Travel and Food

The Shabbat meal, its origin, beauty, and intelligence

The Shabbat meal contains significant items, including zemirot, which are medieval songs and ancient biblical psalms. They are a powerful means of preserving and showcasing Jewish culture’s rich and diverse nature. These sacred, secular, serious, and playful lyrics praise God and the Shabbat, transforming the meal into a time of joy and inspiration. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Preparing in Elul for Next Month’s High Holidays

September and the Jewish month of Elul are upon us. Traditionally, the month before the High Holy Days is supposed to be occupied with reflection about the last year and the anticipation of the New Year. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, California, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Cooking with Ingredients from Gaza Border Farms

About 75 per cent of Israel’s vegetables came from the Gaza border area, known as the Gaza envelope (Otef Aza in Hebrew), as do many fruit and dairy products. Since the October 7 attack, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, 89 per cent of Israeli farmers have been negatively impacted by this war. [Michal Kramer]

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Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food

Back to College … and the Fight against Campus Antisemitism

As students go back to college next week in San Diego, be mindful of traffic and young adults walking to campuses in the college areas.  Meanwhile, the Israeli American Council (IAC) put together an essential guide for students to combat campus antisemitism. This “cheat sheet” is designed to help students feel stronger and supported as they face these challenges. [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

An Interview with Olympic Bronze Medalist Sarah Levy

One of my assistant coaches, Zach, is also Jewish, and he played in Rio Olympics. But I know having a Jewish last name that people probably know that I’m Jewish. And I think that in general, younger girls or boys who are Jewish, and are interested in rugby, it just gives a little bit more representation that there is someone who’s Jewish on the team. Just maybe it makes [a young Jewish girl or boy] feel a little more comfortable with thinking like ‘oh, I grew up with a similar upbringing to her, and with similar values.’ So that can inspire others to do the same move from the Jewish community.” [Eli Rubenstein]

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Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

An Israeli-American Perspective: Growing Up in Two Worlds

Those early years in Israel, from preschool through my early teens, were shaped by a unique blend of independence, community, and a deep connection to our surroundings. The rhythm of our days was set by the school bell and the hum of local life—a far cry from the structured, often insulated, childhoods I would observe later while raising my own kids in the United States. [Shahar Masori]

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Israel, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shahar Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

San Diego Teen Returns From Chetz v’Keshet Trip to Israel

I spoke with Hila Baruch, 15, who relocated to San Diego with her family from Israel when she was six. The Carmel Valley teen recently returned from her Chetz v’Keshet (CVK) experience this summer and shared that it was a life-changing, transformative experience. (Barrett Holman Leak)

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Barrett Holman Leak, Holocaust, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA, Videos

The Tragedies of Av; the Triumphs of U.S. Jewish Olympians

The month of Av has started which is known as the saddest month in the Hebrew calendar. This month encompasses the sin of the golden calf, the destruction of both Temples, the long subsequent exiles, the expulsion from Spain, the beginning of World War 1 and so many other terrible things in Jewish history.  [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Kosher Wines: The Talk of the Podcast

Starting in Manhattan, kosher wine lovers held monthly meetings called Rosh Chodesh Clubs (RCC). Club members would each bring a bottle of a delicious kosher wine to share with others. The wines had to be of a minimum age, and considered high quality, before they were permitted into club tastings. As the idea caught on, the clubs soon incorporated the idea of adding gourmet chefs to their evening festivities. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Remembering a Friend Dating Back to Our Teen Years and Through Motherhood

I checked the news in Israel as I always do after Shabbat  and saw a headline about children and a woman injured in a fire in Kochav Yaakov. The first thing I thought was ‘Kochav Yaakov! Adina!’ But what are the chances it was her? [Ilanit Zakowski]

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Ilanit Zakowski, Israel, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA