Staff and Bylined Contributors

In This Play, Daughter is Overbearing, Not Trusting of Mother’s Choices

Mom (Lesa Sailors) has been a widow for two years, and though she loved her husband, has found new facets and interests and is allowing herself to live a more fully expressed life, which is equal parts unexpected and devastating to her daughter, Ellie. [Eva Trieger]

In This Play, Daughter is Overbearing, Not Trusting of Mother’s Choices Read More »

Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Count Down to Shavuot

“It’s the final countdown” … of counting the Omer and the celebration of Shavuot starting Tuesday, June 11! This is a busy week around the area with many celebrations for Shavuot but also the last day of school for those in the San Diego Unified School District. A well-deserved break “from the books” should be celebrated with some cheesecake or cooling off with some ice cream, am I right? [Cailin Acosta]

Count Down to Shavuot Read More »

Cailin Acosta, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire

‘101 Treasures’ from Israel Library is also a Treasure for Home Collections

The joke is that my wife has been an unflagging downsizer, in resisting my acquiring new books, but gifts may be different. I thanked my friend, “Never seen Karen so pleased to get a book in an age where she is trying to get them out of the house.” [Oliver B. Pollak]

‘101 Treasures’ from Israel Library is also a Treasure for Home Collections Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors

The Power of Science Fiction at the Comic-Con Museum

The Rat’s Dilemma takes only minutes but the emotions it stirred up were unbelievable. Perhaps because it took place during the Holocaust or that it’s in Hebrew, or maybe because we connect to losing someone, or perhaps all things combined. Whatever it is, filmmaker Meningher did a phenomenal job with this creation. [Miriam Gershenson]

The Power of Science Fiction at the Comic-Con Museum Read More »

Albert Kreimerman, Holocaust, Israel, Miriam Gershenson, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The Lion’s Trail: Beit She’an

It was a surreal parallel of reality, courage, and life that refused to give up. The mayors of Beit She’an, Kiryat Shemona, Beit Jann, and the Council Rep from the Golan Regional Council came to join us.  Each of their communities is under attack by Hezbollah.  Each of their communities has a Lion.  Each of their communities determinedly endures. [Jerry Klinger]

The Lion’s Trail: Beit She’an Read More »

Israel, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Combined American and Hebrew Calendar Book Makes Planning Easy

He has put together a joint Hebrew and Gregorian calendar and planner, in which Jewish and American holidays are listed on a day-by-day basis along with listings of candle lighting times for the start of Shabbats and Jewish holidays as well as what Torah portions will be read in synagogues around the world on each Saturday. [Donald H. Harrison]

Combined American and Hebrew Calendar Book Makes Planning Easy Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Fred Reiss, EdD, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

OpEd: The ‘Music’ of Socialism

Why didn’t I become a socialist? Soviet socialism destroyed my family and I could not love it. But it turned out that I disliked socialism for the same reason I did not become a musician: my aunt’s piano also left Kiev.  Instead of using my absolute musical ear for music, I had to use it to listen to the atonal music of wailing, to the unmelodic moans and gloomy chords of the lamentations of the Soviet Jews. [Alex Gordon]

OpEd: The ‘Music’ of Socialism Read More »

Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Highly Readable Holocaust Memoir Carefully Delineates Sources

In 1942, when Alfred was 8 and Herbert was 5, their parents arranged for the boys to be sent to a summer camp operated by a Jewish rescue organization.  Much to the boys’ distress, their safety-minded parents had them stay much longer than the summer.  While they were gone, their father, who had been helping the French Resistance, was arrested by the Vichy government. [Donald H. Harrison]

Highly Readable Holocaust Memoir Carefully Delineates Sources Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Romance Novel Addresses Corruption in the Organ Transplant Business

This novel is a story of love, loss, and redemption with authoritative descriptions of transplant surgeries. First-time novelist Weill formerly directed the heart-lung transplant program at Stanford University. [Donald H. Harrison]

Romance Novel Addresses Corruption in the Organ Transplant Business Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mandy Patinkin Concert: Controversial for Some; Entertaining for Others

The show was part concert, part stand-up, part story-telling. It was just Patinkin and an accompanist on piano. After spending a bit of time heckling the late comers in the audience, he spent some time singing some songs from Broadway musicals, old Jazz hits, and even a surprising rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  [Sandi Masori]

Mandy Patinkin Concert: Controversial for Some; Entertaining for Others Read More »

Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast