Witnesses heard in Poway Chabad shooting

Chabad of Poway takes pride in welcoming all Jews. Indeed, on the last day of Passover, one of its front doors was propped open by a pottery planter.

But when a gunman raced up the steps to the synagogue that April morning, he began shooting through that open door. Rounds from his recently purchased Smith & Wesson AR-15 entered the lobby before he did.

Surveillance video screened in court Thursday showed Lori Gilbert Kaye, 60, being killed — and an Army combat veteran chasing the shooter out of the synagogue, perhaps saving dozens of lives.

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Jewish History, Ken Stone, San Diego County

Book Review: ‘A Field Guide to the Jewish People’

Co-author Dave Barry is a well-known syndicated humor columnist; Alan Zweibel has written comedy for television programs including Saturday Night Live and Curb Your Enthusiasm;  and Adam Mansbach is the author of Go the F*ck to Sleep and You Have to F*****g Eat – the titles of which indicate a certain enthusiasm for F-bombs, which, in my opinion, appear all too frequently in the current collaboration.

Co-authors Barry, Mansbach and Zweibel have their comedy credits – and that may be enough to make this book popular, despite its very questionable taste.  Mixing Torah and F-Bombs, to my way of thinking, is more derision than humor, and the fact that two of the co-authors are themselves Jewish (Barry is a Presbyterian) doesn’t excuse that.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Jewish-interest license plate: 5L’Chaim

Karen Beth Pearlman gets the credit for spotting this Jewish-interest license plate, which offers us some opportunities for speculation. L’Chaim means “To Life!” So 5 L’Chaim means “5 To Life.” While that may sound like the length of a prison sentence, it more likely refers to five happy people, perhaps ready to engage in the traditional merrymakers’ toast of “To Life!”

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San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Trump again honors Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein

Vaus said Goldstein and Trump “have a real connection” growing out of that April tragedy and giving way to “constant contact” with the White House (“They keep checking in to make sure we have everything that we need.”)

The 58-year-old rabbi also visited the Oval Office.

Eight days ago, Vaus said, he and Goldstein sought to return the courtesy.

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Jewish History, Ken Stone, San Diego County, USA

Cory Briggs, often City Hall’s foe, now seeks to be its lawyer

Asked why he’s running for the City Attorney office,  Briggs replies, “I’ve been fighting city hall for almost two decades. Running for office was never on my bucket list. But I’ve seen the consequences of not having good professional legal advice given to the client, in this case the city, and I’ve been watching it for administration after administration.”

He adds, “The city is facing big issues, but if you read the news, you see that the city frequently ends up in the court and it usually ends up on the wrong side of the cases. This costs the city a lot of money, it costs the city progress, and it’s time for the Mayor and the City Council to have a lawyer who is giving them sound advice without the lawyer’s political agenda driving that advice.”

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Miriam Raftery, San Diego County

D’var Torah for September 21, 2019

This is the time of the year when we reflect, when we turn inward, review our past year’s successes and disillusionments, with the purpose of looking forward to a better year…in other words, gezunt, hatlacha and parnassa.

The parasha begins with “When you arrive,” and ends with “When you have arrived at this place.” We are to be joyful, to be sameach, not simply because we feel we’ve succeeded, but because it is a commandment to do so.

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Our Shtetl San Diego County: September 18, 2019

Items in this column include:
*Local businessmen fly to Bahamas to help victims of Hurricane Dorian
*Councilmembers Bry and Campbell often find common ground
*San Diegans will host IDF veterans as they sort out combat memories
*Bible Players to enliven services this weekend at Tifereth Israel Synagogue

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

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.

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Middle East, Sam Litvin