Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff embraces his roots

The Second Gentleman always expected to play a supporting role for his wife, but the longtime Angeleno found the accidental spotlight through his faith. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times] [Essential California Newsletter] PRESENTED BY City National Bank* April 17, 2023 [View in browser]( [Click to view images]( Gentleman Doug Emhoff. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) By Courtney Subramanian Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California [newsletter](. It’s Monday, April 17. I’m Courtney Subramanian, a White House reporter writing from The Times’ Washington, D.C., office. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff always expected to play a supporting role for his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, when he traded in the tony streets of Brentwood for the confines of the second couple’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. But the longtime Angeleno, who made his career as an entertainment lawyer, found the accidental spotlight in an issue he never expected would come to define him: his faith. In [my latest story]( published last week, I chronicled Emhoff’s journey from the White House candle-lighter and matzo-maker to the administration’s chief voice against antisemitism. Kanye West, now known as Ye, had a hand in it too. The rapper’s antisemitic spiral last fall, which led to a group unfurling a banner over the 405 Freeway bearing the words, “Kanye is right about the Jews,” left Emhoff fuming. He wanted to do more than just convene officials on tackling antisemitism at the White House. So he decided to take the issue to the world stage, traveling to Poland and Germany in late January to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. It was a fraught mission punctuated by personal moments, none more visible than when he made a detour to the Polish town where his great-grandparents lived before they fled persecution more than a century ago. In Gorlice, a two-hour drive outside of Krakow, Emhoff was confronted with the long shadow of the Holocaust. He walked through the quaint, cobblestone streets, listening as the mayor guided him through the town’s more than 650 years of history. But when he got to the old synagogue, which was empty and under repair, he felt a gut-punch: There was no rush to fix it because no Jews live here now. “These were ordinary people just living their lives but because of propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, antisemitism and hate, it led to mass murder,” he told us later. It made him think about what was going on back home, and the drumbeat of hair-raising antisemitic episodes happening across California and elsewhere. The number of incidents in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Kern counties alone jumped 30% in 2022, compared with the previous year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. After the tour, we asked him what it felt like to visit his forebears’ town —and the very address where they lived. What would he tell his parents, who were unaware of his plans to visit Gorlice? He paused and choked up, admitting there would “probably [be] a lot of tears.” In the months since Emhoff — the first Jewish spouse of a vice president or president — made the historic visit, he hasn’t let up. The week after he returned from Europe, he delivered a speech at the United Nations calling for an international response to combat a resurgent antisemitism. He’s crisscrossed the country to continue speaking out about tackling antisemitism, or “the oldest hate,” and held the first Jewish women leaders summit at the White House in March. “This issue is so raw and important to me as an American Jew,” he told me in Berlin. “I’ve got to get this right and I’m working really hard to do that.” You can [read the full story here.]( And now, here’s what’s happening across California: Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. Check out "The Times" podcast for essential news and more These days, waking up to current events can be, well, daunting. If you’re seeking a more balanced news diet, “The Times” podcast is for you. Gustavo Arellano, along with a diverse set of reporters from the award-winning L.A. Times newsroom, delivers the most interesting stories from the Los Angeles Times every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. [Listen and subscribe]( wherever you get your podcasts. ADVERTISEMENT BY City National Bank [City National Bank]( At City National®, we get to know you and your vision — and then build a long-term relationship so that we can help you achieve it. Whether you’re looking to save for the future or simply manage your money more effectively, we’re here to help. Open deposit accounts and enjoy personalized service from one of our dedicated Relationship Managers, competitive rates and sophisticated security features for extra peace of mind. We make it our business to be personal. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at [cnb.com.]( End of advertisement POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Rep. Adam B. Schiff is showing a notable financial edge over Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee in the primary race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Schiff ended the first quarter of 2023 with $24.7 million cash on hand, while Porter had $9.5 million, according to fundraising disclosures posted on the Federal Election Commission’s website Saturday. [Los Angeles Times]( At 19, he won a local school board seat. His first civics lesson? Age discrimination. Triston Ezidore, the recently elected 19-year-old member of the Culver City Unified School District Board of Education, is believed to be the youngest elected official in Los Angeles County. As part of a [wave of Generation Z youth]( running for and winning office, Ezidore has dealt with angry comments from residents, disparaging him for his age and, at times, his race. [Los Angeles Times]( California is changing how it goes after illegal cannabis farms. California is cracking down on illicit cannabis through a year-round multi-agency program. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced authorities seized nearly 1 million illegally cultivated cannabis plants and more than 200,000 pounds of illegally processed cannabis. [Orange County Register]( CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING The LAPD has lost nearly 1,000 officers. Now, Mayor Karen Bass wants to rebuild the force. The LAPD is hemorrhaging officers, with more leaving the force than are joining it. Mayor Karen Bass is looking to confront the issue, calling for the city to restore the department to 9,500 officers — an extremely tall order, given the ongoing staff exodus. [Los Angeles Times]( Northridge shooting victim was painting over gang graffiti, according to the LAPD. A man who was killed Saturday in a shooting at a Northridge strip mall was painting over gang graffiti on the wall of a business when a gunman opened fire on him and three other people. [Los Angeles Times]( Support our journalism [Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.]( ADVERTISEMENT HEALTH, EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT California’s shortage of diverse teachers is hurting students, educators say. Teachers, advocates and education policy experts met in Sacramento last week for the #CABuildingBridges Summit to discuss how to recruit and retain teachers of color in California. [Los Angeles Times]( Long COVID continues to upend this California couple’s lives. While much of the public has begun to move on from the pandemic, some people are left to deal with the complex medical system and a condition that has no known treatments. Navigating the medical, financial, [mental]( and physical challenges of this illness is challenging. [Los Angeles Times]( CALIFORNIA CULTURE R&B singer Frank Ocean closed out weekend 1 of 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The enigmatic artist performed his first show since 2019. Sunday’s line-up was arguably the fest’s strongest and most progressive, featuring Björk, Kali Uchis, Glorilla, Sudan Archives and Weyes Blood. [Los Angeles Times]( A group of East Bay scuba divers have a macabre mission: find bodies. The nonprofit, California Recovery Divers, was formed to help find and recover the bodies of drowning victims in lakes and waterways across Northern California. [San Francisco Chronicle]( Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at [latimes.com/games](. AND FINALLY Today’s California landmark is from Marie Tsang: the Mission Playhouse in the Mission District of San Gabriel. [The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in San Gabriel in 2022.] The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in 2022. (Marie Tsang) Marie writes: We stumbled upon the Mission Playhouse in San Gabriel while exploring the city. It has a Mission District, which is the birthplace of the Los Angeles region, and this very special theater is just a gorgeous sight that popped right out of a movie scene. What are California’s essential landmarks? [Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California]( — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. 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