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.

Novel Tells of Female Math Whiz Helping the U.S. to Win World War II

Her misplaced feelings of guilt prompted her to hide a remarkable inheritance, the gift of being able to visualize the solutions to math problems in her head, similar to the way that television’s Dr. Shaun Murphy of the just concluded The Good Doctor series was able to mentally picture complex medical conditions and interactions. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology

Anti-Israel Sign Removed from Chicano Park by Order of the City Government

“Over 600 constituents have contacted the City of San Diego requesting the removal of this messaging on public property,” Dargan wrote to the Steering Committee. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Novel Traces the Life of a Jewish Baby Boomer

Typically, novels have some conflicts that need to be resolved, but although this one hints of several conflicts, they are papered over.  For example, the fact that her mother was a Christian who pretended to be a very “Reformed” English Jew in order not to upset Sherrie’s grandparents was a situation that could have been deeply explored, but it wasn’t. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Novel Imagines Political Consequences if Aging Could Be Reversed

Geiderman presents us with an opportunity to imagine what it would be like to suddenly grow younger than one’s daughter, but rather than diving deeply into that story, he had another story in mind – one which, I am sad to say, was not nearly so interesting. It plowed the familiar ground of political intrigue. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Three Intriguing Stories Lead to One in ‘The Boy with the Star Tattoo’

The highly readable novel juxtaposes three stories: 1) love and survival in Vichy France;  2) Jewish efforts shortly after World War II to find European Jewish orphans who could be brought to Eretz Israel; and 3) the drama of Israel “stealing” its own ships from under the eyes of the French. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Jewish Swag, Singing, Soften Blow of Padres Loss to Rockies

Special Padres hats bearing the “Chai” (Life) symbol were distributed to them, and they got to hear and cheer Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel of Congregation Beth Israel sing “The Star Spangled Banner” in pre-game ceremonies. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Book Teaches Children about Trying New Foods, Diversity

In this Australian-based story, when the Jewish community has a cholent competition, onlookers and most other competitors are surprised when Amira, whose Jewish roots are in Iraq, stuffs a chicken with such ingredients as garlic, ginger, onion, paprika, baharat, cinnamon,  and rice.  She cooked the stuffed chicken inside a mixture of sauteed tomatoes and cardamon, hard-boiling eggs on the side. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Agriculture, Sharing, and A Dollop of Torah for Toddlers

Shavuot arrives this year on Tuesday night, June 11.  This hard-cover book is intended to introduce your toddler to the holiday of Shavuot, getting your hands dirty gardening, the joy of sharing, and the names of the seven species of ancient Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share

Children’s Book Offers Myth of an Earlier Garden of Eden

It posits that before it was relocated to Earth, the Garden of Eden—with a man and a woman, the snake, and its fruits and vegetables—all existed on an unnamed planet.  There, the fruits each laid claim to being the best.  The apple boasted it was the “hardiest”; the pomegranate, the “biggest”; the grape, the “sweetest”; the fig, “the yummiest” and the citron (lemon) because it could make any of them taste better with just one drop. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Children’s Book Teaches Israel Geography and Conservation

In this picture book for children between the ages of 3 and 8, a young girl who is a future conservationist travels up and down Israel finding treasures that she can hold in her hands for moments before restoring them to their rightful place in nature. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share

University President’s Memoir Tells of Growing Up Jewish in Rural South

Most of Gitenstein’s memoir probes in depth her relationship with her parents, siblings, and grandparents and their relationships with each other.  The family saved the letters they wrote to each other and Gitenstein quoted from those letters frequently. [Donald H. Harrison

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Rep. Sara Jacobs Votes Against Antisemitism Awareness Act

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) voted in the minority against a bill on Wednesday, May 1, that is called the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023.  She said the measure “would stifle and restrict free speech in an effort to combat the rise of antisemitism”  The measure passed the House by a vote 320-91. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘The Dybbuk’ Meets Schizophrenia in ‘The Book of Izzy’

Playing Khanan and also stepping into the role of director, Izzy falls in love with Sue-Ann, who portrays Leah.  At times brilliant and at times in la-la land, Izzy leads readers on a  adventure through S. An-sky’s well-known, memorable play, and through his own disordered mind. [Donald H. Harrison]

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