By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The staunchly pro-Israel statements that Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird made during his recent visit to Israel is a wholesome reminder that the Jewish state has many friends in the world and that such friendship at its best doesn’t have ulterior motives but is founded on the new understanding for,
Canada’s Foreign Minister is staunchly pro-Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Jack Forman SAN DIEGO — Joel Fendelman is a young independent film producer and director whose feature-length documentary film Needle Through Brick (which is about the development of Kung Fu) recently won the Silver Palm award at the Mexico International Film Festival. In making his first feature film David, Fendelman has drawn on his
San Diego Jewish Film Festival preview: ‘David’ Read More »
Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Paul Greenberg SAN DIEGO — The documentary film, The Judge, is primarily about Aharon Barak’s (real name: Erik Brick) tenure as Justice on the Israeli Supreme Court (1978-2006), where he served as its President for 11 years (1995-2006), although it understandably devotes less time to his prior stint as Israel’s Attorney General (1975-1978). The
San Diego Jewish Film Festival preview:’The Judge’ Read More »
Travel and Food
By Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–As the center of the Jewish religious world, you would think that Jerusalem would have hosted a kosher wine festival before–but no, the first Jerusalem Kosher Wine Exhibit took place just this week at the Binyanei HaUma convention center. With a steep entry price of 70NIS per person (my press card
Jerusalem hosts its first kosher wine exhibit Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO — Are you an entrepreneur? You might be a maven in your own business, but have you considered transition issues? The primary points to consider include: Shalom: Financial Independence & Peace of Mind L’Dor v’ Dor: Estate Plan Updated & Completed Seykhl: Business Plan Geared to Build Value Macher: Management
Are family business owners prepared for transition? Read More »
Sheryl Rowling, Travel and Food
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—The next time you ask someone for a recommendation, you’d better ask the right person; one whose connected, is dependable and knows almost everything about you. Asking one who is connected can open doors. Asking one who is dependable will assure you get the recommendation. Asking one who knows almost
A positive recommendation for ‘The Recommendation’ Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The New York Times describes Sheldon Adelson as a poor boy who made himself rich, not especially attracted to Jewish affairs or Israel until middle age, now a major contributor to things Jewish, American, and Israeli. His most recent prominence comes from $10 million contributed by him and his
Adelson is a major right-wing factor in U.S., Israeli politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS — The mandate by the Obama administration that contraception must be provided by religious hospitals even if contrary to their religious doctrine may influence the Supreme Court’s decisions on ObamaCare. On a fundamental level, the mandate exhibits the intrusiveness of Obamacare into aspects of private belief, its practice, and freedom
Mandatory contraception provision may upend national health care law Read More »
USA
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California — San Diego State University History Prof. Lawrence Baron was greeted with a full house Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Warwick’s Bookstore for his talk about The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema, an anthology he edited of movie analyses by 49 authors, including three from San Diego: himself,
Movies tell more than one version of Jewish history Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Matthew RJ Brodsky WASHINGTON, D.C. — Conventional wisdom in Washington and in European capitals is that the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Asad is doomed. The protests that have spread across the country since March of 2011 and claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people appear to be progressing by their own inertia. Secure
U.S. needs to take more activist role in Syria Read More »
International
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Over a year has passed since the terrible Arizona shooting, when a gunman opened fire, killing six people and wounding 13 others. Gabrielle Giffords, a conservative Democrat representing Arizona’s Eighth District, was among those wounded. She remained in critical condition after she survived a single gunshot to
Reasonable restrictions necessary on who can buy a gun Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–In this week’s Likud party primaries Binyamin Netanyahu got some 75% of the votes cast by card-carrying members. The rest went to Moshe Feiglin, an extremist with considerable nuisance value but, mercifully, not much political clout. Even though more credible contenders and reputed critics within the party didn’t stand against him,
Netanyahu’s continuation as Likud’s leader may lead to increasing isolation for Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last month, Victor Davis Hanson published a fascinating article on why Iran might nevertheless decide to start a war it can’t win. In it, he analyzed several cases in which countries did exactly that, including the Korean War in 1950, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1982 Falklands War and
Are Egypt’s domestic problems so bad that war with Israel will be a welcome distraction? Read More »
Middle EastBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO– Overall, I consider myself one lucky gal. How many of us can boast of seeing endless hours of theatre; some good, some bad and some ugly and then having the privilege of sharing that experience by writing about it? And just to carry that theme a bit further, how lucky can
Headless in Judea; handless in Spokane Read More »
Carol Davis, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast