Assembly Adopts Bill Defending against Antisemitism in K-12 Schools

Authored by Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis, sponsored by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), and supported by a coalition of 47 Jewish organizations, the bill continues to gain extraordinary bipartisan momentum in the fight against antisemitism in K-12 schools. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, California, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education

Holocaust Memoir Tells of Family’s Strength to Survive

“All Holocaust survivors’ stories are extraordinary and precious because of the improbable odds of outwitting Hitler and escaping the Nazis’ meticulous and murderous rampages,” states Karen A. Frenkel at the beginning of her family’s stories of survival before, during, and after the Nazi invasion of present-day Ukraine. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: ‘Peaceful’ Anti-Israel Protests Set Stage for Murders of Israeli Embassy Staffmembers

Was it peaceful protest to attack and injure janitorial employees at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall a year ago? To seize and occupy the same building? To block traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, the approach to Chicago’s congested O’Hare International Airport and the jammed southbound lanes of the 110 freeway below the iconic four-level stacked interchange in Los Angeles? [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘A Beautiful Noise’ is a Gem of a Production Portraying Neil Diamond

Those who had never seen Neil Diamond perform live must have felt for the first time the excitement of actor Nick Fradiani’s charm and vocal skills doing a dead-on characterization. This wasn’t an interpretation…you closed your eyes and could swear it was Neil Diamond. [Douglas Friedman]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Soloists, Chorus, and Choir Shine in Mahler’s ‘Ode to Nature’

Mahler’s Third Symphony, An Ode to Nature, opened with a cloudburst of sound as eight horns intoned the opening theme in faultless unison. This longest of symphonies,100 minutes in duration, with six movements, never lost momentum under the energetic conducting of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, Rafael Payare. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Bamidbar: Navigating Fear with Faith

It’s a narrative of transition—from dependence to agency, from miracles to management. Within its verses unfold the full drama of collective life: the struggle for leadership and legitimacy, the fear and promise of scarcity and abundance, the frictions of war and fragile peacetimes. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]

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Antisemitism, Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mental Health Month Tip: Work-Life Balance is Essential

Finding balance in an unbalanced world can be complicated. Life is full of balance in everyday situations. How much time do you dedicate to a task or job and when do you stop and say no? [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Cameron Boyce

Cameron Boyce (May 28, 1999 – July 6, 2019) was an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, appearing in the 2008 films Mirrors and Eagle Eye, along with the comedy film Grown Ups (2010) and its 2013 sequel. His first starring role was on the Disney Channel comedy series Jessie (2011–2015). [Wikipedia]

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Shavuot Program at JCC Features Rabbi/ Cantor Hanan Leberman

For the Treasures from the Music Collection: Shavuot Music program Thursday afternoon, June 5, 2:00-3:30 p.m. in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC, I will have as my special guest, Rabbi/Cantor Hanan Leberman, the newly appointed spiritual leader of Congregation Tifereth Israel Synagogue. He will not only help introduce the program, but will add a few additional songs of Shavuot. The recorded selections will reflect all aspects of this important holiday. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Beth Jacob Congregation’s Emotional Farewell to Rabbi Bogopulsky

Beth Jacob Congregation on Sunday bid farewell to its spiritual leader of 29 years, as the College-area Orthodox community held a gala filled with heartfelt and often-humorous tributes from congregants, public officials, and family members in honor of Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky and Rebbetzin Leah Bogopulsky. [Jacob Kamaras]

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Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors