Student book review: Maus by Art Spiegelman

What I liked most about Maus was that Vladek isn’t shown as a perfect hero. He is smart and resourceful, and he does whatever he can to survive, but he can also be cheap, stubborn, and difficult. Sometimes I didn’t really like him. That actually made the story feel more real to me. Surviving the Holocaust didn’t turn him into a perfect person. [CeCe Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Shoftim: Pursuit of justice begins with cleaning up your own act

Shabbat Shoftim is often called the Shabbat of Justice. Its opening words set the tone: Shoftim v’shotrim titen lekha — “You shall appoint judges and officials for yourselves.” Not for some distant ideal, but for yourselves. The pursuit of justice begins at home, in the quiet decisions we make about how we treat one another. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Matzo Chronicles: With this ring, I thee lie? No, no. That’s not how the wedding vows go

Finally, my mother agreed to put the ring in a safe deposit box, with the promise to give it to my future fiancé. And that is what she did 20 years later, when she handed it to my spouse-to-be — for him to hand to me. [Karen Galatz]

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Jewish Religion, Karen Galatz, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire

‘Mosaic,’ for Jews 25-40, launched under Jewish Federation auspices

On Sunday, following months of hard work by many human hands, more than 200 Jewish young adults came together to start building something new and totally their own. From every corner of the county and across the spectrum of Jewish experience, these proudly Jewish San Diegans, ages 25 to 40, showed up for the launch of Mosaic, a new community of communities created and curated by young people for themselves and others like them. They came searching for Jewish experiences and wanting to belong, to feel seen, valued, and heard in a Jewish space that meets them where they are. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Heidi Gantwerk, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Advice to Jewish Democrats: Trump-supporting Republicans are graver threat than far-left, Israel-hating Democrats

a handful of candidates have used AIPAC and Israel as proxy boogeymen for the problems they’re seeking to fix in this country, such as Abdul El-Sayed’s suggestion that the minuscule percentage of the federal budget that goes toward U.S. security assistance for Israel could instead “provide healthcare here” at home.  [Halie Soifer]

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Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

American Psychological Association members urged to wear keffiyehs to show support for Palestinians

Balva goes on to write: “The email urged conference participants to show solidarity by wearing a keffiyeh or ‘Palestine colors,’ read a prewritten ‘Land and Genocide Acknowledgement’ before professional presentations….” (Bruce S. Ticker)

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Israel, Opinion, Sandi Masori, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is the semi-autobiographical story of Alicia Keys

So important are those vocals, that unlike traditional musicals where the chorus both sings and dances, in this show you have the company dancers (and oh boy do they ever,) and the company singers. [Sandi Masori]

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Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

German historians describe the German catastrophe

Wittstock and Blubacher, born in 1955 and 1967 respectively, represent a postwar generation of scholars who chronicle what went horrendously wrong in Germany, the decline of the Weimar Republic, Germans who felt wronged and betrayed by the Treaty of Versailles, inflation and financial disaster, Hitler’s charismatic attraction to the alienated volk, and the methodical manner in which Nazis infiltrated and challenged democratic political and cultural institutions focusing on the enemy, and eliminating Jews, Socialists and Communists. [Oliver B. Pollak]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Nine visiting Israelis to teach at San Diego area universities

MGSDII also announced its “Salon Dinner Reception: Meet the Fall Professors” at 6 p.m., Thursday, October 8 in La Jolla. The event includes a fall welcome reception for the visiting professors and salon members. Click here to rsvp and to receive the address. (Cailin Acosta)

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Shoftim: Tending the tree Hashem planted within you

Hashem never asks us to be perfect; He asks us to be faithful. Justice means seeing ourselves truthfully, with honesty, humility, and compassion. It means asking, “Where did I grow today? Where did I fall short? How can I serve Hashem more faithfully tomorrow?” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors