Business & Finance

Young Entrepreneur Joey Aron Brings LA’s Bustling Kosher Food Scene to San Diego

By Jacob Kamaras LA JOLLA, California — Kosher-observant San Diegans are perpetually starved for kosher restaurants. Joey Aron decided to bring the restaurants to them. La Jolla native Aron, 24, who graduated from Yeshiva University’s (YU) Sy Syms School of Business and is now working at Citibank in New York, launched and now operates a […]

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Business & Finance, California, Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County

Chabad Opens Kosher Market in Lafayette

So, about two months ago, Rabbi Labkowski and his wife Tzipora opened Bay Kosher in the front part of the building that also houses their shul, Chabad of Lamorinda.  He engaged Mendel Schiffer, a native of Akko, Israel, to manage the store for him.  Schiffer, who didn’t care for retirement, had been in sales most of his life, and yearned for something new to do. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food

The Sassoons: The Rothschilds of the East

This family biography traces the Sassoon family from its 19th century roots in Baghdad and its migration to Bombay, where it developed into an important merchant family specializing in such commodities as opium, textiles, and oil.  The family also had banking operations in various cities, real estate holdings in China and other parts of Asia, and an international customer base centered on England. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East

State of Arizona Continues Investigation of Morningstar Over Israel Risk Ratings

By Mike Wagenheim (JNS) Despite the investment firm Morningstar offering concessions to the pro-Israel community regarding its methods of assigning risk ratings to entities doing business in and with Israel, the company is not off the hook in Arizona. Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced on Monday that her office will continue its investigation of

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Business & Finance, USA

The Syrian-Born Jew Who Built a Banking Empire

By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — I received a pre-publication copy for review of A Banker’s Journey: How Edmond J. Safra Built a Global Financial Empire, by Daniel Gross, from the publisher’s representative. It’s a fascinating look at both Sephardic Jews and the banking industry. “Rather than a biography of a single man this

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA

How a Sightseeing Company Got its Start in San Diego

This chapter is a chance for me to step again from third-person history into first-person history because I was highly involved in the start-up in 1989 of Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego. It came about because through The Harrison Enterprises, the public relations agency which I owned, I served as the executive director of the San Diego Cruise Industry Consortium. The consortium was created in 1983 under the aegis of Acting Mayor Bill Cleator to attract cruise ships to the Port of San Diego. Previously, I had served as communications director for Cleator during the period he served as a city councilman and acting mayor. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Inflation Index Adds to Cost of Buying Homes in Israel

The government created the Building Construction Index to protect all parties’ interests. When someone purchases an apartment in a project under construction, the unpaid portion of the price becomes linked to the BCI. Parenthetically, buyers who are risk averse can often accelerate their payment schedule and prepay the lion’s share of the purchase price, thus limiting their inflation risk. [Gedaliah Borvick].

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Business & Finance, Gedaliah Borvick, Middle East

Four Jews Who Served as Port Commissioners Tell of Their Tenures

Members of the Jewish community who have served on the Port Commission since its creation in 1962 were Harvey Furgatch (appointed 1969), Milton “Mickey” Fredman (1970), Ben Cohen (1977) and Louis Wolfsheimer (1979), all of whom had passed away prior to my undertaking this book, and Robert Penner (1988), Lynn Schenk (1990), Stephen Cushman (1998) and Laurie Black (2007), all of whom I had the opportunity to interview. All these Jewish Port Commissioners represented the City of San Diego, except for Penner and Cohen, who were appointed by Chula Vista and Coronado respectively. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Greg Smith: A Quarter Century as Assessor, Recorder, Clerk

If he were so inclined, Greg Smith could have a lot to brag about. Over a period of 25 years, he won seven elections to serve as the San Diego County Assessor as well as the county’s recorder and clerk. He headed a staff of between 400 and 500 county workers in the combined operations of assessor-recorder-clerk. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Travel and Food

Biblical Insights into San Diego’s Housing Market

The San Diego real estate scene has yet again taken residents by surprise.  In January 2020, the median sale price was $600,000.  A year later in January 2021, that rose to $650,000.  In January 2022, the price rose yet again to just under $800,000 and leveled out just under $900,000 in April 2022.  Going into Summer 2022, prices have started to plateau and even drop. [Teresa Konopka]

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Business & Finance, California, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Teresa_Konopka, USA

SparkIL Launches First Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform for Supporting Israeli Small Businesses

NEW YORK (Press Release) — The peer-to-peer lending platform SparkIL today announced its launch of a first-of-its-kind initiative that enables individuals to support the small business of their choice in Israel, while strengthening meaningful connections and relationships between the lenders and Israel. Established in partnership with The Jewish Agency for Israel and The Ogen Group,

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Business & Finance, Middle East, USA

Natural Gas Adds to Israel’s International Acceptance

Israel’s significance as a Middle Eastern powerhouse has reached new levels with the help of two seminal events: the discovery of natural gas in Eastern Mediterranean waters and the success of the Abraham Accords between Israel and some Muslim Arab neighbors. Before, Israel was knocking on the door of the Arab and European countries; now, many of those countries have opened the door or soon will. Israel has what they want. (Steve Kramer)

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Business & Finance, International, Middle East, Steve Kramer, USA

Rabbi Scott Meltzer Introduces B’nai Mitzvah to the Joy of Giving

Beginning in 2014, Rabbi and Mrs. Meltzer invested $100 per month in the Kiva organization until they had built up a credit of approximately $8,000. They pored over lists of worthy borrowers, who were vetted by Kiva’s microloan partners throughout the world.  The Meltzers then decided to which borrowers they wished to make interest-free repayable loans. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA