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
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, scores zero for two so far on the facts. She falsely claims that Sunday is the Sabbath besides Saturday and, far more importantly, that our civil rights revolve around religious beliefs. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Senator forgets Constitution prohibits favoring any religion Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish Religion, USA
The parasha presents us with the abrupt, heart-rending, seemingly inexplicable loss, the passing of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. We read in the parasha (10:1-2), “And Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Accepting that God’s Will Is for the Good Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The title of this book is an understatement if ever there were one. “Three Ordinary Girls” really should be retitled as “Three Extraordinary Girls.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Book Review: ‘Three [Extra] Ordinary Girls’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
Major League Baseball: Most teams have limited seating to 20% to 30 % of their stadiums’ capacities, but the Texas Rangers organization permitted its ballpark to fill up to capacity because Texas prides itself on being bigger than any other state in the numbers of fans it allows to attend sporting events or the Covid-19 spike it expects in two weeks. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Spring Openings Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Virtually the entire Bible is either obscure or ambiguous. This not a criticism. Some scholars and I have noted that all very good literature is obscure or ambiguous. This enhances what is written. It gives the reader an opportunity to interpret what is being read. It is as if there are two writers of what is written both the original author and the reader. As a result, the reader gets more out of the writing than the writer composed. In addition, in regard to biblical law, it gives the religious leaders of the Jews an opportunity to reinterpret the obscurity to correspond to modern times [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
The Tower of Babel ‘Trial’ Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
With antisemitism on the rise, it is tempting to stay laser focused on stories that impact our community, but we must resist the temptation. Those who complain how few people helped Jews during the Holocaust (although the Righteous Among the Nations surely did), need to follow the same moral high road that we wish others would have followed during our time of peril. [Donald H. Harrison]
The Sage Hillel Guides Our Choice of Stories Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
This is a moment to revisit and reflect on the work of Russian-born artist, Symeon Shimin. During his life, Shimin illustrated over 50 children’s books, including two that he authored himself; his masterpiece, however – influenced in part by ‘Los Tres Grandes’ – was the mural painting, “Contemporary Justice and the Child” (1936), located on the third floor of the Department of Justice, where it still stands today. [Sam Ben-Meir]
Symeon Shimin’s Humanistic Art Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
Former State Senate President pro tempore James R. Mills, who died March 27 at the age of 93, was a pragmatic politician who knew that he could get what he wanted if he enabled his colleagues to do the same. [Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering Jim Mills Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, USA
We are in the home stretch! Most of Passover is already behind us. Yet we contemplate the final part of the “King of the Holidays,” which also coincides with the holy Shabbos. Here, in the Diaspora, we celebrate and observe Passover for eight days, as opposed to Israel where it is celebrated for seven days. The Promised Land has a superior level of ‘organic’ holiness. The Sages found a way to somewhat compensate for that by adding an extra day of holiness outside the borders of Israel. Therefore, instead of having a single, climax-of-the-holiday day, we have two. One additional day of mundanity transformed into a day of holiness (nothing to sniff at). [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: The Final Day(s) of Passover Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
This graphic novel is a relatively gentle introduction for children to the Holocaust, wherein two Polish Jewish children escape from their ghetto to the woods, where they are found by a Gentile farmer who has been working with the resistance. In fact, the farmer has been hiding from a German search party three Partisans who blew up a train that was headed with weapons and supplies to the Russian front. Among the brave Partisans is none other than the children’s aunt, who had left home before the Jews of their town had been moved and restricted to a ghetto. [Donald H. Harrison]
Adventure story is gentle introduction to the Holocaust Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
A recent article (by Elaine Samuels, on Facebook and in the Israel Telegraph online) recounted the trials and tribulations she experienced in her efforts to learn and speak Hebrew. This triggered long-dormant memories of my attempt to learn Hebrew. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
An Immigrant’s Struggle to Learn Hebrew Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & BroadcastAhmad Al Aliwi Alissa lost control. That happened In November 2017 during his senior year at Arvada West High School. On March 22, he would once again lose control, this time in a Boulder supermarket. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Colorado Shooting Suspect Has History of Mental Instability Read More »
Bruce Ticker, USAElsewhere in today’s report on San Diego Jewish World is a story from the Anti-Defamation League reporting that nearly two-thirds of American Jews, based on a survey, have experienced or heard some form of antisemitism in the last five years. On our television screens, meanwhile, is the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd – a case study in White violence against Black people. And, in the San Diego Union-Tribune this morning was a story from New York City about an unprovoked attack on an Asian-American woman which other people witnessed without intervening. [Donald H. Harrison]
Addressing hate and division in our society Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAThe ancient religious Jewish group Pharisees, who existed from about 320 BCE until 70 CE, and the rabbis who followed them changed all of the Jewish practices and holidays in some ways. Let’s look at the laws of counting the omer, called in Hebrew Sefirat Ha’Omer, and the holiday of Shavuot. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Why do we count the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion