President Donald J. Trump on Sept. 19, the day of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, issued the following proclamation:
President Trump’s proclamation for Justice Ginsburg, z”l Read More »
Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA
Back to work following the two-day observance of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish organizations are paying tribute to the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 just before the High Holy Day. Among the tributes were the following: [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County”]
RBG’s death prompts Jewish pride, sorrow Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAThe chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, doesn’t want the debate over anti-Semitism in the party’s ranks to be held until after the Nov. 3 election, if ever. On Sept. 10, Rodriguez-Kennedy sent a message to the county party’s central committee explaining his reason for wanting a delay. [Donald H. Harrison, Our Shtetl San Diego County]
San Diego Dems cancel anti-Semitism debate Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAJewish seniors isolated during the coronavirus pandemic may be better off both physically and mentally by moving to the Independent Living section of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities, its president and CEO Pam Ferris says. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County column]
Seacrest Village may be answer for isolated Jewish seniors Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA
Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem honors non-Jews who chose to save Jews, even at the risk of their own lives. Yad Vashem does not honor, document or recognize Jews who saved other Jews during the Holocaust, even at the risk of their own lives. Honoring Jews who saved Jews was and is not part of its mandate. Were not their life-risking efforts worthy of memorialization? There is no memorial to Jews who saved Jews and others, in Israel, or anywhere. [Jerry Klinger]
We need a memorial for Jews who saved Jews and others Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, USA
Willie and Laura Pincus were a forever couple. There was never any Willie without Laura, nor Laura without Willie, even after he died. He was sixty-five when he checked out, after many years of heart trouble. Jerry Lewis, the comedian once said; “Good Jewish food killed more of my people than the Holocaust did!” Willy had too many delicious pastrami, and chopped liver, sandwiches. When he died, Laura felt cheated. She often told me that she was waiting to rejoin him. She had to wait twelve long years, but finally her patience paid off, and I’m left to tell the tale. [Ira Spector]
Willie the plumber and Lavender Laura Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County
Karen Parry, a Jewish community professional who grew up and held her earliest positions in San Diego County, will return to her native city from Seattle to become the executive director of Hillel of San Diego. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Karen Parry new Hillel of San Diego executive director Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
One hundred and five years ago this week, a horrible lynching occurred in this city. The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, with support from the ADL and Rabbi Steven Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth, placed the first National Anti-lynching Memorial at the site. [Jerry Klinger]
Leo Frank’s lynching 105 years ago commemorated Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA
George Salameh, owner of the Alforon Restaurant on El Cajon Boulevard near 59th Street, remembers living within the area near the port of Beirut that was leveled by the terrible blast on August 4 that killed at least 177 people and wounded or injured 6,000 more, leaving as many as 150,000 people homeless, and causing property damage estimated between $10 billion and $15 billion. [Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]
Lebanese memories prompted by Beirut explosion Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA
Myriads of articles and books will be written on the life and legacy of Rav Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, who passed away on Friday, the 17th of Av, and was buried on Har Hazeitim – the Mount of Olives. The diversity of people who accompanied him to his final rest spoke to the miracles he accomplished in his lifetime. Once in a generation – if we’re lucky – are we to witness to the creation of such a vast body of Torah work by one person; he has revolutionized Jewish scholarship for hundreds of thousands – perhaps millions — of people, and for future generations. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who was a keynote speaker at a dinner in honor of the Rav in 2018, said, “He was trained as a scientist but has the soul of a poet.” [Toby Klein Greenwald]
A Torah giant, up close and personal Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Toby Klein Greenwald
JERUSALEM (Press Release) – Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, one of the greatest commentators on Judaism of our generation, died Friday in Jerusalem, aged 83, after suffering from acute pneumonia. Rabbi Steinsaltz was born in Jerusalem in 1937. After graduating in chemistry and physics from the Hebrew University, he began his career as an educator and
Adin Steinsaltz, translator of Talmud, other Jewish texts Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials
As a seventeen-year-old lad from the gravely impoverished Troy, Alabama, John Lewis decided to write a letter to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery. Lewis had breathlessly followed the recent narrative of King, Rosa Parks, and others during the successful eleven-month Montgomery Bus Boycott. Not only did King write back to Lewis, he also included in the letter a round-trip bus ticket to Montgomery and an invitation to meet him, which Lewis eventually did — in March 1958. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what to say or what to do,” Lewis recalled. “And Dr. King said, ‘Are you the boy from Troy?'” [Source: NPR] [Ben Kamin]
John Lewis: A man of painful sincerity, steel rectitude Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, USARabbi Yeruchem Eilfort of Chabad of La Costa, who is among the longest-serving Chabad rabbis in San Diego County, on Sunday described the revelations of the tax fraud crimes of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein of Chabad of Poway as “deeply shocking and profoundly hurtful.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Eilfort: ‘Deep sense of betrayal’ over Goldstein’s tax fraud Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi
When we speak of this community, we often stop at the Ts or just abbreviate LGBT+. But the A in LGBTQIA stands for Asexual or “Acers.” These are people who really don’t want an intimate partner of either sex. Resisting societal and familial pressures, Acers are content to just be. I’d like to talk about one such person who played a pivotal role in my own family. [Eric George Tauber]
Aces have a place at the table Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials