By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Once again the story of Moshe Katsav has taken a large share of Israeli media. Thursday, Nov. 10, was the occasion for the Supreme Court to reject his appeals against a verdict of guilty for two instances of rape and several counts of sexual harassment, and to affirm the lower court’s sentence […]
Court confirms guilt of Israel’s ex-president Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO– Some in my congregation may have noticed that I often leave the bima during Shabbat services to greet visitors to our congregation. Although this may appear disruptive, I am following in the footsteps of a most excellent role model: Avraham Avinu, Abraham our Father. Abraham, the first human being
Why Abraham was sad in his tent Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Daniel Halper WASHINGTON, D.C. — Where is Jerusalem located? What seems like a simple matter of geography is actually a thorny diplomatic issue, one the U.S. State Department has aggressively avoided answering on official U.S. forms since the early 1990s. On passports and birth certificates, Americans born in Jerusalem are prohibited from adding “Israel”
U.S. declines to identify Jerusalem as part of Israel–not even on passports Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — This weekend, while most Americans are continuing to shake their heads over the terminally drooping economy, the decidedly uninspiring race for the Republican presidential nomination, and the hard-to-discern frenzy about the Eurozone, something is happening in Memphis, Tennessee, that is worthy of our attention. The National Civil Rights
Civil Rights Museum in Memphis celebrates its 20th anniversary Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Hashem revealed to Avraham that He planned to destroy the wicked city of Sodom. Avrahom did not merely take this as intellectual information that was removed from him. Avraham thought about the actual people in the city. As such he pleaded with Hashem that there must surely be
Three instances of appreciating the others’ point of view Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan– Back in June, I wrote a rather contentious commentary for another publication headlined ”Let’s Stop Pretending Getting a Star on the Walk of Fame Is a Real Honor” in which I spilled the beans on how celebrities today get stars on the famous Walk of Fame in Hollywood. And
Who really pays for the stars on Hollywood’s walk of fame? Read More »
Travel and Food
By Cynthia Citron BURBANK, California — If you were an actor whose most recent claim to fame was playing a pimp in the men’s toilet in Central Park, an impromptu trip to Uganda might not seem so unreasonable. At least it didn’t seem so for Johnny O’Callaghan, one of the main performers in a thriller
Ugandan adoption leads to new play in Burbank Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Widely reported was this conversation at the G-20 summit in Cannes, not meant to be heard but for a slip-up of the great men close to an open microphone. Nicolas Sarkozy, “I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar.” Barack Obama, “You may be sick of him, but me, I have
If no one believes Netanyahu’s credibility, who’ll heed his advice on Iran threat? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ohr Adani PETACH TIKVAH, Israel — When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me to the doctor regularly, just to make sure everything was all right. The standard procedure involved a simple blood test. Simple for the doctor but for me, it was a nightmare. I was terrified by syringes
Needle-phobic patient donates bone marrow Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education
By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California — I recently had lunch and a stroll along the ocean with a new friend, Jonathan Spyer. We struck it off immediately when he said the only organization he ever joined which he promised to obey was the Israel Defense Force. This mirrored my experience in joining the US Marine
Middle East analyst predicts a crumbling Iran Read More »
International
By Joel Moskowitz, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — John Stahl, knowing that I write for the San Diego Jewish World, asked if I would help him communicate his thinking on several issues of importance to the Jewish community. I posed several questions to him and the piece that follows are his responses. According to the
John Stahl, congressional hopeful, tells Mideast views Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastSAN FRANCISCO (Press Release) Do you know a Jewish teen who is changing your local community or the world? Now in the sixth year, the coveted Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards provide one of the most prestigious and rewarding opportunities for Jewish teenagers in the state of California. Recognizing a wide range of community service
California Teens Eligible for $36,000 Social Action Awards Read More »
Travel and Food
By Carol Davis CHULA VISTA, California–“It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything that people are truly good at heart”. “It is utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering
OnStage Playhouse mounts first-rate ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, a documentary that will premiere Nov. 29 on a Florida public broadcasting station, is being submitted to various outlets, including KPBS here in San Diego, for possible airing in March. The concept behind it, according to producer Raphael Shore, is
Documentary seeks to ‘rebrand’ Israel Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East