A ‘Rabbi for Trump’ tells why

I supports conservatism, fairness, love of country, and most of all the right of Jews to be free of anti-Semitic attacks and the public discrimination proclivity. Already when Donald Trump ran in the primaries, I had faith not only that Trump would be a good president for all Americans, but he would turn over the hostile tide President Obama established against the State of Israel. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, International, Jewish History, USA

Excavating the memorabilia of a lifetime

What a wonderful opportunity the pandemic has given us—the gift of free time to sort through old files and letters that we have been procrastinating about for years. The time has come to unearth them from the bottom drawers and old boxes stuffed in garages and store rooms. We hang on to these memorabilia to connect us to a past event or time in our lives, and, when we touch them again, they trigger a flood of memories unavailable to us without that little piece of paper, that letter, that card, that document. [Natasha Josefowitz]

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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz

Memories of Tisha B’Avs past

The Jewish People create their own simcha (joy) and tzuris (pain). Our foes are often generated through karma of our own manufacture. The Talmud recounts the origin of archenemy Amalek, who wreaked so much suffering on our nation throughout the ages. Our patriarch Yitzchak’s eldest son was Esav, twin brother of Yaakov. Esav’s son was Eliphaz, and Eliphaz’s concubine, Timna, was a princess who wanted to convert to Judaism. She presented her case to a beit din (Jewish court) formed by the three patriarchs who all happened to be alive at the time. When they rejected her, she chose to remain with Eliphaz, stating, “Better to be a maidservant to this nation than a leader in another.” Their offspring is Amalek, an individual who was hell-bent on avenging the alleged disrespect shown to his mother and grandfather. This hatred of the Jewish People was handed down through the generations, eventually leading to the tribe of Amalek’s brazen attack on Israel when we left Egypt. Amalek surfaces again in the near genocide concocted by tribesman Haman in the Purim story. [Sam Glaser]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Sam Glaser

Black veterans denied rights of G.I. Bill of Rights

I recently heard PBS television host, Christiane Amanpour remark (really a question) to her guest, “I thought Black veterans of World War II did not receive benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights.” Her statement passed without further comment, but not for me. As a veteran of WW II, I am familiar with the G.I. Bill of Rights and knew she was not technically correct. However, at this very moment thousands of protestors, Black and White, are marching on our city streets demanding an end to police brutality against Black men and women. With Amanpour’s remark burning in my mind and hearing those voices in the streets, I had to check what really happened to Black veterans 75 years ago. [Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Aces have a place at the table

When we speak of this community, we often stop at the Ts or just abbreviate LGBT+. But the A in LGBTQIA stands for Asexual or “Acers.” These are people who really don’t want an intimate partner of either sex. Resisting societal and familial pressures, Acers are content to just be. I’d like to talk about one such person who played a pivotal role in my own family. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein pleads guilty to tax fraud

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, former spiritual leader of Chabad of Poway, who was welcomed at the White House after he was wounded in an April 27, 2019 attack on his synagogue by a gunman, had meanwhile been under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of tax fraud, to which he pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court.  U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said he planned to recommend probation for Goldstein because he has helped his office obtain the convictions of five other co-defendants and is cooperating in numerous cases that are still pending. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Violinist Zina Schiff plays the Cesar Franck Sonata

I first heard the Cesar Franck Sonata when I was sixteen and attended a recital of the great Polish-born Jewish violinist, Bronislaw Huberman. His closing work was the Franck Sonata, his signature piece. It became one of my favorites and I worked on it in my chamber music class at UCLA. That was before my youngest sister, Zina, was even born. Little did I dream that one day, I would have a sister who would play the Franck Sonata in this glorious recording. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Here’s to whatever comes: the uncertainty of life

Instead of acknowledging that all of life is uncertain, accepting it and growing through it, many find themselves anxious, apprehensive, and filled with destabilizing fear when faced with uncertainty. But when are we not NOT faced with ambiguous, unpredictable and” novel, uncertainty? There is no crystal ball of certainty. (Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D)

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Lifestyles, Michael Mantell

Israel’s government indecisive on coronavirus remedies

Complaints are mounting, especially from sectors of the unemployed, laid off, independents, operators of halls for weddings and other occasions, bar owners, restaurateurs, and those providing cultural events. They’ve been left out of acceptable–or any–programs for aid, and have been been closed in the government’s effort to deal with the current high wave of Coronavirus infections. One sign of the coalition’s fault comes from the multiple plans and promises, none implemented, or implemented only in part, to deal with the economics or the infections. [Ira Sharkansky]

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Beth Jacob issues rules for outdoor davening

– Beth Jacob Congregation responded quickly to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order on Monday, once again closing down indoor places of worship in response to the spiking coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s order also included fitness centers, offices for “non-critical sectors,” personal care services, malls and  hair salons and barbershops. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Jewish trivia quiz: Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr just celebrated his 80th birthday by hosting a livestream concert benefiting Black Lives Matter and other causes. The concert featured performances by Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Steve Earle, Keb Mo and others, with Ringo opening the show performing “It Don’t Come Easy.” The Beatles drummer once found himself at the receiving end of a very scary threat, which led him to say, “I’m not Jewish.” What was the frightening event? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Satire: Trumping the virus, the court, and Tisha B’Av

To characterize President Trump’s creative ideas as mind-blowing or mind-numbing would be classic understatement. So many of his ideas are so very brilliant, they’re almost blinding. Take the recent example, when he said there would be very few cases of the coronavirus if the United States stopped its testing and contact-tracing. So, taken to its logical extreme, if you don’t test, there are no cases of the virus, no victims..and, ultimately no need for a vaccine or even protective gear. [Satire by Joel H. Cohen]

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Jewish Religion, Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA