Books, Poetry & Short Stories

‘Turn Every Page’ Film a Stunning, Intimate Learning Experience

“Turn Every Page, The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb,” Released December 2022, Sony Pictures By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — The film title, “Turn Every Page,” is the vital maxim of the investigative journalist and historian. At the beginning of COVID-19, in early 2020, I took the opportunity for some self-directed continuing […]

‘Turn Every Page’ Film a Stunning, Intimate Learning Experience Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Three Jewish Poets Share Their Creativity at the JCC

Julie Potiker, Robert Nejmias, and Lisa Schwartz were the featured poets for the second evening of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices’ 15th season on January 17 at the Astor Judaica Library in the Lawrence Family JCC.  They all read their own works and the audience was totally engaged by the creativity and beauty of their poems, as well as their self-assured presentations.  Examples from each are at the end of this article. [Eileen Wingard]

Three Jewish Poets Share Their Creativity at the JCC Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard

Books and Films – Paul Newman, Steven Spielberg, and the Second World War

By Oliver B. Pollak TETON VILLAGE, Wyoming — I watched The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film on Amazon Prime. There were four of us in the living room, that cut it down to $5 each. I had no intention of writing about it. I got a birthday gift in November, Paul Newman, The Extraordinary Life

Books and Films – Paul Newman, Steven Spielberg, and the Second World War Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Celebrities, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Finding Meaning in the Last Part of Your Life

This book is billed as one for women, but in fact the issues it discusses apply equally to the genders.  In her memoir, Laura Black tells of her struggles with weight and her recognition that because of it, her parents were embarrassed by her. To demonstrate her worth, she threw herself first into business and secondly into the law, eventually combining the two to create an agency to supply lawyers on a temporary basis to law firms that were crushed with work.  Her career won her recognition and plaudits, but did not erase her negative self-image. [Donald H. Harrison]

Finding Meaning in the Last Part of Your Life Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles

Missing Information Detracts from Passover & Easter Tale

Various items connected to the celebration of Passover have gone missing in their home: Passover placemats, a Seder plate puzzle, Afikomen bag, even matzo.  With the discovery of each disappearance, Michael texts the Easter bunny, asking him to put that item in the Golden Easter Egg.  But the placemats, puzzle, and Afikomen bag, are too large to fit in the bag, even though the Easter Bunny pushed, patted, squished, and squashed. [Donald H. Harrison]

Missing Information Detracts from Passover & Easter Tale Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

Sephardic Family History Stretches from Spanish Inquisition to Post-Holocaust

After years of running and hiding during the Holocaust, Jenny Benrey, decided that her five-year-old daughter, the future novelist Michèle Sarde, should be baptized in the Catholic Church.  So many of her relatives and friends had disappeared in the Nazi Holocaust!  But later, when it came time for Michèle’s confirmation, Jenny could not bring herself to complete her abandonment of Judaism.  Michèle was withdrawn from the confirmation class, thereafter living neither as a practicing Jew nor as a Catholic. And the Holocaust that had prompted Jenny’s impulses became a forbidden subject, enveloped in silence. [Donald H. Harrison]

Sephardic Family History Stretches from Spanish Inquisition to Post-Holocaust Read More »

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

Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Continues to Tap Into Community’s Creativity

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — The 15th season of Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices continues on Tuesday evening, January 17, at 7 p.m., featuring three Jewish poets from our community, Roberto Nejmias, Julie Potiker, and Lisa Schwartz. Register here: https://my.lfjcc.org/12680/12681 Nejmias writes in Spanish and his sister, Sara Artenstein, will be reading the English translations.

Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Continues to Tap Into Community’s Creativity Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County

Readable Book Takes the ‘Dismal’ out of the ‘Dismal Science’

This book, written by a well-known TV personality specializing in economic subjects, aims to present the issues and obstacles the average Israeli encounters in dealing with economic matters and bureaucracy, writing about complex subjects in a way that is accessible to all. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

Readable Book Takes the ‘Dismal’ out of the ‘Dismal Science’ Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Science, Medicine, & Education

Foundational Texts of Chabad Movement Launched in Digital Form

(JNS) Sefaria, a provider of digital Jewish texts at no cost, on Tuesday launched its offering of the four foundational texts of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement. The newly available texts include a fully bilingual edition of the Tanya, the cornerstone philosophical text of the Chabad movement; a Hebrew version of Torah Ohr, a 19th-century compilation

Foundational Texts of Chabad Movement Launched in Digital Form Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, USA

Book Offers a Philosopher’s Case for Orthodox Judaism

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Maggid Books, together with Yeshiva University Press, published “A Guide for the Jewish Undecided: A Philosopher Makes a Case for Orthodox Judaism” by Dr. Samuel Lebens, a rabbi and Orthodox Jew who is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa in Israel. His

Book Offers a Philosopher’s Case for Orthodox Judaism Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion