By Lloyd Levy EILAT, Israel — There is a serious mismatch between the enormous strength of Israel, and the situation painted by the Israeli establishment and the media. The establishment and media are always fretting and anxious about real or imagined threats to the people of Israel. For many years it has been the threat
Does the Israeli establishment cry ‘Wolf!’ too often? Read More »
Lloyd Levy, Middle East
San Diego Judge Mayor: How Murphy’s Law Blindsided Leadership with 2020 Vision by Dick Murphy, Sunbelt Publications, 2011, 191 pages, $22.50 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –As a local historian, I am very pleased that Dick Murphy, the 33rd mayor of San Diego, has written a book about his life and career. I wish
Murphy’s memoir a welcome treasure for future historians Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM -Two items in recent days have put the issue of Israel, Iran, and the United States in clearer perspective.One comes from a former head of Israeli military intelligence, a man widely respected for his judgment, and not regarded as a hawk. The other comes from the New York Times journalist who
U.S. temporizing may prompt Israel to go it alone against Iran Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release)– On Sunday, April 15, at 1:30 p.m. the San Diego community will present a special Holocaust commemoration (Yom Hashoah) program. The event will be held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, in the Garfield Theater, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. The theme will be Remember, Honor, and Teach: Righteous Among
Jewish Federation tells Yom Hashoah commemoration plans Read More »
San Diego County
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO— Diversionary Theatre announced that it has invited a rabbi, a pastor and a humanist to host a panel to discuss how family and faith ‘shape our lives and our relationships’. It’s all in conjunction with its current offering, Geoffrey Naufft’s Next Fall, a poignant, contemporary and funny play about being
‘Next Fall’ touches on some hot-button issues at Diversionary Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastLA JOLLA, California (Press Release) — More than forty NCSY teens will have the privilege to discuss what leadership means with the Mayor of Sderot, David Buskila, over dinner on Sunday, March 11. Mayor Buskila will address the challenges that come with being a Jewish leader during trying times. Following that, teens who have visited
NCSY youth will have dinner in La Jolla with Sderot mayor Read More »
Travel and Food
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON D.C. — The aftermath of the American disposal of Korans mutilated by Afghan Muslims requires revisiting our position in Afghanistan. Not because Americans were killed by their Afghan “partners.” Not because dozens of Afghans have died in rioting as well, or because the UN evacuated its northern offices. Not even because
U.S. squanders military aid on non-Allies Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Daniel Halper WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Saturday, a front-page story in America’s newspaper of record, the New York Times, reported that “American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.” Apparently, the Times’s reporters-as it would otherwise be a betrayal of their
Debating Iran’s intentions vs. its capabilities Read More »
USAJERUSALEM (Press Release) — Israelis recall the Second Intifada, which began in September 2000 and lasted half a decade, as a bleak period of terrorism and suicide bombings. Yet new research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem finds that surprisingly, the terrorism had almost no impact on Israelis’ self-reported life satisfaction levels in surveys conducted at
Study finds terrorism does not demoralize the victim society Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —A congregant shared with me a wonderful story about his little nephew who lived in the State of Illinois. One day, his uncle was trying to teach him some Hebrew blessings. After he taught him the blessings, he went home. A week later, he asked his nephew,
Words must be chosen carefully in international affairs Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — He died suddenly and dramatically on March 2—thirty six years ago today, in 1976. At 59, I am fourteen years older than my father was when he succumbed to a massive myocardial infarction while playing handball at the Cincinnati Jewish Community Center. My young mother and I were
Preparing to say kaddish at a final, final resting place Read More »
Travel and Food
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — On Wednesday evening, March 7, we begin the celebration of the holiday of Purim which commemorates the victory of the Jews over their enemies in ancient Persia. Once the hero of the story, Mordechai, finds out that Haman has received the king’s permission to kill the Jews, he
Parsha and Purim warn Jews to stay unified Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA — This month students will have their turn when the final “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” evening of the year is presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC . The program will feature Becca Meyers from High Tech High School, Lily Greenberg
Adults share original poems; next it’s students’ chance Read More »
Eileen Wingard
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO –A woman answered the front door to find a workman standing on the porch and carrying a box of tools. “I’m the piano tuner ma’am” he announced. “But I didn’t send for a piano tuner.” “I know, but the neighbors did!” Some people know the Torah. Some people know
Our inside feelings may seem quite different to outside observers Read More »
Jewish Religion