Story and photo by Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – With Veterans Day having been observed in the United States earlier this month—and warfare between Israel and Gaza having dominated recent headlines – Laura Simon told a luncheon celebrating her 107th birthday about one of the first times she thought about soldiers and wars. It was […]
At 107, Mrs. Simon expresses concern for Armed Forces Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Wars begin with a bang. They may not end with sudden quiet. Sudden quiet is most unlikely when one of the sides is not the disciplined army of a state, but a collection of organizations and gangs, competing with one another, with members intense to show their heroic loyalty to a cause.
A quieter Gaza was best practical result for Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Cynthia Citron NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California–What could be more lacerating than a sister’s scorn? Especially if she sits on the board of a prestigious art museum and he is a struggling conceptual artist. That’s the premise and dilemma of Joshua Ravetch’s new four-part play One November Yankee, now having its world premiere at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood.
L.A. Play Reviews: ‘Yankees’ and ‘Pancreas’ Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — “It’s your problem!” or “It’s my problem!” or “The problem is not in you or in me, it’s in the relationship.” or “Solve the problem.” or “Learn to live with it.” or “Forget about it, because years from now it won’t matter.” And finally: “What problem?”
The problem with problems Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel is currently in the verbally explosive situation of a political campaign that began hours, or perhaps minutes, after the end of a week-long military operation. Politicians, media personalities, and just released reservists are all over the map in their expressions. It is not difficult to chart them according to
Noise of war replaced by cacaphony of politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — In the midst of the battle between Israel and Hamas, I read a provocative article by Rabbi Daniel Gordis on “The Times of Israel” website (if you would like to read the original article, click here). Rabbi Gordis, who lives in Israel and is Senior Vice President and
Measuring out our compassion Read More »
Jewish ReligionPoll: Half of Israelis say operation ended too soon since Palestinians violated ceasefire (JNS.org) Israel ended Operation Pillar of Defense too soon, 49 percent of Israeli respondents said in a poll released by the Maagar Mohot research institute on Friday. Those respondents believed Israel should have continued the operation for as long as rockets were
JNS news briefs: November 23, 2012 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO– In 1991, our three month old son Shlomo Moshe Lederman returned his soul to his creator. While we were sitting shiva, a number of people offered words of consolation. I found these words very inspiring. I wrote them down in a notebook (not a laptop, an actual paper notebook)
Living the allotment of our years Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — There are apparently sharp differences among commentators on the Gaza ceasefire. Regardless, the Gaza thanksgiving lesson is that Israel and its supporters have far more to be thankful for, and hopeful for, than does Israel’s enemies. On the one hand are those who say that Israel accomplished its
Gaza outcome worthy of Thanksgiving Read More »
Middle EastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–So far, events have proven me wrong. I feared how President Barack Obama would treat Israel during his second term — so much so that I reluctantly endorsed Mitt Romney for President, even though on most domestic issues I tend to be far more liberal than Romney, though not as
Thank you, President Obama; I was wrong Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — I couldn’t get through the book, so now I feel the need to express my apologies to its author, Yann Martel. The film they have made of his novel, Life of Pi, is one of the most exquisite films I have ever seen. It has received rave reviews
‘Pi’ proves far greater than a number sequence Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALELM — Who won? It’s too early to be certain. Recent hours have been without attacks on Israel or Israel attacking. Beyond caution about the violence, it is also not easy to ponder the variety of commentary, much of it hyperbolic. With all the reservations that are appropriate, the following points are worthy
As with most compromises, ceasefire brought no clear victors Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBibi: Terror groups ‘assumed wrong’ that Israel would not retaliate (JNS.org) Just before the cease-fire agreement that ended eight days of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas went into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a press conference Wednesday, “The government decided to launch [Operation Pillar of Defense] in light of terror attacks from
JNS news briefs: November 22, 2012 Read More »
International
By Isaac Yetiv , Ph. D. LA JOLLA, California — In what I consider the best novel in Sub-Saharan African literature in French, L’Aventure ambigue, (The Ambiguous Adventure), the Senegalese author, Cheikh Hamidou Kane, opposes two political factions in a royal setting: the Elders against the Grande Royale, the powerful female Regent. The question in dispute:
What were key factors in Obama’s victory? Read More »
USA