Other items in today’s column include:
*Three congregations join to explore hot button issues
*Recommended reading
*In memoriam
SAN DIEGO — President Donald J. Trump’s policies toward foreign students are “extreme,” “unnecessary,” and “cruel,” said Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) in leading 136 members of Congress to urge the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to rescind a decision to deport foreign students who during the coronavirus pandemic take courses on-line rather than in person.
Others who rallied House members to sign the letter included House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), and Congress members Jimmy Panetta, Linda Sanchez and Zoe Lofgren, all California Democrats.
“Our students and schools are facing unprecedented challenges,” Davis and the others wrote to administrators at the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.. “ICE’s announcements only add to these burdens, and potentially put more students at risk. ICE’s SEVP exemptions for the spring and summer semesters permitting students to take more online courses than usually permitted was sensible given the risks of the pandemic. The Administration should consider the wisdom of these earlier exemptions and cease the finalization of their modifications.”
In a news release, Davis said: “The letter is supported by the University of California, Advancing Justice | AAJC, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), the Central American Resource Center, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the Japanese American Citizens League, the National Iranian American Council Action, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), and East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU), and the UAW 2865-UC Student Workers’ Union and UAW 5810-Union of Postdocs and Academic Researchers.”
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Three congregations join to explore hot button issues
Reconstructionist Congregation Dor Hadash; Temple Emanu-el, a Reform congregation; and Tifereth Israel Synagogue, a Conservative congregation, are collaborating to webcast discussions of controversial topics, beginning at 5:15 p.m. Friday, July 17, with a discussion about Harvey Milk and LGBTQ Pride by Lillian Faderman, with a 7:15 p.m. Q&A scheduled following 6:15 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services. On Saturday, July 18, at 8:30 p.m. Cantor Hanan Leberman of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and Marshall Voit of Temple Emanu-El will celebrate Havdalah followed by joyful music.
Sunday, July 19, at 10:30 a.m., Dr. David Parker will lead a workshop on how to confront internal biases, and build respect and awareness of others of different races. That afternoon at 3 p.m., Janice Steinberg will offer an embodied movement prayer experience utilizing Nia, a low-impact movement and dance technique, designed to be done barefoot.
Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m. will bring a lecture featuring SDSU Prof. Emeritus Laurie Baron (who also is a San Diego Jewish World columnist) and Rabbi Susan Talve of St. Louis’ Central Reform Congregation on the topic of Black/ Jewish Relationships. A related lecture on “Jews, Whiteness, Power, and Privilege at 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, will feature Dr. Marc Dollinger of San Francisco State University. He is the author of Black Power, Jewish Politics, which helps to frame questions of power and privilege in an American Jewish context.
Rabbi Josh Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue will lead an evening of study and discussion on such topics as Halacha, racial injustice and “our obligations toward others” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 22.
On Thursday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. Rabbi Devorah Marcus of Temple Emanu-El will engage with the Dr. Rev. J. Lee Hill on how to be an ally and how to engage in meaningful and loving dialogue with our neighbors. Hill is the senior pastor of Christian Fellowship Congregational Church (UCC) and director of the Interfaith Justice Coalition in San Diego.
Friday, July 24, at noon, Rabbi Yael Ridberg of Congregation Dor Hadash will conduct a lunch and learn session on “being a witness to this moment in history.”
Zoom links to the individual sessions will be provided to people who register via this website. There is no charge for the sessions, but donations are requested.
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Recommended reading
*The Jewish Federation of San Diego County, Leichtag Foundation, and the Jewish Community Foundation have released a report that details how much money has been raised for the Covid-19 emergency fund ($2.2 million), how much has been spent ($1.6 million) , and the names of 19 organizations and synagogues have been receiving aid.
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In memoriam
*Maretta Lenore (Stacel) Swartz, 92, died Friday, July 10, Am Israel Mortuary announced. Private funeral services are being arranged at Eden Memorial Park and Mortuary, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd, Mission Hills. A daughter posted the following obituary:
“She was born Erev Pesach on 4/4/28 (= 18). My dad’s Hebrew name was Pesach. Pesach occurred in the Hebrew year 2448 (= 18). My dad found a lot of mystical significance in this.
Though not a trained singer, she had a lovely singing voice. She loved swing music, and Frank Sinatra.
She loved to dance, and took modern dance in high school. In her late 50s, she took up tap, ballet and jazz and joined a senior dance group. They performed at nursing homes and for charitable functions. She also did some community theater in the chorus of several musicals. She continued dancing into her early 80s.
She was a homemaker and volunteer and was very civic minded. She volunteered her entire adult life for the PTA (parent-teacher association), Hadassah, ORT, her synagogue, and later in life she volunteered in the local elementary school helping students with reading. Even in the last year of her life, I would take her shopping so she could collect items to donate to the homeless.
She and my father enjoyed traveling. When we were kids, they would take us on “road trips” all over the western United States. After my sister and I left home, they liked to take cruises and visited Mexico, the Caribbean, the California coast, Alaska and cruised through the Panama Canal.
She and my father also enjoyed eating out and they had a number of favorite restaurants that they made the rounds of. After my father passed away and my mom was living in a succession of independent and assisted living facilities, her favorite thing to do when I came to visit was to go out to eat.
She was very social, had a lot of friends and kept in contact with people until the last few weeks of her life.
She was definitely a person with a lot of joie de vivre.
She was also very stubborn, tenacious, and didn’t know the meaning of the word “quit”, all which helped her overcome several serious health challenges in her late 80s and early 90s.
She will be missed by all her daughters, family and friends.
“May her soul be bound in the bond of eternal life”
*Jacob Isaac Grimberg, 74, died Monday, July 6, it was announced by Am Israel Mortuary. A graveside funeral servie was conducted by Rabbi Moishe Leider of Chabad of University City on Thursday, July 9, at Home of Peace Cemetery, 3668 Imperial Avenue, 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 Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.