Byliners

Various Forms of Communication: Visual, Auditory, Tactile and Chemical

By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — Having just finished reading Suzanne Simard’s book, Finding the Mother Tree, I was bowled over by the ability of trees to communicate with each other through a microbial networks. The Mother Tree is in reality an old tree in the forest who is needed by younger […]

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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

Parashat Vayetzei: Strengthening Our Character 

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.  In this week’s parasha we learn about the psychology of living life well, that is, how to strengthen our character. This includes a) reinforcing our spirituality and b) intensifying our commitment to a strong work ethic, two areas of contemporary societal life that are clearly in need of improvement. וְאַתֵּנָה

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

At Long Last, Israel Has a Working Government

A friend in the US recently asked me what I thought about Israel’s new government. My replay: It’s a government! Finally, after four elections in two years, the victory of a wide-ranging coalition government last spring meant that there was a good chance the election frenzy would end. The prerequisite for the government’s survival was to pass a budget before mid-November. If not, new elections would be scheduled and the government would be reduced to “caretaker” status only. [Steve Kramer]

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Middle East, Steve Kramer

Chanukah with Some Stereotypical Yiddish Characters

In a style reminiscent of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs of Disney fame, this book, reissued for Hanukkah, features a series of unidimensional characters with Yiddish names: Noshy Boy, Kvetchy Boy, Shmutzy Girl, Klutzy Boy, Shluffy Girl, Shleppy Boy, Kibbitzy Girl, and Keppy Girl. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

Wall-to-Wall Israeli Coalition Holds Firm on Budget

There have been several events worth mentioning.  We have a budget. For the first time in several years. Bibi’s government couldn’t, or wouldn’t pass a budget bill, and continued with partial enactments, providing moneys needed to continue or expand certain services. Now, with a budget approved, the present government evades a limit on its existence, tied by legislation to having enacted a budget. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]

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Ira Sharkansky, USA

A Mother’s Plea on the Sixth Anniversary of Her Daughter’s Death

I created the Jaclyn Beth Kaufman Tauber Memorial Fund through the Jewish Community Foundation to honor the memory of my beautiful daughter Jackie, she was my best friend. Jackie had the ability to connect with people on a very personal level, especially children. Jackie was creatively gifted. A master puppeteer, she was a member of the San Diego Guild of Puppetry, a non-profit organization created to educate through the magic of Puppet Theater [Dale Kaufman]

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Eric George Tauber, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County

A Grateful Synagogue Bids a Surprise Farewell to Constant Volunteers

Abe Goldberg’s mother, Bronia, and stepfather Harry Sajgeman died within three months of each other in the mid-1980s, but due perhaps to a communications error, most people at Tifereth Israel Synagogue were unaware that he and his wife, Bea, were sitting shiva, alone, at their home. Because the Goldbergs lacked the ten Jewish adults necessary to say kaddish during the seven-day mourning period, they were left feeling forlorn. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA

Haftorah Reading for November 6, 2021

These combination poetry-prose passages from Malachai are from the ‘minor prophet’ Malachai. Malachai is not really a person’s name, but actually means ‘My messenger.’ The writer(s) of these words were post-exilic, 514 BCE, i.e. soon after the second Temple was built. They constitute nearly the last passages of the Tanakh’s Book of Prophets. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Philo on the Rivalry between Jacob and Esau

Philo of Alexandria’s insights is among the most original expositions of Parshat Toledot, this week’s Torah portion. According to him, Isaac is well-aware of Esau’s shortcomings, but he wishes to bless his son so that he might realize his hidden spiritual potential. Bu in the end, as we know, Jacob took his brother’s blessings. Philo saw Jacob’s relationship to Esau as a spiritual mentor. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi