By Jenn Lindsay VATICAN CITY — We were on our way to meet Pope Francis. We—the participants in the 50th anniversary meeting of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies—departed together from the Urbaniana campus and rode an escalator cut inside the Janiculum Hill that dumped us out in front of the colonnades of Saint […]
The Pope and ‘the Jewess’ Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, The World We ShareBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — At this moment in the Hebrew cycle of Torah readings, the narrative of the Ten Commandments is front and center: in synagogues all over the world, “The Revelation” will be chanted from the Torah scroll and many people will actually stand up during the interlude when the Ten
Which Command of the Ten is most important? Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, formerly Rav of Cong. Zera Avraham of Denver and currently a prominent Rav in Baltimore, attended a meeting of a number of charity organizations in Baltimore. The meeting was hosted in the home of a member of the community. The committee was discussing the best
Why the rabbi did not eat Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — One of my favorite “bits” from the Pixar movie Up is that no matter how serious the situation, the dogs were distracted by the appearance of a squirrel. (If you don’t understand what I am talking about, you need to see the film!) I think I like this “bit”
For holy work, prepare and concentrate Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Some trees at Mission Trails Regional Park received hugs and a special birthday song on Wednesday, February 4, from elementary school-aged Hebrew School pupils studying with Chabad of East County. The occasion was Tu B’Shevat, also known as the birthday of the trees. Normally, students at the Chabad school, taught by
Happy birthday you tree, here’s a hug! Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (TAZPIT)–In honor of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish holiday that marks the beginning of the new year for trees, youth volunteering with Leket Israel, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, picked excess fruit remaining on trees in people’s private gardens to give to the poor. Over 1,000 children and teens from across Israel including kibbutzim
1,000 children pick fruit, celebrate Tu B’Shevat Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
By Alex Brummer AUSCHWITZ, Poland (WJC) — Wrapped in narrow striped blue and white scarves the survivors some ancient and frail, others upright, chests forward and proudly strong made their way out through the gate of death into the dark the snowflakes falling. They made the trudge through the crisp snow, in path dug alongside the
Auschwitz rite honors victims, reminds Europe Read More »
International, Jewish ReligionBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Rori Shay’s first book, Elected is a Young Adult (YA) genre sci-fi/cli-fi hybrid novel, part of a projected trilogy she is writing, and it’s being followed up with a second book, Suspected, due out this month. In a recent interview with San Diego Jewish World, debut novelist Shay, 36, was kind
The Passover seder and climate change questions Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy David Strom SAN DIEGO–Forty Years in the Wilderness: My Journey to Authentic Living by Yiscah Smith is an amazing memoir of a woman trapped in a man’s body. For most of Yiscah’s life, she lived a lie. She lied to her parents and siblings; to her wife and children; to her friends and workmates; to
Judaism and mistaken gender identity Read More »
Jewish ReligionSpark Ignited: The Difficult Journey to Orthodox Judaism, The Process and the Perils by Michaela Lawson with Ashirah Yosefah, Menorah Books, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-0-98915-205-1 ©2013, $22.95, p. 164, plus glossary Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Michaela Lawson, author of Spark Ignited with Ashirah Yosefah, is quite clear: religious conversion of any type, particularly the
Jew by choice tells of her emotional journey Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (Press Release) –The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has welcomed a decision by the Church of England to launch a formal investigation into online comments by the Rev. Stephen Sizer, who posted a link on Facebook to an article titled, “9-11 Israel did it.” Rev. Sizer, vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water, was previously the subject
Church of England to investigate priest’s postings Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, USABy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal (Eulogy delivered Jan 28 at El Camino Memorial Park, San Diego) SAN DIEGO — One of the editors of the Book of Proverbs has preserved for us a striking metaphor which conveys to us a profound insight into the purpose of life. He tells us: Ner hashem nishmat adam. “The soul of
Rene Holland Borkan (1922-2015) Read More »
Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal (Delivered Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015 at Greenwood Cemetery, San Diego) SAN DIEGO — When we confront the death of a loved one, we become conscious of time’s steady flow, and we plead, as did the psalmist of old, Limnot yameinu kne hoday, v’navi l’vav chochma. “Teach us to number our days,”
Pauline Bell Newman (1917-2015) Read More »
Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — During our study of Shabbat, my Judaism 101 students read a selection from The Sabbath: Its Meaning for the Modern Man by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Rabbi Heschel, a social activist as well as scholar, was critical of the accumulation of material wealth. The Sabbath is, he wrote, “a
Business ethics important to Judaism Read More »
Jewish Religion