Aviva Orenstein’s “Fat Chance” explores issues of identity Author Aviva Orenstein acknowledged that her Fat Chance protagonist, Claire, is in many ways her alter ego. Fat Chance, a new novel by Aviva Orenstein, is set in an imaginary New York suburb, but you would not be blamed for thinking that Hudsonville is a stand-in for […]
Author evokes her NJ Jewish life in novel Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
LOS ANGELES (Press Release)– Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Fab screened his latest effort, Not the Last Butterfly, in a sneak preview at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles on May 3. Fab co-directed and co-produced the story of a global project to memorialize the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust with first-time
Film on Butterfly Project well received Read More »
Shor M. Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food
Johann Trollmann and Romani Resistance to the Nazis by Jud Nirenberg; KO Publications; (c) 2016; ISBN 978-0-9903703-76; 220 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Despite some problems in its organization, this is an important book for the Jewish community to ponder. Utilizing the story of Johann Trollman– a Sinto boxer who in 1933
Recognition sought for Gypsies as Holocaust victims Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As luck would have it, our backstage tour of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego’s Balboa Park came the day before the opening of Camp David, a play by Lawrence Wright which premiered in Washington D.C. and now has its second opening here, at one of America’s
As one play opens, Old Globe prepares for 2 more Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USABy Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO –Seven students from the Soille Hebrew Day Middle School will be participating in the May 17, 7:15 p.m. Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices program at the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC. Also reading that evening, will be a prize-winning student poet and playwright from Mesa Verde Middle School. Rabbi
LFJCC to feature Hebrew Day School poets May 17 Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego Calendar
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When Don Harrison recently gifted me a copy of Professor Mordechai Rotenberg’s The Psychology of Tzimtzum, it, like most gifts, came with a string. “Michael, I thought you’d enjoy this book and I’m wondering if you’d be kind enough to write a review of it for our
The Psychology of Tzimtzum Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Michael Mantell, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBurned Alive: a Victim of the Law of Men by Souad, in collaboration with Marie-Therese Cuny, Warner Books, 2003 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — The author’s name is not “Souad” and her address “lives in Europe” is purposely generalized. The people who tried to kill her once would try again if they could. Souad
Nearly murdered woman suffered life of torture Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Perhaps if the late Yiddish novelist Chava Rosenfarb had lived to see how many people crowded the Seuss Room at UCSD’s Geisel Library to hear a discussion about The Tree of Life, her trilogy about life in the Lodz ghetto, the depression she felt over the fate of the Yiddish
Yiddish writer Rosenfarb’s works and life examined Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
Jewish upbringing helped celebrated deaf actress break barriers to success Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said the best thing to do for people “who have special needs is to communicate with them.” Marlee Matlin and actor Henry Winkler, a longtime friend and mentor, at the Walk of Fame Ceremony honoring Matlin in Hollywood, May 6, 2009;
‘Healing the world’ is Marlee Matlin’s matter Read More »
Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USALONDON — “The only thing predictable about Jonah is his unpredictability,” says Ben, the narrator in Jem Lester’s debut novel “Shtum.” As he cautiously monitors Jonah, his profoundly autistic son, sitting in the back of a car Ben knows even a mere detour has the potential to cause Jonah anxiety and Ben “untold stress.” “Shtum”
‘Shtum’: A family deals with autism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Science, Medicine, & Education
Cannes, (dpa) – The world could do with a little more magic as it faces up to grinding poverty and extreme inequality, three-time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg said on Saturday as he launched his new fantasy adventure film at the Cannes Film Festival. “All of us believe in magic,” said Spielberg at a press conference
Spielberg: World needs more magic Read More »
Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — After a week of cultural delights in Vienna, we spent a week in France to recover from our exertions before returning to Israel a few days ago. And so it was that, as usual, on our first full day in the beautiful Limousin region we tuned our radio
Why French radio played ‘Bolero’ the entire day Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsLONDON — In a remarkable career spanning over seven decades, renowned British photographer Dorothy Bohm’s motivation to capture a person, place, or moment has remained unchanged. “A photograph fulfills my deep need to stop things from disappearing,” the 92 year old told The Times of Israel in a recent interview. “There are times that I
Capturing a moment lest it be lost forever Read More »
International, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsBy Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — The New York Philharmonic, the legendary orchestra whose history includes maestros such as Demitri Metropolis, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Mazur and Lorin Maazel, presented a thrilling concert at the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Music Center under the direction of its current conductor, Alan Gilbert. Gilbert is the son
NYPhil concert in S.D. features Beethoven, Sibelius Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts