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Jewish Biography: Emanuel Lasker, World Chess Champion

Einstein … believed that chess was not Lasker’s goal, but rather his profession. He drew a parallel between chess in the life of the second world champion and the grinding of lenses in the life of Spinoza. He argued that lenses for Spinoza and chess for Lasker were a means of livelihood. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Parent Company of Kay Jewelers, Zales Once Suffered from CEO ‘Doing a Ratner’

At the Shoppes at Carlsbad, Kay Jewelers is located on one floor and Zales on another – a physical manifestation of multilevel marketing. Both are owned by Signet Jewelers which changed its name from Ratners after its CEO, Gerald Ratner, made an unfortunate speech that gave rise to the expression, “Doing a Ratner.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Meir Dizengoff

After moving back in 1905 to Palestine, where he settled in Jaffa, he formed a partnership with the Ahuzat Bayit company to develop land on the outskirts of Jaffa. Sixty six families drew lots for housing locations along the beach from which the city of Tel Aviv would grow. The Dizengoffs were among those first families, and he served as head of town planning from 1911 to 1922. When Tel Aviv was recognized as a city, Dizengoff was elected as its first mayor. [SDJW staff]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday

‘Maestro’ Looks into the Soul of Leonard Bernstein

The story begins with Lenny’s big break. He was the Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic when, just before a concert at Carnegie Hall that was broadcast live on the radio, the conductor took ill. They had zero rehearsals together, but the depth of his knowledge and passion for the music shone through. After that, folks in the industry knew his name and he was a hot-ticket item. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ted Arison

Arison moved to New York approximately in 1954. In 1966, he moved to Miami, Florida, where with Knut Kloster he co-founded Norwegian Cruise Lines. The partners split in 1971 and the following year Arison founded Carnival Cruise Lines, which he took public in 1987, one month before a stock market crash that left potential competitors without sources of financing. [SDJW staff]

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Business & Finance, Israel, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Travel and Food, USA

Hamas rockets must stop before two-state solution, 13 Dems in Congress say

In a Feb. 22 letter to Biden, Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and 10 other Jewish members of Congress went one step further. Hamas rocket fire must stop before there is a focus on a two-state solution, wrote the 13 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. [JNS.org]

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Israel, JNS, Middle East, USA

The Jewish War 2.0

I, Josephus Flavius, born as Yosef ben Matityahu, a historian of the 1st century, once a deserter to my people but now repentant, narrated the first Jewish-Roman war to speak of my people’s struggle. I became a historian, and today, two thousand years later, I take up the pen again to recount the new wars of the 21st century. [Jose Galicot]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Jose Galicot, Middle East, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA