Jewish Federation Launched 4 Simultaneous International Trips

For the past four years, we have leaned into travel as one of the most effective ways to build our own Jewish community, strengthen San Diego’s sense of “Am Yisrael,” and connect people to the essential, often lifesaving work Federation supports around the world. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Heidi Gantwerk, International, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Does Shylock Trigger Antisemitism or Expose It?

Most Jews wonder after being exposed to The Merchant of Venice: Is the play too antisemitic for the public at large? Is it better to ignore The Merchant, or is it worse to cancel a story that has traditionally shown Jews in a negative light—when all it takes to humanize the character of Shylock is to fully understand him? {Susan L. Rosenbluth]

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Antisemitism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir Repertoire Delightfully Varied

Taking their fedoras in hand, they sang their lively opening number, the Yiddish Ale Brider (All Brothers),” dancing joyously, as they sang and watched the precise motions of their music director, Ruth Weber. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

World Travel for a Woman with Disabilities and Her Partner

The book’s premise is inherently compelling: a couple, undeterred by age or physical limitations, embarks on journeys spanning the Arctic Ocean to tropical islands, deserts to urban centers, via planes, trains, cars, buses, and even a cruise in San Diego’s waters. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Satire: The Epstein Wiles

The recently released Epstein emails apparently indicate that Trump knew what was happening to the young women trafficked by Epstein even if he did not have sexual relations with them.  He borrowed the latter alibi from Bill Clinton.  Unable to dodge the proof of his awareness, Trump might admit his knowledge but mitigate it by explaining … {Laurie Baron}

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International, Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

JFS Orients Volunteers to its Many Services Before They Prepare Eggless Challahs

By Cailin Acosta SAN DIEGO – Members of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue Sisterhood volunteered at Jewish Family Service (JFS) San Diego on Wednesday, November 12, helping make challah for the Lieber’s Corner Market at the Balboa Avenue campus. Marissa Dates, Associate Director of Community and Volunteer Engagement, welcomed the Sisterhood volunteers and guided the group

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Travel and Food

Parsha Chayei Sarah: First Commitment, Then Love

The Torah is teaching us something essential: love is not merely an emotion we fall into. It is something we cultivate. It is born of choice, nurtured through shared purpose, and deepened through acts of kindness and spiritual connection. Yitzchak does not stumble into love; he chooses it. He nurtures it. And through that choice, his heart begins to mend. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.}

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Political Briefing: Nov. 12, 2025

Jack Schlossberg is the son of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, a former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Australia, and her Jewish husband Edwin Schlossberg.  His mother reportedly opposed his declaring his candidacy given that his grandfather, Jack, and great-uncle, Senator Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated in the 1960s. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

San Diego Students Discover the Pioneering Spirit of David Ben-Gurion

I had the privilege of teaching San Diego students—preschoolers at Beth Montessori of La Jolla and 2nd-graders at San Diego Hebrew Day School—about the pioneering spirit of David Ben-Gurion (Israel’s first prime minister) and the modern relevance of his legacy. [Jacob Kamaras]

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Israel, Jacob Kamaras, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors