By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – I remember many years ago when I was a student at UCLA (1962-66), we occasionally would debate which is a better metaphor for the United States: Is our country a “melting pot” or a “chef’s salad?” The difference is that the former metaphor envisions melting all the individual […]
Campa-Najjar for Congress; Nader for Judge Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A major source of the coronavirus spreading is the ultra-Orthodox or Haredi communities. We don’t know exactly the extent of infections, due perhaps to the reluctance of politicians, health personnel, and the media to publicize it. We do know that it is extensive, a third or more of the total,
The Haredim and coronavirus Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Ira Spector SAN DIEGO — In 1972, at age thirty-nine, I was filled with feelings of youth and immortality. This was changed forever by a 23-year-old nymph who was in a discussion group I was involved in. She defined me, for the first time within earshot, as an “older man,” thus creating an unclimbable
The genius architect of Allentown, PA Read More »
Lifestyles, USA
By Michael Laitman, Ph.D PETACH TIKVAH, Israel — For months, I have been watching with growing trepidation the cavalier nonchalance of Israelis toward Covid-19. Now, I am afraid, it’s too late to undo the damage. In the past week, the average death toll was 31 people, and the rate is quickly rising since many hospitals
Per capita, Israel is a major COVID victim Read More »
Lifestyles, Middle East
Other items in this column include: Political bytes By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Hillel Newman, the South African-born, Israeli consul general in Los Angeles, has practiced highly confidential private diplomacy as the former Israeli ambassador to the Muslim countries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Now, notwithstanding coronavirus restrictions, he is engaged in highly public
Israel’s Consul-General aids in Covid fight Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
By Oliver B. Pollak. Ph.D RICHMOND, California — The 1918-1919 “flu” epidemic took between 2,800 and 7,500 Nebraska lives, 974 of them in Omaha. On July 4, 1919, the weekly Omaha Jewish Bulletin published “Breaking Lives and Homes for Profit.” It read: Fanny Skulke came with her husband to the United States from Lomas, “a
Following up a 101-year-old tragedy Read More »
Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, USABy Ira Spector SAN DIEGO — I planned a vacation in Costa Rica. As usual I searched every airline, travel agency, garage sale and the entire catalogue of the Library of Congress for the cheapest airfare. My efforts were rewarded with a very inexpensive airline to transport us to this Central American paradise. It’s a
Fiction: A Too Thrifty Costa Rica Trip Read More »
International, Jewish Fiction, Travel and FoodBy Ira Spector SAN DIEGO — Why is it, sometimes, that the same item is called one thing in one place and another name somewhere else? What we Yanks call a cigarette, or cig, the Brits call smokes, a fag, or faggot. What we call underpants, they call knickers. Every vacuum cleaner to them is
Where are the Lines? Read More »
International, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Other items in today’s column include *Susan Davis honors Justice Ginsburg in Congressional Record *Jewish organizations By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — It wasn’t all that long ago that the City of San Diego had a City Manager form of government. That meant that the mayor was like a super councilmember, who had a
We endorse Barbara Bry for S.D. Mayor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USABy Ira Spector SAN DIEGO — I remember that the black Howler monkeys screamed indignantly from the dense tree branches above, while we waited patiently at the water’s edge. Time seemed to rust as we waited for the boat to depart. Twenty-five sun burned tourists were eager to begin an eight-hour journey up the muddy
A heart-stopping jungle excursion in Costa Rica Read More »
International, Travel and Food
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — We should all wish President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and White House Senior Assistant Hope Hicks a speedy recovery from coronavirus, which already has killed more than 200,000 Americans. Even as we Jews pray in synagogue each week for the health, safety, and wisdom of
A misheberach prayer for the Trumps Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USA
By Eric George Tauber CINCINNATI, Ohio — Some of my Christian friends assert that they still support President Trump in spite of his many glaring flaws because they feel that he best represents “Biblical values.” So great is Trump’s reverence for the Bible that he’ll use federal troops to disperse crowds of non-violent demonstrators with
OpEd: A ‘Biblical’ President? Read More »
Eric George Tauber, USA
By Sam Glaser LOS ANGELES — During the Sukkot holiday, the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles erupts in joyful celebration. Our forty-plus kosher restaurants all have sukkot attached. There’s a sukkah on top of Ralph’s supermarket. One could conceivably sukkah hop to a different hut every five minutes and not exhaust the inventory. Google “Sukkah’s
The Joys of Sukkot Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, Sam Glaser, USAOther items in this column include: *Ethnic Studies *Political Bytes *San Diego Jewish World news *In memoriam By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, now observing a nine-day holiday for Sukkot, will delay the resumption of its in-person classes until Wednesday, Oct. 14, two days after the holiday period’s
Soille returns temporarily to distance learning Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sheryl Rowling, USA