Lawrence (Laurie) Baron, now retired, served as the Nasatir Professor of Modern Jewish History at San Diego State University. He served from 1988 to 2006 as director of SDSU’s Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies. He was the founder in 1995 of the Western Jewish Studies Association.
He writes two satire columns for San Diego Jewish World: “Humoring the Headlines” under his byline, and “Hounding the Headlines,” under the byline of his dog Elona.
Books to his credit, available on Amazon, include:
Projecting the Holocaust into the Present: The Changing Focus of Contemporary Holocaust Cinema
The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema
The eclectic anarchism of Erich Muhsam (Men & movements in the history & philosophy of anarchism)
His most recent articles are:
“Making Room for the Jews: The House I Live In (1945),” AJS Perspectives, Summer 2023, 86-88.
“The Revolt of Job: Salvaging the Lost World of Rural Hungarian Hasidim,” Journal of Jewish Identities, 16:1-2 (January/July 2023), 181-198.
“Persistent Parallels, Resistant Particularities: Holocaust Analogies and Avoidance in Armenian Genocide Centennial Cinema, in Armenian and Jewish Experience between Expulsion and Destruction, ed. Sarah M. Ross and Regina Randhofer (Berlin: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2021), 267-296.
“The Pioneering American Jewish Women Directors from Elaine May to Claudia Weill,” Jews and Gender (Studies in Jewish Civilization), ed. Leonard Greenspoon (W. Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2021), 217-243.
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─The NCAA authorized college teams in “power conferences” to develop compensation plans for their student athletes, reasoning that pay for play has worked so well in politics, why not try it in collegiate sports. * For years conservatives have claimed there is a war on Christmas, but with the rise of […]
Humoring the headlines: August 9, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─A recent poll indicated that only 4 % of Americans have a favorable view of Vladimir Putin; whereas 6 % think Congress is doing a good job. According to the pollsters, those queried feel that Congress merely occupies space whereas Putin occupies countries. * Two Americans who contracted Ebola while
Humoring the Headlines: August 6, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Ken Stone Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO–Lawrence “Laurie” Baron is professor emeritus of modern Jewish history at San Diego State. He has a doctorate in modern European intellectual history from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He’s an expert on Holocaust films. So what’s a nice Jewish teacher doing writing one-liners like these?
Times of San Diego profiles SDJW’s Laurie Baron Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Ken Stone, Lawrence Baron, San Diego CountyBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-Hamas broke the 3 day cease fire with Israel shortly after it began. Its spokesmen claimed that its fighters inadvertently used a stopwatch instead of a clock to time the cessation of hostilities or that the word “cease” was accidentally deleted from the email informing them of the armistice. *
Humoring the headlines: August 2, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─Although House Republicans insist that racism plays no role in their decision to sue President Obama, they have hired Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden as the prosecuting attorneys for their case. * Miramax announced the production of a sequel to the science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. In
Humoring the Headlines: July 28, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─In a vote that split along party lines, the House Committee on Rules approved pursuing John Boehner’s lawsuit against President Obama. Coincidentally, President Obama introduced legislation to ban frivolous lawsuits. * Fiscal hawks are losing their plumage. Rick Perry dispatched 1,000 members of the Texas National Guard to deter unaccompanied
Humoring the Headlines: July 25, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―Hamas agreed to accept all the unaccompanied minors who have sought asylum in the United States so long as they don’t mind living in tents above missile and weapon caches. * The Pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels suspected of downing Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 have analyzed its black box and concluded that the
Humoring the Headlines: July 21, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-Since airlines are now prohibited from flying over the Ukraine, United Airlines has updated its motto: “Fly the friendly skies and avoid the hostile ones.” * The Kalashnikov Concern, the manufacturer of AK-47s, is one of the companies affected by the new sanctions President Obama has imposed on Russia. In response
Humoring the Headlines: July 18, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-Lebron James has decided to return to Cleveland and play for the Cavaliers. Inspired by James’ change of heart, Edward Snowden plans to return to the United States and work for the CIA. * Israeli Civilian Prayer: Adonai, please keep my home safe from missiles. Palestinian Civilian Prayer: Allah, please keep
Humoring the headlines: July 13, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-Torah lessons: Deuteronomy XIX: 21 “And your eye shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” In other words, you can’t kill someone for a murder or murders he or she did not commit. Deuteronomy XXV: 1-2: “If there be
Humoring the headlines: July 7, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireHumoring the Headlines By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO- ISIS declared that one objective of the Islamic State it has established is to overthrow Barack Obama. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have contacted ISIS about coordinating their efforts. * Customers have complained about Walmart selling posters of the infamous Dachau gate which bore the slogan
Humoring the Headlines: July 3, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron The New Inscription for the Statue of Liberty (with apologies to Emma Lazarus) Unlike the harbor Lady with upright flame, Extending arms to seekers of haven. Pandering politicians willingly cave in, Turn children back without shame. Excuse themselves and find others to blame. To get elected and then block any change. Douse
Humoring the Headlines: June 29, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO―In a unanimous decision the Supreme Court ruled that police cannot routinely confiscate cell phones and use the information found on them as evidence in criminal cases without first obtaining a search warrant. Law enforcement officials have denounced the decision even though the NSA has assured them it already has a
Humoring the Headlines: June 27, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO-President Obama dispatched 300 military advisors to Iraq to bolster the Maliki government. When Obama’s press secretary was asked what the advisors will be doing, he replied they will be advising Iraqi soldiers which on-line courses to take to learn what real soldiers do in combat. * Pope Francis excommunicated all
Humoring the Headlines: June 23, 2014 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire