USA

Jewish groups honor Muslim World League secretary general

In an international Zoomcast Tuesday, the secretary general of the Muslim World League invoked the shootings at Chabad of Poway and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, along with other attacks on worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand; Sri Lanka, Monsey, New York, and Halle, Germany, to call for world unity in fighting “the forces of hatred and intolerance.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

OpEd: Jewish organizations should be open to mergers

Recently, the leader of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Rabbi Rick Jacobs, termed the merging of parts of his organization with other Jewish denominations “a real possibility.”  Last week, we learned that two iconic Reform temples in Brooklyn are considering a merger. The rest of the Jewish community should take notice. [Commentary by Beth Sirull]

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San Diego County, USA

The George Floyd case as seen from Israel

Is there anyone within range of this letter who doesn’t know the sad story of George Floyd?
Here, half a world away from Minneapolis, and with our own problems of disease and violence, we’ve seen the film of his murder in custody of Minneapolis police, with his neck under the knee of one officer, while three others were near by. We heard his call that he couldn’t breath, but that brought no relief. Apparently he was picked up for a minor offense, and then killed by an officer with his own record of several complaints for undue violence. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Hebrew Day School celebrates its 57th anniversary

Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School on Sunday, June 7, celebrated the 57th anniversary of its founding in a Zoom gathering that highlighted the life of the late Eilene Cummins, a longtime volunteer and former board president for the Orthodox school at 3730 Afton Avenue, San Diego. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

JNF aiding Negev communities including SD Jewish Federation’s sister region

In the summer issue of the online B’Yachad, published by the Jewish National Fund, attention is given to Israel’s desire to populate its northern “frontiers” — the Galilee to the north and the Negev Desert to the south. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Racists beware: God will hold you to account

This week has been very tough. I saw THE video. I couldn’t believe my eyes; a man sworn to protect and serve kneeling nonchalantly upon another man’s neck. An officer of the law casually draining the life from another human being while the human being begged for breath. The perpetrator’s apparent boredom is at the same time chilling and boils the blood! [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, USA, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

La Jolla prepares to welcome BLM marchers

The Black Lives Matter announcement of a march in La Jolla at 1 p.m., Friday, June 12, reads, in part: “The protests cannot remain only in areas with likeminded people.  La Jolla is a predominantly white and rich area desperate for awareness.  They have the power to sway leaders and thus we must educate them.  These minds cannot remain sheltered.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Rosenwald schools: Black-Jewish cooperation changed education

About a year ago, I, as the president of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, had funded one more historical marker. It recognized the collaborative efforts of Julius Rosenwald, a Chicago retail industrialist philanthropist and Booker T. Washington, the Black American educator, and President of Tuskegee University in Alabama. The two men had come together as Americans, as equals. They joined to work for the mutual betterment of Black Americans through education and educational opportunity. [Jerry Klinger]

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Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Where now after the George Floyd killing?

Rabbi Devorah Marcus of Temple Emanu-El offered this reflection in the aftermath of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd: “My hope is that we will not let this moment fade into obscurity and apathy as we move on to other pieces of news, of suffering, of tweets.  My hope is that we will take this moment of brokenness and build in the cracks a garden seeded with our hope, our commitment to our neighbors and our community, and that we will reach out to everyone who is afraid right now for themselves, their children, and our world, and offer each other our comfort and our love.  [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Immigrant women tell of their successes and challenges

It’s an ongoing debate whether immigration hurts our society by taking jobs away from Americans, or helps it by importing new workers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Taking the latter position, Dr. Bilha Chesner Fish, MD — herself and immigrant from Israel — interviews twenty-one different “inspiring and successful American immigrants.” [Eric George Tauber]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eric George Tauber, USA

San Diegan leads Shavuot service aboard USS Truman

 “The holiday commemorates the day upon which the Ten Commandments were given to the Jewish people beneath Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago,” said Aviation Electronics Mate 2nd Class Michael Eskenazi, from San Diego, Truman’s Jewish lay leader. “It occurs precisely seven weeks and a day after the beginning of Passover.” The service, sponsored by Truman’s Command Religious Ministries Department was open to the entire crew, as the holiday provides an opportunity to build a community around religion and culture. [U.S. Navy press release by Tamara Vaughn]

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Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, USA

The annexation plague

The burning issue is, of course, the annexation of part of the West Bank. due to take place next month. Many countries, including those friendly to Israel, have urged Netanyahu not to go ahead with it. And, of course, we left-leaning liberal Jews have signed petitions urging him to desist also hoping that, in the end, Trump will curb Netanyahu’s enthusiasm and stop him, or at least “postpone” the deed. Trump has, of course, more serious problems at home. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]

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International, Middle East, USA