By Joel H. Cohen NEW YORK — Some of us get a big kick when Yiddish makes it to a non-Jewish part of our culture, and it just recently happened again — this time in what, at least to me, was an unlikely and unexpected venue. The event was the latest Scripps National Spelling
Yiddish makes it to the big time Read More »
International, Jewish History, Joel H. Cohen, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — During the holiday of Shavuot, the practice in many synagogues is to read the beautiful biblical book Ruth. Various reasons attempt to explain the practice including that Ruth is said to have converted to Judaism around the time of Shavuot and so did the Israelites when
Shavuot and the reading of the Book of Ruth Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California – “From generation to generation” is a popular saying among Jews to indicate how Torah learning has been passed down from parent to child through the millennia. At Congregation Adat Yeshurun on Sunday night, the saying was happily augmented with another:
Adat Yeshurun celebrates families with circus gala Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jacob Kamaras, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — In an effort to goad Mexico into taking more action against Central American migrants traveling through Mexico to the United States southern border, President Trump has announced that he will begin implementing tariffs on Mexican goods in the coming weeks and months. There is a long history
Jewish trivia quiz: Mexican customs Read More »
International, Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Donald H. Harrison DEL MAR, California – At the San Diego County Fair on Sunday, June 2, I was reminded of three Jewish entertainment figures who were instrumental to the making of the celebrated movie, The Wizard of Oz, which because of its San Diego connections provides the theme for this year’s fair.
Three movie wizards recalled at Oz- flavored county fair Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and FoodBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Whether one agrees with Michael Shapiro’s listings in his 1995 book The Jewish 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Jews of all Time or not, the book should make us think not only whether we would agree with his selections, whether we would delete
Who’d be on your ‘Top 100’ list of Jews? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Joshua Dorsch SAN DIEGO –Our Torah portion this week, BeChukotai, provides us with a list of rewards for those who follow God’s commandments. Leviticus 23:6 says “If you pursue my laws and keep my commandments and observe them, I will give you rain in its proper time and the land will yield its
Weekly Torah portion: BeChukotai Read More »
Jewish ReligionNEW YORK (SDJW) — The American Jewish Congress has compiled a Jewish voter’s guide to the 2020 elections, looking at the stances President Donald Trump and the 24 Democratic presidential contenders, to date, have taken on Israeli and domestic Jewish concerns. The guide also provides information on the stances of members of the United States
AJ Congress provides free voter guide for 2020 Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Rabbi Devorah Marcus, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El, told the graduating class of Community Jewish High on Tuesday evening that in the five years since their b’nai mitzvahs, she hopes that they gained more than Jewish information by attending the voluntary supplemental high school which primarily draws students
Jewish wisdom following a tough academic year Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — From generation to generation, Jewish continuity so often hinges on the foundational Jewish lifecycle events. Whether they are festive or somber, these are the moments that matter. They produce the memories that last a lifetime — memories which intimately shape Jewish identity and practice. Indeed, many Jews never forget when
Can’t afford a bar mitzvah? Now there’s help Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Young Abraham differed from what we think. Everything written about Abraham as a young man is midrashic. They are imaginative events, not based on anything in the Torah. A close reading of the Torah reveals a totally different young Abraham than the fictional midrashic accounts. What
What was biblical Abraham like as a youngster? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
KRAKOW, Poland (Press Release) — Kraków City Council has decided that one of the city streets will be named after Rabbi David Alter Kurzmann, the well-known caretaker of the Kraków ghetto orphanage. During the liquidation of the orphanage by the Nazis, Kurzmann was offered to abandon the children and live, or join them in their
Krakow to name street for protector of Jewish orphans Read More »
International, Jewish History
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School honored two Holocaust survivors at a Memorial Day gala on Monday, May 27, with keynote speaker Elizabeth Robbins, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, spelling out the connection. “I think Rabbi [and Headmaster Simcha] Weiser picked the best possible day to honor Fanny
Soille gala honors U.S. soldiers, Shoah survivors Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Longtime San Diego residents Robert and Helaine Baum were doing some Spring cleaning and found hundreds of pins and patches that they had collected over the years, then put away, and forgot. Their wide-ranging collection included memorabilia from the worlds of politics, sports, broadcasting, the labor movement, local
Jewish pins and a badge help document our past Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire