Staff and Bylined Contributors

Israel’s Bell Pepper Crop Picked by International Corps of Volunteers

Mojja joined a group of 22 Jewish volunteers from a diverse group of countries including Brazil, France, Uruguay, Spain, U.S, Germany and Argentina. The volunteer experience really brought them together as friends. “Most volunteers knew English but we taught some to whoever didn’t know.” Mojja recalled with a laugh, “Even the Russian and the Ukrainian got along well!” [Shoshana McKinney]

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International, Israel, Shoshana McKinney, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Danny Kaye

Most of Kaye’s films were light-hearted including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Inspector General, White Christmas, On the Riviera, The Court Jester, and the biographical Hans Christian Andersen and The Five Pennies about jazz musician Red Nichols. But he also had a serious side, playing a Holocaust survivor in the TV film Skokie. [SDJW staff]

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Holocaust, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

OpEd: Disrupters Should Be Prosecuted to the Full Extent of the Law

Those who blocked the Brooklyn Bridge would have prevented ambulances getting through to the hospital on an already congested highway. A motorist waiting there could have a heart attack. In Pennsylvania, a suspect could be charged with reckless endangerment.
[Bruce S. Ticker]

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

Our Shtetl San Diego County:  Israel-bound Rabbi ‘Zucky’ Returns to San Diego

Zuckerman’s last trip to Israel was in October.  On that occasion, he visited an IDF reserve unit near the Lebanese border, which had no trucks to move around the reservists’ gear. He promptly contributed $2,000 for the unit to purchase a trailer for hauling its equipment. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The Arts, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Shari Lewis

In 1960, the NBC network signed her for The Shari Lewis Show, which stayed on the air through September 1963. Among her many puppet friends were Lamb Chop, a sock with eyes; Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy.  [SDJA Staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Israeli Families Appeal in La Jolla for Help to Release Hostages

Editor’s Note: Sandi Masori covered the appeal some members of Israeli families made Monday evening, Jan. 15, for the release of their relatives who were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7.  Their appeal was made in interviews with San Diego media and at a panel discussion that followed at Congregation Adat Yeshurun. [SDJA staff]

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Israel, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA, Videos

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Video Highlights Community’s Feb 4 Antisemitism Symposium

The Jewish Federation of San Diego and the regional chapter of the American Jewish Committee have released a video about the Feb. 4 “Standing Together” symposium on antisemitism that will bring AJC’s executive director, former Congressman Ted Deutch, and the former head of the national Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman, to San Diego.  [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

This Week’s Torah Reading: Bo

Can we consider ourselves a moral society if we do not help needy people? The Greek philosopher Aristotle writes that man is a social being. Is it our nature that requires us to help others or something else? Author Ayn Rand took a different approach. She insisted that people should look out for themselves intelligently and be enlightened. Who is right? Is there a middle path? Should stronger nations help poorer nations? [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Norman Podhoretz

In 1960, Podhoretz began a 35-year career as editor-in-chief of Commentary magazine, when initially he was a political liberal. Disillusioned with the left, he became a neoconservative, and during Ronald Reagan’s administration, Podhoretz served as an advisor to the U.S. Information Agency. George W. Bush awarded him the presidential medal of freedom. [SDJA staff report]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Elmo’s Not Good at Dreidel and Other Tidbits from Sesame Place

“Growing, learning, sharing kindness, and acceptance of others” are the watchwords of Sesame Place.  The Sesame Street theme park’s employees say they practice these values whether in day-to-day activities or at special events like last December’s Chanukah celebration that featured playing dreidel with Elmo. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA