The Arts

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Chaim Soutine

Among his friends in Paris was Amedeo Modigliani, who became another famous Jewish artist. They painted portraits of each other. After art dealer Albert Barnes purchased 60 of Soutine’s paintings in 1923, Soutine celebrated by hiring a taxi to drive him from Paris to nice, more than 400 miles away. [SDJA staff]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday

‘The Zone of Interest’ review: In this unforgettable Holocaust film, life outside of Auschwitz is devastatingly normal

Published by Chicago Tribune A singular affront, in ways more conventionally wrenching movie treatments of the Holocaust such as “Schindler’s List” never were, “The Zone of Interest” withholds as much as it reveals, reorienting the audience’s perspective on the 20th century’s defining atrocity. It is not for everyone, needless to say. Nothing is. But writer-director

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Holocaust, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Our Shtetl San Diego County: Families of Hamas Hostages to Speak in La Jolla Jan. 15

“They will share their stories, shedding light on the challenging circumstances they face,” according to an IAC announcement. “Together, let’s raise awareness and advocate for the freedom of our hostages.” [SDJA staff report]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘The Wiz’: A Celebration of Color and Dance 

Before we get into the actors, let’s talk about the sets…  wow!!! Using an LED projection screen as the background, the colorful scenes used a variety of illustration styles. Some backgrounds looked like they came out of the pages of children’s books; others were hyper-realistic. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Our Shtetl San Diego County: A Potpourri of Jewish News Items

Chabad of La Costa has notified its congregants of a “new mitzvah opportunity.”  In its weekly update, it reports: “there are a number of patients at UCSD La Jolla that have come from Israel to receive transplants here. They need our help.  Bikur Cholim of S. Diego is a community organization helping the sick with care packages, visitation, driving spouses to and from the hospital, etc.  [SDJW staff report]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

A Klezmer Adventure in old Bessarabia

Shloyml Boyml and his band receive an invitation from a rebbe from some distance away to play at his Purim party.  The rebbe requests that the band compose and play on the violin a special Purim melody.  Shloyml is both ecstatic and worried by the invitation.  It’s a great honor to play for the rebbe.  But his band does not have a violinist. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Fiction, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Madrid museum welcomes ruling it can keep painting looted by Nazis

Published by Reuters Ruling Went Against Heirs of Cassirer Family of La Mesa, California By Catarina Demony and Elena Rodriguez MADRID (Reuters) – One of Spain’s top museums welcomed a U.S. court decision allowing it to keep a French impressionist painting looted from a Jewish woman by the Nazis, which the museum said it had

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California, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, USA

San Diego International Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 34th Season with In-Person Lineup, Jan. 31 – Feb. 11 and Virtual, Feb. 11-18

Film enthusiasts can attend in-person screenings at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, while virtual film screenings are available on demand beginning on Feb. 11 and will remain available through Feb 18. [SDIJFF Press Release]

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Press Release, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Madrid museum may keep Pissarro painting looted by Nazis, US appeals court rules

Published by Reuters UK Decision is a Set Back for the Cassirer Family of San Diego By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court said on Tuesday that Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza museum may keep a painting by the French impressionist Camille Pissarro that the Nazis looted from a Jewish woman, rejecting an ownership claim that

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, San Diego County, USA

Natalie Portman: ‘Method acting is a luxury not afforded to women!’

Published by BANG Showbiz English Natalie Portman isn’t able to practice method acting because she is a woman. The 42-year-old actress – who has Alpeh, 12, and six-year-old Amalia with husband Benjamin Millepied – has carved out a successful career in Hollywood since starting out in showbusiness as a child and has even won an

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Jewish Celebrities, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Soupy Sales

The national Soupy Sales Show featured non-stop jokes, slapstick, and signature pie-in-the-face routines.  Famous musicians often appeared as guests on the show, which also featured such puppets as  “White Fang,” “Black Tooth,” “Pokie the Lion,” and “Hippy the Hippo.” [SDJW staff report]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA