Laurie Baron, Ph.D, collates a list of lectures that will be streaming from Sunday, July 26 through July 30. All times are San Diego times.
Streaming Jewish Lectures July 26-30 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
A new security approach is needed to protect holy places. Even before the COVID-19 epidemic and the lockdown that impacted businesses and organizations, especially churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, attacks on holy places were increasing. Now almost every day another religious site is invaded, trashed, burned or rabbis, priests, ministers, pastors and monks are assaulted, and in one case a Buddhist monk was killed praying in his temple by a gunshot in High Point, North Carolina. (Stephen D. Bryen, Ph.D)
A security proposal for holy places Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Religion, Stephen D. Bryen, USA
Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel, the author of ten books, has made a fascinating, enlightening, and much needed contribution to our understanding of the Coronavirus pandemic and Jewish and other views on the subject in his book God and the Pandemic. He gives readers a thorough very readable analysis of the many pandemics, earthquakes, plagues, and other occurrences that killed many people. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Book Review: ‘God and the Pandemic’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
“You are invited to watch the ceremony to mark the graduation of the soldiers who have completed the Officers’ Training Course.” That was the text of the official invitation emailed to me and other family members by one of our granddaughters, whose sister was one of the soldiers concerned. We were informed that we would be able to watch the ceremony live, as filmed by the IDF’s official photographer, on the official IDF site on the internet. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Watching granddaughter’s IDF ceremony in Covid19 time Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
or 21 years, Rabbi Chaim Hollander has served as spiritual leader of Young Israel of San Diego (YISD), a small Orthodox congregation located across Navajo Road from the popular Cowles Mountain trail head. Hollander came to San Diego to teach at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School (SSDHDS), one of the schools that incoming Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg attended as a child. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
As Rabbi Hollander retires, Rabbi Rosenberg ready to step in Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
The title of Joshua Hammerman’s book Embracing Auschwitz is incredulous. How can a rabbi, a pulpit rabbi charged with comforting his congregation, in light of the continental genocide and devastation inflicted on so many families, known as the Holocaust, and understanding the Jewish nation has a God-given obligation to obliterate the Amalekites, the biblical archetype of evil, ask us to accept and welcome this malevolence? The conundrum is resolved before one begins to read a single chapter. Hammerman, stressing there is nothing positive about the Holocaust, invokes his interpretation of the word “embrace” by quoting Abraham Joshua Heschel: “There are three ways we respond to sorrow. On the first level, we cry; on the second level, we are silent; on the highest level, we take sorrow and turn it into song.” [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]
The philosophical, religious lessons of Auschwitz Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish History, Jewish Religion
[R]ising to the challenge of making theatre during the pandemic, the Old Globe’s Arts Engagement teamed up with Diversionary Theatre to create coLAB Pride! directed by Skyler Sullivan and Katherine Harroff.On Facebook Live, we were greeted by our Mistress of Ceremonies, Amber St James, a bearded drag queen and San Diego’s first official Mx Gay Pride. Appearing colorful outfits, wigs and abstract make-up, Amber St James introduced the various acts with sparkling enthusiasm. [Eric George Tauber]
Out, Proud and Online Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
This week I have two peaceful books to recommend. While the topics are different, the text in each will have a calming effect, providing both reader and listener with a quiet oasis away from daily stress. [Marcia Berneger]
Two peaceful books for Jewish children Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger, The World We Share
Dr. Tobi Lister works at an urgent care mill, where doctors are not supposed to spend more than 10 minutes with each patient — less if possible — and are graded by how many “likes” they get on Yelp-like medical reviews sent in by patients. The problem is that if they don’t spend sufficient time with their patients, the doctors are liable to get dinged; but if they do, wait times increase for other patients, resulting in even more dings. [Book Review by Donald H. Harrison]
Novel paints grim picture of medical ethics Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered most private and public schools in the state, including those in San Diego County, to offer only distance learning rather than in-person classroom instruction. His order came in response to spiking rates of coronavirus infection in California. The exceptions were schools in counties where the incidents of the virus are very low. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Gov. Newsom’s order negates Hebrew Day’s plans for in-person learning Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & EducationLaurie Baron, Ph.D., compiles a list of streaming lectures, available to computer users, on Jewish religion, history, culture, and current events.
Streaming Jewish lectures: July 19-23 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Xenon Pictures presents a new documentary, About Face: Jewish Refugees in the Allied Forces. The promo reads: “When they were kids, they got the hell out of Germany. When they grew up, they returned… heavily armed and ready to kick Nazi tuchas.” [Eric George Tauber]
Jews fight back in ‘About Face’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
The Jewish People create their own simcha (joy) and tzuris (pain). Our foes are often generated through karma of our own manufacture. The Talmud recounts the origin of archenemy Amalek, who wreaked so much suffering on our nation throughout the ages. Our patriarch Yitzchak’s eldest son was Esav, twin brother of Yaakov. Esav’s son was Eliphaz, and Eliphaz’s concubine, Timna, was a princess who wanted to convert to Judaism. She presented her case to a beit din (Jewish court) formed by the three patriarchs who all happened to be alive at the time. When they rejected her, she chose to remain with Eliphaz, stating, “Better to be a maidservant to this nation than a leader in another.” Their offspring is Amalek, an individual who was hell-bent on avenging the alleged disrespect shown to his mother and grandfather. This hatred of the Jewish People was handed down through the generations, eventually leading to the tribe of Amalek’s brazen attack on Israel when we left Egypt. Amalek surfaces again in the near genocide concocted by tribesman Haman in the Purim story. [Sam Glaser]
Memories of Tisha B’Avs past Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Sam Glaser
I first heard the Cesar Franck Sonata when I was sixteen and attended a recital of the great Polish-born Jewish violinist, Bronislaw Huberman. His closing work was the Franck Sonata, his signature piece. It became one of my favorites and I worked on it in my chamber music class at UCLA. That was before my youngest sister, Zina, was even born. Little did I dream that one day, I would have a sister who would play the Franck Sonata in this glorious recording. [Eileen Wingard]
Violinist Zina Schiff plays the Cesar Franck Sonata Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts