Holocaust filmmaker’s animated doc in Oscar hunt
Sometimes art imitates life, and sometimes art dictates life. When I interviewed Perry Chen and his mom, Dr. Zhu Shen on Wednesday, I felt that art and life inform each other, with one or...
‘BeteBrune’ novel filled with hateful stereotypes
This was a truly difficult book to read. Not stylistically; the author has a clear and concise style. The book’s content was severely off-putting, so filled is this novel with hate, stereotyping, and prejudice...
Delight your child, and self, with this baby book
Is there a word in Yiddish for smorgasbord? If there were, it might be perfect to describe the contents of this charming “first Jewish baby book” that will be so fun for parents and...
Friendship between Basques and Jews fuels novel
While the Basque people of Vitoria, Spain, were Christians, like the Jews, they were outsiders, not quite like the other Christians of Castile or other parts of newly united Spain. So, when King Ferdinand...
Beyond the Age of Reason: Art to inspire, raise questions, and perhaps anger
The contemporary art exhibit, “Beyond the Age of Reason,” curated by Larry and Debby Kline, is nearing the end of its run at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park. If you want...
Jewish book festival spans mystery to memoir
Have cooling temperatures left you longing to curl up with a good book?
The Northwest Ohio Jewish Book Festival has a few recommendations.
Like, say, Beverly Gray’s Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How ‘The Graduate’ Became the Touchstone...
Yale Strom’s Broken Consort: Shimmering Lights – new CD/recording on the ARc UK label
‘Shimmering Lights’ is the delightful new studio album from ethnomusicologist Yale Strom. This album is a collection of traditional and new songs and instrumentals celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights known as Hanukkah. ‘Shimmering...
Irish and Jewish questions – the chosen people’s history in Ireland
The first mention of Jews in Ireland dates from the Annals of Innisfallen in 1079; according to an entry for that year .
“Coicer Iudaide do thichtain dar muir agus aisceda leo do Thairdelbach, & a n-díchor...
‘Samuel Project’ stars Hal Linden as Holocaust survivor
The Samuel Project, filmed in San Diego and screened at the San Diego International Film Festival, is a gentle post-Holocaust story starring Hal Linden as Samuel, a Holocaust survivor who is reluctant to talk about...
A sweet play about two coping with death
We generally view grief as a mitigating factor. Death is a harsh clarion signaling a divide between what was once vibrant and dynamic to something silenced and static. New Village Arts turns this concept...