Donald H. Harrison

[caption id="attachment_119310" align="alignright" width="100"] Donald H. Harrison[/caption]

Donald H. Harrison is the publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. 

Harrison began his journalism career in 1962 on the UCLA Daily Bruin.  Following graduation he joined the staff of the Associated Press, and later became politics writer for The San Diego Union.  Afterwards he pursued a career in tourism, helping to establish San Diego’s Cruise Ship Program as well as Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego.  He also wrote for such Jewish publications as the San Diego Jewish Press Heritage and San Diego Jewish Times before starting San Diego Jewish World in 2007.

Don’s  latest work is the three-volume Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5.  

He is the author of six previous books.  Those with links may be obtained on Amazon.

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Eagle Scout Builds an Aron Kodesh for Chabad Congregation

At the dedication on Sunday, considerable symbolism was found in a Cohen (believed to be descended from the priests of ancient Judaism) to have built an Ark at a synagogue named after “Betzalel,” which in addition to being the name of Rabbi Trestman’s father also was the name of the person identified in the Book of Exodus as the man who built the Ark of the Covenant, with the help of Oholiab. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Jewish Philanthropist Mandell Weiss Gave Famed La Jolla Playhouse Its Home

It is a playhouse with good yichus.  It was started in 1947 by three movie stars – Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer—with the financial backing of movie producer David D. Selznick, who was then best known for his 1939 blockbuster Gone With the Wind. [Donald H. Harrison]

Jewish Philanthropist Mandell Weiss Gave Famed La Jolla Playhouse Its Home Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Of Robots, Banned Books, Dying, and Abortions

Elkins was one of three presenters at a Tikun Leil Shavuot, a Shavuot night study session at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. The others were Marcia Tatz Wollner, who spoke about book banning and burning through the ages, and Dr. Seth Krosner, M.D., a critical care surgery specialist, who discussed what Jewish texts have to say about decisions concerning end of life and abortions. [Donald H. Harrison]

Of Robots, Banned Books, Dying, and Abortions Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Technology

Popular Instructor Says Judaism and Yoga are Complementary

When an acquaintance suggested that she try yoga, Gadd was skeptical at first. “How can that help me?” she asked. “Just come and see,” counseled the acquaintance. Moving her body in specific ways, according to the directions of her yoga instructor, “led to clarity of thought,” she said.  Mindfulness helped her “dissipate the stress, the mental shpilkes, something like giving your dog exercise so it can calm down,” Gadd recalled. She found that she left the yoga sessions feeling better, without need for medications. “Deep breathing and so forth can create physiological changes,” she explained. [Donald H. Harrison]

Popular Instructor Says Judaism and Yoga are Complementary Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Fred Kropveld, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions

American Investigative Reporter Probes Cases of Jews Murdered by Poles

Five members of the Rożeńek family were pulled from their hiding places in 1944 by armed members of a militia, forced to jump from a second-story window, and riddled with bullets on their way down.  One member of the family, who was hiding in an outbuilding, observed the massacre and escaped into obscurity. [Donald H. Harrison]

American Investigative Reporter Probes Cases of Jews Murdered by Poles Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History

Short History of the ‘New Jerusalem’ School and Airport in Tracy

Back in 1874, California pioneer Henry Ebe donated two acres of land for the school that his and his wife Susan’s 11 children would eventually attend. At Susan’s insistence, he made a condition of his donation that the school be called the “New Jerusalem Elementary School.” [Donald H. Harrison]

Short History of the ‘New Jerusalem’ School and Airport in Tracy Read More »

California, Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Movie Preview: ‘Soul Doctor’ Telling of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach to be Shown Across Country on June 13

Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi is a filmed stage show about the friendship and mutual support between Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and African-American singer Nina Simone. Starring Josh Young as Carlebach and Nya as Simone, the musical will be shown in more than 600 theatres across the country at 7 p.m.  Tuesday, June 13, including selected AMC’s and Regal Theatres in San Diego County. [Donald H. Harrison]

Movie Preview: ‘Soul Doctor’ Telling of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach to be Shown Across Country on June 13 Read More »

California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Program Builds Connections Between Israeli Academics and Local Universities

MGSDII operates parallel programs, with different professors, at San Diego State University, Cal State University San Marcos, and the University of San Diego. One year, an Israeli professor taught at Cal Western Law School.  Cumulatively, the universities in San Diego County host the largest ongoing Israel Studies program in the United States, having attracted through the 2022-2023 academic year 43 visiting professors from Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

Program Builds Connections Between Israeli Academics and Local Universities Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

The Jewish Foods of India in Five Distinct Sub-Cultures

Author Esther David tells of the history and cuisines of five Jewish communities in India –the Bene Israel, centered in Mumbai; the Cochin Jews on India’s southwestern coast around Kochi;  the Baghdadi Jews on India’s northeastern coast around Kolkata (close to Bangladesh); the Bene Ephraim of Andhra Pradesh on India’s central eastern coast around Machilpatnam; and the Beni Menashe of Manipur and Mizoram on the northeastern arm of India bordering Myanmar (Burma). [Donald H. Harrison]

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

The Adventures of Three Fun-Loving, Environmentalist Dogs

GoGo, Yip and Dave are three dogs who are very much like humans — that is, the variety of humans who are gentle, kind, and care about others. Author Linda S. Klibanow and her illustrator daughter Natalie J. Klibanow have conjured up for young readers a world where dogs talk to other animals, as well as to people, and live by themselves in houses very similar to human abodes. {Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

An Imaginative Tale About the First Jew to Set Foot in the New World

This large format book for elementary school-aged children is about Luis de Torres, who was the interpreter for Christopher Columbus on his 1492 voyage of discovery. Some of the story is true, as best as historians can tell; more of the story comes from the rich imagination of authorTami Lehman-Wilzig. Overall, it should be considered a work of historical fiction, rather than history. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History

Workshop Highlights Holocaust Experiences and Research

Spielberg established the Shoah Foundation, which is headquarters in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, after making the impactful Holocaust movie Schindler’s List.  UC San Diego’s former head librarian Brian Schottlaender, consulting with History Prof. Deborah Hertz, decided during the 2006-2007 academic year to lease the database and to make it available for free to anyone on campus. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Technology, Theatre, Film & Broadcast