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

Exploring a dry lake, slot canyon and Borrego badlands

-Third in a Series- By Donald H. Harrison BORREGO SPRINGS, California– Utilizing a  converted military troop-carrier-and-cargo truck, California Overland Desert Excursions offers visitors to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park the combination of three off-road adventures in a single trip.  The company’s owner, Joe Raffetto, utilizes both of his previous careers–advertising man and biologist–to make the

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Donald H. Harrison

‘The Car Plays: San Diego’ an unusual and different theatre experience

By Carol Davis LA JOLLA, California– When my family was young and we used to pile into the car for any number of our family excursions, I never dreamed some of them would come back to haunt me. Recently, I attended Moving Arts The Car Plays: San Diego, a concept developed and conceived by Paul Stein. 

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

U. of Haifa to inaugurate program to combat anti-Israel propaganda

HAIFA (Press Release)– A new program at the University of Haifa will train students to be unofficial “ambassadors” for Israel on the Internet. The students will learn how to confront the delegitimization of Israel that is present on the World Wide Web and on social networks in particular. “Many Israelis don’t know how to respond to

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Science, Medicine, & Education

How different religions dispose of worn-out holy books

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The accidental burning of the Quran in Afghanistan raises some important questions: How does one dispose of old religious literature? The 18th century Muslim scholar Allamah Haskafi, author jurisprudence text Durr-Mukhtar, wrote of the disposal of the no-longer wanted Qurans: “If one decides to get rid

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Jewish Religion

Saturation television coverage of school shootings intensifies fear

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –In the snowy village of Chardon, Ohio yesterday, a teenage gunman from another school entered the cafeteria of Chardon High School and opened fire—wordlessly—into the bodies of several other students. At the time of this writing, there are three confirmed deaths. The wounds, of both flesh and spirit, the

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USA

Jerusalem railway strengthens Israel’s ‘united city’ claims

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–To mark the latest heated exchanges about Jerusalem between the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and the Prime Minister of Israel Binyamin Netanyahu, I decided to make my first trip on the city’s new light railway (streetcar). It took me to the Arab villages – now Jerusalem suburbs –

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Middle East

Would world be better off if U.S. had parliamentary system?

By Ira Sharkansksy   JERUSALEM –The leap of Barack Obama from the academic and political provinces to the White House, and now Rick Santoram knocking at his door highlights a significant weakness of American democracy. Democratic it is, but too much so when individuals with no experience in foreign policy can think of themselves in

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Ira Sharkansky, USA

Leaders of other religions should not tolerate burning of Quran

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel   CHULA VISTA, California–The German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) once wrote, “Those who begin by burning books will end by burning people.” Heine’s admonition certainly became a prophetic portent in the days of the Holocaust. However, his words are no less an admonition for the future we are now—once

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Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

‘El Joint’ serves the Jewish community of Cuba

By Raquel Benguiat SAN DIEGO –Participating in Shabbat services at El Patronato, a beautiful synagogue in Havana, Cuba, was the highlight of my last traveling adventure. My experience included chanting Shabbat prayers among dozens of Jewish locals and visitors, weaving in sections in Spanish sparkled with a charming Cuban accent. The services were led by

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San Diego County