When you yearn for the facts
To know how to react,
Call on Fauci! [Satire column by Laurie Baron]
Call on Fauci (Melody: That’s Amore) Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBenny Gantz’s current tactic (antithetical to what he campaigned on) is to cooperate with the anti-Zionist Arab parties to form a minority government; those Israeli Arab parties would remain outside of Blue and White’s coalition but would back it up. Is this a big deal, and if so, why? Because the anti-Zionist Arab parties will demand serious payback for backing the Blue and White coalition. [Steve Kramer]
Arab bloc support endangers the Jewish state Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
With in-person classes transferred to Internet learning at UC Berkeley, my grandson, Shor Masori, is back home in San Diego, monitoring his classes via computer. Recently, he and his fellow undergraduates received a notice from Bob Jacobsen, Letters & Science Dean of Undergraduate Studies. It began, “The chair of the Academic Senate has written to explain that for this semester only, the default grades that instructors will give are Pass and No Pass.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Universities urge Pass/No Pass grades this semester Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and FoodHere is another installment of movies of direct Jewish interest that you can watch at home. Links to previous installments may be found here and here. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish movies at home, Part III Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
I recall hearing that a well-adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous. What’s the secret? The link is what you think, of course. And the right mindset brings the secret out into the public: it’s resilience. And if you are fortunate enough to live in San Diego, with it’s glorious weather, beaches, parks, hiking paths and beautiful vistas, you have the most marvelous place on earth to develop that resilience. Personal elasticity if you will. It’s flexibility of the psyche, a springy attitude, a pliable outlook. Whatever you call it, it comes down to a bouncy, supple mindset. This ability to recover quickly is certainly not easy to attain, yet many successful people do. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
How to develop resilience during tough times Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
Benny Gantz is a week into his month-long effort to form a government. Dynamics suggest that we’ll have no clear information for a while. Bibi continues to operate as if he has a life-time hold on his block and the office of the Prime Minister. He and his supporters are proposing a joint arrangement whereby Gantz joins him. His party colleague, the Speaker of the Knesset, has been holding off meetings destined to remove the Speaker from office. Gantz is muttering about Bibi’s offer. Speculation is that he supports it, but that it would split his party. Lapid and Ayalon are firmly against joining with a Prime Minister Netanyahu. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Bibi hanging onto the PM’s office by his fingernails Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
As I began thinking about social distancing, I wondered: What does Jewish tradition have to say about the new phenomena of “social distancing”? Surprisingly, our religious traditions have a lot to say about this matter. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Social distancing in Jewish tradition Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
Sarah Davis faces San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward, who is another LGBTQ Democrat, so such issues as gay rights, marriage equality, and others that in former years were hot topics will not be matters for much debate in the 78th Assembly District contest prior to the Nov. 3 runoff election. However, Davis, a member of the Jewish community, says she and Ward have plenty of differences about such issues as placing greater emphasis on women’s health and fighting climate change. [Our Shetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
The Jewish candidates: Sarah Davis in the 78th A.D. Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USAMental mastery, whether it’s for the current coronapocalypse, a business meeting, a physical workout, academic success or mindful meditation, requires that you fully engage your mind. We’ve learned through years of research that our brains are capable of continued growth throughout life, especially when we are engaged in frequent intellectual stimulation. With the right nourishment, engagement, social connections and physical activity, the right dietary nourishment, we do quite well in maintaining brain health. These are anchored in lifestyle choices we make daily. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Mind mastery can control fear during pandemic Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
It seems that, all things considered, Prime Minister Netanyahu is having a good coronavirus crisis or, at least, is using it to his advantage. To start with, the courts have been closed, which means that his trial that should have started last week has now been postponed for at least a couple of months and probably longer. His minister of justice is a most faithful servant who takes every opportunity to run his master’s errands.No doubt other ministers do it also, if for no other reason than to stay in office. Should a unity government come about – which is reasonable and desirable at this time yet by no means certain – several of them will have to go back to the back benches. Their retirement will greatly benefit the country. Thus, for example, the present defense minister seems more interested to protect the settlements than the country. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Incompetence riddles Israel’s temporary government Read More »
Middle East
In times of crisis, especially one of the magnitude we’re currently experiencing, Jews naturally take their religious questions and concerns to their rabbi. They might also consider another resource: President Trump President Trump!!? Yes. [Just Kidding column by Joel H. Cohen]
If Trump made a movie about Exodus Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & SatireWhether Donald Trump holds his daily coronavirus press conferences to calm and inform the public or as a social distance substitute for his campaign rallies, the disinformation he disseminates through them is dangerous. Since he doesn’t read, I am encouraging his closest advisors to have him listen to these cautionary songs before he utters a word. [Satire column by Laurie Baron]
Briefing songs for President Trump Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Trivia, Humor & SatireRabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel of Temple Beth Shalom of Chula Vista has composed the following special prayer for recitation during the time of the coronavirus pandemic.
Oh God Who dwells among us as in Heaven,
grant us wisdom, understanding and knowledge;
help us eradicate the coronavirus that threatens all people. …
A Coronavirus Prayer Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiIt’s well known that what you feed, you grow. When it comes to health, longevity, successful social connections and long-term loving relationships, personal and communal wellbeing, even physical fitness and finances, leading-edge transformational coaches know that optimistic, positive seeds are the no-longer-secret predictive ingredients to living life optimally. As I’ve taught in my helping people for years, “the link is what you think.” [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Positivity is positively best antidote to anxiety Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell