A Czech woman’s journey through the Holocaust

Published  posthumously with the help of her author daughter Helen Epstein, Franci’s War by Franci Rabinek Epstein is a well-written step-by-step recounting of Franci’s experiences during the Holocaust. A dress designer of  good reputation in Prague, Franci was transported with her parents to Terezin, the Nazis’ “model ghetto” nearby.  She was able to secretly rendezvous with her first husband, Pepik “Joe” Solar, who had been arrested and sent away earlier than she was.  Soon, however, her parents were taken on another transport to their deaths, and with Joe leaving the ghetto daily to work as slave labor on a railroad spur, Franci often was left to her own devices [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History

All you can do is cultivate your garden

Reading the headlines of The New York Times wreaked havoc with my immune system, my hippocampus, my cardiovascular system, or possibly all of the above. Did I need to know that Venezuela’s hospitals are lacking medicines or that there is no food on the shelves of grocery stores? That there is a terrible drought in Australia while fires are ravishing the country and cattle are dying from lack of water? That bad floods are inundating city streets in India? [By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D]

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Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County

ADL’s Gillies tells of Poway shooting’s lasting impacts

Prosecutors announced on Thursday they would seek the death penalty against John T. Earnest, 20, the alleged shooter who killed congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye at Chabad of Poway last Passover while wounding three others, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein.  Meanwhile, Tammy Gillies, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, was telling San Diego Jewish World that the effects of that April 27 shooting rampage are still being felt throughout San Diego County. “I think some of our institutions are taking more seriously the idea of security,” Gillies commented during an interview. “Some always have, and some not so much, but now are more on board.” Members of other religious communities are now “realizing that when we go to synagogue – when we take our kids to synagogue – we have to walk through armed guards to go, and I think that has been shocking to some other communities.  I think it has raised awareness about anti-Semitism.” [Our shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A Word of Torah – You should command

What we do not find mentioned in this week’s portion is the name Moses. This is an anomaly, which grabs the attention of the Sages, as Moses’ name appears in every portion of the Torah from the time he is first introduced to us at the beginning of Exodus to the time of the Book of Deuteronomy, which Moses wrote largely in the first person. This omission is strange especially when one considers the fact that Moses is referenced numerous times within the portion, as he is commanded to do numerous things. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

AIPAC should take a gentler approach toward Israel’s critics

Hatikvah, as Israel’s national anthem, stirs tender emotions among us whenever it is played, but for others it is a provocation. Likewise, a $225 million expenditure is seen as worth the price to defend Israel, but some newly-minted members of Congress do not readily understand that. Two episodes surfaced last week that reflected missed opportunities in communication for Jewish organizations that seek to be protective of Israel. Most prominent was the sharp bickering between Sen. Bernie Sanders and Jewish and political leaders over his attacks against AIPAC and Israel’s prime minister. Despite the offensive attitudes of some Israel critics, some of this acrimony could be grounded in AIPAC’s tactics to lose friends and influence people – the wrong way about Israel. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA

Jews urged to avoid kissing doorpost mezuzahs

A Conservative congregation in San Diego, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, is urging  members to practice caution as the coronavirus epidemic spreads across the United States. It recommended that congregants and visitors wave to each other or bump fists rather than shake hands, and also to refrain from  the custom of touching mezuzahs on doorpost and then kissing their hands [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Coronavirus curtailing normal life in Israel

The Coronavirus, also known as COVID 19, is spreading steadily throughout the world. At first it seemed to be confined to one region of China, then to other places in the Far East, but now it’s getting closer every day, appearing first in Italy and then in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and now even Israel. The unfortunate Israelis who happened to be on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, commonly known in Israel as the coronaship, were first confined to their cabins for a fortnight, then isolated in Japan, and when finally allowed to return to Israel (not all of them though, as a few were found to be carriers before being able to board the plane bringing them to Israel, so had to remain behind), only to be subjected to another two weeks of isolation in a hospital in Israel. One sad result of this was that one couple had to be separated, the wife returning to Israel and the husband remaining in isolation in Japan. Those two happen to live quite near to me in Mevasseret, though I do not know them personally, I’ve read about them in the local paper, and my sympathies certainly go out to them. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Lifestyles, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

OpEd: Trump’s disastrous domestic policy

Sadly, we have become accustomed to Trump’s lies and misstatements about the presumed progress the US made under his watch. It’s time to take a hard look at his domestic policy which is inflicting terrible damage and anguish on the majority of Americans. Trump knows that he lies regarding just about everything, but he continues to successfully sell his lies to his base, representing the 25 to 30 percent of Americans who still believe every word he says. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

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Alon Ben-Meir, USA

OpEd: U.S., Israel benefit under Trump, Netanyahu

A strong link exists between Israel and the US, personified by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump. Therefore there is linkage between the two ongoing leadership contests. Although Israel had enjoyed non-partisan support in the US for decades, that diminished rapidly under the Obama administration. In fact, as a last parting shot, President Obama ordered his ambassador to the United Nations to refrain from vetoing a particularly nasty Security Council Resolution (2344), which basically declares that Jerusalem and Israel’s heritage is Muslim/Palestinian, not Jewish. [Steve Kramer]

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Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA

After the Israeli election

Though all the results aren’t in yet, it’s very unlikely that Netanyahu and his right-wing allies will muster 61 out of the 120 votes in the Knesset to form a majority government. But it’s also clear that his rival Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White party, won’t be able to form a government either. Yet, politicians close to both assure us that there won’t be a fourth round, following the three elections within the last twelve months. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]

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Middle East