A Shabbat Celebration with Members of La Vid Church and 3 Israeli Soldiers

We arrived in the late afternoon to set up and warm the home-cooked meal we had prepared. As we entered the lush, plant-filled garden, we were greeted by Hebrew music and Israeli flags draped along the greenery and up the tiered retaining wall. What a welcome! [Betzy Lynch]

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Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

A Creative Way to Celebrate Chanukah with Children

A family vacations for several days at the beach at the start of Chanukah, but in their haste they forgot to pack a menorah. They have, however, packed the Chanukah candles. So they improvise each night of their vacation. The first night, they stick the shamash and another candle into the soft flesh of a banana. The second night they put candles into a bowl of granola. The third, into shiny foil. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Hispanic Heritage Month Includes Many Jews

Mexico has had a Jewish population since the early Colonial Era. Many individuals could not openly worship as they would be persecuted for practicing Judaism. Mexico eventually adopted freedom of religion and began receiving Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

What if Shakespeare’s Juliet Didn’t Die?

In this whimsical jukebox musical, Will Shakespeare (CJ Eldred) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Crystal Kellogg) try to write a new play together.  Shakespeare wants to stay with the star-crossed lovers tragedy, while Anne wants more of a female empowerment storyline. Shakespeare maintains that without conflict there’s no story, and Anne wants harmony. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

OpEd: Praise for Trump’s Role Ending Gaza Fighting; Criticism for His Domestic Policies

We watched with interest as President Trump addressed the Knesset, and cringed at his self-aggrandizing remarks. Only Donald Trump could make this joyous and historic moment about himself; his hyperbolic claims of forging a regional peace that has evaded civilization for hundreds or thousands of years are patently false. The ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas is historic and important, though it is also tenuous and incomplete. [Halie Soifer]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Cuban Practice of ‘Lo Que Sea’ Highlighted in Children’s Book

– Romi has outgrown her childhood dress. Her arbuelita (grandmother) , the town seamstress in Santiago de Cuba practices a philosophy of waste not, want not. Materially poor, spiritually rich Jewish Cubans make do with what they have to create what they need, a practice encapsulated by the Spanish idiomatic expression lo que sea. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Alliance Formed by Anti-Defamation League and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Through this new collaboration, the organizations will co-develop resources including faith-based educational content, digital campaigns, and launch advocacy efforts to counter antisemitism in all its forms—online, in the pews, and in the public square. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Press Release, USA

Protecting Jewish Students or Chilling Speech? Inside California’s ‘Hardest’ Fight over Antisemitism

At issue was Assembly Bill 715, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law this month after it went through multiple major, sometimes last-minute rewrites during months of political tussling. [Yue Stella Yu and Mikhail Zinshteyn]

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A Jewish War that Lasted Two Centuries

The two centuries were marked by Judean hatred toward Rome due to its conquest and control of Judea in 63 BCE. There were three pivotal violent rebellions against Rome: the Great Revolt of 66 to 74 CE, which resulted, among other calamities, in the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE; the Diaspora Revolt of 116 CE; and the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132 to 136 CE. There were also many more minor battles before and sandwiched within these three. In each struggle between Judeans and Rome, thousands of Judeans fought alongside the Romans against their brothers. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors