When 120 young Israeli soldiers lined up outside the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday to receive citations for their distinguished service, leaders lauded and paid tribute to their exceptional personal tales. But few of those stories could compare with that of Amos Sinai, a young soldier in the Golani Brigade who was one of […]
Family odyssey from Hezbollah to Israeli army Read More »
Middle EastParty leaders moved closer to an agreement paving the way for a unity government over the weekend, despite continued opposition from both coalition members and Zionist Union MKs. Zionist Union chief Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have reportedly sketched out a rough draft of a new coalition agreement that would expand the government
Herzog demands building freeze in Judea, Samaria Read More »
Middle EastPrime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent a strongly worded letter to French President Francois Hollande after France supported a UNESCO proposal denying the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, it was revealed on Saturday night. The Paris-based UN cultural body had adopted the resolution on “Occupied Palestine” presented by several Arab countries in mid-April, referring several
Netanyahu rebukes French for vote on Temple Mount Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Some forty years ago a member of the congregation in London I then served told me that as he and his wife were getting old and had no children, they wanted to leave the little money they had to a good cause in Israel. I brought them in touch with
Rabbi Robert Samuels led Leo Baeck Center in Haifa Read More »
Middle East, Obituaries & memorials
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When Don Harrison recently gifted me a copy of Professor Mordechai Rotenberg’s The Psychology of Tzimtzum, it, like most gifts, came with a string. “Michael, I thought you’d enjoy this book and I’m wondering if you’d be kind enough to write a review of it for our
The Psychology of Tzimtzum Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Michael Mantell, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — “Sometimes there’s a stink you just can’t wash off, kinda like a venereal disease. … That’s the problem Trump’s got.” It can’t get much worse than that, a quotation in The Economist attributed to a Republican Congressman. Polls are showing that stinking mess tied with Hillary. If there is such
Hillary v. Trump an indicator of America’s decline Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABurned Alive: a Victim of the Law of Men by Souad, in collaboration with Marie-Therese Cuny, Warner Books, 2003 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — The author’s name is not “Souad” and her address “lives in Europe” is purposely generalized. The people who tried to kill her once would try again if they could. Souad
Nearly murdered woman suffered life of torture Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
By Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — It was early December 1939, just before Chanukah, in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Nazis had yet to occupy the City. Eleven-year old Zalke Genkind wanted to go to the movies, a Laurel and Hardy slapstick comedy, one of his favorites. His parents had refused to give him the money
Chiune Sugihara rescued Jews at cost of his own career Read More »
International, Jewish History
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Perhaps if the late Yiddish novelist Chava Rosenfarb had lived to see how many people crowded the Seuss Room at UCSD’s Geisel Library to hear a discussion about The Tree of Life, her trilogy about life in the Lodz ghetto, the depression she felt over the fate of the Yiddish
Yiddish writer Rosenfarb’s works and life examined Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
Israel barred the entry of a Turkish Airlines captain Friday night, after he was found to hold an Iranian passport, Channel 2 reports Saturday. Ankara asked for special permission to allow the captain to stay for one night, but was denied by the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet), based on fears of establishing
Israel denies entry to Iranian pilot Read More »
Middle East
Jewish upbringing helped celebrated deaf actress break barriers to success Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said the best thing to do for people “who have special needs is to communicate with them.” Marlee Matlin and actor Henry Winkler, a longtime friend and mentor, at the Walk of Fame Ceremony honoring Matlin in Hollywood, May 6, 2009;
‘Healing the world’ is Marlee Matlin’s matter Read More »
Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAOnce again, the British Labour party has been forced to suspend a member due to anti-Semitic comments, The Jewish Chronicle reported Thursday. The member in question is Musabbir Ali, who posted a link online claiming that “Jews control Britain and are committing genocide on us”. Ali, a member of the Tower Hamlets Labour Party in
Again: UK Labour activist suspended over anti-Semitism Read More »
InternationalLONDON — “The only thing predictable about Jonah is his unpredictability,” says Ben, the narrator in Jem Lester’s debut novel “Shtum.” As he cautiously monitors Jonah, his profoundly autistic son, sitting in the back of a car Ben knows even a mere detour has the potential to cause Jonah anxiety and Ben “untold stress.” “Shtum”
‘Shtum’: A family deals with autism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach … I am friendly with Donald Trump’s son-in-law and daughter, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. They are both extremely fine people. Jared is a leading advisor to his father-in-law on Israel and is rock-solid on all matters pertaining to the Jewish state. He stems from a famously philanthropically Jewish family who
Boteach: Donald Trump is best for Israel Read More »
USA