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 Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–The Women’s Museum of California paid tribute Friday morning, Dec. 20, to 108-year-old Laura Simon, whose art works and a silver service are part of its permanent collection. The museum also sells the book–I’m Still Here–that has won Simon designation as the oldest living author in the collection of the […]
Women’s Museum honors Laura Simon, 108 Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Steve Kramer Alan Dershowitz is one of the brightest and most quoted law professors in America. He recently announced his plans to retire from the faculty of Harvard Law School, one of America’s most eminent educational establishments. I haven’t always agreed with Dershowitz, who said last year that Israel should offer to freeze all
Alan Dershowitz’s brief for Israel Read More »
Steve Kramer, USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — An interesting conversation took place been CNN host Piers Morgan and Barbara Walters that caught my attention. Morgan asked Walters an important question. “You have interviewed every president of my lifetime. Why is Obama facing so much opposition now? Why is he struggling so much to
No Barbara, Obama’s not the messiah Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The biggest failure in the American diplomatic quest to midwife the State of Palestine has been a failure to listen to the Palestinians, who don’t hide much. (One wag said that generally parties to a negotiation lie on the outside and tell the truth in private; the Palestinians, however,
Kerry publicly oblivious to Palestinians’ real goals Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
Stories of the Law: Narrative Discourse and the Construction of Authority in the Mishnah by Moshe Simon-Shoshan, Oxford University Press, New York; ISBN 978-0-19-935638-6 ©2013, $27.95, p. 287, including notes and bibliography By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California– The Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE, subsequently expelled the Jews from Jerusalem after
The making of the Mishnah Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―A federal judge declared that the NSA’s big data surveillance program is unconstitutional. In the holiday spirit, the judge issued his ruling as a Christmas jingle sung to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” You better not phone. You better not tweet. Even when you’re alone
Humoring the Headlines: December 16, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Compiled by Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — While he was in Vietnam, U.S. Secretary of State met on Sunday with ABC news reporter Martha Raddatz to discuss a wide range of topics, including the talks he has been brokering between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Far from predicting ultimate peace, Kerry seemed to be
Jewish Citizen: Mideast talks, art recovery, and Iran Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, InternationalBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―China has landed a rover on the moon. It immediately opened a restaurant and a bank to extend credit to whatever countries try to settle the moon. Then it started building a factory for Walmart. The shuttle with robot workers manufactured by Apple will arrive next month. * Sixteen year-old Ethan
Humoring the Headlines: December 15, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Some of our readers may have noticed our new masthead and wondered what those two ampersands are doing in the background behind the words “San Diego Jewish World.” It’s our way of announcing that we are still the same Jewish-focused paper, but that we plan to also venture
What’s the story behind those ampersands? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International
Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., The Rabbi and The Nuns, Mekor Press, 2013, ISBN 9781614651338. 190 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Although the title sounds like the beginning of a joke, this book, in fact, contains numerous recollections of Rabbi Twerski’s career as the head of psychiatry at the Roman Catholic-operated St.
The old, the young, and the alcoholics Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionBy Steve Kramer KIBBUTZ KETURA, Israel — Michal and I, together with our friends, recently spent a long weekend on this kibbutz in the Negev Desert. The trip was sponsored by their beit knesset, the Masorti (Conservative) Congregation of Ra’anana. A quote from its website: “The membership of Ra’anana Masorti is a successful mixture of
Exploring a kibbutz that is still Socialist Read More »
Middle East, Steve KramerBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―The budget deal forged by Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Patty Murray will end extensions of unemployment insurance for 1.3 million Americans. Since the current Congress s has passed fewer bills than any of its postwar predecessors, some deficit hawks have suggested docking the salary of its members because they haven’t
Humoring the Headlines: December 12, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireRabbi Shiloh Ben-David, Shalom Aleichem: A Collection of Halachos, Aggados, and Anecdotes about Greeting People; ISBN-13: 978-9657599136; 217 pages; Publisher: Self-Published; Price: $23.95. Rating: 2.5 * out of four. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The 20th century Orthodox scholar and philanthropist Irving Bunim, in his monumental study on makes a profound observation about
What halacha says about greeting people Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Human behavior and animal behavior resemble one another in so many interesting ways. When an animal approaches the territory of another, it is commonplace for one creature to growl or make noise whenever it perceives its space is invaded. A dog will characteristically bark whenever it
Obama’s handshake a commendable gesture Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA