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Donald H. Harrison[/caption]
Donald H. Harrison is the publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.
Harrison began his journalism career in 1962 on the UCLA Daily Bruin. Following graduation he joined the staff of the Associated Press, and later became politics writer for The San Diego Union. Afterwards he pursued a career in tourism, helping to establish San Diego’s Cruise Ship Program as well as Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego. He also wrote for such Jewish publications as the San Diego Jewish Press Heritage and San Diego Jewish Times before starting San Diego Jewish World in 2007.
Don’s latest work is the three-volume Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5.
He is the author of six previous books. Those with links may be obtained on Amazon.
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Three themes dominate this enjoyable and informative memoir by a South African-born author who lived in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States before settling with her husband and three children in Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jodi Samuels’ memoir: ‘Chutzpah, Wisdom and Wine’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Travel and Food, USAAs the Nov. 3 election nears, political activity is increasing in frequency and intensity. Following are some local political developments: [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
A potpourri of local political news Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen
Return from Siberia by John Shallman, Skyhorse Publishing © 2020; ISBNB 9781510-763371; 220 pages including acknowledgments. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Author John Shallman is a Los Angeles-based political consultant and commentator, and one of the protagonists in this novel is John Simon, a political consultant. There is no coincidence here; the book
Novel/ memoir draws inter-generational comparisons Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
Take yourself back to the 1960s and 1970s when Jewish hippies envisioned creating their own brand of Judaism. Kosher food mixed with marijuana. Come as you are davening with cushions in a circle, instead of chairs facing a bima. Potluck dinners, in both meanings of the word. Some traditional prayers in, others out. Fully egalitarian services long before more established movements recognized women as spiritual leaders. Men and a woman even going to an outdoor mikvah together (Okay, it was skinny-dipping mixed with traditional mikvah prayers.) [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]
When hippies invented their own Judaism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Judaism
Micah Parzen, Ph.D., the chief executive officer of the Museum of Man announced that henceforth the museum’s name will be the “Museum of Us.” He was joined in that announcement by Ellen Waddell, the current board chair and two past board chairs, Mark Dillon and George Ramirez. Parzen said museum personnel and supporters had been debating since 1991 the possibility of choosing “a more inclusive name” and 29 years later, the name Museum of Us “reflects who we aspire to be.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
‘Museum of Man’ now “Museum of Us’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USAThe Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego is one of ten Jewish organizations throughout North America that runs special philanthropic programs managed by teenagers and surveyed by the Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN). [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Philanthropic role strengthens teens’ Jewish identification Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USA
Supposedly, the name Kaputnik was assigned to the family at Ellis Island, when Mrs. Kapustin (her real name) worried aloud that if the baby dragon they had smuggled into the U.S. were discovered they would be Kaput (finished). “Is that your name, Kaput?” a translator asked. “Nicht (No),” responded Mrs. Kapustin. And so the immigration inspector wrote down what he thought he heard — “Kaputnik.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Ellis Island and the name ‘Kaputnik’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, USA
Large circles, at least six feet apart, were drawn on the upper parking lot of Temple Isaiah, each reserved for a family grouping who wanted to dance, play games, and congregate, yet maintain the proper social distance from other families during this time of Covid19. (Donald H. Harrison)
Temple Isaiah families dance in socially distant circles Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Judaism, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food, USA
Meet Anna, Helena, and Naomi. As a reader of this novel, you’ll have the privilege of knowing exactly what each of these women is thinking over the course of a few days in Jerusalem, circa 1983. (Donald H. Harrison)
Novel eavesdrops on thoughts of 3 lonely women Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-VansonThe late Rabbi Aaron Gold, of blessed memory, used the expression, “Big Beard, Small Jew” to characterize those people in our religion who make a big outward show of their piety, while having inside hearts so corrupted that they are willing to violate the very Torah lessons that they preach, including the eighth commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” (Exodus 20:15). It is bad enough when any Jew commits a crime, but it is even worse when someone does so who is a Rabbi. By accepting that title, the person bearing it becomes a representative of the Jewish people, a spokesperson and exemplar for our moral beliefs. In breaking the law, Goldstein not only brought shame on himself, he brought shame on the Jewish people. He deserves to be punished. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Rabbi Goldstein deserves prison, not probation Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USAUnlike many organizations that settle for “gala” banquet dinners with speakers, Seacrest Village Retirement Communities in Encinitas has tended to favor outdoor fundraising activities such as golf, tennis, and pickleball along with a spa day for donors. This year, however, Covid-19 was too great a handicap for golf, and it aced out the tennis tournament. However, planners for Seacrest Village, which is the upscale successor of the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged, were not deterred. They came up with five methods by which donors could nevertheless help the home raise money to defray the costs for seniors who are financially at risk. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Seacrest innovates a fundraiser during Covid-19 Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
or 21 years, Rabbi Chaim Hollander has served as spiritual leader of Young Israel of San Diego (YISD), a small Orthodox congregation located across Navajo Road from the popular Cowles Mountain trail head. Hollander came to San Diego to teach at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School (SSDHDS), one of the schools that incoming Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg attended as a child. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
As Rabbi Hollander retires, Rabbi Rosenberg ready to step in Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
As the president of the Academy of the Hebrew Language since 1993, Prof. Moshe Bar-Asher has many friends and former students around the world. For example, he recently recalled in his courtly English, he once had the pleasure of teaching Mira Balberg, who is now a professor in UC San Diego’s Jewish Studies Department. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Museum of the Hebrew Language planned in Jerusalem Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USAInformation provided by U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer in the tax fraud case against Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and five co-defendants alleges that another religious institution, not yet identified, has also been involved in tax fraud. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Another Jewish institution may be involved in tax fraud Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA