By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — As the competing votes tracked upward on the Congressional scoreboard last Thursday, my memory summoned up a moment more than two decades ago when I spotted an anti-Israel sketch posted on a bulletin board. It featured a message that compared Israel to the civil rights struggles in the South. […]
Omar’s Removal is a Frightful Omen for Israel-Bashers Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, USA
By Sam Ben-Meir NEW YORK — Clement Greenberg once observed that Edward Hopper was a “bad painter. But if he were a better painter, he would, most likely, not be so superior an artist.” “Edward Hopper’s New York,” a major retrospective currently on view at the Whitney Museum, confirms this judgment. There is occasionally a
Light and Obliquity: Edward Hopper at the Whitney Museum Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Yitro, one of the six portions named for an individual, the Ten Commandments (not suggestions), the Aseret HaDib’rot, are revealed to Moses and to the Israelites in the wilderness. We may learn from this pinnacle experience that the Torah can be learned anywhere, even
Parashat Yitro: The Importance of ‘Do Not Covet’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — As usual, the biblical portion Yitro is named after the first significant word in the portion, the name of Moses’ father-in-law Yitro. His name in English is Jethro with a J. German scholars began to transliterate some, but not all, names that start with the Hebrew
The Biblical Portion Yitro: Is ‘Ten Commandments’ a Misnomer? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
NEW YORK (Press Release) – The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and the National Library of Israel (NLI) are delighted to announce the completion of the digitization of the Papers of Chaim Grade and Inna Hecker Grade. Making this collection available online will enrich the lives of lovers of Jewish and Yiddish literature throughout the
Digitization of the Papers of Chaim Grade, Inna Hecker Grade Now Publicly Available Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel, USA
Ronald Gruner, who spent his working career as a CEO of three different tech companies (Alliant Computer; Shareholder.com; and Sky.Analytics), is a lay historian deeply interested in economic policy and outcomes. His book, analyzing the presidencies of the 17 U.S. Presidents from Warren G. Harding to Donald J. Trump, focuses largely on issues like unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. But along the way he also makes mention of significant geopolitical events that occurred during those presidencies. I will leave it to economists to determine the value of Gruner’s economic analyses. They are beyond my depth. What I did take notice of was how often our fellow Jews, and issues of direct relevance to the Jewish community, cropped up in the book. [Donald H. Harrison]
Many Jews Receive Mentions in Brief History of 17 US Presidents Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
Published by DPA Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria, announcing the dispatch of search and rescue teams as well as medical teams “in accordance with a request from the Turkish government.” The precise nature of the assistance to Israel’s northern neighbour, with which it remains at war, was
Israel Offers Humanitarian Aid to Turkey and Syria Read More »
Middle East
By Mark D. Zimmerman Bob Born, former president of Just Born, the candy company founded by his Russian Jewish immigrant father Sam Born, died last week at the age of 98. The Just Born company makes Peeps, the marshmallow treat which is a popular Easter candy. Under Sam’s stewardship, the company had developed chocolate sprinkles
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Candy Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Israel’s government has an edge in the Knesset, but it’s only four seats. And there is substantial opposition to what its extreme members are proposing to do with the judiciary. One option is for a Knesset majority able to override the Supreme Court’s opposition to a Knesset law or
Substantial Opposition and Continued Uncertainties in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Israel, Opinion, USA
By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — There’s way too much hysteria from the left wing over proposed legislation in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Where do world leaders like Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French President Emmanuel Macron get the chutzpah to lecture Israel’s elected representatives? It’s bad enough that the leaders of Israel’s
Israel: A Democracy Read More »
Israel, Opinion, Steve Kramer, USA
Daniel Kohanski, A God of Our Invention, How Religion Shaped the Western World (Hannacroix, NY: Apocryphile Press, 2023) 285 pages, $26.00 By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Daniel Kohanski graduated from Colgate with a degree in philosophy and received an MS in computer science from Rutgers. He spent many years as a computer programmer
‘A God of Our Invention’ Shines Light on Contemporary Political-Religious Agendas Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak, USA
By Eric George Tauber CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Museum Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, was originally built as the Union Terminal train station in 1933. As travel by train declined, the building received its last passengers in 1972, later re-opening as an Amtrak station in 1991 and then being refurbished as the Museum Center in 2018.
Cincinnati’s Holocaust Museum Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Holocaust, Opinion, USA
Craven now has been “cancelled” by the unforgiving academic community. The irony of this is that were it not for Bill Craven, Cal State San Marcos would not have existed in the first place. He fought the uphill legislative battle to win approval for the construction of that campus. Opponents noted that San Diego County already had San Diego State University, whereas other parts of the state didn’t have even one state university campus, much less two, in addition to a campus of the University of California. [Donald H. Harrison]
Sunday Soundoff: Cancel Culture, Transit Equity, & Love vs. Hate Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
The visit of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to San Diego on Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4 highlighted three members of the American Jewish community: Sara Jacobs, Gabrielle Giffords, and Steven A. Cohen. [Donald H. Harrison]
3 Jews Had Roles in First Lady Jill Biden’s San Diego Visit Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA