By Heidi Gantwerk JERUSALEM — Shabbat greetings from Jerusalem, where my team and I are working on the itinerary for Federation’s CommUNITY Trip in May. I am struggling to find words for all that we have already seen and experienced. Beyond the endless food, the beauty of winter light in Jerusalem, the (ahem) excitement of […]
The Impact You Have in Israel Read More »
Heidi Gantwerk, Israel, Opinion, San Diego County
Various items connected to the celebration of Passover have gone missing in their home: Passover placemats, a Seder plate puzzle, Afikomen bag, even matzo. With the discovery of each disappearance, Michael texts the Easter bunny, asking him to put that item in the Golden Easter Egg. But the placemats, puzzle, and Afikomen bag, are too large to fit in the bag, even though the Easter Bunny pushed, patted, squished, and squashed. [Donald H. Harrison]
Missing Information Detracts from Passover & Easter Tale Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Belief of Americans in antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes has nearly doubled since 2019, an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) survey showed on Thursday. The survey asked Americans how much they agreed with statements expressing anti-Jewish tropes or conspiracy theories and found that more than half of Americans
Americans’ Belief in Antisemitic Conspiracies, Tropes Doubles Since 2019 Read More »
USA
(JNS) The Israel education organization StandWithUs has filed a complaint against George Washington University with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint alleges “a pervasive, hostile, and discriminatory environment for Jewish and Israeli students within the Professional Psychology
StandWithUs Files Complaint Against George Washington University, Alleging Antisemitism Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Exodus begins to relate the events that followed Joseph’s death. He was second in power to Pharaoh and could protect his family while alive. A new Pharaoh assumes the throne and enslaves the Israelites. We read of Moses’ birth and early life, that the new Pharaoh
Obscurities in the Biblical Portion Shemot Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Although I had no close relatives who were victims — and it wasn’t until years later that I learned that Nazis had hanged an uncle of my wife’s by his tallis — I was obsessed by the Holocaust. [Joel H. Cohen]
Anne Frank and Me: Three Weeks and 3,600 Miles Apart Read More »
Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Joel H. Cohen, USA
LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — Rabbis United, a division of StandWithUs, is proud to announce its inaugural conference to be held January 30, 2023, at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Rabbis from all denominations are coming together to spend the day learning from expert speakers about the antisemitic challenges of our times, and creative, inspiring
By Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — I was walking down the street one day when I saw a large sign: “Body Shop.” I stopped and thought, “How interesting! Maybe I can get a new body instead of this 96-year-old one. My current body doesn’t see so well, hear so well, or walk
It’s Too Late to Die Young – Living with Old Age Infirmities Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
By Laurie Baron (Melody: “Still Crazy After All These Years,” by Paul Simon. Listen to Baron’s recording here.) I got the latest booster several months ago. I wear a mask when I visit crowded rooms. I was hoping that by this time vaccines would ease my fears. Still Covid after all these years. Oh, still
Satire: Still Covid After All These Years Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
After years of running and hiding during the Holocaust, Jenny Benrey, decided that her five-year-old daughter, the future novelist Michèle Sarde, should be baptized in the Catholic Church. So many of her relatives and friends had disappeared in the Nazi Holocaust! But later, when it came time for Michèle’s confirmation, Jenny could not bring herself to complete her abandonment of Judaism. Michèle was withdrawn from the confirmation class, thereafter living neither as a practicing Jew nor as a Catholic. And the Holocaust that had prompted Jenny’s impulses became a forbidden subject, enveloped in silence. [Donald H. Harrison]
Sephardic Family History Stretches from Spanish Inquisition to Post-Holocaust Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History
By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — It was the devil…er, Itamar Ben-Gvir…who made me do it. This Ben-Gvir made me bomb buses, fire another few hundred rockets into Israel and toss rocks from the Temple Mount onto worshipers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. If such acts of terrorism materialize in the ensuing weeks, blame
Ben-Gvir’s Presumed ‘Act of War’ Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, USA
By Alex Gordon HAIFA, Israel — In 1783, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s play “Nathan the Wise” premiered at the Berlin Theater. The play was a literary and theatrical sensation and a shock to Germany, and perhaps to the entire Christian world. Hitherto Jews had been considered and portrayed as immoral and despicable people. Lessing’s character Nathan,
Moses Mendelssohn: The Berlin Dreamer Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Jewish History, Opinion
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Generous American donors have provided the money to build a museum honouring Shelby White and Leon Levy, to house in situ the huge mosaic dating from the Roman occupation of ancient Judaea. The town of Lod (Lydda) has been inhabited for millennia, and is mentioned in the Bible
The Roman Mosaic in Lod Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish History
(JNS) After two years of pointedly ignoring a problem largely of his own making, President Joe Biden finally made a brief visit to the U.S. southern border in El Paso, Texas. While there, however, he saw little of the human cost of the catastrophe, as he didn’t meet or see any of the illegal immigrants
Where’s the Outrage Over Biden Comparing Illegal Immigrants to Holocaust Victims? Read More »
Holocaust, Opinion, USA