Donald H. Harrison

Little Italy Food Tour Provides Yummy Slices Of History 

Anthony Davi has been leading tours in Little Italy in one form or another for 26 years.  As a resident and member of the community, he knows everyone’s stories and history.  And most importantly, he knows every restaurateur, their stories, their history, their best dishes and everything else. [Sandi Masori]

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Business & Finance, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Travel and Food, USA

Anti-Israel Cartoon Roils Sweetwater Union High School District

An anti-Israel, anti-American cartoon that appeared in the Bonita Vista High School newspaper has sparked a controversy that has escalated to the point that San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan has said her office will look into whether a hate crime has been committed. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Focus on the Bagel, Not on the Hole: A Thanksgiving Parable

In Judaism, there’s a saying in the Talmud, “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot” (Pirkei Avot 4:1). This wisdom resonates deeply with the spirit of Thanksgiving. It’s about recognizing the fullness of our lives, even when there are ‘holes’, or missing pieces. It’s about finding joy and gratitude in what we do have – the ‘bagel’ – the blessings, the opportunities, and the hope that surrounds us. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Travel and Food

Jewish Touches Add to Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show

In this version Jewish playwrights Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen have adapted it with hilarious anachronistic references to San Diego and pop culture.  As soon as the show opens they show us what to expect when they reference the stage ghost light and then say that San Diego has too many ghosts, like those at the Hotel Del, The Whaley House, or the Chargers Fan Club.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Ugandan-American Tells of Fateful October Visit to Israel

Then, the first siren rang. We were bewildered and befuddled but the amazing hotel staff shuffled us into the basement along with the other hotel guests.  In my imagination, this was just another one-day scuffle. Such is what passes for “peacetime” in this part of the world, I thought. [Shoshana McKinney]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Shoshana McKinney, Travel and Food

Aharoni: Hamas’ Oct 7th Attack Rewrote the Rules for Fighting Terrorism

“There is no escape from the inevitable conclusion that if Israel cannot tolerate Hamas along the southern border, Israel cannot tolerate Hezbollah on the northern border either,” he told more than 300 persons at a StandWithUs-sponsored speech on Monday evening, Nov. 20, in the social hall of Congregation Beth El. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County

Bais Betzalel Chabad Celebrates Its First Bris

There is a special Jewish custom that in the months leading up to the delivery, the father opens up the Aron Kodesh to bring out the Sefer Torah. The Zohar says, “When the congregation takes out the Torah Scroll, the Heavenly Gates of Mercy are opened, and G‑d’s love is aroused.” The husband opening the Gates of Heaven hopefully elicits G‑d’s merciful blessing that the birth be easy and without complications. [Rabbi Yehuda Trestman]

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Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Howard Schultz and the Making of Starbucks

Some of the landsmen who were crucial in the evolution of Starbucks included Zev Siegl, Howard Schultz, Jack Benaroya, Herman Sarkowsky, Sam Stroum, Harold Gorlick and his nephew, jazz musician Kenny G. Later in the company’s history came Leonard Maltz, Howard Behar and Dan Levitan. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Celebrities, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Actor in ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ has Yiddishisms Down Pat

Right now they’re doing Tuesday With Morrie, a two-man show based on the book of the same title by Jewish writer Mitch Albom.   The play takes place in the 90s when Mitch (Kevin Quezada) reconnects with his favorite professor from Brandeis University, Morrie Schwartz (John Grasberger).  Morrie has recently been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and is ailing fast.   Mitch guilts himself into committing to come and visit Morrie every Tuesday until he passes.  During these visits they talk about life, love, death and the meaning of it all.  [Sandi Masori]

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Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

The Man for Whom Ma’alot Harav Shlomo Goren Was Named

Born in Poland in 1917 and emigrated to Palestine at the age of eight, Rabbi Goren was a brilliant, colorful, and sometimes controversial, Talmudist and halakhist. Young Shlomo Goren was a prodigy: at the tender age of twelve, he began his formal Talmud studies as the youngest student ever at Jerusalem’s Hebron Yeshiva and he published the first of many books when he was just seventeen years old. [Gedaliah Borvick]

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Gedaliah Borvick, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion