A petition to stop Leonardo DiCaprio from playing Persian poet Rumi in an upcoming biopic is gaining traction online, as thousands of supporters urge the Islamic scholar be played by a Middle Eastern actor. The petition calls the casting choice proposed by the film’s screenwriter and producer “both ludicrous and offensive,” and says by starring […]
Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. By Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO–My guest shot me a look when I dared utter the name “Macbeth” as we took our seats at the Old Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival. “Oh no,” he intoned, “now somebody’s going to die.” “Don’t we all?”
Strange happenings and strange choices in ‘MacBeth’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Nehemiah: Statesman and Sage by Dov S. Zakheim; Maggid Books © 2016; ISBN 9781592-643691; 246 pages including appendices; $27.95 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – From the standpoint of one in whose family there have been several intermarriages in which the children have been raised as Reform Jews, I read this biography of the
Biography of Nehemiah prompts mixed emotions Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionA Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny’s Story, by Brenda Ashford, Doubleday 2013 (and co-writer Kate Thompson) By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Fairy tales usually begin with “Once upon a time” and end with “they lived happily ever after.” But is that true? No, of course not – that’s why they are called “fairy tales,” silly.
From the Jewish Library: ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories
SAN DIEGO — Feivel Wolgelernter, whose father Chaim Yitzchok Wolgelernter wrote the The Unfinished Diary: A Chronicle of Tears, which detailed his experiences hiding in Dzialoszyce, Poland from the German Nazis, will speak at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 28, at Congregation Adat Yeshurun, 8625 La Jolla Scenic Drive North. Feivel’s talk will be followed by a
June 28 play, lecture to augment ‘The Unfinished Diary’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, San Diego Calendar, Theatre, Film & BroadcastNehalel beChol: Weekday Siddur devised by Michael Haruni; Introduction by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Nevarech Press, Jerusalem, © 2015, ISBN 978-965-92180-1-1, p. 665 plus Photo and Credits Appendix, $29.95 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – At first blush, one cannot help but be moved by the attractiveness of the color photographs permeating the Nehalel beChol
Illustrated prayer book follows Ashkenazic tradition Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionPrime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah on Thursday hosted 2016 Genesis Prize laureate violinist Itzhak Perlman at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. The Genesis Prize award ceremony was hosted this year by Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, who toured the city of Jerusalem on Wednesday. The Prime Minister and his wife congratulated Perlman
Netanyahu to Itzhak Perlman: You’re the ‘fiddler of the world’ Read More »
Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsThat was one awkward moment for cable news channel MSNBC and anchor Brian Williams during their coverage of Donald Trump’s speech Wednesday attacking the record of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in New York. At one point, Mr. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, lit into Mrs. Clinton for claiming to have come under fire during a
Brian Williams of MSNBC covers Trump speech savaging Brian Williams Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAThe ancient City of David welcomed a high-profile guest on Wednesday, when Oscar, Emmy, and Tony award-winning British actress Helen Mirren toured archeological sites in Jerusalem with Mayor Nir Barkat. Mirren, who has been chosen to award this year”s Genesis Prize, has a long history of interest in the Jewish state. The Genesis Prize honors
Hollywood star explores ancient Jerusalem in City of David Read More »
Middle East, Theatre, Film & BroadcastActress, singer, and reality TV show host Tila Tequila Nguyen utilized classic anti-Semitic canards during an online rant against Jews and Jewish actress Sarah Silverman this week. Responding to a Twitter comment which said that “Jesus will come back too just don”t tell the Jews about it,” Nguyen wrote that “We should at least tell
Actress bashes Jews as ‘Christ-killers’ Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — As the McCarthy Era recedes into history, we lose sight of the days when “patriots” thought they were protecting our sacred American freedom by denying people their First, Fifth and Sixth Amendment Constitutional Rights. HUAC (The House Un-American Activities Committee) led by Senator Joe McCarthy was a national
‘A Jewish Joke’ is a story of the McCarthy era Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & BroadcastCan the shape of a letter suggest the meaning of words in which it is used? Linguistics professor Zev bar Lev believes that it can. He previews his Global Alphabet theory, upon which he will expound June 28 at a Lawrence Family JCC workshop, in the video above.
Knowing a word by the shape of its letter Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – The world’s youngest Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan, has often been compared to Anne Frank. Both kept diaries in times when rulers subjugated those whom they believed to be racially or religiously inferior. Both Anne and Malala suffered through warfare, their lives constantly threatened, respectively by the
Malala and Anne could have been great friends Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International(JNS.org) Russian-Jewish actor Anton Yelchin, who played the Russian starship navigator Chekov in the rebooted series of “Star Trek” movies, died Sunday after being accidentally crushed by his own vehicle against a driveway wall, police said. The 27-year-old Yelchin was born in St. Petersburg and emigrated to America as a child under political refugee status
Yelchin of ‘Star Trek’ fame killed in accident Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA