International

Federation Bids Farewell to Departing ShinShinim, Pillar of San Diego-Israel Bond

SDJW Staff Report SAN DIEGO — Jewish Federation of San Diego President and CEO Heidi Gantwerk last Friday penned an emotional farewell message to the group of nine ShinShinim (young Israeli emissaries) who served with local Jewish organizations this past year, sharing their knowledge, experiences, and passion for Israel with people of all ages. The

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Israel, San Diego County

Jewish Men’s Choir Brings Joy in Several Languages

What once was a choir featuring the voices of male expatriates from South Africa has become a choir of many international voices performing not only Jewish liturgical music but also secular songs in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew, and English.  Choir members hail from countries around the world, among them the U.S., South Africa, France, Guatemala, Mexico, and Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Rabbi-Cantor Cheri Weiss Combines Love of Judaism and Music

“Sometimes, I will do a creative service,” she continued. “I will have a theme and I will have some of the basic prayers, but I also ask people to bring poems or stories or something unique that speaks to the theme that I provided. Those were really received well because people could feel that they were participating. I am much more interested in participation than I am in performance.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA

Gala to Honor and Learn from Israeli Survivors of Terror

The rocket explosion killed Ella and wounded Tamir, who still has some shrapnel in his head. Today, Tamir is a married adult. He has been asked to talk about “how he survived and how is his life now,” commented Carine Chitayat, the Swiss-born executive director of the Foundation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA

The British Belsen War Crimes Trials and Leo Genn

By Jerry Klinger “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.” — All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 4, Scene 3 A few weeks ago, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation’s U.K. branch placed a historical marker at Leopold John Genn’s birthplace. The marker text: Jewish Prosecutor –

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Holocaust, International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Opinion

Jews in Giuliani’s Space

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — “This is an affront to American democracy and does permanent, irrevocable harm to our justice system,” says America’s Mayor. Rudy Giuliani was not referring to accusations that he conspired to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. He was slamming the fact that a county prosecutor — a Black woman

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Bruce Ticker, Opinion, USA

Speaker Tells of Life Among the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda

McKinney and Rabbi Marko renewed their friendship over the August 11-13 weekend, when McKinney served as Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s scholar-in-residence. She outlined what Jewish life is like in the Abayudaya villages, covering Jewish holiday and life cycle observances, and told of the efforts the foundation she heads is making to help impoverished families and children with disabilities. (Donald H. Harrison)

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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Shoshana McKinney, Travel and Food, USA

Israel’s Pot is Simmering

By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — Israel’s Knesset is on its summer recess and won’t reconvene until after the Jewish holidays in October. There are several very important, unresolved issues that are simmering. They are: the fate of the reasonableness factor in making Supreme Court decisions  (and subsequent to that, the composition of the

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Israel, Opinion, Steve Kramer

‘Yidishe Gauchos’ To Ride Again Sept. 9

If you haven’t seen something before, it is new to you, no matter how old it is. That’s the thinking behind Yiddishland scheduling a Sept. 9 showing and discussion by Mark Freeman of his 1989 half-hour-long documentary, The Yidishe Gauchos, at a private residence on Mt. Soledad. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

San Diego Jewish Community Responds to Maui Fire Tragedy

For Jewish San Diegans, there was little to do immediately about the massive fires that swept through Lahaina and other parts of the island of Maui, except to contribute money to reputable relief organizations and to reach out to friends and relatives who either were living on the island or visiting the historic former capital of the Hawaiian royal family. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

Former U.S. Attorney Grossman Reflects on His Career

Former U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, who left office on August 4, recalls a High Holy Day service he attended that was held outside during the COVID pandemic. “I looked up to the roof and I could see armed guards,” he said during an interview on Thursday, Aug. 10. “It was just stunning to me how that could be happening at a time when you really want to be engaged in prayer and anything other than security.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA

Tripwires in the Tree of Life Trial…Er, That’s Trials

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — It was a paradoxical week for American Jews, as much as it was historic. The sentencing of Tree of Life synagogue killer Robert Bowers raises disturbing questions about antisemitism’s link to mental illness, the deterrence value of the death penalty and the merits of hate-crime laws. What does Bowers’

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Bruce Ticker, Opinion, USA

Joey Landwehr Takes the Reins at the Center for Jewish Culture

For the last 17 years Joey Landwehr has served as the artistic director of the JCompany youth theatre.  Now, he’s been elevated to the position of artistic director of the San Diego Centre for Jewish Culture, of which JCompany is a part.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, The Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA