Lifestyles

Contemporary Torah: The sacred architecture of silence

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, step forward with their own fire pans, offering “strange fire” (esh zarah) which God had not commanded. Within seconds, they are dead. The music stops. The joy evaporates. In the center of the camp, there is only smoke and a father staring at the bodies of his sons. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Black and Jewish communities must work together to combat hate

As leaders committed to protecting the safety and dignity of the Black and Jewish communities in San Diego, we have been in constant conversation about the troubling rise of antisemitism and racism over the past three years. [Fabienne Perlov & Al Abdallah]

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Antisemitism, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Seven weeks of counting starts now

One, Two … forty-nine. Counting the Omer. Last night, we began the first day of counting the Omer. This leads up to the night before Shavuot, when the Jewish people received the Torah and celebrated freedom from Egypt. I have an app that I download every year, which reminds me to say the blessing, so I don’t miss a day. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Children’s lives enriched by screen time alternatives

Linda Moskovics is a retired former head librarian at the Benjamin branch of the San Diego City Library system. She has now written a children’s book, for ages 4-14, inveighing against “too much screen time [that] can quietly steal joy, focus, sleep, and connection.  It can increase anxiety, harm social skills, impact brain development and crowd out important life experiences.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA

Keeping the faith, performing acts of kindness, in the face of antisemitism

In the face of threats from Iran and its proxies, and the worldwide scourge of antisemitism, the resilience of the Jewish people continues to show itself in ways both big and small. It is in how we support one another, how we show up, and how we hold on to hope. [Mark Levenson]

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

Hollywood celebrity gifting suite is about more than just swag

However, after spending time at Heather Marianna’s pre-Oscar’s celebrity gifting suite, “A Toast to Hollywood,” I came away with the sense that the event is also very much about connection, strategy, and giving brands a shot at being seen in a crowded world. [Sandi Masori]

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Business & Finance, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jewish biography: Max Ferdinand Perutz, molecular biologist

In 1998, Perutz published a collection of essays about scientists and science titled I Wish I’d Made You Angry Earlier: Essays on Science, Scientists, and Humanity. Among these essays was the following: “Friend or Foe of Mankind?” (Fritz Haber, “a man’s fascination with poison gas”), where he attempted to decipher the “structure of the hemoglobin molecule” of world history through the example of Haber. [Alex Gordon]

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

The Jewish journey through loss: From death to healing

Death is a certainty, and the emotional and spiritual thoughts that it precipitates agonize and often leave mourners disoriented and alone. Co-authors Batya L. Ludman and Gina Junger provide a compassionate guide to navigating grief through the lens of centuries of Jewish tradition. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Book Review: ‘New-Russia: Images from a Journey’

New-Russia: Images from a Journey offers remarkable snapshots of the Soviet Union during a brief but revealing historical moment. The book captures the Soviet experiment as it was still taking shape. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food