Composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 storybook Opera, Hansel and Gretel, based on The Grimm Brother’s tale of the same name is the current fare at the Civic Center on Feb. 14th and 16th. This is the third time in the opera’s history producing Humperdinck’s work. [Carol Davis]
Puppets, opera combine in ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Read More »
Carol Davis, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By some strange coincidence – or perhaps not – in the same week as many world leaders gathered in Jerusalem to mark (celebrate?) the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I was in the middle of reading a book about one child’s experience of anti-Semitism. And that child’s experience reminded me of one of my own at a similar age. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Two children face European anti-Semitism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International
This month marks 172 years since the first publication of the Communist Manifesto. All around the world people will be commemorating February 20th with group read-alouds, and other ways of noting the occasion. Undoubtedly, this is a moment that we should not allow to pass without some reflection on the meaning to us today of Marx and Engels’ pamphlet. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
172 years later, Communist Manifesto still resonates Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, International, Sam Ben-Meir, USA
Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel’s books on Maimonides’ interpretations of the biblical book Exodus, Maimonides Hidden Torah Commentary: Exodus 1-20, reveals much that many people do not know and does so in a clear and easy to read fashion. While 448 pages long, and filled with information, it is only the first of his two books on Exodus. It is superb. His two books on Genesis have already been published. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazinl]
How Maimonides dissected the Exodus account Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
The 2019 Craig Noel Awards By Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — It’s rather unusual to get all fepitzed for a black tie and evening gown affair on a Monday night. But that’s the one night when all live theatres are dark. So on Monday, Feb 10, the San Diego Critics Circle hosted the 2019
Eat Your Heart Out, Big Apple Read More »
Carol Davis, Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Notwithstanding Sunday’s rain, various celebrations in honor of Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, were held throughout San Diego County, kicking off a week of observances of what some call “Jewish Arbor Day.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Tu B’Shevat celebrated throughout S.D. County Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
In this novel for young adults, two members of the “Bad Love Gang” slide down a ravine, find a tunnel, and discover the headquarters of another project that was even more hush-hush than the Manhattan Project. It was an ultra-secret effort to build a time machine that might change history in the event an atomic bomb couldn’t do the job. [Donald H. Harrison]
Novel: Time-traveling teens save Shoah victims Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
There is a new exhibit at the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI) that should appeal to many tastes as it is an innovative show that pairs artists and scientists together. What a brilliant idea to combine art and science together! The new installation, “Illumination,” paired 16 artists with seven scientific institutions, along with ten artists doing their own interpretation of science, nature, and technology. The curator of this show, Chi Essary, did a wonderful job pairing the artists with their scientific counterparts. [Mimi Pollack]
Scientists and artists collaborate in SDAI exhibit Read More »
Mimi Pollack, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County
Think of my predictions as the Oscar version of Real Clear Politics. I compile the predictions made in key Hollywood trade publications to determine the likely winners. These reflect what insiders know about voting trends among members of the Academy. I list the favorite and the second most likely if the favorite loses. Since I have been doing this, my predictions have been right 90 % of the time. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Oscar Predictions for 2020 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & BroadcastAlbert Cohen wrote this book when he was eighty years old and approaching death, as he states early on in this book. It describes his experiences and emotions when, on his tenth birthday, he encountered a street vendor in Marseilles, where he was living at the time. A small crowd had gathered around, and the boy was fascinated by the colorful goods the vendor was selling, so bought some trinkets with the money his mother had given him for his birthday. The vendor noticed the boy’s dark hair and eyes and began insulting him for being Jewish, telling him to ‘shove off, scum,’ and ‘we don’t like dirty bloodsucking Jews here.’ The people around him either laughed or kept quiet, adding to the boy’s pain. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
A 10-year-old boy encounters anti-Semitism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History
Like many Jews of his generation, he had changed his name to avoid revealing that he was born Issur Danielovitch, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived in Amsterdam, New York. Even before that, he adopted the Americanized surname of his uncle Avram Demsky and preferred Isadore over Issur. {Lawrence Baron, Ph.D]
Kirk Douglas: Star of David and Hollywood Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials
Other items in today’s column include: * A graveyard film inspired the SDIJFF chair * Political bytes * Coming our way * Recommended reading By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – You can tell a lot about any of the 35 movies to be shown at the 30th annual San Diego International Film Festival
The making of an international Jewish film festival Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The river on which generations of Emily’s family had traveled traversed many dangerous rapids and waterfalls. Already attuned to the injustice of racial discrimination in America, Emily found other kinds of virulent race hatred as she traveled back to witness her ancestors’ journeys. [Book review by Donald H. Harrison]
Time-traveling through Jewish history Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
The three local Jewish poets, Jan Gist, Lorraine Fisher and Yoel Guadarrama, attracted a large attendance to the January 21 Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices evening at the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Fmaily JCC. Among the audience were many poets who shared their works during the open mic segment, creating one of the most interesting and diverse programs in the series. [Eileen Wingard]
Poems of Gist, Fisher, and Guadarrama Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County