With the approach of Memorial Day, I’d like to salute the memory of Private Herman Addleson, whose story I first wrote in Waxie: An American Family Business Success Story, a book that was published in 2016. [Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering Pvt. Herman Addleson, WWII paratrooper Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Editor’s Note: Maile Faust, a junior at Francis Parker School, wrote this poem inspired by Elie Wiesel’s “Night,’ during her freshman year. Her family is of mixed Jewish-Christian ancestry. Maile has seven years of ballet and 8 years of Free Style Martial Arts, in which she has earned a black belt. An honors and advanced placement student at Francis Parker, she intends to pursue a college degree in mechanical engineering.
Poetry: Endless Night Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
“Iftar” is the break-the-fast meal at sunset each night during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Ordinarily, participants–often including welcomed non-Muslims–will eat a prodigious meal together and share family stories and high points. On Thursday, two organizations teamed up to host a different kind of Iftar that brought together celebrants from around the world and from several different religions. [Donald H. Harrison]
30 leaders gather for an interfaith Iftar Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, The World We Share, USA
The administrations [of Hebrew day schools] wanted the students to understand what it was to be an American, what the sacrifice of our Soldiers was all about and how Jewish Soldiers honorably served their Nation. They took great pride in knowing that we as Jewish-Americans served and continuing to serve, bleed, and die for our Nation. To this day, an Orthodox Hebrew day school in Rockland County displays at their entrance a six feet by five feet Iraq battle flag from the 101st Airborne Division that I sent them in 2003. They display it so that all their students, staff and faculty will not forget the sacrifice of our Jewish Soldiers to their Nation. {Rabbi Carlos Huerta]
If you cut me, I bleed American Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
A roundup of Jewish content available on the web and via the Public Broadcasting System, Sunday May 24-Thursday, May 28 by Laurie Baron, Ph.D
Streaming Jewish content for Week of May 24 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
I have chosen three passages from this parasha (Bamidbar) for comparison with ancient pagan practices, from internet sources. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Censuses, war camps and first-born redemptions in the ancient world Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East
It was as Lawrence Baron, the distinguished history professor, rather than as Laurie Baron, the brilliant satirist, for whom women and some men gathered for a Zoom presentation on Tuesday sponsored by Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood. They asked him to evaluate the factors that led some non-Jews during the time of Hitler to risk their lives and those of their families to protect Jews from the genocide. Who, indeed, were the people who have become known in history as “The Righteous Gentiles”? [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Who were the Righteous Gentiles? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USATwo grocery store incidents in Santee earlier this month in which a man wearing the hood of the Ku Klux Klan, and a man and woman wearing masks featuring swastikas, continue to reverberate. San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher proposed that a countywide Human Relations Commission be re-established and empowered to look into such incidents, and the San Diego Union-Tribune ran three opinion pieces Monday on the incidents and their impact on the City of Santee. In another response to hate, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) arranged for 25 olive trees to be planted at Kfar Silver Youth Village in southern Israel in memory of Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was murdered when a gunman attacked Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover in 2019. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego County, nation, respond to hate incidents Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Eva Trieger, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller died last week at the age of 92. Stiller was most famous for playing the quintessentially Jewish, but technically non-Jewish Italian Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza on the Seinfeld sitcom. Born to Polish immigrant parents, Stiller grew up in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, and studied drama after serving in the army during World War II. He married comedian and actor Anne Meara, and the two created a hugely successful comedy duo, focusing on their lives as an intermarried couple. Among their bits was an “I hate you” routine, in which Meara called Stiller a “matza head” and he called her a “shillelagh shiksa.” What was one of Jerry Stiller’s first acting roles? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Jerry Stiller, z”l Read More »
Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Yom Yerushalayim, marking the unification of the City of Jerusalem at the end of the Six Day War, will be commemorated this Friday, May 22. Thus, I am writing this column about my sister, violinist Zina Schiff’s 1995 4Tay Records release, King David’s Lyre, a celebration of Jerusalem 3000. The CD consists of works by Jewish composers from many different corners of the globe. Since Jewish longing for Jerusalem spanned over two thousand years in Diaspora, it is fitting that a tribute to Jerusalem includes Jewish composers from around the world. [Eileen Wingard]
Four violin pieces by Zina Schiff in celebration of Jerusalem Day Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Shavua tov! Shavua Tov! A good week! A good week! In Voorhees, New Jersey, Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro and her daughter Rebecca have often led Havdalah services by Zoom from their porch since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic This last Saturday night, May 16, was no different. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Havdalah from the porch of a celebrated cantor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USASome Jewish film festivals that were scheduled during the pandemic are streaming their films for the price of a ticket. Others are streaming films they’ve shown in the past or interviews with filmmakers and lectures. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Film Festivals Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Rabbi Andrew Baker, an official with both the American Jewish Committee and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), says because of the coronavirus pandemic, there probably will be a drop in anti-Semitic incidents in 2020. However, this is because potential targets, such as synagogues and Jewish schools, have been closed during the pandemic. When re-opened, he said, they may become targets again. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
AJC rabbi fights international anti-Semitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire
In HBO’s recent adaptation of the Philip Roth novel The Plot Against America, American Jews are coerced by President Charles Lindbergh to move to rural parts of the country so they will become “Americanized” and shed their Jewish ways. In real life, however, it was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who wanted to do just that. [Rafael Medoff, Ph.D]
FDR not as portrayed in ‘Plot Against America’ Read More »
Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA