Effectively a Holocaust “witness” since she was 8, East Coast photo and video journalist Shira Stoll has composed videos and texts to keep the memories of survivors alive. [Joel H. Cohen]
Filmmaker a Holocaust ‘witness’ since she was 8 Read More »
International, Jewish History, Joel H. Cohen, USA
ason Isaacson, the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC’s) chief of policy and political affairs, delivered five strong policy recommendations to members of Congress to combat the epidemic of antisemitism in New York and across the United States. “We all need to send the message that antisemitism in any form is unacceptable, that there is no room in these United States for bigotry or prejudice,” said Isaacson in remarks before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism. Isaacson was invited to brief members of the panel ahead of the subcommittee’s January 15 hearing on Antisemitic Domestic Terrorism and Government’s Response. [American Jewish Committee news release]
AJC offers 5-point plan to combat antsemitism Read More »
USA
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan has presented Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler with an award naming her as a Community Justice Champion. [Donald H. Harrison]
Rose Schindler named a Community Justice Champion Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
History has a way of repeating itself. In 1962, I was a young boy of nine years old when the Soviet Union decided to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. It was a scary time at school; I could remember the old “duck and cover” as we rehearsed hiding under our desks and covering our heads just in case of a nuclear attack. The “Duck-and-Cover-Drill” was a plan originally initiated by President Harry S. Truman in the 1950s. Nobody really believed the duck-and-cover exercise would help, but it did offer a modicum of psychological comfort, which was better than no comfort. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]
Iran confrontation like Cuban Missile Crisis Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USA
Zvi Weiss, former Head of School at the Yavneh Day School in Los Gatos, California, will succeed the retiring Chaim Heller as Head of School at the San Diego Jewish Academy, it was announced by Heidi Gantwerk, SDJA board chair. [Donald H. Harrison]
Weiss named SDJA’s new Head of School Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, USA
From the outset, Grafton Thomas’s mother and attorney harped on his 20-year history of mental illness. They said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia long ago and ceased taking his anti-psychotic medication two months before he allegedly drove to a Chanukah party at a rabbi’s house in Monsey, N.Y., on Dec. 28, and wounded five or more Orthodox Jews with a machete. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Insanity defense for anti-Semites is itself insane Read More »
Bruce Ticker, USA
Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky is spiritual leader of Beth Jacob Congregation, the oldest Orthodox Jewish institution in San Diego County. In this book of “insights, anecdotes and wisdom for life,” he views an everyday scene or occurrence, relates it to Torah, and then expands upon the theme in seven thought-provoking chapters, respectively labeled: “time,” “habits,” “attitude,” “chesed,” “money,” “community,” and “growth.”
Whoever reads this book is likely to find information and opinions of direct relevance to his or her life, and perhaps find within its pages a challenge to previously held beliefs. [Donald H. Harrison]
‘Developing a Torah Personality’ may challenge you Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
New research released Wednesday, Jan. 8, by AMCHA Initiative provides the first empirical evidence suggesting that faculty who support academic BDS are actively promoting that political agenda directly to students in their classrooms. {Press release from AMCHA Initiative]
Pro-BDS profs force propaganda on students Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAPrior to Iran’s retaliation on two Iraqi bases where American troops are stationed, congressional candidate Sara Jacobs denounced the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by American forces. She wrote: “This ill-conceived operation was the culmination of a reckless strategy toward Iran that started with the Trump Administration pulling out of the Iran deal. Of all the hyperbole and questions being thrown around, the only one that needs to be asked is this: is the United States safer for having done this? The answer is clearly no.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Strong opinions surface over Soleimani assassination Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Bibi waited until the last prime time television spot before the deadline, to announce that he was applying for immunity. The day earlier, one of the news shows replayed an earlier statement that he had no intention of applying for immunity. Immediately after Bibi announced, Benny Gantz began his election campaign, indicating that it would focus on an alleged criminal, running for yet more time at the top of the government.[Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
New political scramble as Bibi seeks immunity Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAIt wasn’t Israel that accomplished the eradication of the world’s most dangerous terrorist, far more dangerous than an Osama Bin Laden (Al Qaida) or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (ISIS). It was the US government. Surprisingly for Israelis, the news wasn’t universally celebrated in the US. Not only were the President’s motives and the legality of his order immediately questioned, but the whole idea of violent elimination of a politically active global terrorist was raised by his political opponents. [Steve Kramer]
Israelis celebrate Soleimani’s death Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USAAlong with my wife and co-publisher Nancy E. Harrison, I wanted to re-notify our readers that our editor and staff of San Diego Jewish World will be on hiatus until January 8, 2020. At that point, refreshed from vacations and stay-cations, we’ll resume publishing our daily online news and feature website. [Donald H. Harrison]
SD Jewish World on vacation Dec. 19 – Jan. 8 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USATitle VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects people from discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance – but it left a loophole by not mentioning religion. As such, Jews and supporters of Israel were not protected. On December 11, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order which includes Jews under existing Title VI protections against increasingly rampant campus aggression. [Steve Kramer]
On those reactions critical of Trump’s Executive Order Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Steve Kramer, USA
The Orthodox Union, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, on Monday welcomed an agreement by Congressional leaders to increase to $90 million the funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) that will help keep America’s synagogues, other houses of worship, parochial day schools, and nonprofits such as hospitals, libraries and museums safe against terror attacks. The new funding level, which comes as part of Congress’s Appropriations package, represents a 50 percent increase compared to last year’s $60 million funding. [Orthodox Union news release]