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
By Michael Mantell, PhD DEL MAR, California — This year, the theme of the San Diego County Fair is “It All Started At a Fair.” Since the first World’s Fair “Great Exhibition” in 1851, in London, and then from about 100 years ago when San Diego’s Balboa Park became part of the World’s Fair […]
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the best-known blessings Orthodox Jews recite every day is the blessing, “Thank you God for not making me a woman.” The recent transformation on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 22-page cover story featuring Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, raises a number of fascinating questions pertaining to
On which side of the Kotel would Caitlyn Jenner pray? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiI can’t make this stuff up By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — After Rick Perry promised he would unite rather than divide Americans if he were President, he left the stage to the accompaniment of his campaign song which contains the following lyric: “Shotgun toter/Republican voter/Rick Perry supporter/Let’s protect our border/To hell with anyone who
Humoring the Headlines: June 5, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HOUSTON, Texas – As Jewish media far and wide started picking up on the story of the recent devastating flood in Houston, which hit Jewish-heavy neighborhoods particularly hard, JNS.org was (in my own estimation) conspicuously late to join the reporting. That is by design. I am both our editor and a resident of
Jewish values and the Houston flood Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, The World We Share, USABy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Two former trusted employees of the Lawrence Family JCC—Nancy Johnson, 59, who had served as its chief financial officer, and Tamara Azizov, 62, who had served as its accounts payable clerk—pled guilty on Thursday, June 4, to charges including embezzlement, income tax fraud, and wire fraud in return
Two employees embezzled from LFJCC Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
-Seventh in a series- Exit 2: Morena Boulevard ~USD campus By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Rabbi Wayne Dosick received a telephone call in 1988 from Richard Stern, an activist in the Jewish Chattaqua Society, which was formed in the previous century to spread among diverse audiences knowledge about the Jewish religion. Stern wanted to know
I-8 Jewish Travel: The rabbi and the monsignor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Travel and Food, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─ Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that “all of Israel is behind the Cavaliers” in the NBA championship series because its coach David Blatt is an Israeli American. He added that he’s a big fan of the team’s Jewish superstar L’Chaim James. * Republican presidential hopefuls are attending an “economic summit” at
Humoring the headlines: June 3, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Memoirs of a Jewish Gypsy by Jenny Graubart, with Lea Tenenbaum © 2014, ISBN 978-1-939758-88-0, 73 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As a family keepsake encapsulating Jenny Graubart’s childhood memories along with photos of herself, parents and sister, this slim volume will have enduring value. However, the book does not extend itself
Book review: ‘Memoirs of a Jewish Gypsy’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryChabad’s Secret: Inside the World’s Most Successful Jewish Organization by Chaim Dalfin, Jewish Enrichment Press, Brooklyn, NY; ISBN 978-0-9889580-7-4 ©2015, $35.00, p. 190, plus appendices, bibliography, glossary, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, universally known as the Baal Shem Tov, is considered the founder of Chassidism, when in
Book Review: ‘Chabad’s Secret’ Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionSAN DIEGO (SDJW)—San Diego Jewish World acknowledges and thanks those writers and photographers whose bylines appeared during the month of May on its website. They were: David Amos Laurie Baron Caren Besner Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Stephen Bryen Garry Fabian Abraham Foxman Donald H. Harrison Natasha Josefowitz Rabbi Ben Kamin Tony Klug Steve Kramer Lloyd
SDJW thanks its May contributors Read More »
Barry Shaw, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eric George Tauber, Eva Trieger, Fred Reiss, EdD, Ira Sharkansky, Lawrence Baron, Mark D. Zimmerman, Melanie Rubin, Michael Ordman, Mimi Pollack, Natasha Josefowitz, Sheryl Rowling, Shoshana Bryen, Steve KramerThe Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff, MIRA books, (c) 2015, ISBN 978-0-7783-1754-8; 374 pages By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–The last time we had the opportunity to review a novel by Pam Jenoff — The Winter Guest — it was about two struggling European sisters, who grew up prior to World War II believing
Love, jealousy, war elements in new Jenoff novel Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonOut of the Shoebox, an Autobiographical Mystery Historical Novel by Yaron Reshef, translated from the Hebrew by Nina R. Davis and Shira E. Davis, Amazon, 2014 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel– Yaron Reshef begins his book, which has been expertly translated by Nina and Shira Davis, with a declaration regarding the sequence of chance
Finding one’s roots can be bitter and sweet Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish HistoryBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — The book Catch the Jew! has been heavily advertised in Israel by Gefen Books. At first I was put off by the book’s title and its somewhat facetious cover art, but after watching a television interview with the author I was intrigued enough to purchase the book. Tuvia
Satirical ‘Catch the Jew’ upbraids left wingers Read More »
Middle East, Steve KramerBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─ US Attorney General Loretta Lynch indicted Fifa officials for taking bribes in return for scheduling the World Cup in particular countries. Fifa attempted to strike a plea deal to drop the charges if the organization changed its name to Fee For. Although it is not known whether Lynch is a
Humoring the headlines: May 29, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire