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.
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California – At Grossmont College, more than 40 full-time and part-time faculty members instruct some 700 students in English-As-A-Second-Language. You might think of these ESL teachers as an American welcoming committee. They are a generally kind-hearted cadre who help their students to navigate in […]
Grossmont’s ESL classes provide path to higher learning, jobs Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison CARLSBAD, California – Talk about multi-tasking. Ulla Hadar of Kibbutz Ruhama, Israel, “trained” for an upcoming bike ride to raise funds for a rocket-proof high school in Sha’ar Hanegev while paying a nostalgic visit to a tourist attraction here that is based on one built in her native country. Hadar, a
A Danish Israeli multitasks at Legoland Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California–I’ve often wondered if one could “travel” the world while remaining in San Diego County. In other words, can one sample the culture, the foods, and the ideas of all the different countries of the world, simply by taking advantage of the many international resources
World-At-Home: Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – There had been a community-wide commemoration of the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah, the day before. but on Monday night, in the surroundings of the synagogue that has been home to the New Life Club, Holocaust Aurvivors held another, more intimate remembrance service. Prayers and readings were preceded by
Tifereth Israel holds an intimate remembrance of the Holocaust Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Nancy and I commemorated Yom HaShoah in unorthodox fashion. We went with our cousins Bruce and Pat Feldman to see Cygnet Theatre’s production of Cabaret at the Old Town Theatre. No, I didn’t like the musical drama; I hated it, as I knew I would—even though the cast did a
‘Cabaret’: A painful reminder of the Shoah’s origins Read More »
Carol Davis, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Photos and story by Donald H. Harrison JULIAN, California – The 90-minute Smith Ranch train and gold mine tour serves up nuggets of history, Smith family lore, and some miners’ “gold.” This last Saturday, along with three international visitors and my 10-year-old grandson Shor, I found the well-planned, well-choreographed outing to be both educational and
Nuggets of ‘gold,’ history, family lore at Smith Ranch in Julian Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – There are two questions that I think need to be debated within the American Jewish community, and both are quite painful. First, do you remember the St. Louis, the ship filled with refugees from Hitler’s Germany, which was turned away by the United States as well as other
Two very painful questions about the U.S. and Israel Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – It was only a week ago, wasn’t it, that I was rhapsodizing about the yellow wildflowers that had graced our back yard lawn? https://www.sdjewishworld.com/?p=16574 Our gardener evidently didn’t read my column. On Saturday, he mowed the lawn, transporting every single one of the wild flowers into his lawn
Remembering the dead, appreciating the living Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California—Television station KPBS teamed up with documentarian Susan Polis Shutz on Wednesday evening, April 20, to produce a giant pep rally for senior citizens in the Sherwood Auditorium of the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. As van after van from such senior residence establishments as Seacrest Village
Documentary, like a Vitamin B-12 shot, energizes seniors Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – My backyard is now carpeted in green and yellow – the green being what we commonly call “grass” and the yellow either “weeds” or “wildflowers” depending on a person’s point of view. Those who want to exercise control over their domains probably would call them “weeds.” People like
Some backyard reflections Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—I’m fortunate to live in the Mission Trails Regional Park neighborhood of San Diego. It is in the eastern part of the city, nearly surrounded by the suburbs of Santee, El Cajon and La Mesa. From my window I can see the U.S. and California flags fluttering near the Visitors
Neighborhood affords walk through San Diego history Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
In the Shadow of Death by Joseph Foxman, Yad Vashem and the Holocaust Survivors Memoirs Project, 2011, 198 pages including photos and reproduction of Yiddish manuscript, price unlisted. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Perhaps the principal value of this Holocaust memoir is that it documents how Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League,
Memoir by Foxman’s father lacks depth Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
Finding Emilie by Laurel Corona, Gallery Books, 2011, 427 pages plus reading guide and conversation with author, $15. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Questions often arise about biblical passages, which seem to skip a lot of material. To fill in those blanks, rabbis over the centuries have written explanatory stories known as medrashim.
Finding women’s voices in 18th-century France Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO, April 9 — Daniel Viflich, the 16-year-old boy who was injured Thursday, April 7, on the Israeli school bus that was hit by an anti-tank shell fired from the Gaza Strip, had been visiting his grandma at Kibbutz Ruhama and had gone on a ride with his grandma’s neighbor,