Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity (AEPi), a leading Jewish college fraternity, has named Michael Waitz (DePaul, 2009) as its Chief Operating Officer. [AEPi News Release]
Michael Waitz Appointed as AEPi COO Read More »
San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
We’re surrounded by a number of uncertainties. Nothing grand seems to be happening, but a number of issues have to be decided, one way or the other. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Teacher Strike? Iran Pact? Israel Election? Much Is Uncertain! Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Israel, Middle East, USA
The Wine Company Alessandro Lunardelli was founded in the Pasian di Prato region of Italy (the northeast corner) in 1968, with an annual production of around 100,000 bottles. Why is the Lunardelli Wine vineyards controversial within the Jewish community [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Italian Wine Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
to avoid anxiety and depression, I only read the headlines in the newspapers, bypassing the stories. What helps are known health-related behaviors such as exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep, and especially spending time with friends. The latter may be the most important factor in dealing with stress. [nATASHA jOSEFOWITZ, acsw, pH.d]
Coping with the Modern Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
The stand-out actors were Timon and Pumba (played by Tony Freeman and John E Brady), the three hyenas (played by Martina Sykes, Forest VanDyke, and Robbie Swift), and Rafiki the medicine woman baboon (played by Gugwana Dlamini, who also added some powerful African vocals and can be heard on the original movie soundtrack as well). Judging by the audience’s roars at curtain call, there was consensus on these stand-out performances. [Sandi Masori]
Stunning Costumes, Sets Embellish ‘The Lion King’ Read More »
Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Anyone paying attention knows that Iran negotiates circles around its interlocutors. The Iranians needn’t have much skill to accomplish that! Iran follows the same playbook time after time, lying through its teeth, procrastinating, taking “breaks,” while ceaselessly increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. Contemptuously, Iran continues to foment terror on its own and via its proxies, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, insisting that it will destroy the Big and Little Satans (the US and Israel respectively). Yet, the West insists on begging and bribing Iran: “Let’s make a deal.” [Steve Kramer]
Iran’s Coming Windfall Read More »
Israel, Opinion, Steve Kramer, USA
The prolific San Diego County playwright, Myla Lichtman-Fields, will be traveling to Los Angeles next month, and then to London, England in November to see performances of two of her 16 published plays that have gone global through lulu.com. [Eileen Wingard]
Playwright Myla Lichtman-Fields Scoring in Los Angeles & London Read More »
California, Eileen Wingard, International, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
You keep saying that you are my owner.
And I’m here to bring you joy.
You’re mistaken who’s in charge here
And don’t realize my wagging’s just a ploy. {Elona Baron as translated by Laurie Baron]
These Paws Are Made for Walking Read More »
Jewish Fiction, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Trivia, Humor & Satire
100 Members of the House of Representatives, in addition to 13 Senators, have officially signed on as co-sponsors of Congresswoman Sara Jacobs’ (CA-53) My Body, My Data Act. The landmark, bicameral legislation would create a new national standard to protect personal reproductive and sexual health data. [Rep. Sara Jacobs’ press release]
My Body, My Data Act Gains Support Read More »
Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA
For the first time that I can recall, former President Trump managed to imperil, almost directly, a large bloc of American Jews in far northern Palm Beach County. The synagogue was readying to host a “beach Shabbat” when Donald Trump’s henchmen lashed out at U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart for signing the Department of Justice’s search warrant of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, 16 miles south of the judge’s synagogue. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Mar-a-Lago Raid Backlash Imperils Jewish Congregation Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, Opinion, USA
“AMCHA Initiative welcomes the recently published recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Jewish Life at USC and President Carol L. Folt’s commitment to implement these thoughtful recommendations….” {AMCHA Initiative news release]
Thumbs Up for USC’s Latest Move Against Antisemitism Read More »
California, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
During his 50 years as a painter, Canadian American artist Philip Guston created a body of work that stands out as among the most significant and daring of the 20th century. His development as an artist involved several phases, and culminated with images notable for their dark, biting humor, distinct palette, unmistakable lexicon of objects, and concern with themes when taken together seem designed to heighten our uneasiness and have us question everything we thought we knew about painting. [Sam Ben-Meir]
‘Philip Guston Now’ at Boston Museum of Fine Art Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir
The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar because the Torah requires Passover to fall in “Hodesh Ha-Aviv,” the month of spring. If the Jewish calendar were not linked to the seasons, ruled by the Sun, the Jewish calendar would retrogress about 11 days a year, or one season every eight years. The calendar achieves this balance by adding thirty-day month 7 times every 19 years, a scheme learned during the Babylonian captivity and taught by the Greeks. Rosh Hashanah falls early or late every year compared to the secular calendar because these “make-up days” are sometimes added two years and sometimes three years apart, rather than annually. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]
Some Little-Known Jewish Calendar Facts Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish History, Jewish Religion
The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE) wrote that humans are better than plants and animals because humans can think. He stressed that a person who does not think is no better than a plant or animal. The Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1138-1204) agreed but took one step further. He added that when the Bible states that God placed the image of God in humans, this image is the ability to think. The main benefit of reading is acquiring information about the world, how it functions, how humans behave, and how we can use this information to improve ourselves and society. [Rabbi Israel Drazin]
What Should We Read and Why? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, USA