By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — Forty-eight years ago today, Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, 46, was slain while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza, Dallas. The world stopped; the kinetic, violent, transformational 1960s truly sprung, at 12:30 PM CST, when the shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository […]
JFK now longer dead than alive Read More »
USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Many of us have seen the previews– or in some cases the actual television episodes — of The Biggest Loser in which very heavy people, through diet and exercise, compete to shed the most weight. The TV show–complete with tears and hugs of those who have transformed their
Comedy explores serious subject of body image Read More »
Donald H. Harrison-Staff Report- SAN DIEGO — Nimpentoad, a book co-written by 12- and 10-year-old brothers Josh and Harrison Herz and their father, Henry, will make its debut at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, with a book signing at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. The father, Henry Herz, said he did most of the writing,
‘Nimpentoad’ to debut Dec. 4 at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore Read More »
Travel and Food
By Mara Hochberg-Miller LA JOLLA, California — I decided to study in Israel because it is the place where my Judaism, interest in politics and the Middle East, love for eretz yisrael, and career path in international relations meet. Back home in California, I could study Middle Eastern history and international diplomacy all I wanted, but
There’s learning about Israel, and then there’s experiencing it! Read More »
Middle East
By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — University of California President Mark Yudof on Sunday issued a press release that “ I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses.” President Yudof went on: “I intend to convene all 10
U.C. President Yudof not so vigilant when violence is against pro-Israel Jews Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There is good news and other news on the issue of peace and harmony between Jews and Arabs within Israel. Note “within Israel.” This is not primarily about the Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but of simple decency and accommodation between Jews and Arabs on the streets, in neighborhoods,
On inter-ethnic relations within Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Flags over the Warsaw Ghetto: The Untold Story of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Moshe Arens, Geffen Publishing House, 406 pages including index and appendices, ISBN 9652295279978, price not listed. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Given Moshe Arens’ credentials as a serious student of world affairs, who had served both as defense minister and as
Has history been fair to ALL the Warsaw Ghetto defenders? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Rabbi Dow Marmur TORONTO, Canada–Women are reviving Judaism. I’ve been part of the Reform Jewish movement since 1957 when I enrolled in a rabbinic college in England. Though in theory Reform Judaism was fully committed to gender equality, there was still little of it in practice other than that, unlike in Orthodox synagogues, women
Women reviving Judaism Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A rainy weekend leads me to thoughts about climate. This is a note about my locality, not about the fate of the world. Perhaps some of you thought I was living in the desert. Not true. Jerusalem has almost as much rain on an annual basis as
Rain in Jerusalem? Almost as much as London Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Dr. Ehud Eilam WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Sinai Peninsula has been the main battlefield in most of the wars between Egypt and Israel. The latter seized a small part of Sinai during the 1948-1949 war, and then most of it in the 1956 war. All of Sinai was soon after returned to Egypt without
Protecting Sinai from terrorists could lead to its remilitarization Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–While the Obama administration has pursued Middle East policies that could be characterized as being sometimes indifferent to Israel’s precarious security situation, relations between our Department of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces are as good today, if not better, than they have ever been. Both countries reap the benefits that flow
Payoffs for U.S. from Israeli alliance Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — For the 31st year in a row, San Diego’s oldest Jewish and United Methodist congregations will celebrate Thanksgiving together with an interfaith service, this year at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Dr. Jim Standiford, senior pastor of First United Methodist, and Rabbi Michael Berk, senior rabbi of congregation Beth
Beth Israel, First United Methodist plan joint Thanksgiving service Read More »
San Diego Calendar
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –Last Wednesday was “Stump the Rabbi Day” at our Torah School at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. I meet with most classes once a month and this month, instead of a prepared lesson, I let them ask whatever questions were on their minds. They took the opportunity seriously and asked questions
Oh, God hears you all right! Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of Erich Fromm’s most penetrating insights pertains to his distinction between authoritarian vs. humanistic religion. Fromm’s You Shall Be as Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read on the early
Healing our dysfunctional images of God Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi