The Arts

Novel Brings Us into the Psyche of a Woman with Two Lovers

It takes author Alison Rose Greenberg quite a while to come through with some of the answers, but when she does, she delivers a punch that helps us understand the psyches of singer/ songwriter Maggie Vine (who happens to be Jewish) and the two men to whom she has given her heart: actor Asher Reyes and singer/ hedge fund manager Garrett Scholl. [Donald H. Harrison]

Novel Brings Us into the Psyche of a Woman with Two Lovers Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

San Diego International Film Festival to Feature Story of Holocaust Survivor’s Courage

By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — I always find myself looking forward to mid-September as I eagerly anticipate my phone interview with Tonya Mantooth, CEO and Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the San Diego International Film Festival. Our conversations are always fun, eye-opening, inspired and while we’ve never had the chance to meet, extremely personal.

San Diego International Film Festival to Feature Story of Holocaust Survivor’s Courage Read More »

Eva Trieger, Holocaust, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

J’Accuse! A Call for Truth, Justice, and Jewish Honor

By Franklin Gaylis and Sara E. Brown SAJAC (South African Jewish American Community) was one of the first organizations to promote Michael Kretzmer’s documentary, J’Accuse! in 2022. This documentary film tells the story of the Lithuanian Holocaust. Approximately 220,000 Lithuanian Jews — 96.4 % of Lithuania’s Jewish population, the highest proportion in Europe — were

J’Accuse! A Call for Truth, Justice, and Jewish Honor Read More »

Holocaust, International, Opinion, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Famous Cantors, Past and Present, Featured in High Holy Day Music at the JCC

High Holiday Music will be featured as the first of a series of three Jewish Holiday Music programs from the Music Collection of the Astor Judaica Library. This free presentation will be held from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, September 28,  in the second floor library of the Lawrence Family JCC. [Eileen Wingard]

Famous Cantors, Past and Present, Featured in High Holy Day Music at the JCC Read More »

Eileen Wingard, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Historian’s Memoir May Resound With Readers’ Memories

“Homelands: A Personal History of Europe” by Timothy Garton Ash; Yale University Press, 2023. By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Academic Zoom presentations have created a common market for sharing scholarship and continuing education. The Woodrow Wilson Center and the American Historical Society present scholars and discussants with cutting edge ideas, interpretations, and revelations.

Historian’s Memoir May Resound With Readers’ Memories Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Oliver Pollak

Recognizing the Miraculous in the ‘Mundane’

the personal stories told from Rabbi Zedek’s own experiences were the ones that most resonated with me as I read this slim volume.  Perhaps this is because I know from personal experience that we can intellectually quote from the works of others without taking their meanings deep into our hearts, but when we relate our own experiences, we are telling about something that in the everyday course of living made us take special notice. [Donald H. Harrison]

Recognizing the Miraculous in the ‘Mundane’ Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

Book of Mormon is Completely Irreverent and Absolutely Delightful

Price suffers a crisis of faith, which leaves the compassionate but less educated and experienced Cunningham to minister to the natives. The only problem is that he has never actually read the Book of Mormon, and so as he attempts to help the villagers solve their problems he embellishes the stories in the good book with characters and plot lines from popular science fiction, superhero and fantasy movies.  This results in the conversion of the villagers, who are encouraged by Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt) the sweet daughter of the village liaison (Lamont J. Whitaker).  [Sandi Masori]

Book of Mormon is Completely Irreverent and Absolutely Delightful Read More »

San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Passing Conversations’ Candidly Addresses Emotions When Death is Imminent

By Eva Trieger POWAY, California — When I read about a play written around the final conversations of a man with a terminal illness, I anticipated a maudlin, depressing evening of theatre. This was not the case. PowPac’s Passing Conversations, written by longtime theatre enthusiast and prolific writer, Brent Stringfield, was conceived during the pandemic.

‘Passing Conversations’ Candidly Addresses Emotions When Death is Imminent Read More »

Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Creative Producing’ is a Highly Readable Primer on the Movie Industry

Author Carol Baum worked her way up through the movie industry, serving as a studio executive and later as an independent creative producer.  In her latter role, she finds scripts that she thinks are worthy of becoming movies, assembles a creative team including a writer, director, and, if possible, a well-known actor then goes about selling the project to a studio or to a private financier. [Donald H. Harrison]

‘Creative Producing’ is a Highly Readable Primer on the Movie Industry Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Viewers Experience World of Deaf in ‘Since August’

Now viewable on YouTube and other Internet platforms, Since August is a groundbreaking film in which most of the sparse dialogue is in American Sign Language with some English-language captioning. It takes hearing people into the world of the deaf. During various portions of the film, we must rely on our eyesight alone to interpret the actions and motives of the people we encounter. [Donald H. Harrison]

Viewers Experience World of Deaf in ‘Since August’ Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast