International

Jews Have Pondered for Eons Whether to Assimilate or Maintain Distinct Jewish Identity

It was not easy to carry their own burdens, to be themselves. At the time of emancipation, some Jews put on other people’s togas and carried other people’s burdens of “purifying normality.” The temptation to fit in with the majority and join what was considered a civilized way of life was great. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Israel Weighs Beefing Up Defenses, Population in Golan Heights

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the government has appropriated millions of dollars to double the Jewish population of the Golan Heights, which was seized from Syria in the Six-Day War and which Israel subsequently annexed. [SDJW Staff]

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California, Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA

Cardin, in Farewell Senate Speech, Recalls His Campaign for Soviet Jews

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) delivered a farewell address in the U.S. Senate, in which he has served for 18 years, which included his current role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said tikkun olam and tzedakah collectively have been his North Star of public service. [SDJW staff]

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International, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Uncertainty over the Fates of Gaza and Syria

Seventy-seven Congressional Democrats, including nine Jewish members, wrote to Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, respectively Secretary of State and Defense Secretary, stating that “administrative action must be taken to ensure Israel upholds the assurances it provided in March 2024 to facilitate, and not directly or indirectly obstruct U.S. humanitarian assistance. We remain committed to a negotiated solution that can bring an end to the fighting, free the remaining hostages, surge humanitarian aid, and lay the groundwork to rebuild Gaza with a legitimate Palestinian governing body.”  [SDJW staff compilation]

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Business & Finance, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Young, Committed Jews Offer Their Thoughts on the Future of Our People

ollege students and youth in their 20’s contributed 31 essays to this anthology.  Some essays are descriptive like that of Stanford University student Julia Steinberg’s “Home, Transcendence, and the Land,” in which she describes the feelings of belonging and of being home on her first visit to Israel. Others were proscriptive such as Ashira Boxman’s “To Stand United, We Must Respect Our Different Paths,” and Kivi Franks’ “Stop Overfocusing on Antisemitism.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

The Life Journey of a Mexican Jewish Zionist

We arrived at the airport and went straight to the event where I was to deliver my speech. I was on the bus with my suitcases, and of course, I didn’t know Hebrew. On the way, I wrote part of my speech. When I sat at the head table, I was trembling with nerves, and suddenly, I felt someone hug me warmly. To my surprise, it was Golda Meir, the legendary Prime Minister of Israel. Her embrace deeply moved me. [José Galicot]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Jose Galicot, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Israel Recruits Medical Doctors at MedEx LA

Among the physicians preparing to migrate to Israel are husband and wife Drs. Garrett and Noa Sterling.  He is an emergency medicine physician, and she is a retired obstetrician/ gynecologist who now runs an online membership group that counsels individuals about pregnancy and post-partum issues.  Noa, speaking for herself and her husband, said, “We feel a spiritual calling to live in Israel.  The future of the Jewish people is in Israel, and we want to contribute to that future.” [Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

OpEd: An Evening with Israeli Journalist Tal Schneider at the Lawrence Family JCC

In Monday evening’s conversation, she explained the social situation on the ground in Israel since the October 2023  Hamas attack on Israel. “For Israelis, there was life before; then there is NOW,” she said. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, News Media, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Ambassador Explains Israel’s Military Action in Syria

Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox Business News that “those guys who are taking over Syria are not peace loving.  You know they are terrorists, most of them, so we are now neutralizing the threat. …” [SDJW staff report]

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International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Technion Receives Funding for Advanced Research on Schizophrenia

The project focuses on improving early diagnosis and monitoring of schizophrenia – a chronic condition affecting approximately 1% of the global population (80 million people). Schizophrenia is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, reducing life expectancy by an average of 10–15 years. [Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education

Fast-Moving Events in Israel and the Middle East Make Heads Spin

Our minds and hearts are still reeling from the events of the last year, starting with the vile attack on kibbutzim and towns in the south by Hamas, the subsequent war in Gaza, political division in Israel and the current trial for corruption of Prime Minister Netanyahu, when we find our northern neighbor and enemy, Syria, in turmoil as a result of the rebel groups’ overthrow of Assad’s murderous regime. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘The Ice Cream Man,’ a Holocaust Short, Screened by Chabad of RSF

A packed crowd attended the San Diego County premiere of The Ice Cream Man hosted by Drs William and Laura Freeman.  Chabad of RSF Rabbi Levi and Rebbetzin Devorah Raskin invited viewers to wonderful delectables followed by ice cream. [Sandy Scheller]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Archaeologists Find Chamber for Paleolithic Religious Ceremonies in Cave in the Galilee

A rare prehistoric ritual complex has been uncovered in the darkest depths of Manot Cave in the Western Galilee, Israel. The complex is enclosed naturally by impressive stalagmites that create a distinctive entrance to the site and features a unique and impressive rock with geometric engravings resembling a turtle shell. [Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education