On the heels of a firebombing of a synagogue in a Montreal suburb, a Jewish elementary school for girls – Bais Chana Mushka – in Toronto was the target for gunfire in the early hours of Friday. Although there was damage, students were permitted to return to school at its regular time. {SDJW Staff Compilation}
“It’s the Final Countdown!” All those who celebrate Chanukah and/ or Christmas, we are all in high stress mode! Five days until it all comes down. [Cailin Acosta]
Count Down to Chanukah Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
While the foundation supports both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, it is especially meaningful to those in the local Jewish community, as its operational and administrative processes are guided by the City of San Marcos, with funding managed through the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. [Miriam Gershenson]
Little Known San Marcos Community Foundation has Funded $2 Million in Local Projects Read More »
Miriam Gershenson, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Looking back over my past columns, I found my column for Hanukkah 2014. Since I’m always accused of being too partisan (guilty as charged), I want to reprint it in the spirit of Hanukkah which is ultimately about fighting for tolerance. [Laurie Baron]
Satire: What I Won’t Do for Chanukah Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Particularly telling is the account of the way the German occupiers gradually close in on the Jewish population, depriving them of their rights and property and eventually deporting them in [ cattle trains to concentration camps in the east, with the cooperation of the French authorities. All those events are described in harrowing detail. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
European Family’s Lives Tracked Through Several Countries and Holocaust Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, Staff and Bylined ContributorsPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, in a meeting in Philadelphia with Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said “When it comes to antisemitism, it is incredibly important for everyone to understand that there is no nuance. Everyone in a position of public trust—and everyone in our communities—has a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity and speak out against it.” [SDJW staff]
Gov. Josh Shapiro: Everyone Has a Duty to Denounce Antisemitism Read More »
Antisemitism, International, Israel, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
The Gmach warehouse, an essential service of the Kindness Initiative, is experiencing significant growth due to an increasing demand for the household goods and services it provides to local Jewish families in need. [Miriam Gershenson]
Jewish Federation of San Diego got into the Chanukah spirit by meeting up for the “8 Crazy Flights of Chanukah” Wednesday evening, Dec. 18 at Bivouac Cider Works and Adventure Lodge in North Park. [Cailin Acosta]
Federation Kickstarts Chanukah with 8 Crazy Flights of Cider Tastings Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food
Yosef received a life-changing lesson about purpose and focus. When Yosef was wandering, searching for his brothers, the Angel Gavriel appeared and asked him a powerfully insightful and transformative question: “Mah Tevakesh?” – “What are you seeking?” Read and repeat that to yourself. “Mah Tevakesh?” – “What are you seeking?” Do you know? [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]
Parsha Vayeishev: ‘What Are You Seeking?’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Boxes of Chanukah candles – check; chanukiyot cleaned and ready – check; oil, potatoes, sour cream, applesauce bought and ready – check. Phew, getting everything ready for the Eight Crazy Nights is a tough job, but someone has to do it, and in this house that someone is ME. [Cailin Acosta]
We Prepare for Chanukah Read More »
Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA, VideosU.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has tried to tamp down expectations that a ceasefire in Gaza will be reached before the end of the year. [SDJW staff]
Excitement about Gaza Ceasefire may be Premature Read More »
California, Israel, Middle East, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA
A new survey by the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University (TAU) released on December 12, 2024, reveals that, according to the survey, 57.8% of Arab Israelis believe that the ongoing war in Gaza has fostered a sense of shared destiny between Arabs and Jews in Israel. [Press Release]
Survey: More Than Half of Israeli Arabs Feel a Sense of Shared Destiny with Israeli Jews Read More »
Israel, Lifestyles, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education
Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) who decide to leave the community and disaffiliate are at a stressful crossroads in their life. Many leave close-knit communities for an initially lonely path in a world they may not be very familiar with. One of the new aspects of that life may be social media. Studies show that less than 20% of ultra-Orthodox individuals in Israel are exposed to social media. [Press Release]
How Haredim Cope with Loneliness after They Break Away Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education
Many UAP organizations have formed since the December 2017 publication of a groundbreaking New York Times article exposing a UAP program at the Pentagon (co-authored by a Jewish journalist), and I have been fortunate to contribute to some of them. It has been surprising to meet so many fellow Jews who contribute to these same UAP organizations, sharing a passion for the topic as well as observance of the Jewish religion. Jews are indeed an “over-represented minority” in the UAP field. (Kerry Eskenas Schlossberg)
Many Jews Involved in Search for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Read More »
Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share, USA