Donald H. Harrison

Donald H. Harrison

Donald H. Harrison is the publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. 

Harrison began his journalism career in 1962 on the UCLA Daily Bruin.  Following graduation he joined the staff of the Associated Press, and later became politics writer for The San Diego Union.  Afterwards he pursued a career in tourism, helping to establish San Diego’s Cruise Ship Program as well as Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego.  He also wrote for such Jewish publications as the San Diego Jewish Press Heritage and San Diego Jewish Times before starting San Diego Jewish World in 2007.

Don’s  latest work is the three-volume Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5.  

He is the author of six previous books.  Those with links may be obtained on Amazon.

Elmo’s Not Good at Dreidel and Other Tidbits from Sesame Place

“Growing, learning, sharing kindness, and acceptance of others” are the watchwords of Sesame Place.  The Sesame Street theme park’s employees say they practice these values whether in day-to-day activities or at special events like last December’s Chanukah celebration that featured playing dreidel with Elmo. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort Found His Home in Chasidism

I always laugh when people say Orthodox relegate women to secondary roles. Not in Chabad, baby! It is just not the truth. The rebbetzin is the soul of the place and that is not unique to our house. The children are part of it too. They grow up in shul running around, and now, for us, our grandchildren do. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

A Creative Set for Upcoming ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Production

Actors will move the suitcases and trunks around the stage “rather than having anything coming from off-stage, so we are keeping the wings basically free and open, so the actors have space to enter and exit from,” Schein explained. With a chuckle, Schein said “I’m almost calling the production ‘Fiddler on the Luggage.’ [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jewish, Muslim, Christian Peace Activists from Middle East Coming to S.D. on Regional Peace-Building Tour

The Arab Middle East is divided between moderates who want peace with Israel and radicals who want to promote conflict, says Dan Feferman, an American-Israeli, who serves as executive director of Sharaka. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

A Klezmer Adventure in old Bessarabia

Shloyml Boyml and his band receive an invitation from a rebbe from some distance away to play at his Purim party.  The rebbe requests that the band compose and play on the violin a special Purim melody.  Shloyml is both ecstatic and worried by the invitation.  It’s a great honor to play for the rebbe.  But his band does not have a violinist. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Fiction, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

StandWithUs Unites Diverse Ethnic Groups in Defense of Israel

Laniado, the regional director, told me that correcting lies and misinformation about Israel while fighting domestic antisemitism are missions so urgent that without such an effort, “in five years, we won’t be able to put the mezuzahs on our doors,” maybe even sooner than that. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Stuart Moldaw Saw Potential Profits in Buying Clothes for Less and Selling Them for Less

Moldaw’s next enterprise was as a principal in U.S. Venture Partners. While participating in that company, Moldaw also ran Pic-A-Dilly, which later was purchased by Lucky Stores. Thereafter, Moldaw decided to start Ross Dress for Less, which he described as a larger version of Pic-A-Dilly, offering not only women’s clothing but “a full array of family apparel.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

Hamas Terrorists Bypassed Israeli Center for People with Disabilities

Elie Klein, ADI’s development director, said Shabbats normally are restful at ADI-Negev, but such was not the case on Saturday, Oct. 7, the day Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel, murdering 1,200 people, kidnaping approximately 240 more, and setting into motion the current war in which the Israeli government has vowed to eliminate the ability of Hamas terrorists to ever again mount such an operation against Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Bear Detective Searches in a Novel Way for the Afikomen

This story book was published in plenty of time to purchase and read before the Passover holiday to the children ages 2 to 7 in your families. It focuses on the ceremonial foods of Pesach, most particularly that piece of matzah that is utilized as an afikomen. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

SDSU Feels the Fallout from Israel-Hamas War

San Diego State University is under investigation for alleged “Islamophobia” in the wake of  SDSU President Adela de la Torre’s condemnation of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and statement of support for Jewish students on campus.  The U.S. Department of Education has not discussed the merits of the complaint from unidentified complainants, only that the complaint has come under its jurisdiction. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Six Reform Congregations in San Diego County Receive Fake Bomb Threats

Six Reform Jewish congregations throughout San Diego County were targeted on Tuesday, Jan. 2, with false bomb threats, according to Bill Ganley, the Secure Community Network’s security director at the Jewish Federation of San Diego. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Children’s Book Relates the Odyssey of the Sarajevo Haggadah

Approximately 673 years ago, the Sarajevo Haggadah was given as a wedding present, not in Bosnia but in Spain, where it remained until 1492, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled those Jews who would not convert to Catholicism.  The ancient and beautifully illustrated narration of the Passover seder was a treasure that the Jewish family carried with it over the generations, first to Italy and later to Sarajevo, Bosnia. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Jenny Camhi: Building Jewish Community in North County

While not everyone was Jewish, “we had a community ketuba of values” in which it was agreed that “we all come from different faith backgrounds, but we can agree that innovation, caring for one another, caring for the environment, and acting with intention were the things that we all wanted to do. So, we had one of our Hive members create a community ketuba (a written contract, usually for marriages.) We illustrated it and we all signed it.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food