By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Speaking on Tuesday night to introduce his forthcoming book, Not in God’s Name, Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of modern Orthodoxy in Britain, argued that sibling rivalry is a fundamental cause of violence, also in religion. The Book of Genesis offers many telling instances – beginning with Cain’s […]
Sibling rivalry: why religious groups fight each other? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO –A Jewish young man was seeing a psychologist for an eating and sleeping disorder. “I am so obsessed with my mother… As soon as I go to sleep, I start dreaming, and everyone in my dream turns into my mother. I wake up in such a state, all
Part of being a good Jew is keeping your body healthy Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The theme of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School (SSDHDS)’s 52nd fundraising gala on Sunday, June 7, was “Growing Greatness” and what better venue to stage it than at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, a sports museum conceived and implemented by the late Bob Breitbard, who
‘Growing Greatness’ Gala focused on students, food Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Marcia Tatz Wollner, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We ShareBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Forty-eight years ago, June 7, 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunified. It was the third day of Israel’s “lightning victory” in the Six Day War. Responding to Jordanian artillery, Israeli forces entered the Old City and fought bitter hand-to-hand battles en route to recapturing and reuniting the
Kotel reflections for Jerusalem Day Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the best-known blessings Orthodox Jews recite every day is the blessing, “Thank you God for not making me a woman.” The recent transformation on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 22-page cover story featuring Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, raises a number of fascinating questions pertaining to
On which side of the Kotel would Caitlyn Jenner pray? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat B’ha-alot’cha begins with the mitzvah of Aaron lighting the Menorah, the seven-branched lampstand which illuminated the Mishkan in the desert and later in the Jerusalem Temple: “The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps
The ascent to Torah Read More »
Jewish Religion
-Seventh in a series- Exit 2: Morena Boulevard ~USD campus By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Rabbi Wayne Dosick received a telephone call in 1988 from Richard Stern, an activist in the Jewish Chattaqua Society, which was formed in the previous century to spread among diverse audiences knowledge about the Jewish religion. Stern wanted to know
I-8 Jewish Travel: The rabbi and the monsignor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Travel and Food, USA
Memoirs of a Jewish Gypsy by Jenny Graubart, with Lea Tenenbaum © 2014, ISBN 978-1-939758-88-0, 73 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As a family keepsake encapsulating Jenny Graubart’s childhood memories along with photos of herself, parents and sister, this slim volume will have enduring value. However, the book does not extend itself
Book review: ‘Memoirs of a Jewish Gypsy’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryChabad’s Secret: Inside the World’s Most Successful Jewish Organization by Chaim Dalfin, Jewish Enrichment Press, Brooklyn, NY; ISBN 978-0-9889580-7-4 ©2015, $35.00, p. 190, plus appendices, bibliography, glossary, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, universally known as the Baal Shem Tov, is considered the founder of Chassidism, when in
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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Garry Fabian MELBOURNE, Australia — In a turbulent, ever changing world, for an organization to survive seventy years and still be strong and vibrant is an impressive achievement. This was emphasised Sunday, May 24, when B’nai B’rith Victoria celebrated its 70th birthday with a “gala Birthday Party” in front of almost 250 attendees. The
Australian B’nai B’rith unit turns 70 Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Joe Spier CALGARY, Alberta, Canada — As far as sports complexes go, the Paris Velodrome built in 1909 within blocks of the Eiffel Tower was a marvel. Housing the popular indoor 6-day bicycle races, the huge stadium contained a giant steeply banked oval track at its base with two tiers of seating for 15,000
The bicycle stadium that shame tore down Read More »
International, Jewish History
SAN DIEGO — Sgt. Alfred Menaker, a World War II veteran, died May 16, 2015 at the age of 95. Born in Philadelphia, PA he moved to San Diego in 1974 with his, Thelma, a former commander of the Jewish Auxiliary Post 185 . Alfred and Thelma were married for 68 years before her passing
Alfred Menaker, JWV, 1920-2015 Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, San Diego CountyOut of the Shoebox, an Autobiographical Mystery Historical Novel by Yaron Reshef, translated from the Hebrew by Nina R. Davis and Shira E. Davis, Amazon, 2014 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel– Yaron Reshef begins his book, which has been expertly translated by Nina and Shira Davis, with a declaration regarding the sequence of chance
Finding one’s roots can be bitter and sweet Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish HistoryBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I am not a grammarian. In fact, while in Seminary I barely passed my Biblical grammar exam. However, I did find two interesting commentaries on a grammatical detail of this week’s parasha that I thought were worth sharing. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites:
Ethical lessons in a Torah portion’s grammar Read More »
Jewish Religion