Foster hand-selected her audiences, in this way assuring that attendees would be generous. Often her patrons were members of clubs that she sponsored or was a member, thereby stacking the deck for more favorable reviews. [Eva Trieger]
‘Glorious,’ saga of the worst singer, now at PowPac Read More »
Eva Trieger, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The basic story, set in an Eastern European shtetl, is about the disappearance of the dye-maker Samuel. Samuel has a special technique for extracting dye from the flowers, and that is by listening to the flowers, letting them live their lives, and then picking them only when they’ve died. [Sandi Masori]
David Chait narrates a fanciful shtetl folktale Read More »
Jewish Fiction, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
The La Mesa Arts Academy Masters Arts Showcase took over the school library with its end-of-the-year showcase celebrating the promoting eighth graders. [Cailin Acosta]
Life is enriched by detecting hidden Jewish connections Read More »
Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Lichtenstädter loved historical-prophetic sketches. In his book Das Neue Weltreich (The New Empire, 1903), he predicted Germany’s attack on Poland in October 1939 (he was off by one month). In 1912, Lichtenstädter predicted the “monstrous” slaughter of Armenians by the Turks, which took place in 1915. Long before the historical events, Lichtenstädter predicted the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1940 (he was off by two years). [Alex Gordon]
Jewish biography: Siegfried Lichtenstädter, anti-utopian author Read More »
Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Sonia Rykiel (May 25, 1930 – August 25, 2016) was a French fashion designer and writer. She created the Poor Boy Sweater, which was featured on the cover of French Elle magazine. [Wikipedia}
Today’s Jewish birthday: Sonia Rykiel Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
An attic full of strawberries
A hand full of cards
Families forgetting they had to be wary
Their lives now forever covered in scars … [CeCe Acosta]
Poetry: All That Remains Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Holocaust, International, Jewish Fiction, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Written in 2005 by Ins Choi, who also played the role of Appa (the dad) in this production, it was originally written while Choi was attending the Soulpepper Academy in Toronto. At the time Choi cast himself in the role of Jung, the son. But, he said, he always aspired to play Appa when he “got old.” [Sandi Masori]
Television sit-com ‘Kim’s Convenience’ comes to Old Globe stage Read More »
Lifestyles, Opinion, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Bob Dylan (May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 69-year career. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish birthday: Bob Dylan Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
Thousands of years ago, in a story held as history, sacred memory, and inherited narrative, our traditions begin in the same household. Abraham. Sarah. Hagar. Isaac. Ishmael. [Betzy Lynch]
Letter to our Muslim neighbors Read More »
Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Artie Shaw (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and author of both fiction and non-fiction. [Wikipedia]
Today’s Jewish birthday: Artie Shaw Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
Now, artificial intelligence has forced humanity into a different kind of confrontation, not merely with technology, but with the possibility that human imagination itself may no longer be sufficient to understand what comes next. [Shahar Masori]
AI may surpass the limits of human imagination Read More »
Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shahar Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology
On Shavuot we celebrated the greatest moment in Jewish history — the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Our ancestors stood at the foot of that mountain and received the divine blueprint for how to live as a holy people. But our sages, with their sharp eyes and even sharper sense of wordplay, noticed something curious about the location. The mountain is called Sinai. And what does that sound like in Hebrew? Sinah — שִׂנְאָה — hatred. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Why Sinai and ‘sinah’ are still best frenemies Read More »
Antisemitism, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors
On the surface it seems that his family is the “ideal” family. Dad Solomon (Cornell Womack) is a civil rights hero and minister, and his mom is a former lawyer turned homemaker. The photos on the wall show them with all the greats of the Civil Rights movement. [Sandi Masori]
Public lives not matched by family’s private ones in ‘Purpose’ Read More »
San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food
Amid the incessant corruption, attacks on democracy, and norms broken by the president – enabled by complicit Republicans in Congress – Jewish Americans should be particularly outraged about Trump’s erasure of the separation of church and state, including false claims that America was founded as a Christian nation. [Halie Soifer]
America is not a Christian nation Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA