Staff and Bylined Contributors

AB 715, abolishing antisemitism in K-12 classrooms, ruled constitutional

Within a month after passage, a complaint seeking to halt the Jan. 1 implementation of the bill was filed against Newsom, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The complaint claimed the law restricts teachers’ free speech rights, is vague and ambiguous, and denies students full learning opportunities. [Marsha Sutton, Times of San Diego]

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, Israel, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

Efrat Sopher, head of the World Jewish Congress’s International Task Force on Iran and Islamic Extremism, said Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi may have the experience and the experience of the team around him, as well as widespread support in Iran, to lead the country which overthrew his father, the Shah, in 1979. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Wikipedia

The apathetic West needs to wake up!

This moment of raw courage—ordinary Iranians facing murder squads, risking torture and death for dignity, women’s rights, and an end to clerical tyranny—deserves global attention. Yet, much of the Western liberal establishment, academia, mainstream media, and progressive circles have responded with disturbing silence or minimal engagement. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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International, Israel, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Thursday, Jan. 15. 2025

A day of national mourning for the 15 slain victims of the Bondi Beach massacre will be observed in Australia on Thursday, Jan. 22. The preceding Monday at 9:30 a.m. Australian time (2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, San Diego time) the federal Parliament will consider a condolence motion.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Rebbetzin Brooke Reich: Painful experiences can transform us

Reich began with Sarah Imeinu, whom she described as the matriarch of resilience. Sarah’s life was marked by immense trials. She left her homeland for an unknown land, endured famine, was abducted not once but twice, and suffered years of barrenness. Even after the birth of Yitzchak, she faced the painful situation involving Hagar and Yishmael, which ultimately led to their being sent away. [Cailin Acosta]

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

History that reads like a heart-stopping suspense novel

Golda Meir, drenched in cold sweat, knows exactly what that call means: war is coming, lives are hanging by a thread, and the weight of a nation rests on one trembling hand reaching for the receiver. Do you answer? Or do you let it ring, pretending the nightmare hasn’t begun? [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jews in the news: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026

“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Middle East, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘Disabled’ people throughout history have been the most able

Pharaoh embodies the classic addict’s cycle, swearing after every devastating “hangover” (plague) that he’ll change—”I swear I’ll never do it again!”—only to relapse the moment the pain subsides, as he did time after time. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Va’eira: Growing through the hail

The plagues themselves are not acts of revenge. They are acts of moral clarity. Pharaoh believes power comes from domination. Hashem reveals that true power flows from justice, accountability, and truth. Va’eira teaches that when lies go unchallenged, cruelty flourishes. Silence enables oppression. Moral clarity requires voice, even when speaking is uncomfortable. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Rep. Sara Jacobs: Renee Nicole Good murdered by ICE agent

Because multiple bystanders were exercising their First Amendment rights by filming ICE’s actions on their cell phones, we all saw her brutal murder with our own eyes — which makes the Trump administration’s immediate and ongoing attempts to gaslight the public and cruelly twist the truth even more outrageous. [Sara Jacobs]

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Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA