Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Today’s Jewish birthday: Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, which is based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust. [Wikipedia]

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Why ‘Jonah’ is appropriate to read Yom Kippur afternoon

Maimonides teaches his readers to distinguish between the biblical attribution of an event to God and its immediate physical cause. In other words, biblical language saying that “God did” or said something does not necessarily mean God directly intervened in nature the way a human being might. God was the ultimate cause of the event because God created the laws of nature, but the act happened according to those laws. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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‘The Book Thief’ exonerates some Germans during Holocaust

After accepting the basic premise that the book is written from the viewpoint of Death, who turns out to be an individual with ideas, emotions and principles, we are told about a train journey somewhere in Germany on a cold winter’s day. (Dorothea Shefer-Vanson)

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A violin’s history — as told by the violin

The violin’s narrative traverses Germany, France, Russia, Poland and the Ukraine. It traces the tragedies of Jewish communities during World War I, the pogroms, the Holocaust and post WWII antisemitism. [Eileen Wingard]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Batman comics illustrator brilliantly tackles Genesis 1-11

Instead of thinking of Genesis merely as a sequence of names and episodes, readers can visualize Creation, Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel as parts of a continuous human drama. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Jewish biography: Joseph Roth, novelist

The novel The Radetzky March, written in 1932, is a text of astonishing beauty and inner coherence, permeated by a sense of sadness, disintegration, and loss. The novel’s title refers to Johann Strauss’s famous march The Radetzky March, composed in 1848. [Alex Gordon, Ph.D.]

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Wonderful feelings of togetherness and learning at JCC

We shared moments of joy and celebration. We learned together, moved together, laughed together, and showed up for one another. We gathered around Jewish culture, ideas, music, stories, holidays, and traditions. We watched children grow, friendships deepen, families connect, and people of every age find a place to belong. [Liz Nederlander Coden and Hannah Cohen]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

High Holiday wisdom in poetry and prose

Rav Nahman of Breslov taught: The whole world is a narrow bridge— and the essential thing is not to be afraid. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Today’s Jewish birthday: Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond (September 10, 1937) is an American scientist, historian, and author. He has written hundreds of scientific and popular articles and books, most notably Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), which received multiple awards, including the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. [Wikipedia]

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