Jewish History & Culture
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Belllow by way of Bellow
Sons of famous fathers rarely eclipse their parent. Although there are some notable exceptions (JFK and Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes come to mind), the singularity of purpose, the ruthlessness that lead to lasting renown, as well as the perks and vicissitudes that come with fame, none of these reward excellent parenting nor allow children […]
The Bronfmans' New Haggadah
2 Cover of the newly released “Bronfman Haggadah.” For Passover this year, Rizzoli has just released “The Bronfman Haggadah,” written by the businessman, philanthropist and Jewish community leader Edgar Bronfman Sr., illustrated by artist Jan Aronson, who is also Bronfman’s wife. Unlike other haggadot, this version includes the role of Moses in the story of […]
Chabon's Reconnect
Michael Chabon. Photo courtesy of HarperCollins. A writer walks into a room full of rabbis. This sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s not. In the words of Woody Allen’s “Broadway Danny Rose,” “It’s the emes.” The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) held the Reform movement’s annual rabbinical convention March 3-6 in […]
When Voices met Visions
Here’s a challenge: Let’s say you had $1.1 million to give away on a program to inspire people working in Jewish organizations as well as the people who find themselves in their public spaces. What would you do? Hand out baseball cards with the pictures of famous rabbis and leaders? Produce mix tapes of Israeli […]
Abraham Lincoln: The First Jewish President?
Daniel Day-Lewis stars as President Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln.” Photo by David James, DreamWorks Abraham Lincoln has been dead for almost 150 years, yet suddenly he’s everywhere. At the Skirball Cultural Center, you can see an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Lincoln, amid an impressive array of founding American documents. The Huntington […]
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Rita Rocks her Persian Roots
Pop singer Rita will perforn in concert on Nov. 1 at UCLA. On Nov. 1, Israel’s most popular and enduring pop icon, Rita Yahan-Farouz, known the world over simply as Rita, will appear at UCLA’s Royce Hall, along with a special band assembled for this tour. She will perform songs from throughout her career, in […]