By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — What should be expected from boards of education across the country, now that books like Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Art Spiegelman’s Maus have been banned? Here’s a list of stories on the verge of being proscribed and the rationales for doing so. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas: Donald Trump […]
Satire: The Slippery Slope of Banning Books Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mimi Pollack LA MESA, California — Can one be an observant Muslim and a feminist at the same time? In the case of Afghan journalist Sayed Sadat, the answer is yes. During an interview at the Coronado home of his sponsor, Sayed explained how he and his family believe in women’s rights, and more
An Afghan Journalist’s Journey to Coronado Read More »
International, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County
By Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D BOCA RATON, Florida — On January 24, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case, Fair Admissions v. Harvard University, which not only has some profound implications for the future of affirmative action in college admissions, but also raises again a troublesome and ignoble part of Harvard’s history with Jewish
Déjà Vu All Over Again at Harvard Read More »
Opinion, Richard L. Cravatts, USA
Haftorah Reading for Vayakhel is 2 Kings 12:1-17 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — An inspection for the assigned Haftorah for this Torah portion shows that in some years, rabbis chose a different text. In the year 2022, it is the text above. This short passage is all prose, and to this reader
Haftorah for February 26, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This special week, on Shabbat Shekalim, we read parashat Vayakhel. This is the first of several Shabbatot leading to Passover, including Shabbat Zachor (April 12, 9 Adar II), Shabbat Parah (April 26, 23 Adar II), Shabbat HaChodesh (April 2, 1 Nissan) and Shabbat HaGadol (April 9, 8
Parashat Vayakhel/Shabbat Shekalim: The Power of Community Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — As we celebrate Presidents’ Day we are reminded of how our country’s presidents, starting with George Washington, have had things to say about the Jews. In 1790, Washington wrote a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island saying, “May the Children of the Stock of
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Presidents’ Day Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Published by Reuters By Parisa Hafezi VIENNA (Reuters) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that talks in Vienna on reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers cannot succeed unless the United States is prepared to lift sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Reuters reported last week that a U.S.-Iranian deal is taking shape
Iran’s Raisi Calls on US to Lift Sanctions to Revive Nuclear Deal Read More »
Middle East, USA
Susan Lisker recently gave the following Drash (sermon) at Ohr Shalom Synagogue. This month is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). By Susan Lisker SAN DIEGO — The Parasha for this week is Tetzaveh. It means you will command (or order). The word is from the Hebrew root TZ(adik), V(av), H(ei). It’s also
Disability Awareness: Going Further to Make This a Better World Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County
By Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has demonstrated a talent for adding fuel to an already combustive situation. He accused conservative Jewish members of the Canadian Parliament of supporting the swastika. One Jewish member happened to be Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who became the first Jewish
Moral Resolve Needed in Justin Trudeau Swastika Controversy Read More »
Holocaust, International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion
By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood in East Jerusalem, north of the Old City, about half the way to French Hill. It’s currently in the headlines, reflecting a difficult history that’s bubbled to the top of things along with the Abraham Accords and other moves that signal Israel’s acceptance throughout
Sheikh Jarrah’s Evolving Story Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Opinion
(JNS) The Israeli company Xtend, which specializes in human-guided autonomous drones for use by militaries and law enforcement, unveiled its second-generation indoor drone on Thursday, called Xtender. According to a company statement, Extender is a “revolutionary micro-tactical Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance platform, with built-in resilient indoor-outdoor navigation and AI capabilities,” enabling the remote completion of missions.
Israeli Company Xtend Unveils Second Generation of VR-Controlled Drone Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education
By Ben Cohen (JNS) On a recent evening, I was traveling on the New York subway in a car that was empty except for me, a woman and her child, and two men. As I sat down, I realized that one of the men—a young guy dressed in gym clothes with the powerful build of
We Need to Step Up the Fight Against Anti-Asian Hatred in America Read More »
Opinion, USA
Published by AFP New York (AFP) – Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk courted dual controversies Thursday, accusing a US regulator of trying to stifle his speech while drawing condemnation for comparing Canada’s leader to Hitler. In a letter to US District Judge Alison Nathan, attorneys for Musk, a longtime critic of the Securities and Exchange
Tesla’s Musk Condemned for Hitler Tweet Read More »
Holocaust, International, USA
Published by PopCrush A week ago, the family of Bob Saget released a statement regarding the cause of the Jewish comedian’s sudden death. In it, they wrote that “authorities have determined that Bob passed away from head trauma” caused when “he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and
Judge Blocks Release of Records in Bob Saget’s Death Investigation Read More »
Jewish Celebrities