ORANIT, Israel (Press Release) — Below is a letter written by Rivka Sandomirsky who mentored a child who was very, very sick with cancer. Through the course of her illness, the child became totally paralyzed and then gradually faded away. She was five years old when she died in July. In the beginning she was […]
A mentor’s thoughts in a pediatric cancer ward Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education
By David Amos SAN DIEGO — As an active member of the Jewish community, I am exposed, as many of you are, to programs, films, television specials, lectures, and books on the Holocaust. Most of us know and have spoken to Holocaust survivors, and have heard directly from them the horrific times they suffered in
Commemorating the Holocaust musically Read More »
Travel and FoodCompiled by San Diego Jewish World staff Temple Beth Israel Sisterhood Slates 2nd Edition of “Follies of ’56” Southwestern Jewish Press, October 5, 1956, Page 8 “Fund-raising” and “fun raising” tell the story of the Temple Beth Israel Sisterhood’s “Follies of ’56” which will have show time and dates of Nov. 3 and 4, Saturday
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, Oct. 5, 1956, Part 5 Read More »
Adventures in SD History
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Jewish legal tradition, better known as “Halachah,” teaches that silence is “tantamount to admission.” The moral implications ought to be clear enough for anyone to readily grasp. When somebody is attempting to do something wrong and illegal, one cannot dissociate oneself from the situation and
The guilty silence of some Haredi rabbis Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–One simple yet helpful way of describing the public discourse in and about contemporary Israel is to view it as a struggle between security (sometimes coupled with the quest for survival) and values (often equated with morality and prophetic justice). I heard Steven Cohen, the American-Israeli sociologist, suggest in a talk
Armenian genocide question divides Israel between values and security Read More »
Middle East
SAN DIEGO — What’s a Jew to do on Dec. 25th. At Beth Jacob Congregation, there was a Chanukah festival, complete with dreidel games, Magen David balloons, latkes and a talent show. On hand to photograph the fun were Nancy Harrison and Sam Zeiden.
Chanukah festival at Beth Jacob Read More »
San Diego Calendar
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO –In spite of the uncertain and ever-changing tax laws, there are some significant financial benefits to be obtained by considering tax incentives and opportunities. Below is your handy checklist! Be sure to consult with your financial advisor and CPA for help. Retirement Planning Certain plans, such as 401(k) and Keogh
Money Maven: Using tax strategies in your financial plan Read More »
Sheryl RowlingBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The Municipality of Beit Shemesh removed the signs indicating which sidewalk was to be used by women and girls. Haredim began replacing them 10 minutes later. One of the prominent spitters was jailed and released after a short time. It sounds like the treatment given Religious Zionist (Orthodox)
Secular versus religious laws in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — There’s talk of elections in Israel in 2012. One indication is that the primaries in Likud – the party of Prime Minister Netanyahu that in the end will decide when to call an election if it’s ahead of the four-year mandate, as it would be in 2012 – have
Standing up for women in Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO –Once a year the San Diego theatre critics get all dressed up and have a party honoring all those we write about throughout the year. This is the tenth year we will have been at this and we know this will be the best party yet! (We say that every
San Diego Theatre Critics Gear up for Awards Ceremony Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most colorful figures of the 18th century, who almost single-handedly raised the morale of the Jewish people, was a man named R. Yisrael ben Eliezer, a.k.a., the famous “Baal Shem Tov,” (literally, the “Master of the Good Name.”) When one looks back in
The Baal Shem Tov would be horrified Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–My resolution not to write so often lasted only a few hours, until I found myself enraged by a television report about Heredi extremists in Beit Shemesh. We’ve known about the Beit Shemesh community for some time. Religious friends from the US and a secular Israeli colleague initially settled there, then
Beit Shemesh incident shows intolerance extends to little girls Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –This time I travelled to Israel in the company of Daniel Kahneman, the 2002 Nobel Prize winner in economics. Not in the flesh, of course, but with his bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow. The book has much to teach on many subjects. Inter alia Kahneman seems to be implicitly supporting
Why doing nothing appeals to both Palestinians and Israelis Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This is a complex world with many players and numerous conflicts. So what else is new? In this holiday season when wise commentators summarize what happened, what is happening, and what will happen, it is appropriate to remind ourselves of the obvious, trivial, and continuing realities. We members
We often forget that Israel-Palestine battle only one of numerous conflicts in the world Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East