San Diego County

San Diego’s Lone Reconstructionist Congregation Makes Its Home at the Lawrence Family JCC

Ridberg had plenty of opportunities to compare the different denominations of Judaism before she committed to Reconstructing Judaism. As a child in Rockville, Maryland, she attended the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, which offers classes from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her family belonged to a Conservative synagogue. After graduating with a major in women’s studies and communication arts from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she worked with the Reform movement in Washington D.C. In the nation’s capital, she also attended the non-denominational Farbrengen Havurah, “one of the oldest havurot that came out of the 1960s-1970s era.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Petition Demands Andrew Jackson Name Be Removed from the New Susan A. Davis Post Office Branch in Rolando Neighborhood of San Diego

Community activist Erik B. Anderson announced on Saturday that he has begun a petition campaign to remove the signage honoring Andrew Jackson from what has now been officially designated by law as the Susan A. Davis Post Office. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, USA

Ceremony Renames Andrew Jackson Post Office for Susan A. Davis

High-ranking public officials, postal employees, and residents of the Rolando neighborhood of San Diego cheered as a plaque was unveiled officially renaming the post office branch at 6401 El Cajon Boulevard for former Congresswoman Susan Davis, D-San Diego. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, USA

On This Special Day, Caterer is Refused Entry to Chabad of La Costa’s Kitchen

Cooking is Lebovitz’s world. The kitchen from which she has been banished, for that one night only, officially has been named “Grammy’s Kitchen” in honor of Lebovitz, 85, who is called “Grammy Sheila” by the nine children and 15 grandchildren of Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort and Rebbetzin Nehama Eilfort, as well as by other younger members of the congregation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

San Diego’s Historic Disregard for the Sanctity of Cemeteries

I was shocked on Old Town Trolley’s “Ghosts and Gravestones Tour,” not by any ghosts or spirits, but while learning about the callous disregard that San Diego city administrations of the past had for graveyards and the mortal remains of people who had lived, worked, and, in some cases, had built our city. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Travel and Food

2 National Leaders of the JCC Movement Got Their Starts in San Diego

It took over 100 years before the JCC Association of North America chose someone from the U.S. West Coast to serve as its chairman. That person was Gary E. Jacobs of San Diego, a former president of the Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus in La Jolla.  As his four-year term was concluding, the JCC Association turned again to a San Diegan, David Wax, a retired executive with the San Diego-based, multistate Waxie Sanitary Supply company. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Chicago Roots Shape San Diego Author’s Creative Challah and Babka

By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — The saying goes that if you ask two Jews for their opinion on most topics, you will get three answers. While that may be so, one overriding unifier is our love of homemade challah and decadent babkas. These Jewish baked goods have helped inform the American-Jewish identity of baker

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Travel and Food

22 Youths at Congregation Beth Israel Earn Presidential Volunteer Service Awards

In a letter to each youth, Biden wrote: “The American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. I congratulate you on taking it upon yourself to contribute to the public good … Throughout our country’s history, the American story has been strengthened by those who combine an optimism about what can be with the resilience to turn that vision into reality. I know I’m not alone in recognizing that those who are willing to step up and volunteer in service of community and country are essential to the ongoing work of forming our more perfect union.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra Performs With Outstanding Soloists

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — Outstanding soloists graced the last two concerts by the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO). Although unable to attend the April 16 and 18 programs in person, I listened to their recordings and marveled at the brilliant playing by pianist Ines Irawati of Serge Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

SIX, a Musical about Henry VIII’s Wives, Electrifies

Electric! That is the first word that comes to my mind when I think about the SIX, the Broadway in San Diego show currently playing at the Civic Theatre. It’s the shortest Broadway musical I have ever seen, being only one act and clocking in at about an hour and twenty minutes, but every single one of those minutes is jam-packed with energy and earworm-worthy tunes. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Ruth Mastron, House of Israel President, Volunteers for Janitorial Work in Israel

Ruth Mastron, the president of the House of Israel in Balboa Park, has had an active love affair with that nation since 2008, the year she first volunteered to work for three weeks on an Israeli Army base. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Secure Community Network’s Bill Ganley Describes Services to Jewish Community

In an interview, Ganley drew upon two nautical analogies to deliver the message that members of Jewish institutions should continually train themselves to counter threats. “When does the Navy stop painting a ship?” he asks rhetorically. “Never,” he answered. “We have to approach training the same way.  Repetition builds muscle memory.” The same might be said about reading the Torah.  As soon as we finish reading the concluding fifth book, Deuteronomy, we immediately begin again reading the first book, Genesis, so that the cycle of learning never ends. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Oz Laniado Named Executive Director of StandWithUs Southwest

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — StandWithUs, an international, non-partisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism, has announced Oz Laniado as the new Executive Director of StandWithUs Southwest. In addition to San Diego County, the expanded region under Laniado’s oversight now includes Rancho Mirage, Orange County, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado. Laniado served

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Israel, San Diego County