‘Beauty Queen’ Wonderfully Acted, But Not My Favorite Type of Entertainment

Backyard Renaissance theater often picks plays that make you think or question your perceptions. Its printed program describes this as “art to the gut.” The current production, The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a good example of that. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Dog Days of Summer’ About the Heavens, Not About Pooches

Are we in the “dog days of summer?” According to History.com, the phrase has nothing to do with dogs barking or panting in the oppressive heat. It referred to the ancient civilizations that tracked the seasons by looking at the sky. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

OpEd: Pro-Israel Volunteers Needed to Counter Paid Pro-Hamas Students

Since when do college kids want to sit through hours of boring meetings? Then I found out, they get paid for their “activism.” Amnesty International is one such employer as this advertisement posted in Seattle, Washington, demonstrates. [Miriam Gershenson]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Miriam Gershenson, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Lizzy Caplan

Courtesy of Wikipedia Lizzy Caplan (June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films Mean Girls (2004) and Cloverfield (2008), she also starred on the television shows Related (2005–2006), The Class (2006–2007), and Party Down (2009–2010; 2023). From 2013 to 2016, Caplan played Virginia E. Johnson on the Showtime series Masters

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Jewish Celebrities, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Matthew Weiner

Courtesy of Wikipedia Matthew Weiner (June 29, 1965) is an American television writer, producer, and director best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series Mad Men, and as a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos. Weiner began his television career as a writer on Becker and worked on several other sitcoms before writing the pilot episode of Mad Men as a spec script and joining the writing staff of The Sopranos in 2004.

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Jewish Celebrities, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Finding Lots of Jewish Stories at San Diego County Fair

The Acosta family set out on Friday to conquer the San Diego County Fair. We arrived and were on a scavenger hunt to find hidden Jewish items. We laced up our running/walking shoes, filled up our water bottles, cellphones all charged and were ready to take on the challenge. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Emotional Times Take Toll; Rabbi Mathew Marko Resigns Tifereth Israel Synagogue Pulpit

This weekend Rabbi Mathew Marko will lead his last Shabbat services as the spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. He resigned at the two-year mark of a three-year contract. His explanation, in a letter to the Conservative synagogue’s congregants, should help us understand how sometimes life brings extraordinary pressures and stresses upon a congregational rabbi. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

AJC: Worrying Trends in European Elections

The results have shown significant progress for extreme right parties across Europe, which was a major concern for Jewish communities around the continent in the lead-up to the election, as the situation for European Jewry had already been dire in recent months due to an unprecedented rise in antisemitism following Hamas’ October 7th terror attacks against Israel. [Simone Rodan-Benzaquen]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Federation of San Diego Meets the Moment

This year marked the dividing line of this generation: before October 7 and after. Thanks to a strong national Federation system, powerful ties with international and local partners, a deep relationship with Sha’ar HaNegev, and a robust Community Security Initiative, we met the moment, and we continue to do in so many ways, both here in San Diego and in Israel. {Heidi Gantwerk]

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Heidi Gantwerk, International, Israel, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Young Adults from Sha’ar HaNegev, Israel, Enjoy San Diego Hospitality

Thursday night was the perfect night for cold, poured-from-the-tap ciders and making new friends. The Jewish Federation of San Diego hosted the Young Adult Delegation from Sha’ar HaNegev at Bivouac Ciderworks Adventure Lodge in North Park. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Carl Levin

Courtesy of Wikipedia Carl Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2015. Born in Detroit, Levin graduated from Swarthmore College and Harvard

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Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

An Israeli-American Perspective: Getting to the Point Here and There

One of the most striking differences between American and Israeli communication is the approach to politeness and directness. Americans are generally known for their politeness and often indirect communication style. They use euphemisms, hedge their statements, and tend to avoid direct confrontation. This is rooted in a cultural preference for maintaining harmony and avoiding offense. For example, an American might say, “That’s an interesting idea,” even if they disagree, to soften the blow. [Shahar Masori]

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Israel, Lifestyles, Shahar Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA