San Diego, CA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Solidarity Ride Marked 100 Days Israelis Held Hostage by Hamas – San Diego Jewish World

Published

2 years ago

January 15, 2024

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Solidarity Ride Marked 100 Days Israelis Held Hostage by Hamas – San Diego Jewish World

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, left; Jeffrey Essakow, 2nd from left, and former San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, 5th from left, were among 100 cyclists who broke into small groups in a solidarity ride with Israeli hostages in their 100th day of Hamas captivity on Sunday.

SOLANA BEACH, California (SDJW) –Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, and Jeffrey Essakow, a founder of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, were among 100 cyclists who were gathered by word of mouth Sunday, Jan 14, to ride in solidarity with the Israeli hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for 100 days.

Faulconer, now running for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors, commented, “It is a privilege today to ride with 100 others in strong solidarity with Israel and our Jewish community in San Diego.” Zimmerman said, “Today is the 100^th day since the brutal Hamas attack and for the hostages still in captivity. They must be all be safely returned now. We pedal in solidarity with our sister city Sha’ar Hanegev and all of Israel.” Essakow pointed out that the riders were of all faiths, who pray for the safe return of approximately 130 hostages.

Most of the cyclists rode at a leisurely 2 1/2 -hour pace on a roundtrip route that covered between 32 and 33 miles and which climbed 1,352 feet, according to Zimmerman. The route started at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach, dipped south, then east to Olivenhain, and then north to La Costa, before returning to Fletcher Cove.

Initially, the cyclists thought they simply would pedal from Solana Beach up the coast to Oceanside Harbor and back, but they changed their plans once they learned that runners in the Carlsbad Marathon would cover much the same route. Some cyclists who had children with them, or were riding tandem, opted to skip the hilly inland portions of the solidarity bike ride, and more or less followed the coast.

Zimmerman said the cyclists were greeted with friendly honks by passing motorists, waves from pedestrians, and shouts of support for Israel. She said they did not hear a single negative comment.

Some of the cyclists donned made-to-order Israel jackets for the occasion. In fact, those in one group wearing the Israeli garb only received it via Fedex the morning of the ride, Zimmerman said.

The Leichtag Foundation in Encinitas and Impact Cubed are sponsoring a webinar on the needs of IDF families at 10 a.m., Thursday, January 18. Speakers will be Rachel Azaria and Sapir Bluzer. Charlene Seidle, executive vice president of the Leichtag Foundation, explained that “with more than 350,000 reservists and soldiers deployed, many families are suddenly without a parent or key family member. This places extreme stress on the spouse to balance childcare, household duties, financial struggles, and more all while enduring fears about their family member at war.”

Azaria is a former member of Israel’s Knesset and a Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. She wrote in Hebrew The Guide to Revolution, which teaches techniques for social change. She also chairs Life and Environment, an umbrella organization of 130 environmental groups, and is a trustee of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Bluzer is a senior consultant on economic reforms to Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry. A former CEO of Israel’s National Student Association, she founded and is leading “The Reservist Wives Forum.” She is a former officer in the intelligence branch of the Israeli Air Force.

One hundred percent of the funds that are raised in the campaign “will go to real-time urgent needs for Israelis who have had their lives torn apart – evacuation of families and support for the evacuated; protective equipment; massive triage and logistics; crisis intervention trauma support; and resources to fund funerals and related expenses will be the first priorities,” according to organizers.

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Rabbi Moishe Leider of Chabad of University City will celebrate his birthday with a musical Melava Malka (a festive meal in honor of the departure of the ‘Sabbath Queen’) on 7:30 p.m., Saturday evening, Jan. 13 at his home near the synagogue. “Rachel & Ami” will perform.

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Marking the Jan. 14 birthday of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, San Diego’s klezmer musician Yale Strom related that he had an opportunity to perform with Rabbi Carlebach on his first visit to Poland in 1988. Strom said that “ I was working on my film At the Crossroads: Jews in Eastern Europe Today (with Oren Rudavsky) when we saw him visiting the famous Krakow Jewish Cemetery. He saw me with my violin and said to follow him into the famous REMUH Synagogue. He asked me to take out the violin and listen. The synagogue was packed with people. Every few minutes Rabbi Carlebach asked me if I could hear the strains of the melody. First, I didn’t understand what he meant but then I realized he was composing a song at that very moment while being spiritually infused as he stood on the very bima Rabbi Moses Issreles stood and prayed. Slowly I could hear a discernable melody coming from Rabbi Carlebach. An hour later everybody in the shul was singing the “Cracower Nign” which Rabbi Carlebach wrote at that moment. Now the melody is sung all over the world often on erev shabes. That evening I joined the rabbi on stage for his concert in the opera house. Both experiences I will never forget.”

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Micah Parzen, CEO of the Museum of Us, is supporting the San Diego Public Library’s efforts to encourage more people to read books. Anyone who shows a library card, with matching photo identification, will be admitted to the museum for free on Saturday, January 27, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. During the first hour of that event, museum goers are invited to “bring a gently used book that deserves a new home and leave with a new-to-you book of your own.” Participants wrap their books and write a brief description of its contents, then “engage in facilitated discussion about your book – while keeping the title a surprise!” They then choose a wrapped book to take home.

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SDJA staff report

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar – San Diego Union-Tribune

MIGUEL ANDUJAR

Position(s): Third base, left field, first base
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 211 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1.5 million in 2026, with the opportunity to earn another $2 million-plus in performance bonuses; his $4 million guarantee includes a $2.5 million buyout against an $8 million mutual option for 2027.
fWAR in 2025: 1.1
Key 2025 stats: .318 AVG, .352 OBP, .470 SLG, 10 HRs, 44 RBIs, 36 runs, 17 walks, 49 strikeouts, 1 steal (94 games, 341 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

.986 — Andujar’s OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, the second-highest mark of his career and well above his career .807 OPS against southpaws. Andujar had been below .600 in 2021 and 2022 before jumping to .871 in 2023 and a career-high .995 in 2024.

Up — Signed for $700,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in the international amateur market, Andujar needed two years to get out of the Yankees’ rookie-ball affiliate in the Gulf Coast League and finally cracked top-100 lists ahead of the 2018 season — No. 59 at Baseball America and No. 65 at MLB.com — after reaching Triple-A following a 16-homer season (.850 OPS). Andujar even made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old in 2017 and looked like he’d be a big part of the Yankees’ future after pairing 27 homers and 92 RBIs with an .855 OPS in finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018. But a right shoulder labrum tear derailed Andujar in 2019 and Andujar was never able to grab a starting job again in New York. The Pirates claimed him late in 2022 and then the Athletics claimed him after the 2023 season. By then, he’d developed into a platoon player with defensive limitations. Andujar had a .697 OPS in 75 games in his first year with the Athletics and a .765 OPS in 60 games last year when, after missing time with a right oblique strain, he was shipped to the Reds for a minor league pitcher. Andujar went on to hit .359/.400/.544 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games to help the Reds lock up a wild-card spot. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the NL Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

2026 OUTLOOK

The need for right-handed balance in the lineup was painfully obvious in the Padres’ NL Wild Card Series loss to the Cubs, so Andujar became a target after 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn walked as a free agent. Expect Andujar to get at-bats against lefties as either a DH, first base, third base or left field — the spots he’s been playing in spring training.

ROSTER RANKINGS

1. OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. OF Jackson Merrill
4. RHP Nick Pivetta
5. RHP Michael King
6. RHP Mason Miller
7. OF Ramón Laureano
8. SS Xander Bogaerts
9. LHP Adrián Morejón
10. RHP Jeremiah Estrada
11. RHP Jason Adam
12. 2B Jake Cronenworth
13. RHP Joe Musgrove
14. RHP Randy Vásquez
15. INF Miguel Andujar
16. OF Gavin Sheets
17. LHP JP Sears
18. RHP Yu Darvish
19. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez
20. RHP David Morgan
21. C Freddy Fermin
22. LHP Wandy Peralta
23. C Luis Campusano
24. LHP Yuki Matsui
25. INF Sung-Mun Song
26. RHP German Marquez
27. RHP Matt Waldron
28. OF Bryce Johnson
29. OF/1B Nick Castellanos
30. RHP Ron Marinaccio
31. RHP Bryan Hoeing
32. LHP Kyle Hart
33. INF Will Wagner
34. RHP Garrett Hawkins
35. RHP Miguel Mendez
36. RHP Daison Acosta
37. RHP Ty Adcock
38. RHP Alek Jacob
39. INF Mason McCoy

Removed from 40-man roster

OF Tirso Ornelas (designated for assignment)
RHP Jhony Brito (60-day injured list)

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San Diego, CA

San Diego Bishop Is Out of a Job

Published

15 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.

“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.

Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez – San Diego Union-Tribune

GERMÁN MÁRQUEZ

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 230 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1 million in 2026 with a $750,000 buyout on a mutual option for 2027; can add up to $3.25 million in performance bonuses.
fWAR in 2025: 0.3
Key 2025 stats: 3-16, 6.70 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 48 walks, 1.71 WHIP, .317 opponent average, 126⅓ innings (26 starts)

STAT TO NOTE

36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.

Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.

2026 OUTLOOK

Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.

German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)