This mainly poetic text is half autobiographical, half metaphor for the Northern Kingdom’s idolatry, or whoredom, through adoption of the Baal religion of their neighbors. Hosea, who married the unfaithful harlot Gomer, depicts his entire country behaving as married to the whore Baal. [Irv Jacobs, M.D]
Haftorah for May 15, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Whenever trouble erupted in Israel during the 1980s, “colleagues” in my newsroom in central Pennsylvania would gaze at me suspiciously. At a laundromat in the same small town, a Democratic city councilman complained about Israel’s oppression of the poor Palestinians and an Israeli gunboat raid on the Liberty, an American intelligence vessel discovered off the Egyptian coast during the 1967 war. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Israeli Right-Wingers Exacerbate Hostilities with Palestinians Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East
Here’s a quick response to those of you who are concerned about what’s going on in Israel right now. Among a number of emails/messages regarding the current warfare in Israel, we received this one from our friend Ann in Arizona. {Steve Kramer]
Israel v Hamas – Again Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
The San Diego State University police force does not plan to further investigate last week’s burglary at Chabad of San Diego at the request of Rabbi Chalom Boudjnah. [Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego State Now A Hot Spot for Antisemitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
The wilderness. The midbar, a place of uncertainty, fear, and danger. Daled-bais-reish lies at the root of the word. These letters also are found in the root of davar, word, to speak words that lead to spiritual healing. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Learning Our Value in the Wilderness Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
During the holiday of Shavuot, the practice in many synagogues is to read the beautiful biblical book Ruth. Various reasons attempt to explain the practice including that Ruth is said to have converted to Judaism around the time of Shavuot and so did the Israelites when they accepted the Torah; Ruth was an ancestress of King David who died on Shavuot; the harvest in Israel is described in the book, and Shavuot is the time of the Harvest. This is unlikely. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Truth about the Book of Ruth Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Regardless of how the current and future violent conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem will end, there will be no Israeli-Palestinian peace unless East Jerusalem becomes the capital of a Palestinian state while the city remains united. [Alon Ben-Meir]
Jerusalem: Flashpoint or Microcosm for Peace Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East
Tucker Carlson’s outlandish conspiracy theories have earned him the highest ratings for a cable news commentator. After he heard about Medina Spirit’s disqualification from winning the Kentucky Derby for using the drug betamethasone, here’s what we imagine could be the advance text of his editorial on this matter. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Tucker Carlson, Medina Spirit and Joe Biden Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Rabbi Mendel Jacobs of the Lubavitch of Scotland is known for what action that related to traditional Scottish culture? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Scotland Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The 28th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, Jfest 2021, promises to be sparkling with more stars from all corners of the globe than ever before, thanks to the virtual platform for all but one of the 15 offerings. [Eileen Wingard]
Lipinsky Family S.D. Jewish Arts Festival Schedule Announced Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Bibi seems to be finished. But he’s still trying, now to complicate the task of those with the President’s mandate. One can imagine that President Reuven Rivlin intended this to happen; that he gave Bibi Netanyahu the first chance to form a government, with the intention or hope that he would fail. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Now Netanyahu Is Playing Defense Against a Possible New Coalition Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastThe current observance of Shavuot has no relationship to its biblical ancestor and doesn’t even occur at the same time. Very few people know the truth about this day. Most Jews think Shavuot recalls the day the Torah was revealed to the Israelites during the days of Moses. This is not true. This significance was given to the holiday in the middle ages when the holiday had lost one of its original purposes; the sacrifice prescribed for the day was discontinued when the second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Modern Shavuot Is Not a Biblical Holiday Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
In the May 9, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
-New Israeli treatment allows multiple myeloma patients to get bone transplants.
-Israeli kidney specialist donates his own kidney.
-Israeli leaders host Muslims for Ramadan events.
-Israel’s next astronaut will supervise 44 Israeli space experiments.
-An Israeli startup is recycling worn out car tires.
-An Israeli consultancy is project managing a new industrial zone in Dubai.
-Unique videos, photos and a new discovery to help celebrate Jerusalem Day.
[Michael Ordman]
Good News from Israel (May 9, 2021) Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, USA
It is unsurprising that even two years after his death, Walter Munk, who is known as the “Einstein of the Oceans” is continuing to make waves. [Donald H. Harrison]
‘Einstein of the Ocean’ Still Making Waves Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, USA