International

Dianne Feinstein now in political hot water

Besides being angry at Republicans for pushing Barrett’s confirmation through — in contrast to the way they refused to act on former President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland — some left-wing Democrats are also angry at Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California).  Like all other Democratic Senators, Feinstein was opposed to  Barrett, but unlike the rest of them, she congratulated Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) on the way he conducted hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Graham is in a tight reelection battle against Democrat Jaime Harrison, and some Democrats feel Feinstein’s friendliness toward Graham may hurt Harrison’s chances as well as those of Democrats hoping to flip the Senate from Republican to Democratic control.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Considering President Trump’s record …

The focus of Middle East peacemaking changed from requiring Israel to pay the Palestinians in the currency of statehood (“risks for peace”) to a request that the Arab States consider the economic and security needs of their own people in deciding whether and how to approach the State of Israel. The result is the Abraham Accords, broadly accepted by countries that have not signed; a new compact with Jordan; and feelers from other countries. The United States abandoned the untenable position of “neutral party” between Israel, which is our democratic ally, and the Palestinian Authority, which is not. The U.S. has moved to a position of honest broker, which is vastly more appropriate. U.S.-Israel security cooperation, grounded in our commonality, continues through the pandemic. [Shoshana Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

Jewish News from San Diego and Beyond

I’ve decided to change the name of my column from “Our Shtetl San Diego County” to “Jewish News from San Diego and Beyond.”  The reason probably is self-evident.  While much of the news that affects our readers occurs in San Diego, important stories with a bearing on our lives also come from other places as well, including Washington D.C., New York, Sacramento, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv, to name just a few.  So the new column name allows me to be more inclusive in my coverage. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Negligence of the Trump administration

When President Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows bluntly said “We’re not going to control the pandemic” it solidified the negligence of the Trump administration. There have been over 80,000 Americans infected and 1,000 deaths per day over the weekend from Covid and over 225,000 deaths since the pandemic began. We know Judaism’s primary value is pikuah nefesh, safeguarding life. To know measures which work to curb Covid, such as masking and social distancing, and deliberately not advocate, worse make fun of, people who wear them is negligence of the first degree. We know there are measures that can slow the spread yet the President’s chief of staff wants no part in them. [Rabbi Benjamin Herman]

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Jewish Religion, USA

Dutch Protestant Church ‘confesses’ antisemitism guilt

The Protestantse Kerk Nederland or PKN (Protestant Church in the Netherlands) announced that it will, for the first time, “confess” its guilt for contributing to a climate of anti-Semitism before, during, and after World War II. It will admit to falling short “in speaking and in silence, in acting and in not acting, in omitting, in attitude and in thoughts.” [Dorian de Wind]

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Dorian de Wind, International, Jewish History

Jewish trivia quiz: Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and personal attorney to President Donald Trump, is in the news because of his controversial appearance in Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. In the film, Giuliani was being interviewed in a hotel room by Borat’s daughter, and at some point he put his hand in his pants (according to Giuliani he was tucking in his shirt). Rudy Giuliani once controversially said the following about someone who is Jewish: “I’m more of a Jew than [he/she] is.” Whom was he referring to? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

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

Satire: S.T.O.P.

Since Donald Trump has declared, “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged,” Given that he is infallible, Trump has stepped up efforts to thwart this rigging by creating a taskforce called STOP which is designed to prevent progressives from casting their ballots.  Though my connections within the deep state, I have obtained STOP’s plan for achieving its aim in the remaining days before the election. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Good News from Israel (Oct. 25, 2020)

In the Oct. 25, 2020 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
–A hi-tech Israeli eye-test device could prevent millions from going blind.
–Seven of the top 25 women cybersecurity executives are Israeli.
–Sudan is to normalize ties with Israel.
–Israel is hosting the world’s largest desertification conference.
–An Israeli pipeline will bring oil from the UAE to Europe and Asia.
–An Israeli company is to build a huge on-land salmon farm in Nevada.
–A towering Israeli musical message of peace to Arab states.
–A coronavirus patient gets to see his son’s wedding, from his hospital window. [Michael Ordman]

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Michael Ordman, Middle East

Pakistani prince visited Rancho Lilac

There is no shortage of world-class leaders who have visited and left their mark on Valley Center, among them a future king of England (Edward, Prince of Wales);  a president of the United States (Dwight Eisenhower), and a widowed First Lady (Eleanor Roosevelt). But there also was a prince — not a fairytale prince, but a legendary blue-blood better known as a playboy, socialite, racehorse jockey, and husband of one of the world’s most famous movie stars. He was also a diplomat and United Nations official, and it was in that role that he came to Valley Center in 1959. {Robert Lerner]

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International, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA

Enduring a Chubasco in Zihuatanejo

We watched from our cottage as rows of arched terra-cotta tiles slid off the steeply pitched roof of the open-air bar, sliding off in perfect sequence. First one row would go, and then when it was gone, the next row would begins its journey, like soldiers marching across a parade field. The raging bay-water, just a few feet away, hurled itself against the up-tilted rock outcrop, exploding like wet fireworks. Beyond the shore was an endless procession of peaks and troughs of white-capped waves that terrified my seasick soul. [Ira Spector]

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International, The World We Share, Travel and Food

Feds evaluate death penalty for Poway Chabad shooter

Federal prosecutors still haven’t decided whether to seek the death penalty for the assailant who killed Lori Gilbert Kaye and wounded three other people at Chabad of Poway during a Passover 2019 observance, Kristina Davis of  The  San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Saturday.  The newspaper said that the defense team for defendant John T. Earnest, 21, has reported that the coronavirus pandemic has hampered “mitigation investigation critical to a meaningful penalty phase in a capital prosecution.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County

Blessings and Pats on Their Heads

Not only humans gathered around computer screens, but animals too, for Internet Shabbat services Friday night conducted by Rabbi/ Cantor Cheri Weiss of the San Diego Outreach Synagogue.  This Shabbat, Jews around the world read Parshat Noach — the story of Noah’s Ark — and the rabbi figured it would be the perfect occasion to recite a “Blessing of the Animals” composed by Rabbi Jonathan Aaron of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, California. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, USA

Biden likens North Korea to pre-war Nazi Germany

Former Vice President Joe Biden compared the U.S. relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un today to America’s “good relationship with Hitler before he, in fact, invaded Europe — the rest of Europe.”

The comparison came during one of many sharp exchanges Thursday night between Biden, the Democratic nominee for President, and  President Donald J. Trump, the Republican,  in their second and last debate before the Nov. 3 election.  [Donald H. Harrison)

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA