USA

‘Museum of Man’ now “Museum of Us’

Micah Parzen, Ph.D., the chief executive officer of the Museum of Man announced that henceforth the museum’s name will be the “Museum of Us.”  He was joined in that announcement by Ellen Waddell, the current board chair and two past board chairs, Mark Dillon and George Ramirez. Parzen said museum personnel and supporters had been debating since 1991 the possibility of choosing “a more inclusive name” and 29 years later, the name Museum of Us “reflects who we aspire to be.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

Seeking compromise; going beyond law

The Torah states, “You shall do what is fair and good in the eyes of G-d, so that it will be good for you, and you shall come and possess the good land that G-d swore to your forefathers…” (Deut. 6:18). The classic commentary simply explains the words, “fair and good,” as meaning, “compromise and going beyond the letter of the law.” [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, USA, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Future tech will promote unity, not division

American public life is dominated by hatred and lack of social cohesion from all sides. The escalating unrest in Portland and other major cities, in addition to the severe political schism that has ignited America in recent years is a fire that will not be appeased until all stakeholders find a common ground where they can rise above their differences and build mutual trust and understanding. (Michael Laitman, Ph.D)

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Business & Finance, USA

Jews and Blacks: Failure to communicate

American Jews certainly have issues with the African-American community, and personal experience in part convinces me that Black people have some understandable concerns with Jews. Both groups have their share of bigots – anti-Semitic Blacks and racist Jews. However, some of these issues amount to misconceptions that can be readily cleared up by overcoming “our failure to communicate.” (Bruce S. Ticker)

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Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, USA

How did we get to this dire state of affairs?

he federal government is in complete disarray, the country is alarmingly polarized, the coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire, discrimination against the Black and Hispanic communities is widespread, the economy is in shambles, the gulf between the poor and the rich is deepening, unemployment is staggering, our national debt is skyrocketing, our infrastructure is crumbling, our international standing is at an all-time low, and the American dream was replaced by hopelessness and despair. (Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D)

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Alon Ben-Meir, USA

Cinematic history of White nationalism

Although screen neo-Nazis continue to be portrayed as ideologues, mad scientists, or thugs, historical docudramas and psychosocial films constitute an increasing portion of the movies about neo-Nazis produced since 1980. This corpus of movies renders their main characters victims of familial, political, or socioeconomic circumstances rather than as stock villains. Their proliferation reflects the escalation of white supremacist rhetoric into recurring acts of right-wing terrorism in Europe and North America from the 1980s on. Depending on the national origin of these pictures, the specific catalysts for radicalization differ, but the images and themes of Holocaust denial, nativism, Nazi iconography, the skinhead look, and virulent racism embraced by actual and fictional white nationalists resemble each other because they network with each other via Internet propaganda, international contacts, joint training maneuvers, rock music, and social media. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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International, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Ellis Island and the name ‘Kaputnik’

Supposedly, the name Kaputnik was assigned to the family at Ellis Island, when Mrs. Kapustin (her real name) worried aloud that if the baby dragon they had smuggled into the U.S. were discovered they would be Kaput (finished).  “Is that your name, Kaput?” a translator asked.  “Nicht (No),” responded Mrs. Kapustin.  And so the immigration inspector wrote down what he thought he heard — “Kaputnik.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Jewish trivia quiz: Congressman Yoho

Congressman Yoho traveled to Israel in 2013, where he met with many Israeli political, military and civilian leaders, but also with Saeb Erekat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority. Yoho found the trip to be very educational, as he noted “It’s always fascinated me how screwed up that whole region is.” After returning from his trip, Yoho told a Gainesville Sun reporter that Erekat conceded Israel’s right to exist, but rejected that it should be populated by Jewish people. Noting that such a position undermined any real chance of peace negotiations, Yoho then said what? (Mark D. Zimmerman)

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Temple Isaiah families dance in socially distant circles

Large circles, at least six feet apart, were drawn on the upper parking lot of Temple Isaiah, each reserved for a family grouping who wanted to dance, play games, and congregate, yet maintain the proper social distance from other families during this time of Covid19. (Donald H. Harrison)

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Donald H. Harrison, Judaism, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food, USA