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The Jewish Grapevine
                                                 
Home   July 2007   August 2007    September 2007          Jewish Grapevine by month

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Wednesday, August 1
 

  Monday, August 6
 

 Tuesday, August 7

 

Wednesday, August 8
 

Thursday, August 9, 2007

CELEBRITIES—There's some doubt over whether Elvis Presley really had some Jewish lineage, but there's no doubt whatsoever that U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee) is Jewish.  Elvis Radio announced that the congressman will be a guest DJ on August 18, but like Elvis himself, his appearance will not be live.  It will be a repeat of a July 1 broadcast when Cohen was on hand to celebrate the radio station's third anniversary. 

CYBER-REFERRALS— Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles points out a story in today's JPost that tells of the Vatican scrambling to assure the worldwide Jewish community that a private meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and firebrand priest Tadeusz Rydzyk "did not imply any change in the Holy See's well-known position regarding relations between Catholics and Jews." Here is the link... Ed Samiljan, the father of Camp Mountain Chai, noticed an article about the value and financial costs of Jewish camping that appeared in the New York Jewish Week,  Here is a link.

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Friday, August 10, 2007

CELEBRITIES—State Sen. Carole Migden (Democrat, San Francisco) said Thursday she will plead guilty to a charge of erratic driving between San Francisco and the state Capitol in Sacramento and hopes to get the incident behind her... The jury in the murder trial of record producer Phil Spector toured his Alhambra mansion for an hour on Thursday, focusing on the area where actress Lana Clarkson was shot to death...

COMMUNITY CURRENTS—Tifereth Israel Synagogue is staging a sale on Judaica and other items at its Traditions Gift Shop off the main lobby of the sanctuary building at 6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard. There are 50 percent discounts on jewelry and kiddush cups, and 20 percent discounts on other items except parchments and candles.  the sale lasts through September 30... 

CYBER-REFERRALS—Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles passes along a story on YNET that guerrilla bands of Fatah loyalists have been infiltrating the Gaza Strip and have been performing acts of sabotage against Hamas in Gaza.  Here is a link to the story... StandWithUs refers us to a story in the Jerusalem Post about a professor of Palestine University in Gaza who was kidnapped by Hamas authorities and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam.  Here is the link.

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Saturday, August 11, 2007
 

Monday, August 13, 2007
 

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

JEWISH LICENSE PLATES—Melanie Rubin spotted a plate bearing the word, "Breeyah," which roughly can be translated from the Hebrew as "Creation" or "Beginning."  We're happy to know that Melanie is keeping up with one of our favorite pictorial hobbies. Here is a link to some of the others in our Jewish license plate collection.

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Thursday, August 16
 

CYBER-REFERRALS— Jay Jacobson draws our attention to a piece by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on the record (dismal) of U.N. peacekeepers inserted into Lebanon after its second war with Israel.  Here is a link. ... Bruce Kesler spotted a column by Winfield Myers of Campus Watch concerning how academics are responding to the scrutiny of watchdog groups.  Here is the link. ...

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Friday, August 17

CYBER-REFERRALS — Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles forwards a story from Haaretz describing a spat betwen the Saudi Arabians and the Syrians regarding their respective roles in the Middle East.  Here is a link.... Jay Jacobson forwards a column by Mehdi Khalji for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy examining the role of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, an organization expected to soon be put on the U.S. list of proscribed terrorist organizations... Hillel Mazansky found a YouTube presentation from earlier this year about a black Jewish congregation, Beth Shalom, in Chicago.  Video shows portions of the service.  It is below, along with another video production showing an Ethiopian Jewish service in Safed. .... The Republican Jewish Caucus has sent around approvingly a column by Michael Medved wondering why Hollywood has chosen in the movie, September Dawn, to release a movie dealing with Mormon terrorists of the 19th century, rather than making one about Islamic terrorists today.  Could this have something to do with the fact that one of the leading Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, is Mormon? ....






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Saturday, August 18, 2007
 

FEMALE CANTORS—CJ, the magazine of Conservative/ Masorti Judaism has a feature in the current issue in which female cantors discuss some of their experiences. One of those writing in the first person is Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro, formerly of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego and currently at Congregation Beth-El in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  She tells of women and girls in the congregation tentatively and then later trying on tefillin and "now it is as if it has always been that way....Recently, I was talking ot a bright and talented boy with a magnificent voice who comes to synagogue every Shabbat.  When I suggested that he might consider becoming a hazzan one day, he asked, 'Can a boy be a hazzan too?'"

FUNDRAISER—There was a time in California's past when the thought of someone gambling on a ship would cause whistles to blow, officers to call through bullhorns, and occasionally, passengers to jump overboard with their illegal gaming profits.  How times have changed.  There's a gambling cruise coming up that just as you lay down your bet, you're liable to have Sheriff Bill Kolender looking over your shoulder... and wishing you luck!  On Thursday evening, September 20, the sheriff and his wife Lois will host Casino Royale night aboard the Hornblower yacht Inspiration.  Guests will board at 5:30 p.m., depart the pier at 7 p.m. and return at 9:30 p.m., during which time they'll have dinner and gambling.  Oh, but there's a catch.  All the proceeds of this gambling night go to a charity, most specifically the Sheriff's Museum and Educational Center.

Robert & Helaine Baum

SIMCHA—Members of their Congregation Beth Israel chavurah, neighbors, friends and, of course, family members were on hand today for a luncheon saluting Robert & Helaine Baum, who were celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary as well as nearby birthday dates.  Former San Diegan Sharon Thomas flew in from Texas to be present for the celebration which was held in the back room of the Panda Inn at Horton Plaza.

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

CONGREGATIONAL CURRENTS— Nadav Caine, a layman, will serve as spiritual leader of Ner Tamid Synagogue, beginning August 24.  Mitchell J. Freedman, president of the Conservative congregation, notes that Caine is an honors graduate in philosophy from Princeton, and holds a master's degree in theology from Harvard.  He has taught Jewish studies at Stanford and San Jose State and now has decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rabbi Ivan Caine, who served in Philadelphia pulpits for over 30 years.  Father and son will officiate over High Holidays.  They will be joined by  Cantor Michel Freed of Los Angeles.  But before all that happens, the congregation is planning an evening that will be a whole lot more secular—a Texas Hold Em Poker tournament from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday evening.  Entrance fee of $30 entitles players and spectators to pizza, salad, dessert and beverages.  The player with the most winning hands will win a prize.  Proceeds will help to finance the Hebrew school programs.

Steve Berger of Congregation Beth El is a new district director of the Federation of Jewish Men's Club, an auxiliary of the Conservative movement.  Meanwhile, Phil Snyder of Tifereth Israel Synagogue has been named as a vice president for membership.

SIMCHA—Myla Wingard and Dr. Lou Rosen celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary and the repainting of the interior of their house in Pacific Beach by inviting friends and neighbors over for a ceremony today affixing mezuzot to the doorposts of their rooms. Daughter Adira's room behind Myla is painted in "sassy lilac," one of a number of  lively colors in which their rooms are now painted.  Some others include "yellow sunshine," "nutmeg brown," "plum purple," and "spring water fall blue" and for son Eitan, a "chic" black and white.  "People are affected by the colors—they say 'wow' because it makes you smile," Wingard explained.  "Each color elicits a different kind of mood."

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Monday, August 20
 

JEWISH PUBLIC OFFICIALS—Fox News reported today that following a shoving incident at the airport in Washington D.C. between Congressman Bob Filner and  a baggage officer , the latter swore out a misdemeanor assault and battery complaint against Filner.  Here is one link to the story and here is
Bob Filner
a link to an expanded version. Our thanks to Steve Griffin for alerting us to the story...  California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has announced the capture in Georgia of Norman Hugh Baker, 52, of Torrance, California, who was convicted of bilking homeowners out of their insurance payments for rain damage. He fled the state before his sentencing date in California. "I am committed to protecting consumers from criminals who will stop at nothing for a quick buck," said Commissioner Poizner. "Anyone considering stealing from hard-working Californians should think twice and beware that Department of Insurance investigators are not far behind them."

SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY—One of the more enjoyable magazines in town is Save Our Heritage, with color layouts of interesting historical buildings.  The current issue focuses on San Diego's Historic Warehouse District.  Among buildings  illustrated in an article by Bruce Coons, SOHO's executive director, are the Simon Levi Building at 7th and J Streets in San Diego, and Levi Wholesale Grocery Co.  They were built in 1916 and 1927 respectively.  Another article in the magazine, compiled by Coons' wife, Alana, discusses the economics of historic preservation.  Illustrating that piece is a photo of the twin-towered Louis Bank of Commerce, built in 1888 for Isador Louis in what today we call the Gaslamp Quarter. Another article entitled the "2007 Most Endangered List" tells of 12 properties that SOHO fears are facing threats to their historic context.  Among these is the 1965 Salk Institute for Biological Studies, which grew out of a conceptual partnership between architect Louis Kahn and polio vaccine discover Jonas Salk.   According to the SOHO article: "Entitlements are being sought this year for an insensitive Master Plan that would permanently alter the world-renowned Salk Institute for Biological Studies... Inconsistent with Kahn's original site plan and design, the master plan threatens to max out the property in a manner that would permanently compromise its prized architectural, historical and environmental values. This would include views to and from the iconic Kahn laboratory buildings and the magnificent courtyard space."... We also take note that among 2007 "People in Preservation Award Winners" cited by the organization were Louis & Tammy Vener, who adopted the motto, "out with the new and in with the old" in connection with the preservation, restoration and historic designation of the Uriah and Clara Barkey House. ... Kathleen Dickey, who became a research intern at the San Diego Archaeological Center after retiring as a clinical microbiologist and research scientist, plans a lecture on October 13 at the center (16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido) on the topic "History on the Rocks: The Story of 160 Acres in the San Pasqual Valley.). So what's Jewish about that?  One of the personages in her story was Moses Mannasse, a 19th century settler in San Diego County. 

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Tuesday, August 21
 

GREETINGS—Pastor Glen Larsen of Poway Community Church welcomes Rabbi Tamar Malino of Temple
Adat Shalom before her talk about Judaism earlier this month before the Poway Interfaith Council
 

AROUND THE TOWN—The executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, is coming to San Diego to deliver a lecture at 7 p.m., Thursday,  September 20, which is the night before Kol Nidre.  A reception will follow his lecture at the University of San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice.  The center picked up from the Human Rights Watch website the background
Kenneth Roth
information that "roth was drawn to the human rights cause in part by his father's experience fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938."

CONGREGATIONAL CURRENTS—Rabbi Tamar Malino of Temple Adat Shalom recently spoke at the Poway Community Church as part of an ongoing summer program of interfaith presentations by representatives of various religions in the community.  According to Lori Mathios, who handles publicity for the temple, "Our Rabbi gave a brilliant presentation and answered questions from guests and clergy with ease.  One guest, who remains anonymous, was so impressed, that he gave a very generous sum to open a non-profit bank account for future programs."
 
CYBER-REFERRALS— We thank contributors who pass along stories of interest for your benefit:

●Abe & Bea Goldberg noted that PM Caregivers has a bumper sticker promotion with jokes about becoming old.  One features a saying of George Burns: "It's nice to be here. At my age, it's nice to be anywhere.' Here's the link

●Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles, without comment, directs attention to an article in the Jerusalem Post quoting the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade as saying Israel has arrested two fighters previously given amnesty, so the brigade no longer feels bound to honor agreements with Israel. Here's the link  

●Jay Jacobson directs our attention to a speculative piece about the fortifications and land purchases Hezbollah is making north of the Litani River, and what the strategic intent of these developments might be.  Here is the link.

●Hillel Mazansky saw the item on the BBC report about Alex Kurzem, a Jew who was brought up secretly by a Nazi officer.  Here's the link.

●We at the San Diego Jewish World greatly appreciated the first item in Diane Bell's column in the San Diego Union-Tribune about Yoni Peres going "to bat" for us.  Here is the link.


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Wednesday, August 22

 

JEWISH ELECTED OFFICIALS—California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced the conviction on insurance fraud and sentencing to two years imprisonment of Manuel Carreon, 45, 0f Pomona.  Poizner said while the man was  receiving total disability payments for allegedly wrenching his back as a nurse, he continued to work as a carpenter.

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Thursday, August 23
 

JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—Elected officials from the Jewish community find themselves dealing with a great variety of issues.  We'll try to post you on some of their wide ranging activities  in this section of this column.

● U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee) will speak on Friday in Memphis at a ceremony renaming the Clifford Davis Federal Building as the Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal Building, the latter name being that of the first African-American federal judge to serve in that city since Reconstruction.

●U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Republican, Minnesota) has hailed a declaration by President George W. Bush that three counties in the southeastern part of Minnesota are "disaster areas" eligible for federal emergency funds and loans.  Said Coleman: "Due to the widespread damage from these floods, the reality is that the cleanup process with be lengthy and costly. You simply cannot plan for a disaster like this, and today’s declaration is a critical first step in delivering federal resources to help with the recovery."

●U.S. Reps. Rahm Emanuel and Jan Schakowsky (both Democrats, Illinois) welcomed a decision by BP-America, to not go forward with plans to dump more ammonia into Lake Michigan from its Indiana Whiting Refinery.  "They realized a good business decision is a good environmental decision," said Rahm in a press release.  Schakowsky said the BP-America decision "is a victory for the residents of all the Great Lake states and for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water."

● U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) has welcomed the report by the inspector general of the Central Intelligence Agency outlining mistakes and gaps in intelligence gathering prior to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  She endorsed the recommendation that accountability boards be convened "not to blame, but to assure that reforms are in fact in place. We need to remedy gaps in our intelligence collection, and improve management of our operational capabilities."

●San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender recently learned that the county jail had housed an inmate who had tuberculosis between August 6 and 8. Now his office is busy contacting former inmates who may have been exposed to contact their doctors.

●U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (Democrat, California), chairman of the House International Relations Committee, has called for the release in Burma of human rights activist Min Ko Naing.  "Yet again, Burma's military thugs are fattening their own pockets by using gangster tactics to grind the Burmese people into deeper despair," Lantos said.

●U.S. Rep. Frank Lautenberg (Democrat, New Jersey) during a tour of railroad tunnels under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey to New York announced that $160 million in improvements had been authorized for the interstate links—infrastructure improvements he described as particularly important in the wake of the Minnesota bridge collapse.

● U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, New York), in the wake of last weekend's highrise fire at the Deutsche Bank Building in New York, has called on New York City to develop a better emergency communications system to get authoritative word out quickly to New York City residents about the nature of any emergency and what to do.

● U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont)  says if President Bush is "pleased" with the U.S. economy, he must be out of touch.  He said the President should take note of a recent report by the Internal Revenue Service that the average income of an American in 2005 was lower than it was in 2000.

● U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (Democrat, Kentucky) takes credit for  more than $230 million in new federal speding for the city of Louisville.  Swelling the total were a $182.3 million appropriation for Raytheon's Phalanx Close In Weapon System and $45 million for the McAlpine Locks and Dams. 


PEERING OVER THE DIVIDE—The Palestine Children's Relief Fund and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee are  co-sponsoring with Alternate Focus, a local left organization, two short films at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 30, at the Five Points Sheraton, 8110 Aero Drive.  Open Heart Surgery focuses on the work of Dr. Alexander Zouros, a pediatric neurosurgeon and assistant professor of neurological surgery at Loma Lina University and Children's Hospital, who volunteered his medical services in Ramallah in January.  War Child by videographer Sam Sabaawa "follows a severely injured Palestinian boy from Gaza through his care in Southern California."

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Friday, August 24, 2007
 

EDUCATION BEAT— Teachers at the San Diego Jewish Academy and other institutions are required to be certified in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and so, on Thursday, a training session was held at SDJA.  Among other exercises, instructor Carrisa Delos Santos of A-B-CPR led faculty through the 30/2 drill: breathing twice into an unconscious person's mouth to get his or her chest to rise, alternating with 30 chest compressions. In the accompanying photo SDJA teachers practice on dummies, counting aloud the number of chest compressions. 

JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—Elected officials from the Jewish community find themselves dealing with a great variety of issues.  We'll try to post you on some of their wide ranging activities  in this section of this column.

●U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (Democrat, New York) has criticized Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., for missing a third deadline for having a warning siren operational at the Indian Point nuclear power plant.  "These continued missed deadlines by Entergy are unacceptable, and are cause for concern,” he said.

●U.S. Sen. Russell Feingold (Democrat, Wisconsin) is currently touring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to learn what can be done to foster regional security in the region.  As chairman of the subcommittee on Africa of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Feingold said he plans to meet "with elected officials, military leaders, diplomats, and others to gain a better understanding of how far we’ve come, how far we need to go, and how the U.S. can continue to be a good partner in achieving these goals.”
 

●U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (Democrat, New Jersey) recently hosted a group of Filipinos who fought for the United States during World War II, but who do not receive the same benefits as other veterans of that war.  The congressman said he now plans to support legislation to extend the benefits to the Filipino veterans.  The legislation in question was authored by U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (Democrat, California)

● U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) and Sam Brownback (Republican, Kansas) welcomed a preliminary agreement between the Digital Media Association and Sound Exchange over some of the issues concerning payment for use and reuse of material on radio broadcasts.  "We are encouraged by the good faith efforts represented by this initial agreement.  It is a promising first step in the negotiation process which we are hoping will make our legislation unnecessary," the two senators said in a joint statement.  

STYLE NOTES—In today's Judaism section, we have Rabbi Baruch Lederman referring to this week's Torah portion as Ki Seitzei, an Ashkenazic transliteration, and Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal referring to the same portion as Ki Teitzei, a Sephardic transliteration.  We allow both styles because we understand that Judaism is a religion with many traditions.  To insist on any one style would be to deny the validity of the other.   Similarly some of our writers refer to "God," whereas others use the construction "G-d."  Even in secular matters, we are tolerant of differences in style.  Some of our writers use British usage for English words like "labour" or "neighbour" whereas others use American usage such as "labor" and "neighbor." 

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Saturday, August 25
 

CALENDAR—The San Diego region of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has sent out a "save the date" card for its Sunday, March 30, brunch at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. and the program, still to be announced, beginning at 10 a.m.  Co-chairs of the brunch are Claire & David Ellman; table captain co-chairs are Hillary & Jeffrey Liber.  The registration is $50 for those who sign up before March 3, and $65 for those who sign up thereafter. AIPAC's San Diego chair is Leslie Caspi.  More information is available from the AIPAC office at (858) 626-2790.  You may RSVP on line via this link.


CONGREGATIONAL CURRENTS—Rabbi Adam Rosenthal, a May graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the new head rabbi at Peninsula Sinai in Foster City, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He is the son of Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego.  In an interview with "J," Northern California's weekly Jewish newspaper, he paid tribute to his father. Stacey Palevsky of the J wrote that the younger Rosenthal is  "trying to      embrace his father’s best qualities — his ability to care about people, to have a calm presence, to think clearly and not reactively, to stay open-minded."

The current issue of Reform Judaism highlights the Union of Reform Judaism's 2007 biennial convention, which is expected to draw thousands of delegate and family members to San Diego from all parts of the country December 12-16.  Among articles in the issue are two by San Diego Jewish World editor Don Harrison on Jewish places to visit in San Diego and on general sightseeing in the southwest corner of the continental United States. 


CYBER-REFERRALS—We thank contributors who pass along or post stories of interest for your benefit:

●American Jewish Congress has released a declassified Israeli report detailing how Hezbollah  positioned its weapons in civilian areas in a conscious effort to utilize "human shields" and how it purposely targeted the civilian population in Israel—both acts being "war crimes," according to Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad now chairing Israel's Center for Special Studies. Here is a link to the study.

●Hillel Mazansky forwards to us a "good news" compilation by Anglo-Saxon Ra'anana, a real estate company in Israel that caters to English-speaking olim. Here is a link to its list of some of Israel's achievements.

JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—Elected officials from the Jewish community find themselves dealing with a great variety of issues.  We'll  post you on some of their wide ranging activities  in this section of this column.

●COMMITTEE CHAIRS—Perusal of congressional websites indicates that a dozen committees are chaired by members of the Jewish Community, all Democrats except Joseph Lieberman (Independent, Connecticut).  In the House these committees are Financial Services (Barney Frank of Massachusetts); International Relations (Tom Lantos of California); Oversight and Governmental Affairs (Henry Waxman of California); Veteran Affairs (Bob Filner of California).  In the Senate, the committees are Aging (Herb Kohl of Wisconsin); Armed Services (Carl Levin of Michigan); Environment and Public Works (Barbara Boxer of California); Ethics (also Barbara Boxer); Homeland Security and Government Affairs (Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut); and Rules and Administration (Dianne Feinstein of California).  Joint Committees of the House and Senate:  Economics (Charles Schumer of New York); Library (also Dianne Feinstein).


●U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley (Democrat, Nevada) held a news conference on Friday in Las Vegas to appeal for President George W. Bush to sign the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program).  Joined by Mary Johnson, Maternal Child RN, San Martín Campus and Andy North, Spokesman, St Rose Dominican Hospitals, Berkley said: "Given that Nevada has one of the highest percentages of uninsured residents in the nation, it is critical that we work together to help these families in Las Vegas and throughout the Silver State who are at risk because they continue to have no healthcare coverage."

● U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) continues to get mileage criticizing U.S. President George W. Bush for not visiting Vermont once since he became President in 2001—the lone state of the 50 in the United States Bush has stayed away from.  Vermont is also the state of Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean, and Sanders suggests maybe Bush is afraid to come to a state that views the world from the liberal side of the spectrum.


● U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (Democrat, California), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has requested the heads of federal agencies to respond what role they played in the White House's 'Asset Deployment' strategy for the 2004 reelection, wherein actions of federal government allegedly were coordinated for maximum benefit for President George W. Bush's reelection and the elections of friendly Republican members of Congress.  Here is a link to a copy of the letter that Waxman sent to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Jr. on the subject.

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Sunday, August 26
 

AROUND THE TOWN —Liberal activists are concerned over reports that KLSD Radio is switching from the center to left "Air America" format to something less controversial and more profitable in conservative San Diego.  Larry Gorfine,  a Democratic party stalwart, is among those pushing an internet petition urging the radio station to fight on, and not switch.  Here is a link.

CAMPUS WHIRL—The students are returning to campus and the Jewish Student Union and Hillel are ready.  Tomorrow on the San Diego State University campus, Hannah Berman, a Lipinsky JCSC campus fellow will be passing out free bagels on the lawn above Scripps Cottage from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The following day Hillel will have a table set up at the Student Union, and on Wednesday the organization will host a hot dog and veggie burger barbecue.

COMMUNITY WATCH—The Jewish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego wants to help young entrepreneurs start up their businesses.  It is seeking senior business persons with know how to serve as advisors on its new Foundation. 

CONGREGATIONAL CURRENTS—We thank Yehuda Lave for the photos of the Torah dedication by the Nissanoff family (left, with sofer Alberto Attia) at Chabad of University City.  At right, Attia finishes up the Torah as the congregation watches.

CYBER-REFERRALS—We thank contributors who pass along or post stories of interest for your benefit:

●Hillel Mazanksy passes along an op-ed piece by Hillel C. Neuer of the U.N. Watch that appeared in the Boston Globe.  It talks about the deeply ingrained anti-Semitism as the United Nations.  Here is a link.  He also found an online spoof of Google called "Jewgle." Nu, take a look.

●The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention  notes a new exhibit at its headquarters in Atlanta in which Brazilian photojournalist Sebastião Salgado  tells the history of the worldwide fight against polio, including the development of vaccines by Drs. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin,  and through his lens examines efforts around the globe to eradicate the disease. Some of his photos are previewed online.  Here is the link.


JEWISH POLITICAL FIGURES—Elected officials from the Jewish community find themselves dealing with a great variety of issues.  We'll  post you on some of their wide ranging activities  in this section of this column.

●Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson has announced a 30-block redevelopment project in concert with the University of Louisville and the State of Kentucky.  Expected to cost $2.5 billion over the next two decades, the redevelopment is expected to generate high skilled, high paying jobs in the health care sector.

●New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has broken ground on an $8.7 million Phase II renovation of the Harlem River Park Greenway and Esplanade. Acording to the mayor's office: "This project, expected to be completed in August 2008, will open a new portion of the waterfront to the public, and extend the existing greenway and esplanade north from 139th Street to 142nd Street. Phase I, completed in 2003, opened a section of waterfront and established a greenway and esplanade from 135th Street to 139th Street. When this section is completed, New Yorkers will be able to travel on the waterfront from 60th Street to 142nd Street, with a ten-block detour that uses existing bike lanes to avoid a section of waterfront that is being used for necessary bridge repairs."

●U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (Democrat, Massachusetts) has set September 5 for a hearing by the House Financial Services Committee, which he chairs, into "the current crises in the credit markets, mortgage market and the implications for the U.S. consumer and the economy."  Witnesses from the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury will provide testimony.

● Announcing the reshuffling of subcommittee assignments for the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month, the chairman, Senator Carl Levin (Democrat, Michigan), assigned Senator Joseph Lieberman (Independent, Connecticut) as
Levin and Lieberman

chairman of the Airland subcommittee, and also named him as a member of the subcommittees on seapower and personnel. 

●Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell recently held a signing ceremony for a bill expanding his state's commitment to solar energy at a school in Erie, Pennsylvania, where a new solar system is being installed. "By increasing our use of clean and renewable energy technologies, we are growing Pennsylvania’s economy, protecting our environment and strengthening our national security,” he said.

● New York Governor Eliot Spitzer recently signed legislation enabling rape victims to obtain quick information about whether the assailant tested positive for  HIV/AIDS.  Previously victims could only
Spitzer, Mayersohn
request such information.  The legislation was authored by Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn.
 

SIMCHAS—Gerry Greber, a retired General Foods chemist now living in Carlsbad, was joined by friends and family at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club today to celebrate his 80th birthday. The invitation that his wife Marilyn sent out for the event featured a photo of Gerry, approximately age 2, in a somewhat formal pose.  We'll leave it to our readers to decide whether he has changed very much in the ensuing years/

.

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Monday, August 27
 

Tuesday, August 28
 

CYBER-REFERRALS—San Diego Jewish World appreciates and thanks those individuals and organizations which recommend stories of interest to the worldwide Jewish community:

●Israel's Consulate General: A YNet News article reporting that Gilad Shalit spent a second birthday in captivity since his capture in Gaza in June of 2005 by Hamas. He turned 21 years old today.  Here is the link.

●Jay Jacobson: A briefing paper by Nick Francona of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Hamas' military capacity since the Gaza takeover.  Here is the link.

●Eliot Schubert:  A moving tribute by Captain Stephen Ellison, MD to the veterans and victims, including a Holocaust survivor, of World War II.  Here is a link.

●Phil Snyder: An article by Sue Fishkopf of the Jewish Telegraph Agency appearing on Interfaith Family.Com about people who consider themselves "half-Jewish."  Here is the link.

● United Jewish Communities: A story about how the Egyptian Actor's Union is investigating an actor who appeared in a film about Saddam Hussein in which the lead part was played by an Israeli.  Here is the link.

JEWISH PUBLIC OFFICIALS—

● U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (Democrat, New Hampshire) said regulations drawn up by federal bureaucrats administering the children's health care program could deprive 2,000 children from poor families of coverage they are entitled to.  He said the law requires children to be enrolled if their families make less than three times more money than the poverty line.  But proposed rules would say before people who make three times the amount could be admitted to the program, more than 90 percent of people who make two and a half times the standard would have to be enrolled.  Such a high percentage almost never is reached, he said.

*U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, New York), whose district includes the former site of the World Trade Center, today issued the following statement following the World Trade Center Health Registry’s findings that rescue and recovery workers who worked on the "pile" without respirators developed asthma at a rate 12 times above the normal population. "Today’s important findings from the New York City Department of Health again underscore the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency and other government actors failed the first responders and other workers at Ground Zero by not telling the truth about air quality and by not demanding absolute adherence to workplace safety measures. If any good is to come from this tragedy, the government must ensure that a plan is in place to properly protect the public health in the event of a similar catastrophe. The government must provide absolutely truthful environmental risk communications, and it must not give workplace safety regulations short shrift. I will continue to work with my colleagues to bring to light the truth about 9/11 air quality and to ensure that the federal government provide comprehensive, long-term health care to all those affected by the environmental aftermath of the 9/11 attacks."

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Wednesday, August 29
 

● New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged President Bush to cancel a rule proposed by his administration to delay children';s health care insurance eligibility for families with  incomes three times higher than the poverty line until after 90 percent of the people with incomes only twice as high as the poverty line are enrolled.  They said such a rule would deny health insurance to thousands of children.

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Thursday, August 30
 

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Friday, August 31
CYBER-REFERRALS—San Diego Jewish World appreciates and thanks those individuals and organizations which recommend stories of interest to the worldwide Jewish community:

● Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles: A story in Ha'aretz how Hamas police wounded 20 persons dispersing a Fatah protest in Gaza.  Here is the link

● Jay Jacobson: An article in Ha'aretz by Danny Rubinstein looking ahead toward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.  Here is the link.

● Hillel Mazansky: A Hebrew language slide show on the ruins at Be'it Shean.  You need to click on the screen each time you want a new photo.  Here is the link.

● Republican Jewish Coalition: An article in the National Review by Peter Wehner comparing the U.S. Civil War with the course of the current Iraq War.  Here is the link.

●United Jewish Communities: A story that the body of two sailors were found following a collision between ships at sea.  Here is the link.

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Go to September 2007