By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As Jews are observing the Passover holiday this coming weekend, recalling a time when our ancestors left Egypt, the land of their oppression, we are witnessing a new kind of Exodus taking place today: Jews are leaving France in record numbers amidst the rising anti-Semitic attacks that have
Sometimes, “It’s Hard to Be a Jew” Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Simmy Allen JERUSALEM — The Pesach holiday – which marks the Jewish people’s exodus from enslavement in ancient Egypt – was never more reminiscent in modern times as during the Holocaust. In the Pesach Haggadah, which recounts the miraculous story, Jews are told to proclaim: “This year we are here; next year we will
Pesach during the Holocaust Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Michael Jeser SAN DIEGO — My grandfather Morris Cohen was the youngest of 28 children. Yes, you read that correctly. His father, my great grandfather, was in his 70s when my grandfather was born in a town near Vilnius, Poland. My great grandfather was actually married twice (not at the same time), and had
S.D. Yom Hashoah focuses on preserving memory Read More »
International, Jewish History, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Unlike Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which I describe in my book Mysteries of Judaism, the holiday of Passover did not continue to exist in a radically modified fashion with a new name after the temple was destroyed in 70 CE. It disappeared entirely and Chag
Where did those Passover traditions come from? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion
By Genia Kutner Florida Jewish Journal DELRAY BEACH, Florida — During the war I was lucky to survive with my parents and brother; another died from pneumonia. He was 2 years old. I was 11. My brother was 13. When the Nazi’s neared our town – Pinsk in Poland – in 1941, we fled towards
Holocaust survivor recalls miracle of Israel’s founding Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
Bulletin: Beresheet crashes on moon’s surface By Adam Henderson JERUSALEM — Marking the highly anticipated landing on the moon by the Beresheet spacecraft Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, reflects upon the drawing “Moon Landscape”, created by 14-year old Petr Ginz while he was incarcerated in the Theresienstadt ghetto. Beresheet’s lunar landing will make
Holocaust artist recalled as Beresheet nears moon Read More »
International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Superhero comics have been influenced greatly by Jewish life in the United States and by Torah learning, according to Jordan Gorfinkel, 51, the entertainment entrepreneur who managed the Batman franchise for a decade before creating his own Avalanche Comics Entertainment company. In the sanctuary of Tifereth Israel Synagogue
Superman, Batman and deeper Torah concepts Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida –The Israelites’ first Passover, celebrated in Egypt just prior to the exodus and described in Exodus 12:1-11, was radically different from the Torah mandated holiday observed after the exodus. Exodus 12, which describes the Egyptian ceremony, raises many questions. (1) Why does the Torah command that “this
Why Was first Passover different from all others? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food
Now it’s the Third Generation’s time to remind the world never to forget By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Talia Schauder, almost 17, says that she wants to become a teacher. But, in essence, she already is. On Monday, April 8, with all the aplomb of a seasoned teacher, she faced an assembly
Survivor’s granddaughter lectures on Holocaust Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
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
Hillel at Santa Barbara promotes campus harmony Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, USA
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
Book Review: ‘The Restless Hungarian’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryBy H. Applebaum SAN DIEGO — Most of us are not familiar with the name Michel Bacos, yet he should be known to all Jews. I didn’t know his name until I read that he died a few days ago, and I am ashamed that I didn’t remember the hero of Entebbe, the Righteous Gentile
What the French can learn from Michel Bacos, z”l Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East
By Sam Ben-Meir NEW YORK — On March 11, the world lost someone who was very special, who made a mark and touched people with his voice, as a singer, a humorist and writer. Born in Tel Aviv in 1944, Danny Ben-Israel began his musical career while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces and enjoyed
In memory of Danny Ben-Israel Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
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
UC Berkeley boasts Rube Goldberg’s cartoon collection Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education