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

The History of Rabbinical Laws

The fifth weekly biblical portion in Deuteronomy is Shoftim, “Judges.” The rabbis who were descendants of the ancient Pharisees saw this portion supporting the views of the Pharisees and not those of the Sadducees. The ancient Sadducees ceased to exist after the second temple was destroyed in 70 CE, and were later followed by Karaites. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mystery Novel Tells of Art Heist’s Aftermath

In 2012, Rotterdam’s Kunsthal Museum was under renovation when three thieves—siblings Piet and Luuk Berkhof and their friend Ineke—pulled off a daring heist. They escaped with four masterpieces: two Monets, a Picasso, and Woman with Eyes Closed by “Hochberg.” [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Ladino Words, Customs Highlighted in Board Book for Rosh Hashanah

For those who grew up in the Sephardic tradition, this board book intended for children aged 4 and under may be a simple primer about Rosh Hashanah.  But for those Jews who grew up in the Ashkenazic culture, it is an introduction to the way Sephardic Jews celebrate a familiar holiday. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

A Secret Circumcision in the Former Soviet Union Contrasts with How Freely Jews May Practice Our Religion in the U.S., Israel

Every day, when my father left for the factory in the morning, he and my mother were unsure he would return home. Any connection to Judaism could lead to arrest and prison. Circumcision, in particular. But for my grandfathers, a boy not circumcised was as though not yet born as a Jew. [Yakov Nayerman]

A Secret Circumcision in the Former Soviet Union Contrasts with How Freely Jews May Practice Our Religion in the U.S., Israel Read More »

International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Yakov Nayerman

‘Modeh Ani’: A Good Way to Start Your Morning

The prayer acknowledges that there is something bigger than us and that G-d gave us life and can easily take it away. It is a time to acknowledge that one day we will not live to see another day and to be grateful for the day we were blessed with. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Travel and Food

Up Close and Personal Correspondence Between 2 Holocaust Survivors, Authors

This book captures 26 years of correspondence, from 1945 to 1971, between two Holocaust survivors who both wrote trilogies about their experiences of Lodz, Poland before, during, and after World War II. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Parsha Re’eh: Choose wisely

Moshe warns us about seductive influences, those ideas or voices that pull us away from Hashem’s path. This is not about shutting out the world but about protecting the spiritual compass that keeps us whole. It’s no accident the parsha begins, “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” Blessings if we walk in Hashem’s ways, curses if we stray [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Living Dangerously: Integrating the Spiritual into the Commercial World

The central theme of Living Dangerously is the tension between material ambition and spiritual fulfillment. Katsof re-imagines the biblical warning against idolatry, casting money as a false god that promises security but delivers isolation. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors