By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Most rabbinical students attribute omnipresence and omniscience as qualities befitting a Creator. Only God is called, The Knower of Thoughts, and The Searcher of the human heart. Rabbinical wisdom has long taught, “Always keep in mind these three things, and you will never come to the brink […]
God, not government, should know our every thought Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Berk SAN DIEGO — The lurid allegations of politicians acting badly overcame the usual summer lull in news this season. Mayor Bob Filner and Anthony Weiner spent much of the summer trying to survive politically. But what about spiritual survival? What does their common faith, Judaism, teach about sin, atonement and forgiveness?
Time for Filner, Weiner and us to do teshuvah Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — After enacting its ban on the promotion of homosexuality, Russia is defying demands to change its policy or face a boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics there. Putin has dug his heels in and renamed St. Petersburg St. Burg because the mere mention of peters is too homosexually
Humoring the headlines: August 20, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — President Obama denounced the violent repression of Muslim Brotherhood protestors in Egypt by the military government. Fearing that new democratic elections might bring the Muslim Brotherhood back to power, he suggested that new elections be monitored by the North Carolina Electoral Board to guarantee that a wealthy white Christian
Humoring the headlines: August 15,2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Jeffrey F. Barken and Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HAIFA—Jay Ruderman has observed for years that when American Jewish leaders visit Israel or when Israeli leaders visit the United States, the conversation is “always about Israel” and how the Jewish state relates to Iran, Syria, the Palestinians, and others. “What’s happening in the American Jewish community?” and
Haifa University to offer American Jewish Studies Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Israel announced two contradictory policies on the eve of the second round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It will release a group of Palestinian prisoners as a good will gesture, and build more settlements on the West Bank as a bad will gesture. As a compromise, the PLA demanded
Humoring the Headlines: August 12, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Two years since the heinous, unforgivable incident, the Miami Beach, Fla. police have still failed, ignominiously, to clear the air about the inexplicable street killing of motorist Raymond Herisse. Herisse, 22, was killed on a South Beach street in his vehicle in a barrage of firepower that entailed
Black men and police firing squads Read More »
USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Between his therapy sessions, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner phoned Alex Rodriguez to get advice on how to delay disciplinary action for the duration of a contract and how to get past first base and not strike out. Commenting on the difficulties of restarting peace talks between Israel and
Humoring the headlines: August 7, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — A poll of New Yorkers has selected Eliot Spitzer as the formerly tarnished politician most likely to succeed. When asked why, they said he waited five years to run for office again and never put any of his indiscretions on YouTube. In a related story, Anthony Weiner told
Humoring the headlines: August 5, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Jerry Klinger DEADWOOD, South Dakota — The air pockets over the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana were shaking the airplane pretty hard. I was trying to write about a recent historical roadside marker project that, my little society, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation had completed in Spokane, Washington. The marker recognized Spokane’s
Deadwood, South Dakota, and the Jews Read More »
USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Anthony Wiener is reportedly considering withdrawing from the New York’s mayoral race. He has been negotiating with Oskar Mayer to become the chauffeur of their trademark vehicle. He’s also changing his name to Felix Frankfurter. Robert Filner, the embattled mayor of San Diego, is also contemplating a job change.
Humoring the headlines: August 1, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For some time now I’ve itched in the presence of those obsessed with their privacy. The issue of personal privacy may–for some of us–not be as pressing or exciting as Israel and Palestine, but it is endemic to the gadgets that almost all of us enjoy. If you say “Not
Expectation of Internet privacy is naive Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — August 28 will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s unforgettable ‘I Have A Dream’ preachment—the culmination of the 1963 March on Washington. Ironically, the date will also mark the 58th anniversary of the brutal murder of Emmett Till, on August 28, 1955—an appalling vigilante
Emmett Till’s 1955 murder helped spur Civil Rights Movement Read More »
USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The media did its best to portray George Zimmerman as a racist in its efforts to influence the public and the jury to convict him for the crime of manslaughter. Eric Holder, as of today, is still investigating whether Zimmerman might be prosecuted for civil rights
Zimmerman, no racist, has African-American ancestors Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA