Judaism

Psychologist Advocates for Recognition of The Ghost Army

Bert Edelstein elevated his hand one foot above the table at which he was sitting.  “My correspondence file is almost this thick,” he commented. He sent letters to the House of Representatives and the Senate.  After the House adopted legislation to recognize the Ghost Army with a Congressional Gold Medal, the focus turned to the U.S. Senate.  Under the rules, for the measure even to be considered in committee, it must have at least 67 co-sponsors — two-thirds of the full Senate.  The count is getting closer and closer. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Philo and Maimonides Analyze the Relationship of Leah and Rachel

In this week’s Torah portion (Parshat Vyetse), Philo’s comments about Leah and Rachel’s relationship is striking. One can see that it is not merely brothers who fight with one another. The same also applies to sisters—especially when it is over the love of the same man! Although the Bible is full of tales regarding polygamy, one should not infer that the biblical writers endorsed this ancient Bedouin practice, which still occurs today. Quite the opposite—the ideal marriage is between one man and one woman. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Jewish Veterans Swap Favorite Stories of Military Times

After raising the flag and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, military veterans at  Tifereth Israel Synagogue on Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, shared some of the happier stories about their time in the military or just afterwards. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

In Australia, Veterans Day is Remembrance Day

The annual Remembrance Day commemoration on 11th November, not only marks the day when World War One officially ended, commemorating those who served and made the ultimate scarify in a war over a century ago, but is an continuing tribute to all who served in subsequent wars and conflicts in which Australian personal were involved. [Garry Fabian]

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International, Jewish History

Haftorah Reading for November 13, 2021

This literary Prophet’s entirely poetic passages are filled with moral castigation of the priestly class. They are set in c. 740 BCE in the Northern Kingdom. They follow well the literary rules of ancient Hebrew poetry. Scholars note that Hosea’s writings reflect traditions about the patriarchs, which diverge from those in Genesis. [1] As with other prophets, he likely is a composite figure. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Parashat Vayetzei: Strengthening Our Character 

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.  In this week’s parasha we learn about the psychology of living life well, that is, how to strengthen our character. This includes a) reinforcing our spirituality and b) intensifying our commitment to a strong work ethic, two areas of contemporary societal life that are clearly in need of improvement. וְאַתֵּנָה

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Commentary: As Kristallnacht anniversary approaches, I still hope hate speech will end

Published by Chicago Tribune I’m a huge sports fan. And while I have a particular penchant for my hometown Chicago teams, I’ll tune in to any big game. For me, sports provide the unscripted drama that supersedes the latest Netflix binge. Watching an underdog college basketball team make a surprise run to the Elite Eight

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Jewish History

Chanukah with Some Stereotypical Yiddish Characters

In a style reminiscent of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs of Disney fame, this book, reissued for Hanukkah, features a series of unidimensional characters with Yiddish names: Noshy Boy, Kvetchy Boy, Shmutzy Girl, Klutzy Boy, Shluffy Girl, Shleppy Boy, Kibbitzy Girl, and Keppy Girl. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

A Mother’s Plea on the Sixth Anniversary of Her Daughter’s Death

I created the Jaclyn Beth Kaufman Tauber Memorial Fund through the Jewish Community Foundation to honor the memory of my beautiful daughter Jackie, she was my best friend. Jackie had the ability to connect with people on a very personal level, especially children. Jackie was creatively gifted. A master puppeteer, she was a member of the San Diego Guild of Puppetry, a non-profit organization created to educate through the magic of Puppet Theater [Dale Kaufman]

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Eric George Tauber, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County

A Grateful Synagogue Bids a Surprise Farewell to Constant Volunteers

Abe Goldberg’s mother, Bronia, and stepfather Harry Sajgeman died within three months of each other in the mid-1980s, but due perhaps to a communications error, most people at Tifereth Israel Synagogue were unaware that he and his wife, Bea, were sitting shiva, alone, at their home. Because the Goldbergs lacked the ten Jewish adults necessary to say kaddish during the seven-day mourning period, they were left feeling forlorn. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA