Donald H. Harrison

Marathon Council Meeting Elects Campbell as President

One Jewish San Diego City Councilmember departed, a second Jewish Councilmember arrived, and a third, in the middle of her term, was elected as the Council’s new president during a marathon meeting on Thursday, Dec. 10th, after the 73rd City Council of the City of San Diego was sworn in along with the city’s new Democratic mayor, Todd Gloria, and the  reelected City Attorney, Mara Elliott. The new Council President in Jennifer Campbell, who defeated Monica Montgomery Steppe by a 5-4 vote notwithstanding an outpouring of support for Montgomery Steppe during the public comment portion of the meeting. The departing Jewish Councilmember was Barbara Bry, who was succeeded as the representative of the First District by Joe LaCava, who was administered the oath of office by his wife Lorraine. The arriving City Councilmember was Sean Elo-Rivera, who was sworn in as the representative of the Ninth District by his wife Angela Rivera. He succeeded City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez, who is also the immediate past President of the City Council. [Donald H. Harrison]

Marathon Council Meeting Elects Campbell as President Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Two bricks from Buchenwald

The unspeakable horror; the ignored cries of pain,; the unimaginable suffering; the final resting place for more than 50,000 innocent souls. This was Nazi era Germany: This was Buchenwald, the death camp infamous for performing medical experiments on inmates. Its place in history marked by being the first camp liberated by Allied Forces. On a recent driving trip through the scenic countryside of the now unified Germany, we two Americans born after World War II gathered our courage to visit Buchenwald. Despite our each having twice before traveled to Germany, neither had mustered the psychological strength to witness the reality of the death camp tales we had heard all our lives. [John Brennan]

Two bricks from Buchenwald Read More »

International, Jewish History

Anti-Squad Republicans Should Be Careful to Not Overreach

Rashida Tlaib’s mantra “From the river to the sea” may soon compete with “From the Narrows to the Potomac.” Or “Biscayne Bay to the Potomac.”

“From the River…” etc. is meant as the stretch of land that comprises Israel and its territories, all of which many Palestinians claim is theirs.

Both Nicole Malliotakis and Maria Elvira Salazar will be traveling regularly to the Potomac, the former from the Narrows (which separates Staten Island from southern Brooklyn) and the latter from Miami. They could both form part of a Republican faction in the House of Representatives that will rake Tlaib’s “Squad” over the coals each time that Tlaib and friends open their big mouths. [Bruce S. Ticker]

Anti-Squad Republicans Should Be Careful to Not Overreach Read More »

Bruce Ticker

The Jewish History of Harlem

Say “Harlem,” and the first image to come to mind is not a Jewish neighborhood. But thanks to a virtual tour by Barry Judelman, presented by the indefatigably glorious Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy (LESJC), Jewish audiences are now learning that, for 60 years, 1870-1930, the stretch of New York from about 116th to 125th Streets, the Harlem and East Rivers to the east, and the Hudson River in the west, was the third largest Jewish community in the world (175,000). Only the Lower East Side with 350,000 Jews and Warsaw, Poland, with 343,000 had more. [Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston, Two Sues on the Aisle, TheJewishVoiceAndOpinion.com]

The Jewish History of Harlem Read More »

Travel and Food, USA

US senators fail to block Trump sale of F-35 jets to UAE

Washington (AFP) – Democrats failed Wednesday to block the United States from selling top-of-the-line fighter-jets to the United Arab Emirates, with most senators dismissing fears that President Donald Trump was setting off a dangerous arms race. In one of the largest arms deals of its four-year term, the outgoing administration has approved $23 billion in

US senators fail to block Trump sale of F-35 jets to UAE Read More »

USA

Estranged wife of former Rep. Duncan Hunter files for divorce

SAN DIEGO — The estranged wife of former U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter has filed for divorce after 22 years of marriage and more than a year of separation amid a corruption prosecution that netted them both felony convictions. Margaret Hunter is seeking a divorce because of “irreconcilable differences,” and requests joint legal custody of their

Estranged wife of former Rep. Duncan Hunter files for divorce Read More »

Travel and Food

Reunion of families who sheltered Kindertransport refugees

To mark the anniversary of the Kindertransport project, in which Britain agreed to accept ten thousand unaccompanied refugee children, the vast majority of whom were Jewish, from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939, the AJR (Association of Jewish Refugees) recently held a special zoom meeting. This was hosted by British celebrity Dame Esther Rantzen and one of the main speakers was Sir David Attenborough, whose family had hosted two girls from Germany. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

Reunion of families who sheltered Kindertransport refugees Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History

Trump says he’ll be intervening in US Supreme Court suit seeking to overturn Michigan results

DETROIT — President Donald Trump’s campaign intends to appeal in a U.S. Supreme Court case seeking to overturn Michigan’s election results based on claims that have been rejected by lower courts, election experts and testimony in legislative hearings. Trump announced his intent to intervene in the suit filed by the Texas attorney general via tweet

Trump says he’ll be intervening in US Supreme Court suit seeking to overturn Michigan results Read More »

USA

Biden’s son Hunter says under investigation for tax affairs

Wilmington (United States) (AFP) – Hunter Biden, the son of US President-elect Joe Biden and a frequent target of Republican attacks, said Wednesday he was under federal investigation about his taxes. The revelation about the probe included no details, but it promises to rekindle Republican rage about the Biden family, including Hunter Biden’s business dealings

Biden’s son Hunter says under investigation for tax affairs Read More »

USA