What Jewish beliefs do Jews of all stripes agree on? I would assume that monotheism and Tikkun Olam are two safe guesses. [Rabbi Tuvia Teldon]
Recognizing Small Daily Acts of Tikkun Olam Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, USA
Why do you want to become Jewish? How is Judaism, with its many rules and rituals, a more appropriate religion, than your former religion or lifestyle? How do you identify with the Jewish people in relation to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community, and your local synagogue? These are just some types of questions that people are asked by a Bet Din, a rabbinical court, before their official conversion into Judaism. [Heather Z. Rothstain]
‘Choosing Judaism’ Provides Cheerful and Painful Accounts Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles
Saturday, May 15th was Teacher’s Day in Mexico. Teachers were celebrated all over the country. As a retired teacher, I found it the perfect day to go to Tijuana on a delivery run to a migrant shelter built on a canyon in a poorer neighborhood. My friends, Alba Orr who is retired from Grossmont College and Juan Martin Sajche, a Spanish teacher at Morse High School, and I met at my home at 9 a.m.. We filled two cars up with large bags of stuffed animals, different snacks, mandarins, juice boxes, and school supplies. [Mimi Pollack]
Tikkun Olam: Adventures in Tijuana Read More »
International, Lifestyles, San Diego County
One day in 1992, I received a phone call from a man who was representing Norwegian Cruise Lines after he had seen me on television. He said one of their ships was about to sail from Miami for a trip around South America; he invited me to be a lecturer on the cruise. The position was unpaid, but the offer included a free cruise for me and my husband in a luxury cabin, the plane trip to and from Miami in business class, and all of our expenses on board would be taken care of. [Natasha Josefowitz]
Adventures as a Cruise Ship Lecturer Read More »
International, Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, Travel and Food, USA
Wish you had the courage to express your feelings more in your life? Wish you stayed more in touch with friends during your lifetime? Wish you had the mettle to live the life you wanted to live and not the life others thought you “should” live? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Author Tells How to Live Without Regrets Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
“The Happiest Man on Earth,” a memoir by Australian centenarian Eddie Jaku, departs from memoirs by other Holocaust survivors in its contemplation of the role of friendship in enabling prisoners of Nazi concentration camps to survive. [Donald H. Harrison]
Friendship His Key to Survival at Auschwitz Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles
Here are some common scams and tips to stay safe. [Teresa Konopka]
Protecting Ourselves from Common Scams Read More »
Business & Finance, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Teresa_KonopkaAs we emerge from a year in isolation, we are suddenly thrust into situations we used to take for granted: proximity to others and opportunities to mingle, participate, contribute, to hear and be heard. But we have changed; we are not the same people as of a year ago. The changes in ourselves can be psychological, mental, physical, or fear-related. We must choose whether to accept this and reconcile ourselves to our new identity or to recover who we were. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
Post-Pandemic Dilemmas Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
There’s a new social media app making waves that you may have heard of. It’s the all-audio app called Clubhouse. Though it’s only a year old, is still in Beta, and hasn’t had a public offering, it’s been given a $4 Billion valuation. Yes, that’s Billion with a B. [Sandi Masori]
Clubhouse’s Pros Outweigh Its Cons Read More »
Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The Israel Prize is awarded for academic or social excellence, and serves as Israel’s attempt to provide its own version of the Nobel Prize. Sadly, I have never attended a Nobel Prize ceremony, but I have read about it, and I know it is a very stately and serious occasion. Just imagine, if the ceremony would be the occasion for a series of pop singers to pop up, sing and play at the tops of their voices a medley of songs of questionable taste (and certainly not my taste). But that was the overriding tone of the Israel Prize ceremony last night. The whole occasion left an impression of bad judgment and inferior standards. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Israel Lowers Its Cultural Standards of Excellence Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
When my father had back surgery, he shopped around to nearly every top orthopedic surgeon in L.A. until he found one willing to cut into his ailing eighty-five-year-old frame and repair three levels of his lumbar vertebrae. We were overjoyed to see him recover from the spine operation but soon thereafter he needed a knee replacement. Oy vey! For all his health issues, he still maintains his Dodger and Laker season tickets, trades on the stock market and teaches a monthly Jewish history class. But his pleasure in life is sharply curtailed in what seems to be a cruel downward spiral of Job-like proportions. [Sam Glaser]
Caring for Aging Parents and Beyond Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Sam GlaserNow before you think this column is about physical exercise and muscle growth, I’m talking here about another type of being “F.I.T.,” one that I’ve been writing and speaking about for many years. This F.I.T. has to do with being a “Fundamentally Independent Thinker” and requires no exercise equipment. “The link is what you think,” remember? Let’s delve into this a bit and see how being an independent thinker, not emotionally hooked into external events, can help you through the COVID-19 psychological upheaval. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Post COVID, Become F.I.T. Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael MantellEveryone has a characteristic interpersonal style that is their preferred way of relating to other people; even though they may change styles to accommodate particular situations, under stress we revert to one’s particular style. Returning to community after a year’s absence is stressful. This is why we have a unique opportunity to observe ourselves. All inter-personal styles have strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are strengths used to excess. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
St. Bernard, Owl, Lion, Chameleon Personalities Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
It’s our responsibility as citizens of the world to continuously hope for a better future. Our world is filled with prophets of doom and they are especially to be found in the Jewish world where many who should know better see a dark cloud for the future of American Jewry, European Jewry and the Jews of Israel. The danger is that all of these can turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]
Don’t listen to the prophets of doom Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Lifestyles