z. let's talk first to channel 8 ant the relations kuhn toil san francisco the umbrella for the jewish community representing this jewish community on this vital important public affairs to the community both in the message and international. so ranging from isreal tosyl rights from anti sepism to quality public education. we were started just after the holocaust when the american jewish community realized that the absence of having a consensus body was a fatal flaw in terms of the response of the american jewish community then, and we should not be in a position where we cannot bring together the full range of voices where we can educate and sad are --

advocate. >> in a moment, we're going to get to what drew you to the organization and what you said. it seems natural to ask what is the role of a faith-paced structure way have a country that values the separation of church and state. >> it's a great question. and the fact is that we, too, also highly value the separation of religion and state. at the same time bringing -- having bringing together issues that value our day. a historic and value. that's critically important. the jewish community has such a

deeply rooted issue around issues such as civil rights, discrimination. and so many other issues. the importance of education, where we have something to contribute. what it allows us to do is bring to universal sets of issues in ways it can benefit society as a whole. >> so already we see your passion and the benefit we have all gotten from it. it sort of already gives voice to really what drew you to the jcr. what drew you to the communication -- jewish community. >> the first is i am a 4 had the generation san franciscoan. i am passionate about this city and this area. my great grandfather came in 1870. interspersed in the youish community and maybe

equally important. i am really a product of the 60s. i gann in 1968 which i call a period of great moments in our society. there were four issues of transformational impact. temperature antivietnam war. i was drawn to both, and two that were particularistic. isreal and the aftermath of the six-day war and if exciting positive engagement with isree will and that period. i have cut my teeth as an activist. what i found is i didn't want to have to pick either to be involved in universal issues motivated by my jewish values or issues that would -- broader societyal issues. being at jcrc for nearly 34 years, it's allowed me to continue that passion because

on at any given day, i am moving back and forth between universal and particularistic issues with our community. >> it's so interested because one of the facts that some of us or other clergy might pay attention to is you are a harbinger any that you cannot go to to a pulpit. you spent the entire community running an organization and defining action in that way and i am wondering at the time was that part of your thinking or was it that you just didn't want to be put into a certain kind of a box so to speak by being in one place after the one time. >> so, it's a great question, you know, the truth of the matter is i have undying admiration for my colleagues who were superren in the role. i saw myself simply more called

the community base. i am consensus-minded. it was a natural fit for an organization like jcrc. i believe in impactful activism where we really try to pull the sides together. i grew up where there was an increasing self-consciousness of being motivated by jewish sames in our advocacy work but not necessarily knowing enough about the sources. and i went to school not because i wanted to be a polka rabbi because i wanted there to be authenticity in my speaking through a voice of jewish values really rooted in the tradition. and that is what drove me to the work that i do. >> wonderful. we're going to take a quick break in just a moment. we're going to turn to mosaic here in just one moment.

and the rally. but what was that picture? >> that picture was at a human rights rally with interfaith leader. jcrc has really been concerned about international human rights abuse. hit stems from what it meant for the world to be so silent during the holocaust and other genocides are being perpetrated, whether it was in bosnia, coast slow, other areas of sudan. we have an obligation. >> so over the course of your

really dynamic denture, -- tenure, what are two or three of the highlights? is that a good word for you for how you have seen civic engagement. >> highlight is a really good word. two or three is so hard because there have been so many. i'll tell you a couple that stand out. one is being so involved at jcrc. with rallies almost weekly in front of the soviet koonce lateral. really an international hero of the soviet jury movement was released from prison and we did a rally with him directly with soviet watching him as a freeman. at that site on green street was on unforgettable image. >> and can you i am realizing we live in such a dynamic community where social action at

all levels is intrinsic civic value and we don't always know our own history. what if you could take a moment and let folks know what is the soviet union. >> and sure. well, the soviet movement really began before the six-day war. it was the six-day war in isreal in 1967. it really triggered a renewed and bold movement on the part to be allowed to immigrate from the soviet union. the communist government refused to allow. the movement was himmed at prying open the doors, something that is finally happening for good around 1989. for several decades, it required constant public demonstrations protesting the treatment of

ever soviet jews. over the decades, they tried to -- they had imprisoned many jews for trying to be activist jews. one of those leaders had be truly a pillar of the leadership. so when he was finally freed, it was a historic moment globally. it required thousands of people in this community and other communities consistently dedicated to putting not issue in front of the public eye. millions of soviet jews were allowed to leave the soviet union. >> what a point of pride for the jewish community and the rewill is you community in an issue of immigration in an area where there wasn't consensus and all of the things we have learned and maybe in some ways for gotten about what it means to rally on

behalf of immigration at large. >> that is why it is such an important issue for our community. and we can again go back to the holocaust from the doors were closed. had they been allowed in would have been saved from hit letter's death camps. the reality is we have always been very sensitive to what it means to be allowed to immigrate. to have a liberal immigration policy. it's steeped in our tradition as a face tradition that believes deeply at welcomes a stranger and deep in our history, so it was natural for us to be engaged in this kind of issue as we continue to be engaged in issues of immigration reform today. wonderful. we'll take a quick break but come back and continue our conversation about other highlights. please join us back here at mosaic in just a moment.

welcome back. we open opened with a picture. a huge director of the jewish relations council who is retiring and using his lifetime of service at the jewish community relations council as a way to understand the contribution to the community. welcome back. so other highlights that you have had at the jewish community relationship council. >> well, there are so many. i am just going to touch on a couple. one is we worked very closely for many years with holocaust survivors and sadly in the last few years there are been -- have been more and more that have passed away because we are now getting so much further away from the high school cost.

in 1995 in the 50th anniversary of the liberation at conversation camps. we decided to try to find liberators of the camp. we hoped we would find a dozen lives in the bay area. we found 1 other -- 120. we honored them at a ceremony with 2000 people. the survivors created a metal that they put around the liberator's necks of the people who actually liberated them in some cases. from other camps as well. it was an extraordinary moment in our community's history and the privilege of working with the survivors was really a highlight of my career. for the last 25-plus years. i have had the opportunity to go to nonjewish leaders to israel. ethnic and religious leaders. nonprofit leaders and the privilege of seeing isreal through their eyes annually has been a tremendous highlight as

well. >> and some of the local leaders that have been on that trip? >> well, i don't want to offend some. i can't remember. but attorney general harris. and many members of congress in the bay area have gone. members of the board of supervisors have gone with us. london breeds. carmen who is now the city assessor. jose, the city treasurer. so many public officials. the university presidents from san francisco state university. other top leaders in the community and to spend eight or nine days with them on the ground in isreal and open it up and see it through their eyes is an extraordinary privilege. >> it is such an extraordinary program that is offered to the public. public service likes of the community. what are some of the changes you have seen in the

manner in which we collectively engage in important issues. you used a really interesting term a little earlier called knew answered impactful? what was the third word that you used you? >> well, activism. a once impactful activism. it's a very dynamic word. >> well, that almost suggests one of the changes which isover the years, there have been more and more single issue organizations formed and we are inherently a multi- issue organization. we are consensus-based, multiissue in an er a of increased polization and increased single issue focus. so in a sense, we are a throw-back, and yeah, i would argue that precisely because of that polization and precisely because of the range of issues that our community is concerned about, our work is actually more important than ever. >> absolutely. and also i i wonder if

you can talk a different vantage point where religious companies lead in an issue depending on their theology at work. the immigration or other kinds of rights. and on the other hand, the second public sometimes leads on an issue. i am wondering if you can talk about that balance and influence and how in a jewish context how a civic issue becomes a jewish issue. what is a jewish response to a secular issue and what is that nuanced impactful activism in that kind of a dialogue. >> let me give you one example. marriage equality. it was not started from within the religious community. we felt it was very important to bring to bear religious forces because of the way in which the debate was constructed. you know, right now, there has been a remarkable change of

attitude about marriage equality. it was only about ten or fifteen years ago where attitudes were far more fixed and often negative about it. we thought this was the case where we truly could have added value by bring in the voice of the jewish community. and way have different perspectives on conservative and conformive and orthodox on the idea of marriage. what we were looking at is specifically the question of what became the central civil rights issue of our time. once it was clear that we were deal being a central civil rights issue of our time, we had to weigh in as a community. >> fascinating. really. a beautiful example. we're going to come back with a moment of this wonderful conversation. please join us back here on mosaic.

welcome back to mosaic. an honor to be your host on mosaic. we are about to end a wonderful conversation with the director of the jewish communications council. we have opened a picture of abbey michaelson. and mayor ed lee. and joe goldman. that was taken at jewish heritage night for the first time ever. we worked with the mayor's office to create a jewish heritage night in city hall. it was a beautiful celebration and we are so grateful to mayor lee. one of the top roles is to be the voice of the jewish community and that includes work being city officials. that was a

wonderful exam. you mentioned abby port. she is an outstanding leader. >> we are blessed to have her. and what are some of the challenges that you see for the future of jc rc? >> i think one of the overriding challenges for our community now. if there is greater polization around isreal and remains a strong consensus. we are firming that consensus while maintaining the views within our community i think will continue to be a challenge going forward. simultaneously, we have seen a growth of antiisreal activity in the bay area. being able to address that challenge while continuing with our proactive intergroup relation, civic engagement work is critically important. so to be able to kind of maintain both sides of the equation in a way is going to be a huge challenge

and opportunity going forward. >> you know, it also reminds me of what you said earlier where there are some organizational structures in this social action landscape. this a perfect example of why the jewish community. you see them more important that the jcrc exists which is a kind of generalist with the experience it can be. cross pollinate it to different issues in the committee for the future benefit of all of us. >> and add to that, just about five years ago, there was an issue in the community be emotions exploded, and the role of jcrc historically as being the exemplar of civility came in extremely useful because we created a yearlong year of civil discourse that i think helped calm our community down and enabled people with strongly-held views to talk to each other. our historic role will continue to be very important. >> so important. what do you think in this moment is part of your

legacy? >> well, i will say i learned so much from my predeucessers and i hope i've had the opportunity to pass on some lessons to my successor abby port and i think in edition, i hope my legacy has been to work with our lay and professional leadership in understanding how important it is from a nuanced faith to continue to advocate on the key issues in our community, and i hope that i have done that. i really believe that having the privilege of taking hundreds of people to isreal. what they continue to carry with them will continue to filter out into the community. there are many initiatives that i have undertaken in my tenure in the area of public education and literacy training in the schools that i

am sure will continue as well. i am confident that many of the most important will continue and abby and the wonderful lay and professional leaders will put a stamp on it. >> it's a big question to ask you. no clergy person ends their formal career the way they began it. and i am just wondering just in a moment if you can just talk in one example of how you have personally been changed by the very work that you have been engaged with. >> and it is interesting. i think that i went into this work filled with a sense of optimism. and optimism about the relationship between the jewish community and isreal, social values in the world and addressing the coo key issues of our time. many of these issues persist. they are just not easy answered and there are different chapters in our history that we are going to have to continue to move through.

and so my hope is that the next chanceer will be as fulfilling as the people who take it over as this one has been to me. >> thank you so much. we're going to end with a quick picture. his wife ellen celebrating hannukuh. thank you so much for being with us here on mosaic.

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begin with an incredible journey. our first guest hold that thought. with very a great show for you this morning, and we begin with an incredible journey. our first guest grow up in nazi germany but fought for the united states in world war ii. a german jew that saw it all in hit letter's germany but moved to the states just before the war broke out all the while cleaning for his love. landscap architect who weaves his life's journey through his passion for plants and flowers. his book chasing is getting rave reviews so let's say hi to a e gentlemen, 96-year-old earnest. how are you, sir? >> i am just fine, thank you. >> good to have you u. let's talk about the cover of