JHA is developing a global digital community dedicated to the Converso experience, bringing together historical knowledge, genealogical discovery, education, technology, and community. (Michael Steinberger)
A siddur does not merely tell Jews what words to say. Its primary purpose is to help congregants understand what they are saying and why: the meaning of what the siddur contains, their biblical and historical sources, and why ancestors suggested they read them. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Koren Publishers’ new siddur: An appraisal Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology
Created in collaboration with the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, the Chinese American GI Project and the local community, the exhibition explores the journeys of Jewish refugees to Shanghai and their lives during and after World War II. (Cailin
Acosta)
San Diego’s Chinese museum tells stories of Shanghai refugees Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
Gene Simmons (August 25, 1949), also known by his stage persona “the Demon”, is an Israeli and American musician and songwriter. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss, which he co-founded with Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in 1973. Simmons, alongside Stanley, remained a constant member of the band until their dissolution in 2023. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish birthday: Gene Simmons Read More »
Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Wikipedia
Humor appears alongside heartbreak, as it does in real life. Inspiration is earned rather than asserted. Resilience is shown in the slow, often invisible work of continuing to show up—for patients, for families, for one’s own life—after the worst has already happened. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Long-time chaplain draws inspiration from the dying Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors
A new federal program, enacted by Congress, offers taxpayers a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donating to nonprofit Scholarship Granting Organizations. Those organizations then award scholarships to eligible K-12 students for tuition and a wide range of educational expenses: tutoring, transportation, technology, special education services, textbooks, uniforms, and after-school programs. [Neuriel Shore)
California can put Jewish day school tuition within reach Read More »
Business & Finance, California, Jewish Religion, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
A pair of national Jewish communal organizations have announced personnel changes at the top of their organizational charts. (SDJW staff report)
2 Jewish organizations appoint senior staff members Read More »
Antisemitism, Business & Finance, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
For Jewish refugees fleeing Europe during and after World War II, Shanghai became both a refuge and a place of uncertainty. But not every Jewish family experienced Shanghai in the same way. [Cailin Acosta]
Shanghai Jewish memories: 2 community members relate families’ stories Read More »
Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA
Marlee Matlin (August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and advocate. Having been deaf since 18 months of age, she is known for her acting and for her activism on behalf of deaf individuals in Hollywood and other industries. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish birthday: Marlee Matlin Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
He spent his entire adult life on the move. He constantly stayed in hotels and boarding houses. He was doomed to wander. He was a nomad who made significant contributions to the history of foreign countries. He was a cosmopolitan in a world where nationalism was raging. But Jews do not always manage to be cosmopolitans. Antisemitism has a great penetrating ability. (Alex Gordon)
Jewish biography: Savielly Tartakower, rootless chess grandmaster Read More »
Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined ContributorsThe Book of Samuel, which follows Judges, describes the emergence of kingship. Samuel begins in this atmosphere but does something much more complicated than simply saying, “Israel needs a king.” The book introduces Samuel, a prophet and judge; then Saul, Israel’s first king; and then David, Israel’s great kingThe crucial question becomes: Can human political power be exercised responsibly under God’s authority? That is precisely the question that interests Rabbi Silber. (Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin)
Rabbi reviews another rabbi’s analysis of the biblical books of Samuel Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Can I step forward boldly when my leadership is needed and step back confidently when someone else is better positioned to lead? [Betzy Lynch]
JCC, CJC boards gather to map a plan for Jewish community growth Read More »
Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Robert Solow (August 23, 1924 – December 21, 2023) was an American economist known for his studies of economic growth and the development of the Solow–Swan model, for which he won the 1987 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish birthday: Robert Solow Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
The sender may craft the message, but the audience determines what that message means. Audiences interpret every message through the narratives they have already internalized, along with their existing beliefs, values, identities, and lived experiences. (Karen Klein)
Israel must relate better to its p.r. audience Read More »
Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA