Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Israeli Journalist Who Lived Through It Tells What Happened Oct. 7 in a San Diego Sister City

When Hamas terrorists attacked Nahal Oz at 6:30 a.m. that fateful Shabbat morning, Tibon’s two little girls were asleep in their home’s concrete lined “safe room.” Tibon and his wife Miri joined the girls there for what would be nearly ten hours of terror. They didn’t emerge until 4 p.m., when Amir’s father, Noam Tibon, a retired general with the IDF, after having fought his way from Tel Aviv to the kibbutz, knocked on the metal plate that shielded the safe room’s window and urged them to come out. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Are You a ‘Genesis Jew’ or an ‘Exodus Jew?’

This (Oct. 7) tragedy has prompted a profound reassessment of Jewish identity, highlighting a transition from what Cosgrove terms “Genesis Jews” to “Exodus Jews.” This shift signifies a move from an identity grounded in divine blessing and cultural belonging to one shaped by external threats and the need for self-defense. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Academic Journal Takes Note of San Diego’s Comic-Con

Klickstein’s book tells of Comic-Con’s growth “from an informal gathering of ‘geeks’ into a centerpiece of San Diego’s bustling, gentrified, tourist-trapping downtown area,” Friedmann writes. He goes on to quote one of 50 interviewees quoted in Klickstein’s book, the late Trina Robbins, as explaining why San Diego is the Comic-Con venue. “San Diego’s a great city for a vacation. Much better for a vacation in mid-summer than New York.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

James, Brother of Jesus, More Closely Aligned with Judaism than with Paul’s Christianity

Of all the books of the New Testament that ought to appeal to a modern Jewish reader, the Epistle of James probably comes closest to the values found in the Pirke Avoth, the Ethics of the Fathers in rabbinical Judaism. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Leap Year ‘Delays’ Rosh Hashanah

Why is Rosh Hashanah so “late” this year? I have many memories of Rosh Hashanah occurring around going back-to-school and the end of summer. But some years it starts in October. Some Jewish years are leap years, in which an entire extra month is added to the calendar. This can result in certain Jewish holidays coming much later than in non-leap years. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Wiesel’s 1973 Novel ‘The Oath’ is Worth Reading Again

The plot is interesting, enlightening, and engaging, a delight to read. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 because of what he wrote about the horrors of the Holocaust, Russia, and other subjects.  He artistically paints his characters in his poetic style, as Rembrandt painted in oils and brought his subject to life with his paints. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Staff and Bylined Contributors

Insider Tells Lives of TV Sports Producers, Broadcasters, and Athletes

Steinfeld sketches his interactions with basketball player David Robinson, baseball strong man Cal Ripken Jr., and broadcasters Robin Roberts, Bob Costas and Merle Harmon.  He devotes an entire chapter to WNBA superstar and fellow Jewish community member Nancy Lieberman. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Some Heat Wave Advice from Council President Sean Elo-Rivera

City Council President  Sean Elo-Rivera (District-9) shares the locations of cool zones in the area and reminds citizens to take care of themselves, keep hydrated, stay out of the sun and check on your relatives and neighbors. Cool zones are a great place to escape the heat, get work done with accessing free WiFi and giving your house a rest from running the air conditioning. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire

‘Embracing Hope’ Brings Back Viktor Frankl’s Life-Affirming Philosophy

Viktor Frankl, a cheerful and loving doctor, found joy in life’s simple pleasures despite experiencing unimaginable suffering in concentration camps. At 19, the author, Frankl’s grandson, Alexander Vesely-Frank, discovered the extent of his grandfather’s suffering through Man’s Search for Meaning.” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Dershowitz Biography Skims Over Some Famous Cases, Concentrates on Trump, Epstein

Dershowitz was involved as a defense and appeals court attorney in so many memorable cases – those that filled our newspapers and nightly television news – that in attempting to enumerate them all, biographer Schmidt could devote only a few pages to any one of them.  This resulted in the biography providing broad coverage of Dershowitz’s life and career but with only limited depth. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Hanukkah Book is a Tribute to a Child’s Imagination

This book is an ode to a child’s imagination. On each of the first seven nights of Hanukkah, a young girl gets a present from her parents. She imagines them to be a dragon that she names Nerry; a rainbow; a treasure chest filled with gold coins and rubies; a merry-go-round, a time-travel machine; rocket boots, and three unicorns. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food