Let’s pretend President Trump decided to throw a surprise birthday party — for himself. A very plausible thought, as he prepared to celebrate his 74th yesterday, Sunday, June 14. Because he wanted to make the celebration extra-special, we can speculate that the planning that went into it was extra-special, too. [Satire by Joel H. Cohen]
Satire: If Trump threw himself a birthday party Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
There is a long Jewish history at West Point. The 2019 graduating class included the 1000th Jewish graduate of the Academy since its founding in 1802. And in fact, half of the graduates in the very first class in 1802 were Jewish (though there were only two students in the class). The Jewish student, Simeon Magruder Levy, graduated at the bottom of his two-person class, but went on to distinguish himself at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, marking the end of the Northwest Indian War. For more than 60 years the West Point Jewish Chapel Choir has been a part of student life. The Choir sang at what presidential event? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: West Point Jewish Chapel Choir Read More »
Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Whenever Election Day comes to Israel, you can always count upon the Haredi political parties to boost voter turnout in their cities. The religious politicians will often offer amulets and blessings to ensure their people will be blessed. This year, in particular, some of the Shas and United Torah Judaism political parties handed out amulets with prayers and excerpts from the Jewish liturgy, promising that their reelection would guarantee that the coronavirus would not affect the voters’ families. {Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]
Amulets, Coronavirus, & Election Day in Israel Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
Most of us have been glued to our television sets watching protesters marching on our streets and around the world. They are responding to the murder of George Floyd. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Riots are the language of the unheard.” [Vocal and story by Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]
Sounding Alarms Through the Centuries Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
The installing officer was at home in Florida. The incoming president was in Oregon. And the other members of the outgoing and incoming boards of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood were right here in San Diego. Welcome to what the Sisterhood members called their very first “Zoomstallation.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Zoom! Zoom! You’re the Sisterhood President Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Judaism, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
She did it her way By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — The June/July 2020 issue of The Wall Street Journal Magazine contains a fascinating story by Will Friedwald with photography by Henry Leutwyler — “Sinatra’s Little Brown Book.” The article heralds Leutwyler’s just published Hi There!, a collection of 69 photographs of the address
My mother’s and Frank Sinatra’s address books Read More »
International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
By Mimi Pollack LA MESA, California — Growing up in the last century, it was not always easy being outside of the box. In most cultures and countries, one followed a certain path- go to school, work an 8-hour-job, get married, have kids, etc. For those of us who didn’t follow all or part of
Fern Platt Hall lives a life of good deeds Read More »
International, Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County
Born in Hungary; living in Portsmouth, United Kingdom; spending many hours of research at the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio; and even boasting a cousin (Judit Sipos-Szabo) here in San Diego, Peter Kovacs Rosenbluth understands links between European Jewish history and American Jewish history about which most of us, including yours truly, have been unaware. [By Donald H. Harrison]
European Jewish Civil War volunteers flocked to the North’s cause Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAIsrael has acted boldly to protect its sovereignty numerous times since its independence in May, 1949. The prime ministers listed below accomplished tremendous, surprising, and necessary steps for Israel’s existence. [Steve Kramer]
Lack of surprise hinders Israel’s annexation plan Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA
Here is a 2018 story that appeared in The Times of Israel speculating that Christopher Columbus might have been a hidden Jew, forced to conceal his true identity because the year that he set sail on the voyage in which he would discover America–1492–was the same year that Jews were given a brutal choice by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain: Either convert to Christianity or be expelled from the country. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
‘Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.’ Martin Luther King Jr. included this cogent declaration within his Nobel-acclaimed ‘Letter from the Birmingham Jail’ in April 1963. The preacher was confined on that occasion because he led “illegal” protests in the city against the continuing and murderous oppression and voter-suppression of Black people in that community (and throughout the Old Confederacy). Aspects of King’s heartache and moral outrage have been validated and liberated at this moment via the inspirational ‘Black Lives Matter’ uprisings. [Rabbi Ben Kamin]
The 60’s Civil Rights Movement and today’s Black Lives Matter Read More »
USA
CitiBank, which has branches throughout San Diego County, has been threatened with a law suit by Shurat HaDin, a Jewish lawfare organization, over ties with “the Bank of Palestine and affiliated institutions involved in “pay for slay’ payments. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison}
CitiBank accused of supporting Palestinian terror Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, Donald Trump claimed he had “done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.” Hypersensitive to the charge of being a bigot, he has carefully selected venues for upcoming rallies to symbolize his commitment to ethnic and racial justice. This is why he scheduled one for Tulsa on June 19th to commemorate the Juneteenth celebration of the end of slavery in the city where America’s worst race riot occurred. Here’s a possible campaign calendar for future campaign events targeted at ethnic and racial minorities. [Satire by Laurie Baron]
Satire: Diversity Donald’s Virtuous Venues Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Germany has been a thorn in Washington’s side on many issues from its failure to spend 2% of its very healthy GDP on its own military defense to its trade with Iran — including, some suspect, under-the-table nuclear goods trade — and the promotion of a U.S.-independent European Army. [By Shoshana Bryen & Stephen Bryen]
U.S. troop reduction aimed at Germany, not NATO Read More »
International, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen, USA