New musical ‘Fury and Elysium’ showcases women in pre-war Berlin
One of Stephanie Martin’s favorite parts of the musical “Fury and Elysium,” whose script she penned, is when the lover of a Socialist activist character named Rosa Luxemburg tells her that she is “too...
Drumming in Jewish Circles
In the book “Miriam’s Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from Around the World” (1988), edited by Prof. Howard Schwartz, Miriam’s drum had magical abilities. Taken from a 19th-century Eastern European folktale, Schwartz writes that the music...
Israeli diplomat found his way from Jerusalem to Chicago … via Senegal
Prior to 2018, Daniel Aschheim’s most extensive diplomatic experience was serving for five years as a concierge at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.
“There are very few jobs out there where you can speak...
One-Woman Play Profiles Three First Ladies’ Travails in the White House
The late Jewish broadcast journalists Barbara Walters and Morley Safer came in for criticism or perhaps plaudits–depending on how you look at it — in the one-woman play Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat &...
Revisiting the The Rothschilds
While sorting through and getting rid of books in order to accommodate a new item of furniture I came across “The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait,” which I had given to my father for his birthday in...
Documentary Intimately Records Eli Timoner’s Choice to End His Life
Eli Timoner once had been at the top of the world. He had netted millions from the sale of Laura Lee Candies, in which he had a controlling interest, as well as profits from...
Waxing and Waning Relations Between the Jewish and Mexican-American Communities in Los Angeles
SAN DIEGO – When I was a student at UCLA in the 1960s, one of the most pressing concerns was where to park. Many students commuted from their homes elsewhere in Los Angeles, but...
Yom Ha’atzmaut echoes in ‘The Mandalorian’
Eagle-eyed fans of the Disney series “The Mandalorian” and television writers have noted several instances when the show (the third season ended on April 19), which develops characters similar to those in “Star Wars,”...
How music led to a cantor’s survival story, and how it lives on in...
April tends to feature a flurry of Holocaust-related arts pieces—from new exhibits to books to webinars and movies. One of them this year offers a through-the-generations feel that brings the past right into viewers’...
Ruthless Businessman’s Ego Destructive of His Family
This novel traces the lives of the Feldman family as they build a nationally successful shoe store chain, but at a terrible price.
Max, the founder of the chain, is ruthless in his business practices...