Yesterday, Jan. 20, was a tough day — kicking off a tough week, and likely, a very tough four years. And yet, yesterday we honored a legacy of justice and resilience that reminds us: we come from generations of powerful resistance. [Idit Klein]
Keshet CEO Responds to Trump’s Anti-LGBTQ Executive Orders Read More »
Jewish Religion, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
What rabbi spoke at a presidential inauguration and then at a later time criticized that President? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Presidential Inaugurations Read More »
Israel, Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Meyerbeer’s vast fortune and the great success of his operas, as well as his observance of the laws of the Jewish religion, set him apart from many musicians. He was a sponsor of many young composers, including Wagner, who “thanked” him with an antisemitic article, “Jewry in Music.” [Alex Gordon]
Jewish Biography: Giacomo Meyerbeer, Opera Impresario Read More »
Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors
The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir, under the direction of Pastor Ken Anderson, performed Saturday night, Jan. 18, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Gospel rhythms prompted the Jewish audience to join through singing, dancing, and clapping. [Robin Dishman]
MLK Community Choir Performs for a Jewish Audience Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Poet Allisa Cherry is entranced by Hebrew Scriptures, turning to them to express her anguish over the tragic lives of the members of a Mormon family. A grandmother had a double mastectomy; a father died of radiation poisoning caused by nuclear testing in the desert; a brother died in a car accident before he was 20; and a wife, caught in a loveless marriage, divorces her ne’er-do-well husband. [Donald H. Harrison]
Biblical Imagery Brightens Poet’s Bleak Account of Life in the Arizona Desert Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
This weekend we honor the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I wasn’t around when he was and as far as I can remember, it was always a school holiday. [Cailin Acosta]
Remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Something ignited when Debbie Mishek, M.D., traveled to Congregation Beth Am in Los Angeles to attend a presentation about Kol Tefillah (The Voice of Prayer) a few years ago. The program was about “reimagining Jewish prayer and making it more relevant and more inspiring,” the developmental pediatrician recalled. “There is something about music and prayer that is so spiritual. I access my spirituality through music.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Kol Tefillah Band Specializes in Music for Praying and Reflecting Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Struggling against American xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism in the 1930s, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins—the first woman to serve in a President’s Cabinet – sought in several ways to spare German Jewish refugees from annihilation by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. [Donald H. Harrison]
Frances Perkins, Nation’s First ‘Madam Secretary’ Tried to Help European Jewish Refugees Read More »
Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
They return them to us broken but alive; it doesn’t matter, we will rebuild them. We have already done it before with the beating of the concentration camps; how many of them will we revive with love? [José Galicot]
OpEd: We Will Help the Hostages Rebuild Their Lives Read More »
Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jose Galicot, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Since we live in California, the civil law and Jewish law are both in agreement that it is legal to possess and use marijuana. [Cailin Acosta]
Torah Study and Halakhah Regarding the Use of Cannabis Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
When Hashem calls Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses responds with an expression of self-doubt: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Hashem’s reply is profound in its psychological and emotional depth: “For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship Hashem on this mountain.” {Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Parsha Shemot: The Psychology of Compassion and Connection Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Reactions came quickly to the announcement Wednesday that a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas to free some hostages from Gaza in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here in alphabetical order, by organization, are those written statements sent to our news desk. [SDJW report]
American Jewish Reactions to Ceasefire: Pleased But Cautious Read More »
Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USAWhat can’t be replaced are pictures and any family heirlooms like a menorah or Shabbat candle holders that have been passed down from generation to generation. [Cailin Acosta]
What Would You Grab If You Had Minutes to Evacuate? Read More »
Cailin Acosta, California, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Ten of the eleven portions in the book of Exodus and many portions in other of the five books of Moses begin with the Hebrew letter vav. Why? How should it be translated? Lexicographer Reuben Alcalay defines the letter vav as “and,” “also,” “but,” “therefore,” and “then.”Most translators use “and,” which does not seem appropriate in modern English. Perhaps “then” is better, but it is rarely used. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Never Stop Questioning the Whyfors of Biblical Expression Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors