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INTERNATIONAL
Obama's folly will rival Bush's if U.S. seek to impose its will on Israel, other Mideast powers ... by Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem The United States is the most powerful nation in the world. It may be the most powerful in the history of the world, but analyses of power relative to others at their times might find ancient Greece and Rome, and not so ancient Nazi Germany in comparable or stronger positions. READ MORE
Bazaar like bargaining on Israeli budget may also signal way Netanyahu will try to approach Barack Obama ... by Rabbi Dow Marmur in Jerusalem When Binyamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister last time, he lost the confidence of Israelis because of his economic policies. The election that followed reduced his Knesset contingent to no more than a dozen seats. This time, we were promised, he’d deal more prudently. After only a few weeks in office, it doesn’t seem to be the case. READ MORE
Hamas leader's 'moderation' is West's wishful thinking ... by Barry Rubin in Herzliya, Israel Nothing is funnier than when someone wants to avoid an obvious conclusion. Nothing is sadder than people being borne away on waves of wishful thinking.READ MORE Arab-Israeli controversy reaches into elementary school ... by Donald H. Harrison in San Diego The City of Davis in northern California is home to a University of California campus and a multicultural population drawn from countries all over the world. To take advantage of the rich diversity of its population and to encourage its students to learn about each other’s backgrounds, the Davis Joint Unified School District schedules an international event at each of its 15 schools. READ MORE
C0-PUBLISHERS MAILBOX American Idol's Adam Lambert returns to Mt. Carmel High School READ MORE
Ambassador Shalev's background told; she comes to S.D. May 31 READ MORE
Guardians of San Diego host Golf, Tennis Tournament July 20 READ MORE
Norman Lear to be honored in San Diego June 10 by NARM
Media Watch READ MORE Filner urges all Americans to enjoy Jewish American Heritage MonthREAD MORE College Avenue Older Adult Center lists special, regular events for June READ MORE
Texas Hold 'Em charity tournament at Beth Israel set Sunday, May 17READ MORE
Educational consultant Parker spends 2 days at Soille Hebrew Day READ MORE
THE BIBLE IN POP CULTURE Watch our Bible come together with Biblical names and modern images
Elijah challenges pagan priests, I Kings 18:19 VIEW IMAGE
JUDAISM Why do we have two challot, not just one, for Shabbat? ... by Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego
On Shabbat it is customary to say motzi over two challot. Several reasons have been given for this practice. READ MORE
Parshat Emor .... animated video from G-dcast VIEW VIDEO
ARTS Sights, sounds, colors of Bene Israel delight in novel ... a book review by Laurel Corona in San Diego In the first chapter of her novel The Shalom India Housing Society, Esther David follows the Prophet Elijah on the first night of Pesach as he makes his rounds of the households in the eponymously-named Jewish apartment building in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. READ MORE
Jerusalem Quartet's artistry, sensitivity bring tears to listener's eyes at La Jolla Music Society performance... by Eileen Wingard in San Diego
My husband and I heard the Jerusalem Quartet at Wigmore Hall when we visited London eight years ago. Their youthful exuberance and superb musicianship made an indelible impression on us. Eight years later, that impression was reinforced as I listened on May 2 to their La Jolla Music Society concert in Sherwood Hall. READ MORE
SPORTS A bissel sports trivia with Bruce Lowitt... in Oldsmar, Florida Q: Who is one of only two batters ever to pinch hit for Ted Williams? (The other one was Carroll Hardy.)READ MORE
ADVENTURES IN SAN DIEGO JEWISH HISTORY
March 6, 1953; Southwestern Jewish Press
JEWISH INTERNET FAVORITES We continue our examination of Jewish entertainers
Andy Kaufman explains what people need in life on "Taxi "VIEW VIDEO
Lainie Kazan sings to Yul Brynner in "Romance of a Horse Thief" VIEW VIDEO
Judy Kaye as a Spanish Lolita in "Mama Mia" skit VIEW VIDEO
Robert Klein does a standup routine on "anthropomorphism" VIEW VIDEO
Bonus videos:
Adam Lambert portrays Joshua in musical "Ten Commandments" VIEW VIDEO
Adam Lambert sings at memorial tribute to Yitzhak Rabin VIEW VIDEO
STAFF BOX
San Diego Jewish World dedicates today's issue to all those hard working mothers among our readers and our staff. We hope you all have a wonderful day. TODAY'S ADVERTISERS
JERUSALEM—The United States is the most powerful nation in the world. It may be the most powerful in the history of the world, but analyses of power relative to others at their times might find ancient Greece and Rome, and not so ancient Nazi Germany in comparable or stronger positions. Germany's power did not last long, but it was awesome while it was all over Europe, close to Moscow and Cairo.
Those who doubt that the United States can act unilaterally, or nearly so, should take a look at what it has done to Iraq, and what its unguided missiles have done to civilians in Afghanistan. Americans responsible for those actions are not concerned to travel outside their country, or being seized by border officials acting under the decisions of judges from Spain, the United Kingdom, or the Hague.
As in the past, however, power does not assure wisdom.
Recent noises coming from ranking American officials, up to and including the Vice President, White House aides, and senior generals have sounded like ultimatums directed against Israel. They make it appear as if the Americans are thinking about how to shift the markers on an international game board. If Israel goes to point X, then Iran and Syria will go to point Y, and all will be well.
Lesson number 1 in the political science of the Middle East: Tiny Israel is powerful in its context. It cannot rule the region. It must always be concerned about reaching beyond its capacity. But without its cooperation, the United States may find itself impotent.
Israeli generals, ex-generals, cabinet ministers and ex-cabinet ministers cannot travel freely without concern about activist judges who accept the claims of anti-Israeli petitioners. Should anyone doubt the power of Israeli policymakers, however, southern Lebanon, neighborhoods of Beirut, and much of Gaza show what they can do when pressed.
Those trying to understand Israel should also take account of the one million Russians who have come since 1988. Terminology is confusing. Many are not Russians, but Russian speakers from Central Asia. They may have not been considered Russian at home, but here they are Russian. (I am defined as an Anglo-Saxon here, but not where I came from.)
One of the Russian speakers is Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, originally from Moldavia. Among his epigrams is that it is necessary to speak with Arabs in Russian. That is
a metaphor for something other than an olive branch. He has joined Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in reducing the prominence of a Palestinian state on Israel's agenda. Both Netanyahu and Lieberman are shrewd enough to blur their message when talking to powerful others still adhering to the mantra of a Palestinian state. It is not clear what are their true intentions. Most likely they are flexible, and will respond to the behavior of Palestinians, Europeans, and Americans.
Lieberman and Netanyahu are targets of ridicule by Israelis who consider themselves, and are viewed by others, as decent and moderate. Many of those Israelis voted for Meretz or Labor in the recent election. Before taking them as the real Israelis with whom the United States and Europe should deal, one may note that Meretz has three seats and Labor 13 seats in the 120 seat Knesset. Four or five MKs on the left wing of Labor may pull out of the party due to its leader joining the Netanyahu government.
Israelis who ridicule Netanyahu and Lieberman lament that they are ranking policymakers, and are likely to be so for some years.
Others should notice the same thing when deciding where to put those markers on their game board, and what rhetoric to direct toward Israel.
No one should read this note as a threat. It is not wise, and usually not the Israeli style to threaten. We hear daily about what mad Iranians and Arabs will do to us. Israeli officials are explicitly silent about their most powerful weapons.
Some of my American friends may be inclined to dismiss the statements of Washington's officials that appear to me as threatening and simplistic. They may be harmful because they are simplistic. Will the Obama administration repeat the follies of the Bush administration, and impose its might on more of the world out of ignorance?
Some may say that the Vice President and others are trying to push Israel toward flexibility.
Israelis think of themselves as flexible. Many view the previous prime minister as pushed to excessive flexibility by well meaning, but misguided Americans and Europeans. That is part of the reason they voted for Netanyahu or Lieberman.
JERUSALEM—When Binyamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister last time, he lost the confidence of Israelis because of his economic policies. The election that followed reduced his Knesset contingent to no more than a dozen seats. This time, we were promised, he’d deal more prudently. After only a few weeks in office, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
To start with he selected as his Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz, a professor of philosophy with no proven grasp of economics, but with a solid record of devotion to the boss. The proposed new budget vindicates the public’s worst fears: Steinitz has no visible competence and his master shows no signs of having changed his Thatcherite spots.
Thus his own trusted friend and prominent Likud member Gideon Sa’ar, the Minister of Education, has openly opposed him because of what the budget, if passed, would do to education in Israel: a threat to greatly diminish “the people of the book.”
Two of the coalition partners may walk out unless there’re changes: Eli Yishai, the Shas leader, because the budget would punish the poorest in society, many of whom are very Orthodox and vote for his party; Yitzchak Herzog, the Minister of Social Welfare and a member of what’s left of Labor in the coalition, because the budget of his ministry is about to be slashed; another of Netanyahu’s reputed lapdogs, the leader of Labor and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, is said to be opposed because of the intended cuts to the defense budget; Ya’akov Litzman, the minister in charge of health on behalf of the ultra-Orthodox Yahadut Hatorah, has called the budget a disgrace.
Labor was persuaded to join the coalition by Ofer Eyni, the leader of the Histadrut, the trade union organization, on the grounds that it’ll be as good as possible for working people. He’s now rumored to have come out vehemently against the proposals.
Recognizing that he’s in trouble, Netanyahu has already retreated and promised not to cut subsidies for people with special needs and Holocaust survivors. But if the biggest spenders – ministers in charge of Defense, Education, Health and Welfare – aren’t going to give in, where will the money come from?
It’s possible that the budget proposals, deliberately made public before finally formulated, reflect the Oriental bazaar tactics of the new government: the asking price isn’t intended to have much relation to the purchase price. The implication is that the ventriloquist Prime Minister, pretending to ignore his puppet Minister of Finance, will appease his critics to some extent in the hope that they’ll buy the rest of the package. But as those who’ve tried to shop in such an environment know, in the end you aren’t sure that you paid a fair price or that you got what you really bargained for.
The same tactics seem to be intended in matters of foreign policy. When Netanyahu goes to Washington later this month he’s said to have with him a radical new approach to the Palestinian, Syrian and, of course, Iranian issues. We already seem to know that President Obama has a different agenda. Will Netanyahu yield a little in the hope of getting the rest? And can that be enough?
The approach may work in dealing with his junior partners in Jerusalem, anxious to stay to enjoy the trappings of high office whatever the cost, but it’s not likely to cut any ice with the no less determined and infinitely more powerful senior partner in Washington who’ll be there for the next four, and probably eight, years.
Marmur divides his time between Toronto, where he is rabbi emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple, and Jerusalem, where he is a freelance writer and commentator. Rabbi Marmur's email is marmurd@sandiegojewishworld.com
HERZLIYA, Israel--Nothing is funnier than when someone wants to avoid an obvious conclusion. Nothing is sadder than people being borne away on waves of wishful thinking.
Following up on rewriting the clearly extremist words of Iran's leader on the basis of wishful thinking and reinterpreting the equally extremist words of Syria's leader based on wishful thinking, it is now Hamas's turn.
Right after giving op-ed space to the shadowy Alistair Cooke—whose group even dared to publish on the Internet its plan to fool the West into thinking that radial Islamism was no threat—the New York Times has an interview with newly reelected Hamas leader Khalid Mashal on May 4.
What wisdom does he and the interviewer have for us?
First this in the avoiding obvious conclusions "department":
In April, only six rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel from Gaza, which is run by Hamas, a marked change from the previous three months, when dozens were shot, according to the Israeli military. Mr. Mashal made an effort to show that Hamas was incontrol of its militants as well as those of other groups, saying, "Not firing the rockets currently is part of an evaluation from the movement which serves the Palestinians' interest."
Note that the reporters, Taghreed el-Khodary and Ethan Bronner, interpreted this as showing Hamas deserved praise for its restraint and respect for its ability to control its militants and others.
Here's my interpretation: Hamas got badly beaten up by Israel
during the December-January fighting and wants a break. As soon as it rebuilds, though, it will start attacking again. (See below for more on this point).
The Times interpretation: Hamas works.
My interpretation: Force works, up to a point. This idea—so basic in international affairs—is impermissible under current thinking for which only concessions (mine and yours) can solve problems But there's much more here. Note how the interviewers define the war: "In late December, Israel began a three-week invasion of Gaza, saying that it sought to stop the rockets, which land on its southern communities. About 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the invasion."
While nominally balanced—Israel is responding to rocket
attacks—these two sentences are both misleading and slanted.
Most obviously, the mention of Palestinian casualties tells readers that the poor Palestinians suffered a lot and that they aren;t much of a military threat to Israel. The article isn't extreme— the word "civilian" isn't thrown in—;but Israeli civilian and military casualties aren't mentioned, nor is the fact that most of the Palestinians killed soldiers (or militants or terrorists) and that the casualties were higher because Hamas hid behind Palestinian civilians and used getting its own people killed as a strategy.
Equally unmentioned is the fact that Israel didn't want the war butit began not just because of rockets being fired—Israel generally ignored that for months—but that Hamas openly ended the ceasefire and began firing a lot more rockets. In effect, Hamas declared war and Israel defended itself.
But my main point here is not that Israel was acting in
self-defense—though that's important—but that Hamas
started a war when it wanted to do so, and it will start another war whenit's ready to do so.
Don't take my word for it. Listen to what Mashal himself said in the interview: "Not firing the rockets currently is part of an evaluation from the movement which serves the Palestinians' interest. After all, the firing is a method, not a goal. Resistance is a legitimate right, but practicing such a right comes under an evaluation by the movement's leaders."
What's he saying? We have to eliminate this Israel-Egypt blockade and international sanctions so we can not only fix up our economy but also get more military equipment to get ready for the next round. (By the way, the phrases he uses here are very parallel to those employed by the "moderate"(well, it is more moderate but I get sick of this being exaggerated) Fatah.
Firing, he says, is a method, not a goal. And what is the goal? Wiping Israel off the map. Resistance is legitimate, he says, but the leaders have to decide precisely how to do it. In other words, shooting at Israel is not useful for us right now so let';s rearm, indoctrinate Gaza's young people into being suicide bombers and terrorists (or militants, if you prefer that word), and we will attack again when the movement's leaders decide that suits our interests.
Is it really so hard to see this? Mashal isn't trying all that hard
to conceal his views, ideology, and strategy. In part, that's
because he thinks the people he's trying to fool are really stupid.
In part,it's because he will have to defend anything he says to
his colleagues. In part, too, it is because he is a real true believer (called fanatics in a less enlightened age).
Finally,in this interview Mashal made this statement professing his moderation: "I promise the American administration and the international community that we will be part of the solution, period."
Unfortunately, the solution he was referring to was Hamas's finalsolution for the Jews and Israel.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs(GLORIA) Center http://www.gloria-center.org and editor of the Middle East Review of InternationalAffairs (MERIA) Journal.
SAN DIEGO—The City of Davis in northern California is home to a University of California campus and a multicultural population drawn from countries all over the world. To take advantage of the rich diversity of its population and to encourage its students to learn about each other’s backgrounds, the Davis Joint Unified School District schedules an international event at each of its 15 schools.
Last year, at Pioneer Elementary School, one of eight elementary schools in the district, what was intended as a day of exhibits, traditional foods, dancing and crafts spawned a political controversy between Arab-Americans and Jewish Americans—a controversy that has drawn in the national Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and which has prompted school officials to conduct a painstaking review of school district policies concerning these international gatherings.
Pamela Mari, director of student support services, and Mel Lewis, coordinator of school climate activities, recapitulated the controversy to San Diego Jewish World in a telephone interview on Friday in response to a ZOA press release that had run that day in this publication. The term “school climate activities” refers to programs and efforts to assure that students go to school in a positive atmosphere.
According to Mari and Lewis, a booth depicting Arab heritage drew a protest from a Jewish American parent, who complained that within the booth there was a map of the Arab world that identified Israel as Palestine. At the same time, an Arab-American family complained that the Jewish American’s booth on Israel was inappropriate because among the achievements it touted was the development of the Uzi, which is a submachine gun. Depictions of weapons have no place at schools, the Arab-American complainant said.
Mari said the school distinguishes between informal complaints and formal complaints. The former occurs when someone expresses a concern about a situation; the latter occurs when that person advises the district he or she wants the concern investigated as an official complaint. Mari said she did not at first realize that the Jewish parent wanted an official investigation concerning the map of the Arab world.
Once it became apparent that the complaint was formal, she said, it triggered a painstaking and tedious process which involved not only her office and the school climate office of Lewis, but also those of school attorneys.
The first part of the formal complaint process, she said, is to understand the implications of the complaint. The map of the Arab world was brought by a parent to Pioneer Elementary School’s International Heritage Day. It was not a school map; in fact, said Mari, all school maps show Israel as a country in the Middle East. So the question was whether the school district should have prevented the parent from exhibiting her map of the Arab world.
Moreover, she said, the complaint led to the question of whether the school has the right to censor the viewpoint of a parent, or to prevent controversial material from coming onto campus. Mari said this is a tricky legal issue for schools, with court decisions seemingly inconsistent on the right of a school to curb free speech.
International Heritage Day, Mari told San Diego Jewish World, had begun as a non-controversial program largely administered by parents who were proud of their respective heritages. The school did not closely supervise the event, she said.
As legal counsel studied the complaint, it was decided that because the event was school-sponsored—and even could be considered an extension of its multi-cultural curriculum—that the district had the obligation to supervise the event to make certain that materials on display for the students were not only accurate, but also age appropriate.
Thus the district officials began working on guidelines that would not only deal with the situation of a politically biased map, but also with the question of how to determine whether any materials brought to the fair should be judged for appropriateness. The guidelines dealt not only with maps, and depiction of Uzis, but also with differences between what is permissible for elementary school students and for high school students. In other words, said Mari, it was a thorough-going development of a policy for future events.
She said this process was occurring as the school district was reviewing other policies as well—the result being that the painstaking examination has taken so long that tentative guidelines were promulgated only last week. Those involved or following the controversy have expressed frustration over how long it has taken to be resolved, she acknowledged.
Now, these guidelines will be brought to the official school climate committee of Pioneer Elementary School, and on May 27 they will be submitted to the school climate council, which includes representatives of all 15 schools.
Both bodies will have the opportunity to comment on the guidelines, and to suggest possible changes or additions before they are then submitted to the board of the Davis Joint Unified School District for possible adoption.
Lewis and Mari told San Diego Jewish World that the guidelines outline the responsibilities of school principals and climate committees to review materials that will be displayed and to ask such questions as:
1) Is this an appropriate forum to present this element?
2) Does the element present a positive message contributing to school culture?
3) Is it age appropriate?
4) Is it aligned with California standards?
5) Does it help the district and site climate committees meet their aims?
6) Is it free of personal or political agendas?
If the answer to any of the questions above is ‘no,’ then a proposed exhibit or activity could be barred by school officials, who are charged with protecting the welfare of their students.
The Co-Publishers' Mailbox...Notes from advertisers and others Items for us? Please send them to editor@sandiegojewishworld.com
American Idol's Adam Lambert
returns to Mt. Carmel High School
Adam Lambert is one of three remaining contestants who will compete on Tuesday night on Fox network's American Idol. On Friday, in a promotion arranged by the program, he returned to San Diego, visited an affiliate station, some local disk jockeys and then appeared at a rally on the athletic field of his alma mater, Mt. Carmel High School (see photo in 'The Bible in Pop Culture' section). Karla Peterson, one of the reporters who thus far has survived massive cuts at the San Diego Union-Tribune, reported on the homecoming of Lambert. Here's a link to her story. For the North County Times, the reporter was Gary Warth. Here's his article. And Joseph Peña covered the celebrity for the online San Diego News Network.
Lambert, 28, is a member of the Jewish community and since graduation from high school in 2000 he has been involved at the Synagogue for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles where he participated in a 2005 memorial tribute to slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He also portrayed Joshua in the musical stage version of the "Ten Commandments." Here are the two videos.
Ambassador Shalev's background told; she comes to S.D. May 31
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) --Ambassador Gabriela Shalev, who will speak at a JNF breakfast on Sunday May 31, 2009 at 10 a.m, is the first female in Israel to hold the position. She assumed the post in September, 2008.
"This will be Ambassador Shalev's first time in San Diego," said breakfast co-chair Mimi Gross, "and everyone here is gearing up for it. I think there will be a lot of interest in both the Jewish and political communities, to hear what she has to say and we look forward to a great turnout."
Co-chairing the $36-per-person event with Mimi Gross are Debbie Elghanian and Jan Tuttleman; honorary co-chair is Congresswoman Susan Davis.
Monies raised at the breakfast will go to JNF's Operation Security Blanket: Southern Israel, a campaign to provide immediate and long-term relief for Israeli children and their families living in areas under the threat of rocket attack along the Gaza border.
Proceeds will benefit the community of Sderot in several ways:
* Fund the 20,000-square-foot secure indoor recreation center JNF is building in Sderot.
* Send families from Sderot to JNF camps near Jerusalem, providing respite from the rocket attacks.
* Sponsor Sderot's youth to be members of Green Horizons scout groups.
* Build a fire station in Sderot and purchase five new fire trucks for southern Israel (previously purchased trucks already service Ashdod and Ashkelon).
* Build and maintain security roads along the border with Gaza to protect the area's residents as they travel to work and school.
The $5 million secure indoor recreation center was conceived of in May when it was clear that Sderot's streets were empty; children had no where to play. The center is designed to alleviate the trauma that dictates their lives and give back a sense of normalcy to children and their families. It will have an indoor soccer field, video games, playground equipment, food court, disco, movie theatre, zipline, therapy rooms, courtyard BBQ area, and more. The center, which has rooms that double as bomb shelters, will be used by seniors in the morning, children and youth groups in the afternoon. JNF is partnering with many area organizations; it is a center for everyone.
"Even if not one more Kassam hits the area the center is a gift to the families of Sderot and the surrounding communities," said JNF President Stanley Chesley.
Prior to this post, Ambassador Shalev served as president of the Academic Council and Rector of Ono Academic College in Israel. Until her early retirement in 2002, she was a full professor of contract law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has taught contract law and comparative law in universities across the United States, Europe, and Canada. She is a leading expert in Israel in the fields of contract law and procurement contracts.
Ambassador Shalev has provided legal advice and written legal opinions for public institutions, arbitrators, and lawyers in Israel and around the world; has been awarded numerous awards for academic legal research; and has written nine books and over 100 articles in Hebrew and in English, mostly on contract law.
In addition to her academic achievements, Ambassador Shalev has substantial experience in the public and private sector as a chairperson and board member.
The breakfast will be held at the Marriott La Jolla, 4240 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
For more information or to be a table ambassador please call Batsheva Feldman at 858-824-9178 or bfeldman@jnf.org.
Preceding was provided by Jewish National Fund
Guardians of San Diego host Golf, Tennis Tournament July 20
ENCINITAS, California (Press Release)– On Monday, July 20, 2009, Guardians of San Diego will host its annual Golf & Tennis Tournament. Golfers will enjoy serene privacy on the championship course at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. Tennis players alike will enjoy the “#1 Tennis Resort in the Country” (Tennis Magazine, December 2008) while playing at Rancho Valencia Resort, also located in Rancho Santa Fe, California. All proceeds from this event will benefit the charitable mission of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities, headquartered in Encinitas.
Sponsorship packages, underwriting opportunities and individual event tickets are available from $100. Golf and tennis registration fees include lunch, green fees or tennis court fees, golf cart, snacks and beverages, access to club facilities, a cocktail reception, opportunity drawing/auction, light entertainment, dinner and a commemorative gift. Tennis players will also enjoy the guidance of a tennis professional.
For over 50 years, members of Guardians of San Diego have helped Seacrest Village Retirement Communities raise funds to help care for the elderly of San Diego. Our Golf & Tennis Tournament, now in its eighteenth year, has proven to be a successful, fun, and well-attended event.
Seacrest Village is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides housing and healthcare services to the community’s elderly. Because Seacrest Village Retirement Communities strives to provide these services regardless of one’s ability to pay, an annual shortfall of over $1.5 million must be met through fundraising.
For more information, contact Tiffany Melone, Director of Community Relations & Special Events in The Office of Development at (760) 632-0081 or via email at tmelone@seacrestvillage.org.
Preceding provided by Seacrest Village Retirement Communities
Norman Lear to be honored in San Diego June 10 by NARM
MARLTON, New Jersey (Press Release)-- The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) announces that it will honor renowned television producer, writer and philanthropist Norman Lear with its prestigious Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award.
NARM will honor Norm at the NARM Connects: Physical...Digital...Mobile Annual Convention Awards Dinner Finale at the San Diego Marriott on Wednesday, June 10.
In 1999, President Clinton bestowed Lear with the National Medal of Arts, noting, "Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it." He has spent his entire career furthering an extraordinary lifetime commitment to equality, justice, peace and theFirst Amendment. Lear continually expanded and explored those themes first as the creative force behind many of the most beloved, important and groundbreaking television programs in history, such as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons and Maude, amongothers, and also through his fearsome, passionate and tenacious political activism.
Lear's most recent musical passion is the extraordinary project, Playing For Change. The brainchild of producer/engineer Mark Johnson, Playing For Change combines performances from diverse artists around the globe in an effort to inspire peace and
unity. Of Lear's extraordinary career, NARM President Jim Donio says, "We are proud to honor Norman Lear for his many outstanding efforts promoting civic consciousness. With his abundance of generosity and goodwill, his admirable selfless commitment to so many charitable organizations shows a genuine concern for and recognition of the dignity of individuals everywhere. NARM is thrilled to honor such a deserving
individual whose philanthropic resume is unparalleled. He is a true
inspiration to all of us."
This award was established in 1984 by NARM tomemorialize Chapin's influential efforts on behalf of the environment and
other humanitarian causes. Previous award recipients have includedJackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Hilary Rosen, and organizations, "Rock theVote," "Hands Across America," and "Live Aid. "
Preceding provided by National Association of Recording Merchandisers, www.narm.com.
Texas Hold 'Em charity tournament at Beth Israel set Sunday, May 17
LA JOLLA, California--The Men's Club of Congregation Beth Israel will host a Texas Hold 'Em charity poker
tournament from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 17, at the temple, 9001 Towne Centre drive.
According to the event organizers, there is a "low buy in," with "snacks, prizes and refreshments included in the afternoon activities.
Adults of both genders are welcome, and no previous poker experience is necessary.
For information and RSVP: 858-535-1111 ext 3800
Preceding was provided by the Men's Club of Congregation Beth Israel
San Diego Performing Arts magazine has a feature on the J*Company's production of Fireflies, which retells the story of the children at the Terezin "Model Ghetto" who performed Brundibar for visiting Red Cross inspectors at the insistence of the Nazis. The J*Company is based at the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla, California, and reaches out to children of the overall community.
We would like to remind our readers that starting tomorrow, San Diego Jewish World will be serializing every Monday, the memoir by Laura Simon, 103, "I'm Still Here." Simon, who lives and thrives in San Diego, will turn 104 in November.
Filner urges all Americans to enjoy
Jewish American Heritage Month
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release). – Congressman Bob Filner released the following statement, calling on all Americans to join in celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month, which began on May 1st:.
“This month is a special opportunity to pay tribute to the contributions of American Jews throughout the history of the United States.
“When the first Jewish settlers came to this land, they sought a place of promise where they could practice their faith in freedom and live in liberty. During this month, we celebrate the rich history of the American Jewish community and honor the great contributions they have made to our country.
“As a nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens. Since arriving in 1654, American Jews have strengthened our country and helped shape our way of life. Their commitment to excellence in science, public service, law, medicine, athletics, literature and countless other fields has enriched our nation and enhanced our culture. In addition, through strong ties to family and community, American Jews reflect a compassionate spirit and set a positive example for others.
“My father’s life reveals a powerful example of the spirit and values of the Jewish American Community. As an American soldier who could speak Yiddish, he was selected from the ranks to help liberate the Dachau concentration camp during World War II. Having viewed such painful and flagrant suffering, he became an advocate for all human rights and a strong supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He understood the devastation that is caused by discrimination and hatred, and he decided to do everything in his power to stop the spread of prejudice. I was fortunate to grow up under his positive influence, and I am proud that many Jews, and many Americans of all faiths, share his love of freedom and equality.
“Jewish American Heritage Month provides us with an opportunity to reflect on all the diverse ways in which our families and American Jews in general have enriched our culture and enhanced our way of life over the last 353 years.”
Preceding provided by office of Congressman Filner
College Avenue Older Adult Center lists special, regular events for June
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)--Here is the schedule of special events at Jewish Family Service's College Avenue Older Adult Center, which meets in the multipurpose room of Beth Jacob Congregation , 4855 College Avenue.
Friday, June 19th at 12:45 pm—Father’s Day Tribute and Magic Show with Dana Law. What will Dana “pull out of his hat” for our Father’s Day Celebration? Come and see! Dana is the master of magic and mind bending feats and he will charm us with an array of skill and, of course, his humor and wonderful wit!
You will leave with amazement and a merry heart!
Thursday, June 25th at 12:45 pm— David Amos Presents: Aaron Copland, George Gershwin & Leonard Bernstein – Part I
Join us for a journey into the brilliance of these masterworks, for your listening pleasure. Enjoy famous portions of these masterpieces along with David’s insight and commentary about these world class composers.
Here is the regular schedule for June:
Mondays:
Aerobics at 8:30 am (Also offered Wed. & Fri.)
Private Computer Lessons at 10:30 am and 12:45 pm by appointment. (Mon -Fri.)
“Feeling Fit” Exercise at 10:00 am (also offered on Wed. & Fri.)
Meditation at 11:15 am
Musical Comedy Group at 1:00 pm
Bridge Club at 12:45 pm
Movies - New Releases at 1:00 pm Free for members / $1.00 non-members.
Tuesdays:
Walking for Fun and Fitness at 9:00 am
Tai Chi at 9:00 am
Arthritis Exercise at 10:30 am (also offered on Thurs.)
Trivia at 12:20 (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Film Class from a Social & Historical Perspective at 1:00 pm (last class June 2nd)
Ballroom Dance Class from 2 to 4 pm
Beginning Spanish at 2:30 pm (class also on Thursdays also)
Wednesdays:
Bingo at 12:45 pm
True Stories Writing Class at 12:45 pm (May 6 & 20)
Music Experience at 1:00 pm
Line Dance at 2:30 pm (please call to check dates)
Yoga at 10:45 am $5.00 members/$7.00 non-members ( no class on May 15th or 29th)
The College Avenue Older Adult Center also offers hot Kosher lunches served Monday - Friday at 12 Noon Seniors: Suggested donation of $3.50; All others: $6.00 fee.
For more information: Elissa Landsman or Marsha Howe,
619-583-3300
Preceding provided by Jewish Family Service's College Avenue Older Adult Center
Educational consultant Parker spends 2 days at Soille Hebrew Day
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Roy Parker, educational consultant, headmaster, and author spent two days at Hebrew Day meeting with students, teachers, parents, and administrators to focus on Hebrew Day as "A Place to Belong."
Mr. Parker's initial meetings with students and teachers focused on what about the school you would definitely not want to change or lose followed by, if I had a magic wand and could make changes, what would they be? It was very enlightening to see our school through the eyes and perspective of the students and teachers as they shared their opinions openly with Mr. Parker, another professional educator.
The overall strength of our school is the successful dual curriculum and Judaic values, while the weakness seemed to be in athletic facilities and supplies. Rabbi Weiser presented the middle school with three new soccer balls on Friday morning, following the meeting with Roy Parker. We will share more next week after we receive the summary report from Roy Parker.
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The Bible in Pop Culture: Elijah challenges pagan priests
IN THE NEWS—
Mount Carmel High School in San Diego enjoyed a moment in the spotlight on Friday, May 8, when one of its alumni, Adam Lambert, made a promotional tour of San Diego as the buildup to the season finale of the American Idol television show. At an outdoor assembly told students at the public school not to be afraid to be individualistic or different.The photo above appears on the school's website.
I Kings 18:19
And now, send and gather all of Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and alsothe four hundred and fifty prophets of thhe Baal and the four hundred prophets of the Asherah-tree, who eat at Jezebel's table.
SAN DIEGO—On Shabbat it is customary to say motzi over two challot. Several reasons have been given for this practice. Some say it is in remembrance of the double portion of manna that God gave the Israelites every Friday so that they would not have to gather food on Shabbat. Others suggest that each challah corresponds to one of the two verbs used to describe our obligations toward Shabbat in the Ten Commandments as found in their two different iterations in the Torah. In Exodus 20:8 the Torah says "Remember (zachor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy and in Deuteronomy 5:13 we read: "Observe (shamor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy."
Some moderns suggest that the reason we have two loaves of challah on Shabbat is because we eat a large meal which requires a lot of bread!
It is the custom of some Chassidic families to begin their Shabbat meals with twelve loaves of bread. Although one might be tempted to think it is because they usually have large numbers of children, their tradition goes directly back to the Torah's description of the offerings placed in the Mishkan (traveling Tent of worship) and Jerusalem Temple every Shabbat.
"You shall take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves...Place them on the pure table before the Lord in two rows, six to a row... He shall arrange them before the Lord regularly every Sabbath day... They shall belong to Aaron and his sons, who shall eat them in the sacred precinct...." (Lev. 24:5-9)
In some older translations this offering was called "shewbread" which is one way to translate the Hebrew lechem hapanim, literally "the bread of the face." Some translators suggest that it is better called "the bread of the presence" since it was to be constantly in God's presence.
The twelve loaves of the lechem hapanim were displayed in two rows on top of a special table fashioned exclusively for their display in the Mishkan and Temple. The loaves were unleavened, like matza, and frankincense was poured on them. They would be left on the table for the entire week and replaced with fresh loaves on Shabbat. The Kohanim (Priests) ate the older loaves in a "holy place."
In Leviticus these loaves are called challot. Today we use the word challah to specify the especially fine and braided loaves of egg bread we eat on Shabbat and holidays.
Every Friday morning the delicious aroma of freshly baked challah fills our Silverman Preschool office. They are delivered in the early morning by The Place, San Diego's only Kosher market and restaurant. Preschool parents and synagogue members who have placed orders in advance pick them up for their Shabbat table. I am pleased to see that so many of our families honor Shabbat in this way. Saying motzi over fresh challah every Friday night is an easy way to introduce Shabbat customs and observance into one's life.
Some may think that the custom of lechem mishne, two loaves of Shabbat challah, is extravagant and potentially wasteful since many families will not be able to finish both loaves.
However, I have it on excellent authority that not only do the leftovers freeze well, they also make excellent french toast! Parsha Emor from G-dcast
Sights, sounds, colors of Bene Israel delight in novel
The Shalom India Housing Society by Esther David; 2009, Feminist Press, University of New York, 240 pages, $15.95; ISBN 978-155861596-0
By Laurel Corona SAN DIEGO--In the first chapter of her novel The Shalom India Housing Society, Esther David follows the Prophet Elijah on the first night of Pesach as he makes his rounds of the households in the eponymously-named Jewish apartment building in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Getting pleasantly sloshed as he tastes from each seder cup, Elijah’s evaluations of its contents (thumbs up to Chivas Regal, thumbs down to rose sherbet, a note of surprise at good wine) become a means for David to introduce the personalities of central characters in the novel. Elijah goes back home to nurse a brutal hangover, but the reader is left with an intriguing glimpse of the people and stories that will fill the next two hundred pages.
It’s a delightful opening gambit, promising a story full of the colors, sights, and sounds of the Bene Israel community in India, woven together both by their lives as neighbors and by the interventions of the somewhat capricious but warm-hearted prophet. Just as Hindus do for blue-skinned Krishna, the Shalom India Housing Society’s Jews pray to Elijah for good fortune in love and work, tacking up on their walls posters of the silver-haired prophet in a flowing purple robe and golden girdle--flattery welcomed by this Elijah, even though it hints of forbidden idolatry. From the outset it is clear that in Esther David’s hands the reader will learn a great deal about how living as a small minority among Hindus and Muslims has influenced Jewish customs, but kept Jewish identity strong.
Viewed as anthropology or sociology written as a novel, this book is immensely satisfying. The chapters immediately following Elijah’s Pesach visit are taken up with a Simhat Torah “fancy dress competition” that the author says is modeled after one she was asked to judge at the synagogue in Ahmedabad. By means of this contest, David is able to highlight many of the stresses within both the Indian Jewish community and its individual families, as well as the complexities of interactions with their non-Jewish neighbors.
We see a young man for whom dressing like a woman for the contest is not a joke but a first tentative statement about his real identity, and a girl who wants nothing more than to show up to the fancy dress competition dressed like an Israeli in shorts and a t-shirt. Another girl, Yael, dreams of dressing as a Hindu beauty, “wearing a backless choli over a flared red skirt with mirror-work enbroidery, a transparent green dupatta, a long artificial braid with a string of pearls in the center parting of her hair, a nose ring, chandelier earrings, a dozen multicolored glass bangles, a waistband, anklets, bright pink lipstick and green mascara, with a beauty spot painted on her cheek.” Her mother and aunt, who “wore their clothes like bandages, only exposing face, hands, and feet,” have another idea. Yael wins first prize dressed as a mummy, wrapped head to toe so thickly she has to stagger rather than walk.
This wonderful start--by turns hilarious and wistful—segues chapter by chapter into a story that is deeper, darker, and in the end less satisfying. As the book progresses, most of the stories are filled with tension, and often unmitigatedly sad. There’s nothing wrong with an author taking a book in an unexpected direction, but in this case the initial comedy becomes burdened with chapter after chapter of relationships gone wrong, families that cannot get along, and differences that love and even the most stubborn will cannot surmount. Rather than following up on the characters introduced in the opening chapters, David spins off from
them to other people in their lives, leaving the reader with insufficient opportunity to come to care about them before they too leave the story. By the three-quarters mark in the book, the individual tales start to blend together, undifferentiated from previous ones by the introduction of substantially new takes on Jewish Indian life.
David’s writing style is delightfully vivid at times, but she seems to grow impatient with her own stories as the book progresses, often relying on quick summaries of what happened rather than actually writing the scenes. She frequently violates the adage writing teachers stress most: “Show, don’t tell.” Examples abound, particularly later in the book. In one well-written scene, a young man, Ben Hur, finds to his surprise that once he wins a full scholarship to a fashion design institute, his father won’t force him to go to engineering college after all. The reader is completely with David as she describes how Ben Hur’s father’s “eyes were wet and his voice choked” (good “showing”), but she immediately loses all the emotional momentum by telling the reader that “Ben Hur was elated that his father had given him permission.” Did Ben Hur jump up? Did his heart pound? Did he throw his arms around his father’s neck and thank him? It’s the writer’s job to imagine a scene into words.
This is nevertheless a very enjoyable book that will probably appeal more to readers who like stories that cut to the chase than to readers who savor language and character development. Though it’s not as well written or edited as it could be, it’s worth reading for the insights David offers into the fascinating culture of Bene Israel.
Corona is a prize winning author and freelance writer based in San Diego. lacauthor@gmail.com Please click the ad above
SAN DIEGO— My husband and I heard the Jerusalem Quartet at Wigmore Hall when we visited London eight years ago. Their youthful exuberance and superb musicianship made an indelible impression on us. Eight years later, that impression was reinforced as I listened on May 2 to their La Jolla Music Society concert in Sherwood Hall. The four Israelis, three Russian-born, on violins and cello, one sabra on viola, played with exciting energy and precision.
Haydn’s Quartet in C Major,"The Bird," took on added dramatic character as the musicians performed with remarkable ensemble, led by first violinist Alexander Pavlovsky. The middle section of the second movement featured the two violins, demonstrating the strong ability of second violinist Sergei Bresler.
The second work on the program, Debussy’s profoundly passionate String Quartet in G Minor with its impressionistic coloring was a tour de force. Violist Amichai Grosz’ solos in the Andantino projected such beauty, they brought tears to this listener’s eyes. The final work on the program, Borodin’s Quartet in D Major, featured lovely solos by cellist Kyril Zlotnikov, playing on Jacqqueline Du Pre’s Sergio Perresson cello, lent to him by Daniel Barenboim. A standing ovation garnered an encore by the Jerusalmites, the slow movement from another Haydn quartet.
The concert was introduced with a prelude lecture by Steven Cassedy, Professor of Literature and Dean of Graduate Studies at UCSD. He gave an excellent overview of the history of the string quartet from Haydn to Debussy.
This classically trained pianist recently presented three programs as part of the SD Jewish Music Festival at the Lawrence Family JCC. The programs featured Jewish
Composers in Popular Song and On Broadway: The Gershwins, Richard Rodgers, and Leonard Bernstein. Songstress Coral MacFarland Thuet, a jazz stylist who teaches at San Diego State University also participated.
We are fortunate to have such capable people as Professor Cassedy within our community. And we are grateful to the La Jolla Music Society for bringing such outstanding artists as the Jerusalem Quartet to our community.
Wingard is a freelance writer based in San Diego. Email: haleenwin@aol.com
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OLDSMAR, Florida —Q: Who is one of only two batters ever to pinch hit for Ted Williams? (The other one was Carroll Hardy.)
(a) Laurel Hardy
(b) Bill Starr
(c) Dolly Stark
(d) Tiby Eisen
Background: This Brooklyn-born, Chicago-raised son of a rabbi caught 13 games for the Washington Senators in 1935-36, then moved to San Diego to play for the minor-league Padres, where he was Williams’ teammate. He retired in 1939 and started a credit-collection company. He bought the Padres in 1944 after the team’s owner died and controlled the Pacific Coast League franchise until 1955.
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History With thanks to Gail Umeham for the transcription
Beth Israel News Southwestern Jewish Press March 6, 1953, page 3
This Friday evening, March 6, members of Temple Teens, the junior youth group of the congregation, will attend worship services in a group for the second time, as part of their program of activities. Following the Social Hour in the Temple Center they will enjoy dancing.
Rabbi Cohn’s sermon, which will be of special interest to the young people and their parents, is entitled “Some Impudent Questions.”
The sermon of Friday evening, March 13th, will be of unusual interest. Rabbi Cohn will preach on “How Superstitious Are You?” Taking his theme from the popular notion that Friday 13th is an unlucky day, Rabbi Cohn will discuss the origin and significance of many superstitions, and their relationship to religion.
Junior Congregation Service—The monthly Junior Congregation Service will be held at Temple Beth Israel this Saturday morning, March 7th, at 11 a.m. The March birthday children will be called to the altar for the Rabbi’s blessing, and the story-sermon will appeal to children and parents alike. This service, as are all others at the Temple, are (sic, is) open to the public.
Mr. and Mrs. Ltd. To Meet—The young couples of Mr. and Mrs. Ltd., of Temple Beth Israel, will meet Friday evening, March 13th, after Temple services, at 2104 Willow Avenue, Point Loma. Mr. and Mrs. Harley Babbitz will be hosts and Rabbi Cohn and Cantor Miller will present a lively program. Members of the group are urged to meet in the Temple Center after worship services and go in a body to the meeting.
J.S.S.A. Elects New Officers Southwestern Jewish Press March 6, 1953, page 3
At the February meeting of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Social Service Agency, the following officers were elected to serve for 1953: Harry Mallen, president; Irving Stone, 1st vice pres.; Dr. Walter Ornstein, 2nd vice pres.; Mrs. Milton Roberts, secretary; and William colt, treasurer.
A cordial invitation is being extended to all our friends of the Jewish community who enjoy and appreciate the finer art of drama, humor, and song. Mr. Israel Welichinsky and his famous group will appear in San Diego Sunday evening, March 8, 8 o’clock at Beth Jacob Center. This group of outstanding artists will present an entirely new program of our great masters. Judging from the response in the sale of tickets, the Planning Committee is expecting a capacity attendance.
We urge everyone who understands Yiddish or Hebrew not to miss this opportunity to spend an enjoyable evening.
Personals Southwestern Jewish Press March 6, 1953, page 4
A round of pre-European parties in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer Rosenbaum and Mrs. And Mrs. William Burnett kept the two couples us busy it was a wonder they found time to pack. Entertaining them at Admiral Kidd were Messrs. And Mesdames Jerome Niederman, Richard Levi, Richard Weinberger, Max Press, Ben Rubin, and Elliot Cushman. Mr. and Mrs. George Burnett honored the two lucky couples at a Bon Voyage dinner party.
The Rosenbaums and Burnetts are leaving New York by plane March 7. They will land in London and from there will travel by
boat and train to Switzerland, Holland, Italy, and France. Their return flight will get them in New York on March 29. They will spend a few days in Plainfield, N.Y. visiting Mort’s parents before returning home.
Mrs. I. S. Gordon reports that her granddaughter, Sandra Jean, 16, is a reporter on her school paper in Washington D.C. She recently met the Indian Ambassador and his wife at an Embassy Reception in her reportorial capacity.
Dr. and Mrs. Seymour Kuntz recently returned from a 5 day stay in Santa Barbara where Dr. Kuntz attended the 48th Annual Convention of the California Optometric Association. Rose enjoyed the authentic Spanish architecture, shops, and food while her husband was busy attending meetings. Dr. Kuntz was honored at a session of the convention as a past president of the local chapter.
The pool of the Lake Elsinore Hotel in Elsinore held the greatest attraction for Dr. and Mrs. Harry Kaufman during their recent visit there.
Mrs. Beatrice Blumer spent a few days in Los Angeles on a most pleasant errand. She went up to meet her day old grandson, Michael Alan Colton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Colton.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Siegel have recently been extended congratulations on their thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Henry Weinberger, Mrs. Martha Hollander, and Mrs. Morley Simon were guests of Mrs. Maxwell Kaufman at a luncheon-bridge held for the S. D. Philharmonic Society at the home of Mrs. Chester Lancrede. Mrs. Lou Lipton (Aurora) wishes to thank her friends for their kindness and consideration during her recent hospitalization. Beryl and Jack Goodman are seeing the sights in the big city of San Francisco.
Planning a three day vacation in Las Vegas starting March 10 are the Jerry Niedermans, Max Presses, Dick Levis, and Elliot Cushmans. Mrs. Niel Himmel, at home, after her recent hospitalization, would like to have her friends call. Mrs. Manny Haffner entertained 30 at a Luncheon-Bridal Shower on March 4th in her home in honor of Ruth Suchman. Miss Suchman and her fiancé, Harry Brussels, are planning an early spring wedding. Cradle—Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Kahn announce the birth of their second child, a daughter, Suzanne, born Feb. 23. The young lady weighed 8 lbs. 7½ oz. and was happily received into the Kahn nursery by 2½ year old brother, David Bruce.Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. David Blackman of Sheboygan, Wis. and Mr. and Mrs. Morris Kahn.
Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Colton (Arline Blumer) of Los Angeles announce the birth of their first child, a son, Michael Alan, born Feb. 21. The young man weighed a husky 6 lbs. 15 oz. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Alvin C. Colton of Los Angeles and Mrs. Beatrice Blumer of San Diego and the late Mr. Morris Blumer of Hartford, Conn.
New owners of a Baby Specialty Shop are the Lewis Samuels and the Jerry Krakoffs. Estelle and Jackie will be glad to see all expectant mothers and those hunting for baby gifts. Engagement— Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weitzen Sr. announce the engagement of their daughter, Nancy Clare, to Jack Lowenbein, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lowenbein. Jack is a graduate of U.C.L.A., and is a lieutenant in the U. S. Naval Reserve.
The young people plan a June wedding for just the immediate family.
“Adventures in Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our indexed "Adventures in San Diego Jewish History" series will be a daily feature until we run out of history.
JERUSALEM—The United States is the most powerful nation in the world. It may be the most powerful in the history of the world, but analyses of power relative to others at their times might find ancient Greece and Rome, and not so ancient Nazi Germany in comparable or stronger positions. Germany's power did not last long, but it was awesome while it was all over Europe, close to Moscow and Cairo.
JERUSALEM—When Binyamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister last time, he lost the confidence of Israelis because of his economic policies. The election that followed reduced his Knesset contingent to no more than a dozen seats. This time, we were promised, he’d deal more prudently. After only a few weeks in office, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
HERZLIYA, Israel--Nothing is funnier than when someone wants to avoid an obvious conclusion. Nothing is sadder than people being borne away on waves of wishful thinking.
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)—Roy Parker, educational consultant, headmaster, and author spent two days at Hebrew Day meeting with students, teachers, parents, and administrators to focus on Hebrew Day as "A Place to Belong."
SAN DIEGO—On Shabbat it is customary to say motzi over two challot. Several reasons have been given for this practice. Some say it is in remembrance of the double portion of manna that God gave the Israelites every Friday so that they would not have to gather food on Shabbat. Others suggest that each challah corresponds to one of the two verbs used to describe our obligations toward Shabbat in the Ten Commandments as found in their two different iterations in the Torah. In Exodus 20:8 the Torah says "Remember (zachor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy and in Deuteronomy 5:13 we read: "Observe (shamor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy." 
SAN DIEGO--In the first chapter of her novel The Shalom India Housing Society, Esther David follows the Prophet Elijah on the first night of Pesach as he makes his rounds of the households in the eponymously-named Jewish apartment building in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. 
SAN DIEGO— My husband and I heard the Jerusalem Quartet at Wigmore Hall when we visited London eight years ago. Their youthful exuberance and superb musicianship made an indelible impression on us. Eight years later, that impression was reinforced as I listened on May 2 to their La Jolla Music Society concert in Sherwood Hall. The four Israelis, three Russian-born, on violins and cello, one sabra on viola, played with exciting energy and precision. 
OLDSMAR, Florida —Q: Who is one of only two batters ever to pinch hit for Ted Williams? (The other one was Carroll Hardy.)