A roundup of Jewish content available on the web and via the Public Broadcasting System, Sunday May 24-Thursday, May 28 by Laurie Baron, Ph.D
Streaming Jewish content for Week of May 24 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
I was asked to explain the verse in Malachi 1:3, “Esau I hated.” He wrote: “This is one of the few verses in the Bible that truly disturbs me…. I believe everyone who has ever lived … will attain supreme, lasting happiness…. What exactly does it mean that God hated him, I don’t know?” A similar question can be asked about Malachi 1:2 where the prophet chastises the Judeans for not loving God despite God loving them. Does God feel hatred and love? [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Does God have emotions: anger, hate, and love? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
I have chosen three passages from this parasha (Bamidbar) for comparison with ancient pagan practices, from internet sources. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Censuses, war camps and first-born redemptions in the ancient world Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East
The wilderness. To some it may seem freewheeling, perhaps even disorganized, chaotic and confusing. In this week’s parasha, Bamidbar, always read on the Shabbat prior to Shavuot, we learn about not just any wilderness, but the wilderness of Sinai, through which we embark on a forty-year passage with a very specific goal, the Promised Land. To help organize and provide focus to people in the midst of a vast expanse of open land, the parasha tells us of Hashem’s command to Moshe to take a census, not just to count (some of) the people, but perhaps more importantly to help assure that people know they count and for us to remember that every human being has an important contribution to make. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Like Moses and the Israelites, we are in wilderness Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
It was as Lawrence Baron, the distinguished history professor, rather than as Laurie Baron, the brilliant satirist, for whom women and some men gathered for a Zoom presentation on Tuesday sponsored by Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Sisterhood. They asked him to evaluate the factors that led some non-Jews during the time of Hitler to risk their lives and those of their families to protect Jews from the genocide. Who, indeed, were the people who have become known in history as “The Righteous Gentiles”? [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Who were the Righteous Gentiles? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Two grocery store incidents in Santee earlier this month in which a man wearing the hood of the Ku Klux Klan, and a man and woman wearing masks featuring swastikas, continue to reverberate. San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher proposed that a countywide Human Relations Commission be re-established and empowered to look into such incidents, and the San Diego Union-Tribune ran three opinion pieces Monday on the incidents and their impact on the City of Santee. In another response to hate, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) arranged for 25 olive trees to be planted at Kfar Silver Youth Village in southern Israel in memory of Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was murdered when a gunman attacked Chabad of Poway on the last day of Passover in 2019. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego County, nation, respond to hate incidents Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Eva Trieger, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller died last week at the age of 92. Stiller was most famous for playing the quintessentially Jewish, but technically non-Jewish Italian Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza on the Seinfeld sitcom. Born to Polish immigrant parents, Stiller grew up in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, and studied drama after serving in the army during World War II. He married comedian and actor Anne Meara, and the two created a hugely successful comedy duo, focusing on their lives as an intermarried couple. Among their bits was an “I hate you” routine, in which Meara called Stiller a “matza head” and he called her a “shillelagh shiksa.” What was one of Jerry Stiller’s first acting roles? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Jerry Stiller, z”l Read More »
Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Yom Yerushalayim, marking the unification of the City of Jerusalem at the end of the Six Day War, will be commemorated this Friday, May 22. Thus, I am writing this column about my sister, violinist Zina Schiff’s 1995 4Tay Records release, King David’s Lyre, a celebration of Jerusalem 3000. The CD consists of works by Jewish composers from many different corners of the globe. Since Jewish longing for Jerusalem spanned over two thousand years in Diaspora, it is fitting that a tribute to Jerusalem includes Jewish composers from around the world. [Eileen Wingard]
Four violin pieces by Zina Schiff in celebration of Jerusalem Day Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Shavua tov! Shavua Tov! A good week! A good week! In Voorhees, New Jersey, Cantor Alisa Pomerantz-Boro and her daughter Rebecca have often led Havdalah services by Zoom from their porch since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic This last Saturday night, May 16, was no different. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Havdalah from the porch of a celebrated cantor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USASome Jewish film festivals that were scheduled during the pandemic are streaming their films for the price of a ticket. Others are streaming films they’ve shown in the past or interviews with filmmakers and lectures. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Film Festivals Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Rabbi Andrew Baker, an official with both the American Jewish Committee and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), says because of the coronavirus pandemic, there probably will be a drop in anti-Semitic incidents in 2020. However, this is because potential targets, such as synagogues and Jewish schools, have been closed during the pandemic. When re-opened, he said, they may become targets again. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
AJC rabbi fights international anti-Semitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire
This week we are again treated to a double portion, Behar-Bechukotai, which translate as “On the Mountain (Sinai),” and, “In My Statutes”. The first portion goes into great detail concerning the Mitzvot of Shmittah / the Sabbatical year and Yovel / the Jubilee year. Every seven years the fields in Israel must lie fallow. Farmers are ‘freed’ from working the land and even the beasts of burden are allowed to rest. The land itself rests and its nutrients are allowed to be naturally replenished. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: Looking heavenward and earthward Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
In HBO’s recent adaptation of the Philip Roth novel The Plot Against America, American Jews are coerced by President Charles Lindbergh to move to rural parts of the country so they will become “Americanized” and shed their Jewish ways. In real life, however, it was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who wanted to do just that. [Rafael Medoff, Ph.D]
FDR not as portrayed in ‘Plot Against America’ Read More »
Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Chag Sameach! Happy Holiday! This week’s Lag BaOmer was a day on fire. This is historically the day to signal triumph over oppression, and to drive away a deadly plague. A Lag BaOmer Kumzits, a Yiddish loanword, is a traditional musical gathering, usually by a campfire, meaning come (kum) sit (zit). So come sit, and enjoy Moshav Band’s Lag BaOmer Facebook watch party: [Omer Zalmanowitz]
Music review: Moshav Kumzits: The Light of Rabbi Shimon Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts