The Jews know not to create idols, but what about idols they did not create! What friends and allies they have not ascribed to themselves in their long history of torment! It is a tragic trait of a persecuted people to seek real and imaginary supporters. [Alex Gordon, Ph.D]
Napoleon and the Jews Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors
The movie viscerally reenacts the wrenching of Edgardo from his home, the anguish it caused his family, and the divisions it created among Italian Jewish leaders who worried that overt protests would jeopardize their already precarious position in the Papal States. [Laurie Baron]
SD International Jewish Film Festival Preview: ‘Kidnapped’ Read More »
Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Lambert’s big break came in 2009 when he finished as runner-up to singer Kris Allen in Season Eight of American Idol, covering such songs as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Black or White,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Mad World,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “One,” “Cryin’,” “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and “No Boundaries. [SDJW staff]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Adam Lambert Read More »
California, International, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
“They shouldn’t have sent him out of prison,” Koubi said. “I knew that he would make a lot of trouble. Sinwar had murderous eyes. He hates Israelis, Jews, and the ‘infidels’ — a very deep hating. He knew the Koran by heart and the charter of Hamas by heart. He told me even that they were planning to kidnap more Israeli soldiers. He was right unfortunately.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Former Shin Bet Interrogator Profiles Hamas Leader Yahya al-Sinwar in SDJW Interview Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
“I’m not adding to the vitriol. My goal is to do my small part to help move the HRC away from that and into the effective, on-the-ground work that it was meant to do.” [SDJW staff]
Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, both far-right ideologues in Netanyahu’s cabinet, have never tried to hide their wish to exile the Palestinians from Gaza. In their thinking, such an expulsion of the Palestinian population would allow Israel to return to its biblical borders. Then they would rebuild Gaza solely with Jewish inhabitants. [Amy Neustein, Ph.D]
OpEd: Israel Must Beware of Hard-Right’s Messianism Read More »
Amy Neustein, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors
In 1912, he became a regular at the musical salon of Paul and Muriel Draper, who also nourished the musical talents of Igor Stravinski, Pablo Casals and others. After World War I, his concertizing was widely acclaimed in Spain and South America. He toured the world in the interwar years, moving to the Brentwood section of Los Angeles during World War II. He was naturalized as an American citizen in 1946. [SDJW staff]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Arthur Rubinstein Read More »
International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA
After he decided to market the ties on his own, executives at Bloomingdale’s wanted him to narrow the tie slightly and Lauren daringly refused. Although winning Bloomingdales’ account, in anyone else’s eyes, would have been a big victory, Lauren had larger ambitions to become himself a name brand. Lauren found other stores to sell the wide tie to, and as their popularity increased, Bloomingdale’s resistance correspondingly decreased. Whereas thin ties sold at the time for $5, Lauren’s ties commanded between $7.50 and $15. The more people paid for them, the more they valued them. [Donald H. Harrison]
Ralph Lauren Willed Himself Into the Good Life Read More »
Antisemitism, Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
In 1875, Gompers was electd as president of Local 144 of the Cigar Makers International Union. In 1886, he was elected as the second vice president of the Cigar Makers’ International Union and as its first vice president in 1896, a position he retained until his death.
In 1881, Gompers helped to found the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, which reorganized itself in 1886 as the American Federation of Labor, with Gompers as president. [SDJW staff report]
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Samuel Gompers Read More »
Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA
Ever wonder how many theatre egos can fit in one Manhattan hotel room? Well, PowPac has the answer in Terrence McNally’s very clever It’s Only a Play. The premise for this witty, fast-paced show reveals the anxiety and fragile relationships of writer, actor, producer, director, critic and wannabes as they await the New York Times review of opening night on Broadway. [Eva Trieger]
‘It’s Only A Play’ Deals with Theatre Egos Read More »
Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Recently, as I was traveling and looking for a shul in San Diego for a few weeks I found respite and much more than that at Ohr Shalom near Balboa Park – joy and inspiration, warmth and hospitality that energized me. [Noam Schimmel]
Berkeley Lecturer Found a Sanctuary in San Diego Read More »
Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA
Musk contends X’s free speech policy would have successfully undermined Hitler’s appeal. Of course, under that policy, Musk would have given free rein to Hitler to post on X as he has done for conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones. Maybe he’s right. Look how successful social media has been in curbing the support for Donald Trump! [Laurie Baron]
Satire: X Averts the Holocaust Read More »
Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
As more time passes and we get further away from the Holocaust, we are finding fewer and fewer young people who have any real understanding of how it began and how it was allowed to grow into one of the darkest moments in human history. [Darren Schwartz]
Remembering the Holocaust on the Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau Read More »
Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
The anchors of the Festival were the excellent Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, its Music Director, Maestro Omer M. Wellber, its talented Concert Master, Nitai Zori, and Conductor-in-Residence David Sebba. One or more of them was present at nearly every event. [Steve Kramer]
A Musical Escape to Eilat Read More »
Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food