What do Queen Esther and Natan Sharansky have in common? Courage! How about Isaiah and U.S. Supreme Curt Justice Ruth Bader Ginzburg? Fairness! [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish lessons on courage, creativity, curiosity, fairness, and kindness Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education
Jewish Family Service of San Diego on Tuesday sponsored an internet panel discussion posing thorny questions about the Jewish community and race relations. The panel brought together Rabbi Yael Ridberg of Congregation Dor Hadash; Micah Parzen, the executive director of the San Diego Museum of Man, and Kelly Greenberg Young, education director for the San Diego regional office of the Anti-Defamation League. The moderator was Nate Looney, an African-American Jew who is Avodah’s recruiter of Jews of Color. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Introspective JFS panel considers racism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School on Sunday, June 7, celebrated the 57th anniversary of its founding in a Zoom gathering that highlighted the life of the late Eilene Cummins, a longtime volunteer and former board president for the Orthodox school at 3730 Afton Avenue, San Diego. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Hebrew Day School celebrates its 57th anniversary Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
The Black Lives Matter announcement of a march in La Jolla at 1 p.m., Friday, June 12, reads, in part: “The protests cannot remain only in areas with likeminded people. La Jolla is a predominantly white and rich area desperate for awareness. They have the power to sway leaders and thus we must educate them. These minds cannot remain sheltered.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
La Jolla prepares to welcome BLM marchers Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
About a year ago, I, as the president of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, had funded one more historical marker. It recognized the collaborative efforts of Julius Rosenwald, a Chicago retail industrialist philanthropist and Booker T. Washington, the Black American educator, and President of Tuskegee University in Alabama. The two men had come together as Americans, as equals. They joined to work for the mutual betterment of Black Americans through education and educational opportunity. [Jerry Klinger]
Rosenwald schools: Black-Jewish cooperation changed education Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
StandWithUs, the international organization that battles anti-Semitism on college, high school, and middle school campuses, is engaged in a drive to prevent wording of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) anti-Israel movement from being restored to a proposed, ethnic studies model curriculum (ESMC) for schools throughout California. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
California battle resumes over ethnic studies Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sam Litvin, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAReps. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) are co-sponsoring legislation to shine more light on the extent of sexual assault in the military. Among other provisions, the proposed legislation would require Judge Advocates General of each Armed Service to assess how well current laws and regulations dealing with the subject are working and make recommendations for further improvement. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Susan Davis urges steps to curb sexual assaults in military Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
As universities begin preparing to reopen campuses in the fall semester, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) is calling on administrators and faculty to take meaningful steps to ensure an inclusive campus climate for all students in response to a series of disturbing anti-Israel and antisemitic actions at U.S. colleges in 2019. [Press release from Anti-Defamation League]
ADL to universities: Oppose campus anti-Semitism Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
I zoomed in on two local webcasts today and although they dealt with different topics, they both made me feel good about belonging to a strong, caring Jewish community. I was particularly impressed that the presenters had compassion not only for their own immediate circles of family and friends, but also for society at large, and particularly for people who struggle to make ends meet. {Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]
Webcasts reinforce tikkun olam Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
One of the distinct pleasures I’ve found that serving as a contributing author for San Diego Jewish World brings, is the opportunity to review material related to psychology and mental health. When I was asked to review Anti-Semitism and Psychiatry edited by H. Steven Moffic, John R. Peteet, Ahmed Hankir and Mary V. Seeman and published by Springer this year, I welcomed the prospect. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Anti-Semitism and psychiatry Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & EducationIn the video above, Carla Sitton Berg and her daughter Liora Sitton Berg of San Diego perform a mother-daughter duet urging us “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” Carla, wife of Geoffrey Berg, a board officer of Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, will be among artists presenting a free online concert Sunday at 3 p.m for which you can register via this website. The concert is co-sponsored by Music on the Inside (MOTI) and Balanced Guitar (BG) “through their shared belief in community and the powerful role of music, especially now.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
San Diegan Carla Berg performs in concert Sunday Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
StandWithUs celebrated the 19th anniversary of its founding on Thursday with an international webcast that showcased its growth and successes helping students on college campuses, high schools and middle schools learn about Israel and defend against anti-Semitic attacks. The program was emceed by comedian Elon Gold and also featured the singing of “Hatikvah,” Israel’s National Anthem, by Rabbi/ Cantor Alison Wissot of Temple Judea of Tarzana, California, and a popular, optimistic Hebrew song by Israeli singer David Broza on the theme of “things will get better.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
StandWithUs celebrates 19th anniversary of its founding Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
With the approach of Memorial Day, I’d like to salute the memory of Private Herman Addleson, whose story I first wrote in Waxie: An American Family Business Success Story, a book that was published in 2016. [Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering Pvt. Herman Addleson, WWII paratrooper Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Editor’s Note: Maile Faust, a junior at Francis Parker School, wrote this poem inspired by Elie Wiesel’s “Night,’ during her freshman year. Her family is of mixed Jewish-Christian ancestry. Maile has seven years of ballet and 8 years of Free Style Martial Arts, in which she has earned a black belt. An honors and advanced placement student at Francis Parker, she intends to pursue a college degree in mechanical engineering.
Poetry: Endless Night Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education