By Natasha Josefowitz SAN DIEGO — “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.” These are the first two lines of Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s 1883 poem “Solitude.” Little did she know that this thought was the precursor of contemporary cognitive science, which has discovered the mechanism behind empathy: mirror neurons. When we […]
The amazing impact of a smile Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Before the new government of Israel will be sworn in, the Knesset will pass a bill that’ll allow the prime minister to enlarge his cabinet to satisfy the disgruntled members of his own Likud party who’re dismayed at the way in which Mr. Netanyahu bestowed ministerial posts on his coalition partners
Netanyahu to enlarge Cabinet to please cronies Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–It isn’t easy living in a country with six million nervous Jews, with another six million or so overseas always worrying about us and themselves, and a couple of million others here, mostly Arabs, most of them forbidden by their leaders to enjoy the status quo. Jews have been demanding more since
Yes, Israel is not perfect. What country is? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — Three mothers will be reading the poetry of their daughters at the final evening of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices, “From Generation to Generation,” Tuesday evening, May 12, at 7 p.m.. at the Astor Library in the Lawrence Family JCC. Actually, my daughter, Harriet Wingard, will be flying in from Portland, where she
Mothers to read their daughters’ poetry at JCC Read More »
Travel and FoodKABUL, Afghanistan (Press Release) – U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego), Ranking Member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and a bipartisan group of Congresswomen celebrated an early Mother’s Day with the troops in Afghanistan. The trip included a meeting between the congressional delegation and the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani. “It’s always an honor
Davis meets troops, Afghan First Lady Read More »
International, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─ The Senate voted 98-1 to grant Congress 30 days to review the nuclear accord with Iran and pass a resolution of disapproval prohibiting President Obama from lifting congressional sanctions on Tehran. Only Senator Tom Cotton voted against the bill because it didn’t include his amendment to bomb Iran even if
Humoring the headlines: May 8, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mimi Pollack SAN DIEGO, California — As a child in Mexico City in the 1960’s, I remember my older siblings listening to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana’s Brass’s album, “The Lonely Bull,” and I thought he was a handsome, musical, Mexican bullfighter. I loved his distinctive trumpet and signature sound. That signature sound
A notable pair: Herb Alpert, Lani Hall Read More »
International, Mimi Pollack, USAMemory is Our Home by Suzanna Eibuszyc; Ibidem Press (c) 2015; ISBN 978-3-8382-0712-4; 250 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–The voices of first generation and second generation Holocaust survivors are interwoven in this family remembrance covering pre-war life in Poland, escape from the Nazis to the Soviet Union and its eastern Republics; a return
Book review: ‘Memory is Our Home’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryBy J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida –Pundits, columnists and political science professors have commented on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new 61 to 59 new coalition government and have wondered how long it can last. If some member goes abroad or gets sick, the government can fall. Whether the government lasts for a few months
Bibi’s new coalition will undo religious reforms Read More »
Middle East
SAN DIEGO — Ah, the joys of transliteration. Earlier we published a photo of a license plate saying “Mindele” — an endearing term for someone named Mindy. Now, Melanie Rubin, our license plate maven, has received from a friend named Mindy another license-plate version of that affectionate, Yiddish-inflected, first name.
Jewish- interest license plate Mindula Read More »
Melanie Rubin, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (Tazpit) — The largest oil and gas conference in the world, known as the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) was held this week and 14 Israeli companies were present during the three-day event (May 4-7) in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1969, OTC serves as a major platform for the development of hydrocarbon
Israel trade delegation at Texas oil meeting Read More »
Middle East, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Congregation Beth Israel, San Diego’s oldest and largest Jewish congregation, will host its annual Spring Gala that includes an art auction and performance by entertainer and comedian Paul Reiser. The event takes place Sunday, May 17, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., at Congregation Beth Israel. The Spring Gala begins with
A fund- Reiser at Cong. Beth Israel May 17 Read More »
Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Which is the better motivator of performing a mitzvah: desire, obligation, or guilt? The answer to this question formed the subtext of a discussion we had on Wednesday during Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Ritual Committee meeting. Some members said they came to morning minyan because they wanted to. Others said
What would prompt you to do a good deed? Read More »
Travel and Food