Russia, Israel Need Working Accord on Syria

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made a quick trip to Moscow just after the end of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) to meet with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  The meeting was focused on Iran, the nuclear threat, and Iranian activities elsewhere, particularly Syria. It is clear that Israeli-Russian relations need a restart. [Stephen D. Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

StandWithUs Says AFT Guild 1931 Fuels Antisemitism

StandWithUs is deeply disturbed by the bias and misrepresentations in the AFT Guild Local 1931 statement. Simply writing “we’re not antisemites” does not eliminate the antisemitic nature and impact of this statement, which at its core denies Israel’s right to self-defense, and the Jewish peoples’ right to decide what constitutes antisemitism. [StandWithUs)

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Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

AFT Local Representing Community College Faculty Denounces Israel

The local guild of the American Federation of Teachers serving faculty members of the San Diego Community Colleges as well as its Continuing Education Branch, and faculty at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College has adopted a resolution denouncing Israel, while leaving unmentioned the more than 3,000 rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza during the recent violence with Israel. [AFT Local 1931 press release]

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

The Ox Ate My Sermon

Most congregants probably think that writing sermons about the Rosh Hashanah holiday is easy. Actually, given the plethora of themes one can choose from, it is not the case at all. Using recycled sermons can diminish the power of one’s delivery. Personally, I always look to create new sermons based on certain perennial themes, e.g., time, sweetness, communal solidarity, Israel, being Jewish in the 21st century, etc. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

4,000 American Teens, Including 21 San Diego County Residents, Experienced Israel This Summer

Heroic efforts navigating the global pandemic made it possible for nearly 4,000 American teens to travel this summer to Israel on multi-week trips designed and heavily subsidized by the new RootOne, run by The Jewish Education Project. The Jewish Agency for Israel, along with youth serving organizations (YSOs) and Jewish residential camps, made the trips possible under unprecedented circumstances. As teens return home, they are brought into a pipeline of Jewish community opportunities that will continue to tap into their interests, strengthen relationships, and add meaning to their lives. [Root One Press Release]

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Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Memories of 9/11

Our columnist Laurie Baron contributed this memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Twenty years later, do you have recollections of the day terrorists hijacked four planes, destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City, damaged the Pentagon, and crashed into a field in Philadelphia, killing in the process 2,977 people in the air, on the ground, and in the buildings?   Your recollections are welcome! [San Diego Jewish World]

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Lawrence Baron, Mimi Pollack, Sandi Masori

Rationale of Yom Kippur Ceremonies and Customs

Judaism has dozens of meaningful customs and ceremonies, but most people, even Jews, do not know all of them, their origins and rationale. Rabbi Abraham Chill (1912-2004) gives readers of The Minhagim, Hebrew for customs and ceremonies, a very readable discussion of many of these practices. He includes the views from such famous sources as Shulchan Arukh, Tur, Abudraham, Arukh Ha-Shulhan, Hayye Avraham, Sefer Ha-Manhig, Sefer Ha-Minhagim, and others. He gives a short bio of each of the 27 sources that he quotes. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for September 11, 2021

The rabbis clearly invented new ground rules for this fully ‘artistically Hebrew poetic’ haftorah. They artificially combined sources, from Hosea, active c. 747-722 BCE and Micah active post 721 BCE.  Together they are arguably ‘connected’ to passages Ch. 31:27-29 in parsha Vayelekh of Deuteronomy. Those passages ‘predicted’ that the people will wickedly go astray from the Law.| [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Kitchens for Good Gains New Quarters, $100,000 Matching Fund Offer

You know when you learn about something and it’s just too good to keep it to yourself?  That feeling of wanting to shout it from the rooftops or paste a banner advertising it on the side of a city bus? Yeah, that level of excitement. I first experienced the miracle that is Kitchens for Good in 2019, when the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation invited its donors to tour the beautiful and supremely functional facility. Founders Aviva Paley and Chuck Samuelson have gone on to new adventures, and have taken a more advisory role, as Lindsey Seeger steps into the role of Director of External Affairs.  [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Travel and Food

California Legislature Approves Anti-Hate-Crime Legislation

The California Legislature passed legislation to significantly strengthen California’s response to the recent surge in hate crimes and hate-motivated violence. Authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, Assembly Bill (AB) 57 would implement specific recommendations from the State Auditor to enable law enforcement to better prevent, respond to, and document hate crimes. The measure passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the State Assembly and the State Senate. [Press Release from Assemblyman Gabriel]

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USA

Anti-Israel Algerian Athlete Sanctioned by International Judo Federation

The International Judo Federation (IJF) has banned Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine and his coach, Ammar Benkhalaf, from participating in activities or competitions for 10 years after the athlete withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to avoid fighting an Israeli opponent. [JNS.org]

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International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions