Sports & Competitions

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Harry Houdini

His escapes became more and more complicated and thrilling, including from nailed packing crates that were lowered into water, riveted boilers, giant milk cans filled with water, and even from the belly of a whale that had washed ashore in Boston.  Sometimes Houdini would have himself put in a straight-jacket and suspended by his ankles from a tall building as the public watched him wriggle free. [SDJW staff]

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

JNF-USA Helping to Rebuild San Diego’s Sister City in Israel, Sha’ar Hanegev

Approximately 30,000 evacuees from San Diego’s sister city of Sha’ar Hanegev and the neighboring municipality of Eshkol, both within a close distance of Israel’s border with Gaza, are returning to their homes, where they will find that volunteers from Jewish National Fund-USA have rebuilt, refurbished, and repainted some of the structures that were damaged or destroyed during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre.  New facilities are also being planned. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Lifestyles, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sol Lizerbram, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Purim Preparations

Purim 2024 begins at nightfall Saturday, March 23, and ends after sunset Sunday, March 24.  A list of Purim activities may be found in our San Diego County Jewish Calendar.  Anticipation of Purim is keeping the rabbis and rebbetzins of the many Chabad Houses in San Diego quite busy. [SDJW staff]

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Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire

‘King James’ Uses Sports Metaphor to Explore the Ups and Downs of a Friendship

The dialogue is fast-paced and funny, both because of  Rajiv Joseph’s writing and the animated faces of Foote and Echebiri.  San Diegans can especially appreciate how upset and betrayed Matt and Shawn feel when James moves to the Miami Heat and leaves his hometown.  I saw many in the audience nodding emphatically as Matt and Shawn lament the perceived betrayal, as memories of our own Chargers’ betrayal with their move to LA still feels fresh.  [Sandi Masori]

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Sandi Masori, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Boxing Champ Mayweather Dedicates ‘Ambucycle’ Fleet in Israel

“We are truly grateful for Floyd Mayweather’s commitment and support at this dark time in our history,” said Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom. “The Floyd Fleet will save thousands of lives in record time and wouldn’t have been possible without him.” [JNS.org]

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Israel, JNS, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ron Mix

He was elected eight straight years as a Charger to the AFL All-Star team. He was nicknamed the “Intellectual Assassin” due to his high intelligence and on-field excellence. In the off-seasons, he earned a law degree from the University of San Diego law school. In 1978, he was elected to the Chargers Hall of Fame, in 1979 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and in 1980 to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame [SDJW staff]

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San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Michael Eisner

When he was passed over to succeed Diller at Paramount, he moved over to Walt Disney Studios, where he served as chairman and CEO.  Under his watch, Disney released such films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid and acquired Miramax Films, ABC, most of ESPN, Fox Family, and The Muppets. [SDJW staff]

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Business & Finance, California, International, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Charlene Seidle Becomes President and CEO of Leichtag Foundation

Farley said: “This step reflects the overall strategy of the Foundation as we plan for our future as a limited-life foundation and our phased transition to three independent successor organizations, two based in San Diego and one in Israel: Coastal Roots Farm; Impact Cubed, which will assume ownership of Leichtag Commons; and Jerusalem Philanthropy Initiatives.” [SDJW Staff]

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Israel, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Moe Berg

In 1934, he joined a group of baseball All-Stars including Ruth, Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Lefty Gomez to play against a Japanese all-star team. Berg was not nearly as good a player as his colleagues, but spoke some Japanese and was invited to address the legislature. On a visit to Saint Luke’s Hospital, he went to the roof and filmed the city and port with his movie camera. This film was later turned over to American intelligence for use in bombing raids. [SDJW staff]

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International, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Biography: Emanuel Lasker, World Chess Champion

Einstein … believed that chess was not Lasker’s goal, but rather his profession. He drew a parallel between chess in the life of the second world champion and the grinding of lenses in the life of Spinoza. He argued that lenses for Spinoza and chess for Lasker were a means of livelihood. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ted Arison

Arison moved to New York approximately in 1954. In 1966, he moved to Miami, Florida, where with Knut Kloster he co-founded Norwegian Cruise Lines. The partners split in 1971 and the following year Arison founded Carnival Cruise Lines, which he took public in 1987, one month before a stock market crash that left potential competitors without sources of financing. [SDJW staff]

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Business & Finance, Israel, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Travel and Food, USA

Don’t silence Israel’s story at Eurovision

Published by Euronews (English) Each year, I eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest, a magnificent event where singers from countries across Europe and beyond share their stories. This exceptional gathering provides a cultural stage for participating nations to offer glimpses into their cultures, histories, and ways of life. It is a platform for learning about,

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International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, Sports & Competitions

Helen Mirren, Gene Simmons and Boy George sign letter supporting Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision

Published by Euronews (English) More than 400 creatives from the entertainment industry have signed a letter in support of Israel’s inclusion in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Helen Mirren, Gene Simmons and Boy George are among the people who have signed the letter released by Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), a non-profit organisation working to

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International, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, Sports & Competitions

Arab-American Organization Complains About ‘To All the Dads’ Super Bowl Commercial

A Super Bowl advertisement that the Jewish state purchased to call attention to hostages being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas “undermines the integrity of broadcasting standards” and “misleads the public by not providing necessary context about the ad’s origins.” That’s according to Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. [JNS.org]

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