Judaism

Anti-Semitism and psychiatry

One of the distinct pleasures I’ve found that serving as a contributing author for San Diego Jewish World brings, is the opportunity to review material related to psychology and mental health. When I was asked to review Anti-Semitism and Psychiatry edited by H. Steven Moffic, John R. Peteet, Ahmed Hankir and Mary V. Seeman and published by Springer this year, I welcomed the prospect. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education

Congress members demand swastika removal from VA cemeteries

House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Ranking Member John Carter (R-TX), and full House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX), today sent a bipartisan request to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie urging that all gravestones inscribed with swastikas and messages honoring Hitler be removed from military cemeteries. [Press release from the House Appropriations Committee]

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International, Jewish History, USA

Donald Trump, Henry Ford, and ‘Bloodlines’

President Trump’s recent remark about Henry Ford’s “good bloodlines” has aroused curiosity and controversy. Trump actually is not the first president to subscribe to the discredited notion that there is such a thing as “good” blood and “bad” blood. But you have to go back nearly a century to find another American head of state who openly embraced such notions. [Rafael Medoff, Ph.D]

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International, Jewish History, USA

A tune for Memorial Day? ‘Here’s One,” in fact, four

One of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was organized by a group of freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, after the Civil War, less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered. So it is fitting that, in honor of Memorial Day, I write about my sister Zina Schiff’s 1994 4-Tay CD, Here’s One” featuring works by American composers, including “The Deserted Garden,” by African-American composer Florence Price. Inspired by African-American spirituals, the simple beauty of “The Deserted Garden” reflects the somber longing for lost loved ones. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Zooming through Jerusalem’s religious sites

Traditionally, the Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year for travelers, but not so in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.  However, technology, in the form of a Zoom meeting, whisked me on Sunday, May 24, from my home in San Diego and on to a tri-religious journey to Jerusalem, under the auspices of the America Israel Friendship League (AIFL). [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USA

Anne Frank sculpture draws thanks from President Rivlin

Outside of the Jerusalem bedroom city of Ma’aleh Adumin, on the main road adjacent to a school, is a huge new bronze sculpture themed on Anne Frank. It was placed just last week.  The sculpture was funded by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. It is the artistic creation of Sam Philipe, the noted Israeli sculptor.  It is not interpretive; It is not abstract; That was a condition of funding.  It is real. [Jerry Klinger]

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International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Middle East

San Diegan Carla Berg performs in concert Sunday

In the video above, Carla Sitton Berg and her daughter Liora Sitton Berg of San Diego perform a mother-daughter duet urging us “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”  Carla, wife of  Geoffrey Berg, a board officer of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, will be among artists presenting a free online concert Sunday at 3 p.m for which you can register via this website. The concert is co-sponsored by Music on the Inside (MOTI) and Balanced Guitar (BG) “through their shared belief in community and the powerful role of music, especially now.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

StandWithUs celebrates 19th anniversary of its founding

StandWithUs celebrated the 19th anniversary of its founding on Thursday with an international webcast that showcased its growth and successes helping students on college campuses, high schools and middle schools learn about Israel and defend against anti-Semitic attacks. The program was emceed by comedian Elon Gold and also featured the singing of “Hatikvah,” Israel’s National Anthem, by Rabbi/ Cantor Alison Wissot of Temple Judea of Tarzana, California, and a popular, optimistic Hebrew song by Israeli singer David Broza on the theme of “things will get better.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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

A Word of Torah: How Jewish experience progressed

A desert is also known as a wilderness. A wild place. A place where the rules of polite society are not followed. The desert is an extraordinarily harsh environment where it gets extremely cold and extremely hot. The sand of the desert is not conducive to agriculture, in fact, there are next to no nutrients in the sand, as opposed to the soil in other areas. Wild animals run amok and endanger the lives of human beings, who are not suited for desert life. Yet it was precisely to the desert that G-d lead His people and had them dwell for 40 years. Why? [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Poetry: Endless Night

Editor’s Note: Maile Faust, a junior at Francis Parker School, wrote this poem inspired by Elie Wiesel’s “Night,’ during her freshman year.  Her family is of mixed Jewish-Christian ancestry. Maile has seven years of ballet and 8 years of Free Style Martial Arts, in which she has earned a black belt.  An honors and advanced placement student at Francis Parker, she intends to pursue a  college degree in mechanical engineering.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

30 leaders gather for an interfaith Iftar

“Iftar” is the break-the-fast meal at sunset each night during the Muslim month of Ramadan.  Ordinarily, participants–often including welcomed non-Muslims–will eat a prodigious meal together and share family stories and high points.  On Thursday, two organizations teamed up to host a different kind of Iftar that brought together celebrants from around the world and from several different religions. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, The World We Share, USA

If you cut me, I bleed American

The administrations [of Hebrew day schools] wanted the students to understand what it was to be an American, what the sacrifice of our Soldiers was all about and how Jewish Soldiers honorably served their Nation.  They took great pride in knowing that we as Jewish-Americans served and continuing to serve, bleed, and die for our Nation.  To this day, an Orthodox Hebrew day school in Rockland County displays at their entrance a six feet by five feet Iraq battle flag from the 101st Airborne Division that I sent them in 2003.  They display it so that all their students, staff and faculty will not forget the sacrifice of our Jewish Soldiers to their Nation. {Rabbi Carlos Huerta]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA