Story an photos by Oliver B. Pollak ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – We’re in Albuquerque for the 75th birthday of Dr. Steve, the father of my daughter-in-law Erika. Steve’s wine cellar with red wines dating back to the early 1980s was an added pleasure. New Mexico’s Jewish history is more complicated than the rest of American […]
New Mexico’s Holocaust and Intolerance Museum Read More »
Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food, USA
By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — In anticipation of celebrating the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, I did some research about the role of Jews in the Revolutionary War. Besides the well known figure, Haym Solomon, who helped finance the war, I learned that quite a number of Jews played significant roles
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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Jewish History, USA
By Mickey Gitzin TEL AVIV — Three days ago, a young Ethiopian Israeli man named Solomon Teka was shot and killed by a police officer in the town of Kiriyat Hayim near Haifa. He was 18 years old. I’m writing to you today from Tel Aviv, where we’ve just seen a third consecutive day of
New Israel Fund backs Ethiopian protests in Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — It’s a film that will stay with you long after the final credits roll. Not only because it’s one helluva good film, but also because it’s Robert Redford’s last film. At least he said it is. He announced his retirement last year just before shooting The Old Man and
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Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAEditor’s Note: Riots erupted in cities throughout Israel after an a bullet fired at the ground by an off-duty police officer on Sunday reportedly ricocheted and killed Solomon Tekah, 19, a member of Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community. At a memorial service on Tuesday, Tekah’s father, Workah, declared: “We respect the laws and customs. Why are
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International, Jewish History, Middle East, Sam Litvin
Newcomers in an Ancient Land: Adventures, Love and Seeking Myself in 1960’s Israel by Paula Wagner; She Writes Press, © 2019;ISBN 9781631-525292; 220 pages; $16.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – For the most part, this is a pleasant if tentative memoir, which will be informative for people contemplating a first trip from the
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle EastBy Rabbi Devorah Marcus Temple Emanu-El SAN DIEGO — Happy 4th of July! While it’s true that there are no official Jewish holidays in the month of July, there is an extremely important Jewish celebration and that is the commemoration of our nation’s Declaration of Independence which we, in the Jewish community, tend to celebrate
U.S. Jews have much to celebrate on July 4th Read More »
International, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA
By Donald H. Harrison JUNEAU, Alaska – Getting ready for rafting down the Mendenhall River is almost as exciting as the ride itself. “T,” a guide for Alaska Travel Adventures who says his Japanese name sometimes is too difficult for western tongues to pronounce, had our eight family members pull rubber trousers over
Rafting, salmon baking, schmoozing in Juneau, Alaska Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Travel and Food, USABy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — The play Mysterious Circumstances consists of seven actors playing some 26 different characters, as well as “others” too insignificant to identify specifically. And so the stage was a chaos of people coming and going, often dressed in costumes very different from the ones in which they had previously appeared, and delivering their crucial commentary in a variety of nearly impenetrable British
Sherlock Holmes fan himself subject of a deep mystery Read More »
Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Alon Ben-Meir and Arbana Xharra NEW YORK — At a time when Albania was expected to make significant progress in its accession talks with the European Union (EU), some member states are unwilling to support the negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. France in particular argued that the EU must deepen integration among existing
Albania’s corruption undermines efforts to join EU Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, InternationalBy H. Applebaum SAN DIEGO –America was founded on the principle of freedom of religion, yet anti-Semitism, brought from other countries, has always been with us. Even in the 1600’s, before we became a country, Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of New York, denied basic rights to Jews. In the 1930’s and 40’s, as the Nazis
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Jewish History, USABy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — The anti-Israel, Palestine-supporting, LGBT community should reconsider its position. A survey conducted by the Arab Barometer research network during LGBT Pride month in June 2019 for BBC Arabic News revealed shocking facts about the depth of homophobia in the Arab world. The wide survey included the Middle East and
Survey measures anti- gay sentiment in Arab world Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — What’s normal politics? Arguments about more benefits? Favoring the middle or lower classes? Something for the religious? My party or yours? Foreign policy? National defense? Here and now we hear about all of that, but they’re minor words. Bibi Netanyahu is what matters. To advance him, or dump him. While
Only one issue in Israel’s election: Bibi Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East