Judaism

Some advice about school bullying

Melissa Rubenstein Levin, who worked for Drasnin Communications in San Diego from 2000 to 2002, is now based in Houston, where she is handling publicity for IndieFlix. That production company recently issued three films.  Angst, which includes an interview with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, deals with understanding anxiety disorders; Like “explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain,” and The Upstanders, which I recently watched, “explores cyber-bullying,” as can be seen in the trailer above. [Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Joe Gandelman, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Book Review: A Rosenberg by any other name

You gotta love this book. Page 1 leads with my favorite “Ferguson” (shayn fergessen) joke which I have retold tirelessly for years. Fermaglich reveals that Winona Ryder, born in Winona, Minnesota and currently playing the role of Evelyn Finkel in the Netflix series The Plot Against America, based on Philip Roth’s 2004 novel of the same name, was born Winona Laura Horowitz. But this book is not about jokes and celebrities but about the real choices that the nearly three million Jews who came to America between 1880 and 1920 had to make to feel comfortable and make progress in America. [Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, USA

A Word of Torah: And it was the eighth day

As the name of the portion indicates this week’s Torah reading begins on the eighth day of the process of inaugurating the Mishkan / The Tabernacle. For a full week Moses had assembled and disassembled the mobile sanctuary as well as modeling the services that would be done within it. At the end of that week, his brother, Aharon HaKohen / Aaron the High Priest, took over the duties for which he had been designated. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Voting by proxy in Congress during pandemic?

Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) says she is in a favor of  a proposal that would permit voting by proxy in Congress as long as the requirement of social distancing is in effect or if similar emergencies should occur. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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

‘Children of Windermere’ a riveting dramatization

The BBC film Children of Wandermere is a heart- rending and at the same time heart-warming film of the incredible rescue mission of 300 children from ages 3 to 16 who survived the death camps of Germany in 1945. The first group of youngsters was flown for eight hours seated on the floor of a converted RAF bomber. They only had the clothes on their backs and some meager possessions. Until the Red Cross provided clothes, all the children went around in their underwear. [Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Human sacrifice and dietary laws in the ancient world

The text boringly reports yet again the various categories and performances  of sacrifice. This is followed by the puzzling episode of sudden fiery death of two of Aaron’s ordained sons, Nadab and Abihu, for having offered ‘alien fire’ on the altar. Moses orders Aaron to be quiet over this, and soon he proceeds to chastise the two surviving sons of Aaron, over a trivial error of not eating a sin offering in the prescribed area. Lastly the text lays out the dietary laws. I have chosen two passages, from which I sought internet sources for pagan comparison of them. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

The remarkable thinking of Maimonides

Micah Goodman’s Maimonides is an important book. The following are some major points in it. The quotes are from the book. Maimonides’ God: Goodman states that Maimonides’ God is transcendental, meaning God is not involved in the daily activities of the world. God placed in the world the laws of nature, and then withdrew entirely from it…. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Remembering dear ones of now and then

Suzanne Choney posted a photo on Facebook today of her parents, Rosa Rubel and Icek Choinowski, who 75 years ago today were “among 60,000 human beings being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.”  Choney added, “I know we all have so much to worry about now.  But I think of my parents, known in America as Rose and Irving Choney, the bravery of the Allies and the good people everywhere, and the evil faced by millions.  And I remember.  Just as all of us will remember this time.”  The photo, at left, of her parents was taken in London in 1947, two years after their liberation. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
https://youtu.be/hYlxVJubdww

The silence of Aaron from a pandemic perspective

We are living through the most emotionally taxing time of our lives. Filled with loss, economic instability, fear and isolation, we are asked to live up to the test with faith, strength, emunah and bitachon. This week’s parasha, Shemini, follows a Passover holiday that surely gave new meaning to the question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” It presents us with the abrupt, heart-rending, seemingly inexplicable loss, the passing of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

The chutzpah of the contrarian child

When we read in the Haggadah about the Four Children, one wise, one “wicked,” one simple, and one who is too young to ask questions, it is the “wicked,” son, whom I preferably identify as “the contrarian child.” His question cuts to the essence of the holiday: “What does this holiday mean to you?” The contrarian son’s honesty is refreshingly different from the other sons at the seder.  [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

A word of Torah: The final days of Passover

As the final days of Passover are only hours away (sunset of April 14 through nightfall of April 16) we are pleased to share information and resources about the final days of Passover and the customary ‘Meal of Moshiach.’ which is held on the last day of Passover; a tradition that was instituted over 250 years ago by the Baal Shem Tov (The Baal Shem Tov, which means Master of the Good Name, was the originator of Chasidic Philosophy. ) [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

God and the problem of suffering

he senseless deaths seen in the coronavirus pandemic challenges religious people’s concept of God. How does one reconcile our faith in a personal God who loves life, but allows a natural evil to destroy everything in its path? What kind of God—if any—can allow the suffering of innocent children? Every natural catastrophe seems to make the belief in a personal God seem unlikely. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi