Staff and Bylined Contributors

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Focus on Education

San Diego Unified School District Board President Shana Hazan and Heather Ferbert, a candidate for San Diego City Attorney, held a joint news conference on Wednesday, pointing out that three great dangers jeopardize the health and safety of public school students. These are 1) Teen Dating Violence; 2) Child Abuse; 3) Weapons brought to schools. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, California, Israel, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

OpEd: A Rhetorical War in the Midwest over a Ceasefire in the Middle East

There appears to be as much political animosity in America over Israel and Gaza as there is live warfare 6,000 miles from Chicago and Minneapolis. Three midwestern mayors got mixed up with the war in recent days, giving them a respite from resolving concerns over education, gun violence, housing needs and other local trifles. The mayors of Chicago and Minneapolis voted on cease-fire resolutions and the mayor of Dearborn, Mich., ranted about Israeli apartheid and imaginary hostages held by Israel. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Torah Hints at Encouraging a Child’s Individuality

Parents, Rabbi Schwab emphasizes, might inadvertently fall into the trap of molding their child into a preconceived image, stifling the child’s unique potential. The Torah here hints at the directive for parents to go beyond imposing predetermined expectations and, instead, understand the essence of their child – honing in on what makes them unique. [Rabbi Daniel Reich]

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Daniel Reich-Rabbi, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Commentary: Two Local Jewish Elected Officials Vote Against Israel

At the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Imam Mohamed Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego was reappointed to the Leon L. Williams County’s Human Relations Commission over the objections of an ad hoc group called Stand With Israel whose members decried the local Muslim leader’s defense of the October 7th massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, San Diego County, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Parasha Mishpatim: Finding Meaning in Brokenness

Healing requires patience, understanding and seeing the imperfect humanity of one another. We all make mistakes in our search for purpose and belonging. Parasha Mishpatim is teaching us to have compassion when those around us falter on their journey, binding up hearts broken by rage and judgement. If together we pick up the shattered pieces with care, perhaps we’ll find wholeness awaits on the other side. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Gabor was married nine times, in order to Buthan Belge, Conrad Hilton, George Sanders, Herbert Hutner, Joshua S. Cosden, Jack Ryan, Michael O’Hara, Felipe de Alba, and finally a 30-year marriage to Frederic Prinz von Anhalt which lasted from Aug. 14, 1986 to Dec. 18, 2016. She once quipped, “I am a marvelous housekeeper: Every time I leave a man I keep his house.” [SDJA staff report]

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International, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Snapshots of Antisemitism at Local Universities

The chairman of the University of California Board of Regents, Rich Leib, who is a San Diego County resident, disclosed to Sunday’s symposium on antisemitism cosponsored by the Jewish Federation of San Diego and the American Jewish Committee that the stands he has taken against antisemitism has prompted 120 groups to call for his resignation. “I can say that is not going to happen,” he declared during a panel session on campus antisemitism. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, California, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Democratic Senate Candidates in California Split on Israeli Ceasefire; Agree on Combating Domestic Antisemitism

The most significant difference among the candidates was their answers to the ceasefire question.  While she favors eliminating Hamas as the power controlling Gaza, Lee said, “what I don’t think will assure Israel’s security is killing 26,000 women and children and civilians.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Stephen Schwartz’s Midrash: ‘The Children of Eden’

Just as Stephen Schwartz has yet to be recognized widely as a great commentator on the Torah, so too has Children of Eden lacked its moment in the spotlight. Both Schwartz and this musical are well-kept secrets that beg to be brought
into conversation with the study of Bereshit. [Adira Rosen]

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Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Red Buttons

He won an Academy Award as the Best Supporting Actor in Sayonara, a movie drama about the prejudice faced by an American airman who marries a Japanese woman, played by Miyoshi Umeki, who won the Academy Award as best supporting actress. More movies came later including Hatari!; Five Weeks in a Balloon; The Longest Day; The Poseidon Adventure; They Shoot Horses Don’t They; Pete’s Dragon; When Time Ran Out; and 18 Again! [SDJW staff report]

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Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Jewish Biography: Banker Ludwig Bamberger Almost Was Hanged as a Revolutionary

“The Red Jew” was probably the richest revolutionary in history. His range of occupations was immeasurably broad, and his activities were full of attempts to improve Germany and to forget the Jewish people. He became one of the first statesmen of a united Germany, but remained an outsider in the society of which he aspired to be a full member. [Alex Gordon, Ph.D]

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