By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO– In 1942, Seymour Lederman was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training. America had just entered World War II, and young men from all over the country were preparing to serve their country overseas. The small Jewish community in Biloxi arranged for a special Pesach Seder for the Jewish […]
Why the parson’s wife arranged the seder Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The biggest failure in the American diplomatic quest to midwife the State of Palestine has been a failure to listen to the Palestinians, who don’t hide much. (One wag said that generally parties to a negotiation lie on the outside and tell the truth in private; the Palestinians, however,
Kerry publicly oblivious to Palestinians’ real goals Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — The Los Angeles Times editorial board published an opinion today that the 59-year old infamous high Cross above Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, Ca., should be removed: “A cross is not a universal symbol for memorializing the dead. It is a Christian marker.” This is but the latest
Let’s not worry about the Mt. Soledad Cross Read More »
San Diego County
By Anav Silverman HAIFA, Israel –= While the American Studies Association (ASA) may have voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions this week – a boycott that was initiated in 2005 and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee – the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) has been successfully reaching out to the Arab-speaking world both
Israeli online course attracting students from Arab countries Read More »
Middle East
Boycott of Israel prompts two universities to quit American Studies Association (JNS.org) Brandeis University and Penn State Harrisburg on Wednesday announced they have withdrawn from the American Studies Association (ASA) following the ASA membership’s Dec. 15 vote to endorse a boycott of Israel. “We view the recent vote by the membership to affirm an academic
JNS news briefs: December 19, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Hardly anything is more agreed among both Israelis and Palestinians than the condemnation of the Oslo Accords. They did not bring peace, or continue with the steps included in the agreements that were meant to bring the parties closer to peace. The criticism is valid, but invites a large HOWEVER.
Despite latter-day naysayers, Oslo Accords were valuable Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Stories of the Law: Narrative Discourse and the Construction of Authority in the Mishnah by Moshe Simon-Shoshan, Oxford University Press, New York; ISBN 978-0-19-935638-6 ©2013, $27.95, p. 287, including notes and bibliography By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California– The Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE, subsequently expelled the Jews from Jerusalem after
The making of the Mishnah Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion
LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) – The exhibition “To Me There’s No Other Choice” celebrates the life and honors the courageous deeds of Swedish diplomat and businessman Raoul Wallenberg. It will be on display from December 5, 2013 until February 28, 2014 along the second floor of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, 4126
JCC announces exhibit on Raoul Wallenberg Read More »
Jewish HistorySAN DIEGO–A close friend in Florida, Amnon Markusfeld, forwarded to me this 6-minute tour of Israel. I think readers of San Diego Jewish World will enjoy it!
A 6-minute video tour of Israel Read More »
Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has appointed Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, a former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, and Ambassador to the European Union, and currently with the law firm of Covington & Burling, as his Special Adviser on Holocaust Issues. Ambassador Eizenstat held
Eizenstat named special advisor on Holocaust issues Read More »
USALebanese shooter who killed IDF soldier detained (JNS.org) The Lebanese soldier who shot and killed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen on Sunday was detained, according to Lebanese and Israeli authorities. “[Lebanese authorities] jailed him, interrogated him, and according to their claims, they will punish him,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said. Lebanese
JNS news briefs: December 18, 2013 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –Two items in today’s news encourage me to repeat earlier, perhaps now less idle, speculation about the future of Avigdor Lieberman: (1) the Attorney General has decided not to accept the outgoing Chief Prosecutor’s recommendation to appeal Lieberman’s not guilty verdict that enabled him to resume his post as foreign
Will Israel become increasingly attached to Russia? Read More »
Middle EastSyrian civil war refugee receives pacemaker at Israeli hospital (JNS.org) A 4-year-old Syrian civil war refugee from the besieged city of Homs recently underwent what was likely life-saving surgery at the pediatric cardiology ward of the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. The boy, Mohammed Hamudi, was born with reversed ventricles, a rare heart
JNS news briefs: December 17, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Several overseas friends have urged me to read and write about Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land. Shavit is a well known columnist for Ha’aretz, but the book is not the left of center all out screech that might be expected from the paper’s turn in recent years. According to the unusually long,
For Israelis, these books seem like old news Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East