"Refugees in America is a timely, important, and deeply moving testament to the profound ways in which refugees have enriched our nation. By letting refugees tell their stories, Rabbi Lee Bycel reminds us of their humanity and our responsibilities to help them." —Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright It is not an easy road—but hope is the oxygen of my life. These insightful words of Meron Semedar, a refugee from Eritrea, reflect the feelings of the eleven men and…

During the last school year, more than 22,000 school-aged children were identified as homeless in San Diego County. Now many more parents and students are facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. School supplies should not be one of them. That’s why for the 6th year, San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®) is partnering with the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) to collect money to buy school supplies for students in need. Help these students start the…

Have you noticed an increase in antisemitic incidents and extremist rhetoric? The ADL shared in a report released on May 12, 2020, that antisemitic incidents in 2019 were at the highest level since they started tracking in 1979. On top of it, The COVID-19 pandemic – and the fear associated with uncertainty – has potentially only amplified this trend as people search for scapegoats. This community conversation will address the underlying reasons for the brazen displays of antisemitism, racism, and…

Tikkun Olam, repair the world. There is a great need for this now as our country begins to see how racism has lived from the founding of our country until this very moment. Librarian and educator Nancy Kraus, will help you choose which resources might be right for you to help educate yourself on the history of racism in our country as well as to engage in self-examination. She will give brief summaries of eight books to help you make…

A virtual conversation with award-winning author, Marra B. Gad, Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein, and Rabbi Jason Nevarez, in which they will address racial equality and racial justice in North America as a Jewish issue. Marra's personal journey as a biracial Jewish woman is reflected in her memoir, The Color of Love, which they will discuss. In black spaces, she was not “black enough.” In Jewish spaces, she was mistaken for the help, asked to leave, or worse. Even in her own extended family,…

With the tremendous support from their community, Mama's Kitchen prepares and delivers nutritious meals for their neighbors struggling with AIDS or cancer who are too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Together with hundreds of volunteers, businesses, and community supporters, Mama’s Kitchen strives to help their clients stay healthy, preserve their dignity, and keep their families together by providing free, culturally appropriate home-delivered meals, along with pantry services and nutrition education. At Mama’s Kitchen, they envision a community where…

In the Torah, we are taught to accept others, without prejudice or bias: "You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Eternal" (Leviticus 19: 17-18). Our Jewish tradition illuminates various instances of moral reckoning when we are asked to be present and accounted for.   As a Reform Jewish community, we are committed to the spirit of this ongoing teaching.…

Jill Wine-Banks takes us inside her trial by fire as a Watergate prosecutor. It was a time, much like today, when Americans feared for the future of their democracy and women stood up for equal treatment. At the crossroads of the Watergate scandal and the women’s movement stood a young Jewish lawyer named Jill Wine Volner (as she was then known), barely thirty years old and the only woman on the team that prosecuted the highest-ranking White House officials. Called…

Join us on Thursday, March 25th, 2021 at 12:30 PM PST/ 3:30 PM EST for "Radical Inclusivity & Religious Diversity: Is it Possible?" led by Isaiah Rothstein. There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. For more information, contact Program Director Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER CSP Partners: Beth Israel (San Diego, CA), Congregation…

Most important podcast journalist of the past few years? It’s got to be fearless Madeleine Baran. You may know her from her work exposing routinely covered-up sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis—and exposing it so thoroughly that victims’ legal cases became irrefutable, leading the archdiocese to declare bankruptcy in 2015. You may know her as the host and lead reporter of American Public Media Reports’ "In the Dark", the podcast that has won two Peabody Awards (the…