By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO —I have been filing these "Alef Bet" columns less frequently recently, not because there is less going on in the San Diego Jewish community, but because I have been busy at San Diego State University taking a master's degree in history some 40 years after obtaining my B.A. from UCLA.  

It is all that this 61-year-old zayde can do to keep up with the younger (okay, much younger) graduate students in my seminar classes.  With at least three to six books and lengthy academic articles to read each week, something had to give —and the weekly Alef Bet column now has become an every-so-often column.  

E Rabbi Yeruchem and Nehama Eilfort of Chabad at La Costa recently had another son, Dovid Schneur Zalman, whose brit milah was on September 18.  In a note to friends, Rabbi Eilfort explained the derivation of the little guy's name: "The baby was named Dovid Shneur Zalman (Dovid after my father, and Shneur Zalman was the first Rebbe of the Chabad Movement, on whose birthday our baby was born). The name Dovid means 'beloved,' and is also related to the concept of humility. The name Shneur means 'two lights,' as the first Rebbe was an expert in both the revealed and hidden parts of the Torah. And the name Zalman is a Yiddish form of Solomon (Shlomo), which means 'peace' and also means 'fulfillment.'"   All of us at jewishsightseeing add a hearty Mazal Tov!

F Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) has announced his co-sponsorship of H.R. 6187 and H.R. 6200, both of which amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to strengthen voting reliability and accuracy by requiring a paper trial for all electronic voting systems. According to a news release issued by his office, the bills would help with problems caused by software glitches, computer hackers, poll workers who aren't trained properly, or power outages that could intentionally or accidentally alter or erase voting data placed in the new machines. "There is a nationwide concern about electronic voting systems. Experts have expressed doubts about the accuracy of electronic voting machines. With more states switching from paper ballots to electronic voting systems and with the November elections right around the corner, it is important that the government work to ensure reliability in our voting systems," said Filner. Among other community activists anxious to alert the public to the danger of electronic voting machines is Brina-Rae Schuchman.

S Jacqueline Ann Siegel, widely known in the Jewish community for her trailblazing role as executive director of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture will now be working her magic as the executive director of the San Diego Performing Arts League, which represents and helps coordinate some 150 arts groups in San Diego.   


Michael Sunduck has been appointed director of  strategic implementation by the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County. The Federation lists its strategic goals: “Build a vibrant and involved Jewish community. Deepen connection to, and responsibility for, Israel and other overseas Jewish communities. Promote participation in Jewish education. Strengthen organizations and build strong leadership. Expand the community’s role in caring for others.”


T Janet Tiger, the playwright who wrote Renny's Story, about a Holocaust survivor who is still searching from the toddler taken from her arms in Poland, has been named the "playwright-in-residence" for Swedenborg Hall, the church-supported arts venue where Renny's Story had its premiere.  Tiger's more recent play is titled The Towel Lady.