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
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Reading about a conference on genocide held in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2011 which appeared in Second Generation Voices, a journal for and by the descendants of Holocaust survivors which is published in England, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. Admittedly, the title of the conference […]
Palestinians: victims or persecutors? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Among my great pleasures as editor of San Diego Jewish World is being able to work with a group of talented writers here and abroad. Their accomplishments are a continuous source of pride. For example, here in San Diego, Laurel Corona, a contributing writer and a professor of humanities
Corona, Bloom–two of the many talents contributing to San Diego Jewish World Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO —Musicians in the Making presented two outstanding young instrumentalists last Sunday afternoon in the Lawrence Family JCC’s Astor Judaica Library, Sara Kornfeld Simpson, flute, a student of Jill Coady, and Sonya Jacobs, clarinet, a student of Robert Zelickman. They were accompanied on the piano by Irina Bendetsky, former music faculty
Plaudits for musicians Sara Kornfeld Simpson and Sonya Jacobs Read More »
Eileen Wingard
By Mimi Pollack OCEANSIDE, California — Mi casa es mi casa. That is what caught my eye when I walked into the Oceanside Museum of Art this past weekend for the opening and reception of Becky Guttin’s exhibit called “We Can Work It Out”. Guttin’s play on the famous saying is on a large red
A bright, vivid remembrance of Mexico Read More »
Mimi PollackBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – While the world fixes on developments in the Israel-Palestinian conflict—such as Tuesday’s trade of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, some with blood on their hands— other important developments in the Middle East go unrecognized by the world media, especially a growing rivalry
Malcolm Hoenlein, coming to San Diego, cites confluence of factors in Shalit deal Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
License to Murder by Alex Grobman, Balfour Books, 2011, ISBN 978-1-933267-24-1; $15.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The title License to Murder may give the impression of an exciting detective novel, but in fact, this is a 98-page essay with 39 pages of end notes about the devastating effect that the czarist forgery,
The peril of ‘The Protocols’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat by Angelo Colorni, author, and Avi Katz, illustrator, Gefen Publishing House, ISBN 9789652294838, 146 pages, No price listed By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—You may like and hate this book at the same time. Some of the short articles on different
Israel ‘guide’ actually collection of humorous essays Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — Israeli creativity is not only relegated to start-up technology. One young Israeli musician, pianist Eliran Avni, has come up with a new creative concept in concert programming. He calls it a Shuffle Concert and, instead of a fixed program, the listeners are handed a large menu with musical
And now, the shuffle concert Read More »
Eileen Wingard
The Rubin family search for Jewish-interest license plates is expanding. Melanie Rubin, our prime spotter in San Diego, has recruited her mother, Penni, as a license plate sleuth. She found BSIMCHA in her home state of Ohio.
Jewish license plates: Reason to celebrate Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin
SAN DIEGO–This license plate was spotted in San Diego County by Melanie Rubin. The extra ES at the end of the name? A matter for speculation.
Jewish interest license plate Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie RubinBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson EILAT, Israel — A trip to this Red Sea city from Jerusalem is always a pleasure, and especially in the winter, when the weather in Jerusalem is cold and rainy. The four-hour drive takes one through the Judean Desert, along the Dead Sea, and down to the Negev. The mountains in Jordan,
A festival and a car trip of note Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
Itamar Makes Friends: A Children’s Story of Jewish Brotherhood by Josh Hasten, illustrated by S. Kim Glassman, Geffen Kidz, Jerusalem, 2011, ISBN 978-965-229-567-5. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This is a simple morality tale, but as is true with this genre, it raises some important questions, possibly even controversy. In brief, the story
He ain’t no country bumpkin; he’s my brother Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO — We’re always pleased when we see Hebrew names on personalized license plates. Recently our license-plate-spotter-in-chief, Melanie Rubin, noticed two on California plates: Aryeh 1 and Avivaa. The latter also incorporates a heart.
Two travelling Hebrew names Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—At a recent ceremony marking the beginning of a year-long celebration of Congregation Beth Israel’s sesquicentennial, Rob Levi shared with me a copy of his book about his great-grandfather, Adolph Levi, one of the founders of the Reform congregation. Although he researched and published the book primarily for family use—and
The Levis’ personal Jewish history of San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History