By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says that his regime is short of funds. And meanwhile a reader asks me: “Can you please explain to me why 20 years after Oslo and billions in dollars in foreign aid, the Palestinian Authority (PA) still has not built modern hospitals? Or rather, why […]
Graft and corruption in the Palestinian Authority Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The Supreme Court ruled that Israel has until July 1 to abandon a row of apartment buildings constructed on land owned by Palestinians in the neighborhood of Ulpana on the fringe of the sizable settlement Beit El. Several members of Netanyahu’s government and more back benchers of Likud said they
Netanyahu wins Ulpana settlement victory, for now Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO— Recently Jewish Family Service of San Diego County issued a press release announcing that for the fifth year in a row, it has received a four-star rating from the Charity Navigator organization, which is based in Glen Rock, New Jersey. So what does that mean, exactly? Sandra Miniutti, vice
Charity Navigator, Meeting Mitt and Balloon Nachas Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Crisis Group defines itself as an “independent, non-partisan, [sic] source of analysis … on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict.” While presidents and secretaries of state have relied upon it for analysis in places as disparate as Sudan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, and Burundi, it proves to be one-sided
‘International Crisis Group’ proves itself no neutral Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–The year 2012 seems to be the year of premieres. Recently The Old Globe mounted world premieres of Nobody Loves You by Itamar Moses and Gaby Alter (it plays through June 17th) and Jonathan Caren’s The Recommendation. The La Jolla Playhouse is still on target with its latest hopeful transfer to Broadway
Moxie premieres ‘Coming Attractions’ Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Justice Micha Lindenstrauss is nearing the end of a 7-year term as State Comptroller. The Knesset has already selected his successor, and commentators have summed up what has been described as Lindenstrauss’ “tumultuous” term, comparing it to the activities of his predecessors, and contemplating what he has meant for Israel’s
Forum weighs outspokenness of Israel’s State Comptroller Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) won a spot in the November runoff election for mayor of San Diego by gaining 30.11 percent of the votes cast in Tuesday’s election, two percentage points behind the frontrunner, City Councilman Carl Demaio. If elected in November, Filner would be the second member
How did Jewish candidates fare on San Diego ballots? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK –It was a lesson I learned long ago, when I was a high school classroom teacher. I was new at this line of work, and found that my greatest challenge was to find ways to motivate the students. I tried various approaches, which all were basically attempts to
Motivating others to give rather than to receive Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Unified School District board voted unanimously Tuesday, June 5, to congratulate five USD students and their professor for a volunteer program to teach the German language to elementary school students who are part of a sister-school program inspired by San Diego’s pioneer Jewish settler
School board honors program inspired by Jewish pioneer Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — A cold and rainy Saturday morning with no visiting grandchildren or social obligations presented a golden opportunity to attend a concert of chamber music given in the nearby neighbourhood of Ein Kerem. This is an outlying part of Jerusalem, consisting mainly of picturesque old houses, many of
Chamber music and soup! Mmm-mm good! Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Martin Buber told the following story: Once the Baal Shem Tov stopped on the threshold of a House of Prayer and refused to go in. “I cannot go in,” he said. “It is crowded with teachings and prayers from wall to wall and from floor to
Prayer simply doesn’t work in the third person Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — The Jewish Community Foundation seeks three young leaders who can inspire other high school students in San Diego County to regularly engage in philanthropy and volunteerism. To find them, JCF is sponsoring a competition, with a deadline of Sept. 30 for entries, to pick suitable candidates for the
JCF searches for three more remarkable teens Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Note: I recently retired from San Diego State University after teaching there for 24 years and another 13 years at St. Lawrence University. (It is neither true that I taught at a Catholic university at my previous position nor that the school canonized me. It was in upstate New
The Wandering Review: Reflections on Jewish Film Read More »
Lawrence BaronEditor: Many citizens of Israel feel that the American Jewish Community can help in being the decisive weight needed to end Jonathan Pollard’s outdated prison sentence. We hope that we will all give our unconditional strength in ending one man’s punishment and prison sentence for a crime for which, we believe, the price has
Israeli letter writer seeks protests for Pollard Read More »
USA