Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912) and Rosalie Ida Straus (née Blün;February 6, 1849 – April 15, 1912) were an American couple who died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Isidor was a German-Jewish businessman, politician, U.S. congressman and co-owner of Macy’s department store with his brother Nathan. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Isidor and Ida Straus Read More »
Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
Fast forward fifty years, and our Tu B’Shvat experience is quite different. Here in Eretz Yisrael, not only are the major holidays celebrated throughout the country and across all lines, but even the minor festivals have been transformed into major events. [Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky]
Parshas Yisro – Here Comes the Sunshine Read More »
California, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
New York City’s new mayor faces two initiatives aimed at precluding any of his actions that Jewish leaders fear might harm Israel or their fellow Jews in the Big Apple. Predictably, the 34-year-old Mamdani will face a firestorm if he does anything that is perceived as damaging. [Bruce S. Ticker]
OpEd: Jewish forces are ready to confront the perceived enemy Read More »
Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Richard Zimler’s 1996 debut, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, is a towering achievement in this genre. It is a work that breathes life into the suffocating atmosphere of 16th-century Portugal, weaving a narrative that is simultaneously a grisly locked-room mystery, a pulse-pounding thriller, and a profound meditation on Jewish mysticism. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Light Amidst the Pyres: A Review of Richard Zimler’s The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon Read More »
Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Recently, a federal court decisively rejected an effort to block AB 715 from taking effect. In a sweeping ruling, the judge found that the law is constitutional, consistent with the First Amendment, and neither vague nor overbroad. As a result, AB 715 went into effect statewide on January 1. [David Bocarsly]
JPAC reports another victory in the fight for AB 715 Read More »
Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Two countries vie with Israel for the designation of top dog around the Middle East. One is Egypt, with a population of about 117 million (12X the Israeli population). The other is Turkey, a member of NATO. [Steve Kramer]
Who is the hegemon (top dog) in the Middle East? Read More »
Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer
Throughout this book, which is based on extensive research, interviews with survivors, and far-reaching travel to almost all the places mentioned, the writer inserts his own personal insights and experiences, giving the reader a unique and lively account of how events developed and what people experienced. [Dorothea Sefer-Vanson]
True transformation rarely arrives with ceremony. It interrupts, startles, and whispers, “There is another way to exist.” These moments are intruders in our thoughts; small sparks of clarity that jolt us awake. In therapy and psychological coaching, we recognize this as the difference between insight and change: awareness alone rarely heals; transformation begins when insight is translated into action. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]
Parsha Yitro: When insight becomes habit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Michael Mann (February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer. Best known for his stylized crime dramas, he has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as earned nominations for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Michael Mann Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
Now that the history of cinema has been enriched with the premiere of Melania, Donald Trump is planning documentaries about other members of his inner circle to improve their public images. You can expect these films soon. [Laurie Baron]
Melania: The Spinoffs Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Nuremberg (directed by James Vanderbilt) does not grossly falsify history. It does something subtler and more contemporary: it persuades us that ethics has finally arrived—precisely because it arrives after everything that truly mattered has already happened. [Sam Ben-Meir]
Too Late for Ethics: Nuremberg, Fidelity, and the Consolation of Judgment Read More »
Holocaust, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Because I live in the intersection of being both Black and Jewish, I have learned about my identity over the years, both through experience, stories handed down to me, education, and reading. [Barrett Holman Leak]
REVIEW: Black and Jewish: An Interwoven History, Part 1 – Let My People Go Read More »
Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, California, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Opinion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
BAITZM is Hebrew for “eggs”, or is slang for “testicles”. [Melanie Rubin]
Interesting license plate: BAITZM at the JCC Read More »
California, Melanie Rubin, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire
David Brenner (February 4, 1936 – March 15, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author. The most frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1970s and 1980s, Brenner “was a pioneer of observational comedy.” [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: David Brenner Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia