VILNIUS, Lithuania (Press Release) — Today marks the 300th birth anniversary of Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman. On this occasion, the city of Vilnius offers a new possibility to explore one of the treasures of Jewish heritage in Vilnius – the Great Synagogue of Vilna. These days, when travel possibilities are limited, the new […]
Jewish Travel: Great Synagogue of Vilna Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food
As a San Diego Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) subscriber, I received in the mail a beautiful, shiny brochure, optimistically advertising the concerts scheduled for the orchestra’s 2020-2021 Season. With Raphael Payare, our city’s dynamic new conductor at the helm for his second season, and a wonderful lineup of concerts, we all hope it happens. [Eileen Wingard]
San Diego Symphony hopeful for 2020-2021 season Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County
On April 24, 1915 the Ottoman Empire arrested approximately 250 prominent Armenians and deported them a month later to the Turkish interior where most of them were killed. Armenians annually commemorate April 24th as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. There are few movies about the genocide because Turkey has pressured countries to halt their production, limit their distribution, or undermine their reception. On the eve of Germany’s invasion of Poland, Hitler informed his generals of plans to massacre many Poles to achieve German living space concluding with this haunting question: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” I’ve prepared this list to promote its memory and international recognition. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming the Armenian genocide Read More »
International, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Some friends whose opinions I respect have reacted against my support (for what it’s worth) for the so-called unity government. They do not seem to believe that Benny Gantz did the right thing by joining Binyamin Netanyahu. They argue that the prime minister has taken the leader of the opposition to the cleaners by manipulating him to sign a vague and obscurely worded coalition agreement that’s very different from the platform on which the leader of the Blue and White party successfully fought in the last three elections. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Did Gantz do the right thing? Read More »
Middle East
The formation of an Israeli coalition government led by Netanyahu and Gantz, the leaders of Likud and Kahol Lavan respectively, will finally put an end to Israel’s nearly 18 month-long political paralysis and, for now, personal rivalry following three elections. Both agreed on a host of important socio-economic and security matters. The most ominous issue they strongly embraced, however, is the annexation of a substantial swath of Palestinian territories based on Trump’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan. Should Israel move to implement the plan, it will lead to ominous consequences and drastically change Israel’s character as a democratic, Jewish state. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
The dire consequences of territorial annexation Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USA
The woman who organized last weekend’s downtown protest against the city’s and county’s stay-at-home orders says she has been receiving threats on her life. [Donald H. Harrison]
Stay-at-home protest organizer says her life threatened Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
In a video posted to Twitter on Saturday, the Mayor encouraged his fellow New Yorkers to tattle on citizens who aren’t following social distancing guidelines by taking a picture of the alleged violation and texting it to city officials. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
NYC Mayor de Blasio wrong to encourage citizen tattling Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USAImagine that historians recently discovered manuscripts from the Center for Bubonic Control (CBC), advising kings how to deal with the pandemic. Further, imagine Donald Trump hearing about these documents, and wondering if they might contain lessons for how he should handle the Covid19 crisis. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Medieval missives from the CBC Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The politics linked to Israel got a tad more uncomfortable, thanks to the main U.S. presidential contenders.Last Friday, J Street endorsed Joe Biden’s bid to oust President Trump on Nov. 3, which he readily welcomed. The following night, Trump pounced on anti-Israel attitudes among Democrats with no real coaxing. Both moves raise disturbing questions. If the former vice president is elected, will J Street prod Biden to make decisions damaging to Israel? [Bruce S. Ticker]
J Street’s endorsement of Biden raises Israeli issues Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA
Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore released on Earth Day the movie, Planet of the Humans, in which he raises the issue of whether the Green Movement has been taken over by capitalists, who have fooled us into believing that wind, solar, and biomass energy will help the planet regenerate. In the final analysis, it’s not a question of climate change so much as it “human change” that is required. The full documentary may be seen above. Closer to home, lots of folks were getting out in nature to celebrate Earth Day, albeit while taking such precautions as social distancing and in some cases wearing masks. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
It’s back to nature on Earth Day Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, The World We Share, USA
Once again, with open eyes, we can see the weekly parasha coming with contemporary lessons to help us live better. Parashat Tazria – Metzorah focuses on our physical wellbeing and a specific disfiguring infectious disease, tzara’at, or what has come to be seen as leprosy. The first parasha deals with the infliction while the second deals with the purification process. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Especially during pandemic, we must avoid lashon hara Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Today is my dad’s yahrzeit. My dad, Rabbi Dr. Nathan Drazin was born on March 16, 1906 and passed away in Israel on 28 Nisan 1976. He is well-known as a brilliant man, a scholar with a beautiful personality. He was also a hero. It is proper to remember him today. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Rabbi salutes his father, the rabbi who resisted white flight from Baltimore Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, USA
Hallelujah! We Have a Government. Finally at last! And it’s unique in being one that nobody wanted and no one voted for. All over Israel yesterday people who were watching the nightly news programs on TV were astonished to find that an agreement had actually been signed, wondering why it took so long to achieve, and trying to weigh up who are the winners and who are the losers. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Astonishment over Israel’s new government Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East
On Yom Hashoah, there were a number of Holocaust stories on my Facebook feed, mostly personal testimonies of children and grandchildren of survivors. Thankfully, my own grandparents were spared those horrors. Their families had come to the United States well before that. But I still have a great story. [Eric George Tauber]
Escaping the Holocaust with quick thinking Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish History, USA