By Elona Baron as told to Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — (Photo 1) I’ve heard there may be a meat shortage. To prepare for that eventuality, I’m chewing on my stuffed rabbit a lot. (Photo 2) This is my owner’s son. Since I’m worried he might leave the house and not wear a mask or
Elona (the dog)’s coronavirus photo album Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The Zoom Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Program turned out to be an overwhelming success! The May 5th evening, normally scheduled for the Astor Judaica Library, took place in the homes of some 50 participants and listeners. Joy Heitzmann, who has served as Master of Ceremonies for the series, managed to carry out that role by phone. Thanks to the expert staff facilitators, Melanie Rubin and her assistant, Sarah Mattis, all went smoothly. [Eileen Wingard]
Jewish Poets – Jewish Voices zoom into success Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Q: Why do we need to use a Siddur (prayer book) to pray? Why can’t I simply share with G-d my personal feelings, wants, and needs? Why would someone think that the men who wrote the prayer book a couple of thousand years ago would have a better approach for me to reach G-d than I would myself? [Ask the Rabbi column by Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
Ask the Rabbi: Why do we need prayer books? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
hank G-D for music. The miracle of splitting of the Red Sea is done to the sound of music, as the Hebrews are all in song, following the lead of Miriam in Shirat Hayam–the Song of the Sea. The fall of the walls of Jericho is done to the sound of trumpet. David plays the lyre. The entirety of the Psalms–Tehillim–are under the direction of a choirmaster/conductor. [Omer Zalmanowitz]
Five women cantors celebrate Shabbat Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Are you still joking about obesity, even now? No, I’m not on a rant. But I sure could be. What’s funny about a chronic disease that impairs health and renders people more sensitive to deadly co-morbid factors associated with COVID-19? Nothing. Nothing is funny at all. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]
Stop blaming people for obesity Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
Seacrest Village Retirement Community has reported that as of Friday, it had tested 125 residents for coronavirus, and thus far had received results for 104 residents — all negative. “We expect the remaining 21 test results within the coming days and will report back to you as soon as possible,” reported Pam Ferris, President and CEO of the home for seniors which is run under Jewish community auspices. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Some coronavirus restrictions eased at Seacrest Village Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, USA
“I was tortured, sold in the black market. But I am free now. I can go anywhere in the world, except Shusha.” This is what Princess Natavan says in my recurring dream — a dream that is particularly vivid this week.It has now been 30 years that Azerbaijani residents of the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan were expelled from their native lands. The city of Shusha fell to the Armenian occupation on May 8, 1992. The Armed Forces of Armenia brutally murdered 200 people, took hostage more than a hundred civilians, and expelled over 22,000 Azerbaijanis from their hometown. [Aybaniz Ismayilova]
Dream of Azerbaijan’s ‘bronze woman’ lives on Read More »
InternationalThat we are in a time of profound, extreme and for many, overwhelming transformation and adjustment, is unmistakable. Arianna Huffington, observed, “Transformative change rarely happens without a catalyst and a crisis,” in an article entitled, “We are Never Going Back.” No, we are, and never do, go back, despite our yearning for the “good old days,” that we erroneously believed were free of severe hardships and emotional turmoil. After all, it was Franklin Pierce Adams who said, “Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Live free in the present normal Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael Mantell
How can I write about anything without mentioning the coronavirus? On one hand, a different topic would be a good diversion from the incessant onslaught of bad news; on the other hand, how can I not say something about how to manage and cope and how it is affecting all of us?! [Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D, ACSW]
Time to reassess our lives during pandemic Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
This week President Trump told Americans to consider themselves warriors in the battle against coronavirus and the mobilization to reopen the economy. Here are dispatches from the front lines to guide them. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Dispatches from the War on Coronavirus Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
These are busy times for Maya Abed, who hopes that in her near future she will be even busier.
This weekend she graduates from California State University Long Beach, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in communications. She also has signed up to learn Spanish this summer in an effort to add another language to her fluent English, Hebrew, and American Sign Language. And, for the next several months, at least, she is working as an IsraAID volunteer coordinator with the Jewish Family Service food distribution program in San Diego County. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Meet Maya Abed, IsraAID volunteer coordinator in San Diego Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USAThe beginning of this week’s portion deals with many of the laws directed to the Priestly class, known in Hebrew as Kohanim. The verbiage in the first passage is unique, which means it has profound lessons for all of us. The passage says multiple times to transmit information through ‘saying’ it to others. This, in and of itself, is not so unusual, but the words used Emor and Vi’Amarta, typifies a specific type of articulation. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]
A Word of Torah: Differences in how we say things Read More »
Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
Aside from the devastation of the Wuhan virus, Iraq closed its 1,000-mile southern border with Iran for “security reasons” after months of Iraqi protests against Iranian interference in its domestic affairs. Oil prices flirted with zero in the wake of the Russia-Saudi oil war, and demand dropped owing to the virus, further gutting Iran’s treasury. Iran harassed U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, but according to Navy sources, the action was clearly for domestic consumption and posed no actual threat (although a mistake on either side could have had major repercussions, making President Trump’s warning more than reasonable). Germany, Tehran’s strongest defender in Europe, pulled the plug on Iran’s proxy army Hezb’allah. More than 390 members of the U.S. House of Representatives — including Ilhan Omar, not normally an opponent of the Iranian government — called for extending the international arms embargo against Iran, set to expire in October. [Shoshana Bryen]
Is Iran going home? Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USAYehonatan Geffen’s 1978 Hebrew-language poem , which I’ve translated as, “It Will Be Good,” pays homage to the peace treaty negotiations between Egypt and Israel, and honors Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit in Israel. In support of Geffen’s positive message I want to share my take on the veracity of Geffen’s poem in today’s world, as there are many lines in this poem that are resonant with how lives are being lived during the current global health crisis, not least the refrain and title of the poem, “It will be good.” [Omer Zalmanowitz]
1978 Israeli poem continues to encourage hope Read More »
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