By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — “Non!” screamed the rather large and overdressed lady sitting in the row near me as the audience burst into spontaneous applause between two movements of the piece of baroque chamber music that had just been played. This happened last summer when we attended several concerts in the charming […]
The changing habits of concert audiences Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy David Amos SAN DIEGO –As we do every year, my wife and I sat at the synagogue in our preferred seat for the High Holidays services. As expected, we enjoyed the thought provoking words from our Rabbi, heard the pure and beautifully performed chants from our cantorial soloist, and greeted fellow congregants, many of
Inspiration and distraction at High Holy Day services Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Joe Gandelman TORONTO, Canada– Is Mel Brooks smiling? Brooks’ 1968 comedy The Producers dealt with an outrageous, fictitious Broadway musical called Springtime for Hitler that trivialized Nazism and became a surprise hit. The New York Metropolitan Opera is now presenting The Death of Klinghoffer, which tries to explain the point of view of PLF members
‘Death of Klinghoffer’ like ‘The Producers’ come true Read More »
International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Michael Mantell, PhD SAN DIEGO–Remember that old Bob Dylan song, “Forever Young,” which now is used as the theme on television’s Parenthood? May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift, May your heart always be joyful And may
Actualizing Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ Read More »
Michael Mantell, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO–During the past three weeks, four outstanding young Israel-born artists performed in La Jolla. Three of the young men call themselves Israelis and had their early training in the music schools of Israel. The fourth, an Arab, born in Nazereth, calls himself Palestinian, and received his early training with private teachers
Stream of Israeli musicians flows into San Diego Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California –My paternal grandfather was a Torah scribe. He spent his days carefully drawing the Hebrew letters that made up the Torah, the most sacred of Jewish texts. Writing on thin parchment paper made from the skin of a kosher animal, he began by carefully marking thin pencil lines that
Tales of the Woodcutter: The Torah Scribe Read More »
Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — Simon Wiesenthal was an Austrian Jewish Holocaust survivor who came to prominence after World War II as a Nazi hunter. With the aid of the Israeli, Austrian and West German governments he helped capture nearly 1,100 Nazi war criminals. Wiesenthal was born in 1908 in Lvov (in
Tales of the Woodcutter: Simon Wiesenthal Read More »
Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Skot Golden-Needham shyly approached the aron kodesh on Sunday, Dec. 8, with his kindergarten teacher Lori Bunshaft. Then, turning around, he displayed the model aron kodesh that he made and Mora Lori showed another one fashioned by one of his classmates. It was hard to tell what was brighter,
The arts and the teaching of religion Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Arlene S. Moskowitz, JD and Joel A. Moskowitz, MD LA JOLLA, California –A prescription for Jews: Singing is good for your health, spiritual and physical. At the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting at the San Diego Convention Center, there was a section that emphasized the benefits of music. New findings: …. “that musicians have
Singing is good for your health and souls Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — From 1977 to 1986, Woody Allen had a filmmaking run so impressive it’s been equaled only by the likes of Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges. Allen’s films included Annie Hall, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, Zelig, Purple Rose of Cairo and Hannah and Her Sisters. Woody was an antidote to the Spielberg/Lucas
Notes from the woodcutter: Woody Allen Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Sandy Golden SAN DIEGO — Good vs. Evil: Over the past several days we have seen and heard increasing evidence of both, as a result of the horrific happening after the Boston Marathon—-the vicious, vindictive planning that went into the destruction and deaths that resulted –and –the display of heroism, compassion and selfless acts
Good vs evil reflected in biblical concert Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Editor Donald H. Harrison is back from a roundtrip cruise between San Diego and the Hawaiian Islands. This is the sixth in a series of articles based on that experience. By Donald H. Harrison ABOARD MS ZAANDAM– Violinist Michael Bacala says he was inspired as a child by the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone, especially
Violinist mixes humor with classics and pop Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California –Billy Wilder is one of Hollywood’s all-time great filmmakers. His movies ranged from film noir to screwball comedy and they were known for tight plots and memorable dialogue. Wilder despised sentiment and he sought to tell stories as simply and elegantly as possible. To Wilder, “the best director is
Notes from the Woodcutter: ‘Billy Wilder’ Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Joel A Moskowitz M D LA JOLLA, California — Claudia Stevens, a multi-talented actress, singer, drummer, and historian brought to life “Madame F” on Monday evening, Nov. 26, at the Recital Hall of Mandeville Auditorium UCSD. Madame F is the abbreviated name for Fanja Fanelson (Goldstein) who was an award winning pianist. While she
Surviving the Holocaust at what price? Read More »
International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education