Donald H. Harrison

[caption id="attachment_119310" align="alignright" width="100"] 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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Jews urged to avoid kissing doorpost mezuzahs

A Conservative congregation in San Diego, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, is urging  members to practice caution as the coronavirus epidemic spreads across the United States. It recommended that congregants and visitors wave to each other or bump fists rather than shake hands, and also to refrain from  the custom of touching mezuzahs on doorpost and then kissing their hands [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Eight of 12 Jewish candidates made runoffs

Sanders and Bloomberg were two of the 12 Jewish candidates whose names appeared on San Diego County ballots.  Of the other 10, semi-official returns indicated that three placed in first positions — Sara Jacobs in the 53rd Congressional District, Joe Leventhal in San Diego’s 5th City Council District, and incumbent Bernie Rhinerson in the District B race for the San Diego Community College District.  (Their second-place finishing opponents respectively were San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez, City Attorney candidate Marni Von Wilpert, and Daniel Piedra.) [Donald H. Harrison]

Eight of 12 Jewish candidates made runoffs Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, USA

How Jewish candidates fared in March 3 primary

There were 12 Jewish candidates on San Diego County ballots on March 3.  Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden were in a coast-to-coast race for delegates that stretched from Maine to California, with Biden winning or ahead at press time in Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Massachusetts.  Sanders won or was leading in California, Colorado, Utah, and Vermont.  Michael Bloomfield won in the American territory of American Samoa, and was battling Elizabeth Warren for third place in many of the states.  Texas and Maine saw seesaw battles between Biden and Sanders, both too close to call as we went to press. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

12 Jews compete on San Diego County ballots

While San Diego Jewish World does not plan to make any formal endorsements until the November election, we would like our readers to be aware of the names of our fellow Jews who are on San Diego County ballots.  There are at least a dozen such candidates, whose Jewish affiliation has been made known to us.  Whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, we would like to congratulate them for putting themselves out there. [Donald H. Harrison]

12 Jews compete on San Diego County ballots Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

SDJW correspondent publishes sixth novel

Our correspondent in Mevasseret Zion, Israel, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, has written a sixth novel, this one called A Ruffled Calm.  As with her previous five novels, Shefer-Vanson has illustrated the cover of her book with one of her own art pieces, seen to the right of this story. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Susan Davis provides fact sheet on coronavirus

Congresswoman Susan Davis, D-San Diego, has issued a fact sheet about the coronavirus.  We republish it here: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified on February 11, 2020 in Wuhan, China. The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person-to-person. It often spreads between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes…. [ Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Susan Davis provides fact sheet on coronavirus Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

Historians, biographers probe Jewish Cleveland

Cleveland Jews and the Making of a Midwestern Community contains a pair of biographical essays, which I read with considerable interest, and more than a majority of essays of the historical type, dealing with such phenomena as the growth of Jewish Orthodoxy in Cleveland; the impact of Jewish philanthropy on that city; the growth of Jewish schools; The development of feminist ideals among Jewish women’s organizations;  Black-Jewish relations in Cleveland; suburbanization of Cleveland’s Jewish community; Reform Judaism in the Cleveland suburbs; and programs to assimilate into Jewish society refugees from the Soviet Union. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, USA

San Diegans’ dream trip leads to new website

In 2017, newlyweds Jonathan Moed and Zoe (Jurkowski) Moed went on a year-long dream trip around the world, and now Jonathan is pursuing a “passion project” to help high-tech start up entrepreneurs in developing nations realize dreams of their own. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

347 rabbis denounce Sanders’ comment about AIPAC

Two Reform rabbis from San Diego – Devorah Marcus of Temple Emanu-El and Jeremy Gimbel of Congregation Beth Israel – are among 347 rabbis who have signed a letter rejecting the “outrageous comments” made by Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In announcing he would not attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in March, Sanders, who like the rabbis is Jewish, said “I remain concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights. For that reason, I will not attend their conference.”  In a press release, AIPAC subsequently described that comment as “truly shameful.” [Donald H. Harrison]

347 rabbis denounce Sanders’ comment about AIPAC Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Palestinian commentator: BDS hurts us

Bassam Eid is a Palestinian author and commentator, who may be seen frequently on Israeli television.  While he is critical of various Israeli policies, he also speaks out frequently against corruption in both the Palestinian Authority and Gaza Strip.  On Tuesday evening, at the Fairbanks Country Club, in this affluent community wedged between northern San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe, Eid condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement as being harmful to ordinary Palestinians. [Donald H. Harrison]

Palestinian commentator: BDS hurts us Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Liberator and POW fast friends 75 years later

The liberation of a prisoner-of-war camp in Manila, Philippines, in 1945 forged a bond many years later between a Jewish band leader and a Coronado civil servant. Lou Berger, a drummer and leader of the “Berger Kings,” was playing a Saturday night gig at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego about 15 years ago for an ex-prisoners of war organization when he was introduced to Tom Crosby, a longtime purchasing agent and risk manager for the City of Coronado, who also was known as a  successful volunteer springboard diving coach. [Donald H. Harrison]

Liberator and POW fast friends 75 years later Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Bomb threats against JCCs, including La Jolla’s, not credible

The Lawrence Family JCC  in La Jolla was among a group of JCCs across the United States that received a non-specific, general bomb threat via email on Sunday morning, according to Betzy Lynch, its chief executive officer.  She said the staff immediately notified the San Diego Police, which has a substation right next door.  Law enforcement determined that the threat was not credible and no evacuation was necessary, Lynch reported.  This was in contrast to the JCC in Albany, New York, which evacuated approximately 100 people to allow bomb-sniffing dogs and officers to comb through the facility, which also was subsequently declared to be safe. [Donald H. Harrison]

Bomb threats against JCCs, including La Jolla’s, not credible Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Jew who posed as Catholic child tells of WWII life

A San Diegan who survived the Holocaust as a child by posing as a Catholic boy helped pay tribute Sunday to the 1.5 million children who perished during World War II under the regimes of the German Nazis and their allies.  After telling of his life, he joined listeners who painted ceramic butterflies that will be mounted by The Butterfly Project at the Grossmont Shopping Center in their memory. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

U-T endorsements elude most Jewish candidates

Jewish candidates haven’t done very well so far in their bids for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s political endorsements.  In most cases, on San Diego County ballots, the daily newspaper has selected non-Jewish candidates over Jewish ones.   There is one exception.   Here is a review by level of government: [Donald H. Harrison]

U-T endorsements elude most Jewish candidates Read More »

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