By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Coping is a synonym for political management. It’s especially prominent in situations of intense conflict, when competing groups can’t make crisp decisions. It’s marked by doing a bit of this, and a bit of that, without overcoming the conflict. There’s also avoidance and ambiguity. Avoiding the knotty problems, and fashioning […]
Coronavirus chaos in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Editor’s Note: Laurie Baron, Ph.D, envisions how U.S. President Donald Trump would rewrite the history of the United States. Here is a link to Part I, the colonial period. … The New Republic (not to be confused with the fake news magazine)
Satire: Trump’s Happy U.S. History, Part II Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
On behalf of San Diego Jewish World, I would like to offer sincere sympathy to the parishioners and clergy of St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Church in Rancho San Diego and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in El Cajon, on whose houses of worship swastikas and hateful slogans were discovered on Saturday morning. [Donald H. Harrison, ‘Our Shtetl San Diego County’]
We join in the outrage over the vandalism at two churches Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA
In 1928 Herbert van Son, the uncle I never knew, was a young man of nineteen. The family lived in Hamburg and his father was a successful importer of tobacco. He arranged for his son to travel to Louisville and work as an apprentice to a business associate who was a tobacco farmer and trader there. He writes about the hot, damp climate and the warm relations between him and his employer, who helped him get settled and even took him to the Kentucky Derby. It was all interesting but very different to the life he had known in Hamburg,
The life and unexplained suicide of Uncle Herbert Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Travel and Food, USA
It was only in the past year that a number of Arab countries decided that the failure of the Palestinian Arabs to come to an agreement with Israel was dangerous for those selfsame countries. With an expansionist Shia-Muslim Iran threatening them, two Sunni-Muslim Arab states decided to put their citizens first and ally themselves with the most powerful state in the neighborhood, Israel. No longer would the security of the Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain (by “allying” with Israel) be vetoed by Palestinian Arabs, whose demand is NO normalization with Israelis. [Steve Kramer]
5781: A year with great potential Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
Less than a month after the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain has also joined the peace train. I am all for it; peace and normalization are always better than war and animosity. But to be honest, I don’t see that the rest of the world is so excited about it, and I think this shows how isolated we are in the world. Despite the fact that Israel has established connections with countries that were previously enemies, no one is cheering, no one is sounding the festive trumpets. For all our efforts to be accepted, Israel, and Jews (though they may not recognize it), are excluded from the family of nations. [Michael Laitman, Ph.D]
What the world wants from the Jews Read More »
Lifestyles, Middle East
The past three Sundays, the Israel Philharmonic Chamber Music Series featured some of their leading players: principal oboist, Dudu Carmel, on September 6; principal flutist, Guy Eshed, on September 13 and four principal string players — violinists David Radznisky and Dumitru Pocitari, violist Miriam Hartman and cellist Emanuele Silvestri — with their new conductor, Lahav Shani, at the piano, September 20. All these programs, as well as the first two, August 23 and 30, are still available on YouTube. [Eileen Wingard]
IPO on YouTube an experience in musical mastery Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsConflict of interest allegations and failure to report contributions in a timely manner militate against Barrios’ candidacy. He needs to get his own house in order before he can become a steward of the people’s. Luckily for the voters, Sean Elo-Rivera, a trustee of the San Diego Community College District, is also a candidate in the 9th Council District, which Gomez is vacating to run for Congress. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County”]
SDJW Endorses Sean Elo-Rivera for City Council District 9 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
On Wednesday President Trump yet again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power following the election: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens. You know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster.” Trump has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he has no respect for American democracy as such. His words should be seen as an assault on the very foundations of this country, which is first and foremost a nation that has always ensured and honored the smooth succession of executive authority. [Alon Ben-Meir]
Americans must insist on peaceful transfer of power Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USA
Now when worship services are curtailed, it seems logical and legitimate to stop the demonstrations. Though it is unlikely that Netanyahu would have shown up at a synagogue on Yom Kippur, he must be grateful to the festival for being liberated him not only from the noise outside his office and his home but, more important, from the implied threat to his tenure. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Bibi’s ‘Al Chet’s’ should include COVID19 bungling Read More »
Middle East
Brianna Taylor died on March 13. A Louisville grand jury announced its verdict on Sept. 24. That’s 194 days later. [Michael Ginsberg]
OpEd: Justice delayed, justice denied Read More »
Michael Ginsberg, USALaurie Baron, Ph.D., compiles a list of streaming Jewish programs available via Internet between September 27 and October 1.
Streaming Jewish Programs (Sept. 27-Oct.1) Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAWhen Enlisted Man Stuart Canin boarded a European-bound U.S. Army transport ship near the end of World War II, he carried with him his barracks bag, rifle, and a violin. Challenged by an officer about what he thought he’d need a violin for, Canin, then a teenager, replied “You Never Know.” He was so right. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County.”
GI Film Festival spotlights a Jewish violinist Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
From this email, I learned that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – yes, that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – had designated a gift to Avodah upon her receiving the Gilel Storch Award, a prize for her outstanding human rights contributions. I was stunned by such an incredible and humbling honor. The weight of her legacy was palpable when we later received a signed letter on U.S. Supreme Court letterhead, in which she declared that “Avodah is respected by people across the political spectrum for its engagement in real tikkun olam.” [Cheryl Cook]
A letter from Justice Ginsburg Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, USA