Lifestyles

Parsha Yitro: When insight becomes habit

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.]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

REVIEW: Black and Jewish: An Interwoven History, Part 1 – Let My People Go

Because 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]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, California, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘The Apiary:’ A Cautionary Buzz

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]

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Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

American Jews in the face of Jewish catastrophes

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]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Saturday evening, Jan. 31, 2026

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports two Major League Baseball developments with Jewish athletes: Third baseman Alex Bregman has signed a five-year, $175 million pact with the Chicago Cubs, and Alon Leichman, who grew up on Kibbutz Gezer in Israel, will become the head pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Lifestyles, News Media, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

It feels like one big global family as Jews from the Americas and Israel meet in Mexico City

 Throughout the visit, we were constantly struck by the powerful sense of connection and peoplehood we experienced. After speaking with the head of the Maccabi program in Guatemala for just five minutes, we had invited one another to visit our homes, and it already felt like we had known each other for far longer. (Heidi Gantwerk)

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Heidi Gantwerk, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Opinion: Parking fees at Balboa Park work against the attractions

By Cailin Acosta in La Mesa, California Recently, San Diego’s historic Balboa Park has started charging for parking, which has caused an uproar among many residents who have enjoyed parking for free and spending time at the park’s museums, restaurants, theaters, and gardens. I have a membership at the Mingei International Museum where children under

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

‘Queen of Lucia’ tunes up prior to full production

A married couple, both college English professors, are taking a weekend away in a cabin. This escape is intended to help Elena (Rhiannon McAfee) and Jim (Charles Peters) heal their relationship which has been upended with Elena’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder. (Eva Trieger)

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Eva Trieger, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Thousands of Holocaust Survivors Are Still with Us. Many Are Living in Poverty

Our goal is simple: to help survivors remain safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Services include home care assistance, transportation to medical appointments, access to nutritious food and help navigating complex healthcare systems. Just as important is addressing the emotional and social impacts of aging and trauma. [Dana Toppel]

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California, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Parsha Bo: Blindness and Fire

In San Diego right now, we are in a “thick fog.” When letters of “pain and rage” are weaponized, and when the Jewish community’s response ignores the JOC (Jews of Color) in its own pews, we have entered the Ninth Plague. We have stopped seeing our “brothers” and “sisters.” [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Donna Orbits the Moon’ stars Susan Clausen at Scripps Ranch Theatre

Prolific playwright Ian August wrote Donna Orbits the Moon in 2010. The character, Donna, a middle-aged Midwestern housewife had spoken to him in the middle of the night, and he’d scribbled down notes as they came to him. After a few weeks of this nocturnal internal visitor, August began to figure out her story…and write his one-woman play. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast