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

Seacrest Village may be answer for isolated Jewish seniors

Jewish seniors isolated during the coronavirus pandemic may be better off both physically and mentally by moving to the Independent Living section of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities, its president and CEO Pam Ferris says. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County column]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Your Mindset is Your Compass

“It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us but rather our mindset about our physical limits.” — Ellen Langer, Ph.D. in Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibilities. “What? But my world is upside down! I mean, I’m financially stretched way too thin, my waist is getting way too large, my relationship at home is disintegrating, and she’s saying it’s all in my mind?!” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Lifestyles, Michael Mantell

Superstitious believed the shofar could scare Satan

It is absolutely certain that both the spiritual leaders of Jewry and the masses of uneducated Jews (or at least the majority of these) before, during and after the talmudic period believed that the shofar, the ram’s horn, was blown on the holiday of Rosh Hashanah in order to scare Satan and his demonic cohorts. The widely held belief was that the blowing of the shofar would stop Satan from approaching God at a crucial moment, keeping him from indicting Jews for past sins in a heavenly judicial proceeding in which God decides the future of each Jew. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

On My Walks Again (Melody: On the road again)

On my walks again                                                                                                                                     
Twice a day I’m on my walks again.                                                                                                               
My owners’ home confines us like a pen.                                                                                                               
I need to get us out of the house again … [Elona Baron as Sung to Laurie Baron, Ph.D]             

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Fiction: Jewish perspectives on Niue, Part 2

Editor’s Note: In this fictional piece, Esther and Noa, representing the San Diego-based Rabinove Foundation, go on a cruise around the South Pacific Island of Niue. In the previous segment, their guide Matafetu told them about the northern part of the island, occupied by the Motu people. In this part, he guides them around the southern part, the land of the Tafiti people. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food

Fiction: Jewish perspectives on Niue

Boarding a comfortable but fast boat that would circumnavigate the South Pacific island of Niue, Noa and Esther were pleased with their earlier meeting with the country’s premier, who had promised his government’s cooperation as they explored the possibility of installing a desalination plant on the island.  However, he warned them that due to the atoll’s geography, rising as it did straight up from the Pacific Ocean, there were very few spaces for beaches or natural harbors. So, he said, finding a suitable location for a desalination plant might be very difficult indeed. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Fiction, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Satire: Trump is God’s way of testing humanity

Tell-all books about Donald Trump keep getting published. We have heard from Mary Trump that the president suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder, from John Bolton that he has no guiding principles in formulating foreign policy, and from Michael Cohen that he is a corporate criminal with a mafia mentality. Still 40 % of the American public considers him God’s gift to the United States. To discredit this belief, God has authored a book called This Is a Test: Why I Created Donald Trump. Here’s an advance excerpt. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire

We need a memorial for Jews who saved Jews and others

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem honors non-Jews who chose to save Jews, even at the risk of their own lives. Yad Vashem does not honor, document or recognize Jews who saved other Jews during the Holocaust, even at the risk of their own lives. Honoring Jews who saved Jews was and is not part of its mandate. Were not their life-risking efforts worthy of memorialization? There is no memorial to Jews who saved Jews and others, in Israel, or anywhere. [Jerry Klinger]

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Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Gala to honor Rabbi Chaim and Temi Hollander

Young Israel of San Diego has scheduled a virtual gala tribute to honor Rabbi Chaim and Rebbetzin Temi Hollander for their 21 years of devoted service to members and friends of the Orthodox synagogue. Young Israel of San Diego was founded 31 years ago. The virtual gala will take place on Sunday, September 13, at 7 pm. [SDJW]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

San Diego races attract big-name endorsers

With less than two months to go until election, Democratic candidates in technically non-partisan local races are touting endorsements from big-name Democrats. For example, Assemblyman Todd Gloria, who is running for mayor of San Diego against City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, is sending out a short video showing U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, endorsing him. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County”]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Fiction: “It’s a Good Start”

Adam looked at the kitchen clock and realized he would not make it to the morning minyan, even if he sprinted. He would daven shachris from home, in his new apartment. He began the morning blessings, thanking Hashem for causing him to wake from sleep, for being born a male, for being sure-footed. These primary blessings were intended to set the tone of praise, gratitude, and mindfulness for the prayers to follow. [Short story by Eva Trieger]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, Jewish Fiction, Lifestyles

Fiction: Mendel the Chasid’s job interview

Friday, the big day arrived. Mendel’s hat and long black coat were cleaned, special. We even asked the seamstress to fix the frayed bottom of his coat so it would not look bad. He had a new white shirt, properly buttoned to the collar and his tallit katon, which he always wore outside his shirt. It was freshly washed and ironed. We added black shoe polish to his canvas shoes to make them look darker. He combed out his long salt and pepper beard, so it was extra neat. [Jerry Klinger]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jerry Klinger, Jewish Fiction

Exploring ‘The Other Side’: Journeys in Baja California

With ethnic studies being required in K-12 public school and at the California State University, I recently picked up a book published by my friends at Sunbelt Publishing in El Cajon to engage in some welcome learning about another ethnicity. The Other Side: Journeys in Baja California by Judy Goldstein Botello, which I chose from Sunbelt’s warehouse at 1250 Fayette Street was not newly issued, but it was on topic and quite readable. [Donald H. Harrison]

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