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

Book offers tips and facts about DNA testing

Seed of Israel: DNA Guide To Tracing Your Jewish Ancestry by Joshua Robbin Marks,  48 pages including endnotes; available on Amazon.com for $14.99. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Perhaps your friends or relatives have told you that they did a DNA test and found out about their ancestry, and now you’re wondering whether […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education

Massive tree planting program may save planet

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — It might surprise most people to know that ecological themes form an important part of the Torah and Tanakh. For example: Genesis begins with an important ecological truth: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and

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International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, The World We Share, USA

Comparing the biblical and Roman creation stories

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — It is basic psychology that people cannot understand a subject unless they understand its opposite. In fact, this was the first lesson I learnt at Johns Hopkins in my first psychology class. Peter Kamara’s Ancient Roman Mythology contains a description of a Roman creation myth. It is

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International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Linguist learns of biological father’s secret past

What Language do I Dream in? by Elena Lappin;  HarperCollins, 2017, ISBN 9781554-684632. By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson DOMEYROT, France — As a bilingual speaker of Hebrew and English as well as having some knowledge of French and German, I was intrigued by the title of this book. But the beginning is something of a surprise, as

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International

San Diego Jewish Leaders Face Challenges Responding to Trump’s Tweets, New ‘Disloyalty’ Claim

This story was updated on August 26, 2019 By Ken Stone Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO — A week before the November 2018 election, 17 San Diego-area rabbis signed a letter denouncing Rep. Duncan Hunter‘s “fear mongering” attacks on the Palestinian ancestry of Christian opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar. They said the Republican congressman’s attacks on the

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David Ogul, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Ken Stone, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

The Ramban vs. Maimonides in theological debate

Nachmanides: An Unusual Thinker by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, Geffen Publishing House (c) 2018, ISBN 9789652-298874. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most interesting books I have read in years is Rabbi Israel Drazin’s excellent primer on the Ramban, entitled, Nachmanides An Unusual Thinker about a brilliant rabbinic scholar

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Rabbi/ Cantor Arlene Bernstein’s spiritual journey

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As Arlene Bernstein became less and less “observant”of halacha in her religious practice, she became more and more deeply involved in Jewish life.  Today she is a cantor as well as a rabbi.  And for the next year, she is serving as the Acting Senior Rabbi of the

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Donald H. Harrison, Eileen Wingard, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

‘Bus Station Project’ migrates across the border

By Donald H. Harrison CHULA VISTA, California – After President Donald Trump’s administration began enforcing its “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, the flow of migrants arriving at the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown San Diego was reduced to a trickle.  This posed a big question – what to do now? — for the

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, USA

Jewish groups generally pan Trump’s loyalty comment

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — American Jewish organizations were generally critical of President Donald Trump’s comment suggesting that given some of the pro-Palestinian sentiment in the Democratic party activists, Jews who vote for Democrats are either ignorant or disloyal. In alphabetical order, here are some of the commentaries that have been sent to

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, USA