Two floods: Gilgamesh and Noah

The approximately 4,000 year old Babylonian tale “Gilgamesh” disturbs many religious people who feel threatened by the idea that a story that is very similar to the biblical flood story was written before the story of Noah and the flood. Gilgamesh was composed around 2000 B.C.E. and predates the scriptural version. A Jewish tradition dates the revelation of the Bible to 2448 years after creation, or about 1312 B.C.E. Both stories concern a flood caused by divinities: in the pagan myth by gods and in the Hebrew Bible by God. Both are saved by a boat and by using birds to discover if the flood water receded. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr.

Is JFest’s Programming Really ‘Jewish’?

This year’s JFest had many unusual highlights. Some events seemed more fitting than others to be part of a Jewish Arts Festival. Although I savored the Hershey Felder offering, Nicholas, Anna, and Sergei –I love Rachmaninoff’s music–( reviewed in the May 19th San Diego Jewish World), I did not understand its place in a Jewish Festival, given that the subjects were all authentic or pretending Russian aristocrats, the class that often helped perpetrate pogroms. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Judd Hirsch and Jeannie Berlin added to Spielberg film

Published by BANG Showbiz English Judd Hirsch and Jeannie Berlin have joined the cast of Steven Spielberg’s new semi-autobiographical film. The Oscar-nominated stars have boarded the new movie with Robin Bartlett and Jonathan Hadary and they will play the older relatives of a young aspiring filmmaker (Gabriel LaBelle), who is loosely based on the ‘Jaws’

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Biden condemns anti-Semitism after swastika found at State Department

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden spoke out against anti-Semitism after officials said that a swastika had been found carved into the wall of a U.S. State Department elevator. “Let me be clear: Anti-Semitism has no place in the State Department, in my administration, or anywhere in the world. It’s up

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USA

Jared Kushner to leave politics, launch investment firm – sources

Published by Reuters By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Jared Kushner, a top adviser to former President Donald Trump, plans to launch an investment firm in coming months, a move that will take him away from politics for the foreseeable future, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday. Kushner, the former chief executive of

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USA

Epsteins to Donate $10 Million for Amphitheater at UC San Diego

Daniel and Phyllis Epstein have committed to provide a $10 million gift to the University of California San Diego in support of a new state-of-the-art amphitheater, signaling a major step in the university’s plan to become a top cultural destination. In recognition of the gift, the 2,850-seat venue will be named the Epstein Family Amphitheater. [UC San Diego news release]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

An Explanation of the Famous Book ‘Tanya’

Maggid Books in association with Steinsaltz Center has published part of the text of one of the two famous books by the founder of Chabad Hasidim, also called Lubavitcher Hasidim, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812). Rabbi Zalman’s other famous book is Shulchan Arukh Harav, a book that only partially survived, which deals with Jewish law. This book, a translation and commentary of part of the Tanya, originally published in Hebrew in 1797, is by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (1937-2020) a Chabad Hasid, the author of over 60 books and more than 100 articles. Not all of Steinsaltz’s writings focus on Chabad mysticism, but this book is about Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s view of mysticism. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

EU hijab ruling marks a shameful new low for civil liberties

Published by Al-Araby The recent ruling by the EU’s highest court allowing businesses to ban the hijab from being worn by employees is yet another episode in Europe’s long-running saga of enshrining Islamophobic practices in law. Two cases of Muslim women in Germany who were reprimanded for wearing the hijab were brought to the attention

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International

Joe Lieberman: Lessons Learned from Menachem Begin’s Life

Winston Churchill once wrote, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to go.” I thought of those words recently after watching Upheaval, a new documentary film produced by the Hidden Light Institute in Denver about the life of Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. Begin’s public life ended almost three decades ago, but this film offers insights and lessons in leadership, civility, anti-Semitism and Israel that are surprisingly relevant today. [Joseph Lieberman]

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Jewish History, Middle East, USA

Israel minister to discuss Pegasus scandal in France visit

Published by The Bangkok Post JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will meet his French counterpart in Paris this week for talks that will include an “update” on the Pegasus spyware scandal, his office said Tuesday. A ministry statement said Gantz will leave Wednesday for talks with French Defence Minister Florence Parly on topics including

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Middle East

Shana Hazan, 4th Generation Jewish Community Leader, Runs for School Board

SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — Shana Hazan, Sen. President pro Tem Toni Atkins’ appointment to the First 5 California Commission, former public school teacher, and parent of a San Diego Unified School District student, formally kicked off her campaign today for the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education, District B. The district encompasses Canyon Hills

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San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education