Criticism of Arab Justice for not singing Hatikvah an excuse for bigotry

By Rabbi Dow Marmur  JERUSALEM — Despite attempts by some politicians to compromise Israeli democracy, the Supreme Court, with its commitment to the rule of law and the rights of individuals and minorities, always made sure that they wouldn’t succeed. Those on the reactionary far Right have, therefore, often regarded the judges as thorns in

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Middle East

Gracia Molina de Pick, Hispanic Jewish activist, honored during Women’s History Month

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–Hispanic Jewish activist Gracia Molina de Pick, feminist, educational reformer, and philanthropist, is one of the six 2012 National Women’s History Month Honorees.  Her work embodies the 2012 theme for National Women’s History Month – Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment. Molina de Pick’s community organizing skills developed in high school, where she was

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San Diego Calendar

‘Visiting Mr. Green’ is a hefty dose of chicken soup for theatre lovers

  By Carol Davis SOLANA BEACH, California—Mr. Green (Robert Grossman) is an 86-year-old widower who clings to his Jewish values and beliefs. He is angry, unpleasant, stubborn, worn out and alone. He and his wife Yetta were married 59 years. “We almost made it to sixty and never had and argument”. But she died a

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Who’s right in debate over President Obama’s apology?

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — National Public Radio commentators recently discussed a very interesting question: Should President Obama have “apologized” for the accidental burning of the Qur’an? Some argue that the President should have expressed “regret” over the incident, which acknowledges some degree of culpability. Regret does not contain any element

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Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA

Changing of chief justice ceremony laden with symbolism

By Ira Sharkansky Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–This week the leaders of Israel gathered to honor the retirement of Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, and the installation of her replacement, Justice Asher Grunis. The ceremony provided several insights into the nature of Israeli government and society. It touched the Holocaust as well as the rights of Israeli Arabs.

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Administration may move to exclude Iran’s banks from money transfer system

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – In separate hearings Wednesday, Feb. 29, with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congressman Brad Sherman (D – California) urged both officials to work to oust Iran from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) in advance of legislation currently under consideration by Congress

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Travel and Food

A medical researcher learns patients’ feelings first hand

By Miri Horwich-Fried PETACH TIKVAH, Israel–Doing for others was my game plan. About four years ago, at age 33, I completed my doctoral work on diabetes. A resident of Petach Tivkah and mother of three, I sought a new direction. By “chance,” I heard about a lab researching cancer immunology, headed by Dr. Cyril Cohen,

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Science, Medicine, & Education

Santorum’s sectarianism negates principles of the nation’s founders

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –He was often called “Rooster” by his college chums, due to a stubborn cowlick and a kind of “in-your-face” attitude.  He has unquestionably suffered grievously in his lifetime, having lost a child even as he and his wife Karen have raised another youngster that struggles with Edwards syndrome (Trisomy

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USA

Continued Egypt-Israel peace precondition for new treaties in Mideast

By Evelyn Gordon     WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid the din of debate over a possible Israeli strike on Iran, perhaps it is unsurprising that Israeli Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor’s press conference on February 20 attracted so little international attention. But in a world that claims to view an Israeli-Palestinian deal as a top priority, it should

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Middle East

Was Rasputin actually a friend of the Jews?

Rasputin and the Jews: A Reversal of History by Delin Colón; ISBN 978-1-4610-2775-1 ©2010, $15.00, p. 110, including bibliography By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — The controversies over the deeds and exploits of Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin, an illiterate faith healer and prophet from nineteenth century backwater Russia, continue to swirl around his legacy nearly

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Fred Reiss, EdD, International