To the tune of Officer Krupke:
Dear stubborn Joseph Manchin
You gotta understand.
Can you make an exception?
Pass the bills Biden has planned.
The GOP’s are flunkies.
They’re pawns of Donald Trump.
Mitch McConnell thinks you are a chump. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Hey Senator Manchin Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Israel has a fleet of five Dolphin-class submarines, all purchased from Germany. While they have the capacity to fire torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, there is much speculation that Israel also has to capability of launching nuclear weapons from their submarines. What is found on each of Israel’s submarines that is not typically found on other nations’ submarines? {Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Submarines Read More »
International, Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Tzimmes, the Vancouver-based Jewish band under the direction of Moshe Denburg, has just released a two-disc recording, The Road Never Travelled, celebrating its 35th anniversary. This is the group’s fourth album.
Denburg figures prominently in all the selections, as vocalist, guitarist, composer or arranger. The Montreal native, son of Orthodox Rabbi Chayim Denburg and Yiddish singer Miriam Denburg, attended Yeshivah University, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother, Judah Denburg. There, along with religious studies and academics, Moshe learned to read and notate music. Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Jerusalem’s Music Academy furthered his Judaic and musical education. World music then beckoned, with time spent in India and Japan. In addition to forming Tzimmes, in 1986, a band frequently hired for British Columbia’s Jewish simchas, Denburg, 15 years later in 2001, founded The Vancouver International Cultural Orchestra, an organization for which he still composes and with which he remains affiliated. [Eileen Wingard]
Tzimmes Offers Full Array of Jewish Music in ‘The Road Never Travelled’ CD Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Three main items on our news. First, security personnel have caught the final two escapees, in Jenin. Apparently with some help from Palestinians via Israel intelligence operatives. Second, Israel continues to give third booster shots to all those above 12 years of age, despite an FDA vote approving third booster shots to those 65 years and older. Third, the City of Jerusalem has destroyed a jerry-built Succah in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Escapees, Covid and Sukkahs Major Topics of Israeli News Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Rabbi Abraham Chill (1912-2004) gives readers of his book The Minhagim, Hebrew for customs and ceremonies, a very readable discussion of many Jewish practices, focusing on 27 holidays and events: synagogue, Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Tisha B’Av, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, marriage, birth, pidyin haben, bar mitzvah, tallit and tzitzit, tefillin, keriat shema, shemoneh esreh, birkhat kohanim, tahanun, Torah reading, ein k’elohenu, meals, mezuzah, and death and mourning. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin}
Questions to Ponder During Sukkot Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, has created a pearl of a book that I highly recommend. It is a fascinating, encompassing, very erudite and broad in scope. Rather than just Covid, or Judaic angle, this is a general book that reflects on the question of religion and the benevolent God in the presence of so much human misery, natural disasters and plagues. [Bar-Giora Goldberg]
A Jewish Perspective on the Pandemic Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion
A new cemetery headstone was placed in the Manchester, U.K. Jewish Cemetery, September 2, 2021.Unveilings at gravesites of new memorial stones are not unusual. This stone was different. There was no formal unveiling. The memorial stone was placed in the cemetery by strangers who had nothing to do with the deceased nor had ever known him. They were separated by great distances and many years from the events of his life and death. But… then again, they were not. [Jerry Klinger]
X-Troop: The Jewish-British Secret Weapon of World War II Read More »
Travel and Food
Except for an opening prose sentence of introduction, this haftorah is entirely classical ancient Hebrew poetry/song. Nominally, it is David’s closing hymn of victory and thanksgiving to God who had ‘saved’ him from all enemies, particularly Saul. With minor textual variations, the whole hymn is also found in Psalm 18. [1] Historically we don’t know which text came first. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for September 25, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Hillel of San Diego will break ground today (Sept. 19) for a long-awaited center for Jewish students across La Jolla Village Drive from the UC San Diego Campus. [Times of San Diego]
Groundbreaking today for Hillel at UC San Diego Read More »
Chris Jennewein, San Diego County
Like many Jews around the world, the Bnei Menashe community of northeastern India are gathering to celebrate Sukkot this week. In their festival prayers, the Bnei Menashe offered a special plea, to fulfill their age-old dream to make Aliyah to Israel during the coming year. [Shavei Israel news release]
Sukkot in the Northeastern Corner of India Read More »
International, Jewish Religion
NETANYA, Israel — In the Sept. 19, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
–3 million Israelis have had their Covid antibodies boosted tenfold.
–Israeli surgeons successfully separate twins conjoined by their heads.
–Israel’s first female Muslim IDF Major.
–An Israeli startup converts text into video read by an animated narrator.
–The value of Israel’s trade with Arab states in 2021 is triple that of 2020.
–Israeli pianist wins international record contract.
–The Land of Israel reveals more Jewish history. [Michael Ordman]
Good News from Israel (September 19, 2021) Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA
If you’re a fan of the silver screen, you are in for a treat! Block off your calendars for October 14th through the 24th for the 20th anniversary of the San Diego International Film Festival. This extravaganza of films contains a vast array of genres including narrative films, documentary films and short films. With great sensitivity to the pandemic and public safety the SDIFF is offering many of the films virtually, while other films will be presented all around San Diego’s beautiful and iconic backdrops including Balboa Park, the USS Midway and the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, paying homage to America’s Finest City. [Eva Trieger]
S.D. International Film Festival Features Flics For Every Palate Read More »
Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Jewish Federation of San Diego County strongly condemns the San Diego Community College American Federation of Teachers Guild Local 1931’s “Statement Regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” and we do so with the full support of our valued community partners listed below. We are dismayed to find that the union representing community college and continuing education faculty and other employees in the San Diego Community College District and the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District voted in support of this misguided and simplistic statement that has caused sadness, fear, and anger as a result of its false claims and incendiary language. This statement creates an unsafe atmosphere for Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff, and other members of the San Diego and Grossmont Community College Communities. Consider how an anxious Jewish student might feel walking into the classroom of a professor who supported this statement. Consider the situation a Jewish junior member of faculty now finds themselves in with a department chair who supported the statement. [Jewish Federation of San Diego County]
San Diego Jewish Community Condemns AFT 1931 Resolution on Israel and Palestine Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, USA
John T. Earnest of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to a 113-count hate crimes indictment, admitting that he set fire to an Escondido mosque and opened fire in a Poway synagogue because he wanted to kill Muslims and Jews. The religiously- and racially-motivated attacks resulted in the murder of one person and the attempted murders of 53 others. [U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego]
Shooter at Chabad of Poway Pleads Guilty in Federal Court Read More »
International, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA