Federation’s Community-Wide Israel Trip is Filled With Poignant Moments

By Jacob Kamaras LA JOLLA, California — For the 219 community members and professionals who traveled to Israel in May on Jewish Federation of San Diego “CommUNITY” trip, the timing of their visit to San Diego’s longtime partner region of Sha’ar HaNegev was unforgettable. Rocket attacks in the area began just hours after the visitors […]

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Israel, Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, San Diego County

Music of Refugee Composers to Complete 3-Part Holocaust Series

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — “Music of Refugee Composers” is the final program in the three-part Music of the Holocaust series. The recordings from the collection of the Astor Judaica Library will be played in the library at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center on Thursday, June 1, at 2 p.m. Register here:

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Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Turkey

By Mark D. Zimmerman President ‍Recep ‍Tayyip ‍Erdogan ‍of ‍Turkey ‍won ‍reelection ‍yesterday ‍against ‍opposition ‍candidate ‍Kemal ‍Kilicdaroglu. ‍Erdogan ‍has ‍served ‍as ‍prime ‍minister, ‍and ‍then ‍president ‍of ‍Turkey ‍for ‍two ‍decades. ‍He ‍had ‍been ‍seen ‍as ‍a ‍moderate ‍ruler ‍who ‍promoted ‍religious ‍freedoms. ‍But ‍in ‍recent ‍years ‍he ‍has ‍moved ‍to ‍the ‍right, ‍including

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Eagle Scout Builds an Aron Kodesh for Chabad Congregation

At the dedication on Sunday, considerable symbolism was found in a Cohen (believed to be descended from the priests of ancient Judaism) to have built an Ark at a synagogue named after “Betzalel,” which in addition to being the name of Rabbi Trestman’s father also was the name of the person identified in the Book of Exodus as the man who built the Ark of the Covenant, with the help of Oholiab. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

JPlate: SHIVA

Here is a Jewish-interest license plate that puzzled Harry Jacobson-Beyer of Louisville, Kentucky, and frankly puzzles us too.  A shiva is the seven-day mourning period following the burial of a loved one.  If that is what “shiva” on this license plate refers to, then we offer the owner of the car bearing this license plate our condolences. We are used to license plates being more celebratory in nature, but people grieve in their own ways.  If on the other hand, the car owner sought to convey some other message, well, he or she is likely to notice now and then some confused Jewish drivers in the rear-view mirror.

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Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Jewish Philanthropist Mandell Weiss Gave Famed La Jolla Playhouse Its Home

It is a playhouse with good yichus.  It was started in 1947 by three movie stars – Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer—with the financial backing of movie producer David D. Selznick, who was then best known for his 1939 blockbuster Gone With the Wind. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Of Robots, Banned Books, Dying, and Abortions

Elkins was one of three presenters at a Tikun Leil Shavuot, a Shavuot night study session at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. The others were Marcia Tatz Wollner, who spoke about book banning and burning through the ages, and Dr. Seth Krosner, M.D., a critical care surgery specialist, who discussed what Jewish texts have to say about decisions concerning end of life and abortions. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Technology

Popular Instructor Says Judaism and Yoga are Complementary

When an acquaintance suggested that she try yoga, Gadd was skeptical at first. “How can that help me?” she asked. “Just come and see,” counseled the acquaintance. Moving her body in specific ways, according to the directions of her yoga instructor, “led to clarity of thought,” she said.  Mindfulness helped her “dissipate the stress, the mental shpilkes, something like giving your dog exercise so it can calm down,” Gadd recalled. She found that she left the yoga sessions feeling better, without need for medications. “Deep breathing and so forth can create physiological changes,” she explained. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Fred Kropveld, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions

Jewish Federation of San Diego: White House Plan to Address Antisemitism ‘Embraces Many of Our Policy Priorities’

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Jewish Federation of San Diego on Thursday stated that it “applauds the White House for crafting a broad plan to address rising antisemitism that embraces many of our policy priorities, including funding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $360 million, full funding for the Jabra-No Hate Act, and ensuring quality

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San Diego County, USA

Biden Administration Releases National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism

The following is the full text of the Biden administration’s fact sheet on its newly announced National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism: Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is releasing the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This strategy includes over 100 new actions the Administration will take to raise awareness of antisemitism and its threat to

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USA

American Investigative Reporter Probes Cases of Jews Murdered by Poles

Five members of the Rożeńek family were pulled from their hiding places in 1944 by armed members of a militia, forced to jump from a second-story window, and riddled with bullets on their way down.  One member of the family, who was hiding in an outbuilding, observed the massacre and escaped into obscurity. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History