Books, Poetry & Short Stories

A Jewish Odyssey from Ethiopia to Israel and Back

“From Africa to Zion” is a remarkable memoir that takes us from the author’s childhood in a rural Ethiopian village without electricity or running water through his perilous journey to a crowded, multi-ethnic refugee camp in the Sudan, where disease and crime were rampant, and onto his arrival to the modern world of Israel, in which his family were initially mystified by such conveniences as toilets and refrigerators. [Donald H. Harrison]

A Jewish Odyssey from Ethiopia to Israel and Back Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Good News from Israel (May 16, 2021)

NETANYA, Israel — In the May 16, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
–US doctors use an Israeli device to remove blood clots from stroke patients.
–Israel has sent tons of coronavirus aid to India.
–4 top multinationals are expanding Israeli hi-tech operations.
–Israeli innovators are turning CO2 emissions into an energy source.
–Israel’s economy continues to improve.
–An Israeli has won France’s top literary prize.
–The festival of Shavuot is uniting Israelis, just as it did 3,333 years ago
[Michael Ordman]

Good News from Israel (May 16, 2021) Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, USA

George W. Bush’s Warm Embrace for Immigrants to U.S.

If this book’s title, Out of the Many, One  sounds familiar, it is the English translation of the Latin expression  E pluribus unum, the unofficial motto of the United States, which can be found on the back of the $1 bill above the wings of the eagle.  Former President George W. Bush decided to include 43 portraits within this book, a number that was not happenstance.  He was the 43rd President of the United States. [Donald H. Harrison]

George W. Bush’s Warm Embrace for Immigrants to U.S. Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Tovah Feldshuh’s True-Life Role as a Daughter

It’s hard to believe that Lilyville is a first book given its accessibility and universal appeal. This memoir of four-time Tony, two-time Emmy nominee, Tovah Feldshuh delights and delivers! Broadway performer, and television star, Feldshuh has produced an honest, loving tribute to her tour de force mother, Lily Feldshuh. [Eva Trieger]

Tovah Feldshuh’s True-Life Role as a Daughter Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jewish Folk Remedies from the Pale of Settlement

Wait, it’s not the chicken soup, it’s the herbs that count! Eastern European Jewry, particularly those living in the area known as “The Pale of Settlement,” on the western side of the Dnieper River, in present-day Ukraine, whose history there began in the Middle Ages, have a “long and distinguished canon dedicated to the healing process,” a research area unfortunately ignored, by-and-large, by sociological scholars. Cohen and Siegel, in their joint venture Ashkenazi Herbalism, describe the history and role of plants and herbs employed by Ashkenazi folk-healers, piecing together sparse, fragmented sources, and weaving them into an engaging story. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

Jewish Folk Remedies from the Pale of Settlement Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education

Good News from Israel (May 2, 2021)

Highlights of the May 2, 2021 edition of “Good News from Israel” include:
–Israel’s Covid infection levels are the lowest for over a year.
–An Israeli treatment uses a patient’s cells to bypass blocked arteries.
–Israeli humanitarian aid is on its way to four stricken countries.
–More Israeli vegan meat and milk products.
–Israeli technology will help expand space exploration.
–Israeli startups in Europe provide tens of thousands of local jobs.
–An Israeli basketball team has won the FIBA Europe Cup.
–Free Birthright tours to Israel resume. [Michael Ordman]

Good News from Israel (May 2, 2021) Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, International, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA

Debut Novel Takes Us to a Dystopian Planet

The action in this debut novel by San Diego County resident Cheryl Brin occurs sometime in the distant future on a planet called Tyra, which has descended into mutual suspicion and warfare between the countries of Altira and Donira.  Altira has a feudal system of government, dominated by landowners, while Donira has a socialist-style ideology, which some revolutionaries believe is not pure enough.  Vakor, a country far more technologically advanced than either of the two rivals, once dominated the planet and its rulers would like to do so again. [Donald H. Harrison]

Debut Novel Takes Us to a Dystopian Planet Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison