Ben Dishman

Parent Company of Kay Jewelers, Zales Once Suffered from CEO ‘Doing a Ratner’

At the Shoppes at Carlsbad, Kay Jewelers is located on one floor and Zales on another – a physical manifestation of multilevel marketing. Both are owned by Signet Jewelers which changed its name from Ratners after its CEO, Gerald Ratner, made an unfortunate speech that gave rise to the expression, “Doing a Ratner.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Temple Etz Rimon Shares in Interfaith Projects with Pilgrim Church; Both Congregations are Committed to Social Justice, Inclusiveness

Every synagogue has its own personality. Farber said that Temple Etz Rimon’s is that “it is very, very friendly. Warm. You come into the building and you are greeted. You are welcomed at the oneg. They grab you; they love you. People will say, ‘Oh my God, you are so friendly!’ We are. There is no snobbishness in the group. It’s really a nice congregation. Unfortunately, it is getting smaller and smaller.” [Donald H. Harrison]

Temple Etz Rimon Shares in Interfaith Projects with Pilgrim Church; Both Congregations are Committed to Social Justice, Inclusiveness Read More »

Ben Dishman, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music and Visual Arts, Philanthropy, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Alex Grass: Rite Aid’s Success Led to His Many Philanthropies

Editor’s Note: This is the 21st chapter in Volume 3 of Publisher and Editor Donald H. Harrison’s 2022 trilogy, “Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5.” All three books as well as others written by Harrison may be purchased from Amazon.com. Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5, Volume 3, Exit 49 (Tamarack Avenue): Rite

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Philanthropy, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Rabbi Nevarez Hopes to Calm Troubled County Human Relations Commission

“I’m not adding to the vitriol. My goal is to do my small part to help move the HRC away from that and into the effective, on-the-ground work that it was meant to do.” [SDJW staff]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Stuart Moldaw Saw Potential Profits in Buying Clothes for Less and Selling Them for Less

Moldaw’s next enterprise was as a principal in U.S. Venture Partners. While participating in that company, Moldaw also ran Pic-A-Dilly, which later was purchased by Lucky Stores. Thereafter, Moldaw decided to start Ross Dress for Less, which he described as a larger version of Pic-A-Dilly, offering not only women’s clothing but “a full array of family apparel.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Jenny Camhi: Building Jewish Community in North County

While not everyone was Jewish, “we had a community ketuba of values” in which it was agreed that “we all come from different faith backgrounds, but we can agree that innovation, caring for one another, caring for the environment, and acting with intention were the things that we all wanted to do. So, we had one of our Hive members create a community ketuba (a written contract, usually for marriages.) We illustrated it and we all signed it.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Javier Guerrero: Growing and Distributing Food in Accordance with Jewish Ethical Teachings at Coastal Roots Farm

After four years heading Coastal Roots Farm, first as executive director, and later as the President and CEO of the independent, nonprofit farm, Guerrero can sling around a lot of Hebrew, some of which may be unfamiliar to non-Hebrew speaking American Jews. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

Charlene Seidle: Passion for North County San Diego and Israel

Editor’s Note: This is the 13th chapter in Volume 3 of Editor Emeritus Donald H. Harrison’s 2022 trilogy, “Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5.”  All three books as well as others written by Harrison may be purchased from Amazon.com. Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5, Volume 3, Exit 41B (Encinitas Boulevard): Leichtag Commons From northbound Interstate

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Judaism, San Diego County, The World We Share, USA

Rabbi Wayne Dosick: San Diego County’s Longest-Serving Rabbi and Still One of Its Most Innovative

Some people become increasingly conservative as they age; but the reverse has been true in Dosick’s life. He grew up in a Conservative congregation but decided to enter the Reform seminary of Hebrew Union College because he objected to the Jewish Theological Seminary of the Conservative movement on two grounds.  First, it still separated men and women during prayer services and Dosick opposed mehitzahs (physical barriers). Second the JTS leadership was then on record supporting the war in Vietnam in the mistaken belief that if the U.S. left Vietnam to the Communists, its support for Israel against its enemies also might be shaky. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Howard Schultz and the Making of Starbucks

Some of the landsmen who were crucial in the evolution of Starbucks included Zev Siegl, Howard Schultz, Jack Benaroya, Herman Sarkowsky, Sam Stroum, Harold Gorlick and his nephew, jazz musician Kenny G. Later in the company’s history came Leonard Maltz, Howard Behar and Dan Levitan. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Celebrities, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

History Department Chairman Robert Bond Traces Turkiye’s Relationships with Jews over the Centuries and with Israel

A former Fulbright scholar who did his research in Istanbul, Prof. Robert Bond of Mira Costa College has a nuanced view about the relationship between Turkiye and Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food

Once a Place of Exile, La Colonia de Eden Gardens is a Beautiful, Thriving Community

Among the laboring families, there were numerous marriage that today, many people who live in La Colonia de Eden Gardens are married to each other. As the community developed, laborers’ families bought property, built homes on tree-lined streets, and created a pleasant, well-shaded, middle-class, hillside community. Streets were named for early residents of La Colonia including Castro, Gonzales, Granados, Hernandez, Ida, Junita, Vera, and Viva. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Barry Robbins: Restaurateur, Food Brand Entrepreneur

The success of the bread was the second time that Barry Robbins and his retired major partner, David Levy, had a food product hit the big time nationally.  In fact, Levy once commented to Orange County Magazine that the success of the bread was “déjà vu all over again.” Before there was Milton’s Bread, there was Chicago Brothers’ Pizza. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Jewish Board Member Fred Schenk Says Care of Animals Part of Fair Board’s Mission

Schenk noted that, “There is a small but vocal community opposing the animals on the property and having livestock on the property and the sale of livestock. Our mission statement is about making the fairgrounds an agricultural environment. We are part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. So, those who would take exception to our mission statement are the ones who would say, ‘well you know, you shouldn’t have young people selling their livestock.’ Well they are the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and members of 4-H and that is the world in which they want to spend their career, or their hobbies, and that is what their circle of life is all about – animal husbandry…” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Travel and Food