The Arts

Found: Six Women of Valor at San Diego’s JFest

It was with great excitement that we packed into Garfield Theatre at Lawrence Family JCC (a performance this Sunday, June 23, will be at the Leichtag Commons in Encinitas) to be brought into the lives of six superlative women who have contributed greatly to our San Diego community. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria opened the program with a short inspiring introduction. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

TICO Performs a Fourth Fifth and a First

Before intermission, we heard Silence, a world premiere by John Michael Luther, based on a poem written by Conductor Amos’ granddaughter, Piper Gillett, when she was 13 years old. The work made a profound impression, especially remarkable that the words were written by one so young, and inspired such an interesting setting by composer Luther. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Mimi’s Ark: Showing Love for Ramona’s Wildlife

He leads photographic expeditions to in Africa and Central and South America, including Botswana, Costa Rica, and Chile. With his keen insight to animal behavior and his jovial personality, the expeditions are very popular, and sell out quickly. [Mimi Pollack]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Mimi Pollack, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, The World We Share

An Open Letter to Authors’ Guild on Antisemitism

Scheduled Jewish authors’ events have been canceled and many venues would not invite them to present. Agents are turning down manuscripts by Jewish writers or are firing Jewish clients whose work they had agreed to represent. These gate-keepers of the publishing world know that acquisition editors will not buy them. [Talia Carner]

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Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

A Serious Essay about European Jewish Humor

Self-criticism is inherent in a tolerant society that respects the human being as such and reflects on its mistakes and imperfections. Self-criticism is alien to an authoritarian society. Nations that are satisfied with themselves and look to other nations for faults and blame for their failures are stagnant. Jews are dissatisfied, hence they develop. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Erich Segal

Courtesy of Wikipedia Erich Segal (June 16, 1937 – January 17, 2010) was an American author, screenwriter, educator, and classicist who wrote the bestselling novel Love Story (1970) and its hit film adaptation. Born and raised in a Jewish household in Brooklyn, New York, Segal was the first of three brothers. His father was a rabbi and his mother was a homemaker.

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

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Mickey Katz

Courtesy of Wikipedia Mickey Katz (June 15, 1909 – April 30, 1985) was an American musician and comedian. He was the father of actor Joel Grey and paternal grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey. Meyer Myron Katz was born on Sawtell Court in Cleveland, Ohio, to a Jewish family. He was one of five children born to Johanna (née Herzberg) and Menachem Katz.

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

Songs in ‘Johnny and June’ Memorable, but Narration Lacks Something

Basically, the show takes us through both Johnny and June’s beginnings, the way they met, how they started touring together and eventually fell in love, though both were married to others at the time. [Sandi Masori]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Careful Beauties Ahead!’: Laughing at the Pious

Tenenbom also mocks practices that rational thinkers would consider strange. For example, pious men feel that it is wrong to look at a woman lest they be driven to lust, but women can look at men because they are not so distracted. Also, married women cover their hair so that men do not become attracted to them. However, many buy wigs that make them more beautiful than they ever were before they wore them. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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

OpEd: Zelensky Keeps a Distance from His Jewishness and from Israel

The silencing of his Jewishness has characterized his entire tenure as president. Mentioning his Jewishness became taboo. Benjamin Disraeli, a baptized Jew, was Prime Minister of Great Britain and openly discussed Jewish issues and wrote novels with Jewish characters. Léon Blum was Prime Minister of France and spoke freely about his Jewishness. Bruno Kraisky was Chancellor of Austria and made no secret of his Jewishness. Walter Rathenau was Foreign Minister of Germany and spoke proudly of his Jewish ancestry. None of them were ashamed of their Jewishness as Zelensky was. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast