By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Six weeks, eleven flights, six states, one one-week cruise and four countries (in addition to the USA). That is feeble compared with the Beatles’ tour of the USA in 1965 (twenty-five cities in thirty days), but they were much younger than we were (and probably flew first class). […]
Israelis abroad: Glimpses of the USA Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Travel and Food, USA“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.”― Christopher Hitchens By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —
Violence, fanaticism are the curse of many religions Read More »
International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USARevenue to fund program for prevention of gun violence SACRAMENTO (Press Release) –Legislation by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-Marin County) to impose a statewide excise tax of $25 on the sale of handguns and semiautomatic weapons was approved Monday by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a partisan 8 to 3 vote. Co-authored by eight legislators
Gun sale tax advances in Legislature Read More »
USA
By Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — On the first Seder night, I hung in there through the Fourth Cup and Chad Gadya. Then I was up bright and early the next morning for the 2019 Student Shakespeare Festival compliments of the San Diego Shakespeare Society. Both the society and the festival were the brainchild
Whither goest students of the bard? Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
SANTA CRUZ, California (Press Release) — Eighty organizations that span the political spectrum today called on University of Massachusetts Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy to rescind all named university sponsorship of an upcoming political event that the groups are concerned will “incite animosity towards supporters of Israel, including Jewish and pro-Israel students on your campus.” They also
UMass urged to withdraw as anti- Israel rally sponsor Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — The Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood keeps busy — in addition her literary and TV work — flying around the world on an almost monthly basis to give lectures at universities and book festivals in over a dozen countries. Look up in the sky at any moment, and you
Chance encounter of a literary kind Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – In the American History Theater’s current production of The Diary of Anne Frank, some American theater history is being reprised. Back in 1959, Shelley Winters won an Oscar as best supporting actress for her performance as Mrs. Van Daan in the movie version of that play, which dramatized
Niece reprises Shelley Winters’ role in ‘Anne Frank’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy H. Applebaum SAN DIEGO — What do parents do if they are raising a Jewish child, yet have no resources at hand? The cause could be intermarriage, or living far from family or other Jews, or all of the above. When Jews leave traditional Jewish enclaves, and children come along, it presents a challenge.
PJ Library helps families seeking more Jewish context Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Prof. Luba Levin-Banchik, visiting Israeli scholar in residence at San Diego State University, will address the 6 p.m. dinner buffet meeting of the Beth Israel Men’s Club which begins at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 15, at 9001 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego. Levin-Bianchik teaches courses in history and political
Israeli history/ poli sci prof lectures May 15 Read More »
Middle East, San Diego Calendar, Science, Medicine, & Education
SAN DIEGO, CA (Press Release) – The Peter Chortek Leadership Award (PCLA), facilitated annually by the Jewish Community Foundation, was recently presented to four San Diego County high school students. The 2019 awards went to Aurora de Tagyos, Ilan and Max Matkovski, and Talia Schauder for demonstrating teen excellence in community service and leadership. The
Four teens win Peter Chortek Leadership Awards Read More »
San Diego CountyBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — The most popular haggadah in American history is the Maxwell House Haggadah, which the company has been distributing for free (with purchases of Maxwell House coffee) since 1932. More than 50 million copies have been given away worldwide since then, and they even had a place at the
Jewish trivia quiz: Maxwell House Haggadah Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The Torah says count weeks, but Jews count days. As I described in detail in my book Mysteries of Judaism, the ancient religious Jewish group Pharisees, who existed from about 320 BCE until 70 CE, and the rabbis who followed them changed all of the Jewish practices
Rabbis, not Torah, decreed counting days of the Omer Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion