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
Blood of the Band: An Ipai Family Story by David L. Toler, Jr.; Sunbelt Publications, © 2015; ISBN 978-1-941384-12-1; 285 pages, including index; $19.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –This is a story of the San Pasqual band of Ipai Indians. The Ipai are the western branch of the Kumeyaay Nation, as opposed to […]
The Ipai and the Jews Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego CountyBy Laurie Baron MARGATE, New Jersey‒Things Donald Trump Hasn’t Said Yet But Will Soon “Really, these black teens, whose parents all love me, are out of control. The criminal ones deserve to get shot by the police or roughed up at my campaign rallies. They even disrupted shopping in downtown Chicago the day after Thanksgiving.
Humoring the headlines: Nov. 29, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Ruth: Woman of Valor by Jim Baumgardner; Baumgardner Press, Wichita, Kansas (c) 2015; ISBN 978-0-98841-075-6; 371 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Two years ago on these pages, we reviewed Jim Baumgardner’s fictional biography of Queen Esther. Now comes another novel based on the Bible: Ruth: Woman of Valor. Most of the time
Filling in the blanks in the Book of Ruth Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — The San Diego REPertory Theater has the perfect recipe for success in its current show, The Oldest Boy. Little could improve upon the synergistic combination of playwright Sarah Ruhl, director Sam Woodhouse, and actor Amanda Sitton. The play recalls Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1994 film, Little Buddha, which starred Bridget Fonda, Keanu
‘Oldest Boy’ is emotional story of separation Read More »
Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
-32nd in a series- Exit 10, College Avenue, San Diego ~ Chabad at SDSU By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The large menorah standing two stories tall on the front lawn immediately differentiates this house at 6115 Montezuma Road from the fraternity houses nearby. And if you go inside to the large, comfortable
I-8 Jewish travel: Teaching the mitzvot joyously Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food
By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — The ESRA Hiking Club (esra.org.il) ventured south to the hills of the northern Negev recently for one of the most beautiful hikes that I’ve done in Israel. We were heading towards the Yeruham Park and Lake, where there are green groves and a manmade lake in the
Exploring the northern Negev Desert Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and FoodBy Eva Trieger LA JOLLA, California — The strains of violin, clarinet and accordion set a reminiscent and inviting tone for this play. The set of the Mandel Weiss Forum was fairly simplistic with English and Yiddish subtitles projected over stage, creating an esoteric sensibility in the viewer. Spirited dancing accompanied the music as characters
Lesbians? Nothing shocking about them Read More »
Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Recent discussions on the Internet deal with the moral question concerning asylum for Syrian refugees. This issue is especially a matter of concern for the European countries as well. More specifically for Jews, is the comparison between Syrians of today and the German Jewish refugees
Bring in persecuted Syrian groups first Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
Piece of Mind by Michelle Adelman; W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN 978-0-393-24570-7; 304 pages, $25.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – I was enchanted by this novel by Michelle Adelman, who is a teacher here in San Diego. It tells the story of a brain-damaged woman from that woman’s interesting, often humorous, and at
Novel provides insight into the brain- injured Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonA history of early Nazi Germany worth reading In the Garden of Beasts; Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson; Broadway Books, New York, 2011 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The Garden of Beasts in the title refers to the inhabitants of Berlin’s Tiergarten, the park in central Berlin that once served
Never Again: Holocaust news for November 23, 2015 Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Men’s Club members assembled at 7 a.m. in the kosher kitchen of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and, to the theme of “batter up,” the team began preparing pancakes–some with blueberries and bananas; others with chocolate chips, and still more old fashioned and plain. Mixing their batter thoroughly to eliminate any globs or
Men’s Club’s pancakes fuel Torah students Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego CountyBy Laurie Baron MARGATE, New Jersey — Foreign observers have been surprised by the ferocity of the French government’s response to the terrorist attack on Paris. ISIS should have anticipated this is what would happen if it threatened the French while they were eating and drinking at cafes, attending concerts, or watching soccer. After all,
Humoring the headlines: Nov. 21, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Middle East
Together We Can Do More: The Leon Williams Story by Lynne Carrier; 2015; Lynne Carrier and Montezuma Publishing; ISBN 978-0-7442-3808-2; 223 pages including notes and index. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This biography of Leon Williams, who was the first African-American to serve on the San Diego City Council and scored another such
Leon Williams biography a lesson in civil government Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
Tempting The Devil in the Name of God: The Heavy Hand of Fate by Howard Beckman; Inspire on Purpose Publishing; 2012-2015; ISBN 978-1-941783-24-8; 373 pages, $19.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – One of my favorite apocryphal stories concerns the Jewish woman who traveled to India to see the guru. She was told that
Drug dealer becomes a spiritual leader Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion