Byliners

Book on Maimonides Clarifies Many Rules of Judaism

Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel, author of Maimonides’ Hidden Torah Commentary, Leviticus, has made a significant contribution to posterity by writing this beautiful book and bringing the thinking of Maimonides and many dozens of others, ancient and modern, Jewish and non-Jewish, rational and mystic, to his readers. Among many other sources, he focuses on the writings of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, his Guide of the Perplexed, his commentary to the Mishnah, his ethical work Shemoneh Perakim, as well as his Responsa, and even the Commentary on Exodus that his son Abraham wrote. This volume follows his successful books about Maimonides on Genesis and Exodus. He reveals much that many people do not know and does so in a clear easy to read and engaging fashion. There is much in these books that we can learn. [Rabbi Dr. israel Drazin]

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

Remember ‘Grapes of Wrath’? ‘Mother Road’ at SD Rep is the Sequel

The name John Steinbeck evokes images of the hay-field covered American southwest, the Dust Bowl, hungry children with dirty faces, and men and women scarred by depression and poverty. Where Grapes of Wrath left off, a new, more hopeful tale is reimagined by American-born, Latino playwright Octavio Solis.  His new play, Mother Road, will kick off the return to theater with San Diego Repertory’s run October 7-31. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Notes on September 25, 2021 Haftorah

These entirely prose ‘verses,’ from our previously encountered fantasy-crazed Prophet Ezekiel, have no connection to the assigned Shabbat Torah portion in the middle of Sukkot. The Torah passages depict dialogue between Moses and God. In the Torah, first God concedes to ever-curious Moses a look at his back. God then pronounces directions to observe the Sabbath and the three annual festivals. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

‘Squirrel Hill’ Portrays Pittsburgh Community Where Tree of Life Massacre Occurred

This journalistic tour-de-force tells the story of October 27, 2018, the day an antisemitic gunman snuffed the lives of 11 congregants at the three small congregations that occupied the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is not simply a depiction of the carnage, but also a portrait of the community in which it happened.  Author Oppenheimer, a former religion columnist for The New York Times, methodically tells us the stories of the victims, including those who barely escaped with their lives, and of the diverse reactions in the community to the shooting.  There were those who organized vigils; those who protested a photo-op visit to the synagogue by then President Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.  Additionally, there were trauma tourists, compelled perhaps like moths to a flame, who wanted to see the site.  There were also presumptuous would-be helpers, who felt they knew better than Squirrel Hill’s residents how the victims should be mourned.   And there were fundraisers, who through various appeals including a Go-Fund-Me effort, raised millions of dollars for the families of the victims and for the congregations themselves. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, USA

Taking the Risk of Expressing Our Opinions

In our society, we are often afraid to speak honestly and directly. We don’t want to upset, offend, or step on someone’s toes. We fear being seen as aggressive, pushy, opinionated, demanding, or critical so intensely that we often pussyfoot around and avoid what really needs to be said. And while I applaud our new-found sensitivity to other people’s feelings, effective communication is often needlessly sacrificed. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]

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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

Birds of a Feather

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Under the title “Early Birds: Soaring with the Ancients,” the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem has put together an exhibition of archaeological items from the Land of Israel and the Ancient Near East depicting birds of various kinds. Upon entering the exhibition area and before inspecting even one

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Jewish Federation Updates List of Organizations Condemning AFT 1931 Resolution on Israel

The Jewish Federation of San Diego County has updated its list of Jewish organizations and their leaders who have signed its statement condemning the anti-Israel resolution adopted by Local 1931 of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty at the San Diego Community College District and the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.  The statement issued Sept. 17 by the Jewish Federation and other elements of the organized Jewish community may be read here.  The AFT resolution that triggered the controversy may be read here. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Francois Chouchan brings Le Salon de Musiques to La Jolla

There is a new chamber music series in town, taking place at the La Jolla Women’s Club. The inaugural opening concert, scheduled for this Sunday at 4:00 p.m., is sold out. The founder and director of the series is the French-Jewish pianist, Francois Chouchan. He is moving his nine concert series, Le Salon de Musiques, to La Jolla after an eleven year run in Los Angeles. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Mainstream Democrats, Bowing to Progressives, Let Israel Down

It was Congress’s first certain body blow to American Jews in modern times, though Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib may feel that they were denied a chance to achieve it on Yom Kippur and had to settle for the first day of Sukkot. The so-called “progressives” in Congress led Democrats to commit an act of war against the Jewish people on Tuesday, when the House leadership slashed $1 billion incorporated into the spending legislation for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system in an emergency spending package. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA

Are There anti-Orthodox Views in Ecclesiastes?

Kohelet (also spelled Qohelet), Ecclesiastes in Greek and now English, is read during the holiday of Sukkot. We do not know why this book was chosen from among the books of the Bible called The Writings. A popular explanation is that Sukkot is a happy holiday and Ecclesiastes is read to add a calming, some sobriety. The following is my review of The Anchor Bible commentary of the book. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Satire: Hey Senator Manchin

To the tune of Officer Krupke:                                                    

Dear stubborn Joseph Manchin
You gotta understand.
Can you make an exception?
Pass the bills Biden has planned.                                                                                                                       
The GOP’s are flunkies.
They’re pawns of Donald Trump.
Mitch McConnell thinks you are a chump.  [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Submarines

Israel has a fleet of five Dolphin-class submarines, all purchased from Germany. While they have the capacity to fire torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, there is much speculation that Israel also has to capability of launching nuclear weapons from their submarines. What is found on each of Israel’s submarines that is not typically found on other nations’ submarines? {Mark D. Zimmerman]

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International, Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Tzimmes Offers Full Array of Jewish Music in ‘The Road Never Travelled’ CD

Tzimmes, the Vancouver-based Jewish band under the direction of Moshe Denburg, has just released a two-disc recording, The Road Never Travelled, celebrating  its 35th anniversary. This is the group’s fourth album.
Denburg figures prominently in all the selections, as vocalist, guitarist, composer or arranger. The Montreal native, son of Orthodox Rabbi Chayim Denburg and Yiddish singer Miriam Denburg, attended Yeshivah University, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother, Judah Denburg. There, along with religious studies and academics, Moshe learned to read and notate music. Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Jerusalem’s Music Academy furthered his Judaic and musical education. World music then beckoned, with time spent in India and Japan. In addition to forming Tzimmes, in 1986, a band frequently hired for British Columbia’s Jewish simchas, Denburg, 15 years later in 2001, founded The Vancouver International  Cultural Orchestra, an organization for which he still composes and with which he remains affiliated. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts