AAA-Writers and photographers

Below are the names of writers who are currently active.  For others, living and deceased, please type their name into the search box above the masthead on our home page, www.sdjewishworld.com

The High Cost of Dying in San Diego County

The biggest expenses are the cemetery plots, the vault and opening and closing of the grave. The exclusively Jewish cemetery Home of Peace is probably the least expensive with plots running about $9,000 a piece. The digging, filling and labor total another $4,000. Altogether, with the mortuary fees, it costs about $20,000 for a burial from start to finish. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Rabbi Drazin’s Speculations Generate an Eclectic Book

Our regular readers will not be surprised that in this book he poses answerless questions intended to make us think. He speculates about the sacred and the mundane, inquiring in chapter 30 “What do we know about God?” and in chapter 26 about “Ethical behaviors concerning shoes.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Holocaust Exhibit at La Jolla Library Draws Opening Day Crowd

A particularly emotional moment came during the yellow ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Holocaust survivors, and by Irwin Jacobs and Lee Goldberg. The yellow ribbon, a symbol of solidarity with hostages around the world, added a layer of significance to the occasion, reminding everyone of the ongoing struggles for freedom and justice across the globe. [Sandra Scheller]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Sol’s Journey’ Contains Good Advice for American Jews

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin PIKESVILLE, Maryland — I have been reading and reviewing the inspiring, fascinating books by the brilliant writer Rabbi Dr. Charles H. Freundlich for over ten years and have enjoyed them all. Sol’s Journey, his eleventh fiction book since he started writing them at age eighty, is no exception. It is

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Satire: Trump’s First Three Days

By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Although Vice President J.D. Vance recently assured an interviewer that Trump would decide to pardon the 1/6 rioters on a case-to-case basis, Trump pardoned all of them, even those convicted of assaulting Capitol police. The Pride Boys and Oath Keepers immediately disbanded and reconstituted themselves as the Stormtroopers under

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Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Israelis’ Emotions Ran High as First 3 Hostages Returned to Their Families

The return of the first three hostages after more than a year in captivity in Gaza was a rare moment of unity in Israel. Like most other people in the country, I was glued to the television screen on the afternoon set for their return and was not sure what I would be witnessing. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Va’eira: An Antidote to Shortness of Breath

This week’s parsha is tailored to the times in which we are living. Fear of the unknown, “uncertainty,” has spun many into anxiety, depression, and self-destruction. Many have so weakened their sense of hopefulness, that they live with exhaustion, believing nothing can, or will, improve. The devastating, shocking, overwhelming loss in Los Angeles has led many to beat themselves down. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]

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California, Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: Elon Musk is a Friend of the Jews and Not a Nazi

After the celebration of Donald Trump’s victory, Musk expressed gratitude with the statement, “This one matters, thank you, I give you my heart,” followed by a gesture perceived by some as resembling a Nazi salute. This incident quickly overshadowed his remarks about his ambitions for space exploration with SpaceX and Tesla. Musk’s actions sparked intense debate across political lines, particularly among left-wing commentators. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Novel Explores an Immigrant Jewish Family’s Life in Louisville Before World War II

This novel is a collection of sequential short stories about the Toplansky family, whose patriarch Shlomo immigrated in 1920 from Bialystok, Poland, to Louisville, Kentucky. He changed his first name to Sol and eked a living from his tailoring shop supplemented by singing and gambling.  He served as the chazzan at the Orthodox synagogue. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Stabbings in Tel Aviv, Trouble in Samaria Mark Days Following Gaza Ceasefire

In Tel Aviv, two people were severely wounded when they were stabbed in a terror attack on Tuesday. An off-duty border policewoman shot the terrorist repeatedly in the torso. Investigators reported that he was a Moroccan whose “green card” entitled him to residency in the U.S. [Miriam Gershenson]

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Israel, Miriam Gershenson, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Winds Have Everyone Nervous About Wildfires; Thank You’s Due to First Responders

First Responders can’t be thanked enough for putting their lives on the line to save others. It is the true example of either being a mensch or someone practicing tikkun olam daily. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

OpEd: ‘Protecting My Peace,’ Part 2

So, here I stand at the intersection, in my skin, in my culture, in my community, as a human being who is African American, Jewish American and female. I always recognize quite clearly when one of those components is being left out of a conversation or consideration. I am very aware that collaboration between Black and Jewish communities can create a powerful alliance to combat hate, promote mutual understanding, and protect the peace and well-being of all. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors