Prior to starting WeWork, Neumann unsuccessfully pursued other business ideas, including the design of a line of women’s shoes with collapsible heels. Which of the following was another one of Neumann’s failed business concepts? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Adam Neumann Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
There are many heroes walking among us, unassuming barbers, plumbers, doctors, doormen, who may not have stormed the beaches of Normandy, but who have served the causes of freedom and democracy in in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan here in the United States and Canada, proudly wearing the uniform of our armed forces. It is they whom we
honor on Veterans Day. [Rabbi Irving Elson, Capt. USN ret.]
Veterans come in all shapes, colors, walks of life Read More »
USA
I Kings covered the history of ancient Judah and Israel from the coronation of King Solomon in 967 BCE through the split of ancient Israel into two nations, Judah and Israel, because King Solomon’s son overtaxed the people as his father did, though the reign of King Jehoshaphat who died in 846 BCE. II Kings resumes the story and tells readers about the twelve kings of the northern kingdom of Israel from 846 BCE, ending in 721/722 BCE when the kingdom was destroyed, and the sixteen kings of the southern kingdom of Judah from 846 BCE until it was destroyed in 587/6 BCE. It describes the kings of the two nations, Judah and Israel, the politics, wars, and a significant problem of the era in both kingdoms, idolatry. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Middle East was politically unstable in biblical times Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East
Notwithstanding its title, this book is primarily a history of the Holocaust, particularly as it impacted the city of Warsaw. There are some chapters about the Jewish pediatrician Janusz Korczak, whose teachings about respecting the individuality of children were widely admired, but far more attention was given to the rise of Adolf Hitler, the evilness of Nazi ideology, and how Germans degraded, confused, and deceived Jews, ultimately to starve or work them to death or to murder them. [Donald H. Harrison]
A sensitive Holocaust history for teens Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
On a recent beautiful autumn morning we left for a short two-day holiday with friends. Our plans included the Hula Lake bird sanctuary and the Old City in Acre (called Akko in Israel). But since our friends hadn’t eaten yet, we decided to enjoy a breakfast break on our way north at the fabulous Herodian/Crusader ruins in Caesarea National Park. [Steve Kramer]
Touring the Israeli coast and Hula Nature Reserve Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food
To any dispassionate observer of the Middle East, it is crystal clear that a so-called “Two-State Solution” between a once-compliant, democratic, Israel and the violent, rejectionist, two-headed Palestinian hydra is impossible. [Barry Shaw]
Ahead of the Trump peace plan, some hard truths Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle East, USA
Various passages in the Torah teach us not only to refrain from harming animals, but to be kind to them as well. That’s why it’s appropriate to think of the Lindsay Wildlife Experience as a place where ethical and religious precepts can be learned not only in words, but also in deeds. [Donald H. Harrison]
Torah precepts in action at wildlife center Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA
Jack Fairweather narrates a remarkable story about a Polish resistance fighter’s infiltration of Auschwitz to sabotage the camp from within, and his daring escape to warn the Allies about the Nazis’ true plans for a “Final Solution.”The book highlights the power of a single individual who tried to make a difference. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The Pole who purposely got sent to Auschwitz Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
He [President Trump]was especially impressed with the account of young David slaying Goliath with a slingshot. “If there had been a National Slingshot Association back then,” the president speculated aloud and in a tweet, “the Hebrews would have enjoyed a much better, greater, probably spectacular, life.” {Satire by Joel H. Cohen]
Did Israelites need a National Slingshot Association? Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire
In 2016, one university, Fordham University in New York, cognizant of SJP’s history of poisoning dialogue on campuses and promoting a campaign of libels, defamation, and lies against Israel and Jewish students, reversed the decision of the student government to allow SJP to become a recognized student organization and decided that SJP, based on its sorry record at other universities, had no place at Fordham. [Richard L. Cravatts, PhD]
Fordham’s proper effort to exclude SJP from its campus Read More »
Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Other items in this column include: * Capacity crowd seen for Tzipi Livni * Two Jewish fraternities among 14 suspended at SDSU * Political bytes * Coming our way By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in his bid to succeed termed-out Kevin Faulconer
Feinstein endorses Gloria; FPPC fines him Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
* San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez predicts “it’s very likely we will be outspent” in the race for the 53rd Congressional District. “Heavily outspent. We won’t have financial support from extremely wealthy donors, nor will we be accepting any corporate PAC checks to this campaign.” While she didn’t name her opponent, it was clear she had in mind Sara Jacobs, granddaughter of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and daughter Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacob, founders of High-Tech High School. Gary also has served as president of the Lawrence Family JCC and the Jewish Federation of San Diego county. [Donald H. Harrison]
A potpourri of local Jewish-interest news Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, The World We Share
If you like the Hallmark Channel’s romantic movies, my guess is that you will also enjoy this Jewish author’s venture into an affluent Gentile world where a widowed interior designer meets a divorced architect and finds that not only do they work well together professionally, they have some undeniable chemistry. [Donald H. Harrison]
Can an architect and interior designer find love? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonMany people are convinced that Isaac was angry with his father Abraham because he lied to him when he said that the two were going on a trip to offer a sacrifice to God, implying that the sacrifice would be an animal, and that Abraham tied him up on top of a stone altar, planned to kill him, and only stopped when he heard a voice from heaven telling him to desist. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Was Isaac angry that Abraham tried to kill him? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion