Jewish biography: Max Ferdinand Perutz, molecular biologist

In 1998, Perutz published a collection of essays about scientists and science titled I Wish I’d Made You Angry Earlier: Essays on Science, Scientists, and Humanity. Among these essays was the following: “Friend or Foe of Mankind?” (Fritz Haber, “a man’s fascination with poison gas”), where he attempted to decipher the “structure of the hemoglobin molecule” of world history through the example of Haber. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

The Jewish journey through loss: From death to healing

Death is a certainty, and the emotional and spiritual thoughts that it precipitates agonize and often leave mourners disoriented and alone. Co-authors Batya L. Ludman and Gina Junger provide a compassionate guide to navigating grief through the lens of centuries of Jewish tradition. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Founders, supporters, recipients tell philosophy behind ‘free loans’

HFLSD is part of the International Association of Jewish Free Loans, a network of more than 50 Jewish free-loan agencies built around the same basic idea: helping people remain self-supporting and self-respecting through access to interest-free loans. [Shor M. Masori]

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Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Novella figuratively screams for systemic reforms in authorities’ care for abused juveniles

Our protagonist was a math nerd because unlike people, numbers don’t lie about who they are. A 3 is a 3, a 5 is a 5. And a 2? That’s where doubles come in. Lonely at the children’s farm, she felt like 1/2 a person — half at Valleyview, the other half back in her rightful home, living with her father, older sister Vicki, younger brother Hank, and grandma. That was 4 other people. It had been 5 before her mother died from breast cancer. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Make for yourself a teacher’ and that could be your seder guest

By Betzy Lynch in La Jolla, California Every day at our JCC, I have the gift of witnessing incredible educators share knowledge, curiosity, interpretation, and genuine connection. Many of these educators have been formally trained and are intentionally tasked with creating optimal learning environments and delivering curriculum with skill and care. This includes our early

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Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Review: A guide to Jewish religious vocabulary

What sets Weinstein’s work apart from standard references (ArtScroll’s dictionaries, the Jastrow Talmud lexicon, or even free online tools like Sefaria’s glossaries) is its deliberate accessibility and Orthodox integrity. Every entry was vetted through Torah-centric sources only—no secular etymology or Reform reinterpretations. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Book Review: ‘New-Russia: Images from a Journey’

New-Russia: Images from a Journey offers remarkable snapshots of the Soviet Union during a brief but revealing historical moment. The book captures the Soviet experiment as it was still taking shape. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food