Jewish Religion

‘Intentional Jewish communities’ incubator wins award

“Intentional Jewish communities” are groups of Jews who not only want to worship and learn together, but who also want to live in close proximity to each other, fostering a sense of shared destiny similar to that found on the kibbutzim of Israel.  There is at least one such group in San Diego known as the Urban Kibbutz. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

‘Intentional Jewish communities’ incubator wins award Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Amulets, Coronavirus, & Election Day in Israel

Whenever Election Day comes to Israel, you can always count upon the Haredi political parties to boost voter turnout in their cities. The religious politicians will often offer amulets and blessings to ensure their people will be blessed. This year, in particular, some of the Shas and United Torah Judaism political parties handed out amulets with prayers and excerpts from the Jewish liturgy, promising that their reelection would guarantee that the coronavirus would not affect the voters’ families. {Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

Amulets, Coronavirus, & Election Day in Israel Read More »

Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East

Sounding Alarms Through the Centuries

Most of us have been glued to our television sets watching protesters marching on our streets and around the world. They are  responding to the murder of George Floyd.  In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Riots are the language of the unheard.” [Vocal and story by Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]

Sounding Alarms Through the Centuries Read More »

Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Zoom! Zoom! You’re the Sisterhood President

The installing officer was at home in Florida.  The incoming president was in Oregon.  And the other members of the outgoing and incoming boards of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood were right here in San Diego.  Welcome to what the Sisterhood members called their very first “Zoomstallation.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Zoom! Zoom! You’re the Sisterhood President Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Judaism, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

May Orthodox Judaism have female rabbis?

Rabbi Dr. Sperber quotes his speech during the ordination of female rabbis. “A relatively short time ago such an occasion within an Orthodox setting would have seemed to be impossible, almost hallucinatory. Yet what was so recently a dream has now become a reality. Yet what was once implausible has now become almost a norm, at least within a certain segment of the modern Orthodox community.” He notes that some Orthodox leaders refuse to accept the change, “But this is to be expected, and indeed understandable, given the traditionalist inability to recognize the dynamic nature of halachah. For they are grounded in dogmatism, while we strive after dynamism.” [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

May Orthodox Judaism have female rabbis? Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Oy vey, Columbus

Here is a 2018 story that appeared in The Times of Israel speculating that Christopher Columbus might have been a hidden Jew, forced to conceal his true identity because the year that he set sail on the voyage in which he would discover America–1492–was the same year that Jews were given a brutal choice by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain: Either convert to Christianity or be expelled from the country. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Oy vey, Columbus Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, USA

BLM’s anti-Semitism must be addressed

On May 30th, 2020, the nation witnessed a spectacle that was reminiscent of the time Hitler and his brownshirts seized power in Germany. As my fellow writer, Bruce S. Ticker observed in his penetrating article, “Rioting in Los Angeles was an anti-Jewish pogrom” for San Diego Jewish World, “The Jews of the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles were exposed to a modern, American-style pogrom on May 30 that should enrage us all. Not only were Jewish businesses sacked but five synagogues and three Jewish schools were reportedly vandalized in George Floyd’s name by thugs.” Ticker drew inspiration from Daniel Greenfield, who wrote on his blog, “One small business owner described a ‘Late Saturday night with people driving down the Fairfax district streets screaming effing Jews.’” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

BLM’s anti-Semitism must be addressed Read More »

Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA

Interfaith service condemns violence, lauds peaceful protest

In front of an outdoor menorah at Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, seven Christian ministers joined host Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel in an interfaith service Wednesday that condemned the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police, and extolled the teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the importance of keeping protests non-violent. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Interfaith service condemns violence, lauds peaceful protest Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, USA

When Israelites thought their souls were ‘dried out’

Oy! There’s a lot of whining in this week’s Torah portion, B’halot’cha. Come to think of it, it appears to be the basis of one of my mother’s oft-repeated sayings, “Keep complaining and I’ll really give you something to complain about.” Seems the Israelites grew tired of their repetitious diet of manna, pining for fish and other foods they ate “for free” as slaves in Egypt. Were they pining for the good old days of slavery? Our sages question whether the Egyptian taskmasters really gave the Israelites fish “for free” and suggest that the “freedom” that they are recalling in Egypt was actually a freedom from morality and responsibility (Midrash Sifrei 11:6). [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

When Israelites thought their souls were ‘dried out’ Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Jewish groups honor Muslim World League secretary general

In an international Zoomcast Tuesday, the secretary general of the Muslim World League invoked the shootings at Chabad of Poway and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, along with other attacks on worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand; Sri Lanka, Monsey, New York, and Halle, Germany, to call for world unity in fighting “the forces of hatred and intolerance.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Jewish groups honor Muslim World League secretary general Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA