The family of a rabbi who made his San Diego-area synagogue the center of a sprawling network of tax fraud has regained control of the synagogue’s finances, state filings show, replacing a board that had sought to bring accountability to the institution. [Louis Keene, the Forward]
Independent Board Steps Down at Troubled Chabad of Poway Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County
These strong poetic lines extracted from the Book of Isaiah are attributed to Isaiah III, again a composite figure. They were written in Judea, to coincide in setting to the era of post-return and the rebuilding of an early incomplete version of the second Temple, c. 480-450 BCE. The writer(s) expresses these verses under a repeated imagery of light. We don’t know actually when they were written/edited, which might have been years later. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for August 28, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
The Jewish Welfare Board was created on April 9, 1917, three days after the U.S. declared war on Germany. It wanted to provide services to Jewish troops similar to what Catholic servicemen received from the Knights of Columbus and Protestants from the YMCA. In 1919, after the war was over, the JWB printed tens of thousands of these reassuring cards depicting a grinning doughboy and distributed them to servicemen to send to family and friends. [Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D]
Pandemic Postcard Messages, 1918-1920 Read More »
Jewish History, Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
This week’s parasha is one of the most formidable and alarming chapters of the Torah. We find fourteen verses of the good things that will happen to the us if we faithfully obey Hashem’s divine commandments. And then, we read 54 verses that warn of the converse, the curses that will befall us if we do not faithfully observe all His commandments. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Torah Reading for August 28, 2021 Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The headline in the adjoining news clipping is hype. “May” is not “will” or “shall.” Booster describes real estate developers, hucksters and visionaries who wanted to profit from growing communities and increases in real estate prices. Saul Voorsanger, who emigrated from Holland with his wife Sarah in 1893, promoted the growth of the Jewish population. He was a salesman and publicist and the brother of Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger. The rabbi started Emanu-El, San Francisco’s weekly Jewish newspaper in 1895 and died in 1908. Sol, Saul or S. became editor. During 1912 several newspapers reported Voorsanger’s visiting chambers of commerce in San Diego, Visalia, Fresno, Modesto, Kings, San Joaquin, and Dinuba. He solicited advertising for a special 75,000 copy edition of Emanu-El to recruit better-off Russian Jews to buy and farm California land, a chimera. [Oliver B. Pollak]
Growth of Jewish Communities Promoted in the Early 20th Century Read More »
Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, USA
By Jerry Klinger KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — At-risk to his own life, Roddie Edmonds saved approximately 200 Jewish POW G.I.s during the Holocaust. He is the only American G.I. honored by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations. East Tennessee is part of the Republican flyover country to the coastal elitists. Images of the Beverly
Historical Marker for Holocaust Hero Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds Finally Dedicated Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, USA
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — None of the practices associated today with Rosh Hashanah are biblical. Yet they should be observed for they are very helpful. Sin The concepts of sin and repentance as a religious experience are not in the Bible; they are post-biblical. “Sin,” a prime element in Christian
Rosh Hashanah Practices: Not Biblical, But Still Important Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, the United States went into full war mobilization mode. While many men were drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces, others were needed to staff the shipyards, aircraft factories, and munition plants on the home front. It soon became apparent that there were more positions to be filled than available male workers and so the U.S. began to recruit women to work in these war industries at jobs for which they never before had been eligible. [Donald H. Harrison]
‘Rosie the Riveter’ Theme of National Park Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The pandemic has taught us that life’s better together. It’s better when we can hug, look each other in the eye and feel each other’s presence. It’s also taught us that we are not in control. We plan as much as we can — but it’s so much bigger than
Shabbat San Diego Events Set for October 21-24 Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyTorah portion is Ki Tetse (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19); Haftorah is Isaiah 54:1-10. By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — These brief poetic lines extracted from the book of Isaiah are attributed to Isaiah II, which scholars consider to be multiple writers. The entire text is a metaphor, with four metaphors and two similes contained
Haftorah Reading for August 21, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. This week’s parasha, literally meaning, “When you go out…” opens with a description of facing war with enemies. Maimonides tells us that more than seventy mitzvot, 74 if I counted correctly, spring from this week’s Torah portion, from weights and measures and collecting debts in a righteous way, to proper
Parashat Ki Teitzei: Refining Our Soul Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The Paso Robles Historical Society currently is housed in a building that had been donated for a library many years before by the philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie – one of 3,000 libraries he donated throughout the world. Outside the building there is a statue, but it is not of Carnegie nor of Drury James, the man who recognized that the city’s hot springs and mud baths could be made into a tourist attraction and who built the grand Hotel de El Paso de Robles. [Donald H. Harrison]
Talented Celebrity and Statesman Made Paso Robles His Second Home Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA
Educators long have worked with STEM curricula — emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. When artists declared such curricula were too limiting, the notion of STEAM was introduced. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Now, here comes STREAM — Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, and Math… [Donald H. Harrison]
STEM, STEAM, and Now STREAM Children’s Books Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori
The University of South Carolina will open North America’s first Anne Frank partner site and the world’s fourth Anne Frank Center. The Anne Frank Center on campus will be free of charge and open for guided group tours starting on Sept. 15, it was announced on Tuesday. Visitors will learn about the young Jewish diarist’s story and legacy through photos, videos and original artifacts, all supplied by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. [JNS.org]
Anne Frank Center Opens at University of South Carolina Read More »
International, Jewish History, USA