California

Governor Newsom Lauded for Emergency Israel Visit, Communal Security Support

SAN FRANCISCO (Press Release) — On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he is on his way to Israel during this time of ongoing conflict and terror, and will arrive there Friday morning. “We are deeply grateful for Governor Newsom’s visit. He has been a staunch ally of the Jewish community and is supporting us […]

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California, Israel

American Jewish Committee Calls on California to Keep Antisemitic Pro-Hamas Materials Out of Ethnic Studies Curriculum

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, today urged California Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond to ensure public funds will not support an Ethnic Studies organization or its affiliates who attempt to justify or promote violence and terrorism. AJC signed onto an open letter to Thurmond

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California, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Dianne Feinstein, Z”L

By Mark D. Zimmerman Senator ‍Dianne ‍Feinstein ‍died ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍90, ‍just ‍hours ‍after ‍casting ‍a ‍vote ‍on ‍the ‍floor ‍of ‍the ‍United ‍States ‍Senate, ‍where ‍she ‍served ‍since ‍1992 ‍as ‍California’s ‍first ‍female ‍senator. ‍Among ‍the ‍issues ‍that ‍Senator ‍Feinstein ‍promoted ‍were ‍HIV/AIDS ‍funding, ‍women’s ‍reproductive ‍health ‍needs, ‍gun ‍control, ‍and ‍support

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California, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Newsom Directs State Funds to Jewish Federations, Other Groups Offering Lifesaving Security Services

SACRAMENTO (Press Release) – On Sunday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1185, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D–San Fernando Valley) and a top priority for JPAC (the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California). AB 1185 expands the eligibility for the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP) to include “community connectors,” nonprofits

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California

Former Solana Beach School Board Member Advanced to Chair of the University of California Board of Regents

Rich Leib knows a thing or two about chairing meetings. He was appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in 1998 to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, serving as its president from 2001 to 2003. In 2008, he was elected to the Solana Beach School Board, where he served for nearly 12 years, part of that time as that body’s president. In 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown named him to the UC Board of Regents. When the chair of that board, Cecilia V. Estolano, was not reappointed, Leib moved up from vice chair to chair.  In July 2022, he was formally appointed to a one-year term as the Regents’ chairman. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Technology

Who Could Succeed California’s Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the US House?

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives began to position themselves on Wednesday to run for speaker, the day after a small group of hardliners succeeded in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the job in a historic first. Here are some possible candidates: IN: JIM JORDAN Representative Jim Jordan, an ally of

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California, USA

Jewish Lawmaker Dianne Feinstein, California’s Longest-Serving US Senator, Dies at 90

Published by The Mercury News Dianne Feinstein, California’s longest-serving U.S. senator who led San Francisco through its darkest and most violent days as mayor in the 1970s and later authored a federal ban on assault weapons that lasted a decade, died Thursday night, according to multiple reports. At 90, she was the oldest member of

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California

UC Ethnic Studies Drafters Use Antisemitic Dog-Whistle, Call Jews ‘Highly Funded Lobby Groups’

SANTA CRUZ, California (Press Release) – In a newly exposed letter, University of California (UC) faculty tasked with developing California ethnic studies high school standards referred to Jews as “highly funded lobby groups” and attacked attempts to prevent antisemitic materials from becoming part of ethnic studies courses as “censorship” and “racism.” The letter, written by

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California, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education

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

‘Creative Producing’ is a Highly Readable Primer on the Movie Industry

Author Carol Baum worked her way up through the movie industry, serving as a studio executive and later as an independent creative producer.  In her latter role, she finds scripts that she thinks are worthy of becoming movies, assembles a creative team including a writer, director, and, if possible, a well-known actor then goes about selling the project to a studio or to a private financier. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jewish Groups File Lawsuit Against California School District Over Antisemitic Content

(Press Release) American Jewish Committee (AJC), ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and Potomac Law Group announced on Monday they filed suit on behalf of the Brandeis Center and its membership arm, So-CUE (Southern Californians for Unbiased Education), comprised of Orange County and Santa Ana residents, against

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California, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Helping Israel to Grow Its Economy, Shepherd Its Resources Are Sol Lizerbram’s Priorities

Eventually, Lizerbram’s activities both as a donor and as a member of the local JNF board led to an invitation to serve on the national board. Over the next 20 years, he served under such national JNF presidents as Ron Lauder and Jeffrey Levine, until he was elected as the national organization’s president in October 2017. [Donald H. Harrison]

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