Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Pianist, Impresario Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Legacy of William F. Buckley Jr.

Buckley was “an anti-Communist warrior, a fighter against anti-Semitism, defender of freedom, a Renaissance man, and the man credited with making Reagan a reality,” Perelman enthuses. “If not for this man and his philosophy, my family and people like us would never have made it to America.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Swiss Detective Novel Probes Death of a Hospital Roommate

Hunkeler also enjoys central European history and legends, tales of Charlemagne, William Tell, and how his hometown of Basel defied the central Swiss government in Bern and welcomed Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany.  He also appreciates the flora and fauna of his region. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Shari Lyon is an Author, Performer, and Classroom Lecturer

Long before language was codified, every culture passed on its values, traditions and dreams through storytelling. The Oral Torah was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. West African griots told stories through song and tales while traveling village to village. [Eva Trieger]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, Holocaust, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson Novels Now Available on Audio

A few weeks ago, Dorothea received at her home office in Mevasseret Zion, Israel, an email from ‘Customer Support’ of KDP, the arm of Amazon which publishes books, telling her that she had been selected to produce the audiobook version of her books using virtual voice narration. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Memoir Combines Career in TV News with LGBTQ Memories

Glaser believes he was the first on-air news personality to publicly identify as gay, commenting during a 1994 broadcast on KNBC: “As a gay man who’s lost more than a few friends to the virus, I am grateful to Elizabeth Glaser [no relation] for helping to heighten awareness of AIDS outside the ga and lesbian community.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Lifestyles, News Media, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Yom HaShoah Remembrance: Miriam Samuel, My Aunt, z”l

Oh, Marijke, that scene is etched in my mind,
As friends turned to foes, oh, how cruel and unkind.
Neighbors swooped in like vultures in flight,
“Let me take this; I’ll claim it,” they’d bite. … {Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Yom HaShoah Remembrance: Leo Samuel, My Father, z”l

Religion shaped our lives every single day,
My father was faithful, guiding in his way.
With Rabbi skills, though he chose business,
His heart stayed true, despite the stress. … [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Poets Florsheim, Patlis, and Shames to Read Their Works May 6 at JCC

Stewart Florsheim, son of a Holocaust survivor; Simon Patlis, immigrant from the former Soviet Union; and Adam Shames, Chicago native, will be the three featured poets for the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices program at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 6, in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: George Steiner

George Steiner (April 23, 1929 – February 3, 2020) was a Franco-American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist, and educator. He wrote extensively about the relationship between language, literature and society, as well as the impact of the Holocaust. A 2001 article in The Guardian described Steiner as a “polyglot and polymath”. [Wikipedia]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Public Speaking Book Offers Helpful Philosophy of Life

I originally picked up the book hoping to find a few practical speaking tips to support my growing professional speaking. But what I found instead was something that felt both familiar and profound. With decades of Zen practice behind me, the essence of Glickstein’s message—showing up with presence—felt like coming home. Only this time, applied to the stage. [Shayna Kaufmann, Ph.D.]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lifestyles, Shayna Kaufmann, Staff and Bylined Contributors