Judaism

Israeli Election Primer: The Players, the Stakes, the Issues

An ideologically diverse coalition of parties led by the centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid opposes Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc. Lapid cobbled together this “change coalition” after the last election in March 2021. It incorporated all of the left and center parties, multiple right-wing parties, and, for the first time in Israeli history, an Arab party. These parties had only one goal in common: end Netanyahu’s 12 years in power. [Nikolai Schweber]

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Israel, Jewish History

Parashat Noach: Seeking Out Righteousness Over Arrogance

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In the whole of the Torah, there are only six portions that are named after an individual. Don’t look for parasha Avraham or Moshe. But we do have the Noach Ish Tzaddik Tamim Hayah BeDorotav the wholehearted, righteous man, “perfect in his generation.” Yes, there are of course

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Story Book Interprets the Jonah Tale for Children

In Stein’s version of the story, illustrated by Sabina Hahn, Jonah is a teacher, whose class of elementary school students meets under a tree.  He told the children stories, brought them snacks of figs and raisins, and gently reproved naughty behavior.  He was such a good teacher that God decided he would be ideal for teaching the people of Nineveh {Mosul, in modern-day Iraq) that they must change their evil ways. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

A Non-Traditional Interpretation of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — There are many widely different interpretations of the biblical book Ecclesiastes, Kohelet in Hebrew. Here is another one. A non-traditional one. It sees the book telling readers how they should behave. The name The root kahal in Hebrew means “assembly.” The Latin Ecclesiastes has the same

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Parashat Bereishit: Beginning Anew With the Right Mindset

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — With Bereishit We Begin Learning Torah… With our holiday season behind us, we begin anew by recounting the Seven Days of Creation, reading the story of the very first Shabbat – Hashem’s Shabbat. This experience with the right mindset, brings a deep sense of gratitude, comfort, awe,

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Will ‘Jewish Women in Time and Torah’ Stimulate Change in the Orthodox World?

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Urim Publications and Ktav Publishing in Jerusalem and New York have just republished Jewish Women in Time and Torah. It focuses on three periods of time in how Judaism treated women: (1) The early period of more than a thousand years until around the beginning of

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

Largest-of-its-Kind ‘Tree of Life’ to be Dedicated in Ma’ale Adumim

(JNS) On Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. at the beautiful, lakeside Shamir Park located in Ma’ale Adumim, a growing city outside of nearby Jerusalem, the district’s newest tourist and interpretive cultural attraction, the “Tree of Life,” will be dedicated by Mayor Benny Kashriel. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and share in the

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Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Hitler’s Portrait and a Response to Antisemitism

Some of you may have heard about an incident at Carmel Valley Middle School, where a teacher there had on display, among several pictures of other historical figures, a photo of Adolph Hitler. When confronted by a student who protested, the teacher responded that while Hitler did some bad things he also displayed strong leadership qualities. Parents and community members were rightfully very concerned and expressed that concern to school district leaders. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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California, Heidi Gantwerk, Holocaust, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A Journal to Prompt Children to Express Themselves

Here is a journal encouraging children between the ages of 7 and 13 to read, think, and write about everyday secular and Jewish topics.  Because it will encourage their children’s self-expression, parents may find this an ideal gift for one of the days of Chanukah. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles

Lecturer to Discuss Holocaust Poetry Oct. 22

UC San Diego Literature Prof. Amelia Glaser, who has specialized in Jewish studies, will lecture on “Babyn Yar in Contemporary Ukrainian Poetry” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, at Temple Emanu-El, 6299 Capri Drive, San Diego.  The lecture focuses on the Nazi execution of 33,771 Jews at a ravine Sept. 29-30, 1941, and the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s memorial poem written 20 years later. [Temple Emanu-El News Release]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History

A San Diego Rabbi’s Incisive Analysis of the Book of Numbers

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Maimonides’ Hidden Torah Commentary: Numbers is the latest of the many brilliant, learned, eye-opening, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand books by the brilliant scholar Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel. It is another one of his excellent contributions to scholarship. San Diego County’s own Rabbi Samuel — currently the

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Sefaria Unveils First-Ever Digital English Translation of ‘Mishneh Torah’ Interconnected With Other Jewish Texts

(Press Release) For the first time ever, learners can experience a full digital, English translation of the Mishneh Torah interconnected with other Jewish texts, thanks to Sefaria, a non-profit organization that digitizes and freely shares Jewish texts in Hebrew and in translation. The Mishneh Torah, authored by Rambam (Maimonides) in the Medieval era, consists of

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Jewish Religion, USA