By Teresa Konopka SAN DIEGO — Why do we believe what we do? Is our religion any better than others? Street epistemology aims to find out. In contrast to evangelism where one tries to convert another to a belief, street epistemology is quite different in that it does not aim to sway anyone. It is […]
Does Your Faith Stand Up to the Test? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Opinion, Teresa_Konopka
By Sam Ben-Meir NEW YORK — In the first episode of season three of The Kominsky Method (2021), there is a funeral service for Michael Douglas’ character’s lifelong friend Norman Newlander (played by Alan Arkin). By far the most inconsolable mourner to give a eulogy is Newlander’s personal assistant of 22 years who, amid a hyperbolical
Sleep No More: Capitalism and Insomnia Read More »
Opinion, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — Samuel A. Alito Jr. tells “We the People:” “No support in American law for a constitutional right to obtain an abortion.” Not quite, Mr. Justice. True, our pre-amendment Constitution specifies no civil rights save a brief clause barring a “religious test” to hold public office. However, the Constitution’s Preamble
Justice Alito Overlooks the Preamble to the Constitution Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Opinion, USA
By Rabbi Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The mistreatment by too-many rabbis of women is inexcusable. Many alterations were made in biblical marriage and divorce laws, but not for agunot. The Hebrew Bible gives few details about marriage and divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1 states: “If a man takes [yikach] a wife and has sex with
A Horrible Rabbinical Mistake! Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
“The Holocaust: Does Judaism Believe in Gilgul? Transmigration of Souls.” By Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg; Independently published; ISBN-13: 979-8448939662; 436 pages; $24.99. By Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The author of The Holocaust: Does Judaism Believe in Gilgul? Transmigration of Souls begins with a wonderful quote from the famed psychologist
Unpacking the Transmission of Holocaust Trauma Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — The following is my summary of an excellent lecture by Haviv Rettig Gur, a well-known journalist for The Times of Israel. Gur’s lecture brings something new to the Arab-Israeli conundrum. It’s a wake-up call for Palestinian Arabs, explaining that their belief that Zionism is the ultimate reason for
The Palestinian Arabs’ False Impression of Zionism Read More »
Middle East, Opinion, Steve Kramer
By Stephen Bryen (JNS) On Aug. 1, 1943 (29 Tammuz 5703) during the throes of World War II, a Jewish fighter pilot was shot down over Ukraine. She was Lydia Litvyak, Russia’s—and the world’s—first female fighter ace. The date of her death corresponds to the Hebrew calendar date of 29 Tammuz 5703, and July 28 will be her
Lydia Litvyak: World’s First Female Fighter Ace Read More »
International, Opinion, Stephen D. Bryen
Jennifer Wolf Kam wrote and Sally Walker illustrated Until the Blueberries Grow about a young boy named Ben who successfully delays his grandfather for a year from selling his home and moving to a retirement community (hopefully like our Seacrest Village in Encinitas). During the year of delay, Ben and his zayde have many adventures such as picking and eating blueberries together; eating jelly sandwiches in the sukkah; drinking hot chocolate by the light of the chanukiah; and secreting and finding afikomen outside in the lilac bushes. But after the year delay, zayde tells Ben he just doesn’t want to keep climbing the stairs to his second-floor bedroom. So, he moves to a retirement community, and when Ben visits him there, he brings a gift. Blueberries! [Donald H. Harrison]
Three Stories for Young Children from PJ Library Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction
By Rabbi Simcha Weiser (JNS) The Jewish future relies on the relevance that children find in what we Jewish teachers teach. Soon to be entering the new school year, we need thoughtful clarity for our teaching to remain relevant. As our Jewish educators prepare to “diligently teach our children,” we remind ourselves how privileged we
A Special Privilege to Teach Our Children Read More »
Opinion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it has opened an investigation into a complaint alleging the University of Southern California (USC) allowed a hostile environment of antisemitism to proliferate on its campus, resulting in the resignation in August 2020 of its Jewish student government vice
Federal Probe Opened Into Alleged Antisemitism at University of Southern California Read More »
California, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. When you walk into a synagogue, what do you feel? A deep-rooted home, a sense of connection and a feeling of being appreciated regardless of your age, religious ritual practices, sexual orientation, cultural background, family life? I seek to feel an authentic connection, a well-anchored link and emotional stir to
Parashat Matot – Massei: Helping Our Synagogues Do Better Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) – The San Diego Rescue Mission received a donation of $1,800 from Leo Fink, a 13-year-old San Diego resident from Carmel Valley who recently had his bar mitzvah and wanted to give part of his gift money to help his neighbors experiencing homelessness. Leo has been volunteering at the San Diego
CLIFTON, New Jersey (Press Release) — The StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department proudly announces its filing of an amicus brief on July 25, 2022, in support of Complainant-Appellant Elisabet h Schwartz, to help combat inflammatory anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric by members of the Clifton Board of Education in Clifton, New Jersey. StandWithUs’ brief responds to a
After her divorce from her cantor husband, author Zark wanted to make certain that the small son whose custody they shared would be brought up Jewishly in both homes. She wanted to make Shabbats and the full range of Jewish holidays interesting and accessible to her son, and in the process, she reflected upon the meanings of the holidays, Torah passages, and various Jewish customs. [Donald H. Harrison]
Single Mom Stokes Her Son’s and Her Own Jewish Faith Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles