By Gary E. Jacobs SAN DIEGO — As 2018 draws to a close, and I reflect on my first six months as board chair of JCC Association of North America, let me share some of the highlights of my year. Together, these are the things that provide meaning and measure as to why the JCC […]
2018 was an active year for North American JCC’s Read More »
International, Middle East, San Diego County, USAU.S. State Department supports Israel’s military action against Iranian forces in Syria The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on Thursday: “The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian regional actions that endanger Israeli national security and the safety of the Israeli people. Iranian support of and supply to terrorist
Editor’s E-Mail Box: December 28, 2018 (5 items) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy H. Applebaum SAN DIEGO — The pushke in my grandma’s kitchen, blue and white, with Hebrew lettering, sat in the corner of the counter. It was not remarkable; I saw the same one or similar ones in the houses of most of my relatives. In those days, in the infancy of the State of
Zionism and the pushke ladies Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA–First in a series– By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The “secret” is out. According to the bigots, the Jews control the world! We own the media! Politicians do our bidding! The Jews “control” Wall Street! Have you heard about the old joke concerning two Jews who were dining at a Vienna
LeBron James has much to learn about Jews Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Sports & Competitions, USA
By Jeffrey Cohan PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — Acts of shocking violence stained 2018, from the beginning of the year to the end. To recall just a few, there was the mass murder of students at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL; the mass murder of Jews at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; and, closer
Vegan lifestyle promotes non- violence Read More »
The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA
By Rabbi Yotav Eliach LAWRENCE, New York — The very sad truth is that the vast part of American Jewry that has willfully decided not take advantage of the Religious freedoms offered by the USA, and instead decided not to educate their children and now grandchildren in any shape or form to be Jewish, sits
Why U.S. Jews feel alienated from Israel Read More »
Jewish Religion, USA
Knesset passes law forbidding convicted terrorists from being released from prison early The Knesset passed a law on Tuesday night that will prevent the early release of convicted terrorists serving sentences in prison. The legislation, proposed by MKs Anat Berko (Likud) and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu), will deny terrorists the ability to be released after
Editor’s E-Mail Box: December 26, 2018 (3 items) Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Debra Shushan, PhD WASHINGTON, D.C.. — As part of a group of non-Israeli academics assembled by Tel Aviv University, I visited the Temple Mount in July 2017. On the next day, two Israeli border police officers were shot there in a terror attack. I had the opportunity to make a condolence visit to Hurfeish,
The making of a peace activist Read More »
Middle East, USADonorBox removes BDS funding campaign from its site Shurat HaDin announced it has “achieved another important legal victory against the BDS movement as we finish the year! We managed to shut down a vital crowdfunding channel for the central boycott organization, the BDS National Committee (BNC), located in Ramallah. Last week, we sent urgent cease
Editor’s E-Mail Box: December 24, 2018 (3 items) Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy H. Applebaum -Second in a Series- SAN DIEGO — If you happen to be Jewish, it’s not just the big things like having to walk by the anti-Israel ‘Apartheid Wall’ every year, or the burning of the Israeli flag, or having the mayor of Jerusalem shouted down as the university chancellor cites freedom of speech.
Anti- Semitism on campus ~ the Jewish response Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Trump supporters in Israel seem to have gone silent after his announcement that he’s bringing home the remaining 2,200 American soldiers in Syria which will give Iran a freer hand to attack us here, either directly or by its proxies. All that Trump’s great fan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, could
War on Israel’s Syrian front more likely with U.S. pullout Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the midst of the Vietnam War, Sen. George Aiken is reported to have said, “Let’s just declare victory and get out.” In October, President Donald Trump did “declare victory” over ISIS. “I want to get out,” the president said. “I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding
Pullout from Syria gives Iran freer hand in Mideast Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USABy Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Holocaust Survivors are our Greatest Generation. Their resilience and immigrant contribution to American life is formidable and compelling. The Bay Area is home to between 210,000, and 350,000 Jews. During 2018, the biweekly J of Northern California published 135 obituaries, 72 men and 63 women, ages 30 to
Obituaries and the Greatest Generation Read More »
International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Oliver Pollak, USABy Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — Trump’s decision to withdraw US forces from Syria is extremely reckless and is bound to backfire in more than one way. To make such a decision, which has major implications that directly and adversely affect our allies in and outside the region, through a simple tweet and against the
Trump’s Syria withdrawal will hurt several allies Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA