By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — To quote from historian Diane McWhorter’s recent essay in The New York Times, “If you recognized the name of only one of the two greats who succumbed to cancer [last] Wednesday, that’s perhaps because the work of the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, who died at 89 in a […]
Jobs and Shuttlesworth each made their mark Read More »
USA
By Jeanette Friedman Jeanette Friedman NEW YORK — On the Friday night, immediately after Rosh Hashanna, my son Dan called for Shabbat dinner at Occupy Wall Street. There were about 25-30 of us who made kiddush, ate cholent (translates these days into vegetarian chili), had tuna fish instead of gefilte fish and drank lots of
A Yom Kippur fast while occupying Wall Street Read More »
USA
By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — “Mr. President, three years ago I met you at a similar venue and told you then that I worried about you—you answered that you were worried about yourself too—you were a candidate then. I must admit that I have not stopped worrying since and that you are
On meeting the President Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, USA
By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Many lovers of Israel were disgusted by the brilliant speeches by the American, Palestinian and Israeli leaders at the United Nations General Asembly. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in eloquenant addreses to erase 18 years of talks sunce the Oslo Accords were signed
U.N. Mideast speeches were aimed at local audiences Read More »
Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A number of my columns, as well as conversations with family members, have brought forth the assertion that I am anti-American. I deny that, even while I understand why some may think it is so. I have great regard for the country where I spent the first half of my
Criticizing U.S. far different from being anti-U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO – Ten years ago and 2,800 miles away, Rabbi Yael Ridberg emerged from a doctor’s office on East 33rd Street in Manhattan. She peered downtown and could see smoke billowing into the sky -although the World Trade Center towers were 55 blocks away. “You could see the smoke – it
Rabbi recalls her 9/11 terror Read More »
USABy Steve Pomerantz WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like everyone else in America, I will never forget where I was on 9/11/2001 or how the events unfolded. After my Assistant told me to turn on my office TV, I witnessed the second airplane strike the World Trade Center and, again like almost everyone else, I realized that
Winning battle against terrorists requires determined action Read More »
USA
By David Amos SAN DIEGO — Nothing can recharge one’s emotional batteries to such a high level and at the same time drain you of physical energy beyond belief than to spend two weeks on the road with two active grandchildren. This is what we did in August, when we traveled 2600 miles with children,
Conducting grandchildren around the American West Read More »
USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO–Though an imposing figure of bulk and professionalism, rarely not dressed in his suit and tie, or in his naval reserve attire that he wore with quiet pride, he was a man of raw language, practical pursuits, and the New York streets. And this for the most part meant the
Walking with Rabbi Kaplan’s ghost Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Our late summer trip began with several days in Rochester, New York, where Mattan is doing his PhD in political science. His career choice is the best indication that I have not been a complete failure. Before our trip, we heard from several people that Rochester is less
Reflections of an American Israeli on a visit back to the U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — He is understandably remembered and cherished as the iconic civil rights leader, “the drum major for justice,” and for his brilliant oratorical skills. Some also recall his provocative, brave cri de coeur as the vanguard protestor against the Vietnam War—which did not line up in his “moral field
MLK died helping the labor movement Read More »
USA
By Carol Davis GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona–For decades I have wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. Finally, on my 74th birthday in May, my friend Debbie and I set out (from her Las Vegas home) to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for a three-day excursion. Never in my imagination had I pictured
By Rabbi Ben Kamin Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — When Katrina all but drowned New Orleans starting six years this very day, media pundits and animated politicians followed with serious criticism of the federal and state responses and glaring lack of preparedness. A great deal of focus fell upon President George W. Bush’s evident
Officials were right to be cautious about Hurricane Irene Read More »
USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — He started out with the most outrageously un-rabbinic analysis of why Haiti suffered so much more than did the other part of the island, the Dominican Republic, during last year’s catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake: it was due to the widespread practice of homosexuality and the per capita AIDS
Homophobic rabbi is wrong on theology; embarasses fellow Jews Read More »
USA