The Arts

Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices to be carried May 5 on Zoom

When the Lawrence Family JCC needed to close because of the Coronavirus and all programs were cancelled, it seemed obvious that the Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices program, scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, at 7 p.m. would not take place. However, Melanie Rubin, the JCC’s innovative Director of Senior Activities and the Astor Judaica Library, and her assistant, Sarah Mattis, suggested that we could have the program after all, by doing it on the internet through Zoom. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Melanie Rubin, San Diego County

Lauren and Sol Lizerbram bring San Diego presence to global Yom Ha’atzma’ut celebration

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]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

‘Murder Most Foul’: Dylan culture on a silver platter

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]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Biden’s 3-point program to protect religious institutions

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]

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Journey of a song

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]

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Toby Klein Greenwald, USA

Jewish folk music for Yom Zikaron, Yom Ha’atzma’ut

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]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Israeli Memorial Day rites include Poway’s Lori Kaye

The name of slain Lori Gilbert Kaye, who died a year ago during a gunman’s attack on Chabad of Poway, was linked Monday in Latrun, Israel, to the names of Israel’s fallen soldiers during an annual Yom Hizakron (Day of Memory) ceremony. To view the entire ceremony on Facebook, click here. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Joe Gandelman, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

On-line memorials Sunday for Chabad of Poway victim

Chabad of Poway will hold an Internet memorial service for the victim of last year’s shooting, Lori Gilbert Kaye, at 10 a.m., Sunday, April 26.  At noon, a separate online ceremony sponsored by the Combat Anti-Semitism movement will be conducted via Zoom and Facebook. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The noble lie: King Christian X and the Jews

My friend and editor of San Diego Jewish World, Don Harrison, and I were having an interesting conversation I would like to share with you. We were talking about the famous Danish King Christian X, who was said to have worn a yellow Star of David together with his people to show solidarity with the Danish Jews. The yellow Star of David helped the Nazis distinguish the Jews from the Gentiles. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

San Diego Symphony hopeful for 2020-2021 season

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]

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

Streaming the Armenian genocide

On April 24, 1915 the Ottoman Empire arrested approximately 250 prominent Armenians and deported them a month later to the Turkish interior where most of them were killed.  Armenians annually commemorate April 24th as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.  There are few movies about the genocide because Turkey has pressured countries to halt their production, limit their distribution, or undermine their reception.  On the eve of Germany’s invasion of Poland, Hitler informed his generals of plans to massacre many Poles to achieve German living space concluding with this haunting question: “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” I’ve prepared this list to promote its memory and international recognition. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]                                                              

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International, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast