Daughter conducts violinist mom with Hungarian orchestra

This MSR recording is the first time in the annals of classical music that a violin soloist has been accompanied by her own conductor daughter!

My sister, violinist Zina Schiff, my niece, conductor Avlana Eisenberg, and Hungary’s MAV Symphony Orchestra are featured in this mother-daughter collaboration: Sibelius Violin Concerto, Barber Violin Concerto, Ben-Haim Three Songs Without Words.. Gramophone Magazine described how the “mother and daughter partnership shows evident unity of purpose….intense passionate feeling.” [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Ancient practices: leaders’ complaints; judicial systems, and giants

By way of introduction, the Book of Deuteronomy is labeled as Moses’ Last Discourse, and thus touted as a review of Exodus through Numbers. However, it is quickly seen that the text of this book departs in numerous details from what is contained in the three preceding Torah books. I have chosen three passages from this parasha for a comparison with texts about the Israelites’ pagan neighbors. I chose such subjects as leaders’ complaints; judicial systems, and giants. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Seacrest innovates a fundraiser during Covid-19

Unlike many organizations that settle for “gala” banquet dinners with speakers, Seacrest Village Retirement Communities in Encinitas  has tended to favor outdoor fundraising activities such as golf, tennis, and pickleball along with a spa day for donors.  This year, however, Covid-19 was too great a handicap for golf, and it aced out the tennis tournament.  However, planners for Seacrest Village, which is the upscale successor of the San Diego Hebrew Home for the Aged, were not deterred.  They came up with five methods by which donors could nevertheless help the home raise money to defray the costs for seniors who are financially at risk. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A security proposal for holy places

A new security approach is needed to protect holy places. Even before the COVID-19 epidemic and the lockdown that impacted businesses and organizations, especially churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, attacks on holy places were increasing. Now almost every day another religious site is invaded, trashed, burned or rabbis, priests, ministers, pastors and monks are assaulted, and in one case a Buddhist monk was killed praying in his temple by a gunshot in High Point, North Carolina. (Stephen D. Bryen, Ph.D)

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Religion, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Suppose Trump refuses to accept election defeat

The concerns I have are not numerous, but are extremely critical: what if he challenges the results of the election and remains adamant on calling for a recount or a new election entirely? What if he refuses to leave the White House and prevents the peaceful transition of power? What if he calls on the military to occupy all major American cities while he still is the Commander-in-Chief between Election Day and the inauguration of the new president? [Alon Ben- Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, USA

Book Review: ‘God and the Pandemic’

Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel, the author of ten books, has made a fascinating, enlightening, and much needed contribution to our understanding of the Coronavirus pandemic and Jewish and other views on the subject in his book God and the Pandemic. He gives readers a thorough very readable analysis of the many pandemics, earthquakes, plagues, and other occurrences that killed many people. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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

Watching granddaughter’s IDF ceremony in Covid19 time

“You are invited to watch the ceremony to mark the graduation of the soldiers who have completed the Officers’ Training Course.” That was the text of the official invitation emailed to me and other family members by one of our granddaughters, whose sister was one of the soldiers concerned. We were informed that we would be able to watch the ceremony live, as filmed by the IDF’s official photographer, on the official IDF site on the internet. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

As Rabbi Hollander retires, Rabbi Rosenberg ready to step in

or 21 years, Rabbi Chaim Hollander has served as spiritual leader of Young Israel of San Diego (YISD), a small Orthodox congregation located across Navajo Road from the popular Cowles Mountain trail head.  Hollander came to San Diego to teach at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School (SSDHDS), one of the schools that incoming Rabbi Eddie Rosenberg attended as a child.  [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Teach these stories to your children

“Do not fear them, for it is the Eternal your God who is fighting for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22). What a buoyant, assuring, and optimistic message of hope. That’s what this week’s parasha offers to us. The surety that, after we’ve done all we can, we can confidently let go and move forward with faith and trust in Hashem. As Rabbi Tarfon taught in Pirke Avot (2:16), “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but you are not free to desist from it either.” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell