By Kira Thomas ALPINE, California — I was raised Christian. I grew up in a very charismatic church, the Church of God. Our beliefs were very passionate about our love for God and Jesus. Although I didn’t view Jesus as God I had a very strong love for him because I thought he was our
Her journey to Jewish conversion Read More »
Jewish History, San Diego County, USA
By Mark Thomas ALPINE, California — When you’re raised in a Christian home you naturally have a conflict with Judaism, because the claims of Christianity are based on Jewish ideas mixed with Roman ideas about religion. The conflict is obvious, according to the Church, you have to believe Jesus is literally the Son of God
His journey to Jewish conversion Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public and private life, including employment, education, transportation and access to all places available to the general public, became law in 1990. On occasion, I find myself giving a ride sharing trip with someone who has a handicap permit. Typically, I am told by the handicapped individual that he will bring the permit so we can make parking a bit easier and closer to the venue we are attending together.
There is no question as to the different reasons why a person is entitled to this placard and the necessity it provides and the validity that it justifies. Nevertheless, for a moment I think to myself, “Hey, that’s great, but wait a minute, Baruch Hashem I don’t have a disability; I should not take advantage of this.” [Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky]
We should strive to fix our imperfections Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County
This parasha covers Moses’ meetings with Pharaoh, which encounters result in the first seven plagues. I have chosen to pursue two Torah passages, with regard to their originality within ancient literature. [Irv Jacobs, MD]
Theophanies and plagues Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Fast-forward to this past September when Nicholas Bogan, 17, sent his store manager a message that he was “celebrating the Jewish holiday tomorrow night.” In Eatontown, N.J., 75 years after the Holocaust, Francesco Scotto Di Rinaldi responded: “F-k the Jewish. Put them on fire/like Hitler was trying to do/He had a point,” according to The New York Post. Predictably, Bogan never returned to his part-time job as a pizza delivery driver, and two months later he filed a lawsuit against the owners of the restaurant, Maurizio’s Pizzeria & Italian Ristorante, a short drive from Asbury Park. [Bruce S. Ticker]
There are tools for fighting the anti-Semites Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, USA
For the first time in over two decades a painting by Marc Chagall will be going up for auction in Israel. Tiroche Auction House will be hosting the Israeli & International Art auction on January 25th – featuring paintings by a number of Israeli masters, including Reuben Rubin, and Yosl Bergner. The highlight of the evening however is Chagall’s Jacob’s Ladder (1970-1974), a theme to which the artist would return at least a dozen times in paintings and drawings. [Sam Ben-Meir, PhD]
Jacob’s Ladder by Chagall up for auction Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir
Many of the world’s VIPs are in Jerusalem today: heads of state or their deputies, heads of government, foreign ministers and other important dignitaries from more than 40 countries. They’ve come to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Holocaust conference a boon to Netanyahu Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Jan. 27, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was and approximately when it happened, but fewer than half can correctly answer multiple-choice questions about the number of Jews who were
Holocaust knowledge wanes among adults, teens Read More »
International, Jewish History, USA
She has a BA from Penn and an MBA from Harvard University. She’s been a journalist. She has started up two successful tech businesses. She has led such organizations as the Jewish Women’s Foundation and Run Women Run. She has been married twice, has two adult daughters, and, at 70, is a proud grandmother. For the last three years, she has been a San Diego City Councilwoman. [Donald H. Harrison]
Life and times of Barbara Bry Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions
– This week’s parasha, Va’eira, asks us a key question. How do you deal with “kotzer ruach”? It says in the parasha, “Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor” מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ (Exodus 6:9). [Michael Mantell, PhD]
Emunah and bitachon: faith and trust Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
During evening and morning Shabbat services preceding Martin Luther King Day, Rabbi Josh Dorsch and David Ogul, respectively the rabbi and president of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, read from the pulpit a reflection that congregant Dan Tomsky had extrapolated from the writings of The Rev. Kathleen C. Rolenz, a Unitarian Universalist minister. [Donald H. Harrison]
Shabbat reflections on Rev. Martin Luther King Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Sam Litvin, USA
As we approach the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, many books, documentaries and articles are appearing about “history’s darkest chapter.” The book Last Stop Auschwitz: My Story of Survival From Within the Camp, set for release momentarily, will certainly become one of the more defining accounts of the horrors and inhumanities perpetrated by the Nazis during the Holocaust. [Dorian De Wind]
Auschwitz memoir revived for 75th anniversary Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorian de Wind, International, Jewish History
In recent articles, we have been profiling San Diegans who have been nominated by various slates to serve as delegates to the World Zionist Congress, which will take place in Jerusalem Oct. 20-22 Among the nominees is Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel, the assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]
Gimbel’s WZC goals: ‘Pluralism, peace, economic justice’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
San Diegans of various faiths will gather at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Marston House in Balboa Park, at 3525 Seventh Avenue (corner of Upas) to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been five days past his 91st birthday. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jews, Christians, Muslims to join in MLK salute Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA