Judaism

One-of-a-Kind Biography about Author of ‘All-of-a-Kind Family’ Books

When the Association of Jewish Libraries evaluates a book with Jewish content that it finds particularly good, it awards the author its Sydney Taylor Book Award after the author of the All-of-a-Kind series of books that introduced a Jewish family, with siblings who dressed alike, to America’s non-Jewish children and to their parents.  The Jewish series was the first put on the market by a general publisher, thus breaking a barrier in children’s literature. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, USA

An Excellent New Commentary on the Biblical Book Samuel

The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel – Samuel, published by Koren Publishers Jerusalem in 2021, is one of the best Bible commentaries in English. I say this because of its massive, easy-to-read, scholarly material on many far-reaching subjects, contributions by 20 renowned scholars.  I see the value of this book after I used over a hundred such books while writing my own books on the Bible, such as my many volumes on the differences between the Hebrew Bible and its Aramaic translation called Onkelos, and after I have reviewed over 8,100 books, many dealing with the Bible. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

If Only She Had Remained in Pre-State Israel

I read this in ebook form as I was told it dealt with Chortkow, the town in Poland (now Ukraine) from which my in-laws came. As I read on I found many similarities between the two stories – both Syma, the heroine of the book, and my in-laws came from a medium-sized town with a large Jewish population, many of whom were assimilated and prosperous. The crux of the story takes place in the port town of Haifa in pre-State Israel, which is also where my in-laws lived. But they fortunately remained there, whereas the heroine of this (real-life) story returned to Chortkow, where the Holocaust caught up with her, leading to her tragic death. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History, Middle East

A Drumbeat of Antisemitism in San Diego, Across the U.S.

Near the San Diego State University campus, in San Diego’s daily newspaper, in speeches by members of Congress, and in an apology forced upon a children’s book executive for speaking out against antisemitism, the drumbeat of hatred against our fellow Jews grows increasingly persistent. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Yoni Netanyahu Proved Himself a Hero Before Entebbe

It is not widely known that Yoni Netanyahu was a hero long before he commanded the Entebbe operation. He played a key role in many other crucial Israeli security operations exhibiting courage and valor in the most dangerous of circumstances. He was a living example to the world’s statesman that terrorism can be beaten – if the nations of the world have the will to fight back. [Moshe Phillips]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Middle East

Former Israelis PMs Family Members Reflect on Entebbe Anniversary

On the 45th anniversary of Operation Entebbe, this morning, (Tuesday) the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation held a moving and insightful meeting revealing testimonies never before heard, from the behind the scenes of one of the most ingenious and daring rescue operations the world has ever known, overseen at the time by then Defense Minister, Shimon Peres. [Peres Center Press Release)

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International, Jewish History, Middle East

Torah Reading for July 3, 2021

Know anyone who’s never faced frustration or adversity, or who’s realized all his or her dreams? Not even Moshe, this week’s parasha teaches us, can claim that he’s lived that life. Before Moshe faces his end, he surmounts his own disappointments and pain and focuses on insuring that he will leave a successor. Hashem showed Moses the Land of Israel and told him that he wouldn’t be allowed to bring the Jewish people into the Land. Moses immediately said: “May … God … appoint a man over the assembly, who shall go out before them … and let the assembly … not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17) Moses places his hands on Joshua, announcing him to be the next leader. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Torah on a Tatami: How One Couple Found Community In a Pandemic World

She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, her roots deep in the Ashkenazi culture of Poland, Hungary, and Lithuania. He grew up in Long Beach, California, a third generation Japanese American, and he barely knew a single Jewish person. On paper, they might not sound like an obvious match: Jewish Brooklyn versus Buddhist Japan, kvetching as a collective mode of connection versus pursuit of inner peace. But while Leah and Randy Matsui may come from disparate ethnic backgrounds, “two different flavors” as Randy puts it, over the past four decades, they have become one woven unit, and their story teaches a great deal about what love is, what true connection looks like, and most significantly, what diverse Jewish journeys look like in the 21st century. [M. Evan Wolkenstein]

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A Response to Surfside

There are some things for which there are no words. On Thursday I did two funerals where I spoke about why we thank God at times of tragedy-because when we feel vulnerable, that the world has slipped out from underneath our footsteps, we need to find some rock to anchor ourselves, and that rock with a capital R is God. However, how can we thank God in the midst of a tragedy: the structural collapse of the Champlain Towers South Building? How can we be thankful when people are missing and all that might remain of them are DNA traces under the rubble? How can we be grateful when so many don’t know if their loved ones are alive or dead? [Rabbi Ben Herman]

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Jewish Religion, USA

Extricating Oneself from the Muddy Middle

Each of us hears an internal voice, it talks to us every day. For some, this voice repeats the harmful and disheartening comments made by parents, teachers, siblings, and friends. It reminds us of our failures and insecurities. This voice, according to Rabbi Shimshon Frankel, a clinical psychologist with more than a quarter century of experience, and author of The Wisdom of Getting Unstuck, is your Antagonist, and “when we start to identify ourselves with the negative messages that it delivers, we’re bound to start experiencing a heightened degree of discomfort, emptiness, pain, and tension.” [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles

SDSU Chabad Again Subjected to Vandalism

For the second time this year, the Chabad House at San Diego State University has been subjected to hostility — this time in the form of a broken branch of its large outdoor menorah and the ripping of one of its banners.  Last month, youngsters burglarized the combination synagogue and residence hall while students upstairs were asleep. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

A Word of Torah: Blessings from an Implacable Foe

This week we read the portion titled Balak. Balak was the king of Moav who after seeing how his neighbors had unsuccessfully made war and lost against the Children of Israel decided that he would take a different approach to try and defeat them. While Sichon and Og, two mighty kings with mighty armies failed by using force of arms, Balak chose to try and attack the Jews spiritually – by attacking their spiritual connection with the Almighty. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Why President Truman’s support for Israel is more relevant than ever

By Dan Elbaum (June 23, 2021 / JNS) It was perhaps the most important meeting in Jewish history, but it was also simply a discussion between two old friends. Harry S. Truman was the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world. Across from him in the Oval Office sat Eddie Jacobson,

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Jewish History, Middle East, USA