Lifestyles

Were You Born Too Early? Technology Natives Versus Technology Immigrants

By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — I am sure that many of you are reading this via your smartphone or computer. Like me, perhaps you are still adjusting to a world where the news is not just something a paperboy leaves on your doorstep, but a whole ecosystem of digital devices, notifications,

Were You Born Too Early? Technology Natives Versus Technology Immigrants Read More »

Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

LA Jewish Young Professionals Go ‘Back to Camp’ to Ignite Ideas, Inspire Curiosity, Build Connections

LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Young Jewish leaders from across Los Angeles joined together May 12 for an experiential, day-long, camp-style gathering hosted by Trybal Gatherings designed to ignite professionals with new ideas, inspire curiosity, and build connections. Supported by the generosity of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and in partnership with the

LA Jewish Young Professionals Go ‘Back to Camp’ to Ignite Ideas, Inspire Curiosity, Build Connections Read More »

California, Lifestyles

Civility and Respect — Two Words That are No Longer in Use Today

By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — There is so much acrimony and animosity in the world today. We are living under circumstances in which even typically rational people are pushed over the edge and act out. While it’s easy to see the cultural forces that are eroding civility, this generation is facing

Civility and Respect — Two Words That are No Longer in Use Today Read More »

Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, Opinion

Connections

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A few years ago an enterprising resident of the suburb where I live, just outside Jerusalem, initiated and organized an association providing social and cultural activities for the growing number of retired persons living here. Since then the association has reached over one thousand members and conducts a

Connections Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles

Frida Kahlo Loved Jews So Much She Invented Jewish Ancestry

The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is the subject of several murals at Chicano Park. Modern genealogists say that she was the daughter of a mother of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent, Mathilde Calderon y Gonzalez, and a German Lutheran father, Guillermo Kahlo. However, Frida herself always insisted that her father, who was an important influence on both her life and her art, was actually Jewish. [Donald H. Harrison]

Frida Kahlo Loved Jews So Much She Invented Jewish Ancestry Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Watch Your Step!

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I was recently made aware of the importance of being careful to avoid falling by the incident in which a friend who is a little bit younger than myself fell in her home and broke her hip. This involved a trip to the emergency room of a local

Watch Your Step! Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles

Roles, Tasks, Resources — Understanding the Controlling Forces

By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — “They don’t allow it,” you’re told. “They wouldn’t like it….” “They have decided…” “It’s up to them.” We hear such common pronouncements often, but who are they? They are “the powers that be,” the nameless, faceless others who control our lives. They are the systems, institutions,

Roles, Tasks, Resources — Understanding the Controlling Forces Read More »

Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, Opinion

Tradition

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — As Passover approaches the word “tradition” assumes increasing prominence in the lives of Jews — and Israelis. Each ethnic group, and each family, has its own traditions regarding the way the festival is celebrated (cue musical interlude “Tradition” from “Fiddler on the Roof”). This was brought home to

Tradition Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East

I Wish I Had A Dog, I’m Glad I Don’t Have A Dog, But I Do Have Teddy Bear

By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — A few days ago a friend came to visit me with her new puppy, a nine-month old mini-Australian shepherd. After the puppy finished exploring my apartment and drank some water, he jumped in my lap and licked my face; I was smitten. All my nurturing instincts

I Wish I Had A Dog, I’m Glad I Don’t Have A Dog, But I Do Have Teddy Bear Read More »

Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

There’s More Than One Kind of Mikvah for Conversion Ceremonies

However, there are other ways that the process of conversion can be completed, much closer to home, as Dr. Mark Scheller, an anesthesiologist, learned in 2015 when he waded from the shore of Chula Vista’s Bayside Park into the cold waters of San Diego Bay. [Donald H. Harrison]

There’s More Than One Kind of Mikvah for Conversion Ceremonies Read More »

California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA