How many times must a black man say
That he is gasping for air?
How many police must stand idly by
As he dies while they silently stare?
{Parody by Laurie Baron}
The answer is burning in the night Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USA
StandWithUs, the international organization that battles anti-Semitism on college, high school, and middle school campuses, is engaged in a drive to prevent wording of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) anti-Israel movement from being restored to a proposed, ethnic studies model curriculum (ESMC) for schools throughout California. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
California battle resumes over ethnic studies Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Sam Litvin, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
When thinking about Jewish communities around the world, most of us probably don’t give much thought to Uganda. But tucked away in the Savannah, over very rough roads, live the Abayudaya. Like the rest of the world, they are also affected by the current pandemic. Under the same lockdown rules, most Abayudaya are unable to go to their jobs to provide for their families. The worldwide pandemic has hit them hard because, as meager as our stimulus checks might seem, their government provides bubkes. And unlike many of us, working remotely via Wi-Fi is simply not an option. [Eric George Tauber]
Online concert benefits Ugandan Jewry Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USAWant to catch a lecture online on a Jewish topic? Laurie Baron provides links to some interesting ones.
Streaming Jewish lectures for the week of May 31, 2020 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & BroadcastReps. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) are co-sponsoring legislation to shine more light on the extent of sexual assault in the military. Among other provisions, the proposed legislation would require Judge Advocates General of each Armed Service to assess how well current laws and regulations dealing with the subject are working and make recommendations for further improvement. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Susan Davis urges steps to curb sexual assaults in military Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA
Just because a former President of the United States is no longer in office -and lacks the authority to affect any executive orders or policy changes- does not mean that he is no longer a threat. The morals and ideals he espouses continue to have a lasting impact on the fabric of this great nation, whether to bind the threads of American citizenry in unity or rent them asunder. [Eric George Tauber]
Provocateurs sow dissension among Americans Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
This Friday and Saturday we celebrate the awesome Holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot means ‘Weeks,’ and it also means ‘Oaths.’ Shavuot is also called Z’man Matan Toratainu, which means ‘The Time of the Giving of Our Torah.’ Additionally it is called Chag HaBikurim, ‘The Festival of the First Fruit,’ as the holiday marks the beginning of the season when the First Fruit Offerings would be brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: The Shavuot holiday Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
The current observance of Shavuot has no relationship to its biblical ancestor and doesn’t even occur at the same time. Very few people know the truth about this day. Most Jews think Shavuot recalls the day the Torah was revealed to the Israelites during the days of Moses. This is not true. This significance was given to the holiday in the middle ages when the holiday had lost one of its original purposes; the sacrifice prescribed for the day was discontinued when the second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. I am not advocating that Jews should not observe Shavuot. Judaism today is not Torah Judaism. It is Rabbinic Judaism. Jews observe the Torah as it is interpreted by the rabbis. I observe Shavuot. The purpose of this article is simply to reveal its historical development. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Biblical Shavuot and its practice today Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion
How can we achieve sustainable development, not just globally, but specifically in Morocco? We must first consider what the central features of this development are. We must incorporate many factors in creative and innovative design: education, gender, ethics, economics, politics, culture, history, geography, finance, and technical aspects in order for sustainable projects to have enduring success. We also need to employ a participatory approach. We have learned over time through trial and error and observation of how development assistance has been institutionalized in the past 70 years that participation and sustainability are inextricably linked. [Yossef Ben-Meir]
Sustainable development requires community consensus Read More »
Middle East, Yossef Ben-Meir
This Shabbat we divert from the usual sequence in the Torah to read special passages related to Shavuot. … I have chosen two passages from these readings, for comparison with ancient pagan practices, from what I found on the internet. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Ancient practices of charity, debt collection, slavery Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion, Middle East
During this pandemic, we are all, perhaps particularly boomers, challenged to avoid becoming “doomers.” A key to avoid this declining mindset is living a fully active life with a “regardless” mindset, one that is filled with high hopes of living a long time, to 100. Dr. Bortz tells us that “most of the changes commonly associated with older people are not really dependent on the passage of time; they result mostly from disuse.” He further tells us, “Who you get to be—how old, wise, competent, creative, sexy, fun you become—depends on how you plan. Decrepitude and loss are not predetermined. How you… set your course is highly predictive of the journey you will take.” [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]
Booming or dooming through COVID-19? Read More »
Travel and Food
Marione Ingram was born in Hamburg in 1938 to a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father, and so was defined as a ‘mischling’ (half-breed) by the Nazi authorities. Her autobiographical book begins with her account of having been sent by her mother when she was eight years old to take her younger sister to their aunt. She decided to return unbidden and found her mother in the throes of an attempt to commit suicide by putting her head in their gas oven. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
A ‘Mischling’ growing up in WWII Hamburg Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History
No doubt that millions of Americans have prayed as much or more than they ever prayed since the coronavirus crisis clutched us by the throat. They prayed at home – for survival and a return to pre-Covid-19 life. While we are it, many of us can pray for the resumption of traditional religious services where we will again be surrounded by friends and relatives inside a comfortable building such as a synagogue, church or mosque. [Bruce S. Ticker]
Rush to reopen houses of worship may be deadly Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish Religion, USA
In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed to the Kremlin that the U.S. and the USSR each be permitted to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the other’s territory and collect data on each other’s military forces and activities to enhance confidence that neither was planning a surprise attack. Moscow refused, calling it a license for American spying. Intensification of the Cold War made the issue dormant until President George H.W. Bush revived it in 1999 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The “Open Skies Treaty” was signed and ratified in 2002 and now has 34 members. According to the Arms Control Association, “All of a state-party’s territory can be overflown. No territory can be declared off-limits by the host nation.” In addition, “Observation aircraft used to fly the missions must be equipped with sensors that enable the observing party to identify significant military equipment, such as artillery, fighter aircraft, and armored combat vehicles.” [Shoshana Bryen]
‘Open Skies Treaty’ as outdated as cassette player Read More »
International, Shoshana Bryen, USA