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Is your glass half empty, half filled, or as mine is, filled with 6 ounces of water? Yes, “the link is what you think,” and this week’s Torah reading underscores this idea with its words, “See, this day I set before you a blessing and a curse…” Couldn’t this pasuk have begun, “This day I set before you blessing and curse…”? Why begin with “See”?[Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Seeing and choosing the righteous path Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Trump played magician on Saturday when he announced a series of unilateral steps that is all flash and no substance. At first glance, he told America that the public will continue to receive unemployment checks and continue a moratorium on evictions. Reporters swiftly exposed the fine print. Trump said people will receive $400 weekly instead of the $600 they were receiving until July 31. But then each state must contribute $100 of that money, which means that the feds would offer $300. Nor would the provisions guarantee the eviction moratorium. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Playing election politics with the coronavirus Read More »
Bruce Ticker, USA
University High School junior Zachary Patterson and Grauer School senior Jason Wexler are co-recipients of the 2020 Peter Chortek Leadership Award created as a memorial to Chortek by his family. [Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]
Education, cancer battling win Chortek Awards for students Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food
“She was extraordinarily nasty to Kavanaugh, Judge Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh. She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing the way she was.” Donald Trump (Otherwise known as Derogatory Donald) on Kamala Harris. (Laurie Baron, Ph.D)
The irony of Trump calling Harris ‘nasty’ Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Back in June 2016, when California’s then Attorney General Kamala Harris was successfully campaigning for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate to succeed the retiring Barbara Boxer, I asked her at the United Domestic Workers Union Hall in San Diego about the ongoing Israel-Palestinian dispute. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jews cheer, jeer Kamala Harris as Biden’s VP nominee Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USAWe reported on Monday that Hillel International had announced a new nationwide initiative to combat antisemitism. Today, we’ve learned that StandWithUs, which has an active chapter in San Diego, has launched a new division called “Rabbis United.” (Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison)
StandWithUs launches ‘Rabbis United’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
I read an article by a professor who wanted to show that science and religion are similar. I think that the support he offers for his view is simplistic and, worse, it is wrong. The professor argued that both science and religion have the same outlook and are therefore alike. Both, he wrote, marvel at the universe and enjoy what they see. (Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin)
Science and religion are quite different Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & EducationWhether you want to electrify your peak performance under pressure at work, at home, or in your local park, boost your confidence and mental toughness in your gym, amplify your leadership or ignite team cohesion in your company it takes motivation, goal setting, relaxation, concentration, imagery, and self-talk. It takes an exceptional mental workout to arouse a healthy, wellbeing promoting physical workout, wherever that may take place. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D}
You won’t exercise without this Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Sports & CompetitionsLast week, we carried the news that Rose Ritch stepped down from her position as student body vice president at the University of Southern California because of the harassment she had to endure for being a supporter of Israel. On Monday, Hillel International announced a new initiative to train campus administrators on how to recognize and deal with antisemitism. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Hillel announces initiative to combat antisemitism Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
The bountiful new book, Rita Blitt: Around and Round (Tra Publishing, 2020), looks back at the long and prolific career of this notable American artist. If Blitt’s work is about anything then it is about the exuberance, the joy, the sometimes almost mad ecstasy of creative spontaneity. Much of her work is suffused with a kind of wild and kinetic extemporaneity, which seems to resound with a forceful but unforced “Yes!” – a Yes to life, a Yes to the world, a Yes to the here and now, the living moment pregnant with infinite possibility. Her gestural art is dynamic, uninhibited, and no less sensuous for being abstract. In the improvisational, rhythmic musicality of her paintings, Blitt expresses with unerring directness the energy and intensity of embodied imaginative experience. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Spontaneous Lines: The Art of Rita Blitt Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-MeirThe Encinitas, California-based Leichtag Foundation expressed shock and sadness over the Aug. 4 explosion that destroyed most of the port of Beirut, Lebanon, killing more than 150 people and leaving thousands homeless. “Responding hospitals, already stretched thin due to COVID-19 are now at overcapacity,” reported Charlene Seidle and Sharyn Goodson, respectively the Foundation’s executive vice president and vice president for philanthropy and organizational development. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Leichtag Foundation urges Beirut relief donations Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Ken Stone, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Stephen D. BryenSchool days, school days,
Should we have in-person school days?
Reading and writing and ‘rithmetic
With your classmates who might get you sick. … (Laurie Baron, PhD]
Oscar Orleans is a university-educated refugee from the Congo, who made his way to Israel, and in this mystery novel serves as a consultant to the Tel Aviv police department in cases involving other Black Africans, regardless of from which part of the sub-Saharan continent they came. (Donald H. Harrison)
A modern African-Israeli tale set in Tel Aviv Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East
The world has a saying, “The devil is in the details.” That is understood to mean that those details that many feel are minutiae, are actually quite important – essential even to achieving success. As Jews we look to the Torah for life-guiding wisdom. In this case we are saying that, “The G-dliness is in the details!” When we are mindful of the fine points of a Torah observant life we will indeed experience incredible blessings. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: Blessings for those who do Mitzvot Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi