Travel and Food

First direct tourist flight from Israel to UAE touches down in Dubai

The first flight carrying Israeli tourists to the United Arab Emirates landed on Sunday in the city-state of Dubai, the latest sign of the normalisation deal reached between the two nations.FlyDubai flight No. FZ8194 landed at Dubai International Airport just after 5:40pm, bringing the tourists to the skyscraper-studded city after a nearly three-hour trip.The low-cost […]

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Middle East, Travel and Food

Adventures in Papua New Guinea

Goroka is in the Highlands. I spent a whole day attending the annual Sing-Sing. It’s a competition where tribes from all over the hills parade, sing, and dance on a vast grass field. In the past, the prizes were pigs, the most valued commodity on the island. In recent years, money was the reward. There was a viewing grand stand, but the tourists were let out onto the field right from the beginning to photograph, pose and dance with the tribal people. There were at least 15 different groups, all dressed in elaborate, and sometimes strange, regalia. They were festooned with bird feathers, native shell jewelry, and necklaces made from animal jaws and beetles. The revelers faces were painted with brilliant primary colors, white mud, or black paint. [Ira Spector]

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International, Lifestyles, Travel and Food

The morning after the election

Although members of the local San Diego County Jewish community lost more races than they won, the San Diego Jewish  community can take pride in Jews serving at nearly every level of government. Sara Jacobs, for example, will replace the retiring Susan Davis, a fellow Democrat, on San Diego County’s congressional delegation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Rummage sale builds senior center’s kitty

In this city that boasts three synagogues (Adat Shalom, Ner Tamid and Chabad of Poway),  the senior center serves a diverse clientele representing many religions.  Currently prevented by the coronavirus from offering such usual activities as art classes, yoga, nutrition classes, lunches, tax preparation, and billiards, the Poway Senior Center has embarked on a new project. Through a continuing rummage sale, staffed by seven women who will pick up useable items from people’s homes, the Center is “building up a kitty,” for when it resumes operations, according to Abby Boretto, a board member. [Sandi Masori]

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Travel and Food

Diverse lectures on tap at Tapestry

This year’s Tapestry, sponsored by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s  JLearn, promises to be more diverse, exciting and interesting than ever before. Experts have been tapped from all over the world to contribute to this extraordinary Jewish Learning event.

The first session, the keynote address on Saturday evening, November 7,  at 7:30 p.m.,  will feature David Meltzer, named one of Forbes’ 10 best Motivational Speakers. Meltzer will discuss how to “Stabilize Your Mindset and Stay Grounded. Focus on Your Core Values Through a Jewish Lens. “ [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Minyan of Jewish candidates on S.D. County ballots

We do not know the names of every member of our Jewish community who is running for a public office in San Diego County. While we are aware of those running for major offices at the federal, state, county, and San Diego city, community college and school board levels, we are unfamiliar with those who might be running in outlying cities or for the other school boards and special districts throughout our region.
So, what follows is not a comprehensive list, nor is it an indication of San Diego Jewish World’s endorsements. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

For Bat Mitzvah, she traveled to Israel virtually

Sarah Golembsky and her family hoped to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah with a trip to Israel, but like many other B’nai Mitzvah, the pandemic made it impossible for her celebration to go as planned. She had to get creative. Sara and her family didn’t want to miss out on the Israel experience, so they did the next best thing: a live tour to Jerusalem and the Kotel through StandWithUs Discover. Virtual tours of Israel are one of the many educational opportunities offered to B’nai Mitzvah as part of a new StandWithUs B’nai Mitzvah Project initiative. [StandWithUs]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Good News from Israel (Nov. 1, 2020)

The vision of Israel’s innovators brings tomorrow’s dreams much closer to today’s world. This week’s newsletter includes visual innovations such as an eye-tracking app to reduce stress; facial analysis to warn of a stroke, plus new bio-markers and telemedicine to highlight diseases optically. Israeli technology enhances websites to benefit the visually impaired, removes toxic algae infesting clear blue lakes and helps our US allies to see in the dark. Far-sighted Israelis are kickstarting sport for children, and boosting training for adults in athletics as well as in the hi-tech arena. Many of Israel’s other achievements can only be described as “out of sight”! [Michael Ordman]

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Business & Finance, International, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Travel and Food, USA

Guess who might come to your next simcha

Assume you have an upcoming bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, or another family simcha coming up, and you would like to invite some close relatives living in another country to attend. Right now it is a costly hassle for your relatives to apply for a temporary visa to visit the United States, with the possibility that they will be rejected causing you and them embarrassment, even humiliation. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Germany’s newest Jewish museum closes after only 11 days

Frankfurt’s new Jewish Museum has been forced to close just 11 days after opening its doors due to government restrictions to stem a second wave of coronavirus infections across Germany and Europe.By Thursday evening, around 4,500 visitors had already taken the opportunity to visit the museum, a restored, expanded and redesigned version of a previous

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International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, USA

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Forty-seven years ago, I met a beautiful, twenty-year old flight attendant on an American Airlines airplane. I was a methods engineer for the airline. We hit it off and I invited the cute blonde lass home for dinner to meet my new bride. We had a lovely evening and thought we might see each other again in the future. We promised her she would not have to eat on a card table the next time. A month later, she was involved in a terrible tragedy. [Ira Spector]

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Lifestyles, Travel and Food