By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — It’s hard to rationalize the incongruity of the recent cover of TIME Magazine, which petulantly asks the question, “Was he worth it?” The feature was a symptom of our malignant gossip culture. Smug pundits and cynical politicians muse with alarming insensitivity about issues without offering any moral context.
Talmud’s teaching can correct Bergdahl trade critics Read More »
Middle East, USASAN DIEGO (Press Release) — All low-income 4-year-olds in California will be guaranteed access to high quality preschool under the budget signed by Governor Brown with legislative leaders Friday morning in San Diego. The expansion and improvement of pre-Kindergarten opportunities, championed by State Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, the state’s Senate Democratic Caucus, and the state’s
SACRAMENTO, California (Press Release) – State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has just introduced a bill to ban offshore oil drilling from an area of state waters in the Santa Barbara Channel known as Tranquillon Ridge, her office said Friday, June 20. The area is designated as a Marine Protected Area because of its sensitive
Jackson: Close Tranquillon Ridge to oil drilling Read More »
The World We Share, USA
SACRAMENTO, California (Press Release) — Assemblymember Steve Fox (D-Palmdale) announced that Assembly Bill (AB) 736, a measure which could eventually pave the way for a new California State University Campus in the Antelope Valley, received unanimous approval from the Senate Education Committee. The bill now will move to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. “Our
Bill advances for Antelope Valley state college Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Congressman John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky) has announced that he voted in favor of a provision to prevent the administration from sending U.S. combat troops to Iraq when the issue came before the House of Representatives on Thursday evening, June 18. The amendment to the FY2015 Department of Defense appropriations bill, introduced
Yarmuth: No more money for Iraqi wars Read More »
Middle East, USA
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Lois Lerner, who has been the subject of an investigation and considerable editorial comment as the person in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who was responsible for deciding whether organizations deserved tax-exempt status, was defended by Congressman Sandy Levin (D-Michigan), ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, against
Rep. Levin comes to Lois Lerner’s defense Read More »
USASAN DIEGO (SDJW) — San Diego Jewish World‘s movie reviewer and humor columnist, Lawrence Baron, a professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University, will deliver three summer lectures on Jewish movies at Temple Emanu-El, 6299 Capril Drive, with the first coming at 7 p.m. tonight (Saturday, June 21), and the others scheduled on
Baron lectures tonight on ‘Jews and Baseball’ Read More »
Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, Sports & CompetitionsBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel– There is no doubt that Israel’s best friend is America. Without American support in the United Nations Security Council, binding resolutions against Israel would be much easier to pass. Without American aid, Israel’s military strength would be diminished. Without the backing of American citizens and America-based businesses, perhaps Israel
U.S. is Israel’s friend, but what about Barack Obama? Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) issued the following statement Friday, praising the House vote on Thursday night to to ban backdoor email searches: “Last night the House of Representatives took a big step forward for Americans’ privacy rights by voting to prohibit intelligence agencies from deliberately reading Americans’ emails and
Wyden applauds House vote on email searches Read More »
USABURLINGTON, Vermont (Press Release)– Vermont Christian and Jewish leaders joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Friday, June 20, to address the moral implications of extreme wealth and income inequality. Bishop Thomas Ely, the Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak, Monsignor Roland Rivard and Rabbi Joshua Chasan joined Sanders to emphasize that increasing wealth and income inequality
Religious leaders, Sanders decry wealth monopoly Read More »
USAWASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) applauded a report released Friday, June 20, by the Department of Justice that calls for passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to fully repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. The report details the ongoing implementation of United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court decision
Justice Dept. calls for repeal of gay marriage bans Read More »
Travel and FoodWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on Friday, June 20, praised the Obama Administration for creating a Pollinator Health Task Force to develop a federal strategy to promote the health of honey bees and other pollinators. The new interagency task force will help address troubling pollinator declines in California,
Boxer lauds task force studying bee colony collapses Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) on Friday, June 20, released the following statement on the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank: “I strongly condemn the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers, one of whom is also an American citizen, and support Israel’s ongoing efforts to return these boys
Blumenthal endorses yellow ribbons for 3 Israeli teens Read More »
Middle East, USADETROIT (Press Release)– The American Jewish Committee called Friday’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) decision to divest from major companies doing business with Israel a setback for efforts to attain a negotiated, sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and a breach with a Jewish community committed to Jewish-Christian relations. By a vote of 310 to 303, the PCUSA General
Presbyterian Church USA joins BDS movement Read More »
Middle East, USA