Donald H. Harrison

Pomegranate Restaurant Has Dream-Worthy Chicken Dish

When we asked her what the best Georgian dishes on the menu were, she recommended the Chakhokhbili – which they called Georgean Eagle in the menu – It’s a Georgean chicken stew with tomatoes, basil, parsley, mint and cilantro. And the Chakapuli – which is a Georgian lamb shank stew with white wine, sour plum, onions, tarragon. Both were delicious. [Sandi Masori]

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International, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

SDJA Students Return from Tours of Poland, Israel

“Being here and seeing how many people are affected by Yom HaZikaron, how everyone knows someone who is fighting or has fought in the Israeli Defense Forces themselves…to see then how that commitment translates to a passion for the country on Yom Ha’atzmaut was really special.” [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Press Release, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Why I Didn’t Become French

After my repatriation to Israel, I traveled to France frequently for research work in physics. There I met a French physics professor, a Jew who knew my stepfather and claimed that I could obtain French citizenship because I had French historical roots. I loved the language and culture of France, but I preferred to be an Israeli, if only because of my thoughts on “Where is France going?” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Beauty Queen’ Wonderfully Acted, But Not My Favorite Type of Entertainment

Backyard Renaissance theater often picks plays that make you think or question your perceptions. Its printed program describes this as “art to the gut.” The current production, The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a good example of that. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Dog Days of Summer’ About the Heavens, Not About Pooches

Are we in the “dog days of summer?” According to History.com, the phrase has nothing to do with dogs barking or panting in the oppressive heat. It referred to the ancient civilizations that tracked the seasons by looking at the sky. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

OpEd: Pro-Israel Volunteers Needed to Counter Paid Pro-Hamas Students

Since when do college kids want to sit through hours of boring meetings? Then I found out, they get paid for their “activism.” Amnesty International is one such employer as this advertisement posted in Seattle, Washington, demonstrates. [Miriam Gershenson]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Miriam Gershenson, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Finding Lots of Jewish Stories at San Diego County Fair

The Acosta family set out on Friday to conquer the San Diego County Fair. We arrived and were on a scavenger hunt to find hidden Jewish items. We laced up our running/walking shoes, filled up our water bottles, cellphones all charged and were ready to take on the challenge. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Emotional Times Take Toll; Rabbi Mathew Marko Resigns Tifereth Israel Synagogue Pulpit

This weekend Rabbi Mathew Marko will lead his last Shabbat services as the spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. He resigned at the two-year mark of a three-year contract. His explanation, in a letter to the Conservative synagogue’s congregants, should help us understand how sometimes life brings extraordinary pressures and stresses upon a congregational rabbi. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

AJC: Worrying Trends in European Elections

The results have shown significant progress for extreme right parties across Europe, which was a major concern for Jewish communities around the continent in the lead-up to the election, as the situation for European Jewry had already been dire in recent months due to an unprecedented rise in antisemitism following Hamas’ October 7th terror attacks against Israel. [Simone Rodan-Benzaquen]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors