Jewish ideas and belief in Western modernity set Rabbi Sacks apart

The untimely death of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on Saturday generated a wave of sorrow throughout large sectors of the Jewish world and beyond, with an outpouring of tributes from across the Jewish religious spectrum as well as from the highest pinnacles of the British establishment, including the prime minister, Charles Prince of Wales, and

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International, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials

Trump Fires Third Defense Secretary Mark Esper After Clashes

President Donald Trump shared with the country on Monday morning over Twitter that he had fired Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper. This is the third defense secretary who Trump has fired in his term as president.Trump wrote that Esper would be temporarily replaced with the “highly respected” director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Christopher C.

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USA

Bry concedes mayoral race; plans neighborhood political organization

San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, conceding she had lost the mayor’s race to Assemblyman Todd Gloria, told a news conference on Zoom Monday that she plans to organize a new political organization to give neighborhoods and residents a stronger voice at City Hall. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Alex Trebek, RIP

Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy since 1984, died this week after an 18-month battle against pancreatic cancer. The winner of seven Emmy Awards, Trebek was also known as an activist and philanthropist, supporting causes including World Vision Canada and the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue at the University of Ottawa. One of the fun aspects of the Jeopardy program is that on many occasions, the categories are given clever names, often with puns. Which of the following is a real Jeopardy category that contained an answer and question of Jewish content? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

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Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire

First direct tourist flight from Israel to UAE touches down in Dubai

The first flight carrying Israeli tourists to the United Arab Emirates landed on Sunday in the city-state of Dubai, the latest sign of the normalisation deal reached between the two nations.FlyDubai flight No. FZ8194 landed at Dubai International Airport just after 5:40pm, bringing the tourists to the skyscraper-studded city after a nearly three-hour trip.The low-cost

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Middle East, Travel and Food

Hebrew Day alumna Tova Winick briefs 2 Defense Ministers

Sooner or later, many schools will learn of an  alumna who made it big.  For example, Patrick Henry High School in San Diego boasts as one of its graduates the actress Annette Bening.  Westmount High School in Westmount, Quebec, claims  U.S. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as a 1981 graduate.  And Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School now can brag about Tova Winick, Class of 2013. Okay, Tova isn’t a household name yet, but there has been quite a buzz about her ever since she was pictured in late October in the uniform of an officer of the Israel Defense Forces giving a briefing on the workings of the Iron Dome missile defense system to U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper accompanied by Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East

Palestinian president congratulates Biden

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday congratulated Joe Biden, the projected winner of the US presidential election, on his victory, as well as Kamala Harris, projected to serve as the first woman vice president in US history.Abbas said he hoped Biden’s election would improve “Palestinian-American relations and achieve freedom, independence, justice and dignity for our

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Middle East, USA

Israel needs to watch out for Joe Biden’s UN ambassador pick – opinion

US President-elect Joe Biden reflects the orthodoxy of the “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. He is a committed, enthusiastic proponent of this idea as a way forward in the Middle East.There is a competing political paradigm – “racial-justice politics” – that has gained, if not dominance, at the very least great influence with liberal

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Middle East, USA

Mohammed bin Salman congratulates Biden over US election

Saudi Arabia’s king and its powerful crown prince Sunday congratulated Joe Biden on winning the US presidential election, state media said, a day after TV networks declared him the victor.King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent congratulatory messages to US president-elect Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.It added

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Middle East, USA

Retiring Rep. Susan Davis considers possible role with JFS

Now that Sara Jacobs has been elected as her successor, retiring Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) says she would like to work in the future either part-time or as a volunteer in the San Diego Jewish community, specifically mentioning her admiration for the work of Jewish Family Service. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, USA

Moving forward while presidential politics remain stuck

So many of us are stuck, unable to move forward. And yet, we must.

Perhaps we can learn how from Father Abraham. In the Torah, we read of the Akeda, the story (Gen. 22) of the binding of Isaac. It begins with the words: Vay’hi achar had’varim ha-eyleh (And it happened after these things). The Rashbam comments: Kol makom sh’ne’emar achar had’varim ha-eyleh, m’chubar al haparsha shel’mala (Every place where the Torah says, “After these things,” it is connected to the text above it). [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, USA

A Radical View about ‘Truth’

I read some books and essays recently focusing on the “truths” that people of different religions have that differ with the “truths” held by people of other religions. The object of the books and essays is to find how we can improve interfaith relations when the lives of different people are based on ideas that they find hard to give up despite others refusing or unable to accept what they believe. Examples include the “truth” held by many Christians that there is a trinity of three gods, that of many Jewish mystics that God was composed of ten parts that came apart, and that of Muslims who “know” that Mohamed received the Koran from God. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion