Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Good News from Israel (January 3, 2021)

NETANYA, Israel — In the January 3, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Israeli surgeons used Augmented Reality to repair a patient’s eye socket.
An Israeli NGO brought water and light to 200 African villages in 2020.
Israeli prize-winning technology for hydrogen production.
An Israeli startup is developing floating video phones to keep seniors safe.
The UAE-Israel Business Council now has over 3,000 members .
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman 1984 is the most successful new release in the pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, more than 20,000 people made Aliyah in 2020. [Michael Ordman]

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International, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Joan-Micklin-Silver, Pioneer Female Director, Demonstrated Popularity of Jewish Film Subjects

Joan Micklin Silver (1935-2020) passed away on New Year’s Eve. She belonged to a cohort of pioneering American female directors in the 1970s, many of whom were Jewish. Whereas most of her Jewish counterparts deal with Jewish themes in their films, she repeatedly returned to making distinctly Jewish films earning her the reputation of being the “the mother of Jewish feminist film.” [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

My worst moment: Mayim Bialik on overrated standing ovations and her pal Neil Patrick Harris

Mayim Bialik kicks off the new year as the lead in the new Fox comedy “Call Me Kat,” which is based on the BBC sitcom “Miranda.” “We’re doing an American version, which means more of an American sensibility, so we’ve adjusted it around my quirks and my personality,” said Bialik. “‘Call Me Kat’ is about

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Exploring Jewish and Chinese connections in San Diego

Li-rong (Lilly) Cheng, Ph.D., director of the Chinese Cultural Center at San Diego State University, loves well-told stories about China, whether they be fiction or non fiction. Over the years, she has been involved in promulgating stories of each type, and in two particular cases, the story telling has involved Jews. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
https://youtu.be/qI6WqtdY4dc

Good News from Israel (December 27, 2020)

In the Dec. 27, 2020 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
A woman and a Druze Arab make Israeli Air Force history.
Historic signing of agreements between Israel and Morocco.
Two new Israeli fabric coatings protect against Covid-19.
Europeans are buying millions of Israeli flowers this month.
They will all come to Jerusalem. [Michael Ordman]

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Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Critics slam Wonder Woman 1984 for ‘anti-Arab racism’

Hotly anticipated superhero film “Wonder Woman 1984” has been met with terrible reviews – and accusations of anti-Arab racism. Viewers took to social media to express their concerns after the film premiered on the HBO Max streaming service on Friday. Critics online were quick to pan the DC Comics film, calling the movie “hard-to-follow” and

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

San Diegan wins posthumous plaudits for his rendition of a Chinese musical

Romance of the Western Chamber is a 2 1/2- hour musical based on a play that first appeared in China as Xi Xiang Ji in the 13th century. It is a lovely love story of a poor 23-year-old man and rich 19-year-old woman who fell in love at first sight. The original play ran for about 20 hours. It was the most famous love story in Chinese literature and was made into a movie and several Beijing operas. It was adapted and turned into a musical by the late Dr. Howard Rubenstein, a San Diego physician and playwright who wrote ten very interesting plays. Rubenstein revised the play into modern English, reduced its time, and had Max Lee write music for it.

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International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Movie review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor (how could it?), but sincerity, spectacle remain superpowers

Filmmaker Patty Jenkins had a profound cinematic experience as a young girl watching Richard Donner’s “Superman,” which inspired in her a kind of wonder and hope that she wanted to share with others through the magic of the movies. That sense of hope is a keystone of her work in “Wonder Woman” and its sequel,

Movie review: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor (how could it?), but sincerity, spectacle remain superpowers Read More »

Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Good News From Israel (December 20, 2020)

In the December 20, 2020 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Israeli Covid-19 vaccine goes into Phase 2 trials as Israel rolls out the Pfizer vaccine.
Israel and Bhutan have established full diplomatic relations.
An Israeli smart color sensor can prevent massive food waste.
Israeli irrigation of rice crops saves water and the environment.
An Israeli company won a contract for its robots to clean a million solar panels.
Israel’s Wonder Woman won the first MTV “She-Ro” award.
A lost tribe’s return to Israel is one of three Israeli Chanukah “miracles”. [Michael Ordman]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Gloria: No tolerance for racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia

As Mayor, I will not tolerate racism, anti-Semitism, or homophobia in our city,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria declared Saturday.  “We will swiftly confront these acts of bigotry wherever they are and hold those who are responsible for them accountable.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Gal Gadot Tries Taco Bell & Ho-Hos For First Time With Jimmy Fallon

Israeli actress Gal Gadot tried an assortment of new American foods for Monday’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon**, Fallon surprising her with eggnog, Ho-Hos and Taco Bell. In return, Fallon tried an assortment of Israeli snacks, including sufganiyot and gefilte fish, both seasonal as they are typically enjoyed on Jewish holidays like

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Israeli actress Gal Gadot takes over Burj Khalifa as Wonder Woman

Israeli actress Gal Gadot was projected onto Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper on Tuesday to advertise her latest film in the Wonder Woman franchise. The Emirati promotion for soon-to-be released “Wonder Woman 1984” makes a marked contrast from the reception in the Middle East of Gadot’s previous appearance as the superhero. The first “Wonder Woman” film

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jen Campbell solidifies her City Council control

City Council President Dr. Jennifer Campbell solidified her control over City Council business by appointing herself and the four councilmembers who supported her for president against Councilwoman Monica Montgomery Steppe to key committee positions. The five councilmembers who voted for her now are the exact same membership of the Rules Committee, which according to the City of San Diego’s website, has responsibility for the “charter, permanent rules of council, open government, elections and ballot measures, annexations, boards and commissions, council initiated matters, communications, customer service and public outreach.” Besides Campbell, who will chair the committee, other members include Raul Campillo, Stephen Whitburn, Marni von Wilpert, and Chris Cate. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA