Volume 3, Number 35
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"There's a Jewish story everywhere"
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Today's Postings:
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Marmur is rabbi emeritus at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He divides his time between that city and Jerusalem, and may be reached in either place via marmurd@sandiegojewishworld.com. To visit the websites of San Diego Jewish Academy or Congregation Beth Israel, please click
NEVE DANIEL, Israel—I Get To Vote Again! The American elections are very straightforward. They occur every four years on the first Tuesday of November. There are only two parties. Each candidate adopts a slogan which defines his party ("Yes, We Can" or "Alaska is near Russia") and whomever can answer difficult The opposite of the orderly American elections is the balagan that we engage in here every.. well that's just it. We never know when thenext elections take place. That's why most politicians start taking bribes immediately. They just don't know how long before they will be We can never predict who will be running. Every election small parties come and go. My favorite one hit wonder from the last election was the So who will win today's election in Israel? Well the polls show a really close race. Yet poll numbers in Israel cannot be accepted. In fact, a recent Channel 3 poll found that 82 percent of respondents admit to regularly lying to pollsters. The big question is whether to believe that people who Since the Israeli elections can be so confusing, I now present the second "Crossing the Yarden Guide to the Israeli Elections." If you just The Likud: Benjamin Netanyahu is today the most popular candidate among those who considered him least popular when he was Prime Kadima: Kadima is a one man party. Which is very interesting because the man it is based on is not only hated by both the right and the Labor: Labor believes that they can make peace by strategically giving in to every single demand made by Israel's enemies. They are unfazed Israel Betenu: ("Israel is my home, get out") is led by Avigdor Lieberman. He has received a great deal of notoriety for his controversial plan to annex West Bank Settlements and give Arab populated areas of the Galilee and Detroit to the Palestinians. This has most alarmed Arab Israelis who although they want to help their Palestinian brothers destroy the State of Israel, they really don't want to live with them. The National Union of Jewish Homes. Since they realize that their views are only shared by a tiny fraction of Israeli voters, the right The Pot Smoking Holocaust Survivors. I'm not making this up!! The small parties that represent Holocaust Survivors and those who want to Shas and United Torah Judaism: Religious parties. If you are a true believer you must vote for them because 1)they represent the "true Now, I hope that has cleared things up. Chag Election Sameach from our crazy, blessed nation. Columnist Frankl may be contacted via franklsinisrael@gmail.com
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THE JEWS DOWN UNDER 178 die in Melbourne area wildfires; toll
The death toll from Saturday’s inferno has reached 178 and police warn that it could continue to rise. Local rabbis have extended their condolences to Victorians who lost family members. “We call on all congregations to recite prayers that this devastation be brought to a speedy end and that those in danger be delivered home in health and safety,” the Rabbinical Council of Victoria said in a statement. Community groups have begun collecting donations and raising money in earnest and Caulfield Hebrew Congregation will host a solidarity evening of prayer on Thursday February 12. It is understood at this stage that at least three Jewish families have lost property in the fires, which spread through regional Victoria and Melbourne’s outer suburbs. The home of the former Jewish Crisis Centre was also completely destroyed in the Kilmore fires on Saturday night. Donated by the Smorgon Family, the facility, called Gesher House, primarily hosted Jewish programs. However, in recent years the facility was taken over by Gateway Family Counselling Centre and used as a drug rehabilitation centre. Raphael Aron, director of Gateway, called the loss a “painful tragedy." “There will be people reminiscing about Gesher House, which for many was their first step in the long journey home,” Aron said. He added it was not yet known whether the facility would be rebuilt. “Even if it is, it will be impossible to replace the homestead, which was over 100 years old.” The popular holiday town of Marysville, about 100 kilometres east of Melbourne, was ravaged by the bushfire. The Cumberland resort, scene of many Jewish family holidays and Pesach retreats, was destroyed.Organisers are now looking for a new venue for this year’s Pesach retreat, which was scheduled to be held once again at The Cumberland. Synagogues and community organisations are stockpiling donations on behalf of the Red Cross. The Moorabbin Hebrew Congregation is collecting bedding, towels and toys to distribute to victims. Items can be dropped off at the synagogue at specified times. Jewish Aid Australia is collecting monetary donations via its website, while Magen David Adom is collecting material donations . Hatzolah has also requested donations of bedding, clothing, household items and packaged food, which can be delivered to their headquarters. Volunteers will take goods to Red Cross centres around Victoria. A Personal Reflection One Week After the Fires You get a feeling of being part of a modern day version of Dante's Inferno.. It is almost a week after the fires engulfed Victoria, and only now, while the smoke still rises, and the rerun of the Inferno is only a few extra degrees in temperature and a breath of wind away, does the devastation and human toll come into sharp focus. Not only in those who lost their lives, but also those who survived. People drift into the registration centers, to seek advice, to get aid, basics such as clothing. Kids clutching new toys, which are but poor substitutes for their lost whole world: familiar rooms,toys and objects they grew up with. Many are calm and talk of the future and rebuilding. A lot are dazed, and here and there, one or two become hysterical as the cold bare truth of their plight starts to strike home. It is one thing to see it on your TV screen, sitting in your home, no matter how much genuine compassion you may feel, and quite another to actually stand in a pile of rubble that was a home just like yours a few short days ago. Objects like a twisted frame of a tricycle, a half molten dishwasher, with dishes still in it, a melted section of a garden hose, a scrap of a detergent bottle - these bring the whole tragedy of the events to you in horribly visual and real terms. Incredible sights of burned gardens, and a house miraculously intact in the black charred wasteland, gardens untouched, and ruins amid greenery of what once was a house. Three houses totally razed, and completely untouched houses either side. Blackened, denuded paddocks with odd patches of of green, with horses and cattle grazing, as if nothing had ever disturbed the tranquility of the countryside. Paddocks basically untouched, with small charred sections in which lies a pile of burned animal carcasses. These are some of the images that invade one's eye and are seared into one's soul for a long time to come - perhaps a lifetime. But it is the small, seemingly minor signs that finally stamp out any feelings of non-involvement. Small things like scraps of paper on the notice board of the registration centre - 'Lost:Black Dog', or 'Found Small Kitten with brown spot' or 'Horse Found" - a small kid siting in a corner with a second hand toy, a tear in his eye, and saying "It's not as pretty as Jimbo" who got burnt in the fire. These bring home to you that you are a part of the human toll that forces of nature unleashed in a fierce and uncontrollable fury, and that man is only a tenant on this planet, and on occasions nature takes its revenge for the desecration that man has practiced from time immemorial. It also shows glimpses of human resilience. Whole families sitting in the rubble, cleaning bricks to be used in rebuilding, marking outlines of new buildings in the ashes. Armies of volunteers sorting clothing ready for distribution, brewing cups of tea, making literally mountains of sandwiches, cooking stews, crews working hard from pre-dawn until late at night cutting down unsafe trees, knocking over unsafe walls, technicians putting electricity and phone to afflicted houses, solicitors, social workers, nurses, Red Cross personnel and countless others giving unstintingly of their time without financial recompense. It goes a long way to restore one's faith in this era of seemingly overwhelming materialism and selfishness. You reassess your view of the human race decide perhaps there is a small flame of home alive in all of us. The great shame is that it takes a catastrophe to bring this to the surface. Bureau chief Fabian may be contacted at fabiang@sandiegojewishworld.com
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) —“Tu B’Shevat higia, Chag Ha Ilanot…” In honor of Tu B’Shevat, the preschool-3’s class at Hebrew Day has been learning all about trees, seeds, and plants. The students enjoyed a nature walk, collected leaves, sorted nuts, and planted their very own seeds! The children are looking forward to nurturing their plants and watching them grow. Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School serves children from infants through eighth grade and offers generous financial aid grants to families to make a Jewish day school education affordable to all. For more information on the school, visit the web site at http://www.hebrewday.org/ or contact Audrey Jacobs, Director of School Advancement at 858-279-3300 ext. 106 or ajacobs@hebrewday.org Return to top The colors of God's creation JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE Ma Tovu: A prayer to prepare for prayer Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel in La Jolla and may be contacted at merels@sandiegojewishworld.com
CAROL ANN GOLDSTEIN
INTERNATIONAL Internal Catholic politics should not concern Jews ... by Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem ARTS Thoughts on over-enthusiastic audiences, and The Zookeeper's Wife, a book by Diane Ackerman ... by Sheila Orysiek in San Diego DINING ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY —Highest Award Given for Bravery —The Destiny of Youth (Commentary) —Abramis Takes Leave JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES Charlotte Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin in a daughter-mother duet Jean Ferrat sings "La Montagne" (The Mountain) Ofra Haza sings "Chai"(Alive) COMMUNITY WATCH/ADVERTISERS' NEWS Sunday, February 8, 2009 (Vol. 3, No. 33) INTERNATIONAL Some old realities of Israel's election politics ... by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem Thoughts of a frequent visitor on returning to Israel ... by Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in Jerusalem JUDAISM ARTS LETTERS SPORTS ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY August 8, 1952 Southwestern Jewish Press archives: JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES —Jakob Dylan sings "Something Good This Way Comes" on the David Letterman show —Julia Feldman in Renaissance costume sings Yeled Vebeer (The Boy and the Well) —Sagiv Cohen sings "Yashkef" (Observe) — Sung in the Yemenite Jewish style COMMUNITY WATCH/ADVERTISERS' NEWS Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School—Every Student Can Be a Leader at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School
INTERNATIONAL Obama has a P-R problem with Gazans ...by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem ARTS Leah Salovey is budding playwright ... by Sara Appel-Lennon in San Diego Standing ovations should be reserved for very best ... by David Amos in San Diego ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY --Bay City B.B. --J.W.V. Auxiliary --S.D. Birdie Stodel Chapter Member Honored -- News of the Fox -- City of Hope Aux. -- Deceased {Louis Lasher} JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES David Draiman of Disturbed sings “Down With the Sickness” Lynsey de Paul sings “Sugar Me” Matt Dusk sings “Back In Town" COMMUNITY WATCH Carol Ann Goldstein: What are the elements of a successful commercial website? Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School: Alumni Join in on Soille Hebrew Day’s Learning Program Thursday, February 5, 2009 (Vol. 3,No. 31) INTERNATIONAL Holocaust tour strengthens Israeli girl's patriotism ... by Dorothea Shefer-Vanson in Mevasseret Zion, Israel Creating countries at the Int'l Criminal Court ... by Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C. ARTS Thursdays With The Songs of Hal Wingard: —#15, Mr. Average —#30, Milkshake On Your Mustache —#190, Ever Wonder ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY Birdie Stodel B.B. Cottage of Israel USO-JWB Activities B’nai B’rith Women of San Diego Deceased {Jane M. Lipinsky} Tifereth Israel Sisterhood JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES Joe Dassin sings "L'Ete Indien" (Indian Summer) Leonard Cohen sings "The Stranger" Marc Cohn sings "Live Out the String" COMMUNITY WATCH Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School: Soille Hebrew Day Middle School Chess Club Wednesday, February 4, 2009 (Vol. 3, No. 30) MIDDLE EAST Israel electorate has moved to the right ... by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem An unsolicited plan for Mideast peace ... by Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem AUSTRALIA —Dissident Jewish professors make waves —Australia Day honours for Jewish community members —Surgeon becomes first Jewish general in 50 years —Child prodigy stars at Yeshiva gala —Expansion of kosher eateries —Junior Carnival great success —Heat wave postpones start of school year COMMUNITY WATCH ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY August 8, 1952: Young Jewish Couples’ Club August 8, 1952: Hebrew Home Gets Set for ‘Maisel Day’ August 8, 1952: Beth Jacob Auxiliary Holds Wedding Shower August 8, 1952: T.Y.Lers to Attend Asilomar Conference August 8, 1952: Heart Assn. Elects New Board Members August 8, 1952: Beth Jacob Picnic Sunday, August 10 August 8, 1952: (Untitled Humor) JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES Patrick Bruel sings Qui A Le Doit (Who Has the Right) Shlomo Carlebach—The rabbi gives a concert Tuesday, February 3, 2009 (Vol. 3, No. 29) INTERNATIONAL ARTS New website: Old Jews telling jokes ... by Dan Bloom in Taipei, Taiwan The reason for postwar Polish anti-Semitism ... by David Strom in San Diego Maybe they should hunt for a better play! .. by Cynthia Citron in Pasadena, California COMMUNITY WATCH Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School: Preschool Enrichment Classes at Soille Hebrew Day ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY August 8, 1952: Pioneer Jews of Utah ... by Dr. Phillip L. Seman August 8, 1952: Busy, Busy, Busy August 8, 1952: Talented Family JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES Dany Brillant sings "Tu vuò fa l' americano" (You Want To Be An American) Ian Broudie sings "Song for No One"
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JERUSALEM—Sarah Netanyahu, the wife of Bibi, is a busy school counselor nowadays, which may be why she has no time to prepare Shabbat dinner at home. In fact, the couple is known for frequenting restaurants. Their visit last Friday evening became a media item when the two, together with friends, were spotted in a non-kosher restaurant in the centre of Jerusalem. The press also came, albeit uninvited.
DELRAY BEACH, Florida —Peace, meaning a long term cease fire which Hamas will agree to and enforce, has two threads.
MELBOURNE- Fears are held for a Jewish property owner who is missing following the worst bushfires in Australia’s history. The person is believed to have driven to country Victoria to check on property over the weekend. A car belonging to the person has been found burnt out. Nothing has been heard from the property owner and there are concerns about the person’s safety.
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SAN DIEGO—Biblical scholars have wondered for years about the exact nature of the Urim and the Tumin (also transliterated as the Thummim). Fred Reiss (at right) , whom San Diego Jewish World readers know as a 
The tension intensifies as both sides realize that the holy objects may be able to establish once and for all, in the eyes and hearts of believers, to whom the Land of Israel, and most especially the Temple Mount, must belong.
