San Diego County

School Boards Should Formally Acknowledge Jewish American History Month

California’s newly adopted Ethnic Studies Curriculum has given San Diego County educators the opportunity to combat antisemitism by recognizing and celebrating the many contributions and extensive history of the American Jewish community.  Local Boards of Education should formally acknowledge the month of May as Jewish American Heritage Month within our San Diego County schools.  [Mark Powell]

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Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Prison Inmates Tell Their Stories Through Theater

Thanks to Covid-19 many of us experienced “lockdown” in our homes, yet we can’t begin to imagine what life is like for those who are truly locked down and sequestered from polite society. That is, until the Playwrights Project teamed up with San Diego State University, nine years ago, to bring us Beyond Prison Walls. This innovative, honest and empathetic showcase brought us into the hearts and minds of those who’ve served time at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and Centinela State Prison. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Sentencing Delayed for former Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein

Chabad of Poway’s former head rabbi faces a maximum five-year prison sentence for tax-evasion and other financial crimes he pled guilty to last July. But sentencing of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein won’t take place Monday — a day short of two years after he lost his right index finger in the deadly shooting attack on his congregation. [Ken Stone, Times of San Diego]

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Jewish Religion, Ken Stone, San Diego County

Young Actors Take Us Beyond Prison Walls

How do you readjust to life as an ex-con? Will you make better choices? Surely, that experience will always be a part of you, but does it have to define you for the rest of your days? These are questions explored in San Diego by Playwrights Project, the SDSU School of Theatre, Television and Film and former inmates of the Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Former IDF soldiers aided Gaslamp Quarter wounded

The bystander credited with saving a wounded man’s life following Thursday night’s Gaslamp Quarter attacks said modestly on Saturday that he deserves only half the credit.  “My friend also helped,” said Shai Gino, 28, a former captain in the Israel Defense Force now married to an American and studying for U.S. citizenship.  His friend, who served in a “special unit” of the IDF, is Dvir Benesh, 26. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

‘Lit’ warms the Heart

Blindspot Collective in San Diego is known for its shows for young audiences, tackling difficult topics such as mental illness, the bullying of immigrants and the tribulations of the transgendered. They specialize in “forum theatre” in which audience members actually get to step into the show and give the actors do-overs with better outcomes. But, like all of us, the current situation has forced them to rethink how they do things. And so, they have created Lit: A Virtual Musical, written and directed by Desha Crownover of SD Junior Theatre with book and lyrics by Blake McCarty and Music by Ian Brandon. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

On Asian fetishization and the humanity of migrants

At the end of last month, we ran an article by Korean-American Kelsey Kloza about what she described as “Asian fetishization” by which American males tend to construe any Asian woman as an “exotic and erotic two-dimensional object designed only for tempting male characters into forbidden pleasures.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, USA

San Diegans prominent in global Yom Hazikaron ceremony

On the eve of Yom HaZikaron, April 13, a day of remembrance for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, Masa Israel Journey hosted its annual Yom HaZikaron Ceremony. In accordance with safety regulations set by the State of Israel and Israel’s Ministry of Health, the program was held virtually on Facebook Live through Masa’ Facebook page. [Masa Israel news release]

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

‘Jews in Space’ Lecture Filled with Anecdotes

Boris Volynov was first among approximately 19 Jews who have flown in space, serving as a Russian cosmonaut in 1969.  Thereafter, Judy Resnik, Ilan Ramon and Gregory Chamitoff joined him in an exclusive club, being the first Jews from their nations to go into space.  Resnik was from the United States, Ramon from Israel, and Chamitoff from Canada. These were among the factoids presented by Roger Weiss, a contractor on the International Space Station (ISS) program, in a Zoom program sponsored on Sunday, March 11, by the San Diego Outreach Synagogue. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Book Provides Useful Pet Advice

The pandemic has changed many people’s daily routines. More folks have been spending time at home and because of this, pet adoptions have increased.  What better time to adopt a pet than while spending so much time at home! However, there have also been a lot of first time pet owners who need some guidance. [Mimi Pollack]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, The World We Share