Some survivors were embarrassed having numbers on their arm and some had the numbers removed. Having just returned from Israel, I noticed many young people with various tattoos. [Rabbi Bernhard H. Rosenberg]
Are Tattoos Allowed in Judaism? Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors
In 1923, Buber wrote his famous essay on existence, Ich und Du, which was translated into English as I and Thou. Ich-Du relationships involve the concepts of ‘encounter,” “meeting,” “dialogue,” “mutuality,” and “exchange,” where as in Ich-Es (I and It) relationships, there is no dialogue or exchange, there is only monologue. Other things or people exist only to serve the interests of the individual in question. [SDJW staff]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Martin Buber Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA
San Diego Unified School District Board President Shana Hazan and Heather Ferbert, a candidate for San Diego City Attorney, held a joint news conference on Wednesday, pointing out that three great dangers jeopardize the health and safety of public school students. These are 1) Teen Dating Violence; 2) Child Abuse; 3) Weapons brought to schools. [SDJW staff]
Our Shtetl San Diego County: Focus on Education Read More »
Antisemitism, California, Israel, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
Parents, Rabbi Schwab emphasizes, might inadvertently fall into the trap of molding their child into a preconceived image, stifling the child’s unique potential. The Torah here hints at the directive for parents to go beyond imposing predetermined expectations and, instead, understand the essence of their child – honing in on what makes them unique. [Rabbi Daniel Reich]
Torah Hints at Encouraging a Child’s Individuality Read More »
Daniel Reich-Rabbi, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
At the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Imam Mohamed Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego was reappointed to the Leon L. Williams County’s Human Relations Commission over the objections of an ad hoc group called Stand With Israel whose members decried the local Muslim leader’s defense of the October 7th massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas. [Donald H. Harrison]
Commentary: Two Local Jewish Elected Officials Vote Against Israel Read More »
Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
The weekly portion of Mishpatim, Exodus 21-1-24:1, begins with laws concerning an eved ivri, translated “Hebrew Slave.” But the term is not explained. It continues with laws when a man sells his daughter as a slave, a death sentence to a person who kills another, the law of an accidental killing, the rule that holding on the altar does not protect a murderer, injuries are punished “an eye for an eye,” and striking a father or mother and kidnapping result in the death penalty. There are many more laws. The rabbis changed all of these listed laws. This is not unusual. As I will explain, the rabbis saw multiple hints in the Torah that the Torah wanted the change. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Some Facts about the Torah and its Laws Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Healing requires patience, understanding and seeing the imperfect humanity of one another. We all make mistakes in our search for purpose and belonging. Parasha Mishpatim is teaching us to have compassion when those around us falter on their journey, binding up hearts broken by rage and judgement. If together we pick up the shattered pieces with care, perhaps we’ll find wholeness awaits on the other side. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Parasha Mishpatim: Finding Meaning in Brokenness Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors
The chairman of the University of California Board of Regents, Rich Leib, who is a San Diego County resident, disclosed to Sunday’s symposium on antisemitism cosponsored by the Jewish Federation of San Diego and the American Jewish Committee that the stands he has taken against antisemitism has prompted 120 groups to call for his resignation. “I can say that is not going to happen,” he declared during a panel session on campus antisemitism. [SDJW staff]
Our Shtetl San Diego County: Snapshots of Antisemitism at Local Universities Read More »
Antisemitism, California, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAThe most significant difference among the candidates was their answers to the ceasefire question. While she favors eliminating Hamas as the power controlling Gaza, Lee said, “what I don’t think will assure Israel’s security is killing 26,000 women and children and civilians.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Just as Stephen Schwartz has yet to be recognized widely as a great commentator on the Torah, so too has Children of Eden lacked its moment in the spotlight. Both Schwartz and this musical are well-kept secrets that beg to be brought
into conversation with the study of Bereshit. [Adira Rosen]
Stephen Schwartz’s Midrash: ‘The Children of Eden’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
“The Red Jew” was probably the richest revolutionary in history. His range of occupations was immeasurably broad, and his activities were full of attempts to improve Germany and to forget the Jewish people. He became one of the first statesmen of a united Germany, but remained an outsider in the society of which he aspired to be a full member. [Alex Gordon, Ph.D]
Jewish Biography: Banker Ludwig Bamberger Almost Was Hanged as a Revolutionary Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors
America’s Jewish community always knew that there was no vaccine or antidote for the disease of antisemitism, but prior to Oct. 7th, it felt the disease could be kept in check. “We developed a containment strategy, a firewall, to make sure that here we could keep it in the sewers, with the covers on,” Abe Foxman told a “Standing Together” symposium Sunday that was jointly sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Federation of San Diego. [Donald H. Harrison]
Symposium Told a New Strategy Needed to Combat Antisemitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA
In 1963, she wrote The Feminine Mystique, which described the “problem that has no name” at the beginning of the book: “The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women. It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning [that is, a longing] that women suffered in the middle of the 20th century in the United States. Each suburban [house]wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries … she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question – ‘Is this all?’ ” [SDJW staff]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Betty Friedan Read More »
Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA