Jewish Federation of San Diego Co-Partnered with Lawrence Family JCC to Welcome Jewish Author Dara Horn

On Saturday, October 18, Jewish Federation of San Diego proudly partnered with the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center and the Simon Wiesenthal Center to welcome the renowned author Dara Horn to San Diego. Dara Horn, author of People Love Dead Jews, led a profound and thought-provoking conversation with Vlad Khaykin of the Simon Wiesenthal Center as part of the Lawrence Family JCC | Jacobs Family Campus’s Jewish Author Series.  

Horn explored how public fascination with Jewish tragedy often overshadows vibrant Jewish life and contemporary Jewish issues. She and Khaykin discussed Jewish literature of the past and present, reflecting on what it means to be a Jewish author. They also discussed contemporary issues regarding rising antisemitism and the complexities of historical representation; how Jewish people are seen in retrospect versus here and now.  

Federation Introduces Holocaust Education Initiatives

As a co-sponsor of the event, Federation helped facilitate the compelling conversation on Jewish memory, identity, and culture. Erica Whinston, the Director of Operations and Special Projects at Jewish Federation of San Diego and for the Legacy of Light Goldberg Institute for Holocaust Education, introduced Dara Horn and Vlad Khaykin. Darren Schwartz, Federation’s Chief Planning & Strategy Officer, opened the event and touched on upcoming Holocaust education initiatives in San Diego.  

Darren introduced the Legacy of Light Goldberg Institute for Holocaust Education, its SPARK Interactive mobile museum project, and Federation’s partnership with the JCC on upcoming Remembrance Readings. He also honored the attending Jewish educators in the audience, imploring them to stand and be recognized by the community as San Diego’s guardians of Holocaust Education. 

Of the Jewish educators in attendance, nearly 20 were members of the SHOAH Teaching Collaborative, a new initiative led by Jessica Kretzer, the Holocaust Education Senior Manager at Federation. These teachers are the guardians of Holocaust education in San Diego, as well as champions of education that furthers instruction in critical thinking skills.

Stay tuned for more Holocaust education news as the launch of the Legacy of Light Goldberg Institute for Holocaust Education’s SPARK Interactive mobile museum approaches, coming in Spring 2026.