January 2011

‘Battle of the two Talmuds’ looks at an ancient split between Israel and the Diaspora

Battle of the Two Talmuds: Judaism’s Struggle with Power, Glory, & Guilt by Leon H. Charney and Saul Mayzlish, Barricade Books, Fort Lee, NJ; ISBN 978-1-56980-439-1 ©2010, $22.95, p. 224 plus glossary By  Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — One does not need to listen to very many rabbinic sermons before he or she hears the words, “And the […]

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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food

The battle for Jerusalem is being fought by real estate investors

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–You don’t have to have inside information or be blessed with special analytical talents to realize that there’re currently systematic efforts in Israel to make any division of Jerusalem in a future peace deal increasingly impossible. The fact that this is happening nominally outside government control – e.g., through legal purchase

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Middle East

Lebanon’s political crisis, Sarah Palin’s blunder, Jerusalemite poll… how important are they?

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Amazing, funny, dangerous, annoying? Take your pick about three items in the news. Each may have legs, and keep running until something real happens. Or each may be a passing blip to be ignored in the continuing stream of events that turn out to be more important. One is Sarah Palin’s

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Ira Sharkansky

Reps. Hunter, Bilbray and Issa introduce legislation to protect cross on Mt. Soledad

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) –U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-California) on Wednesday  introduced the War Memorial Protection Act to allow the inclusion of religious symbols as part of military monuments.  The legislation follows the latest ruling from the Ninth Circuit declaring the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial unconstitutional. “The latest ruling on the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial is a

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San Diego Calendar, San Diego County

Hezbollah-engineered collapse of Lebanon’s government draws U.S. fire

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)— Hezbollah pulled out of the ruling coalition in Lebanon on Wednesday, forcing the collapse of Lebanon’s parliamentary government.  U.S. officials reacted quickly: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, answering a question at a joint news conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani:   QUESTION: Thank you both. This question is for

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Travel and Food

Obama calls for ‘words that heal’ in aftermath of Tucson rampage

TUCSON, Arizona (Press Release)– Following is the text of a speech made by President Barack Obama at the memorial service on Wednesday for the victims of the shooting rampage the previous Saturday: THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Please, please be seated.  (Applause.) To the families of those we’ve lost; to all

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USA

A bissel this, a bissel that…San Diego Jewish news and chatter

(Column 9, January 12, 2011)  By Donald H. Harrison  __________________ Jewish Organizations ___________________ The Center for Jewish Culture is sponsoring a poets’ night at the Samuel & Rebecca Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC. at 7:30 p.m., Jan 18. Heading for the microphone are local poets Ron Horvitz, and husband and wife Howard

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Donald H. Harrison

Sarah Palin bears responsibility for political climate–and should apologize

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO– On this very day of national mourning for the atrocity of Tucson, it is regrettable that we find ourselves having to again be distracted by the indulgent and self-serving—and now appalling—proclamations of Sarah Palin. Again blabbing from her cyber-haven of Facebook and not from anyplace in the real world, Palin

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USA

Early Childhood Educators to meet in Phoenix; San Diegan Tammy Vener to assume presidency

PHOENIX, Arizona (Press Release)–The Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ), an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), will honor 11 years of Reform Judaism’s support of Jewish early childhood education at their annual meeting here this week. The conference, from Jan 12-15, will explore the theme “Ani V’Atah: You and I Can

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Science, Medicine, & Education