Rubenstein’s ‘Agamemnon’ wins posthumous plaudits

The late Dr. Howard Rubenstein’s translation of the famed Greek playwright Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon is a brilliant work. It is the first modern, very readable, very interesting and educational translation of an important classic with a wealth of explanatory information. The problem with former translations is that its English is outdated, stilted, and often hard to understand. Dr. Rubenstein’s version was performed in 1997 in California and in 2002 in Florida with high acclaim. The work is so good that it should become part of the literature courses in upper high school grades and in colleges. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Public performances again allowed in Israel

At last! After a year of living in a cultural desert, the ban on public performances in Israel has finally been lifted. And last night when we were able at last to attend a real live concert. The requirements were clear: anyone who had bought tickets had to provide proof of having been vaccinated twice, as well as a certificate of identity. The seating arrangements were equally stringent, with an empty seat between anyone not from the same household (very handy as a place to put one’s coat). [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Slingshot Names 10 Organizations to Watch

Slingshot, an organization that engages young Jewish philanthropists to make lasting impact, has announced its 2021 “10 to Watch” list that highlights young organizations and projects in North America that are responding to current and timely needs in the Jewish community and beyond. Nicole Nevarez, national director of the San Diego-based  Ta’amod: Stand Up! commented that her organization is proud to be included, along with nine other up-and-coming initiatives.[Press Release from Ta’amod: Stand Up!}

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Travel and Food

A Word of Torah: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

The Cohanim (priestly class) were given a very strict commandment to wash their hands and feet using the laver before entering the Holy Temple to do their service. The implement that they used to wash was called the Kiyor, and it was made of copper. The commentaries mention the source of the copper used, which in and of itself is interesting, as only a couple of the sources for the materials used in construction are traced back to their origins. This indicates that there is something significant in the source of the material In the case of the Kiyor the source, we are told, was the mirrors used by the Jewish women to beautify themselves during the times of the Egyptian slavery. The men would return from a day of back-breaking labor in the fields. They were physically and emotionally exhausted. These selfsame people had seen their babies murdered. Marital intimacy was the last thing on their minds. In fact, they were reticent to have any more children at all, lest they too become victimized by the evil tyrants. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

U.S. Rejoining U.N. Human Rights Council is Insanity

t has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. This is especially true concerning the wishful thinking in the moral divide of international affairs. One month into his administration, President Joe Biden’s foreign policy team is about to embark on a measure of what is pure political insanity by rejoining the United Nations Human Rights Council—a decision that contradicts everything that the United States is supposed to stand for. [Nitsana Darshan-Leibner]

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International, Middle East, USA

Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis: Stigma on the World’s Conscience

Tragically, the entire international community has failed miserably to muster the moral courage to end the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Syria’s civil war. Is it any wonder that such atrocities are happening time and again? The ten-year old civil war in Syria has gone far beyond tragic mass devastation. The body and soul of two Syrian generations have been crushed. Their hopes and dreams have been shattered. Their dignity and pride were robbed. Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons were left in utter despair, hoping to wake up each morning from a nightmare only to realize that a nightmarish life is their lot. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East

U.S. unable to protect Ain al-Asad airbase from rockets

At least 10 Katyusha-type rockets slammed into the Ain al-Asad airbase located in Anbar province in Western Iraq on the morning of March 3. Since the earlier attack in January 2020 by heavier Qiam-2 advanced tactical ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the airbase has been reinforced with air defenses that proved unable to stop the rocket attack. Can the US protect its personnel in Iraq or elsewhere from rocket attacks? [Stephen D. Bryen]

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

J-Street and Palestinian Antisemitism

Dylan Williams of J Street, in a recent op-ed, called on the Biden administration to “rebuild the U.S. relationship with moderate Palestinian leaders.” Since presumably J Street would not claim that the leaders of the genocidal Hamas gang are “moderate,” then the “moderate Palestinian leaders” Williams and J Street have in mind must be Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and those around him. [Moshe Phillips]

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Middle East, USA

Jerusalem 1000 Years Ago a Treasure Trove of Artifacts

Jerusalem 1000 – 1400; Every People Under Heaven is a beautifully-produced combination of a coffee-table book and exhibition catalogue produced in conjunction with the exhibition of that title held in New York in 2016. For the exhibition hundreds of precious, beautiful and fascinating artifacts produced in and concerning Jerusalem in the Middle Ages were amassed from a wide range of sources all over the world. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew Cuomo was seen as a voice of reason and calm during the early days of the pandemic, especially at a time when President Trump was offering practically no leadership at all regarding this crisis. Lately, however, Governor Cuomo is being seen in a different light as two former aides have accused him of sexual harrassment. Cuomo has denied the claims, and an independent investigation will likely take place under the auspices of the New York attorney general and the chief judge of the state court of appeals. Governor Cuomo once said “It was ugly. It was ugly. I’ll tell you the truth.” What was he referring to? [Mark d. Zimmerman]

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Hits and Misses on the Book Store Circuit

One of the venues publishers like to send their authors to are book stores where the author gives a talk and sells books. Our local bookstore, Warwick’s, regularly sends out a newsletter advertising an author and his/her book, such as Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, and Julie Andrews. I lectured there about half a dozen times on my various books. Warwick’s does a great job organizing space to hold 140 chairs. What I like about the Warwick’s talks is that there a lot of familiar faces in the audience. [Natasha Josefowirtz, Ph.D., ACSW]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County

Jonas tells of bouncing back from hardship

I’m Not the Boss, I Just Work Here,”  was written by the founder and chairman of the multibillion dollar publicly traded telecommunications corporation IDT, and Genie Energy Ltd, Howard Jonas.  Reading his personal short and succinctly portrayed story will leave you feeling that you too can overcome barriers of clinical depression and emerge with faith and profound success. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell