“The Happiest Man on Earth,” a memoir by Australian centenarian Eddie Jaku, departs from memoirs by other Holocaust survivors in its contemplation of the role of friendship in enabling prisoners of Nazi concentration camps to survive. [Donald H. Harrison]
Friendship His Key to Survival at Auschwitz Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles
Here are some common scams and tips to stay safe. [Teresa Konopka]
Protecting Ourselves from Common Scams Read More »
Business & Finance, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Teresa_Konopka
As we emerge from a year in isolation, we are suddenly thrust into situations we used to take for granted: proximity to others and opportunities to mingle, participate, contribute, to hear and be heard. But we have changed; we are not the same people as of a year ago. The changes in ourselves can be psychological, mental, physical, or fear-related. We must choose whether to accept this and reconcile ourselves to our new identity or to recover who we were. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
Post-Pandemic Dilemmas Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
There’s a new social media app making waves that you may have heard of. It’s the all-audio app called Clubhouse. Though it’s only a year old, is still in Beta, and hasn’t had a public offering, it’s been given a $4 Billion valuation. Yes, that’s Billion with a B. [Sandi Masori]
Clubhouse’s Pros Outweigh Its Cons Read More »
Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The Israel Prize is awarded for academic or social excellence, and serves as Israel’s attempt to provide its own version of the Nobel Prize. Sadly, I have never attended a Nobel Prize ceremony, but I have read about it, and I know it is a very stately and serious occasion. Just imagine, if the ceremony would be the occasion for a series of pop singers to pop up, sing and play at the tops of their voices a medley of songs of questionable taste (and certainly not my taste). But that was the overriding tone of the Israel Prize ceremony last night. The whole occasion left an impression of bad judgment and inferior standards. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Israel Lowers Its Cultural Standards of Excellence Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
When my father had back surgery, he shopped around to nearly every top orthopedic surgeon in L.A. until he found one willing to cut into his ailing eighty-five-year-old frame and repair three levels of his lumbar vertebrae. We were overjoyed to see him recover from the spine operation but soon thereafter he needed a knee replacement. Oy vey! For all his health issues, he still maintains his Dodger and Laker season tickets, trades on the stock market and teaches a monthly Jewish history class. But his pleasure in life is sharply curtailed in what seems to be a cruel downward spiral of Job-like proportions. [Sam Glaser]
Caring for Aging Parents and Beyond Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Sam Glaser
Now before you think this column is about physical exercise and muscle growth, I’m talking here about another type of being “F.I.T.,” one that I’ve been writing and speaking about for many years. This F.I.T. has to do with being a “Fundamentally Independent Thinker” and requires no exercise equipment. “The link is what you think,” remember? Let’s delve into this a bit and see how being an independent thinker, not emotionally hooked into external events, can help you through the COVID-19 psychological upheaval. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]
Post COVID, Become F.I.T. Read More »
Lifestyles, Michael MantellEveryone has a characteristic interpersonal style that is their preferred way of relating to other people; even though they may change styles to accommodate particular situations, under stress we revert to one’s particular style. Returning to community after a year’s absence is stressful. This is why we have a unique opportunity to observe ourselves. All inter-personal styles have strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are strengths used to excess. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
St. Bernard, Owl, Lion, Chameleon Personalities Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz
It’s our responsibility as citizens of the world to continuously hope for a better future. Our world is filled with prophets of doom and they are especially to be found in the Jewish world where many who should know better see a dark cloud for the future of American Jewry, European Jewry and the Jews of Israel. The danger is that all of these can turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]
Don’t listen to the prophets of doom Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, LifestylesFor more than a year I have not left my apartment except for a couple of medical appointments; also, no one has come to visit. Newspapers recount more frequent instances of depression, anxiety and suicide due to the pandemic’s mandates to shelter at home. [Natasha Josefowitz, ACSW, Ph.D]
Personal Changes After a Year of Isolation Read More »
Lifestyles, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County
Elsewhere in today’s report on San Diego Jewish World is a story from the Anti-Defamation League reporting that nearly two-thirds of American Jews, based on a survey, have experienced or heard some form of antisemitism in the last five years. On our television screens, meanwhile, is the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd – a case study in White violence against Black people. And, in the San Diego Union-Tribune this morning was a story from New York City about an unprovoked attack on an Asian-American woman which other people witnessed without intervening. [Donald H. Harrison]
Addressing hate and division in our society Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Asian-Americans experienced the largest single rise in severe online hate and harassment year-over-year in comparison to other groups, with 17 percent having experienced sexual harassment, stalking, physical threats, swatting, doxing or sustained harassment this year compared to 11 percent last year, according to a new survey released today by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). Fully half (50 percent) of Asian-American respondents who were harassed reported that the harassment was because of their race or ethnicity. [Anti-Defamation League news release]
ADL, Citing Hate Statistics, Urges Reform of Social Media Companies Read More »
Lifestyles, USAI often read the obituaries of people I have never met, and often find myself regretting that life hadn’t afforded me the opportunity to sit down with them and benefit from hearing their stories and life experiences. In today’s San Diego Union-Tribune there were 4 ½ pages of paid obituaries, and many of them had an endearing fact or two about the deceased family member. Below I pull brief quotes from 22 of them so you can see what I mean. If you’re like me, I bet you also would have enjoyed meeting each one of these remarkable people. [Donald H. Harrison]
Obituaries provide much to learn and ponder Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Travel and Food
With a growing international footprint and new intensive trainings, resources, and consulting services, the Jewish Teen Funders Network, which includes the teen philanthropy program of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, has rebranded as Honeycomb (honeycomb.org). [News release from honeycomb]
Jewish Teen Funders Network Rebrands as Honeycomb Read More »
Business & Finance, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA