Judaism

Irv Elson: Retired Navy Chaplain Advocates for Jewish Service Personnel as Jewish Welfare Board’s Director

Not far inside the main entrance of the 125,000-acre Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the Camp Del Mar headquarters for the storied I Marine Expeditionary Force. There, from 2012 through 2014, Navy Capt. Irv Elson worked as a Force Chaplain on the way to his ultimate assignment in uniform as the Deputy Chaplain of the Marine Corps, the first Jew to achieve that rank. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Injection of Purim Joy So Needed in Our Lives

As we head into Purim this weekend, I am reminded that being Jewish is a gift; one that has so much to offer and brings such meaning and purpose to my life. It can also bring so much joy. So, this year, although I’m stretched, stressed and wildly busy, it feels more important than ever to make room for joy. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Antisemitism, Heidi Gantwerk, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: During Purim Especially, Jews Should Speak Up for Israel

There is a chilling exchange in the Megillah when Mordechai charges Esther to intercede with the King. Esther demurs, fearing for her own life. Mordechai warns her, “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish.” [Misha Galperin]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Remembering and Honoring 18 Jewish Medal of Honor Recipients

The day, March 25, was selected because March 25, 1863, was the date when the first Medal of Honor was presented. It was awarded to Private Jacob Parrott for “extraordinary heroism in April, 1862, while serving in action with Company G, 21st Ohio Infantry, during the Andrew’s Raid in Georgia,” an event also known as “The Great Locomotive Chase.” [Dorian de Wind, The Moderate Voice]

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Antisemitism, Dorian de Wind, Holocaust, Jewish History, The Moderate Voice, USA

OpEd: Purim and the Holocaust

My motto is never again, never forget, and never forgive. While some have criticized me for never forgiving the Nazis for what they did to my family, it is precisely this hatred that makes me the fighting Rabbi I am. I refuse to forgive. This is what motivates me to speak out against injustice wherever it may be found. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Israel’s War with Hamas on Our Minds

StandWithUs Southwest on Wednesday showed a 47-minute unedited video of the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas and other terrorists, aggregated from captured Hamas body cam footage  as well as home security and CCTV footage taken in Israel that day [SDJW staff]

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International, Israel, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Demystifying the Paradox of Animal Sacrifices

So how do we reconcile animal sacrifices with the Torah’s directive to have compassion for animals? In biblical times the Jewish ritual of animal sacrifices was considered tame in comparison to the prominent pagan practice of human sacrifice. According to Maimonides, animal sacrifices helped wean the Jews away from these barbaric pagan rituals. Furthermore, sacrifices were permitted only in the Temple, where its holiness promoted reverence for animal life. [Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz]

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Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Why Coca-Cola Sells Soda Made With Real Sugar Once A Year: It’s Back, Look For Yellow Caps

Published by Benzinga It may be hard to notice anything at the grocery stores other than higher prices. But, astute observers may wonder why some Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) products have yellow caps instead of the typical red ones. Well, the answer isn’t something you’ll want to pass over. Why Some Coke Bottles Have Yellow Caps:

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Business & Finance, Jewish Religion, Nordot, Travel and Food, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Yigael Yadin

Yadin devoted himself to archaeology, winning the 1956 Israel Prize for his doctoral thesis on seven Dead Sea Scrolls, three of which his father had purchased in 1947 from a Bedouin goatherd and four that Yadin purchased in 1954 in New York.  He excavated such sites as the Qumram Caves, Masada, Hazor, Tel Megiddo, and the Judean Desert caves where artifacts from the Bar Kokhba revolt were found. [SDJW staff]

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Israel, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors