News Sources

Our Shtetl San Diego County: A Potpourri of Jewish News Items

Chabad of La Costa has notified its congregants of a “new mitzvah opportunity.”  In its weekly update, it reports: “there are a number of patients at UCSD La Jolla that have come from Israel to receive transplants here. They need our help.  Bikur Cholim of S. Diego is a community organization helping the sick with care packages, visitation, driving spouses to and from the hospital, etc.  [SDJW staff report]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

A Klezmer Adventure in old Bessarabia

Shloyml Boyml and his band receive an invitation from a rebbe from some distance away to play at his Purim party.  The rebbe requests that the band compose and play on the violin a special Purim melody.  Shloyml is both ecstatic and worried by the invitation.  It’s a great honor to play for the rebbe.  But his band does not have a violinist. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Fiction, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

How Antisemitism Has Manifested Itself Since Oct. 7

In the three months since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, U.S. antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed, reaching a total of 3,283 incidents between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7, according to ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) preliminary data. This represents a 360-percent increase compared to the same period one year prior, which saw 712 incidents. [ADL Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Jewish History, Press Release, San Diego County, USA

Amid War, US Pain Specialist Offers Israel a New Spin on Rehabilitation

Over the course of two weeks in November, Spinner, a celebrated pain management specialist now living in New Rochelle, New York, worked with the staff at the Harvey and Gloria Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran in southern Israel to provide relief to war-wounded civilians by performing minimally invasive pain management procedures never previously implemented in Israel. [Elie Klein]

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Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jared Kushner

When Ivanka’s father, Donald Trump, became U.S. President in 2017, Jared became a senior advisor in the White House and director of the Office of American Innovation. He was put in charge of Trump’s initiative in the Middle East, which resulted in the Abraham Accords among Israel, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco.[SdJW staff]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

San Diego International Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 34th Season with In-Person Lineup, Jan. 31 – Feb. 11 and Virtual, Feb. 11-18

Film enthusiasts can attend in-person screenings at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, while virtual film screenings are available on demand beginning on Feb. 11 and will remain available through Feb 18. [SDIJFF Press Release]

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Press Release, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

2023 Was a Record-Breaking Year for Israel Bonds, with $2.7B in Investments

A year that began on a festive note, as Israel Bonds commemorated the Jewish state’s milestone 75th anniversary later turned somber with the October 7 Hamas massacre. Yet at Israel’s darkest moment, Israel Bonds produced its most significant accomplishments — securing an additional $1 billion in such investments by the war’s 30-day mark. This historic groundswell of investments included purchases from more than 15 U.S. state and municipal governments and institutions. [Israel Bonds Pres Release)

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Business & Finance, Israel, Press Release, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: The Local Jewish Political Scene

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer was re-elected as vice chair of the County Board of Supervisors, which once again will be chaired by Supervisor Nora Vargas.  There’s an interesting split among three Democrats and two Republicans on the technically non-partisan Board of Supervisor.  The Democrats are all women – Vargas, Lawson-Remer, and Monica Montgomery-Steppe – while the Republicans are both men: Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, Business & Finance, California, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Deforestation in the Amazon Led to Reduced Thunderstorms, Tel Aviv Researchers Repor

“These findings are worrying because a decrease in the amount of storms leads to a decrease in the amount of rain, which in turn causes further damage to the forests. This is a dangerous feedback loop, which could severely damage the forests that provide the earth with a significant portion of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb a large portion of the carbon dioxide emitted by us into the atmosphere.” [Tel Aviv University Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share

StandWithUs Unites Diverse Ethnic Groups in Defense of Israel

Laniado, the regional director, told me that correcting lies and misinformation about Israel while fighting domestic antisemitism are missions so urgent that without such an effort, “in five years, we won’t be able to put the mezuzahs on our doors,” maybe even sooner than that. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Hebrew Calendar Based on Controversial Approximations

Scholars, such as Azariah de’ Rossi, in his The Light of the Eyes, speculate that the anno mundi — also known as the Hebrew calendar — may have originated around the sixth century, after the Talmudic Period. While this seems to be the date of its origin, it was not until relatively recently that Jews began to use it. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parasha Va’eira: Accepting Life’s Challenges

This week we learn of Abraham’s test to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. It’s the only challenge of the ten trials in the Torah clearly identified as a “test.” Hashem needed to test Abraham? After all, isn’t He omniscient? Yes, but the purpose of these tests are to elevate Abraham, to help him grow. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors