Obituaries & memorials

Jewish community raises $2 million for Covid-19 emergencies; more needed

Approximately $2 million has been raised for the San Diego Jewish Community Emergency Fund, created by the Jewish Community Foundation, the Leichtag Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, professionals of those three organizations noted Monday in a Zoom conference. However, more will be needed, according to Beth Sirull, the president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation. “The pandemic has the makings of a real humanitarian nightmare,” she said, noting that as people are thrown out of work, they are struggling to meet such basic needs as purchasing foods and medicines. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Judaism, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The Jewish candidates: Sarah Davis in the 78th A.D.

Sarah Davis faces San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward, who is another LGBTQ Democrat, so such issues as gay rights, marriage equality, and others that in former years were hot topics will not be matters for much debate in the 78th Assembly District contest prior to the Nov. 3 runoff election.  However, Davis, a member of the Jewish community, says she and Ward have plenty of differences about such issues as placing greater emphasis on women’s health and fighting climate change. [Our Shetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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

S.D. County battens down for coronavirus siege

Our county battened down on Friday to wait out a coronavirus siege, with Jewish and general community institutions announcing closures as a precaution to prevent the virus from spreading.  In addition to the developments reported on Thursday, there were these additional developments to report on Friday. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

Jew who posed as Catholic child tells of WWII life

A San Diegan who survived the Holocaust as a child by posing as a Catholic boy helped pay tribute Sunday to the 1.5 million children who perished during World War II under the regimes of the German Nazis and their allies.  After telling of his life, he joined listeners who painted ceramic butterflies that will be mounted by The Butterfly Project at the Grossmont Shopping Center in their memory. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Haifa, San Diego scientists to probe Israeli coastal waters

Before long the historic port city of Akko, Israel, will become headquarters for a search for sunken treasures of the academic kind in a project that brings together scientists from UC San Diego and the University of Haifa.

“Along the coast of Israel, submerged settlements, ancient harbors and sunken ships tell a unique story of 11,000 years of human resilience and adaptation,” explains Assaf Yasur-Landau, director of the Leon Racanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa.  “I am very excited for this tremendous opportunity in which both partners – the University of Haifa and UC San Diego – join forces to create pathbreaking underwater and coastal research as well as a joint training program on the Carmel Coast.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Celebrating Abraham Lincoln on his 211th birthday

Abraham Lincoln had a warm friendship with the Jewish communities of his time.  That’s one of the reasons why, today on the 211th anniversary of his birth,  I am so proud that some cities of San Diego County have honored the 16th President of the United States in various ways. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Kirk Douglas: Star of David and Hollywood

Like many Jews of his generation, he had changed his name to avoid revealing that he was born Issur Danielovitch, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived in Amsterdam, New York. Even before that, he adopted the Americanized surname of his uncle Avram Demsky and preferred Isadore over Issur. {Lawrence Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials

A minyan of Jews on local election ballots

As we go into the final month before the March 3 primary election in California, I’d like to mention the names of Jewish candidates on the ballot for our readers to consider.  We’re not making any endorsements in the primary election (although I personally announced for Amy Klobuchar) , but we’d like you to know who they are.  In some cases, like Democratic presidential candidates Michael Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders, they oppose each other.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Shabbat reflections on Rev. Martin Luther King

During evening and morning Shabbat services preceding Martin Luther King Day, Rabbi Josh Dorsch and David Ogul, respectively the rabbi and president of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, read from the pulpit a reflection that congregant Dan Tomsky had extrapolated from the writings of The Rev. Kathleen C. Rolenz, a Unitarian Universalist minister. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Sam Litvin, USA

Gimbel’s WZC goals: ‘Pluralism, peace, economic justice’

In recent articles, we have been profiling San Diegans who have been nominated by various slates to serve as delegates to the World Zionist Congress, which will take place in Jerusalem Oct. 20-22  Among the nominees is Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel, the assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jews, Christians, Muslims to join in MLK salute

San Diegans of various faiths will gather at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Marston House in Balboa Park, at 3525 Seventh Avenue (corner of Upas) to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been five days past his 91st birthday. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, USA

Morality lessons in the daily news

When reading the San Diego Union-Tribune, there are times that I feel I am benefiting from more than the news.  The newspaper also reinforces some fundamental concepts of good behavior and dare I say it? – morality – in its coverage. Let me work from the back sections to the front to explain what I mean. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, USA