By Sam Litvin TEL AVIV — On April 29th, a woman died in San Diego. She passed away quietly, in her sleep. Many knew this was coming. After all, she was 101. But her passing hit many who knew her hard, for 101 years she had given all who knew her much warmth and joy. […]
Fanya Bliachman, 101, had an exciting life Read More »
International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Sam LitvinBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — One of the obsessions of ultra-orthodox (Haredi) men is not to be close to women. Even proximity to mothers, wives and daughters is at times restricted. Though public transport in Israel doesn’t allow segregation, some private buses used by Haredim put the women at the back. There’re many reported
Haredim slowly changing Israeli society Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
Editor’s Note: This is the ninth in a series of stories researched during Don and Nancy Harrison’s 50th Wedding Anniversary cruise from Sydney, Australia, to San Diego. Previous installments of the series, which runs every Thursday, may be found by tapping the number of the installment: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 By Donald H. Harrison
Real Tasmanian Devil unlike Warner Bros’ ‘Tazzy’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, The World We Share, Travel and Food
Andrew Friedman, Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, How Food Lover, Free Spirits, Misfits and Wanderers Created a New American Profession, Ecco, $27.99, 464 pages © Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Andrew Friedman gave a reading at San Francisco’s Omnivore Bookstore. After the talk I asked the author if the book has some Jewish content.
Jews and the culinary revolution Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A great presentation? Telling the world something it already knew? A Prime Minister firming up his support at home? Or Bibi making an ass of himself? All of the above? It depends on what you heard and what you read. It’s widely viewed as an intelligence achievement, but maybe more
Netanyahu speech on Iran leaves many questions Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
By Ren Feldman SAN DIEGO — This past Sunday, a group of bubbies, babies, and everyone in between gathered to celebrate the one year anniversary of YAAANA, Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America hosted by the group’s founder, Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh. The intergenerational gala kicked off with a schmoozy cocktail hour, mingling among
Snippet of ‘Power’ performed at YAAANA Read More »
San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and FoodBy Pamela Pollack-Fremd SAN DIEGO — RBG, the documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, exposes a quiet, ladylike, and very persistent revolutionary. She was a strong advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, meaning she would represent men who were discriminated against as well as women. Besides
Ruth Bader Ginsburg subject of new film Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
AMHERST, Massachusetts (Press Release) – The visiting exhibit Through the Yiddish Looking Glass: The Art of Yiddish Children’s Literature is on view at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. The exhibit will be at the Center’s Brechner Gallery through Fall 2018. Through the Yiddish Looking Glass features Yiddish children’s book illustrations, created by artists who
Art of Yiddish children’s books on exhibit Read More »
Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA
JERUSALEM (Press Release) — Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, on Wednesday condemned a speech by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestine Authority, about the Holocaust. Following is the statement from Yad Vashem: In his address on Monday, 30 April 2018, to the Palestinian National Council, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas,
Yad Vashem condemns Holocaust speech by Abbas Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastBy Joel H. Cohen NEW YORK–At the suggestion of his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared, President Trump will mark the Jewish holiday of Shavuot this month with a national week of special observance. But at their urging, he’s dropped his original plan of emphasizing one or two of the Ten Commandments each day of
‘Just kidding’: Trump to do Shavuot his way Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Gilles Pargneaux, Alon Ben-Meir, and Arbana Xharra NEW YORK — The summit held in Ankara on April 4 among Putin, Erdogan, and Rouhani provides an eye-opening depiction of the rapidly changing discourse of 2018’s geostrategic international rivalry. The Syrian conflict, the center of global attention for more than seven years, is now in the
EU should not permit Turkey to become a member Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — People in the know tell us that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech the other day about Iran’s nuclear ambitions was more of a performance than an evidence-based argument. Though the coup of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency that brought the data to Israel is a remarkable achievement, some experts aren’t
Fears of war in the Israeli air Read More »
Middle East