By Eva Trieger LA JOLLA, California — As autumn approaches, who doesn’t look forward to a bowl of soup? And what about your grandma’s special recipe for borscht? Not so much? Well, maybe you’re more excited about the Borscht Belt and the Jewish comedians who gave that Upstate New York region her beloved cache. Jewish
‘Jewish Joke’ Oct. 19 examines humor in tough times Read More »
Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Bill Tammeus is a former religion columnist for the Kansas City Star and the author of several books over the years, among them They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust, which he co-authored with Jacques Cukierkorn. He knows the Jewish community in Kansas
Columnist who studied Shoah now writes about Pope Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short StoriesBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–This is not a time to express certainty, either about what is happening or what is likely to happen. A spate of Arabs throwing stones and homemade firebombs has escalated to two killings. One a shooting in the West Bank that killed a Rabbi and his wife. Another was a stabbing of
Violence increases in Jerusalem and West Bank Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–A third intifada is on its way; perhaps it’s already here. The death toll is growing and more is likely to come. Israelis and Palestinians blame each other but neither side is prepared to look at itself and take its share of the responsibility. As the one cannot change the other,
Another intifada? Neither side will change course Read More »
Middle East
By Laurie Baron MARGATE, New Jersey–Pope Francis is trying to do damage control over his embarrassing meeting with Kim Davis. Just late week he cancelled his audience with Edward Snowden and El Chapo. * An anonymous staffer for Chris Christie revealed that the Governor was delighted that New Jersey was threatened by Hurricane Joaquin because
Humoring the Headlines: October 5, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Jews worldwide are celebrating Shemini Atzeret by chanting the Tefilat Geshem, the prayer for rain. A group of Jewish witches in Northern California will gather in a sukkah built around a hot tub, while invoking Native American ancestors and the Canaanite storm and rain god Ba’al Hadad. What is this community
Jewish Trivia: Shemini Atzeret Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s not easy trying to manage the world, or even a small part of it that is outside of one’s own country. Consider the US efforts in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as older adventures in Latin America. Or the Russians’ war in Afghanistan, what my Russian-speaking friends admit
Is Russia biting more than it can chew? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — The words used to describe Obama in countries in the Middle East plus Ukraine include “unreliable”, “skittish”, “weak in negotiations” and “feeble in foreign policy.” Best evidence that these words have real meaning can be seen in the “words not action” policy of the Obama Administration when it comes
U.S. should bring war crime charges against Assad Read More »
Barry Shaw, International, Middle East, USABy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — What makes a child so angry or despondent that he or she would pick up a gun and shoot classmates and teachers? And what warning signs can parents look for? These are the questions we’ll answer in this column. The problem of anger is based on fragile
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren, published by Plume/Penguin Group, 2010 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Jillian Lauren was born in 1973 and was adopted as an infant by a Jewish couple in Livingston, New Jersey. Later a son was adopted. They were a middle class suburban family, gave their
From the Jewish bookshelf: ‘Some Girls’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short StoriesBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — When Pope Francis visited the United States at virtually every stop and public speech and in private visits with President Obama and elementary school schoolchildren, he asked people to “pray for me.” As a non-Catholic and a frequent columnist for San Diego Jewish World, I was curious (in
Why the Pope asks people to pray for him Read More »
InternationalBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — They deny our existence. They deny our heritage. They deny out history, our belonging. They even deny the walls and shrines that scream our name. It’s not some state created in peace that they want. It is a delusional dream in which Israel doesn’t exist. It’s not Filastin. It’s
Standing against the P.A.’s 4-D policy Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle East