Imre Kertesz
In June of 1944, an anonymous diarist in the Lodz Ghetto wrote, “The human language is too poor to describe the suffering of Jews in the ghettos of 1944. Where would the expressions come from, the descriptions, adjectives, that could only superficially describe our pain?” This diarist kept his… Read more »
Ezra Furman wraps tefillin and reads Jewish philosophers while on tour. (Phil Sharp)
(JTA) — Ezra Furman is an acclaimed indie rocker who, while hanging on his tour bus, has been known to lay tefillin. Striking, too, is Furman’s typical getup: The singer and guitarist often eschews the standard millennial indie rocker uniform — skinny jeans, tight T-shirt — in favor of… Read more »
Estelle Darnault as Mary Lou in “Blind Date à la Juive”
The Arizona International Film Festival, running now through May 1, is celebrating its 25th year with films from 25 countries. Revolving around the theme “Bridging Cultures,” 30 full length features and 58 shorts in a variety of categories are scheduled at nine downtown venues. Among the films is “Blind… Read more »
Hollywood scriptwriter Herb Tucker (David Alexander Johnston) explains to his girlfriend Steffy (Susan Kovitz) why he doesn’t want to get married again. (Tim Fuller) Invisible Theatre will stage Neil Simon’s comedy, “I Ought to Be in Pictures,” April 19-May 1. Ticket information is available at 882-9721 or invisibletheatre.com.… Read more »
Potato and carrot gratin (Samantha Mattox)
(The Nosher via JTA) — With Passover comes lots of cleaning, matzah eating, and potato peeling. I know, I know — potatoes get a bad rap during Passover because they’re one of the seemingly few things we can eat (and therefore are made very frequently during these eight days). But I say… Read more »
The Edwards Twins, identical twin celebrity impressionists, will return to Tucson, their childhood home, for a charity performance at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Sunday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. Anthony and Eddie Edwards, who are Jewish, are alumni of Rincon High School. They have toured the globe for… Read more »
Amy Ernst’s “In the Shadow of the Dreamers” featuring members of the UA Dance Ensemble. (Ed Flores)
“In the Shadows of the Dreamers,” a dance commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, will be part of a University of Arizona School of Dance concert later this month to benefit the Holocaust History Center at the Jewish History Museum. The concert and reception will be… Read more »
Musician Sarah Aroeste (Courtesy of Sarah Aroeste)
(Kveller via JTA) — Sarah Aroeste is one of those people who seem utterly fascinating. She’s a mom and Ladino musician who recently released her fourth album “Ora de Despertar,” or “Time to Wake Up.” In her music, she explores her connection between her Sephardic roots in Greece and her passion for Ladino musical… Read more »
Vegan chopped liver with mushrooms and miso. (Aly Miller)
(The Nosher via JTA) — For thrifty, veggie-loving cooks like me, signing up for a CSA share is the way to go. Sure, it can be a daunting investment up front, but it’s often the best deal you’ll find in the city for local and fresh produce. And there’s… Read more »
The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies and the University of Arizona School of Dance will present “An Evening with Yaniv Abraham & Guy Shomroni” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 31 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. The event is free and open to the… Read more »
From left, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Ben Affleck as Batman in "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics)
(JTA) — When the highly anticipated movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” opens nationally on Friday, several burning questions will finally be answered. Among them: Which superhero is tougher? Does Wonder Woman hold her own? And does actor Jesse Eisenberg, who often plays characters of a more sensitive sort,… Read more »
Rotraut Klein Moquay
An exhibition of small sculpture and works on paper by international artist and sculptor Rotraut (Rotraut Klein Moquay) is on display at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Fine Art Gallery through April 13. Born in East Germany in 1938, Rotraut spent much of her life and career in France.… Read more »
Editor and translator Ann Goldstein seated in the Conde Nast cafeteria at One World Trade Center in New York City. (Erica Brody) NEW YORK (JTA) — It was back in the fall, at an event at BookCourt in Brooklyn, when translator Ann Goldstein was first asked for her autograph by an eager reader. Goldstein was caught by surprise. After all, this was before her work appeared on The New York Times list of “100 Notable… Read more »
Crowds line up for admission to the Holocaust History Center and the Jewish History Museum. (Liam Frederick)
History, Holocaust museums reopen Hundreds of people turned out Sunday, Feb. 21 for the reopening of the Rose and Maurice Silverman Jewish History Museum Campus. The Friedman Family Jewish History Museum and the newly expanded Gould Family Holocaust History Center opened to the public after remarks by Tucson Mayor… Read more »
When local Jewish writer Joni Rubinstein’s children were babies, she began a birthday practice that became a cherished family tradition. “When my first daughter, who is 35 now, was born, I found this tiny little poem that was about birthdays,” says Rubinstein, an elementary school counselor in the Marana… Read more »
Geza Rohrig, right, and other members of the “Son of Saul” cast in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 26, 2016. (Cnaan Liphshiz)
BERLIN (JTA) — When the Hungarian-Jewish poet Geza Rohrig agreed to play the lead role in the Oscar-nominated Holocaust drama “Son of Saul,” he knew he was taking on a daunting challenge. With very little acting experience, Rohrig, 48, agreed to portray the complex lead in a shoestring production by… Read more »
Lenny Abrahamson at The Hollywood Reporter's Nominees Night in Beverly Hills, California, Feb. 8, 2016. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
NEW YORK (JTA) — It’s the biggest night of the year in Hollywood, so it’s not surprising that Jews are typically well-represented among the annual list of Oscar nominations. But this year, in the absence a major Jewish-themed film, the Jewiness of this year’s Oscars is of the quieter… Read more »
Turkish Pizza With Chopped Salad (Samantha Ferraro)
(JTA via The Nosher) — Two years ago, my husband and I went on a food tour across Istanbul, and our guide was boasting about lahmacun, Turkish-style pizza, and how we can’t leave Turkey without trying it. I remember watching the Turks walk around the cobbled old streets, bustling… Read more »
Tess Gerritsen When international best selling writer Tess Gerritsen writes a mystery, she is sometimes as surprised as her readers and the characters in her story at who did the dirty deed.… Read more »
Park City Mountain in Utah, where America's only kosher slopeside restaurant is located, is also the nation's largest ski area, at 7,300 acres. (Uriel Heilman)
PARK CITY, Utah (JTA) – Laurent Masliah likes wine as much as the next Frenchman. But that’s not why he bought up every last bottle of kosher wine in the state of Utah and is desperately angling for more. Masliah is the general manager of Prime at Canyons, the… Read more »
