, who will help gain a greater understanding of the various propositions on the upcoming November ballot. Click here for the Zoom link.
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AROUND THE COUNTY
Chabad of Carmel Valley reports that The Chosen Creatures Torah-inspired, human-grade, gluten-free dog treats is sponsoring a $2 off code when ordering; enter “CHABAD”. Click here to order.
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SCY High School reports Rabbi Baruch Frankel presented students with a discussion prompt of “What should be done with captured terrorists?” This topic was explored from a Torah perspective and gave students the chance to stretch themselves and develop their moral compass in alignment with Torah values.
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OBITUARY NOTICES
Fredy Bielaz has died. He was the father of Wolf (Brenda) Bielaz, Mina Cohen and Simon (Iliana) Bielaz, grandfather of Ilan (Zoe) Bielaz, Michelle (Matt) Stevens, Marc (Clare) Bielaz, Jackie (Lior) Rubin, Sharon (Tomi) Cohen, Jonathan Bielaz, Galia Bielaz, Eitan Bielaz, great-grandfather of Ellie Stevens, Noa Stevens and Olympia Bielaz. The funeral was held on Friday, October 9, at Home of Peace, Ohr Shalom Synagogue reports.
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Joseph Oppenheim has died. He was the father of David (Debra) Oppenheim LaTour, and grandfather of Isabel, Jordan, Noelle, and Madeline. The funeral was held on Wednesday, October 7, at El Camino Memorial Park, Am Israel Mortuary reports.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.