USA

San Diego County residents stepped up in response to shrinking federal assistance

Washington pulled back. Funding was cut. Programs people rely on were suddenly at risk. And for a moment, it would have been easy to feel like so much was out of our control. But that’s not what San Diego did. Instead, neighbors stepped up. Volunteers showed up. Community organizations leaned in. And together, we made a different choice – one rooted in care, fairness, and responsibility for one another. [Terra Lawson-Remer]

San Diego County residents stepped up in response to shrinking federal assistance Read More »

Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Political Briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), hailed a ruling in federal court on Wednesday upholding the constitutionality of AB 715, California’s law attempting to end antisemitism in the public schools.  [Donald H. Harrison]

Jewish Political Briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 Read More »

California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Political Briefing: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025

At the request of the Los Angeles police department, the public will not see immediately the autopsy reports for actor/ director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife Michele Singer Reiner who allegedly were stabbed to death Dec. 14 by their son Nick Reiner. [Donald H. Harrison]

Jewish Political Briefing: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 Read More »

Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, News Media, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA

Trump Meets with Netanyahu about Gaza, West Bank, Iran and Other Trouble Spots

That two Jewish leaders – Zelenskyy and Netanyahu – had back-to-back meetings with President Trump, selected Cabinet officials and White House aides, and with U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s  son-in-law Jared Kushner were remarkable occasions, sure to be mentioned in Jewish history books of the future. [Donald H. Harrison]

Trump Meets with Netanyahu about Gaza, West Bank, Iran and Other Trouble Spots Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

4,150 Americans Made Aliyah to Israel in 2025

Among the new immigrants who arrived this year are 297 families, 946 children, 1,476 single men and women, and 548 retirees. The average age of Olim over the last year is 31 years old, with the oldest being 96 years old, and the youngest being a four-month-old baby. The Olim come from all over North America, most notably New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois. [Press Release]

4,150 Americans Made Aliyah to Israel in 2025 Read More »

Israel, Press Release, USA

Trump, Zelenskyy Optimistic about Peace Between Ukraine and Russia, but Offer Few Specifics at Mar-A-Lago

Trump identified one area still awaiting resolution as whether Russia or Ukraine would keep the land in the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine that Russia now occupies. Another is the fate of a Ukrainian nuclear power reactor, which Russian troops captured and now occupy. [Donald H. Harrison]

Trump, Zelenskyy Optimistic about Peace Between Ukraine and Russia, but Offer Few Specifics at Mar-A-Lago Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Film Review: ‘Marty Supreme’ is Supreme Cinema

Marty Mauser, the protagonist of Marty Supreme, is a plucky ping pong imp and shoe salesman, in addition to being a nimble and loquacious malarkey artist. He is also a shockingly-gawdawful, verbal bastard person to his mother, played by Fran Drescher, who left her specific, discount Phyllis Diller voice in the dustbin of screen history where it belongs, much to the contentment of my sensitive ears. [John E. Finley-Weaver]

Film Review: ‘Marty Supreme’ is Supreme Cinema Read More »

Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The Perry Twins: Rhythm, Resonance, and the Revolution of Joy

Collaborations with Tara Kemp and Niki Haris arrived not through strategy, but alignment. In Jewish mysticism, souls recognize each other across lifetimes. These partnerships feel like that. Voices that carry history, strength, and survival. Together, they are not chasing relevance. They are restoring lineage. [Michael Adam Cohen]

The Perry Twins: Rhythm, Resonance, and the Revolution of Joy Read More »

California, Jewish Religion, Michael Adam Cohen, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Global Pushback Against Radical Islamists

A notable shift has emerged among progressive, reformist, and moderate Muslim leaders worldwide. From 2023 onward, these voices have more openly condemned political Islam (or Islamism)—the ideology seeking coercive theocratic governance, supremacism, and authoritarian control—while distinguishing it from Islam as a personal faith. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

Global Pushback Against Radical Islamists Read More »

International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries Send Christian Messages on Federal Websites

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed, “We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior.” Similarly, Defense Secretary Hegseth asserted, “Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The inherent problem with these messages is that they use a collective “we” to describe religious views and beliefs, as if these are views and beliefs that all Americans share. [Halie Soifer]

Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries Send Christian Messages on Federal Websites Read More »

Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Schiff Cosponsors Bill to Restrict Border Patrol Operations to Areas Within 25 Miles of the Mexican Border

U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-California) and Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) have introduced legislation that, except under extraordinary circumstances, would confine Border Patrol law enforcement activities to 25 miles north of the international border with Mexico. [Donald H. Harrison]

Schiff Cosponsors Bill to Restrict Border Patrol Operations to Areas Within 25 Miles of the Mexican Border Read More »

California, Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA