Staff and Bylined Contributors

Yom HaShoah Remembrance: Miriam Samuel, My Aunt, z”l

Oh, Marijke, that scene is etched in my mind,
As friends turned to foes, oh, how cruel and unkind.
Neighbors swooped in like vultures in flight,
“Let me take this; I’ll claim it,” they’d bite. … {Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: ‘Project Esther’ Will Not Save Us; Just the Reverse

Under Project Esther, the cause of fighting antisemitism will be used as cover to attack and take funds away from American universities and colleges, state educational programs, local schools, and online academia, among other entities. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Netflix Documentary Tells of 7 Jewish Siblings who Survived Nazi Germany

‘Unbroken’ is based on the true story of the Weber family that escaped Nazi Germany and immigrated to America. The World War II documentary by Beth Lane explores the areas in Germany where her mother’s family lived and re-traces her family’s stories of survival. This documentary is streamed on Netflix as of April 23 in honor of Yom HaShoah. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Yom HaShoah Remembrance: Leo Samuel, My Father, z”l

Religion shaped our lives every single day,
My father was faithful, guiding in his way.
With Rabbi skills, though he chose business,
His heart stayed true, despite the stress. … [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Poets Florsheim, Patlis, and Shames to Read Their Works May 6 at JCC

Stewart Florsheim, son of a Holocaust survivor; Simon Patlis, immigrant from the former Soviet Union; and Adam Shames, Chicago native, will be the three featured poets for the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices program at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 6, in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Yasher Koach to Staffs of These 4 Jewish Organizations

– Jewish Federation of San Diego, Lawrence Family JCC, Israeli American Council and Jewish Community Foundation San Diego have three community gatherings happening all in one week. If you work for the Federation, JCC, IAC or JCFSD or know someone who does, they deserve a hug, yasher koach or, L’Chaim for all the work that goes into coordinating these events. All three of these events are free and open to the public but register for them for attendance purposes. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Antisemitism Suspected in Governor’s Mansion Arson

Cody A. Balmer is a man of violence, assuming that police have the right person. He was charged with jumping a fence onto the grounds of the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg and allegedly tossing Molotov cocktail-type devices into the very room where Gov. Josh Shapiro hosted a seder a few hours earlier on the first night of Passover. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Biography: Isaak Dunayevsky, Soviet Pop Composer

Isaak Dunayevsky, the USSR’s most famous and highly paid pop composer, twice winner of the Stalin Prize, was the most talented and most influential composer of his genre in the Land of the Soviets. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Public Speaking Book Offers Helpful Philosophy of Life

I originally picked up the book hoping to find a few practical speaking tips to support my growing professional speaking. But what I found instead was something that felt both familiar and profound. With decades of Zen practice behind me, the essence of Glickstein’s message—showing up with presence—felt like coming home. Only this time, applied to the stage. [Shayna Kaufmann, Ph.D.]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lifestyles, Shayna Kaufmann, Staff and Bylined Contributors