San Diego County

Jewish-interest license plate: 5L’Chaim

Karen Beth Pearlman gets the credit for spotting this Jewish-interest license plate, which offers us some opportunities for speculation. L’Chaim means “To Life!” So 5 L’Chaim means “5 To Life.” While that may sound like the length of a prison sentence, it more likely refers to five happy people, perhaps ready to engage in the traditional merrymakers’ toast of “To Life!”

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San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Trump again honors Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein

Vaus said Goldstein and Trump “have a real connection” growing out of that April tragedy and giving way to “constant contact” with the White House (“They keep checking in to make sure we have everything that we need.”)

The 58-year-old rabbi also visited the Oval Office.

Eight days ago, Vaus said, he and Goldstein sought to return the courtesy.

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Jewish History, Ken Stone, San Diego County, USA

Cory Briggs, often City Hall’s foe, now seeks to be its lawyer

Asked why he’s running for the City Attorney office,  Briggs replies, “I’ve been fighting city hall for almost two decades. Running for office was never on my bucket list. But I’ve seen the consequences of not having good professional legal advice given to the client, in this case the city, and I’ve been watching it for administration after administration.”

He adds, “The city is facing big issues, but if you read the news, you see that the city frequently ends up in the court and it usually ends up on the wrong side of the cases. This costs the city a lot of money, it costs the city progress, and it’s time for the Mayor and the City Council to have a lawyer who is giving them sound advice without the lawyer’s political agenda driving that advice.”

Cory Briggs, often City Hall’s foe, now seeks to be its lawyer Read More »

Miriam Raftery, San Diego County

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 18, 2019

Items in this column include:
*Local businessmen fly to Bahamas to help victims of Hurricane Dorian
*Councilmembers Bry and Campbell often find common ground
*San Diegans will host IDF veterans as they sort out combat memories
*Bible Players to enliven services this weekend at Tifereth Israel Synagogue

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 18, 2019 Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

San Diego holds its first Sephardic Festival

I had to smile on Saturday night at the Sephardic Festival held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center [JCC] this past weekend.  There was a short film, Our San Diego Sephardic Voices, about the Sephardim in San Diego.  One of the women interviewed said she was in a “mixed marriage” as her husband was Ashkenazi. Another woman spoke about the differences in food as the Sephardic eat much more rice than their eastern European counterparts.

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International, Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 16, 2019

Items in today’s column:

*San Diego County teens, successful in past, may apply for Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
*Bible, Holocaust, and Israel subjects of new books by local authors
*Barbara Bry gets backing of neighborhoods group in mayoral race
*Sukkot activity planning well underway in the county

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County, September 15, 2019

San Diego History Center in Balboa Park and author of The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle, told Rowe that instances of men playing females have long been considered family entertainment.  Furthermore, she said, “Some of the highest paid drag queens in the past have identified as heterosexual.  It has nothing to do with sexual behavior. It has everything to do with entertainment.”

All of which brings to memory that the 1959 Billy Wilder film, Some Like It Hot, one of the most celebrated movies ever to be filmed at the Hotel del Coronado,  starred Marilyn Monroe as a member of an all-girl band that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon joined, in drag, in an effort to escape from some gangsters. 

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 14, 2019

Items in this column include:
* Attorney Joe Leventhal becomes a candidate in 5th City Council District
* Georgette Gomez jumps into race to succeed Congresswoman Susan Davis
* Brushing up on your Jewish knowledge with a game of ‘Jew-perdy’
*A Backyard Challah Bake
* Camp Mountain Chai increases summer sessions from three to four
* Three ‘self-compassionate resolutions’ for the New Year
* And Finally, Some Fun With Numbers

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 14, 2019 Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego: September 12, 2019

Subjects in this column:
* 2020 may be the year of local exhibits on the Holocaust
* Rabbis weigh in on the controversy over kosher slaughter of animals
* How mayoral candidates are spinning the latest poll

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Travel and Food

GI Film Festival Preview: ‘That’s Mine’

Suppose you were a military careerist, one who has risen to the rank of colonel with responsibility as a brigade commander. Suppose also that you were coming up for a promotion that would put an entire armored division under your command.

In the case of Roni (Shimon Mimram), the promotion is conditioned upon him extending the period of his military service – ordinarily a requirement that would cause him no qualms.  But over the last two years, Roni has been replaying in his head a conversation he had with his son Roy. (Or Ben-Melech)

GI Film Festival Preview: ‘That’s Mine’ Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego Calendar, Theatre, Film & Broadcast