There is the compulsion to say to the world, to those who could not come: I am here. We are here. And even if we still cannot understand, we try to remember. Continue reading
Category Archives: Jewish
[The Forward] Wexler’s Brings The Deli Revolution to L.A.
Chef Micah Wexler spent months developing the rye bread recipe in his aim for craftsmanship. Continue reading
[The Forward] For Moroccan Jews, Passover Has a Sweet Ending
Tonight, right after sundown, chef Simon Elmaleh will discard the Passover matzo, set out fine platters laden with leavened, sugary sweets and welcome friends into his home with cries of terbhou ou tseedou, Arabic for “good luck.” Continue reading
[Neon Tommy] Israeli Musician David Broza Brings ‘East Jerusalem / West Jerusalem’ To L.A.
Israeli musician David Broza hopes that bridging cultures through music can be one small step toward peaceful coexistence. Continue reading
[USC] Who are the people of Israel?
Mainstream media consumers often think of this tiny country’s population in terms of two factors: Jewish and non-Jewish — which often means Arab. Yet the reality is much more complex. Modern-day Israelis have emigrated from or descend from roughly 25 countries in substantial numbers, with Russia representing the largest migration, and Syria the smallest. And … Continue reading
[USC] Press Freedom for Israel?
When I wrote this essay for a USC journalism class in October, there was no obvious sign that tensions between Israel and Palestine would soon flare up in the Gaza Strip once again. But then in mid-November Palestinians began lobbing rockets over the border. A decades-old conflict over territory and homeland picked up where it had last left off. Israel responded with air raids, and casualties resulted on both sides. U.S. media pounced on the story, filling front pages, radio reports, and TV shows. No doubt coverage in Israel and the Middle East was just as robust. But was it free of government influence and other constraints? Israel treats press freedom differently from the U.S., as my paper aims to explain. Times of war are especially sensitive. Israel and Palestine may have agreed on a cease-fire, but Israel’s political situation is still unstable. Israeli citizens — and the world — will need an active press to keep us informed about what is happening, and what we might expect next. Continue reading
[Blog] Summer Reading: China, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba and New York City
We’re nearing the end of those “lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer,” as Nat King Cole put it in his 1963 pop hit. The days have been especially lazy, crazy and hazy for those of us who just graduated college. Plenty of time for reading! No syllabus necessary. My picks have taken me to the … Continue reading
‘Tis the Chinese Food Season
‘Tis the season – for Chinese food. As every good Jew in L.A. knows, Christmas is the ideal time to devour dumplings, noodles and soup in Alhambra, Monterrey Park, or the San Gabriel Valley – today’s true Chinatowns. While Gentile families carve their holiday hams, Jews go out for what has become their traditional holiday … Continue reading
[LA Times] Echoing voices of a sorrowful past
L.A. Opera camp youths will perform ‘Brundibar,’ a Holocaust-era work. This month at Opera Camp, a program of L.A. Opera, children from 9 to 17 will sing, dance and make new friends. They will also learn about a vastly different camp — the Nazi concentration camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia, that interned 15,000 children from 1941-45. … Continue reading
[LA Times] In the shadows of a world torn apart by war
For Alan Furst, writing about European history in the 1930s and 1940s is like exploring “a room with a thousand corners.” His latest World War II book, “Spies of the Balkans,” is his 11th in a series of espionage novels set in Europe after Hitler’s ascent to power and seeks out yet another corner of the conflict… Continue reading