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
Editor’s Note: San Diego Jewish World editor Donald H. Harrison and his wife Nancy made the rounds of Purim carnivals at four different congregations on Sunday, March 16, working their way from north to south. The first one they hit was at Temple Solel in Encinitas, followed by Congregation Beth Israel near University Towne Center, […]
Purim Carnival at Temple Solel Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — You might have to watch the movie Hairspray several times to fully appreciate just how clever were the Tifereth Israel Synagogue writing team of Susan Levy, Amy Stanley, Beth Klareich, Maya Klareich, Jerry Hermes and Cheryl Katz. In the Purimshpiel presented Saturday evening, March 15, they successfully integrated
A ‘Hairspray’ kind of Purim Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Michael Mantell, PhD SAN DIEGO–In a commencement address at Smith College in 2013, Arianna Huffington equated our insatiable drive to attain money and power as two legs on a three-legged stool. While you may balance on two legs for a while, a fall is inevitable. The third leg of success, Huffington argues, is our
Fitness coaching may change medical practices Read More »
Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California–At Purim carnivals to be held on Sunday, March 16, throughout the world, children will dress up as such adult characters as Esther, Mordecai, Ahasuerus and the wicked Haman, and through the device of masquerade, will once again tell how Esther and Mordecai saved the Jews of old against
Good Man, Charlie Brown; Bad Man, Haman Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–The former Portuguese Consul in Bordeaux, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, is credited with rescuing 30,000 people from the Nazi terror by means of issuing them visas to live in neutral Portugal, even though he had no authorization to do so. After the Germans invaded France in 1940, he signed
Rescued as a child, he lectures on Sousa Mendes Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –During the Holocaust years, Purim celebrations were forbidden to the Jews. Christians and Jews could not even own the book of Esther. Such decrees did not stop the Nazis from poking fun at the Jews on this Jewish holiday. With diabolical glee, the Nazis frequently orchestrated special
Purim and the Nazi Julius Streicher Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Israelis in the southern part of the country have taken to shelters and safe rooms under a barrage of more than 60 (and counting) rockets from the Gaza Strip, and as the Israeli General Staff considers a response, it is worth a look at the just-released EU Heads
EU’s report on Gaza gets a few things right Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-Conservative commentators have chided President Obama for appearing on Zach Galifianakis’ on-line talk show “Between Two Ferns” to plug the Affordable Health Care Act and encourage young adults to apply for it on healthcare.gov. They charged it was beneath the dignity of his office, but their real reason seems to be
Humoring the Headlines: March 13, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — A representative of the Blue Star Camps near Hendersonville, North Carolina, says if you chat with any of the 65,000 alumni who have attended the kosher Jewish summer camp since its establishment in 1948, eventually the conversation may turn to the signature Elmore Solomon Chapel. “The chapel
The lessons taught by a Jewish camp’s chapel Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Mimi Pollack SAN DIEGO–Gary Weitzman, the president of the San Diego Humane Society and co host of the Animal House has co-authored a delightful new book with Aline Alexander Newman. It is called, How to Speak Dog. The book is written for both children and adults to enjoy. It is a guide for decoding
More to dog language than ‘bow wow’ Read More »
Mimi Pollack, The World We ShareBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –In response to mounting unhappiness in the West with Russia’s acquisition of Crimea and plans to split Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has struck again. The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement over the weekend saying, “The unfounded threats… are seen by us as an unfriendly gesture,” raising the possibility of “new
Time for U.S. to deploy E. Europe missile defenses Read More »
International, Shoshana Bryen, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM–Not long ago I was privileged to hear renowned architect Arthur Spector give a talk about the new Hadassah Hospital building at Ein Kerem designed by his firm. Leaving aside the financial aspect of the building, which has aroused some controversy, Spector proceeded to provide his audience with a fascinating insight into
The architect’s vision of Hadassah Hospital at Ein Kerem Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education
Dan J. Puckett, In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, University of Alabama Press, ©2014, ISBN9780817381073, 233 pages plus notes, bibliography and index. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – If there were guidelines for being Alabama Jews prior to World War II they were to “blend
Holocaust changed perceptions of Alabama Jews Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) says American educators have a lot to learn from the i-Phone. “It is the design,” she said. “If it were just a lot of codes, people wouldn’t want to deal with it. But what people love about it is all the design. And that
Energizing science education with the arts Read More »
Donald H. Harrison