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 Review: ‘The Making of a Halachic Decision’

  Rabbi Moshe Walter,  The Making of a Halachic Decision. Menucha Publishers.ISBN: 1614650896. 231 pages, $24. Rating: 3* out of 5. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Any student of Jewish law has often wondered about the origin of the Halachic decision-making process.  True, the Talmud is full of arguments. If you

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

‘Jeopardy’ employed in study of cancer

First in a series By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Television’s game of Jeopardy is winning plaudits from San Diego academicians who want to increase public awareness about the ethical issues, history, sociology, biology, and politics surrounding cancer. Four San Diego-area universities and colleges–UCSD, San Diego State, Pt. Loma Nazarene and Grossmont–plan to compete

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Donald H. Harrison

Humoring the headlines: January 24, 2014

By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-The Russian police have alerted spectators at the Sochi Olympics to be on the outlook for several “Black Widow Terrorists, women from Dagestan whose husbands were killed by Russian anti-terrorist squads.  There are posters throughout the Olympic venues informing spectators how to identify these women:  If you meet a woman on

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Birthright expands eligibility for free trips to Israel

By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org The Taglit-Birthright Israel program has expanded eligibility for its free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, JNS.org has learned. Teenagers who went on an educational trip to Israel during high school were previously not eligible for Birthright trips, but can now participate, confirmed Noa Bauer, Birthright’s vice president

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Jacob Kamaras, Middle East

Understanding the Psalms as literature

A New Psalm: A Guide to Psalms as Literature by Rabbi Benjamin Segal; Gefen Publishing House (2013); ISBN-10: 965229618X; Price: $31.29 (on Amazon). By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Rabbi Benjamin Segal’s  new commentary, A New Psalm: The Psalms as Literature is an excellent medley of numerous thoughts that Judaic commentaries have expressed on the Psalms

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Travel: Not just a tour, but an education, in Israel

By Donald H. Harrison AGOURA HILLS, California — For many years, Shlomo “Momo” Lifshitz was the travel entrepreneur who tried to greet each one of the 55,000 “Operation Birthright” participants that his company, Oranim, took responsibility for showing around during their 10-day visits to Israel.  “Welcome home!” he would enthusiastically say in greeting to each

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Donald H. Harrison, Travel and Food

Book Review: ‘A Social History of Hebrew’

A Social History of Hebrew: Its Origins Through the Rabbinic Period by William M. Schniedewind; Yale University Press, New HavenISBN 978-0-300-167668-1 ©2013, $45.00, p. 261, including notes, bibliography, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–William Schniedewind, UCLA professor of Mediterranean studies, Near Eastern languages, and the Bible, and author of A Social History of

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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion

Getting a handle on new Middle East, Part II

Second of Series By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel –There are wide cultural differences between the religious Arab world and the secular Western world, which most Western countries fail to comprehend. Surprisingly, the West refuses to recognize that the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is an Islamist organization which promotes an Islamic takeover throughout Arabia and then

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Middle East, Steve Kramer