Jewish History

Austrian leader vows Shoah education, Israel backing

JERUSALEM (Press Release)– Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz declared at the 2018 AJC Global Forum that the Austrian government viewed both the fight against anti-Semitism and the security of the state of Israel as part of his country’s Staatsräson, or national interest. Kurz also noted his government’s support for Israel as a Jewish state, announced […]

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International, Jewish History, Middle East

Sonduck warns against divisions in Jewish community

By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California – Michael Sonduck, soon to retire as chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, on Sunday, June 10, urged a roomful of well-wishers representing boards, staffs, and financial supporters of some 120 local Jewish organizations in the county, to look beyond their individual organizations

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA

SWC denounces plans to dress Gaza children in Nazi concentration camp uniforms

LOS ANGELES (Press Release) – The Simon Wiesenthal Center (“Center”), a leading Jewish Human Rights NGO, devoted to the memory of the 6-million Jewish victims murdered in the Nazi Holocaust, denounced Hamas’ intention to dress up Friday’s Gaza border-riot participants as concentration camp victims. “We urge major international media outlets to reject this macabre and hideous ploy to defame the memory of the victims murdered in the Nazi genocide,” said Rabbis Marvin Hier, the Center’s

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Jewish History, Middle East, USA

‘Wings of Eagles’ airlift from Yemen retold by aviator

  By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – To fellow aviators, perhaps, Elgen M. Long is best known as the man who in 1971 first flew around the world over both the North and South Poles.  Additionally, he is admired for his research into the disappearance of aviators Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in 1937

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Honors galore for Holocaust survivor Ruth Sax, 89

By Sandra Scheller CHULA VISTA, California — At the age of 89, my mother Ruth Sax never thought that she would see a college diploma in her hand let alone an honorary diploma. Between the ages of 13-17 Ruth was robbed of her education as she survived Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and Oederan concentration camps. Once she

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, San Diego County

Hannover to Terezin, roundtrip please

By Oliver B. Pollak HANNOVER, Germany and TEREZIN, Czech Republic —  Our roots trip has dispersed with cousins going separate ways to Berlin, Munich, and Rome. My  party of five headed to Hannover and Theresienstadt, a path my grandfather took in 1942 and in reverse in 1945. Grandfather, Dr. Felix Bachmann,  with his new English

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International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food

A Jewish- Christian family reunion along the Ruhr

By Oliver B. Pollak MESCHEDE, Germany — The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Eslohe Football (soccer) club was pretext for the Goldschmidt and Bachmann family reunion in Germany. Two Goldschmidt brothers were charter organizers. Eight cousins and 13 of their spouses, children, significant others, and friends took the better part of two days to celebrate, schmooze and

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International, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak

State Assembly denounces Polish gag order on Holocaust

SACRAMENTO, California (Press Release) – Responding to a disturbing spike in hate rhetoric and anti-Semitism, the State Assembly voted overwhelmingly with unanimous bipartisan support to demonstrate its commitment to Holocaust education Tuesday and called on Congress to urge Poland to abandon a gag rule that seems to encourage revisionist history. More than 60 Assembly members

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International, Jewish History, USA

U.S. releases religious freedom report for Israel, P.A., Gaza

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of a comprehensive  report on religious freedom around the world, the U.S. State Department on Wednesday issued its report and analysis of religious freedom issues in Israel and the Golan Heights as well as in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza.. ISRAEL AND THE GOLAN HEIGHTS Executive Summary A report on

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Jewish History, Middle East, USA

Cologne’s amazing Jewish culture

By Oliver B. Pollak COLOGNE, Germany — In 1933 Cologne counted 20,000 Jews. In 1989 it had 1,358 Jews. Today the city of over a million, with the influx of Jews from the Former Soviet Union, has about 4,600 Jews.The Holocaust produced catastrophic trauma. Post-war Germany maintains a leading position in rescuing people from persecution in their homelands, many from majority Moslem

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International, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food