The Arts

Animals Protest Zoo Mismanagement in Novel for Youngsters

In this novel, the adult human characters are either good or bad, with few shades of gray.  The animals, of course, are all good, although sometimes they can’t restrain their natural urges.  The behavior of the children improves over the course of the novel, as they come to understand what is at stake. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share

Book Review: ‘Revolutionary Optimism’ Must Be Tempered with Reality

In Revolutionary Optimism, Zeitz outlines seven steps that can help individuals change the world for the better. While the specific steps are not explicitly detailed, the book emphasizes cultivating self-compassion, embracing love as a guiding principle, and engaging in meaningful activism. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Romeo and Juliet Story Spices Up Acrobatic Competition

As for the plot, basically the red team and blue team are at war and are competing in acrobatics and aerial tricks.  The only problem is that one of the blue girls is in love with one of the red boys.  The two keep trying to come together, only to be pulled away by their teams.  [Sandi Masori]

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

How the Mossad Assassinated a Latvian Murderer

The author must have had privileged access to Mossad documents and/or agents to be able to describe in such great detail precisely how the agent managed to gain Cukurs’ confidence to such an extent that, although suspicious of being traced by hostile Jewish elements, he agreed to fly to Montevideo in Uruguay, where the Mossad considered the conditions for assassinating him would be more favorable. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Brian Grazer

Courtesy of Wikipedia Brian Grazer (July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated for four Academy Awards for Splash (1984), Apollo 13 (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and Frost/Nixon (2008). His films and TV series have been nominated for 47 Academy Awards and

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Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Summer is the Season to Try New Jewish Experiences

As I tell many people, you are never too old to learn something new, whether it be a new art medium or listening to a discussion about someone’s life experiences. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Arlo Guthrie

Courtesy of Wikipedia Arlo Guthrie (July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Guthrie’s best-known work is his debut piece, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a satirical talking blues song about 18 minutes in length that has since become a Thanksgiving anthem.

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Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

‘Left for Dead’ Prompts Rabbi’s Exposition of Jewish Ethics

Eric Jay Dolin is a well-known master storyteller who paints a gripping historical narrative set against the backdrop of the early 19th century. The story not only revolves around an American sealing expedition during the War of 1812 but also delves into the themes of survival, conflict, and moral dilemmas, adding depth and intrigue to the story. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Kinky Friedman, z”l

Friedman ‍also ‍wrote ‍numerous ‍detective ‍novels, ‍ran ‍unsuccessfully ‍for ‍office ‍in ‍Texas, ‍and ‍wrote ‍a ‍column ‍in ‍the ‍‍Texas ‍Monthly ‍magazine ‍for ‍many ‍years. ‍What ‍was ‍once ‍written ‍about ‍Kinky ‍Friedman ‍in ‍the ‍‍Texas ‍Monthly? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Musicians in the Family Led Lives of Disharmony

Nachum was an awkward provincial boy with a gentle soul. He was drawn to beauty and was fascinated by the art of music and by my aunt’s appearance. He idolized her and fell under her power. At that time, she was a beautiful young woman, ambitious, bossy, capricious, and everything worked out for her: she was successful in her career and in winning men’s hearts. However, she was at the mercy of national tradition and married a Jew, Nachum, without loving him. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Oct. 7th Convinced Medical Students of Necessity of Specialty in Trauma Surgery

Soroka University Medical Center needed to reinvent itself on the fly and dramatically expand its capacity amid the overwhelming amount of severe, traumatic injuries suffered by Israelis on Oct. 7. The number of children treated at the facility that day was equivalent to the usual number treated in an entire year, Perry said. [Jacob Kamaras]

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Israel, Jacob Kamaras, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Times of San Diego, USA