Judaism

The Rebbe taught in every Jew there is an indestructible soul

A few days later, he received a response from the Rebbe: “There is no such thing as ‘a small Jew,’ and a Jew must never underestimate his or her tremendous potential.” [Rabbi Shmuly

A few days later, he received a response from the Rebbe: “There is no such thing as ‘a small Jew,’ and a Jew must never underestimate his or her tremendous potential.” [Rabbi Shmuly Begun]

The Rebbe taught in every Jew there is an indestructible soul Read More »

International, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

ADL cites two at Carlsbad Unified School District

Fourth-grade teacher Ms. Phillips was recognized for her unwavering dedication to the No Place for Hate program, and her student, Maverick Carroll, for carrying its values beyond the classroom … (Cailin Acosta)

ADL cites two at Carlsbad Unified School District Read More »

Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Jewish biography: Felix Hausdorff, mathematician & philosopher

The life of Felix Hausdorff is a profound story of duality: he was a brilliant German scientist and writer. But alongside this duality, there existed a Jewish-German duality: Hausdorff was German by culture and Jewish by blood. He considered German science and culture his own, belonged to the highest academic elite of Germany, but the forces ruling German society saw in him, a brilliant scientist, an inferior outsider doomed to destruction. [Alex Gordon]

Jewish biography: Felix Hausdorff, mathematician & philosopher Read More »

Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

JFest brings Leonard Cohen’s music, stories, and spirit to The Conrad

Batalla noted that in 2026, Yom Kippur falls on Cohen’s birthday. The following song, “Who by Fire,” was based on the prayer Unetanneh Tokef. He wrote it after the improvised concerts he gave IDF soldiers during the Yom Kippur War. For “Who By Fire,” Batalla introduced the udu, an African water drum, and the guitar-like Middle Eastern oud played by Dimitris Jimmy Mahlis, who toured with her and Cohen. Batalla said Cohen’s touring band always had an oud player and said in the hands of a master it has been called a direct line to God. {Shor M. Masori]

JFest brings Leonard Cohen’s music, stories, and spirit to The Conrad Read More »

Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Adat Yeshurun hosts JFEST’s South African Jewish night

Marcus also shared that when they first came to South Africa from Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jews became peddlers, traders and small business owners, similar to the American Jewish immigrant stories. (Sandi Masori)

Adat Yeshurun hosts JFEST’s South African Jewish night Read More »

International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Eighth-grade students commemorate the Holocaust by painting ceramic butterflies

La Mesa Arts Academy’s eighth-grade Social Studies classes, taught by Mrs. Debra Lunamand and Mrs. Heather Filippelli, participated in The Butterfly Project just before the end of the school year as students completed testing and finalized semester grades. More than 300 plaster butterflies were painted. [Cailin Acosta]

Eighth-grade students commemorate the Holocaust by painting ceramic butterflies Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish composer Justin Hurwitz featured at final concert of the semester at La Mesa Arts Academy

Composer and songwriter Justin Hurwitz, who wrote the music for La La Land, is Jewish and of Russian, Polish, Syrian, and Lebanese descent. Hurwitz attended Harvard University, where he was roommates with director Damien Chazelle. The two later collaborated on La La Land and several other films. [Cailin Acosta}

Jewish composer Justin Hurwitz featured at final concert of the semester at La Mesa Arts Academy Read More »

Cailin Acosta, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Shelach: ‘The link is what you think’

The Torah records one of the most revealing statements in all Tanach: “We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we were in theirs.”
The first half of the verse is understandable. The spies felt intimidated. They felt small in comparison to the challenges before them. But the second half raises an obvious question. How could they possibly know how the inhabitants of the land viewed them? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Parsha Shelach: ‘The link is what you think’ Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Silent Movie Mondays ends with Harold Lloyd comedy: ‘Safety Last’

The hanging from a clock scene is one of the most famous sequences in film history: Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a giant clock high above the city streets of Los Angeles. The scene remains thrilling today … [Sherrie Rose]

Silent Movie Mondays ends with Harold Lloyd comedy: ‘Safety Last’ Read More »

California, Jewish History, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Anti-Israel protesters demand that Colorado release firebomber

The contempt that some Israel-bashers hold for America’s laws never ceases to surprise. Their accomplices in Boulder, Colorado, eclipsed them all on June 1, the first anniversary of Karen Diamond’s murder in a firebombing on Boulder’s Pearl Street. They are demanding the release of her convicted killer, Mohamed Soliman, who was sentenced to life plus 2,178 years in prison last month after pleading guilty to 101 charges in the attack. He injured 13 others. (Bruce S. Ticker)

Anti-Israel protesters demand that Colorado release firebomber Read More »

Bruce Ticker, Israel, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish history projects win college scholarships

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and PeerK12 concluded their 2026 San Diego Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) Student Scholarship Contest with a special awards ceremony held at the RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust exhibit at the La Jolla Library on Tuesday. The event brought together students, community members, and Holocaust survivor Ben Midler to celebrate the next generation of young leaders committed to preserving Jewish history and combating antisemitism through education. (Press Release)

Jewish history projects win college scholarships Read More »

Jewish History, Press Release, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions