Ancient Groove: International Sephardi Music Festival in Cordoba … Brave Old World: Song of the Lodz Ghetto … Chava Alberstein … [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish music Read More »
Judaism, Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Sol and Lauren Lizerbram of Rancho Santa Fe had cameo roles in the hour-long, worldwide webcast for Israeli Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzma’ut) that was co-hosted Wednesday by Israeli actress Shira Haas (who stars in the mini-series Unorthodox) and Eric Fingerhut, chairman of the Jewish Federations of North America. Sol Lizerbram is the U.S. President of the Jewish National Fund, which arranged to video the near-private ceremony this year at Mount Herzl in honor of Yom Ha’atzma’ut — near private because of the ban in Israel on gatherings of large groups [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Lauren and Sol Lizerbram bring San Diego presence to global Yom Ha’atzma’ut celebration Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
If Bob Dylan is a modern-day lesser prophet then his retelling of the murder of JFK in ‘Murder Most Foul’ could serve as a forewarning to a moment that signifies a depature from the norm. The timing of Dylan’s single release via Twitter, on March 27th, is somewhat shrouded in mystery, not least as the song was “recorded a while back,” according to Dylan’s tweet. Dylan’s message to fans is that they are to stay safe, vigilant, and have trust in the almighty, and that they may find the song “interesting.” While Dylan wants the general population to remain safe, the song itself is a far cry from any sense of safety. Instead there is upheaval and turmoil, a dark force that is in motion behind the scenes, or as Dylan sings it, “Greatest magic trick ever under the sun.” [Omer Zalmonowitz]
‘Murder Most Foul’: Dylan culture on a silver platter Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA
Former Vice President Joe Biden, referencing the one-year anniversary of the murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye in a shooting attack on Chabad of Poway, on Tuesday announced a three-point program to protect religious communities. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Biden’s 3-point program to protect religious institutions Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
This story appears to have begun in 1984 but, in truth, it began in 1967. That was when I read the book by Elie Wiesel, The Jews of Silence, about Soviet Jewry who, the oppression notwithstanding, would come out of the shadows to celebrate on Simhat Torah. I was captivated by the book, and had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wiesel when he attended a community-wide rally in Cleveland that year. [Toby Klein Greenwald]
In commemoration of Israel’s Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Independence Day), I have selected my sister Zina Schiff’s recording, The Golden Dove. Although the recording features composers of Russia’s Society for Jewish Folk Music, five of the composers on the recording — Engel, Weinberg, Rosowsky, Saminsky, and Achron — spent time in Palestine and influenced the early music of the pre-state Yishuv (Jewish settlement in Palestine). [Eileen Wingard]
Jewish folk music for Yom Zikaron, Yom Ha’atzma’ut Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
As a San Diego Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) subscriber, I received in the mail a beautiful, shiny brochure, optimistically advertising the concerts scheduled for the orchestra’s 2020-2021 Season. With Raphael Payare, our city’s dynamic new conductor at the helm for his second season, and a wonderful lineup of concerts, we all hope it happens. [Eileen Wingard]
San Diego Symphony hopeful for 2020-2021 season Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County
With social distancing policies in effect during the coronavirus pandemic, Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue and Rabbi Ralph Dalin, the community chaplain who works under auspices of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, jointly conducted an Internet observance of Yom HaShoah on Monday evening. The ceremony included such traditional prayers as the 23rd Psalm, and El Moleh Rachamim as well as a special Holocaust Kaddish during which the names of the Nazi death camps are interjected into the traditional Kaddish text. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
San Diego’s Internet Yom HaShoah commemoration Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
This week, in commemoration of Yom Hashoah, I have chosen to write about my sister Zina Schiff’s 2014 CD, Violin Sonatas: Zeisl, Copland, which also includes work by Bloch and Dauber. [Eileen Wingard]
A musical commemoration of the Holocaust Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Suzanne Choney posted a photo on Facebook today of her parents, Rosa Rubel and Icek Choinowski, who 75 years ago today were “among 60,000 human beings being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.” Choney added, “I know we all have so much to worry about now. But I think of my parents, known in America as Rose and Irving Choney, the bravery of the Allies and the good people everywhere, and the evil faced by millions. And I remember. Just as all of us will remember this time.” The photo, at left, of her parents was taken in London in 1947, two years after their liberation. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering dear ones of now and then Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA
There is a sense of solidarity when an internationally acclaimed artist shares a living room space with the community at large, and a heightened sense of togetherness when viewers from all over the world take a moment in time to experience a resonant musical event as a people. Idan Raichel’s “In Your Living Room” Live Concert from his home in Tel Aviv, Israel, continued the new format of live concerts in situ in this time of quarantine. [Omr Zalmanowitz]
Idan Raichel’s concert voiced a universal plea Read More »
Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Residents throughout our county are joining a unique, worldwide virtual memorial to remember the victims of the Holocaust. Sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic from attending this year’s “March of the Living” which brings thousands of Jews to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration complex in Poland to mourn those who were murdered by the Nazis, members of the Jewish community instead are posting their sentiments on line via the Never Means Never website created for the purpose by March of the Living organizers. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Remembering via a virtual March of the Living Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USAFederal relief funds for local universities and colleges and for their students in need during the coronavirus pandemic were announced on Monday by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego). In total, 23 institutions of higher learning in the count are receiving grant totaling $137,435,195, and will be required to distribute at least $71,360,718 in grants to students to pay for housing food, and other essentials. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Congresswoman Davis announces financial help for students Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Fifty years ago (April 10, 1970), the Beatles officially split up. Their popularity, however, has not waned. At an online auction last week, an ashtray used by Ringo Starr at Abbey Road Studios sold for $32,500 and a drawing by John Lennon and Yoko Ono called Bagism sold for $93,750. The handwritten lyrics of the song Hey Jude sold for $910,000, nine times the pre-auction estimate. What was the Jewish connection to that song? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: The Beatles Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Trivia, Humor & Satire