By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The prayer space within the Tifereth Israel Synagogue sanctuary that the late Rabbi Dr. Aaron Gold helped to design and where he spent much of his life leading prayer services, now has two new names. One is Ohel Aharon, or the Tent of Aaron; the other is “The […]
Tifereth Israel prayer space named for Aaron Gold Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyMichael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Here’s a wonderful poem I recently came across by David Leonhardt, a writer who writes about friendship. Choose friends wisely, the portrait they paint Is who you are and who you ain’t. Friendship is life’s great support When friends are of the right sort. For all your dreams do
Who’s your best friend? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Travel and FoodBy Beth Sarafraz BROOKLYN, New York — On a Sunday morning, June 22, 1941, the Nazis invaded Lithuania. The gentile population was ecstatic to hear the news and, after church services that day, celebrated Hitler’s troops goose-stepping over the border into their country. Each town and village greeted the Nazis with bouquets of flowers as
Rabbi makes a deal with God, survives the Holocaust Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Humor columnist Mark D. Zimmerman, who authors the Jewish Trivia Quiz that normally appears weekly on San Diego Jewish World, is offering a free, humorous Haggadah supplement for readers to download on their electronic devices, and then print out if desired. Titled Rashi, Rambam and Haggadah-Lamadingdong, this Hagaddah
Free Pesach trivia questions enhance seders Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman
JERUSALEM (Press Release)– As Passover cleaning has already begun in many houses across Israel, United Hatzalah is taking the opportunity to send out a public service announcement with health and safety tips regarding the holiday covering everything from cleaning to hiking. As in previous years, due to the high volume of emergency calls received by
United Hatzalah issues safety tips for Pesach Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
This is the first in a series of stories developed by editor Donald H. Harrison during his January 1-March 1 hiatus in which he collected stories in ports and at sea aboard the MS Maasdam on a cruise from Sydney, Australia, back to San Diego. Articles in this series normally will run on Thursdays
A great storyteller in the Great Synagogue Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and FoodBy Michael Mantell, Ph.D SAN DIEGO — What lesson have we not learned from one of the most basic principles in Judaism, “Love your fellow Jew as yourself”? It’s preached on pulpit after pulpit, regardless of the sex of the rabbi, the color of the rabbi’s tallit, whether the rabbi wears a kippah or not,
‘Derech Eretz’: The way Jews can come together Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Travel and FoodBy Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — The tenth anniversary of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices was ushered in with an impressive line-up of featured poets. The January 23 program in the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC opened with Chris Baron, Professor of English at San Diego City College. His book of poems, Under
Jewish poets read their works at Lawrence Family JCC Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
The Rabbinate in Stormy Days by Shaul Mayzlish; Gefen Publishing House By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — As a Masorti (Conservative) Jew living in Israel, there’s a lot to be learned from this history of the modern State of Israel’s first chief rabbi, Yitzhak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, who of course was deeply religious. The Chief
Moadim Perspectives: Chanukah – Purim, by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Rabbi Dr. Solomon Breuer, and Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer, Feldheim Publishers, New York, © 2018, ISBN 978-1-68025-072-5, p. 241, $22.95 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – Moadim Perspectives: Chanukah – Purim is the third in a series of books on Jewish holidays by the Rabbi
A scholarly family writes of Chanukah, Purim Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, International, Jewish History, Jewish ReligionEFRAT, Israel — Two years ago, Rabbi Gideon Osher Shmueli donated a kidney to a stranger, saving that individual’s life. These days, he works at Magen David Yeshivah in Brooklyn, N.Y., teaching Hebrew and bringing with that teaching the culture and values of Judaism and eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel. To him, teaching about Judaism
Orthodox network sends emissaries to San Diego Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Rabbi Chaim Hollander, spiritual leader of Young Israel of San Diego, proclaims, “We can never be satisfied with our accomplishments and rest on our laurels. We must constantly strive to move forward.” When in 1988 three families in the Del Cerro – San Carlos neighborhoods of San
‘Super Tuesday’ raises $30,000 for Young Israel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, San Diego CountyThe Great Shift: Encountering God In Biblical Times by James L. Kugel, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, © 2017, ISBN 978-0-544-52055-4, p. 344, plus notes and appendices, $30 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – In the mid-nineteenth century Charles Darwin proposed that any species unable to adapt to its dynamic environment is doomed to extinction.
‘The Great Shift’ tells of different viewpoints on God Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion
By Beth Sarafraz Reprinted from the Jewish Press, Dec. 15, 2017 issue BROOKLYN, New York — More than 30 years ago, I went to the Synagogue of Deal in New Jersey to interview Rabbi Yitzchak Dwek for a newspaper story. Rabbi Dwek ended up interviewing me: Are you Jewish? Sure. Want to come to my
Interviewee turned the tables–and a life Read More »
Jewish Religion, USA