AAA-Writers and photographers

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

How Hanukkah Is Regarded in Israel

We just received a note from a dear friend and longtime reader. She wrote: I know you once told me Hanukkah is a minor holiday in Israel but, so, just in case you feel like lighting a menorah, enjoy!  Wishing you as much joy as is possible at this moment in time.  Stay well and safe. My reply:  For sure we’re lighting candles and celebrating the holiday. I’ll clarify my previous comment: Minor doesn’t mean Hanukkah isn’t celebrated here. It’s minor only in the sense that the story of the Maccabees isn’t mentioned in the Bible. Here it isn’t among the most holy holidays. Presents are exchanged mostly around Rosh Hashanah or Passover, not so much during this holiday. Fried foods, such as doughnuts and potato pancakes (latkes) are a big thing. Hanukkah “gelt” (money) is often the gift of choice, along with chocolate “coins” and plain or fancy dreidels for games. … [Steve Kramer]

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Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Steve Kramer

Teens Show Their Talent as Playwrights

Rachel Van Wormer, Contest Coordinator, and gifted actor, reviewed all 243 scripts blindly. The top 50 selections were then passed along to Cecelia Kouma, Executive Producer, and eventually, 10 finalists were evaluated by Final Judges: Peter Cirino, Jacole Kitchen, Josefina Lopez, Annie Weisman, and Ruff Yeager. Many of these folk are also alumni of this very festival and have written plays that won awards in years past. Yeager also served as the Festival Artistic Director and introduced us to each of the winning playwrights with brief interviews about how they conceived their scripts. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jewish Poets Thall, Gottleib, Salovey give Zoom readings

Three talented poets read their works over Zoom last Tuesday evening for the opening program of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices’ 12th season. Hosted by Lawrence JCC’s staff member, Melanie Rubin, and MCed by Joy Heitzmann,  the three outstanding presenters were Lorraine Thall, June Gottleib and Todd Salovey. There were 70 audience members, including some from outside of San Diego. All three poets read with dramatic expressiveness and clear pronunciation, revealing their onstage talents. June Gottleib, a veteran Slam poet, was particularly entertaining. Samples of their poetry are included in this article. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard

Montgomery Steppe Supporters Alienated Potential Allies

If the Trump-led Republican party should somehow implode, don’t worry, there still would be a contentious two-party system in the United States.  Democrats, as is their habit, would immediately fall upon each other and quickly divide into two categories: moderates and “progressives.” Yes, I put the word “progressive” in quotation marks, because there is nothing progressive about threatening or bullying office holders who might disagree with you.  It’s downright regressive. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

Marathon Council Meeting Elects Campbell as President

One Jewish San Diego City Councilmember departed, a second Jewish Councilmember arrived, and a third, in the middle of her term, was elected as the Council’s new president during a marathon meeting on Thursday, Dec. 10th, after the 73rd City Council of the City of San Diego was sworn in along with the city’s new Democratic mayor, Todd Gloria, and the  reelected City Attorney, Mara Elliott. The new Council President in Jennifer Campbell, who defeated Monica Montgomery Steppe by a 5-4 vote notwithstanding an outpouring of support for Montgomery Steppe during the public comment portion of the meeting. The departing Jewish Councilmember was Barbara Bry, who was succeeded as the representative of the First District by Joe LaCava, who was administered the oath of office by his wife Lorraine. The arriving City Councilmember was Sean Elo-Rivera, who was sworn in as the representative of the Ninth District by his wife Angela Rivera. He succeeded City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez, who is also the immediate past President of the City Council. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Anti-Squad Republicans Should Be Careful to Not Overreach

Rashida Tlaib’s mantra “From the river to the sea” may soon compete with “From the Narrows to the Potomac.” Or “Biscayne Bay to the Potomac.”

“From the River…” etc. is meant as the stretch of land that comprises Israel and its territories, all of which many Palestinians claim is theirs.

Both Nicole Malliotakis and Maria Elvira Salazar will be traveling regularly to the Potomac, the former from the Narrows (which separates Staten Island from southern Brooklyn) and the latter from Miami. They could both form part of a Republican faction in the House of Representatives that will rake Tlaib’s “Squad” over the coals each time that Tlaib and friends open their big mouths. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker

Reunion of families who sheltered Kindertransport refugees

To mark the anniversary of the Kindertransport project, in which Britain agreed to accept ten thousand unaccompanied refugee children, the vast majority of whom were Jewish, from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939, the AJR (Association of Jewish Refugees) recently held a special zoom meeting. This was hosted by British celebrity Dame Esther Rantzen and one of the main speakers was Sir David Attenborough, whose family had hosted two girls from Germany. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History

A Holocaust Haggadah To Help Preserve Memory

The idea of a Holocaust Haggadah is fabulous; we have a Tu’B’ Shevat Seder Haggadah, why not one on the Holocaust—especially since Yom HaShoah occurs within a week after Passover ends?  Historically, the Passover Haggadah provided a practical template how to convey the meaning of Passover; Rabbi Rosenberg’s Holocaust Haggadah aims to create a practical syllabus on how to make the Holocaust relevant to the themes of Passover and redemption. For the children of Holocaust survivors (like myself), we must find new and creative ways to preserve the sacredness of Jewish memory. This is similar to the way the retelling of Passover serves to challenge new generations with the seminal thoughts since the time when the traditional observance of Passover ceased with the destruction of the Temple. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Modern ‘Prometheus Bound’ a Delight to Read

Howard Rubenstein’s play Prometheus Bound” is based on the play of the same name attributed to the famed Greek playwright Aeschylus (c. 525 BCE – c. 456 BCE), called the father of tragedy, from which it was freely adapted, and based on the epic poem “Origin of the Gods” by the Greek didactic poet Hesiod (c. 750 BCE – c. 650 BCE). The late Dr. Rubenstein of San Diego, California, wrote his version in ordinary English which made the play accessible, meaningful, comprehensible, thoughtful, and entertaining. It is very good. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Joseph learned Who really is in charge

As we here in San Diego face a new set of lockdowns, many continue wondering, okay, complaining, about the decisions of those who are “in charge.” This week’s Torah reading answers the question of who is in charge quite clearly. Just when we think all is well with our health, in our family, with our career, in our lives, G-d shows us He has another lesson for us to learn. It seems the only thing predictable about life is how unpredictable it can be. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell