The Arts

1978 Israeli poem continues to encourage hope

Yehonatan Geffen’s 1978 Hebrew-language poem , which I’ve translated as, “It Will Be Good,” pays homage to the peace treaty negotiations between Egypt and Israel, and honors Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit in Israel. In support of Geffen’s positive message I want to share my take on the veracity of Geffen’s poem in today’s world, as there are many lines in this poem that are resonant with how lives are being lived during the current global health crisis, not least the refrain and title of the poem, “It will be good.” [Omer Zalmanowitz]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Einstein documentary includes historic San Diego footage

In the trailer above for the documentary Einstein: Still a Revolutionary, the children seen and heard chanting “Einstein! Einstein! Rah! Rah!” are San Diegans. Possibly some of them may be centenarians still alive today.  The full documentary briefly shows Einstein being greeted in San Diego by Mayor Harry C. Clark on December 31, 1930 as he disembarked here from the Belgenland. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Ancient ideas about heaven and hell

Many people today, Christians, Muslims, and Jews, as well as people of other religions, are convinced that good people go to heaven when they die, while people who acted improperly go to Hell. But the notion that these places exist is pagan and entered Judaism only in the late second temple period, probably round 320 BCE. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

SDJW writer celebrates her seventh novel

Yes, it’s here at last! My latest book (my seventh), Friends, Neighbors, Traitors is now available as an ebook for $2.99 on Amazon. If you wait for 10th May,  it can be downloaded for free. I am currently in the process of preparing the paperback version of the book, which I hope will also be available on Amazon very soon. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Prayer can be Do-It-Yourself

Rabbi Dov Singer’s Prepare My Prayer: Recipes to Awaken the Soul is one of the best books I have read in recent years on the meaning of Jewish prayer. The author is head of Yeshivat Makor Chaim in Israel and has done considerable work with Israelis showing them how Judaic prayer can facilitate a meaningful spiritual renewal in the worshiper.   [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Has Orwell’s ‘1984’ arrived 36 years later?

Wherever you go, whether to the local corner market or to the mall, the all-seeing eye of surveillance monitors virtually every segment of modern life—whether you go to the hospital, or to a school—even the sidewalks. Nobody ever thinks to question its legitimacy; it is a fact of today’s modern technological age. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Chai-times and humor among Florida’s Jewish retirees

Of the Jewish friends and relatives who have migrated to the land of the Early Bird – southern Florida –few have supplied as many laughs and good feelings as William Rabinowitz, the fictional hero of Jerry Klinger’s book, Boynton Beach Chronicles: Tails of Norman. [Book review by Joel H. Cohen]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jerry Klinger, Jewish Religion, Joel H. Cohen, Lifestyles, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Walk a mile in her hijab

More than likely you have heard the expression, “walk a mile in my shoes,” to caution against prejudging what anyone’s life is like.  Jewish filmmaker Nancy Cooperstein Charney poignantly brought that message home at the conclusion of her documentary, Who’s Next, when she filmed a large group of women, presumably non-Muslims, being shown how to put on a hijab, and then marching together in New York City.  I’m not sure, given the Islamophobic atmosphere in the United States today, how many other women would have the courage to do that. {Movie review by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Peace Corps documentary narrated by Annette Bening

Actress Annette Bening, who got her start in drama as a student at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego before going on to Broadway and to the movies, is the narrator of a new documentary A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps, which covers approximately 62 years of America helping developing nations, from the inception of the idea in 1958 to the present. It will be shown in theaters later this month. {Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

   Items in today’s column include: *Jewish community coronavirus news *American Jewish history *Never forget *In memoriam By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, in her role as chair of the Council’s Budget Committee, has proposed that “San Diego’s federal coronavirus relief money to be used to fund Internet access for all San

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Sudden fortune challenges Jewish family

What Helen Auerbach’s  youngest daughter initially mistook for costume jewelry was in fact a 137-carat diamond, none other than the Florentine Diamond that had been missing since the end of the Habsburg Dynasty.  Helen left it to her youngest granddaughter Beck, skipping over her daughter Deborah Miller, as well as her other grandchildren Ashley and Jake. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison