People are queuing to obtain food for themselves and for their pets at a much higher rate than prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Jewish community members who are officers respectively of the Coastal Roots Farm and the San Diego Humane Society. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Food queues for people, pets Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
Because of the rules of Social Distancing, our theatres are closed. SD REP’s House of Joy closed the same weekend it opened. Roustabouts’ gUnTOPIA showed one preview and has been rolled over into next season. Other shows have been indefinitely postponed or simply cancelled. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that theatre isn’t happening. We live in the Digital Age of YouTube, Skype and Zoom. And so “the show must go online.” Here are some of the ways our local theatres are still offering performances to our community. [Eric George Tauber]
Making theatre under quarantine Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Albert Einstein once observed, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” For several years I’ve been imagineering – well, truth be told, I’m always imagineering – but in particular, I’ve been prying into a vision of I’ve had of a “United Kehilla of San Diego.” Please, no eye rolling, just grow with this. I mean go with this. No, I categorically mean grow with this. I’ll explain. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
A call for a United Kehilla of San Diego Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, San Diego County
I called Dr. Kalmar, and he liked my idea. He spoke to the head nurse and Peggy Woods, the medical staff coordinator. It took a few days, but we were able to work everything out, following certain guidelines. With some of my savings and the help of generous friends, including Janna Leoff and Edda Temoche, I raised $240 for 20 individual pizzas. Nurse Karen told me they could not share pizza from the same box, so they had to be individual. [Mimi Pollack]
Pizza and appreciation delivered to health workers Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Travel and Food
As it stands today, two local Jewish candidates are leaders in their respective political races, while six others finished second — good enough to make the Nov. 3 runoff election. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
8 local Jewish candidates positioning for Nov. 3 runoff Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Sandi Masori
Right now, Congress should focus on getting help to people who need it amid this coronavirus pandemic, but later on it should investigate why the United States was slow to respond to the threat of coronavirus and why necessary medical equipment was in such short supply, Congresswoman Susan Davis, D-San Diego, said Tuesday during a telephonic town hall meeting. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Susan Davis collects constituents’ coronavirus questions Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
The watercolor has been in my family seemingly forever. It used to hang in my parents’ apartment in Tel Aviv, but it has been in my different homes in California for decades. In it a young girl of five or six years faces the painter with a slight pout and a high forehead crowned by a white ribbon. The sadness along her lip line is unmistakable. One can imagine small pools of tears about to gather in her big dark eyes. She is wearing a summer dress, but the painter chose to focus on her face and in quick brush strokes drew two blue straps over small shoulders that are colored a distinctive pink. [Varda Levy]
The tapestries that bind us Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
Coronavirus pandemic permitting, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies plans to hold its 40th international conference at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel and Marina from August 9-14 with 110 speakers delivering some 250 presentations “on just about every aspect of Jewish genealogy,” according to Sandra Golden, the association’s publicity chair. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Genealogists plan August gathering in San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Joe Gandelman, San Diego County
As we head into our third week of social distancing, more and more of us are feeling the anxiety related to staying at home. Whether you are working from home, have unfortunately lost your job due to this crisis or are simply feeling isolated within your four walls, we all are dealing with some kind of stress. If you or a relative or a friend are one of the affected individuals who may have lost your job or seen a reduction in your salary, this has you seriously worried about making ends meet. Although Congress has put together an emergency plan to help individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic, there are a few things you can do on your own to maximize your cash flow. [Steve Doster, CFP ]
Financial help available during the pandemic Read More »
Business & Finance, San Diego County
Bernie Rhinerson, 69, is seeking a third four-year term on the San Diego Community Colleges Board of Trustees. With the challenges that community colleges will face in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, he said, the board will need a seasoned advocate to make certain there will be sufficient funding from the federal and state governments to provide San Diego students with the classes and support that they need. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
The Jewish candidates: Bernie Rhinerson (S.D. Community College District B) Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & EducationKate Schwartz, a Fallbrook Democrat who will face incumbent Assemblywoman Marie Waldron (R-Escondido) in the Nov. 3 runoff election, said the coronavirus pandemic illustrates the necessity to re-open community and rural hospitals. Furthermore, she said, it is evidence that California should switch from competing private health systems to a unified, single-payer health care system. She said California could set an example for the rest of the nation. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
The Jewish candidates: Kate Schwartz in the 75th A.D. Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, The World We Share, USA
State Assembly candidate Kate Schwartz eared her graduate degree in psychiatric social work, and today as a mental health professional, she serves as one of five members on the Fallbrook Regional Health District Board. As our society experiences the coronavirus pandemic, she says that Americans appear to be moving from the first stage of grief — shock and denial — to the far more dangerous second stage, which is anger. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Assembly candidate rues growing anger amid pandemic Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
Via such Internet communication systems as Zoom and Facebook, San Diegans have been receiving scientific, psychological, and spiritual information during this coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego sponsored a 40-minute online briefing by Prof. Erica Ollmann Sapphire, Ph.D, of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in which some of the points that she covered were: [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Scientific, psychological, spiritual advice during pandemic Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Ed [Richard]was understandably deeply moved by the dedication ceremony, and profoundly touched when he saw us using the Torah that he had donated in loving memory of his amazing parents. And so, a few years later, when Ed had an Aliyah, and when we made the blessing for him following his Aliyah, he whispered to me, “I want to donate another Torah.” “What?!” I exclaimed. I was sure I must have misheard. NOBODY donates two Torahs! [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
Remarkable history of Holocaust Torah at Chabad of La Costa Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi