Humoring the headlines: September 18, 2019

By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−Donald Trump: “The [energy efficient] bulbs that we’re being forced to use – number one, to me, most importantly, the light is no good. I always look orange.” No, the lights in your tanning booth make you look orange, President Raccoon Eyes!” * Donald Trump: “Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked.  […]

Humoring the headlines: September 18, 2019 Read More »

Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Diary of a Benny Gantz supporter

I have to vote. If it’s the last thing I do. I’m there, I’m two minutes early. My sweat is dripping of my face as I look at the hall with twenty other Israelis my age waiting to cast their vote.  I sign a paper saying I couldn’t vote at my poll. I couldn’t, I didn’t think I’d make it there. I take care to write the information carefully. I do my best to do everything perfect. I can’t screw up again.

Diary of a Benny Gantz supporter Read More »

Middle East, Sam Litvin

Israel’s post- election battle of egos

Likud is unable to form a right-wing government. The lack of mandates earned by the smaller right-wing and religious parties prevent that option without Liberman, and Liberman made issues with the religious parties part of his electioneering platform. So no right-religious deal is possible without the heavy Liberman climbing down from his political tree.

Gantz is unable to form a center-left coalition even with the Arab party without Liberman because Liberman has said he will not sit in any government with the current Arab politicians, most of whom he sees as anti-Israel antagonists and not part of the Israeli consensus.

Israel’s post- election battle of egos Read More »

Barry Shaw, Middle East

Israel’s election results: Same as before

Binyamin Netanyahu is still not able to form a government without Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party, but the latter refuses to serve under or with the current prime minister. As the acknowledged king maker without whom there can be no majority government in Israel, Liberman  says that he wants a secular government consisting of Likud without Netanyahu; the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz and the other generals (plus Yair Lapid); and – of course, above all – himself. Though this is by no means a perfect solution, it seems vastly preferable to the alternatives.

Israel’s election results: Same as before Read More »

Middle East

College faculties often seek to eliminate Israel

SANTA CRUZ, California (Press Release)– As students settle back onto campuses across the country, AMCHA Initiative releases a new report, The Harassment of Jewish Students on U.S. Campuses: How Eliminationist Anti-Zionism and Academic BDS Incite Campus Anti-Semitism.  The report illuminates a number of critical shifts and increases in campus anti-Semitism in the past year and includes

College faculties often seek to eliminate Israel Read More »

Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Book Review: ‘An Unorthodox Match’

I once had a rabbi who inveighed against religious hypocrisy with this saying: “Big beard, small Jew.”

What Rabbi Aaron Gold, z’l, meant was that some people are tempted to display how scrupulously they stick to ritual, but are unbending and uncaring when it comes to the more important rules of Judaism, as found in the Ten Commandments, such as not to murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, nor to covet your neighbor’s possessions.

Another important rule is to welcome the stranger, and therein lies the essence of the conflict that powers Naomi Ragen’s latest novel, An Unorthodox Match, is which a formerly secular Jew, who is trying to follow an observant life style, is rejected by the very same people who purportedly want her to follow their ways.

Book Review: ‘An Unorthodox Match’ Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

San Diego holds its first Sephardic Festival

I had to smile on Saturday night at the Sephardic Festival held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center [JCC] this past weekend.  There was a short film, Our San Diego Sephardic Voices, about the Sephardim in San Diego.  One of the women interviewed said she was in a “mixed marriage” as her husband was Ashkenazi. Another woman spoke about the differences in food as the Sephardic eat much more rice than their eastern European counterparts.

San Diego holds its first Sephardic Festival Read More »

International, Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 16, 2019

Items in today’s column:

*San Diego County teens, successful in past, may apply for Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards
*Bible, Holocaust, and Israel subjects of new books by local authors
*Barbara Bry gets backing of neighborhoods group in mayoral race
*Sukkot activity planning well underway in the county

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 16, 2019 Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Saudi, Kuwaiti Airlines accused of illegal bias

“While we understand that [the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)] will not confirm nor deny the existence of any ongoing potential investigation into Saudia and/or KAC, it appears that both airlines have simply been left to continue operating in (and economically benefiting from) the United States while brazenly flouting the nation’s laws. Nearly two years after our last communication with BIS, we have yet to see any progress towards thwarting this implementation of the Arab League boycott on our own soil and protecting Israelis within our country from such discrimination.”

Saudi, Kuwaiti Airlines accused of illegal bias Read More »

International, Middle East, USA