The Arts

Last letters of Israeli soldiers poignant, witty, and even joyous

The emotional range is extraordinary and serves as a splendid message and lesson for readers. One page may have readers smiling at a soldier’s wit; the next may be almost unbearable because of its honesty. No letter romanticizes war. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors

A hidden Jewish angle to Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’

In the late 1990s, on the 50th anniversary of his 1949 play, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller confessed to an interviewer that Willy Loman and his family were intended to be Jews. Further, he said, the title character was inspired by one of his uncles and a suicidal colleague of his father’s, both of them salesmen. [Susie Rosenbluth]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Comedian Alex Edelman jokes about different streams of Judaism at JFEST opener

After greeting the audience Edelman, who grew up Orthodox, opened with a groaner. “What’s the difference between a reform Rabbi and Donald Trump?” He asked. The answer, “Donald Trump has Jewish grandchildren.” As the crowd groaned in unison, he noted that yes, it was a bad joke, and yes, everyone would be repeating it.  He wasn’t wrong on either count. [Sandi Masori]

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Jewish Celebrities, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire

President Trump calls on Jews to celebrate America’s 250th birthday by observing National Shabbat May 15-16

Prinz’s address is remembered for its contention that in the face of discrimination, “the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.” [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Local poets Rolfe, Chait, and Lynch to be featured at the JCC May 19

Three local poets, Donna Rolfe, David Chait, and Betzy Lynch, will be featured in the final program of the 2025-26 season of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices, Tuesday, May 19, 7 p.m. in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. [Eileen Wingard}

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Biography: Emmerich (Imre) Kálmán, operetta composer

When three Jews in a troubled, hostile-to-their-people Vienna put on a jester’s cap and write an operetta with a happy ending, one might think they were indulging in wishful thinking or trying to drown their fears, to dissolve their worries in the desired joy. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish birthday: Grete Stern

Grete Stern (May 9, 1904 – December 24, 1999) was a German-Argentine photographer. Between April 1930 and March 1933, she studied at the Bauhaus. With her husband Horacio Coppola, she helped modernize the visual arts in Argentina and presented the first exhibition of modern photographic art in Buenos Aires in 1935. [Wikipedia]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

‘MJ the Musical’ brings Michael Jackson’s music and movement back to San Diego

The strongest part of the production is the four performers who carry the different versions of Michael. Jordan Markus, as MJ, captures the voice, the movement, and the careful way Jackson carried himself between pain and whimsy. [Shor M. Masori]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA