Below are the names of writers who are currently active. For others, living and deceased, please type their name into the search box above the masthead on our home page, www.sdjewishworld.com
By Laurie Baron, Ph.D For 2022 I wish: That polarization will be restricted to the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. That inflation will be restricted to grading and résumés. That someday the only occasions when masks will be worn are costume parties, Halloween, and operations. That a COVID variant develops that kills all other COVID variants.
Satire: New Year’s Wishes Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — The West abhors terror attacks for good reason, whether in their country or an ally. Except when it comes to Israel. Not having learned the lesson that Islamist terror doesn’t abide by any type of agreement, the U.S. and the West still think that they can buy off
The US and the West Fund the Jihadists. Really? Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA
Before we embark on this American journey, let us not forget that there is Jewish life in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, that is well worth remembering. In brief, we can find it at the Centro Social Israelita, the Congregaçion Hebraica de Baja California, and in the Jewish-owned department stores and shops along Avenida de la Revoluçion. [Donald H. Harrison]
Schlepping and Schmoozing along the Interstate 5: Tijuana in the Rear View Mirror Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
One of the interesting points that Maimonides and Philo of Alexandria agree on in this week’s Torah portion is the role of human freedom and responsibility. Philo routinely pointed out that God is never the source of moral evil in the world—human beings are, and they alone must be responsible for the moral condition of society—whether it be good or bad, harmonious or chaotic. This idea is also one of ancient Stoicism’s greatest moral teachings. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Who’s Responsible for the Evil in the World? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
I’m really not going anywhere, but it is time for me to say thanks for your support as readers and for the memories during my tenure as the founding editor and publisher of San Diego Jewish World. [Donald H. Harrison]
SDJW’s Founding Editor Takes His Leave Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
Over the course of six years the author toiled to trace the movements, ideas and political currents underlying two seminal terms in modern international law: ‘genocide’ and ‘crimes against humanity.’ In this undertaking he has interwoven the history and fate of his own family in Galicia (Poland and Ukraine), as well as that of a number of incidental characters, who were involved directly or indirectly in the rescue of some of his family members and the failure to save others. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
‘East West Street:’ Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History
A few Hamas leaders fully expect Israel’s downfall, yet Israel may not want to dislodge Hamas from its perch in Gaza. That is due to the equally firm expectation Hamas will be replaced by something worse. [Bruce S. Ticker]
OpEd: Hamas’s Confused Rule over Gaza Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East
By Eva Trieger SCRIPPS RANCH, California — We’ve all heard tales ranging from altruistic to beastly behavior since the start of the pandemic, but how to explain a young woman planting a kiss on a stranger’s neck in a London train station? Simon Stephens’ 2015 play, Heisenberg, is making its San Diego premiere at Scripps
Scripps Ranch Theatre’s ‘Heisenberg’ Shows the Risk-Taking Real Life Requires Read More »
Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Jerry Klinger Bigotry, hate, antisemitism, and ignorance are not owned by any one group, nor by any one culture or nationality. There is a universality to it. Antisemites repeat, with vicious relish, the false canard that Galut Jews are disloyal, cowards. They never volunteer as soldiers, fight for their country, and if called to
Captain Simmon Latutin Marker in UK: The Latest Pinprick for Antisemites Read More »
International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History
By Heidi Gantwerk SAN DIEGO — During turbulent times, Jewish Federation of San Diego County is laser focused on caring for Jews in need. More than 10,000 Jews in San Diego live at or near the poverty line, including includes seniors, Holocaust Survivors, single parents, and people with disabilities and mental illness. The Federation is
Taking Care of Holocaust Survivors: Our Collective Responsibility Read More »
Heidi Gantwerk, San Diego County
By Jacob Kamaras LA JOLLA, California — What’s there to say about Donald (Don) Harrison, founder of the San Diego Jewish World and our soon-to-be editor emeritus, that hasn’t already been said? The media coverage surrounding my impending ownership of the publication has focused on the $1 purchase price, my unconventional mixture of careers in
Donald Harrison: Relentless Pursuer of Jewish Stories Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County
This Young Adult novel is a mystical adventure in which four pre-teenage American girls representing the four cardinal directions are brought together to save the world from environmental disaster. The leader, Maia, representing the North, is a Lakota from South Dakota; the others are a Black-Jewish girl from New York (Sara, East); a Chicana from New Mexico, (Ava, South) and a Chinese girl who had been adopted by a Caucasian family in California (Yue, West). [Donald H. Harrison]
YA Fiction: A Magical Journey to Save the Environment Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, The World We ShareAnti-Semitism is not just a symptom of the radical left. Anti-Semitism can come from the ultra-right as well. The following story has not received much press in the Jewish community. When anti-Semitism rears its presence—regardless which part of the political spectrum it originated from—as a Jewish community, we must address the issue. Failing to do so is nothing less than moral cowardness. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Antisemitism Surfaces in Ohio Contest for U.S. Senate Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
How do you manage the pressure of hail in your life? No, not the hail that might fall once every few years in our generally warm San Diego rainy seasons. The hail I’m referring to is that which comes as adversity and misfortune, the type that Pharaoh experienced in this week’s Torah reading. Pharaoh told Moshe after the plague of hail, “I’ve sinned this time and God is righteous and me and my people are wicked.” But as soon as the hail cleared, Pharaoh stepped back from his admission. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Torah Portion for January 1, 2022 Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell