Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Dreaming a Child’s Fears Away in Book for K-3 Readers

This book for kindergarteners through 3rd graders is intended to help children overcome their fears. In this case Tali, who wears a hamsa necklace to ward off evil, is afraid to join other children on playground equipment. She’s especially fearful of joining her peers at a martial arts class.  The reason?  She’s afraid that she will fall and break to pieces. [Donald H. Harrison]

Dreaming a Child’s Fears Away in Book for K-3 Readers Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

Why Our Fellow Jews May Be More Affectionate on Monday

Monday (August 19) is the minor Jewish holiday Tu B’Av. This holiday is on the 15th day of the month of Av and known as the Jewish Day of Love or slightly compared to Valentines Day in the United States. [Cailin Acosta]

Why Our Fellow Jews May Be More Affectionate on Monday Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

How to Heal Troubled Mother-Daughter Relationships

The mother and daughter relationship can be a very sensitive subject for most mothers and daughters. How they communicate, don’t communicate, and interact in everyday life can be a constant tug-of-war on the mind and body. Someone is right and someone is wrong. It is a delicate process when dealing with emotions and hormones in different spectrums of womanhood. [Cailin Acosta]

How to Heal Troubled Mother-Daughter Relationships Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

In Defense of a 25-Year-Old Novel by Elie Wiesel

Many reviewers found Elie Wiesel’s 1999 book The Judges difficult and abandoned it before reaching the end. They enjoyed the dozens of this Nobel Peace Prize winners’ books but dismissed this one, although it is in easy-to-read English, because they could not understand what was happening. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

In Defense of a 25-Year-Old Novel by Elie Wiesel Read More »

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

Memoir Tells of Russian Immigrant’s Social Climb in New York City

Memoirs are typically written by famous people or by those who survived extraordinary events.  Politicians, movie stars, artists, and diplomats are in the first category.  Soldiers and Holocaust Survivors are in the second.  But who is Anya Gillinson?  How many people outside of New York City have ever heard her name?  What impelled her to write her memoir? [Donald H. Harrison]

Memoir Tells of Russian Immigrant’s Social Climb in New York City Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

From Bachfest to Bookfest

I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the first annual Bookfest, held in the nearby village of Gouzon and organized by two enterprising young women, Judi Alexander Castille and Vicky Eveleigh. The event enabled authors to display and sell their books, and also to give a reading to the assembled audience. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

From Bachfest to Bookfest Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Judaism in Colonial America Pictured in Story Book about Sukkot

In this story, Papa who has been traveling on business in Europe sends a letter to his wife and children, Aaron and Leah, that he has purchased in Corsica a beautiful etrog (citron), and that he hopes to be home in time for the High Holy Days.  However, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur go by and he still hasn’t arrived.  [Donald H. Harrison]

Judaism in Colonial America Pictured in Story Book about Sukkot Read More »

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

At Libraries: Novel Imagines the Worries of Marcel Proust’s Mother

My perseverance paid off, however, and I soon found myself immersed in what seemed to be the diary entries kept by the woman who was Marcel Proust’s mother, describing the daily life of a bourgeois family, of whom the son, Marcel, was a constant source of worry, and sometimes even anguish. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

At Libraries: Novel Imagines the Worries of Marcel Proust’s Mother Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Samson vs. Hercules

Many consider Hercules the strongest ancient Greek and Samson the most muscular Jew. Both tales involve eating and drinking. Both were engaged in romantic affairs; Hercules had four wives, and Samson had liaisons with three women and married one of them. The two had miraculous births involving a deity: Hercules’ father was the god Zeus, and Samson gave birth after his mother received a message from heaven delivered by an angel. The two births focused on their mother, the woman Zeus cohabited with, and the woman with whom an angel communicated. In both instances, the husbands were ignored. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

Samson vs. Hercules Read More »

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

Jewish Talent Comes to the Fore at Comic-Con

Once again, it was that time of year when nerds worldwide go to sleep giddy. Each day this past weekend, we awakened bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to see what morsels of news and hype our corporate overlords had decided to drop at the most significant comics convention and marketing bonanza in the world: San Diego Comic-Con! [Shor M. Masori]

Jewish Talent Comes to the Fore at Comic-Con Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’: An Argument for a Universal Military Draft

One of the many things we can learn from Vance’s experience and use it to help not only hillbillies but all disadvantaged cultures. We can institute a universal draft. All males and females from age 18 must either join one of the military services for at least two years or a new, somewhat similar service that helps improve the lives of US citizens. Israel has such a system. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’: An Argument for a Universal Military Draft Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA