There is anger and then there is righteous anger. Peter Finch yelling out the window, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”From Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, where parts of a whole are coming undone, to Hong Kong to Puerto Rico to France and Venezuela, people are mad as hell. [Shoshana Bryen]
Global hot spots boil over with righteous anger Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir taught a middle school class from space on Monday, speaking via a video link from the International Space Station to San Diego students. Meir, who has been on the station since September, spoke to 150 students from Fulton Middle School and Memorial Preparatory for Scholars and Athletes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. [Times of San Diego]
Jewish astronaut lectures SD students from space Read More »
International, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
The carob tree has been appreciated for its various features throughout the ages. Nowadays, people are starting to rediscover this amazing plant. It is both a wild growing forest tree, and an easy to cultivate fruit tree. Because of this combination, the carob tree lends itself to a wide range of uses, thus making it the perfect tree to solve many of Morocco’s pressing economic and environmental issues. [By Nora Martetschläger]
Can carob save a nation? Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food
When I first read the premise for The Great Leap, I imagined an errant ball hitting a patron in the third row. No need to worry. Even though there is a hoop hanging over the middle of the house, they only mime those shots. Projection Designer Blake McCarty presents a flowing river of images of basketball games, newsreel footage and stills of party propaganda that sweep us into playwright Lauren Yee’s complex, bi-cultural world. [Eric George Tauber]
China jumps into basketball in ‘The Great Leap’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Trump is on trial, whether he concedes it or not. Bibi’s immunity is waiting confirmation or denial in the Knesset. Chances are that it’ll be denied if it gets to a vote. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Speculation rife over Trump’s deal, Bibi’s immunity Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
“Hear-ye, hear-ye, the polls are now open.” These seven words are one of the foundations of our democracy. In October 2016 I heard a public service announcement on KPBS Midday Edition asking for volunteers to become a poll worker for the 2016 Presidential Election. Little did I know that it would be the start of an incredibly important, interesting, and fulfilling journey. [Ron Marx]
How you can help keep democracy strong Read More »
San Diego County, USA
Anti-semitism? City Councilwoman Barbara Bry blames President Donald Trump. City Councilman Scott Sherman points his finger at the Internet. And Tasha Williamson says it’s the fault of domestic terrorists, who ought to be prosecuted with the same tenacity as are terrorists from foreign countries. The three candidates made their comments Sunday night at a forum at Temple Emanu-El skipped by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, who polls show to be the frontrunner in their race to be San Diego’s next mayor. [Donald H. Harrison]
Mayoral candidates discuss anti-Semitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
The film 1945 and the play The Class give new meaning to the phrase “bad neighbor.” These very relevant works of performance art were among those highlighted at the 5th Kisufim (Hebrew for “longings”) conference held at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, in November. This year’s topic was: “Writing, Memory and Vision” and it was produced in partnership with the Zalman Shazar Center, the Hebrew Writers Association, and the Matanel Foundation, among others. [Toby Klein Greenwald]
Movie, play offer gripping Holocaust stories Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Toby Klein Greenwald
After seeing so many Jews say such horrible things about him, I decided to look further into Trump’s background to learn more about his feelings toward the Jews. This is what I learned: [Dan Feinreich]
Trump family has long record of supporting Jewish causes Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USAWe have to wait until President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan is unveiled to discuss it; those already discussing are likely to be wrong. But it is worth reviewing where Israelis, Palestinians, Arab states, and Americans have been — and why this time may be different. The central flaw in the “Palestinian-Israeli peace process” has never been addressed. There has not been — and there is not now — a shared goal toward which Israelis and Palestinians can be induced to work. Instead, each side has three specific and irreconcilable objectives. [Shoshana Bryen]
What Mideast parties want ahead of a peace proposal Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
The campaign to re-elect the prime minister of Israel and his supporters in the Knesset on March 2 has gone global. Seemingly worried about the outcome, Netanyahu has engaged world leaders to bolster his candidacy. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
With friends like Putin and Trump … Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
As Yoav Talmi continues to receive accolades for his guest conducting throughout the world and his inspiring teaching at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Tel Aviv University, the internationally acclaimed maestro is also garnering increased recognition as a world class composer. His recent CD, Yoav Talmi COMPOSITIONS, released by the Israel Music Institute and produced with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, contains three of his large compositions, De Profundis, a four movement work for mixed choir and orchestra; Animi Motus, a four movement work for orchestra with children’s or women’s choir; and Elegy for strings, timpani and accordion (Dachau Reflections). [Eileen Wingard]
Conductor Yoav Talmi a classical composer Read More »
Eileen Wingard, International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County
Only a few moments after her audience had sat in stunned silence hearing about how the mother of Fanny Krasner Lebovits sacrificed her life so her youngest child should not have to go alone to her death, a cell phone tinkled from somewhere in the front of the audience. [Donald H. Harrison]
Crying and laughing with a Holocaust survivor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego CountyThe European Union is a group of countries which seemingly have a collective hatred of Israel, and by extension, the Israelis – 75% of whom are Jewish. (What else do we expect from the continent that brought us the Holocaust?) Not every country in the EU is vehement about their distaste for our Jewish country, but their collective decisions, by consensus, are testament to it. I love Brexit because it weakens the EU and will probably lead to a further lessening of its power. Thankfully, Boris Johnson soundly defeated Jeremy Corbyn in the latest UK elections, enabling the EU to begin leaving the EU imminently. [Steve Kramer]