LA MESA, California – In one week, the nerds and geeks will invade San Diego for the 2025 Comic-Con. This will be the last year my “super cool teens” get to attend with child passes, since next year, we will have to purchase them. This will be my first year attending. I am a proud nerd and geek, but not in the comic book definition.
As our town becomes crowded, practicing patience is kind. Many people will be driving our roads and might be lost, so being patient with those who are driving slowly or asking for directions is essential. A wise idea is to avoid the downtown area unless you are attending Comic Con. Take advantage of the trolley instead of stressing about finding or paying for overpriced parking. Also, when riding the trolley back and forth, I take advantage of not having to focus on the commute and read a book or close my eyes for a bit to relax.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Congregation Beth El announces its “BEIT Summer Course: Crossroads of Jewish History” at 10 a.m., Sunday, July 20 until Sunday, August 24. Rabbi Ron Shulman will guide these sessions that will focus on tribal society to kingship, destruction of the Temple to its rebirth, Ezra, the transition from Judeans to Jews, and more. Click here to register.
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Congregation Beth Israel presents “The Ultimate Podcast Club” at 1 p.m., Monday, July 21. This group is for adults of all ages and will dive into thought-provoking episodes on personal growth, relationships, communication, wellness, and more. The group will discuss a podcast they listened to and will use this for engaging conversations. Click here to rsvp.
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Coastal Roots Farm presents “Farm Film and Music Series: Nature San Diego: America’s Wildest City” at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 24. This documentary showcases the plants, animals, and hidden ecosystems that make San Diego the most biodiverse county in the country. Organizers say to bring low-back chairs, food, drinks, and warm layers. Click here to register.
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Ohr Shalom Synagogue presents its first movie night of the summer with the showing of The Mad Adventures of “Rabbi” Jacob at 6:45 p.m., Sunday, July 27. This comedy flick was nominated for Best Foreign Movie by the Golden Globes in 1973. Click here to rsvp.
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Anti-Defamation League San Diego announces its “Education Webinar: Making Social Media Safer: Practical Tools for Educators and Parents” at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 29. This webinar will discuss the state of online hate from experts from ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, which will ground the conversation in the current landscape of online hate and its impact on young people. Explore key platform safety features, such as TikTok representatives who will demo crucial safety features and privacy tools. Learn how to talk to young people about participating in respectful online spaces. Click here to register.
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Tifereth Israel Synagogue announces its “San Diego Blood Drive Event” at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 6. Organizers say to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy meal at least one hour before donating, drink plenty of water, and eat foods rich in iron and vitamin C before you donate, since iron levels drop after donating. Everyone who donates gets a limited-edition Marvel Comics: Fantastic 4 t-shirt. Click here to make an appointment.
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Kindness Initiative Kindness G’Mach announces its “Pickleball Mix and Mingle Event” at 3 p.m., Sunday, October 12, at Barnes Tennis Center. This event will include pickleball with rotating games with your partner or be paired with someone, socializing and connecting with fellow community members, drawings, food, snacks, and beverages. Click here to register.
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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
Murray Galinson, San Diego-Israel Initiative reports in its 2024-2025 Impact Report that 585 students enrolled in the 18 courses in 11 disciplines taught by the nine Israeli visiting professors. Those nine visiting professors included Ambassador Ido Aharoni: Global Policy, Judge Rachel Barkai: Law, Dr. Meir Edrey: Archaeology, Dr. Giora Goodman: History, Dr. Nehama Lewis: Communication, Dr. Asa Maron: Sociology and Economics, Dr. May Negev: Public Health and Geography, Dr. Dan Rabinowitz: Anthropology, and Tom Shovol: Film.
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San Diego Jewish Academy hosted The Rosie Project, which is run by SDJA parent Laura Spielman. The program offers students the opportunity to interact with horses in a controlled environment while learning valuable lessons in mindfulness and building connection and resilience through the powerful partnership with horses. During this experience, students learned basic horse safety, participated in guided mindfulness activities, developed social-emotional skills through interaction with the horses, and experienced a unique hands-on learning opportunity outside the traditional classroom setting.
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Chabad of Downtown reports that its deadline for the Jewish Community Calendar is fast approaching. Click here to place your greeting before Friday, July 18.
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OBITUARY NOTICES
Dorothea Cohen, mother of Art Cohen, has died. The funeral will take place out of town, Congregation Beth Am reports.
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Gary Plavnick, husband of Leah Plavnick, has died. The funeral was held Wednesday, July 16, at El Camino Memorial Park, Chabad at La Costa reports.
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Gerald Mandel, husband of Martha Bernstein, father of Sam Mandel (Carole Asher), Jess Mandel (Meg), and grandfather of Emily Ginsberg (Ben) and Jonathan Mandel, has died. A private funeral is being planned, Congregation Beth Israel reports.
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Esther Tishman, mother of Lili (Mauricio) Deicas, Rosa (Alfredo) Ratniewski, and Mauricio (Sandra) Tishman, has died. The funeral was held Monday, July 14, at El Camino Memorial Park, Ohr Shalom Synagogue reports.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.