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Jewish Biography: Fromental Halévy, Composer of Operas and Jewish Sacred Music

Halévy’s seminal work is the opera The Jewess (La Juive), which became one of the cornerstones of the French repertoire for a century. It was a grand opera in five acts, including ballet, choruses, spectacular processions and festivities. The premiere of the opera, based on a libretto by the famous French playwright Eugène Scribe, was a colossal success at the Grand Opera House in Paris on February 23, 1835. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Sabbath Queen’ Tells of an Orthodox Rabbi Who Became a Drag Queen

Sabbath Queen shown Sunday night at the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival documents the life of Amichai Lau-Lavie, the Rabbi and founding spiritual leader of Lab/Shul in NYC.  The documentary combines archival footage, 21 years of filming and animation to tell the story of Lau-Lavie’s spiritual journey. [Robin Dishman]

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

An “Interview” with a Groundhog

“I might add that it is quite a puzzling day for me too. You see, I have a little touch of rheumatism and, like everyone else, I want the warmth of spring to come early, too. So every year at about this time I get my sunglasses and consider putting them on. so I won’t see my shadow or be bothered by the snow. But then I start worrying, especially since I can never remember whether I’m supposed to stay outside or go back into my hole – er, house.” [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Israeli Researchers Warn of a Pandemic in the Oceans

An international team of researchers led by scientists from Tel Aviv University (TAU) has discovered that the pathogen responsible for the mass deaths of sea urchins along the Red Sea coast is the same one responsible for mass mortality events among sea urchins off the coast of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. [Press Release]

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International, Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education

Mishnah Anticipated Scientific Understanding of Whispering, Digestion, Combustion

What particularly fascinates me is how the book reveals the Mishnah’s sophisticated understanding of physical and psychological phenomena that we’ve only recently begun to explain through modern scientific frameworks. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Biography Explains the Holocaust to Children Ages 8 to 12

It augments the narrative with supplemental pages explaining such terms and concepts as World War II, antisemitism, ghettos, partisans, the Holocaust, collaborators, the righteous among the nations, the camps, and resistance. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Keith, Ofer and Yarden are Back in Israel — Where They Belong

In another emotional moment for Israel and the Jewish people, we witnessed the long-awaited release of Israeli-American Keith Siegel, French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, and Yarden Bibas after enduring 484 excruciating days in Hamas’ terror dungeons. [Julie Rayman, American Jewish Committee]

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International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘Appropriate’ at Old Globe is Unsettlingly Thought-Provoking

The Old Globe Theater usually gets really talented professional equity actors for its shows.  Tony award winner ‘Appropriate’ is no different.  The all-star cast deliver a compelling performance; every single one of them deserves recognition. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Julia Garner

Julia Garner (February 1, 1994) is an American actress. She gained recognition for playing Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), for which she received critical acclaim and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. [Wikipedia]

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Jewish Celebrities, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Taking in the Movies at the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival

The San Diego International Jewish Film Festival is being held at the Lawrence Family JCC. I love going to the movies but since having twins, those typical date nights with my husband are not very common anymore. [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, California, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA