The Arts

Wnukowski live streams Bach, Mozart, and Chopin

The Canadian-born pianist, Daniel Wnukowski, displayed his talents as an accomplished artist and an insightful teacher in a live-streamed program last Sunday afternoon, sponsored by the Amateur Pianists. He selected three works from three distinct musical periods, the Baroque, the Classical and the Romantic, which he analyzed and contrasted before treating us to beautiful renditions of each. His program consisted of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue #2 from the Well-Tempered Clavichord, the Theme and Variations from Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A major, and Chopin’s 3rd Ballade. [Eileen Wingard]

Wnukowski live streams Bach, Mozart, and Chopin Read More »

Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Children’s Passover books worth buying now

Two sweet books from Kar Ben. Although we’re a little late for Passover, or a little early, depending on how you look at it, these tales are fun to read any time of the year. Each story highlights a different aspect of the holiday, but both books expose our youngest readers to the joys of Passover. The simple, rhyming text and engaging illustrations will delight toddlers while helping them understand more about this special holiday. [Marcia Berneger]

Children’s Passover books worth buying now Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Marcia Berneger

Rabbi Yael Ridberg speaks out for social justice

Rabbi Yael Ridberg, spiritual leader of Congregation Dor Hadash, has added her name to two campaigns now building within the Jewish community.  One, which has attracted leaders of more than 500 synagogues and Jewish organizations, voices solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.  The other, launched by the National Council of Jewish Women, pledges support for education about women’s rights to autonomy over their own bodies. [Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]

Rabbi Yael Ridberg speaks out for social justice Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Carl Reiner Left Us Laughing

With all of the obituaries about Carl Reiner’s life and career, I would like to write about what he meant to me personally. In 1994, after a disastrous year with a fledgling theatre company, I was a college graduate working as a waiter in Cincinnati trying to figure my life out. There was a casting call for community theatre at the Jewish Community Center. Why not? [Eric George Tauber]

Carl Reiner Left Us Laughing Read More »

Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra gala features well-known guest performers

The Academy-Award winning actress, Dame Helen Merrin, served as the host of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Global Gala, streamed on Sunday, to a world-wide audience. Her father, Vasily Mironoff, played viola with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, so she grew up loving symphonic music. She eloquently introduced the participating artists, some of whom spoke, while others presented cameo performances. [Eileen Wingard]

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra gala features well-known guest performers Read More »

Eileen Wingard, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Theology vs. Philosophy; Aquinas vs. Maimonides

Saint Thomas Aquinas was authored by G. K. Chesterton, whose output includes both fiction and nonfiction books, including the famous Father Brown murder mysteries. Chesterton wrote this comparatively short history of the Italian Roman Catholic saint who was canonized in 1323. Aquinas’ teachings became the official teachings of Catholicism in 1917. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

Theology vs. Philosophy; Aquinas vs. Maimonides Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

On being Black and Jewish

Being of mixed racial background and also Jewish often feels like no matter what group you are with, you are perceived as the “other,” sometimes prompting doubts if there is any group with which you truly belong.  Such was the thrust of comments made by Jessica Lemoine and Jenni Asher during an Internet forum on Sunday sponsored by the San Diego Outreach Synagogue and moderated by Rabbi/ Cantor Cheri Weiss and her husband Dan Weiss. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

On being Black and Jewish Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

A conversation with artist Ruth Poniarski

Ruth Poniarski is a painter and the author of Journey of the Self: Memoir of an Artist (Warren Publishing, 2020), in which she tells the story of her decade long struggle with mental illness, a “spiraling malady” which led her into a “pattern of psychosis.” I recently had the opportunity to talk with Poniarski about her life and work, and how she eventually overcame her demons. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]

A conversation with artist Ruth Poniarski Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sam Ben-Meir

Barry Jagoda recalls life at the Carter White House

Barry Jagoda, a retired communications director for UC San Diego, has had a storied media career. He was a producer at various times for CBS and NBC, coordinating coverage for such historic events as Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon; and the unfolding Watergate crisis and resignation of Richard M. Nixon. With his media savvy, he went on to become a special assistant to Jimmy Carter, initially on the campaign trail and later in the White House.  Many of the stars of his era in television media — Walter Cronkite, Ed Bradley, Dan Rather, for example — were on first-name basis with him.  As you might imagine, Jagoda has a lot of stories to tell. [Our Shtetl San Diego County by Donald H. Harrison]

Barry Jagoda recalls life at the Carter White House Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Modified Camp Jaycee underway at JCC and Beth Am

Celebrating its 75th year of service to the community, Camp Jaycee opened last Monday, June 22,  at the Lawrence Family JCC and at Congregation Beth Am in Carmel Valley, the first of several locations where satellite camps will be conducted in the county. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

Modified Camp Jaycee underway at JCC and Beth Am Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

‘The Sacrifice Zone’ and worst cases of pollution

A ‘sacrifice zone,’ American novelist Roger S. Gottlieb tells us, is “a place so polluted it can never be cleaned up.” It is also the title of a highly original, deeply moving new novel from Gottlieb — a prolific philosophy professor at Worcester Polytechnic University (WPI) in Massachusetts. He also has written dozens of non-fiction books on everything from Marxism and contemporary spirituality to the Holocaust and religious environmentalism.[Dan Bloom]

‘The Sacrifice Zone’ and worst cases of pollution Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories

‘Zehu-Zeh’ revival brings much needed humor to Israel

Back in the day, when my children were young, I would sometimes join them when they watched certain programs on Children’s TV. One of these was Zehu-Zeh (That’s It), which tried to amuse, entertain and educate by means of little skits, songs and quizzes. Let’s face it, most of the programs on Children’s TV were noisy, gaudy American imports, with little or no educational content, though of course Sesame Street was the exception that proved the rule. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

‘Zehu-Zeh’ revival brings much needed humor to Israel Read More »

Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

How the Arts are changing during the pandemic

During the time of coronavirus pandemic, the people can’t go to theatre, symphonic, or opera performances, or even to an art museum because of the need for social distancing.  So, instead, the performing and visual arts are coming to the people, via Zoom, Facebook, and other Internet channels.  While art organizations are doing so, they are becoming increasingly innovative. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

How the Arts are changing during the pandemic Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Half-Jewish boy survives Nazi school

In the Nazis’ deformed ideology, Josef had so many things against him. He was a Mischling– that is a person of mixed race. Yes, his mother was Aryan, but his father was a Jew. Yet, he had his mother’s white skin and coloring, and someone figured that at a special school, he could be molded. Josef also had a condition known as synethesia. Almost any stimulus — a sound, a view, a taste — could burst into his head as an array of colors. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]

Half-Jewish boy survives Nazi school Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison