Editor’s Note: Following is the text of an address delivered in August on the 70th anniversary of the liquidation of the Lodz ghetto by Prof. Goldie Morgentaler, Ph.D., who teaches English and Yiddish literature at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. Dr. Morgentaler was the subject of a recent feature story in San Diego […]
Lodz Ghetto again comes alive in book, lecture Read More »
International, Jewish History
Running From Giants: The Holocaust Through the Eyes of a Child by Margareta Ackerman, Ph.D. Illustrations by Vivien Mildenberger. © 2013, ISBN: 9781492330967, 81 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—This book retells the stories of author Ackerman’s grandfather Srulik, who against all odds survived the Holocaust as a child after running away in
Book tells of 10-year-old who eluded the Nazis Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History
-Twenty-first in a series– By Donald H. Harrison ROSEBURG, Oregon—Having written a biography of Louis Rose, the first Jewish settler in San Diego, I was anxious to learn about Aaron Rose, for whom this town in southwestern Oregon was named. He and Louis Rose were contemporaries. Furthermore, I was intrigued by the fact that an
Roseburg founder long mistaken for a Jew Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Travel and Food, USA
NEW YORK (WJC) – A performance of The Good and the True, a play based on the life of two Czech Holocaust survivors, brought tears to the eyes of Petr Papousek, the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic and a World Jewish Congress Vice-President. The play, whose New York opening
Off- Broadway play recalls Czech Jews in Shoah Read More »
International, Jewish History
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (TNA)–Pottery sherds, or fragments, discovered by an Israel Antiquities Authority inspector several months ago, during extensive work by the Netivei Israel – National Transport Infrastructure Company, Ltd. on the new Highway 1 project resulted in an archaeological excavation. A previously unknown settlement from the Late Second Temple period was discovered, as
Hoard of coins found from time of Great Revolt Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East
–Seventh in a series– By Donald H. Harrison PRIMM, Nevada – As grandson Shor and I drove through the California desert, we saw shimmering in front of us what seemed a scene out of Oz, or maybe Xanadu: some tall structures including a giant roller coaster. Was this one of those fabled desert mirages often
The shimmering mirage of Primm, Nevada Read More »
Jewish History, Travel and Food, USA
–Fifth in a series– By Donald H. Harrison SAN BERNARDINO, California –As grandson Shor and I continued our tour up the Interstate 15 from Riverside, it seemed only a matter of minutes until we reached San Bernardino, site of the oldest Jewish cemetery in continuous use in Southern California. The Home of Eternity, at 8th
Home of Eternity: So Cal’s oldest Jewish cemetery Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, USA
MADRID (WJC) –Spain’s world-famous Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum should return the Impressionist masterpiece ‘Rue Saint-Honoré’ to the heirs of the Jewish family from whom it was stolen by the Nazis shortly before World War II, the president of the World Jewish Congress urged on Friday. The Madrid museum is owned by the Spanish state. “Since 1988, Spain
WJC backs San Diego family’s art claim against Spain Read More »
International, Jewish History, San Diego County, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel (TNA)–I literally trembled with emotion when I held the two volumes ofPogrom Night 1938: A Memorial to the Destroyed Synagogues of Germany. Together they comprise over seven hundred pages which are packed with information about the more than one thousand synagogues and prayer rooms that existed in pre-WWII Germany
Books tell of Germany’s destroyed synagogues Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History1177 B.C., the Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ; ISBN 978-0-691-14089-6 ©2014, $29.95, p. 176, plus Appendix, Notes, Bibliography, and Index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, Calilfornia — The Late Bronze Age is prominent for its unprecedented financial, political, and social interconnectedness, along with the generation of great wealth
The year that ancient civilization collapsed Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, International, Jewish History
By Norman Greene CASABLANCA, Morocco — Dressed in her head-to-toe hajab or jalaba, she reminded me of an Arabic version of San Diego’s late travel maven Gert Thaler as she skillfully guided us on our quest around the old Jewish Quarter in Casablanca. She was effusive, charming, funny and full of energy. We had
Who do you know in Morocco? Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — In a well-run library, books are not only organized, kept in good repair, new books of interest added, but also those of less interest are withdrawn. In looking over Temple Emanu-El’s library collection of biographies I noted that the shelves were full and perhaps it was time to consider
Danish rabbi remembers his WWI and WWII career Read More »
Jewish History
NEW YORK (Press Release)- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has congratulated U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-New York) for the successful passage of her Protect Cemeteries Act (H.R. 4028) in the House of Representatives. If Meng’s bill is next approved by the Senate (S. 2466) and signed by the President, the International Religious Freedom Act
By Richard L. Cravatts, PhD BOSTON–The disheartening, though not entirely surprising, breakdown of talks between Israel and the Palestinians marked yet another failure by the two sides to come closer to an agreement that would usher the way for a Palestinian state. Yet, no sooner had the talks collapsed than blame was being assigned by
Hatred of Jews is basis of Middle East conflict Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts