Judaism

Should we separate the genders in middle school?

By Rabbi Simcha Weiser SAN DIEGO — Is anyone more motivated than a parent is to make the best choice in guiding their child? You would think not, right?  But in these divisive times, when every viewpoint is instantly categorized as progressive, conservative, religious, racist, …. even when it comes to discharging our parental responsibilities […]

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Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education

Hillel at Santa Barbara promotes campus harmony

  Story by Donald H. Harrison; site photos by Shor M. Masori ISLA VISTA, California – The news media often finds it easier to focus on bad news than on good news.  Bad news is more dramatic.  It’s easier to tell.  It makes more compelling reading.  Take the weather for instance.  A storm will make

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, USA

Book Review: ‘Gentle Judaic Wisdom’

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel’s book Gentle Judaic Wisdom is a brilliant work, very wise, easy to read, and deceptively simple. The book is filled with quotes that have significant information. It is a rich cornucopia of wisdom quoted from sources such as the Torah, Mishna, Tosephta,

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Book Review: ‘The Restless Hungarian’

The Restless Hungarian: Modernism, Madness, and the American Dream by Tom Weidlinger; Spark Press, ISBN 9781943-006960; 278 pages plus photo credits, index, and acknowledgments; $16.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – It did not take me very long to decide that I did not like structural engineer Paul Weidlinger, who is the subject of

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

Book Review: ‘Mensch-Marks’

Mensch-Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi by Joshua Hammerman; © 2018 Helth Communications, Inc.; ISBN 9780757-321771; 250 pages plus appendix,  $14.95 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut, as well as a journalist whose column appeared regularly in the Jewish

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USA

Book Review: ‘The Jewish Journey Haggadah’

The Jewish Journey Haggadah: Connecting the Generations by Rabbanit Adena Berkowitz, Gefen Publishing House, Jerusalem, © 2019, ISBN 978-965-229-912-3, p. 211 plus appendices and bibliography, $29.95. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – Over one thousand Haggadot (plural of Haggadah) are listed in Amazon books, covering a wide variety of genres, from traditional to women-centric. Is

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

UC Berkeley boasts Rube Goldberg’s cartoon collection

Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor M. Masori BERKELEY, California – This coming May will once again be Jewish American Heritage Month.  The theme for this annual celebration will be “American Jewish illustrators” —and perhaps none is better known than Rube Goldberg, who donated a collection of more than 5,000 of his cartoons

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education

Berkeley professor translates the Bible anew

Story by Donald H. Harrison; photos by Shor M. Masori BERKELEY, California – For some two dozen years, Dr. Robert Alter, now a professor emeritus of comparative literature at UC Berkeley, retranslated various portions of the Hebrew Bible.  He was distressed that most previous translations “were not only deficient, but I would say that they

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori

A Passover story for young readers

Can’t Start Passover without the Bread by Leba Lieder and Israel Drazin; © 2013; ISBN 9781481-995467; 30 pages, available via Amazon. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Our columnist, Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, and his schoolteacher daughter Leba Lieder, created this storybook for children between the ages of 4 and 8.  It is a

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Travel and Food