Judaism

U.S. Attorney in San Diego investigating local connections to Capitol riot

U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer has announced his office in San Diego “will work closely with our law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Columbia, to ensue that any individuals from San Diego or Imperial Counties who were involved in criminal activity at the U.S. Capitol are brought to justice.  If we determine that federal charges should be brought in this District, we will aggressively prosecute all such matters.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Rep. Raskin’s moving tribute to son who took his life

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) and his wife Sarah Bloom, disclosed in a moving essay that their son Tommy, who was eulogized during the opening day of Congress by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,  had committed suicide while in the throes of severe depression. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Torah for Children: Don’t Give Up!

This Parshah contains a very strong message:  Any child can grow up to become a hero. As a baby, Moses shouldn’t have survived. Through the courage of his mother and sister, he not only survives, he grows up in Pharaoh’s court. Then disaster strikes and he becomes an outcast, living in the desert. But God sees something strong in Moses and chooses him to lead the Jewish people to freedom. Even when Moses objects, God pushes him into accepting that role. As Moses faces Pharaoh, things grow worse instead of better and helping the Jewish people seems like a distant dream. [Marcia Berneger]

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Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger

A Word of Torah: The Springboard Effect

This week’s portion is titled, “Shemot,” which translates as, “Names.” It is the first portion in the second book of the Torah, the Book of Exodus. The name of a portion is always indicative of its content and the same thing goes as far as the name of one of the Books of the Torah. In this case we can therefore assume that the theme of the entire book is hinted at in its name, which incidentally is, “Names.” [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Streaming Jewish Programs (January 10-16, 2021)

Following are streaming Jewish programs of academic and lay interest that may be accessed via the Internet.  All times Are Pacific Standard Time. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Notes on the Haftorah Reading of January 9, 2021

Modern scholars easily detect that they refer to events in at least three widely separated chronological times. This leads to the conclusion that the package called the Book of Isaiah had at least three major authors, and likely many more minor contributors. [1] These three are called by modern scholars, respectively: Isaiah I (Chapters 1-39, c. 730-701 BCE), Isaiah II (Chapters 40-55, c. 586-539 BCE), and Isaiah III (Chapters 56-66, c. 5th Century BCE).  [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Out of the Mikvah and onto a Ph.D

The mid-life journey that led me back to college began in the mikvah. I had been observing the laws of Niddah (aka “Family Purity” or Taharat haMishpacha) for about six years when this immersion initiated a series of changes that brings me to where I am today. The night of this immersion (momentous only in retrospect), I had been struggling with post-partum hip pain for about a year and a half that no amount of physical therapy or chiropractic treatments was fixing. This night, the pain was unusually bad as I limped sideways down the mikvah steps. The attendant asked with clear concern in her voice, “Do you need help?” I said, “No, it only hurts”. But stairs had never hurt that bad. [Isobel-Marie Johnston]

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

Moses teaches us the need for compassion

Hashem appears to be saying “I will be one with you just as you are one with the people for whom you care so much.” Five times in the parasha, Hashem tells Moses that He feels the suffering of the Israelites. Moses, too, felt a tug to connect with his people. Hashem sees this and recognizes Moses’ special quality. We learn in this week’s Torah reading a most contemporary and timely lesson: We are not to simply see the suffering of others, but to experience it fully, as if it is our own–and act to reduce that suffering. As we reduce the pain in others, we then reduce our own. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Lawson-Remer tells ambitious agenda as new County Supervisor

Sworn in today (Monday, Jan. 4) as the 3rd District San Diego County Supervisor, Terra Lawson-Remer laid out an ambitious agenda for herself that included “an evidence-based” campaign against COVID-19, extending a financial “lifeline” to small businesses and workers in San Diego County; implementing a climate action plan; promoting racial justice; fighting homelessness; developing affordable housing; protecting the coastline; guarding against pollution-promoting urban sprawl; lessening the threat of wildfires; providing care for seniors, children, adults with mental or behavioral issues; assisting immigrants; and supporting the arts. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Joan-Micklin-Silver, Pioneer Female Director, Demonstrated Popularity of Jewish Film Subjects

Joan Micklin Silver (1935-2020) passed away on New Year’s Eve. She belonged to a cohort of pioneering American female directors in the 1970s, many of whom were Jewish. Whereas most of her Jewish counterparts deal with Jewish themes in their films, she repeatedly returned to making distinctly Jewish films earning her the reputation of being the “the mother of Jewish feminist film.” [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Torah for Children: Kindness and Good Choices

On Saturday, Jews around the world read Parshah Vayechi,  the last Parshah in the first book of the Torah. We’ve gone from the creation of the world all the way through to the lives of our three forefathers. We end with the final words of Jacob, our last forefather. Jacob asks Joseph to take his body our of Egypt and bury it in the cave with Abraham and Isaac. Joseph promises to fulfill his father’s request. Jacob then blesses Joseph’s two sons. Just as Jacob tricks his father into blessing him, he now switches the blessings for Joseph’s sons. Ephraim. the younger son is given the blessing to become the father of a great nation. Menasseh, the older son, will also be important, but Ephraim with be head of the greater nation. [Marcia Berneger]

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Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger

Inclusion at Camp Chi

It was June of 1969. I was an 11 ½ year old visually impaired girl leaving home for the first time to attend Jewish overnight camp. I boarded the train to Wisconsin consumed with mixed emotions: already a little homesick and anxious, but also excited. I was excited about the friends coming from my Jewish Day school, and the new friends I hope to meet. At that moment, I was just like them—leaving home to spend three fun-filled weeks at summer camp.
It was a disaster. [Michelle Friedman]

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Judaism, Lifestyles, USA