Scott has taken a stand to join hands with the other party to work toward solutions by being part of the Problem Solvers Caucus. This is a ground-breaking bloc of Congressional Republicans and Democrats committed to working together on governance of our country. [Sheryl Rowling]
OpEd: Re-elect U.S. Rep. Scott Peters Read More »
San Diego County, Sheryl Rowling, USA
When it comes to pro-Israel and pro-Jewish activities, there are organizations to combat the negatives and organizations to accentuate the positives. Both kinds of groups are necessary. Examples of each came to me in my email today. [Donald H. Harrison]
Combating negatives, accentuating pro-Israel positives Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
Upon hearing the words Hamdullah wa inshallah, Mark Apel is transported as if in a time capsule to the many times he and Yossef Ben-Meir, President of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), uttered them in gratitude for the food set before them or in hope for something good to come of their efforts as Peace Corps Volunteers. “It makes you more mindful of the moment,” he remarked in a recent interview conducted by Ben-Meir for HAF. Mark was born in France, son of an airman, whose family returned to the U.S. where he grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two months after graduation from Penn State in 1982, he joined the Peace Corps and came to Morocco. There, he was able to use his degree in environmental resource management and specialization in wildlife management as a fisheries volunteer. He had originally aspired to be a veterinarian, but his keen interest in wildlife, parks, and protected areas led him to this more holistic discipline. [Ellen Hernandez and Katie Bercegeay}
A Peace Corps volunteer’s return to Morocco Read More »
International, The World We Share, Travel and Food
The Anglo-Australian multinational company Rio Tinto – the largest iron ore mining company in the world – demolished two 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelters in May. What is particularly disturbing about this event is that Rio Tinto was apparently acting entirely within the law. Which is to say that this kind of tragic and wanton destruction will continue to happen unless stricter regulations are enacted. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Juukan Cave Destruction a Loss for Humanity Read More »
International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir, Science, Medicine, & Education
Like many of you, Michal and I haven’t visited anywhere overnight since March. Regardless, we didn’t want to celebrate our significant wedding anniversary at home in our apartment. Besides that, the anniversary occurs this year on the eve of Yom Kippur; obviously, no celebration then. After considering a vacation at various locales in Israel’s Galilee or Golan regions during the early part of September, we followed the example of another anniversary couple and booked two nights in Jerusalem, where we always have a good time. [Steve Kramer]
A Mini-Vacation in Jerusalem Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food
Growing up, Judaism always took center stage, but when I moved to Pittsburgh to study directing at the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University, suddenly theater was in the spotlight. For the first couple of years, it felt like I had to give up practicing Judaism in order to pursue theater full time. Choosing rehearsals over Shabbat or having to miss High Holiday services for class felt like I had opted to practice the religion of theater over Judaism. [Adira Rosen]
With theaters dark, all the world must now be a stage Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
A brilliant script by Richard Hellersen brought Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass back to life face-to-face on my computer careen. I felt like a fly on the wall (better than a front row seat) watching two brilliant portrayals by Hawthorne James as Douglass, and Ray Chambers as Lincoln in heated conversations actually documented by playwright Hellersen from meetings and correspondence between these two iconic and historic figures. [Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]
Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass in Civil War debate Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Those who regard The Jerusalem Post as Holy Writ – and I know such people – may have been startled by the concluding sentences in last week’s column by the paper’s editor: “Israel is in an unprecedented crisis, and this government is not functioning, It is time for it to go home.” [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Pray for the future of Israel Read More »
Middle East
The first time I ever saw or stepped on a tennis court was in 1949 when I was sixteen and got a job at Camp Watitoh near Tanglewood in the Berkshires as a maintenance worker. One of my first jobs was to brush and roll the tomato-colored clay tennis courts smooth early every morning. That was boring but tolerable in the cool early morning air. So now I was the tennis court maven, and was assigned to build two new courts in the lower unshaded unused part of the camp property. [Ira Spector]
Some 70 years of love for tennis Read More »
International, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USA
You might get the idea from the title of this book that it is about a BBYO Group enjoying a favorite ride at Disneyland. However, it is far more serious than that. It tells about the war Jewish refugees waged against Portugal and Spain and their Grand Inquisitors. It also offers a hint concerning the dispute between Spain and Portugal over the true nationality of 16th century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish pirates took revenge on Inquisition’s nations Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, USA
It seems rather ironic to hear in the press these days that the name of Balfour is used to represent two contradictory phenomena in the context of modern Israel, depending on one’s point of view. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Netanyahu family, demonstrators profane ‘Balfour’ name Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East
On a day that the world mourns the 2001 terror attack that felled the World Trade Center in New York City, damaged the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and took the lives of passengers aboard four hijacked airliners, there was some hopeful news as well. Peace in the Middle East is becoming contagious. Encouraged by the United States government, Bahrain and Israel have announced that they — like Israel and the United Arab Emirates previously — will sign a peace pact. [Donald H. Harrison]
Israel-Bahrain peacemaking draws applause Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food
Laurie Baron, Ph.D, has rounded up internet programs from Sunday, Sept. 13 through Thursday, Sept. 17 of direct Jewish interest.
Streaming Jewish Programs (Sept. 13-17) Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
In a column for The New York Times, Diana Buttu claims that the United Arab Emirates betrayed the Palestinians. She has it backwards. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Rebutting Palestinian backlash to Israel-UAE pact Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East