By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Formally, Iran isn’t at war with Israel. But what about informally? The random reflections below are variations on this question. Hamas and the splinter groups in Gaza, inspired and supported by Iran, are attacking Israel. Though they suffer infinitely more than the Israelis when Israel retaliates, they seem determined
The calm in Israel – genuine or false? Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Is Gaza controlled by Hamas? And is Hamas the terrorist organization widely claimed? Or is there some degree of trust? Or at least an effort at communication between Israel and Gaza? We hear that there are 12,000 Gazans allowed into Israel. Some are business people, seeking deals. Some are workers,
Who is calling the shots in Gaza? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
This is another installment in author Natasha Josefowitz’s memoir By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — Back from our business trip/honeymoon in South America, my husband Sam’s apartment was in a basement on the west side of New York City. The small windows were right under the ceiling. We had a view of people’s
Natasha’s Memoir: Life in NYC, N.J., and Israel Read More »
Middle East, Natasha Josefowitz, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — It might surprise most people to know that ecological themes form an important part of the Torah and Tanakh. For example: Genesis begins with an important ecological truth: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and
Massive tree planting program may save planet Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, The World We Share, USA
By Moshe Dann The Jerusalem Post JERUSALEM — The last “book” of Torah, Devarim (words), is also called Deuteronomy because it contains many laws especially relevant to the conquering and settlement of Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) that were not presented in the first four books. It reflects the transition from the end of one
Deuteronomy: The Book of Jewish Sovereignty Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
This story was updated on August 26, 2019 By Ken Stone Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO — A week before the November 2018 election, 17 San Diego-area rabbis signed a letter denouncing Rep. Duncan Hunter‘s “fear mongering” attacks on the Palestinian ancestry of Christian opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar. They said the Republican congressman’s attacks on the
By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — President Trump’s rebuke of Jewish “disloyalty” on Tuesday is disturbing on many levels, but primarily he was preaching to 5.7 million fellow Americans who he must think should be told what is best for them. Our president was patronizing any American Jew who does not go along with
Trump believes Jews can’t think for themselves Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA
-Third in a series; Click on Part I, Part II (c) By Edwin Black WASHINGTON, D.C — Hundreds of millions of euros flow annually from European nations to fund illegal Palestinian settlements in Area C. Under the Oslo Accords, only Israel can issue construction permits. The current rapid expansion plan dispenses with any coordination with
Area C’s terrorist links and financiers Read More »
Edwin Black, International, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Is it possible that the U.S. president, considered by many to be more supportive of Israel than any of his predecessors, uses the terminology of anti-Semites? Have his Jewish daughter and her family not sensitized him to the fact that to question the loyalty of Jews has been the
Worry over U.S. – Israel relations after Bibi, after Trump Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As Arlene Bernstein became less and less “observant”of halacha in her religious practice, she became more and more deeply involved in Jewish life. Today she is a cantor as well as a rabbi. And for the next year, she is serving as the Acting Senior Rabbi of the
Rabbi/ Cantor Arlene Bernstein’s spiritual journey Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Donald H. Harrison, Eileen Wingard, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — American Jewish organizations were generally critical of President Donald Trump’s comment suggesting that given some of the pro-Palestinian sentiment in the Democratic party activists, Jews who vote for Democrats are either ignorant or disloyal. In alphabetical order, here are some of the commentaries that have been sent to
Jewish groups generally pan Trump’s loyalty comment Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rashida Tlaib was in tears over the conditions in which her grandmother lives in the West Bank, and furious that her mother, an American citizen, was forced to go through a “checkpoint” from Israel once in order to visit her. “As a young girl, visiting Palestine to see my
Some facts that may upset Rashida Tlaib Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
By H. Applebaum SAN DIEGO — When I visited Israel as a young woman, in 1972, I went on a tour with Henri, a leader of the moshav that was at the foot of the Golan Heights. He explained how the Syrians shelled Israeli farmers as they worked in the fields. Farm workers were constantly
I saw grapes, not guns on the Golan Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There is no doubt that we are living on the edge. Palestinians, Hizbollah, Iran, and no shortage of Europeans and Americans, including some Jews are dreaming of ending the Israeli existence. But how bad is it? In recent years, around 20 deaths per annum from terror. And about 300 from
Life in Israel is good, despite tension and headlines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East