Parsha Toledot: The Torah’s subtle advice for parenting

When Isaac looked at Jacob—a mild-mannered scholar who stayed indoors meditating on the wonders of God—he saw a carbon copy of himself. Isaac worried that a quiet thinker lacked the bold, swashbuckling energy needed to carry Abraham’s movement into the wider world. Esau, Isaac figured, had the charisma; with a little spiritual coaching, the hunter could become a crusader. (Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel)

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Loay Alshareef’s blueprint for Middle East peace

Week after week around that Yemenite Jewish family’s Shabbat table, everything he had been taught began to collapse. In the glow of Shabbat candles, over shared blessings, braided challah, and unhurried conversation, he discovered that the “enemies” he had been taught to fear were human beings offering sincere hospitality. (Barrett Holman Leak)

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Barrett Holman Leak, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Classic Hanukkah song imaginatively illustrated verse by verse

The first thing a reader notices is how much the author’s concept of Hanukkah resembles Christmas.  It’s as if hanukkiahs, dreidels, and Jewish stars hare replaced Santa Clauses, creches, and peppermint sticks as symbols of the winter holidays. (Donald H. Harrison)

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animals, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Parsha Toldot: The lifelong work of becoming a better person

Toldot offers us something more than psychological insight. It provides a moral and spiritual framework for understanding our obligation to grow. In the language of Mussar, the Jewish discipline of character refinement, we are not simply here to accept who we are. We are here to work on who we can become. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.}

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish birthday: Al Michaels

Al Michaels (November 12, 1944) is an American television play-by-play sportscaster for Thursday Night Football. Having worked on network sports television since 1971, Michaels is best known for his many years calling play-by-play of National Football League (NFL) games, including ABC Monday Night Football from 1986 to 2005, NBC Sunday Night Football from 2006 to 2021, and eleven Super Bowls. [Wikipedia]

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

JCC presents ‘Jewish Poets of the Past’ in 19th annual ‘Jewish Poets – Jewish Voices’ programming

(The evening features) the poetry of the Yiddish writer, Malka Heifetz Tussman (1893-1987), and the lyrics of the Israeli song writer, Haim Hefer (1925-2012). [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

The AI debate reaches a Hillel career night

Parry counted more than 100 community members at The AI Advantage: How to Get Hired & Get Ahead, held at the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center. Burekas Box catered the evening with tasty kosher food from what founder Rabbi Shalva Michaels described as California’s first fully electric food truck. (Shor M. Masori)

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Business & Finance, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Biking Israel protesters frustrated by large pro-Israel crowds in Philadelphia

As the 88th anniversary for Kristallnacht approached, a bicycle group that could be called the Weird Angels traversed center city streets in Philadelphia with the express purpose of driving six Jewish-owned restaurants into the local rivers. (Bruce S. Ticker)

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Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, Business & Finance, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Today’s Jewish birthday: Barbara Boxer

Barbara Boxer (November 11, 1940) is a retired American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. representative for California’s 6th congressional district from 1983 until 1993. [Wikipedia]

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Science, Medicine, & Education, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens

George Lucas, the wealthiest film celebrity in the world whose assets are reported about $5.1 billion, and his wife Mellody Hobson began to think about creating a museum at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. (Oliver Pollak)

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California, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

In tradition, Rosh Chodesh goes back to the era of the Golden Calf

Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each Hebrew month, has long been considered a special observance for Jewish women. According to tradition, women were rewarded with this holiday for refusing to contribute their jewelry to the creation of the Golden Calf. (Cailin Acosta)

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish birthday: Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman (November 10, 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series The Sandman (1989–1996) and the novels Good Omens (1990), Stardust (1999), American Gods (2001), Coraline (2002), Anansi Boys (2005), The Graveyard Book (2008) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013). [Wikipedia]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Sigd ceremony at the Skirball dives into Ethiopian Jewish food and culture

Sigd is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday observed 50 days after Yom Kippur. It’s a time to renew the community’s commitment to God and to each other, with a longstanding connection to the dream of returning to Jerusalem. Whereas Yom Kippur is about the individual’s relationship with G-d, Sigd is all about the community. (Sandi Masori)

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International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sandi Masori, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food