By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Preschool teacher Sara Kaminski spotted me one Friday night at Shabbat services at Tifereth Israel Synagogue and asked if I would come one day to the kochavim (little stars) class and tell about newspapering. After I agreed, I wondered just what aspect of newspapering four and five-year-olds would be interested […]
Adventures in a Jewish pre-school Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego CalendarBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel is usually in the headlines about war, terror, great power efforts to make peace, or some other bloody or politically charged issue. This note is not about any of that exciting stuff, but deals with the way others and Israelis often view themselves. That may have something to do
OECD mischaracterizes Israel's economy Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Forward started it in December. Ha’aretz picked up the theme this month, writing, “The Bush administration violated security related agreements with Israel in which the U.S. promised to preserve the IDF’s qualitative military edge (QME) over Arab armies, according to senior officials in the Obama administration and Israel,” and
Has U.S. eliminated Israel's qualitative edge over possible Arab foes? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It has not been a good couple of days for Barack Obama. Instead of celebrating the anniversary of his inauguration, he is pondering his party’s loss of a special election in what may be the most liberal state in the nation, and Iran’s rejection of a lead item on his
Obama's rocky few days, Netanyahu's household problems Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C — As the first Israel Defense Forces (IDF) emergency aid team (there is now a second) left for Haiti, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Given Israel’s security needs, we have accumulated much search and rescue experience over the years. We have applied this experience previously in disaster scenes throughout the
Israel's humanitarian efforts in Haiti Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–There are some who, like myself, believe in the Big Bang Theory. Then there are others who believe in evolution and then there are those who believe in the literal translation of the bible. Who can say what’s right, wrong or otherwise. It matters not, but in his dark comedy boom
Bang or ‘Boom,’ it’s still a leap of faith Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–You have heard the story of the nail that was lost, that hampered the horse, lost the battle and the empire. In both countries that I follow there is danger of a lost nail. Where they impact is too early to know, but they are cause for worry, or maybe only amusement.
The nails that may cause the undoing of Netanyahu and Obama Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–The San Diego Jewish Film Festival is celebrating its 20th year this season. The Festival is being sponsored by the Mizel Family Foundation and runs from Feb. 10-21. Titles cover the alphabet from A to Z starting with Adam’s Wall and ending with Zrubavel. Against The Tide is a new release
San Diego Jewish Film Festival preview: ‘Against The Tide’ Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & BroadcastCOLUMBUS, Ohio (Press Release)–The Center for Child Welfare Policy of the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare (NARCCW) has announced the 2010 winners of the Pro Humanitate Literary Awards, North America’s premier literary awards for the field of child welfare. One book award and three article awards are conferred annually to authors from the
Book on child sexual abuse in Jewish community wins award Read More »
Amy Neustein, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–For those who doubt that Israel is a normal country, the arrest of a messiah with who knows how many wives and children should establish its credentials. The most complete report I have seen in English appears in the Times of London. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6988614.ece This puts us firmly in the league with the
For all its holy history, Jerusalem a city like many others Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–Lisa Loomer’s Expecting Isabel couldn’t be timelier for director Jennifer Eve Thorn. Thorn, founding mother along with Delicia Turner-Sonnenberg and Jo Anne Glover and mother of one, is expecting her second child any second now! Loomer’s modern day answer to infertility, Expecting Isabel, is on target bringing to light the plight of
‘Expecting Isabel’ delivers Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–A New York Times article about “al Qaeda” terrorism directed against the United States could have been written about Palestinian terror against Israel. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/us/13intel.html?hp Rather than central planning and coordination by skilled Islamic evil-doers, the most recent spurt of events were largely the work of individual enthusiasts, inspired by extremist preachers or
Parallels between terrorist incidents against U.S., Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
Adam Christopher and Joshua Grenrock in “Circus Welt” at the Whitefire Theatre ________________________________________________________ By Cynthia Citron SHERMAN OAKS, California– Even three-quarters of a century later, the sight of a troop of Hitler’s brownshirts, their left arms emblazoned with a swastika band, can cause a chill in the most stalwart of audiences. The setting is Germany in
Some times even the circus may not be a refuge Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Now that President Obama has acknowledged that the United States is, indeed, at war, the relevant questions are, “against whom and with what allies?” Mr. Obama said, “We are at war with al Qaeda.” Our allies include our Western-thinking coalition partners, of course. But our allies are also supposed
Who are the U.S. allies in the war on terror? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA