In Sunday’s edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune, reporter Peter Rowe wrote an overview story about San Diego’s Jewish community entitled “Jewish San Diego: Unique Odyssey.” The subhead of the article was “Pain, promise over a history of contrasts marked by exclusion and hate, acceptance and achievement.”
In that article, Rowe mentioned some of the Jews who have served in public office in San Diego County. Obviously, he could not mention them all.
I was prompted to begin a list, by no means as yet comprehensive, of Jewish residents of San Diego County, both past and present, who served in elected and high appointed office since California became the nation’s 31st state in 1850
I invite readers to suggest additional names for the list of office holders whom they know were or are Jewish. Names may be submitted either by posting them in the comments box below this article, or by mailing me at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com.
We are interested in members of Congress from San Diego, members of the State Legislature, members of the county Board of Equalization, members of the County Board of Supervisors, members of the individual city councils in San Diego County, members of the various community college districts, members of the various school boards, members of the Port Commission, members of the San Diego Coastal Commission, members of the Airport Commission, members of the San Diego County Fair Board, members of the San Diego Coastal Commission, and any other commission or board that serves as a final authority, rather than in an advisory capacity, on issues before it. Additionally, we seek the names of judges and such elected county officials as the sheriff, district attorney, treasurer, assessor-recorder-clerk.
List of San Diego County Jewish officeholders (1850-Present)
Bersin, Alan – U.S. Attorney, San Diego School Superintendent
Black, Laurie – San Diego Unified Port Commission
Blochman, Abraham – San Diego Board of Alderman
Blochman, Lucien A. -San Diego Board of Aldermen, San Diego Common Council
Block, Marty – San Diego County Board of Education, San Diego Community College Board, California State Assembly, California State Senate
Braun, Sue – San Diego Board of Education
Bry, Barbara – San Diego City Council
Campbell, Jennifer – San Diego City Council
Cave, Daniel – San Diego Board of Aldermen
Cushman, Steve – San Diego Unified Port Commission
Davis, Susan – San Diego School Board, California State Assembly, U.S. Congress
Dumanis, Bonnie – San Diego Superior Court Judge, San Diego County District Attorney
Emerald, Marti – San Diego City Council
Filner, Bob –San Diego School Board, San Diego City Council, U.S. Congress, Mayor of San Diego
Foster, Lisa – San Diego County Superior Court Judge
Franklin, Lewis – Associate Judge, Court of Sessions; San Diego County Corner
Gerson, Charles –San Diego County Coroner
Golding, Susan – San Diego City Council, County Board of Supervisors, Mayor of San Diego
Klauber, Abraham – San Diego County Board of Supervisors
Kolender, Bill – San Diego Police Chief, San Diego County Sheriff
Lawrence, M. Larry – U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland
Levi, Simon – San Diego Common Council, San Diego Board of Aldermen
Levin, Mike –U.S. Congress
Louis, Emanuel – San Diego Bord of Education
Luftig, Murray – San Diego County Municipal Court
Mannasse, Heyman – San Diego County Board of Superisors
Mannasse, Joseph S. – San Diego City Board of Trustees, County Board of Supervisors
Marks, Jacob A. – San Diego City Assessor (also known as Mark Jacobs)
Marten, Cindy – San Diego School Superintendent
Mojonnier, Sunny – California State Assembly
Nussbaum, Barry – San Diego County Fair Board
Ottinger, Ron – San Diego School Board
Penner, Robert – San Diego Unified Port Commission
Rhinerson, Bernie – San Diego Community College Board
Rose, Louis – San Diego City Board of Trustees, County Board of Supervisors
Salomon, Irving – U.S. delegate to the United Nations
Schenk, Fred – San Diego County Fair Board
Schenk, Lynn – San Diego Unified Port Commission, U.S. Congress
Schiller, Leo M. — San Diego School Board
Schiller, Marcus – San Diego City Board of Trustees, County Board of Supervisors, County Superintendent of Schools
Schwartz, Edward – San Diego Municipal Court, San Diego County Superior Court, U.S. District Court
Smith, Greg – San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk
Steiner, Sigmund – Mayor of Escondido
Wayne, Howard – California State Assembly
Weinberg, Harry – County Superintendent of Schools
Weinberger, Jacob – San Diego School Board, San Diego County Superior Court, U.S. District Court
Wolfsheimer, Abbe – San Diego City Council
Wolfsheimer, Louis – San Diego Unified Port Commission
Zimmerman, Shelley – San Diego Police Chief
Republished from San Diego Jewish World