By Yehuda Ben Hanan LOS ANGELES — I helped to start MAZELTOV.COM, an event-centric social-network, with a deep-rooted emphasis on charitable giving. The word “Mazeltov!” has been adopted by people of all faiths from around the globe, but for Jews, this word carries with it a rich history and tradition. Our story started in 1995,
Mazeltov.com–What’s it all about? Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– Here’s a crop of articles that arrived in my Inbox in the last week: The Jewish Chronicle of London (March 21) has an article about Lord Ahmed, Britain’s first Muslim peer, who has been suspended by the country’s Labour Party because of a statement he made in his native Pakistan that
Anti-Semitism increasing in Europe Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — I am often struck by the differences in value systems between the U.S. and the other countries I travel in. Because we can understand each other, live in similar circumstances, have more or less familiar political, organizational, and family systems, we assume we also share a similar
Do people always want to move ‘up’ at work? Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, Travel and FoodBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–I don’t know why I’m surprised that a musical about the assassination of a president, or attempted assassinations of presidents and others should rattle my soul. Many years ago I was at production at San Diego State University Experimental Theatre and sat through the musical “Yours, Anne”, based on the play
How disrespectful are musicals becoming? Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & BroadcastNew plans to breach Israel’s naval blockade (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) While the aftermath of Israel’s apology to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident continues to unfold, a pro-Palestinian group says its activists will soon stage a provocation aimed at ending the Israeli naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. But unlike past attempts in which activists,
JNS news briefs: March 29, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — From letters-to-the-editor at Time magazine to the public shows he performs with his wife Rusti, psychiatrist Steven Moffic believes that personal actions are important in the global fight against climate change. But readers might wonder what exactly does climate change have to do with psychiatry? Is it all
Psychiatrist ‘psyched’ to fight climate problems Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education
Peter Mehlman, Mandela Was Late, Sager Group of Smashwords, (c) 2012, ISBN: 978-1481250771, 132 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Here is a book of 21 light and frothy essays, most of which sitcom writer Peter Mehlman published in high circulation newspapers or magazines over the years. Like the Seinfeld TV series for which he
Comedy writer’s book light and frothy Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonFlags to be waved throughout Israel to mark Warsaw Ghetto uprising (JNS.org) Schools throughout Israel this month will wave Israeli flags at precisely the same time as part of a special ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during the Holocaust, Israel Hayom reported. Exactly 70 years prior, those who survived
JNS news briefs: March 28, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Apparently lists of VIPs attract a lot of readers; that’s why they’re so common in publications and blogs. No country, no walk of life and no profession remain unrated. Even rabbis: in the last few days alone I’ve read two lists telling me who’re the most influential and/or “spiritual” of my professional
Sarah Netanyahu: controversial wife of P.M. Read More »
Middle East
Mira’s Diary:” Lost in Paris” and “Home Sweet Rome” both by Marissa Moss, Sourcebooks, Inc., ISBNs respectively 978-1-4022-66065 and 978-1-4022-66096, $12.95 each. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– A teenage heroine learns to her surprise that, unsought, she has the power to travel through time, a genetic gift from her mother whose mysterious disappearance also was
‘Time travels’ take Jewish girl through Paris and Rome Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy J.Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Now that President Obama has come and gone, Israel’s new Knesset will get down to business.The question in my mind is will Yair Lapid, the new flag bearer of the middle class, succeed in his bold program or will he follow the example of his predecessors, Shinui and Kadima,
Netanyahu may oppose Lapid on 5 key issues Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky ATHENS — It’s never been easy governing an empire. So many cultures, and so many problems of communication across distances, languages, and local efforts to evade dictates from the center. Cyrus, the Persian emperor of the 6th century BCE, has an esteemed place in Jewish tradition, and helped to define the way of
The difficulties of empires, American and ancient Read More »
International, Ira SharkanskyBy Ilene Lerner BOSTON –I first saw Tai Chi being done one sunny morning in the early eighties as I walked on the outskirts of a city park in San Francisco’s Chinatown. From the first moment, I was attracted and then transfixed as a large crowd of Chinese adults, many of them seniors, performed intricate
Tai ‘Chai’ — Chinese art helps a nice Jewish lady! Read More »
Travel and Food
SAN DIEGO — Melanie Rubin, who spotted this gem, asks: “Does it take chutzpa to put chutzpa on your license plate?” In our opinion, not at all. Just a sense of humor.
Jewish license plate: Chutzpa Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin