It takes time for attitudes to change, and changing attitudes in the Middle East is a tough proposition. Moving the Europeans may prove harder. [Shoshana Bryen]
Mideast peace change slow, not impossible Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA
Like many Jews of his generation, he had changed his name to avoid revealing that he was born Issur Danielovitch, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived in Amsterdam, New York. Even before that, he adopted the Americanized surname of his uncle Avram Demsky and preferred Isadore over Issur. {Lawrence Baron, Ph.D]
Kirk Douglas: Star of David and Hollywood Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials
The all-volunteer San Diego Jewish World is seeking to expand its staff of writers and photographers in San Diego County. In particular, we are looking for byline writers interested in covering the following subject matters: [Donald H. Harrison]
S.D Jewish World seeks writers, photogs Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
Other items in today’s column include: * A graveyard film inspired the SDIJFF chair * Political bytes * Coming our way * Recommended reading By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – You can tell a lot about any of the 35 movies to be shown at the 30th annual San Diego International Film Festival
The making of an international Jewish film festival Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
This Parasha [Beshallah] deals with the early route of the Exodus; the crossing of the Sea of Reeds with the drowning of the pursuing Egyptian army; the famous reiteration in the poem “The Song at the Sea;” then a series of complaints such as inadequate drinking water and inadequate food (resolved sequentially); and ends with a successful defensive battle against an attack by Amalek’s forces. I have chosen three passages, with regard to seeking similarities with other ancient literatures. [Irvin Jacobs, M.D.]
Examining the miracles of Exodus Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
Last week Attorney General William Barr traveled to Boro Park in Brooklyn and vowed to bring down the full weight of the federal government upon anti-Semitic violence. Who did he target? She who slaps Jews or those who gun us down? Our esteemed attorney general went after what must be the most dangerous of these forces. He announced federal hate-crime charges against…drum roll, please…Tiffany Harris. [Bruce Ticker]
Gun laws, not more prosecution of slapper, needed Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Jewish History, USAAs we go into the final month before the March 3 primary election in California, I’d like to mention the names of Jewish candidates on the ballot for our readers to consider. We’re not making any endorsements in the primary election (although I personally announced for Amy Klobuchar) , but we’d like you to know who they are. In some cases, like Democratic presidential candidates Michael Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders, they oppose each other. [Donald H. Harrison]
A minyan of Jews on local election ballots Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA
Does your physician heal you from illness or prevent you from becoming ill in the first place? Maimonides informs us: “The greatest of all physicians is the Lord, of Whom it is said ‘I am the Lord thy physician.’ As proof of this, it is written ‘I will not place upon you the illnesses which I have placed upon ancient Egypt.’ Who is truly the good doctor? Not the person who heals the sick from their diseases, but rather the one who helps the person from becoming sick and sees to it that he maintains his health.” [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
On God, the Healer Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
The river on which generations of Emily’s family had traveled traversed many dangerous rapids and waterfalls. Already attuned to the injustice of racial discrimination in America, Emily found other kinds of virulent race hatred as she traveled back to witness her ancestors’ journeys. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]
Time-traveling through Jewish history Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
The three local Jewish poets, Jan Gist, Lorraine Fisher and Yoel Guadarrama, attracted a large attendance to the January 21 Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices evening at the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Fmaily JCC. Among the audience were many poets who shared their works during the open mic segment, creating one of the most interesting and diverse programs in the series. [Eileen Wingard]
Poems of Gist, Fisher, and Guadarrama Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County
By what logic then will the Palestinians accept such a deal that robs them of a more than 70-year-old dream to establish an independent state? Whether or not they missed several opportunities in the past to realize their dream, their initial rejection of Israel’s right to exist does not nullify their right to a state of their own that lives in peace with Israel. The Deal has only justified the claim of extremist Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and countries like Iran and others, that Israel has had all along no intention of allowing the Palestinians to have an independent state, and that only continued violent resistance will force Israel’s hands. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
Trump’s deal endangers Israelis’ long-term security Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, Middle East, USAThe United States will send 152 of the 500 delegates who will meet in Jerusalem at the World Zionist Congress, which allocates approximately $1 billion a year in funds for Zionist activities in Israel, the United States, and around the world. Voting continues through March 11 via this website.
The leaders of Israel Shelanu on Tuesday, Feb. 4, put out a press release saying the Israel-American Council (IAC) betrayed Israeli-Americans when it decided to support the slate of Kol Israel rather than Israel Shelanu. [Donald H. Harrison]
Israeli-Americans tussle over WZC slates Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
“Never again.” Those iconic words, widely used in the public discourse around the Holocaust, took a step toward codification under U.S. law with the House of Representatives’ recent passage of the Never Again Education Act on this year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. [Jacob Kamaras]
‘Never again’ becoming codified in U.S. law Read More »
International, Jacob Kamaras, Jewish History, USAYes, this new plan visualizes a future State of Palestine in the Jewish homeland. But it’s highly unlikely that the PLO would agree to such a weak “state,” thereby enabling Israel to enlarge its territory within the four-year time frame allotted to the Palestinian Authority. (Consequences from establishing an Arab state, or not, are beyond the scope of this article.) Like Ben-Gurion and his cohorts, Netanyahu and the interim government, or a newly-elected government following the Israeli March 2 election, should grab this opportunity and build on it despite its imperfections. [Steve Kramer]
Israel should begin implementing Trump Plan Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA