My friends sent me the following good Coronavirus jokes. Even in terrible times, we should keep up optimistic good humor. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Laughing, even during a pandemic Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Trivia, Humor & Satire
On the first night of Nissan, we start counting until the moon is full on the fifteenth. This is Seder night, our annual birthday party as a nation. Some 3000 years ago, we were an enslaved people yearning for liberation from a decadent tyrant. Thanks to the genius of the Haggadah, every year we gather to start our calendar anew by retelling the saga of the birth of the unbreakable soul of our nation. [Sam Glaser]
Passover and the five levels of the soul Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Glaser
In ancient times, the rabbis knew much about the excesses of piety. In their effort to promote normalcy in the lives of their followers, the rabbis took a strident position toward those individuals.
The Jerusalem Talmud records a remarkable teaching that could certainly apply to today’s time: [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The delusions of piety Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
Sure, we’re all quarantined, hopefully wisely respecting the directives to stay home and not expose ourselves and others to COVID19. Indeed, someone posted this stark wake-up call recently in social media, “Coronavirus patients die alone in a hospital bed without a family member to hold hands with. Think about that before you go out.” Whew! And this article is about being playful? You bet it is. Our bodies are quarantined, not our minds. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Playing Through COVID19? Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
Right now, Congress should focus on getting help to people who need it amid this coronavirus pandemic, but later on it should investigate why the United States was slow to respond to the threat of coronavirus and why necessary medical equipment was in such short supply, Congresswoman Susan Davis, D-San Diego, said Tuesday during a telephonic town hall meeting. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Susan Davis collects constituents’ coronavirus questions Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
Laurie Baron, PhD, provides a roundup of serious and comedic treatments of Passover that can be watched on home television sets.
Streaming Passover fare for home viewing Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Unemployment has gone from less than 4 percent to above 20 percent. Restaurants and bars are closed, as are virtually all shops except for food markets and drug stores. Individuals are advised to stay at home, except for buying food, medicines, medical emergencies, and if they work in what are defined as crucial jobs. We’re allowed to be within 100 meters of our homes for personal exercise. Police are stopping and questioning, and issuing fines to those considered violators. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Pandemic and politics produce Israeli turmoil Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastIt is with surprise, one of Israel’s leading Modern Orthodox Rabbis, Kenneth Brander, who is the dean of the Israeli Ohr Torah Stone network of institutions, came out with an unexpected ruling: bodies infected by the coronavirus ought to be cremated in order to save the life of the living. One such person in Buenos Aires was cremated despite protests from his community. This ruling applies only when the government demands that cremations take place for the health of the public. In places like Italy or Britain, the governments there have made an exception to the faith communities. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Cremation, Judaism, and the coronavirus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
The watercolor has been in my family seemingly forever. It used to hang in my parents’ apartment in Tel Aviv, but it has been in my different homes in California for decades. In it a young girl of five or six years faces the painter with a slight pout and a high forehead crowned by a white ribbon. The sadness along her lip line is unmistakable. One can imagine small pools of tears about to gather in her big dark eyes. She is wearing a summer dress, but the painter chose to focus on her face and in quick brush strokes drew two blue straps over small shoulders that are colored a distinctive pink. [Varda Levy]
The tapestries that bind us Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
Coronavirus pandemic permitting, the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies plans to hold its 40th international conference at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel and Marina from August 9-14 with 110 speakers delivering some 250 presentations “on just about every aspect of Jewish genealogy,” according to Sandra Golden, the association’s publicity chair. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Genealogists plan August gathering in San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Joe Gandelman, San Diego County
Imagine that President Trump’s latest great idea — host a seder this Passover for family, friends and political associates at Mar-a-Lago — had come to fruition. Here, along with some pre-seder innovations he intended to introduce are some features he considered: [Satire column by Joel H. Cohen]
If President Trump hosted a seder Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The Islamic Republic of Iran is fighting the coronavirus (a.k.a. Wuhan virus) with its usual obfuscation, lies, denials, and accusations. Calling the virus a concerted effort by the U.S. and Israel to infect Iran, the government has demanded an end to Western sanctions – and money, lots of money — because, it says, American sanctions are preventing medical supplies from entering the country.
The first claim is nonsense and the second claim is nonsense. [Shoshana Bryen]
Sanctions in a time of pandemic Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USAAlthough the stock market has rallied in the past week, the companies whose initial public offerings have been doing well may not portend a rosy future. These successful startups and their advertising campaigns demonstrate that investors are banking on bad news. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
There’s a bright spot for children (and their adults) amidst all the sad news worldwide now about the COVID-19 pandemic. A cute children’s picture book written 30 years ago by a British storyteller and performer named Michael Rosen has been making the headlines recently, with TV broadcasts on CNN, the BBC and several TV stations in New Zealand. [Dan Bloom]
Jewish storyteller behind ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories