By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–This is the season sacred to both Jews and Christians. Passover and Easter are arguably the formative events of both communities. To this skeptic, there is no chance that the Easter story of resurrection is historically accurate. There may have been some historical incidents behind the biblical story of the Exodus, but […]
Something of a holiday lull descends over Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – U.S. Congressman Bob Filner recently joined his colleagues on a letter to the House Appropriations Committee calling for text in the Fiscal Year 2010 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill that would block aid to Saudi Arabia. “I don’t understand why we are giving aid to Saudi Arabia when
Filner denounces aid proposal for Saudi Arabia Read More »
USASAN DIEGO–A language teacher, wit and troubador, the late Hal Wingard composed some 325 songs, most of them on flights between San Diego and other parts of California, where he consulted on language programs for school. To hear Hal singing his songs, please follow this link, then pick the song by number. We think today’s
Remembering the songs of Hal Wingard, z"l Read More »
Travel and Food
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO–I picked up my brisket for my Seder and little didn’t realize that I would be in good company. While the White House chef was not in the Kosher section at Ralphs, apparently the First Cook had a brisket ordered for the first night of Passover. According to the White House, brisket
President Obama continues new White House seder tradition Read More »
USA
Heidi Schreck and Deirdre O’Connell (Craig Schwartz photo) By Cynthia Citron CULVER CITY, California – The Wake is a play with a lot of p’s in it: politics, philosophy, polemics, passion, and pathos. And enough plot for two plays. In fact, “The Wake” is two plays. One is the love story: boy loves girl, girl thinks she loves boy, girl loves girl, boy waits it out,
Stay awake for 'The Wake' Read More »
Cynthia Citron, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO— It has taken awhile to read the books presented to me by family members for Chanukah, but as it turned out, my grandson Shor’s selection of Feingold: A New Democratic Party couldn’t have been more timely. As I finished reading the biography written by Sanford D. Horwitt, I
Feingold biography a timely resource Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–One of the arguments against electing Shimon Peres as President of the State of Israel was that he wouldn’t be above the fray, as is expected of a titular Head of State, but deep in it. However, after the embarrassment of his predecessor having to leave office before his time was
Shimon Peres speaks out on Jerusalem crisis Read More »
Middle East, USAJERUSALEM–It’s too early to panic, I hope. President Obama returned to his sweeping demand that Israel stop construction in post-1967 neighborhoods of Jerusalem, extend the construction freeze in settlements outside of Jerusalem beyond the ten months agreed, and take other steps to bring the Palestinians to negotiations. Comments at a high tone have come from
U.S-Israel rift may cool over Passover holiday Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAJERUSALEM–Now when he’s about to get a Jewish son-in-law, Bill Clinton moves to Israel, converts to Judaism, forms a political party and is elected Prime Minister with acclamation. I cannot have the same fantasy about Barack Obama whose popularity in Israel is now in single digits. But unlike Clinton, Obama may want to be involved
Watching Israeli reactions to Obama-Netanyahu rift Read More »
Middle EastYehuda Halevi by Hillel Halkin, Nextbook/Schocken, New York; ISBN 978-0-8052-4206-5, ©2010, $25.00, p. 353. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D WINCHESTER, California– Give me the names of three medieval Jewish poets … Okay, I’ll take just two … Can you name just one? If you’re like most people, all you heard was the sound of silence. Our
Book places Halevi and his poetry in context Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdDBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–It may be time for Barack Obama to visit the Knesset. Anwar Sadat’s visit in 1977, and his opening words “In the name of God, Mr. Speaker of the Knesset, ladies and gentlemen . . .I come to you today on solid ground to shape a new life and to establish peace.
Should Obama make a Sadat-like visit to the Knesset? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USASamuel’s Daughter by Ann Brener, BookSurge Publishing, 2010, 230 pages, ISBN: 1439249911, paperback, $14.95 By Laurel Corona SAN DIEGO–In the spirit of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, Ann Bremer takes three individuals mentioned briefly in the Babylonian Talmud and fleshes them out into a rewarding story about life in the Jewish Diaspora in the third-century
'Samuel's Daughter' is a sweet love story Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES – Who knew sex could be so tedious? In David Hare’s The Blue Room 11 acts of intercourse are conducted without heat, or charm, or intimacy, or humor, or foreplay. The acotrs climb all over each other into a black out, and from there, it’s just “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am” and “Where are my shoes?” Moreover, if a cardinal rule of acting
So who knew sex could be so boring? Read More »
Cynthia CitronSACRAMENTO (Press Release)–Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced today that 460 insurers have agreed in writing to a moratorium on future investments in 50 companies identified by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to be doing business with the Iranian energy, nuclear and defense sectors. “This level of participation in the moratorium signals tremendous progress in
460 insurance companies to boycott investments in companies doing business with Iran Read More »
Travel and Food