This past week in Israel has offered a firsthand lesson in hope and community. I am here for two reasons: to plan for The Community Trip to Israel in May (which will be phenomenal—and you should register now!) and to attend a Partnership Gala marking the launch of construction for Assif, the new resilience and cultural center in Sha’ar HaNegev. (Heidi Gantwerk)
Our purpose cannot be limited to creating meaningful experiences or strengthening our own institution. We must also foster the relationships, confidence, and sense of shared responsibility that enable people to shape Jewish life for themselves and others. (Betzy Lynch)
Zionist professionals teach others to become forward-looking professionals Read More »
California, Israel, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
The prophet Ezekiel leaves zero ambiguity about their actual rap sheet: “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” (Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel)
Parsha Vayera: What was the actual sin of Sodom? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
My parents were orthodox Jews and adhered to the set of ancient laws and customs that characterize Jews all over the world. Such precepts as ‘thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal’ and ‘thou shalt not bear false witness,’ which also form the basis of Western society, came naturally to them, along with ‘love thy neighbor as thyself.’ This mindset and general attitude fitted in well with the wider non-Jewish society that was England at that time, namely, during and after the Second World War. (Dorothea Shefer-Vanson)
The right to be a refugee Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
For journalist Aron Heller, the search for his grandfather’s World War II history began with a mystery within his own family. Mickey Heller, affectionately known as Zaidy, had served four years in the Royal Canadian Air Force, including two years as a navigator in Bomber Command in Europe. Yet despite his grandson’s curiosity, Mickey rarely spoke about his military service. (Cailin Acosta)
I found I was sitting next to a woman who admitted she was part of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and related groups who blockaded access to dorms, dining halls and classrooms for Jewish students and anyone who failed to “correctly answer the question “Are you Zionist or anti-Zionist?” (Barrett Holman Leak)
A beautiful homecoming and an unexpected encounter Read More »
Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA
NIF and our partners have always believed in Jewish-Arab partnership as the only way possible. We’ve worked for years to support the organizations and activists who persisted in the essential work of building trust, training leaders, and engaging more citizens in democratic life. [Mickey Gitzin and Shira Ben Sasson]
Israel should find a way to bring Arabs into a coalition Read More »
Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Israel is a parliamentary democracy with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Its parliament, the Knesset, has 120 members elected through proportional representation. Voters choose parties rather than individual candidates, and seats are distributed according to each party’s share of the vote. (Cailin Acosta)
Israel: A parliamentary democracy Read More »
Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, News Media, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USAAll I had was some clothes I packed in one suitcase that we would now call a carry-on. I was riding shotgun in my friend Beth’s little Honda CRV hatchback. The rest of my clothes would follow in two weeks with her parents. I had a small Sears manual typewriter in a hard carrying case with a handle and an extra ribbon in my suitcase, along with a quarter pack of paper. I got in the car and watched my front door roll by as we hit the road, off to Boston, heading to college. (Barrett Holman Leak)
Parsha Lech Lecha makes writer reflect on her own life Read More »
Barrett Holman Leak, Lifestyles, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USAA Shabbat dinner offers an opportunity to experience Jewish tradition, share a meal, and take a break from everyday busyness. (Cailin Acosta)
Accept an invitation to a formal Shabbat dinner Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, California, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USABy Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel in Chula Vista, California Every election season reminds us of the sacred, slightly stressful weight of a single vote. We line up, sticker in hand, trusting that an individual mark on a piece of paper matters. If you ever doubt whether one lone soul can pivot the course of
Parsha Lech Lecha: The power of one Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
In 1955 we got a reliable white and black Chevrolet, a two-door sedan with hand crank windows, automatic transmission, no radio or air conditioning. A 1956 family road trip to Carmel, San Francisco, the Redwoods and Tahoe resulted in our only scrapbook with Brownie camera photographs and ephemera, napkins, matchbooks, menus, postcards, park receipts, a “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” story. We took pictures of driving through a Redwood tree, and President Eisenhower waving to the crowd from a car at a Monterey golf course. (Oliveer B. Pollak)
Auto biography, History on wheels Read More »
California, Holocaust, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Travel and Food, USA
Avraham’s journey came without a guarantee that the road would be easy. Neither does ours. But we don’t need to see the entire road to take the next step. (Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.)
Parsha Lech Lecha: The courage to leave what is familiar Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
British authorities rearrested two of the seven men suspected of plotting against RAF Fairford air base from which American bombers took off earlier this year on bombing runs over Iran. [SDJW staff]
The fight against terrorism and antisemitism: Oct. 21, 2026 Read More »
International, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA