Parasha Behaalotecha: Stop Complaining, Be Grateful

Oy! There’s a lot of whining in this week’s Torah reading.

Come to think of it, it appears to be the basis of one of my mother’s oft-repeated sayings, “Keep complaining and I’ll really give you something to complain about.” We are world-class kvetchers, aren’t we? The food isn’t good enough, the seat at the table isn’t good enough, the hotel room isn’t the best, the politics, oy gevalt, the list goes on and on. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Residents, Employees and Donors Celebrate Seacrest Reunion Gala

Breathtaking,” “Memorable,” “One-of-a-Kind,” “We didn’t want to leave,” “One Big Family,” “Gorgeous” are the words that guests used to describe the Seacrest Foundation Women’s Auxiliary 44th Annual Gala on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Truly a Reunion Gala, this extraordinarily special event was the first gathering of the Seacrest community of supporters in over two years. Co-Chairs Cindy Bloch, Mary Epsten, Jean Gaylis, Jane Ottenstein, and Shari Schenk, along with over 230 guests, came together at a private residence and vineyard in Rancho Santa Fe to celebrate the strength and commitment of the Seacrest community of supporters whose generosity and kindness made it possible to get through the worst of the pandemic.

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Business & Finance, Lifestyles, San Diego County

Nominating Committee of The Jewish Agency Selects Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog for Chairman of the Executive

JERUSALEM (Press Release) — On Thursday, the Nominating Committee of The Jewish Agency for Israel recommended the nomination of Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog as its candidate for the position of Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for the next four years. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog previously served as the Commander of

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International, Middle East, USA

Israeli Education Ministry Freezes Youth Trips to Poland Holocaust Sites

(JNS) The Israeli Education Ministry announced on Tuesday that it was freezing youth trips to Holocaust sites in Poland, according to Israeli media reports. The main reason for the cancellation is a disagreement between Israel and Poland over security arrangements during the visits, which are accompanied by armed Israel Security Agency agents, according to Walla.

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Holocaust, International, Middle East

Israeli Researchers Find ‘Indisputable Proof’ of Oldest-Ever Fruit Tree Domestication

(JNS) Israeli researchers on Thursday announced the discovery of the earliest evidence of fruit-tree domestication, dating back seven millennia. According to researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University, charcoal remnants of olive trees found at the Chalcolithic Tel Zaf site in the Jordan Valley indicate that the trees were planted intentionally. This is

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Feds Settle Suit With N.J. Town Over Discriminatory Zoning Ordinances Against Orthodox Jews

Published by NJ.com The Justice Department settled a lawsuit Wednesday filed against Jackson Township and its planning board that alleged the town enacted zoning ordinances that discriminated against the Orthodox Jewish community by preventing them from opening religious boarding schools, officials said. The suit, filed in 2020, alleged that the intent of the ordinances was

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USA

A Prescient Account of Life in Pre-War France

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel —The novel Silbermann by Jacques de Lacretelle, which I read in French, was first published in 1922 It describes the life of a French schoolboy and his relations with a Jewish classmate. The general atmosphere in the school is one of rigid discipline and, as is often the case

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

‘Women of Valor’ Portrays Another 6 Outstanding Women

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — This year’s rendition of Women of Valor was celebrated with six beautifully conceived scripts, written by Ali Veiterbi, who also directed the production, Sarah Price Keating, Becca Myers, and Todd Salovey, Director of the Lipinsky Jewish Arts Festival (JFest). The performances took place Thursday June 9, at the

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Eileen Wingard, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

The Return to Kiev

By Alex Gordon HAIFA, Israel — The Red Army liberated Kiev from German forces on November 6, 1943. My father was not conscripted because of a congenital heart condition. Because of his illness, he was always breathing heavily. His breathing became even heavier when he and my mother, returned to Kiev after two and a

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Alex Gordon, International, Opinion

‘Belligerent Occupation,’ Belligerent Report From UN

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — If only Israel would end its “belligerent occupation.” Most of us know better, but don’t tell that to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Its Commission of Inquiry released the first of what they hope will be decades of annual reports on Israel’s oppression of the poor Palestinians. The

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Bruce Ticker, International, Middle East, Opinion

21 Countries Defend Israel Against UN Commission of Inquiry

By Mike Wagenheim (JNS) While an official U.N. Commission of Inquiry seeks Israel’s diplomatic isolation, 21 nations came out in support of the Jewish state on Monday, expressing concern about the commission’s uncommonly broad mandate and the U.N. Human Rights Council’s irregular targeting of Israel. In Geneva, the three members of a U.N. Commission of

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International, Middle East, USA

5 Minute Plays Delightfully Kick Off Summer Theater Season

By Eva Trieger LA JOLLA, California — Last night an eager and appreciative audience gathered for the 7th Annual 5 Minute Play Festival. Thanks to COVID-19, the program had been put on hold since 2020. Normally a slate of ten plays is selected from the over 80 submissions. This year, to include some of those

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Israel Says US Should Helm Mideast Build-Up Against Iran

Published by Reuters JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel and Arab countries that share its worries about Iran should build up their military capabilities under Washington’s aegis, the Israeli defence minister said on Tuesday ahead of a visit to the region by U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden’s July 13-16 tour will include Israel, the Palestinian territories and Saudi

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Middle East, USA