Byliners

‘Dancing Lessons:’ Finding Common Ground and Honoring Each Other

By Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California — They’re back! They’re back! I’ve just come from North Coast Rep’s production of Mark St. Germain’s “Dancing Lessons.” This piece was superbly directed by Richard Baird, and enacted by Christopher Williams and Leilani Smith. Baird has appeared on stage in many excellent North Coast plays, but he is […]

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

Iran’s Strategy Works

By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — While the U.S. and the Europeans dawdle and vacillate at the JCPOA (Iran nuclear agreement) meetings – or non-meetings – in Vienna, Iran gets ever closer to nuclear weapons capability. This situation is very dangerous to Israel and the West. Europe and the U.S. are oblivious to this,

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Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA

Palestinians’ Prison Break Dominates Israeli News

The big news here is of the breakout from a “security” prison by six Palestinians. They’re all of the Jihad Islamis, and apparently with a great deal of luck, or perhaps help from some of their jailers. Over the course of some six months, they dug out from under a toilet in one of their cells, under the walls, and emerged only a few meters away. And they eluded capture from many who were hunting them from the police and other security forces.  [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Russia, Israel Need Working Accord on Syria

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made a quick trip to Moscow just after the end of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) to meet with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  The meeting was focused on Iran, the nuclear threat, and Iranian activities elsewhere, particularly Syria. It is clear that Israeli-Russian relations need a restart. [Stephen D. Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

The Ox Ate My Sermon

Most congregants probably think that writing sermons about the Rosh Hashanah holiday is easy. Actually, given the plethora of themes one can choose from, it is not the case at all. Using recycled sermons can diminish the power of one’s delivery. Personally, I always look to create new sermons based on certain perennial themes, e.g., time, sweetness, communal solidarity, Israel, being Jewish in the 21st century, etc. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Memories of 9/11

Our columnist Laurie Baron contributed this memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Twenty years later, do you have recollections of the day terrorists hijacked four planes, destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City, damaged the Pentagon, and crashed into a field in Philadelphia, killing in the process 2,977 people in the air, on the ground, and in the buildings?   Your recollections are welcome! [San Diego Jewish World]

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Lawrence Baron, Mimi Pollack, Sandi Masori

Rationale of Yom Kippur Ceremonies and Customs

Judaism has dozens of meaningful customs and ceremonies, but most people, even Jews, do not know all of them, their origins and rationale. Rabbi Abraham Chill (1912-2004) gives readers of The Minhagim, Hebrew for customs and ceremonies, a very readable discussion of many of these practices. He includes the views from such famous sources as Shulchan Arukh, Tur, Abudraham, Arukh Ha-Shulhan, Hayye Avraham, Sefer Ha-Manhig, Sefer Ha-Minhagim, and others. He gives a short bio of each of the 27 sources that he quotes. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for September 11, 2021

The rabbis clearly invented new ground rules for this fully ‘artistically Hebrew poetic’ haftorah. They artificially combined sources, from Hosea, active c. 747-722 BCE and Micah active post 721 BCE.  Together they are arguably ‘connected’ to passages Ch. 31:27-29 in parsha Vayelekh of Deuteronomy. Those passages ‘predicted’ that the people will wickedly go astray from the Law.| [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Kitchens for Good Gains New Quarters, $100,000 Matching Fund Offer

You know when you learn about something and it’s just too good to keep it to yourself?  That feeling of wanting to shout it from the rooftops or paste a banner advertising it on the side of a city bus? Yeah, that level of excitement. I first experienced the miracle that is Kitchens for Good in 2019, when the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation invited its donors to tour the beautiful and supremely functional facility. Founders Aviva Paley and Chuck Samuelson have gone on to new adventures, and have taken a more advisory role, as Lindsey Seeger steps into the role of Director of External Affairs.  [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Travel and Food