Travel and Food

Two jails: One tough jailer

Two jails-separated by thousands of miles-reflect two 20th century struggles for independence. The irony lies in the fact that these two geographically distant fights for freedom were against the same harsh ruler and jailer, the British Crown. Today, neither Israel’s Central Prison Jerusalem (C.P.J.) nor Northern Ireland’s Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast house inmates, but even as museums, their powerful histories continue to echo in the halls and cells. [Deborah Rubin Fields]

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl San Diego County: May 3, 2020

There’s always something happening in our county, for good or for bad, that is of Jewish community interest For example, Ken Stone of Times of San Diego reported on Sunday that a shopper at the Vons in Santee created quite an uproar with his choice of face mask. He donned the hood of a Ku Klux Klansman … {Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Coronavirus case reported at Seacrest Village

A culinary worker at Seacrest Village Retirement Community “has tested positive and is quarantined at home,” Pam Ferris, president and CEO of the Jewish-community-run home for senior citizens reported to residents and their families on Thursday evening.  “We are currently following the ‘Criteria for Return to Work for Health Care Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected Covid-19’ guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Global memorials for Poway’s Lori Gilbert Kaye

With prayers, reflections and songs, first from her home synagogue, Chabad of Poway, and later from around the world, Jews memorialized Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was slain one year ago during a gunman’s attack that also wounded Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and two congregants, Almog Peretz and his elementary-school-aged niece Noya Dahan. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food

San Diegans celebrate Michael Jeser’s cancer recovery

  Other items in today’s column include: *Jewish community coronavirus news *Yom HaZikaron/ Yom Ha’Atzma’ut *Political bytes *Recommended reading *In memoriam By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Jewish community members are celebrating the recovery from cancer of Michael Jeser, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. On April 23, he

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Jewish Travel: Great Synagogue of Vilna

VILNIUS, Lithuania (Press Release) — Today marks the 300th birth anniversary of Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman. On this occasion, the city of Vilnius offers a new possibility to explore one of the treasures of Jewish heritage in Vilnius – the Great Synagogue of Vilna. These days, when travel possibilities are limited, the new

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food

A Toronto bagel bakery backstory

I recently received an email from a Canadian novelist named Roberta Park in Toronto, author of a new cli-fi novella titled The Disappearing Shore. “We are at an extraordinary point in human history, and my eco-lit tale addresses the fears and responsibility we must face,” she told me. She sent me a copy of her novel and I am reading it now. I also noticed on her blog that she knows the story of ”Moishe” in Jewish storytelling … [Dan Bloom]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Travel and Food

‘Plum Rains’ peeks into potential future

Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax is a novel set in the immediate future: 2029.  As such many common and universal human failings are on full display.  Greed, disdain, and full blown discrimination against people who are “others,” those who are not exactly like us, or who are like us, but from a slightly different location.  All of these human failings are all on full display throughout the novel. [Pamela Pollack Fremd]

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

A virtual Passover in passing

On Wednesday night, many of us had Passover seders we’ll always remember, when we met by Zoom, Facebook, and other Internet devices because the Coronavirus made it unsafe for us to hold our usual celebratory family gatherings.  We’ve been collecting photos from Facebook and our email of San Diegans in their unusual celebrations. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Passing on Passover thoughts

SAN DIEGO — Members of our community have been sharing their thoughts about this unusual Passover via emails and social media. We are pleased to pass along some of them: Rabbi Joshua Dorsch of Tifereth Israel Synagogue says, “One of the many things that Passover teaches us is that amidst the darkness, and challenging moments in our lives, together, we will persevere. We will emerge from the struggle and the challenges before us, stronger and more connected together.”  Along with Tifereth Israel staff members Michelle Barbour, Amy Stanley, Beth Klareich, and Alissa Messian, he performed in a video parodying Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham:  “I do not want you in my house/ I do not want you or your spouse/ I do not wish to eat with you/ At Seder one or Seder Two/ Don’t get me wrong: I think you’re nice/ but the CDC gave out this advice:/ You must avoid one plague more/ And shoo Elijah from your door./ At next year’s seder, we will tell/ How we were all saved by Purell.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Wait! Before you open the fridge; are you really hungry?

Obesity-related conditions seem to be linked to a worsened effect of COVID-19, according to the World Obesity Federation. The European Association for the Study of Obesity, along with other North American obesity related organizations, have noted, “If you are living with overweight, obesity or diabetes, you are not at an increased risk for developing COVID-19 – but you may be at risk for more severe symptoms and disease progression.” So, I guess eating white chocolate peanut butter by the scoopful isn’t exactly wise, huh? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Travel and Food

Lone soldier from San Diego on patrol near Gaza

  Other items in  today’s column include *Israel Philharmonic teams up in their homes for Pesach melodies *Coronavirus and animals *Passover doings * By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night, Israel Defense Forces Corporal Sagie Shpigelman, 19,  of San Diego patrols Israel’s border with Gaza along with other

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA

Pizza and appreciation delivered to health workers

I called Dr. Kalmar, and he liked my idea.  He spoke to the head nurse and Peggy Woods, the medical staff coordinator. It took a few days, but we were able to work everything out, following certain guidelines. With some of my savings and the help of generous friends, including Janna Leoff and Edda Temoche, I raised $240 for 20 individual pizzas. Nurse Karen told me they could not share pizza from the same box, so they had to be individual. [Mimi Pollack]

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Donald H. Harrison, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Travel and Food