The Arts

Online dealers sell historic Judaic, Nazi artifacts

By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — Combining the keyword “Hitler” and “Highest Price” on AbeBooks founded in 1995 and owned by Amazon since 2008 produces an amazing Judaica juxtaposition priced between $180,000 and $527,815. For less than $1.5 million you could own three unique 20th century works on Palestine, Mein Kampf and Einstein, and […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Science, Medicine, & Education

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, the Holocaust and X-Men

By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee died Monday.  As a memorial to him, here’s an excerpt from an article I wrote in 2003 about the first X-Men movie: The creators of the X-Men comic book series belong to the generation of American-born Jews who sought acceptance and social mobility through assimilation.

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Lawrence Baron, Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Book details the battles over Nazi-looted art

A Tragic Fate: Law and Ethics in the Battle Over Nazi-Looted Art (2017) by Nicholas M. O’Donnell By Herbert I. Lazerow SAN DIEGO — This is a terrific book that everyone should read. Nicholas O’Donnell’s book begins by describing as the paradigm case Camille Pissarro’s Rue St. Honore, apres-midi, effet de pluie, sold by the German

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Chanukah music in reggae style

By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel ENCINITAS, California — You’re just in time for a Chanukah treat with the release of the new CD album, “The Festival of Lights.” It blends popular Chanukah Hebrew folk songs and Jamaican reggae musical styles with singers and an eclectic group of instruments: Horns , Piano, Percussion, Guitar, Saxophone, Trumpet,

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Variety of form, materials in SDMA outdoor sculptures

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –In some cases, sculptures are grouped to tell a story, but at other times their storytelling groupings are accidental.  You’ll find both sets of circumstances outside the San Diego Museum of Art. For example, two Jewish artists who immigrated to the United States from the Czarist Russian Empire have

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori

Christina de Jesus is a Jewish song leader

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — On the third Friday evening of each month, the Shir Chadash (New Song) Band leads services celebrating Shabbat at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.  The young mother whose alto voice provides the harmonies to the Shabbat melodies is an example of religious mobility.  Just hearing that her name is “Christina

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David Ogul, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Crafts, art, books featured at Temple Emanu-El fair

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Often you will meet women who either are in their second careers, or have become very proficient at their hobbies, at the Artisan Festival sponsored annually by the Women of Temple Emanu-El. On Sunday, I found that to be the case when I interviewed artist Enid Texler and

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food

‘BeteBrune’ novel filled with hateful stereotypes

BêteBrune (Brown Beast): The Saga of Judith Sanders by Kim Hester, Kim Hester LLC, © 2018, ISBN 9781543-939330; 241 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This was a truly difficult book to read.  Not stylistically; the author has a clear and concise style.  The book’s content was severely off-putting, so filled is this

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

Bucharest Diary: Tale of a Jewish American ambassador

Bucharest Diary: Romania’s Journey from Darkness to Light by Alfred H. Moses; Brookings Institution Press © 2018; ISBN 9780815-732723; 394 pages including index and glossary of people and places. By Donald H. Harrison   SAN DIEGO – Formerly national president of the American Jewish Committee, trial attorney Alfred H. Moses had successfully lobbied the Communist

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, USA