The Arts

OpEd: Mass and Social Media Promote Anti-Israel Bias

You hardly need to lift a finger to get the latest on Israel, most often from the “social justice” viewpoint. But is the “news” objective, or does it follow the new journalism dictum that pushing a narrative is preferred to straight forward, objective reporting? [Steve Kramer]

OpEd: Mass and Social Media Promote Anti-Israel Bias Read More »

Antisemitism, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer, USA

Teachers, Professors Willfully Ignore Facts, Indoctrinate Students with anti-Israel Propaganda

It is hard enough to abide high school and college students who bash Israel without bothering to learn all the twists and turns in its conflict with Hamas, but some public-school teachers and college professors have injected themselves into disruptive protests. [Bruce S. Ticker]

Teachers, Professors Willfully Ignore Facts, Indoctrinate Students with anti-Israel Propaganda Read More »

Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, California, Israel, News Media, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Harvey Milk

Courtesy of Wikipedia Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York, where he acknowledged his homosexuality as an adolescent, but

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Harvey Milk Read More »

Jewish History, News Media, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA, Wikipedia

 Isaac Bashevis Singer’s tale ‘Simple Gimpl’ is Dissected

People persuade Gimpl that the town’s pregnant prostitute is a virgin who is in love with him and wants to marry him. They claim that a youngster living with her is not her child but her brother. He believes them, goes to her, and proposes marriage. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

 Isaac Bashevis Singer’s tale ‘Simple Gimpl’ is Dissected Read More »

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

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Al Franken

Courtesy of Wikipedia Alan Franken (May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, writer, actor, and media personality who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. Franken first gained fame as a writer and performer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he worked for three stints. He first served as a writer for

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Al Franken Read More »

Jewish Celebrities, News Media, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA, Wikipedia

Amal Clooney Helped ICC Weigh Gaza War Crimes Evidence

Published by IBTimes Amal Clooney helped the International Criminal Court weigh evidence that led to the decision to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders, the human rights lawyer said Monday. The high-profile British-Lebanese barrister posted a statement on the website of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which she founded with her husband,

Amal Clooney Helped ICC Weigh Gaza War Crimes Evidence Read More »

International, Israel, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Samuel Goldwyn

While ‍Goldwyn ‍did ‍not ‍embrace ‍Judaism, ‍he ‍did ‍ultimately ‍become ‍president ‍of ‍the ‍United ‍Jewish ‍Welfare ‍Fund ‍and ‍was ‍a ‍strong ‍supporter ‍of ‍Israel. ‍Among ‍the ‍honors ‍he ‍received ‍were ‍the ‍Jean ‍Hersholt ‍Humanitarian ‍Award ‍and ‍the ‍Presidential ‍Medal ‍of ‍Freedom. ‍What ‍else ‍is ‍true ‍of ‍Samuel ‍Goldwyn? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Samuel Goldwyn Read More »

Mark D. Zimmerman, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

‘The Butler Did It’ Offers Plays Within Plays

Under Dennis Floyd’s direction this fast-paced, silly adventure depicts the return of the once-admired Broadway director, Anthony J. Lefcourt, presenting his newest whodunit–not a thriller!–that features an aging starlet, a dewy-eyed ingenue, a doddering actor who can’t learn his lines, a street kid attempting to pass as a schooled butler, and an out-of-work actor-cum-detective. [Eva Trieger]

‘The Butler Did It’ Offers Plays Within Plays Read More »

Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Novel Imagines Political Consequences if Aging Could Be Reversed

Geiderman presents us with an opportunity to imagine what it would be like to suddenly grow younger than one’s daughter, but rather than diving deeply into that story, he had another story in mind – one which, I am sad to say, was not nearly so interesting. It plowed the familiar ground of political intrigue. [Donald H. Harrison]

Novel Imagines Political Consequences if Aging Could Be Reversed Read More »

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

OpEd: The Lion’s Trail Passes Through Desert City of Dimona

David Ben Gurion toyed with the idea of a revived Mamshit becoming the Capital of Israel if the state ever came to be. Necessity was reality. Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence in Tel Aviv in 1948. Dimona was too remote, too hard to get to, and endured a harsh climate [Jerry Klinger]

OpEd: The Lion’s Trail Passes Through Desert City of Dimona Read More »

Israel, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Nora Ephron

Courtesy of Wikipedia Nora Ephron (May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films. She received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award and nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards. Ephron started her career writing

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Nora Ephron Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, The Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA, Wikipedia

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jacob Javits

Courtesy of Wikipedia Jacob Javits (May 18, 1904 – March 7, 1986) was an American lawyer and politician. During his time in politics, he represented the state of New York in both houses of the United States Congress. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the state’s Attorney General. Generally considered a liberal Republican, he was often

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jacob Javits Read More »

News Media, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA, Wikipedia

Three Intriguing Stories Lead to One in ‘The Boy with the Star Tattoo’

The highly readable novel juxtaposes three stories: 1) love and survival in Vichy France;  2) Jewish efforts shortly after World War II to find European Jewish orphans who could be brought to Eretz Israel; and 3) the drama of Israel “stealing” its own ships from under the eyes of the French. [Donald H. Harrison]

Three Intriguing Stories Lead to One in ‘The Boy with the Star Tattoo’ Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Fiction, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors

‘Kosher Jammers’ Links Jewish and African-American Jazz

From the 1920’s through the early 1950’s, luminaries like Harold Arlen (Hyman Arluck) Yip Harburg (Isidore Hochberg) and countless others wrote tunes that became the jazz standards that helped make Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Teddy Wilson, et al, world famous. [Yale Strom]

‘Kosher Jammers’ Links Jewish and African-American Jazz Read More »

Antisemitism, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA