When General Grant Expelled the Jews by Jonathan D. Sarna, Publisher: Schocken, 2012 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — The American Civil War tested the character, fortitude as well as the civic structure of the United States such as in suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus. The outcome of the war would determine if […]
From the Jewish Library: U.S. Grant and the Jews Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
Fairy Tales (nonfiction) by James Josef Allina; PublishAmerica (c) 2013; ISBN 9781462659692; 182 pages, $13. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO —Fairy Tales is a two-part memoir. The first part, in the voice of the author’s uncle, Josef Benesch, focuses on living conditions for Jews in Vienna after the Anschluss with Nazi Germany The second
‘Fairy Tales’ tells of family’s Anschluss ordeal, recovery Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryLong before shakshuka, the saucy egg dish so popular in Israel, hit tables in Canada, and pomegranate molasses and za’atar became pantry staples for many, Evelyn Rose and Joyce Goldstein were transforming the world of Jewish cuisine. One of Evelyn’s guiding principles was that food should have ta’am – a quality that makes it taste
Go beyond brisket with Passover recipes that celebrate the diversity of the Jewish table Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Travel and FoodBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — If you grew up in the 1970s (or later) and were a die-hard ”Grateful Dead” rock band fan, you probably remember how fans often called themselves “Deadheads” in the ensuing decades, and still do today. The nickname arose when a large number of fans began travelling to see
Are you a clifihead? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, The World We ShareLA JOLLA, California (SDJW)–The Holocaust Living History Workshop of UCSD will present the life and works of Chava Rosenfarb, described as “one of the great Yiddish writers of the second half of the 20th century” in a two-part, free program Wednesday, May 4, at the UCSD Geisel Library (Seuss Room). At 3 p.m., the workshop
Chava Rosenfarb’s Yiddish works on tap at UCSD Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, San Diego Calendar
A Palestinian Arab author condemned anti-Semitism last month, Palestinian Media Watch reports Tuesday – defying, on Palestinian Authority (PA) official television, the constant undercurrent of hatred against Jews the PA instills in its national consciousness. “The world is trying to split us apart,” author Ounallah Abu Safieh stated in a March 14 interview. In his
Palestinian novelist denounces anti- Semitism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Middle EastSage Advice: Pirkei Avot Translation and Commentary by Irving (Yitz) Greenberg; Maggid Books, New Milford, Connecticut; ISBN 978-1-59264-444-5 ©2016, $24.95, p. 336 plus index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Pirkei Avot, literally meaning “Chapters of the Fathers,” but often translated as “Ethics of the Fathers,” is part of the Talmud, the written form
‘Sage Advice’ unlocks some Pirkei Avot mysteries Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionThurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary, by Juan Williams, Times Books, 1998 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — There are pivotal moments in history when the entire culture and future of a people and/or a country are forever changed. The 1954 Supreme Court decision in “Brown v Board of Education” was such a moment. It overturned the
From the Jewish library: ‘Thurgood Marshall’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
The Spy Who Fell To Earth: My Relationship with the Secret Agent Who Rocked the Middle East by Ahron Bregman; CreateSpace; © 2016; ISBN 13: 9781523339970; 120 pages including appendices. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Having read the San Diego Jewish World article by Joe Spier about the master spy Ashraf Marwan, historian Ahron
The spy Ashraf Marwan and the Yom Kippur War Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East
Max’s Diamonds by Jay Greenfield; © 2016; Chickadee Prince Books; 385 pages; ISBN 978-0-9913274-2-3; $15.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Paul Hartman is incredibly bright, extraordinarily calculating, and horribly conflicted about the diamonds that his cousin, Max, a survivor of Auschwitz, conferred upon his family before he committed suicide. Even as a boy, Paul
A post- Holocaust tale of ill-gotten diamonds Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonStockholm (dpa) – US author Meg Rosoff was Tuesday named winner of Sweden’s 2016 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in literature for children and young people. Rosoff’s novels for young adults “speak to the emotions as well as the intellect,” the jury said, adding that her “brave and humorous stories are one-of-a-kind. She leaves no reader
Author Meg Rosoff wins Sweden’s 2016 Lindgren prize Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
A Venetian Jewish woman who lived in London and spoke Hebrew is the actual author behind William Shakespeare, a leading expert claims in a 2014 book released in paperback this week. The English playwright’s mysterious identity even nearly 400 years since his death in April 1616 has stirred its fair share of rumors, including ones
Shakespeare was a Jewish woman, book claims Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History
The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi St. Martin’s Press, 2016; ISBN 978-1-250-07816-2; 372 pages; $25.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– The heart rules supreme, or at least it should have, in this novel covering four generations of Ladino-speaking Israelis. Next time that you try to forbid a son or a daughter from
Marriage choice should be “right” not “in” nor “out” Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
When she decided to go into show business, iconic Jewish-American performer Barbra Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was what some viewed as her distinctively Jewish appearance, according to an upcoming biography of the singer and actress. Long before she became a cultural icon, the Brooklyn-born Streisand was mocked, derided
How Streisand turned looking ‘too Jewish’ into stardom Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA