San Diego Celebrates Israel on April 21st!

The Jewish Federation of San Diego County and community partners are proud to announce our annual community event to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut on April 21th held at Nobel Athletic Field in UTC. This is a free event to celebrate and educate our local community about Israel and her culture. The entire San Diego Jewish community is participating, including Friendship Circle of San Diego, which will be kicking off the day with the annual Friendship Walk at 9AM to benefit children with special needs in San Diego and Israel. This year we have partnered with many local organizations, synagogues and vendors to make this the best year yet. We are excited to come together as a community on this day to show solidarity and celebrate Israel’s birthday. Last year we had more than 3,000 attendees and expect more for Israel’s 65th! 

The festival will include a hummus cook-off, free live music, entertainment, with local and special performances, Israeli folk dancing, a circus, kid’s activities, sports, teen programs, arts and crafts, games, a seniors club area, shopping and delicious kosher food! We will also hold an opportunity drawing for two free tickets to Israel provided by El Al Airlines! 

 
For more information on San Diego Celebrates Israel, visit sdcelebratesisrael.org or call 858.571.3444. To register from the Friendship Walk, visit: http://friendshipwalksd.com

San Diego Yom HaShoah Commemoration Makes News

On Sunday, April 7th more than 700 members of the San Diego community gathered at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center for the annual Holocaust commemoration (Yom Hashoah) program. This year’s theme was “Through the Eyes of Children” and focused on the experiences of children who lived through the Holocaust and their many stories of survival.  The program this year saw the largest attendance to date.

The purpose of the commemoration program is to remember the Holocaust, honor our survivors and their families, and teach next generations. The program opened with a military color guard reminiscent of camp liberation, a musical presentation, and a traditional candle lighting ceremony, with candles lit by Holocaust survivors and their descendants in memory of those who perished. Following through with the theme of children, this year’s musical selections involved several outstanding young vocalists and musicians in addition to our traditional musical selections.

Our keynote speaker, Survivor Teresa Racz Fischlowitz shared stories from her experience as a child of the Holocaust and her subsequent survival by being part of a “ransom” plan. Fischlowitz was born in 1937 in Kosice, now Slovakia. She spent her seventh birthday with her family in a cattle car going to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and after being separated from the other prisoners, Teresa was part of a group who interned in Switzerland.  By the time she graduated from high school, she had attended 17 schools in six languages as a result of the need for frequent moves in order to stay safe.

Fischlowitz’s talk was followed by a brief filmed interview of multiple child survivors who endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in very different ways- from hiding in the forest to assuming new identities.

The event is a collaboration of the San Diego Rabbinical Association, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, the New Life Club, the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, the Center for Jewish Culture, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Community Foundation, and the Anti-Defamation League.

If you were unable to attend, be sure to watch this moving video featuring our survivors' stories of faith, family and courage.

Check out the event photo album here

Additional media coverage below:

San Diego Union Tribune

San Diego Jewish Journal

KPBS

CBS

KUSI

Federation Featured in KPBS Yom HaShoah Spotlight

Yesterday your Federation was live on air with Maureen Cavanaugh discussing the importance of Yom HaShoah and sharing the amazing stories of our local survivors. Maureen interviewed Teresa Racz Fischlowitz, a San Diegan and Holocaust survivor, and Michael Sonduck, Federation President and CEO.  The radio interview aired live during Midday Edition, and there was a televised broadcast with Peggy Pico at 5 and 6PM.  Click below to listen and watch these interesting stories, and be sure to come this Sunday, April 7th to our Yom HaShoah program at the JCC!

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/apr/04/never-forget-san-diegos-childen-holocaust-share-th/

Jewish Community Day at Petco Park - June 23!

Federation Releases Annual Report

Your Federation is proud to announce the release of our 2012 Annual Report!  Click below to read about all the extraordinary things we accomplished in 2012, thanks to the generosity of our incredible donors.  

Thank you, for all that you do.

Click here to read the report online.

Join us April 7 for Yom HaShoah - Children of the Holocaust

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