San Diego, CA
Our Shtetl San Diego County: Closing Weekend of the RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust Exhibit – San Diego Jewish World
By Cailin Acosta
SAN DIEGO – When I learned that the RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust exhibit at the Rancho San Diego Library would be having its closing ceremony this weekend, I felt a little sad. It is a very thorough exhibit and I spent time reading the many stories of survivors. I am going on Thursday (tomorrow) with the Jewish Women’s Circle of Chabad East County one more time.
I will think of my dear late friend Rose Schindler who told me personally her father told her to “stay alive, so that you can tell the world what they are doing to us.” With the exhibit having its closing ceremony (it will remain open until June) I thought of Schindler’s words and wondered, now what? Who is going to continue to tell the story? Our survivors are sadly aging and passing so it relies on us to tell the stories and to not forget.
I will never forget the amazing survivors I met and the connections I had with them. At the closing ceremony, they will be showing a video presentation looking back at the then and now of the exhibit. Special guest speakers feature Matt Dunford from Love on the Spectrum, San Diego County Assessor Jordan Marks, Mayor Ron Morrison of National City, Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, and Roosevelt Williams the III “The Man Behind the Rose.” This event is free and starts at 3 pm.
*
Chabad of Downtown is hosting a Shabbat Dinner on May 17, services start at 7 pm, and then a festive dinner to follow. If you have never been to a community Shabbat dinner, then you really should experience it. Click here to send in your reservation.
*
The JCC has an action-packed event on May 19 to celebrate Israel now and forever. This free event will feature musical performances, food, and community. Click here to register.
*
I love finding free family activities online to celebrate Jewish holidays together. The IAC Keshet and OFEK put together this family booklet you can print and celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut creating some fun activities together. Click here for the free booklet.
*
Hadassah is hosting a FUNdraiser for fun people on June 23 at Tifereth Israel Synagogue! Marsha Starr is the featured Hypno Diva along with the San Diego Miriam Group. If you love a show with a laugh-a-minute explosion of hilarity, then this is the show you need to attend, and you MIGHT be able to jump on stage and be a part of the show! Proceeds will be contributed to a state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital in Israel that serves everyone regardless of religion, ethnicity, or political persuasion. Click here to attend and laugh knowing you are donating to an amazing cause.
*
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Rep. Maria Salazar (FL-27) introduced the bipartisan Global Internet Freedom Act to reinforce that internet freedom is fundamental to human rights. Jacobs said: “In the 21st century, internet freedom is a human right. It’s essential to get news and information about current events, connect with loved ones, ensure transparency and accountability of elected officials, and so much more. Unfortunately, dozens of countries use censorship and suppression online or issue draconian punishments for online activity, stifling people’s freedom of expression and ability to connect and engage with others. AI also poses new and heightened risks to internet freedom, empowering governments to wage online disinformation campaigns and surveil and censor online speech, websites, and social media platforms.”
*
San Diego City Councilwoman Dr. Jen Campbell has endorsed Heather Ferbert for San Diego City Attorney. Advertisements in which she was listed as having endorsed Ferbert’s opponent, Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, were lies, according to Dan Rottenstreich, Ferbert’s campaign consultant. Maienschein’s campaign did not return a request for comment. Ferbert is San Diego’s chief deputy city attorney. The incumbent city attorney, Mara Elliott, is termed out.
*
Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of San Diego Jewish World.
San Diego, CA
Evacuations ordered after brush fire sparked in Spring Valley
Evacuations were ordered by first responders Thursday afternoon after a brush fire began burning in East County near where state Routes 125 and 54 intersect.
By 12:30, officials said, the flames in Spring Valley had charred just one acre near the Jamacha Boulevard exit of the freeway, but the fire spead significantly in the following hour.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in some areas, including at Leigh Avenue and Spring Canyon Drive, but a map of the nearby residential neighborhoods that have ordered out was released (see below).
Cal Fire has two firefighting helicopters at the scene, assisting the San Miguel Fire & Rescue with its ground crews deployed to the incident, according to Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette.
Evacuees have been told they can meet at the gym at Mt. Miguel High School, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Check back for updates on this breaking news story — Ed.
San Diego, CA
Arts and Culture Newsletter: San Diego Asian Film Festival marks 25th year
When the San Diego Asian Film Festival gets under way next Thursday it will mark 25 years of artistic achievement and a quarter-century of growth into an international event.
That growth, says Alex Villafuerte, executive director of the festival-presenting Pacific Arts Movement, has been the result of “grit and determination. Lee Ann Kim assembled a great team that took the festival through its formative years. From there it became an institution that filmmakers from around the world look to to showcase Asian cinema.”
“That very first year, in 2000, we were in classrooms and auditoriums at (the University of San Diego). We’ve grown to a 10-day festival now showing 170 films, making us one of the largest showcases of Asian cinema in the country.”
This year’s festival, with screenings at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa and at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park among other venues, will include films from 35-plus countries in 40-plus languages. The schedule is comprised of full-length features, shorts, documentaries, classics and more.
The opening-night screening at the San Diego Natural History Museum will be of “Cells At Work!”, Hideki Takeuchi’s live-action adaptation of a popular manga series by Akane Shimizu. Takeuchi will be on hand for a discussion after the 7 p.m. screening.
For star power, look no further than Yen Tan’s “All That We Love,” screening Nov. 10 and starring Margaret Cho. “It’s a film about a divorcee whose family dog passes and she uses that to reassess her relationship in her life,” said Villafuerte.
That film comes with a note of symmetry: Director Tan had once been a volunteer graphic designer for the SDAFF, and comedian Cho was part of the very first festival 24 years ago. For details, visit sdaff.org/2024.
Theater
Another comedian and another pioneer in the business, Joan Rivers, is the focal point of a world premiere play by Daniel Goldstein at South Coast Repertory Theatre, just north of us in Costa Mesa. It’s simply titled “Joan.”
The production running through Nov. 24 and starring Tessa Auberjonois is part of South Coast Rep’s “American Icon” series, and Rivers was certainly that. This is not a one-person show re-creating Rivers’ act. It’s a full-cast play that concerns itself not only with Rivers’ career but with her life as a mother, to Melissa Rivers.
That it’s advised that the play contains “adult language” should come as no surprise.
Gospel music
Kirk Franklin has been performing his brand of urban contemporary gospel for decades and has earned 20 Grammys along the way. In case you’re wondering where he’s been lately, you can catch up with Franklin when his “Reunion Tour” comes to SDSU’s Viejas Arena on Saturday night.
Franklin, now 54, is bringing some special guests with him: Yolanda Adams, the Clark Sisters, Marvin Sapp and Fred Hammond. The presence of Adams on the bill is a special treat for those who are already fans of the performer known as the “Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music.”
Tickets start at $36 and go up. Way up.
Book event
San Diego’s women authors will be celebrated on Monday at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, when the museum’s “Community Mondays” program teams up with the San Diego Writers Festival for an event titled “Women Powered.”
Besides a book fair, the evening is a launch party for poet Jane Muschenetz and her collection “Power Point.” The free event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Registration is required at sandiegowritersfestival.com.
Movie screening
It takes a lot to get me to a movie theater at 11 o’clock in the morning. It takes a lot to get me to do almost anything (besides working) at 11 o’clock in the morning. But with Mel Brooks’ classic “Young Frankenstein” being currently unavailable on either Netflix or Prime Video, I’m tempted to head to Media Arts Center San Diego’s Digital Gym Cinema on Saturday.
That’s when, at 11 a.m., “Young Frankenstein” will be screened, an event in partnership with the San Diego Public Library. Brooks’ 1974 spoof of Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror story is the best film he ever made and it features iconic comic performances from a great cast led by two gone too soon: Gene Wilder and Madeleine Kahn. Marty Feldman’s Igor and Cloris Leachman’s Frau Blucher are also unforgettable, as is Peter Boyle as the monster and Gene Hackman in a side-splitting cameo as a blind man serving soup and a cigar for that same monster.
U-T arts stories you may have missed this week
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Gene Perry & Rumba Ketumba”
Watch the electrifying performance of Gene Perry & Rumba Ketumba recorded at UC San Diego’s Park & Market. Perry, a fixture in San Diego’s music scene since 1974, was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and is a pioneer of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. His ensemble, Rumba Ketumba, features a vibrant mix of San Diego natives and international musicians. The group delivers high-energy Afro-Latin, Caribbean and Spanish Rumba rhythms that will keep you moving. “Gene Perry and Rumba Ketumba’s extraordinary musical talent and personalities are hard for audiences to resist,” says host Yael Strom, who has collaborated with the group on several groundbreaking cross-genre projects.
“Storytelling for the Screen: ‘The Citizen’”
Writer/director Sam Kadi and actors William Atherton and Rizwan Manji join moderator Juan Campo for an engaging discussion about “The Citizen.” The film tells the story of Ibrahim Jarrah, an immigrant from the Middle East who arrives in New York City one day before the tragic events of Sept. 11. The panel explores their experiences making the film, drawing inspiration from real Arab American stories, and its continued relevance. They discuss themes of citizenship, the immigrant experience, racial prejudice, and the right to protest, as well as the representation of Arab Americans on-screen. “The Citizen” offers a compelling look at the struggles and triumphs of pursuing the American dream in challenging times.
“AI for Security, Security for AI”
How secure are computers, and how does artificial intelligence impact security? In this program, Christopher Kruegel, professor of computer science at UC Santa Barbara, addresses two important questions in security and AI. First, how AI can enhance security? For decades, traditional machine learning models have been used in security solutions, but recent advances in AI are opening up new and exciting opportunities. Second, the security of AI systems themselves. Like any other software, AI systems are vulnerable to exploitation. Given their critical roles, it is essential to secure AI against attacks such as training data poisoning and adversarial inputs. Join Kruegel as he explores both the promises and the vulnerabilities of AI in today’s digital landscape.
And finally, top weekend events
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: Nov. 1-3.
San Diego, CA
Chinese smartphone company Honor gets new investors as it gears up for IPO
- Chinese smartphone company Honor on Thursday announced backing from new investors as the Huawei spinoff prepares for an initial public offering.
- The new backers include China Telecom and CICC Capital.
- Honor said earlier this year it planned to start changing its shareholder structure in the fourth quarter, and start the IPO process “at a suitable time.”
BEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Honor on Thursday announced backing from new investors as the Huawei spinoff prepares for an initial public offering.
The new backers are: China Telecom — one of the major telecommunications operators in the country — CICC Capital, Chinese venture capital firm Cornerstone and SDG, a fund linked to a Shenzhen economic zone. Honor said its existing partners also made a new investment round through an entity called Jinshi Xingyao.
Honor said earlier this year it planned to start changing its shareholder structure in the fourth quarter, after which it would start the IPO process “at a suitable time.”
The company has not said where it would list. Honor announced its IPO plans in November 2023.
Honor spun off from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in November 2020 after the parent company was hit by U.S. sanctions. Huawei said it does not hold any shares in Honor or have involvement in business decisions.
Last week, Honor revealed the next version of its operating system can use AI to mimic actions on a touchscreen, such as opening an app to order coffee delivery. The company on Wednesday released its new Magic7 series of phones that can use the AI features in China.
Just under one-third of Honor’s sales came from outside China in the first half of this year, according to Counterpoint.
— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Alien Country (2024) – Movie Review
-
Technology7 days ago
OpenAI plans to release its next big AI model by December
-
Health6 days ago
New cervical cancer treatment approach could reduce risk of death by 40%, trial results show
-
Culture7 days ago
Top 45 MLB free agents for 2024-25 with contract predictions, team fits: Will Soto get $600M+?
-
Sports5 days ago
Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam gives Dodgers Game 1 World Series win vs. Yankees
-
News5 days ago
Sikh separatist, targeted once for assassination, says India still trying to kill him
-
Culture4 days ago
Freddie Freeman wallops his way into World Series history with walk-off slam that’ll float forever
-
Technology4 days ago
When a Facebook friend request turns into a hacker’s trap