Dear Todd Gloria … Let me be frank. I’m not well-connected with the political partisans or cadre of longtime lobbyists who form the backbone of your campaign. But you seem determined to pick a fight. So, respectfully, here is the difference between everyday Democrats like me and politicians like you. [Barbara Bry]
Barbara Bry defines ‘Democrats like me’ Read More »
San Diego County
From Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19, I have chosen four passages for comparison, from the internet, with ancient Israel’s neighbors regarding female captives, death penalties, found objects, and mixing prohibitions. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Ancient practices: female captives, death penalty, found objects, mixing prohibitions Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Karen Parry, a Jewish community professional who grew up and held her earliest positions in San Diego County, will return to her native city from Seattle to become the executive director of Hillel of San Diego. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Karen Parry new Hillel of San Diego executive director Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
The Museum of the Jewish People has temporarily transformed itself into an “airport terminal” so children and families can “travel” the world both in-person and virtually despite ongoing air travel limited due to COVID-19 safety concerns. There’s even a “Museum Airlines” to help visitors’ imaginations take flight. [Press Release0
Museum pretends to be an airport terminal Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Travel and Food, USA
In case you didn’t tune in, Tuesday night the Republican National Convention continued, and the Trump campaign broke the law on national television. That’s right, and not just once, but multiple times. By holding a politicized event at the White House, using a U.S. citizen naturalization ceremony with military personnel present as a prop, and having official cabinet members like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speak, Trump and the Republican Party blatantly abused the power of the presidency. And clearly, they don’t care. [Congressman Adam Schiff]
Trump campaign’s use of White House, Secretary of State, violated the law Read More »
USA
This week’s parasha, literally meaning, “When you go out…” opens with a description of facing war with enemies. Maimonides tells us that more than seventy mitzvot spring from this week’s Torah portion, from weights and measures and collecting debts in a righteous way, to proper ways to divorce and keeping promises. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Overcoming evil inclinations Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The US has now twice failed to trigger a “snapback” mechanism in the UN Security Council to reimpose sanctions against Iran. Indonesia’s UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani dismissed the move that could have ended the 2015 Iranian deal, under his authority as president of the Council for the month of August. He said, “There is no consensus in the council and thus the president is not in the position to take further action. [Steve Kramer]
Stopping Iran, the world’s foremost terrorism sponsor Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA
Zoom services may be good, but those in the open air are better in the opinion of Rabbi Mendy Begun of Chabad of Chula Vista. With what he hopes will be the help of other Jewish congregations, the rabbi plans to put on a free second night of Rosh Hashanah shofar blowing and concert by Cantor Daniel Moreno in Cottonwood Park in Chula Vista. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
An outdoor Shofar service for 2nd night Rosh Hashanah Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Travel and Food
The star of the first half of this year’s pared-down Summerfest of the La Jolla Music Society was indisputably, the Israeli-born director, pianist Inon Barnatan. He was featured in all the selections on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. His playing was consistently well-calibrated and balanced with his string collaborators and musically distinctive in its beautiful phrasing and dynamic shadings. His string colleagues were no less distinguished. [Eileen Wingard]
Pianist Barnatan stars in LJMS Summerfest Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsHenry David Thoreau once shared that he had three chairs in his home, “…one for solitude, two for friendship, and three for society.” Doesn’t that provide you with remarkable insight about the value of a chair? Chairs provide comfort, stability, relaxation, style and for Thoreau, “…solitude, friendship and society.” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
The Mantell CHAIR method Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
In lieu of a platform, the Republican National Committee built an altar. My deep state sources furnished me with the original draft. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: The deification of Donald Trump Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
It was my habit to stop at a corner along the trail, in the spreading shade of a tropical Moringa tree, and to recite the story of a fateful meeting between David and Saul (2 Samuel 26), here on the very location where it took place. It couldn’t be more authentic.
If the tour leader had a good voice, not a tiresome mumble, I would find the designated chapter in his travelers’ bible, thrust it in his hand and request him to read it to his flock. (Ithamar Perath)
Animals enact biblical moment at Ein Gedi gorge Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, The World We Share, Travel and Food
Another extraordinary piece, Circus Maximus (2019) is one that I so deeply admired from the moment I saw it complete, for its vitality, its de-centered yet exquisitely balanced structure, its thematic unity, and vibrant palette, its countless intertwining stories – I so wanted my kids to grow up with this lively and inexhaustible work that Anderson kindly let me have it and pay it off gradually. He told me he had been collecting the materials that went into it for seven years, which could hardly be doubted. Michael waited until it had become something of the past and then he created this epic tribute to the circus world with all its zaniness, its indefatigable physicality, its costumes and clowns with their joviality yet frightening undercurrents, the animals, elephants, and lions, and so much more. The circus always struck me as a theme for which Anderson’s art was destined, perfectly suited to his unstoppable talent for deconstruction and recreation – here was a subject the content of which he could explore, take apart and endlessly reconfigure in his inimitable style. Anderson could in life play the clown, laughing or crying, for he was not afraid to show his tears – but he was most truly, I believe, the tightrope walker: always living on the edge but with supreme skill, and poise, and his own style of grace. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
In memory of Michael Anderson, collage master Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir
All politics may require complexity in its leaders. How else to put together the various forces necessary to keep an alliance together? And for someone who has served a complex society for more than eleven years, the complexity is likely to spill over into what some would describe as unreliability. Bibi may have been made for it. Considerable time and higher education in the US; three marriages; an earlier period when he changed his name to Benjamin Ben Nitai . Little if any relationship with an older daughter by one of his earlier wives. Skilled in the two languages most important for an Israeli leader. And with a father, wife, and elder son very much on the outside of what would be expected of a national leader. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Netanyahu’s political successes and current trials Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East