By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA — San Miguel sits at 6200 feet in Mexico’s high central altiplano 146 air miles northwest of Mexico City. Passenger train service ceased many years ago. Volaris Airlines very efficiently flies 240 passengers the 1,735 miles non-stop from Oakland to Leon near Guanajuato. Everything costs extra, except a styrofoam
Jewish Life in San Miguel de Allende Read More »
International, Lifestyles, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food
Rose Creek runs through Rose Canyon, which is known to seismographers as the site of the Rose Canyon Fault. The canyon, the creek, and the fault are not named for the rose flower. These locations are named for Louis Rose, who in 1850 became San Diego’s first Jewish settler. [Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego’s Jewish Pioneer Built Area’s First Tannery in Rose Canyon Read More »
Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA
By Celia Theller Located in Israel’s southern Negev Desert, the Arava region receives approximately one inch (30 mm) of yearly rainfall. In comparison, cities like London and Melbourne receive around 24 inches, with New York receiving upwards of 45 inches annually. “In the Arava,” noted local resident and the region’s Resource Development Director, Noa Zer,
How Remote Israeli Communities Flourish on Just 1 Inch of Rainfall a Year Read More »
Travel and Food
By Steve Kramer Michal and I recently had a novel trip to one of the world’s liveliest cities – without having to hassle with an airport! It was a four-day/three night excursion to Tel Aviv. under the auspices of the AACI – Jerusalem branch. The AACI is a group of mostly, but not exclusively native
Four Days in Tel Aviv Read More »
Israel, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food
At a growing number of restaurants, there’s more to read than the menu. The backs of the wait staff’s shirts can teach you Yiddish at a Jewish deli, or engage in some punnery at two Italian restaurants in the eastern part of San Diego and in Santee. [Donald H. Harrison]
B’Shalom: Restaurant Server Shirts, Jewish Political News Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA
Craven now has been “cancelled” by the unforgiving academic community. The irony of this is that were it not for Bill Craven, Cal State San Marcos would not have existed in the first place. He fought the uphill legislative battle to win approval for the construction of that campus. Opponents noted that San Diego County already had San Diego State University, whereas other parts of the state didn’t have even one state university campus, much less two, in addition to a campus of the University of California. [Donald H. Harrison]
Sunday Soundoff: Cancel Culture, Transit Equity, & Love vs. Hate Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
Gary Wolfson and Andrew Georgitsis have partnered at the informal “Bunny Chow” restaurant in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego, featuring not only bunny chow but other South African dishes reflecting that country’s ethnic diversity. [Donald H. Harrison]
If You Know What Bunny Chow Is, You May Be from South Africa Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Travel and Food
Published by Reuters UK BERLIN (Reuters) – A group of Jewish students and an anti-hate speech association have filed a legal complaint against Twitter at a German court, they said on Wednesday, arguing the company did not remove anti-Semitic content. The European Union of Jewish Students and HateAid criticised what they described as a lack
Twitter Faces Legal Complaint in Germany Over Antisemitic Content Read More »
Travel and Food
“Our findings seem to provide the first evidence that there was also an ‘Israeli Silk Road’ used by merchants along the international trading routes. This route branched off from the traditional Silk Route that passed to the north of Israel, crossing the Arava and connecting to the main historical trade routes that crossed the country, as well as to the main ports of Gaza and Ashkelon that served a major gateways to the Mediterranean world.”
Archaeologists Find Evidence of Asian Trade Route Through Israel in 8th Century Read More »
International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Travel and Food
One notices almost immediately after boarding this cruise ship that it is musically themed. There are show rooms named for such musicians as B.B. King and The Rolling Stones. Four decks are named after composers Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Gershwin. On the most forward of three elevator landings on Deck 5, there is an autographed photo of its namesake Jewish composer, who is well known for “An American in Paris” and “Porgy and Bess.” On the landing for the aft elevator, there is a cassette tape encased in a blue background – a physical interpretation, is it not?—of Gershwin’s celebrated “Rhapsody in Blue.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Nuggets on MS Koningsdam Cruise from San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Travel and Food
We read an engrossing story of life in a Jewish shtetl after the First World War that is tragic, funny, moving, emotional, and filled with exceptionally well-drawn portrayals of many inhabitants of the shtetl and their feelings and thoughts about what is transpiring before them. What they think makes us think. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Chaim Grade’s ‘The Well’ Plumbs Shtetl Life Read More »
Travel and Food
The campus war against Israel, now some decades old, has been unrelenting in its vicious assault against the Jewish state, led by such radical pro-Palestinian student groups as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) with some 200 chapters nationwide. [Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D]
The Unrelenting Campus War on Israel and the Jewish People Read More »
Travel and Food
So, about two months ago, Rabbi Labkowski and his wife Tzipora opened Bay Kosher in the front part of the building that also houses their shul, Chabad of Lamorinda. He engaged Mendel Schiffer, a native of Akko, Israel, to manage the store for him. Schiffer, who didn’t care for retirement, had been in sales most of his life, and yearned for something new to do. [Donald H. Harrison]
Chabad Opens Kosher Market in Lafayette Read More »
Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food
By Gedaliah Borvick JERUSALEM — Throughout the world, many neighborhoods have groups of streets with names related to a specific theme. For example, growing up in Long Beach, New York, I lived on Walnut Street and my friends lived on Olive, Pine, Maple and Beech. Likewise, before making aliyah, we lived in Bergenfield NJ on
Jerusalem’s Streets: Neighborhood Themes Read More »
Gedaliah Borvick, Israel, Travel and Food