Donald H. Harrison

Torah Tapestries: Shemos by Shira Smiles, Feldheim Publishers, 2012, Jerusalem, ISBN 978-159826-002-1, Price Unlisted. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Jewish educator Shira Smiles utilizes the various parashot from the Book of Exodus to pass on wonderful lessons for daily living, while teaching some useful Hebrew vocabulary. For example, in analyzing the portion known as Va’eira, she

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — As a youth, Gil Ya’ari, the new Israeli director of the partnership between Sha’ar Hanegev and the San Diego Jewish community, was so fascinated by environmental science that he left his home in the greater Tel Aviv area to board at a high school which offered special classes

    By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO- A Jewish ceramicist says she considers it fascinating that even a minor physical condition might influence a person’s entire personality and lifestyle.  For example, she says, someone with a lisp might decide to build a vocabulary that largely omits words with the letter ‘s.’ Now an associate

By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California — I recently was walking through a parking lot of Grossmont College when I saw a car bedecked with a multiplicity of bumper stickers, three of which attracted my attention:   They proclaimed “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History,” “Freedom of Religion Means All Religions” and “The Truth Is We Are

SAN DIEGO — Members of Tifereth Israel Synagogue presented a joyously anachronistic dramatization of the Book of Esther — “The Thrillah Megillah” — retelling the Purim story on Wednesday evening,  March 7, with the songs, dances and costumes of the late Pop/ Rock Singer Michael Jackson. After Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal recited an abbreviated version of

Cremation or Burial?  A Jewish View by Doron Kornbluth, Mosaica Press, 2012, 192 pages including appendices, ISBN 978-1-937887-01-8, No retail price listed. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Doron Kornbluth is a prolific writer, having fairly recently published two books: Raising Kids To Love Being Jewish  and  Why Be Jewish? ,both of which have

  By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — In nearly every costume imaginable, including some Esthers and Mordechais, members and friends of Tifereth Israel Synagogue on March 4 held a Purim carnival, featuring a wide variety of games, prizes, activities and, of course, hamantaschen, looking forward to the joyous holiday that will be officially celebrated

San Diego Judge Mayor: How Murphy’s Law Blindsided Leadership with 2020 Vision by Dick Murphy, Sunbelt Publications, 2011, 191 pages, $22.50 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –As a local historian, I am very pleased that Dick Murphy, the 33rd mayor of San Diego, has written a book about his life and career.  I wish

-Third in a Series- By Donald H. Harrison BORREGO SPRINGS, California– Utilizing a  converted military troop-carrier-and-cargo truck, California Overland Desert Excursions offers visitors to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park the combination of three off-road adventures in a single trip.  The company’s owner, Joe Raffetto, utilizes both of his previous careers–advertising man and biologist–to make the

  -Second in a Series- By Donald H. Harrison BORREGO SPRINGS, California — Today if one stares at the ridge line of the mountain behind the Palms at Indian Head, one can make out nature’s sculpture of an Indian who evidently was lying on his back and contemplating the bright stars in this desert town’s

-First in a series- By Donald H. Harrison BORREGO SPRINGS, California –Diana Lindsay’s excellent illustrated book Ricardo Breceda: Accidental Artist prepared my wife Nancy and me to see the amazing giant sculptures of prehistoric and imaginary animals standing, feeding, nursing, or fighting in vast private stretches of land  owned by Dennis Avery,  heir to the

  By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– The Harlem Globetrotters still do some pretty amazing dribbling, passing and dunking, but more and more, it seems, they elevate members of their audiences–particularly children–into their co-stars. Such was the case at Valley View Casino Center (formerly the San Diego Sports Arena) on Friday night, Feb. 17, when