By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –French Hill is one of the neighborhoods begun soon after 1967 on land included in the enlargement of Jerusalem. Now there are about 8,000 residents, the large majority of whom are Jews. There are also Arab, East Asian, and other students from the nearby Hebrew University, and Arab families who are […]
Tense times on front lines of Jerusalem neighborhoods Read More »
Ira SharkanskyBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–Recently I wove my car down to the Gaslamp District to catch the tail end of Lamb’s Players Theatre’s miXtape, a little 80’s musical review written by resident Lamb’s actors Jon Lorenz (musical arrangements) and Colleen Kollar Smith (she also choreographed) and directed by another long time resident player and staff
‘MiXtape’ and ‘The Full Monty’ enliven local theatre scene Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastTanya, the Masterpiece of Hasidic Wisdom: Sections Annotated and Explained by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Skylight Paths Publishing, Woodstock, NY (Forward by Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi); ISBN 978-1-59473-275-1, ©2010, $16.99, p. 165, plus appendices, Available in Kindle edition By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Jews were the middlemen between the gentry and the underclass in
'Tanya' provides insight into Chassidic thought Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdDBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Sukkot begins on Wednesday evening. It may not amount to much in America, but it is a major event here. Religious Jews and some not so religious are building a sukkah (hut) in their yards or on their balconies, and the observant are acquiring an etrog (citrus with a bump), palm branch,
Construction freeze period will end during Sukkot Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Carol Davis LAS VEGAS–If you’re looking for spectacular, eye popping, lip drooling, utter amazement and sheer pleasurable entertainment drop in at the Wynn Resort on the Vegas Strip in Las Vegas and catch La Rêve (The Dream). you won’t be disappointed. Created by ex Cirque creator, Franco Dragone, the show is now in
A Wynn, win happening in Vegas Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USAPenelope’s Daughter by Laurel Corona, Berkeley Publishing Group, 2010, 358 pages including glossary, afterword and reader’s guide, $15. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Readers may be charmed by this story and yet find it controversial. Prize-winning author Laurel Corona, who often writes book reviews for San Diego Jewish World, has written another novel, Penelope’s Daughter,
San Diego author tells the rest of the story of 'The Odyssey' Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The pressure is building, both on Israel and the Palestinians. The immediate issue is the freeze on building in the settlements, set to expire in about a week. Various Palestinians have said, time and again, that they would cease the peace talks if there is construction of even one building
Looming expiration of building freeze a crisis for Mideast talks Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –On the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War and the yartzeit this month of more than 2,500 Israel soldiers who gave their lives in a war for the very survival of the State and the protection of their homes and families, the United States has nearly completed the turn of
U.S. has turned 180 degrees in its Israel policy Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Carol Davis VISTA, California –Every now and then it’s good to look back and reflect on the deeds and actions in which our country has been involved. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned tragedy to bring us to our senses, or not. Take for example Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and Claude-Michael Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s
Moonlight closes season with strong ‘Miss Saigon’ Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–After doubtful claims of success in Iraq, and clearer failure in Afghanistan, the United States is tackling the problematical task of picking the good guys in Yemen. Maybe not the good guys. Hopefully the best guys, or those who score least bad on the score of unreliability. Or more likely, those who
Commentary: U.S. Mideast record not comforting close to the action Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Eighteen segments are featured in Alan Oren’s remarkable documentary about the Kol Nidre prayer, “Eighteen Voices Sing Kol Nidre, Secrets of a Sacred Chant.” Not all are musical voices. There are the Chassidic Rabbi telling a Kol Nidre tale by the Baal Shem Tov, and Neil Levin, from the
The musical staying power of Kol Nidre Read More »
Eileen WingardBy Lloyd Levy LONDON — The Pope is arriving in the UK imminently, on the first official visit by any Pope for at least 500 years —yes that’s correct, it was over 500 years ago since Henry 8th decimated the Catholic Church in England, and established the Protestant Church of England in its stead. So
Hostility awaits Pope's visit to England Read More »
Lloyd LevyBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –After the 9-11 ceremonies, commentaries and protests, it hardly seems necessary to suggest it – everyone is already angry, right? No, everyone is offended: offended by plans for “Cordoba House,” a mosque within the World Trade Center damage zone; offended by how offended mosque supporters are with what they
Everyone's offended, but watch and be angry and proud Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the most prominent of the world’s unsolved problems. The casualties are small in relation to what occurs wherever the United States military is directly involved. It is the location in the land considered holy by contending faiths, and the weight of Arab onlookers
Questions about Palestinian sincerity obstacles to Mideast peace Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East