Jewish History

Hillel at UC San Diego Takes Pro-Active Steps to Counter Antisemitism

One week after the annual hate-filled apartheid week organized by various student organizations at UC San Diego, pro-Israel students will get to counter-program with “joy” by sponsoring Israel week.  The on-campus celebration will open this May’s observance of Jewish Heritage Month. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Kushner Family’s Holocaust Saga Included in ‘Tunnel of Hope’

Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump and one of the architects of the Abraham Accords, may not have ever existed were it not for the daring escape by his grandmother Raya in September 1943 from a forced labor camp run by the Nazis in Novogrudok in today’s Belarus. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Jewish Biography: Richard Wilstätter, Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist

Richard Martin Wilstätter was born in Karlsruhe on August 13, 1872. His father was a cloth merchant. In From My Life Wilstätter writes about his origins: “My forefathers were Jews. They had made their home in Karlsruhe since 1720. […] Rabbis, teachers, and a physician were among my ancestors.” Since childhood, he has been fascinated by the natural sciences: “At the age of twelve, I had decided on chemistry and natural sciences in general.” [Alex Gordon]

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

‘Here Lived’ Tells of European Memorial Stumbling Stones for Holocaust Victims

Here Lived shown Thursday night, Feb. 6, at the San Diego International Film Festival is a documentary film directed by Jane Wells who follows conceptual artist Gunter Demnig in laying Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) in Holland. [Cailin Acosta]

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

Trump’s Gaza Proposal and ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’

Trump’s suggestion of offering Gazans the choice to temporarily relocate with international support breaks away from old paradigms, much like the child’s truth encouraged those around the emperor to see clearly for the first time. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Israel, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘Internee Number 6’ Relates Story of Her Confinement in Fascist Italy for Being a Jew

The Villa Sorge was a private residence into which 75 women were crowded, speaking a variety of languages, and not all of them Jews. A topic of speculation was who was a spy among their fellow internees, who might be providing sexual favors to their captors in return for preferences, how bad the food was, and how a Jewish internee like herself could reach an understanding with another internee who was a self-described Nazi. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Tu B’Shevat Coloring Pages for Children and Adults

With Tu B’Shvat coming on Feb. 13, I found these coloring pages from Joanne Fink Judaica to be printed and colored. As the weather seems to be a bit dreary with possible rain, I thought a fun indoor activity would be nice to share with you all. [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Black and Jewish Civil Rights Alliance Recalled in ‘Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round’

For almost 60 years, Glen Echo Amusement Park was the wholesome, beloved playground of White metropolitan Washington, DC. Every summer, tens of thousands enjoyed its Crystal Pool, wooden rollercoaster, Spanish Ballroom, Tunnel of Love and Carousel. However, the African American children living nearby could only watch all the fun from a distance, along the nearby roadway. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Tribute to a Holocaust Survivor and Education Advocate Edith Palkowitz, z”l

A Holocaust survivor from Budapest, Edith’s legacy is one of courage, resilience, and a deep commitment to preserving history. Her passing marks the end of an era for those who knew her, but her impact on the lives she touched will be felt for generations to come. [Sandy Scheller]

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Holocaust, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Lovers in Auschwitz’ Provides Hook to Teach Readers about the Holocaust

David Wisnia from Poland was a prisoner at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex; Likewise, Helen Zipora “Zippy” Spitzer from Slovakia was also a prisoner.  But neither of them was an ordinary prisoner; by virtue of wits and luck, each of them had been elevated to favored positions in the concentration camps’ heirarchy. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Young Readers Get a Taste of the Holocaust in ‘One Day’

“One day at a time. One day after another” was the motto of Holocaust escapees Eugene Handschuh and his father Oscar. Accordingly, father and son submitted to the brutal schedule the Nazis forced on them until they perceived an opportunity to escape — not once, but twice. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Curator of ‘RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust’ A Guest of Honor at Surprise Luncheon

Holocaust Survivors and staffers for the Jewish Federation of San Diego conspired with Ron Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group on Friday, Jan. 31, to surprise Sandy Scheller, curator of the exhibit RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust, now being shown at the La Jolla Library. [Mike Wallenfels]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food