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Community Currents
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 20, 1950, page 2, 7:

By Albert Hutler, Executive Director, United Jewish Fund

Cooperation Between Synagogues and Centers—Why Not Here?—Excellent cooperation between Synagogues and Community Centers is being reported from all over the country. In Chicago where there are three large Community Centers (not settlement houses), there has developed a movement by the synagogues to have the Jewish Community Center Association  and operate the Synagogue Center and pay the cost of such operation. This movement was started at the request of one of the outstanding conservative Rabbis of the city, Dr. Ralph Simon.  About a year and a half ago, when the Community Center Association of San Diego was contemplating hiring an Activities Director to attempt to develop a program for leisure time activities, this proposition was advanced by the Center Association to the rabbis in our community, but met with little acceptance. I guess this column may as well be on the question of community Center, since Lasker Lodge, through its officers are seriously considering the possibility of a Jewish Community Center in San Diego. It grew out of the fact that Lasker Lodge with its 550 members felt the need of a Lodge Hall for itself and for other B'nai B'rith organizations in the community.  Individuals, such as Harry Wax, who has done a terrific job with AZA and BBG, find that there is absolutely no program in which these kids can participate and also that their facilities are very limited. Out of these facts grew this intense interest and desire for a Jewish Community Center.  They argue that B'nai B'rith is a service organization and if it spearheads a drive for something that they feel is vitally needed in the community, it is rendering an outstanding community service. On the other hand there is the question of whether the facilities we now have, including those which are contemplated by the Tifereth Israel Synagogue will be sufficient; and whether a Synagogue or Temple Center can serve the entire recreational, athletic, social and cultural needs of the entire community. I guess there are two sides to every question.

Why No Center — One of the reasons that there (is) no Community Center in our town is the fact that we have felt very strongly the need to send money overseas. Some of our people have given the impression that money has been used which should have been sent overseas. The books of the Fund are open to anyone in the community, and if those who are practicing the "big lie" would care to learn the truth, they would find that our community has given a higher percentage of the money raised since 1946 to the United Jewish Appeal than 90 percent of the organized Jewish Communities in America. The question now is how long can our community go without something that is of vital need to our young people and our young adults.  Some of these same people, have been very active in the building of two new Synagogues in our community; two Synagogues that were vitally needed by our community, and which were supported by the entire community, and not one of these stated that this money should rightfully have gone to Israel. Incidentally, the Synagogues were built at a time of the greatest need in Israel. It is our feeling that these Synagogues were necessary to the Communal life of the Jewish Community.

Two Emigres—Rebecca Milgrom became the first American citizen among our D.P. families by being born in San Diego a few weeks ago. It is going to take her father and mother about five more years to achieve that desired status. She got it right by being at the right place at the right time. Stanley Firestone, who came to San Diego about a year ago from Italy, was having a discussion with his draft board and naturally the draft board won.  Stanley is the first of our emigre group who has been drafted by the Army. He left last Tuesday to become an American soldier. It means that he will be able to get his citizenship in about three years instead of five.

Institute of Jewish Studies—The only Jewish Cultural activity in the community, the Institute of Jewish Studies, started off last week with good courses and good faculty. The most popular course is Professor Harry Ruja's Comparative Religion. The Institute is in its third year and is supported by the three congregations and the United Jewish Fund. Any of you interested in socializing a bit, having some refreshments, and getting some Jewish background might consider coming out every Wednesday night at Beth Israel Center.