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CYBER REFERRALS—The American Jewish Committee website extolled a piece in yesterday's Wall Street Journal by Lucette Lagnado describing her return to the Cairo in which she had once lived until Gamel Abdel Nasser made it clear in the 1950s that Jews and Europeans were not welcome in Egypt. ... For those of you who have visited the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum and are hungering for more exposure to this great religious and archaeological find, visit the website of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, which has photographed and allows you to see all 54 columns of the Great Isaiah Scroll. Here is a link... Janet Tiger is distressed that popular theatre critic Pat Launer will no longer be featured on KPBS radio. The background of this development is on Launer's personal website.

GROWING, THANKS TO YOU—The chart below by Webalizer provides summaries of the daily averages and monthly totals for San Diego Jewish World for the two months since our online publication was transformed from jewishsightseeing.com to a site that includes both daily news and archival material on Jewish places to visit. The daily number of visitors has increased from 2,308 to 2,898, an increase of more than 500 visits per day. Therefore we had 86,952 visitors in June (which has only 30 days) compared to 71,566 visitors in May (which has 31). The number of pages visited are just about double the number of visitors, meaning that a typical visitor came in on one page, usually our home page, and left the site on another. The number of sites which connected to our site declined from 25,605 to 23,615, a disappointment for which we have no explanation. We can speculate that people who used search engines like "Google" to find specific topics may have found more of what they were looking for in May on our site than they did in June. Regardless, it appears that we have developed a core constituency of over 20,000 readers. We will work hard to earn your loyalty and to build upon your readership. Thank you for your support.


Summary by Month

Month	Daily Avg	Monthly Totals
Hits	Files	Pages	Visits	Sites	KBytes	Visits	Pages	Files	Hits

Jun 2007	12654	8368	5562	2898	23615	21458182	86952	166889	251044	379621
May 2007	11898	8234	4457	2308	25605	21268566	71566	138168	255265	368855

IN MEMORY—Frieda Goldberg, 85, of Rancho Bernardo, died Tuesday, July 26. Among her survivors is her son, Jack Goldberg, of Rancho Penasquitos.

Monday, July 2

BODY WORLDS—Michelle K. Gross is a member of Chabad of University City who feels so strongly about the "Body Worlds" exhibit at the University Towne Center that she plans to regularly picket on noon Sundays to protest the desecration of human remains. Anyone who would care to join her may contact via her email

DEAD SEA SCROLLS—The San Diego Museum of Natural History is seeking volunteers for the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. If you are interested contact Lisa Calhoun at (619) 255-0162. ... LEAD San Diego has arranged a breakfast and private showing of the scrolls for members and guests from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 12. Package tickets are $40 for LEAD members, $50 for guests. For information, the phone number is (619) 280-5323.

EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE—Jenn Lindsay is working as a Development Associate at Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in Manhattan. When in San Diego, she attends Tifereth Israel in East County. Her primary "extracurricular activity" in New York is being a singer/songwriter, and she has released seven albums to date on her own record label. She is currently working on her eighth studio album, "A For Effort." More info at www.JennLindsay.com.

Tuesday, July 3

BOOKS—Diana Lindsay, owner of Sunbelt Publications, says workers straightening its warehouse found a misplaced copy of Norton B. Stern's 1973 book, Baja California Jewish Refuge and Homeland published by Dawson's Bookshop in Los Angeles. Yup, they'll sell it, at its $30 retail price.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs distributed a link to the episode on Al-Aqsa Television, operated by Hamas, in which the Mickey Mouse-like character Farfur is beaten to death by an Israeli. The Foreign Ministry made this comment: "In this episode, Farfur is beaten to death by an Israeli, becoming a shahid, or martyr for Allah, further nurturing the cult of martyrdom which has inspired Palestinian children to take an increasingly active role in the violence."

DEAD SEA SCROLLS—Burl Stiff, writing about the glitzy party preceding the opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, said that in addition to people like sponsors Joan & Irwin Jacobs, the party featured camels outside the San Diego Natural History Museum and a belly dancer within. His account is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. .. Delle Willett, the museum's marketing director, confides that on opening day, June 29, the morning that she arrived, she found the museum entrance blocked by yellow warning tape. It turned out there was a nest of angry bees that might have posed a hazard to visitors. Although bees might help provide the ambience of a "land of milk and honey," it seemed better to move the nest to an orchard in the back country.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS—A dispute may be settled between District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and the North County Times over her barring one of that newspaper's reporters from a news conference last month, but the local journalism community still is buzzing with indignation about it, notwithstanding an acknowledgment by Dumanis that it was a mistake. Jack Reber, who edits the daily newsletter for the "919 Gang" comprised of former Union-Tribune journalists, commented: "We're all in trouble if public officials get to decide who attends their press conferences." ... A story by Michael Kinsman about the death of former San Diego Police Office Allen D. Brown in today's San Diego Union-Tribune notes that he was the training officer for then rookie cop, now Sheriff Bill Kolender. In a tribute to Brown, Kolender said: "He just had a way of teaching young men and women how to care about their jobs, care about the people they dealt with and how to do their jobs professionally." ..

Wednesday, July 4

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION—There's a DVD out which will stimulate your Jewish pride, Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. It is based on the true story of Erin Gruwell, a teacher who came to an inner city school in Long Beach and found students from African-American, Latino and Cambodian backgrounds in gang wars with each other. She told them that race hatred can lead to occurrences like the Holocaust, took them to the Museum of Tolerance, had them read the Diary of Anne Frank, and then started them writing journals about their own lives. The results were transformative. One of the minor figures in the movie, played by an actor, is Carl Cohn, who is today school superintendent for the San Diego Unified School District. ... San Diego State University Prof. Lawrence Baron has been invited to Northern Arizona University to lead a workshop on how to teach the Holocaust and Genocide through film.

Thursday, July 5

ISRAEL AND SAN DIEGO—A letter favorable to Israel in its dispute with the Palestinians was printed in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. It was written by Joyce Tavrow... Loren Brent is one of the San Diegans who will be heading to Israel this summer on the "Operation Birthright" program, which provides a free first trip to Israel to Jewish youngsters of college age. If you, or someone in your family are of the right age, and have never been to Israel before, this is the way to see it. To learn more, contact the Israel Center at the United Jewish Federation, (858) 571-3444. ... Six-year-old Shor Masori (along with his brother Sky and mother Sandi) is visiting father Shahar's family in Givat Olga, near Hadera. Asked by his maternal grandfather, Don Harrison, whether he is having a good time, Shor responded over the telephone: "Yes, they're spoiling me!"

TOURISM VIDEO—Israel's Consulate-General in Los Angeles forwarded the video on the left, which provides a very secular look at Israel. Another video promoting Tel Aviv takes a similar tack.

Friday, July 6

CYBER-REFERRALS—Howard Feldman sends us a "Jewlarious" video about what would happen if the boycotters decided to not use any products invented or developed by Israelis or Jews. Here's the link ... Bruce Lowitt spotted a June 30 story by Sarah Rothwell in the Tampa Tribune about a couple who raised their children in a Reform Jewish congregation, while the mother continued to pray at her Catholic church. It worked out better than you might expect. Here is a link. ... Hillel Mazansky has found a fantasy piece about how the communications revolution all began back in the days of Abraham. Here's the link.

(Left-right);Ernest Schoen,Stuart Simmons, Lesley Mills, Amy Corton; Senior Rabbi Michael Berk with Cantor Arlene Bernstein and Rabbi Glenn Ettman, and Glickman-Galinson Sanctuary (Mike Muckley photo)

CONGREGATIONAL CURRENTS—Ernest Schoen is about to turn 100, and Congregation Beth Israel is planning a celebration for its oldest congregant. He'll be called to the bimah on August 3rd. A profile in Tidings, the congregational newsletter, said he fled Nazi-occupied Vienna, eventually had to flee Prague for the same reason; emigrated to Malaysia, and eventually got to San Francisco where, as a musician, he played for the San Francisco Opera before enlisting in the U.S. Army. Assigned to the U.S. Army Band, he performed for Eleanor Roosevelt, singing one song in German, then apologizing for it afterwards. She assured him: "We're not fighting the German language, just the Nazis." His post war career was as a club and movie musician in Los Angeles and New York. He retired to San Diego... Stuart Simmons has become the executive director emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel, leaving very big shoes to fill. Lesley Mills became acting executive director on July 1, expanding on duties she already had undertaken since July 2006 as development director....The new Beth Israel board president, Amy Corton, defines her top priorities this way: "First and foremost, w must build and retain our membership by creating a warm, welcoming an caring congregation. We must foster community and connectedness to Judiasm and to each other. We must ensure financial stability. Our financial future depends on having more members. Fulfilled members are more likely to contribute to the synagogue..." Madame President and the congregation's new spiritual leader, Rabbi Michael Berk, appear to see eye to eye on this: He wrote in his inaugural column: "...when you come to CBI, you will be warmly welcomed. When you come to learn, our learning will be engaging and relevant. When you come to celebrate, our celebrations will be joyous and moving. when we worship together, our prayers will be lively and inspirational..."

Temple Solel marker, entrance, garden, sanctuary and Torahs

Temple Solel has a committee designed to reach out to fellow members in times of need. Called Hineynu, it has various task forces "such as transportation, emergency meals, well wishes, bereavement services and now, our new area, aging," according to an article in Pathfinder, the congregational newsletter. "Each month a different person takes a turn as Care Coordinator. They are the ones who are first contacted by the office as soon as a need is known. They then request services from the appropriate task force." Among the members credited with beginning the organization were Sheryl Baron, Carolyn Berlin and Linda Hutkin-Slade. Others who have been or are active include Pam Beimel, Lorna Lavine, Debbie Rolls, Ellen Gabor, Connie Robin, Ellen Cypers, Ina Rubenstein, Jayne Marx, and Eileen Ferber. The Reform congregation also has an active Social Action Committee involved in multiple activities. Some examples: It staged a Mitzvah Day April 22 which drew 100 congregants to do good deeds in the community. It collected $400 for the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life in honor of Earth Day. It wrote letters to various authorities urging relief for the refugees in Darfur, action to mitigate global warming, programs to care for uninsured children. Members cleared non-native plants from the Batiquitos Lagoon. Nearly 150 care packages were sent to troops in Irawq. Twelve members worked with Habitat for Humanity t build homes in hte Escondido area. Musical performances featuring Cantor Cathy Robbins, youth choir director Judy Grant and the youth choir entertained the residents of Seacrest Village at both the Encinitas and Rancho Bernardo facilities.

DEAD SEA SCROLLS—The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Monday night lecture series conducted by the San Diego Natural History Museum on different aspects of the Dead Sea Scrolls is selling out fast. Some of the lectures, in fact, already are subscribed to the limit.

LIBBY REACTION—We previously ran statements from various Jewish U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives in reaction to President George W. Bush's commutation of the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Here's one we missed, issued July 3, by U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Republican, Minnesota): "Scooter Libby was found to have lied and misled investigators. The President's action does not-nor should it-excuse those actions. As a former prosecutor, I believe the punishment should fit the crime. Personally, I believe that the punishment for this albeit serious crime was overly punitive and that commuting Libby's sentence was the fair thing to do. These are highly partisan times, and the President's actions will be seen in that context and we need to move beyond that. Given the President's decision on commuting Mr. Libby's prison sentence, but not his fines or his conviction, I urge there be no further consideration or discussion of a presidential pardon."

Sunday, July 8

CULTURAL ICONS—What would summer entertainment be without some of the great Jewish names in theatre? For example, the Christian (yes, you read that right) Community Theatre offers Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography of Jerome Robbins, July 12-28 at the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon. Moonlight Stage Productions will also stage that classic August 15-26 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. ...Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma will be staged July 20-22, 26-29 by the American Rose Theatre at the Kit Carson Park Amphitheatre, behind the North County Faire in Escondido. Same venue, same composers, but on Aug. 10-Sept. 2 the production will be The King and I staged by the Patio Playhouse Community Theatre. ... Marvin Hamlisch conducts the San Diego Symphony's Summer Pops in some of his favorite movie music, including The Wizard of Oz and the Way We Were, July 27-28.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Hillel Mazansky found this video of Andre Rieu playing violin and conducting Hava Nagila as perhaps no one has heard it before:

DEAD SEA SCROLLS—With an art lover's discerning eye, critic Robert L. Pincus of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses in a column today the wisdom of the San Diego Natural History Museum in augmenting the Dead Sea Scrolls, which for all their importance "offer little in the way of visual drama." ... Arthur Salm, the Union-Tribune's book critic, found a nice linkage between the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition and Woody Allen's new book, The Insanity Defense: Collected Prose. Salm noted in his review that one of Allen's essays imagines a suspicious set of scrolls being discovered near the Gulf of Aqaba.

Monday, July 9
CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler recommends a column in Sunday's Ha'aretz by Shlomo Aveneri that post-Zionism equals anti-Zionism.... Hillel Mazansky found a documentary film on the Steven Spielberg Film Archive at Hebrew University. It takes some time and patience to watch, as it needs to be continuously reactivated, but it documents life in the Galut, the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, and great moments in Israel history all in one piece.

Tuesday, July 10

Wednesday, July 11

AROUND THE TOWN—Dr. Joel Moskowitz recently was cutting up with a cut out, and sent us a photo of himself with a life-sized poster of Hillary Clinton. We're glad he had a good time.

CYBER-REFERRALS—On the anniversary of Israel's Second Lebanon War, Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has released on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website a 30-point discussion of the war's causes, conduct and effects. Here is the link.

IN MEMORY—Marcus Mintz, 72, of Encinitas, whose career had been in the meat industry, has died. A brief obituary is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

Thursday, July 12

Spring Valley volunteers Rina and Semyon
Mogilevsky help out the IDF

ISRAEL-SAN DIEGO COUNTY CONNECTIONS—Semyon and Rina Mogilevsky of Spring Valley recently returned from Israel where they volunteered at an IDF base near Tel Aviv. Mogilevsky said he and his wife were assigned to separate barracks by gender. "Toilets and showers were in the building close by; in that respect, staying in the Super 6 Motel would be considered as a luxury." There were compensating advantages, however, including "close proximity of friendly people." The Mogilveskys and other volunteers wore the same uniform as other soldiers, "we ate the same food and we were assigned to a regular type of work. From eight to four we worked in a warehouse stuffing field bags for military medics." Also, at least once per week, "we served in the kitchen doing dishes, sweeping floors, cleaning tables and preparing the dining room for the invasion of hungry soldiers." The dozen volunteers, who came not only from the U.S. but from Holland, Sweden, Belgium and New Zealand, freed regular soldiers for other duties. "We are very satisfied with our modest contribution to the life of the country which by its very existence means so much for many of us."

Friday, July 13

AROUND THE TOWN—Talk about your busy households. Three days ago Dr. Karl Jacobs swam the Catalina Channel in about 10 hours, becoming the 134th recorded swimmer to do so. Today, he and his family began moving to a new home in the University City area. And in three months, he and Audrey Jacobs are expecting their third son. To top it off, Audrey is the admissions director for the Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School.

Saturday, July 14

SUNROAD—Aaron Feldman, owner of Sunroad Enterprises, is the subject of a pair of negative commentary in today's letter section of the San Diego Union-Tribune. But in the same column the architecture of the top two stories that have been ordered torn down from his building near Montgomery Field have received praise.

Sunday, July 15

LETTERS FORUM—Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's thoughts on Iraq and Pope Benedict XVI's decision concerning the use again of the Latin Mass (causing concern among Jewish groups about what is said about conversion of the Jews) are the subjects of letters in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

Monday, July 16

CYBER REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler spotted the recent story on Israel's Y-Net News about the New Orleans Jewish community offering financial incentives to Jews who are willing to settle in the Crescent City, which had lost a large percentage of its Jewish population after Hurricane Katrina.

Tuesday, July 17

AROUND THE TOWN—Leon Natker, general director of the Lyric Opera San Diego, gets out of the office and onto the stage as Don Quixote in the upcoming production of Man of La Mancha, which will open the season Sept. 28 at the Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre.

BELL RINGERS—In Diane Bell's column this morning in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Natasha Josefowitz, whose "Doing It Better" column is carried by San Diego Jewish World is quoted as remembering that when she was among the first five women inducted 20 years ago by the San Diego Rotary Club "I was a spring chicken...now I am an old hen." And la belle Bell had another item of interest to our community in the same column. County Tax Assessor/Recorder/ Clerk Greg Smith happened to see Curtis Cornell, an assessment clerk, waiting to be married at the clerk's office. Smith performed the ceremony.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler liked the review by Kelly Vance in the East Bay Express of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival program, "Jewish Boxers: Shtarkers and the Sweet Science." Here's the link. ... Hillel Mazansky forwards to us for your enjoyment a power point presentation on the three religions of Jerusalem: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARIES—The European Jewish Congress writes summaries of the stories appearing in Israel's Hebrew language dailies, which we will pass on in this column. On Monday, it carried entertaining accounts of Shimon Peres' inauguration, the discussions between Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, and a report by France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, quoting Hizbollah sources, that kidnapped Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, are alive. ... Today, its stories focused on President Bush's Middle East speech on Monday, and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting in Jerusalem with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Wednesday, July 18

CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler is enamored of a new site called "Media Myth Busters" which focuses on stories that the American media has gotten wrong, several about Israel among them. Here's the link.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress focused in its summary of Hebrew-language newspapers' main stories today on the debate in Israel's High Court over whether the plea bargain of Israel's former President Moshe Katsav was fair, given the fact that defendants charged with lesser offenses have received harsher sentences. Another story receiving attention was criticism of Israel's home front performance in the Second Lebanon War.

Thursday, July 19

BELL-RINGERS—San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Diane Bell tells the story of an unusual would-be visitor to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. His name: "Theodore." He is a little brown mouse kept as a pet by gray-haired lady who wanted him to accompany her. Both were sent home. .. The columnist also reported that composer Burt Bacharach was among the opening day crowd at the Del Mar Race Track.

POLITICAL SCENE—Recently the National Jewish Democratic Council chapter in New York City produced a light-hearted video saluting the eight Democratic Jewish women who are members of the House of Representatives, calling them the "Dazzling Democratic Dames." The executive producer of the video was Marcia Sudolsky, formerly of San Diego. The honorees in alphabetical order are: Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Susan Davis of California, Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, Jane Harman of California, Nita Lowey of New York, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress, in its summary of Wednesday's news coverage in Hebrew language newspapers, focused on a report by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss concerning lack of preparedness on the home front during the Second Lebanon War. Lindenstrauss specifically blamed Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and IDF Generals Dan Halutz and Yitazhak Gershon. Here is a link.

Friday, July 20

AROUND THE TOWN—San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender has lauded as a "true hero" Sheriff's Sergeant Conrad Grayson who has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Grayson heads the bomb/ arson squad and has spent three decades disarming volatile devices.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Deena Feinman of the San Diego regional Hadassah office noted the story in Thursday's Boston Globe about Hadassah's new national president, Nancy Falchuk. Here is a link. ... Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles passes along a story by Yitzhak Benhorin of Y-Net News quoting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as saying that if Iran is allowed to obtain the nuclear bomb, it could lead to a second genocide for the Jewish people...The Republican Jewish Coalition recommends a story by Jennifer Rubin in the July 18 edition, updated July 20, of The Politico in which she weighs the anti-Israel sentiment of a small group of leftwing Democratic members of Congress. Among those she questions is Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) who, though Jewish himself, voted "present" rather than in support of a 2002 resolution supporting Israel's efforts to defend itself against terrorism. Sanders at the time was a member of the House of Representatives.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress, in its daily summary of stories in Israel's Hebrew language press, focused Thursday on developments leading up today to the release of Palestinian prisoners who signed an oath not to take up arms against Israel. An effort was unsuccessful by protesters to get the Israeli courts to block the release.

JEWISH STUDIES— Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraum of the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs (AJOP) forwards to us two free downloads to pass on to Jewish educators and those interested in learning more about Tisha B'Av. The first is a 26-point discussion of Tisha B'Av, and the second, a 3-page teacher's guide.

Saturday, July 21

BELL RINGER—Diane Bell of the San Diego Union-Tribune says in her column today that taxpayers who saw District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis riding in a limousine can relax; it wasn't at public expense. She hired the limo as a birthday present for her mother, Ann Dumanis, who thought it might be fun to ride in one on a happy occasion. Along with the DA's father, Abe Dumanis, the celebrants spent some time at the Viejas casino.

TONY GWYNN SALUTE—Sportscaster Ted Leitner emceed the moving ceremony this evening dedicating a statue to "Mr Padre," Tony Gwynn, in Petco Park's "park in the park." He summarized the way many fans felt who watched Gwynn play 20 seasons for the San Diego Padres: "He played baseball the way baseball is to be played." Proving that the Gwynn family is multi-talented, his daughter Anisha led the baseball crowd in singing "The Star Spangled Banner." Next week there will be another honor for #19: he'll be inducted into to the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Never one to rest on his laurels, Gwynn, who also is the coach of the San Diego Aztec baseball team, went right to work in the broadcast booth announcing the Padres game tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles forwarded this video about the situation in Sderot, across the border from Gaza.

DATEBOOK—Here are some upcoming events, which we will also store in our event-tracker for your future reference.

Sunday, July 29—Margie Burton, Ph.D. research director of the San Diego Archaeological Center, will lecture at 3 p.m. at the Museum of Man on what is known about the collapse of Middle Eastern civilizations at the beginning of the 4th millennium BCE. The lecture amplifies on the "Journey to the Copper Age: Archaeology in the Holy Land" exhibit now at the museum. ...

September 25-30—A new version of Camelot adapted by Allan Jay Lerner's son and daughter, Michael and Liza, will be performed at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Ticket sales begin Friday, July 27 ...

November 1-10—The 13th annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair will be staged at the Lawrence Family JCC, Jacobs Family Campus. Among the speakers this year: Tony Award winning playwright Tony Kushner, comedian David Steinberg, economist Todd Bucholz, Israeli novelist David Grossman and former Ambassador Dennis Ross.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress, in its daily summary of major stories in Hebrew-language Israeli papers, said Sunday's coverage focused on today's expected arrival in the region of Tony Blair amid speculation that he might attempt to expand his mandate from building up Palestinian institutions to jump-starting peace discussions. Israeli officials are quoted as saying they want to deal with the Palestinians directly on the larger issues. Another story receiving wide play was a statement by Hezbollah's leadership that they now possess missiles capable of hitting any target in Israel.

BELL-RINGER—San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Diane Bell reports that Fred Lewis, who has been ailing with prostate cancer, interviewed 653 San Diegans for his "Heart of San Diego Show." For his 654th and final show, he and his wife Jenny talked about their lives in San Diego. The show will be aired at 5 p.m. August 12, on ITV Cable.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Jay Jacobson passes along an article by Richard Baehr in American Thinker explaining the difference between liberals and leftists and why the latter hate Israel. He also sent an analysis by HonestReporting of the anti-Israel bias of the BBC based on a six month study.

IN MEMORY—Some members of the Jewish community whose obituaries appear in the news and paid columns of today's San Diego Union-Tribune include Rose Schneider, 83, of Encinitas, who died July 22; Sylvia Rose "Rosie" Blackman, 82, of Murrieta, who died July 21, and Dwain Stanley Cantor, 82, of San Diego, who died July 9. The listing for Kantor said that he had served as an Army Air Force gunner during World War II and was shot down over Germany about two months before the end of the war. He was a POW until April 29 when he was liberated. A former student president at San Diego State University, he played piano in a swing band, developed a successful commercial real estate business focusing on properties in the Hillcrest area of San Diego, and in 1954 became president of the SDSU Alumni Association. Kantor also taught real estate classes at UCSD.

ISRAEL NEWS SUMMARY—The European Jewish Congress, in its summary of the news appearing in Hebrew-language newspapers, reported that they emphasized the possibility of a general public sector strike following the breakdown of discussions between Histadrut Chairman Ofer Eini and Finance Minister Roni Bar-On. Eini complained that Bar-On's latest offer for a wage increase amounted to not much more than buying every worker "two felafels." Other stories focused on confirmation by Israel that Hezbollah in Lebanon has restored its missile arsenal, as well as reports about Quartet Envoy Tony Blair's first day in the region on Monday...

Wednesday, July 25

COMMUNITY INTEREST NEWS—Not all stories affecting the Jewish community involve Jews as direct participants, so they really don't quite fit the requirements for the "Jews in the News" column above. Yet, there obviously is a community interest in such stories, so we will endeavor to provide links to them in this space:

●Jordan's King Abdullah II and U.S. President George W. Bush had a private, informal meeting at the White House at which they discussed the situation in the Middle East. Except to pose briefly for photographs upon Abdullah's arrival, neither had an immediate comment about their discussions. A brief Associated Press story is in the World Roundup column of today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Ward Churchill has been fired as a professor at University of Colorado, but the reason why is in issue. Churchill's attorney says it is in retribution for a controversial remark he made about 9/11—in which he compared the United States to Nazi Germany, and the occupants of the World Trade Center to Adolf Eichmann. A university spokesperson, on the other hand, said an analysis of his academic scholarship found it sub-par. The Associated Press story was in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●A Pew Global Survey finds a precipitous drop in the number of Muslims who approve of suicide bombings from 74 percent in 2002 to 34 percent this year. UC Irvine Professor Mike Davis suggested that attitudes changed when Muslims started using the tactic on each other, and not only against Israel and the United States. The MCT News Service story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Paula Zahn is being replaced by Campbell Brown at Cable News Network (CNN). The story is in the Public Eye column of today's San Diego Union-Tribune. FYI, Zahn is not Jewish, however she may be considered a member of the Jewish community as her husband Richard Cohen is Jewish and they are raising their children as Jews.

Thursday, July 26
IN MEMORY— Jane E. Young, 85, a journalist from Cleveland, died July 22 in the San Diego area. The San Diego Union-Tribune carried a brief obituary.

BUSINESS BRIEFS—Stan Tiger, a member of the San Diego area's Jewish American Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed publicist for concert musician, Dr. Carol Williams. Getting right into his job, he reports that Williams "has performed all over the world and was the featured soloist for the inaugural concerts at the new Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, China, where she played with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed for and met Princess Diana at London’s Royal Academy of Music. San Diegans know her best as the Artistic Director of the International Summer Organ Festival at Balboa Park and the San Diego Civic Organist. She will be heard with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra playing the theme from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and John Williams’ theme from Star Wars on August 19 at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. On August 27, same location, she will be playing with vocalists for "Broadway, the British Invasion", to include selections from Oliver, Tommy, Les Miserables and the organ solo from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats."

COMMUNITY INTEREST NEWS—Not all stories affecting the Jewish community and/or Israel involve Jews as direct participants, so they really don't quite fit the requirements for the "Jews in the News" column above. Yet, there obviously is a community interest in such stories, so we will endeavor to provide links to them in this space:

●Rival Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are continuing their debate over whether a president should sit down to negotiate with such nations as Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. The debate began during this week's YouTube debate when Obama, in response to a question, said he would sit down to discuss world problems with the leaders of such states, and Clinton saying that to prevent such meetings from turning into "propaganda" for the other side, they need to be carefully prepared first. The New York Daily News story was carried in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Mohammed Dahlan has resigned as security chief to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, citing the fact that he has been out of the country and has health concerns. But some Palestinians see it as acceptance of responsibility for the PA's defeat in Gaza by Hamas. The New York Times News Service story by Isabel Kershner is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Syria and Jordan, saying some 2 million Iraqi refugees have come their way since the start of the Iraq War, say the United States and other nations must step forward to help them bear the expense. The Associated Press story by Dale Gavlak is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Erica Bouris, program director for SDSU's College of Extended Studies, has an essay reflecting the Lebanese viewpoint on the Bush Administration's current Mideast peace initiative. Referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's quote about the "birth" of a new Middle East, Bouris's column is ladened with metaphors to the birthing process.

CYBER-REFERRALS—San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Carl Cohn has decided that Muslim students can pray during lunch break, rather than having class time off. A story by Helen Gao is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. Meanwhile, Jay Jacobson forwards a commentary by M. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim, on increasing demands by Islamic groups for religious accommodation in the public sphere, including at the Carver Elementary School within the San Diego Unified School District. Here is a link.

DEAD SEA SCROLLS—More than 2,100 visitors a day on the average have visited the Dead Sea Scrolls since the exhibit opened June 29 at the San Diego Natural History Musem. Sandi Dolbee has the story in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates depart on a joint mission to Saudi Arabia to discuss not only Iraq but also a proposed sale of advanced American weapons to Saudi Arabia. Friends of Israel are working in Congress to block the deal. The story by Anne Gearan of the Associated Press is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Moving to further consolidate its hold over Gaza, Hamas announced it would pay the salaries of civil servants who stay on their jobs, even those who were affiliated with Fatah. The story by Ibrahim Barzak of the Associated Press is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Lebanese troops were poised for the "final assault" on the Nahr el-Bared camp in northern Lebanon, where Islamic militants have holed up among Palestinian refugees. The Associated Press story by Hussein Dakroub is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.

●Robert J. Caldwell, editorial writer of the San Diego Union-Tribune, writes in a column that Iran and Syria are fighting a proxy war against the United States in Iraq, convinced deaths of Iraqis and Americans are in their long term interest. The idea that either could become U.S. partners in stabilizing Iraq is fanciful, he werites.

CYBER-REFERRALS—Bruce Kesler passes on a review by Asaf Romirowsky of Shmuel Bar's book Warrant for Terror: The Fatwas of Radical Islam, and the Duty of Jihad. The review was carried on the website of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.