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— Recently Jewish Family Service of San Diego County issued a press release announcing that for the fifth year in a row, it has received a four-star rating from the Charity Navigator organization, which is based in Glen Rock, New Jersey. So what does that mean, exactly? Sandra Miniutti, vice […]
Charity Navigator, Meeting Mitt and Balloon Nachas Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Crisis Group defines itself as an “independent, non-partisan, [sic] source of analysis … on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict.” While presidents and secretaries of state have relied upon it for analysis in places as disparate as Sudan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, and Burundi, it proves to be one-sided
‘International Crisis Group’ proves itself no neutral Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) won a spot in the November runoff election for mayor of San Diego by gaining 30.11 percent of the votes cast in Tuesday’s election, two percentage points behind the frontrunner, City Councilman Carl Demaio. If elected in November, Filner would be the second member
How did Jewish candidates fare on San Diego ballots? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Unified School District board voted unanimously Tuesday, June 5, to congratulate five USD students and their professor for a volunteer program to teach the German language to elementary school students who are part of a sister-school program inspired by San Diego’s pioneer Jewish settler
School board honors program inspired by Jewish pioneer Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A cold and rainy Saturday morning with no visiting grandchildren or social obligations presented a golden opportunity to attend a concert of chamber music given in the nearby neighbourhood of Ein Kerem. This is an outlying part of Jerusalem, consisting mainly of picturesque old houses, many of
Chamber music and soup! Mmm-mm good! Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Martin Buber told the following story: Once the Baal Shem Tov stopped on the threshold of a House of Prayer and refused to go in. “I cannot go in,” he said. “It is crowded with teachings and prayers from wall to wall and from floor to
Prayer simply doesn’t work in the third person Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The Jewish Community Foundation seeks three young leaders who can inspire other high school students in San Diego County to regularly engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. To find them, JCF is sponsoring a competition, with a deadline of Sept. 30 for entries, to pick suitable candidates for the
JCF searches for three more remarkable teens Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Note: I recently retired from San Diego State University after teaching there for 24 years and another 13 years at St. Lawrence University. (It is neither true that I taught at a Catholic university at my previous position nor that the school canonized me. It was in upstate New
The Wandering Review: Reflections on Jewish Film Read More »
Lawrence Baron
By Mimi Pollack SAN DIEGO — The Line by Israel Horovitz is the longest-running play off-off Broadway, having made its debut in 1974. It has been seen in 25 countries and translated into 35 languages. One of those languages is Spanish and Teatro Punto y Coma recently presented it during the San Diego Repertory Theater’s 19th
‘The Line,’ aka ‘El Primero,’ played with gusto but script is boring Read More »
Jewish History, Mimi PollackBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Few things ought to be as urgent as keeping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, yet the West – led from the front by the United States – has fallen into the “peace process” trap that considers talk to be progress and, once a conversation has begun, that there is
Iran’s talk-talk strategy is working Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The current issue of Western States Jewish History is devoted to the Jews of neighboring Orange County. One very familiar San Diego name is included, that of Dr. Abraham Nasatir, (1904-1991), who grew up in Santa Ana and learned Torah from his father, Morris, long before settling here
A San Diego voice from Orange County’s past Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison DEL MAR, California — As a group of us walked into the press party Friday evening, June 1, at the San Diego County Fair, we were confronted by the old and the new. The old, in the sense of what expects to see at county fairs, was represented by a
The fair, politics, a Thai-Mandarin restaurant and the U-T Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — It can’t be said that the U.S. is doing nothing about Syria. The administration created the “Atrocities Prevention Board,” which failed the test at Houla. It is supporting the feckless Kofi Annan, who is adding to a resume that includes the genocide in Rwanda and massacres in Bosnia. It
Why is the U.S. doing military exercises with Lebanon, Pakistan and Egypt? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Following are the endorsements of San Diego Jewish World in contested races on the June 5 ballot. We chose not to endorse in some contests, anticipating in some cases the opportunity to do so in the November general election. FEDERAL U.S. Senate — Dianne Feinstein U.S. Congress, 49th
San Diego Jewish World endorsements Read More »
Donald H. Harrison