Judaism

San Diego Jewry exhibit opens at S.D. History Center

Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO — It was no accident that the “Celebrate San Diego! The History & Heritage of San Diego’s Jewish Community” exhibition in Balboa Park’s San Diego History Center opened on Erev Purim. Curator Joellyn Zollman explained to an opening evening crowd on Saturday, March

San Diego Jewry exhibit opens at S.D. History Center Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori

Joni Sledge, of ‘We Are Family’ group Sister Sledge, dies at 60

Joni Sledge, who belonged to the four-sister disco-era group Sister Sledge, best known for its No. 1 hit “We Are Family,” died Friday at her home in Phoenix, a spokeswoman for the group announced. She was 60. No cause of death has been announced. “Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family,” said the Sledges in a

Joni Sledge, of ‘We Are Family’ group Sister Sledge, dies at 60 Read More »

Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials

Haiti pays last respects to former President Rene Preval

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Haiti said goodbye Saturday to one of its most decorated and respected presidents, Rene Preval, in a Catholic ceremony spanning almost three hours. Just as in life, Preval, in death, brought together Haitians of all colors, socioeconomic standings and political leanings as peasant organizations paid tribute by wearing of traditional straw hats — a

Haiti pays last respects to former President Rene Preval Read More »

International, Obituaries & memorials

Leo Baeck and Jewish liberalism

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Tucked away in a quiet Jerusalem side-street is the Leo Baeck Institute, where activities associated with the man himself and various aspects of his heritage are held, its official purpose being ‘the study of German and Central European Jewry.’ Sister institutes are to be found in cities elsewhere

Leo Baeck and Jewish liberalism Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Fred Weintraub, who financed ‘Woodstock’ and helped discover Bruce Lee, dies at 88

Were it not for the renegade work of club owner, Hollywood producer and self-described showman Fred Weintraub, the lives of Bruce Lee, Frankie Valli, Neil Diamond, Richard Pryor and Woody Allen, to say nothing of the mud-encrusted hippies Weintraub captured in the film “Woodstock,” might have taken other turns. Weintraub died Sunday, leaving a legacy

Fred Weintraub, who financed ‘Woodstock’ and helped discover Bruce Lee, dies at 88 Read More »

Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Five megillot are examined in ‘Textual Tapestries’

Textual Tapestries: Explorations of the Five Megillot by Gabriel H Cohn (Translated from the Hebrew by David Strauss), Maggid Books, New Milford, CT, © 2016, ISBN 978-1-59264-398-1, p. 433, $29.95 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – The Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, is divided into three broad sections: Torah, the Five Books of Moses; Nevi’im, the prophets;

Five megillot are examined in ‘Textual Tapestries’ Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion

The WWII counterfeiter who forged ahead in the face of horror

Adolfo Kaminksy created fake documents that saved thousands of Jews in the Holocaust. Now his daughter tells his tale in a biography which opened a new page in their relationship By Anne Joseph Sarah Kaminsky can’t pinpoint the exact moment when she learned that her father Adolfo had been a forger during World War II.

The WWII counterfeiter who forged ahead in the face of horror Read More »

International, Jewish History, USA

Robert Osborne, movie connoisseur and host of Turner Classic Movies, dies at 84

Robert Osborne, who displayed an encyclopedic knowledge — and love — of films and film history as the primary host of Turner Classic Movies, has died in New York, the network said Monday. He was 84. Osborne was a former longtime columnist for the Hollywood Reporter and the author of the official history of the

Robert Osborne, movie connoisseur and host of Turner Classic Movies, dies at 84 Read More »

Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jewish American History Month to focus on medical pioneers

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Press Release)—Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a national commemoration of the contributions that Americans Jews have made to the fabric of our nation’s history, culture, and society, announces the theme for the May 2017 celebration. This year, JAHM celebrates Americans Jews who have made a significant impact in the field of medical research.

Jewish American History Month to focus on medical pioneers Read More »

Jewish History, USA