Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Novel is based on what an old lion swallowed

The tale turns to two timelines. In 1938, while Nazi Germany was in turmoil, young Sarah Frank escaped persecution against Jews. She finds refuge in a traveling circus populated by lion trainers, acrobats, elephant handlers, and interesting, sometimes strange people. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Fiction, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Shabbat, music, death are subjects for season finale of Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices

Chait’s poem, Without You, was inspired by the terrible events of October 7, 2023. Lynch’s poem, To My Shabbat Soul, is full of original imagery, dealing with her relationship to Shabbat, and Rolfe’s poem, MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC describes how that element influences our lives… I am also including a poem written by Janice Alper about the traumatic event the day before when three men were killed by two teenagers at the nearby Mosque. [Eileen Wingard]

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Introducing Shahar Masori and his children’s books

I persuaded him to write a column for San Diego Jewish World to offer an Israeli-American perspective on the news.  As he did so, the writing bug must have bitten him.  He poured himself into writing some books for children, and now books for adults are in the works. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Love, marriage, and sex as told by my father, a rabbi

The controversial reception to Dad’s Marriage Made in Heaven stemmed primarily from its explicit and frank discussion of sexual intimacy, which many in the Orthodox rabbinate in 1958 considered inappropriate for public consumption. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

‘Essentials of Judaism’ will please life-long Jews and those studying for conversion

The authors created a text that speaks simultaneously to the intellectually curious reader, the seeker of religious inspiration, and the conversion student searching for a reliable and comprehensive guide. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin}

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Novel probes what an immigrant star did during World War II

This historical novel is loosely inspired by Audrey Hepburn, the Dutch Resistance, and the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age. It follows two sisters as they reunite after World War II and embark on a journey filled with justice, survival, and long-buried secrets against the backdrop of the Red Scare in Hollywood. [Cailin Acosta]

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Without a book to read, author mulls eight novels she wrote

(I) could not contemplate any journey without having a book to read. But last week I had to endure that half-hour journey without proper reading matter, a predicament I hope never to have to repeat. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Jewish American Heritage Month nears conclusion

Jewish Heritage Month is ending in a few days. I was pleased to see a display on my way out of an event at La Mesa Arts Academy honoring famous Jewish Americans. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Was Spinoza an atheist?

He is likely correct that Spinoza was convinced that God does not intervene in history, perform miracles, reward, punish, or listen to prayers – other Jewish thinkers said the same thing while never denying God’s existence. But he is clearly wrong to suppose that when Spinoza said we can see God in nature, he meant God does not exist. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish biography: Siegfried Lichtenstädter, anti-utopian author

Lichtenstädter loved historical-prophetic sketches. In his book Das Neue Weltreich (The New Empire, 1903), he predicted Germany’s attack on Poland in October 1939 (he was off by one month). In 1912, Lichtenstädter predicted the “monstrous” slaughter of Armenians by the Turks, which took place in 1915. Long before the historical events, Lichtenstädter predicted the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1940 (he was off by two years). [Alex Gordon]

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