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Interreligious salute to migrants scheduled in Balboa Park on Sunday, Sept. 27

This interreligious gathering is an opportunity to come together to honor the dignity and sacredness of migrants and refugees and stand in solidarity with those who have fled war, persecution, and hardship. (Cailin Acosta)

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

240 Israeli teens whose family members were killed Oct. 7 or afterwards tour American venues

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) brought 240 bereaved Israeli teens to the United States this summer through its signature Legacy Program, marking the 20th year of the program and its largest summer to date. Each participant lost a parent or sibling in defense of Israel on or since Oct. 7, 2023. (Press Release)

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Israel, Press Release, Travel and Food, USA

The fight against terrorism and antisemitism: September 22, 2026

In a hearing on Yom Kippur day, a court provisionally dismissed felony charges against five students who vandalized the executive offices in Stanford University’s administration building, prompting the Jewish Community Relations Council – Bay Area and Jewish Silicon Valley to issue this statement on Tuesday, Sept. 22: (SDJW staff roundup)

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Press Release, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

The fight against terrorism and antisemitism: September 21, 2026

Shotgun wielding Sean Ward, 29, of Quinte West wounded a police officer stationed outside The Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, Canada, on Kol Nidre night. Constable Jeff Smith and another officer returned fire, seriously wounding Ward, the Associated Press reported. [SDJW staff report]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish birthday: Ethan Coen

Ethan Coen (September 21, 1957) is an American filmmaker. Working alongside his brother Joel, he has directed, written, edited and produced many feature films, the most acclaimed of which include Blood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), Miller’s Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998). [Wikipedia]

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Jewish biography: Boris Hessen, science historian 

Hessen had to formally acknowledge his mistakes and repent for the separation of theory from practice. He continued to be exposed for his fascination with bourgeois sciences, among which the theory of relativity was mentioned, and was accused of “mathematical idealism” and a “non-Marxist approach to the laws of thermodynamics.” (Alex Gordon)

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Alex Gordon, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Why ‘Jonah’ is appropriate to read Yom Kippur afternoon

Maimonides teaches his readers to distinguish between the biblical attribution of an event to God and its immediate physical cause. In other words, biblical language saying that “God did” or said something does not necessarily mean God directly intervened in nature the way a human being might. God was the ultimate cause of the event because God created the laws of nature, but the act happened according to those laws. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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

Al Chets for the JCC (and any large organization)

Perhaps its most powerful feature is that we don’t say, “For the sin I committed.” We say, Al chet shechatanu, “For the sin WE committed.” We share responsibility for the kind of community we create. Inspired by that idea, I wrote a version of the Al Chet for our JCC community. (Betzy Lynch)

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Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Where do you stand after the Oct. 7 massacre?

For decades, American Jewry succumbed to a seductive illusion: that we could champion universalism while abandoning particularism; that if we only aligned ourselves with every fashionable political dogma, the world would grant us a permanent pass. We imagined our progressive credentials and refined assimilation would serve as an impenetrable shield. (Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel)

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Today’s Jewish birthday: Lisa Bloom

Lisa Bloom (September 20, 1961) is an American civil rights attorney known for representing high-profile clients in cases involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse. Bloom has represented clients like Janice Dickinson against Bill Cosby, Mischa Barton in a revenge porn case, multiple women whose sexual harassment claims resulted in the firing of Bill O’Reilly from Fox News, and Blac Chyna against Rob Kardashian. [Wikipedia]

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Science, Medicine, & Education, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia