Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: What If a Film is Made about the Voice of Matilda?

In an opinion piece headlined “The Movie I Was Afraid To See,” Gessen recalls his experience of watching the film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which chronicles the frantic efforts of rescue-center workers at their office in Ramallah to obtain clearance for an ambulance in Gaza to pick up Hind for an eight-minute drive. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

La Mesa Arts Academy Concert Features a Chanukah Medley

Comprised of the more advanced seventh- and eighth-grade musicians, the orchestra performed a medley titled “Chanukah Holiday,” weaving together the “Dreidel Song,” “Tum Balalaika”, and “O Chanukah.” [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jews who Embraced Communism Often Sought to Fit in a Non-Jewish World

I’m used to Soviet Jewish communists who were secret enemies of the Soviet regime. But in P. A., I met a true supporter of communism. A little earlier, I had already listened to speeches by some of my French communist colleagues at the institute where I worked. Their words reminded me of articles from the Soviet newspaper Pravda (truth). P. A. turned out to be a harsh critic of France. [Alex Gordon, Ph.D.]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Political Briefing:  Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025

Herzog commented: “The rise in Jew hatred across the world is a global emergency. The battle against antisemitism, must be everyone’s battle against antisemitism. This is an urgent call to action to prevent the next catastrophe.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, San Diego County, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Israeli Sightseeing: Off the Beaten Path

You won’t find many of these in travel books, and if you do, they’re usually wedged between the “best hummus in Jaffa” and a review of a hotel that doesn’t deserve its fourth star. What I’m offering here is a bit of a swap: famous attractions traded in for quieter, stranger, or more soulful corners of the country. Think of it as Israel off the record. [Ari Melnik]

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Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Travel and Food

A Powerful 3 Days in Rancho Bernardo with Supportive Friends

In that moment, I heard an ancient Jewish truth echoing forward: wisdom is not speed. Wisdom is presence. Chochmah without binah is incomplete. Intelligence is not merely how fast the mind moves, but how deeply the soul is engaged. [Michael Adam Cohen]

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Business & Finance, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Adam Cohen, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: Lighting Candles While the World Burns

In Australia, a place many of us instinctively associate with openness and safety, violence shattered that illusion. Another attack. Another reminder that antisemitism is not a relic of history but a living, mutating force, one that resurfaces whenever fear is rewarded and lies go unchallenged. [Shahar Masori]

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International, Jewish Religion, Opinion, Shahar Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Political Briefing: Saturday Evening, Dec. 20, 2025

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss with U.S. President Donald Trump the danger posed by Iran’s ballistic missile and renewed nuclear programs. At the two leaders’ upcoming meeting at the end of this month, Netanyahu will suggest joint action to eliminate the threat, according to a story in The Times of Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘This Ordinary Thing,’ Helping Fellow Humans, was Extraordinary During the Holocaust

French citizen Ivan Beltrami saw a tree planted in his honor at Yad Vashem’s Avenue of the Righteous.  He commented in wonder: “I don’t think I really deserve this.”  The director of Israel’s Holocaust memorial responded: “All the Righteous say the same thing but why didn’t everyone do ‘this ordinary thing?’” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

OpEd: The Light We Build Ourselves

[O]ver half of American Jews report feeling worried about their personal safety. Perhaps most chilling: 14 percent have developed plans to flee the country if antisemitism continues to worsen. The incidents pile up. The data paints the picture. The isolation intensifies. And unfortunately, Jewish history means this moment feels both urgent and familiar. [Jonathan Greenblatt]

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Antisemitism, International, Jewish Religion, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Political Briefing:  Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Australia’s Prime Minister attended a ceremony in Sydney’s Great Synagogue memorializing the 15 people slain in the attack on the first night of Chanukah.  All 15 have now been identified as Matilda, 10, and adults Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris Gutman, Sofia Gurman, Alex Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Tania Tretiak, Boris Tetleroyd, and Tibor Weitzen. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, News Media, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA