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 Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — The fifth season of “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” concluded last month at the Astor Judaica Library in the Lawrence Family JCC. During its first five seasons, the series featured local poets and song writers expressing themselves not only in English, but also in Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino, Russian, Spanish and […]
A potpourri of Jewish poetry Read More »
Eileen Wingard
Triumph and Tragedy: Journeying Through 1000 Years of Jewish Life in Poland, compiled by Joel Padowitz, J Roots (c) 2013, ISBN 978-1-937887-06-3, 264 pages including endnotes. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Essentially this is a Jewish guide book to Poland. The “triumph” portion focuses on the great rabbis and writers who preceded the
‘Triumph and Tragedy’ relates Jewish history of Poland Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonMaimonides: Essential Teachings on Jewish Faith & Ethics, the Book of Knowledge & the Thirteen Principles of Faith Annotated & Explained by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, Skylight Paths Publishing, Woodstock, VT; ISBN 978-1-59473-311-6 ©2012, $18.99, p. 172, plus notes and selected bibliography By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — By the mid-twelfth century, conditions
Angel teaches about Maimonides Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdDBy Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California –If you were having a bit of trepidation that you’d be comparing Neil Simon’s play or the 1970s TV series and be left wanting…..don’t be a schlemiel. Matt Thompson delivers a performance that would make Jack Klugman kvell!!! Louis Lotorto, as Felix Unger, has completely mastered every niggling,
Oscar and Felix are back at North Coast Rep Read More »
Eva TriegerBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I find it hard to believe that the generation of my aunts and uncles, and father is rapidly coming to an end. The world gets older by the day; my family used to have a large number of relatives
Heroes of the Shoah: Rabbi Eliezer Silver Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Hotel del Coronado History, Hotel del Coronado Heritage Department (c) 2013, 208 pages, $39.95 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — If you are a Hotel del Coronado fan, and who isn’t, this is a great book to leaf through. I’ve always been interested in the lives of U.S. Presidents, and it’s interesting to see
Hotel del Coronado issues an historical picture book Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California – In Shemini, the Torah portion for April 6, 2013, we read about the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died from an accidental explosion in the Tabernacle. Aaron’s reaction is quite telling–despite the absence of scriptural detail from the narrator. As is often the case with biblical
Stunned agony when we lose our children Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The world is in tumoil. But is it any more so than usual? Perhaps yes. Young Jung Kim Un is threatening to use nuclear weapons against someone, maybe the US, possibly South Korea, or even Japan, or any of the countries of South-East Asia (which constitute the world’s
Something familiar about all these world troubles Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Growing up in Chicago, Shabbat was not a day of prayer and rest, but for going to the movies. Every Saturday I trundled over to the neighborhood theatre and watched morning screenings of cartoons, capped off with a Flash Gordon episode. After lunch, I’d return for the double feature.
The Wandering Review: Ebert at the Jewish movies Read More »
Lawrence Baron
Helga’s Diary by Helga Weiss, W.W. Norton & Co. (c) 2013, ISBN 978-0-393-07797-1; 248 pages including glossary, post-diary interview and color plates of her drawings; $24.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — This is a hybrid book, part diary, part reconstruction, part editor’s explanations. When the author was about 12 years old she was
‘Helga’s Diary’ shows value of bravado Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonLOS ANGELES –Members of the annual Western Jewish Studies Association Conference will pay tribute to one of its past presidents, Lawrence Baron, PhD., former head of the Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies at San Diego State University and, in retirement, a reviewer of Jewish-interest movies for San Diego Jewish World, among other pursuits. At an
Baron to be honored by historians Read More »
Lawrence Baron, San Diego County
John Rosengren, Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes, New American Library © 2013; ISBN 978-0-451-223576-3; 392 pages including photos, index, and bibliography, $26.95 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – In front of you, the pitcher, menacing, mean, wanting to strike you out and make you look the fool. Behind you, what seems like a
Greenberg biography invokes his magic Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –Having grown up in a British home where Passover/Pesach was observed with rigour, it came as something of a shock when I arrived in Israel to find that not everyone did the same. It was only in Israel that I heard about people filling their fridges and freezers with bread
Search for chametz can go to an extreme Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Many people would be surprised to hear that the charge of drinking blood was a common accusation made against the nascent Christian religion in the first three centuries of its existence. Yes, this historical fact is true and recorded in the annals of ancient history. The Roman
When Christians were victims of blood libels Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi