‘Intimate Apparel’ and a love that couldn’t be

“The Bravest Little Theater That Could” is the name I want to assign to New Village Arts. Each season this little theater tackles new and challenging shows and always pulls them off with aplomb.  Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel completely lives up to this with an immensely talented cast. Brilliant staging delivers a tale that is at once poignant, historically accurate, and tender.

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Jewish cartoon book delights

Thirty graphic artists are featured in this delightful 86-page book of cartoons on Jewish topics, that starts with the Bible, moves on to Jewish-Christian relations, Jewish holidays, Shabbat, Kashrut, the differences among Jewish denominations, kvetching, and bubbes/ yentas. There are other topics too, but you get the drift.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Trivia, Humor & Satire

‘Bad Hombres, Good Wives’ surprises, pleases

Bad Hombres, Good Wives, a delightful new comedy at the San Diego Repertory Theater, is a cheeky take on Northern Mexico’s narco culture and the relationship between men and women. Written by Playwright in Residence Herbert Siguenza, the play explores the age-old problems of relationships between men and women with a mix of The Importance of Being Ernest, Moliere’s School for Wives, a narco telenovela, and some “Guillermo” Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.

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Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Money, not soldiers, is Trump’s weapon of choice

One way to understand Trump administration foreign policy is to understand that it is more comfortable with the currency of currency than the currency of American soldiers abroad.  That isn’t always the best approach, since many of America’s adversaries are wedded to military interventions — including grossly illegal ones.  And how the United States reassures its allies that it is not abandoning the playing field to soldiers on the other side is of inestimable importance.

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International, Shoshana Bryen, Sports & Competitions, USA

Difficulties, explanations regarding Kohelet

Tradition mandates that Jews should read the biblical book Kohelet, also spelt Koheleth and Qohelet, called Ecclesiastes in English, during the holiday of Sukkot. Both the Hebrew and English names mean “collector” or “collection.” We do not know why this mandate was made. Some say that since Sukkot is a very happy holiday, we need the sober thoughts of Kohelet to modify our joy and make it more reasonable. The book was considered heretical by many ancient rabbis who wanted to exclude it from the Bible.

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

‘Just Kidding:’ Trump family to market Sukkas

Members of President Trump’s family — his two older sons and “the other daughter” — plan to market a line of sukkas in time for next year’s Sukkot holiday. The top-of the line items, which the president has nicknamed “Trump Tabernacle Tents,” will each bear a golden capital T, which will glow in the dark for the benefit of those who want to visit the sukkas in the evening.

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Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Aquarium teaches how good ‘rulers’ treat their subjects

In Genesis: 1:28 we are taught that God blessed mankind instructing it to, “… rule over the fish of the sea, the bird of the sky, and every living thing that moves on the earth.”  At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a visitor can conclude that the phrase “rule over” is interpreted to mean “do everything in your power to help all living creatures.” This becomes evident in light of the aquarium’s successful efforts to rescue otters, to teach about conservation, and to instruct children in the fascinating ways of marine life.

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Travel and Food

Jewish Year 5780 starts with bad news

Two days before the Day of Atonement, The New York Times reported that Jeremy Corbyn had advanced a signficant step toward becoming Britain’s prime minister. Yom Kippur itself was consumed by fatal shootings outside a synagogue in Germany; a military earthquake in Syria that could easily extend to Israel; and two scary incidents in Elon, North Carolina, and White Plains, New York. This confluence of events cast a bleak shadow for 5780, the new Jewish year. It makes one wonder what else can happen.

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Bruce Ticker, International, Middle East, USA

Europe’s proxy war against Israel

According to the European Union Commission’s website, during the last decade the EUC has given over 2 billion Euros to Arab Palestinians in the “West Bank” and the Gaza Strip. This does not include extra payments for health, welfare, and education, and legal services to assist claims against Israel.  Additionally, the EUC is funding illegal Arab building in Area C, which is under Israeli control via the authority of the IDF and its civilian branch, COGAT. This includes assistance to PA residents who infiltrate into Area C and build illegal homes in Arab villages.

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International, Middle East

Our Shtetl San Diego County: October 12, 2019

Items in today’s column include:
*UC San Diego books former Israeli FM Tzipi Livni for Nov. 11 lecture
*Three Jewish philanthropists to receive UC San Diego Chancellor’s Medal
*San Diego Humane Society hosts training for animal law enforcement officers
*Political bytes
*Fundraising
*Coming our way
*Remembering Sy Brenner

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education