SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — On August 6, 2023, young philanthropists who are members of Jewish National Fund-USA’s JNFuture Root Society were welcomed into the San Diego home of the organization’s President, Dr. Sol Lizerbram and First Lady Lauren Lizerbram for the community’s inaugural Root Society event. Event co-chair and JNFuture San Diego Board Member, […]
SDJW Staff Report SAN DIEGO — On February 13, 2023, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan hosted a mandatory workshop on the Holocaust titled “What You Do Matters: Lessons from the Holocaust,” training for 500 District Attorney office staff members (including approximately 300 prosecutors and 120 law enforcement investigators) using resources and materials from
District Attorney, AJC Regional Director Discuss the Holocaust and Antisemitism Read More »
Holocaust, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
On Saturdays, the campus of the San Diego Jewish Academy figuratively is transformed into a nest – in Hebrew, a ken – where some 300 children with mostly Mexican roots are taught in Spanish about their culture, their traditions, and how to be good people, “who will serve the community and practice tikkun olam (repair of the world).” [Donald H. Harrison]
A Nest for the Spanish-Speaking Jewish Community Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
A seven-hour mediation. A secret recording device. Accusations of extortion. These are the latest twists in the ongoing, ugly saga over control of the Southern California synagogue that survived a 2019 mass shooting only to face a federal fraud conviction of its founding rabbi. [Louis Keene, the Forward]
Fraud, Betrayal and Spy Gear: Inside the Messy Battle for Chabad of Poway Read More »
California, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
Old-style anthropological museums used to collect things that didn’t belong to them and refused to return these cultural resources to their rightful owners, Micah Parzen, executive director of the Museum of Us, rcently told me during an interview. [Donald H. Harrison]
Step by Step, the Museum of Us Sheds its Colonial Past Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
(Press Release) Sefaria unveiled a groundbreaking digital collaboration, the “Global Community Torah,” that is a unique opportunity for anyone to have a small part in “writing” a Torah—all 304,805 letters. The ambitious project launched at a virtual 10th anniversary celebration for Sefaria, the non-profit organization that digitizes and freely shares Jewish texts in Hebrew and
Sefaria Launches First-Ever ‘Global Community Torah’ Digital Writing Project Read More »
Jewish Religion, USA
San Diego Crime Stoppers on Wednesday, Aug. 23, offered a reward of up to $1,000 for help in identifying and locating the suspect who threatened and assaulted Orthodox Rabbi Aharon Shapiro on July 24 inside a 7-Eleven store at 5142 College Avenue. Added to a previous offer of $2,500 from the StandWithUs organization, that brings to $3,500 the amount offered for the suspect’s identification and arrest. [Donald H. Harrison]
$3,500 Reward Offered for Information about Suspect in Attack on Rabbi Aharon Shapiro Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Israel, San Diego County, USA
By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — After seven months on the job, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee set herself up for the winter of Summer, to borrow from “The summer of George” title of a Seinfeld segment. Earlier this month, she traded barbs with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which criticized her decision to boycott
The Potential Fall of Congresswoman Summer Lee, the Squad Member From Pittsburgh Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, USA
What once was a choir featuring the voices of male expatriates from South Africa has become a choir of many international voices performing not only Jewish liturgical music but also secular songs in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew, and English. Choir members hail from countries around the world, among them the U.S., South Africa, France, Guatemala, Mexico, and Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Men’s Choir Brings Joy in Several Languages Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
“Sometimes, I will do a creative service,” she continued. “I will have a theme and I will have some of the basic prayers, but I also ask people to bring poems or stories or something unique that speaks to the theme that I provided. Those were really received well because people could feel that they were participating. I am much more interested in participation than I am in performance.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Rabbi-Cantor Cheri Weiss Combines Love of Judaism and Music Read More »
Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
The rocket explosion killed Ella and wounded Tamir, who still has some shrapnel in his head. Today, Tamir is a married adult. He has been asked to talk about “how he survived and how is his life now,” commented Carine Chitayat, the Swiss-born executive director of the Foundation. [Donald H. Harrison]
Gala to Honor and Learn from Israeli Survivors of Terror Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, USABy Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — “This is an affront to American democracy and does permanent, irrevocable harm to our justice system,” says America’s Mayor. Rudy Giuliani was not referring to accusations that he conspired to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. He was slamming the fact that a county prosecutor — a Black woman
Jews in Giuliani’s Space Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Opinion, USA
McKinney and Rabbi Marko renewed their friendship over the August 11-13 weekend, when McKinney served as Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s scholar-in-residence. She outlined what Jewish life is like in the Abayudaya villages, covering Jewish holiday and life cycle observances, and told of the efforts the foundation she heads is making to help impoverished families and children with disabilities. (Donald H. Harrison)
Speaker Tells of Life Among the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Shoshana McKinney, Travel and Food, USA
For Jewish San Diegans, there was little to do immediately about the massive fires that swept through Lahaina and other parts of the island of Maui, except to contribute money to reputable relief organizations and to reach out to friends and relatives who either were living on the island or visiting the historic former capital of the Hawaiian royal family. [Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego Jewish Community Responds to Maui Fire Tragedy Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA