I am presenting this missive during the thickly arduous days of mid-summer, 2020. Our nation is gripped by immersed disease, painful racial reckonings, and a suffocating lack of thoughtful leadership. (Ben Kamin)
I still believe in the American spirit Read More »
International, Lifestyles, USA
Supposedly, the name Kaputnik was assigned to the family at Ellis Island, when Mrs. Kapustin (her real name) worried aloud that if the baby dragon they had smuggled into the U.S. were discovered they would be Kaput (finished). “Is that your name, Kaput?” a translator asked. “Nicht (No),” responded Mrs. Kapustin. And so the immigration inspector wrote down what he thought he heard — “Kaputnik.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Ellis Island and the name ‘Kaputnik’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, USA
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s announcement on Tuesday that it will not accept new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications is cruel and unnecessary. (Michael Hopkins)
JFS leader denounces latest DACA diktat Read More »
San Diego County, USA
A Republican senator has deleted an ad that made his Jewish opponent’s nose bigger. Georgia Sen. David Perdue’s campaign is insisting it was just an error by a graphic artist, an explanation that many aren’t buying. (Joe Gandelman)
Politics: Winning or losing by a nose Read More »
USA
Congressman Yoho traveled to Israel in 2013, where he met with many Israeli political, military and civilian leaders, but also with Saeb Erekat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority. Yoho found the trip to be very educational, as he noted “It’s always fascinated me how screwed up that whole region is.” After returning from his trip, Yoho told a Gainesville Sun reporter that Erekat conceded Israel’s right to exist, but rejected that it should be populated by Jewish people. Noting that such a position undermined any real chance of peace negotiations, Yoho then said what? (Mark D. Zimmerman)
Jewish trivia quiz: Congressman Yoho Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Large circles, at least six feet apart, were drawn on the upper parking lot of Temple Isaiah, each reserved for a family grouping who wanted to dance, play games, and congregate, yet maintain the proper social distance from other families during this time of Covid19. (Donald H. Harrison)
Temple Isaiah families dance in socially distant circles Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Judaism, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food, USA
The “news,” which reporters “report,” should be as objective as possible. This is often not the case today. I object to newspapers’ front pages which have been turned into op-ed pages. Because The New York Times is the American “newspaper of record” and is widely read by liberals, its front page bias needs to be considered because it’s often duplicated. [Steve Kramer]
Is it opinion or is it the news? Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA
The two-storied, sandstone faced, Brooklyn Jewish Center on Eastern Parkway was aptly named. There were lots of other shuls in Brooklyn, Conservative, Orthodox, and the esoteric, modern Reform. But none had the facilities or location that it had. On the main floor was the Synagogue where the esteemed Rabbi Israel Levinthal and sometimes Cantor Richard Tucker presided over the conservative service. Tucker later gained fame as the renown Metropolitan tenor opera star. He would come back occasionally to sing as a special treat, and regularly used the pool facilities. My lingering fame long after I moved out of the area is that I taught his boys how to swim. [Ira Spector]
Fond memories of the Brooklyn Jewish Center Read More »
Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, USA
The late Rabbi Aaron Gold, of blessed memory, used the expression, “Big Beard, Small Jew” to characterize those people in our religion who make a big outward show of their piety, while having inside hearts so corrupted that they are willing to violate the very Torah lessons that they preach, including the eighth commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” (Exodus 20:15). It is bad enough when any Jew commits a crime, but it is even worse when someone does so who is a Rabbi. By accepting that title, the person bearing it becomes a representative of the Jewish people, a spokesperson and exemplar for our moral beliefs. In breaking the law, Goldstein not only brought shame on himself, he brought shame on the Jewish people. He deserves to be punished. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Rabbi Goldstein deserves prison, not probation Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
Satire: To the melody of “My Kind of Town,” Laurie Baron, ph.D satirizes Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.
Satire: My Kind of Campaign Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
What jumped out at me from a New York Times piece on Rashida Tlaib was what the Times omitted – the most essential elements of Tlaib’s scary and offensive tenure in Congress. The two reporters on the story barely hinted at Tlaib’s pattern of Israel-bashing even before she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018. [Bruce S. Ticker]
All the news that fits preconceived notions Read More »
Bruce Ticker, USAUnlike many organizations that settle for “gala” banquet dinners with speakers, Seacrest Village Retirement Communities in Encinitas has tended to favor outdoor fundraising activities such as golf, tennis, and pickleball along with a spa day for donors. This year, however, Covid-19 was too great a handicap for golf, and it aced out the tennis tournament. However, planners for Seacrest Village, which is the upscale successor of the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged, were not deterred. They came up with five methods by which donors could nevertheless help the home raise money to defray the costs for seniors who are financially at risk. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Seacrest innovates a fundraiser during Covid-19 Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
A new security approach is needed to protect holy places. Even before the COVID-19 epidemic and the lockdown that impacted businesses and organizations, especially churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, attacks on holy places were increasing. Now almost every day another religious site is invaded, trashed, burned or rabbis, priests, ministers, pastors and monks are assaulted, and in one case a Buddhist monk was killed praying in his temple by a gunshot in High Point, North Carolina. (Stephen D. Bryen, Ph.D)
A security proposal for holy places Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Religion, Stephen D. Bryen, USA
The concerns I have are not numerous, but are extremely critical: what if he challenges the results of the election and remains adamant on calling for a recount or a new election entirely? What if he refuses to leave the White House and prevents the peaceful transition of power? What if he calls on the military to occupy all major American cities while he still is the Commander-in-Chief between Election Day and the inauguration of the new president? [Alon Ben- Meir, Ph.D]
Suppose Trump refuses to accept election defeat Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USA