By Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — He did it again. Last April British actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, famous for his role in The Office, was widely criticized by Jewish and non-Jewish publications in both Britain and America when he made tasteless Anne Frank “jokes” on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show in New
Gervais tweets another tasteless Anne Frank joke Read More »
Travel and FoodEditor’s Note: As part of Congregation Beth Israel’s 150th anniversary celebration, San Diego Jewish World editor Don Harrison gave an after-dinner speech to the CBI Men’s Club on Wednesday, July 18, sketching ten Jewish pioneers of San Diego. Here is an edited version of that talk. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO– Having written a
Meet a minyan of San Diego Jewish pioneers Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish HistoryBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — If you’re Armenian you’ll love Komitas. If you’re not, the play may seem a little obscure. It’s the story of a 19th century musicologist who made it his life’s work to collect the music of his country—the folk songs, the liturgy, the classics—so that they would remain pure and
‘Komitas’ tells of Armenian genocide and lost music Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–I’m always thrilled at the quality of the actors who come to San Diego to be a part of the Old Globe’s outdoor summer festival who are able to appear in at least two, if not all three of the shows that are shown in Repertory. After seeing all three, it still
‘Inherit the Wind’ monkeys with the facts–to good effect Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Moshe Silman is still in intensive care, at least four copycats have failed to immolate themselves alongside banks or government offices thanks to alert bystanders, politicians are accusing one another of being too soft on the Haredim or being too stubborn about one or another detail of what to do
A college by any other name is … a controversy Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Danny Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan –In late May, I penned a commentary here titled ”Do ‘Jewish jokes’ need to be updated?” which challenged Jewish comedians on stage and in movies to make modern Jewish humor in the 21st century better mirror Jewish culture today and leave the Catskills and Borscht Belt behind. Struck by
‘Jewish humor’ should not be confused with dirty jokes Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO– What’s there not to like about a musical with a playlist that includes: “Man of La Mancha” (“I Don Quixote”), “I Really Like Him”, “Little Bird, Little Bird”, “Golden Helmet of Mombrino”, “To Each His Dulcinea”, “Night of the Woeful Countenance”, “A Little Gossip” and “The Impossible Dream” just to
‘Man of La Mancha.’ a story within a story, at the Cygnet Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Robert Cherry, PhD BROOKLYN, N.Y — The issue of Israeli Arabs and alternative service has been covered prominently recently in the U.S., both as a front page July 11 New York Times story and on the widely-viewed Yahoo! main page. Both stories emphasized those Israeli Arabs who are strongly against participation. The title of a Yahoo!
NY Times ignores Arabs favoring national service in Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — Edward Alexander’s latest book, The State of the Jews: A Critical Appraisal, would better have been titled “The State of the Anti-Jews.” Edward Alexander is a professor emeritus of English as well as one of the better informed writers on matters Jewish, who brings this broad knowledge to a
Historian traces anti-Semitism from antiquity to the present Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Yaakov Lappin WASHINGTON, D.C — Like blurred windows into another world, cell phone video footage and hastily written messages seep through the Internet from Syria, giving outsiders a glimpse of the civil war raging in multiple locations. The defense establishment in Israel has long ago concluded that there can be only one eventual
Into whose hands will Syria’s chemical weapons fall? Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — City Councilmember Marti Emerald says despite recent state budget cuts, our open meeting laws are not at risk, at least in the City of San Diego. Because of budget-tightening in Sacramento, the State suspended the requirement for local governments in California to comply with certain aspects of the Brown Act,
No budget cutting on public’s right to know—Emerald Read More »
Travel and Food
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK –It was a typical park bench conversation. I hadn’t seen my friend for quite some time, and we both were delighted when we ran into each other by chance that afternoon. We shook hands, and withdrew to a bench in the shade to spend a few minutes together
When should someone go back on his promise? Read More »
Jewish Religion
By James Colbert WASHINGTON, D.C — When it comes to compelling Tehran to end its nuclear weapons program, sanctions – as employed by the U.S. government and our European partners – amount to little more than a time-consuming exercise with scant possibility of success. Moreover, the latest round of negotiations, which went nowhere, is just
U.S. needs a tougher policy towards Iran Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The Jewish Community Foundation Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Jeff Silberman as its new Board Chair, succeeding Emily Einhorn, who served for two years with distinction Silberman’s leadership experience includes seven years as a Foundation Board member, including serving as Vice Chair and Human Resources Committee Chair.
Silberman new Jewish Community Foundation chair Read More »
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