Judaism

Rhinerson Touts SDCCD’s Entrepreneurship Program

Rhinerson, who has a long background in public relations and governmental advocacy (lobbying),  also is a board member of the national Association of Community College Trustees, a networking and lobbying group that trades ideas among members and with legislators.  But Rhinerson’s reach even goes beyond that.  While most San Diegans will be asleep at 1:30 a.m. PST Saturday, Dec. 19, he will be on a Zoom Conference call addressing an international conference sponsored by Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, on entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in literature and communication. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Ivanka Trump Shares Rare Family Photo Celebrating Chanukah With Kids Arabella, Joseph & Theodore Kushner

Earlier this week, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner posed with their three children, Arabella, Joseph and Theodore to celebrate Chanukah. “Happy Chanukah from our family to yours! #HappyChanukah,” wrote the first daughter in an Instagram post. Trump is serving looks in a power business suit while Kushner is in a black sweater. The kids appear to be wearing pajamas

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Jewish Religion, USA

Editor’s surgery postponed; SDJW will continue publication

As previously reported, I had been scheduled for brain surgery on Dec. 18, but on the recommendation of an anesthesiologist at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Diego, the surgery will be delayed for four to six weeks.  The anesthesiologist was troubled by an X-Ray showing a spot on my lower lung that suggested the possibility of pneumonia. My neurosurgeon informed me today any problem in the lungs can cause serious difficulties during an estimated six-hour surgery in which it’s necessary to insert a  breathing tube will be inserted. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Comparing Torah (Mikkets) with Ancient Practices

This essay covers: dream interpretations in ancient societies; search of ancient stories of seven good, then bad years; ancient evidence of an outsider rising to ‘vizier’ in Egypt; extensive famines.  I have chosen three passage groups, for comparison, via the Internet, with writings attributed to ancient Israel’s neighbors.  [Irv. Jacobs, MD]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Jen Campbell solidifies her City Council control

City Council President Dr. Jennifer Campbell solidified her control over City Council business by appointing herself and the four councilmembers who supported her for president against Councilwoman Monica Montgomery Steppe to key committee positions. The five councilmembers who voted for her now are the exact same membership of the Rules Committee, which according to the City of San Diego’s website, has responsibility for the “charter, permanent rules of council, open government, elections and ballot measures, annexations, boards and commissions, council initiated matters, communications, customer service and public outreach.” Besides Campbell, who will chair the committee, other members include Raul Campillo, Stephen Whitburn, Marni von Wilpert, and Chris Cate. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Jewish History in China Stretches Back More Than A Millennium

Some letters written in Hebrew dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) were found in the province of Shinjiang on the ancient Silk Road. This was the route that Jewish merchants from the Middle East traveled to China. According to records, a large group of Jewish people traveled on Persian merchant ships and arrived in China in the year 998 (Northern Song Dynasty 960-1127). They then traveled through the city of Quanzhou and then Yangzhou and finally settled in the capital of Henan called Kaifeng.  In the city of Quanzhou (Fujian province), there are tombstones showing the Hebrew names supporting this record. In KaiFeng, they stayed in a district called Heshuen (Peace and Harmony) and the people at that time called the Jewish people “Blue Cap Hui Hui.”   [Li-Rong Cheng, Ph.D]

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Florida Celebrates Israel on a License Plate

Only yesterday I published a column about the joy of collecting photos of automobile license plates.  Today, to my pleasant surprise, I received a notice that the State of Florida has issued a specialty plate with the legend “Florida Stands With Israel.”   A sample of the plate may be seen above. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Torah for Children: Family Is Important

In Parshah Mitketz, the story of Josef continues. Pharaoh has two frightening dreams. In the first dream, there are seven healthy cows grazing in a lush field, followed by seven skinny, starving cows. The skinny cows eat the healthy ones. In his second dream, there are seven healthy stalks of grain followed by seven skinny ugly ones. The skinny grain eats the healthy ones. Pharaoh searches for someone to interpret his dreams. [Marcia Berneger]

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Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger

The Gift of a Poem for Chanukah

In the early ‘90’s we moved into an old-new home in Efrat, up the street from where we had rented since 1985. The size of the house was unpretentious, and our renovations were modest, but it put a strain on our finances. Among my splurges were wall-to-wall carpeting in the children’s bedrooms (rare in Israel) and – my dream since childhood — a beautiful bay window. Chanukah was drawing near. Both general and religious elementary and high school education in Israel are, theoretically, free, but most schools ask parents to pay additional fees to upgrade what the school can offer, such as smaller classes, additional courses (in addition to the usual books, supplies, bought by parents), and so on, and we were big believers in after-school art, drama, dance and sports classes, so with six kids, and a few already in (non-free) high schools, money was tight, and that was with my husband teaching the equivalent of a job and a half, and me teaching part time, writing a bit, and working at various creative – but not very lucrative — projects. In short, we could not come up with a plan for Chanukah gifts, without plunging us into high-interest overdraft. And then it came to me. A poem. [Toby Klein Greenwald]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, Toby Klein Greenwald

Recyling Chanukah Cards

My wife and I may have set a new Contra Costa County U.S. mail record. We sent 55 Hanukkah cards with real postage stamps to friends, relatives, and acquaintances. It was more fun than instant email cards. But it gets rarer than that, which is why it may make the record unbreakable for a while. All the cards were recycled from previous years. [Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If you don’t believe this is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” take it up with Jewish composers, Eddie Pola and George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman), who wrote the words and music to that hit song in 1963. For many, it’s hard to see just what’s so wonderful about this time of the year. For Joseph, as we read in this week’s parasha, what may have looked like the worst time, would be quite a turnabout. We are reminded of this each year during Chanukah through Mikeitz. The worst time we face, may just be the most wonderful time. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Hanukah does not disparage Greek culture

Many people are mistakenly convinced that the Jewish holiday of Hanukah 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