“I just found out that a great archeological discovery has been made,” he began. “Don’t ask how I found out about it. It’s a big secret. Our authorities do not like such stories very much. A letter written in the 10th century in Kiev was discovered in the old Cairo synagogue. The letter was written in Hebrew. It mentioned Kiev for the first time in history. …” [Alex Gordon]
I assumed Shabbat was a noun, a day, a box on the calendar, something you observe with candlelight and delicious food while still answering emails. How did I not know that Shabbat is a verb? [Betzy Lynch]
An apology to a Shabbat Soul Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Sandi Masori, our theater and food reviewer, spotted this license plate, which in Hebrew means “one redhead.”
Thousands of individuals across the United States, Canada, Israel, and around the world will unite at private residences, synagogues, and community centers on April 24, 2026, for “Shabbat for Israel,” a coordinated series of intimate Shabbat dinners hosted in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. [Press Release]
Jews around the world to celebrate ‘Shabbat for Israel’ April 24 Read More »
International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Press Release, Travel and Food, USA
Lobell notes that Judaism did not ask her to believe first, but to learn, to question, and to practice. Where Catholicism had been imposed, Judaism was discovered. Where faith once felt compulsory, it now felt invitational. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]
Young woman atheist describes her conversion to Orthodox Judaism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Bad Bunny said it best at the Super Bowl (Go Hawks!): THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE. [Karen Parry]
What do Bad Bunny and Bret Stephens have in common? Read More »
Antisemitism, California, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
In the U.S., eight in 10 women who marry change their last name. That means there are more than 60 million women in this country whose birth certificates may not have their current legal last names — and thanks to legislation the GOP is pushing this week, that could put their voter registration at risk. [Sara Jacobs]
Rep. Sara Jacobs: Did you change your name when you got married? Read More »
Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio – Bad Bunny – broke out and broke it down at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. All in Spanish, all proudly Puerto Rican. All-American. He showed the world – and it was the world watching that we are still here (seguimos aqui) despite all the horrific things being done to harm people and break their spirits. [Barrett Holman Leak]
Bad Bunny and the Goodness of Resistance Read More »
Barrett Holman Leak, California, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
True transformation rarely arrives with ceremony. It interrupts, startles, and whispers, “There is another way to exist.” These moments are intruders in our thoughts; small sparks of clarity that jolt us awake. In therapy and psychological coaching, we recognize this as the difference between insight and change: awareness alone rarely heals; transformation begins when insight is translated into action. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]
Parsha Yitro: When insight becomes habit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined ContributorsBecause I live in the intersection of being both Black and Jewish, I have learned about my identity over the years, both through experience, stories handed down to me, education, and reading. [Barrett Holman Leak]
REVIEW: Black and Jewish: An Interwoven History, Part 1 – Let My People Go Read More »
Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, California, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Kate Douglas’s The Apiary doesn’t waste time easing you into its premise. It’s 20+ years in the future. Honeybees are nearly extinct. What remains of them exist in synthetic apiaries providing palliative care to a species we’ve failed to save. No bees means no honey, no almonds, no avocados. The food chain collapses one pollinator at a time. [Sherrie Rose]
‘The Apiary:’ A Cautionary Buzz Read More »
Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food
As might be expected after Kristallnacht, for American Jews the fate of European Jews during the Holocaust was of little interest, a secondary issue. No Jewish solidarity was shown by them. Their reaction was “disproportionate,” ignoring the dangers facing the Jewish people in Europe. [Alex Gordon]
American Jews in the face of Jewish catastrophes Read More »
Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USAHitlamdut asks us to return with fresh eyes, without shame, without a final verdict. The sages understood that learning thrives when judgment for others and for ourselves is suspended, when we question not only what is before us, but what stirs within us as well. [Betzy Lynch]
Learning without pre-judgment Read More »
Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Todah means “thank you” in Hebrew and as you read to the little pride and joy sitting on your lap, it’s not too early to teach the tot some of the everyday activities for which we should be grateful to God. [Donald H. Harrison}
Board book teaches tots to be grateful Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors