By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Bill Tammeus is a former religion columnist for the Kansas City Star and the author of several books over the years, among them They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust, which he co-authored with Jacques Cukierkorn. He knows the Jewish community in Kansas […]
Columnist who studied Shoah now writes about Pope Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short StoriesSome Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren, published by Plume/Penguin Group, 2010 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Jillian Lauren was born in 1973 and was adopted as an infant by a Jewish couple in Livingston, New Jersey. Later a son was adopted. They were a middle class suburban family, gave their
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories
The Devil in Jerusalem by Naomi Ragen; St. Martin’s Press © 2015; ISBN 978-1-250-04313-9; 306 pages, $25.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This novel is well-written and suspenseful, yet exceedingly difficult to read. It is about child abuse with descriptions so graphic it will make almost any reader shudder or cringe. Author Naomi
Child abuse makes important novel hard to read Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonThe War Reporter by Martin Fletcher; St. Martin’s Press © 2015; ISBN 978-1-250-07002-9; 306 pages, $25.99. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Set in Sarajevo (Bosnia) during the siege, and in Belgrade (Serbia) ten years afterwards, this novel tells of television journalist Tom Layne briefly encountering Serbian General Ratko Mladic near the former war-torn city and trying
Amid chaos, ‘The War Reporter’ introspects Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonJonas Salk: A Life by Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs, M.D., Oxford University Press, 2015 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — For those of us who were children in the 1950’s, embedded in our memories of summertime fun, we also remember the horror of the dark shadow of poliomyelitis – polio – which hung over our days.
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Dear Friends and Family, I have been a reporter since 1934, but this is my first attempt at fiction. Actually, 90% of it is true based on my life and others that I have known. Love Conquers All: A short, short story by J. Zel Lurie Her name was
101-year-old writes a love story Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short StoriesEditor’s Note: San Diego Jewish World is fortunate to have among its contributors the authors of many books. To acquaint you with them, and their literary output, we will from time to time offer articles by the authors telling of their works. This article is by Dr. Michael Mantell, an Advanced Behavior Coach based in San Diego. By
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Michael MantellBy Jack Forman LA JOLLA, California — King David’s rich and full life is meticulously detailed in Samuel I and II and Chronicles, and his last years are described at the beginning of Kings I. He is a larger-than-life figure who plays a central role in Judaism because it is from King David’s lineage, according
Rabbi Wolpe delves into King David’s lives Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History
By Jack Forman ENCINITAS, California — Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger captivated an audience of about 250 people at Temple Solel on Sunday, November 9 with an honest, moving, and provocative 45-minute talk at the Jewish Book Fair about his stranger-than-fiction life growing up in post-World War II Germany, converting to Judaism, raising a family in Israel, and
A Nazi’s son tells Book Fair how he became a Jew Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Middle East
Susan Vreeland, Lisette’s List, 2014, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6817-3, $27 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Have you ever watched an artist at his or her canvas? While you might be impatient to see how the painting will turn out, the artist may spend what you feel is an inordinate amount of time making sure
‘Lisette’s List’ teaches as it entertains Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
Tamar Caspi, How to Woo a Jew: The Modern Jewish Guide to Dating and Mating, Seal Press, ©2014, 274 pages, 978-1-58005-500-0; $17. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—This book officially is scheduled for a February publication date, the same month that Nancy and I will celebrate 46 years of marriage, parenthood, and grand-parenthood. So what
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., The Rabbi and The Nuns, Mekor Press, 2013, ISBN 9781614651338. 190 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Although the title sounds like the beginning of a joke, this book, in fact, contains numerous recollections of Rabbi Twerski’s career as the head of psychiatry at the Roman Catholic-operated St.
The old, the young, and the alcoholics Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
By Joel A. Moskowitz MD LA JOLLA, California — It is common for laypersons to scoff and ridicule the mentally aberrant and to deride those who ‘treat’ such suffering. Mishegas is the Yiddish label. Jay Neugebren, Michael B. Friedman MSW and Lloyd I. Sederer MD have crafted (potchkied) a parody of the DSM-5. (Diagnostic and
A Diagnostic Manual of Mishegas Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Science, Medicine, & Education, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The Hope Chest by Melanie Ross, illustrated by Tess Heimbach, Underwood Publishing, (c) 2012, ISBN 9780-6156-2337-5, 168 pages, $13.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Leprechauns and kabbalah? Anything is possible, especially in a book written to stimulate children’s imaginations and to carry them off as readers to a far away, magical land. San Diego
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories