Chris Jennewein, editor and publisher of the Times of San Diego, wrote a column on Saturday, which suggests that rather than turning back undocumented migrants who have braved hardship to come to the United States, we should welcome many of them. [Donald H. Harrison]
Immigrants Are Our Fellow Human Beings, Not Statistics Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, USA
I’ve heard it said that great comics use humor to mask a world of pain. Bouts of depression are common as is substance abuse. Jokes make a good cover. Robin Williams said, “I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that.” (Eric George Tauber)
Movie Review: ‘Julia Scotti: Funny That Way’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
StandWithUs is relieved that the fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas seems to have ended with a ceasefire. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in Israel as well as to the families of Palestinian civilians killed as a result of Hamas terrorism. We see this conflict as a horrific tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians alike. More than anything, we join people of good will who yearn for a future of justice and peace, where all people in the region can be free of the genocidal racism, extremism, and violence of Hamas. [Roz Rothstein]
StandWithUs CEO Reflects on Israel/ Gaza War Read More »
Middle East, USA
Roman Kent, a leading voice among Holocaust survivors who negotiated billions of dollars in compensation for Jewish Holocaust survivors from the German government, passed away early Friday morning at age 92. [Press Release from Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany]
Roman Kent, Survivor and Claims Conference Negotiator, Dies at 92 Read More »
International, Jewish History, USA
It is hard to be against a peace agreement. Really hard. But the Biden Administration is giving it a go. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki slammed Donald Trump’s policies in the Middle East and called the Israel-United Arab Emirates-Bahrain Abraham Accords “DOA.” “We felt there was not a constructive action by the prior administration, aside from putting forward a peace proposal that was dead on arrival. We don’t think they did anything constructive really to bring it into the long-standing conflict in the Middle East.” [Shoshana Bryen]
OpEd: Biden’s Mideast Policies Emboldened Iran, Hamas Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
For most people, it may be difficult to understand why residents sitting on the border to Gaza choose to live there. How could someone put themselves and their family at risk? It’s hard to imagine, especially when you have only 15 seconds to get into a “safe room,” a bomb shelter from the time a tzeva adom, red alert, is sounded, but there is a reason. [Debbie Kornberg]
Why Israelis Continue to Live Next to Gaza Despite the Danger Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, USA
The Gaza war has seen thousands of missiles fired at Israel, the bulk of which have been shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. But Hamas “terrorists” – which is how the US government defines them – have also deployed some new sea-going weapons that have the attention of Israeli intelligence. These weapons are of three types – commando underwater swimmers using swimmer vehicles that are used to smuggle weapons into Gaza and for commando operations; semi-autonomous small boats stuffed with explosives and; the latest, a large unmanned underwater vehicle, or UUV. [Stephen D. Bryen]
New in the Terror Arsenal: Underwater Weapons Read More »
International, Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA
Jacob Kamaras, a public relations professional who previously served as the first editor in chief of the national Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), has accepted a position as managing editor of San Diego Jewish World, it was announced by Donald H. Harrison, publisher and editor in chief of the daily online news publication. [SDJW staff report]
Jacob Kamaras joins San Diego Jewish World as Managing Editor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County, USA
During the pandemic, YAAANA, the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America, a tiny non-profit organization I founded four years ago, saw significant growth, and is about to move into a new physical space in La Jolla. In June 2021, we plan to open a mini-Yiddishland California in the Village of La Jolla. Among the activities planned for that space are Yiddish music concerts, theater performances, activities for children, Yiddish classes, and festive Yiddish-style dinners. And, just like our previous pop-up and Zoom events, all YAAANA activities will be accessible to all regardless of Yiddish-speaking abilities. Additionally, childcare will be available to visiting parents. [Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh]
Making San Diego a Yiddish Destination Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USARep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and a group of like-minded colleagues wanted to sink the proposed $735-million sale of a Boeing-built arms guidance kit to Israel. The Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kit converts unguided or “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions. The goal, according to Politico, is “leverage to push the Israelis to drop their resistance to a ceasefire.” [Shoshana Bryen]
Withholding Weapons from Israel Makes the US Weak Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Thursday released preliminary data from its Center on Extremism revealing an increase in online and real-world incidents of antisemitism in the United States since the most recent outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas. [ADL Press Release]
ADL: Antisemitic Incidents Linked to Recent Mideast Violence Read More »
Middle East, USA
More than a thousand Californians, including nearly 70 rabbis, today petitioned the California Legislative Jewish Caucus to oppose AB 101, a bill to make ethnic studies courses a high school graduation requirement. The California Assembly is likely to debate AB 101 next week. [AMCHA Initiative Press Release]
Advocates Petition Against California Ethnic Studies Bill Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
I dreamt up the idea to make artisanal matzo way back in 1995, for Brett Kelly, my next door neighbor in my rent-stabilized, West Village apartment building. Her parents were closing their pizza shop on City Island and I was trying to convince her to take it over and turn it into the City Island Matzo Factory. She didn’t take the unleavened bait and the concept laid dormant in the back of my messy mind for over two decades. [Ashley Albert]
The Story Behind The Matzo Project Read More »
Travel and Food, USA
Israelis Efraim Gordon and Yehuda Guetta learned too late that they were not safe whether waiting for a bus in the West Bank or visiting relatives in Baltimore. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Terror in Baltimore and the West Bank Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA