It was Chanuka, 1986. I had arrived at the Gorky Prison in June. In September I was sentenced to three years of hard labor. As the time drew close for my appeal, to be held in Moscow, Chanuka also drew near. [Ari Volvovsky]
The Miraculous Bread Menorah: Celebrating Chanukah in a Russian Prison Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Toby Klein Greenwald
If you haven’t seen the show, it’s based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and is the story of a professor (Henry Higgens, played by Laird Mackintosh) who takes in a young woman who sells flowers in the street, (Eliza Doolittle, played by Shereen Ahmed) and makes a bet with his friend (Col Pickering, played by Kevin Pariseau), that he can turn her from a gutter rat into a duchess by teaching her to speak proper English instead of Cockney. [Sandi Masori]
An Enjoyable ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Civic Through Dec. 5 Read More »
Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Even the most thought-out plans can be derailed by a last-minute change, especially when a leader falls ill. This wasn’t true for the Chabad of East County on Sunday, Nov. 28, though, as they pulled off their first night of Hanukkah event at the El Cajon Civic Center without a hitch, despite the absence of Rabbi Rafi Andrusier and his wife Chaya, who tested positive for COVID-19 the day before. [Elijah McKee, East County Magazine]
Despite Organizer’s COVID Absence, Chanukah Celebration Goes On Read More »
Jewish Religion, Joe Gandelman, San Diego County
In the year since Facebook banned Holocaust denial from its platform and finally classified it as hate speech instead of “misinformation,” a new ADL (Anti-Defamation League) analysis of the platform has found “cracks in enforcement” that have allowed Holocaust denial posts to still be accessible to many users. [Anti-Defamation League]
ADL: Facebook Still Permitting Some Holocaust Denial Posts Read More »
International, Jewish History, USA
Most people do not attempt to define words, even words they use daily, such as religion, spirituality, and the various words used to describe God. As a result, they usually have only misconceptions about God. The following are some words used to describe God in Judaism. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
What we don’t know about God’s names Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
In early July, I set out with colleagues of the High Atlas Foundation—a U.S. and Moroccan non-for-profit organization—to meet with agricultural cooperatives in Morocco to understand their needs and goals and create action plans toward lasting development. Along the way, we visited Jewish and Christian cemeteries, and met their caretakers and neighboring community members to discover their heritage stories. [Yossef Ben-Meir]
Moroccan Cemeteries Waiting to be Visited and Remembered Read More »
International, Jewish History, Travel and Food, Yossef Ben-Meir
Published by New York Daily News Afghanistan is tense in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover. In Hong Kong, democracy is steadily being eroded. Haiti is reeling in the aftermath of political violence and natural disaster. In the Horn of Africa, war and drought threaten the lives and well-being of millions.
This Anti-Israel UN ‘Special Committee’ Must Be Put Out of Its Misery Read More »
International
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — For 35 years, volunteers of Congregation Beth Israel’s San Diego Hunger Project have served lunch to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness every Sunday morning at Father Joe’s Villages. Congregation Beth Israel provides food, funding, and volunteers for this program. The initiative, called the “Hunger Project,” has now distributed almost 1.5
Congregation Beth Israel’s ‘Hunger Project’ Reaches Historic $1 Million Mark Read More »
San Diego County
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Jewish Federation of San Diego County Board Chair Jack Maizel on Tuesday distributed the following letter: Dear Friends, Happy Hanukkah!! It is my distinct pleasure to share with you that Heidi Gantwerk has been named President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. Over the last six
Jewish Federation Names Heidi Gantwerk President and CEO Following Interim Role Read More »
San Diego CountyBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Rabbi Dr. Dan Ornstein has written the easy-to-read “Cain v. Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama,” an interesting, thoughtful, eye-opening, and thought-provoking book based on the two-dozen biblical sentences in Genesis 4 that report the fraternal murder of Abel by his brother Cain. Rabbi Ornstein includes the
The Cain v. Abel Trial Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
(Israel Hayom via JNS) The president of the Republika Srpska of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed on Monday to help exhume the bones of the grandfather and grandmother of Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, and send them to Israel. President Željka Cvijanović visited Mount Herzl earlier this week. During
Bones of Theodor Herzl’s Grandparents Coming to Israel Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East
Published by uPolitics.com Former White House aide Jared Kushner has been soliciting billions of dollars in funding for his new investment firm from wealthy power brokers in and around the Persian Gulf, The New York Times reported on Friday. According to individuals familiar with Kushner’s dealings, has been trying to cash in on the relationships he cultivated
Jared Kushner Seeking Middle East Money To Fund Investment Firm Read More »
Middle East
Published by Loudwire Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin delivered the second installment of their 2021 “Hanukkah Sessions” cover songs on Monday (Nov. 29). Grohl, the Foo Fighters figurehead and former Nirvana drummer, and Kurstin, the Grammy-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist from the indie pop group The Bird and the Bee, do a spirited take on the
Dave Grohl Covers Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ in 2021 ‘Hanukkah Session’ Read More »
Jewish Celebrities, The Arts
“Postmistress” is a euphemism for “messenger,” which was the role that Nanée, an American heiress, played while in Paris, prior to the German invasion. Initially, she and her compatriots focused on getting well-known artists and intellectuals — many but not all of them Jewish — out of Nazi Germany and into safety in France. [Donald H. Harrison]
Love, Loyalty, and Suspense in World War II France Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison