What jumped out at me from a New York Times piece on Rashida Tlaib was what the Times omitted – the most essential elements of Tlaib’s scary and offensive tenure in Congress. The two reporters on the story barely hinted at Tlaib’s pattern of Israel-bashing even before she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018. [Bruce S. Ticker]
All the news that fits preconceived notions Read More »
Bruce Ticker, USA
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.]
Ancient practices: leaders’ complaints; judicial systems, and giants Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
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]
Seacrest innovates a fundraiser during Covid-19 Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Laurie Baron, Ph.D, collates a list of lectures that will be streaming from Sunday, July 26 through July 30. All times are San Diego times.
Streaming Jewish Lectures July 26-30 Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
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)
A security proposal for holy places Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Religion, Stephen D. Bryen, USA
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]
Suppose Trump refuses to accept election defeat Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USA
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]
Book Review: ‘God and the Pandemic’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
“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]
Watching granddaughter’s IDF ceremony in Covid19 time Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The Current coronavirus lockdown is causing both major and minor inconveniences to our lifestyle. But drawing on our childhood experiences during the Holocaust let us put this in a proper perspective. [Garry Fabian]
Holocaust survivor’s perspective on coronavirus Read More »
International, Jewish History
Okay, I know there are no synagogues in Santee, and I know it’s surely not a Jewish neighborhood. But I’ll speak up for Santee, even though it is not my community, because I recently heard it spoken of in unpleasant and, I thought, undeserved terms. [Roni Breite]
Santee does not deserve its ‘Klantee’ reputation Read More »
San Diego County, Travel and Food
With grief comes loss and with loss comes change. We have all experienced some form of loss: the death of a friend or loved one; divorce; illness of self or others; or an endless list of personal setbacks. Loss is a very real part of life for everyone at one time or another. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]
A rabbinical guide to the stages of grief Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles
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]
As Rabbi Hollander retires, Rabbi Rosenberg ready to step in Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County
“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]
Teach these stories to your children Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Just like the Jews in Germany before World War II tried to convince the Nazis that they were good Germans but to no avail, Jews today are trying to convince the world that we are good people. They say that Jews donate to charity more than any other nation or faith, that they contribute to high-tech innovations that advance the world far above their proportion in the world, that Jews have given the world many great physicians, thinkers, artists, and entrepreneurs, and that they are ardent human rights activists. But the world largely responds with contempt. It may be ironic, but it seems very natural for anti-racism protesters to yell “Dirty Jews” at counter-protesters, as The Jerusalem Post reported on June 15. In other words, many people don’t even relate to anti-Semitism as a type of racism. [Michael Laitman, Ph.D]
Lack of Jewish unity spurs anti-Semitism Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East