And, Benji
Benji, you’d run into our bedroom every morning when you heard one of us using an electric toothbrush. You’d greet us with a happy tail wag, then go into the corridor to await our emergence. [Donald H. Harrison]
Lifestyles
My Halloween Birthday: Various Traditions in Different Countries
By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, Calif. — I was born on the saddest day of the year in Paris, France – the Day of the Dead! Catholics in France wore black on October 31 and went to cemeteries to honor the dead. There were no parties and everyone looked glum. When I was
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Lifestyles, Natasha JosefowitzGaining Awareness of Our Individual Decision-Making Processes
By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. How do you decide? Do you prefer ad hoc or go through a process? Do you prefer action or caution? Do you look for information narrowly or broadly? Do you tend to opt for corporate or personal interest? Do you prefer continuity or change? Do you seek opinions or only
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Lifestyles, Natasha JosefowitzSusan Davis: Life After Congress
After serving 35 years as a public servant- six years in the California State Assembly , nine years on the Board of Education, and 20 years in the US Congress- what does one do after retiring? In the case of Susan Davis, one becomes a “private servant, and continues to help others. [Mimi Pollack]
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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, USAA Journal to Prompt Children to Express Themselves
Here is a journal encouraging children between the ages of 7 and 13 to read, think, and write about everyday secular and Jewish topics. Because it will encourage their children’s self-expression, parents may find this an ideal gift for one of the days of Chanukah. [Donald H. Harrison]
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, LifestylesHow Attuned Are You to the Three Components of Spirituality?
By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — How often have you heard people say that someone is spiritual? I always wonder what they mean exactly; when asked, no one has ever given me a satisfactory explanation. Current studies include a variety of definitions. There is still no widely agreed on definition of spirituality
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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz4 Times 20
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — During the last few years, I have been spending part of the summer in France, supposedly to avoid the summer heat of Israel. That has come to be something of a joke, as the summers in France have been as hot as — or even hotter than —
It’s Just Gold: Having Perspective on Idolatry and Materialism
By Kayla Swartzberg LA JOLLA, California — Take a second to look at the Second Commandment. It reads, “Thou shalt not make idols.” And I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Maybe once, maybe a thousand times. Our great rabbis, scholars, and sages tell us that the Torah is as relevant now as it was during
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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, OpinionAre You Experiencing Burnout: At Work? At Home? Is It Self-Imposed?
By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. You wake up exhausted after a good night’s sleep. You take no pleasure in your activities. You have difficulty concentrating, tasks take longer than usual, at times you find yourself irritable for no obvious reason. Maybe you feel “keyed up” all the time, or as if your energy goes through
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Lifestyles, Natasha JosefowitzHoly Days and Holidays
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I suppose the etymology of the two phrases (Holy Days and Holidays) is the same, but their significance in this day and age is very different. Holidays are a time for enjoying oneself, whether relaxing on a beach or trekking up a mountain, whichever suits your taste. Holy
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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, OpinionForgiveness and the Cause of Jewish Momentum
Adrienne Gold Davis, without the benefit of a microphone, silenced a roomful of Jewish women (no mean feat!) while delivering an insightful and timely message about forgiveness. Attendees ranged in age from about 4 to 74 and represented the entire spectrum of Jewish observance. [Eva Trieger]
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Eva Trieger, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego CountyEvery Song a Protest: Interview with Ryan Cassata
I discovered the music of Ryan Cassata via YouTube. Ryan is a singer-songwriter and activist. Ryan sings about his life as a transgender man, issues with substance abuse, suicide and hate crimes. He began socially transitioning (living as a young man) at the age of fourteen and his activism for the trans community got him on Larry King Live at fifteen. Now 28, Ryan is also a grad student at the Pacific School of Religion working on a Master’s in Divinity and Social Transformation. I spoke with Ryan recently via Zoom. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsAu Revoir to France, Shalom to Israel
The first thing that hits you as the plane starts the descent towards the airport in Israel is the difference in the colors on the ground. If you have just left one of the countries of Europe, as we did, there is a noticeable difference in the shades of green that you perceive. The brilliant emerald green of the fields of rural France (or Germany or England or wherever), even in the summer of 2022 when temperatures rose to unprecedented heights and there were restrictions on water usage, remained in one’s visual memory, only to be erased (or at least put in the shade) by the greys, browns and dusty dark greens of the Holy Land. And, of course, the ever-present white of the stone buildings. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Travel and FoodRabbi Susan Freeman Joins JFS Jewish Care Team
Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) announced on Tuesday the addition of Rabbi Susan Freeman to help lead the Center for Jewish Care (CJC), which is dedicated to assisting and addressing the needs of San Diego’s Jewish community. [JFS Press Release]
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California, Lifestyles, San Diego County