Rosenfarb’s Short Stories Depict the Inner Worlds of Holocaust Survivors

This year, 2023, was declared in Lodz, Poland, to be the year of Chava Rosenfarb, one of its most famous Yiddish writers. In Lethbridge, Canada, meanwhile Goldie Morgentaler, daughter and translator of Rosenfarb from Yiddish to English, completed for publication 10 of her late mother’s stories. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish Fiction, Lifestyles

From Pittsburgh to Parkland: Gun Violence and its Unintended Consequences

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — The gunman’s six words, as alleged during his trial, were both dreadful and predictable: “All these Jews need to die.” This comment, if believed by the jury, could be sufficient to tip the scales toward Robert Bowers’s punishment – the death penalty. The legal tussling over whether he should

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Bruce Ticker, Opinion, USA

Parashat Pinchas: Every Generation Receives the Leader it Deserves

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — There’s a Jewish maxim, “Every generation receives the leader it deserves.” Parasha Pinchas seems to provide a foundation for this adage. The parasha distinguishes between the leadership of Moses, who in today’s language would be described as a wise, dauntless, self-aware, “we” not “me,” conscious leader, and Joshua,

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

On This Special Day, Caterer is Refused Entry to Chabad of La Costa’s Kitchen

Cooking is Lebovitz’s world. The kitchen from which she has been banished, for that one night only, officially has been named “Grammy’s Kitchen” in honor of Lebovitz, 85, who is called “Grammy Sheila” by the nine children and 15 grandchildren of Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort and Rebbetzin Nehama Eilfort, as well as by other younger members of the congregation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Comparing Biblical Stories With Other Tales Enhances Their Meaning

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — One of the ways rabbis and secular scholars acquire a deeper understanding of the Bible is by comparing the events in the story with events in other biblical tales. They also compare two Bible sections that use the same word. David Curwin does both in his

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Kosher Food

By Mark D. Zimmerman Kosherpalooza, ‍a ‍food ‍festival ‍featuring ‍kosher ‍dairy ‍and ‍meat ‍items, ‍cooking ‍demonstrations, ‍wine ‍tastings ‍and ‍more, ‍was ‍recently ‍held ‍for ‍the ‍first ‍time ‍at ‍the ‍Meadowlands ‍Expo ‍Center ‍in ‍New ‍Jersey. ‍Thousands ‍of ‍attendees ‍sampled ‍dried ‍pink ‍pineapple, ‍miniature ‍steak ‍tartares ‍served ‍in ‍crispy ‍tapioca ‍shells, ‍CBD ‍peanut ‍butter ‍cups, ‍and

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Book Offers Compelling Integration of Torah and Contemporary Medicine

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Ahh, a book on “The Torah Path to Health, Fitness and a Holy Life.” Music to my ears. It was the Rambam who wrote, “Maintaining a healthy body is among the ways of serving Hashem, since it is impossible for one who is not healthy to understand

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

San Diego’s Historic Disregard for the Sanctity of Cemeteries

I was shocked on Old Town Trolley’s “Ghosts and Gravestones Tour,” not by any ghosts or spirits, but while learning about the callous disregard that San Diego city administrations of the past had for graveyards and the mortal remains of people who had lived, worked, and, in some cases, had built our city. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Travel and Food

2 National Leaders of the JCC Movement Got Their Starts in San Diego

It took over 100 years before the JCC Association of North America chose someone from the U.S. West Coast to serve as its chairman. That person was Gary E. Jacobs of San Diego, a former president of the Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus in La Jolla.  As his four-year term was concluding, the JCC Association turned again to a San Diegan, David Wax, a retired executive with the San Diego-based, multistate Waxie Sanitary Supply company. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Chicago Roots Shape San Diego Author’s Creative Challah and Babka

By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — The saying goes that if you ask two Jews for their opinion on most topics, you will get three answers. While that may be so, one overriding unifier is our love of homemade challah and decadent babkas. These Jewish baked goods have helped inform the American-Jewish identity of baker

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Israeli Gardener Wins Gold at Special Olympics in Berlin

JERUSALEM (Press Release) — More than 7,000 athletes from 126 countries competed in the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany, but Israeli athlete Mir Segel made himself known by bringing home a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition. An avid swimmer and hardworking gardener with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Segel

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Israel, Sports & Competitions