By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –The full Hebrew name of Holocaust Memorial Day is yom hasho’a v’hagvurah, the day of catastrophe and heroism. The commemorations in Israel tend to put at least as much stress on the heroism as on the catastrophe. Thus the annual state ceremony at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial complex, in
Yom HaShoah and the Iran threat Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Steven Burg NEW YORK — The shocking news came over the Passover holiday. Five young men, all Jews, were found in a basement, bound together nearly naked, covered in welts and smeared with honey, hot sauce and flour. When they were rescued, the victims were shivering and described as having “horrified and fearful
BU fraternity incident underscores need for anti-bullying measures Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education
By James Colbert WASHINGTON, D.C. –Providing the Egyptian military with unrestricted military assistance no longer serves American goals. While conditional aid is a relatively weak diplomatic tool, it is the only approach left to the United States to alter meaningfully Egypt’s negative trajectory that is propelled by an economy nearing collapse, ongoing human rights abuses,
U.S. should put conditions on its military aid to Egypt Read More »
USA
Editor’s Note: The following eulogy was delivered at the funeral of Gert Thaler, 91, on Tuesday, April 17, at Ohr Shalom Synagogue in San Diego by her dear friend Norman Greene. By Norman Greene SAN DIEGO–As my friend Lorraine Schrag commented, “it is hard to imagine a world without Gert thaler.” Many here today have
Gert Thaler’s purposefulness and zaniness remembered Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Our tradition is a tapestry of stories. Every generation weaves its own unique color and threads as we make a mosaic about our history and family memories. Whenever our family of survivors told us about their experiences in the concentration camps, I used to marvel at their
The story behind a winning smile Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK –He was an old man, and in many ways came from a very different world than I. And yet he taught me more than anyone else ever did. One of the things he taught me was that no one suffers as much as a parent who loses a
Aaron remained silent Read More »
Jewish Religion
By David Amos SAN DIEGO –One possible definition of heaven on earth is seven days of listening to chamber music for the entire day, plus non-stop feasting on Italian and Sicilian food daily for lunch and dinner. All at a seaside resort. This is what I experienced one fine week in November of 1996, when
Memories of a jurist at an international music competition Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — What was supposed to be a routine ceremony in the official residence of the President of Israel turned out to be a spirited rebuttal in the current debate about the relationship between Israel’s Supreme Court and the Knesset. It has been flamed by a new proposal by Minister of
Peres and Grunis oppose letting Knesset override Supreme Court Read More »
Middle East
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California–Of course administrators and faculty members at Grossmont College are smart, but they aren’t always very technically minded. Some of them, you’ll forgive the expression, are “klutzes” when it comes to the computers and audio-visual equipment that are on the “smart carts” in some 150 classrooms on the
‘Piece of Cake’ technician is lauded by Grossmont College Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The weekend report of a German-owned, Ukrainian-chartered ship carrying weapons to Syria should raise questions and alarm bells. Der Spiegel reported that the Atlantic Cruiser, owned by the German company Bockstiegel, had been chartered by the Ukrainian White Whale company to pick up Iranian-origin cargo in Djibouti. White Whale
Is Syria running out of ammo? Read More »
International, Shoshana BryenBy Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM — A few days ago, within a week of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, my mother’s youngest brother passed away. His passing made me reflect on the long tentacles of the Shoah that leaves its mark on lives until today. Isi was the youngest of five children, born in 1926
Kindertransport child felt uprooted the rest of his life Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Among the non‑Orthodox rabbis who were placed in the concentration camps, Rabbi Leo Baeck provides one of the most outstanding examples of shepherding of that era. Baeck’s saintly conduct served as an inspiration to all who were with him in the camp. In the years prior
Rabbi Leo Baeck never left the Jewish people’s side Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –“‘Give me liberty or give me death,” said the American Revolutionary War orator Patrick Henry. “And, while you’re at it,” add community members at the high school named after him, “give me a decent performing arts center too!” Since Patrick Henry High School’s construction in 1968, its students have had to
A community is determined to get its PHAME Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Nothing challenges the belief in a benevolent God like the ubiquity of evil in the world. For the Jewish people, the experience of the Holocaust revealed the inadequacy of traditional theology. The God of the Exodus seemed “to be out for lunch.” Asked in more simple and
Remembering a rabbi who would not forget his fellow Jews Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi