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.

Jewish Brothers Became Shopping-Mall Magnates

For centuries, Jewish merchants have made an impact on every country and society in which they lived. We can find some good examples of this at our very first stop on our Interstate 5 tour, the sprawling Las Americas Premium Outlets center which sits close to the Mexican border on the U.S. side. It attracts thousands of shoppers from both countries. The 56.1-acre complex was built in 2007, and at a recent count had 125 stores, most being representative of well-known brand names. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, USA

Schlepping and Schmoozing along the Interstate 5: Tijuana in the Rear View Mirror

Before we embark on this American journey, let us not forget that there is Jewish life in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, that is well worth remembering. In brief, we can find it at the Centro Social Israelita, the Congregaçion Hebraica de Baja California, and in the Jewish-owned department stores and shops along Avenida de la Revoluçion. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

YA Fiction: A Magical Journey to Save the Environment

This Young Adult novel is a mystical adventure in which four pre-teenage American girls representing the four cardinal directions are brought together to save the world from environmental disaster. The leader, Maia, representing the North, is a Lakota from South Dakota; the others are a Black-Jewish girl from New York (Sara, East); a Chicana from New Mexico, (Ava, South) and a Chinese girl who had been adopted by a Caucasian family in California (Yue, West). [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, The World We Share

New Sunday Series Will Probe Jewish Stories Along the Interstate 5

Every Sunday of 2022, with the permission of San Diego Jewish World’s new publisher and editor Jacob Kamaras, I will be posting an installment of a new book that I am writing, tentatively titled Schlepping and Schmoozing Along the Interstate 5. [Donald H. Harison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jacob Kamaras, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Jacobs, Bry on Campaign Trails for Congress and County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk

Primary elections are coming next June and two Jewish Democrats are already campaigning hard.  Congresswoman Sara Jacobs this week announced her candidacy for reelection in a recently reapportioned district that includes a large part of her old district.  Former San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry meanwhile has garnered the endorsement of the San Diego County Democratic Party in her bid to become the county’s next Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. [Donald H. Harrison]

Jacobs, Bry on Campaign Trails for Congress and County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA

Ever Met a Famous Jew? / This Book Tells of Quite a Few!

It’s never too early for a child to be inculcated with Jewish pride.  This board book will be enjoyed both by parents (or grandparents) and the children sitting on their laps both because of the caricatures of famous Jews and the rhyming couplets with which they are described. [Donald H. Harrison]

Ever Met a Famous Jew? / This Book Tells of Quite a Few! Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History

Yale Strom’s Search for Jewish Music throughout Eastern Europe

In retrospect, ethnomusicologist Yale Strom probably owes a thank you to the local klezmer band members who turned down his request to play violin with them.  That rejection prompted him to decide to form his own band.  However, he resolved that before doing that, he ought to search for material that other klezmer musicians weren’t playing. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food

Chula Vista Eye Doctor Invents App for the Color Blind

Dr. Robert Penner, 91, has done a lot of things in his life. He was an ophthalmologist with a private practice in Chula Vista; a colonel in the Army Reserve; president of the San Diego County Medical Society and of the San Diego County Eye Bank; and chairman of the San Diego Port Commission, among other distinctions. [Donald H. Harrison]

Chula Vista Eye Doctor Invents App for the Color Blind Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

‘Welcome Home’ Sends an SOS for Welcoming Refugees

Laurie Spiegler, the co-chair and co-founder of Welcome Home, a volunteer group that assists refugees to settle in San Diego, has put out an SOS.  Between now and February 15, as many as 1,500 Afghan refugees will be transferred from temporary lodging on U.S. military bases to the City of San Diego, where they will need everything including places to stay, furniture, bedding, personal hygiene items, paper towels, diapers, cleaning supplies, and just about everything else that cannot be purchased with food stamps. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, USA

Love, Loyalty, and Suspense in World War II France

“Postmistress” is a euphemism for “messenger,” which was the role that Nanée, an American heiress, played while in Paris, prior to the German invasion.  Initially, she and her compatriots focused on getting well-known artists and intellectuals — many but not all of them Jewish — out of Nazi Germany and into safety in France. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison