-First in a Series- By Jeanette Friedman WARSAW–My first glimpse of Poland came through an airplane window. The thick turbulent clouds had just thinned, and from my aisle seat I could see a lush checkerboard of fields punctuated by small forests, and realized that these were the fields and forests where the Jewish Partisans I […]
Polish Odyssey: 2nd Generation Survivor visits ancestral homeland Read More »
International
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The Jewish Federation of San Diego on Thursday, Dec. 1, will host its annual “Options” event, the largest gathering of Jewish women in San Diego, with the theme of “Women Changing The World” intended to inspire attendees to engage and make a difference. The emotional experiences of activism, leadership and
‘Women Changing The World’ theme of upcoming Options event Read More »
San Diego CountyBy Danny Bloom TAIPEI, Taiwan — When a British newspaper recently splashed some color photos of high school girls at a private Catholic school in Thailand sporting Nazi uniforms during a sports day festival, all hell broke loose on the Internet after the German and Israeli embassies in Bangkok issued statements to the English-language media
Nazi nonsense in Thailand Read More »
International
By Steve Hofstetter NEW YORK — It’s not embarrassing to meet a girl online. It’s embarrassing to meet a girl at a bar. Imagine knowing the only reason you have a girlfriend is because you met her when she was drunk and now she feels trapped. Tell that story to your 8-year-old son one day.
Oh the joys of dating Read More »
Travel and Food
By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — Pedro Almodovar’s imaginative new film, The Skin I Live In, is a bizarre amalgam of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Pygmalion. Shot in the glowing sunshine of an idyllic Spanish country estate, it is a brooding, dark fantasy of love, hate, and revenge. A strikingly handsome Antonio Banderas
“The Skin I Live In’ probably won’t get under yours Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Many lovers of Israel were disgusted by the brilliant speeches by the American, Palestinian and Israeli leaders at the United Nations General Asembly. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in eloquenant addreses to erase 18 years of talks sunce the Oslo Accords were signed
U.N. Mideast speeches were aimed at local audiences Read More »
Middle East, USABy David Jelenko and Steve Hofstetter Dear [People on My Facebook Page/Friends], With [two days off of work/Rosh Hashanah] over, it’s time to look forward to Yom Kippur. And as always, that means [apologizing for stuff that isn’t my fault/penance], because [God says I have to/it’s always good to take stock of where things stand
Yom Kippur Mass Apology Form Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Herman Weiss, MD BEIT SHEMESH, Israel — I have been living in Israel for three years. I am still on all the ‘Old Country’ email lists and look on longingly about all the Golf Outings that are advertised at various times during the year. Whenever I participated in the day’s events, I always enjoyed the
Origins of an Israeli golf tournament Read More »
Travel and FoodSAN DIEGO (Press Release)– The Jewish Federation of San Diego County recently nominated Jan Tuttleman for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Jewish Community Hero of the Year. The winning candidate will receive a $25,000 grant, and national recognition. Tuttleman was nominated due to her tireless work and inspirational leadership, and her dedication to
Federation nominates Tuttleman for community hero award Read More »
San Diego Calendar
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — There is a lot of anonymous suffering in the world, even when it gets great media play. Yesterday, one could bounce around on television and/or the web and see the clear release of unparalleled tension in a Seattle woman set free in Perugia, Italy; the cri de coeur
Let us pray for the world’s anguished Read More »
International
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson EILAT, Israel — A trip to this Red Sea city from Jerusalem is always a pleasure, and especially in the winter, when the weather in Jerusalem is cold and rainy. The four-hour drive takes one through the Judean Desert, along the Dead Sea, and down to the Negev. The mountains in Jordan,
A festival and a car trip of note Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-VansonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Not all of Israel is bombast and threat. There are also conversations at bus stops. This one began after a good meal at an Italian restaurant on Emek Refaim. There were two seats vacant at the stop. Varda was tired from her glass of wine and lasagna. I was tired
A bus ride through Jerusalem Read More »
Ira SharkanskyBy Cynthia Citron Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — Watching a marriage implode can be painful. Watching two marriages implode can be hilarious. In playwright Theresa Rebeck’s play Poor Behavior, now having its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum, two couples, long-time friends, are spending a weekend together in the country. They are not academics
‘Poor Behavior’ outcome of poor marriages, good comedy Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By David Strom Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, Scribner, New York. 2010, 468pp. SAN DIEGO — On a warm day in July of 1966, two magazine journalists writing about the liquor industry and Prohibition wondered what Sam Bronfman’s role was during the Prohibition era. Most of the time when Sam answered that
‘You People Were Thirsty’ Read More »
Travel and Food