Jewish History

A Tour of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

The Center is situated overlooking the beach at the point where Jaffa joins Tel-Aviv and where young Shimon Persky (later Peres) disembarked from the ship bringing him from Belorussia to Mandatory Palestine in 1934. After studying agriculture at the Ben Shemen school and helping to found Kibbutz Ma’alot in the Jordan valley, Peres was selected by Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, to acquire arms for the nascent State of Israel. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Travel and Food

The Soille Family Makes an Impact in San Diego

Rabbi Soille davened at the Beth Jacob synagogue which was located at the time in North Park.  While the synagogue did not have a mechitza, Rabbi Soille would daven in the front area by the bimah which was surrounded by a metal rod iron wall.  Rabbi Soille was very close with the Rabbi of the synagogue, Rabbi Baruch Stern, and they would eat over at each other’s homes on Shabbat. [Avraham Dimenstein]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

OU Gala Marks Organization’s 125th Anniversary

From its beginnings as a kosher certification agency to its ongoing enrichment of Jewish life, advancement of community-driven solutions, and building a growing, religiously vibrant, and caring community, the OU’s achievements were showcased at a recent gala celebrating its 125-year legacy and honoring the people behind its success. [Press Release]

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Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Press Release, USA

The Soille Family Hides During the Holocaust

Esther Soille decided to go up the ladder through the back window to the apartment, for she believed that if the Nazis found a man up there, they would shoot immediately but would hesitate for a woman. [Avraham Dimenstein]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Researcher Assembles Biographies of the Late Rabbi Henry & Rebbetzin Esther Soille

All the Jewish fundraisers knew they could count on a sizable donation by stopping by the second floor of the mustard-colored apartment building at 4501 Ohio St. in the North Park district of San Diego.  This had been the residence of Rabbi Henry and Esther Soille (pronounced Swall) since the early 1960’s. [Avraham Dimenstein]

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Biography: Semyon Semkovsky, Ukrainian Philosopher

The only philosopher in Soviet Russia who spoke in defense of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity and proved that the new theories do not contradict Marx’s philosophy, was Semyon Semkovsky, Doctor of Philosophy, Academician of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Adrien Brody Speaks Out about Antisemitism

“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and I believe, and I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked.” [Cailin Acosta quoting Adrien Brody]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

God Gives Writer a Tour of Past, Present and Future in This Novel

However, unlike the movie, this is not a comedy.  It is an exploration of the many myths that impede people’s thinking about the Earth’s fragility as well as their responsibilities to each other. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Google Urged to Restore Holocaust Remembrance Day and Jewish American Heritage Month to its Standing Calendar

Members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus (CJC) sent a letter to Google urging the company to reverse its decision to remove International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) from its default calendar display. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Press Release, USA

Jewish Biography: Stanislaw Jerzy Lec, Satirist who Survived the Shoah

Stanisław Jerzy Lec, a prominent Polish satirist of Jewish origin, said: “The tragedy of an epoch is best conveyed by its laughter.” Lec, Yiddish for “jester, clown, mocker,” lived a short life full of suffering, during which he made people laugh. Sholom Aleichem said: “a Jew laughs to keep from crying.” Lec suffered a lot and, in order to endure this suffering with honor, he laughed a lot. He wrote: “When people do not have time to laugh – satire is born.” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors