Laurie Baron, Ph.D, compiles a list of movies and documentaries addressing American anti-Semitism.
Streaming movies about American anti-Semitism Read More »
Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
With Mother’s Day coming this Sunday, May 10, we thought we’d solicit from readers some favorite memories and photos of your Jewish mothers. Eileen Wingard was kind enough to help us launch this feature with a recollection about her mother, Rose Schiff, z”l. As you will read, Eileen incorporated into her recollection two other areas of interest for this publication: Judaica collections and San Diego Jewish community reflections on Israel. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering our Jewish Mamas as Mother’s Day approaches Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Eileen Wingard, Middle East, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, USA
Perhaps we need this week’s parasha, Emor, more than many other times in our history. With protests for and against seemingly everything, vitriol and bitterness filling the media, contempt and temper raging in many homes, and hostility and acrimony swelling in the political arena, what we can learn from Emor, speaking with love and sensitivity, is vital to our healthy future. And isn’t it interesting that we read Emor during the Omer, words that appear to be the same, but jumbled? Could it be because we stop counting the Omer when we receive the eseret hadibrot, and dibrot, daber, emor, vayomer, ve’armata, are all words connected to speaking, specifically, Hashem speaking to all of us? But just what’s the difference between speaking and…speaking? [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]
A Torah command to speak softly, gently Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The Chabad Centers of San Diego County will be joining together to celebrate the Jewish festival of Lag B’Omer, a holiday that is typically celebrated with large outings and bonfires. Lag B’Omer is the day when the Jewish people celebrate the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (known by the
Chabad’s drive-through Lag B’Omer circus May 12 Read More »
San Diego Calendar, San Diego County
Rabbi Dov Singer’s Prepare My Prayer: Recipes to Awaken the Soul is one of the best books I have read in recent years on the meaning of Jewish prayer. The author is head of Yeshivat Makor Chaim in Israel and has done considerable work with Israelis showing them how Judaic prayer can facilitate a meaningful spiritual renewal in the worshiper. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Prayer can be Do-It-Yourself Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
During what Hillel of San Diego described as a webcast report from the front lines on Monday, May 4, UC San Diego student Bianca Kermani posed a question to San Diego State University graduate Sheryl Warfield, who is now working as a nurse in the intensive care unit of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. “What flaws have you noticed in the system?” she asked. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Hillel webcast ponders ethics of pandemic Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
So far, no agreement on a government. There is argument about who will get which ministry. So far, no politician wants to be Health Minister. Perhaps those having to decide are waiting for the Supreme Court to make its decision. There remains a chance that it’ll veto the choice of Bibi as Prime Minister, given the three indictments against him. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Coalition, coronavirus confusion in Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Wherever you go, whether to the local corner market or to the mall, the all-seeing eye of surveillance monitors virtually every segment of modern life—whether you go to the hospital, or to a school—even the sidewalks. Nobody ever thinks to question its legitimacy; it is a fact of today’s modern technological age. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Has Orwell’s ‘1984’ arrived 36 years later? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
A newly published paper co-authored by a San Diego State University professor and commissioned by a Jewish foundation provides recommendations on best practices for triage guidelines during the coronavirus crisis. [Jacob Kamaras]
SDSU prof, Ruderman Foundation: How to triage during pandemic Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & EducationTwelve score (Jared searched on Google to tell me how many years a score was) and fourteen years ago, the founding fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation sanctioning slavery, and dedicated to the proposition that all white men with property were created equal. They did a decent job drafting the constitution, but not as great as I could have done. None of them ever had their own highly rated TV show! I would have omitted Articles I and III. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
How Trump would have given the Gettysburg Address Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireLet’s start with a head’s up. If you are looking for motivation, stop the search. You see, after studying this field for more than four decades, I’ve arrived at this: motivation is not something you have, lose, find, get, create, or build. It’s something you reveal. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Motivation — you don’t get it Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
On the positive side of the Jewish experience in America, Elan Carr, the U.S. Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism, mentioned today the late Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the successful anti-polio vaccine, and founder of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla. On the negative side, he brought up last year’s attack on Chabad of Poway, at which Lori Gilbert Kaye was murdered. [Our Shtetl San Diego Column by Donald H. Harrison]
Fighting Jew-Hatred on the Internet Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
Theodor Herzl, whose 160th birthday was celebrated today, would not have been surprised by the anti-Semites who try to blame coronavirus on Jews or on Israel. Early in Herzl’s career, he came to the conclusion that hatred of Jews was a permanent problem that Jews could never eliminate, but only learn to manage, Gol Kalev, chairman of the America-Israel Friendship League’s think tank, commented on a worldwide webcast. [Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering Herzl on his 160th birthday Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
Honey holds a significant place in Jewish tradition, most prominently at Rosh Hashanah when we dip apples in honey for a sweet new year. There was a question as to whether honey is actually kosher. The Mishna says in Tractate Bechorot, “That which comes from something which is Tameh [non-Kosher] is Tameh, and that which comes of that which is Tahor [Kosher] is Tahor.” Therefore, for example, camel’s milk and stork eggs are not kosher as camels and storks are not kosher animals. Why is honey kosher, when the bees which produce it are not kosher? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Honey bees Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire