The Arts

Jewish biography: Émile Waldteufel, waltz king of Paris

In 1865, Waldteufel was appointed pianist to Empress Eugénie and soon received the position of conductor and ball manager at the court of Napoleon III. He was also the conductor of the ball orchestra “Bals de l’Opéra” in Paris (1865). [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors

A second home for Villa Musica

In a telephone interview I was able to speak with Chatwin, who holds a doctorate in music, about her comprehensive non-profit and its recent expansion into El Cajon’s Fletcher Hills neighborhood.  The new venue at 2382 Fletcher Parkway is near the intersection with Navajo Road.  It neighbors the Barbecue Pit. [Eva Trieger]

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Business & Finance, Eva Trieger, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Textual analysis of Deuteronomy offers little-known facts

His work appeals to readers across a broad spectrum of Jewish backgrounds because he seeks to demonstrate that many profound ideas emerge from paying close attention to the Torah’s own language before consulting later commentators.[Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

PEN America president’s resignation is in service to BDS movement

He argued that by defending Jewish writers against coordinated cultural boycotts, the organization was unethically restricting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which he views as constitutionally protected political speech. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

JCRC Bay Area remonstrates with Congressman Ro Khanna

JCRC and our partners have discussed pressing issues related to antisemitism with the congressman. We shared increasing concerns that his repeated use of the phrase “Epstein class,” and attacks on AIPAC as a shadowy organization, are being used by antisemitic individuals and groups to further conspiracy theories that harm the Jewish community. [Press Release]

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California, Israel, News Media, Press Release, Travel and Food, USA

Jewish biography: Marc Bloch, social historian

Bloch transferred Durkheim’s anti-dogmatism to historical science, abandoning the description of “great men” in favor of the analysis of collective thinking. Bloch was deeply influenced by Durkheim, who also believed that links between historians and sociologists were more significant than their differences. (Alex Gordon)

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Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish birthday: Naomi Shemer

Naomi Shemer (July 13, 1930 – June 26, 2004) was an Israeli songwriter, composer, and performer, widely described as the “first lady of Israeli song”.She became one of the most influential figures in modern Hebrew music, writing numerous songs that became cultural touchstones, most notably “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” (“Jerusalem of Gold”), which gained prominence after the Six-Day War and is often regarded as a second national anthem. [Wikipedia]

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Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

What did Marilyn Monroe read?

Monroe’s trove is a spellbinder with opportunities for many discoveries about intellectual growth, social connections, political views and the literary milieu between author, publisher, and reader. Monroe, an autodidact, self-directed her education aided by purchases, gifts from authors and friends, and World Literature extension courses at UCLA. She visited Powell Library before it was called the Powell Library. Marilyn did not graduate high school, she wanted to “better” herself. [Oliver Pollak]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Oliver Pollak, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food