By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– Wonder of wonders. I’m still learning. For the first time this season I encountered two religious Jews, both sophisticated in issues of their faith and worldy in terms of their education and experiences, who told me that Purim is not their favorite holiday. I have known for some time about the […]
Why some religious Israelis dislike Purim Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Bruce Kesler SAN DIEGO — In a blatant act of chutzpah, if the pro-Palestinians at UCSD will allow a Yiddish term, they have launched a specious campaign to claim they were harassed and insulted by their opponents. This false claim is in order to step up their own campaign of fear, slander and harassment
A new campus tactic: accusing pro-Israel professors of intimidation Read More »
San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO- A Jewish ceramicist says she considers it fascinating that even a minor physical condition might influence a person’s entire personality and lifestyle. For example, she says, someone with a lisp might decide to build a vocabulary that largely omits words with the letter ‘s.’ Now an associate
Anatomical speculation motivates a Jewish ceramicist Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
Distant Dreams and Hard Truths: Zionist and Other Writings of Zelman Kagarlitsky by Daniel Harbour, editor, The Lansing Press; ISBN 978-0-9567661-0-6 ©2010, p. 218, including notes and index, cover price unlisted By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Who is Zalman Kagarlitsky? Thanks to Daniel Harbour, the great-grandson of Kagarlitsky, the work of an articulate and
Works of globe-girdling Yiddish journalist translated to English Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdDBy David Bedein JERUSALEM — In February 1977, after four years of activity, the US based organization Breira held its first and only national conference in Washington, DC. I was witness to the event, which convened only one month after Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the US President. The Israel Labor Party was then
Being an agent for change different than being a government agent for change Read More »
USABy Donald H. Harrison CHULA VISTA, California –If it had been the subject of publicity, it might have been labeled “Percussion Shabbat” because at the beginning of the Friday night service congregants of Temple Beth Sholom helped themselves to drums, cymbals, triangles, tambourines and maracas. As they drummed, tapped, rang, and shook their way through
Beating away idols during a percussion Shabbat Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Joel A Moskowitz, M D LA JOLLA, California– Survivors, trauma, psychological effects, memories, depressive disorder, OCD (obsessive compulsive), bitterness, deniers, and more recently PTSD (a term which is much overused) and rarely victory” These words have been associated with victims of the Holocaust. On assignment recently to cover the Seacrest Village gala for San
Survivor Lou Dunst gives eloquent testimony to triumph of human spirit Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — So far it’s a mini-escalation in the south. As I begin this, some 60 rockets or mortars have been sent toward Israel in the last couple of days, several Israelis have been injured, one seriously. Twelve Gazans have been killed, including some ranking members of a fringe group sometimes allied
Is Gaza-Negev flurry a harbinger of more violence to come? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One might wonder: Why did the Israelites worship a Golden Calf? Why does the Torah forbid the making of graven images in the Ten Commandments? For one thing, our ancestors believed graven images of a person or a god gave them power over deities and mortals
How Judaism and other religions regard idols Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — I received a letter from a young Israeli who says she met me in Israel two years ago. I have no memory of her, which is a sign of old age. The key paragraphs in her long letter are as follows: “I am an Israeli but like
Words of comfort for a frightened Israeli woman Read More »
Middle EastBy Matthew RJ Brodsky WASHINGTON, D.C. — Iran’s steady march towards building a nuclear weapon dominated the 2012 American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) policy convention in Washington, DC. It also was the focus of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Obama on Monday afternoon, March 5. A day earlier, Obama declared at the
Regarding Iran, did Obama and Netanyahu agree on red lines? Read More »
Middle East
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California — I recently was walking through a parking lot of Grossmont College when I saw a car bedecked with a multiplicity of bumper stickers, three of which attracted my attention: They proclaimed “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History,” “Freedom of Religion Means All Religions” and “The Truth Is We Are
Bumper stickers that make you think Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Mark Twain could return to describe the United States efforts in the Middle East. Democracy in Iraq, a remaking of Afghanistan, the establishment of a peaceful Palestine alongside Israel are only three of Washington’s efforts that have not gone well, despite considerable investment of high-ranking officials’ time, money, and the
U.S. policy setbacks evident across the Middle East Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Parashat Ki Tissa contains the verses we love to sing every Friday night, V’shamru: “The Israelite people shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time. It shall be a sign between Me and the people of Israel. For in six
Shabbat comes on U.S. Navy time, plus and minus Read More »
Jewish Religion