Travel and Food

The Brilliance of Chelm and IB Singer; Shlemiel the First on the West Bank of the Hudson

By Jeanette Friedman New York Bureau Chief, San Diego Jewish World   MONTCLAIR, New Jersey–It’s amazing when New Yawkers cross the Hudson to go see a show. And when Robert Brustein’s fantastic adaptation of Shlemiel the First was at Montclair State, they got in their cars, rented buses and hied themselves over to the Kassner Theater, where this Yiddish-flavored musical tripped the lights […]

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Travel and Food

'Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices' returns to Astor Judaica Library

LA JOLLA, California (Press Release)–“Jewish Poets, Jewish Voices” begins its second season of three evenings showcasing original  poems and songs performed by local poets and song writers, at 7:30 p.m.  Wednesday evening, Jan.. 20, at the Astor Judaica Library in the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. Sara Appel-Lennon, columnist for San Diego Jewish World and Yael G’mach, artist

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Travel and Food

San Diego Jewish Film Festival preview: 'Villa Jasmin'

By Laurel Corona LA JOLLA, California — Each of us has a narrative about our family’s past, whether it’s shared around the table at family celebrations, or kept quietly to ourselves. When Serge Boccara (Clement Sibony) sets out from France  to Tunisia with his pregnant wife Jeanne (Judith Davis) in director Ferid Boughedir’s 2008 film Villa

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Travel and Food

Western States Jewish History: Rabbi tells story behind his officiating the marriage of Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt

_____________________________________________________________ Editor’s Note: The Winter/ Spring edition of Western States Jewish History is devoted to the columns of the late  Rabbi William Kramer, who wrote “My Shtetele California” for the Jewish Heritage newspapers.  One of the columns dealt with how he happened to officiate at the controversial marriage between African-American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and Swedish actress May

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Travel and Food

'Confusions' is four–er, five–mini-plays rolled into one

———————————————————————————————— By Cynthia Citron  Los Angeles bureau chief, San Diego Jewish World LOS ANGELES–One of the most exquisitely exciting experiences that you can have—in public, at least—is watching a brilliant troupe of actors performing a well-written, well-directed, thoroughly engrossing play.  Such an experience is available now at The Lost Studio in Los Angeles, where the American

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Travel and Food

Of Killing Fields and Looted Graves: A Catholic Priest Fulfills the Command, Zachor

Father Patrick Desbois ___________________________________________________ By Jeanette Friedman NY Bureau Chief, San Diego Jewish World NEW YORK–Father Patrick Desbois is an unusual Catholic priest, who, at the behest of two French clerics (the Yiddish-speaking Holocaust survivor, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, and Cardinal Jean Pierre Ricard), officially took it upon himself to obey the commandment, Zachor, to remember.

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Travel and Food

Pope's visit to Rome synagogue set for Sunday, January 17

VATICAN CITY (WJC)–Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to the Rome synagogue will take place in a “new atmosphere” in relations between Catholics and Jews, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican official in charge of religious relations with Judaism, has said. “We have a new atmosphere with Judaism even if there are difficulties,” he was quoted as

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Travel and Food

ADL calls on Greek government to condemn firebombing attack on Crete synagogue

NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Thursday called on the government of Greece to “publicly and forcefully condemn” an anti-Semitic arson attack against a synagogue on the island of Crete. “It is disappointing that the Greek government has so far failed to condemn the shocking arson attack targeting a synagogue on the island of

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Travel and Food

Czech trial begins to ban Workers Party as a neo-Nazi organization

PRAGUE (WJC)–The Supreme Court of the Czech Republic is hearing a case brought by the Czech government which wants to ban the extreme-right Workers’ Party (DS). Different governments have asserted that the party is a political wing of the neo-Nazi movement, but a previous attempt to have the party banned was dismissed by the court

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Travel and Food

Jewish community organizes relief effort for Haiti quake victims

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– On Tuesday, January 12, a powerful earthquake battered the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck about 10 miles southwest of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday evening, devastating the island’s most populated city. Hundreds of thousands are feared dead from the immediate impact, with tens of thousands

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