Judaism

Our Shtetl San Diego: August 30, 2019

By Donald H. Harrison Helping Holocaust Survivors SAN DIEGO — Meeting the needs of impoverished Holocaust survivors is a new joint initiative of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County and Jewish Family Service in association with the Seed the Dream Foundation and KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF). In a statement in

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Biography recalls Cantor William Sharlin’s career

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — The distinguished Rabbi Richard N. Levy paid tribute to his colleague, Cantor William Sharlin in recognition of 30 years as originator and Director of the Department of Music at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. “William, you taught me the difference between davening and singing, between

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Notes on Torah reading for August 31, 2018

Re’Eh Deuteronomy Chapters 11:26-16:17 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — This  parsha focuses on blessings and curses, in anticipation of behavior after entering the promised land.  I have chosen a few passages, clashing with, or at least puzzling to, modern sentiments. I. Deuteronomy, Ch. 12: vv. 2-3  Moses commands, “You must destroy all

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Orthodox Jewry Is Changing

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Professor Chaim Waxman, a prominent and highly respected sociologist of contemporary Orthodoxy, has made a superb assessment of the history, development, and current and future situation of Orthodoxy in his relatively short but comprehensive 178-page book, Social Change and Halakhic Evolution in American Orthodoxy, with 48

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion

In Morocco difference is a strength

By Caroline Kirk MARRAKECH, Morocco — This country’s belief in the strength of pluralism has energized me and shown me that difference can serve as a strength for any country, whether it is religious or secular, large or small, developed or developing. I was told that there are spiritual answers to the question, “Why Morocco?”—every

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International, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food

Book offers tips and facts about DNA testing

Seed of Israel: DNA Guide To Tracing Your Jewish Ancestry by Joshua Robbin Marks,  48 pages including endnotes; available on Amazon.com for $14.99. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Perhaps your friends or relatives have told you that they did a DNA test and found out about their ancestry, and now you’re wondering whether

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education

Massive tree planting program may save planet

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — It might surprise most people to know that ecological themes form an important part of the Torah and Tanakh. For example: Genesis begins with an important ecological truth: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and

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International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, The World We Share, USA

Comparing the biblical and Roman creation stories

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — It is basic psychology that people cannot understand a subject unless they understand its opposite. In fact, this was the first lesson I learnt at Johns Hopkins in my first psychology class. Peter Kamara’s Ancient Roman Mythology contains a description of a Roman creation myth. It is

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International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

San Diego Jewish Leaders Face Challenges Responding to Trump’s Tweets, New ‘Disloyalty’ Claim

This story was updated on August 26, 2019 By Ken Stone Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO — A week before the November 2018 election, 17 San Diego-area rabbis signed a letter denouncing Rep. Duncan Hunter‘s “fear mongering” attacks on the Palestinian ancestry of Christian opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar. They said the Republican congressman’s attacks on the

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David Ogul, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Ken Stone, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, San Diego County, USA