Like Dreamers, The True Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation, by Yossi Klein Halevi (HarperCollins Publishers, 2013) By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — In June 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces miraculously overcame the combined attack launched by three of its neighbors: Egypt, Jordan and Syria. But as miraculous as […]
From the Jewish library: ‘Like Dreamers’ Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — Tibor (Ted) Rubin enters the room. The President of the United States, bound by tradition, rises and salutes him. Rubin, born a Hungarian Jew, is one of 79 persons who command the salute of the President. They are the living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest
The story of Tibor Rubin’s heroism in the Korean War Read More »
International, Jewish History, USABy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – I find myself wondering why San Diego Gas & Electric decided to name its giant fire-fighting helicopter “Goliath.” Sure, it’s big, and Goliath of biblical infamy was big, but there the similarity ends. Goliath, a Philistine who stood between 12 and 13 feet tall, was a bully. He
The Jewish angle: Naming a helicopter and a ship Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — This Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the first day of the month of Elul. During Elul we recite Psalm 27, the Psalm of Repentance, during morning and evening services. On weekdays we also sound the Shofar during minyan services. Psalm 27 and the call of the Shofar remind us
The daily hard work of teshuva Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — A highlight of my recent trip to China was in Xian, once the largest city in the ancient world and capital of China throughout 11 dynasties. After arriving by bullet train from Beijing, we had dinner at a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant and spent the evening listening to three speakers
Tracing ancient Jewish influences in China Read More »
Eileen Wingard, International, Jewish ReligionBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — When Jewish Family Service announced the College Avenue Center would move Sept. 1 from Beth Jacob Congregation to Temple Emanu-El–with hot kosher lunches to be prepared at the JFS campus on Balboa Avenue–Leopoldo Kahn raised the issue of whether Orthodox lunch patrons would be left out. He explained
Jewish Family Service explores two kinds of kosher Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
–17th in a series– Exit 6, Texas Street, San Diego ~ District Office of U.S. Rep. Susan Davis By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –The distance between this city and Washington D.C. is approximately 2,690 miles, or a five-hour jet plane ride. Impractical to go back and forth every day between work in Washington and constituents
I-8 Jewish Travel: ‘Team Davis’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USABy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — Jews are the ultimate disruptors, and I mean that in a good way. Lately, we hear a lot about disruptive technologies: advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy. Well, it occurs to me that this is what the Jews have been doing since antiquity. We are
The Jews who ‘disrupted’ society Read More »
Jewish History, Steve KramerBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — It would be so much easier to cope with things if God simply intervened and cleaned up all the messes. But where would that really leave us? The miracles described in the Bible are wonderful cartoons and they salve anxiety for a little while. They are imaginative dramas
We can’t depend on miracles — unless they’re ours Read More »
Jewish Religion
We are two—a couple, a double—but also a whole, a unit, one. We are sometimes opposites and sometimes parallels. Parallels that make it so easy, opposites that make it so exciting. We are opposites, but ones that complete each other. We are parallels, so close they are almost a line. We are from places far
Jedem das Seine: A Love Story Read More »
International, Jewish History, San Diego County
Editor’s Note: Seth Moreida recently interviewed Rabbi Arik Ascherman, director of Rabbis for Human Rights, who explains in the first part of this series his criticism of Israel’s conduct of last year’s Gaza War. In the second part of this series, Moreida will provide a contrary perspective. Moreida is majoring in political science and international relations and
Rabbi blames Israel for Gaza civilian casualties Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The College Avenue Center will move Sept. 1 after 17 years at Beth Jacob Congregation to Temple Emanu-El, approximately a mile and a half north on College Avenue, Jewish Family Service has announced. Although the move will be from the social hall of an Orthodox congregation to a
JFS relocates College Avenue Center to Emanu- El Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyBy Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — The Dalai Lama and many of his people fled the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. Now after more than 50 years in exile, he has been considering the problem of how to keep both the culture and religious heritage of his people alive. It occurred to him that there
From the Jewish Library: ‘The Jew in the Lotus’ Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, PhD SAN DIEGO — In the words of one sexually frustrated husband, “My wife doesn’t. Understand me?” For so many years, the jokes about Judaism and sex – together with Jewish illiteracy — have so misled generations, that too many of today’s young Jewish couples simply do not understand the true joy
The joy of kosher sex Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education