Byliners

Religious Disputes Through Time Destroyed Nations

Sadducees insisted that the Sabbath home must not have a fire burning on the Sabbath. It must be dark, sometimes even cold and gloomy. Pharisees interpreted the verse to restrict igniting a new fire on the Sabbath, and contrary to the Sadducees, they saw the Sabbath as a day of light, warmth, and joy. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Non-Profit Organization Challenges CAIR-California’s Suitability to Receive Federal Refugee Funds

A San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, the Intelligent Advocacy Network (IAN), has filed a letter of objection with the U.S. Department of Justice challenging the Council of American Islamic Relations-California as an agency qualified to help Afghan refugees to settle in the United States. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Biography: Eduard Gans, Judaism’s Defender Then Defector

In 1819 the Society for the Culture and Science of the Jews was organized in Berlin, whose president from 1821-1824 was the lawyer Dr. Eduard Gans. The Society published the journal Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft des Judenthums (Journal of the Science of Judaism), in which the purpose of the union was formulated as “the dissemination among the Jews of European education and scientific knowledge of Judaism in order to prepare in this way a painless transition from the Middle Ages to modernity, especially in order to avoid mass conversions to Christianity.” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Wayne Dosick, San Diego’s Longest Serving Rabbi, Dead at 77

His wife, Ellen Kaufman, told San Diego Jewish World that the Rabbi was working at the couple’s dining room table at their home in Carlsbad when he suffered the heart attack about 9 p.m. Friday, March 14.  He was preparing a sermon on the Torah portion Ki Tissa for Saturday morning Shabbat services when he was stricken. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

‘Egypt, A Love Song’ Tells the Story of Marriage between a Jew and a Muslim

The Israeli documentary Egypt, A Love Song tells the story of Souad Zaki, a Jewish chanteuse who was the star of concert halls and movies in Egypt before and after the establishment of the State of Israel.  Her husband, Mohamed el Akkad, was a Muslim musician, hyped as the King of the Qanun, and their son, Moshe, who grew up to be a psychologist. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

OpEd: Purim and the Holocaust

On Purim and we will read the story of how Haman, a descendant of Amalek, persuaded Achashveros, King of Persia, to destroy the Jews. But it’s also the story of our time! Once again Persia threatens to destroy the Jews, only this time its name has changed. We no longer call it Persia, we call it Iran. [Rabbi Bernhard H. Rosenberg]

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Antisemitism, Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Israel, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Drawing Inspiration–and a Name–from the Purim Story

Instead of giving my 13-year-old daughter a generational Hebrew name, a few years ago, while attending Hebrew School at Chabad of East County. I gave her the choice and she chose Esther. She said Queen Esther was a courageous woman, stood her ground and saved our people. [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Contemporary Torah Interpretation: Ki Tissa

When Moses comes down from Mount Sinai, he’s holding the rules by which they were to live and sees this golden calf party. Dancing and drinking are happening. But the righteous indignation was real—Moses smashed the tablets. Can you imagine the scene? Tablets shattered. Music stopped. People caught in mid-twerk. Silence. It was awkward. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parsha Ki Tissa: Bend or Break, Adapt to Advance

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. EL CAJON, California — This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, provides us a powerful reflection on human nature, faith, and the psychological challenges we all face in our lives. The events surrounding the creation of the Golden Calf teach us about the consequences of our being impatient, inflexible and lacking

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

A ‘How To’ Book for Activists Pushing a Noble Cause

– For activists pushing a cause, this book offers nine tips for success.  It was written by one of the nation’s foremost advocates for inclusion in all walks of life of people with disabilities. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

OpEd: Israel Must Be Prickly Like a Porcupine

Israel’s softheartedness is a big problem. I’m not advocating that Israelis copy the inhuman, atrocious behavior of our enemies, but there must be a change from Israel trying to please the UN (won’t happen), the EU (won’t happen), the International Red Cross (won’t happen), and so many other individuals and groups (won’t happen). [Steve Kramer]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer

A Tour of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

The Center is situated overlooking the beach at the point where Jaffa joins Tel-Aviv and where young Shimon Persky (later Peres) disembarked from the ship bringing him from Belorussia to Mandatory Palestine in 1934. After studying agriculture at the Ben Shemen school and helping to found Kibbutz Ma’alot in the Jordan valley, Peres was selected by Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, to acquire arms for the nascent State of Israel. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Travel and Food