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THE JEWISH CITIZEN

Israel's Consul-General Jacob Dayan woos Latinos, Hollywood movie industry from his Los Angeles base


By Donald H. Harrison

LOS ANGELES – Since Jacob Dayan (at right) arrived 16 months ago to head Israel’s Consulate-General here, he has emphasized outreach programs to two special communities: Latino-Americans and the Hollywood crowd.

Having previously served as chief of staff to Israel’s foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Dayan, 42, now is planning an Independence Day celebration in a Mexican-American neighborhood .  Like the first Israeli flag- raising at the Consulate-General a day before last Rosh Hashanah, Dayan wants the May 17 event to have the hoopla of a Hollywood production.

The Consulate-General in Los Angeles is Israel’s seventh largest diplomatic mission in the world --- with more than 60 employees – perhaps accounting for Dayan’s readiness to propose new projects such as a program for Israel to share with the United States its psychological and medical experiences for the treatment of military veterans who have returned from Middle Eastern wars.

Latino Americans account for well over a third of the population of California.   A state with approximately 37 million residents, California is the most populous state in the United States.  Latino politicians are increasingly powerful in California, as perhaps is symbolized by the fact that a former speaker of the state Assembly,  Antonio Villaraigosa, is  the current mayor of Los Angeles, California’s largest city.

“We are going to celebrate our Independence Day in Boyle Heights, which today is nearly a 100 percent Latino neighborhood, but it was once the Ellis Island of Los Angeles,” said Dayan.  The area may not have been a port of entry for Jewish immigrants, but it was indeed a center of Jewish immigrant population in Los Angeles.  The Breed Street Shul in that neighborhood—near the Chavez Ravine stadium where the Los Angeles Dodgers play baseball—is today a California state landmark.

“The first place that the Israel flag was raised when Israel was established in 1948, was the Breed Street Shul, so that is why we thought of having an event there,” explained Dayan.  “We have the history, but it is not just to come and do a one-time big event but to continue with this and build a long relationship.  That is why we are thinking of establishing a scholarship fund for Latino kids, based on excellence, but one in which the students who get the scholarships will have to tutor kids in elementary school, or junior high school,  to establish some kind of chain so that ongoing relations will be created.”

Dayan said the proposed scholarship is an outgrowth of the Consulate-General’s cooperation with “a great organization called ‘L.A.  Best’” that works “with kids in needy neighborhoods.   For example at one of the schools they celebrate Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa, and as you can imagine I was the first Israeli that they ever met.”

“We established relations with one of the downtown schools here—Franklin High—a big school.  There was a hip hop band that came here for commercial concerts—Hadag Nahash, a very famous one—so we asked them ‘can you stay one more day?’ and we took them to this high school.  There was a beautiful article in the Los Angeles Times, and for me the most valuable thing was something that one of the students said at the end of the article.  Miriam Aguilar told the reporter that she had all kinds of thoughts about Israel, but now realizes that ‘we’re more the same than I thought.’”

Hadag Nahash (literally Snake Fish) is a group whose songs were used in Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. One popular song, is the “Sticker Song,” juxtaposing all the political sloganeering  in Israel. Another, "Gabby and Debby," a parody on English-speaking characters in Israeli educational materials, presents an anti-establishment view of Israel. Both hip hop videos are below.

An important role in the Consulate-General’s outreach to the Latino community in its seven-state jurisdiction will be played by Gil Artzyeli, the deputy consul general.  “He is a very experienced diplomat, a very clever person,” commented Dayan.  “He served before in Colombia, in Spain, and he served in Mexico.  This was exactly the reason that I wanted him to come here, to bring this whole experience that he has in Latin American issues to work here, to see how we can enhance the cooperation.”

With Latinos such an important  force in California, Dayan said he knows that the Consulate-General must do something to counter negative perceptions about Israel that he blames on media simplification,  the cynicism of Hamas, and everyone’s short attention span.

Many Latinos “have the perception of the underdogs, and some of them have never met Israelis and they take their knowledge from what they see on television,” Dayan said.  “So we focus a lot on cooperation and education.”

Amplifying on Hamas, Dayan contended that the terrorist organization purposely puts children in harm’s way in order to be able to accuse Israel of killing the children in its military operations.
“We are dealing with a very cynical enemy that is using and abusing the values of the West, and the most important value is the value of life that we cherish,” Dayan said. “During the military operation (in Gaza), they sacrificed kids in order to gain the minds and hearts of the international media.  And it is always hard, and it sometimes is impossible, to compete with the pictures of dead children; it doesn’t matter how articulate the speaker is. 

“We are dealing with a cynical enemy that sacrifices kids all the time.   We would never dream of such a thing.  That makes our work much more difficult because you have to deal with a generation that is accumulating knowledge from what they see in 30 seconds on television, and, of that, 15-20 seconds of the pictures are very difficult.  Only if you are interested in the history, and putting things in context--who is against who-- can you understand, but they see that, that is terrible, and they decide.”

However, said Dayan, Israel may have the benefit of a “nonconventional weapon”  to combat Hamas propaganda—the genius of the U.S. movie industry.   Looking out the window at the famous “Hollywood” sign on a hill northeast of his 17th floor Wilshire Boulevard office, Dayan reversed a famous advertising slogan about Las Vegas to describe the global effect of Hollywood:   “What happens here doesn’t stay here,” he said.  “We have a lot of friends, more and more friends, and what we are encouraging them to do is to speak up for the State of Israel.  It is happening more and more.”

Recently Israel’s government adopted a tax incentive program to encourage foreign movie makers to film in Israel, and Dayan said he believes Hollywood is encouraged by the fact that a strong film industry—as evidenced by the Academy Award-nominated Waltz with Bashir—already is in place in Israel.   Discussing that movie, which used comic-book style animation to tell the story of an Israeli soldier’s post-traumatic stress memories of the first Lebanon War, prompted Dayan to mention the proposal for cooperation among Israeli and American veterans.

“I see a lot of veterans who are coming back from Iraq are having a lot of problems; we Israelis have had a lot of experience with veterans too,” Dayan said.

One might have thought it was a Hollywood production on Sunday, September 28, 2008, when a portion of Wilshire Boulevard was blocked off so that thousands of people could celebrate the raising of an Israeli flag for the first time in front  of the Israeli consulate.  Although Israeli flags have flown for years at other unofficial locations, “this is an official Israeli flag of the representatives of the State of Israel here, which is different.”   The consulate figuratively is “Israeli soil, so having the first official flag here is something different.”

Dayan said the ceremony had its origins in a question that he asked shortly after arrival in Los Angeles.  “Why is there no flag?” he wanted to know.  “Security reasons,” came back the answer.  But, he said, before serving as chief of staff in the foreign minister’s office, he had lived and served in posts far more dangerous than Los Angeles, and the Israeli flag flew in those places.   The more he probed, the more convinced he became that there was no valid reason for the flag’s absence. 

The flag raising ceremony “was a big event,” recalled Dayan. “We brought soldiers from Israel, and there were American soldiers; a Grammy winner, Macy Gray; a gospel choir; the Jewish L.A. Symphony; kids from school, and all the politicians from across the board and we raised the flag on the day before Rosh Hashanah.  When we raised the Israeli flag, 60 people to mark 60 years of Israel, stood with shofars and they were blowing the shofars when the Israeli flag was raised, and it was a moving moment even for me—and I had envisioned this moment. 

“It was an amazing moment because in the 15 seconds that we raised the flag and the sound of the shofars was in the background, it was a moment that caught together the past, the present and the future.”

The flag that was raised had its own history.  The preceding June, Dayan had accompanied Mayor Villaraigosa on a trip to Israel, where President Shimon Peres presented the pair a flag that had flown over Sderot, a city which has been under constant rocket attack from Gaza.  “So from Sderot to President Peres to Mayor Villaraigosa, and he raised the Israeli flag together with me,” Dayan said.   “Thousands came to the streets here—5,000 to 6,000 people—and I think it is the first time that coverage of the Los Angeles Times was so very positive.” 

Besides California, the Consulate General’s jurisdiction includes the western states of Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.  As a result of legislation pushed by Assemblyman Joel Anderson,  Republican-El Cajon, California had adopted legislation to divest state funds from companies doing business with Iran.  Dayan decided to see if he could persuade other states in the western region to follow suit.

“We took three states last year—Colorado, Arizona and Utah—and we succeeded in two and failed in one, Utah,” Dayan said.  “It was very interesting because I went to the Democratic National Convention in Denver last August, and there was an event there with all the governors.  So Janet Napolitano (now Secretary of Homeland Security) and Bill Ritter, the governor of Colorado, were there speaking of how proud they were of endorsing the divestment legislation, and how important it was, which was wonderful.”    Dayan said that he is renewing the effort in Utah this year.

As the chief of the Los Angeles Consulate-General’s staff, Dayan has asked his employees to adopt measurable goals by which they can judge the efficacy of their work.  For example, he said, the divestment campaign in three states yielded a 66.66 percent positive return.  How else might the work of the Consulate-General be measured so that goal-oriented programs will characterize the Consulate’s work?

With Latino outreach, Hollywood outreach,  and  an Iran divestment campaign being added to such regular operations of a consulate as helping Israeli citizens who are in need, encouraging tourism to Israel, promoting investment opportunities, and sponsoring cultural events, one might think the consulate had enough on its plate.

But such reckoning does not factor in Dayan’s vision nor his capacity for new enterprises.  He also is engaged in a program to acquaint Israelis with Judaism-American style.  “If you ask an Israeli ‘why do you live in Israel?’ He gives you the answer that ‘I was born here,’ or ‘it’s a fun place to be,’ or ‘my parents live here, my friends live here’ – those are the answers.  You need something which is deeper.”

“The generation of pioneers is gone,” Dayan said, “and Zionism unfortunately is fading out, and you need something which is more than the usual, something that is strong, ideological, that will connect you to this land (Israel).

 “I am speaking about Judaism not only on a theological level but on a political level, and there are such strong Jewish communities here, with beautiful kinds of Judaism that the people in Israel never saw or never met,” Dayan added.  “By enhancing this relationship and by introducing this face as well to the Israelis,  that will strengthen Israelis more. “

Hadag Nahash videos:





Harrison may be contacted at editor@sandiegojewishworld.com





CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL SAN DIEGO JEWISH CHAMBER






GUEST COLUMN

Helping Hillary Clinton while keeping Israel safe

By Barry Rubin

HERZLIYA, Israel—U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Israel on the first of what will no doubt be many visits. Beyond the simple self-interest of making her feel appreciated, most Israelis are genuinely glad that she was appointed to this job. The reason why is critical to understanding the future of U.S. Middle East Policy and U.S.-Israel relations.

What is most important is that Clinton is regarded as a realist. She watched her husband try really hard and put his prestige on the line in attempting to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace and saw him being made to look foolish by Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Syrian ruler Hafiz al-Asad who rejected his proposals. During the presidential campaign she courageously—and to her own cost—tried to explain the dangers to those dreaming only of a fast getaway from Iraq. 

Moreover, it’s not just that she spoke positively about Israel—a senator from New York could do no less—but that the way she explained her positions seemed to indicate she really understood the situation.

All things considered, then, one can believe the secretary of state doesn’t accept four myths that some—though not all--of her colleagues in Washington and Europe embrace. She seems to know that:

--The Israel-Palestinian conflict is not the fulcrum of the Middle East whose solution will make Islamism, terrorism, Iran’s nuclear weapons’ program, anti-Western or anti-American sentiments, Iraq’s instability, and all other regional problems disappear.

--The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not easily solvable by pressure, the perfect plan, or hard work.  Not only is peace not at hand, it isn’t even at arms’ length.

--Whatever part of the blame for continued conflict is due to Israel, a very large and decisive portion rests on the Palestinian side for reasons including the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and its leadership, the division into Hamas and Fatah regimes, and other issues.

--Bringing Hamas into the negotiating process is a mistake that would doom any chance for peace and might even bring the Palestinian Authority (PA) crashing down altogether. U.S. interests require that the PA survives as recognized Palestinian leader, while Hamas is an Iranian client whose triumph would hurt the U.S. strategic position in the region.

Secretary of State Clinton also knows that the new Israeli government is not yet in place and her first visit must be dedicated to getting acquainted with leaders and issues.

What are the problems for bilateral relations? A critical aspect is that no matter how skeptical Clinton is of the chances for progress, she wants to make it appear that she is actively engaged and making progress. The thing that will make her furious is that which makes her look bad. And she wants Israel to make her look good.

On some items, this is no problem. A high level of cooperation with the PA, supporting funds and military training for it within reason, is in Israel’s interest. The West Bank economic and security situation is improving. Here, Clinton and Israel should agree.

Her next goal is a bit more difficult but reasonable: that Israel should dismantle more settler outposts, as Israel has promised. True, this presents political difficulties and potential confrontations with settlers, yet Israel’s government should assert its authority. A serious effort on this front would bring a positive return from Washington with no cost to Israel’s security.

Beyond this, the United States is likely to ask for Israel to stop expanding settlements, even for natural growth. Since the peace process’s start 16 years ago Israel has publicly asserted that building homes for “natural growth,” new adults on existing settlements, is part of the Oslo agreement.

If this were to change, Clinton could claim a victory of stopping settlements, usually portrayed by the PA as its main grievance, that is, excuse for not doing more itself. Such a concession should not be unthinkable but the question is what would Israel get in exchange?  U.S. pressuring the PA to stop officially inspired anti-Israel incitement; changing its schools and media to advocate a two-state solution; greater U.S. backing for Israel’s security regarding Gaza? Asking Israel to do something on the settlement issue is all right if—but only if--there is more real compliance from the Palestinian side.        

Finally and importantly there is the question of Gaza. Clinton wants some quick success on that front, namely a ceasefire and resolution of humanitarian problems there. It will be tempting for her to insist that Israel reopens crossings unconditionally, without a real ceasefire or any release of Hamas’s Israeli hostage. And Israel will explain why it has legitimate concerns which must be realized, lest a new war crisis emerge.

Of course, the two governments must begin to reach understandings about Iran. The new administration is determined to try engaging Tehran. Israel must convey the point that Washington should be alert to Iranian efforts to bully or fool the new president. The goal of stopping Iran’s nuclear weapons’ drive has to be the top priority; unilateral concessions in exchange for nothing should be avoided.

And the White House will hopefully not be shy in admitting when it finally concludes that Iran doesn’t want to be friends. President Barack Obama has spoken of opening Iran’s clenched fist. The danger is that Iran will do so only in order to slap America silly. 

Early on this administration must comprehend that reputations will not be built, Nobel Peace Prizes won, or Arab and European cooperation won by sacrificing Israel’s vital interests.  In exchange, Clinton must see that Israel wants to make her look successful and to cooperate on reasonable terms. On such a basis of understanding and good will a very successful partnership can be built.

Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center at IDC Herzliya and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition) and The Truth About Syria.




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GUEST COLUMN


Prehistoric Mideast hunters used 'desert kites'


By Amir Gilat

HAIFA, Israel— How did humans living in the third millennium BCE manage to find sufficient quantities of meat in the arid desert regions? A new study of the "desert kites" that are spread across the expanses of Israel's Negev and Arava region, carried out by researchers from the University of Haifa, unearths the answer to this riddle.

Already in the early 20th century, British pilots flying over the Middle Eastern deserts identified strange forms spreading over hundreds of meters, sometimes even over a few kilometers. The shapes, such as the one in this Univeristy of Haifa photo to the left, looked like two long walls that meet at angles and at the meeting point of each wall was a round-shaped trench. To the pilots the shapes resembled kites, hence the name given to them: "desert kites." A few such "kites" are known of in the deserts of Jordan, Syria, Israel, and Sinai. Archaeologists have suggested a number of theories as to the uses of these constructs, most supposing that they were used for hunting purposes, others suggesting that they served as cattle pens.

A few weeks ago, the field work, funded by National Geographic and carried out by an interdisciplinary research group, was completed. It was headed by a University of Haifa team: zooarchaeologist Dr. Guy Bar-Oz, archaeologist Dr. Daniel Nadel, and landscape ecologist Dr. Dan Malkinson. Also participating in the project are researchers from the Arava Institute, the Geological Institute in Jerusalem, the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, and Bar-Ilan University. The field work included an encompassing survey of all eleven "kites" of the Negev and Arava, archaeological digs in four "kites," detailed documentation by means of state-of-the-art measuring instruments, aerial and ground photography, and dating by means of two independent radiometric methods.

The study's findings have clearly shown that these "kites" were used as mass hunting apparatus, dating back no later than the third millennium BC. "When standing in one of these kites, it is astounding to see how it fits into the landscape and how the wild animals' migration routes would converge into the hidden kite," stated Dr. Bar-Oz. "Only then can one grasp how much energy and strategic understanding were invested in its construction. The prehistoric people living in this desert environment were highly capable of enduring it. They knew how to hunt and survive."

Documentation and mapping enabled the researchers to reveal that the kites' branches can reach over 200 meters in length. At the base of each kite, the branches converge and end in a chasm or large trench. On some of the kites an elevated stage was erected, probably in order to heighten the leaping wall and perhaps to hide the trench that was dug beneath it. According to the researchers, it is evident from the findings that the hunting method involved directing the indigenous wild animals and channeling them alongside the walled branches of the kite toward its tip and its trench, where hunters awaited them.

They added that in some of the constructs, the walls were over one meter high and were also particularly thick. These walls testify that the apparatus were intended for hunting not only gentle animals, such as deer, but also larger hoofed animals like wild ass and rams.

The extensive study, which examined all eleven traps scattered from Givat Barnea in the north of the desert region to Eilat in the south, also exposed the thinking processes that were invested in planning each trap. "The traps were placed in locations where animal migration routes were concentrated into bottlenecks. There is no doubt that this reflects that the prehistoric inhabitants of the desert had a lot of knowledge: they knew the cattle migration routes very well and knew where to place each of the traps most efficiently," Dr. Nadel noted.

"We were not taken by surprise by the technological ability; humans in that period were very similar to us in their capabilities. But nevertheless these were immense efforts. Some of the kites are spread across hundreds of meters and the construction blocks of some of the traps are very large and heavy. We are definitely talking about wide-scope construction in a region that is challenging for survival."

Gilat is communications and media director for the University of Haifa. He may be contacted at agilat@univ.haifa.ac.il


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THERAPY—Alon Gutman engages in regular physical therapy to counteract the effects of cystic fibrosis

GUEST COLUMN


Kibbutz Kfar Aza resident faces lung transplant operation

Editor's Note: Alon Gutman daily faces two enemies. One, from without, is very well known: the Hamas who regularly fire rockets at his kibbutz on the Gaza border. The other, from within, is cystic fibrosis. In this article, he tells about his battle with the disease that impairs lung function.

By Alon Gutman

KIBBUTZ KFAR AZA, Israel—My name is Alon Gutman, 20 years old and live in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. My personal ID number: 201330255 I am sick with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis; this is the information by which many know me at the Schneider Hospital.

I was born in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and have lived here all my life and in all this time the CF disease has been haunting me, while I have been trying to escape the disease. The matter is not to escape the reality, neither the fact that I am sick but the escape from the deteriorating health situation that the disease has dragged me into.

In my case the CF was discovered in the 24 hours right after my birth when the doctors examined me. Looking at pictures of me as a baby and when I think back of memories from my childhood, the treatments used to prevent the disease have just been part of my daily routine.
These preventive treatments that are routine and must be executed every day includes inhalation, some of them as long as five hours, physiotherapy every hour, and physical exercise (swimming, walking, horse riding or bike riding), and there is the intake of 40 different tablets every day. These are only preventive measures and can not in any way heal the disease.

As of today there is no cure for CF and sometimes the medicine and the treatments are not enough. In situations where the lungs slowly, slowly stops to function there is one last solution – lung transplantation.

I have as long as I can remember been afraid of these two words: "lung transplantation." All along I have known that this is the last straw, the solution left at the end and throughout the years I knew I would do everything in my power not to reach this point. I would do anything to avoid transplantation.

Three years ago was the first time the doctors talked to me about making an appointment at the Beilinson hospital. Here are the doctors that specializes in lung transplantation.

Straight away I refused and claimed: "The stage of a lung transplantation I will not reach Even if it will be the last resource, I am not interested."

At the lung clinic at the Schneider Hospital they tried over and over again to convince me that it is the right move to go to Beillingson and to start the process of a transplantation. Every time I got very angry that they even mentioned the issue and I would straight away change the subject to something else.

After a year of nagging by the doctors I agreed to do the first move – to meet with Doctor Kramer, who is in charge of the lung transplantations. Finishing all the tests needed to do a transplantation the voice in my head said over and over: "I will not get to the stage of a lung transplant, I will not need it".

Two years have passed with many ups and downs, the general direction being more downs. Three months ago a major deterioration happened in my health situation: My lungs had a 23 % functioning (100 % with a healthy person) and the percentage of oxygen in my blood showed 85 where 100 is the number for a healthy person. This led to three hospitalizations in the last three month, where difficult and tiring treatments where given to me.

During my stays in the hospital, a realization came over me. I have no other options than to go for a lung transplantation. All of a sudden my fear vanished, the fear of an unsuccessful operation disappeared as if it had never existed. The understanding came that the only way for me to be able to live, and continue to breathe, is an operation,which will not be a simple one. Once you realize that you live on borrowed time, with the unknown ahead of you, the fear of the transplantation itself fades away and is changed by the fear of waiting for a transplant.

The daily routine of physiotherapy, inhalation and 40 different tablets continues. For the moment I am at my home. Many hours of the day I am connected to a breathing machine that helps my lungs to function. I cannot do many of the things I used to, like swimming, running, walking, working or any activity that demands an effort.

These are days of waiting,
the waiting for new lungs,
the waiting for a life with quality
the waiting for a normal life,
the waiting for the possibility of breathing like any other person.

From the moment I was born, my family and I have received support from the CF organization in Israel who support all the people that have the disease. The support given is not only financial but also on a very personal and mental basis.

The CF organization provides sick people with everything needed in order to live with a high quality of life and as normally as possible.

This is for me a chance to thank the organization, the people who sit in the offices and those who work in the different clinics. Thank you - because of you, I still believe that I have a better future waiting ahead of me.

I will now turn to the readers. Please, if you have the ability to help us victims of CF, do so. In order for the organization to continue to support us, the sick, there has to befinancial support. Here is the link to the organization We need the money to buy expensive medicine; please help the organization to help us.

Personally I want to finish with some words that for me have a lot of meaning, they come from this popular song "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles.



Thanks to Ulla Hadar, our correspondent in Sha'ar Hangev, who provided the translation for this story, which appeared in Herbrew language newspapers in Israel and is reprinted with permission from the family.

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Soille Hebrew Day’s Second Grade Journeys Back in Time

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The second graders at Hebrew Day went on a journey back in time to the Mesozoic era to create a dinosaur zoo in modern times.  This project took approximately four days as the students each had individual roles in the design of the zoo as architects, historians and dieticians. 

Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School serves children from infants through eighth grade and offers generous financial aid grants to families to make a Jewish day school education affordable to all.  For more information on the school, visit the web site at http://www.hebrewday.org/ or contact Audrey Jacobs, Director of School Advancement at 858-279-3300 ext. 106 or ajacobs@hebrewday.org

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MUSIC OF OUR PEOPLE

A song, a personal story, and 'the cat’s meow'
To hear Cantor Merel sing "The Love of Spike Malone," please click here

By Cantor Sheldon Merel

SAN DIEGO—"The Love of Spike Malone" is a charming tale of a romance between two alley cats. I first heard it sung by its composer in my New York City recording studio back in 1950, and after I had “cut” the disc for him, I immediately asked Gordon Meyers for a copy of his sheet music. (This was before digital technology, when most recordings were “cut” on metal disks.)

He not only gave me a copy of the sheet music, but wrote on the cover, " To be sung without paws."  Since that day, I have loved singing "Spike Malone" as an encore in countless concerts throughout North America, as it always brings giggles to my audiences. 

Race forward on your time machine forty five years later, when my wife, Marcie (producer) and I began selecting songs for our CD recording, Standing Ovation. In order to to obtain legal permission to include each song on our CD, we had to contact either the music publishers or the composers.  When I finally located 'Spike Malone’s' publisher, I asked if Gordon Meyers was still alive and well. Good news- he was, and the publisher connected me by telephone with Gordon, now a voice teacher and retired professor of Music in New Jersey.

