By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — Most of my work with interfaith couples has to do with Jews and Christians; they often come to me (at ‘Reconciliation: The Synagogue Without Walls’) after having been shunned or hurt by a rabbi or a priest or some such figure. They love each other—and are told they
Muslim woman, Jewish man marry with Apache prayer Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israeli politics is currently more a muddle than usual. Leaving aside the knotty problem of defining the “left,” two newspapers identified with the Israeli and American Jewish left have published reports that define the problem of the left. Ha’aretz headlined a survey of Israelis finding that about half the adult population identify
Israeli left unable to capitalize on Netanyahu’s flaws Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. — When a blue-ribbon panel of Israeli legal experts issued a report this July declaring that the West Bank isn’t “occupied territory,” but territory to which Israel has a legitimate claim, and that settlements therefore cannot be considered ipso facto illegal, it raised an outcry both in Israel and overseas.
Levy Report makes legal and diplomatic sense Read More »
Middle East
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — In this day of ‘throw away’ there are a few treasures worth keeping. Take for example the Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Harvey Fierstein (book) La Cage Aux Folles based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret. The show first hit Broadway in
Entertaining ‘La Cage’ to close Sunday, Aug. 12 Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The news is out — President Obama is not just watching the gory events unfold in Syria. The president signed an intelligence finding permitting the CIA to help the opposition with $25 million’s worth of non-lethal assistance, possibly including communications, logistics, and intelligence. Public acknowledgement of the finding follows
U.S. naively tries to buy friends in Syria Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
Editor’s Note: Our Australia bureau chief, Garry Fabian, recently received the following request from the city of Stuttgart, Germany: ” “On the 22nd August this year there will be the 70th anniversary of this very sad moment in Stuttgart (Germany) history. We are planning to commemorate this date when transport of Jewish citizens were commenced
Survivor commemorates his deportation from Stuttgart Read More »
International, Jewish History
By Dagmar Bjork SAN DIEGO – I recently joined Girls Give Back, a program of Jewish Family Service, to participate in its “Making Money, Making Change” summer session. This was my first time in the program, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I learned so many important skills – not only for business ventures,
Making money, making change, making brownies Read More »
San Diego County
SAN DIEGO — Melanie Rubin found this transliterated Hebrew license plate. Nifrah means “we will blossom.”
Jewish-interest license plate: ‘Nifrah’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie Rubin
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Who says religious people aren’t funny? Where is Jay Leno when you need him? The world of the Ultra-Orthodox (a.k.a. “Haredi” and “Hasidim”) never fail to evoke laughter and irony. In their quest for personal piety, they will go to extremes to keep themselves away from
Some forms of haredi piety are really OCD Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Editor’s Note: The following article will introduce a new Tel Aviv correspondent who will be writing for San Diego Jewish World. By Candice Mervis TEL AVIV– Two and a half years ago I made Aliyah from Sydney Australia, and although the decision came as a surprise to most people, for me it had been burning
Olah hadash from Australia tells of her aliyah Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –I was appalled by one of the comments that I heard repeatedly in the wake of the murderous rampage at a Milwaukee Sikh temple last Sunday: the white supremacist shooter who attacked it probably mistook it for an Islamic house of worship. As if that is any kind of
Attack on ANY religious group is an outrage Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Rashi teaches us that not only do we need to be careful about the ‘big’ mitzvos, we have to be diligent with regards to performance of the ‘small’ mitzvos – the mitzvos that are commonly ignored and ‘trampled’. No one of us would ever think of robbing a
Learning 2 halachos per day may keep troubles at bay Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, TAIWAN — Based in Taiwan, I nevertheless receive a lot of newsletters and news tips in my email inbox from around the world, and a few months ago, I got a very interesting newsletter missive from Rabbi David Wolpe at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. The rabbi was writing about various
Rabbi Wolpe floats ‘helium parenting’ idea Read More »
Travel and Food
By Mimi Pollack SPOKANE, Washington — Rabbi Tamar Malino is full of hope and optimism. She has started a new life in Spokane after leaving San Diego in 2008. She still has fond memories of her former congregation in Poway where she was both assistant rabbi and rabbi at Temple Adat-Shalom. In 2008, Rabbi Tamar
Former Poway rabbi building community in Spokane Read More »
Mimi Pollack, San Diego Calendar