The Arts

OpEd: An Evening with Israeli Journalist Tal Schneider at the Lawrence Family JCC

In Monday evening’s conversation, she explained the social situation on the ground in Israel since the October 2023  Hamas attack on Israel. “For Israelis, there was life before; then there is NOW,” she said. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, News Media, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Ambassador Explains Israel’s Military Action in Syria

Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox Business News that “those guys who are taking over Syria are not peace loving.  You know they are terrorists, most of them, so we are now neutralizing the threat. …” [SDJW staff report]

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International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ayelet Waldman

Courtesy of Wikipedia Ayelet Waldman (December 11, 1964) is an Israeli-American novelist and essayist. She has written seven mystery novels in the series The Mommy-Track Mysteries and four other novels. She has also written autobiographical essays about motherhood. Waldman spent three years working as a federal public defender and her fiction draws on her experience as a lawyer.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

‘The Ice Cream Man,’ a Holocaust Short, Screened by Chabad of RSF

A packed crowd attended the San Diego County premiere of The Ice Cream Man hosted by Drs William and Laura Freeman.  Chabad of RSF Rabbi Levi and Rebbetzin Devorah Raskin invited viewers to wonderful delectables followed by ice cream. [Sandy Scheller]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Murder Mystery Secondary to a Fine Portrait of Skid Row

This murder mystery takes place on Chicago’s run down southside, circa 1966. But two murders don’t start the novel, they occur very close to the end. The story begins with a young, idealistic Jewish dentist starting a practice on Skid Row and becoming acclimated to the drunkards and junkies who inhabit the neighborhood. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Elisha Expanded on His Mentor Elijah’s Role as Prophet

Israel Drazin’s Who Was the Prophet Elisha? is a thought-provoking exploration of one of the Bible’s most enigmatic figures. Through a blend of scholarly rigor and accessible analysis, Drazin offers a comprehensive examination of Elisha’s life, ministry, and legacy, presenting new insights into the prophet’s role in biblical narratives. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jakob Dylan

Courtesy of Wikipedia Jakob Dylan (December 9, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter of the rock band the Wallflowers, which he formed in 1989. Born in New York City to musician Bob Dylan and model Sara Lownds, Dylan began his musical career in various indie bands before creating the Wallflowers. As its frontman

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

Jewish Biography: Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosopher and Logician

At the age of 14, Ludwig left his parents’ home to attend a real gymnasium in Linz, where his fellow student was Adolf Schicklgruber, the future Hitler, who was born six days earlier than Wittgenstein. Although the Wittgenstein family had converted to Christianity, they were considered Jews throughout the neighborhood. Therefore, the appearance of a Jew in the classroom provoked the ill-will of his classmates and the hatred of Hitler. “This Jew we did not particularly trust, […] we doubted his trustworthiness,” Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Racheli Boudjnah Paints with a Jewish Heart

This emotional piece captured the poignant moment of young children and women lighting Chanukah candles before facing the unknown. As a self-taught artist, Racheli seamlessly weaves her Jewish family tradition into her artwork, reminiscent of how Holocaust prisoners expressed their experiences through drawing what they saw. [Sandy Scheller]

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sandra Scheller, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Dec. 12 LFJCC Program Features Broadway Show Tunes with Music and Lyrics by Jews

“Jews on Broadway,” the next Treasures from the Music Collection of the Astor Judaica Library program, will be presented at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec 12, at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center.  [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Sammy Davis Jr.

Courtesy of Wikipedia Sammy Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian and dancer. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally, and his film career began in 1933. After military service, Davis returned to the trio and became a

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

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Judd Apatow

Courtesy of Wikipedia Judd Apatow (December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and comedian, best known for his work in comedy films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Funny People (2009), This Is 40 (2012), Trainwreck (2015), The King of Staten Island (2020), and The Bubble (2022). Through Apatow Productions he produced and developed

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

Chanukah, Hannukah, Hanukah, Hanukka, Hanuka

Chanukah, Hannukah, Hanukah, Hanukka, Hanuka. Hmm, so many ways the holiday is spelled. Personally, I like the spelling of Chanukah. Some of my non-Jewish friends would pronounce the “ch” sound phonetically saying cha-nukah and I would giggle. When my 12-year-old twins were learning to spell and read they would ask why there is a “ch” but is pronounced as a “huh.” [Cailin Acosta]

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Antisemitism, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors

White House Studies Blanket Pardons for Trump’s and Patel’s Political Enemies

The Biden administration is having internal discussions led by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and legal counsel Ed Siskel about issuing preemptive pardons for political figures presumed to be on FBI Director-designate Kash Patel’s enemy list, according to Politico and The Washington Post. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, Business & Finance, California, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA