By Daniel Halper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Saturday, a front-page story in America’s newspaper of record, the New York Times, reported that “American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.” Apparently, the Times’s reporters-as it would otherwise be a betrayal of their […]
Debating Iran’s intentions vs. its capabilities Read More »
USAJERUSALEM (Press Release) — Israelis recall the Second Intifada, which began in September 2000 and lasted half a decade, as a bleak period of terrorism and suicide bombings. Yet new research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem finds that surprisingly, the terrorism had almost no impact on Israelis’ self-reported life satisfaction levels in surveys conducted at
Study finds terrorism does not demoralize the victim society Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —A congregant shared with me a wonderful story about his little nephew who lived in the State of Illinois. One day, his uncle was trying to teach him some Hebrew blessings. After he taught him the blessings, he went home. A week later, he asked his nephew,
Words must be chosen carefully in international affairs Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — He died suddenly and dramatically on March 2—thirty six years ago today, in 1976. At 59, I am fourteen years older than my father was when he succumbed to a massive myocardial infarction while playing handball at the Cincinnati Jewish Community Center. My young mother and I were
Preparing to say kaddish at a final, final resting place Read More »
Travel and Food
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Wednesday evening, March 7, we begin the celebration of the holiday of Purim which commemorates the victory of the Jews over their enemies in ancient Persia. Once the hero of the story, Mordechai, finds out that Haman has received the king’s permission to kill the Jews, he
Parsha and Purim warn Jews to stay unified Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA — This month students will have their turn when the final “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” evening of the year is presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC . The program will feature Becca Meyers from High Tech High School, Lily Greenberg
Adults share original poems; next it’s students’ chance Read More »
Eileen Wingard
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –A woman answered the front door to find a workman standing on the porch and carrying a box of tools. “I’m the piano tuner ma’am” he announced. “But I didn’t send for a piano tuner.” “I know, but the neighbors did!” Some people know the Torah. Some people know
Our inside feelings may seem quite different to outside observers Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Audrey Jacobs SAN DIEGO –Mazal Tov to the UCSD Tritons for Israel and Pro-Israel community on Wednesday night’s 20-13 vote to defeat a divestment resolution targeting Israel. The UCSD Associated Students (AS) government heard seven hours of hateful rhetoric demonizing Israel as well as heartfelt testimonies defending Israel and the truth. Kol HaKavod UCSD Tritons for Israel Daniel
UCSD’s student government defeats Israel divestment effort Read More »
San Diego County
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Despite attempts by some politicians to compromise Israeli democracy, the Supreme Court, with its commitment to the rule of law and the rights of individuals and minorities, always made sure that they wouldn’t succeed. Those on the reactionary far Right have, therefore, often regarded the judges as thorns in
Criticism of Arab Justice for not singing Hatikvah an excuse for bigotry Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Hispanic Jewish activist Gracia Molina de Pick, feminist, educational reformer, and philanthropist, is one of the six 2012 National Women’s History Month Honorees. Her work embodies the 2012 theme for National Women’s History Month – Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment. Molina de Pick’s community organizing skills developed in high school, where she was
Gracia Molina de Pick, Hispanic Jewish activist, honored during Women’s History Month Read More »
San Diego Calendar
By Carol Davis SOLANA BEACH, California—Mr. Green (Robert Grossman) is an 86-year-old widower who clings to his Jewish values and beliefs. He is angry, unpleasant, stubborn, worn out and alone. He and his wife Yetta were married 59 years. “We almost made it to sixty and never had and argument”. But she died a
‘Visiting Mr. Green’ is a hefty dose of chicken soup for theatre lovers Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — National Public Radio commentators recently discussed a very interesting question: Should President Obama have “apologized” for the accidental burning of the Qur’an? Some argue that the President should have expressed “regret” over the incident, which acknowledges some degree of culpability. Regret does not contain any element
Who’s right in debate over President Obama’s apology? Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — An old former congregant and friend of mine (who happens to be a Cohen) recently lost his father, and he asked me the following question. Is a Jewish Priest’s ritual purity compromised by coming into contact with ashes of a cremated person? Your question could also
How does Judaism treat cremated human remains? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By David Brin ENCINITAS, California — My own fascination with Rick Santorum is partly rooted in the fell prediction that Papa Robert Heinlein made, in his future history, way back in the 1950s… that a fundamentalist preacher would win the presidency on a court decision, without a plurality (sound like 2000?) and thereupon clamp down
Santorum, a futurist’s nightmare come true? Read More »
USA