The Danger of a Prisoner Swap
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I attended a service at Temple Emanu-El a few weeks ago and Gilad Shalit was one of the guests of the Bat Mizvah and the congregation. At least in spirit. Up front to the...
View ArticlePositive campaign might have put Wayne on S.D. City Council
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — There is a cardinal rule in campaigning: don’t attack your opponent in a multi-candidate field. For example, if you attack one of your opponents in a three- candidate field,...
View ArticleCongresswoman Davis reflects on the attempted assassination of her friend and...
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — My friend Tyree, posted the following on her Facebook page: “Can’t stop thinking about Giffords’ staffer who was killed or the other two injured. That could have been me… or...
View ArticleLessons to be drawn from the murderous Tucson rampage
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — While Congresswoman Giffords continues to recover in the ICU at University Medical Center in Tucson and congressional staffers honor the slain and the survivors with a moment...
View ArticleFor Dor Hadash, a new ritual— the blessing of the animals
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Americans are animal lovers. Bo, the First Pooch, has his own Facebook page. (Yes, I did “like” Bo on my Facebook page.) Besides watching for Governor Brown to announce a...
View ArticleObama speech may have advanced Mideast peace; Dennis Ross can help
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — President Obama’s speech is the most recent in a series of events that change the landscape of the Middle East. The Arab Spring, the killing of Osama bin Laden and the accord...
View ArticleWhither needy seniors goest in East County, so goeth Ruth
By Gary Rotto LA MESA, California — Providing health care is more than delivering professional services. I remember during high school that many of my friends were candy stripers, helping out with a...
View ArticleCitizens redistricting commission sets the tune for musical chairs
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Imagine not only Hanukah and Christmas occurring on the same day, but also the NFL Draft Day and even the release of the FIFA Men’s World Cup draw all coinciding. For...
View ArticleA ‘Jewish State Senate district’ in San Diego County?
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I have my “own” State Senate District. No, I’m not planning to run anytime soon for the State Senate (or Assembly or Congress). But Paul Mitchell and his folks at...
View ArticleTisha B’Av — a holiday for victims, not for modern Jews
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — In years past, I’ve rejected the commemoration of Tisha B’av. Over time, the legend of what an awful day this is for the Jewish people has growth. It’s become the Friday the...
View ArticleCamp Mountain Chai: A fast raft ride to strengthened Jewish identity
By Gary Rotto Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I really miss my daughter. She comes home today from her first overnight camp experience – with Camp Mountain Chai. I have to admit, I didn’t go to overnight camp...
View ArticleRedistricting creates some comfortable districts for local Jewish incumbents
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — The dust has finally settled and the California Citizens Redistricting Commission has concluded its work. The final maps for Congress, the Board of Equalization, State Senate,...
View ArticleSan Diego Jewish community turned out for the Padres
By Gary Rotto Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Baseball and kosher hot dogs. A new summer time tradition is reprised by the Jewish Federation and the Padres. On a recent homestand, our local nine hosted a...
View ArticleTrevor Hoffman, a great reliever… and mensch
By Gary Rotto Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — If you even casually follow sports in San Diego, you know the name Trevor Hoffman. Along with Tony Gwynn, Trevor has been one of the faces of the San Diego Padres....
View ArticleFinding a Shabbat service in the great ‘out there’
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Summer vacations. I remember road trips as a kid with my folks, driving south from New Jersey to Gettysburg, Williamsburg and Fredericksburg. And another time, we drove...
View ArticleRabbi recalls her 9/11 terror
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO – Ten years ago and 2,800 miles away, Rabbi Yael Ridberg emerged from a doctor’s office on East 33rd Street in Manhattan. She peered downtown and could see smoke billowing into...
View ArticleSan Diego Jewish community gathers in honor of freed captive Gilad Shalit
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — What price is a life? That is the question that is being pondered around the world after the swap of Israeli soldier Gilat Shalit for over one thousand Palestinian prisoners....
View ArticleRon Paul victory in Iowa could imperil aid to Israel
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I contacted a friend recently who at one time served on the staff of the Republican Jewish Coalition and is still very involved in the Republican Party to discuss the...
View ArticleFilner’s ‘Freedom Rides’ a family response to seeing Nazi concentration camps
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO –The celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has become a national day of service in many communities. For Congregation Dor Hadash, a very activist congregation,...
View ArticleIntern who saved Giffords’ life sought her out because she’s pro-Israel
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — You know how we hear about social media surveys in Twitter or Facebook? How the media measures “what’s trending now” about a person or a political event? Well, Daniel...
View ArticleA 20:20 view of Toronto’s kosher treats
By Gary Rotto TORONTO, Canada –It was 20:00 and I was waiting at a restaurant for a chicken shishkebab. Make that a kosher shishkebab. Clearly I was not in San Diego County because other than when I...
View ArticleMon Dieu! The bagels of Montreal
By Gary Rotto MONTREAL, Canada — Sometimes you find the Jewish community when you’re not really looking for it. We were to arrive in Montreal on Friday and I thought it would be nice to attend...
View ArticleRemembering Israel’s athletes on their yahrzeits
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — The question is “How should the International Olympic Committee commemorate and remember the slaying of 11 Israeli Olympic Athletes at the Munich Olympics?” The conversation...
View ArticleDaniel Rotto, former Congregation Dor Hadash president, dies
By Gary Rotto ENCINITAS, California — My father, Daniel Rotto, a founding member of Congregation Dor Hadash who later served as a president of the Reconstructionist congregation, has died at age 89...
View ArticleQuestions I meant to ask my father
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I have come to realize that one can never be prepared totally for someone to die. I thought that I was. My father lived for over 30 years with congestive heart failure. In...
View ArticleGaza seems a hell on earth
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I often forget how much modern Hebrew language is influenced by the Torah. On Kol Nidre, Barbara Carr,one of the great Jewish educators in our community was talking about the...
View ArticleRomney’s idea to arm Syrian rebels is folly
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — To counteract the impression that he didn’t have the credentials to be the commander in chief or positions on key international issues, Governor Romney recently put forward...
View ArticleObama has been Israel’s friend
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — This is a full throated endorsement of the re-election of Barack Obama. Why? Well, let’s look at what he has achieved: Hunted down and killed Osama bin Laden; But the...
View ArticlePerhaps we should register body armor
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO —The shootings in Connecticut hit me hard. Just the thought of a gunman coming into a school and shooting children was too much for me. I thought of the times when my daughter...
View ArticleFriendship, not breakthroughs, object of Obama visit
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — President Obama is only the fifth sitting US President to visit Israel and like his predecessor, George W. Bush, waited until after the first term to make such a visit....
View ArticleTerm as shul president over, columnist returns
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO–I’ve been on a self imposed sabbatical. I needed to take a break from writing for a couple of years. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, Rather, I just didn’t have the time to...
View Article‘Holocaust’ and ‘Shoah’ meanings and emotions
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — As I started out this column, my intent was to make a statement for the “ownership” of the term Holocaust. As long as I can remember, I always had a visceral reaction when...
View ArticleModest San Diego event salutes Israel
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO –Under a sun drenched sky with a mild breeze, San Diego celebrated Israel. Or at least a few hundred people celebrated Israel. The attendance was significantly below the...
View ArticleOn packing that last lunch bag
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I made my final school lunch for my daughter yesterday. For sixteen years, I’ve made lunches for her. It all started with a simple brown paper bag. The ubiquitous brown bag...
View ArticleShul, Ken, and SDJA to share the campus
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Some believe that there are two types of congregations: destination congregations and neighborhood congregations. A destination congregation is so compelling, so well known...
View ArticleChoosing a secular rather than a religious school
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Just about four years ago, we had to make a very difficult decision. My daughter had attended the San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) for nine years – from kindergarten through...
View ArticleSDJW thanks June, early July contributors
SAN DIEGO (SDJW)—San Diego Jewish World acknowledges and thanks those writers whose bylines and photo credit lines appeared during the month of June and the first few days of July on its website. They...
View ArticleA return to the birthplace of his Jewish activism
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO –I have the Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth song, “See You Again” playing in my head today. It’s been a long day without you my friend / And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you...
View ArticleU.S. should take down all Confederate symbols
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Since the murders at Emanuel AME church a few weeks ago, I’ve struggled looking for the right words to express my feelings on the so called “Southern Culture” as symbolized by...
View ArticleSDJW thanks its July 2015 contributors
SAN DIEGO (SDJW) – During the month of July, San Diego Jewish World was privileged to publish works by the following writers and photographers. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you...
View ArticleFederation Men’s Event helped build Jewish leaders
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — I haven’t attended the Federation Men’s Event in a few years. I’m certainly supportive of Federation and not opposed to the event. It’s just that it wasn’t high on my list...
View ArticleAn Israeli general and an American audience
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Benny Gantz is an Israeli general. When you look at him and you listen to him you have the same reaction. There’s a certain confidence, a polite swagger as he establishes...
View ArticleSDJW thanks its December 2015 writers
San Diego Jewish World thanks and acknowledges the wonderful contributions of the following writers whose works appeared on our pages in December, 2015: Stephen Baird Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron...
View ArticleCerullo’s ‘theme park’ will target Jews for conversion
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Imagine a resort for evangelicals. Imagine a theme park like setting encompassing 18 acres a Jewish World Outreach Pavilion, attractions named Wings over Israel, March of...
View ArticleSDJW thanks 43 whose works appeared in January
SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — San Diego Jewish World expresses its appreciation to the 43 writers and photographers whose works appeared during January 2016. These individuals included: David Amos Eitan Arom...
View ArticleTuesday was her first chance to vote
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Election Day. For me, it’s like Hanukah or Christmas in June. It’s a day of anticipation and excitement. It’s a day to celebrate. This Primary Day was one of added...
View ArticleColumnist provides Mideast Policy 101 short course
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — When listening to Bret Stephens, you wonder why US foreign policy is so complicated? The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist laid out a succinct set of foreign policy goals to...
View ArticleTrump and the white power movement
SAN DIEGO — The other day, a post from CNN appeared on my Facebook feed. CNN was asking what question I would like to ask of the candidates at the Town Hall Forum on Sunday night. I certainly have one...
View ArticleSDPD’s Chief Zimmerman and de- escalating conflicts
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — It’s been almost two weeks since the fatal shooting of a mentally unstable black man in El Cajon. This shooting in particular bothered me because I always felt that we were...
View ArticleWe must reach out to veterans in need of care
By Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — A few years ago, I came across a former camper via Facebook. Mike is a nice Jewish boy from El Paso. He’s had many life changing experiences since we were at camp many years...
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