CHICAGO — In the early 1930s, Ralph Newman was walking through the Near North Side when he noticed a bookstore going out of business. He had left Northwestern University after a semester to play minor league baseball in the Southwest — only to be injured and leave baseball. He was in his 20s when he […]
Following are programs of scholarly and popular Jewish interest that can be accessed via the Internet from Nov. 29 through Dec. 4, 2020. All times are Pacific Standard Time. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2020) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA
One of the tales that is told in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is the controversial story told by a prioress called “The Prioress’s Tale.” A prioress is a woman who is head of a house of nuns. She is next in rank below an abbess. She is seemingly a religious person with religious ideas. Chaucer describes his prioress in his book in two ways. She is introduced in his Prologue as an aristocratic, genteel, pious nun, but the story she tells shows her demeaning Jews and stating that Jews drink Christian blood in a Jewish ritual. She describes how Jews were rounded up, treated brutally, and then murdered by the Christian community. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Was Chaucer an Anti-Semite? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish HistoryThe book Places in the Parasha is a very good book, with chapters for each of the more than fifty Torah readings in synagogues on the Shabbat as well as the special readings on holidays. It identifies the location of places mentioned in the portions and gives us information about these places. As a result, we learn more about what the Torah is saying and get a deeper understanding of the events that are mentioned. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Mapping the Bible, Correcting Misconceptions Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish ReligionFollowing are academic and popular programs of Jewish interest that will be available on the Internet Nov. 22-26. All times are Pacific Standard Time. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 22-26, 2020) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, USA
The main theme of ‘The Dark Circle’ is the battle with TB (tuberculosis) of the characters depicted in it, just as the miracle medicine of antibiotics, known then as Streptomycin, is beginning to appear on the world stage, bringing with it the promise of salvation from diseases formerly considered incurable, even fatal. While the wider context of the book is 1950s Britain, with its entrenched class differences, prejudices and post-war restrictions, the immediate environment in which the narrative develops is a custom-built sanatorium intended to cure its inmates, or residents. [Book review by Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Rebuilding lives in a TB Sanitarium Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education
The idea that Donald J. (“John,” not “Jewish”) Trump would even consider converting to Judaism is, on its face, outrageous. Then again, Joel H. (“Hugh,” not “Hebrew”) Cohen, has plenty of outrageous thoughts about the 45th president of the United States and has, in the past, humorously and unapologetically expressed them in these pages of the San Diego Jewish World in his column, “Just Kidding.” [Bruce F. Lowitt]
‘Mostly Mishegas’ Satirizes Trump’s Jewish Knowledge Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Bruce F. Lowitt, Donald H. Harrison, Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Here is a recipe for writing a great chapter book for children about Hanukkah … Ingredients … Find a subject to write about … Jot ideas down on paper or computer …
Create a main character or two … Create lots of tension … {Marcia Berneger]
A Writer’s Recipe for Children’s Books Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Marcia BernegerKindness and bravery are the themes of two books for children published in time for Hanukkah: Nicky & Vera and Eight Knights of Hanukkah. [Marcia Berneger]
New Children’s Books Emphasize Kindness, Bravery Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Marcia BernegerFollowing are academic and popular programs of specific Jewish interest that may be accessed via the Internet. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 15- 20) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Why Jews Do That, authored by Rabbi Avram Mlotek, co-founder and the Rabbi of Base Manhattan, a group described as an “organization aiming to be a pluralistic Jewish salon for the post-college set,” is occasionally irreverent, often amusing, and always succinct and to the point with its answers. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]
Book is irreverent but useful guide to Jewish practice Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionThis is not an easy, light-hearted read. Far from it. It describes in harrowing detail the experiences of George Heisler, who is one of seven men who escaped from a prison camp somewhere in rural Germany. The year is 1935, and anyone suspected of opposing the Nazi regime is liable to be summoned by the Gestapo, arrested and sent to a prison camp. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Story of Nazi brutality published during WWII Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, InternationalFollowing are scholarly and popular programs on Jewish-interest subjects that may be accessed between Sunday, Nov. 8 and Friday, Nov.13, via the Internet. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 8-13) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA
This year’s Tapestry, sponsored by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s JLearn, promises to be more diverse, exciting and interesting than ever before. Experts have been tapped from all over the world to contribute to this extraordinary Jewish Learning event.
The first session, the keynote address on Saturday evening, November 7, at 7:30 p.m., will feature David Meltzer, named one of Forbes’ 10 best Motivational Speakers. Meltzer will discuss how to “Stabilize Your Mindset and Stay Grounded. Focus on Your Core Values Through a Jewish Lens. “ [Eileen Wingard]
Diverse lectures on tap at Tapestry Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA