JNF partners with Greening Australia

By Garry Fabian

MELBOURNE— Jewish National Fund Victoria and Greening Australia have participated in a ceremonial tree planting at Balyang Sanctuary in Geelong, as part of the Living Trees Project.

The ceremony, which saw fruit-and-vegie king and Geelong AFL club president Frank Costa planting gum saplings, celebrated the donation of 1000 trees.

The trees will be planted to help revive an arid region of Australia in honour of a business relationship between a major backer of Living Trees and one of the company's key customers.

To symbolise its links with the Costa group, Queensland-based packaging manufacturer Raptis Pax donated the trees, which will help revive 150,000 square kilometres of arid land in Australia.

JNF Victoria general manager David Beder said it was the first time a company has chosen to honour its relationship with a customer through the Living Trees Project.

He said companies had different ways of supporting the project, such as voluntary environmental surcharges and tree certificates as staff gifts.

"Different companies want different ways of building the contribution system through their organisations."

Raptis Pax "want to honour major customers and neutralise the underlying actions they take with them".

Living Trees, a joint venture between Greening Australia (Victoria) and JNF Victoria, has earmarked habitat 141, a vast semi-desert area, spanning Victoria, NSW and South Australia, for land restoration.

"Most future certificates will likely go into the pool of dollars used for both environmental research by JNF in Israel or on-ground restoration work here in Australia," Beder said.

Recently appointed director of Living Trees, Sarah Henderson, described the Raptis Pax donation as an "act of environmental leadership ... a prime example of business making a difference".

Raptis Pax marketing manager Gilad Sadan said: "As an Israeli, this project greatly appealed to me as I have seen firsthand the vital role JNF plays in Israel through the development and conservation of land and the maintenance of Israel's environment.

When we found out that JNF has a project with Greening Australia, we were excited to participate."

Raptis Pax managing director John Raptis said his company has been making continuous improvements in environmentally conscious manufacturing.


'Courage to Care' at Newington College

SYDNEY—One individual can make a difference to thousands. This is the message Courage to Care, a travelling exhibition dedicated to teaching people about the heroism of the Righteous Among the Nations -– those who risked their lives to save lives during the Holocaust -– has brought to people all over Australia.

Last month, their latest exhibition came to more than 1000 students at Newington College in Newtown.

Andrew Havas, the chairman of Courage to Care, said: “[The show] demonstrates how an ordinary person can make a difference – to save a life, to assist people in need and to counter bullying by speaking out against of any form of discrimination.”

He emphasised that bringing the message of tolerance, and standing up against racism and persecution, is as relevant now as it was two generations ago.

“Holocaust survivors act as guides and storytellers, relating their personal and remarkable stories of the courage of ordinary people who risked their lives to save them,” said Havas. “Through pictures, words and artifacts, they demonstrate the relevance of their stories in today’s world.” 

The exhibition, developed by B’nai B’rith, is designed to convey a message of communal tolerance through increasing cultural awareness and greater understanding of today’s issues by discussing discrimination, racism and intolerance.

Holocaust survivor Halina Robinson said: “It’s my way of saying thank you to the dozens of people and their families who put their lives on the line to save me.”

The Courage to Care exhibition also offers an interactive educational workshop to groups and schools who visit the exhibition.

Courage to Care has operated in Australia since 1992. It has travelled to Western Australia, Victoria, NSW and parts of Queensland. 186,000 people have visited the exhibition since its inception, including more than 86,500 school students.


Facebook caution urged

—Jewish groups have been urged not to publicise their functions on social networking websites because of fears over security.

This comes following a report in last week’s The Australian that a death threat was made against a Jewish woman from Melbourne on Facebook, by someone purporting to be from Hezbollah, after the woman knocked back a “friend request”.

While further investigations demonstrated that the Hezbollah member was, in fact, a 16-year-old from Lebanon with no real links to the terror group, Gavin Queit from the Community Security Group (CSG) has called on Jewish groups to be less forthcoming with their publicity on Facebook.

“They open themselves up to anyone who goes looking,” Queit said. “There’s all sorts of rubbish out there and this only encourages that sort of stuff to happen.”

According to Queit, a Facebook group called the Jews of Melbourne recently advertised a function, with those wishing to attend having to reply on the website.

A routine check of the guest list by the CSG indicated that someone with a criminal record for violence had registered to attend the function.

“When it comes to Facebook, Jewish groups need to be really careful about the details they give out and what exactly they want to advertise,” Queit said.

Typing “Jewish Melbourne” into the search facility on Facebook reveals 44 groups and more than 500 people.



Clubs to fix sullied reputations

Two of Melbourne Jewish community's leading sporting clubs are taking steps to improve their off-field reputations amid suggestions of strained relations with opposition clubs and the wider sporting community.

Both the AJAX Football Club and the North Caulfield Maccabi soccer club have added off-field benchmarks to their mission statements for the year.

AJAX has stated that one of its aims in 2008 is to "improve its image in the community and the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA)" It follows a rocky 2007 in which the club wasn't just relegated back to C Grade, but was carpeted by the VAFA because of the behaviour of some of its supporters, particularly towards umpires.

The club was also voted by one unofficial survey of amateur football supporters on the internet as "the worst club in the VAFA" although the vitriol directed at the club was nothing like that on Facebook towards to Maccabi AJAX Cricket Club last year, which resulted in those responsible being suspended from organised cricket.

The VAFA has 73 registered clubs from around Melbourne and has more than 10,000 registered players. AJAX remains the only ethnic-based club in Victoria. In a email to supporters ahead of Saturday's opening match, AJAX coach Stuart Powell asked for the club to be supported in "a positive manner". "No mention should be made of umpires' decisions and supporters should refrain from making negative comments about opposition teams."

"The AJAX supporters are potentially one of the club's biggest assets. We can make a huge difference to how our club is perceived by others in the VAFA competition by the manner in which we conduct ourselves as club people. The playing group is committed to changing for the better our perception and we would ask all supporters to jump on board in 2008 and make a commitment to making this great club even better," Powell said.

It is believed one of the reasons for the club's poor standing with some of its rivals is because relatively few players remain after matches to take part in the long-standing football tradition of having drinks with the opposition, and the club is making a determined effort to redress that this year. Supporters are also asked to stay after the games.

Similarly at the soccer club, coach Andrew Freund has identified the need for better relations with the rival clubs in the State League's Division 3 competition. Freund has called for a cultural shift from his players and coaching staff in an effort to improve the club's image in the wider soccer community.

"I'm on AJAX's database and the email that came out from the coach, I forwarded it, verbatim, to all our stakeholders. Sometime I think our community needs to be reminded of the true definition of sportsmanship. It runs deeper than just playing on the ground. A lot of guys don't drink, which is great, but certainly they should have  respect to show up after the game and mingle with the opposition" Freund said.


Sydney shuls likely to merge

SYDNEY—The synagogue scene here is about to undergo a shake-up with two leading congregations, The Great Synagogue and Bondi Mizrachi Synagogue, agreeing in principle to merge.

Board members at Mizrachi voted on the proposal to amalgamate the two entities and, following an affirmative result, The Great Synagogue board formally welcomed the proposal at its recent meeting.
If the members of the two congregations approve the merger, Mizrachi would cease to exist and The Great Synagogue would comprise two shuls - its existing synagogue in Sydney's CBD and another in the eastern suburbs at Bondi. Mizrachi president Geoff Gordon said "Our board thinks that an amalgamation presents us with a wonderful opportunity to combine the strength of our two organisations. We think such an arrangement will give both organisations a new vitality that will make a real contribution to the health of the whole community."

Gordon said that his synagogue had been motivated to propose the merger because of Mizrachi's small size and significant resources required run a synagogue. He added that Mizrachi would benefit by having access to The Great's larger resources, including a secretary and two full-time rabbis. "One of the issues Mizrachi has had is that it always had a part-time rabbi."

President of The Great Synagogue, Rosalind Fischl, said the proposal from Mizrachi afforded "very significant benefits" for The Great, and she wrote in a letter to congregants "that there was a remarkable similarity between  our philosophies, our practices and outlook on general matters concerning our community. The proposal has many attractions including a presence in the east that would allow us to reconnect with those who have family ties to The Great".

The Great Synagogue was established in 1878 on its present site in Sydney's CBD. The Bondi Mizrachi Synagogue was established in 1921.


Salah brothers sentenced for 2006 killing

SYDNEY— Dror and Ezra Salah, the Israeli brothers charged with the murder of Hernan Guelman in 2006, have been sentenced to serve prison terms. Dror Salah has been ordered to serve eight years and nine months, and his brother Ezra was given a prison term of three years.

Dror pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter during the trial last month. He has a non-parole period of five years and nine months. The maximum sentence for manslaughter is 25 years.

Ezra who pleaded guilty of being an accessory after the fact will be eligible for parole in July 2008. Their prison sentences came into effect retroactively from August 2006.

Geulman was attacked and repeatedly stabbed outside a Bondi convenience store in August 2006, and later died of his wounds in hospital, The brothers them surrendered themselves to police and confessed the crime. As a result of their guilty pleas in the NSW Supreme Court, Justice Peter Johnson discharged the jury in March.

He said that Dror Salah's attack on the victim was "savage", and the culmination of a long feud between the Salah brothers and Guelman.

A prison transfer agreement exists between Australia and Israel, so the brothers can request to serve the remainder of their sentences in Israel.


Geelong admits Vorchheimer was a victim

MELBOURNE— Menachem Vorchheimer has extracted an apology of sorts from the football association that govern the Ocean Grove Football Club. Football and Netball Geelong released a statement this week that admitted that Vorchheimer and his children " were victims of unacceptable behaviour."

The Orthodox man and his two young children were racially abused by a busload of Ocean Grove footballers as they walked home from synagogue almost 18 months ago. Since that incident, three of the men involved in the attack, which took place on Simchat Torah, faced court where they pleaded guilty.

The statement from the football authority said it had "endorsed and is committed to the objectives of the Australian Football League (AFL) Victoria Racial and Religious Tolerance Policy."

According to AFL Victoria's racial and religious tolerance program, Bouncing Racism out of Sport, serious vilification is considered to be "intentional public behaviour that incites hatred...because of that person's race, religion, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin."

The three footballers appeared before the Magistrates' Court in 2007, and were found guilty of offensive behaviour and using insulting language, including shouting "Go Nazis." A passenger also snatched Vorchheimer' hat and kippah during the incident, but the culprit was never identified. A witness reported that the bus driver, an off-duty police officer, had told the men to remove their ties so they could not be easily identified.

Vorchheimer continues to pursue the policeman through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). A further hearing is schedule for March 19.


Dismay at conditions at new cemetery

MELBOURNE-  Chevra Kadisha chief Ephraim Finch has apologised for the lack of facilities at the new Jewish cemetery, recently established in an outer area some 40 kms from the CBD.

He responded to critical letters in the local Jewish press that slamed the Lyndhurst Chevra Kadisha cemetery as "nothing short of a disgrace" because of the prevalence of building rubble, portable toilets and a temporary marquee in place of a sthtiebel.

"The whole notion of honouring the dead and comforting mourners surely was not the primary concern" one of the letters stated. "The Melbourne Chevra Kadisha has been planning for a long time to provide for the Jewish community a facility for the next 100 years plus" Finch responded.

"A lot of consideration is going into the planning and should the writers of the correspondence wish to contact us, we will be only to happy to talk to them."

The first individual was buried in Lyndhurst in July 2007. The cemetery is in a semi-rural area on an unpaved road, and the site is not connected to the sewerage main system or mains water.

It is understood the Chevra Kadisha is planning to construct environmentally friendly facilities at the new cemetery, which will be appropriate and acceptable for the future. It is also understood that the Chevra Kadisha has encountered problems hiring a contractor to drill a water bore on the site.   


Anti-Defamation Commission supports new proposal

MELBOURNE— Civil liberties arguments do not apply when extremist organisations use the internet to spread hatred, B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) chair John Searle said last week.

“Clearly a line has to be drawn between freedom of speech, voicing of differing opinions – and material that just incites racial hatred, religious intolerance and violence. When that line is crossed, that material ought not to be freely available to all who log onto the web.”

Searle was responding to protests voiced by civil libertarians after a recent conference of state and federal attorneys-general proposed cutting off Australian internet access to hate groups.

State and federal attorneys-general met in Adelaide late last month to canvass options for empowering the Australian Communications and Media Authority to order internet service providers to cease hosting racist and anti-Semitic websites.

The ADC has joined groups from other communities welcoming the proposal.

Searle said the ban, if it receives the go-ahead, will not stop underground distribution, but will remove a heavily accessed outlet for groups to disseminate their message.

The ADC drew attention to virulent anti-Semitic material hosted by the Australian website, Mission Islam.

Material promoted by Mission Islam include The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as well as an article that accuses Jews of infiltrating the United States administration, and another claiming Jews “like to spread mischief and corruption”.

Members of the ADC last week met with Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs Laurie Ferguson to discuss the material disseminated by Mission Islam and other extremist organisations on the web.

Searle previously said state governments and the former federal government had resisted calls by the ADC to ban these sites.

“We have laws banning race hatred and we have laws policing certain kinds of violent and pornographic material on the internet, but we have no system to police race hatred on the internet. It’s inconsistent and leads to the abuse of minorities,” he said.

Wishing all readers of San Diego Jewish World a happy, kosher and peaceful Pesach from "Down Under." —Garry Fabian, Australia Bureau Chief

Balloon Utopia Corporate Events Sandi Masori 619 339 8024

For unique events tailor-made to your needs; with plenty of whimsy and humor, please call us or visit our website today!

THE POLITICAL GROTTO

Debating a professional at a 'big boy' retreat for Jewish leaders at Camp Mountain Chai

By Gary Rotto

ANGELUS OAKS, California—While San Diego sweltered under unseasonable hot weather this past weekend, some 60 men gathered for the Big Boys weekend at Camp Mountain Chai in San Bernardino County.

High up in the mountains not far from Big Bear sits San Diego’s Jewish camp.  Yes, there are other Jewish camps, but this is one that serves primarily the San Diego Jewish community.  I had the “pleasure” of serving as one of the presenters during the weekend, as part of a debate with my friend Larry Greenfield, California Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.  I’m not sure how much of a pleasure it is to go up against a trained and polished debater such as Larry.  More on that in a minute.

I had heard about the camp well before its establishment.  I remember one occasion where Ed Ed Samiljan and Murray Galinson talked about the great contributions that such a facility could make to the community.  And several of my daughter’s friends have attended the camp during the summer. But the camp functions as a true resource for the community, sponsoring programs for congregations, for single parent families as well as for the Orange County public schools. 

As a former camp counselor for the summer camp conducted jointly by the Albuquerque and El Paso Jewish communities, I was curious about the facilities.  Swimming pool, ropes course, indoor bunks, ga-ga pit and soccer field and very nice conference facilities are located on the camp grounds.  And a lake operated by the camping association is only minutes away.  While I was early for my program, I arrived too late to take in informative discussions lead by Professor Sandy Lakoff and Alan Nevin to name a few of the knowledgeable speakers.

I learned quickly that food was not scarce as we went from a late afternoon reception to dinner and then on to Havdallah.  My hope was that Larry would be lulled into a satisfying and sluggish state between the food and the altitude.  I also learned that there had been lively political discussions well before Larry and I arrived.  Dan Schwimmer, our moderator set very strict ground rules not so much because he was concerned about us, but so that the adult campers would allow us to get a word in edgewise.

I’m a policy wonk and a political analyst.  Larry is the attorney, former radio talk show host and expert at rhetoric.  My goal:  not let Larry eat my lunch – though I took out the white, wheat and rye bread at the beginning of the discussion/debate.  My strategy was to  counter punch throughout the program.

How could Nancy Pelosi (a Democrat) visit Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damacus demanded Larry?  But Congressman Darrell Issa (a Republican) did exactly the same thing within in weeks I retorted.  How do you condemn one but not the other? 

We need energy choices like nuclear, wind and opening Anwar in Alaska to oil exploration, asserted Larry.  But does not drilling for oil in Anwar only perpetuate our dependency on fossil fuels?  Why don’t we invest in technologies that take us away from fossil fuels?  General Motors will have the all-electric Volt automobile in mass production soon and Toyota is working on a plug in hybrid.  Let’s encourage these innovations and even extend the tax credit on installing solar panels.  If you have solar panels, you can produce your own energy for your plug in hybrid I retorted. 

We need to cut entitlements at the federal level, implored Larry.  But I did a very wonk thing and pulled out a chart of the National Debt showing that during the advent of the War on Poverty and the Great Society programs of President Johnson, the national debt barely moved.  It was during the massive military build up and tax cuts during the Reagan Administration that the deficit boomed.  That’s now being outdone by the military spending and build up in Iraq  ... to the tune of nine trillion dollars and counting. 

I was satisfied to get out without either loaf of bread devoured and some good conversation after the event.  Maybe I’ll come back for the Single Parents weekend – but as a participant and not a speaker.  That ropes course is calling!

Rotto is an activist in politics and Jewish affairs







Jews play prominent roles in S.D. politics

By Larry Gorfine

SAN DIEGO—While it wasn’t a meeting of the United Jewish Federation board of directors, there were enough prominent members of the Jewish community introduced at the Saturday evening, April 12 Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt dinner of the Democratic County Committee, that there would have been no problem putting together a minyan.

For example, Marty Block, the president of the San Diego Community College board, was introduced as a candidate for the 78th Assembly District, and Marti Emerald, former “trouble-shooter" for Channel 10, was cheered as a candidate for the 7th District of the San Diego City Council.

Deputy State Attorney General Howard Wayne, another member of the community, was introduced as a former state assemblyman, and Chicana-Jewish activist Gracia Molina Pick was awarded lifetime membership in the Democratic County Committee.  She dressed in traditional Mexican costume for the occasion.

Congresswoman Susan Davis was omnipresent, shaking numerous outstretched.  Our other San Diego county Jewish member of Congress is Bob Filner, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, but he was unable to attend, although he has frequently done so in previous year.
 
But for me, the highlight of a county committee dinner is always the announcement of the winner of the memorial Henry Auerbach Leadership Award, who this year was Imperial Beach party activist. Claudia Satriano.

Not only was Henry my early mentor but he thought of me as a son and I thought of Henry as a second father.  Through Henry’s generosity, political contacts, and courage (e.g. standing up to Grand Dragon/Nazi Tom Metzger when he tried to claim a seat on the Democratic Committee in 1980), he helped put the San Diego County Democratic Committee on the map.  His widow, Thelma, currently lives in retirement in Carlsbad and has been poor health lately.

Overall the evening put me and many attendees in a nostalgic mood. Most counties in the United States have some type of annual Democratic fundraiser, whether it be a Jefferson Jackson lunch, Roosevelt dinner, or a county fair day.  The genesis of San Diego County’s dinner came in 1980 under the aegis of Southern California Democratic chairman M. Larry Lawrence, a Jewish community member who owned the Hotel Del Coronado, where Democrats often gathered.

Past dinners attracted such keynote speakers as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Dianne Feinstein, John Kerry, Jerry Brown, Kathleen, Brown, Willie Brown and Maxine Waters.  This year’s keynoter was San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and the dinner emcee was Christine Pelosi, former chair of the California Democratic Party and daughter of  Nancy Pelosi, first female Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Besides Lawrence, some Jewish community members who led the Democratic party in San Diego were former committee chairs Maureen Steiner and Rita Luftig.
 
The current county chair, Jess Durfee,  announced at the dinner that the Republican registration  lead in San Diego had been sliced in half from 80,000 to 40,000, and not wanting to take all the credit, Durfee noted George W. Bush has helped some too!  The cities of La Mesa and Del Mar now have more registered Democrats than Republicans. 

When the dinner was over, and before I could finally make my way to the bar of the Holiday Inn at the Bay, I thought I’d  schmooze a bit.  I find myself stunned by two things:  Unlike the past 28 years, with the influx of young people in our beloved party, I didn’t recognize anyone to schmooze with and took the Great Circle route out of the room.  Secondly, my Word software program recognized the word “schmooze”!  We’ve come a long way.  Happy Pesach everyone. 

Gorfine, a member of the Jewish community, is a long-time Democratic party activist.



Nancy Harrison
cruise & tour specialist
(619) 265-0808

nancy.harrison@americasvacationcenter.com

Not only better prices, but excellent, caring service!

ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY Index to other historical stories

Editor's Note: Following are some stories from the Southwestern Jewish Press from 1947. If you have historical topics about the San Diego Jewish community you would like us to explore, please e-mail your suggestions to editor Don Harrison at sdheritage@cox.net

Play Ball! First League Game Sunday

From Southwestern Jewish Press, May 29, 1947, page 5:

Sunday is the day, June 1st, when the first official softball game between the teams entered in the Jewish Softball League sponsored by the Southwestern Jewish Press will be played on the diamond at the Horace Mann Playground. Competition is keen with all participating organizations using their best athletes on their teams.

The following is the line-up for each club: 

Alpha Phi Pi: Yale Naliboff, captain; Julie Schneider, Carl Naliboff, Irving Slayen, Arnie Margulis, Leo Beck, Ben Press, Kelly Lawrence, Irving Rawdin, Morton Altshuler, Milton Kraft, Ellis Jacobson, Morrie Frankston and Ted Teacher. 

The Yo-Ma-Co {Young Married Couples}: Joe Kitaen, captain; Phil Goldman, Irving Kravitz, Manny Haffner, Sam Brenes, Henry Goldy, David Cohen, George Novak, Ray Lowitz, Byron Sharpe, Dave M. Schwartz, Herman Cohen, Jack Steran, Hank Harrison and Manny Klatchko.

The players for the Temple Men’s Club are Lee Richards, captain; Harold Lasher, Norman Ripps, Loenard Linn, Rabbi Morton J. Cohn, Dr. Al Kornbluth, Jerry Greben, David Block, Norman Seltzer, Wm. Gerelick, Chester Toerner, David Nelson, Morris Pomeranz, Sam Adler and L. B. Kent.

B’nai B’rith, who had two teams playing in the practice games, will have Eddie Cantor, Lory Cantor, George Starr, Harry Mallen, Victor Schulman, Morris Wax, and the best players from their Lodge from the two teams making up the balance of the team, announced Lou Pollak, B’nai B’rith team captain.

The remaining teams are the Temple Youth League, who will have in their line-up Stuart Penther, captain; Herbie Schwartz, Ted Mintz, Eddie Lyle, Zane Feldman, Larry Gross, Sam Krasner, Bert Epstein and Jerry Azner.

The Haveros and the A.Z.A. are the remaining teams in this seven-team League.

The winning team will receive a trophy for their Club and each player on the winning team will also receive a trophy, those all being given by the sponsor of the League, the Southwestern Jewish Press>

Most competition thrives on spectators, so the players and all the clubs join in inviting everyone to be in the stands at Horace Mann Playground Sunday, June 1st at 10 a.m., to help root the best teams to victory.

“CARE” Office Opened in San Diego

From Southwestern Jewish Press, July 17, 1947, page 3

Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe, Inc., a non-profit service to the American people, announced its official outlet and information center to the Community Chest in San Diego at the Jewish Welfare Society at 609 First National Bank Bldg. recently.

The three essential services now being sent via the CARE Agency include food, woolen clothing and blankets.  A service cost of $10,00 per package is extended to cover shipment to nearly all parts of Europe, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“CARE was organized by twenty-six voluntary relief agencies in 1945 to bring order out of the chaotic attempts of Americans to send individual packages of food and clothing supplies to needy people in war-torn Europe,” said Mr. Carl Esenoff, president of the Jewish Welfare Society. “Today, Americans are sending 12,000 care food packages daily, addressed to individuals in 14 countries in Europe.”

“Orders placed with the Jewish Welfare Society are airmailed to the appropriate country representatives,” said Mr. Esenoff, “and all deliveries are made from warehouse stock piles CARE maintains and operates in each of the countries.”


Ground Breaking Sunday for Tifereth Israel

From Southwestern Jewish Press, August 7, 1947, page 1

Sunday, August 10, 1947, the Congregation Tifereth Israel will realize the culmination of years of dreaming and planning, when ground will be broken for the new Synagogue. The location of the new Synagogue will be at 30th and Howard Streets and there will gather the members and friends of Tifereth Israel to rejoice with them at this impressive ceremony.

The Building Committee has been working diligently for many months to bring about the erection of the new building, which in addition to the Synagogue proper, will contain an auditorium, a center and other meeting rooms.

Many State, County and City officials, including Mayor Harley E. Knox, will be present to help the Jewish Community commemorate this occasion.  Judge Jacob Weinberger of Los Angeles and some Hollywood celebrities will also be present.

The untiring efforts of the committee and members of the Congregation Tifereth Israel will be rewarded when this new, modern building will be completed and ready for occupancy. They heartily extend a cordial invitation to every member of the Jewish community to participate with them this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the ground-breaking ceremony.


Tijuana Jewish Community to Dedicate Sefer Torah

From Southwestern Jewish Press, August 7, 1947, page 1

The Jewish Community of Tijuana, known as Mageun David, announces a momentous occasion in their progress.  Their first Sefer Torah will be dedicated on Saturday evening, August 16, 1947, at 8:00 p.m. A reception given in honor of the dedication will be held at the Mageun David Congregation at 507 2nd St. in Tijuana. The committee in charge announces a special court of honor for the solemn ceremony.

Dancing and refreshments will follow the ceremony. The entire Congregation invites the San Deigo Jewish Community to attend and celebrate with them.


Dr. A.L. Sacher to Install Hillel Unit

From Southwestern Jewish Press, August 7, 1947, page 1

When the new Hillel Unit will be installed at San Diego State College on September 30th, it will have the honor of having Dr. Abram L. Sacher, national Director of  all Hillel Activities, as installing officer, announced Morris Douglas, president of Lasker Lodge B’nai B’rith, and Morrie Kraus, Hillel chairman of the Lodge.

In addition to being National Director of all Hillel Foundations, Dr. Sacher also serves on the Supreme Executive Council of B’nai B’rith.  An educator of note, he has devoted many years to the growth and development of this, one of the most important phases of the B’nai B’rith program.

The committee which is making plans for the installation announces that the ceremony will take place on Tuesday evening, September 30th.  Officers of the Grand Lodge District No. 4 and officials and dignitaries of San Diego State College are being invited to participate in this community-wide project.  When details for the installation are completed and the place where it is to be held is known, the information will be given to the public some time in September.

Our "Adventures in San Diego Jewish History" series will be a daily feature until we run out of history.



SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 91)

Judy Lash Balint in Jerusalem: 20 ways you know it's Pesach in Jerusalem
Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C.: Iran becomes increasingly frustrated in Iraq
Donald H. Harrison in La Jolla, California: Congregation Beth Israel's exhibit shows Israel that American visitors photograph
Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem: Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) provide necessary peace presence in Hebron
Adventures in San Diego History: In 1947 the community was focused on helping survivors of the Holocaust and on establishing such new institutions as Hillel at San Diego State University and a Jewish summer camp.


Monday, April 14, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 90)

Donald H. Harrison in Spring Valley, California: Bancroft probed then dismissed 'Lost Tribes of Israel' origin for Native Americans
Lloyd Levy in Eilat, Israel: Eilat: Both a historical and tourist gem
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: Way it was—a Jewish innocent strikes out
Adventures in San Diego History: Some items from 1947 include a refugee family reunited in San Diego; a new Conservative rabbi takes his post; and a seder is conducted for the residents of the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged

Sunday, April 13, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 89)

Barry Jagoda in San Diego: Biblical scholar David Noel Freedman dies
Rabbi Baruch Lederman in San Diego: He flew literally on a wing and a prayer
Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem: Eric Yoffie v. John Hagee: Round One
Marissa Palin in San Diego: And what of the women of Passover?
Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem: Should Palestinians be rewarded for seven years of violence and intransigence?
Adventures in San Diego History: Today we feature stories from the immediate Post-World War II period.

Friday-Saturday, April 11-12, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 88)

Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Stop trying to turn Obama into Foxman
Eran Lerman in Jerusalem: Gaza terrorists apparently want to make their own people absolutely miserable
Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem: Jews must recognize the new Poland
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: Chapter Three in the serialization of her novel, Reluctant Martyr
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego: Ridding ourselves of spiritual chametz
Adventures in San Diego History: Stories of pre-World War II San Diego

Thursday, April 10, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 87)

Ulla Hadar in San Diego: A new correspondent introduces herself
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Mayor envisions Lindbergh-Rodriguez solution for future San Diego air travelers
Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem: Israeli news diet: peace, democracy, sex
Janet Tiger in San Diego: Salute to Rosentals goes tricultural
Adventures in San Diego History: We conclude our series of stories from 1922 in which members of San Diego's Jewish community looked at their past, present and future.


Link to previous editions

< BACK TO TOP

Copyright 2007-2008 - San Diego Jewish World, San Diego, California. All rights reserved.