By Alex Gordon HAIFA, Israel — The Jewish people have a long experience of functioning in absurd situations. The very creation of the State of Israel was an unthinkable event, the realization of an unattainable dream. This is what the struggle between Soviet Jews and the Soviet authorities for the right of repatriation in the […]
Eugene Ionesco: Rhinoceroses Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion
Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi is a filmed stage show about the friendship and mutual support between Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and African-American singer Nina Simone. Starring Josh Young as Carlebach and Nya as Simone, the musical will be shown in more than 600 theatres across the country at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, including selected AMC’s and Regal Theatres in San Diego County. [Donald H. Harrison]
MGSDII operates parallel programs, with different professors, at San Diego State University, Cal State University San Marcos, and the University of San Diego. One year, an Israeli professor taught at Cal Western Law School. Cumulatively, the universities in San Diego County host the largest ongoing Israel Studies program in the United States, having attracted through the 2022-2023 academic year 43 visiting professors from Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]
Program Builds Connections Between Israeli Academics and Local Universities Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA
By Jerry Klinger BOYNTON BEACH, Florida — Every Julius Rosenwald marker has a backstory. The Rosenwald marker story in Boynton Beach had a shocking twist. The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation (JASHP) recently donated and dedicated with its partners, the Boynton Beach Historical Society and the Boynton Beach Historic Resources Preservation Board, its newest
The Rosenwald Schools in Palm Beach County: Keeping Open the Door of Freedom Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
This large format book for elementary school-aged children is about Luis de Torres, who was the interpreter for Christopher Columbus on his 1492 voyage of discovery. Some of the story is true, as best as historians can tell; more of the story comes from the rich imagination of authorTami Lehman-Wilzig. Overall, it should be considered a work of historical fiction, rather than history. [Donald H. Harrison]
An Imaginative Tale About the First Jew to Set Foot in the New World Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
Spielberg established the Shoah Foundation, which is headquarters in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, after making the impactful Holocaust movie Schindler’s List. UC San Diego’s former head librarian Brian Schottlaender, consulting with History Prof. Deborah Hertz, decided during the 2006-2007 academic year to lease the database and to make it available for free to anyone on campus. [Donald H. Harrison]
Workshop Highlights Holocaust Experiences and Research Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Technology, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Barry Schneider, a past commander of the Jewish War Veterans, and Combat Antisemitism Movement Adam Beren were among speakers at the Oklahoma State House on Monday when Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a declaration declaring that every May henceforth will be designated Jewish American Heritage Month in Oklahoma. In Virginia, meanwhile, Gov. Glenn Youngkin also declared May to be Jewish American Heritage Month in his state and also signed a declaration adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. [Donald H. Harrison]
Deborah Hertz, a UC San Diego historian who holds the Herman Wouk Chair in Modern Jewish Studies, has focused in her career on Jewish women who broke free of the bonds of “daughter, wife, and mother” and made their marks in a variety of fields. [Donald H. Harrison]
Prof. Deborah Hertz Researches Liberated Jewish Women Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Jerry Klinger The BBC called Jack Nissenthall “The VC (Victoria Cross) Hero Who Never Was.” Eighty years on from the 1942 British raid on Nazi coastal facilities and radar installations in Dieppe, Nissenthall’s extraordinary, courageous actions remain hidden by the British Secrecy Acts. What he did, what he learned, what he saw, remain British
Long-Overdue Recognition for British-Jewish War Hero Jack Nissenthall Read More »
International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, OpinionBy Alex Gordon HAIFA, Israel — In the Middle East, the Jews defeated a superior enemy force in six days. In Europe, a Jew could only hold the head of state for six days. A 25-year-old poet, a Jew by nationality, was president of a European country for six days. The rule of philosopher kings
Ernst Toller: The Six-Day President Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Jewish History, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — While sorting through and getting rid of books in order to accommodate a new item of furniture I came across “The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait,” which I had given to my father for his birthday in 1965. It still bears my dedication, “To Daddy, with love,” reminding me
Revisiting the the Rothschilds Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish HistoryBy a margin of 8-1, the San Diego City Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would require landlords to provide two to three months rent money to blameless tenants whom they have evicted. Seniors would receive a greater allowance under the proposal. Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, who proposed the ordinance that will come up for a final vote May 16, commented: “San Diegans who are paying their rent and abiding by their lease should not live in fear of eviction. Sadly, too often, San Diego renters are being evicted despite the rules. These evictions cause massive financial and emotional distress to families and can lead to displacement and put people at risk of homelessness. This ordinance provides the protections that San Diego renters need and deserve.” Councilwoman Dr. Jen Campbell was the lone vote against the measure, saying she was following the wishes of many constituents to whom she had spoken in her 2nd Council District. [Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, in a newsletter to constituents, provided this background for introducing a proposed ordinance to protect renters that will be heard next week: “Imagine being at home with your family and opening the mail to find that you’ll need to move. You’ve always paid your rent on time and there are no accusations that you’ve broken a term of your lease. Nonetheless, you are being evicted and need to find a new place to live. Imagine the stress of breaking the news to your family coupled with the stress of trying to find a home you can afford when rental prices have skyrocketed to an average of over $3,000 per month for a modest two-bedroom apartment. Would you be able to afford to continue to live in San Diego?” [Donald H. Harrison]
The Jewish Eye: Renters Relief, Legislative Caucus, Antisemitism, Yom HaZikaron Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County
The construction of Dodger Stadium at Chavez Ravine was controversial – so much so that it tore at a traditional alliance between the Mexican-American community and the Jewish community who, between the two World Wars, lived side by side the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights.. [Donald H. Harrison]