Travel and Food

El Paso Lights Up Ceremonial Star in Celebration of Hanukkah

As we made it past the Franklin Mountains above the University of Texas at El Paso, there was an illuminated star on the mountainside. I don’t remember the star having been lit as blue prior to this occasion. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Israeli Sightseeing: Off the Beaten Path

You won’t find many of these in travel books, and if you do, they’re usually wedged between the “best hummus in Jaffa” and a review of a hotel that doesn’t deserve its fourth star. What I’m offering here is a bit of a swap: famous attractions traded in for quieter, stranger, or more soulful corners of the country. Think of it as Israel off the record. [Ari Melnik]

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Prayers and Cheerful Greetings Should Not Be Confined to This Time of Year

I was surprised the other day when I was attending a doctor’s appointment with a friend and told the checkout staff ‘happy holidays’ as we left. They stared at me and said, “Thank you, you were the first patient to say that to us all day.” I looked at my watch, and it was after 4 p.m. [Cailin Acosta]

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Jewish Political Briefing:  Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025

By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego We encourage our readers to follow the links below to the stories that attract their interest. INTERNATIONAL The Bondi Beach massacre in which 15 innocents were murdered on the first day of Chanukah has had repercussions in Australia and around the world.  Australian Jewish News reports that Australia’s

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Science in a French City, Which I Shall Not Name

It has a beautiful historic center with typical old European streets and an impressive number of museums. It is a delightful area of narrow cobbled streets, small charming squares, and beautiful old buildings. It is a very old city—more than 2,000 years old. It is a green city with many parks. There are 14 churches and cathedrals in this city, although over the years it has become less Christian and more Muslim. [Alex Gordon]

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Merry Jewish Christmas: How Chinese Food and the Movies Became a Time-Honored Tradition for American Jews

As restaurant owners learned that Jews often eschewed pork, some began to offer traditional dishes with chicken instead – allowing more observant Jews to eat “kosher style,” without eating explicitly forbidden food. Today, there is wide variation in Jewish dietary practices, making Chinese food even more accessible for most Jews. (Samira Mehta)

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Our Shtetl: Chanukah Display at Parkway Plaza

As I walked in through the entrance near Five Guys Burgers and Fries, I was greeted by a delightful surprise: a Chanukah display set up at the main intersection, right beside the Five Below store. A representative was carefully adding the finishing touches as I passed by. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl: Alternative Latke Recipes

I make a latke variation with just potatoes, onions, and garlic. I shred potatoes, zucchinis, and carrots. I use powdered onion and garlic powder, faux cheese, and fry in olive oil. It probably still makes the same mess of oil splatters as the traditional latkes. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl: A Jewish Rabbit?

Freckles, my beloved angora-mix rabbit, turned 7 on December 4 — the equivalent of 57 in “rabbit years.” My super-cool 13-year-old twins proudly tell everyone that Freckles is a Jewish rabbit. While certainly not kosher, she was blessed in 2019 by then-Rabbi Josh Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. [Cailin Acosta]

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Jewish Political Briefing: Friday, Dec. 5, 2025

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane was the target of four drones as he landed at the Dublin, Ireland, airport around 11 pm., Monday, Dec.1  Who sent the military-class drones and why they were sent are open questions now under investigation by Ireland’s security forces. [Donald H. Harrison]

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A Second Chance Coming for New Year’s Resolutions

December has arrived, and the end of 2025 is upon us. Some of my friends say that if they didn’t follow through with their Rosh Hashanah resolutions, they get a re-do on December 31st. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Thanksgiving a Harbinger of Chanukah Tikkun Olam

As I looked on Facebook, I was thrilled to see La Mesa neighbors posting they were gifting plates of Thanksgiving turkey. I am vegan, but I thought it was so generous of neighbors to give to those who do not have a place to go or are struggling to make ends meet. [Cailin Acosta]

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