Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘The Apiary:’ A Cautionary Buzz

Kate Douglas’s The Apiary doesn’t waste time easing you into its premise. It’s 20+ years in the future. Honeybees are nearly extinct. What remains of them exist in synthetic apiaries providing palliative care to a species we’ve failed to save. No bees means no honey, no almonds, no avocados. The food chain collapses one pollinator at a time. [Sherrie Rose]

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Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

American Jews in the face of Jewish catastrophes

As might be expected after Kristallnacht, for American Jews the fate of European Jews during the Holocaust was of little interest, a secondary issue. No Jewish solidarity was shown by them. Their reaction was “disproportionate,” ignoring the dangers facing the Jewish people in Europe. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Saturday evening, Jan. 31, 2026

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports two Major League Baseball developments with Jewish athletes: Third baseman Alex Bregman has signed a five-year, $175 million pact with the Chicago Cubs, and Alon Leichman, who grew up on Kibbutz Gezer in Israel, will become the head pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Lifestyles, News Media, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Holocaust and hostage survivors have much in common

As we hold tight to the stories of those still alive from the Holocaust, we will be holding tight to the stories of the hostages from Oct.7. They will always show resilience and the power of prayer that helped them survive. (Cailin Acosta)

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Jews in the news: Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

Historian Rafael Medoff reports that he and 111 other Holocaust scholars from around the world have signed a letter protesting the “Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention” using the name of Raphael Lemkin, who coined the word ‘genocide,’ without the permission of the Lemkin family. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

It feels like one big global family as Jews from the Americas and Israel meet in Mexico City

 Throughout the visit, we were constantly struck by the powerful sense of connection and peoplehood we experienced. After speaking with the head of the Maccabi program in Guatemala for just five minutes, we had invited one another to visit our homes, and it already felt like we had known each other for far longer. (Heidi Gantwerk)

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Heidi Gantwerk, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Columbo’s rumpled raincoat and catch phrase ‘just one more thing’ resurface at PowPac

Dr. Roy Flemming (Pete Zanko) and his mistress/patient, Susan Hudson (Abbie Black), concoct a plan to do away with Claire Flemming (Kelley Goode), the good doctor’s wife. Their marriage is unsatisfying and since she has refused to grant his request for a divorce, that leads to but one option. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jews in the news: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and President Donald Trump have negotiated a deal to fund the government. Schumer announced that the agreement calls for five bipartisan bills funding most of the government would be approved as is, while the bill allocating funds to the Department of Homeland Security would be approved with a two-week continuing resolution …

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

Opinion: Protesters dishonor Holocaust victims as they seek to denigrate Israel

I get chills every time I stand before any haunting symbol for our six million brethren, and the millions of others who died for being who they were. I suppose I felt guilt and shame for having escaped their fate because of timing and location. I was born in a free country five years after the Jewish people’s cruelest nightmare ended. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Bruce Ticker, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Parsha Beshalach: You don’t have to be fearless, just faithful

Faith alone is not enough; it must be translated into action. The sea did not split until someone, Nachshon ben Aminadav, stepped forward. The manna did not nourish spiritually unless the people learned to gather it according to Hashem’s law, even when it felt illogical or inconvenient. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

The erasure of the Jews: A new front in Holocaust distortion

It was a day intended to honor the six million Jewish souls systematically extinguished by the Nazi regime. Instead, two of the world’s most influential entities—U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the BBC—delivered messages that achieved a chilling feat: they commemorated the Holocaust while effectively erasing the Jews. [Rabbo Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA