By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –This past week, a newspaper featured a picture of a Lubavitcher rabbi smilingly putting tefillon on Santa Claus. It reminded me of a story from Eli Plaut’s book, Kosher Christmas. It mentions how an old Ukrainian Jewish immigrant dressed up as Santa Claus and spoke Yiddish. When speaking
Letting go of our past fear… and prejudice Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– It is too bad that our dog Benji can’t read, because if he could, Max, the Rotweiler who is the hero in four books of space adventures, might become one of Benji’s favorite characters in literature. In a series of four stories by San Diego-raised, University of Colorado astronomy
Traveling through space with a dog–is it in our future? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Mimi Pollack LA MESA, California — Animals don’t have nationalities. They will love you no matter who you are and where you come from. Unfortunately, humans’ treatment of animals varies greatly, depending on the country and culture. There are many strays and homeless animals in Mexico. The dogs and cats of Tijuana and
U.S. group helps stray animals in Baja California Read More »
Mimi Pollack, The World We ShareNEW YORK (Press Release)– The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomed the many responses from presidents of leading universities and academic associations across the United States rejecting the call by the American Studies Association for a boycott of Israeli universities. Responding to a letter from Conference leaders, Robert G. Sugarman, Chairman, and
ASA boycott of Israel rejected by academia Read More »
USA
Palestinian conflict talks extension requested by Israel (JNS.org) Israel has asked the U.S. to extend the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations by a year. If such an extension is not approved, Israel believes it is likely the talks will fail. Israel’s concern stems from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s eagerness to get a framework agreement
JNS news briefs: December 24, 2013 Read More »
International
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM — Sara Katsoff is not the typical seminary girl spending her gap year studying in Jerusalem. Back in New York, the 18-year-old from Monsey owns Sara’s Sweets, a custom cake and design business where she sells specialty cakes, cupcakes and cookies. The talented teen decided to bring her cake-baking talents to
N.Y. girl teaches Israeli terror victims the art of cake decorating Read More »
Travel and Food
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Two seemingly unconnected current news items have revived the campaign in Israel on behalf of Jonathan Pollard who has now spent some 28 years in an American jail after being given a life sentence for spying for Israel. The first is the anticipated release of more Palestinian prisoners as
The Pollard-Palestinian prisoner nexus Read More »
Middle East
The International Jewish Labor Bund After 1945 by Charles Slucki; Rutgers University Press 2012 By Garry Fabian MELBOURNE, Australia – An academic based here, Charles Slucki, notes in his recent book that the Jewish Labor Bund was one of the major political forces in early 20th Century Eastern Europe. But the decades after the Second
After World War II, what became of the Bund? Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –We are now more busy than usual. Perhaps various groups of activists had been sidelined by the storm, which is still evident in piles of tree trash that block sidewalks. Whatever the cause for the pause, there were Saturday night demonstrations in behalf of legalized marijuana, or at least easier access
Multiple causes flavor Israel’s political stew Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Jokes somehow make death less terrifying. I’ve had some recent encounters with this maxim. The other day, a man at the cash register at a Denny’s Restaurant declared: “I’m so old that when I was born the Dead Sea wasn’t even sick yet.” A few days later, Rabbi
Gerry Greber, a man of food, song, and humor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — I flunked retirement! This is evidence-based: just look at this column—I’m not sitting by the fireplace doing my knitting in my rocking chair. (Actually, it would be needlepoint in a recliner.) When you think of retirement, what images come to mind? For me it always was an
Flunking retirement Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, Travel and Food
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―Al Qaeda issued an apology for attacking a hospital in Yemen which it erroneously thought was the country’s defense ministry. Its spokesman explained that under the organization’s Osama Care policy, it guarantees medical treatment to anyone who manages to survive bombings carried out by its members. * Hackers compromised the credit
Humoring the headlines: December 23, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Kenny Weissberg, Off My Rocker, Sandra Jonas Publishing House, 2013, ISBN 9780985581565, $26.95, 305 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– For more than two decades Kenny Weissberg was the concert promoter who brought to Humphrey’s By the Bay an eclectic mix of talent, some being big names in the music industry, and others who
Concert promoter shares music anecdotes in memoir Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego CountySaudi Arabia delegation meets with Netanyahu, report says (JNS.org) A Saudi Arabian delegation recently flew to Israel for meetings with high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom reported, citing Iran’s Fars news agency. Fars reported that Saudi representatives also recently met with Israeli officials in Monaco. The Iranian report cited an “Israeli
JNS news briefs: December 23, 2013 Read More »
International