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
Torah of Reconciliation by Sheldon Lewis, Gefen Publishing House, Jerusalem, New York, ISBN 978-965-229-541-5 ©2012, $24.95, p. 340, plus addenda By Fred Reiss, Ed.D WINCHESTER, California — The Torah, the Five Books of Moses, has been commented about so many times that one wonders if anything new can be found within its text. Yet, Rabbi […]
The Torah teaches reconciliation Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Israeli jets struck something Tuesday night; Wednesday’s guessing game was, “What was it?” First reports from Western news services said the Israeli Air Force hit a convoy of weapons moving west from Syria toward, or even in Lebanon. A Lebanese army source said nothing was hit there and a
Is Iran trying to shift the focus of Syria’s war? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
Letters to Talia by Dov Indig, Gefen Publishing House, (c) 2012, ISBN 978-965-229-601-6; 189 pages, retail price not listed. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The correspondence in this book took place 40 years ago — not an insignificant time span in Hebrew literature–but the issues the two young correspondents tackled are timeless ones.
Letters between two Israelis in 1970s still timely Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
Into the Light: The Healing Art of Kalman Aron by Susan Beilby Magee, Hard Press Editions, (c) 2012, ISBN 978-1-55595-385-0; 220 pages including index of illustrations, $50. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –This is an extraordinary biography of an artist who survived the Holocaust, wrestled with it in his paintings and drawings, and eventually
An artist who emerged from the Holocaust Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–If you’re looking for reverence to God, you might find it on the license plate on the car parked next to you. “In God We Trust” and “God Bless America” are popular slogans which motorists may choose on state-issued license plates. American states issue a wide variety of license plates allowing
A license to collect Americana Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Travel and Food
Photos and story by Donald H. Harrison SANTEE, California — There’s a lesson to be learned from the water fowl that live, and visit, the Santee Lakes. They all seem to get along pretty well despite their obvious differences. We humans may have our racists, but in the world of water fowl, there don’t
The birds of Santee Lakes have much to teach us Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –The results of Israel’s general election were not as depressing as expected, although not as good as might have been hoped. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is still firmly in the saddle, but the composition of his coalition government may be radically different from the outgoing one. At this stage,
Are young and rich Lapid and Bennet agents of change? Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — One of the notable things about this year’s Oscar nominations is the absence of films about the Holocaust. I wonder if this is a result of what Simone Schweber has termed, “Holocaust fatigue.” According to her, overexposure to the Holocaust in education and popular culture may have inadvertently desensitized
The Wandering Review: Have the Oscars Tired of the Holocaust? Read More »
Lawrence BaronBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Israel had a party on Election Day. The weather was beautiful and people went to the beach and the parks by the tens of thousands. They were in a very good mood. And why not? For all the gloom and doom about Israel, its neighbors and its neighborhood, Israel
Youth and females emerge from Israel’s election Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” hosted an exciting array of poets Saturday evening, Jan. 19, at the Astor Judaica Library. The three featured poets, Rabbi Patti Haskell, Ysmael Escudero Tisnado II and Joni Gurstein, attracted an audience of 40 listeners. Below are two examples from each of the talented presenters. Ysmael writes
Selections from three Jewish poets Read More »
Eileen Wingard
Colors From a Zionist’s Palette by Ariel Larkey, Geffen Publishing (c) 2012; ISBN 978-965-229-605-4; 63 pages, retail price unlisted By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –The colors referred to in this title probably are in pastel –very light shades, in fact — to match the story-telling style of author Ariel Larkey. His tales are pleasing,
Sketches of an American’s life in Israel Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — For days now, the twittersphere and even the mainstream media have been agog at the anti-Semitism spewing in a now-viral video by Mohammed Morsi in 2010 when he was head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. He called President Obama a liar as well, but the administration is doing
Morsi an unrepentant Jew-hater Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler, St. Martin’s Press, (c) 2013, ISBN 978-1-250-01006-4, 360 pages, $24.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Shortly after World War II, an Eastern European lady assumes the identity of a dead woman and agrees to travel to Canada to marry Sol Kramer. Once she gets there, however, for reasons
Novel probes mystery, impact, of missing mother Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Fred Reiss, Ed.D WINCHESTER, California — A news story under the byline of Jonathan Mizrahi has been making its way around the Internet. The story says that this year will be the only time that Chanukah will fall on Thanksgiving. So, is the story true? Yes and no. President Lincoln in 1863 proclaimed a
Truly rare occurence: Chanukah-Thanksgiving Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion