By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Is your glass half empty, half filled, or as mine is, filled with 6 ounces of water and the rest, air? Yes, “the link is what you think,” and this week’s Torah reading underscores this idea with its words, “See, this day I set before you a […]
Parashat Re’eh: Finding the Right Sight Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California — What a sweet ride! San Diego Rep’s end-of-summer offering, 57 Chevy, provides not only a cruise down Memory Lane, but reveals the immigrant experience of one man’s family as they assimilated to life in the United States. Cris Franco and co-writer Valerie Dunlap’s story vrooms to life in this one-man
San Diego Rep’s ‘57 Chevy:’ A True Celebration of Immigration Read More »
Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Torah reading is Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17); Haftorah reading is Isaiah 54:11-55:5 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — These simplistic short poetic passages extracted from Isaiah II (c. 538-530 BCE) comprise the third haftorah of consolation, leading up to the Sabbath before Yom Kippur. It has no connection to the corresponding Torah parsha. The
Haftorah Reading for August 7, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Jacob Kamaras LA JOLLA, California — When it came to planning my family’s summer vacation this year, the process could be summed up by a Yiddish proverb: Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht. Man plans and God laughs. Initially scheduled to depart for Hawaii on August 24, we later realized that we booked that
To mask or not to mask, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The coughs and dangers of contagious Covid,
Rather than cover nose and mouth, suffocating.
Or by opposing mandates to die—to infect,
Tethered to ventilators, bereft of breath,
The long haul and virulent spikes
That flesh succumbs to, like consumption. … {Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Hamlet’s Soliloquy in the Age of Covid Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
The first of the two Torah sections presents twenty questions for each parashah (weekly Torah reading), such as, in parashat Chayei Sarah he asks, “Who in the Torah had 13 children? And in parashat Shoftim, “Which word is an acronym for the four types of leaders in Israel mentioned in parashat Shoftim?” The second of the two Torah sections offers 169 general Torah questions. For example, “Why did Paroh (Hebrew for Pharoah) change Joseph’s name?” and “What is the only birthday party mentioned in the Torah?” [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]
‘Torah IQ’ Provides More Than 1,000 Questions and Answers Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Like all social justice warriors, Ben and Jerry make the same hypocritical error that all progressives do when they purported seek justice and equality for the oppressed; namely, they care nothing for any other parties involved—in this case, Israelis who live in the biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, carelessly referred to as the West Bank. [Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D]
OpEd: Israel Critics Suffer From ‘Moral Anorexia’ Read More »
Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education
Which Ben & Jerry’s flavor has not caught on in Israel despite the efforts of Avi Zinger to sell the flavor? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Ben & Jerry’s Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Rush Munro’s ice cream parlor sells only its own ice cream. In Dad’s day it was hand made and he would walk a mile down Tomoana Road to the shop on Heretaunga Street after school for the best ice cream in the country. The shop today is a ‘Happy Days’ TV show style ice cream parlor with soda drinks and the like, but no burgers or chips. It has an indoor area with a garden bar area with a fish pond that has been there since Dad was a boy. [John Bernard McCormick]
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Will Be ‘Gone by Lunch Time’ in New Zealand Read More »
International, John McCormick, Middle East, Travel and Food
-Coronavirus is not finished with us. Or with you.
Lots of us are vaccinated. But there are hundreds of thousands who have avoided the needle. They are most of the sick, but not all.
Currently more than two thousand here are testing as sick each day, with 150 or so seriously ill. We’re still far from the point of over-loaded hospitals, but some are re-opening Coronavirus wards. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Unanswered Questions Abound as Coronavirus Resurges in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education
In the August 1, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
–An Israeli device enables people without hands to operate electronic devices.
–Two Israeli families and one from the UAE exchange kidneys.
–Two Israeli airlines have begun scheduled services to Morocco.
–Israeli high-school students won 3 golds at Math Olympiad.
–At least two more new billion-dollar Israeli startups.
–A rare Sumatran orangutan went AWOL before giving birth at an Israeli safari park.
–Despite the pandemic, hundreds of new immigrants arrive in Israel. [Michael Ordman]
Good News from Israel (August 1, 2021) Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA
As I have started to go out to restaurants and stores, I have noticed several instances of unacceptable behaviors towards waiters, salespeople, and other customer-service personnel. The loud blowup about a wrong order or slowness of service made me think about what people feel entitled to, like getting the expected services in a timely manner. In The Boston Globe (7/16/21) I read that “some restaurant owners in Massachusetts described customers who are lashing out at employees when they can’t be seated right away or endure longer wait times for their food.” These customers’ behaviors made the staff cry. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
What Are We Entitled To? Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha JosefowitzThis fully poetic, artistic passage from Isaiah II comprises the second haftorah prophecy of consolation after the 9th of Av, leading up to the Sabbath before Yom Kippur. As stated in the previous essay, it has no connection to the corresponding Torah parasha.This fully poetic, artistic passage from Isaiah II comprises the second haftorah prophecy of consolation after the 9th of Av, leading up to the Sabbath before Yom Kippur. As stated in the previous essay, it has no connection to the corresponding Torah parasha. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for July 31, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Upon arriving at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, I was greeted by a spitting image of Steve Irwin, the late Australian crocodile hunter. Andy Blue, the campus director, showed me to his office where we discussed both the history of the center and his career. His small dog Tug scurried around the room and gave me a scrutinizing sniff before granting his approval with a tail wag. On the wall behind Andy was a painting of Tug dressed in a Napoleon war suit. I could tell I was in for a fascinating time! [Teresa Konopka]
Ramona’s Rescue, Rehab, and Release Program for Wild Animals Read More »
San Diego County, Teresa_Konopka, The World We Share