USA

Book charts lives, legacies of Holocaust survivors

Other items in this column include: *Numbers add up for Butterfly Project *Political bytes *Mazal tov! Mazal tov! By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — In furtherance of the goals of the newly created San Diego Holocaust Survivor Coalition, the Jewish Federation of San Diego County has published a prototype book, sketching the lives of […]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA

Bloomberg’s welcome impacts on the presidential race

Michael Bloomberg wants Donald Trump defeated by someone—anyone. And towards that end he is prepared to self-fund his campaign and torpedo the President with TV, radio, and social media messaging. No need for mountains of paperwork, accountants and lawyers to keep track of the thousands of names, email accounts, job descriptions and zip codes of large and small donors—as other candidates must do. [Colleen O’Connor]

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USA

DeVos urged to enforce Title VI rules against BDS

Noting that directors and affiliated faculty at federally-funded Middle East Studies programs who support an academic boycott of Israel have attempted to implement that boycott in ways that directly violate the legislative intent of Title VI of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, 88 education, civil rights and religious organizations on Wednesday called on U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to prevent this abuse. [Press Release]

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Community coalition to aid Holocaust Survivors

True to its roots, when it was founded in 1936 to help European Jews who were being persecuted by the Nazi regime in Germany, the Jewish Federation of San Diego County on Tuesday, Dec. 3, launched a community-wide coalition to come to the aid and honor an estimated 500 Holocaust survivors who live in the county today. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Administrators: Assert control of your universities

An Open Letter to Administrators at McGill, York, and U Toronto: As you are certainly aware, in recent weeks a series of troubling incidents has occurred on your respective campuses. While the events in question were distinct, they all shared a common impulse by groups on your campuses who believe that they, and they alone, are able to set standards for free speech—in these particular cases, involving the debate about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and how Jewish students and other Israel supporters are treated as part of the university community. [Richard L. Cravatts, PhD]

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International, Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Attorney, singer Roberta Winston runs for judge

You might have heard attorney Roberta Taylor Winston perform as a cantorial soloist at Congregation Beth El, where she also has served on the board.  Or perhaps you heard her belting out the songs for Congregation Beth Am’s Rockin’ Shabbat band. Even before that, you might have heard her sing as part of the High Holiday quartet that accompanied Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Now, she’s campaigning for another spot in which she would have an audience, but instead of performing, for the most part, she would be actively listening.  Roberta Winston, 58, is in a race to become a Superior Court Judge in Office No. 18, from which Judge Jacqueline Stern is retiring [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Now candidates want to sell campaign giveaways

Back in the days when I was the politics writer for The San Diego Union (1972-80), things were a lot different.  Campaigns were delighted if supporters would put up yard signs, or ruin their car bumpers with political stickers. They were only too happy to give such materials to you, and while they were at it, give you even more for your friends and neighbors too. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

After Thanksgiving it’s still time to be thankful

It’s been said that the hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.  Chinese wisdom teaches, “When you drink from the stream remember the spring.” Research has shown that people who regularly practiced grateful thinking were more than 25 percent happier, slept better, suffered lower levels of stress and even spent more time exercising. People sure like to complain. According to one recent author, Prof. Richard Emmons, who wrote a book on Gratefulness, “Preliminary findings suggest that those who regularly practice grateful thinking do reap emotional, physical, and interpersonal benefits. […]  Grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism […] The practice of gratitude as a discipline protects a person from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness.” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA

Bloomberg’s presidential campaign hits S.D. airwaves

Anyone familiar with the “Dayenu” (It would have been enough) recitation during a Passover seder will feel a certain sense of familiarity with the Jewish presidential candidate’s lengthy biographical spot in which he introduces himself to voters in California’s March 3 primary election.  Reciting a list of Bloomberg’s accomplishments, the narrator punctuates the litany with “He could have stopped there” but he went on to accomplish more. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

JFS plans 4th ‘Safe Parking’ facility for homeless

Jewish Family Service is in the process of contracting for its fourth “Safe Parking” area for homeless persons who live in their motor vehicles.  Three such areas are located in the City of San Diego –  on Balboa Avenue, Aero Drive, and near the SDCCU stadium.  The fourth, if given final approval Dec. 18 by the Encinitas City Council, will be located at the Leichtag Commons on Saxony Road. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Peters joins critics of State Dept’s Israel policy

Congressman Scott Peters (D-San Diego) was the only member of the county’s congressional delegation to sign on to a letter drafted by Rep. Andy Levin (D-Michigan) that rebuked the State Department for its recent decision to reverse American policy that had opposed Israeli settlements in the West Bank, an area also known as Judea and Samaria. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA