By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — When Maya Mikhaylovna Plisetskaya was eleven years old her father was executed as an “enemy of the people” by the Stalinist regime governing the USSR. Her mother was sent to a prison camp. Though the family was originally from Lithuania, Maya was born in Moscow on November 20, 1925. […]
Maya Mikhaylovna Plisetskaya (1925-2015) Read More »
Obituaries & memorialsBy Garry Fabian MELBOURNE, Australia — Some dates on the calendar have greater significance than others, particularly if they mark a special event, or more importantly are associated with an event that denotes a major landmark in one’s life. 5th May 2015 is indeed such a day in my own life and the life of
Thoughts of a Survivor on 70th anniversary of liberation Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryWARSAW, Poland (WJC) — At a state funeral in Warsaw attended by world leaders, including European Council President Donald Tusk and German President Joachim Gauck, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Poland’s former foreign minister and an Auschwitz prisoner who helped save Jews from the Holocaust, was laid to rest on Monday, May 4. Bartoszewski, a historian, writer and
Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, z”l, Righteous among Nations Read More »
International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorialsBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — What is the Jewish connection to this year’s Kentucky Derby? Choose your answer. A. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Coptic Christian from Egypt. Zayat, the CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in the 1980’s, was responsible for negotiating with Israel’s Energy
Jewish Trivia: Kentucky Derby Read More »
Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Sports & Competitions, USABy Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — If one needs a reason to get on a trail – searching for chocolate is a better reason than most. In On the Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao, (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2013), Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz and
From the Jewish library: ‘On the Chocolate Trail’ Read More »
Jewish History, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — How important is Judaism for the Jews? We’ve long confused social science by being both an ethnic group (or tribe) and a religion. Among us are members of the tribe who deny religion, and converts to the religion who may have to wait a generation or two before being fully accepted
Ethnicity? Religion? Judaism is that — and more Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle East
With this column we introduce Joe Spier, who loves to research and write about Jewish history. Based in Calgary, he is a frequent winter vacationer in San Diego. We thank Ernie Addleson for putting us in touch with him. By Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — The story of the modern exodus of “Beta Israel” the
Alaska Airlines and the Jews of Yemen Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday during one of my Community Jewish High classes, we discussed the recent events in Baltimore in the context of Judaism’s attitude toward civil disobedience. We talked about Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody and the public response to it. While the line between non-violent and
Judaism favors non- violent protest Read More »
Jewish ReligionProphecies and Providence: A Biblical Approach to Modern Jewish History by Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, Devorah Publishing, New York; ISBN 978-1-93444-059-9 ©2015, $24.95, p. 218, plus appendices By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Apocalyptic literature tells of the events that will occur at the end-of-days, such as Armageddon and the struggle between Gog and Magog. For fundamentalist Christians those
Rabbi helps decipher biblical prophecies Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion
Editor’s Note: In my quest to find Jewish stories wherever I go, I decided there is no place like home to illustrate the concept that “there is a Jewish story everywhere.” Interstate 8 roughly follows the traditional route that settlers took in their covered wagons in the mid-19th century to get to San Diego from the
I-8 Jewish Travel ~ Bahia Hotel, San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Travel and Food, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– Elie Shneour was born in France on December 11, 1925. The son of Zalman and Salomea Shneour, he had one sibling — Renee Shneour, who later became Spanish dancer Laura Toledo. Shneour was raised in Neuilly sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris. His family was of Jewish heritage, his father having emigrated from Czarist Russia
Elie Alexis Shneour (Dec. 11, 1925 — April 14, 2015) Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County
LA JOLLA, California (SDONA)–Hillel of San Diego announced Sunday the appointment of a new director for its programs for Jewish students at the UC San Diego campus. Rabbi David Singer will begin work in La Jolla in July. He was previously founder and director of Makom, a spiritual community for millennials affiliated with one of Dallas’ largest
Rabbi David Singer to head Hillel at UCSD Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Although invocations by Rabbi Michael Berk of Congregation Beth Israel and Monsignor Richard Duncanson of Mission San Diego de Alcala came in reverse chronological order as far as San Diego history was concerned, they were in correct historical order from the standpoint of world history. Jews were first on the
Inter- religious invocations honor San Diego’s history Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego CountyBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The California state senator who heads the first-in-the-nation Jewish legislative caucus says it’s time for Jews in the U.S. Congress to form a caucus too, and adds that U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Florida congresswoman who chairs the national Democratic party, agrees with him “100 percent.” State Sen.
California legislator: Congress needs a Jewish caucus Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, USA