By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Mimi Pollack, a friend and occasional writer for San Diego Jewish World, is an adjunct faculty member at Grossmont College in neighboring El Cajon. She teaches English as a Second Language, which is popularly abbreviated as “ESL.” Whenever I see that abbreviation,” I think of the word “easel,” […]
ESL students make excellent pen pals Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Mimi Pollack, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–A youtube came to my mailbox that has provoked some thoughts about what has happened to the Jews of America. I’m one of them, with my own twists and turns that reflect some of what has happened, in all kinds of ways, to many more. The clip shows a lecture, well crafted
American Jewry: From generation to generation Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Steve Kramer Alan Dershowitz is one of the brightest and most quoted law professors in America. He recently announced his plans to retire from the faculty of Harvard Law School, one of America’s most eminent educational establishments. I haven’t always agreed with Dershowitz, who said last year that Israel should offer to freeze all
Alan Dershowitz’s brief for Israel Read More »
Steve Kramer, USA
Israeli universities: American Studies boycott targets ‘breakthroughs that benefit humankind’ (JNS.org) In an advertisement appearing in the New York Times on Dec. 20, the American arms of seven Israeli universities said that the American Studies Association’s (ASA) boycott of Israel targets an academic community that “achieves breakthroughs that benefit humankind.” “Preventing scholars who live in
JNS news briefs: December 20, 2013 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — An interesting conversation took place been CNN host Piers Morgan and Barbara Walters that caught my attention. Morgan asked Walters an important question. “You have interviewed every president of my lifetime. Why is Obama facing so much opposition now? Why is he struggling so much to
No Barbara, Obama’s not the messiah Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The biggest failure in the American diplomatic quest to midwife the State of Palestine has been a failure to listen to the Palestinians, who don’t hide much. (One wag said that generally parties to a negotiation lie on the outside and tell the truth in private; the Palestinians, however,
Kerry publicly oblivious to Palestinians’ real goals Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Anav Silverman HAIFA, Israel –= While the American Studies Association (ASA) may have voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions this week – a boycott that was initiated in 2005 and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee – the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) has been successfully reaching out to the Arab-speaking world both
Israeli online course attracting students from Arab countries Read More »
Middle EastBoycott of Israel prompts two universities to quit American Studies Association (JNS.org) Brandeis University and Penn State Harrisburg on Wednesday announced they have withdrawn from the American Studies Association (ASA) following the ASA membership’s Dec. 15 vote to endorse a boycott of Israel. “We view the recent vote by the membership to affirm an academic
JNS news briefs: December 19, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Hardly anything is more agreed among both Israelis and Palestinians than the condemnation of the Oslo Accords. They did not bring peace, or continue with the steps included in the agreements that were meant to bring the parties closer to peace. The criticism is valid, but invites a large HOWEVER.
Despite latter-day naysayers, Oslo Accords were valuable Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastSAN DIEGO–A close friend in Florida, Amnon Markusfeld, forwarded to me this 6-minute tour of Israel. I think readers of San Diego Jewish World will enjoy it!
A 6-minute video tour of Israel Read More »
Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has appointed Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, a former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, and Ambassador to the European Union, and currently with the law firm of Covington & Burling, as his Special Adviser on Holocaust Issues. Ambassador Eizenstat held
Eizenstat named special advisor on Holocaust issues Read More »
USALebanese shooter who killed IDF soldier detained (JNS.org) The Lebanese soldier who shot and killed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen on Sunday was detained, according to Lebanese and Israeli authorities. “[Lebanese authorities] jailed him, interrogated him, and according to their claims, they will punish him,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said. Lebanese
JNS news briefs: December 18, 2013 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Two items in today’s news encourage me to repeat earlier, perhaps now less idle, speculation about the future of Avigdor Lieberman: (1) the Attorney General has decided not to accept the outgoing Chief Prosecutor’s recommendation to appeal Lieberman’s not guilty verdict that enabled him to resume his post as foreign
Will Israel become increasingly attached to Russia? Read More »
Middle EastSyrian civil war refugee receives pacemaker at Israeli hospital (JNS.org) A 4-year-old Syrian civil war refugee from the besieged city of Homs recently underwent what was likely life-saving surgery at the pediatric cardiology ward of the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. The boy, Mohammed Hamudi, was born with reversed ventricles, a rare heart
JNS news briefs: December 17, 2013 Read More »
International