By Rabbi Michael Berk Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO — The sages of the Jewish people teach that words from the heart go straight to the heart. From the deepest part of mine, I write to tell you how alone Jews feel right now. Abandoned. The level of hatred Jews are experiencing is something
OpEd: Jews worldwide are feeling isolated Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
By Jerry Klinger WEST POINT, New York — After 70 years, and considerable effort by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, the volunteer veterans of Israel’s War of Independence were finally, officially, thanked by the State of Israel. A citation was presented by Major General Michael Edelstein, Israel Defense Attache to the U.S., in
Citation honors U.S. volunteers in Israel’s 1948 war Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Middle East, USAThis article will be updated with additional names as they become available By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — In Sunday’s edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune, reporter Peter Rowe wrote an overview story about San Diego’s Jewish community entitled “Jewish San Diego: Unique Odyssey.” The subhead of the article was “Pain, promise over a history of
Seeking names of Jewish officials, past and present Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Did Adam have an affair with a demon for 130 years? The book of Genesis tells readers that Adam and Eve’s first two children were Cain and Able. Then in Genesis 5:3, it states that when Adam was 130-years-old he had his third son Seth. The
How long did the people of the Bible live? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Ronit Weiss Berkowitz Translated from Hebrew SAN DIEGO — I am still emotionally overwhelmed by the powerful experience I had recently in class. I apologize for writing in Hebrew, it comes to me faster and I do not want those moments to slip away. I planned to talk to the students briefly about the
Visiting israeli professor shares tears with her class Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Sometimes, wisdom tales of the past have a way of speaking to us in the present. And although we often think of ourselves a product of the present, in reality, our personal narrative is inextricably connected to those who have preceded us from the past. This especially
History will note how we respond to anti- Semitism Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California — Congregation Beth El dedicated a 30 by 9 foot mural of a Tree of Life on Thursday, May 2, that incorporates, among other elements, ceramic butterflies symbolizing children who were murdered in the Holocaust. The outdoor Yom HaShoah ceremony led by the congregation’s former president Sonia Ancoli
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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USABy Steve Kramer KFAR SAVA, Israel — “The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator [and Jew hater] Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns under way in central Europe at that time. Although the term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a discrimination against all Semites.
The four sources of Jew hatred Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Steve Kramer, USAAsylum by Moriz Scheyer (Translated by P.N. Singer); Little, Brown and Company, 2016 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Written at the time of the actual events, this powerful book starts by describing the atmosphere in Vienna before the Anschluss by Nazi Germany, followed by the author’s flight, together with his wife and non-Jewish housekeeper, who
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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History
By Rabbi Rafi Andrusier SAN DIEGO –My association with Chabad of Poway began before we moved to San Diego to establish a Chabad House for the eastern San Diego region in 2012. Even before I met my San Diegan wife, Chaya, in 2010. In 2007, I was a young rabbinical student in Chicago, and I
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Jewish Religion, San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Joshua Dorsch SAN DIEGO — This has been somewhat of a surreal few days for the San Diego Jewish community. From Pittsburgh to Sri Lanka, over the past few months we have heard about attacks on houses of worship. While we gathered together and mourned with faith communities around the world, the attacks
‘Baseless love’ must replace ‘baseless hate’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA
By Toby Tabachnick Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — I ran into an old friend about three weeks after the Tree of Life massacre, a former Pittsburgher, who wanted to talk about the events of Oct. 27. In particular, she wanted to know about one of the survivors, someone with whom she had grown up.
Pittsburgh 6 months later: ‘We are not okay’ Read More »
Jewish History, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of my congregants posed an interesting question we ought to consider asking: What would Rev Martin Luther King Jr. have said about the Poway synagogue shooting? It is an important question—not just for members of the Jewish community, but also for the African-American community. Throughout
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Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy David Harris NEW YORK — In the Jewish tradition, we are commanded to remember (zachor) and not to forget (lo tishkach). This week we commemorate Yom HaShoah, the Day of Holocaust Remembrance. On this solemn occasion, 74 years after the end of World War II: We remember the six million Jewish martyrs, including 1.5
Yom Hashoah: We Remember Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA