The Arts

How Judaism views evil speech

False Facts and True Rumors: LaShon HaRa in Contemporary Culture by Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman, Maggid Books, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-1-59264-441-4 ©2015, $29.95, p. 261, plus bibliography and indexes By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–The Hebrew expression lashon hara, literally meaning “an evil tongue,” is often translated as slander, gossip, and malicious or disparaging speech. In contemporary […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion

‘Dough’ is worth spending your cash on

By Jack Forman SAN DIEGO — An improbable plot in a film is not necessarily a liability, especially when a movie has other things going for it — great acting, a funny and touching script with a good heart and an uplifting message, sure-footed direction, excellent cinematography and appealing, and off-center characters. Dough, a British comedy-drama

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San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Two teen performers leave TICO audience breathless

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO– Two gifted teenagers shone as soloists in The Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra’s concerts January 31 at the First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista and February 2 at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. Violinist Ilana Hirshfeld, 15,  and Violist Jonathan Sussman, 18, combined their talents in a memorable rendition of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. Their ensemble

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

German arts on exhibit in 50th year of Israel relations

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — To mark both the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Israel Museum and fifty years of German-Israeli diplomatic relations, the  Museum is currently presenting an exhibition of masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. The exhibition, entitled ‘Twilight over Berlin’ and showing works from the period between 1905 and 1945, provides

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

Holocaust survivor takes last stand in new drama

By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — Franz Altman is making his Last Stand.  Which is to be expected, because when a man is 90 years old there probably aren’t too many Stands left for him to take.  Or the energy to take them.But then, Franz Altman is a unique 90-year old.  As portrayed by  Michael Laskin, he rambles on at

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Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

From the Jewish library: ‘Sergei Prokofiev’

Sergei Prokofiev: A Soviet Tragedy by Victor Seroff, Funk & Wagnalls, 1968 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Anton Rubenstein. a composer and one of the greatest piano virtuosos of the 19th century was born to Jewish parents in the vicinity of Odessa.  Though he and Prokofiev never met – indeed Prokofiev was only three

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Film Festival Preview: ‘Imber’s Left Hand’

  LA JOLLA, California -The 26th Annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival is underway, and the film selections seem to run the gamut from comedy to maudlin, somber to joyous, but Friday morning’s film, Imber’s Left Hand, a documentary,  can only be described as bittersweet. Jill Hoy, artist and wife of Jon Imber, introduced the documentary of

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Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Film Festival Preview: ‘Victor Young Perez’

Victor ‘Young’ Perez directed by Jacque Quaniche; Bulgaria, France, Israel; French with English Subtitles; Drama; to be shown twice at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival: At 8 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 7, at Edwards San Marcos Stadium 18, 1180 W. San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos, and at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, February 14, at the Reading

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Calendar, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Film Festival Preview: ‘The Singing Abortionist’

The Singing Abortionist directed by Dana Bratt; Canada; © 2014; 60 minutes; English; Documentary.  To be shown during the San Diego Jewish Film Festival at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 7 at  Edward San Marcos Stadium 18, 1180 W. San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos, and at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Reading Cinemas 14,

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Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

’45 Years’ seemed to take that long for concert lover

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Because both my husband and I tend to prefer going to a concert of an evening rather than attending the screening of a movie, our visits to the cinema are relatively few and far between. Due to a shortage of concerts we have, however, been to see a couple

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Can a derivative story teach the Holocaust?

The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank’s Window by Jeff Gottesfeld; illustrated by Peter McCarty; ©2016 Alfred A. Knopf, Junior Library Guild Selection; 34 pages; $17.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This beautifully written, magnificently illustrated, sentimental remembrance of Anne Frank is being marketed as a children’s book, but I’m not

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History

‘Ghosts’ illustrates reverence for our war dead

Ghosts: Images of War by Carrie Zeidman; © 2015 Swiss Creek Publications; ISBN 978-0970227652; 71 pages; $40. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This is an unusual book of photo essays touring venues of the American Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Holocaust.  Photojournalist Carrie Zeidman visits these places

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