Gordon clearly remembered the event, and graciously gave us permission to include "Spike Malone"  on our CD.  Although our reunion was only over the phone, we laughed, reminisced, shared a bit of our life’s journey, and later continued to exchange letters. He actually still had the original recording made back in 1950,and sent me a cassette copy of it.

AMERICA'S VACATION CENTER Nancy Harrison cruise & tour specialist (619) 265-0808 nancy.harrison@americasvacationcenter.com Friends: The slogan of San Diego Jewish World is "there's a Jewish storyeverywhere." I can help you travel to the locales of such stories. I'll work hard to find you the very best prices! Return to top

CAROL ANN GOLDSTEIN Carol Ann Goldstein provides the following services: Web Developer-information and ecommerce sites Database programmer Math Tutor -- all ages (San Diego, CA.) Call 858 452 0386 or email cag_92122@yahoo.com

Jewish Internet Favorites

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Amy Winehouse sings "Rehab" on the David Letterman Show:

Elliott Yamin sings "A Song for You" on American Idol




Ophelie Winter sings "Le Feu Qui M'Attisse (The fire that excites me)"

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Adventures in San Diego Jewish History

Editor's Note: Read in this continuing column how the generations who came before us helped to build San Diego's Jewish community! You may access an index of San Diego Jewish history articles by clicking here. You may also use the Google search program at the top of this page or on the headline index page to search for keywords or names.


Council of Jewish Women
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3, 1952, page 6

Council of Jewish Women will open the fall season by making their annual Birthday Party visit to Edgemoore Farm at Santee, September 25th.  The National Council of Jewish Women was the first voluntary organization in the country to establish privately operated recreation centers for the aged.  Since 1946 the response was so enthusiastic that clubs spread all over the country as the Golden Age Clubs, a non-sectarian organization.

The luncheon is under the able chairmanship of Mrs. David Ferrer assisted by hostess Mrs. Ben Cohen and Mrs. Charlotte Hass.  The program will immediately follow the luncheon, in order to accommodate a very busy doctor.   So make early reservations and be early to claim them.  Members may bring a prospective member to the meeting as a guest of the Section.  Reservations may be made by calling Mrs. Ferrer, H. 3-8487; Mrs. Sugarman, R-5146; or Mrs. Horowitz,  T. 1-4127.

The first meeting of the new season will be held on Oct. 7.    Each member of council may bring a guest who will be a guest of the section.
Capt. Thomas W. McDaniels, Jr., USN, who is head of the Neuro-Psychiatric Department of the Naval Hospital will be the speaker.  Capt. McDaniels is nationally recognized as a leader in thie field.  His subject will be “Mental Hygiene and the Modern Woman” which should be of great interest in these times of unrest.


J. W. V. Aux
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3, 1952, page 6

Dolores Brown, Department of California Auxiliary President, will make her first official visit to San Diego, October 6th, at the War Memorial Bldg., Balboa Park, to address the ladies of Post 185.  The meeting is called for 8:15 p.m., and the entire membership is urged to be present to greet Mrs. Brown.

Hadassah Eve. Group
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3, 1952, page 6

The Evening Group of Hadassah will hold its October meeting in the home of Mrs. M. Hurwitz at 5023 College Ave.  A panel discussion on American affairs will take place.  Julia Kaufman,  Muriel  Goldhammer,  Barbara Hurwitz and Rita Lustig will take part.  This discussion will provide a stimulating evening for all.  For transportation to the meeting for those who have no way contact Mrs. M. Zeidel —T. 1-2896. 

Jewish War Veterans
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3, 1952, page 6
To continue the service programs sponsored by the Jewish war veterans at the Naval Hospital, Navy Training Center, Padre baseball and State College football games for hospitalized veterans, and the Sunshine School for Children, the annual Western Card Party will be held at the Memorial Bldg. in Balboa Park, Sunday evening October 12th.

Food will be served by the Auxiliary, and several door prizes will be given away that evening.


Federations Urge ADL & AJC to Stay in National Group
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3, 1952, page 8

The Western Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds called upon the National Community Relations Advisory Council and all of its member organizations to make every effort to reach agreement and to strengthen the NCRAC, according to Eli H. Levenson, Regional President.