International

From Ingathering Exiles to Escaping Clans

Israel, the land that was meant to host the ingathering of the exiles and reunite the Jewish people, is tearing at the seams. There has never been real unity in Israeli society, but we always knew how to rise above our partisan interests in the moment of truth. We cannot do this anymore; hatred and division have taken over. It seems as though we are going to split into myriad groups and clans, and many will seek asylum elsewhere, and I am not sure they will be welcome anywhere. [Michael Laitman, PhD]

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Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East

Guess who might come to your next simcha

Assume you have an upcoming bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, or another family simcha coming up, and you would like to invite some close relatives living in another country to attend. Right now it is a costly hassle for your relatives to apply for a temporary visa to visit the United States, with the possibility that they will be rejected causing you and them embarrassment, even humiliation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Thousands rally against France’s Macron in Jerusalem

Thousands of Palestinians rallied in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday against French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of the right to publish cartoons seen as offensive to Islam.Demonstrators chanted “There is no god but God, Macron is the enemy of God” and “Mohammed, your nation will not give in”, following Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque

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International, Middle East

Feds arrest leader of white supremacy group who ran ‘hate camp’ in Michigan

DETROIT — The leader of a national white supremacist group who ran a “hate camp” in Michigan and one of his cohorts were charged Thursday with multiple crimes as extremist groups continue to land on the FBI’s radar nationwide.The latest suspects were arrested at their homes at 6 a.m. Thursday for their alleged roles in

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USA

Germany’s newest Jewish museum closes after only 11 days

Frankfurt’s new Jewish Museum has been forced to close just 11 days after opening its doors due to government restrictions to stem a second wave of coronavirus infections across Germany and Europe.By Thursday evening, around 4,500 visitors had already taken the opportunity to visit the museum, a restored, expanded and redesigned version of a previous

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, USA

Satire: Coronavirus Endorses Donald Trump

Though the miracle of artificial intelligence, I have been able to conduct an interview with Vincent Corona Virus (CV for short) and have his DNA sequences translated into English. LB: Since it appears that the pandemic has become a pivotal issue in the presidential campaign, I wondered which candidate you endorse. CV: Trump’s my main man. Nobody has done more to spread misinformation and me in the United States than him. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Shopping in Coronavirus times

I wouldn’t say I’m a shopaholic, but I was brought up at a time and place where shopping was a regular feature of life. As a child in London I would be sent round the corner to the grocery store in Willesden Lane (which was no lane at all) to buy the loaf of rye bread my mother loved. On the way home I would gnaw the crust, and once I had handed the loaf over my mother would cut off the crust, spread it with butter and give it to me to eat like a civilized person, which made it rather less attractive. But I ate it anyway. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Business & Finance, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Lifestyles, Middle East

Jewish connections to Halloween?

With the coming of Halloween, San Diego Jewish World introduces a new feature — a three-part video reporting series by my daughter, Sandi Masori, who has been after me for years to utilize originally produced video.  “Fine,” said I, “you do it!”  And so she did. In this series, which can be viewed above and will continue tomorrow, and Halloween night, Sandi interviews Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue in San Diego about some of the parallels between Halloween and Jewish mythology.  They discuss the stories of golems — human-like creatures created by great rabbis  — intended to protect their communities, and how golem stories were background to Mary Shelley’s famous tale about Frankenstein’s monster. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sandi Masori, USA

In regional game-changer, US seeks to sell F-35 jets to UAE

Washington (AFP) – The United States has agreed to sell more than $10 billion of top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates to reward its recognition of Israel, potentially reshaping power dynamics in the turbulent region, Congress was informed Thursday.In an informal but required notification to Congress, President Donald Trump’s administration said it

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Middle East, USA

U.S. Passports Can List ‘Jerusalem, Israel’ as Birthplace

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday that henceforth U.S. passports issued to American citizens born in Jerusalem will say  at their choice “Jerusalem, Israel,” rather than simply “Jerusalem,” as has been the case up to now. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

The world must remember Kristallnacht

On November 9th  1938, mobs burned synagogues, destroyed Jewish homes and businesses, vandalized Jewish hospitals, orphanages and cemeteries, and dragged thousands of Jewish men, women and children into the streets, where they were beaten and humiliated.  The Germans later called this night “Kristallnacht” – The Night of Broken Glass – because of the tons of shattered glass that scattered throughout German cities, after it had taken place.  The Jews began to call that date the beginning of the Holocaust because of the tremendous violence, which started on that night and grew even more dreadful as time had passed. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, International, Jewish History, USA

Normalization alone not a path for Mideast peace

Regardless of how many more Arab countries normalize relations with their country, the conflict with the Palestinians will not disappear and it must be addressed if Israel wants to ensure long-term stability and security. The Palestinians, on the other hand, must accept the emerging reality. Instead of opposing the normalization of Israeli-Arab relations, which in any case they cannot stop, they should be prepared to enter into such a process of reconciliation with Israel that would eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East