Other items in this column include:
*Political bytes
*Scenes around the county
*Tikkun olam at East County congregations
*Coming our way
*Recommended reading
*In memoriam
SAN DIEGO — While San Diego Jewish World does not plan to make any formal endorsements until the November election, we would like our readers to be aware of the names of our fellow Jews who are on San Diego County ballots. There are at least a dozen such candidates, whose Jewish affiliation has been made known to us. Whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, we would like to congratulate them for putting themselves out there.
At the same time, we would like to urge our readers, whomever they may favor, to turn out to vote on Tuesday, and to be prepared to turn out again for the general election exactly nine months later, on Nov. 3, regardless of whether their primary election favorites make the runoff. Voting is and must remain a cherished American right.
PRESIDENT — Michael Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders.
CONGRESS, 53rd District — Sara Jacobs
STATE ASSEMBLY, 75th District — Kate Schwartz
STATE ASSEMBLY, 78th District — Sara Davis, Micah Perlin
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 3rd District — Terra Lawson-Remer
SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, Office No. 18 — Roberta Winston
MAYOR, CITY OF SAN DIEGO — Barbara Bry
CITY ATTORNEY, City of San Diego –— Cory Briggs
CITY COUNCIL, District 5, City of San Diego — Joe Leventhal
SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, District B — Bernie Rhinerson
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Political bytes
*The Democratic presidential contest continues to narrow. First Tom Steyer, then Pete Buttigeig, and today Amy Klobuchar have successively dropped out of the race, with Klobuchar and Buttigieg announcing their intention to endorse Vice President Joe Biden tonight at a Texas rally. Former U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Harry Reid of Nevada also have endorsed Biden. So has former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, picked up the endorsement of former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. Still in the race, and competing on Super Tuesday, tomorrow, are Mike Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, and Tulsi Gabbard.
*San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez has been endorsed by the following members of the Jewish community: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Allan Lowenthal, D-Calif; Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., Mayor Serge Dedina of Imperial Beach, and San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry.
*At a Get-Out-The-Vote rally for Democrats on Monday, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California endorsed Todd Gloria for mayor.
*Save San Diego Neighborhoods, which opposes short-term rentals at a time when San Diego has a housing shortage, has endorsed Barbara Bry for mayor, Cory Briggs for city attorney, and has opposed Joe Leventhal in the 5th District City Council race.
*State Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, a candidate in the 50th Congressional District, has urged the independent Federal Reserve to follow President Trump’s recommendation to quickly lower interest rates in the wake of falling stock prices as the coronavirus spreads. Jones said that the virus, “in addition to being a public health concern, is also an economic concern. Too many more days like Thursday and Friday and the life savings and retirement of many hard-working Americans could be wiped out.”
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Scenes Around San Diego County
Erev Purim doesn’t roll around until Monday evening, March 9, but there’s no reason why we can’t all get a head start on baking hamantaschen, those three cornered pastries with a variety of center fillings. On Sunday, March 1, veteran and novice bakers gathered at Chabad of Chula Vista, where cbildren experimented with such fillings as jams, jeillies, chocolates, and peanut butter. Sandy Scheller was there with her camera.
Up at Seacrest Village Retirement Community, we are informed by correspondent Jeanne Shenkman, music is ever welcome to the ears of its Jewish residents. It’s not unusual for staff members Carmen and Guy to sing and play favorite songs from the past, and now and then, there are staged productions, such as a recent balalaika concert with dancing that drew an enthusiastic reception.
Would you like to volunteer your photos of local Jewish events to be published on San Diego Jewish World? Please send them with caption information to me at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
Tikkun Olam at East County congregations
*The Reform congregation Temple Emanu-El has a very active social action committee, which involves itself in a variety of activities. For example, members help to feed the hungry at St. Vincent de Paul; donate supplies to Rachel’s Women’s Center, which is a downtown haven for women who have few resources; and contribute money to HIAS, which assists refugees of all faiths and ethnicities fleeing from persecution, as well as to Americares, which delivers medical aid and health programs in 164 countries, including the United States. Lee Loventhal is the contact for that committee.
*The Conservative congregation Tifereth Israel Synagogue also has an active social action program. For example on March 22, the committee will prepare and serve food to homeless people who live in their cars at the Jewish Family Service site on Aero Drive; on March 29, teens will create “blessing bags” for distribution to people who are homeless, with contents to include baby wipes, bags of quarters, travel-size toiletries, tampons, hand sanitizers, tuna/cracker packs, fruit cups/ applesauce; soft granola bars and energy bars. Contacts for these programs respectively are Beth Klareich and Michelle Barbour.
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Coming our way
Chabad of University City plans a Purim celebration Italian style, starting at 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 10 with a Megillah reading, followed by an Italian meal and costume masquerade. RSVP via this website.
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Recommended reading
*Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) has reprinted an article in The Forward in which Adam Lehman, the new CEO of Hillel, was interviewed about BDS and other challenges to Jewish student life on campuses.
*Agence France Press reports that Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu‘s Likud party polled the best of all parties competing in the March 2 election, with early estimates suggesting he has 60 votes in the next Knesset, just one shy of an absolute majority.
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In memoriam
Laura (Finkelson) Drucker, 89, died February 29, Am Israel Mortuary reported. Graveside funeral services will be conducted by Rabbi Devorah Marcus of Temple Emanu-El at 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 4, at El Camino Memorial Park, 5500 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. Obituaries in San Diego Jewish World are sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.