The Arts

Poems to light the Jewish world

Poems are part and parcel of Judaism, arguably beginning with Miriam at the Red Sea, continuing with the Psalms and into present-day liturgy. Chaya Lester, Jerusalem-based psychotherapist, Jewish educator, and spiritual guide, calls on the metaphor of a lit candle and the multiple meanings of the word lit – the literature of poetry, intoxication of experiences, and “being lit up” in the sense of being alive and amazed – as her muse. The motivations for writing these poems are the twin themes of Jewish apathy and assimilation, whose panacea she perceives to be celebration, “the Jewish world needs to get lit…Jewishly lit.” [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD

‘Song of Names’: Beautiful music, haunting story

Song of Names is not simply a movie.  It is a work of love and mourning.  The music,  so essential to the drama,  travels through our ears and into our souls.  After the movie opens in San Diego on Jan. 10, I doubt that anyone who views it will fail to be moved by the emotion behind it, however understated it is. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Bought, borrowed or stolen? Art from the Gurlitt trove

At an exhibit entitled ’Fateful Choices: Art from the Gurlitt Trove,’ the Israel Museum’s Curator of European Art, Shlomit Steinberg, gave a fascinating talk about the history, geography, sociology and provenance of the huge collection of paintings, drawings, prints and lithographs found in 2012 in an apartment belonging to Cornelius Gurlitt, an elderly recluse living in Munich and virtually unknown to the German authorities. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Jewish Historical Society obtains new collections

The Jewish Historical Society of San Diego, which maintains archives of our community’s history at San Diego State University, has acquired several more collections that will help researchers understand how our local Jewish community developed. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

MOPA displays works of Jewish photographers

The works of past and present Jewish photographers are on display at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park. There are seven works by Bern Schwartz in Talking With a Friend: Portraits by Bern Schwartz and a single work by Jacob Manowitz, a student at Meadowbrook Middle School. [Donald H. Harrison]

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

Talking about transgender teens

Blindspot Collective is a small troupe taking on big issues. They are currently touring Danny’s Story a “forum theatre” play based on the real experiences of transgender youth. The issue is important not just because it’s trending, but because this is a highly vulnerable population. One third have attempted suicide. “Danny” is a transgender boy who was born female. Kids have kept diaries forever, but today’s millennials post theirs online. Danny has a Youtube channel where he works through his transition. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jews and chocolate: 500 years of sweetness

Sephardic Jews who were expelled in the late 15th century  from Portugal and Spain learned about cocoa and the production of chocolate from the indigenous peoples of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Keeping up contacts with non-Jewish acquaintances who had remained on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, they helped to popularize chocolate and develop it as a product in international trade. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Traveling Israel exhibit opens in Florida

On one side of the seating area on Sunday, Dec. 8, was a documented German cattle car used to transport Jews from Warsaw to their death in Treblinka.  On the opposite side was a full-sized WWII era American Sherman tank, the kind of war machine needed and used to end the Holocaust. It was a dramatic setting for a crowd of hundreds to view the opening of Israel Then and Now, a traveling exhibit combining historical images, milestone moments, interactive media, and film. [Jerry Klinger]

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Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Jews writing a Christmas story: Is that kosher?

After I submitted my review of Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show, now playing at the Old Globe, we noticed that the creators’ names sounded Jewish. I’ve met a few Jews who were openly hostile to the goyishe feist, calling it “Krastmik” to avoid saying that name. But American Jews making their mark, even iconic contributions, to Christmas canon is nothing new. Some favorite Christmas carols including Rudolph, Chestnuts Roasting, Let it Snow!, Santa Baby, Silver Bells and It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year were all composed by Jews. 
Still, Christmas is not really our holiday. So we wanted to talk to Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen about creating this show and what influence their Jewish upbringing had on it. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Resolution on Israel wins S.D. reps. support

Three Democratic members of Congress representing portions of San Diego County – Susan Davis, Scott Peters, and Mike Levin – were among 192 cosponsors of a House Resolution approved by a vote of 226-188 on Friday, Dec. 6, that reiterated support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. A fourth San Diego Democrat, Juan Vargas, joined his colleagues in the majority. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Three local poets to recite Dec. 17 at LFJCC

Adam Greenfield is a professional podcast producer and published poet. His 2017 book, Regarding the Monkey, received critical acclaim. Anna Abraham Gasaway, a graduate of Holyoke College, is currently studying poetry in the Master of Fine Arts Program at San Diego State University. Her poetry has been published in the San Diego Reader, Last Exit, Toyon, Mesa Visions and Cityworks. Lucy Lehman, a graduate of Wellesley College, has had her poetry published in the San Diego Poetry Annual. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County

Winter songs and dance at the Welk

With everything else going on in the world, there’s a nice little respite below the hills in Escondido at the Welk Resort Theatre where co-creator Larry Rabin with co- director Noelle Marion and choreographer and co-creator Cheryl Baxter Ratliff are presenting “Welkome Home For The Holidays” in a two hour sing and dance fest through Dec. 29. Billed as a love letter to “The Rat Pack” TV Holiday Specials of the past, it’s a holiday/variety/ fun filled songfest with a thinly veiled story line. [Carol Davis]

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Carol Davis, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Rabbi’s granddaughter seeks 3rd school board term

Elana Levens-Craig, granddaughter of the late Rabbi Monroe Levens of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, is seeking election to a third term on the Santee School District Board.  In 2016, she ran unopposed, and, so far, it looks as if she will again have no opposition.  The Santee School District has nine K-8 schools, serving approximately 7,000 students.[Donald H. Harrison]

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

Chanukah: A time of dreams, visions

For eight nights, starting with the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev, Jews celebrate the 165 BCE victory of the Maccabees, a brave troop of priest-warriors that vanquished the mighty Syrian-Greeks. Every winter, we commemorate this military miracle by lighting the Chanukah candles, increasing the glow of spirituality in the world and saluting those who keep the dream of freedom alive. [Sam Glaser]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Sam Glaser