Staff and Bylined Contributors

Progressives Attract with Domestic Policies; Repel with Anti-Israel Policies

I feel hopeful that at least two Council members will openly press for local reforms, but one or both council members could be injecting Middle East issues into Council business. Roughly 7.5 million of our people live in Israel, and we want to avert further harm to them. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Business & Finance, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Ben-Gurion University Pegs Fundraising Campaign to Southern Israel’s Post-Oct 7th Recovery

A number of BGU students volunteered in hospitals throughout Israel following the attacks, providing medical and psychological assistance to wounded Israelis and their families. Students and faculty members supported the families of IDF soldiers called up for reserve duty by looking after their children and maintaining their homes. [Jacob Kamaras]

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Israel, Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Spain’s Influence on Jewish Music A Highlight of Upcoming Tour to be Led by Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz

After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1495, the two largest migrations were to North Africa and to the Ottoman Empire. It was when I first traveled to Romania and Bulgaria (initially researching klezmer) that I met Jews who traced their heritage back to the Iberian Peninsula. Some of these Jews sang songs in Ladino and others played Sephardic music. [Yale Strom]

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International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Envy, Jealousy Aroused by Jews Prompted ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ Forgery

The German historian, philologist and jurist Theodor Mommsen, author of The History of Rome and winner of the 1902 Nobel Prize for Literature, however, gave a rational explanation for the satanic design of antisemitism: its main cause was rooted in “envy and primal instincts, […] a barbaric hatred of education, freedom and humanism.” [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Joseph Pulitzer

He traveled in a freight boxcar to St. Louis, where there was a large ethnic German population. He worked at a variety of entry level jobs, studied English at the St. Louis Mercantile Library, and eventually obtained a job as a reporter for the Westliche Post. His first bylined story concerned a scam in which promoters promised people jobs at a Louisiana sugar plantation, but after taking them about 30 miles downriver on a steamboat, the promoters forced the victims to disembark and then sailed away.

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Antisemitism, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday

Artists’ and Artisans’ Show Lures Her to a Synagogue

This past Sunday, Tifereth Israel Synagogue hosted its First Annual Artists’ Showcase. Many talented artists came out to proudly display their creations which ranged from art, books, music, photography, woodworking, other crafts and Israeli stamp collecting. The event was jointly sponsored by the Tifereth Israel Synagogue Men’s Club and Sisterhood. [Mimi Pollack]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Fred Kropveld, Israel, Jewish Religion, Mimi Pollack, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, News Media, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share, USA

A Very instructive Haggadah

Thirty-five Jewish men and women contributed short essays to stimulate participation. One points out that Moses tried to persuade God not to send him to Egypt by saying, “I am not a man of many words.” However, tonight, we read how he led the Israelites from slavery. Doesn’t this show that limited words can achieve great things? Can you think of examples? [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Chen on Joachim’s Stradivarius Provided Visual Accompaniment to the Music

Chen is an excellent violinist and Elizalde contributed outstanding keyboard collaboration. They offered informal commentary before each selection, projecting a feeling of intimacy with the audience which set this apart from formal recitals. In addition, Chen faced the audience as he played, rather than standing in profile. His handsome countenance reflected the spirit of the music. [Eileen Wingard]

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California, Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

The Enduring Shadow of War: Herodotus, Celestial Omens, and the Quest for Peace

The story of the Battle of Halys River, while potentially embellished with the passage of time, offers valuable insights into the delicate interplay between war and peace. It highlights the potential for unforeseen events, in this case a celestial phenomenon, to disrupt the course of conflict and create an opening for diplomacy. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share, USA