Travel and Food

Reading on my Jewish family vacation

By Oliver B. Pollak OCEANSIDE, California — What does family vacation mean? It used to be an oxymoron ranking with giant shrimp, military intelligence, and other improbables. Destination vacations, national parks, beaches, mountains, desert, camping, rv’s, condos, five-star resorts, spas, lodges, ranches with bunk houses, and time shares all compete for our wonderment. We drive,

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food

Matanel – Gift of God — helps struggling Israelis

By Toby Klein Greenwald KFAR HAMACCABIAH, Israel — There is something humble and attractive about a foundation not naming itself after its founders, or main donors, but giving itself a Hebrew name that means “Gift of God.” I spent a glorious, mind-expanding day recently at the annual Matanel Israeli retreat in Kfar Hamaccabiah, where their

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Toby Klein Greenwald, Travel and Food

Tapestries in a medieval castle inspire visitors

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson BOUSSAC, France — The region around Limoges has been known since medieval times for its weavers. The art of tapestry-making once flourished there for many generations, passing down from father to son. Today the towns of Aubusson and Felletin are no longer famous for that particular specialty, though remnants of those ancient

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food

Movies at sea enhance the cruise

Editor’s Note: This is the 21st in a series of stories researched during Don and Nancy Harrison’s 50th Wedding Anniversary cruise from Sydney, Australia, to San Diego.  Previous installments of the series, which runs every Thursday, may be found by tapping the number of the installment:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Prague’s Alte-Neue Synagogue has memorable history

By Garry Fabian PRAGUE, Czech Republic  –Next to my own 147-year-old St. Kilda Hebrew Congregation in Melbourne, Australia, the synagogue to which I am most attached is the Alt Neue Shule here in Prague.  It is nearly 900 years old, My family  arrived in Prague in September 1938 after that part of Czechoslovakia called Sudentland

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food