Jewish History

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Haym Salomon

He became an agent for the French consul and paymaster for the French forces in North America, who had joined the Americans in fighting the British. In 1781, he worked extensively with Robert Morris, superintendent for Finance in the Thirteen Colonies. The money he raised helped George Washington pay the troops in advance of, during, and after the Siege of Yorktown, the final battle of the Revolution. [SDJW staff]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Deconstructing the Myths of King Solomon

Solomon is credited for discovering the true mother of a baby simply because one of the two disputing prostitutes agreed to give up the child when Solomon foolishly said he would slice the child in two and give each a half. Rational thinkers and legal experts recognize this was Solomon’s unintelligent decision. Her act proves nothing. She may not have been the mother,
but she agreed to give up the child to the true mother simply because she did not want to carry her farce to the end, where the child was murdered. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Isaac Mayer Wise

In 1875, his dream of opening Hebrew Union College to train rabbis was realized, with Wise serving as its president. In 1883, non-kosher food was served at what became known derisively as the “Trefa Banquet” for the first graduating class, which Wise declined to condemn. This incident led to the formation of the Conservative movement, which positioned itself as more liberal than Orthodox Judaism, but conserving some traditions. [SDJW staff]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman Dies at 90

“We are players in a game we don’t understand. Most of our own thinking is below awareness. “Our biases frequently cause us to want the wrong things. Our perceptions and memories are slippery, especially about our own mental states. Our free will is bounded. We have much less control over ourselves than we thought.” (Press Release)

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Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Joe Lieberman, first Jewish candidate to seek US vice presidency, dies

Published by AFP Washington (AFP) – Joe Lieberman, who made history as the first Jewish vice presidential candidate for a major US party and lately returned to the spotlight as a leader of a push for a third candidate in the 2024 election, died Wednesday, US media reports said. Lieberman died in New York City

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Jewish History, Nordot, Obituaries & memorials, USA

A Word From Your Federation: Empowered Jewish Women: Leading the Way with Compassion and Collective Impact

As we near the end of Women’s History Month, I want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable contributions of Jewish women to our community. For nearly 90 years, Jewish Federation of San Diego has been a beacon of hope, a force for good, and a pillar of support for the Jewish community – both locally and across the globe. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Heidi Gantwerk, International, Israel, Jewish History, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Steven Spielberg: ‘The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate’

Published by Euronews (English) “The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate.” Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg said these words at a ceremony to honour the USC Shoah Foundation – a non-profit organisation he founded 30 years ago, which documents interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust. The 77-year-old director of Schindler’s List

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Viktor Frankl

Shortly after the Holocaust, during which Frankl survived four concentration camps, he wrote Man’s Search for Meaning.  It became an international best seller after it was published in English.  The Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club on the basis of a 1991 survey said it was one of the ten most influential books in the United States.  [SDJW staff]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday

Jewish Biography: Leon Blum, Natural Socialist

Reflecting on the Dreyfus affair, on the aggression of the anti-Dreyfusards, Blum puzzledly asked: “What drove them to do this? What drove them? Even today, 35 years later, when I reflect on the past with a mature, cold rationality, it seems to me that I still do not have some of the elements of an answer to this question.” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors