Lifestyles

Conservative presentations outnumber moderate-to-liberal ones at Jewish American Summit

The program covered international geopolitics, local elections, anti-Zionism and antisemitism, Jewish religious practice and the changing face of Israel advocacy. The day also included appearances by former Arkansas governor and current U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, author and evolutionary behavioral scientist Gad Saad, and Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas co-founder who became an Israeli intelligence informant and outspoken critic of Islam. [Karen Klein]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Ancient Jewish wisdom has much in common with modern psychology

There is a fascinating connection between ancient Jewish wisdom and one of the most influential approaches to emotional health in modern psychology: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, or REBT, developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, Ph.D. (Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D,]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Water’ in an analogy is an element of teshuvah

A constant need to escape can be another expression of excess water. Always needing to travel, experience something new or get away from one’s current circumstances can prevent a person from finding comfort where they are. Instead of steering the boat, they become like jellyfish carried wherever the tide takes them. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

A welcome contrast between Israel and the French countryside

The place is set in countryside that was once verdant but now, as a result of the recent spells of unaccustomed heat, consists of dried-up fields with boundaries denoted by wilting bushes and the occasional tree. Nonetheless, the village is still a place of tranquility and solace for the anguished souls who normally inhabit a country which is anything but tranquil. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

California one step closer to declaring Jewish identity an ethnicity as well as a religion

According to Pew Research Center, over 50% of American Jews said ancestry and culture are essential to what being Jewish means to them, while 36% said religion. More than a quarter describe themselves as Jews of no religion. (Press Release)

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California, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Press Release, USA

History of Jews in Iraq cloaked in fantasy

Louise’s parents want to shield her from knowledge of the antisemitism that brought an end to more than two millennia-long Jewish settlement in Iraq, once known as Babylon.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Teshuvah vows often fade like secular New Year’s resolutions

For the purposes of the class, the dragon represents the yetzer hara, the internal force that gets in the way of our growth. It is part of us yet can feel as though it is working against us. The yetzer hara may tell us to take the easy path, give in to insecurity, abandon our goals or settle for less than our potential. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors