Jewish Religion

‘Developing a Torah Personality’ may challenge you

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky is spiritual leader of Beth Jacob Congregation, the oldest Orthodox Jewish institution in San Diego County.  In this book of “insights, anecdotes and wisdom for life,” he views an everyday scene or occurrence, relates it to Torah, and then expands upon the theme in seven thought-provoking chapters, respectively labeled: “time,” “habits,” “attitude,” “chesed,” “money,” “community,” and “growth.”
 Whoever reads this book is likely to find information and opinions of direct relevance to his or her life, and perhaps find within its pages a challenge to previously held beliefs.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Rabbis question whether Jacob ‘died’

Rashi tells us on the pasuk, “And Jacob concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought in to his people,” from Ta’anith 5b, “But no mention is made of death and this regard, our Rabbis of blessed memory said, Our father Jacob did not die.” What? Did NOT die? But he was buried! Was he still really alive? [Michael Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Setbacks may be G-d’s way to prepare your success

You’ve heard it many times, “Man plans, G-d laughs.” Or perhaps, like me, you’ve heard this version, “Mentsch tracht, Gott lacht.” I like “Man thinks, G-d Winks.” Regardless, like all of us who prefer to live without being mutchet or tcheppeht, (pressured or bothered), Jacob found that life has its challenges and disappointments. Just when we think all is well in our family, in our career, in our lives, G-d shows us He has another lesson for us to learn. It seems the only thing predictable about life is how unpredictable it can be. [Michael Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Holiday display honors Chabad shooting victims

Tom and Debbie Farley have behind their home in neighboring Poway a 78-foot high pole that during the Christmas season becomes the trunk of a Christmas display of lights.  This year, the lights are blue, teal, and white – the colors of Chanukah in tribute to Poway of Chabad, which last Passover suffered a gunman’s murderous attack that took the life of Lori Gilbert-Kaye, and wounded Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Noya Dahan, 8, and her uncle Almog Peretz. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Chanukah story does not criticize Greeks

Many people are mistakenly convinced that the Jewish holiday of Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Jewish religion over Hellenism and that the enemy was Greece. Neither supposed fact is true. The Jews in Judea, Egypt and other countries of the diaspora had a longstanding favorable relationship with the Greeks and Hellenism well before and long after the incidents that prompted the rebellion of Judah Maccabee, his father and brothers in 168 BCE. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Work begins on USNS Harvey Milk

The slain San Francisco County Supervisor Harvey Milk (1930-1978) is celebrated as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.  Besides being gay, he also was Jewish.  Both communities can take pride in the United States Navy deciding to name after him a new fleet oiler that is being built at General Dynamics NASSCO here in San Diego. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Ken Stone, San Diego County

With whom and why did Jacob wrestle?

The text strongly suggests, and most commentators assert, that this man is an angel. That being the case, the YalKut Shimoni asks a seemingly important question: why? If Jacob is our Patriarch, God’s choice to inherit the covenant and be one of the founding fathers of Judaism, why would Jacob need to fight a divine being? The Yalkut Shimoni provides two complementary, albeit very different answers to that question. {Rabbi Joshua Dorsch]

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Jewish Religion

A ‘Chanukah’ Party at the White House

I was given the high honor of being invited to this year’s Chanukah party at the White House. When a dear friend asked if I wanted to go I jumped at the chance. Why? It was not to see the holiday decorations (which made me feel as though I was in a winter wonderland), sample the lavish strictly kosher buffet (all I had was a couple of glasses of water), hear the Marine Corps band play Klezmer music (now THAT was otherworldly), see the historic displays of chinaware, meet the members of various branches of the armed services in their full dress regalia, or even to get the chance to meet the President, First Lady, Vice President, or other elected officials or dignitaries. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, USA, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Nuanced reactions to Trump’s EO on anti-Semitism

In the midst of partisan debate over President Donald Trump’s possible impeachment, and a day after a kosher market in Jersey City was the scene of a mass shooting, there is a lot of rhetoric going around about Trump’s decision to sign an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA’s) working definition of anti-Semitism and to apply it to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Why we should honor Jacob’s example

Thank you, Jacob. For what, you may well ask. For teaching us the value of never missing an opportunity in life to do good, to say a kind word, to recognize that the present is all we have. Jacob, in a simple act, showed us to avoid the “someday” mindset, and instead shows us how important it is to never overlook the now, especially when it comes to offering a kind word, or a gift of kindness to another. [Michael Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

On bribes, rape, and wrestling with angels

This parasha tells the story of Jacob’s entourage returning back to Canaan from Haran; Jacob’s fear for, and the subsequent encounter with Esau; the rape of Dinah and its violent sequelae; the death of Rachel in childbirth; and finally the genealogy of Esau’s progeny. Three passages caught my attention, to explore for analogous comparison with other ancient nations. [Irv Jacobs, MD]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

On the approaching night of shared candles

A benevolent calendar coincidence, occurring every few years, will bring us on Dec. 24 to the shared lighting of solstice calendars by both Christians and Jews. The solar and lunar calendar cycles have intertwined, and so this Christmas Eve will coincide with the third night of Hanukkah, 5780. The circumstances should work to everyone’s advantage on Earth and must be pleasing to the heavens. [Rabbi Ben Kamin]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, USA

Morality lessons in the daily news

When reading the San Diego Union-Tribune, there are times that I feel I am benefiting from more than the news.  The newspaper also reinforces some fundamental concepts of good behavior and dare I say it? – morality – in its coverage. Let me work from the back sections to the front to explain what I mean. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, USA