By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– Avigdor Lieberman is one of the more interesting creatures of Israeli politics. He came to fame as a Netanyahu protege and Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office during part of Benyamin Netanyahu’s first term as Prime Minister (1996-99). Later he went out on his own to create the political party […]
Avigdor Lieberman a pariah to some, hero to others Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — She was a Hindu princess. She was one of the brightest students in my graduate school class. We studied psychology, and she went on to return to her country and become a psychotherapist of world renown. For our purposes, I shall refer to her as Streena. We
Why the Israelites turned to a Golden Calf Read More »
Jewish ReligionWASHINGTON, D.C. — Following is the text of the speech Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered to delegates of the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Monday: I want to thank you for this wonderful reception. With applause that could be heard as far away as Jerusalem. That’s Jerusalem, the eternal united capital of
Text of Netanyahu’s AIPAC speech on the threat of Iran Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to AIPAC speaks for itself. Almost. There is enough there for several interpretations ranging to 180 degrees difference one from the other. http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-speech-at-aipac-full-text/ There is praise for Barack Obama. On the other hand, the speech begins with a Holocaust story, of a small boy (Yossi Peled)
Parsing Netanyahu’s speech: did he throw down a gauntlet? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–God isn’t mentioned in the Book of Esther, which will be read on Purim. Some say, however, that God is implied in the text. The story about the wicked Haman who wanted to destroy all Jews in the Kingdom of Persia has become topical in our time:Iran is, of course, ancient
Dealing with Haman’s Persia and Ahmadinejad’s Iran Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — There are the beloved Five Scrolls in the Hebrew Scripture, including Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Lamentations and two named for heroic women: Ruth and Esther. Ruth was the consummate loyalist, paradigmatic convert to Judaism—a maternal ancestor to the Davidic line. Christians link her spiritually to Jesus.
The woman who saved the Jews Read More »
Jewish ReligionSAN DIEGO (Press Release)– U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has endorsed Mat Kostrinsky for City Council District 7. “I have known Mat Kostrinsky for more than a decade, and relied on his counsel on matters in San Diego. He’s strong and independent,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein. “I’m confident Mat will make sure city government is working for
Sen. Feinstein endorses Mat Kostrinsky for S. D. City Council Read More »
San Diego Calendar
By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — Two men, one in a suit and the other in a sweater, sit side by side in folding chairs in a small auditorium. They are listening to an unseen speaker introducing a new inductee to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. As the speaker finishes, the man in
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, March 5, made the following remarks at the start of his meeting with US President Barack Obama: “The alliance between our two countries is deeply appreciated by me and by everyone in Israel. And I think that, as you said, when Americans look around the Middle
‘Israel must reserve the right to defend itself’ — Netanyahu Read More »
Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release) — District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced guilty verdicts on Monday, March 5, in the trial of Brendan O’Rourke, who opened fire at Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad in October 2010 with a handgun and wounded two girls. O’Rourke was found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder with premeditation
Jury finds Kelly Elementary School shooter guilty Read More »
Travel and Food
By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — City Ballet of San Diego presented “Bravo! Balanchine” in the Spreckels Theatre on March 4. A program composed entirely of Balanchine ballets is an obvious challenge. City Ballet’s ability to meet that challenge is a given; this was a performance of Balanchine worthy of any stage. Each of the
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Purim is referred to as Kabbalas haTorah miahavah – acceptance of the Torah out of love. This is the yesod (foundation) of Purim – returning to Hashem (G-d) and fulfilling His Torah with love. The practices of Purim, such as Shalach Manos (Gifts of Food) and Matanos L’evyonim
Laws and lore of Purim Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime, along with computers and the advances in medicine that have kept me able to benefit from them. Computers have freed me from having to type, correct by pencil, and then typing again or–later in my career–having someone type and repeating
The perils of relying on memory, internet, or TV clips Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–Two men play twenty-one characters in Amlin Gray’s How I Got That Story. No easy fete this. But war is hell and sometimes the absurdities of war need to be funneled into this type of environment where everything is turned upside down and the only way to relive it is through
‘How I Got That Story’ a high energy tour de force Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast