Donald H Harrison
Israel and U.S. share Hanukkah stamp design
By now, many people have noticed that on sale at the U.S. Post Office is this year’s Hanukkah stamp, which features a papercut version of the 9-branched menorah (one arm being the shamash) set...
Redefining who can become a Jew
Author Robert Mnookin, a Harvard Law professor, argues that Jewish peoplehood should have permeable boundaries. One should be able to escape Jewish identity, if one so wishes, or conversely be admitted within the Jewish...
Adventures of an Orthodox Jewish bond trader
AT SEA, Aboard MS Maasdam – One of the unscheduled benefits of a cruise, particularly a long one such as the 39-day voyage that Nancy and I enjoyed between Sydney, Australia, and San Diego, U.S.A., is...
Jews of the U.S. military honored at Veterans Museum
SAN DIEGO – A famous U.S. Navy admiral, two U.S. Air Force officers, and a U.S. Army major currently are being saluted in a display sponsored by the Jewish War Veterans of San Diego...
Races for Congress highlight S.D. election results
Even before San Diego’s polls closed, the national news media was reporting that Democrats had captured the House of Representatives, while Republicans had retained the U.S. Senate.
The Democrats needed a net gain of 23...
‘BeteBrune’ novel filled with hateful stereotypes
This was a truly difficult book to read. Not stylistically; the author has a clear and concise style. The book’s content was severely off-putting, so filled is this novel with hate, stereotyping, and prejudice...
Delight your child, and self, with this baby book
Is there a word in Yiddish for smorgasbord? If there were, it might be perfect to describe the contents of this charming “first Jewish baby book” that will be so fun for parents and...
Friendship between Basques and Jews fuels novel
While the Basque people of Vitoria, Spain, were Christians, like the Jews, they were outsiders, not quite like the other Christians of Castile or other parts of newly united Spain. So, when King Ferdinand...
The Magic Realism of Paul Bond
Sometimes artists derive joy from hearing what you think their paintings are about versus what message they actually intended to impart. Paul Bond is one of those artists. I told him that while looking...
Beyond the Age of Reason: Art to inspire, raise questions, and perhaps anger
The contemporary art exhibit, “Beyond the Age of Reason,” curated by Larry and Debby Kline, is nearing the end of its run at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park. If you want...