Contemporary Jewish Museum in San
Francisco
will have 63,000 square feet of Libeskind-space
SAN FRANCISCO—Since its founding in 1984,
The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) presents exhibitions and programs
that explore Jewish art, culture, history and ideas to audiences of all
ages and backgrounds. The Museum has been housed in a gallery space off
the lobby of the Jewish Community Federation building at 121 Steuart
Street, where it has presented more than 100 exhibitions and programs on
the subject of the Jewish spirit and imagination. The Museum is a
welcoming place for discovery and a gateway to explore the diversity of
intercultural and interfaith exchange.
As early as 1990, the CJM recognized the
urgency for a more expansive facility to meet the growing needs and
interests of the local community. To accommodate its expanding
programming, the CJM is building a new home in the historic Jessie
Street Power Substation. Originally designed in 1907 by Willis Polk, the
building is located at 736 Mission Street in the heart of San
Francisco's Yerba Buena cultural district located in the South of Market
(SoMa) neighborhood. In 1998, the CJM selected internationally renowned
architect Daniel Libeskind to design the 63,000-square-foot Museum,
which is an adaptive reuse of the landmark structure. This is his first
Museum project on the West Coast.
The building will feature the unique shapes
and spatial concepts that have earned Mr. Libeskind his worldwide
acclaim and will make visible the relationship between the new and the
old. The design preserves the character defining features of Willis
Polk's 1907 landmark structure, including the brick southern facade,
trusses and skylights and open space. It will also make this distinctive
San Francisco building accessible to the public for the first time in
its nearly 100-year history. Characteristic of Mr. Libeskind's designs
for Jewish organizations, the extension to the original structure is
resonant with Jewish ideas. Inspired by the phrase "L'Chaim," meaning
"To Life," Libeskind utilized the two Hebrew letters of "chai," the "chet"
and the "yud," to create the form of the building. From the outside of
the building, the addition will be most remarkable for its unique shape,
as well as its skin: a vibrant blue metallic steel.
The new Contemporary Jewish Museum is
scheduled to open in late Spring 2008.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum is led by
Director and CEO Connie Wolf. Roselyne C. Swig serves as Chair of the
Board of Trustees and leads the CJM's $80 million comprehensive Campaign
for the New Museum with CJM Board members. The Contemporary Jewish
Museum is a private, not-for-profit institution supported by members,
foundation and community support, and admission revenues.
For more information about The Contemporary
Jewish Museum, call (415) 344-8800 or visit
www.thecjm.org.
The preceding story was provided by the
Contemporary Jewish Museum
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Chicago
will have $55 million Jewish cultural center
CHICAGO (Press
Release)—The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies will officially open its new
$55 million state-of-the-art facility at 610 S. Michigan Avenue with a week-long
public celebration, beginning Friday, November 30. Among the attractions will be
a rare Chicago appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Thomas
Friedman, as part of Spertus’ new Center for Public Dialogue on Issues of the
Day lecture series.
The bold new
155,000-square-foot building designed by the award-winning Krueck & Sexton
Architects will provide enhanced features to better serve visitors and students
of Spertus Institute’s three main branches: Spertus College, Spertus Museum, and
the Asher Library. In addition, the building will feature the new 400-seat
Feinberg Theater, a sophisticated performance space to showcase lectures,
concerts, theater, and film; an interactive Children’s Center designed by Jim
Lasko, Artistic Director of Chicago’s innovative Redmoon Theater; and a new
kosher café – filling a downtown Chicago void – in partnership with Wolfgang
Puck Catering.
“We pride ourselves on being a center of Jewish learning and culture, and the
new facility will introduce Chicagoans and visitors to Jewish culture in an
expansive way,” said Dr. Howard A. Sulkin, President of Spertus Institute of
Jewish Studies. “Our opening celebration will showcase the caliber of
programming we will be offering on an on-going basis, including prominent
scholarly, artistic, literary, and even culinary talents.”
The public Spertus
celebration will begin on Friday, November 30, with tours of the new facility
and the opening museum exhibitions. Highlights of the week-long celebration
include an evening program of contemporary music, humor, and poetry geared
towards young professionals on Saturday, December 1, followed by an all-ages
Open House presented with Redmoon Theater on Sunday, December 2.
Other special
events include a salute to Jewish culture with the world premiere presentation
of a specially commissioned brass piece by prize-winning symphonic composer
Jonathan Berger. Spertus will inaugurate its new Center for Public Dialogue
on Issues of the Day lecture series, featuring speakers of national and
international importance, with a rare Chicago appearance by Pulitzer
Prize-winning author and journalist Thomas Friedman, presented here as the
Bucksbaum Family Endowed Speaker. Plus, Hanukkah begins on the evening of
Tuesday, December 4, and Spertus will certainly “cook” up some tasty programming
with its friends at Wolfgang Puck Catering. More specific details on all Grand
Opening programming will be announced shortly.
Leading up to the
public celebration will be a series of preview events for Spertus donors,
members, alumni, and friends, culminating with a Grand Opening Gala benefit on
Thursday evening, November 29.
The Spertus
Institute of Jewish Studies, founded in 1924 as the College of Jewish Studies,
now encompasses Spertus College, Spertus Museum, and the Asher Library.
Spertus invites
people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the multi-faceted Jewish
experience. Through its innovative programming, exhibitions, collections,
research facilities and degree programs, Spertus inspires learning, serves
diverse communities and fosters understanding for Jews and people of all faiths,
locally, regionally and around the world.
For additional
information about Spertus or the new facility, visit
www.spertus.edu.
The preceding story was provided by the Spertus Museum
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________
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Larger site in the
works for the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (Press Release)—The National Museum of American Jewish
History is constructing a new home for the only National Museum in
America devoted to telling the American Jewish Experience.
This $100 million facility is located between and in full view of both
the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall and the Liberty
Bell Center on the premier corner of Fifth and Market Streets. The new
landmark building will house the Museum's exhibitions and programs and
serve a diverse audience of more than 250,000 visitors each year.
-
A Museum for All People:
It will be a major national
educational and cultural resource. At a time when some people have
less historical perspective and are less connected to synagogues,
Israel, and the Holocaust, this Museum will educate Jews and
non-Jews alike about how Jews used the opportunities of freedom to
make diverse contributions to American life, while also recording
the experiences of other ethnic groups. Most importantly, the
coming generations will have a better understanding about who they
are and where they came from.
-
Architecture:
James S. Polshek of the internationally
acclaimed architectural firm
Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP
is designing the new building. His recent projects include the Rose Center
for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York
City, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and the Cultural Resource Center of the National Museum of the American
Indian, Smithsonian Institution, in Suitland, Maryland.
-
Core Exhibit Design:
Patrick Gallagher of
Gallagher & Associates, one of the
leading exhibition design firms in the country, is designing the core
exhibition. Gallagher recently completed the core exhibition design of the
International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., and is currently working on
exhibits for Gettysburg National Military Park, the Jamestown Settlement in
Williamsburg, Virginia, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African
American History and Culture in Baltimore, Maryland, and the National
Archives in Washington, D.C.
-
Historians:
Jonathan D. Sarna, Braun Professor of
American Jewish History at Brandeis University is chairing a committee of
nationally noted historians. His field embraces all aspects of American
Jewish history, from the colonial period to the twentieth century, with
special emphasis on social, cultural and religious history. He also chairs
the Academic Advisory and Editorial Board of the Marcus Center of the
American Jewish Archives and the online Judaic Studies network, H-Judaic.
Dr. Sarna has written, edited and co-edited fifteen books, including The
American Jewish Experience: A Reader; People Walk on Their Heads; Jacksonian
Jew: The Two Worlds of Mordecai Noah; JPS: The Americanization of Jewish
Culture 1888-1988. His most recent work, American Judaism: A
History, has been praised as being "the single best description of
American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil." It won numerous
awards including the 2004 Everett Family Foundation "Jewish Book of the
Year" award from the Jewish Book Council.
-
Education:
Reflecting the themes of the core exhibition
and the mission of the organization, the Museum is coordinating educational
programs that will include schoolchildren, teachers and families as well as
an online learning center, a fully interactive resource that will extend the
reach of the Museum well beyond the borders of Independence Mall. This
valuable resource will allow our current and new audiences to experience the
Museum even as it is being built.
The preceding article was provided by the National
Museum of American Jewish History
(Return
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New York's Jewish Museum describes the major
themes of its permanent 28,000-piece
collection
NEW YORK (Press
Release)—The permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum is called Culture and
Continuity: The Jewish Journey. It is one of the world’s great
opportunities to explore Jewish culture and history through art, archaeology,
ceremonial objects, photographs, ritual textiles, videos, interactive media, and
television excerpts from the Museum’s broadcast archive. The overall exhibition
examines the Jewish experience as it has evolved from antiquity to the present
over 4,000 years.
The exhibit explores the dynamic interaction between continuity and change
within Jewish history and culture, and include close to 800 works from the
Museum’s outstanding collection of 28,000 works of art, antiquities, ceremonial
objects and electronic media materials.
Designed as a dynamic experience, the entire exhibition comprises four principal
sections: Forging an Identity (c. 1200 BCE-c. 640 CE), which describes
the transformation in ancient times from Israelite to Jew and the evolution of
the Jews as a people with distinctive customs, rituals, and institutions;
Interpreting a Tradition (c. 640-c. 1800), which begins on the 4th floor and
continues on the 3rd floor, and explores the vitality and diversity of Jewish
life in the Diaspora; and Confronting Modernity (c.1800-1948), which
considers how, beginning in the 18th century, Jewish life was transformed by its
encounter with modernity. A final section, Realizing a Future: Contemporary
Voices, brings the visitor to the present with a look at contemporary art
and various expressions of Jewish identity today.
Some highlights include: a pair of
silver Torah finials from Breslau, Germany (1792-93) reunited at The Jewish
Museum after sixty years of separation; paintings by such artists as Max Weber,
Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, Isidor Kaufmann, Morris Louis, Ken Aptekar, and Deborah
Kass; prints by Ben Shahn and El Lissitzky; and sculptures by Chana Orloff and
Hannah Wilke.
A display of 38 Torah ornaments allows the viewer to compare artistic styles
from different parts of the world. It features lavishly decorated Torah crowns,
pointers, finials and shields from Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria, England,
France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Greece and Turkey), Georgia
(of the former Soviet Union), Morocco, Israel, Italy, early 20th century
Palestine, Persia, Poland, Russia, Tunisia, the United States, and Yemen.
Exhibits also focus on sculpture such as Leonard Baskin’s 1977 The Altar
(based on the biblical story of the sacrifice of Isaac), considered the artist’s
greatest carving, and George Segal’s 1982 work, The Holocaust.
The “New Directions” gallery of the Confronting Modernity section
includes photographs from the Museum’s collection that address, on a rotating
basis, aspects of Jewish life after World War II.
For example, one wall in the “New Directions” gallery features five video
monitors showing television excerpts from the collection of The Jewish Museum’s
National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting. The television excerpts range from
David Ben-Gurion declaring the independence of the State of Israel in 1948 to
Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr. in Alabama in 1965 to Adam
Sandler singing part of The Hanukkah Song.
Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey examines a question that has
long intrigued Jews and non-Jews alike: How has Judaism been able to thrive for
thousands of years across the globe, often in difficult and even tragic
circumstances?
Culture and Continuity examines this question primarily through objects
and texts. Objects reflect the different ways Jews have expressed their sense of
what it means to be Jewish throughout their history. Texts have been the prime
element of continuity in the evolution of the Jewish experience. Jews have been
able to sustain their identity by adapting to life in different countries,
cultures, and religious contexts. Survival as a people has depended upon both
the continuity of Jewish ideas and values and the flexibility to adapt to
changing circumstances.
The exhibition traces the dynamic interaction among three catalysts that have
shaped the Jewish experience: Jews’ constant questioning and reinterpretation of
their own traditions; the interaction of Jews and Judaism with other cultures;
and the impact of historical events that have transformed Jewish life.
By entering this exhibition each visitor will be joining a debate that is as
pertinent in today’s world of rapid change, cultural interaction, and challenges
to tradition as it has always been for defining the meaning of Jewish life.
The preceding story was excerpted from material provided by the Jewish
Museum of New York
San Diego Jewish World
Writing Contest #1
What was your most interesting Jewish summertime experience?
Perhaps it was at summer camp, or on a family trip, or in summer school,
or even at home. Send us an essay of up to 1,000 words about a
true experience. We will publish up to six bylined essays.
Winners will receive two passes (worth $30 each) on San Diego's Old Town
Trolley Tour or on the Seal Tour.
Please send your entries by July 31 to
sdheritage@cox.net. Your
stories should be clearly identified in the email message line as
contest entries. Include for verification purposes your full name,
address, and telephone number. Winning essays will be published in
August, and thereafter will be permanently archived on this site.
Questions may be addressed to editor Don Harrison via email above.
|
Dear Readers,
Along with my husband Don, I co-publish
San Diego
Jewish World. As a couple we have gone to many places. Cruising ranks
at the top of our list of favorite ways to travel.
Watch this ad for a different cruising photo
each day. A similar adventure can
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|
Adventures in Cruising
Aboard Holland America Ryndam
San Diego to Mexico cruising
Arches of Cabo San
Lucas from pool deck of Ryndam
Thanks to Abe & Bea Goldberg of San
Diego and
Ruth Kropveld of Cincinnati for sharing their family
cruise photos! |
.
Jews
in the News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like you, we're pleased when members of our community are
praiseworthy, and are disappointed when they are blameworthy.
Whether
it's good news or bad news, we'll try to keep track of what's being said in
general media about our fellow Jews.
Our news spotters are Dan Brin in Los Angeles, Donald H. Harrison in San Diego,
and you. Wherever you are, if you see a story of interest, please send a
summary and link to us at sdheritage@cox.net
and we'll acknowledge your tip at the end of the column.
To
see a source story click on the link within the respective paragraph.
|
*Congressional Democrats Howard Berman and Tom Lantos of
California and Eliot Engel of New York are among a group of
congressional representatives pushing the Justice Department to
investigate allegations that some American companies in the United
States have employed drug-smuggling gangs in Colombia for criminal
protection of their interests in Colombia. The
story by Josh Meyer is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Rabbi Marvin Hier and Rabbi Abraham Cooper of
the Simon Wiesenthal Center have taken the Los Angeles Times to
task for providing a forum on its opinion page to a writer for Hamas.
Their
op-ed piece is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been pioneering a new
concept in movie theatres—living room like viewing areas with soft
chairs and foot rests, a nearby bar from which you can carry your
drinks, and surround sound. Individual tickets cost $11, or a
party can rent the Landmark theatre for one movie showing for $1,500.
He built the concept into a theatre at the shopping center at Westwood
and Pico Boulevards. The
story by Lee Grant is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*Al Aqsa Brigade terrorists on the West Bank are laying down arms in
response to a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to give peace
with Israel a chance. Mahdi Maraka and Nasr Kharuz say
times are changing. The New York Times News Service
story is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune. David Ignatius
of the Washington Post suggests in a
column that the United States is consciously following a West Bank
first option in the hope that moderates in Gaza will split from Hamas
and seek union with the Palestinian state headed by Abbas.
*The guilt felt by young Germans over the acts of their fathers and
grandfathers in furtherance of the Holocaust is a recurring
theme. Now author Rachel Seffert explores the phenomenon in the
novel Afterwards. A
review by Heller McAlpin is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*San Diego Sheriff Bill Kolender has reversed his stand of
several years ago and now is opposed to the continuance of a state
liquor license for the casino and hotel on the Barona Indian
Reservation. He said even though Barona agreed not to serve liquor
on the floor of the casino, the number of drunk driving crashes on windy
Wildcat Canyon Road has been increasing steadily. The
story by Onell R. Soto is in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.
*In a story of international intrigue, the question is being asked "Who
used thallium to poison Yana Kovalevsky and her mother, Dr.
Marina Kolvalevsky, two former Soviet Jewish emigres to the United
States, when they made a return visit to Russia? Paul Pringle tells the
story in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Singer Barry Manilow has been making financial contributions
to a variety of presidential candidates including Joe Biden, Hillary
Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama. But the one that has some
people scratching their heads is his contribution to Republican Ron Paul
(who typically votes against Israel). The story by Don Frederick and
Andrew Malcolm is in the "Top of the Ticket" column in today's Los
Angeles Times.
*It is not an easy topic to tackle, not for playwrights nor for
audiences, but more and more dramas are dealing with genocides in Rwanda
and in the Sudan. One of them is Rash by Jenni Wolfson.
The
story by Zachary Pincus-Roth is in today's Los Angeles Times.
*Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaraslovsky and other
members of the board have expressed skepticism over County Counsel Ray
Fortner's decision to no longer release summary memos concerning out of
court settlements reached by the county government. They may
reverse his decision at an upcoming meeting. The
story by Mark Haefele is in today's Los Angeles Times.
(Return to top)
________________________
Click the ad above to go to the "I'm there for you baby" website
To
tell
the truth:
these three
all have
different
versions of
what led to
the Samurai's
death in
Rashomon
Seema Sueko, Mitchell Wyatt
(Samurai), Richard Baird
(Bandit)
Who killed the Samurai? You can be the jury
SOLANA BEACH, California—I don’t think I could ever be a good witness to
a crime. I’ve never been put to the test, but every now and then I try
my skills while people-watching, or driving when someone cuts me off, or
watching T.V. I describe in my mind the person, situation or happening,
and it amazes me how quickly I forget. It’s not that I don’t recall the
incident. The details get fuzzy and I begin to doubt myself.
In Fay and Michael Kanin’s adaptation of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s
Rashomon, based on the 1950’s film directed by Akira Kurosawa which
is taken from two stories or fables by Akutagawa, reality and the idea
of truth get intertwined when three men, a woodcutter, a priest and a
wigmaker find themselves taking shelter under the Rashoman Gate near
Kyoto, Japan and share a tale.
Both the priest and the woodcutter tell that they witnessed the rape of
a young woman and the murder of her Samarai husband at the hands of a
renowned bandit. The wigmaker (played by Doren Elias who gives another
perfect performance as a curmudgeon who knows too much) is intrigued by
the event and being somewhat of a troublemaker himself, eggs them on to
them to tell what they saw happen.
Each has a different account of what they thought they saw. As the
events are told in flashback, what we hear are a series of
contradictions leaving the listener to arrive at his own conclusion.
Adding to the confusion, the Bandit, the Samurai’s wife and the dead
Samurai also give their account in an emotional series of flashbacks.
At the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, artistic director
David Ellenstein takes his talented cast of nine on a journey to find
the truth, that oh, so elusive idea hidden in the stories each of the
participants has to offer. Robert May ( low keyed and soft spoken) is
the Priest who saw the Samurai and his wife the day the incident
happened. The woodcutter, (Diep Huynh) claims he found the body of the
Samurai three days before while looking for wood. Frightened, he went to
the authorities and reported what he found.
What takes place next is a trial of sorts where the Bandit, Tajomaru,
(played by Richard Baird who is bigger than life in this part which is
meant for him) tells his interpretation of events. He claims he tricked
the Samurai to step off the mountain trail with him to look at a cache
of ancient swords. There he ties the Samurai to a bamboo tree and goes
back for his wife. He planned to rape the woman, who initially fought
him off only to submit later on. The woman, wracked with shame and
guilt, begged the bandit to a duel with her husband to the death. While
they fought honorably and Tajomaru became the victor, Masago escapes.
The Samurai’s wife, Masago, (Seema Sueko has just the right balance of
scheming wife, violated woman and frightened bird to give her
credibility) has an entirely different story to tell. She claims that
after the Bandit raped her, she begged her husband, who is tied to a
bamboo tree, to forgive her, but he ignores her. She then freed him and
begged him to kill her with her dagger, but he only stares at her in
cold disbelief. She faints with the dagger in her hand and when she
awakes she finds her husband dead with the dagger in his chest.
Through a medium, (Jensen Olaya completely realistic), because all of
the stories are so different, the deceased Samurai, (a poised and
believable Mitchell Wyatt) is allowed to give his account. After he was
captured by Tajomaru, and after his wife was raped, Tajomaru asked
Masago to travel with him. She accepts only after asking the Bandit to
kill her husband so she wouldn’t feel the guilt of being with two men.
Shocked by her request the Bandit asks the Samurai if he should let his
wife go or kill her. At this point, Masago escapes again and after an
aborted attempt to recapture her, the Bandit lets the Samurai free.
With the woodcutter, the Priest and the wigmaker looking on as are the
rest of the audience, we are all left to draw our own conclusions of
the rape and murder for all versions are so different. Finally, the
attention is drawn back to the woodcutter, who says his earlier story
was a lie and he tells yet another version of what he saw which is
completely different from his own first story and from the others.
Entertaining? Absolutely. And there’s more!
Again, under Ellenstein’s direction and fine and powerful acting
overall, with wonderful costumes by Jeanne Reith, appropriate music by
Chris Luessmann, Matt Novotny’s fine lighting design and on another
excellent set by Marty Burnett, Rashomon is on the ‘not to be
missed’ list. It’s better than watching Truth or Consequences. It
plays through Aug. 12th. For more information call 858-481-1055 or visit
northcoastrep.org
Jewish Postscripts:
Both Fay and Michael Kanin have been recognized with high praise within
the Jewish Community. Fay Kanin has assumed various leadership roles in
the film industry. She was the second female president for The Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She received numerous nominations
and awards as writer and producer for stage, screen and television. They
include several Emmy and Peabody awards, the Crystal Award for Women in
Film and the Burning Bush Award from the University of Judaism. She is
listed in
American
Jewish Women of Achievement Oral History Collection,
which is the source of this information.
The late Michael Kanin was a distinguished playwright and screenwriter
who encouraged young playwrights to write for stage and screen.
For more information on Michael Kanin visit
Michael
Kanin Playwriting Awards Program
See you at the theatre.
(Return to top)
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Two scenes from ABT's production of Sleeping Beauty.
Gene Schiavone photos
ABT's theatrical new Sleeping Beauty
COSTA MESA, California—American Ballet Theatre’s new production of this
major ballet made its appearance at Orange County Performing Arts Center
in Costa Mesa, with a worthy Saturday evening performance on July 21.
The house was filled – and well it should have been. Premiering in New
York on June 1, the production received mixed reviews; not for the
dancing but for some unhappy theatrical effects, some tinkering with the
drama of the story as well as choreographic “tune-ups.” Always be
careful when re-arranging a beloved classic.
If there is an obvious lesson to be learned from Sleeping Beauty
it is to check and re-check an invitation list and that who one invites
is more important than whom one wants to invite. But perhaps the
greater lesson is that a harsh verdict by an offended individual may
need to be ameliorated by one of good heart. That is why equity is
married to common law.
A good lesson for a dance critic, too. This is a fairy tale and all too
often critics try to discern within it heavy handed analysis perhaps
coming to the theater prepared to condemn rather than with an equal
measure prepared to enjoy. The same can be said of librettists – it
doesn’t really need much psycho-drama. I simply enjoyed it.
Whatever high wire flying fairies there were that garnered negative
raves when this new production first premiered – are gone – perhaps for
good. The costumes (by Willa Kim) are sumptuous – lavish – glittering –
bejeweled – and thank heavens – colorful. We’ve become so used to the
pale pastels for major and supportive roles or the range of earth tones
(brown and dull) for peasants (even when they are celebrating something)
seeing real color is almost jarring but welcome. A ballet such as
Sleeping Beauty should be an optical feast, a spectacle – a
theatrical experience - and this production certainly is all of that.
Susan Jaffe, retired from principal roles in 2002 returned to play the
Queen and she was loving as a mother and one could see why the King
cherished her when she implored him to spare the lives of the four
“village gossips” who contrary to his edict brought a spindle to the
Court. He, danced by Roman Zhurbin, while properly kingly in
proclaiming his edict (and other kingly duties) was much too stoical
while watching his daughter dance with the deadly spindle or when she
succumbed to the spell and swooned to the floor. Even a king can show
emotion as a father.
Gillian Murphy was a beautiful Lilac Fairy – she didn’t simply dance
well – she set jewels across the stage. She was tender, she was firm in
her contravention of Carabosse, and she enticed and convinced the Prince
to follow her to find a Sleeping Princess in a forbidding forest. Calm,
sure, regal, she led the story forward and controlled it.
The Garland Dance didn’t dance for me. As much as I love color – yellow
edging toward mustard with turquoise accents, didn’t quite fit the idea
of flower garlands. Likewise the waltz itself never seemed to come
together; it should be one of the highlights of the ballet. Two children
were used and though they both accomplished with success their task –
they were an interruption to the overall action of the waltz.
What a handsome Prince Désiré Jose Manuel Carreno made! One look would
certainly be a pleasant sight to which to awaken – one look would
convince the most modest princess. Julie Kent’s Aurora looked
delighted. (The lady next to me was fanning herself.) He has the
authority of a prince with the smile of a boyish happy heart.
The Vision Scene was introduced by a hunting excursion with the Prince
and his friends – this is the first time we see him in the ballet.
Catching sight (actual or imagined) of a castle on a remote hilltop
leads him to a reverie and I thought – on no – not another moody prince
a la Siegfried in Swan Lake! However, this scenario did give an
opportunity for that rare happenstance – an adagio solo for a male
dancer. To watch a male principal dancer alone on the stage sans mighty
jumps and multiple turns is a real treat. Carreno is a fine dancer, an
attentive partner and only lacks the edge of ballon when he does sail
through the air. Of especial note regarding his partnering skills – in
the series of fish dives in the Grand Pas de Deux – they were all so
smooth, so quickly accomplished and truly beautiful. (I can’t help but
wish this particular ballet lift/move had a more flattering balletic
name!)
The female corps de ballet in the Vision Scene came into its own and
danced as one – coordinated physically and musically. They completed
the Vision – a difficult task very well done. In addition, the Prince’s
friends acquitted themselves in a worthy manner and though I believe it
is far more difficult for the male corps to coordinate their signature
jumps and turns than it is for the women – they did.
Five fairies – Sincerity, Fervor, Charity, Joy and Valor – earned their
applause, but especially, Zhong-Jing Fang as Joy. She was a delight:
quick, clean, clear and yes, joyful. She is listed in the Company
roster as a member of the corps de ballet, but evidently is destined for
greater challenges.
Martine Van Hamel, retired from principal roles, performed as Carabosse
and was a treat and then some. She invested the role with wicked anger
and frustrated evil. Unrestrained by strict classical vocabulary, she
let loose with her considerable dramatic gifts: an excellent
counterpoise to Murphy’s “triumph over evil.”
Kent’s Aurora was a sweet well bred princess. There were none of the
all too pervasive exaggerations one sees in classical ballet today.
Arabesques did not exceed ninety degrees, penchés didn’t hit six o’clock
and therefore obscure her Prince’s face and her lifted leg matched line
for line with her arms and head – a thing not possible when extension is
exaggerated. She let the classical lines, the choreography as
originally conceived and her own fine proportions speak – no extenuation
was necessary. She brought this classic role back to its classic base.
In Aurora’s allegro pas when first entering the stage – she could have
added a bit more eclat to the overall sweetness – a bit more stretch in
the skimming movement.
(Jump to continuation)
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Unless otherwise indicated, source for these stories is today's edition of The
San Diego Union-Tribune, to which we gratefully provide the links below. We do
not apply halacha to determine if a player is Jewish; rather, if he or she has a
Jewish parent or has converted to the faith, we count him or her as a member of
our community.
Is Brad Ausmus in training as a baseball manager?
BASEBALL—Brad
Ausmus appears to be serving as an apprentice for Houston Astros
manager Phil Garner, prompting Chris Jenkins of the San Diego
Union-Tribune to speculate that a gig as a manager may be in Ausmus'
future after he retires as a catcher. ... T'was day six of the
banishment from the American League's top 10 batters list for
Kevin Youkilis. Although he batted a respectable 1 for 3
in the Boston Red Sox's 11-3 defeat of the Chicago White Sox, and added
to that a base on balls, scoring both times on the base paths, Youkilis'
batting average at .310 is four points below that of the current Number
10 AL batter, Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles.
HORSE RACING—Jockey
David Cohen brought Wild Diplomat in for a second place finish
Saturday in the 6th race at Del Mar Racetrack, the first time this
season the jockey has won a bet-winning horse. According to the
track's website, a $2 bet paid $6.80 to place and $5.20 to show.
Cohen's mount in the 5th race, Trail Mix, did not finish in the money.
SCANDALS—National
Basketball Association
Mark Stern faces a scandal that can hurt his sport more than
allegations of dog-fighting by Michael Vicks can hurt the NFL or steroid
use by Barry Bonds can hurt MLB because alleged point fixing by referee
Tim Donaghy isn't just about the actions of an individual, it makes the
entire sport suspect. That's the opinion of Ethan J. Skolnick of the
South Florida Sun-Sentinel in a column appearing in today's San
Diego Union-Tribune....
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Who is in National
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame?
You'll find the
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at the Suffolk Y Jewish
Community Center in New York and from now on, we'll try
to keep track in this space of new inductees. But so that
we all start off together on the same foot, here's an
alphabetical listing by sport of who has been inducted so far.
BASEBALL—Brad
Ausmus, Adam Balkan, Moe Berg, Ron Blomberg, Harry Danning,
Thelma Eisen, Mike Epstein, Sid Gordon, Shawn Green, Hank
Greenberg, Ken Holtzman, Sandy Koufax, Max Levine, Elliott
Maddox, Arthur Richman, Saul Rogovin, Al Rosen, Art Shamsky
BASKETBALL—Sandra Berenson Abbott, Red Auerbach, David
Bluthethal, Larry Brown, Herb Brown, Lou Carnesecca*, Shay
Doron, Norm Drucker, Ken Fiedler, Jack Garfinkel, Marty Glickman,
Leo Gottlieb, Bess Greenberg, Zachary Greenberg, Dan Grunfeld,
Ernie Grunfeld, Sonny Hertzberg, Art Heyman, Nat Holman, Anita
Kaplan, Ralph Kaplowitz, Jason Liberman, Nat Militzok, Steve
Nisenson, Donna Orender, Marty Riger, Leonard Rosenbluth, Hank
Rosenstein, Abe Saperstein, Red Sarachek, Dan Schayes, Ossie
Schectman, Jonathan Scheyer, Laine Selwyn, Justin Simon, Zaeda
Spoelstra, Sid Tanenbaum, Herb Turetzky, Neal Walk, Dennis
Williams, Courtney Zale, Max Zaslofsky
BICYCLING—Nicole Freedman
BODY BUILDING—Dan Lurie
BOWLING—Marshall
Holman
BOXING—Ray Arcel, Harry Haft, Benny Leonard, Boyd Melson,
Barney Ross,
BROADCASTING/
SPORTSCASTING—Marv Albert; Mel Allen, Len Berman, Bonnie
Bernstein, Linda Cohn, Howard Cosell, Stan Fischler, George
Kalinsky, Barry Landers, Bill Mazer, Dwight Stones, Susan
Waldman, Warner Wolf
CANADIAN FOOTBALL—Noah Cantor
CANOEING—Joe Jacobi
CYCLING—Ryan Levinson, Doug Shapiro
COLUMNIST—Gerald Eskanazi, Stan Isaacs, Steve Jacobson,
Shirley Povich, Milton Richman, Dick Schapp, Lisa Winston
DISCUS—Nancy Moloff
DRESSAGE—Robert Dover
EXECUTIVE—Alan Freedman
FENCING—Cliff Bayer, Tamir Bloom, Emily Jacobson, Sada
Jacobson,
FIGURE SKATING—Sarah Hughes
FOOTBALL— Matt
Bernstein, Gary Bettman, Hayden Epstein, David Ettinger, Jay
Fiedler, John Frank, Bennie Friedman, Lennie Friedman, Sid
Gillman, Marshall Goldberg, Neila Jacobson, Chad Levitt, Marv
Levy, Sid Luckman, Wellington Mara. Josh Miller, Marvin Miller,
Ron Mix, Ed Newman, Neil Ravitz, Sage Rosenfels, Mike Rosenthal,
Mike Saffer, Allie Sherman, Bob Stein, Dick Steinberg, Josh
Taves, Preston Robert Tisch, Gary Wichard, Mark Wohlstadter,
Gary Wood, George Young*
GOLF—Amy Alcott
GYMNASTICS—Mitch Gaylord, Dustin Greenhill, Dan Helmer,
Sarah Lownthal, Kerri Strug,
HANDBALL—Vic Hershkowitz, James Jacobs
HORSE SHOWING—Margie Goldstein-Engle
HORSERACING—Walter Blum
ICE HOCKEY—Sarah De Costa, Bob Nystrom*, Eric Nystrom,
Mathieu Shneider, Marc Siegel
JUDO—Bob Berland, Charlie Minkin
KARATE—Marilyn Fierro
LACROSSE—William Beroza, Al Blau, Adam Mahfouda, Rebekah
Rottenberg,
MARATHON RUNNING—Helene Hines, Deena Kastor, Fred Lebow
POLE VAULT—Jilian Schwartz
RACQUETBALL—Marty Hogan
REFEREE—Jerry Markbreit
ROWING—Aerial Gilbert,
RUGBY—Shaw Lipman
SKIING—Carrie Sheinberg
SOCCER—Jeff Agoos,
Charles Altchek, Yael Averbuch, Hilary Framson, Jesse Koller,
Jarryd Levine, Shep Messing, Chad Prince, Debbie Rademacher,
Sara Whalen
SOFTBALL—Rachel Blume, Samantha Marder
SHOT PUT—Andy Bloom, Rebekah Green, Amy Rosson
SPECIAL OLYMPICS—Craig Ludin
SQUASH—Stephanie
Barnet
SWIMMING—Anthony Ervin, Scott Goldblatt, Ben Herman,
David Kahn, Lennie Krayzelburg, Jason Lezak, Madelyn Raemnofsky,
Mark Spitz,
TENNIS—Gladys Heldman, Julie Heldman, Ilana Kloss, Dick
Savitt,
TRACK—Deena Drossin, Margaret Lambert, Irving Mondschein,
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, Jodi Schlesinger
TRIATHLETE—Joanna Zeiger
VOLLEYBALL—Fran Kalafer, Brie Katz, Jessica Levy
WEIGHTLIFTING—Isaac Berger,
WRESTLING—Damion Hahn, Henry Wittenberg
WRITER—Roger Kahn
* George Young Award winner, given to a Jew or non-Jew.
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sports agent with his life as an observant Jew, invites you to listen. Click on
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News from the
Israel Baseball League |
Israel TV audience
witnesses a 2-1 pitchers duel
By Nathaniel
Edelstein
PETACH TIKVA, July 22- Fans who tuned into Arutz Sport5's Sunday Night
Game at Yarkon Field were not disappointed as the Netanya Tigers
defeated the Modi'in Miracle in a 2-1 pitchers duel. New York City
native Leon Feingold out-pitched Modi'in's Audy Alcantara by throwing a
complete-game three-hitter, allowing just one run while striking out
four and walking one to pick up his second win.
The Tigers scored one run in the third inning on a single from
leftfielder Dan Rootenberg and then one more in the fifth on a single
from Dominican shortstop Hector De Los Santos. Although Modi'in
centerfielder Adalberto Paulino hit his sixth homerun of the season, his
team dropped its third consecutive game.
At the Sportek, the Tel Aviv Lightning capitalized on the Miracle loss
by beating the
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 10-1 to take sole possession of second place and
move just 1.5 games behind the first-place Sox. Lightning pitcher
Daniel Kaufman began the game a bit wild, but settled down to throw six
innings and allowed no earned runs and only one hit while striking out
seven batters and walking five to improve to 3-2.
The Tel Aviv offense handed Bet Shemesh's Juan Feliciano his first loss
of the season, but a sloppy Blue Sox defense didn't help the cause
either. Designated hitter Matt Brill and first baseman Stewart Brito
each went 2-for-4 with two RBI to give Kaufman more than enough support
as Steve Hertz's club won its third straight game.
At Kibbutz Gezer, the Petach Tikva Pioneers won their fourth game of the
season by
beating the Ra'anana Express 14-6. The Pioneers offense piled on the
runs, but Brooklyn-native Alper Ulutas pitched a good game, throwing six
innings and giving up two earned runs on six hits to go along with four
strikeouts and five walks.
However, the offense was certainly the story of the game as leftfielder
Ryan Crotin led the way, going 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBI.
Centerfielder Ben Dashefsky also contributed with a 2-for-3 night and
two RBI along with his first homerun of the season as the Pioneers put
the brakes to their four-game losing skid.
In other league news, Commissioner Daniel Kurtzer disallowed the Petach
Tikva Pioneers' protest of the July 17th game against the Modi'in
Miracle in which a
homerun derby controversy occurred. During the game the umpires ruled
that Petach Tikva second baseman Willis Bumphus could not participate in
the same derby round as both a pitcher and batter. The decision means
that the Modi'in is the official winner of the game. As a result of the
controversy, the commissioner has clarified the
rules of the homerun derby to allow a change of a team's derby pitcher
at any time.
Summaries:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Netanya 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 6 1
Modi'in 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3
W: Leon Feingold (2-2); L: Audy Alcantara (1-2); HR: Adalberto Paulino
(6)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bet Shemesh 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4
Tel Aviv 2 5 1 2 0 0 x 10 7 1
W: Daniel Kaufman (3-2); L: Juan Feliciano (4-1); HR: None
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ra'anana 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 6 9 1
Petach Tikva 1 1 8 3 1 0 x 14 13 3
W: Alper Ulutas (2-1); L: John Thew (2-2); HR: Ryan Crotin (4), Ben
Dashefsky (1)
Standings:
Team W L % GB
Bet Shemesh Blue Sox 16 6 .727 –
Tel Aviv Lightning 14 7 .667 1.5
Modi'in Miracle 13 8 .619 2.5
Ra'anana Express 9 13 .409 7.0
Netanya Tigers 7 12 .368 7.5
Petach Tikva Pioneers 4 17 .190 11.5
Monday's games start early due to Tisha B'av. At noon the Ra'anana
Express play the Netanya Tigers at Kibbutz Gezer while the Petach Tikva
Pioneers take on the Modi'in Miracle at Yarkon Field at the Baptist
Village. At 3pm the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox visit the TelAviv Lighting at
Sportek in Tel Aviv. For directions to the fields
visit
www.IsraelBaseballLeague.com.
___________________
First the baseball league, and now the souvenir cards
BOSTON (Press Release)– With
pro baseball having arrived in Israel, could baseball cards have
been far behind?
Anything related to a “first
season” of a professional league is bound to garner attention from
collectors, and one of the most popular figures to be a special
edition honoring the inaugural year of the Israel Baseball League.
The 18-card set, limited
to 3,000, features combinations of players who were making a
quick impact in the new league, which had its opening day on
June 24. The league is composed of six teams and 120 players,
representative of nine nations. They are playing a 45-game
schedule, culminating in a championship on August 19.
The copy on the backs of
the cards are in both Hebrew and English.
The cards were
developed by Jewish Major Leaguers, the organization led by
Martin Abramowitz who in 2003 developed the set of all
Jewish players who had appeared in the Major League Baseball
since the 1870’s. That set, “American Jews in America’s
Game”, led to a weekend forum in Cooperstown and to two
“update” editions.
The Israel Baseball
League set includes 42 player images, grouped as “Top Draft
Picks,” “First to Sign”, “Israeli Prospects,” “College
Stars” “International Stars” “Managers”, “League Leaders
(the founders) and a brief history of the league. The
“Managers” card includes ex-major leaguers Art Shamsky , Ken
Holtzman, and Steve Hertz. The set also features cards of
top players grouped by team.
In the league’s
early weeks, there have been three no-hitters pitched,
as well as multiple home run games and a few players who
have already broken double figures on home runs. Thus,
the league has been exciting for its balance of strong
pitching and power hitting.
“Baseball cards are part of the excitement when you root
for a team or root for a league,” said Larry Baras,
founder of the IBL. “These will be fun and interactive
for kids and their parents and make for terrific
gifts. We’ve been asked about whether we will have cards
almost since the day we launched the league.”
Said Abramowitz, “I’m hoping folks will rip off the
shrink-wrap and start sorting them, flipping them,
putting them in holders, and enjoying them the way cards
have traditionally been enjoyed.”
The
cards, selling for $15,will be available through the
Jewish Major Leaguers web-site,
www.jewishmajorleaguers.org,
as well as selected local Jewish bookstores throughout
the country. Additional IBL-related products can be
found on the IBL website.
Sleeping Beauty...
(Continued from above)
The Rose Adagio deserved enthusiastic response of the
audience, was secure – but somehow not exciting. She
didn’t eschew the proffered hands of the princes as some
recent Auroras have done (a very unromantic circus
addition, in my opinion), but she did take them a might
too quickly. I like a more leisurely approach a la
Fonteyn. What was exciting was the series of
beautifully done cabriole derriére directly into
renversé. Altogether Kent gave us a lesson in the
precise sculpting of classical ballet lines rather than
the over flung circus the art form has been approaching.
By the end of the ballet, however, Kent’s smile had
vanished and she looked strained.
The Blue Bird Grand Pas de Deux, danced by Gennadi
Saveliev and Stella Abrera, was an interesting contrast
to the principals. Saveliev is a more compact dancer
with fine ballon. Abrera took advantage of her bird
role and was a saucy, flickering delight: her high
attitude derriére leg – close behind her head – fit the
role – birdlike – quick – and in constant motion.
The various character dances in the Wedding Celebration
such as Puss-in-Boots and Red Riding Hood were present
but shortened with no great loss. In some productions I
find the “joke” overdone. However, the silly business
with Prince Charming putting on Cinderella’s slipper
could be dispensed with altogether; it came across as
someone grappling around a woman’s ankle – with no
meaning to the story.
Mounting a new production of Sleeping Beauty is a
major undertaking – costly, challenging and rife with
potential problems. Nothing happens on a small scale –
the result is either a triumph or a devastating failure
because of the huge investment. This new production
reminds us of the word “Theatre” in ABT’s name. I think
it was great theatre. Carabosse arrives in a blinding
meteoric flash of light and noise. Steam hisses, smoke
swirls and rises in a column. At other times, such as
the Vision Scene, mist softly eddies across the stage –
the final ripples from the river in the set. The Lilac
Fairy takes the Prince on a journey in a silver winged
boat as panels of forest growth cross the other way.
The OCPAC stage crew, silent and unseen behind the
glitter, are the unsung heroes for all this smooth
sailing: no blips to jar us back to reality.
While the sets (by Tony Walton) were visually
interesting, I thought the entrance for dancers – a
stairs coming around a castle tower - was unfortunate.
This is certainly true for anyone sitting left of
center. Also, rather incomprehensible is the separation
of the King and Queen from their daughter – they do not
join her in the long sleep. Of happier circumstance
this production leaves in the mime – gives it time –
making it clear and understandable. Marius Petipa’s
choreography with additions by Kevin McKenzie and Gelsey
Kirkland, survives.
Sometimes, instead of deep analysis it is worthwhile to
cast one’s ears backward and listen to the audience as
the story proceeds. I did that and caught nary a sound
of coughing, no shuffling about – everyone seemed caught
up in the action. And that’s the point isn’t it?
With all the color, the theatricality of this
production, the lavish costuming as well as the dancing,
I think the audience that fist saw this ballet at its
birth in January 1890 on the stage of the Mariinsky in
St. Petersburg, would have loved it.
The orchestra played well, but under the baton of
Charles Barker, at times, here and there, dragged the
tempi a bit.
POSTSCRIPT—Principal Dancer Susan Jaffe, a member of
the Jewish community, was born in Washington D. C. in
1962. She studied at the American School of Ballet
which is affiliated with the New York City Ballet and
the American Ballet Theatre School affiliated with the
Company of the same name - both are
considered amongst the premier ballet schools in the
world.
After dancing with the American Ballet Theatre II
Company, she joined the main company in 1980 and was
promoted to Principal in 1983 - a fairly short time line
for promotion to the first rank. She has danced all the
leading roles of the classical repertoire as well as
contemporary roles such as Tharp's Everlast and
Dove's Serious Pleasures. She has also toured
with Baryshnikov's company but is specifically admired
as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and the title role
in Giselle - two of the greatest challenges for
a ballerina in the canon of the classical ballet. She
retired from principal roles in June 2002 at the age of
forty but returns to undertake character work.
She will be in San Diego as a guest teacher with City
Ballet of San Diego from July 30th to August 3rd and
this reviewer has been invited to attend one of her
classes as an observer - an event to which I look
forward. Watching a great ballerina impart her
knowledge is a lesson in grace.
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