Holocaust

‘The Zone of Interest’ Has Its American Film Cousins

The greatest boon in engaging in genocide for Führer, Hausfrau, and commoner is getting other people’s stuff. Rudolf Höss accrues and exercises power, earns respect and fear, and steals like an upper-class thief. Meanwhile, Hedwig, his devoted wife and doting mother of five happy and healthy children, embodies the evil banality of SS housewifery. [John E. Finley-Weaver]

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Holocaust, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Holocaust survivor tells Prince William she ‘misses’ Kate Middleton in heartwarming moment

Published by Mirror By Jennifer Newton A Holocaust survivor told Prince William she ‘misses’ the Princess of Wales ‘so much’ during a solo visit to a synagogue. The Prince of Wales today paid a visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue – which was meant to happen in January for National Holocaust Day but postponed

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Nordot

Jewish Defense Groups File Formal Complaint against Berkeley Unified School District for Antisemitism

According to the complaint, Berkeley administrators have ignored parent reports and knowingly allowed its K-12 schools to become hostile environments for Jewish and Israeli students. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Confronting the Alarming Rise of Antisemitism in California

My office has been forming responsive actions to address antisemitic literature in communities with high numbers of Jewish families, include the Jewish perspective into DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives, and train local officials on what they can do when hate speech or acts arise in public forums. [Assemblymember Chris Ward]

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Biography: Emanuel Lasker, World Chess Champion

Einstein … believed that chess was not Lasker’s goal, but rather his profession. He drew a parallel between chess in the life of the second world champion and the grinding of lenses in the life of Spinoza. He argued that lenses for Spinoza and chess for Lasker were a means of livelihood. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Milos Forman

In 1975, Forman had his first big hit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, about life in a psychiatric ward, which won him an Oscar as best director. In 1979, he directed Hair, based on the Broadway musical but it did not do well financially. In 1981, he directed Ragtime, based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow, and in 1985, he won another Academy Award for directing  Amadeus, about the life of Mozart. [SDJW staff]

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Holocaust, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Antisemitic Callers Overwhelm La Mesa City Council Meeting with Hate Speech

Words turned ugly during the council’s public comment period on Tuesday when a series of callers, each held to a council-mandated three-minute limit per speaker, used their allotted time to debase and degrade Jews with callous accusations and conspiracy theories. [J.W. August, Times of San Diego]

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Antisemitism, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Jackie Gmach Utilizes the Arts to Teach Lessons of the Holocaust and the Tree of Life Synagogue

That drawing inspired Gmach to develop “We Are The Tree of Life,” a project focusing on Holocaust education utilizing the arts to promote a message of hope and survival. Literature, music, dance, poetry and drawings created by prisoners in the concentration camps and ghettos during World War II show that beauty can survive, even when experiencing unspeakable horrors. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ Revisited in Tel Aviv Performance

At the performance in Tel Aviv last week the audience sat in rapt silence as the orchestra played and the choir and soloists sang, bringing the majesty and drama of Verdi’s music to life. In Israel of today, with war being waged in the Gaza Strip and skirmishes raging in the north of the country, the performance of the Requiem has special significance. In the plaza of the nearby Tel Aviv Museum families of the hostages held in Gaza were demonstrating in order to convince the government to do more to get them released. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Anne Frank musical hits Dutch stage, ‘we should never forget’

Published by Relaxnews By Nick Gammon / AFP A new musical production based on Anne Frank’s diary has hit the stage in The Netherlands, with the producer and star convinced the story needs telling now more than ever. A new musical production based on Anne Frank’s diary has hit the stage in The Netherlands, with

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Florida Holocaust Museum to Permanently House Elie Wiesel’s Collection

The Florida Holocaust Museum has been chosen as the permanent home of Elie Wiesel’s entire collection, including his Nobel prize, the  contents of his personal office and library, unfinished manuscripts, letters from world leaders and other luminaries, and a variety of artworks, photographs, recordings – some of which have never been seen. [Press Release]

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Holocaust, Jewish History, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Martin Buber

In 1923, Buber wrote his famous essay on existence, Ich und Du, which was translated into English as I and Thou. Ich-Du relationships involve the concepts of ‘encounter,” “meeting,” “dialogue,” “mutuality,” and “exchange,” where as in Ich-Es (I and It) relationships, there is no dialogue or exchange, there is only monologue. Other things or people exist only to serve the interests of the individual in question. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Democratic Senate Candidates in California Split on Israeli Ceasefire; Agree on Combating Domestic Antisemitism

The most significant difference among the candidates was their answers to the ceasefire question.  While she favors eliminating Hamas as the power controlling Gaza, Lee said, “what I don’t think will assure Israel’s security is killing 26,000 women and children and civilians.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA